Fathers play a special, irreplaceable role in our lives, and Father’s Day is a great time to let them know that. On June 17, skip the tie and tell all the  special, irreplaceable dads in your life what they mean to you from the bottom of your heart. Some suggestions: Write a letter thanking your father/uncle/grandfather/ brother/son for all he’s done and all he means to you.  Read it in front of him and the whole family. You can frame it and even add photos or other... [read more]

Sunday, March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. Why do we bother to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day around the world? Obviously, you might say, the day is to honour Ireland's patron saint, who introduced Catholicism to the Irish and rid their land of snakes. But that's not really what we're celebrating, is it? We're really using it as an excuse to wear green and throw a big party. Everyone knows the Irish love a good party. Our methods of celebrating might differ around the... [read more]

Scientists have known since the 1930s that plants sense the length of the days and, somehow, use that information to decide when to flower. Russian scientists back then speculated that a mysterious substance must be transported from leaves to shoot tips, stimulating the formation of flower buds. They called the mystery chemical “florigen.” In 2005, a trio of new studies revealed how it works, including why flowers spring forth in certain spots on a plant. The findings were... [read more]

Are you checking your smoke detector at least once every six months, if not more frequently?  Although the average life of a smoke detector can span as long as 10 to 15 years, the devices can go on the blink, and you wouldn’t know it.  About 30 percent of smoke detectors fail after 10 years, according to a recent report, and about 50 percent of them shut down after 15 years.  Though your smoke detectors might emit a sound when you test them, that doesn’t necessarily... [read more]

Are you always running late?  Maybe you’re legitimately busy, but sometimes chronic lateness springs from other factors.  The danger is that being late all the time will give you a reputation for being undependable and/or careless. Take better control of your time by considering these psychological causes for being constantly behind schedule: Adrenalin.  For some people, rushing to every meeting and event provides excitement.  If you’re enjoying the chase... [read more]