By Dom Cioffi Like most people, I live under the false sense that I’m actually in control of my life. Even though I’ve spent countless hours reading and contemplating the idea that free will and control are illusionary, I still manage to approach my day-to-day life under the perception that I’m directing the show. This…

By Dom Cioffi If you’re a parent and your son or daughter plays a sport, there’s a good chance that you’re going to find yourself involved in practice at some point.  I had already been coaching for years when my son began to enter the world of child athletics. He determined that baseball and basketball…

Look who’s turning 20: it’s Moguls Sports Pub. Come wish them a happy anniversary this weekend as they celebrate 20 years in Killington. Moguls has always been about the locals and building friendships in the community and that’s how they want to celebrate; with their friends. I, DJ Dave will kick off the festivities on…

By Brett Yates The weird, inclusive Vermont gubernatorial debate held on Oct. 9 has managed—at a time when political debates tend to be dispiriting and unpopular—to become something of a national phenomenon. The complete broadcast is available on YouTube. Reddit was responsible for drumming up some of the initial fascination when a user who had…

By Julia Purdy On October 31 in small-town England, fireworks and the fires of Bonfire Night will blend their smoke with the thick autumn mists that drift across a moonlit sky. Families will stream through the dimly-lit streets, energized by the cold air and the excitement of the festival. It’s All Hallows Eve! In ancient…

By Barbara Mackay Autumn is coming to a close. The brilliant fall foliage is past peak, if not already layered in the compost bin. The last geese are honking their way toward winter homes. Predictions are proffered (sometimes cheerfully, mostly not) for how cold and snowy this year’s winter will be. Sources for seasonal predictions…

By Scott Funk Some of the most dramatic changes of aging can be centered on the holidays. Each family has its own customs. Whether that means placing an ancient and honored menorah in the front window, or being the first house on Main Street to light and decorate a tree in the big bay window,…

By Dom Cioffi Last week I went to see the number one movie in the country, “Gone Girl,” starring Ben Affleck. I, along with most other folks, was riveted by the intriguing storyline about a suburban couple facing a physically and psychologically damaging situation. Affleck did a fine job portraying the bewildered husband (mostly because…

By Cindy Phillips Every once in a while, someone around me will suggest they are going to eat something even though it is late at night. And immediately in my head I can hear my grandmother exclaiming, “It’s gonna lay heavy.” My grandmother and my aunts had some unique phrases in a language that seemed…

By Joe Rankin I have friends who live in the North Woods. Moose graze on their lawn. Loons call from the pond. And the gray jays line up on the deck railing for breakfast. They swoop in when they hear the coffeemaker rev up, knowing that my friend Pam will soon be out to feed…

By Kate Robitello The fish oil supplement industry is thriving and is set to score $1.8 billion dollars by 2018. With all of the hype over fish oil supplement benefits, people are continuing to stock up on the stuff like there’s going to be a shortage in the near future. However, many people aren’t certain…

By Brett Yates OK, deep breaths—don’t panic. I can say with at least 70 percent certainty that you show no signs of having Ebola. Still, it’s important to be wary of the deadly virus that is currently sweeping West Africa—and perhaps soon the universe. Sure, the disease is survivable and containable within any nation with…

By Madeline Bodin At the University of New Hampshire’s organic dairy research farm near Durham, N.H., even the heat for the wash water is organic and locally-sourced. The heat comes from the farm’s composting facility, a building that looks like an eight-bay garage but actually contains cutting-edge composting technology, as well as a whole lot…

By Robin Alberti This week I had to let go of my 14-year-old dog, Maple. She came from a German Shepherd mom and unknown father. She picked me out when she was 9 weeks old, trampling all the other puppies in the puppy room at the Deschutes County Humane Society in Oregon, to put her…

By Dom Cioffi My plan this Sunday was to have a nice breakfast, mow and trim the lawn, pull out the Halloween paraphernalia to decorate the house, clean the garage, make a trip to donate old clothing to the Salvation Army and finish things up with a quick grocery run. All that, however, was thrown…