Columns

Dear Barb – Apology Acceptance

Dear Barb: My son and his girlfriend spent Halloween night at our home helping to give out treats. A young girl came to the door with her mother and my son recognized her from years ago. They chatted a bit and he mentioned to her that she really looked good, which was fine. After she… Read more »

In Conversation with Ron E. Scott, Director of Blackstone

Award winning independent producer, screenwriter, and director Ron E. Scott has contributed to over 180 television episodes so far and is now in production of the fifth season of the outstanding dramatic series Blackstone, the ongoing saga of a Canadian First Nations community struggling to heal and build a happy future. A member of the… Read more »

From Where I Sit – More Questions than Answers

Recently I needed to grab lunch before a medical appointment in Sherwood Park. I chose Opa! in the Emerald Hills shopping complex. I don’t know the exact time because it seems I was running an hour off. None of my watches or the clock in the Venza had ’fallen back!’ Oops. I yanked the door… Read more »

The Fit Student – Combat Exam Anxiety

Does exam anxiety creep in on you the night before the test? For many, exam anxiety can lead to the freeze response of the freeze, flight, or fight automatic reactions. The trick lies in ensuring that you don’t grow overwhelmed by anxiety to the point of mental fogginess, when the answers you know by heart… Read more »

Extracurricular – Needle Arts

What was once the domain of ladies of a certain age has become?gasp!?trendy. In the past decade crochet, knitting, needlepoint, and other needle-based activities have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, especially among the younger generations. It is difficult to give an exact reason for the renaissance, but it may have something to do with reconnecting… Read more »

Dear Barb – Dating Tolerance

Dear Barb: I’m 17, just starting University, but my parents separated when I was eight. I live with mom as dad basically left. Mom dates lots, and got married briefly once. She keeps bringing these men and their kids into our lives. I used to get attached and excited about maybe having a stepdad and… Read more »

The Writer’s Toolbox – Fragments, Part II

Sentence fragments are exactly what they sound like: pieces of a sentence. they’re incomplete because they are either missing a major component (a subject or predicate) or because they’re actually dependent clauses, unable to stand on their own without the larger context of an independent, standalone clause (sentence). Here’s a secret, though: sentence fragments may… Read more »

The Study Dude – Become a Mathemagician, Part II

There is nothing more that The Study Dude wants for you than to use your fingers to store and recall three digit numbers. Well, in these articles, as The Study Dude, I’ll try to give you the study tips you need to help make your learning easier. I’ll also give you straight and honest opinions… Read more »

Music Review – The Sylvia Platters

Band: The Sylvia Platters Album: Make Glad The Day I love it when a Canadian indie band releases a debut album. It’s exciting for them to get their music out to a wider audience. It’s exciting for music lovers because you get to hear something new and fresh. Make Glad The Day is The Sylvia… Read more »

The Mindful Bard – 20,000 Days on Earth

Film: 20,000 Days on Earth (link) Directors: Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard “In the end, I’m not interested in what I fully understand.” – Nick Cave This is a documentary about a day in the life of iconic performer and composer Nick Cave, starting with a multi-screen pre-dawn dream sequence (where his life appears to… Read more »