(All photos: I posted the three photos above/below for a reason; namely, to demonstrate that, from a US perspective, my family members had a pretty tough life in 1950’s – 60’s Calabria.  However, if you look beyond the conditions in the photos and through the linen shirts that acted as work uniforms, you see happy people in tight knit groups […]

Every person has a series of products that they can’t live without when it comes to their home.  For many, it’s a flat screen TV or a backyard Jacuzzi, but being the practical guy that I am my list includes a stainless steel stove and fleece blanket!  Don’t laugh because I can hear you, have a look at my top […]

Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher have been reviewing wines via the Wall Street Journal’s column Tastings for 11 years (now that’s a lot of bottles!).  A recent Wall Street Journal article summarizes Tastings’ readers most asked questions; Dorothy and John have received over 1000 questions about wines and most of them, they state, can be summarized via the following 11 […]

Five Ways To Save Money At A Sporting Event  Excerpt: **This is a guest post by Jeff Rose. In my hometown, one of the things that my wife and I enjoy doing is going to see our former alma mater battling it out on the basketball court.  I’m sure most can relate to attending a similar event, whether it be […]

The upcoming Oscars Award show always gets everyone in the movie-going spirit and why not it’s fun to plan a night at your local theatre taking in a good movie followed by a late night meal and a glass of good Zindfandel!  But wait, hold on, are you really going to spend $20+ dollars for tickets, $15+ dollars on snacks, […]

My wife has been an avid reader of KathEats.com for well over a year and raves about her real world recipes and outstanding food photos.  Being a dyed-in-the-wool foodie I took my wife’s enthusiasm as a sign to visit Kath’s site and I had a mini-revelation: good, practical, food can, indeed, make you look and feel great!   As someone […]

Here’s a quick look at some of the tax breaks the new stimulus plan authorizes (for a more detailed look see the Wall Street Journal): 1. Making Work Pay tax credit.  An eligible worker would get 6.2% of earned income up to a max credit of $400 (for two income earners it’s $800).  What this means is that workers would see […]

I’m a big believer in keeping a clean house; in fact, my wife would argue that I’m a bit compulsive about cleaning, but hey it’s mindless work and it gives me great satisfaction when I see clean hardwood floors, a shiny stainless steel fridge, or crystal clear windows! I take special pride in cleaning our kitchen, but it does present […]

In honor of President’s Day, I’m rolling out some slightly used blog entries which are in fantastic condition.  The entries all come with standard savings and get great bang for your buck, how-to, value!  Hurry down to Scordo.com before the Presidents’ Day savings expire! Here’s a preview of the hot deals on our lot: 1. Do you buy bottled salad […]

As a teenager, and then well into my late twenties, I didn’t give any thought to the winter months and the brutal cold, lack of consistent sunshine, or the large amount of time spent indoors.  However, now in my mid thirties, I have a deep hatred for the late November through mid-March timeframe.  A neurotransmitter must turn on when you […]