If you had to venture a guess, how much time would you say the average American wastes dealing with paperwork each week? Before you answer, keep in mind all those incoming and outgoing contracts and purchase orders you handle on a daily basis at work, permission slips for the kids’ field trips and extracurricular activities, progress reports you have to sign for school, etc. “Lost count yet?” asks Jeff Zwelling, a businessman from California. He ... [full story]

Many factors have converged to make 2006 a great time for home remodeling. Projects completed this fall will increase a home's curb appeal, make it more energy efficient and reduce the homeowner's tax burden. Escalating natural gas and fuel oil prices mean that energy-conscious home updates can result in worthwhile savings. Residential heating oil costs increased 32.7 percent in 2004 and 8.3 percent in 2005. Natural gas costs nearly doubled from 1995 to 2005, according ... [full story]

Childhood is a critical time for establishing lifelong eating habits. Kids who grow up in a household that promotes healthy eating are more likely to adopt those habits as their own. Luckily, nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated or labor-intensive. You can find information about how to keep your kids eating healthy at http://wwwmedtronic.com/healthykids. Raising Healthy Kids also is available in a four-page translated version for parents whose first language is not English; translations are ... [full story]

As the weather cools, many homeowners already have a system in place to help prepare their home's exterior for the looming winter season. Making sure outdoor furniture is stored away and bushes and young trees are wrapped in burlap are just a few common tasks many homeowners automatically check off.  However, many are unaware that their exterior wood surfaces, like decks or fences, also require special protection from winter's elements.    The optimum time to apply ... [full story]

Since teenagers first picked up joysticks and batted small blips of light back and forth on TV screens, parents have been shaking their heads and saying "You'll never make a living playing video games!" The booming computer graphics industry has proven them wrong, and simulation, an outgrowth of that industry, is poised to become the next hot career inspired by those old video games.  "Simulation focuses on a student's ability to combine science, mathematics and programming ... [full story]

Trendy and artsy: Mini Cooper.  Cool soccer Mom: BMW wagon.  Nostalgia lover: new VW Beetle.  Midlife crisis: vintage Corvette.It's no accident that certain cars are driven by certain types of people.  In fact, by the time a car has reached the marketplace, a target buyer is practically in its DNA.  "Car manufacturers are designing vehicles based on focus group studies that give key insights into satisfying lifestyles, egos and current status symbols," says Ron Miller, a ... [full story]

From backyard barbecues and family reunions to graduations and weddings, summer is the season for making outdoor memories. But when autumn comes and the weather changes, those memories can start to fade. Instead of letting precious moments slip away, you can preserve them forever with a DVD camcorder, which combines the versatile capabilities of a camcorder with the unbeatable convenience of DVD media. Because these dream machines record directly on mini DVD media instead of using ... [full story]

What would happen if no pharmacists were available to fill your prescription at the local drugstore, or to recognize medication errors in the emergency room? That could be reality if America doesn't train another 150,000 pharmacists by 2020.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 7,000 to 10,000 pharmacist positions are left unfilled every year. Pharmacy graduates can expect a variety of possible career directions as well as four or five job offers. Besides earning ... [full story]

The garage door may not be the first item you think of dressing up when you’re putting your house up for sale, but realtors say it’s worth giving it some attention.   The list price on this home increased nearly 3 percent when standard garage doors were replaced by carriage house doors that enhanced the home's charming Craftsman style. “It’s the single largest moving part on a home and if it faces the street, it plays a ... [full story]

Few things offer a greater sense of accomplishment than designing, building or customizing a home to your specific desires.  Done properly, a home can offer decades of enjoyment to you and your family - with little or no need for major updating or improvements.     The exterior details are some of the most important aesthetic and value-influencing aspects of the home. Photo by Western Red Cedar Lumber Association With so many necessary decisions however, it's often easy ... [full story]