Ever wake up in the morning feeling like you're spinning your wheels but not going anywhere? The folks at the Howard Center for Human Services know a thing or two about that, and they're hoping you'll come out February 7 to put some of that energy to good use. The Burlington nonprofit agency is sponsoring its second annual "Howard Center Sunrise Spin," an instructor-led cycling challenge to raise money for mental-health services.... Read more

The Xercizer isn't exactly a Medieval rack, but its appearance is highly suspect: a sort of sliding rectangular platform about a foot off the floor, supported by four legs like a cot, with a spring-loaded metal framework underneath. There are straps for pulling, a baseboard for kicking, and two posts that keep your body from flying off it during use. Your head, I learned, goes between the posts.... Read more

A young Vietnamese mother who doesn't speak English walks into the Community Health Center in Burlington one morning carrying an infant who's been awake all night with a high fever. A nurse conducting a routine examination of the child notices the baby's skin bears suspicious red marks that look like burns or bruises. As a licensed health-care provider, the nurse is required by law to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect. As recently as five years ago, she might have alerted the authorities before realizing her mistake.... Read more

Williston software developer Chris Yager was watching TV one day when he decided to get off the couch and become an adventure racer. "It was the Eco-Challenge," recalls Yager. "I said, ‘This is cool. I want to do this.' So I called up some friends and conned them into doing a race near Ottawa."... Read more

Whoever came up with the line "No pain, no gain" probably wasn't thinking about wrenched backs and broken toes. But that's what it took to get me off my ass and onto the elliptical trainer -- the same machine that lets our Commander-in-Chief satisfy his jogging jones without jarring his Executive Knees. Coincidence aside, the "W" that transformed me from chair warmer to gym junkie wasn't a Bush, but a bunch of weeds.... Read more

Switching off his vacuum cleaner, George Michaels leans down to inspect the filter he's placed in the machine to show me how much gunk has been gathering in my carpet. "Holy cow!" he cries. "You're living in a den of dirt!" Michaels pulls out a tangle of dust, hair and soil flecked with bits of food, and walks over to the kitchen, where he lays the collection carefully on a chair, like a robin's nest he's found in the woods.... Read more

God bless us, every one. We made it through the holliest, jolliest, most supersized holiday season in history, and it's a Christmas miracle there's a tooth left in our heads after such a sugary blizzard of TV specials and celebrations. Being a big fan of the holiday -- my home stereo plays Yule tunes year 'round -- I might have been tempted to call it too much of a good thing. In reality, though, it was merely too much.... Read more

After the frenzy of a holiday season, life always seems to settle into a long winter snooze. It's no different at the movies. Many of the Thanksgiving and Christmas releases, most aimed at Oscar consideration, are still playing in local theaters. But new motion pictures that begin arriving this month may be less than exceptional.
So what better time to showcase worthy older fare or recent productions way off the beaten path of commercial viability? Several upcoming events will offer Vermonters a cinematic alternative to hibernation:

HIRSCHFIELD FILM/VIDEO SERIES
(3 and 8 p.... Read more

Every move you make, Ho-Ho. Every bond you break. Every step you take, they'll be watching you. And watching Howard Dean has become the new #1 pastime for the national media. The question is, how good is their eyesight?

As former Gov. Dean has risen like Vermont cream to the top of the Democrats' presidential milk tank, a number of stories have appeared that many say unfairly and inaccurately portray Dean's gubernatorial record.... Read more

As Burlington rang in 2004, also known on the Chinese calendar as the Year of the Monkey, there were growing indications that the days are numbered for the public display of rare and exotic animals in the Queen City. Last month, the Burlington City Council approved two unrelated ordinances that make it more difficult for people to show off their unusual animals for fun or profit.... Read more