Author: TECH

Do Mondays make you want to stay in bed, or do you see the beginning of the week as a chance for a fresh start? People have very different feelings about Monday, and music can be a great way to capture everything from the dread of returning to work to the excitement of starting over. For some, Monday signals the end of the weekend and the return to deadlines, routines, and responsibilities. After a relaxing Saturday and Sunday, getting back into the rhythm of the workweek can be a difficult adjustment. A song that perfectly captures that feeling can make…

supplied by Clare Kiernan via UBC The University of British Columbia has taken low value timber waste and turned it into “wood foam” to replace plastic in packaging. With one of the largest timber industries in the world, the innovation clears two hurdles in one leap: cutting back on polluting, long-lived plastics, and utilizing a waste product from an already existing industry. Already, a pilot plant in East Vancouver is producing around 400 pounds of the so-called wood foam every day. Among plastics, polystyrene foam is arguably the most environmentally problematic. Anyone who’s pulled a TV or coffee machine from…

There are many older Americans today who are living on just Social Security. And for people in that situation, reduced retirement benefits could be a huge problem. As it is, the average monthly Social Security benefit today is only $2,086, which amounts to roughly $25,000 per year. But some retirees collect a smaller check than the average, and there’s a reason for it. There’s a Social Security rule you may not be aware of that could lead to smaller monthly checks in retirement, so it’s important to know how benefits are calculated and what you can do…

The yurts are open for business.This Friday, the gates will officially open at Maryland’s newest state park, Savage Highlands, unlocking some 55,000 acres of Western Maryland woodlands outside of Frostburg for public use, free of charge.Four of the eight yurts at the new Savage Highlands State Park will be available to rent through October, after which they will likely close for the season and reopen in 2027. Christine Condon/Maryland MattersBut already, online bookings are open for overnight stays at four small but luxurious yurts — at a cost of about $200 per night — as well as $20-a-night primitive campsites…

Starting your morning with a clear routine can make the rest of your day feel more organized and manageable. But building a morning routine is one thing. Sticking with it consistently is another. Without a simple way to track your habits, it’s easy to lose momentum or forget which routines are actually helping you. That’s where a morning routine chart can make a difference. By writing down your habits and checking them off each day, you can see your progress, build consistency, and stay accountable to the routines you want to develop. Whether you want to meditate, exercise, drink more…

A DEBATE on restoring the full States grant to the Social Security Fund has been postponed after the Treasury Minister asked for more time to consider the proposal. Deputy Max Andrews has agreed to defer the debate on his proposition by three weeks, until 29 September, following a meeting with Treasury Minister Alan Maclean. The St Helier North Deputy said that the minister had also indicated that he wanted to discuss a “potential amendment” with the Council of Ministers. “I’m happy with this approach and look forward to reconvening discussions after the first States sitting in September,” said Deputy Andrews.…

                                The Caring Claim Leaders shape the workers’ compensation experience long before an injury occurs. Their decisions determine how quickly claims are reported, how supervisors respond, how information moves, and whether injured employees remain connected to the workplace. Policies establish expectations while systems influence what people can accomplish under real operating conditions. A caring claims process requires leaders to examine the experience from the perspective of every person moving through it. Better leadership questions reveal whether the organization’s stated values appear in the behaviors employees experience.  Traditional…

Former oil executive Samantha Cooper once helped power the industry. Now she’s fighting to end its hold on our future If it’s tough for a society to transition away from oil, it’s tougher still for those whose entire livelihood is tied up with the stuff. Yet as the costs of our addiction to it begin to bite – on our pockets and our planet – an increasing number are doing just that. And giving up a lucrative career as they do so. Samantha Cooper’s one of them. Back at university in the ’90s, her career aims were simple: get a…

The changes and challenges we’ve experienced in recent years have left many people carrying a heavy sense of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty about the future. When life feels unpredictable, it can be difficult to know where to turn for strength and reassurance. For Christians, faith in God and His sovereignty can provide a place of spiritual and emotional refuge. During difficult seasons, biblical affirmations can serve as reminders of God’s promises, helping us redirect our thoughts when discouragement becomes overwhelming or our faith feels weak. Faith can be compared to a muscle. There are times when it feels strong and…

Happy 87th Birthday to Osage-American travel writer William Least Heat-Moon. His debut novel, Blue Highways, (1982) is a chronicle of a three-month-long road trip that Least Heat-Moon took throughout the United States in 1978 after he had lost his teaching job and been separated from his first wife. He tells how he traveled 13,000 miles, as much as possible on secondary roads, and tried to avoid cities. His second work was River-Horse during which he traveled across the US entirely on waterways. READ more about what he encountered… (1939) William Least Heat-Moon – CC 3.0. Joe Mabel In Blue Highways, the author refers…