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 #2702 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Paint Their Way To Straight A’s (NAPSA)—So long, sweet summer, school is back in session! We’re trading our beach bags for backpacks and getting back into our fall routines of afterschool sports practice, band lessons, dance class and, of course, homework. To help ease the transition from summer fun to back-to-school and get your kids excited about learning at home, check out these fun and easy DIY projects from Krylon. “Brag” Board Turn an old bulletin board into a magnetic reward board that will have your kids on their best behavior for those gold stars. 1. Remove any attached hardware with a screwdriver or other tool as needed. 2. Turn the bulletin board over and remove the backing. 3. Give your board a pop of color by spray painting it your child’s favorite color (Krylon’s COVERMAXX™ fast-drying spray paint is available in nearly 100 different colors!). 4. Spray the backing board with Krylon Magnetic Primer to create a surface that lightweight magnets will stick to. Be sure to shake the can for several minutes before spraying and shake often during use. 5. Once it dries, use sticker letters or puffy paint to personalize the board and create a tracker or chart of activities. 6. Reattach the backing to the frame and hardware. 7. Dress up the board with magnets and pin your child’s rewards for good behavior and A+ grades! Ready, Set, Draw This time, drawing on the table is OK! Let your little artists go to work on this DIY dry erase table. Make learning more exciting by practicing the alphabet or multiplication on this traditionally off-limits surface. 1. Find an old desk or table with a smooth wood or plastic surface. 2. Cover the tabletop in Krylon Battered Is Better (NAPSA)—To make your fried chicken one for the history books, chef Kevin Houston offers this advice: “Start with quality chicken,” says Houston, who is the “chief flavor officer” and lead chef for Church’s Chicken . “Buy a whole bird but separate it into parts so everything cooks evenly.” Wings and breasts cook faster than legs and thighs. “Give each piece a double dunk in batter and breading. You’ll end up with a lighter, flakier crust and, because batter Your youngsters are more likely to learn to love learning when they can do it in a well-equipped, cozy nook of their own. Dry Erase Paint to create an instant easel for artistic expression. Even better, Krylon Dry Erase Clear spray paint comes in a clear gloss finish so users can apply it to any suitable hard surface without distorting its original color and appearance. 3. Let the tabletop dry for a week before use. 4. Use any dry erase markers on the table and learn and draw, worry-free! Open the Door to Learning Do n’t hav e room for a big chalkboard? Make the most out of the doors in your home by turning them into a chalkboard! Your kids will love using this unique writing surface for their artwork, to-do lists and homework assignments. 1. Choose a door that has a relatively flat surface or flat panels. 2. Choose your Krylon Chalkboard paint color from colors such as green, black, clear or blue. 3. Spray Krylon Chalkboard paint on the back of your door, making sure to tape off areas that shouldn’t get exposed. Let paint dry for a week before using. 4. Gather the family; school is now in session with your new chalkboard. You can have great fried chicken at home and away. fully coats each piece, it locks in juiciness. Even white meat pieces will be tender and moist. If you like extra crunch, put some cornstarch into your batter recipe instead of flour.” Most batter starts with flour and water as a base. Houston prefers a 50/50 mix of flour and cornstarch before adding salt, pepper and spices. “You can triple dip before frying,” Houston adds. “Just be sure to give each layer of batter time to settle.” Now it’s time to fry. “You don’t need a deep fryer—just a good cast-iron skillet and either peanut or canola oil.” Bring oil to 350 degrees or just between medium and high on the stove. Cook light and dark meat in batches, submerging pieces halfway in oil…without crowding the pan. Wait five minutes before turning, then dial heat down to medium-low to prevent overcooking and dark crust. Cook five to seven more minutes, then move to a drying rack (never paper towels). Crust should be golden brown, shiny, and ready for greatness. Stopping Mystery Strokes (NAPSA)—Every year, about 800,000 Americans have a stroke. Of those, about 200,000 are considered “cryptogenic,” meaning the cause of the stroke is undetermined. Stroke survivors are at an increased risk of recurrent stroke. People who have been told that their stroke is cryptogenic are particularly vulnerable because they don’t know exactly what to do to try to prevent another one. Help May Be Available Consider the case of Bill Benedict. After careful investigation, doctors couldn’t find the cause of his “mini stroke.” For Benedict, who was 79 with a personal history of heart disease and a family history of stroke, a “cryptogenic” diagnosis, which simply means doctors weren’t able to determine the cause of his mini stroke, was far from reassuring. Sure enough, a month later, he had another one. Strike two. After his second stroke, Benedict’s cardiologist suggested that an underlying cause may be atrial fibrillation (AF), which is a rapid or irregular heartbeat. AF often has no symptoms and comes and goes. While it can be tricky to diagnose, it’s important because AF increases stroke risk up to five times. Benedict’s cardiologist recommended using a small, insertable device that could continuously monitor heart rhythms for up to three years, to look for atrial fibrillation. A few months after getting it, the device detected atrial fibril- A stroke of unknown cause, or cryptogenic stroke, provides few answers. With proper treatment and collaboration with your physician, you can take action to find the cause and help prevent another stroke from occurring. lation and Benedict is now managing his AF through medication. Undiagnosed AF is just one of the potential causes of cryptogenic stroke. Other common causes for investigation include patent foramen ovale (PFO)—a hole between the heart’s chambers—aortic arch atheroma, and thrombophilia, a blood clotting disorder. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, with support from Medtronic, launched an initiative to help people like Benedict by elevating the relatively unknown issue of cryptogenic stroke among health care professionals, patients and their loved ones. Learn More For free educational resources about cryptogenic stroke, including a patient guide, visit www. StrokeAssociation.org/CS or call (888) 4-STROKE. Note to Editors: September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, but the information in this article is useful to your readers at any time.