By Marshall Loeb RISMEDIA, May 26, 2008-(MCT)-As Memorial Day kicks off the summer vacation season, are you wanting to go on a vacation this summer but not sure you can afford it? Sure, gas and food prices are high, but it's still possible to get away.

RISMEDIA, May 23, 2008-Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May and commemorates the U.S. men and women who have died in our nation's service. What began as a time to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War, after World War I, it expanded to include those

By Joseph V. Amodio RISMEDIA, May 22, 2008-(MCT)-Philip Meltzer is an optometrist. Some days, he's also a marriage counselor.

By Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D. RISMEDIA, May 21, 2008-(MCT)-It's graduation season, and this means it's time for job hunting. Joining the pool of applicants will be a lot of people who have been

The inside line on what cell phone tricks are true and what's just urban legend RISMEDIA, May 20, 2008- (MCT)-My 13-year-old daughter ran into the dining room in an excited state. "Watch what my cell phone can do."

By Nzong Xiong RISMEDIA, May 19, 2008-(MCT)-The next time you need to clean your kitchen countertops, don't rush to grab the disinfectant spray you usually use. Instead, dig around

By Kristin Jackson RISMEDIA, May 16, 2008-(MCT)-In the 1890s, thousands of rugged miners swarmed onto ships in Seattle, sailing north to find their fortunes during the Alaska gold rush. These days it's cruise passengers who crowd the downtown waterfront and flock to Alaska: More than 835,000

By Beth Botts RISMEDIA, May 15, 2008-(MCT)-For beginners, especially, a garden center can be overwhelming and bewildering: the colors and dazzle, the crowds, the high spirits, the pie-in-the-sky fantasies, the peer pressure, the devil-may-care impulse buying that can leave a wallet gasping.

By Sharon Harvey Rosenberg RISMEDIA, May 14, 2008-(MCT)-Haggling over prices is expected at flea markets, yard sales and auto lots. But my sister, Debra Patterson, negotiated a sweet deal for

RISMEDIA, May 13, 2008-(MCT)-800-CEO-READ, a direct supplier of book-based resources, compiles a monthly list of best-selling business books based on purchases by its corporate customers nationwide.

By Heather Newman RISMEDIA, May 12, 2008-(MCT)-Linda Simlar of Oxford, Mich., was a frequent walker. But it took two large black Labrador mixes to lead her to her first running race-and a new friend.

By Bob Downing RISMEDIA, May 9, 2008-(MCT)-St. John is one of the best places in the world to go snorkeling, but snorkeling gets little respect. Hollywood and television have glamorized

By Dan Serra RISMEDIA, May 8, 2008-(MCT)-Are you the boss in the family when it comes to planning how to manage money? Or do you let your spouse handle everything so you don't have to worry?

By Chuck Myers RISMEDIA, May 7, 2008-(MCT)-Car maintenance can have a marked effect on how much time we spend at the pump. Having a car tuned up on a regular basis, for example, improves

RISMEDIA, May 6, 2008-With inflation on the rise (gas prices, grocery bills, health insurance premiums, etc.) and many companies being more conservative, more American families are feeling squeezed. So if you're feeling guilty