As I walked through a store, listening to the radio play in the background, one song made me stop in my tracks.

There is a good chance many of our readers have a pair of binoculars or know someone with them. Even a lowly pair of binoculars are a valuable instrument for bringing you closer to the night sky.

Weekly canine Q&A, with advice on getting a new dog after a death and how to deal with a piddler.

The last of three parts regarding timeouts.

Career counselors everywhere are fielding this question: Should I go to graduate school to wait out the economy and re-enter the job market with stronger credentials?

Weekly financial Q&A, with advice on buying “toys,” military investing and financing a small business.

Weekly family rail, with tips for a creative kids room, a review of “Takers” and more.

Televised football begins this week, which means a couple things: I won’t be getting around to that list of honey-do projects posted on the refrigerator anytime soon, and my cell phone will be someplace other than at my side for the next several weekends.

I remember in the ninth grade, when I was reading “Great Expectations” and trying to figure out exactly why Mrs. Haversham had been sitting there in her wedding dress for 20 years, there was one thing I wasn’t thinking — namely, “This would make a great interactive thrill ride!” But what did I know? I also predicted a great future for Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

While going out is rarely on the schedule these days, there’s a way to feel like we’re being social and having fun, even when budgets are tight. Stay home. Here are some tips for great times at home on the cheap.

Once upon a time, I received an iPod Shuffle as a gift. When I finally set it up a few months later, I was amazed at how easily I could carry around my favorite songs. I was the most technologically advanced (read: coolest) person in the family, and I relished the role.

My name is Elizabeth, and I’m addicted to J.J. Abrams.

School buses will soon bustle down the streets. Students will be armed with lists of items their teacher want them to purchase for the school year, followed by the frantic dash to various stores to find the paper, pencils and notebooks.

Starlight. The word describes the glitter of Hollywood, dance halls, playhouses and other entertainment venues. Stars of screen and stage dazzle the hours away as we watch from theater chairs or our living room sofas. Entertainment, however, has little to do with the stars in the sky.

Weekly canine Q&A, with advice on neglected dogs and new dogs.

Weekly financial Q&A, with advice on son living with parents and keeping college costs in check.

Q: I am worried that my mother is not drinking enough and will become dehydrated with the summer heat. What are the signs of dehydration?

Weekly family column, with dog-care tips, a review of “Nanny McPhee Returns” and more.

With a new school year in full swing for some and looming for other families, getting things done will be the major goal — whether it’s getting out the door on time in the morning or making sure homework is finished before bedtime. Experts say being organized can help students and their families reach the finish line.

The first day of school for me was always exciting. There were new teachers, new kids and new fears. I discovered, however, that once I located the pencil sharpener, I would be OK.