What’s going on in the Middle East among Israel, the U.S., Iran and whoever else?

I’m worse than the average person when it comes to free stuff. If a company is giving away something for nothing you’ll find me nudging others aside to get to the front of the line. I blame it on my dad.

You can say that going to a Major League Baseball game can sometimes be boring. But you’ll no longer leave unsatisfied.

Two music legends. Two new documentaries out right now. The first is Man on the Run, available on Prime Video.

As long-time observers know, Albany has a budget “dance.” The first step is that the governor must introduce her executive budget by mid-January; she has until mid-February to make any changes.

Artists Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born, collaborators for nearly three decades under their company name Sweat Variant, recently presented a new three-hour work, my tongue is a blade.

Starting Wednesday, Troy Foundry Theatre creates the perfect match between site and material.

As I write this column I’m in pain. There are various reasons why — some of them undoubtedly age-related. But the most likely cause is the fall I took Wednesday coming off the chair lift at Mad River Glen in Vermont. “Mad River Glen, Ski It If you Can,” goes the bumper sticker. But first you need to successfully disembark from the lift before you can ascertain if you’re capable of meeting the mountain’s challenge.

Earlier this month, border czar Tom Homan announced the withdrawal of all but a small number of immigration officers from Minnesota, presumably sparked by the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents, hundreds of aggressive, often violent acts on peaceful protesters and weeks of apprehension and fear spread across the state.

One of my favorite phrases is, “that’s why we can’t have nice things.” It sums up a lot in life, including pretty much every office policy about remote work. It seems it also applies to global sports, in particular the Olympic Games.