_____LEADS
**1. BEHAVIOR: RECOGNIZING NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER. MARY JO FAY, founder of NARCISSISM SURVIVORS NETWORK: "Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is quickly becoming the newest fad in personality disorder identification. Would you recognize a malignant narcissist? He or she can be egotistical and controlling; feels that rules don't apply to them; is never happy no matter what you do; feels more important or entitled than others; doesn't demonstrate or understand empathy or compassion; or may start out perfectly, then change drastically along the way. They can be your spouse, business partner, friend, boss or parent. Victims are left with self-doubt, confusion, stress, anxiety, guilt and depression."
**2. BEHAVIOR: WARNING SIGNS OF YOUTH VIOLENCE. DR. RUSS NEWMAN, Ph.D., J.D., executive director for professional practice at AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA): "Violence is a learned behavior, and, like any learned behavior, it can be changed. In order to do that, though, it is important to recognize the warning signs of violence and to get help before a violent act occurs. Warning signs include loss of temper on a daily basis, withdrawal from friends and usual activities, feeling rejected or alone, and drug and alcohol use."
**3. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR: MORE CONSUMERS ARE SEEKING OUT MOM-OWNED BUSINESSES. SALLY DOHERTY, CEO of MOM-CO.COM: "Mother's Day is about celebrating the life of being a mom. Some moms choose to stay at home and raise their families, while others look to building careers for self-fulfillment. Most juggle the responsibilities of both, and a rapidly growing number are doing it by starting their own business. The Internet has helped spur this growth, and continues to give 'mom-preneurs' access to millions of consumers daily. When looking for that something special, consumers today are seeking out products invented or sold by the mom-owned business. Consumers realize they have a choice when purchasing products, and there is a growing trend toward supporting this business community."
**4. CONSUMER ISSUES: HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS -- BUYERS BEWARE. RENE BETTS, director of development at SHASTA HOME TECHNOLOGIES, can provide advice for home owners on how to avoid being taken advantage of: "Home entertainment is part of the fast-growing $15 billion connected home industry due to rapid technological development. Like any other fast-growing business, the unscrupulous will take advantage of home owners who are not familiar with technology behind home entertainment systems."
**5. HOME & GARDEN: SPRING CLEANING COULD LEAD TO PROFIT. SAM ROBERTSON, online auction expert for AUCTIONDROP: "A recent survey by AC Nielsen shows the average American has more than $2,000 worth of unwanted items taking up household space that could, instead of cluttering up the closets, be sold to generate extra cash. As Americans put away the woolens and tackle the spring cleaning chore, they can benefit from new, offline ways to tap into the online auction community and turn unwanted items into extra cash for the summer."
**6. HOME & GARDEN: CREATE A FIVE-STAR BED AT HOME. STEVE SAMSON, "Good Night Guru" of MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, can share his expertise in creating the utmost comfortable and luxurious bed at home. Samson can provide insight on selecting mattresses, sheets, pillows and duvets; bedding and mattress maintenance; bed-making tips; thread count and creating a hotel-like bed experience: "For sheets, highest thread count isn't always best; stick to 200- 400 count. Cotton/polyester blend sheets are a great wrinkle-free choice. Goodbye bedspread, hello duvet. Duvets 'breathe' and keep you warmer in winter and cooler in summer." Samson is in charge of remaking Marriott's 628,000 beds worldwide in 2005.
**7. HOME & GARDEN: HOW EPSOM SALT CAN HELP PRODUCE A GREAT GARDEN. JIM HILL, member/spokesperson for the EPSOM SALT COUNCIL: "Your grandma was right about many things, especially Epsom Salt. Studies show Epsom Salt's two components, magnesium and sulfur, help seeds germinate, make plants grow bushier, produce more flowers, increase chlorophyll production, improve phosphorus and nitrogen uptake, and deter pests.
**8. PARENTING: ENSURING SAFETY DURING SUMMER TRAVEL. SHARON MULLEN, mother and founder of INVENTIVE PARENT: "Many children are killed each year because they aren't properly restrained while traveling in motor vehicles. Given that summer is approaching and more parents will be on the road with their children, it's important that parents are made aware of what they can do to ensure their children are safe, not only in their home state, but also in the states in which they'll be traveling."
**9. TRAVEL: TOURING ITALY ON YOUR OWN ISN'T EASY. NAN MCELROY, in-Italy guide and author of "Italy: Instructions for Use": "Italy is a country, not a theme park. Movies and guidebooks make it seem so easy, and it's our (American) nature to expect perfect organization and English signs wherever we turn. Instead, it can be intimidating, unnerving and even infuriating when you hit the inevitable glitches in your meticulously designed travel timetable. It's impossible to anticipate the invigorating, if somewhat confounding, ways of Italian daily life, but that's part of the adventure. You can't know what to expect until you arrive, and only your personal outlook will determine whether the 'now what's become journal entries -- or simply ruin your vacation."
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