Here we are in the thick of Summer in Central New York, and, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been spending as much time as humanly possible in the sunshine. After an unbearably long, cold Winter, we’re filling our days with backyard grilling, beach trips, and plenty of outdoor activities. Getting outside in the summertime has many health benefits. For one, sunlight is a known mood-booster, combating depression and anxiety, and even increasing concentration. The sun also helps our bodies to pr

The vitamin and mineral supplement industry is the latest commercial wellness space to receive the direct-to-consumer treatment, with brands like Care/of, Ritual, and Himsdelivering personalized vitamin packets, prenatal multivitamins and gummy bear vitamins right to your door. They market on podcasts and via Instagram, touting a minimalist design perfect for the social media age. It’s no secret that millennials care a lot about overall health and wellness, which has alcohol companies scrambling

If you’re like me, then the past couple months of daily Instagram scrolling has brought with it advertisements featuring impossibly beautiful and impeccably toned 20-somethings posing on yoga mats in bright, woodsixfloored rooms or tropical beaches, always in matching bra-and-legging sets. These fitness models appeared to be selling me things like activewear, shakes, bikinis, diet plans, collagen, waist trainers, and even online coaching. At first I scrolled past these ads without a backwards gl

I love living in a place that experiences all four seasons. I don’t think I’d enjoy a relentlessly sunny locale where there’s never even an inch of snow. I’d rather be too cold than too hot any day, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. Especially as the Winter months drag on in Upstate New York, where I live. I don’t know what it’s like to not have to drive through a full-on, white-out blizzard as a normal part of my commute, which is why I was convinced that freelancing was the way to

Brothers Cas, Argus, and Shaima hunt for dinner in the sewers. Helina pays a visit to her favorite bartender, Gert. Queen Wanda meets with Captain Root to discuss the upcoming Contact Day Festival. Meanwhile, Kendall runs into trouble with the Wolfpac. Produced by Rogue Dialogue Productions Written and directed by Bob Raymonda and Christie Donato Sound design and score by Adam Raymonda Additional instrumentation and vocals on “Windfall Theme” by Gabriela Evergreen and Pavlina Horakova

“How long did you watch for?” she finally asked. “I couldn’t even tell you. Maybe hours. I didn’t know what to do.” Judy made eye contact with Ana once more. “I hid in an alleyway and just stared up. Finally, I worked up the courage to walk home. When I got there the apartment was empty. The lights were all off, and no one had even bothered to lock the door. I remember it was dusk, and there was still just enough light coming in through the gate over our fire escape window in the kitchen that I

CHRISTIE DONATO There are a total of four books currently on my Kindle: The Book of Honorius, The Greater Key of Solomon, The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic (or the Forbidden Rites), and From Grief to Growth: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Loved One and Getting the Most Out of Your Life. My au

Shawn Forster, Writer, Director, and Composer of Weird! The Musical, On Tackling Bullying Through Musical Theater And Writing For An Audience Of All Ages By: Christie Donato  Based on the children’s book series of the same name, Weird! The Musical has its first public performance this weekend - January 19th and 20th - at the Oncenter Carrier Theater after touring to local schools this Fall. Weird! is a wholly Syracuse-based production, from the book series, which was written and illustrated

The first time I remember watching a TV show for the express purpose of using it as an emotional outlet was my senior year of college. I was in a downward spiral of insomnia, depression, and fear of the future. I didn’t want to be in school anymore, but I also didn’t want to not be in school anymore. I was alone for the first time since high school, having just broken up with my college boyfriend the semester before—and while I knew it was the right decision, there’s nothing quite as hollow as t