This past Sunday, I hosted a brunch for a group of friends. I was cruising around the internet looking for inspiration for a savory bread pudding type dish that could be assembled the night before and then leisurely baked in the morning. I found this wonderful sounding Mexican Bread Pudding on the Homesick Texan blog. I ended up creating my own savory pudding with artichokes, leeks, fontina, and feta all layered between thin slices of fluffy, eggy challah bread. It was fabulous, but this sweet pudding will …

Free speech is one thing: Inflamed free speech aimed at unleashing rage on blogs is often disturbing and disruptive and contributes to a much harsher environment on the web.

Anger management experts liken keyboard rage to road rage. The irresistible urge to vent instantly and anonymously empowers those in our society who feel the most powerless. The screen is the enemy, the keyboard the weapon for launching attacks free of eye-to-eye confrontation or personal consequences.

This maliciousness is what prompted the Washington Post blog to turn off reader comments, …

Have you ever seen a cat “high” on catnip? Their wacky antics – purring, drooling, stretching, rolling – are sparked by the plant’s chemical compound, nepetalactone. Interestingly, catnip sensitivity is a genetic trait, and only about 70 percent of cats get the catnip buzz. If your cat happens to be one who loves the herb, you can easily grow your own organic catnip.

First, locate the ideal growing location. Catnip can be grown indoors or out as long as the plant is in a sunny location. Identify a spot that can …

In a bitter twist of fate, right around Earth Day, one of the worst-ever oil spills in the U.S. began. It started on April 20th, when a Transocean Ltd.-owned oil rig called the Deepwater Horizon, which was drilling for black gold on behalf of BP (British Petroleum) exploded. The rig sank into the water off the shores of Louisiana, taking oil rig workers’ lives and spewing pollution into the water.

Today, the tarry crude oil bleeding from that site is nearing the ecologically rich shores of Louisiana, home to threatened …

This week, developer Jim Gordon received the news he’s dreamed of hearing for nine long years – Cape Wind is a go. The U.S.’s first offshore coastal waters windfarm, comprising 24 square miles of turbines that promise to offset a hundred million gallons of oil every year, will be situated in Nantucket Sound off Cape Cod. Not everyone is delighted at the news (NIMBYs included), and local residents are set for more legal wranglings before building work commences. Nevertheless, the success of the …

A bill sponsored by Senators on both sides of the aisle is up for review, but whether it pays more than lip service to pursuing clean energy remains to be seen:

On Monday, Sens. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will launch their bipartisan climate and clean energy jobs bill. I’m quite certain there will be something in it to dissatisfy everyone.

On the other hand, has Congress ever passed a significant bill that didn’t dissatisfy everyone, particularly on the environment? …

Last year, eco model and environmental activist Summer Rayne Oakes launched a line of eco-friendly footwear and accessories with Payless called Zoe & Zac. Given its success in terms of media coverage, we thought it was important to explore what exactly her role is with this mega brand, and the reasons why she chose to work with them. After all, Payless is not a brand synonymous with sustainability and we were curious as to what the company is doing overall in terms of corporate social responsibility.

What is the …

I have a large, shameful pile of junk in my basement that has been growing out of control for three years. I try not to look at it when I pass it, because when I do I inevitably feel that flush of guilt – “Why haven’t I recycled this stuff already?” But for many items, from packing peanuts to old scraps of carpet, it’s not as easy as putting it in a curbside bin. Sometimes it seems like an awful lot of effort just to find out whether something can be recycled …