Current Events in March 2013

It's happened again -- a gay man says he's been "outed" by Facebook, in this case by an ad, even though he says he had never revealed his sexual orientation or talked about being gay.

Late last year, two students from the University of Texas at Austin said they were outed to their families, after joining their school's “Queer Chorus” and being added to the chorus’ Facebook discussion page.

This time around, a man known only as Matt said a “coming out” ad was placed on his public newsfeed for all to see, although he never discussed his sexual orientation on Facebook, “liked” anything related to being gay or joined any discussion groups that would reveal his orientation. 

Here’s what Matt told the website BuzzFeed in an email:

“As many LGBT individuals know, for a time, the most closely held secret we have is our sexuality. Several nights ago, I texted a close and dear friend for advice on revealing such sensitive personal information. The next morning, I woke up to a ‘sponsored story’ on my Facebook page that asked ‘Coming out? Need help?’ How did Facebook know such a specific ad would apply to my profile?”

Matt was probably outed by an algorithm.

You know what they are—those nasty little calculations that sites like Facebook use to determine consumers' lifestyle, shopping habits and interests, in order to tailor specific ads and messages for them.

So if you’re “liking” a posted ad by Macy’s let’s say, you better believe you’ll be seeing more ads about upcoming sales and expensive new products that you'll probably never want. It’s just the way social media pages and companies are doing things these days.   

How did Facebook know?

But again, what was strange to Matt was that he never “liked” anything that would reveal to Facebook that he was gay. The only thing he did was tweet a close friend, asking him for advice about coming out to his parents, that’s it, however, somehow, the coming out add was still placed on his newsfeed.

The actual ad was from the self-proclaimed “Coming out Coach” Rick Clemons, who helps people reveal to their families that they’re gay.

In the past, Facebook has said it doesn’t read the messages of its users to determine which ads to display, which was again confirmed by a Facebook spokesperson who contacted BuzzFeed to tell the company's side of the story pertaining to Matt.

But the question remains, how did Facebook know that Matt may have been interested in ads targeted to the LGBT community?

Other than his Twitter conversation, it seems the only thing Matt did was comment on a friend's Facebook post about Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announcing that after he had changed his position on gay marraige after learning his son was gay.

That could be enough, since Facebook can take all sorts of your posted information and target you for certain ads and sales pitches.

Early warnings

It was in 2010, when Saikat Guha of Microsoft and Bin Cheng and Paul Francis of the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, said that Facebook could and would unintentionally out LGBT people.

So Guha, Cheng and Francis warn people to be extremely mindful on what they click and comment on, especially if they want to control what’s being revealed about them to other users.

“The danger with such ads, unlike the gay bar ad where the target demographic is blatantly obvious, is that the user reading the ad text would have no idea that by clicking it he would reveal to the advertiser both his sexual preference and a unique identifier (cookie, IP address, or e-mail address if he signs up on the advertiser’s site),” said the researchers.

“Furthermore, such deceptive ads are not uncommon; indeed exactly half of the 66 ads shown exclusively to gay men (more than 50 times) during our experiment did not mention 'gay' anywhere in the ad text."

The researchers said they would like to see Facebook change a few things, when it comes to how the company uses algorithms to link certain ads to certain users.

“Do not allow advertisers to target advertisements based on sensitive categories, such as religion, sexuality, or political affiliation,” they wrote. And “disclose, directly below the ad, the fact the ad was targeted based on a specific profile attribute and state there which attribute that was.”

“Users should also be told, after clicking on the ad, but before being directed to the site, that the advertiser may be able to learn this sensitive information about them, simply by visiting the site.”

Whether Facebook decides to make these changes remains to be seen, but until then, beware of what you click, tweet, comment or post, because you should be the only person who’s in control of telling the public want you want them to know.

You certainly don’t want to leave it up to Mark Zuckerberg, do you?

Do you remember when the term “Do it yourself” pretty much applied to home repairs and fixing things?

It became the advertising slogan for many hardware stores, which told people to release their inner Bob Villa, even if they didn’t possess a thick beard and a flannel shirt.

Today, the do it yourself slogan means much more, thanks to the infinite reach of the Internet, and for practically little or no money, one can move a good product idea or business plan from their head, to the drawing board and out to the masses fairly quickly.

These days, doing it yourself can either mean you’re reaching for a hammer or you’re hammering down on your keyboard trying to perfect an idea, and this new type of digitized self-containment has made it easier for the dreamer to become the doer, further blurring the once very visible line between buyer and seller.

In addition, the Internet gave folks new avenues to release their self-made products and most of those avenues didn’t lead to some office building with a closed-minded decision maker inside, because those guys love telling you that your idea isn’t any good and they won’t financially back it.

Anybody can write, right?

Consumers using the Internet to fuel their ideas is surely happening in music, it’s happening in fashion and in the small business world too, but arguably one of the biggest places the Internet has empowered the person who says, “Maybe I’ll do it one day,” is in the world of authors and people who choose to self-publish their book.

Sure the Internet will allow everyone who wants to write a book the chance to publish it, but there’s a slight problem with that, and that is -- well, the Internet allows everyone who wants to write a book the chance to publish it, which means your book can easily get lost and go completely unnoticed in a sea of other self-published titles.

Not to mention having to compete with those authors who have book deals and a PR team that can market their books around the clock.

So the question is, is publishing your own book even worth it these days?

Shawn Welch who, along with his partner Guy Kawasaki, wrote "APE: How to Publish a Book," says yes. APE is an acronym for author, publisher, entrepreneur.

Welch says that a person has to be realistic about the recognition and financial rewards one might be looking for.

“The average indie author sells less than 150 copies of their book, which means on average, indie authors make between $500-$1,000 on a self-published book (if they sold it for $4.99), said Welch in an interview with ConsumerAffairs.

“The reason you hear about self-published millionaires in the news is because they’re rare, not because they are commonplace," he said. "If you want to write a book, that’s great. In fact, Guy and I think everyone who wants to write a book, should write a book. It is truly one of life’s great accomplishments.”

But Welch says if you want to be a self-published author, your motivation has to come from a different place other than a place of wanting to get rich.

“If you’re writing a book because you want to make money or pay off your mortgage, you’re probably doomed from the beginning,” he says.

“Very few people can turn out a good book when the motivation is money. Money should be a side-effect not a goal. Before you write a book you should ask yourself, ‘Will this book add value to people’s lives?’ Because that is the number one reason to write a book. If you have a book that adds to people’s lives, it will probably sell.”

“Writing and publishing a book is an end in itself, it is not a means to an end," adds Welch. 

"If the reality that you probably won’t make a lot of money self-publishing discourages you from writing, ask yourself why you were writing in the first place and why that reason would cause someone to pick up your book out of the thousands available.”

Furthermore, he says self-publishing really isn’t a decision, as much as it is the only avenue for most authors, because an extremely small portion of writers actually get book deals.

Deciding between self-publishing and shopping for a book deal is a “superficial choice,” he says and if you do happen to be among the 0.1% of authors who get a book deal, you’ll still have to endure long wait times and a bunch of industry battles.

“Most authors don’t have the option of choosing between self-publishing or signing a traditionally published deal,” says Welch. “If you’re lucky enough to have a deal on the table, and you don’t want to deal with the hard work involved with self-publishing, then absolutely sign a traditionally published deal, take the advance and smile.”

“But, if you’re like the other 99.99% of authors today, you don’t have a choice. It will take you 6-18 months to get a traditional publisher to respond to your proposal, so why not self-publish in the meantime? The reality is traditional publishers sign authors that already have a platform to sell books. In today’s market, an author name sells a book more than the publishing company imprint. So many traditional publishers look for authors that are already well known.”

“So if you are shopping your book around, one of the best ways to prove you’re worth signing on is to show that people want to buy your books. What better way than that to point at the sales of your self-published books? It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”

Stranger than fiction

For those of you who write fiction, writing an ebook is the best route to go, and by using Kindle, you’ll have immediate access to Amazon’s incredibly large clientele, which certainly doesn’t hurt, says Welch.

“For fiction, ebooks make up a large percentage of the market cap,” he explains.

“This isn’t necessarily true for non-fiction books, so print isn’t completely dead. But for fiction, you can do very well with just ebooks. Kindle is great because for fiction authors it makes up 80% or more of the market.”

“Print isn’t dead, but ebooks are much easier to self-publish," he says. "And to simplify matters, with one platform, and one format, you can reach a very large market. In today’s world, Amazon owns the ebook market. So a self-publishers would be foolish to ignore it.”

And how much will self-publishing actually run you?

Although using the Internet to self-publish is less expensive, it’ll surely cost you more than just a few bucks, so if you’re expecting to spend a tiny amount to get your book off the ground, you might be disappointed.

“$4,000 is a very realistic number,” says Welch.

“In general, you should budget $1,000 for content editing, $1,000 for copyediting, $1,000 for a cover, and $1,000 for book production. If you know someone who is willing and able to do one of these tasks for free, you can certainly save some money, and it’s possible to find these services for less and more. But just because you self-publish does not mean these tasks go away.”

Nothing is worse than a debut book filled with typos, misspellings, factual errors and other amateurish blunders. Such mishaps are marginally acceptable in daily news publications and amateur blogs but not in book and magazine publishing.

And if you’re a busy parent who loves writing and you always thought about publishing your own book, Welch says that you should start writing now; if you wait for the perfect time to start typing those pages, you might be waiting forever.

In addition, he advises that parents and busy adults should make a conscious decision to carve out writing time on a daily basis, as opposed to trying to find the right time when things aren't hectic.

“There’s never a good time to write a book,” says Welch.

“If you wait until the house is clean, the kids are doing well in school, or that one project is finally finished, you’ll never start. History is full of people who bootstrapped their efforts in the middle of the night to achieve something they really want.”

“If you really want to write a book, you have to make the time. Time won’t just appear out of nowhere,” he says.

Without seeing any facts and figures, most of us will admit we use too much salt.

The food we buy is loaded with the stuff -- and most of us dump more of it on as we sit at the table.

But exactly how much is too much? According to research presented at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2013 Scientific Sessions, 75% of the world's population consumes nearly twice the daily recommended amount of salt.

Global sodium intake from commercially prepared food, table salt, salt and soy sauce added during cooking averaged nearly 4,000 mg a day in 2010.

The World Health Organization recommends limiting intake to less than 2,000 mg a day and the American Heart Association recommends staying under 1,500 mg a day.

"This study is the first time that information about sodium intake by country, age and gender is available," said Saman Fahimi, M.D., M.Phil., lead author and a visiting scientist in the Harvard School of Public Health's epidemiology department in Boston, Mass. "We hope our findings will influence national governments to develop public health interventions to lower sodium."

Major problems

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the world; excess sodium intake raises blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the major contributors to the development of cardiovascular disease.

Among women and men, average sodium intake exceeded healthy levels in almost all countries, researchers said. Kazakhstan had the highest average intake at 6,000 mg per day, followed by Mauritius and Uzbekistan at just less than 6,000 mg per day.

Kenya and Malawi had the lowest average intake at about 2,000 mg per day. In the US, the average intake was about 3,600 mg a day.

Way too much

One hundred eighty-one of 187 countries, representing 99 percent of the world's population, exceeded the World Health Organization's recommended sodium intake of less than 2,000 mg a day; and 119 countries, representing 88 percent of the world's population, exceeded this recommended intake by more than 1,000 mg a day. All countries except Kenya exceeded the American Heart Association recommended sodium intake of less than 1,500 mg a day.

The researchers analyzed 247 surveys of adult sodium intake to estimate sodium intake, stratified by age, gender, region and nation between 1990 and 2010 as part of the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study, which is an international collaborative study by 488 scientists from 303 institutions in 50 countries around the world.

What’s a consumer to do?

When shopping for food, consumers can read food labels and choose foods that are lower in sodium.

The Nutrition Facts Label on food and beverage packages lists the “Percent Daily Value (%DV)” of sodium in one serving of a food, based on 2,400 mg per day. The %DV tells you whether a food contributes a little or a lot to your total daily diet. Foods providing 5%DV or less of sodium per serving are considered low in sodium and foods providing 20%DV or more of sodium per serving are considered high. But remember, all of the nutrition information on the label is based upon one serving of the food and many packaged foods have more than one serving.

It is recommended that consumers not exceed 100% of the daily value for sodium and those advised to limit intake to 1,500 mg per day should aim for about 65% of the daily value.

Consumers can also be aware of the sources of sodium in their diet. In a report issued in February 2012, the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified these 10 foods as the greatest sources of sodium:

• breads and rolls
• luncheon meat, such as deli ham or turkey
• pizza
• poultry, fresh and processed -- (Much of the raw chicken bought from a store has been injected with a sodium solution.)
• soups
• cheeseburgers and other sandwiches
• cheese, natural and processed
• pasta dishes
• meat dishes, such as meat loaf with gravy
• savory snack foods, such as potato chips, pretzels and popcorn

And how do you know how much sodium is in the food served at your favorite restaurant? Fasano notes that many chain restaurants are putting the nutritional content of their foods -- including calories, fats, sodium and sugars -- on their Websites, or it’s available by asking for it.

The Food and Drug Administration has created a number of online resources to help consumers reduce their sodium intake. They include:

• A Sodium Reduction Website provides links to resources on how to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet.
• A Sodium Education Website offers consumer advice on how to use the Nutrition Facts Label to reduce sodium intake.
• The Spot the Block campaign challenges tweens from 9 to 13 to use the Nutrition Facts Label (the "block") to make healthy food choices.

Over the last two decades, the number of children diagnosed with autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has risen at an alarming rate.

Just a couple of years ago the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated one in 88 school children had some form of autism. That was a 23% increase over 2009's count and a 78% rise over 2007.

In a new report, the CDC puts that number at one in 50 school age children.

What's behind this condition that was unknown to much of the population just 30 years ago? First, let's look at what exactly health professionals mean when they speak of autism.

Biology and chemistry

Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) most parents of an autistic child can tell something is not quite right by the time the child is 18 months old.

Health experts say there are many different symptoms and different types of autism, which may explain in part the rapid rise in diagnosis. Generally, the symptoms affect the way the child communicates and interacts socially.

Austic children, for example, often have difficulty speaking. Because of that, they might seem overly quiet. They may have a hard time using their imagination while playing and usually play alone, since they have a hard time making friends. There are different levels of severity of the disorder.

New study

These symptoms may show up earlier than doctors generally believe. Researchers writing in the American Journal of Psychiatry say their just-completed study found children later diagnosed with autism have subtle but measurable differences in attention as early as seven months of age. These children, the study found, are slower to move their eyes from one object to another, compared to other children.

The scientists also identified specific brain circuits that seem to cause the slower response. The findings point to a problem with "sticky attention," the same phenomenon observed in preschool and older children with autism, but not well studied before in babies at risk for autism.

"This is a very exciting study, because the impairments in shifting gaze and attention that we found in seven-month-olds may be a fundamental problem in autism," said Robert T. Schultz, Director of the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a co-author on the study. "These results are another piece of the puzzle in pinpointing the earliest signs of autism. Understanding how autism begins and unfolds in the first years of life will pave the way for more effective interventions and better long-term outcomes for individuals with autism and their families."

Still in the dark

However, we seem to be no closer to knowing what causes autism and what's responsible for the huge increase in diagnosis. Is there some emerging, overt cause or are we simply now more aware of a condition that has always been there?

Some doctors believe the increased incidence in autism is due to newer definitions of the disorder. The term "autism" now includes a wider spectrum of children. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism today may have been thought to simply be odd or strange 30 years ago.

Parents who were unaware of the condition might have just accepted that their child was “a little different.” Today's parents are much more likely to seek medical advice if they have any concerns about their children's development.

A large part of the increase in autism cases comes from the African-American and Hispanic populations, two groups that in the past might not have had access to the health care they do today. Some suggest autism cases are not growing as much as awareness of the disorder is.

Environmental factors?

But many parents are not convinced. Some believe there could be environmental factors, perhaps not present in previous generations, that are causing the rise.

For example, some parents have expressed concerns that autism might be linked to the vaccines children receive. One vaccine ingredient in particular – thimerosal – emerged as a suspect during the 1990s. It's a preservative that was commonly used in many childhood vaccines.

However, in 2001 thimerosal was removed or reduced to trace amounts in all childhood vaccines except for one type of influenza vaccine. The CDC says “several studies examining trends in vaccine use and changes in autism frequency do not support such an association between thimerosal and autism.”

Some suspect things like exposure to mercury and diet play a role. At this point, research continues and parents wait.

What to do

If you suspect your child has a developmental problem that could be a form of autism, your first step should be an examination by the child's pediatrician. A health care provider experienced in diagnosing and treating autism is usually needed to make the actual diagnosis.

According to NIH, an early, intensive, appropriate treatment program will greatly improve the outlook for most young children with autism. Treatment is most successful when it is geared toward the child's particular needs.

There are a number of research and support groups for autism, including the Autism Society and Autism Speaks.

Living longer and retiring earlier doesn't appear to be a good combination. Surveys show more baby boomers have put off retirement because of the recent economic downturn.

But there could be another reason. With people now living well into their 90s, many people nearing the traditional retirement age realize they don't have the money to retire now, and didn't have even before times got rough.

While many people downsize in retirement and reduce expenses, the bills still come each month. Social Security goes only so far and, with the precarious nature of the government's unfunded liabilities, it might be wise not to put all your eggs in that financial basket.

Social Security dependency

But according to the Social Security Administration, Social Security benefits amount to 39% of the income a typical elderly person receives. Among elderly Social Security beneficiaries, 53% of married couples and 74% of unmarried persons receive 50% or more of their income from Social Security. Twenty-three percent of married couples and about 46% of unmarried people rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income.

So the simple answer to the question, “how will you fund retirement,” may be to keep working. Stay on the job, keep putting money away in a retirement account and delay Social Security benefits as long as possible.

Boomers appear to be doing just that. A survey conducted by Country Financial found 38% of boomers said they would delay retirement by at least two years due to the downturn, the highest of any age group.

Don't want to be dependent

Only 31% believe the government should do more to fund Americans' retirement, compared to 34% of Americans overall.

"Boomers might be slamming the door on more government assistance because of the national debt or they're satisfied with Social Security as is," said Joe Buhrmann, manager of financial security support at Country Financial. "The boomers showed younger generations it's never too early to save. Start setting aside money in your 20s if possible and establish a long-term financial plan to stay on track and meet your goals."

Staying on the job longer presents a problem, however, if you become unemployed. And it seems to be a special problem if you lose your job as you are approaching your traditional retirement years.

Harder to find a job

A Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) report showed that 5.8% of workers aged 55 and older were out of a job and actively looking last month. While this figure is lower than the national average of 7.7%, unemployed older workers are more likely to be out of work longer than their younger counterparts. In 2012, adults aged 55-64, on average, were unemployed for 54.6 weeks, compared to 36.4 weeks for workers aged 25-34, the report shows.

"Being age 55-64 and out of work is particularly difficult, because you're unable to tap into the traditional safety net programs like Medicare and Social Security," said Nora Dowd Eisenhower, senior vice president of economic security at the National Council on Aging (NCOA). "But jobs still matter for this population. With years of life still ahead of them, mature workers need opportunities now for training or retraining that leverage their experience and give them marketable job skills."

But older job seekers shouldn't assume that employers would prefer to hire a recent college graduate. AARP recently published a boomer re-employment guide with tips for older workers on how to market themselves.

What to do

If you are close to traditional retirement age and out of work, you might consider what demographic experts call a “bridge job.” It might not be in your field and it might not pay as much as you were making, but it can be rewarding and provide an income as you downsize and slide into retirement. Many people choose to work for a cause or goal they believe in, perhaps giving them a higher level of satisfaction than they received with their “career” job.

Depending on your income requirements, you can also consider starting a small, home-based business. Just steer clear of those packaged work-at-home “opportunities” that require an investment on your part. Try to choose something with no start up costs and that you will enjoy.

For example, if you are an animal lover you could start a pet sitting business. Walking a neighbor's dog while they are at work or out of town not only provides a small revenue stream but gives you some healthy exercise.

Check out some tips for starting a small business here.

See something on the Web that you'd like to read later? There's now a feature on some sites that lets you send a Web page to your Kindle, so you can read the article later -- you know, on the beach, in your hammock or, more prosaically, on the train.

Amazon, logically, calls it the "Send to Kindle Button" and it's now available on The Washington Post, TIME, and the popular blog Boing Boing.

Unlike a smartphone app, this is not something you can download and use on any site. The button must be installed by the site operator, so it won't be available everywhere, at least not right away.

Amazon proudly introduced the button on its Kindle Daily Post, which was quickly peppered by comments from readers asking why, if the button is so great, it doesn't appear on the Kindle blog.

"Why don't you have a Send to Kindle button on this blog?" asked a reader named Devon. "Cool idea but same question as Devon," chimed in Stephen.

"Readability has had this for years now," said Jacob. "And it works on any site you want!"

Better browser?

Other skeptics might ask why Amazon doesn't simply build a better browser for the  Kindle, one that would let users download any page they wanted but there was no reining in Amazon's enthuasiasm. 

"Have you ever encountered news, blogs, articles and other content on the web that you want to read but don't have time to do so immediately? The Send to Kindle Button lets you easily send that content to your Kindle to read later, at your convenience," the company's blog burbled happily. "Just send once and read everywhere on any of your Kindle devices or free Kindle reading apps for iPhone, iPad and Android phones or tablets. No more hunting around for that website or blog that caught your eye -- just open your Kindle and all the content you sent is right there.

"The Send to Kindle Button is also great for those who want to collect content from the web to use in work projects, school assignments, or hobbies."

Some would say this is sort of like going back in time, back to the days when we clipped -- really clipped, with scissors -- articles out of newspapers and magazines and stuffed them away, planning to read them later. Most were never found again, of course, but that's another story.

Where's my paper?

Some Kindle addicts were perhaps rather find a way to get digital content they're already paying for without having to pay again to have it "Kindleized."

Newspaper readers, for example, who pay for home delivery and/or digital subscriptions to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other papers are routinely assured that they'll have full digital access at no additional charge.

It's true that you can read the paper on your laptop, iPad and even your smartphone, if you have shockingly good vision. But on the Kindle? No one seems to know how to do this without paying $20 or so per month for the content we've already paid for.

Might be something the Kindle Daily Post could look into, no? 

The price of a car and the loan that consumers use to purchase it shouldn't vary according to race, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said today, as it warned lenders who offer loans through dealers that they will be held responsible for unlawful, discriminatory pricing.

“Consumers should not have to pay more for a car loan simply based on their race,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Today’s bulletin clarifies our authority to pursue auto lenders whose policies harm consumers through unlawful discrimination.”

Consumers could be losing tens of millions of dollars a year because of  discriminatory lending, the agency said.

The problem involves what are called "indirect" auto lenders, which often allow the dealer to charge the consumer an interest rate that is higher than the rate the lender gave the dealer -- typically called “dealer markup.” 

As a result, markups generate compensation for dealers while frequently giving them the discretion to charge consumers different rates regardless of consumer creditworthiness. Lender policies that provide dealers with this type of discretion increase the risk of pricing disparities among consumers based on race, national origin, and potentially other prohibited bases.

Research indicates that markup practices may lead to African Americans and Hispanics being charged higher markups than white consumers with similar credit ratings, CFPB said.

Today’s bulletin explains how the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) applies to indirect auto lending. The ECOA makes it illegal for a creditor to discriminate in any aspect of a credit transaction on prohibited bases including race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, and age.

First it was Starbucks that loomed in McDonald's radar. It create McCafe line of coffee drinks to deal with that. And now McDonald's is turning its attention to Subway, unveiling a new line of McWrap sandwiches that it hopes will win over consumers hungry for a healthful lunch.  

The McWrap totals between 360 and 600 calories, depending on whether the chicken is grilled or deep fried. It also comes in Chicken & Bacon, Sweet Chili Chicken and Chicken & Ranch.

And if that's not heresy enough for you, there's also an egg white Egg McMuffin about to make its appearance.

So far McDonald's isn't saying much publicly about the new additions, but it's clearly hoping the McWrap, which includes romaine lettuce and  cucumbers as well as the choice of three sauces, will appeal to younger people who seem to award wraps more cool points than burgers smashed between buns.

What many analysts see as the healthy recovering in the housing sector of the economy continued in February.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports both sales and prices of previously-owned homes rose last month. Sales have now been above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months, while prices show 12 straight months of year-over-year price increases.

February sales

Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 0.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.98 million in February, and are 10.2% above the 4.52 million-unit level seen a year earlier. Sales in February were at the highest level since the tax credit period of November 2009.

"Job growth in the improving economy and pent-up demand are causing both home sales and rental leasing to rise,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Though home prices are rising much faster than rents, historically low mortgage rates are still making home purchases affordable."

Yun says the only headwinds are limited housing inventory, which varies greatly around the country, and credit conditions that he believes remain too restrictive. Total housing inventory at the end of February rose 9.6% -- to 1.94 million existing homes available for sale. That represents a 4.7-month supply at the current sales pace, compared with 4.3 months in January, which was the lowest supply since May 2005. Listed inventory is 19.2 percent below a year ago when there was a 6.4-month supply.

February prices

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $173,600 in February, up 11.6% from a year ago. The last time there were 12 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases was from June 2005 to May 2006. The February gain is the strongest since November 2005 when it was 12.9 percent above a year earlier.

"A strong rise in home values is contributing to housing wealth recovery, which has risen by $1.4 trillion in the past year and looks to top that increase this year," Yun said. "The extra consumer spending arising from growth in housing wealth is expected to be $70 billion to $110 billion this year."

Separately, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reports home prices rose 0.6% from December to January, while the previously reported 0.6% increase in December was revised downward to a 0.5% increase. For the 12 months ending in January, prices were up 6.5%.

The agency's House Price Index is 14.4% below its April 2007 peak and is roughly the same

as the September 2004 index level. National home prices have not declined on a monthly basis

since January 2012.

Jobless claims

In other economic news, the Labor Department says first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose by 2,000 last week -- to a seasonally adjusted total of 336,000.

The four week moving average, which is less volatile and considered a more accurate gauge of the labor market, was 339,750 -- a decrease of 7,500 from the previous week's revised average of 347,250.

Yuba Bicycles of Sausalito, CA, is recalling about 1,000 Mundo V4 cargo bikes.

Passengers’ feet can get caught in the rear wheel, posing a foot injury. The company says it is aware of two reports of passengers having their feet caught in the rear wheel. No injuries were reported.

The 26-inch bicycles have steel frames, aluminum fenders on the front and rear wheels, and a wood utility deck mounted on the rear cargo rack. The bikes come in orange, black or blue. The word “Mundo” is on the top tube of the bicycle frame and “Yuba” is on the down tube. The serial number range for the recalled bikes is ADA11A008000 to ACA12D018000. The serial number is located on the kickstand plate.

The bikes, manufactured in China, were sold at bicycle dealers nationwide and by Yuba Bicycles online from May 2011 through December 2012 for about $1099.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cargo bikes and contact Yuba Bicycles to receive free wheel covers/wheelskirts and have them installed at no cost.

Consumers may contact Yuba Bicycles toll-free at ‪(877) 889-9822, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Regulators and health advocates have been pouring scalding criticism on high-caffeine energy drinks the last few years following reports of death and illness unofficially attributed to the potent drinks.

But now the energy drinks are fighting back. Monster Beverage, makers of Monster Energy, and Rockstar Energy are changing their labels and product descriptions to wriggle out from under the jurisidiction of the Food and Drug Administration.

Henceforth, Monster and Rockstar drinks will be marketed as beverages rather than dietary supplements. Among the advantages of the change -- the companies will not be obligated to inform the feds when they learn of deaths and injuries attributed to their products.

Monster will also be disclosing its caffeine content for the first time and the results may surprise some critics. According to the company, a 16-ounce can of Monster's leading drinks contain 140 to 160 milligrams of caffeine, less than half the 330 mg found in a 16-ounce cup of Starbucks coffee.

The moves come as criticism of the drinks grows. Earlier this week, a group of 18 doctors and researchers urged the FDA to do more to protect adolescents and children from the possible risks of high caffeine consumption.

Potential health risks

“There is evidence in the published scientific literature that the caffeine levels in energy drinks pose serious potential health risks,” they said. But Monster has been fighting back against such allegations. 

Modern life is better in many ways. Better food, better healthcare, better education, a better standard of living. But unlike even a half-century ago, it carries more stressful demands.

In the corporate world that can mean long days at the office, eating on the run, little time with loved ones and feeling guilty about it, and trying to fit everything into a 24-hour day. Increasingly, the corporate world is turning to the practice of “mindfulness” to relieve stress and improve both health and productivity.

Mindfulness is associated with meditation. It's a spiritual or psychological faculty believed to be an important step on the road to enlightenment. It's reached by establishing a state of calm through meditation and relaxation exercises.

Mindfulness in the workplace

In recent years businesses have encouraged the practice as a way to reduce tension in the workplace. The more pressure an employee is under, the thinking goes, the more they benefit from a state of mindfulness.

For example, before the start of an important meeting attendees might be asked to participate in a relaxation, or meditation, exercise, to improve their ability to focus and communicate. Studies have found that teams that practice just a few minutes a day of mindfulness report improved team performance.

How do you achieve mindfulness? It can start with something as simple as breathing.

Exercises

Yes, we all breathe to stay alive but chances are, we're hardly ever conscious of it. A breathing exercise focuses your full attention on this life-preserving function. In this mindfulness exercise you breath from your stomach rather than your chest.

You inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Focusing on each breath, its sound and rhythm, can have a calming effect and help you stay focused on the present moment.

Listening to music can also help achieve mindfulness. Some people prefer new-age music, others classical pieces. The important thing is that it be a slow, soothing tempo to enhance a feeling of calm. Listen to and concentrate on just the music, keeping other thoughts and concerns from creeping in.

If you find that your mind is full of pressing thoughts that are simply impossible to ignore, try looking at them as an objective observer. Let your thoughts flow and sit back and observe them, as though they were someone else's problems. As you continue this process you might find that your mind relaxes a bit. You might even come up with some answers.

Trying something different

Corporations have come to mindfulness slowly, usually after finding their expensive “leadership development” programs didn't produce very much and left a lot of participants cold. Polly LaBerre, writing on the Harvard Business Review blog, says these types of programs usually resulted in the wrong people being elevated within an organization.

“What if, instead of stuffing people with curricula, models, and competencies, we focused on deepening their sense of purpose, expanding their capability to navigate difficulty and complexity, and enriching their emotional resilience?” she asked. “What if, instead of trying to fix people, we assumed that they were already full of potential and created an environment that promoted their long-term well-being?”

Beyond the corporate world

The benefits may extend well beyond the corporate world to help individuals cope better in everyday life. The University of Massachusetts Medical School is among the academic institutions that have established a Center for Mindfulness. At UMASS, there's even a mindfulness training program for teens.

Some believe mindfulness may be helpful in treating depression. A study in the February 2013 journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience suggests why.

According to Catherine Kerr, lead author of the new study and director of translational neuroscience at Brown University, when someone is depressed their attention can become consumed by negative thoughts.

Mindfulness allows patients to disengage from this negative thought pattern through the "body scan" technique. Patients are asked to systematically pay attention to each region of the body. As this happens, the alpha rhythms that are responsible for the flow of sensory information to the brain fluctuate.

If you're thinking this all sounds really touchy-feely, you're not alone. But the number of books and CDs on the subject continues to proliferate, suggesting more people are giving it a try. And that includes some of the world's largest corporations who are now using it in an effort to make executives and employees healthier and more productive.

Automakers have begun turning out battery-powered vehicles for eco-friendly drivers, as well as those who hate spending money on gasoline. But it turns out lawn mower manufacturers are slightly ahead of them.

Electric lawnmowers are nothing new, but previous models all got their power through long extension cords that plugged into a wall outlet. Unless you had a postage-sized lawn, or a number of very long extension cords, they weren't very practical.

But the new generation of electric mowers are battery powered and untethered. Once their battery is fully charged, they can handle a good-sized lawn with plenty of power.

More volts usually better

Today's cordless electric mowers use NiCad or lead-acid batteries and can generate 18-36 volts of power. The larger the number of volts, the more mowing you can do between recharges. Most manufacturers say you should be able to mow a one-quarter- to one-third-acre lawn on a single charge.

Not only do the new batteries run longer, many can be recharged hundreds of times before they have to be replaced.

Consumers might be put off, since battery-powered vehicles are much more expensive than their gasoline-powered counterparts. However, battery-powered mowers are comparable in price to good gasoline mowers. Most major manufacturers now offer one or more battery models.

The Black & Decker 18-inch, 36-volt mower lists for $349.97 at Home Depot. The 14-inch, 24-volt Neutron C5, from DR Power, currently lists for $299.99 on the company's website.

Three features

When shopping for an electric mower, there are at least three features that you should keep in mind. The first is the battery. A larger, more powerful battery will be more expensive, but should allow you to cut more grass between charges.

You'll also need to decide whether you will buy a mower that you have to push or one that is self-propelled. You have the same choice when buying a gas-powered mower but with an electric, choosing a self-propelled model may require more frequent charging.

Just as with gas-powered mowers, you can select an electric model that will mulch the clippings. You can also buy a model that collects the clippings in a bag.

Is an electric mower right for you? It depends on the size of your lawn and to some extent, your values. In the past electric mowers were favored by consumers who wanted to create less pollution. With fuel prices as high as they are, many people buying them today are simply trying to save money.

According to a Yale University study, U.S. consumers use more than 600 million gallons of gasoline to mow and trim lawns every year. In the process, they spill about 17 million gallons. Is electric mowing cheaper?

A dime to recharge

According to DR Power, a manufacturer of both gasoline and electric-powered mowers, the cost of mowing is significantly reduced for homeowners who switch to electric mowing. The company says its Neuton Battery Electric Mowers cost just 10 cents to recharge, and a single charge is sufficient for mowing lawns up to one-third of an acre.

“Battery mowers are ideal for smaller lawns, where expected run times are lower and the grass is mowed more frequently,” said Joe Perrotto, President of Neuton Power Equipment. “Where battery mowers have a hard time is on acre-plus lawns or on off-lawn conditions which require a longer mowing time or more power to get the job done. For those jobs, it’s hard to beat gas power. Even with battery technology advancement, I doubt that battery mowers will overtake gas mower sales in my lifetime, but for the sake of our environment, I hope that they do.”

Electric mowers are also easier to maintain. The drop-in/lift-out battery design on most models makes "refueling" easier and push-button starting takes the strain off your arms and back.

Perhaps because of that, industry reports show sales of electric lawn care equipment are on the rise and project they will continue to account for a growing share of the country's lawn-care equipment sales.

While maintenance is easier with an electric mower, there is still maintenance. After each use the battery should be fully charged. When mowing, you shouldn't completely drain the battery before recharging, since that can significantly reduce storage capacity.

Electric mowers might not be right for every lawn. Perrotto says anything that puts more strain on the blade will cause the battery to drain faster. Long grass or certain types of tough grass can cause this to happen.

"Fortunately with removable batteries, the mower owner can quickly switch out to a fresh battery to continue mowing,” he said.

Everyone knows the U.S. Postal Service is in trouble, but is anyone doing anything about it?

Well, federal agencies are. They're taking their business elsewhere. A new report finds that out of $337 million spent on shipping last year, federal agencies spent only $4.8 million with the Postal Service, less than two percent. The lion's share of the money went to FedEx and United Parcel Service.

Why?

One big reason is that, unlike private companies, the Postal Service can't sell any products below cost, even if doing so would enable it to snag contracts that would be profitable overall. 

Who would impose such an onerous and unbusinesslike restriction on what is supposed to be a semi-independent government corporation? Congress, of course.

The Postal Service has much in common with Amtrak and the District of Columbia. All are hamstrung by Congressional micromanagement that leaves them often unable to pursue simple initiatives that would improve their fortunes and provide better service to their clients and, in the case of D.C., their subjects. (You can't really call them citizens since they don't get to vote for the people who boss them around).

But while the Postal Service is forbidden from, say, granting a big discount on one service that would let it sell additional, profitable services, it is also hamstrung by a Congress that continues to require Saturday delivery and other anachronisms that waste millions of dollars while doing little or nothing to generate profits.

Canada, after all, has done without Saturday mail delivery for as long as anyone can remember and seems to be doing OK, and the Postal Service is going ahead with its plans to stop Saturday deliveries this summer, saying it doesn't need Congressional approval. 

Faint glimmer 

The Postal Service's Inspector General says that while the situation is grim, all is not lost.

"Although its competitors have consistently captured more than 98 percent of shipping revenue from federal agencies through GSA contracts, the Postal Service has opportunities to increase its share of this market," the IG said in its report.

On the other hand, the situation is not going to be resolved quickly. Because the Postal Service missed out on contract opportunities, many federal agencies have several years to go on their existing contracts with UPS and FedEx.

Where to keep money for everyday purposes has become a greater issue for consumers in recent years. Years ago almost everyone had a checking account at a local bank.

But now, with banks charging fees for checking accounts, or requiring large balances to avoid fees, consumers who want to prevent the constant erosion of their money have to look long and hard for what we used to know as “free checking.” Many have bailed out of the banking system all together.

Why do so many financial institutions now charge fees for the privilege of having a checking account? The answer has to do with the way banks made money in the past and the way they do now.

In the past, almost all of a bank's profits came from the spread between what they paid for money and what they charged for it. They might pay their depositors two percent interest but charged borrowers six percent. The spread, four percent, was profit.

Risk avoidance

But since the financial crisis, banks have relied less on lending money because it entails risk. What if the borrower can't pay it back? Fees, on the other hand, entail no risk.

Banks rarely pay interest on checking deposits because that money is more liquid. The bank has less flexibility in lending money from checking deposits because account holders can write checks on it at any time. Since a certain amount of checking deposits must remain in the bank's reserves, the bank can't make money on it – hence, the fee.

Some banks offer free checking but require a certain minimum balance. A consumer needs to know what type and how much before deciding whether it's a worthwhile price to pay for free checking.

What the fine print means

For example, if the fine print says “minimum balance $500,” it means that at no time during the statement cycle can the balance fall below $500 without a fee be assessed.

Some banks require a “minimum daily balance,” meaning you can dip below the minimum during a given day as long as the total is above the minimum at the end of the day. This is very tricky to manage, however, as a bank might not post a deposit when you think it will.

A “minimum combined balance” gives the consumer a bit more flexibility. If you have multiple accounts, the minimum is based on the total amount you keep in the bank. This can be useful if you have a savings account from which you rarely take money.

Another way to deal with a minimum balance requirement is to keep a portion of your savings in the account. Suppose you have $1,000 in a savings account that earns a paltry 0.5% interest – $4.16 a month.

Using savings

Now suppose you closed your savings account and kept your $1,000 in your checking account, but didn't spend it. If, in a given month you spent all the money in your checking account but didn't tap into $1,000 you would stay well above the minimum balance requirement and thus, would save the $5 monthly fee. That more than makes up for any loss of interest.

But maybe you don't want to go through those contortions – you simply want an old fashioned “free checking” account that was once standard in the industry. Do they still exist? They do, but you have to look a little harder.

Forget about looking at a large national bank or even a regional bank. They are almost certainly to offer fee-based checking with minimum balance requirements. If you live in a small town a locally-owned bank might still have free checking and, if you live in an urban or suburban area, a credit union may offer what you're looking for.

Bankrate survey

In its 2013 survey, Bankrate.com found that 72% of the 50 largest credit unions in the U.S. offer free, no strings attached checking accounts. Only 39% of banks had similar offers.

The survey found that 96% of the credit union checking accounts in the survey are free or can become free with direct deposit, e-statements, transaction activity, other accounts/balances or some combination. Since 2010, the availability of standalone free checking at credit unions has declined much more slowly than at banks, probably because unlike banks, credit unions are non-profit membership cooperatives.

"While banks have significantly scaled back free checking accounts, free checking remains the rule, rather than the exception, among credit unions," said Greg McBride, Bankrate.com's senior financial analyst.

As an example, the Virginia Credit Union offers a basic free checking account that includes no minimum balance, no monthly service charge and no limit on the number of checks you can write in a given month. As a bonus, it pays up to $8 a month in refunds of fees you pay other banks to use their ATM.

What to do

You can't just walk into a credit union and open an account, however, you must “join.” There are membership criteria for each individual credit union and these criteria are so broad it is almost a certainty that you can find a credit union that will accept your application.

The U.S. National Credit Union Administration has this online tool to help you find a credit union.

You didn't spend much more last month than you did in January. But then, you didn't spend a lot less, either.

That's the bottom line from the Deloitte Consumer Spending Index, which remained steady in February primarily as a decline in initial unemployment claims and a rise in real average hourly earnings offset negative forces. The index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

"The economic fundamentals that influence consumer spending are aligning," said Patricia Buckley, director, economic policy and analysis, Deloitte LLP, and author of the monthly Index. "Financial institutions and the markets are stronger, and consumer confidence and real spending appear to be weathering the 2013 payroll tax increases fairly well. Absent the uncertainty surrounding the impact of the sequester, an economic turnaround would likely be imminent."

Barely budging

The index, which comprises four components -- tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages and real home prices -- rose slightly to 4.0 from a reading of 3.9 the previous month.

"The index along with other positive retail news demonstrates that retailers have been able to focus consumers on spring -- Easter entertaining, warm-weather apparel and home improvement projects," said Alison Paul, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and retail & distribution sector leader. "Keeping that momentum will take more than just traditional seasonal signage and promotions. Highlighting new and unique merchandise -- both in store and on web sites while fully integrating with mobile apps -- can continue to drive traffic and encourage full-price purchases, inspiring consumers to spend their tax refunds."

Index highlights

• Tax burden: The tax burden rose nearly 2 percent on a year-over-year basis in January to 11.29 percent.
• Initial unemployment claims: Claims continued downward to 352,750, falling more than 6 percent from a year ago.
• Real wages: Hourly real wages increased modestly over the past three months to $8.78.
• Real new home prices: Real new home prices ticked down slightly -- about 0.5 percent on a year-over-year basis -- to $97,925.  

This is Poison Prevention Week and the consumer product safety agencies in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are putting out the word about the dangers of unintentional poisoning.

Unintentional poisoning is one of the leading causes of injury among children. Even though these incidents can be prevented, thousands of children in the United States visit emergency rooms each year after consuming poisonous substances.

"Child-resistant packaging saves lives," said U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "When used properly, this special packaging can prevent a child's exposure to hazardous items. Parents must always remember to reseal the packaging after each use."

Reducing the numbers

Child-resistant packaging, critical safety messaging, and education efforts have contributed to a significant decline in injuries and deaths. However, the United States, Canada and Mexico are aiming to reduce further the number of unintentional poisonings.

Among the recommended safety tips for parents and caregivers:

• Keep chemicals, medications, cleaning supplies, and art supplies not meant for children safely stored in a locked cabinet or box, out of the reach of children.
• Keep household chemicals and medicines in their original containers and leave the original labels on the products.
• Make sure children understand the hazard symbols on household chemical products so they do not unintentionally harm themselves or others.
• If a poisoning is suspected, contact the local Poison Help Line immediately at: 1-800-222-1222.

If you're over 65, there's a pretty good chance you could take a tumble that'll land you in the hospital.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of three adults age 65 and older falls each year with producing everything from minor injuries to severe trauma that may even result in death.

"We see so many cases of people who appear to have a minor fall that result in a significant injury," said Dr. Andrew Sama, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. "The older you get the more vulnerable you are. The good thing is -- many of these falls are preventable if you take action now."

Falls in the millions

In 2010, 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments with more than 662,000 of these patients being hospitalized, according to the CDC.

• Twenty to thirty percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries. They may include hip fractures, head trauma and lacerations.
• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
• Most fractures among older adults are caused by falls.
• Over 95% of hip fractures in the United States are caused by falls.

Preventing falls

There are numerous things that can be done to prevent falls -- especially for older people.

• Reduce the number of tripping hazards around your house. Keep loose objects off floors, position furniture in way that you have a lot of walking space and make sure your flooring has a lot of traction.
• Add grip bars in a tub or shower and next to toilets or any area where you would be more vulnerable to falls.
• Improve lighting in and around your home -- illuminating hard to see areas.
• Have your eyes examined by a doctor at least once a year and update your eyeglasses as needed.
• Exercise regularly, focusing on increasing leg strength.
• If you have dizzy spells, see your physician and ask what you can do or perhaps what medications to take in order to reduce them.

Ford got a lot of favorable reviews and rave notices when it launched its C-MAX and Fusion hybrids. Reviewers gave the cars high marks for handling, fit and finish and all those other good things, and everyone pretty much accepted the 47 mile-per-gallon estimates that showed up on the window stickers.

But some of that good feeling has rubbed off as consumers have actually gotten their hands on the cars.

"I thought my 2013 C-MAX would be a Prius Killer? NOT! As a returning Ford buyer I feel deceived," said Ronald of South Portland, Maine. "Based on the advertised EPA estimates, I would have been ok with low 40's but 28-33 mpg is not even in the ballpark."

Ron is not the only one complaining. Consumer Reports magazine tested both the C-Max and Fusion and said they both came in well short of the claimed 47 mpg fuel efficiency. The C-Max achieved 37 mpg, the Fusion 39 in the magazine's tests.

"These two vehicles have the largest discrepancy between our overall-mpg results and the estimates published by the EPA that we've seen among any current models," Consumer Reports said in a statement.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which determines the mpg ratings, has said it is confident the 47 mpg finding is sound but has said it will review the ratings of both Ford vehicles, the Detroit News reported.

Ford's President of the Americas Joe Hinrichs has defended the fuel efficiency claims, saying Ford followed the EPA's rules.

Don't blame EPA

But consumers like Ronald aren't content to let the EPA take the rap.

"This is not an issue about EPA testing standards, but rather an issue about setting false customer expectations in order to promote sales," Ronald says in an open letter to Ford that he shared with ConsumerAffairs. "Ford's 47 mpg marketing campaign tarnished what should have been the roll-out of a truly remarkable vehicle, the C-Max."

Ronald also faults the dealer who sold him the car, Yankee Ford. He said service personnel there have accused him of not knowing have to drive a hybrid.

"For the record, during the last three years I have leased both a 2010 Prius and 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid, and consider myself an experienced hyper-miler. My mileage in the Prius is 50 plus, the Insight is 40 plus," he said. "Is there a difference how I drive Prius Hybrid vs. the CMAX hybrid? I think we all know the answer to that."

Ronald added that he had just returned from a trip to San Francisco, where the driver of a DeSoto Cab said he was averaging about 30 mpg as well.

Out for a spin

After reading Ron's complaint, we jumped in the car and hustled over to Ted Britt Ford in Fairfax, Va., where an obliging salesman soon had us whirring down Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in a new C-Max.

It is indeed a spiffy little car, with impressive handling, braking, acceleration and so forth.  By chance, we had been confined in a Prius just a few days before and found it to be like driving a tin box on roller skates. In our brief spin, we found the C-Max equivalent to the Volkswagen Tiguan that is our current family cruiser.

"But what about the mileage?" we asked. "I've read that some people aren't getting 47 miles per gallon."

"Oh, that is when the car is new. You have to drive it about 5,000 miles before you start getting the 47 mpg," the salesman replied, perhaps hoping he would be 5,000 miles away by the time we had run the odometer up to that point.

Ronald, for the record, has 4,400 miles on his C-Max, so perhaps things will soon turn around for him, although we're not holding our breath.

Who's right? It may be too soon to say. There aren't many owner reviews, positive or negative, yet. There has been at least one class action suit filed in California, claiming Ford's ads are deceptive but we may all be too old to drive by the time it and similar suits are settled.

Meanwhile, consumers are snapping these cars up. The C-Max broke launch records in October and November 2012, selling 8,030 units, making it the highest-selling hybrid ever in its first two months. As those cars roll up the miles, we'll no doubt be hearing about the new owners' experiences, good and bad. Until then, if you're looking for an ultra-high-mileage vehicle, you might want to wait and let the mpg dispute play itself out.