On average, families move about every five years and we are always looking for repair and service people we can trust. Most of us rely on wise neighbors for referrals to reliable plumbers, painters and auto mechanics. Still, it takes time to develop your own personal relationships with them. Here are some ways that may help give you more confidence in your choices until you and your service people have bonded. Ask around for shops and services before you need them. Don’t put off... [read more]

A shopkeeper was dismayed when a brand-new business much like his own opened up next door and erected a huge sign that read, “BEST DEALS.” He was horrified when another competitor opened up on his right, and announced its arrival with an even larger sign that read, “LOWEST PRICES.” The shopkeeper panicked, until he got an idea. He put the biggest sign of all over his own shop. It read: “MAIN ENTRANCE.”   [read more]

Haunted houses are a $300 million a year business, with more than 3,000 throughout North America. Some of the most-visited places are: 1) Whaley House in San Diego, California; 2) Madison’s Haunted Inn in Kincardine, Ottawa; 3) Oppertsauer House in Stony Plain, Edmonton. Alberta; 4) The ghost town of Jerome, Arizona; 5) The town of Fergus, Ontario; 6) The battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; 7) The site of the witch hunts, Salem, Massachusetts; These... [read more]

The next time you get a shot or have to pull off a sticky bandage, try the “cough trick” to reduce the pain. In a recent study, doctors at Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald, Germany, drew blood from volunteers. When subjects used the cough trick, a single cough at the time of the needle puncture, they felt less pain than when they did not cough. Researchers are confident the cough trick is an effective way to reduce pain during peripheral venipuncture (drawing blood from... [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]