Education/Innovation Articles

1. Tax Time Is Tool Time Use Your Tax Form as Financial Planning Tool

Two topics people love to hate are income taxes and financial planning. It's easier to avoid one more than the other, thanks to the looming tax filing deadline, but neither one should be ignored. But if you combine the tasks, maybe both would be more palatable. Consider using your Form 1040 as a financial planning tool because it paints a clear picture of your financial situation and might put mor... read more

2. One of The Worst Complications of Diabetes May Be Preventable

When Greg Owen was referred to the Ingham Regional Wound Care Center in Lansing, Mich., he was in danger of losing his toe, possibly his foot, to one of the most devastating complications of diabetes - chronic wounds. As an active member of the community and an avid fan of Michigan State University sports, amputation was unthinkable. Diagnosed with diabetes in 1983, Owen was a model pat... read more

3. Managing Psoriasis in the Winter Months

For some Americans, winter can bring a new set of challenges for their skin, hair and nail care. However, for individuals with psoriasis, this can be the most difficult season of all. Environmental factors, such as cold winter weather and dry, indoor heat can rob the body of needed moisture and cause psoriasis symptoms to flare or worsen. The condition becomes even more severe when the s... read more

4. Is Your Office Out of Shape? New Year's Resolutions for a Buffer Bottom Line

Is your office equipment suffering from a hangover? Could your document channels use an extreme makeover? Xerox Canada offers 10 New Year's resolutions that will trim document fat and boost productivity. 1. Find security: Consider storing critical digital documents in a repository offsite that employees can access from anywhere in the world. Make sure your office equipment provider underst... read more

5. Low Carb Diets are Catching On Across the Country

There is no question about the fact that the low carb diet is in. Magazine covers proclaim its success, books like "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution" and "The South Beach Diet" remain on the top sellers list week after week, and stores that specialize in low carb foods are popping up all over the country. Low carb products now account for over $2.5 billion dollars in retail sales ... read more

6. Seniors Benefit from Alternative Home Caregivers: 'Visiting Angels'

Sometimes these angels take their clients on trips to the racetrack, or to the mall, or out to lunch. They may even just take them out to get some fresh air. If these "angels" don't sound typical, it's because they aren't. They are staff members from the Visiting Angels, an innovative national network of agencies that provide non-medical homecare to older adults. "We are different," says Phy... read more

7. The Sweet Taste of Summer

Summer. The beach, the mountains, summer camp, block parties - it's the time of year when we relax, seek refuge from the stress of school and work, and indulge in our favorite pastimes. Summer is also a time when some of our best memories and traditions are formed. Candy has always been a part of this - from saltwater taffy at the boardwalk to s'mores at the campsite. The Nation... read more

8. Understanding Low Back Pain

With the exception of cold and flu symptoms, backaches send more people to the doctor than any other medical condition. Approximately 65 million Americans are affected by back pain, and about 80 percent of the population will experience some form of it at least once in their lifetime. Low back pain affects both men and women equally, and usually occurs between the ages of 25 and 60. Low back pain ... read more

9. How to Prepare Your Return for Mailing

This year, most 1040 tax packages will contain an envelope with two labels that will enable the IRS to more efficiently sort the refund returns from the remittance returns. These labels will contain the address of the Internal Revenue Service Center and separate Zip+4 Zip Codes and PostNet barcodes. Taxpayers filing for a refund will use one of the labels. The other label will be used by taxpay... read more

10. Want child abuse to stop? Do something

In the grocery store parking lot, you see an angry mother violently shake her school-aged child, and then smack his face. You often hear the man next door shouting insults, obscenities and threats at his adolescent kids, yet when you see them outside together, they seem like a nice, normal family. Your 11-year-old daughter shyly tells you that her friend has a secret - her stepfa... read more

11. Students Need More Than Sharpened Pencils, Notebooks To Do Their Best in School, Children Need a Good Night's Sleep

Back-to-school time is just around the corner. With this in mind, the Better Sleep Council offers the following ten "do's" and "don'ts" to ensure that your child gets the sleep he or she needs to be a star student. 1) Do help your child to get at least nine hours of sleep each night. To be their best, children need at least nine hours of sleep every night. 2) Don't overschedule your child. To... read more

12. Modern Businesses Do Better with Bartering

You may remember from your school days one of the most interesting trades in American history: Peter Minuit, director general of the Dutch colony of New Netherlands, purchasing the island of Manhattan in 1626 for $24 worth of trinkets. Trading and bartering may also bring to mind visions of the Old West or exotic seaports. But retail trade exchange is also a successful aspect of modern American... read more

13. Don't Drive Like a Speed Demon on Halloween Don't Drive Like a Speed Demon on Halloween

"Don't Drive Like A Speed Demon" is the Halloween safety message this year from the American Optometric Association (AOA). Drivers taking a devil-may-care attitude on Halloween should consider this scary fact from the National Safety Council: Four times as many children aged 5 to 14 are killed while walking on Halloween night compared with other evenings in the year. Many of those deaths are fro... read more

14. Attention Business Owners: Tax Law Changes May Affect You

Changes in the tax law will affect the way business owners complete their 1999 tax returns and the way they'll conduct business in the year 2000. Some changes include: new rules that make it easier to claim a business deduction for the business use of your home; new thresholds to determine which businesses have to make electronic tax payments; a change in the standard mileage rate for vehicle use;... read more

15. In the ABCs of Diabetes, "˜B' Stands for Blood Pressure

People with diabetes are three times more likely to have high blood pressure than people without diabetes. High blood pressure, or hypertension, means that the force of the blood inside your blood vessels is too high. High blood pressure makes the heart work too hard and can increase the risk for heart attack and stroke. Hypertension often goes unnoticed. A recent study found that about 71 per... read more

16. Create Wedding Invitations That Only Look Expensive How to Get the Invitations You Want, at a Price You Can Afford

Save a substantial amount of money on invitations, without sacrificing quality, by making them yourself using your computer. It's easy and fun to create distinctive invitations, at a price you can afford, by layering fine printable paper over a heavyweight card and fastening them together with a unique embellishment. Select a Background Start by choosing heavy cover stock for the b... read more

17. ¿Mudándose? Recuerde actualizar la información de su domicilio

¿Se ha mudado desde la última vez que presentó su declaración de impuestos? ¿Tiene pensado en mudarse antes de que le enviemos el reembolso de sus impuestos? Si es así, asegúrese de seguir los pasos necesarios para que su reembolso no se pierda o sea devuelto al Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS, en sus siglas en inglés). Dedique unos minutos de su horario tan ocupado debido a la muda... read more

18. Silence Is Not Golden In Your Golden Years Second Annual National Long Term Care Awareness Day(SM) Helps to Bust Myths about Long Term Care Planning and Offers Solutions

Has your family talked about long term care plans for a parent, loved one or yourself? Or is "getting older" just something you don't talk about at your dinner table? If you are like most Americans, long term care planning is something you either don't want to talk about, are uncomfortable thinking about or, even worse, something you don't believe needs any discussion. Recently, the GE Cent... read more

19. 10 Ways to Cut Your Long Distance Bill in Half

Do you dread opening your monthly phone bill because you know it will be expensive? Perhaps you've considered switching the company that provides your long distance service but are confused by the many options out there. Or maybe you've already switched providers, but haven't noticed the promised savings in your bill. In order to really save money on your long distance service, you... read more

20. Kitchen and Bath SolutionsBy Barbara Schmidt Building Successful Remodeling into Your Home Tips on Bathroom Remodeling for Any "Do It Yourself" Project

Home improvement has become one of our country's greatest pastimes. Americans spent an estimated $214 billion on home improvements, maintenance and repairs in 2001, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies research report issued in February 2003. Just how and where that money is spent can make a big difference when it comes to investing in your home. Of all the rooms in yo... read more

21. Family Traditions: For Your Wedding and for Your New Life Together Why families do what they do and why it's good

Family traditions define who we are and where we came from. From the simple Friday night pizza party in the living room to the elaborate wedding celebration, family traditions are the bedrock of society - bringing order and predictability into our lives and emotionally nourishing us by building bonds with family both near and far. They make the mundane and everyday special, and they make the speci... read more

22. In the ABCs of Diabetes, "˜A' Stands for A1C

You probably have heard that you can prevent diabetes-related complications such as heart, eye and kidney disease, by maintaining your blood sugar. So you checked your blood sugar regularly and assumed you were doing enough. Unfortunately, you were wrong. Daily finger-prick checks provide a limited measure of your diabetes management, because the test is only a snapshot of your health at any mom... read more

23. Put the Freeze on Cold Air Drafts this Winter

Before the winter winds put a chill in your air, pull out your gun (your caulk gun that is) and stop air leaks dead in their tracks. Air drafts around the home are more than just a comfort issue; they can contribute to many unnecessary dollars added to your heating bill. In fact, did you know that caulking around windows and doors can cut heating and cooling bills by 10 percent? Caulk... read more

24. Getting the Most from your Deck

"I built my deck so my family had a pleasant outdoor room," says one homeowner. Another reported doing so because it added to the financial value of her home. There are many reasons, both practical and emotional, for adding a deck. Some want a place for relaxing in private, while one extroverted man says, "I like entertaining friends and business associates on my deck." Whatever the ... read more