?Modern conservatism comes in two distinct architectural styles. The first seeks to build from scratch, using accurate ideological levels and plumb lines, so every wall is straight and every corner squared. The goal of politics is to apply abstract principles in their purest form. But there is another type of conservatism, often practiced at the state level, which attempts to build out of flawed, existing materials, resulting in some odd angles and incongruous additions. These conservative...

You can have a great time getting caught up in the outrageous action of the sixth entry in this money-making machine of a series without having seen any of the previous films. But you wouldn’t understand the nuances of the characters and their interrelationships, you wouldn’t get why they all keep talking about the importance of family, and you wouldn’t really know who you’re supposed to be rooting for, or why.

“The Hangover III” takes forever to get started and then never wants to end. Farewells are always tough, but the end it is, as the “Wolf Pack” embarks on one final off-the-rails road trip.

Scott Blagden worked in real estate after being shown the exit door when a college prank found the wrong audience – apparently humor wasn’t in the offering that semester. Today, he lives on Cape Cod, is still in the real estate biz, is the father to two teenagers and he has just seen his first book published.

President Obama addressed many important issues in his speech Thursday (transcript here), some of which I’m writing about for Sunday’s column.  The speech also included some remarkable political theater involving Obama and a protester in the audience. If anyone finds the clip and can link to it, you should check it out.

Wouldn’t you agree, there are millions of excuses not to exercise. Either we are too busy, too tired, or feel it is too boring. I certainly can relate to those feelings myself, because each and everyday, I have to overcome them as I make my way to the gym.

The Shawnee Animal Shelter is prepared to accept any newly found displaced animals from Sunday’s tornado which tore through Bethel Acres and Shawnee.

Bring everything you need without having to descend the ladder

5 simple maintenance tasks you can tackle in your home garage

Once again, the fruit tops the list of dirtiest produce.

OB/GYN Dr. Lisa Masterson explains why women are more prone to UTIs if they engage in frequent sex.

Yolanda Foster has suffered for more than two years. Here's how to protect yourself from Lyme Disease.

Are parents of adolescents too controlling when it comes to how much their children eat?

A new study finds that mushrooms may help increase vitamin D levels in healthy adults.

photo by: Niccolò Vecchia

Do you like learning about beer, hearing what’s going on in the beer world or listening to brewers talk about their breweries and the beers they brew?Then, I have the podcast for you. (Spoiler alert, I take part in it).Every Monday, live on Google Plus, the Seacoast Beverage Lab Podcast takes place beginning at 8 p.m. and goes for about an hour.

The question in the headline above is one the right-wing conspiratorialists seem never to ask themselves.Who blew the whistle on the IRS?

Your daily news briefing, with the video of the day, top news and quote of the day.   

There are many parts of our criminal justice system that are cruel and counter-productive.  A couple of weeks ago, I inveighed against one small stupid injustice: treating 17-year-olds as adults in Massachusetts’ courts and throwing them into adult prisons.