Dear Barb: My husband and I have been together since we were teenagers and we are now in our mid thirties. We have always gotten along well and shared similar interests. We have two children who we both love tremendously. Bit in the last six months I have noticed a growing distance between us. My… Read more »

Are you a B or C student, dreaming of A’s? Or do you simply want to get smarter? In either case, you’ll benefit from Dan Hurley’s book Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power. Hurley challenges the recent notion that brain-smarts stay the same. Yes, research now indicates you can get smarter. We know… Read more »

Are dry, dull essays necessary? Only if you’re in law school. But if writing your essay sucks the color from your face, then shout out or smooch. Yes, treat your essay-writing like an audition for a blockbuster role. In other words, if your essays get dull, shoot them up with anger and passion. And treat… Read more »

Album: Before It’s Dark (link) Artist: Speedy Johnson Released: April 7, 2017 Much as I hate to make comparisons, there is a musical tradition, harkening back to the sixties at least, of which Speedy Johnson’s music forms a welcome addition: It’s like listening to drunk people when they start making up their own songs, with… Read more »

Living on a farm has its share of blessings and pain-in-the-butt realities. We are largely responsible for our own affairs. If you want potable water, dig a well and run a line into your house. If you want to trade in your coal oil lamp for something with a few more lumens, you need to… Read more »

Dear Barb: My brother is getting married in a few months and he’s having a destination wedding. The problem is that I cannot afford the $3,000 to go to his wedding. I am in my twenties, recently graduated, and have just started a new job. I have huge student loans I have to start paying… Read more »

So, you want to perform in front of a crowd? Or earn cash presenting your research? Or establish yourself as an expert? If your pupils dilated at least once, then get cozy with Eventbrite online software. First, ask yourself if you’ve got some expertise? If so, synthesize textbooks on your subject matter. Use the textbook… Read more »

Did you ever want to play the guitar or sing? Maybe you wanted the fast-track to fame. Well, you have the star stuff locked inside your brain. All students do. It’s called knowledge. So, package and sell your knowledge! By doing so, you get the reputation of an expert. And your pocketbook gets puffier. For… Read more »

On April 14, Bostonian rock band Bat House is planning to release their self-produced, self-titled debut album. (You can listen to “Chemical X,” an early released track from the forthcoming album on Soundcloud and see their video “Alright Spaceboy” on Youtube.) Their sound has been categorised as “psych/math:” a wedding of the reflective introspections of… Read more »

Artist: The New Groovement Album: The Orange Album A band name has never been more appropriate then The New Groovement. This nine-piece band has given us a gift with their record The Orange Album, as well as an extensive western Canadian tour. In the age of music where electric and pop are usually chart toppers,… Read more »