Why did you choose to become a freelancer? I had worked for many years writing profiles and obituaries for BBC TV News and BBC Interactive. I thought I'd like to widen my portfolio while my creative juices were still flowing.

Here’s how five citizens answered this week’s question posed by Capital Times freelancer Kevin Murphy. What do you think? Please join the discussion.

CLEVELAND The Kamm’s Corners neighborhood in West Park may soon refer to its business climate with two classifications — “before streetscape” and “after streetscape.” The “before streetscape” business climate at Kamm’s Corners was one of vacancies, aging storefronts and memories. The “after streetscape” climate was one of new businesses, storefront renovations and optimism.

FAIRVIEW PARK With 71 campuses in 15 states and Washington, D.C., and classes available worldwide via the Internet, Strayer University has made its mark on much of the country. Now it is Northeast Ohio’s turn. In October, classes began at Strayer University Fairview Park Campus, the school’s first location in northeast Ohio. On Nov. 18, as a way of introducing themselves to the community Strayer ...

It's no surprise to me that the words "company," "kayaking" and "Cayo Costa" all start with the same sound.

Freed after 15 tortuous months in captivity in Somalia, Canadian freelancer Amanda Lindhout and another foreign journalist arrived Thursday in neighbouring Kenya amid claims that a $700,000 ransom was paid for their release.

Alan DeNiro presents an unusual apocalypse narrated by a teenage girl — and it's not the usual doom of ruinous climate change or international war.

Is it possible for a porn star to cross over into mainstream movies? Not even a lead role in a Steven Soderbergh movie will help Judging by the evidence on display in The Girlfriend Experience , Steven Soderbergh 's leading lady, 21-year-old veteran porn star Sasha Grey, won't be the first person to breach the rock-solid wall that – to the naked eye, at least – appears to separate respectable ...

LISBON - The Shade Tree Commission has some trees it wants to give away to village residents willing to pay the cost of having them uprooted and replanted.

(ARA) - As the fifth-largest city in the United States, Houston is a bustling place and a major destination for business travelers. But if you want to take your family for a visit, Houston has a lot to offer.

Our mission at ReadWriteWeb is to explore the latest Web technology products and trends. We're fortunate to have a great group of sponsors who support this goal. So, once a week, we write a post about them; about who they are, what they do, and what they've been up to lately. Pay them a visit and show your appreciation of their sponsorship of this site. Pay them a visit or tweet them a "Thank ...

TARA SIEGEL BERNARD Instead of going straight to a retailer, online shoppers may do better by choosing another entrance to that retailer's Web site.

Larry Magid Offers Tips to Help Avoid Shady Internet Merchants, Credit Card Fraud, Scams and Keyloggers

Local SHARE Iowa groups are now accepting orders for the nonprofit organization’s December holiday packages.

Va. socialites who attended state dinner are offering to talk to networks for a pricey fee.

The YWCA, continuing to face declining membership that caused it to close its main branch in Detroit earlier this year, now has decided to shutter its Clawson facility -- its sole site in Oakland County, which has operated for more than 50 years.

RETAILER and multi-level marketer (MLM) Hai-O Enterprise Bhd expects its Indonesian operations to break even within two years. The company, which opened an office in Indonesia in August, is targeting between 5,000 and 10,000 distributors within the first year.

Jesus is Lord (JIL) Church founder Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” Villanueva will once again seek the highest post in the land “in the name of the Lord.”

CHICAGO, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- ShopLocal(TM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc.

Are students becoming apathetic about technology? Do they care? Should they even be interested by the latest and breaking?

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has announced the release of a revised Green Star Timber credit effective January 1, 2010, which allows for equal consideration of Australian forestry schemes.

Events listings for Mon, Nov 30

Mandarin Gallery reopens, promising a novel retail and dining experience for shoppers.

Have you ever been drawn into one of those multi-level marketing meetings that promise to make you rich working only a few hours a week? The reputation of the industry as a whole tends to stand about two baby steps above scam artist.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is aggressively promoting charter schools, which share buildings, but not resources, with public schools.

The Town of Holland's medic squad has been reorganized into a not-for-profit company that will allow the squad to start charging insurance companies for medical transports to the hospital. While much work needs to be done, this important step means the group is closer to bringing in some income.

Welcome to the latest edition of Plus-Minus, where we review the top three positives and negatives of the Bruins’ week that was. Fortunately for the Bruins there have been a lot more pluses than negatives to choose from over the last two weeks, as the team went from being a mediocre cellar dweller in the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference to first place in the Northeast and third in the ...

Economists say the worst of the recession is over. But many people still are in survival mode, trying to find work, put food on the table, save a struggling business or switch careers because an industry has dried up. What’s working for locals?...

THINKING BIG The Golden Gate Bridge under construction in 1937, when an era of huge public works projects was under way.

HARRISON — A Boy Scout is scrambling to secure a new place for his proposed dog park after neighbors of the original site protested that the hound hangout would draw barking dogs, look unattractive and create traffic.

Just a few years ago, I would question the value of any navigation system. The cost didn't justify the benefit. Why would anyone pay a few thousand dollars for a digital map -- especially when you could buy a high-tech, hand-held system for a few hundred dollars or a paper one for 99 cents?

The nine candidates vying for four seats on the Telluride Town Council represent a cross-section of the community — from a late-20s video store manager to a retired schools superintendent, from a glider-plane-flying incumbent to a computer tech taking his first stab at council.