Current Events in February 2013

Gas, electric, hybrid and diesel -- the choices for American motorists just keep rolling along. The latest new option is the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze diesel, making its bow at the Chicago Auto Show today.

The clean-diesel Cruze is expected to get about 42 miles per gallon on the highway. It's perhaps shooting for the same market niche as the Volkswagen Golf TDI, rated at 49 mpg, and other small VWs.

The Cruze will be the first GM passenger-car diesel since the 1980s, when the company turned out a batch of noisy, slow, smelly engines that succeeded only in souring American drivers on diesel for another generation or so.

The Cruze has a 2.0-liter turbo churning away under its hood and generates a torque rating approaching the Camaro. This is one thing European drivers have known that Americans are just finding out -- diesels are fast off the line.

VW has had the American diesel market pretty much to itself, offering its clean TDI in the Jetta, Passat, Beetle and Golf. Last year, 20 percent of U.S. Jetta sales were diesel versions, the company said.

GM says it's confident it can compete head-to-head with the VWs, although the German carmaker has decades more experience and a head-start in the U.S.

The compact sedan’s new 2.0L turbo-diesel engine produces estimated 148 horsepower and estimated 258 lb-ft torque with 0-60 performance of 8.6 seconds, which GM says is better than the Volkswagen Jetta TDI automatic and competitive with German diesel cars that dominate the U.S. market.

“Chevrolet has a diverse portfolio of products and technologies to meet the needs of the most discerning customer, whether it’s driving across town gas free in a Spark EV or cross-country  in a clean turbo diesel,” said Chris Perry, Chevrolet vice president of marketing.

GM is not exactly a newcomer to diesels. The diesel engine being used in the Cruze is already widely used in Europe, where it powers the Opel Astra, Insignia and Zafira.

“Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel fills an important role in Chevrolet’s diverse four-cylinder lineup, and is primed to win over diesel devotees and compact car buyers with its performance, torque and fuel economy,” said Perry. “We leveraged engineering expertise from around the globe to develop a world-class, low-emissions engine to give U.S. and Canadian customers a car that’s both fun to drive and practical at the pump.”

As consumers, there are just some things that you always assume are safe and well taken care of -- like airplanes, for example.

Each time that we sit in our seats and fasten our belts, most of us feel completely safe and assume all of the mechanics and inner workings of the plane have been well maintained.

It's just like when we step into our cars.

Don’t we usually drive with a certain level of comfort and assume that car companies wouldn’t release a product into the world without making sure every safety measure is met first and the vehicle is safe to drive?   

Look, we all know that both airplanes and cars crash, and sometimes the crash has everything to do with the way these items were built, as opposed to the accident being caused by the operator, but yet and still, most of us still have a very high amount of confidence when it comes to stepping into an aircraft or vehicle and many of us assume that we’ll arrive to our destinations safely.

And when taking your vehicle across a bridge either to go to home, go to work or to transport your children to school, you also assume that bridge is safe to travel across and was properly built.

Well according to construction expert Barry B. LePatner, author of  Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix American’s Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry and Too Big to Fall: America’s Failing Infrastructure and the Way Forward, America’s bridges aren’t as safe as some of us might think.

“We all are led to believe that the wonderful bridges in our nation are built to last,” said LePatner in an interview with ConsumerAffairs.

“Unfortunately, that never was the case and the failure of our politicians to provide for needed maintenance of these structures — which are exposed to the wind, rain and snow and the vibrations of vehicles each day that are sometimes double what the bridge was designed for — has created a national problem that keeps growing with every year.”

Dangerous bridges

To help consumers become more aware of this problem, LePatner created the website SaveOurBridges.com, which allows people to learn about dangerous bridges in their area and become educated on the issue of unsafe bridges and whether those bridges have been properly maintained.

The site also has a useful search function that allows you to plug in your city or zip code and see each bridge in your community, in terms of when it was built, how many vehicles travel on it each day and whether it’s structurally deficient.

The data on each bridge is pulled from the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation agencies, says LePatner, and users have the ability to either pull up an interactive map of the bridge and its surrounding area or access a still photograph.

The website's map also uses certain color symbols that indicate where in your area there may be an unsafe bridge and the site makes it possible for the everyday citizen to stay abreast of these matters, LePatner explains.

“When politicians and the public hear the estimates for remediating our deteriorating infrastructure — which the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated to cost $2.2 trillion — their eyes glaze over and few can grasp the enormity of what is at stake,” he says.

“The SaveOurBridges.com website seeks to bring that magnitude down to eye level so that citizens and communities can see how these dangerous bridges in their own neighborhoods can be addressed with their local politicians at the grass roots level.”

I-35W collapse

LePatner often points to the collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis in 2007 that killed 13 and injured 145 people, and he says that after the devastating collapse he was very disappointed by the response from our nation’s leaders.

“When the I-35W Bridge collapsed, both the State of Minnesota and the Federal Highway Administration knew that they were dealing with a bridge that was in a state of imminent collapse,” said LePatner.

“An engineering analysis only one year earlier laid this all out clearly and called for as little as $11 million to address the weakness of the bridge. That recommendation was rejected by the state as a “budget buster.”

“The federal government knew that around the nation there were nearly 8,000 bridges that were in the identical state (they had to know this since it was from the unpublished database of bridges on the www.fhwa.gov website that I obtained the information in the SaveOurBridges.com website) as the I-35W but failed to take any steps to address these bridges to avoid future collapses,” he said.

“Bridge repairs just aren’t sexy enough,” which is oftentimes why they don’t get the proper funding for the necessary repairs, he said.

“Have you ever seen a photo in any newspaper in the nation showing a politician proudly heralding this commitment of funding to fix the underside of a bridge,” he asks. “Yet you have seen many a photo with a politician standing next to a new road or another transportation project that helped a campaign contributor to celebrate his/her shopping center.”

New features

Users of SaveOurBridges can expect new features very soon, as an iPhone and iPad app will be added in a few weeks, LePatner says.

He also explains that consumers should stay aware of bridge safety and by using his website; they should be able to accomplish this much easier than before.

“It is important that our citizens be informed and have a choice as to whether they wish to use bridges in serious danger of collapse or choose an alternate route. Now we all have a choice,” he said.

If your tax return will be claiming education credits and depreciation for the 2012 tax year, get ready to send it in.

Starting next week, taxpayers will be able to start filing those two forms -- Form 4562, Education Credits on Sunday, Feb 10, and Form 8863, Education Credits on Thursday, Feb. 14,

This step clears the way for almost all taxpayers to start filing their tax returns for 2012. These forms affected the largest groups of taxpayers who weren’t able to file following the Jan. 30 opening of the 2013 tax season.

The IRS will be able to accept the education credits and depreciation forms following the completion of reprogramming and testing of its systems. Work continues on preparing IRS systems to accept the remaining tax forms affected by the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) enacted by Congress on Jan. 2.

More to come

The IRS also says it will start accepting the remaining forms affected by the January legislation the first week of March. A specific date will be announced later.

Most of those in this group file more complex tax returns and typically file closer to the deadline or obtain an extension. A full list of the forms that will be accepted the first week of March is available here .

Next week’s opening covers two groups of taxpayers using:

• Form 8863, Education Credits. Form 8863 is used to claim two higher education credits -- the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.
• Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization. Most of the people using the depreciation form tend to file later in the tax season or obtain a six-month extension. Non-1040 business filers using Form 4562 can also file starting Sunday.

For taxpayers using e-file, most software companies are now accepting tax returns with these two forms and will submit them after the IRS begins accepting them next week.

A California company and its owner have been ordered to stop manufacturing and distributing drugs and dietary supplements in domestic commerce until manufacturing operations comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act).

U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright of the Central District of California signed the order on Dec. 11, 2012, against Titan Medical Enterprises of Santa Fe Springs, CA, and James L. McDaniel, Titan Medical’s owner and president. The order was entered in response to a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Failure to follow standards

The court found that the company and McDaniel violated the Act by failing to follow current Good Manufacturing Practice for drugs (Drug cGMP) and for dietary supplements (Dietary Supplement cGMP). The court also found that the defendants violated federal law by distributing unapproved new drugs in violation of the Act. Prior to entry of the court’s order, Titan Medical Enterprises manufactured and domestically distributed a variety of drugs and dietary supplements.

“The FDA continues to take strong enforcement actions against companies that fail to comply with federal drug and dietary supplement manufacturing regulations,” said acting Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Melinda K. Plaisier. “The actions we are taking are necessary to make sure that the drugs and dietary supplements consumers purchase have been manufactured in compliance with cGMP."

Multiple violations

Nine FDA inspections of Titan between 2001 and 2012 revealed that the company’s drugs were not manufactured and distributed in compliance with Drug cGMP. Violations included failure to establish an adequate written testing program to assess the stability of finished products and failure to establish and follow adequate laboratory controls.

The Dietary Supplement cGMP regulations went into effect in 2007 and became effective over the following three years based on company size. Titan’s compliance date was in 2010, and FDA inspections in 2010, 2011, and 2012 revealed that Titan violated the Dietary Supplement cGMP regulations by, among other things, failing to verify that a subset of finished dietary supplement batches met product specifications and failing to adequately confirm the identity of dietary supplement components.

Drug cGMP includes practices and systems required to be adopted in the manufacture and testing of pharmaceuticals. Drug cGMP outlines the aspects of production and testing that can impact the quality of a product.

Similarly, Dietary Supplement cGMP regulations require dietary supplement manufacturers to ensure quality in their dietary supplements by appropriately controlling all aspects of their processes and procedures to ensure a supplement meets minimal quality standards and is not adulterated by the presence of contaminants.

Breastfeeding is a win-win proposition for both babies and mothers.

For infants, there's protection from illness provided by cells, hormones and antibodies in breast milk. And breast milk is easier to digest. For moms, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of health problems including Type 2 diabetes, breast and ovarian cancer and postpartum depression.

It may be that the word is finally getting out, as the percentage of mothers who start and continue breastfeeding is rising, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

From 2000 to 2008, mothers who started breastfeeding increased more than four percentage points. During that same time, the number of mothers still breastfeeding at six months jumped nearly 10 percentage points -- from 35 percent in 2000 to nearly 45 percent in 2008.

Narrowing the gap

In addition to increases among all groups, gaps in breastfeeding rates between African American and white mothers are narrowing. The gap narrowed from 24 percentage points in 2000 to 16 percentage points in 2008.

“Breastfeeding is good for the mother and for the infant -- and the striking news here is hundreds of thousands more babies are being breastfed than in past years and this increase has been seen across most racial and ethnic groups,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Despite these increases, many mothers who want to breastfeed are still not getting the support they need from hospitals, doctors, or employers. We must redouble our efforts to support mothers who want to breastfeed.”

While gaps continue to narrow among groups, more targeted strategies to increase breastfeeding support for African American mothers are still needed. To address this, CDC is currently funding Best-Fed Beginnings, a project that provides support to 89 hospitals -- many serving minority and low income populations -- to improve hospital practices that support breastfeeding mothers.

CDC has also recently awarded funds to six state health departments to develop community breastfeeding support systems in communities of color.

Trends and differences

To better understand breastfeeding trends and differences among African American, white and Hispanic infants born from 2000 to 2008, CDC analyzed National Immunization Survey data from 2002–2011.

Other key findings of the report include:

• From 2000 to 2008, breastfeeding at six and twelve months increased significantly among African American, white and Hispanic infants.
• While numbers are rising across all groups, all mothers need more support to continue breastfeeding since less than half of mothers are breastfeeding at six months (45 percent) and less than a quarter of mothers (23 percent) are breastfeeding at twelve months.
• Although rates of breastfeeding at six months increased by more than 13 percent among African American mothers, this group still had the lowest rates of breastfeeding duration, indicating that they still need more, targeted support.

Mutsy USA of Newark, NJ, is recalling about 340 EVO strollers

The opening between the grab bar and seat bottom of the stroller can allow an infant’s body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck, posing a strangulation hazard to young children who are not harnessed.

This recall includes EVO strollers manufactured between February 2012 and November 2012 with the following model numbers: MT12-03, MT12-11, MT12-14, MT12-31, MT12-34, MT12-37, MT12-39, MT12-42, MT12-43 and MT12-48.

The model number and date code can be found underneath the stroller seat on a white sticker. The strollers have black or silver-colored metal frames with brown, navy blue, black, or white seats. “EVO” is printed on the lower back frame of the stroller. No incidents or injuries have been reported.

The strollers, manufactured in China, were sold at juvenile product stores nationwide and Websites including www.amazon.com between April 2012 and December 2012 for about $400.

Consumers should stop using the strollers immediately and contact Mutsy USA to receive a free replacement seat unit and grab bar.

Consumers may contact Mutsy USA toll-free at (877) 546-9230 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by e-mail at usa@mutsy.nl.

Air carrier Sky King has been assessed a $500,000 penalty for violating rules that protect passengers when their public charter flights are suddenly canceled. The airline was also ordered to cease and desist from further violations.

Sky King was one of several carriers operating flights for Direct Air, a charter operator also known as Myrtle Beach Direct Air & Tours, which ceased operating in March 2012. Direct Air arranged charters from a number of cities in the Midwest and Northeast to Myrtle Beach, SC, and cities in Florida.

Public charters differ from scheduled flights in that they operate only for a specific time period and are usually sold by a charter operator rather than an airline. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has specific rules applying to public charters, including a requirement that the charter operator have a financial security arrangement, such as a bond or letter of credit and an escrow account to protect consumers’ money if a flight is canceled. There is also a ban on canceling flights less than 10 days before departure unless it is physically impossible to operate the flight.

“Airline passengers should be able to book charter flights with the confidence that they will be returned home on time,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “DOT will continue to protect the rights of airline consumers and take enforcement action against airlines and charter operators when those rights are violated.”

Funding shortfall

Beginning with flights departing in January 2012, Direct Air failed to transfer sufficient funds from its escrow account to Sky King prior to the operation of the charter flights. However, Sky King continued to operate the charter flights without requiring full payment of the total charter price from Direct Air, in violation of DOT rules.

On March 13, 2012, Sky King ceased all flights under the public charter program, as Direct Air owed money to Sky King for flights the carrier had completed on its behalf. Numerous passengers did not receive the service for which they paid Direct Air when Sky King canceled the remaining flights it was scheduled to operate for Direct Air.

In assessing its fine against Sky King, DOT found the carrier violated rules requiring that it be paid prior to operating a public charter flight and prohibiting the cancellation of public charter flights less than 10 days before their scheduled departure.

Passengers left high and dry

In addition, Sky King failed to ensure return flights for all round-trip passengers who traveled on the carrier for the outbound leg of their trips. Carriers also are required to make a reasonable effort to ensure that the charter operator for which they are providing flights is complying with the public charter rules. The Enforcement Office noted that the late payments should have prompted Sky King to look into whether Direct Air was following the rules.

This is the fourth and largest penalty assessed by DOT related to the Direct Air program. The penalty amount will be included in DOT’s proof of claim that will be filed in Sky King’s bankruptcy case. The Department is continuing to investigate Direct Air’s shutdown.  

For many adults, starting a family is a top priority and once that family gets started, keeping everybody protected and safe becomes an even more urgent priority.

And the common saying among many parents is that it takes a village to raise a child, but in the year 2013 some would say these villages need help, and good way to get some of that help is through an electronic device.

Because we all know that kids pretty much just want to have fun and remain in their imaginary worlds for as long as they can, which sometimes doesn’t make them the absolute best at recognizing and avoiding danger.

This often happens in or around swimming pools for example, because there seems to be something about the blue water and chlorine that make kids not only lose their composure but also forget the very safety lessons that you tried to teach them -- like not going into the pool when no adults are around to supervise.

Brick House

That’s why the company Brick House Security released the Brick House Security Swimming Pool Alarm for about $200 on the its website. Although its winter in many parts of the country, this easy-to-use device is something parents who own swimming pools can order and have ready way before summertime arrives.

The Brick House pool alarm comes with cute little bracelets that secure around your child’s wrist and as soon as he or she touches the water, an alarm will sound so you can rush to help immediately. The device is also small and portable so parents can bring it with them when traveling.

The Brick House Security Swimming Pool Alarm can also be used for your pet and the company says there’s no installation and it’s easy to set up and operate.

Amber Alert

Another useful gadget to help protect your kids is the Amber Alert GPS which costs $199 on the company’s website for a one-year contract. The company also offers discounted prices for longer service commitments.

The child simply carries the tiny device which appears to be about the size of an iPod mini, and parents can track all of their child’s whereabouts from their home computers or smartphones, by bringing up a map that shows you not only the exact location of your child, but the  address and how to get there.

You can also bring up a record of the different locations your child has been throughout the day.

The company says the Amber Alert GPS locator is vastly different from simply giving your child a smartphone that has GPS tracking, because the Amber serves no purpose other than to track your child, as opposed to a smartphone that’s used for countless other things and may not provide the same amount of accuracy.

The Amber Alert GPS can also send emails or text messages when your child leaves certain locations, which is helpful for those kids who travel to places without you like to school, team practices or a friend’s house.

The GPS also has a speed alert component that alerts you if the device and your child are going above certain rates of speed while driving, which is a big potential plus for parents of teen drivers.

Dropcam

Setting up cameras inside your home for security isn’t a new concept, but how about one that you’re able to set up in just 60 seconds?

That’s how long the company Dropcam Inc. says it will take to install its security device that can be used to monitor a babysitter who’s watching your children, keep an eye on your kids when they’re in a section of the house alone or when you want to watch your newborn sleep while you’re in another room.

The Dropcam also has motion sensors, so when an event occurs like a child coming home from school, it sends your smartphone or PC an alert, so you can see and communicate with your child through a two way voice recording system .

In addition, camera is pretty small, almost the size of one of those tiny external PC cameras, so it’s easy to move from room to room without any wires or cords, because the entire device runs off of Wi-Fi signals.

The cost of the Dropcam monitoring system is $149 on the company’s website and you can also purchase other services from the company, like video security protection for an additional cost.

Crystal Clear

But if you would rather spend a little less money on a home security camera, you could always go for the Safety 1st Crystal Clear Baby Monitor that costs under $25 on Amazon.

The device certainly doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles that the Dropcam has, especially because it only allows you to monitor sound, but it's good if you’ll only need to monitor your child for a short period of time or you’re  the type of parent that doesn’t plan to use a monitoring system all that much.

And although the Safety 1st Baby Monitor is a solid product and reviewed pretty well overall, other reports say it may start to pick up static over long periods of use, so again, if you’re a parent that plans to use a monitoring system daily, you may want to go with a more expensive device.

So as it seems the job of parenting may be getting harder with new societal ills always developing and children becoming exposed to those ills much easier, but thankfully certain aspects of technology are making it easier to help parents keep their children safe and protected, because everyone can use some help every now and then, especially Mom and Dad.

We don't mean to create paranoia, but it seems there are no secrets anymore. Almost everything you do now is public, and there's always the chance someone is looking over your shoulder.

Take the whole issue of aerial drones. These small, pilotless planes were developed for military purposes but are also now being deployed in U.S. airspace.

A new report from the Congressional Research Service -- "Integration of Drones into Domestic Airspace: Selected Legal Issues" -- warns that "perhaps the most contentious issue concerning the introduction of drones into U.S. airspace is the threat that this technology will be used to spy on American citizens."

Eye in the sky

In 2012 the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) warned Congress that "there are substantial legal and constitutional issues involved in the deployment of aerial drones by federal agencies." EPIC, along with more than 100 organizations, experts, and members of the public, petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin a rule making to establish privacy safeguards.

Law enforcement advocates the use of domestic drones for surveillance, but the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warns it would be a move that "would profoundly change the character of public life in America."

There are also privacy issues involving our every day communication. Earlier this month the operator of the Path social networking app agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that it deceived users by collecting personal information from their mobile device address books without their knowledge and consent.

The company also will pay $800,000 to settle charges that it illegally collected personal information from children without their parents’ consent.

Spying on your kids

But what about a technology that's sole purpose is to allow parents to spy on their children? App developer Retina-X Studios has rolled out a version of its Mobile Spy app for the Apple iPhone 5.

Parents can load the app on their children's iPhone and then keep tabs on their activities. According to the developers, the hidden software remains completely silent on the device while it monitors text messages, call information, GPS locations and other activities of children or employees, even if phone logs are erased.

Though it sounds a bit creepy, Derrick, a Mobile Spy user, calls it a "priceless" piece of software.

"After having some doubts about honesty, this really helped set the record straight and confirmed my suspicions," he said.

"For those who want to keep tabs on their teens, this is the answer," said Craig Thompson, media coordinator of Retina-X Studios. "Mobile Spy provides parents with the information they need, when they need it. This helps keeps teens safe, and helps parents feel better about letting them out of their sight with an iPhone."

Another view

But not everyone agrees that it's healthy or productive for parents to spy on their kids. Dr. Larry Rosen, professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, told a panel at the 2011 convention of the American Psychological Association, that spying on kids is counter productive.

“If you feel that you have to use some sort of computer program to surreptitiously monitor your child's social networking, you are wasting your time,” Rosen said, “Your child will find a workaround in a matter of minutes.”

He encouraged parents to assess their child’s activities on social networking sites, and discuss removing inappropriate content or connections to people who appear problematic. Parents also need to pay attention to the online trends and the latest technologies, websites and applications children are using, he said.

You might want to take another look at the way you've been eating -- particularly if you live south of the Mason-Dixon line.

A diet of fried chicken, fried fish, fried potatoes, bacon, ham, liver and gizzards, and sugary drinks such as sweet tea may be linked to a higher risk of stroke.

Research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2013 says that in addition to being high in fat, fried foods tend to be heavily salted.

In the first large-scale study on the relationship between Southern foods and stroke, researchers characterized a Southern diet by a high intake of foods such as fried chicken, fried fish, fried potatoes, bacon, ham, liver and gizzards, and sugary drinks such as sweet tea. In addition to being high in fat, fried foods tend to be heavily salted.

Risk factors

"We've got three major factors working together in the Southern-style diet to raise risks of cardiovascular disease: fatty foods are high in cholesterol, sugary drinks are linked to diabetes and salty foods lead to high blood pressure," said Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., M.P.H., lead researcher and a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama Birmingham's biostatistics department.

Previous research has shown that Southerners are about 20 percent more likely to have a stroke than the rest of Americans.

The first large-scale study on the relationship between Southern foods and stroke compared the dietary habits of more than 20,000 black and white adults. It found:

• Stroke frequency was directly proportional to how much Southern food participants ate.
• People who ate Southern foods about six times a week had a 41 percent higher stroke risk compared with those who ate it about once a month.
• Eating a Southern diet accounted for 63 percent of the higher risk of stroke among African-Americans above that of their white counterparts.
• Those whose diets were highest in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains (eaten about five times a week) had a 29 percent lower stroke risk than those whose diets were the lowest in these foods (eaten about three times a week).

Ethnic component

The study raises red flags for African-Americans who are five times more likely to eat Southern foods than whites, Judd said. And first-time stroke risk among blacks is almost double that of whites, according to American Stroke Association statistics.

Participants from 48 states answered telephone questionnaires about what foods they eat as part of the continuing Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study (begun in 2003). Participants were evenly divided between men and women, and the minimum age was 45.

Each person underwent an in-person medical assessment including height, weight and blood pressure measurements; an electrocardiogram; and a blood test. Every six months after, participants answered follow-up telephone questions about their stroke incidence, sleep habits and overall health.

Researchers designed a mathematical model to group foods commonly eaten together into 56 different categories. Each person's eating habits were scored based on the categories. The scores were further analyzed in relation to how often they had a stroke.

About two-thirds of the participants who ate the most Southern-style foods lived in the southeastern United States. But, no matter where they live, people eating a lot of Southern foods should be more aware of their risks of stroke, Judd said.

Healthcare providers should educate patients about nutrition earlier, and ask patients about what they're eating, how much and how often, she said.

I remember having a conversation with somebody once about which is the worst kind of pain -- a headache, toothache or stomach ache.

Obviously it wasn’t the most cerebral discussion I’ve ever had, but it was a question that actually sparked about a 10-minute conversation, and if I’m correct, I think my order of pain was toothaches, then stomach aches, then headaches -- but then again, I’ve never experienced a migraine before so I may have made my ranking a little too soon.

But what I have experienced along with many other people are stomach pains, and I’m not talking about a pain that comes after you pretended to be Adam Richman from Man v. Food, I’m talking about constant stomach pains, the kind that seem to follow you regardless of what you eat and what time of day it is.

To give some assistance to the folks that fall into this very painful category, we spoke to Kristi L. King, Clinical Instructor for Baylor College of Medicine, Senior Dietitian for Texas Children’s Hospital and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics, about what foods you should consistently avoid if you have a sensitive stomach and how you can improve your condition by simply being more vigilant.

So what are some of the things you can do if you’re currently living with a stomach of a delicate nature?

“If one is experiencing diarrhea, bananas and white rice tend to be the winners, said King in an interview with ConsumerAffairs.

“Bananas have pectin which help form the stools and the white rice is easy to digest and helps to absorb extra fluid. If one is experiencing stomach cramps, try some peppermint or chamomile tea. Ginger has also been found to be helpful amongst many people. All of these are natural relaxants which will help relax the stomach and intestinal muscles and hopefully relieve some of the pain.”

King also says there are some good natural remedies for those with gas.

“If one is experiencing bloating or increased gassiness, it could be a result of bacteria overgrowth in the intestines,” she says. “Try some yogurt which has live probiotics (or good bacteria) in it to help get rid of the bad guys. Papaya is useful as some of the natural enzymes it has are helpful in digestion of our foods.”

Prevention

But what are some of the things that people can do to avoid getting stomach pains in the first place? King says it requires a combination of common sense, discipline and proactiveness.

“Learn your triggers!" she said.

“What foods trigger discomfort for one, may not for someone else. Listen to your body. Keep a symptom journal, write down symptoms and the last meal/snack you ate. Eventually you might start to see a trend -- these are your trigger foods,” King said.

“Eat on a regular schedule,” King added. “Going long periods of time without eating can cause increased discomfort when you devour your entire next meal in five minutes. Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day, smaller amounts are easier to tolerate.”

Among the many people that deal with perpetual stomach discomfort, which happens to be about 25 percent of the US population according to several national surveys, a lot of people add to their problem by the bad dietary choices they make. 

And as King said before, different people will have different triggers that will cause stomach discomfort, but there are definitely certain foods that most people with stomach pains should always stay away from.

Usual suspects

“Fried foods and high fat-containing foods,” said King in reference to the main foods people with stomach issues should be avoiding.

"Fat is the last thing that leaves the stomach, so ingesting large amounts can cause the food to sit around in the stomach for long periods of time, [and] caffeine -- this can lead to increased reflux, causing more discomfort," she said. 

"Carbonated drinks are definitely going to cause increased gassiness, [and] onions and garlic -- these contain fructans which are a type of carbohydrate molecule which many people have difficulty digesting,” King said.

Another thing many people have difficulty with is constant gas, which can be painful, can slow you down and can be socially awkward.

People suffering from severe gas should be aware of what foods they should be avoiding and in some cases gas isn’t just a painful annoyance, it will sometimes require a visit to your doctor, says King.

“If someone is known to have increased gas, it might be best to avoid beans and cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts," she advises. “Some people may have increased gassiness from dairy products, in which case they could be lactose intolerant.”

“They should check with their physician about a lactose breath test for a true diagnosis," King adds.

"Removal of lactose-containing products should help if someone truly is lactase (the enzyme needed to digest lactose) deficient. Other people who have Celiac disease or a medical diagnosis of gluten intolerance may experience increased gassiness/bloating when consuming foods containing gluten."

Acidic foods

But what about those everyday foods that are harder to avoid than others and tend to be very acidic? You know, those items like orange juice and marinara sauce. Do people with bad stomachs have to stay away from these foods forever?

“Any food that is higher in acidic content will decrease the pH balance of the stomach and thus cause increased discomfort,” King explains.

"I recommend consuming these types of foods in small amounts and spread them throughout the week so that the stomach doesn’t have to process a large volume of highly acidic foods at one time.”

King also says it may take a certain period of time for a person suffering from stomach discomforts to really know what’s ailing them and what foods they should ultimately avoid.

“What is important to remember is that what works for one person, may not necessarily work for someone else,” she emphasized.

 “Each person is individual. Know your trigger foods. It may take a little trial and error to find what foods you need to avoid and what works for your discomfort. Be patient, getting anxious about it will only make the discomfort worse.

"Also, if stomach discomfort continues to be a problem, I recommend seeing a gastroenterologist who will be able to do an extensive workup to determine if there is an underlying medical condition,” King said.

The growth of the Internet has obviously helped many businesses, spawned many jobs and created a lot of industries, but probably one of the biggest uses of the Internet is its sharing component, which has not only made the world seem smaller for many, but it has also made it easier for people to exchange information and borrow ideas from each other.

And probably the biggest web destinations for sharing ideas are Facebook and Twitter, as both sites have been constant go-tos, not only for everyday consumers, but also for those ardent shoppers and tastemakers that many companies rely on to spread the word about its products or new ventures.

And exactly what is a tastemaker?

Many people have heard the term before, but for those who haven’t, a tastemaker is basically a person who is very much "in the know" about areas of consumerism like fashion, gadgetry and style. 

But a tastemaker isn’t just in the know about certain industries; they also have a huge desire to communicate their knowledge on just about every popular social site, because having throngs of followers and people who look up to you and follow your every suggestion, makes you an important asset for any company that wants to reach the young buying public that regularly uses social media.

Oftentimes companies will pay everyday consumers pretty decent sums of money just to tweet or blog about products they’re using or the products they're looking forward to using, so creators of the website Influenster have set themselves up as  a digital liaison of sorts, so both companies and tastemakers can find each other and communicate.

Strong network

The site is free to join and the owners encourage people to sign up who either have a bunch of social media followers already or are starting to build a strong network of followers, but more importantly the site wants people who always look for the newest trends and are able to communicate those trends to their followers on a consistent basis. 

And the more successful users are, the more they’ll be rewarded by the companies and brands that Influenster works with.

And what are those rewards you might ask?

It really depends on how successful you are at spreading the word to your followers about a particular product, so if you’re one of those people who normally take photos of things you see online, in stores or in restaurants, Influenster wants you do the same thing but just through them.

The whole idea of the site is to let others know what’s on the horizon of both trend and coolness, while giving users the chance to be rewarded for their social media postings.

One of the chief goals for each user is to get a badge, which symbolizes their level of influence.

For example the “Influenster badge”-- which is the highest badge of honor -- shows other users and brands that you have a vast reach when it comes to letting people know about a new item or a new project being introduced.

Other badges the site offers, like the “Expert,” show just where your expertise lies, whether it's fashion, gaming, travel, environmental causes or other areas.

Creators of the site say users who do a lot of sharing and tastemaking will have access to information that shows just how much you’re tweeting, posting and sharing to help lift a company’s sales. Successful users will also have access to products before they’re released, special promotions and exclusive sales deals, and the more sharing you do the bigger the rewards.

Invitation required

To join Influenster, you’ll have to request an invitation, which entails filling out a form and providing your name, email, etc., and you’ll also be asked to indicate what social sites you frequent so companies and brands know just how you’re communicating.

The site also uses what it calls “Influenster Scores” to determine what badges you receive and how many rewards you’ll get, and the numbers are mainly driven by how much you participate on the site and how much you communicate through social media.

The general Internet reviews about Influenster are fairly good, but if there’s a downside to the site, it’s how much legwork one has to do in order to get significant deals or rewards.

So if you’re a person who’s thinking about using the site in order to rack up a bunch of free stuff, you’ll probably be disappointed -- but what’s good is that Influenster comes right out and tells you this and warns consumers that the site is more about sharing rather than getting free stuff.

The company says it wants to attract people who have a natural desire to share cool things, which should trump any desire you have to have a room full of free products.

So if you consider yourself a tastemaker, a trendsetter or just somebody who stays in the know about the next greatest thing, you might as well be rewarded and get a few consumer perks at the same time, but if you’re someone who casually post things on Facebook or Twitter and you don’t have any level of consistency in terms of how much you post or tweet, the site may not be for you.

Because since the site relies heavily on scores and points to deem people successful users, you should already be a big social media person, which believe it or not, a lot of people just aren't.

The clock is ticking on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) 60-day comment period to gather consumer input about the effects of the 2009 CARD act, which ushered in a number of credit card reforms. The comment period expires February 19, 2013.

The agency is trying to determine how the law has affected consumers and the credit card industry. The CFPB said its earlier research found that the CARD Act had largely curtailed the long-standing practice of hiking interest rates on existing cardholder accounts—prior to the CARD Act, credit card companies often raised customers’ interest rates with little or no advance warning. The agency also said it found that the CARD Act had substantially reduced consumer late fees and nearly eliminated over-limit fees.

“The CARD Act made major changes in the credit card marketplace in order to better protect consumers,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray, announcing the comment period in December. “The Bureau is seeking to understand how the credit card market is working in practice and how the CARD Act changes have affected consumers and credit card issuers.”

What consumers say

When credit card comparison site CreditDonkey.com conducted a survey of consumers, it tried to gauge support for potential regulations, especially for pre-paid cards, for which final rules have yet to be issued.

"Credit cards have a lot of protection but prepaid cards have hardly any," said Charles Tran, founder of CreditDonkey.com. "When we asked consumers if they supported regulations to add consumer protection from liability, most said yes. But when we asked if they were willing to pay higher fees in exchange for those new rules, that number dropped sharply."

For example, 83.6% supported the idea of requiring prepaid debit card issuers to limit consumer liability for unauthorized transactions, similar to those provided for credit cards. But when told that adding that regulation could result in higher fees, support dropped to just 51%.

Could be costly

Why should fees go up if pre-paid card issuers are required to provide liability protection? Tran says the companies will argue that their costs will go up.

"If there is $10 left on a card and the consumer loses it, the company would not only have to replace the $10 but have customer service in place that could process it," he said.

When asked if they support a proposed rule to make it easier for non-working spouses and partners to obtain credit cards, 52% said yes. But when asked if they would accept higher fees or interest rates in exchange for that change, the number fell to 30%.

The CFPB announced last May it planned to add new consumer protections for the prepaid card market. It collected comments last summer but hasn't issued final rules yet.

Growth of prepaid cards

The agency notes that consumers loaded an estimated $57 billion onto prepaid cards in 2011 and the market is projected to achieve a 42 percent per year growth rate from 2010 to 2014.

With more consumers leaving the traditional banking system, no longer maintaining checking accounts, prepaid cards have become a principle way to making purchases and paying bills. By 2014 consumers are projected to load $167 billion onto prepaid cards.

To help consumers better understand prepaid cards, CFPB has launched "Ask CFPB: Prepaid Cards," a searchable database with easy-to-understand answers to more than 80 consumer questions.

But CFPB may have difficulty starting a dialog with consumers on this issue. Tran said the CreditDonkey.com survey asked consumers if they had heard of the Federal Trade Commision (FTC); 87% said they had. However, only 37% had heard of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Have we become a nation of foot-draggers? With more than a quarter (26 percent) of workers admitting to being late to work at least once a month, and 16 percent tardy once a week or more, you could make that argument.

But perhaps more astounding than those numbers are the reasons people give for not showing up on time.

According to a new CareerBuilder study, frozen car keys, a functionally fashionable cement duck and coin-operated newspaper machines top this year’s list of most outrageous excuses for arriving to work late.

“Employers understand that every now and again circumstances will arise that are out of a worker’s control and unfortunately cause a late arrival to work,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “It escalates to a problem when the behavior becomes repetitive, causing employers to take disciplinary action. More than one-third of hiring managers reported they had to fire someone for being late.”

What’s your excuse?

Traffic is the most common culprit causing tardiness according to 31 percent of workers. Other factors include lack of sleep, the need to drop off the kids at daycare or school, bad weather and public transportation delays.

Not all employees blame jammed roads. Hiring managers shared some of the most memorable excuses they’ve heard from employees who were late getting to the office, including:

• Employee dropped her purse into a coin-operated newspaper box and couldn’t retrieve it without change (which was in the purse)
• Employee accidentally left the apartment with his roommate’s girlfriend’s shoes on and had to go back to change
• Employee’s angry wife had frozen his truck keys in a glass of water in the freezer
• Employee got a late start because she was putting a rain coat on her cement duck in her front yard (because rain was expected later that day)
• Employee’s car wouldn’t start because the breathalyzer showed he was intoxicated
• Employee attempted to cut his own hair before work and the clippers stopped working, so he had to wait until the barber shop opened to fix his hair
• Employee’s car was attacked by a bear (had photographic evidence)
• Employee drove to her previous employer by mistake
• Employee claimed to have delivered a stranger’s baby on the side of the highway

The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive© from November 1 to November 30, 2012 and included more than 2,600 hiring managers and more than 3,900 workers nationwide.

Let's face it -- for a lot of people, getting to and from work is the worst part of their day.

And, with a new report detailing the growing cost of daily commuting, one workplace authority wonders if it is time for the nation’s employers to make a serious commitment to expanding the use of telecommuting strategies.

“Right now, a very small fraction of the nation’s workers who could viably work from home on a regular basis are actually doing so,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. “By not expanding the use of telecommuting, employers are negatively impacting the environment, worker productivity, job satisfaction and, most importantly, their bottom lines. And, it is not a lack of technology or other resources that is holding back this expansion. It is simply a lack of vision, a shortage of trust and an irrational adherence to antiquated notions of how and where work should be done.”

Commuting times get longer

The call for increased telecommuting comes on the heels of a new report from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which revealed that increased traffic congestion is forcing the nation’s workers to build in extra time to their daily commutes to the tune of $121 billion in wasted time and fuel in 2011.

The longest commuting times are found in Washington, DC, where it takes drivers three hours to reach a destination that would be 30 minutes away with no traffic. On average, commuters are giving themselves one hour for what should be a 20-minute drive with no traffic.

“The impact of these monster commutes on the workplace is enormous,” said Challenger. “Workers who do not build in enough commuting time are likely to be late or may simply decide to take a personal day. Those who leave at the crack of dawn simply to arrive at a normal starting time of 8am or 9am are probably fatigued and not in a very good mood. The end result is a workforce that is late, absent, and/or performing well below their potential,”

Growth of telecommuting

Obviously, there are many occupations that are not conducive to telecommuting. However, the number of jobs that can be done remotely have grown significantly over the last two decades and will continue to expand going forward.

The latest available statistics from the Telework Research Network indicate that 3.1 million people -- not including the self-employed or unpaid volunteers -- considered home to be their primary place of work in 2011. That is roughly 2.5 percent of U.S. nonfarm payrolls.

Overall, the number of telecommuters increased by 73 percent between 2005 and 2011. However, according to the data, the number of telecommuters remains well below the potential. The Telework Research Network estimates that as many as 64 million U.S. employees (just under 50 percent of the workforce) hold a job that is compatible with telework.

What's the problem?

So, what is keeping telecommuting from growing? It is not resistance from workers. Nearly 80 percent of Americans polled in a 2009 survey said they would like to work from home.

If there is any resistance from employees, it is most likely related to how increased telecommuting might impact their status in the office, according to Challenger. “There is a perception that if you are not in the office, you are more likely to miss important meetings, get passed over for promotion or get targeted for layoff in the event of a downsizing. These are not irrational concerns, by any means, as these are the subtle, and sometimes overt, messages that get passed on to workers from management.”

He points out that companies are embracing the latest portable tablets and laptops, social networking, video conferencing and many of the other technological advancements that make telecommuting increasingly viable. However, he notes, in many ways, companies are stuck in the old way of doing business, where people are expected to work from 9 to 5 and are judged more on the amount of ‘face time’ than on the quantity or quality of output .

Companies that have embraced telecommuting have found that their remote workers are just as, if not more productive than traditional office workers. Analyses of Best Buy, British Telecom, Dow Chemical and many other employers have found that teleworkers are 35 percent to 45 percent more productive. American Express found that its teleworkers produced 43 percent more than their office-based counterparts.

Benefits to employees

In addition, various studies have found that telecommuting employees are happier, more loyal and have fewer unscheduled absences.

“All of these outcomes positively impact the bottom line,” said Challenger. “However, they represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to corporate finances. Companies that have widely adopted telecommuting are realizing significant savings in many areas but, most notably, real estate costs.”

In a 2008 Workforce Management article, a Sun Microsystems spokesman said the company had realized “huge cost savings,” as a result of the 18,000 workers participating in its telecommuting initiatives. According to the article, the San Francisco-based technology company saved $67.8 million in real estate costs in fiscal 2006 alone.

Challenger says the benefits of increased telecommuting extend beyond individual companies. “The positive effects on the environment alone should make telecommuting a higher priority,” he contends. “Not only would it reduce greenhouse gases, but it would greatly reduce our dependency on foreign oil. There really are not many negatives related to increased telecommuting other than imagined ones.”  

Here we go again. For the third straight winter, retail gasoline prices have accelerated.

The national average price of self-serve regular is over $3.54 a gallon, according to AAA. It's up 15 cents in a week and 25 cents in a month.

In case you've forgotten, the same thing happened in early 2011. At the time, the increase was attributed to worries in the market that political instability in Libya would lead to supply shortages.

In 2012, when prices shot up again, it was blamed on tensions with Iran over its nuclear program. The worry was that any kind of Persian Gulf dust-up would interrupt oil supplies.

No Middle East turmoil

This year, there's a shortage of oil-producing Middle East tensions but that has not prevented retail gasoline prices from making their annual February surge. So what's to blame for this year's pain at the pump?

According to a consensus among industry analysts, this year's price rise is mostly to be blamed on U.S. refineries shutting down for scheduled maintenance. In other words, a completely foreseeable and, perhaps, controllable set of circumstances has caused the market to spike.

Other reasons that have been given for the sudden increase in price is optimism about economic recovery, even though the economy declined in the fourth quarter. Also, the fact that refineries, once they are operating again, will be switching over to summer-blends, which are more expensive.

However, consumers with long memories will recall that these annual occurrences rarely seemed to result in the big price increases we have seen over the last three winters.

Don't blame the service stations

It's useful for consumers to also remember that their local service station operator is not to blame for the price at the pump. The station buys the fuel from a wholesale distributor, who obtains the product on the open market. Beginning last month, that market has been very active.

Gasoline futures, traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, have rocketed higher since mid-January. The price of futures contracts has risen 12% since the middle of last month.

At the same time, the price of crude oil has also been rising. Why? Not really because of supply. In fact, America's appetite for oil continues to decline while the country's domestic oil production continues to rise.

The Wall Street Journal links the rise in crude prices to pipeline problems, making it difficult to move product around the country. In other words, we have plenty of oil, we just can't get it where it needs to be. Because of that, the price rises.

Where's the demand?

If consumers were buying more gasoline, that would certainly help explain the recent rise in gasoline prices, both at the commodities market and the retail levels. But that isn't the case.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports gasoline demand in the U.S. peaked in 2007. Last year's demand was a half-million barrels a day below that. Not only are people driving less, they're driving more fuel-efficient cars. Yet the amount of money they're shelling out for fuel continues to rise.

When consumers are suddenly hit with a big increase in gasoline prices, it has much the same effect as raising their taxes or cutting their pay. The effect on the economy can be toxic. In 2011 the economy was beginning to show signs of life when the large spike in gasoline prices coincided with the economy hitting what economists described as a "soft patch."

Futures prices retreat

That said, it's possible gasoline prices may level off, or perhaps even drop a few cents in the next couple of weeks. Energy traders in the futures market in recent days have begun selling their long positions. As a result, gasoline futures prices actually retreated a bit this week. Oil prices have also declined before hitting the $100 a barrel mark.

Why? It appears the market is now not so sure the economy is doing that well. Some analysts cite last weeks jump in first time unemployment claims, a highly volatile indicator that rarely moves markets. Others suggests the market for gasoline simply went up too fast in too short of a period of time.

The hedge funds that poured millions into the futures market in mid January, however, are looking at a handsome profit. Consumers, meanwhile, are looking at high gasoline prices, in what has become a winter tradition, along with Groundhog Day.

Problems with flat screen TVs, regardless of the manufacturer, have been well documented. From the "capacitor plague" to lines in the screen, consumers have complained for years that their expensive TVs only last a year or two out of warranty.

In a recent report, Consumer Reports tested the latest model TVs and found them to be bigger, better, smarter and cheaper.

“If you’re thinking about upgrading your TV, or if you’re one of the holdouts planning to buy your first flat-panel TV, you’ll find plenty of great models in our latest ratings — many at prices that will put a smile on your face,” said Jim Willcox, senior editor for electronics.

Blown capacitors

Of course, that hasn't always been the case. Frustrated consumers have been sounding off at ConsumerAffairs for years about problems with their TVs. For a while, blown capacitors was a common problem.

The heat building up in the set's chassis caused cheaper capacitors to blow. Fortunately, that's a relatively easy fix. Unfortunately, problems in the display are not, as we heard from Francis, of Monroeville, Ala., in a ConsumerAffairs post:

"We purchased a 55-inch Samsung LCD TV Christmas 2010.  The picture went out in 2011. It was still under warranty and was repaired. Picture began going out again in Dec. 2012 but would come back after being turned off a little while. By January the problem became really bad. We called Samsung and were referred to a service number. When the service people called us back, they told us the part would cost $800 and repair would be $242. Their advice was to purchase another TV. I paid $1,400 for this TV, and I expected to get more than two years of service from it or at least a repair within reason."

Consumers like Francis might be happy to hear that the latest model TV sets are of better quality. Dave Maltz, who owns Dave's TV Repair, in Grants Pass, Ore., says he doesn't see a high enough volume of TVs to make an accurate judgment about any improvements. But he says he has seen some TVs that have made it five-plus years before they had any problems.

"Just yesterday one of my customers told me his Philips Plasma TV is five years old and still operating fine," Maltz said. "This surprised me because I had often heard bad things about Philips TVs, and the gentleman who told me this is a real heavy TV watcher."

Improved efficiency

Maltz said plasma TVs are more efficient than they once were. Since they now build up less heat, it may aid their longevity.

"As for LCD TVs I'm not sure what to think," Maltz said. "I still see or get calls from people who have display issues from bonding problems, and most of the time this makes them not worth repairing, in my opinion. As you probably know this has been a real problem with LCD TVs, and angered many who purchased them."

Maltz passed along the YouTube video below from a fellow repairman who found a cheap way to address the the display problems so common in Sony LCD flat screens. While you will see that it works, Maltz cautions that he doesn't think it can be counted on as a lasting fix.

Most consumers should not attempt this repair themselves, but it might be worth pointing out to the person repairing your TV.

A review of ConsumerAffairs complaints about flat screen TVs found that, indeed, most of the complaints appear to be about sets manufactured between 2008 and 2010, so Consumer Reports' observation that newer sets are better might be true.

It's also helpful to keep in mind that Consumer Reports qualified its findings by saying lower-priced TVs might still have quality issues. When it comes to TV sets, the best "bargain" might be the more expensive one.

Since over 235 people were tragically killed inside a night club in Southern Brazil last month, some believe there’s a need to not only reevaluate how safe night clubs are today, but also take a closer look at our own responsibilities to stay safe while clubbing.

To get some firsthand tips on how to do this, we contacted Tom Hayden, the supervisor of health and safety inspections at George Washington University in Washington D.C., who recently advised the school’s students on club safety.

He says one of the first things people should do upon entering a club is take note of the exits -- how many there are and where they’re exactly located.

“Look at your ways out and identify more than one,”   Hayden said in an interview with ConsumerAffairs. “Are they marked and visible? Do they appear accessible, meaning that they are not locked with chains or barred shut?"

Hayden also says you should ask yourself other important questions when walking into a venue, which means the onus is really on you, the club-goer, to make sure you identify any hazards. Just assuming the club owners have already taken the correct safety measures is risky.

“How big is the crowd?” Hayden says you should ask yourself.

“Are you able to move freely from point to point or do you have to push your way through people to get from one part of the building to another?  Does the club have fire safety protection like sprinklers and visible strobe fire alarms? These should be easy to spot by looking at the ceiling or higher up on the walls,” he says.

Out for fun

But even with the recent club fires in past years, it’s safe to say that being vigilante in the area of safety isn’t at the forefront of the average club-goer's mind, since most people are just looking to get the most bang for their consumer buck when it comes to having fun and enjoying themselves, but that has to change, many experts say.

Hayden also said that consumers should take extra notice of clubs that are either above or below ground level, since these types of venues require stairs to enter and exit, and staircases always create the potential hazard of becoming jammed with people trying to escape an emergency.  

“People tend to go out the way that they came in,” he says. "This is especially true in an emergency or when you are not familiar with the lay out of the building.

"Stairways up or down can quickly become chocked with people trying to get out in an emergency and quickly become impassable. A fire on a different level may not be noticed right away and heat and smoke can travel in the stairway if it’s not properly protected by fire doors.”

“Another issue is whether or not the stairways are wide enough to accommodate the number of people trying to use them," adds Hayden. 

"Most modern licensed clubs here in the United States will have had all these factors evaluated during the inspection process to determine what the occupancy level (the number of people permitted) should be. However, that may not be the case in some older building or if you are traveling overseas,” he says.

As many recall, 100 people were killed inside a nightclub called "The Station" in 2003, after the tour manager for the rock band Great White lit the foam on the stage that's used for sound insulation. It only took five  minutes for the entire venue to be totally engulfed, reports show.

In 2000, 309 people lost their lives in Luoyang, China after a fire broke out inside a club, and in 1990, 87 people died in a Bronx, NY., club fire that was actually set intentionally, which shows club fires can start in a number of ways, so one has to be prepared.

Act fast

Hayden says if you do find yourself in this type of situation, you shouldn’t try to assess things, you should escape instantly.

“Get out immediately,” he emphasized. “I can’t overstress this enough. It may sound callous, but don’t try to find your friends while you are still inside. Head to the nearest exit and keep in mind that it may not be the same one you entered through.”

“If you look at several of the recent events including Brazil and Rhode Island, delays by the occupants in leaving may have cost some their lives. They may not have been aware of the seriousness of the event or may have originally thought that it was part of the performance. Unfortunately, by the time they were able to react it was too late.”

Also, club-goers should never be hesitant to bring up a safety hazard if they happen to notice something looks off, says Hayden.

“Ask to speak with the manager,” he says.

“Most reputable establishments are vested in your safety and want you to feel comfortable at the location. If you’re not satisfied with the managers response but unsure if the issue is really a hazard, position yourself close to an exit that you can get to if anything does happen.”

Also, “Check the ceiling for a sprinkler system. Some code requirements are loosened if the building is equipped with a sprinkler system because fire officials recognize their effectiveness in keeping people safe and saving lives.

“You can always report your concerns to the local fire marshal’s office. They have staff specially trained to look at all of these factors and determine if a club is safe. They also have the authority to shut down clubs that are unsafe until the problems are corrected,” he explains.

And what's the golden rule when it comes to keeping safe in a club? There are two, says Hayden.

“Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t,” and also, “Be aware."

Take a minute when you arrive and look around. Identify the ways out and evaluate the overall situation.

Say what you will about the U.S. Postal Service. It's determined. Determined to end mail delivery on Saturday, that is.

The end to Saturday home deliveries is one of a number of cost-cutting measures the post office announced  today as it tries to find a way to end deficits that hit nearly $16 billion in its most recent fiscal year.

The Saturday mail blackout, starting Aug. 5, won't be total -- post office boxholders will still get mail in their box and packages will still be delivered. Not letters though. 

Of course, just because the Postal Service says something doesn't mean it will happen. Like Amtrak, USPS is a government corporation, an odd creation that many critics say combines the worst aspects of both business and government. 

Both are constantly derided for big losses, service problems and, in Amtrak's case, stale sandwiches. But both are also hamstrung by being stepchildren of Congress. The USPS has floated one idea after another that would -- maybe -- improve service, increase revenue and save money but many if not most wind up being sidetracked when they get to Capitol Hill.

Whether Congress let Saturdays get stricken from the USPS calendar remains to be seen. Sen. Tom Carper (D., Del.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, which oversees postal operations, isn't happy about the announcement.

"For nearly three decades, it has been the clear intent of Congress that the Postal Service provide most communities with six days of mail delivery," Carper said.

Magazine publishers aren't happy either. Lots of magazines time their schedules to hit mailboxes on Friday and Saturday, in time for weekend reading. Yes, it sounds a little like 1950 but magazines are still big business.

One of the few remaining big weeklies -- Time -- said it wasn't surprised by the USPS decision.

"Time has been anticipating this possibility for awhile and we are preparing plans to continue timely delivery of the magazine to our subscribers," a spokeswoman said, according to Advertising Age. She noted that subscribers can read the magazine online if it's not delivered when they want it.

Who do you trust? 

Meanwhile, although it does nothing but make the Postal Service feel better, a new survey has named the USPS the "Most Trusted Government Agency" for the seventh year in a row.

There was no mention of Congress, which apparently didn't make the list.

The Ponemon Institute also ranked the Postal Service as the fourth most-trusted company of 704 entries from 25 industry sectors. The results show that customers regard the Postal Service as one of the best in keeping their information safe and secure.

The Postal Service ranks as the fourth most trusted company — a two-point increase from 2011 and its highest company ranking since the survey’s inception by the premier privacy trust study in America.