A few years ago, I wrote a column entitled, “Natural Health for Dogs”. It’s a bit ironic that I focused on dogs first since I’ve always held a very special place in my heart for cats. Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve felt a unique affinity towards felines of all kinds. Something about them draws me in and inspires effortless feelings of joy and peace. Over the years I’ve had the good fortune of being a caretaker and companion to various cats. Today, in tribute to the many feline friends that I’ve known and loved, I want to share some information that can improve the lives of other cats that I will never know.

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Red wine has a mixed reputation in the medical community. Some health authorities cite evidence that indicates it may be the one form of alcohol that provides actual health benefits. Generally speaking, the positive research regarding red wine has to do with its impact on cardiovascular health. In recent years, scientists have begun to analyze the specific chemical make up of this popular beverage. In doing so, they’ve discovered several phytochemicals that could be the reason why fermented grapes discourage heart disease. Furthermore, some of these substances have exhibited benefits in other arenas, such as anti-cancer activity in animal models and in-vitro (test tube) experiments. However, these laboratory findings are often at odds with population studies that find negative associations between alcohol consumption and cancer incidence. Today I’ll examine the most recent findings regarding the alcohol cancer connection.
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When I was growing up I imagined that the absolute greatest job in the world was to be a film critic. What could possibly be better than making a living watching movies and then telling people all about them? But, as time went on, my perspective changed somewhat. I think it’s partially because my desire to create surpassed any interest I had in critiquing the work of others. When I started writing films myself, I began to understand how very difficult it is to write a good, let alone great screenplay. What’s more, it dawned on me that the writing process is but one small piece in a much larger production. I think this is why I’ve ultimately phased out movie review columns on this site. My original intent was to recommend obscure but noteworthy films that I hoped would entertain and inspire. But writing (and reading) exclusively positive reviews tends to be rather boring and, frankly, my initial reservations about motion picture critiquing began to haunt me once again. Read more »