Awareness of natural resources and pollution has become a major focus for many Canadians and others around the globe. We all applaud the fact that the government and private sector are making an effort to curb pollution, respect the environment and have a positive impact on global warming, but are we ourselves doing enough?

If you want to make a difference, homeownership is full of opportunities to do so:

In the Home – Garbage! Make sure every member of the household is making full use of recycle programs when it comes to household garbage. Stats from all municipalities still show that far less than the optimum percentage of our garbage is being recycled.

Home Repairs and Renovations – Choose products that are earth-friendly whenever possible. Look long-term. Often paying a little more now will result in a significant savings not too far down the road.

Home Appliances – Use them wisely, making the most of the energy that they consume. When replacing, opt for energy-efficient models. Run your appliances in off-peak hours whenever possible.

Heating/Cooling – The largest energy drain of any home! Use a programmable thermostat to lower indoor temps when possible. Consider outdoor influences like tree-planting for windbreaks and shade. Use AC only when necessary – consider fans as an option.

Consider Resale Value – As Canadians become more aware of energy-efficient options in home construction and upkeep, they are putting more value on these factors when making a move.

In Your Neighbourhood – Share your eco-successes and let others know you care about the environment and are making an effort to help improve it. Like many movements, environmental concern can be contagious!

The Victoria Day long weekend signals the start of summer for most Canadians, with many celebrating the holiday appropriately out of town at their cottage, camping by a lake, or some other summer-like locale. But if you are one of the many that are SIT - Stuck In Town for the weekend, don’t despair, there are lots of things to do, and many cost little if anything to enjoy:

Have a Picnic – You have to eat anyway, so why not do it in style – summer style that is. The meal need not be extravagant; it’s the company and location that really matters. So pick some family or friends that are also SIT, choose as quiet spot with activities nearby if kids are included, and enjoy! Remember sunscreen, bug spray, a blanket or two, lots of water, and fold-up chairs if necessary.
Go Fishing – Canada is filled with fishing spots! Check internet info for your area. If young kids are in the troop, as long as anything bites they’ll be happy. And even if it’s just grown-ups, dangling your line in the stream for a few hours is a great way to unwind.
Take a Walk Somewhere New – The fresh air and exercise will make you feel like a million bucks. Choose a spot you haven’t been before to make it more memorable and to add a level of interest to your walk.
Go for a Bicycle Ride – As with walking, take the opportunity to ride a route never traveled before – with new sights and sounds to take in along the way.
Fly a Kite – A warm May breeze could be just the ticket to help lift both your spirits and your flying contraption off the ground. Search kite designs on the internet for some artistic, inventive, and often easy-to-make kites. An especially fun and memorable experience for kids.
Do a Zoo – Sure it may be crowded because of the long weekend, but decide to go for fun rather than speed, bring your own grub so you don’t have to wait in lines for that, and go see what animals do in the zoo. Always a favourite of kids.

What is a Poker Tell? A tell is any habit, behavior, or physical reaction that gives other players more information about your hand. They apply to both pros and novice players – but the more experienced players can sometimes give out ‘false tells’ – then you’re on your own.

Here are 5 Poker Tells to watch for to help get the big stacks over to your side of the table:

Betting Patterns – usually the most revealing tells. Watch the way a player typically bets during particular situations. Perhaps they always check when they have so-so cards or they check-raise when it’s a pair of bullets down.
Trembling Hands – anxiety! A player whose hands are shaking could be nervousness about their big hand.
Checking Their Hole Cards – means concern. This often occurs after a flop of all one suit. The player checks to see if one of their cards matches the suit on the board. Usually this means that they do NOT have the flush... but be careful of a flush-draw.
Eyes – they rarely lie. This is why you see pros wear sunglasses or visors/caps when playing. Many players stare at good hole cards longer than normal. Some will look to their left looking for tells from the players yet to act – a suggestion of a weaker hand. Still other players will try another ploy; asking you questions, because they know that most people can’t look someone in the eye while lying.
The Old Switcheroo – doing the opposite. When a player has a good hand, they act as if they don’t, and when they have ‘kibble’, they bet ‘lights out’.

“I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights.” 

~ Adabella Radici

The Beaver - our national animal symbol. Intelligent, resourceful, family-minded and hard-working; they’re a lot like Canadians themselves:

• Next to the capybara, the beaver is the 2nd largest living rodent in the world– up to 35 kg (75 lbs).
• Beavers are 90—120 cm (3 - 4 ft) long including their 30 cm (12 in) tail, and about 38 cm (15 in) high at the shoulder.
• Once considered the most valuable of furs, trapping of beavers caused their extermination over a large part of their range.
• Beavers build homes called lodges up to 90 cm (3 ft) high and 1.5 m (5 ft) wide made from branches and trees, mud, crop residue and stones. The entrances are below water level, with ramps leading to the living quarters, located on a platform above water level. They may also build burrows in banks with underwater entrances.
• The beaver's large front teeth or incisors protrude in front of their lips, enabling them to cut and chew submerged wood without getting water in their mouths. And they never stop growing, so they must gnaw, chew, and chop nearly all the time.
• Excellent swimmers, a beaver can stay underwater for up to fifteen minutes and are capable of traveling nearly 1/2 mile before it must surface for more air. Beaver’s noses and ears have valves that close when they submerge.
• When alarmed, a beaver slaps the water with its tail, making a loud noise that sends other beavers hurrying to the safety of deep water.
• The instinct to build dams is a reaction to the sound of running water. This ‘urge’ has created many of the woodland ponds that support lush vegetation and eventually become meadows.

So you call yourself a hockey fan, do you? Figure you know just about all there is to know about the sport and its illustrious history, eh? How about the Famous Lines from Hockey History?

In this quiz, we are looking for the missing player. We have given you two of the three line mates, the name given to the famous line, the team they played for, and the era. You have to provide the missing player’s name:

1. Kid Line – Toronto Maple Leafs, 1930’s – Joe Primeau, Busher Jackson and ?
2. Punch Line – Montreal Canadians, 1940’s – Rocket Richard, Elmer Lach, and ?
3. Production Line – Detroit Red Wings, 1940-50’s – Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, and ?
4. Goal-a-Game Line – NY Rangers, 1960-70’s – Vic Hadfield, Rod Gilbert, and ?
5. French Connection Line – Buffalo, 1970’s - Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and ?
6. Trio Grande Line – NY Islanders, 1970-80’s – Clark Gillies, Brian Trottier, and ?
7. Triple Crown Line – LA Kings, 1970-80’s – Charlie Simmer, Dave Taylor, and ?

I’ll bet some didn’t even know it exists! That’s because the Go button, located beside the Address field in your browser, with an arrow icon and the word ‘Go’, isn’t often used. Most of us simply hit the Enter button after keying in the web address.

If you never use it and want to simplify the look of your browser follow these steps:

1. In Internet Explorer, click on the Tools menu.
2. Select Internet Options.
3. Click on the Advanced tab.
4. From the Settings menu, uncheck the Show Go Button in Address bar box.
5. Click Apply and Ok.

Make Mom a Rice Bag Bed Buddy – Julia, age 13, says, “My Gramma is always saying her toes get cold in bed. So I made her one of these for Mother’s Day and now she doesn’t go to bed without it. I added some nice scents, too.”

Blobs – Marta, age 11, says, “I love playing this game. It’s really simple, but has 40 different levels to try. And the sound it makes when you either win or lose is really cute.”

Outdoor Artist – Matt, age 9, says, “We’re planning to do some painting on the back deck this Saturday. Not the deck. Artwork! My mom says if little Lilly spills, she’ll just hose everything off. I want to try the ‘splatter’ painting they talk about on this site, and the ‘string’ painting.”

Kids Fishing Tips – Trevor, age 7, says, “Me, my Dad and Uncle Dave are going fishing. Uncle Dave told me to read up on some tips, because Dad can’t fish to save his soul. He’s always kidding with Dad. But we found these tips anyway, and now we’re going to catch a bigger fish than Uncle Dave.”

"Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him." ~ Epictetus

Nail sizing The rule of thumb with nails, is that you should choose a nail that is three times as long as the thickness of the material you are fastening. If you want to hold 1/2" plywood to a stud wall, the length of the nails should be at least 1 1/2".

This is a reasonable guide most of the time. But there are exceptions;
• When nailing very thin materials into wood, a minimum of 1/2" of penetration is considered appropriate. 
• If the thin item is holding a heavy item, like a metal bracket that will hold 25 kilos of kids sports equipment, the nail used should penetrate 1 1/2" to 2".
• If you are attaching something with nails through drywall or other soft wall covering such as rigid insulation or corkboard, the thickness of the wall covering should be added to the optimal nail length, because these materials do not offer much additional holding power. To nail a 3/4" thick wooden shelf support to drywall, you should use nails no shorter than 3/4" + 1/2" + 1 1/2" = 2 1/2" to 3".

“Don't forget Mother's Day. Or as they call it in Beverly Hills, Dad's Third Wife's Day.” ~ Jay Leno

“(Hockey) Half the game is mental; the other half is being mental.” ~ Jim McKenny
 
“I don't have a bank account because I don't know my mother's maiden name.” ~ Paula Poundstone

“Ninety percent of putts that are short, don't go in.” ~ Yogi Berra

“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” ~ Mark Twain

1. Charlie Conacher 2. Toe Blake 3. Gordie Howe 4. Jean Ratelle 5. Rene Robert 6. Mike Bossy 7. Marcel Dionne