According to Merriam-Webster a treat is “an especially unexpected source of joy, delight, or amusement.”  This would imply that such an item would appear rarely or at least, irregularly in daily life. It wouldn’t be an anticipated aspect of every day but rather a welcome surprise. Now, how do today’s children define treat?  It may [...]

To make the perfect red wine, a vintner takes the grape on a journey that begins at the vine and ends in the bottle. The plump fruit, plucked from the fields, is separated from its stem, crushed, macerated and fermented. This process leaves the winemaker with a vat filled both with solids and liquids. If the [...]

The most hated people in any fast-food restaurant are the thin ones. No, not simply the thin ones, for there are some who longingly stare at others’ heaping mounds of fries and burgers as they nibble at a dry salad, but the thin ones who order two value meals with dessert and refill their soda [...]

When you picture a man in uniform – military not postal – what do you see? If you’re the typical woman, you envision a being of upstanding moral character and undeniable physical prowess. His uniform, be it for the navy, army or marines, fits him perfectly, hinting at a body that knows nothing but vigorous [...]

 When our nation’s greatest athletes travel to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, they’ll be taking with them food from the United States in an attempt to protect their health.  China’s offerings, known to be laden with steroids and insecticides, don’t warrant the reassurance the Olympians need that they’ll be able to compete and achieve their [...]

What do Eli Manning and George Bush have in common? At first glance, nothing. One has boyish good looks, undeniable football skill and the love of, if not America, New York, while the other is . . . George Bush. The two are seemingly worlds apart, yet as of last week, they’ve come together to [...]

In his day, Lord Byron drank bottles of vinegar to lose weight, transforming the remedy from wives’ tale to widely-accepted method of weight loss. Since then, the vinegar obsession has mushroomed to encompass not just diet but illness as well. Any type can cure you of . . . anything, but the best is apple [...]

Every year, the day after Easter starts a heated debate between my parents . . . about eggs. My father believes that they should be in the garbage within 24 hours of their dyeing and presentation. If they aren’t eaten by Monday night, they aren’t eaten. Period. My mother, on the other hand, thinks they [...]

Given the ever-evolving nature of our society and the mountain of changes that have occurred since the inception of the Catholic Church, it is only logical that the Vatican would occasionally update the list of sins.  Two weeks ago, genetic manipulation and pollution were made the most recent of moral indiscretions. Now, causing an environmental [...]

After eight long, taxing hours of work, you want nothing more than to lie on the couch, blindly watching television and doing nothing. Every inch of you is exhausted, prepared for inertia . . . except for your legs. They rebel the moment you recline. A nagging, gnawing sensation creeps through them, driving you to [...]

According to recent research, it’s love not lust that makes the opposite sex less . . . sexy.  A survey of 120 undergrads in committed relationships found that those who reflected on great moments of romantic love rather than great feats of sexual prowess were four times less likely to dwell on, as the study [...]

Their names are Iggy and Mo. They were a tradeoff. Your children wanted a dog. Your husband wanted a snake. You wanted quiet. So you got Iggy and Mo. They sit idly in their tank all day long, venturing out only when your youngest drags them from their habitat and allows them to wander through [...]

Genetic testing – it’s the latest must-do for women. Having it will determine if you have the genes that increase your risk of breast cancer. If you do, you’ll be able to take even more precautions when creating a prevention plan, devoting a considerable amount of time and energy to self-exams, mammograms and a healthy lifestyle. The [...]

Towards the end of your pregnancy, you start to wonder if the child inside of you will ever come out. It feels as if you’ve been carrying a 30-pound load for a decade and you can barely remember what your shoes look like on. But when you think about labor, you remember all that it [...]

Spring is upon us and with it comes a rush of new – new love, new life, new fashion, new television programs, new baseball hopes and, sadly, new burgers. Both Burger King and Carl’s Jr. have announced the addition of several items to their menus. Burger King will soon offer the Angry Bacon and Cheese Whopper, which [...]