Home Archives Letters Contact Guestbook Links


Good news! My column has been picked up by a third paper. It will now appear in the
Chatham Courier in Chatham, NY. It is a weekly paper in the northeast corner of Columbia
County. It is about 10 minutes from Lenox, Ma
.

My column is also now online at www.registerstar.com!
Click on columnists and then click on Upstate Tales.

Some of these columns were originally published by the Independent News. They are now
published by the Register-Star. Click here to visit their site.

I would like to thank Sarah Kravits whose help with my columns has been invaluable.

(When clicking on the articles below, please scroll down in the window that opens to read Michael's article.)

Back to Teaching, But in a New...
September 4th, 2010
A More Informed & Particpating...
August 26th, 2010
Random Summer Thoughts
August 21st, 2010
     
I Figured It Out
August 14th, 2010
With a Little Help...
August 7th, 2010
How Hot Is It?
July 31st, 2010
     
Watch this show: 'Man v. Food'
July 24th, 2010
The Show 'La Cage' Must Go On...
July 17th, 2010
We're Rich....or Not
July 10th, 2010
     
No more teachers, no more books
July 3rd, 2010
A Visit to the Thomas Cole House...
June 26th, 2010
One Smile At a Time
June 19th, 2010
     
Bad Intersection Gets an F
June 12th, 2010
Memorial Day 2010
June 5th, 2010
Bulletin Board Protocol
May 29th, 2010
     
My Son the Track Star
May 22nd, 2010
Quality Time at Bucknell
May 15th, 2010
Drawn to Oprah's Rielle Hunter Int...
May 8th, 2010
     
Testing Adolescent Time Bombs
May 1st, 2010
 
Lots of brotherly love for Philadelphia
April 24th, 2010
 
From NYC public schools to Gainesville, FL     Page 1     Page 2
April 17th, 2010          
     
'Plunging' into Salt Water
April 10th, 2010
This is My Reality Show
April 4th, 2010
Working On That Filter
March 28th, 2010
     
Grad School Connections
March 21st, 2010
Appalled by NY Politics
March 14th, 2010
Where There's One...
March 5th, 2010
     
Blue Stories Revisited
February 28th, 2010
Bucknell or Bust
February 21st, 2010
It's the Bowler, Not the Ball
February 14th, 2009
     
Subway Buddies
February 7th, 2010
JETS
Janurary 31st, 2010
The More Things Change...
January 24th, 2010
     
What are the Odds?
January 17th, 2010
Another Year For the Books
January 10th, 2010
The True Birthday Gift
January 3rd, 2010
     
The Verdict on Jury Duty
December 27th, 2009
The Veterinarian's Diet
December 20th, 2009
From Hawaii to Lennon
December 13th, 2009
     
Spoiled and Hawaii Bound
December 6th 2009
Finding the Positive in All the Negatives November 29th, 2009 Celebrity Observations
November 22nd, 2009
     
Yankees Success
November 15th, 2009
Only the NYC DOE
November 8th, 2009
Now Receiving SiriusXM
November 1st, 2009
     
Clunker Craziness
October 25th, 2009
Mayor Bloomberg, Again
October 18th, 2009
Back To Work
October 11th, 2009
     
Ben and Taylor are Winners
October 4th, 2009
That was the summer of 2009
September 27th, 2009
Chop On A Stick
September 20th, 2009
     
What's The Buzz?
September 13th, 2009
"Attaboy"
September 6th, 2009
And the Vendor Award Goes To...
August 28th, 2009
     
Chopper Shopper
August 23rd, 2009
Go Ahead, Let It Rain
August 16th, 2009
With a Little Help From My Friends
August 2nd, 2009
     
Cronkite was the Sweetest Guy
July 25th, 2009
Visiting Van Buren's Home
July 18th, 2009
What Not to Learn from Mark Sanford
July 12th, 2009
     
The First of Many Minor Mishaps
July 5th, 2009
Ring, Ring...It's for You
June 28th, 2009
Helping My Neighbor
June 21st, 2009
     
Rent-a-Dog
June 14th, 2009
Just Returning The Favor
June 7th, 2009
Front Lawn Shopping
May 31st, 2009
     
Technology Rekindles Reading
May 24th, 2009
Stepping Up To The Plate
May 17th, 2009
Kismet In Livingston
May 10, 2009
     
Professional Development
May 5th, 2009
Spoiled With Takeout
April 26th, 2009
No Crush on Gillibrand
April 19th, 2009
     
Why Teaching Is So Funny
April 12th, 2009
Why I Love New York
April 5th, 2009
Jimmy's Auto Column
March 29th, 2009
     
I Am Not Mayor Bloomberg
March 22nd, 2009
I Bought a Volvo
March 15th, 2009
Feeling Old
March 8th, 2009
     
What We Learned
March 1st, 2009
TV Addicts Dream-Tivo
February 22nd, 2009
Teaching Surprises
February 15th, 2009
     
Home Alone Column
February 8, 2009
What Outside World
February 1st, 2009
Bird Column
January 25th, 2009
     
You've got to love a veterinary...
January 18th, 2008
No More Stinkin Water
January 11th, 2009
Second Career Begins
January 4th, 2008
     
Beaucracy of making a Career...
December 28th, 2008
Many Victims of a Ponzi Scheme
December 21st, 2008
A Suprising Recognition of Politeness
December 14th, 2008
     
Stupid Male Behavior
December 7th, 2008
Follow the names and you can get lost
November 30, 2008
Jets Column
November 23rd, 2008
     
Voting Column
November 16th, 2008
David Patterson Column
November 9th, 2008
Final Mad Column
November 2nd, 2008
     
Taconic Parkway Column
October 26th, 2008
Getting Old
October 19th, 2008
Final Accident Column
October 12th, 2008
     
Paul Newman Column
October 5th, 2008
They Might be Giants...
September 28th, 2008
Rachel Ray Column
September 21st, 2008
     
A great photo finish at the fair
September 14th, 2008
Learning to survive a Columbia....
September 7th, 2008
In Praise of the Columbia County Fair 
August 31st, 2008
     
Born To Be Wild
August 24th, 2008
Final Traffic Column
August 17th, 2008
The next phase of...
August 10th, 2008
     
First time's the charm....for once
August 3rd, 2008
A Suprise Vacation...
July 27th, 2008
Kaballah
July 20th, 2008
     
Powerful Car
July 13th, 2008
CMO
July 6th, 2008
Even Visionaries Catch Flak
June 29th, 2008
     
Most Happy Fella
May 30, 2008
Sex and the country
May 23, 2008
On the Bus
May 16, 2008
     
Braving the Dark
May 9, 2008
No Small Matter
May 2, 2008
In need of a bounce
April 25, 2008
     
Official Duties
April 18, 2008
Construction genius
April 11, 2008
Too Much Stuff
April 4, 2008
     
In the chips
March 28, 2008
Jeter off the field
March 21, 2008
The gov
March 14, 2008
     
Manhattan comeuppance
March 7, 2008
Personal History
February 29, 2008
Not-so-silent Intruders
February 22, 2008
     
Great escape
February 15, 2008
Expanding Universe
February 8, 2008
Right of Passage
February 1, 2008
     
Couch Potato Season
January 25, 2008
The Motherload
January 18, 2008
Cats Win Again
January 11, 2008
     
At the Movies
January 4, 2008
The Perfect Day
December 28, 2007
Back in the Spotlight
December 21, 2007
     
Critical Improvement
December 14, 2007
Of Honor and Annoyance
December 7, 2007
Bittersweet Reunion
November 30, 2007
     
Appliance Nightmare
November 23, 2007
Three Little Words
November 16, 2007
Autumn Grab Bag
November 9, 2007
     
Blue-Ribbon Delivery
November 2, 2007
Little Voices
October 26, 2007
Failing The Test
October 19, 2007
     
Father Knew Best
October 12, 2007
Baseball Karma
October 5, 2007
Nearly Perfect
September 28, 2007
     
Wheels of Justice
September 21, 2007
News Hound
September 14, 2007
Nearly Perfect
September 7, 2007
     
Weaver's Tale
August 31, 2007
No Respect
August 24, 2007
Cautious Bonds
August 17, 2007
     
Continuing ed
August 10, 2007
Electric moment
August 3, 2007
Without lights
July 27, 2007
     
Long-term stay
July 20, 2007
Speed trapped
June 29, 2007
Dad was right
June 22, 2007
     
Emptying nest
June 15, 2007
Almost a find
June 8, 2007
The Rothko connection
June 1, 2007
     
Priced out
May 25, 2007
Big bad machines
May 18, 2007
Growth industry
May 11, 2007
     
Bugged
May 4, 2007
Doorman's verdict
April 27, 2007
Getting into NASCAR
April 20, 2007
     
Picture perfect
April 13, 2007
Sales conference
April 6, 2007
Lost holiday
March 30, 2007
     
The plow and the stars
March 23, 2007
Backyard games
March 16, 2007
Found on the Internet
March 9, 2007
     
Instead of Livingston
March 2, 2007
Batter up
February 23, 2007
Talking to the plowmen
February 16, 2007
     
Hostage to the fridge
February 9, 2007
Driving Lessons
February 2, 2007
Cell phones on Hudson
January 26, 2007
     
Up for downhill
January 19, 2007
Walking with Giants
January 12, 2007
Small pleasures
January 5, 2007
     
It can't happen here
December 29, 2006
A gift from dad
December 22, 2006
Lost in Livingston-Part II
December 15, 2006
     
Lost in Livingston-Part I
December 8, 2006
Hooked on the lanes
December 1, 2006
Electronic lullaby
November 24, 2006
     
Thanksgiving resolution
November 17, 2006
Throw the rascals out!
November 02, 2006
Winterset
October 27, 2006
     
Home boy
October 20, 2006
Of bats and bikes
October 13, 2006
Fan's dilemma
October 6, 2006
     
Heavy metal
September 29, 2006
Hopes for 5767
September 22, 2006
Ominous signs
September 15, 2006
     
The second time around
September 18, 2006
Not trendy
September 1, 2006
Close to perfection
August 25, 2006
     
Family tree
August 18, 2006
Castle in the Hudson
August 11, 2006
Anniversary song
August 4, 2006
     
Rainy day activities
July 28, 2006
Deadeye Mike
July 21, 2006
Electricity insurance
June 30, 2006
     
It's a jungle out there
June 23, 2006
Buckle up
June 16, 2006
End of the road
June 9, 2006
     
The family garden
June 2, 2006
The big break
May 26, 2006
Stormy weather
May 19, 2006
     
Dream house
May 12, 2006
For love of the Yankees
May 5, 2006
The tub's tale
April 28, 2006
     
Mustered out
April 21, 2006
Across the divide
April 14, 2006
A find in Hudson
April 7, 2006
     
The winter that wasn't
March 31, 2006
St. Elsewhere
March 24, 2006
'Tis the season (almost)
March 17, 2006
     
Jumper
March 10, 2006
The old country
March 3, 2006
Big shots
February 24, 2006
     
Snow and peace
February 17, 2006
Smoke-filled room
February 10, 2006
Good enough for TV?
February 3, 2006
     
As lovely as Livingston
January 20, 2006
Heat patrol
January 6, 2006
Everybody's a Critic
December 23, 2005
     
Why I vote here
December 9, 2005
In the Catbird seat
November 25, 2005
My favorite veterans
November 11, 2005
     
About moving backwards
October 28, 2005
Head of the year
October 14, 2005
Wish fulfillment
September 30, 2005
     
The cheats of summer
September 16, 2005
A nearly perfect pair
September 2, 2005
Truck envy, part II
August 19, 2005
     
Of Con Ed and cats
August 5, 2005
Final Truck Envy Part I
July 22, 2005
VW Birds
July 8, 2005
     
The music of the country
June 24, 2005
My neighbor, David Rockerfeller
June 10, 2005
Taking a hike
May 27, 2005
     
Now that the plant is history...
May13, 2005
A repairman for all seasons
April 29, 2005
The justice really keeps current
April 15, 2005
     
All the road's a stage
April 1, 2005
Boiler blues
March 18, 2005
Handy has its limits
March 4, 2005
     
Radio silence
February19, 2005
Uncharted territory
February 4, 2005