Life Style & Travel

UNITED STATES—Commitment. It is a word that many of us fear. However, it is a commitment that pushes us to accomplish things that we sometimes ignore. One of the biggest commitments I wanted to make starting the New Year was to get more exercise in. Things were not great in January, and yes I can blame COVID-19 for that,...

UNITED STATES—Coppicing and pollarding are the most extreme of pruning techniques. They may also be among the oldest in some cultures. Yet, arborists are correct to condemn both as improper. Coppicing is the complete removal of all stems and trunks back to a stump. Pollarding is the removal of all stems back to main stems and trunks. Both procedures...

UNITED STATES—Technology has touched every aspect of modern life. From entertainment and health to wealth, the improvements across the board are marked. However, it’s technology’s impact on the financial sector that’s been most significant in recent decades. Leaving aside the potentially revolutionary qualities of cryptocurrencies, financial technology (fintech) at all levels has reshaped the way we handle our money. The fintech...

UNITED STATES—Visiting a relative in prison is a difficult thing to do in the best circumstances, and it can be made even more stressful and draining if you are not prepared for what is involved. To help you out, here is a look at the main ways to deal with the visitation process in California, and how you can make...

UNITED STATES—It was easy to bury spring bulbs so discourteously in shallow graves last autumn, prior to concern about summer bulbs. None of them got proper funerals. Perhaps cool season annuals obscured their interment sites. No one needed to know they were there. It seemed like a perfect crime, until now. They are back like the undead. After all,...

UNITED STATES—Contrary to what the pleasant weather suggests, it is still winter. Most plants are resisting the temptation to break dormancy prematurely. They must know that the days are still short, regardless of the weather. Most plants are surprisingly proficient with scheduling. Nonetheless, dormant pruning should happen sooner than later. This includes pruning roses. They have been ready for...

UNITED STATES—Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome. I know I’m NOT the only person who has heard that phrase. However, it feels like so many of us indulge in insanity more than I can imagine. We do the same thing over and over hoping for a different outcome. It is like...

UNITED STATES—The city which is a cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California Named San Francisco, is the 16th most populous city in the United States and the fourth most populous city in California. The city has the highest salaries, high employment rate, ample job opportunities, disposable income, and median home prices in the world at $1.8 million....

UNITED STATES—How often do people actually get something for free in the United States? It rarely happens, but in 2020 and 2021,  I’ve started to see a trend where some retailers have been allowing consumers to keep their item and also get refunded at the same time. I can speak from personal experience this was something that transpired with...

UNITED STATES—Winter seems like an odd time for fruit to ripen. Winter weather is cool enough to inhibit vascular activity in plants. That is why most plants are dormant to some extent through winter. Most familiar fruit trees are deciduous, some defoliate in winter chill. Stone fruits ripened through early summer. Pome fruits ripened through late summer and autumn....