Piano Lessons
It is with some mixed feelings I force my youngest son, Adam, age 6, to take piano lessons. I hated piano lessons when I was a kid. Practicing was horrible, a daily torture. Then to go to a conservatory, or…
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Author Archive: Mario
Why Bother?
By necessity, I write a lot about the nasty side of our food – the harmful additives, nutrient reducing processing, the “health” food that’s actually not very healthy. I’m not trying to scare my audience, I’m just trying to offer…
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Is He the One?
Love Advice from a Love Imbecile About eight years ago, I had a feverish correspondence with a girl named Emily who lived in Brattleboro, Vermont. Though I’d never met her in person, I was sure that she was destined to…
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Are You Gonna Eat That?
In 1997, the food manufacturing industry spent $7 billion on advertising – the majority of which focused on highly processed foods. So it’s not surprising the bulk of our knowledge about the food we eat comes from super-corporations with an…
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Back to School Clothing
It seems we have barely car-pooled the kids to camp, slapped on the sunscreen, and settled down on the dock with a good book (or Kindle…) when our fleeting Canadian summer suddenly announces it’s already over. The bombardment known as…
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Bargain Bubblies that won’t Burst the Budget
Trying to sate Champagne tastes when you’re stuck with a beer budget can be a problem, but, according to wine experts, there is frugal fizz to be had. Champagne, to be precise, generally is considered only sparkling wine from the…
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Can You Get a Great $15 Haircut?
For some women, the idea of paying $15 for a haircut is even more horrifying than spending $100. The assumption is that a budget stylist will simply dump a bowl on your head and start cutting. But once you chip…
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Can I Stop Complaining? One Woman Takes the Challenge
When my editor at AOL suggested I write about Will Bowen’s book A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted, we had a good laugh. After all, my oeuvre to date consists…
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Create a Backdoor Bulletin Board
Someone should warn prospective parents about how much paperwork must flow to and from school and activities in order to raise a child. And they should also be warned that in the morning when you say, “kids, time to go…
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Two Tickets to Paradise
Love Advice from a Love Yokel When I was in high school I couldn’t afford to see a lot of the cool shows that came through my hometown. I’d try to sneak in, but I’d always end up getting chased…
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Talking to the Man in the Mirror
A few years ago, a friend of mine got engaged to his long-time girlfriend. Everyone celebrated and congratulated, but among our friends there were quiet rumblings about whether or not they were making the right decision. They clearly cared for…
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Thermo-static
Mack and Mrs. Daddy have a beautiful relationship, and the Daddy is lucky a woman like that even looks at him let alone married him and puts up with all his…let’s be charitable and call them “eccentricities.” We are very…
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Hell on Heels
I guess I went on record saying Mother’s Day was the hardest shopping day for guys, because of the built-in failure factor. Your mother gives birth to you in pain and suffering, makes sacrifices and compromises, has horrible nights and…
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Home vs. Office
All his life Mack’s bounced back and forth between go-to-office and work-from-home labor. I guess, all in all I prefer working from home. Mack’s got a nice home office, with books, I feel comfortable there– though nothing like Winston Churchill’s…
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California’s tough smog rules to be used nationwide?
With air quality being the rage in many urban areas, smog from vehicle use is a growing concern for all of us. It’s invisible and tasteless for the most part, but you definitely do not want to breathe what the…
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Bicycling for timid adults
Two summers ago I jumped on my shiny new kandy mango Bianchi Eros Donna … and squeaked down the 500-foot drop at nearby Mt. Tabor with my hands in a white-knuckle death grip. As I squealed along I remember a…
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Using cell phones while driving … worse than DUI?
I had to take a minute to hold my tongue on this because it’s one that so many people like myself are guilty of. If I counted up the number of times I could be blamed for Dialing and Driving,…
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Organic chef touts healthy eating
Award-winning chef and cookbook author Michel Nischan will be spreading his message of healthy eating on a new series called “Pure & Simple” on the multimedia channel LIME. Nischan believes in the days of pure and simple food selection, when…
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Want to avoid cavities? Try cranberry juice
Here’s some good news for everyone: you don’t have to worry about brushing your teeth anymore! That’s right, just drink down some cranberry juice before you go to bed and let nature do the rest. Okay, so we’re not quite…
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News flash: Secondhand smoke is bad
If your state hasn’t instituted smoke-free environments yet, then most everyone who doesn’t smoke knows the restaurant drill. You walk in, put your name on the list and wait. At that point during the dining experience, you’re probably going to…
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Aspirin Dosage
As we know, aspirin belongs a kind anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory medicines. Sometimes it’s also used for relieving pain that we called pain reliever. In addition, it is also used for relieving temporarily, and people who is suffering cardiovascular take this…
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Armpit Rash
Evaluating the causes of armpit rashes can be helpful for you to treat correctly. Meanwhile you can understand how to prevent the occurrence of the rashes under arms in future days. As our armpits are very sensitive field in the…
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Average Height and Weight Chart for Adults
Generally weight can lead to some health problems. Particularly people with over weight. So it’s very important to know the ratio of height and weight, so as you can judge whether your lifestyle is healthy or not. People all over…
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Acetone vs. Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Nail polish removers with non-acetone are used more gently and have lower risks on negative effects, so they are not more effective than other remover containing acetone. You need take more time to check the suitable removers within your demands….
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New Year’s Resolutions
Well, I’m fat, for one thing. And no matter what I do, I just seem to get fatter all the time. And I still smoke—only a couple a day, I swear, but as a parent obviously I feel horribly guilty;…
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Pinched Nerve In Neck
A pinched nerve in neck consists of a pinched nerve that is located in any part of the neck. When a nerve becomes compressed or takes on too much pressure it can lead to a pinched nerve. This can cause…
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Find Recipes for Low Fat Dessert You Can Enjoy After a Meal
When you are trying to lose weight and stick to a low fat diet, it might seem that you will never be able to eat foods that are delicious ever again. That is not true; when you are determined to…
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Microsoft to launch augmented reality technology
News buzzing through tech publications reports Microsoft has applied for numerous patents, most notably for augmented reality glasses. According to Ars Technica, the patent covers both the technology of the glasses and a system for “player matching and information that…
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“The Cool Factor: Defining What is Hip” – A Discussion and Reception at PAFA on Sunday, Dec.13, 2009
Please join The Brothers Network this Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, at 2 p.m. as we co- host a panel discussion inspired by the work of African-American artist Barkley Hendricks and a reception to celebrate community elder Tyrone Smith, who is also featured as the model for one of Hendricks’ works, “Misc….
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The UK’s Leading Expert In Mindfulness Explains How It Can Make You Happier
If you feel like your life is getting slightly out of control, or like you’re not getting enough done, or simply that you’re going from one day to the next just trying to get by, mindfulness might be for you. It is…
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