Happy Thanksgiving! Before sitting down to the family feast, take a closer look at the menu; the ?traditional? turkey, cranberries, vegetables, and pumpkin pie have fascinating histories and backstories of their own. This week’s links serve up some unique table talk: Turkey Tale Ever wonder why turkeys share a name with a country on a… Read more »
At Home: Driver, Distracted It’s no secret that distracted driving is responsible for the majority of automobile crashes and collisions. But a recent survey suggests that although not many Canadians admit to engaging in these practices, they’re still allowing themselves to become distracted while on the road. As the CBC reports, the Allstate-conducted survey discovered… Read more »
Hoping to ?green? your Thanksgiving feast? Good news: you don’t need to make for the Tofurky aisle. A few simple tweaks to your meal, and you’ll be giving future generations an additional something for which to be thankful. DIY: Made-from-scratch pies, gravies, stuffing, and sides not only use less packaging, they taste better?and they’re free… Read more »
It’s October 1, and for many, that means It’s time to break out the Halloween decorations: pumpkins, scarecrows, and, of course, the fake spiderwebs made from cotton batting. But squeamishness about spiders aside, real spiderwebs are nothing short of amazing. This week’s links look at webs that put Charlotte’s to shame (almost!). Bigger and Better… Read more »
Think iTunes is just a music store? Think again. The online content giant now also offers iTunes U, a fantastic resource that contains a wealth of free learning materials. Over 300 universities, including big-name schools like Oxford, Cambridge, and Yale, have created publicly accessible course materials in a wide variety of media. Video lectures, audiobooks,… Read more »
At Home: Montessori for Dementia Patients Dementia has become a hot health care topic lately, as increasing numbers of families are affected by the slow-moving and devastating illness. But there’s hope: while scientists search for a cure, researchers are discovering methods to slow memory loss and provide a better quality of life for sufferers. As… Read more »
Looking for the text of an elusive Edna St. Vincent Millay poem? can’t quite recall the source of that Shakespearean quote? Consider visiting The Literature Network, an online ?tool for reading, searching, and discussing works of classic literature.? With close to 3,000 full-length books and nearly 4,000 shorter works (including poetry and short stories), It’s… Read more »
This past week brought us the first day of autumn, and the coming weeks will usher in a season of crisp days, chilly nights, warm colours, and good memories. For many, fall is the favourite season, and they’re not alone. Throughout the ages, autumn has intrigued and inspired scientists, artists, poets, musicians, and more to… Read more »
At Home: Bilingual Want a raise? Consider learning a second language; a recent study from the University of Guelph found that bilingual Canadians do better on the salary scale than those who speak only English or only French. As The Globe and Mail reports, a second language means a higher income, and ?you don’t necessarily… Read more »
Does your house have ?green lighting?? If so, chances are good that you’ve purchased compact fluorescent bulbs (?CFLs?), those oddly-shaped spirals that seem synonymous with environmentally aware living. But although they’re more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs, they may be contributing to another form of air pollution. According to some scientists, CFLs create a phenomenon called… Read more »