Who doesn´t like freebies? This article lets readers know about nine of the many retailers who are eager to send birthday discount coupons and free merchandise to registered customers, their children and even their pets.

For reasons scientists do not yet understand, the blacklegged or deer ticks that carry Lyme disease, a debilitating and progressive condition that can cause heart and nerve damage and even death, are less able to transmit the disease in places other than the Northeast. Now, a group of experts in different parts of North America have been awarded a grant to find out why. If they can determine what factors inhibit the spread of the disease by southern ticks, for example, prevention may be on the horizon.

Travel is an enriching experience which becomes even more so when we take the trouble to share the experience with others in a meaningful way. This article explores five very different opportunities for getting together with others in a formal learning environment in order to make new friends and better understand the culture of France. Classes mentioned inlcude intensive language study, photography and painting, cooking, elder hostel riverboat cruising, and organic farming through WWOOF, a program through which motivated and curious travelers can trade a few hours of farm labor for room, board, and a unique learning experience.

Believe it or not, researches have recently confirmed that the same product we use to whiten our teeth, clean our bathtubs and deoderize our refrigerators, is actually an effective treatment for advanced kidney disease. With the product costing less than a dollar a box, this may be the best medical news to come along in a very long time. This brief article summarizes the startling findings.

With an opening nod to the biggest attractions in anyone´s standard San Fran guidebook, this 791 word article goes on to give the reader lots of tips on how to get a better feel for the real San Francisco than they can find at Fisherman´s Wharf or the Exploratorium. Eight of Travel and Leisure´s 2009 Best New U.S. Restaurants list are here and three are a real bargain! With help from Priceline you can stay at your pick of some four-star hotels (and we know which ones) for significantly under $100 a night. Wander beyond Grant Avenue to get a taste of the real Chinatown. Read on, there´s more...

This article summarizes a study just published in the Journal of Science in which a team of 21 scientists througout the world collaborated on a two-year study which concluded that fishery management programs were finally beginning to stem the crisis brought about by overfishing.