At long last, summer is almost here — which may mean it’s time to put together your traveling plans. Still, while you and your family may enjoy going on a summertime trip, there’s one part of your life that should not go on vacation — your investment portfolio.

Dear Mikey: I just turned 25 years old and I got myself in a situation where I had to file bankruptcy a week before my birthday. This is not at all where I expected myself to be when I turned 25. I thought I would have my career launched already (just got laid off), have my bachelor’s degree by now (still have 21 more credits to go), be married by now (girlfriend and I just broke up a month ago), having kids (not even close), and a house (can barely afford the rent in my apartment).

Local school districts, including Kyrene, will now be able to pay for capital needs as bond legislation was passed in conjunction with the state’s budget early on Friday.

Will the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce let the community know why they remain silent while other chambers are thrilled to support this destructive freeway because they hope to profit from Ahwatukee’s business loss?

Melissa Kahn has the regular season down.

REALITY TIME is fast approaching on the conclusion of the public comment period on the proposed Loop 202 for the South Mountain Freeway, as we have just until July 24 to submit our opinions.

State lawmakers were moving toward finally adjourning their 151-day session late Thursday -- but not before setting the stage for constituents to have to start paying taxes on what they buy from catalogs and on the World Wide Web.

Interest rates are at historic lows. But they will rise eventually. If you invest in fixed-income vehicles, such as bonds, what might higher rates mean for you?

Tired of waiting for action, Gov. Jan Brewer forced lawmakers back to the Capitol late Tuesday to approve her budget and Medicaid expansion.

With temperatures on the rise, it’s important to stay hydrated and replenish your electrolytes. Whether you exercise intensely or your child participates in an outdoor sport or you’re a construction worker with a physically demanding job, you’re at risk of dehydration and loss of electrolytes.

It’s only been a week since the 1-cent sales tax went off the books, but area economists and businesses do not expect to see much if any increase in retail sales in the foreseeable future due in part to consumers having little idea the increase ended.

Some GOP lawmakers are threatening to torpedo the budget being pushed by their own leaders if $400 million in planned spending is not cut across the board.

Many health complaints, inability to lose weight and underlying causes of disease, can be attributed to poor digestive health. The digestive system is responsible for breaking down the food we eat into tiny particles that can be used for energy, maintenance and repair. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.
 

Last month, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a milestone, when, for the first time, it closed above 15,000. Of course, 15,000 is a nice, round number, and it sounds pretty big — but what does it mean to you, as an individual investor? Is it cause for celebration — or is it more of a “caution” flag?


The ever increasing list of fad diets welcomes our newest member: Raspberry ketones. HCG, you are barely hanging on by a thread.
Raspberry ketones are a natural phenolic compound that are responsible for the heavenly aroma of red raspberries. They (allegedly) increased both the expression and secretion of adiponectin. Higher adiponectin equals lower levels of body fat. What has brought them out into the public conscience recently is the recent endorsement of them by the one and only Dr. Oz. These are usually taken in pill form, twice per day at a cost of roughly $50-70 per month. 
A website that sells this product quotes Wikipedia: (according to Wikipedia, “prevent high-fat-diet-induced elevations in body weight.”) What it leaves out is the following statement: However, no effects on body weight were observed with doses up to 200 times greater than the estimated intake in humans. Although products containing this compound are marketed for weight loss, there is no clinical evidence for this effect in humans.
This is an unbelievably hard to resist product. First, although these ketones have been known for more than 40 years, they are exciting and new in the world of weight loss. Not only that, but most products that sell them put delicious looking raspberries on their packaging, making it look enticing. Combine that with Dr. Oz’s blessing and you may have trouble even finding this product on the shelves.
The website also has this required statement: “Caution: Do not exceed the recommended dose. Pregnant or nursing mothers, children under 18 and individuals with a known medical condition should consult a physician before using this or any dietary supplement. Keep out of reach of children. Do not use if the inner seal is damaged or broken. Store in a cool, dry place. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet.”
What about eating actual raspberries? Or better yet, eat all different kinds of berries everyday. Are they expensive? Maybe a little pricey, especially when out of season, but they can be purchased frozen all year. Raspberries are high in fiber and the whole raspberries are an antioxidant powerhouse and worth much more per ounce than a pill could ever be worth and without the “warnings” on the label.


While driving on Ray Road recently I saw a bumper sticker reading: “People who think guns kill people must think that pencils misspell words.”


Editor’s note: This is part two of a continuing summer series on the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway.

In a time of upheaval, when everything for Axel Muller was changing, he grasped onto the one thing that he could always rely on — his athleticism.


Over two-thirds of neurotransmitters are made in the gut. The gut is considered the second brain since the majority of serotonin, 90-95 percent, is made in the gut, not the brain. In addition to neurotransmitters, 80 percent of the immune system cells line the gastrointestinal tract, creating a protective, impermeable barrier.

If people vote with their feet, new numbers from the U.S. Census show they like the far suburbs of Phoenix a lot — and are not really keen on large swaths of much of the rest of Arizona.

When most men hit their 30’s, something changes (besides a receding hairline). It is almost as if men are destined to finally obtain that gut that they were meant to have. A gut signifying a real man. One who is now married with kids, works hard, and doesn’t have time to exercise anymore like he did when he was younger. And a healthy diet? A man is hungry and stressed and a salad just isn’t going to cut it. You don’t have to be that guy. Because that guy won’t be very happy when he gets into his 50’s and 60’s, if he makes it there at all. If you are over 30, think about your male friends and family members who are your age. How many of them are in reasonably good shape? How many do you observe following a healthy diet and who are very active? It would be surprising if the answer was over 25 percent. Look at yourself. Have you fallen into this trap and become complacent with it?

Business owners whose access is even partly blocked by a street improvement project can get damages if the value of their property is decreased, the Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled.

The quote taken out of context is a bit condescending, but at the same time defines Ian Moses.

Spring sprang, and now summer has set in.