• Winning the Influence Game: What Every Business Leader Should Know About Government

    Every business has a not-so-silent partner that must be managed: the government.

    Articles about major companies often have little to do with products and services, and much more to do with government red tape. Yet when Michael Watkins began searching for information on how companies should work with government, he turned up empty-handed. This prompted Watkins to co-author "Winning the Influence Game: What Every Business Leader Should Know About Government". ADVISOR asked Watkins how today's business leaders can build a beneficial relationship with government.

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  • If Men Are From Mars, How Will Women Ever Get Promoted?

    Business woman
    By Tom Murphy

    Survey of female executives finds gender bias in Corporate America.

    The best-selling book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus is all about the male-female relationship. Using humor, author John Grey makes a very important point: men and women think differently. Sometimes the difference is so pronounced, one would think men and women come from different planets.

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  • Tips for Older Adults to Avoid Heat-Related Illness

    Hot sun

    Our risk of hyperthermia problems increases with age

    Summertime, and the living is...hot -- TOO HOT. Alas, we are less able to handle hot days as we age. The wonderful summertime of youth can become a serious problem for a Senior. Heat-related illnesses, known as hyperthermia, can include heat stroke, heat fatigue, heat syncope (sudden dizziness after exercising in the heat), heat cramps and heat exhaustion. Here's advice to help older people avoid these problems.

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  • Understand Pre-Diabetes

    By Dr. Bud Beck and Noelle Edwards, M.P.H., San Diego Diabetes Coalition

    ADVISOR ANSWERS

    Q: What is pre-diabetes? How is it different from Type 2 diabetes?
    -- Malcolm M. in Boston, Massachusetts

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  • YMCA Helps Older Adults Stay Active

    By Pattie Griffin

    You might be surprised to see what the YMCA has to offer. Check it out!

    YMCAs are for people of all ages, abilities, and incomes. At YMCAs, both Boomers and older Seniors have a chance to keep active and grow in spirit, mind, and body. New friends and new opportunities add joy to life. The Y also gives Seniors a chance to share their time and talents with others, such as children and teens.

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  • Hollywood comes to my town... again.

    Hairy Tale Film Crew sign
    By John L. Hawkins

    A movie production crew takes over my street.

    Ahh, the glamor of Hollywood, the excitement of film-making... Unless the movie crew has filled up your street and you just want to get home! It happened in my neighborhood (again). Here's a report. San Diego might not be known as a hotbed of film production, but one day the one block street leading to my house once again filled with movie-making trucks, equipment, people and even actors who aren't people.
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  • Cancer: The War We Really Need to Fight

    Warrior 05

    Progress has been made in War On Cancer, but we face many challenges

    We seem to be waging war on many fronts: drugs, crime, illegal immigration, drunk driving, Afghanistan, Iraq, terrorists in general, terrorism on airplanes in particular. But our most serious war -- the one most likely to affect all of us -- is one we are still losing: The War on Cancer.

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  • Role Reversal

    Car keys caution sign

    Strategies for taking away the keys when mom or dad should no longer drive.

    Automobiles transcend other possessions. They are part of our identity, almost like a member of the family. After a lifetime of mobility, the prospect of losing that aspect of independence can be seriously frightening. But, what do you do when your parent is no longer safe on the road? Here are some suggestions.

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  • The Financial Toll of Alzheimer’s

    A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has more than just medical implications — there are financial issues, too.

    An estimated 5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease; this number is expected to double by the year 2050 as the elderly segment of our population grows. Not only does the disease have a significant emotional impact on individuals and their families, it also causes severe family financial burden and places considerable demands on the greater public health system. 

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  • Choosing an RV

    RVs camping in Arizona
    By John L. Hawkins

    How I investigated, evaluated, and selected a mobile office motor home.

    "How can there possibly so many different makes and models and designs and options in the RV marketplace?" In search of a vehicle that could be both a capable mobile office and a nice place to live on the road, the choices seemed overwhelming. But over time, I learned why there's so much variety, and what makes the most difference. While your needs and considerations might be different, here's some of what I learned in picking out the ideal RV for me.

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  • Use a Home Equity Loan Wisely

    Your home has equity
    By Tom Reid

    A home equity line of credit is popular, but is it smart? Learn how to get the cash you need while keeping your home and finances safe and sound.

    A Home Equity Line of Credit, or HELOC (pronounced hee-lock) as it is called in my industry, has become as common as SUVs and Starbucks. If you don't have one, I bet you know someone who does. People use HELOCs as an easy way to get lots of cash.
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  • 5 Key Steps to Creating a Living Trust

    By Kristine Kyllander

    Considering a living trust? What about a will? Do you need both? 

    There are many benefits to having a living trust but, as with any legal document, it requires careful planning. In this article, you'll learn exactly what a living trust is, and explore five basic steps you should consider when establishing your own living trust.

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  • Is An Oldie A Goodie?

    ADVISOR NEWS

    How people evaluate older vs. newer might surprise you.

    How do you evaluate a policy, a painting or a piece of chocolate? What makes you decide the "best" tree or treatment? Probably not what you think, reveals an interesting scientific study. Compare your own behavior to these results.

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  • How To Stop Your Dog Pulling On The Leash During Walks

    Here's how to get your dog to walk with you calmly and safely.

    Pulling on the leash is a common dog misbehavior. Puppies and adult dogs alike can often be seen taking their owners for walks, instead of the other way around. Pulling on the leash can be much more than an annoying habit. Leash pulling can lead to escape in the case of a break in the collar or leash, and an out of control, off-leash dog can be both destructive and dangerous to itself and to others.

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  • Where They Film: Santa Clarita Valley, California

    NCIS mobile truck prop
    By John L. Hawkins

    Hollywood locations of NCIS, CSI, 24, The Mentalist, Star Trek, The Unit, and more... 

    Hollywood movies and TV shows are almost never filmed in the real Hollywood, a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. Some studios used to be there, but many years ago most production companies moved to other parts of the greater "LA" area. This is why tourists who go to the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. rarely see anything interesting. But I do, because I know where to look.

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  • Decrease the Risk of Blood Clots During Hospital Stays

    Older adults and those in the hospital are at increased risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

    Every year, approximately 2 million Americans are affected by deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in the thigh or leg. Approximately 600,000 experience pulmonary embolism (PE). For up to 200,000 of those with PE, the blood clot in the lung proves fatal -- almost twice as many deaths per year as AIDS, breast cancer, and highway fatalities combined.

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  • Your Next Career Might Be...

    By John L. Hawkins

    An old joke is, "What kind of work are you out of?" Except maybe now it's not a joke. Another old line is, "What are you going to be when you grow up?" But I think, if you have the right attitude, that's still a good question.

    One day soon (if it hasn't happened already) you'll wake up with a new goal: Find another way to have fun and make money.

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  • Coping with the Stress of Major Disasters

    Dealing with disasters
    By José A. Álvarez

    Tips for dealing with the immediate shock and facing the challenges.

    Disasters affect us for months, and live in our memories for years. For those who lost homes due to fires, floods, tornadoes, landslides, hurricanes or other so-called natural disasters, life will never be the same.

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  • Maximize Your Memory

    By Barbara Mandel Pache

    The natural aging process can cause forgetfulness. But there are ways to maximize your memory -- whatever age you are.

    With age comes wisdom, and often times so does memory decline. Many people think of memory lapses as a normal part of aging, and others fear the worst: Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. While approximately 1 in 10 people age 65 and older have Alzheimer's and related dementias, the loss of mental acuity can occur in the natural aging process. The good news is that there are ways for people to maximize their memory, no matter how old they are.

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  • Map/Navigation Software: DeLorme vs. Microsoft

    By John L. Hawkins

    Drive smarter with guidance from PC-based software.

    I take many road trips, often on routes I haven't traveled, to places I haven't been, and often in a large motor home. Many trips are for business, so I need to get to the right place at the right time. I rely on a computer to plan the trip, then drive the trip. Little GPS receivers are cute, cheap, helpful -- but limited. But fortunately, my vehicle has plenty of space for a laptop that is visible to the driver. So I drive with computer-based, GPS-controlled map/navigation software running on a big computer screen.

    There are two major software products in this category, Microsoft Streets and Trips, and DeLorme Street Atlas USA, and I think one strongly out-classes the other. Here's what and why...

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