Blogcritics Category: Culture: Home and Garden

Bianca Verde: Why Heavy Cream Is My Friend

M. Scott Carter — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:02:27 EDT

Or how to cook Bianca Verde and find the love of your life.
After the failure of my first marriage, I didn't think I ever wanted to be in love again. It was just me and my son and, honestly, I liked it that way. But, like every other man, I didn't want to spend the rest of my life alone, either.Then I met Karen. And the world changed for the better.Still, the thought of entering the dating game...

How to Make Strawberry Banana Smoothies

Sara Christine — Tue, 7 Oct 2008 23:24:41 EDT

Strawberry banana smoothies are great for an afternoon snack or at parties. Find out how to make them here.
Many students new to college are learning for the first time how to take care of themselves. What seem to be simple tasks, such as doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and cooking, may be hard for students who have never been instructed in those areas before. For me cleaning was never an issue. Cooking, on the other hand, did not come easy. I...

Retro Redux: Trombone Travails

Big Geez — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:13:36 EDT

A tale of how a fool and his trombone didn't live happily ever after.
I once bought a trombone at a garage sale. That's not the opening line of a limerick. I really did buy an old trombone and I only paid $3 for it. This was in the early seventies, when $3 was worth a little more than it is now, but it was still quite a bargain. Of course, the trombone was ancient, tarnished, and badly dented, but I thought it...

Harvest Time in the Guerrilla Urban Garden

Joanne Huspek — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:45:36 EDT

Even admitted brown thumbs can reap a harvest from a guerrilla urban garden.
September heralds the end of the craziness of summer, when people in my area of the country attack fair weather and warm temperatures with gusto. Some of us might enjoy winter and snow, but personally I need sunshine to really feel whole. One of my hobbies is growing things and there is nothing like working outdoors.For me, the end of summer also...

Real Women Versus The Secrets of Happily Married Women

Diana Hartman — Tue, 5 Aug 2008 18:55:01 EDT

The secret is good public relations. It can be difficult to present a well kempt hobo as a citizen of value.
There are married women who have chosen to stay home with no job/volunteer work, no child(ren), and no college. They may have attended school at one time, but for them it’s a thing of the past.For whatever reason, their husbands are okay with this. They are called “stay-at-home wives,” and they successfully avoided my radar until...

Yet More News You Can Abuse

Diana Hartman — Sun, 3 Aug 2008 20:52:06 EDT

How to lose your house, your license and your death certificate - all in one easy article.
If Only Children in Danger and Sex Offenders Were so MonitoredMilwaukee, Wisconsin homeowner, 62-year-old Peter Tubic, was assessed new fees month after month by the city Department of Neighborhood Services who regularly sent an inspector out to see if Tubic had removed his inoperable, untagged vehicle from his driveway.Suffering with numerous...

Tricking the Light Fantastic: Sleeping Under the Glow of Technology

Diana Hartman — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:47:35 EDT

Throw out that black tape and stop rearranging your environment every night. There is another way.
As technology grows, so does it glow. At night, our constellation of controls can interrupt our sleep with their beacons of neon blue, green, red and other shades and hues rarely seen in nature. Scientists now know our eyes have a light-sensitive layer that signals our body and affects rhythms of wakefulness and sleep. This layer is separate from...

South Los Angeles' (Fast) Food Fight

Diana Hartman — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:47:27 EDT

The city councils moratorium on unhealthy food could pave the way for more unhealthy food.
There is no abundance of money in South Los Angeles, California, but there is an abundance of fast food; in fact, it’s the easiest cuisine to find. The residents have little access to healthier food because of the lack of grocery stores and fresh produce.The City Council is to vote on this issue in an attempt to attract grocery stores, fresh...

Oh, Deere! Man Charged Over Lawn Mower Shooting

Diana Hartman — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:48:24 EDT

Violently doing away with inoperable outdoor equipment is surely what our forefathers had in mind when they wrote the second amendment.
Keith Walendowski was charged after Milwaukee law enforcement responded to a call about a man shooting his lawn mower. Angry that his mower wouldn't start Wednesday morning, Walendowski told police, “I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want." He has been charged with felony possession of a...

Fraud, Greed and Special Interests in the Mortgage Crisis Cost Everybody

Ed Dickson — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:23:55 EDT

A housing rescue bill is on its way to the President for signature, though it probably does most good for the enablers of the crisis.
If you think the factors that enabled the mortgage crisis have been fixed, think again. An example of this might be the Tennessee minister (Reverend Steve Young)-- awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to mail and wire fraud to commit mortgage fraud -- who was recently rearrested to protect the general public. While out on bond, Reverend Young...