Lifestyle

(Trust?) But verify before donating to non-profits

Why Should You Research a Nonprofit Before You Donate? In general, nonprofit organizations exist to further a social cause or provide a public benefit. While many do, some don’t live up to the values and mission they claim. How nonprofits spend their money may be different than what you expect. For instance, ProPublica has reported on how the Red Cross built just six homes after…


Keeping those New Year’s resolutions

OK, 2020 was hell on earth in many respects. And 2021 wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Not to mention 2022. Many of us have already decided that things will be different in 2023. We’ll try to finish off COVID-19, eat better, get more exercise, save more money or finally get around to decluttering those closets. But by the time February rolls around, most of us…


Reflecting on grief during the holidays

The year-end holidays are a time of social gatherings, traditions and celebrations. They can also be a time of revisiting and reflection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.8 million people die each year in the U.S. If we conservatively estimate four or five grievers per death, there are 11 to 14 million people who are experiencing their first holiday season without…


Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

No matter what holiday you honor in your home, we decorate our homes to please ourselves and to welcome family and friends during the holidays. Although this time of year seems to be hectic for most of us, transforming our homes with dazzling decorations for the tree, sprucing up the mantel (no pun intended), setting a new, inventive holiday table scape, or hanging an exquisite…


Charm of honey; fine glasses toast great party

Two event-related items from Sabrina Cadini’s La Dolce Idea – The Charm of Honey, followed by fine glasses toast the perfect party. Honey always has been a pantry item in our house. My mom, an avid tea drinker, religiously brews a cup of Earl Grey after 4 p.m. every afternoon, enhancing the aroma with a spoonful of honey. I am attracted to all those different varieties…


San Diego County health officials address recent local COVID misinformation, COVID shots for kids 5-to-11

An independent panel of local doctors today addressed COVID-19 misinformation brought up at the Nov. 2 County Board of Supervisors meeting. The Nov. 3, 2021 virtual event, which was interpreted live into Spanish, was moderated by Dr. Eric McDonald, County chief medical officer, and included Dr. Siu Ming Geary from Scripps Clinic La Jolla, Dr. Jeannette Aldous from San Ysidro Health, Dr. Zulma Curet with…


Climate change uncertainty hurts everyone

Tarik Benmarhnia didn’t plan on ending up here, in an office overlooking the pier at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As a young student in France, he started out studying environmental engineering, with an interest in soil decontamination. During his schooling, he developed an interest in environmental justice. That eventually drove him to pursue a Ph.D. in epidemiology. Most stories about climate change…


COVID-19 vaccine distribution in California

As of Jan. 7, more than 528,000 Californians had received a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. Both vaccines received emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late December. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California’s initial batch of vaccines is available to health care workers and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities….


Escondido, San Marcos news briefly speaking

Legendary North County Times photographer turns calendar pin-up Photographer Dan Rios was a mentor to many of North County’s fellow shooters for two decades. Now, he hits the calendar pin-up trade as featured in the Escondido History Center’s annual fund-raising calendar. Rios worked as a photojournalist from 1968 to 2001 for the former Escondido Times Advocate newspaper, which merged with the North County Blade-Citizen in…


Hanukkah is happening, what to know about it

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” begins Thursday night. News 8 sat down with Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort to hear exactly how this Jewish holiday came about. Hanukkah commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after a small group called the Maccabees defeated the Greek Syrian army. During the battle, the Jews had only enough oil to light…