Business: Keep Employees By Letting Them Go . . .

. . . on paid sabbaticals that is. In "8 Work Perks You Wish You Had," MSN Money contributor Melissa Fulmer discusses companies that give benefits above and beyond medical and dental coverage. Patagonia is known for its three-month sabbaticals, where employees can run a surf school (unpaid) or save the whales (paid for on the company dime.) Other companies offer such perks as help with a mortgage or on-site massage.

Unfortunately, only 4% of all companies offer such extras due to high costs. However, the cost of hiring a new employee can be much higher. While small business owners may not have the resources to provide such high-end perks, they can keep employee contentedness--and therefore retention---higher by offering perks such as flexible hours and a couple of extra days of vacation time.

To read the full article, click here.

Business: World May Run Out of Chocolate

It sounds apocalyptic-- a world completely lacking in the rich, tasty, and antioxidant-filled treat that is chocolate---but a drought, political unrest, and an increase in demand for dark chocolate might lead to just that. For now, though, you might have to pay a little extra for your sweet fix.

For the full story, click here.

Home & Garden: Cheap Chic and Carpet Runners

Wood floors and nice carpeting are expensive and require lots of maintenance. This article explores the return of carpet runners to protect your investment in flooring. Carpet rugs have come a long way from being an ugly piece of leftover carpet. Designer runners can be used to enhance and define a stairwell or hallway. They also are easy to maintain and provide traction on slick wooden floors.

Click here to read the full article.

Digital Life: Elton John Making Entire Career of Music Available on iTunes

Elton John recently announced that his entire back collection will be available for electronic download. Starting March 26th, you will be able to download the collection exclusively through iTunes.

This is an amazing collection containing over 30 albums and 400+ songs. This may lead to other acts like the Beatles releasing their entire collections electronically soon.

For those readers who haven't had much experience with iTunes, checkout our upcoming iTunes & iPod class.

Click here for more information on Elton John's announcement.

Computers: Thinking About Switching to Vista?

If you aren't sure whether you should upgrade to Vista or stick with Windows XP for the time being, this article from The Washington Post's TechNews.com newsletter, XP's Fate in a Vista World, answers frequently asked questions about making the switch. And be sure to watch for our new Vista classes beginning Fall 2007 and Winter 2008!