It’s a snowy Christmas Eve in rural upstate New York. A despondent man leans over the railing of a metal bridge. Suddenly a police cruiser pulls up. The cop gets out and yells, “Hey George! You all right? The man…

It’s the season of giving, and that means thinking about tips for the service providers who make your life easier. But considering we use services more than ever before, who gets an extra holiday tip? And how much? Etiquette experts…

No-stir creamy risotto in half the time. Dried beans that cook up plump and quick – no pre-soaking required. Pork roast with perfectly cooked potatoes and carrots in silky sauce in an hour. Say hello to your new best friend….

Dr. Alok Trivedi, author of the book “Chasing Success” and the founder of The Aligned Performance Institute, says to reduce the stress of the holidays, try to stop doing these 10 things: Stop trying to please your family. If you…

Your sister-in-law is going to bring that horrible casserole again. Your mother-in-law will sneer at your ham. Your adolescent son refuses to make eye contact with anyone and his sister can’t take her eyes from her phone. Welcome to the…

At least once a week I see a very sad sight. I’ll stop at a convenience store to grab a coffee, and as I walk into the store I frequently see a person coming out of the store with at…

If you are a consumer, your only takeaway from the planned merger between CVS Health and Aetna is this: Nothing will change and your life will be a million times better. Because that’s what always happens when titans unite. No…

NEW YORK (AP) — The Nobel Peace Prize winners will be serenaded by John Legend on Monday and for that they can thank Legend’s infant daughter — and a second baby on the way. The Grammy winner will take the…

All of us have items in our closets – clothing, shoes, outerwear – that we never wear or haven’t worn in a long time. Often we donate bags and bags of unused clothing to social service agencies. Some of us…

Remember the good ol’ days when people would write their innermost thoughts in a diary? And then the diary would be locked and hidden under the bed? That way, only after a person died did you find out he or…

Women who say they were sexually harassed or mistreated by powerful men in television news have banded together to form a support network aimed at changing a newsroom culture they say has given men a free pass to misbehave for…

I’ve come to think of the internet the way I think about electricity. I flick a switch, and it turns on. There it is, the entire universe unfurling for me in a couple of mouse clicks. All kinds of companies…

Makayla Hainline has been waiting for a movie like “Wonder.” It’s the tale of Auggie Pullman, a 10-year-old boy who loves “Star Wars,” Halloween and science. He also has Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic condition affecting the way the…

For the first time in many years the dentist found a cavity in one of my teeth. And so, for the first time in many years I had to go through the ol’ drilling and filling procedure. Although I have…

He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. And the “he” is not just Santa Claus anymore – it’s also the Elf on the Shelf, and the Season of the Elf is just beginning. The Elf is…

My, my, what a cornucopia of creeps our benighted country has dished up for us this holiday season. And so refreshingly bipartisan! Who says we are a polarized country when our pantheon of perverts comprises so many politicians, publishers and…

It’s not difficult to reduce Joyce Reid to tears. It’s also not tough to get her laughing – big, growly abundant laughs that embrace you in a rich, consoling hug. Get Reid to talk to you about the kids who…

Back in the mid-1950s, comedian Joey Bishop scoped the nightclub’s dance floor and dining room of Miami’s illustrious Fontainebleau hotel when he came upon my mom and grandmother. Bishop asked my mom to dance, and they strolled to the middle…

Ever since my friend retired, her friends have wondered what she is going to do with herself. Several have mentioned their own discoveries of latent artistic or literary talent. One has published a book of poetry. Another has followed a…

Since I drive a lot for my job, I see plenty of license plates on other cars. Let me just say, they don’t make license plates like they used to. Years ago, the function of a license plate was rather…