(NAPSA)—Child safety advocates hope a new program will be an important step toward keeping children around the world safe as they walk to school. PHOTOVOICE: Children’s Perspectives on Road Traffic Safety gives kids the chance to photograph and write about dangers they see or encounter as they walk to school, helping them to learn about road traffic safety and how to be safer pedestrians. For 12-year-old Sun Hongzhe— who, like many children in China, spends a lot of time walking near busy roads—it wasn’t difficult to find a potential danger that he could photograph for inclusion in the PHOTOVOICE project. “I found there was a breach on the isolation barriers between vehicular road and nonmotor vehicle lanes,” Sun explained, describing a space between where the cars could easily come through and hit people who were walking. Sun took the photograph to document the hazard and wrote about the unsafe corner as part of PHOTOVOICE, the first child safety photojournalism project of the Safe Kids Walk This Way program. The initiative, sponsored by FedEx, includes photos from more than 1,600 children in seven countries. “By chronicling their environments, identifying risk factors and Camera Ready—Children are using pictures to document safety hazards on their walk to school. distinguishing between safe and unsafe pedestrian behaviors, PHOTOVOICE is helping the kids to become safer pedestrians,” said Mitch Stoller, president and chief executive officer of Safe Kids Worldwide, the global safety organization celebrating 20 years of preventing accidental injury to children. Selected photos, each accompanied by a written description from the child photographer, will be on display in seven cities—São Paulo, Toronto, Beijing, Mumbai, Seoul, Manila, and Washington, D.C.—to celebrate International Walk To School Month. For more information about PHOTOVOICE and to view the online exhibition, visit safekids.org/ walk. Modernize Your Living Space With Simple Techorating Tips (NAPSA)—In today’s economy, fewer people are looking to purchase new homes—many are focusing instead on ways to upgrade their existing living space. Before you can upgrade, it’s important to size up ways to update and remodel your home. One easy way to update a home is by going beyond decorating a room, to “techorating.” Techorating combines technology and interior design, allowing people to maximize their space when adding new electronics to a room. Doug Wilson, of TLC’s “Moving Up” and “Trading Spaces,” is the LG Techorator, an expert on integrating style and technology into the home, and he has several tips to help with any home-remodeling projects. “Technology is an important part of so many rooms,” said Wilson. “But it doesn’t have to stick out in an unattractive way. When planning a room’s decorating scheme, you might, for example, not only leave space to integrate a new flat-panel TV or home theater system, you might also incorporate design elements so it blends with the room.” Wilson offers the following remodeling tips: • Start small—while this may seem like the best time to remodel your entire home, don’t try to tackle it all at once. Pick one or two rooms you think would best benefit from an update and start there. • Pick a focal point—this will help you decide where to begin your efforts and work from there. In many cases, the entertainment center will be the focal point; that’s where techorating really comes into play. If you are working with a larger living space, remember not to go overboard with one particular theme, pattern or technology. With just a few integral pieces, the room can be made to feel spacious yet comfortable. • Consider the space— r e m e m b e r, t h e s i z e o f y o u r room matters. Bigger isn’t always better. The technology in your room should be in proportion to the room for the best aesthetic and functional fit. For example, look for the best integration, not necessarily the biggest TV. • Keep a clean design—with all of the technology in today’s homes, people need to practice “cord control.” To maintain a cleaner, more organized look, leading technology companies like LG Electronics offer wireless speakers, giving your living space a crisp, modern feel. These can add impeccable sound to the room without taking over your interior design and cluttering your room. • Clear the clutter—recycle your old TV and bring in a new flat-screen for an instant style upgrade. Many consumer electronics companies are introducing recycling programs for this very purpose. Wall-mounting a flat-screen can add space to your room while maintaining the overall feel of your interior design. For more tips on how you can easily incorporate the sleek look of today’s electronics into your o v e r all design scheme, visit www.lgusa.com/Techorate. fishing trip by lightening your vehicle’s load, keeping your tires properly inflated and filling up with quality fuel from your local BP gas station. *** With its mixture of lush scenery, cool climate, Southernstyle hospitality, and attractions such as The Tallahassee Automobile Museum, Tallahassee is an exceptional venturing spot for history lovers. To learn more, call the Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 628-2866 or go to www.VisitTallahassee.com. *** “Bottle Shock,” a little film about the 1976 wine showdown in Paris, recently held its own against the giants of the industry—finishing in the box office Top 20 amid a sea of big-budget blockbusters. To learn more, visit www.bottleshock.com. *** A new online interactive guide shows consumers how multi-room audio video (MRAV) systems can distribute content both indoors and outdoors, giving homeowners a wide range of entertainment possibilities. To view the interactive MRAV Guide, created by the Consumer Electronics Association, visit DigitalTips.org. *** The average person doesn’t carry enough life insurance. More information on insurance can be found on the State Farm Web site, www.statefarm.com. *** The Jitterbug phone has a simple handset that has large, backlit buttons and screen. The service comes with a friendly personal operator who greets customers by name and can assist with special needs. The phones are available at major retailers or from www.Jitterbug.com. *** A new generation of soybean called Roundup Ready 2 Yield is expected to help U.S. farmers address the growing demand for feed, food and fuel by increasing crop yield potential by 7 to 11 percent over Roundup Ready soybeans. Visit www.RoundupReady 2Yield.com for more info. *** Primers like Bulls Eye 1-2-3 hide dark colors, block stains and seal the surface for a more even color and sheen. Also, when you use a primer, the paint will adhere better. For more helpful tips for a professional-quality paint job, visit www.zinsser.com. *** You can make great jerk fried chicken easily and economically with LouAna Southern Frying Oil. Visit www.louana.com for recipes and cooking tips. *** When you redecorate, ScotchBlue painter ’s tape for delicate surfaces makes it easy to achieve professional-looking results— whether creating a decorative, striped pattern or simply touching up trim. Use the tape to mask trim and baseboards so you can have clean, sharp paint lines. Wall-mounting a flat-screen TV can add space to your room and streamline the look and feel. Photo courtesy of Pilgrim Films & Television, Inc. Discovery Communications, LLC. Clinical Trials: How You Make A Difference (NAPSA)—Many Americans may not realize it, but many of the treatments that save lives today are based on yesterday’s clinical trials. Diseases that we are only aware of by name, such as smallpox and polio, have been eliminated because of medical research and testing. Advances in hypertension, diabetes and cancer have been powered by everyday people participating in clinical trials. What Is A Clinical Trial? A clinical trial is a process that seeks to answer specific questions with the goal of finding better ways to prevent, screen for, make diagnosis of or treat a disease. This process studies or tests in humans a new procedure (knee replacement), a drug (aspirin), a vaccine (HPV vaccine) or a device (MRI). Clinical trials are important because they are how scientists can research ways to improve your health and quality of life. They can range from examining the effect of exercise on reducing blood pressure to determining if estrogen can prevent memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease in women with a family history of Alzheimer’s. Clinical trials can prove to be crucial in changing lives. For example, a few years ago, leukemia killed nearly every child who developed it. Now, thanks to clinical trials, most of the children with the disease are living and thriving. Clinical trials are particularly important to minorities because some minorities and/or women develop serious illnesses such as heart disease, prostate cancer and diabetes more often than do other Americans. African Americans suffer from more complications If you have family and friends who have survived serious illnesses, they may have benefited from discoveries found in clinical trials. and, in some instances, die earlier from many of the diseases just mentioned. Should You Join A Clinical Trial? Scientists need to find ways to reduce or eliminate these disparities of high disease rates in minority communities. Increased participation by minorities and women in clinical trials may be a part of the answer. According to Dr. James Lane, a member of Project I.M.P.A.C.T., “It’s important that African Americans participate in clinical trials so that we can discover what works best on us. If we’re not participating, then all of the observations are based upon looking at the white population.” Today’s clinical trials are designed to ensure the safety of the volunteer. To find out more about clinical trials, call the National Medical Association (202-347-1895) and ask for a copy of the “You’ve Got the Power!” clinical trials booklet, or visit www.NMAnet.org. (NAPSA)—There are pros and cons to consider before buying a hybrid. For more information on hybrid vehicles, including reviews of specific models, details on tax breaks and other incentives, go to TheCarConnection.com. *** Auto renters should check with their insurance agent or broker before renting a vehicle, suggests Bill Wilson, CPCU, director of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America’s Virtual University. Learn more from an agent or broker with the CPCU designation or at www.cpcusociety.org. *** Products like Behr Premium Mildew Stain Remover, 2-IN-1 Wood Prep and Premium Stain & Finish Stripper can make it simple to prep an exterior surface before staining or painting. Visit www.behr.com. Behr products are available exclusively at The Home Depot. *** Each of Swarovski’s new sparkling pink iconic Nirvana Rings sold will help support The Libby Ross Foundation’s Yoga Program for breast cancer survivors. Only 2,000 of the rings will be produced. To find one or to learn more, call (800) 426-3088 or visit www.swarovski.com. *** With more than 58,000 financial planners across the U.S. who have met CFP Board’s rigorous education, examination, experience and ethics requirements and attained CFP certification, it’s easy to find a financial-planning professional who can help establi sh o bje ctive and attainable financial goals. *** You can save gas on your next 7
