You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2560 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Tips For Hanging Pictures And Shelves Quick Lunch Fixes (NAPSA)—Whether you consider yourself handy or less than mechanically inclined, one key tool could make a number of household projects more secure. A simple stud finder can eliminate the guesswork involved when hanging pictures and shelves or securing heavy bookcases or furniture to the wall. Just slide the device across the surface of the wall, and when it detects a change in wall density it signals that it has located a stud. If your stud finder is what’s known as an “edge finder,” it will pinpoint the edges of a stud. You then simply determine the center and drill or nail. If you have a “center finder,” the center of the stud will be automatically identified for you. Choosing Tools Not every stud finder is the same, so it’s important to do a little homework before buying. You might check out a company called Zircon Corporation that offers center-finding stud finders that are also capable of scanning for metal and electrical, in addition to the edge-finding line consisting of the entry-level StudSensor ™ EDGE, e30, e40 and e50. This line features an ergonomic design meant to make them comfortable and easy to use. Their concave grips help homeowners keep the tool flush against the wall as they sweep for studs, and intuitive user interfaces can help users quickly calibrate the tool. (NAPSA)—Bringing your lunch to work or school can be a simple way to save money and calories. Try these tips for building a better lunch box: • Keep moist foods such as sliced tomatoes in their own bag so the rest of your lunch isn’t soggy. • Try to prepare your lunch the night before to save time in the morning. A stud finder can make hanging pictures, shelves and other items easier. The relatively inexpensive e30 offers a “WireWarning” detection feature, which warns users of live unshielded wires. The e40, a more powerful version of the e30, is capable of scanning walls up to 1 inches deep. The e50 adds a user-friendly LCD screen. Hanging Hints After you’ve located a wall’s studs, hanging items can be simple. Try these tips: • If you’re hanging shelves, consider tracing a template on cardboard and taping it on the wall. Then use the template to gauge bracket placement. • If you’re hanging a picture, place small, adhesive-backed rubber feet on its back corners. The feet will grip the wall and help keep the picture level. For more information and tips, visit www.zircon.com. Food For Thought—Snacks such as cholesterol-free Pretzel Crisps are a low-calorie way to add taste and texture to a healthy lunch. • Bring plenty of fresh fruit. Not only is it portable, it can also help you feel full and satisfy your sweet tooth. Also, remember that you can add a delicious crunch to your lunch while keeping good health on your plate. Try pairing fun snacks such as trans fat- and cholesterol-free Pretzel Crisps with soup or a sandwich for a burst of flavor and texture. They come in varieties including Buffalo Wing, Everything, Honey Mustard and Onion, and All-Natural Original. For more tips and information, visit www.pretzelcrisps.com. Experts Say There’s Still Time To Get A Flu Shot (NAPSA)—There’s good news for those who want to protect themselves and their family from the flu. There’s still time to get a seasonal flu vaccination. While the seasonal flu season typically runs from October through May, activity often peaks in January or later. According to the CDC, you should get a seasonal flu shot if you are 50 or older, have a chronic health problem—such as kidney, lung, or heart disease; diabetes, a blood disorder or asthma—live in a nursing home or other long-term care facility, are pregnant, are between 6 months and 19 years old, or live with or care for someone in a high-risk group outlined above. While people age 50 and older are more vulnerable to seasonal flu and its complications, many older people are still not getting vaccinated. For example, seasonal flu vaccination rates are 66 percent for people 65+ and just 39 percent for people 50 to 64. “Many myths exist about influenza vaccination, but the evidence is clear—vaccines, regardless of age, offer the best method to prevent disease,” said Dr. Cora L. Christian, a board member of AARP. This year, the country is fighting both the regular seasonal flu and a new strain of H1N1 flu (commonly referred to as “swine flu”). A seasonal flu vaccine will not protect you against the H1N1 flu strain. There is a separate vaccine for H1N1 flu. Groups at high risk of contracting the H1N1 flu include children and young adults up to age 24, pregnant women, people who live with or care for infants, health care workers, and 25- to 64-yearolds with cancer, blood disorders, chronic lung disease (asthma, A seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 flu strain. There is a separate vaccine for H1N1 flu. COPD), diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders, liver disorders, neurological disorders, neuromuscular disorders or HIV, all of which can increase the severity of flu symptoms in patients. The CDC also recommends that, as more of the H1N1 vaccine becomes available, all healthy Americans ages 25 to 64 receive it, followed by those 65 and older. According to the CDC, older Americans are less likely than younger people to get sick from the H1N1 flu virus, probably because they have immunity from an earlier exposure to a similar flu. As more H1N1 vaccines become available, many states are giving vaccines to people over 65, and the CDC has encouraged older Americans to seek H1N1 vaccination if local supply is sufficient. If you are over 65, you should check with your health care provider or state health department to see if the H1N1 vaccine is available for you. In addition to your doctor ’s office or a clinic, it’s often possible to get a shot at a neighborhood supermarket or drugstore. For more information on where to find a flu shot near you, go to www.aarp.org/flu.
