When I tell people I don’t own a television set or have cable, they often assume that I don’t watch TV. They’re wrong. My laptop is my boob tube, thanks to an embedded DVD player and the Web.... Read more

On Sunday, August 9, there was a birthday party at my house ... for Smokey the Bear. The forest-fire-fighting mascot turned 65 this year. My partner, Ann-Elise, made a cake. She and our two kids sang “Happy Birthday” to him.... Read more

In July of 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain and his Native American guides traversed a lovely North American lake filled with islands and bordered by mountains. Champlain liked it so much that he named it after himself.... Read more

Going to the Tony Bennett show at the Flynn in July? Not unless you can cough up $55 for a ticket. Make that $110 for you and a date ... and that’s for the cheap seats. Tickets to see Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson at the Champlain Valley Expo — $40.25 each — almost seem reasonable by comparison.... Read more

It’s no secret that Vermonters like to bike. Cycle paths and trails crisscross our urban and rural landscapes. And biking’s not just a recreational activity anymore — rising gas prices and concerns about global warming have prompted more of us to commute using pedal power.... Read more

When the Vermont legislature approved same-sex marriage earlier this month by a one-vote margin, many gay and lesbian Vermonters — myself included — were overcome with emotion. Here at Seven Days, many of my coworkers, gay and straight, cried and hugged.

“My first reaction when I heard that we had 100 votes was, Thank God it’s over,” says Creative Director and Associate Publisher Don Eggert. ... Read more

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for quick cash? Nearly everyone has a good story about a bet, a dare or a truly odd job.

We asked readers to share their most outrageous for-profit exploits for this week’s Money Issue. Most of the economic news is so grim, we figured a few entertaining tales would liven things up. We were mostly right.... Read more

April is National Financial Literacy Month. Here’s a pop quiz in honor of the occasion: This year, the average American is more likely to a) graduate from college, or b) file for bankruptcy.

The correct answer is “b”.... Read more

Twitter — you’ve seen it promoted on CNN and FOX, and mocked in “Doonesbury” and on “The Daily Show.” So what’s all the fuss about the latest social media trend?... Read more

When Sgt. First Class Steffan Defeo of the Vermont Army National Guard bought his house in Duxbury in 2006, he used a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with an interest rate of 6.5 percent. Last fall, after the combined effects of the subprime mortgage crisis and the credit crunch sent rates plummeting, Defeo got a call from his mortgage broker, Reeni Murphy.... Read more