Current Events in March 2013

In a less than resounding settlement, 39 states and the District of Columbia have agreed to split $7 million from Google as a token penalty for its Street View mapping cars eavesdropping on unsecured wi-fi networks a few years ago.

“While the $7 million is significant, the importance of this agreement goes beyond financial terms," said Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. "Consumers have a reasonable expectation of privacy. This agreement recognizes those rights and ensures that Google will not use similar tactics in the future to collect personal information without permission from unsuspecting consumers,” 

Google's Street View cars were equipped with antennae and software that the company acknowledged collected network identification information for use in future geolocation services. At the same time, Google collected and stored the content of Internet communications being transmitted over those unsecured business and personal wireless networks.

Google has always maintained that it was unaware the data was being collected. It has since disabled the equipment used to collect the payload data from the Street View vehicles.

Wi-Spy scandal wraps up

The agreement with the states appears to be the final chapter in the so-called Wi-Spy scandal, which has been a source of embarrassment for Google and consternation for privacy advocates for years.

While Google has always maintained the eavesdropping was accidental, it hasn't exactly won plaudits for its cooperation with investigators. The FCC  fined Google $25,000 in 2012 for willfully obstructing the FCC’s investigation into the incident.

"Google's motto has always been 'Do no evil.' It should also be 'Do no eavesdropping,'" said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, last year. "Google needs to fully explain to Congress and the public what it knew about the collection of data through its Street View program."

Other key elements of the agreement with the states require Google to run an employee training program about privacy and confidentiality of user data and continue the program for at least 10 years. Google must also conduct a public service announcement campaign to help educate consumers about steps they may take to better secure their personal information while using wireless networks.

States participating in the settlement are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. 

Given the rise of concussions in the National Football League and in other sports, a lot of attention is focused on preventing the injuries.

While mouthguards and helmets can help ward off other serious head and facial injuries, the experts say there is no good evidence that they can help prevent concussion. Paradoxically, according to a Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, they may even encourage players to take greater risks.

That, says the Statement, is precisely why it is so important to recognize and treat concussive symptoms promptly.

The Consensus Statement is the fourth revision of recommendations first developed in 2001 in Vienna, in a bid to offer some practical and evidence based guidance to healthcare professionals on the on-field assessment of the condition, and one of the most important aspects of its treatment -- the timing of return to play.

In high profile sports team doctors are under pressure to get players back into competition as quickly as possible. But safe return to play after concussion is a key issue across all sports, regardless of whether they are played at elite level.

Broad support

This latest version of the Consensus Statement, which has the backing of the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, the International Equestrian Federation and the International Rugby Board, was drawn up after a two day meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, in November 2012.

Over the course of the two days, researchers from around the world were invited to present the latest findings on this common type of brain injury, which has the potential to cause long term neurological damage if not dealt with appropriately, particularly in sports -- such as football, rugby, ice hockey, horse riding, skiing, and boxing -- where the risk of concussion is high.

A panel of 32 international experts then distilled the research -- details of which are published in the current Injury Prevention and Health Protection (IPHP) issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine -- until complete agreement was reached.

Raising awareness

The Consensus has been designed to raise awareness of concussion among the public, so for the first time includes a concussion recognition tool (CRT).

And it clarifies the definition of concussion to emphasize that a player does not have to lose consciousness before being considered concussed and therefore removed from play. Symptoms of concussion can range from headache and memory loss to irritability, slowed reaction times and sleep disturbance, it says.

Recommendations

It contains a new focus on the assessment and management of concussion in kids , who should not be returned to play the same day and who may require longer to heal than adults, it says.

And it provides a useful Q&A, a handy pocket symptom checker and assessment tool, as well as advice on medico-legal considerations and injury prevention.

It makes clear that mouthguards and helmets have a role in minimizing injuries and are to be recommended, but emphasizes: "There is no good clinical evidence that currently available protective equipment will prevent concussion."

"An important consideration in the use of protective equipment is the concept of risk compensation…where the use of [this] equipment results in behavioral change, such as the adoption of more dangerous playing techniques, which can result in a paradoxical increase in injury rates," it cautions.

While the competitive/aggressive elements of some sports make them fun to play and watch, "sporting organizations should be encouraged to address violence that may increase concussion risk," it recommends.

We know from recent reports that consumers are felling a little more confident about the economy these days. But what about the folks who operate small businesses.

Well, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Index of Small Business Optimism, there was an uptick of 1.9 points in February -- to 90.8. While that's an improvement over the last several reports, the index remains on par with the 2008 average and below the trough of the 1991-92 and 2001-02 recessions. NFIB calls the direction of February’s change positive, “but not indicative of a surge in confidence among small-business owners.”

Of the ten index components, one fell, one remained unchanged and eight improved. Most notably, the gains in capital spending and inventory investment plans were large. Still, by historical standards the levels remain very low.

Main Street not keeping pace

“While the Fortune 500 are enjoying record high earnings, Main Street earnings remain depressed. Far more firms report sales down quarter over quarter than up,” said NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Washington is manufacturing one crisis after another -- the debt ceiling, the fiscal cliff and the sequester. Spreading fear and instability are certainly not a strategy to encourage investment and entrepreneurship.”

The index shows three-quarters of small-business owners think business conditions will be the same or worse in six months. Although the index gained almost 2 points last month, Dunkelberg says until owners’ forecast for the economy improves substantially, “there will be little boost to hiring and spending from the small business half of the economy.”

Index highlights

• Sales: Weak sales is still the top business problem for 18% of owners. The net percent of all owners (seasonally adjusted) reporting higher nominal sales over the past three months was unchanged in February -- at a negative 9%. There are still far more owners reporting declining sales than reporting positive sales trends.
• Earnings and Wages: Earnings trends were unchanged from January’s reading of a net negative 26%. Not seasonally adjusted, 13% of small employers reported profits higher quarter to quarter (unchanged), and 43% reported profits falling (up 3 points). In comparison, the Fortune 500 are posting record high profits, revealing a bifurcated economy.
• Credit Markets: Small business demand for credit remained weak in February, given the weak economy. Only 7% of owners surveyed reported that all their credit needs were not met, up 1 point but only three points above the record low. Twenty-nine percent reported all credit needs met, and 51% explicitly said they did not want a loan (64% including those who did not answer the question, presumably uninterested in borrowing as well). Only 2% of owners reported that financing was their top business problem.

The report is based on the responses of 870 randomly sampled small businesses in NFIB’s membership, surveyed throughout the month of February.  

Statins do a great job of lowering cholesterol, but some people can't use them because of the side effects. But now, there's an alternative

According to a new study by researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, pitavastatin, a newer cholesterol-lowering drug, may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in up to 68 percent of patients with high cholesterol.

The findings are important because up to 15 percent of the nation's heart patients can't tolerate other statin medications, currently the most effective cholesterol-lowering agents available.

"Many of the patients who were not able to tolerate other statins developed side effects, such as myalgia or severe muscle aches,” said Brent Muhlestein, MD, cardiologist at the Intermountain Heart Institute, and lead researcher for the study. “However, our study shows that pitavastatin may be a more tolerable statin that patients can take that will be effective in lowering their cholesterol, and may even save their lives."

The research

The research team identified 40 patients who had tried at least two other statins and tested them to see if they could tolerate pitavastatin, and if it was effective in lowering their LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

All patients received initial baseline testing, including fasting LDL cholesterol levels. They were then given 2 mg of pitavastatin (also known as Livalo), per day. Those who could tolerate it were then tested again to see if their LDL cholesterol had been reduced.

Findings

Sixty-eight percent of the study participants were able to tolerate the side-effects of pitavastatin, which lowered cholesterol by an average of 34 percent. Patients who could best tolerate the drug were males with no history of heart disease or diabetes.

"We're excited about these findings," said Dr. Muhlestein. "If patients are having a hard time taking older statins, they should try this newer option. We believe the side effects of this drug differ from other statins because pitavastatin is water-soluble and metabolizes differently."

The Intermountain study also confirmed that pitavastatin is far more effective than any other non-statin option.

Ezetimibe (Zetia), for example, is a drug that blocks the absorption of cholesterol and is a non-statin treatment option, but it only lowers bad cholesterol by 18 to 20 percent.

Another option is healthy margarine, but that only lowers it by 5 to 10 percent. Pitavastatin, by contrast, lowered cholesterol by an average of 34 percent, according to the study.

Kolcraft Enterprises of Chicago has agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $400,000 resolving allegations that it knowingly failed to report a defect involving its Travelin' Tot play yards.

In addition to paying the civil monetary penalty, Kolcraft agreed to implement robust changes to its internal control and compliance systems. Specifically, Kolcraft agrees to:

• maintain and enforce a system of internal controls and procedures to ensure that the company promptly and accurately reports required information about its products to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC);
• give CPSC staff written documentation of its improvements, processes, and controls related to its reporting procedures upon request;
• and establish an effective program to ensure it remains in compliance with safety statutes and regulations enforced by CPSC.

Kolcraft agrees that, at a minimum, its compliance program must provide its employees with written standards and policies, compliance training, and the means to report compliance-related concerns confidentially.

Reporting failure

CPSC staff alleged that the firm knowingly failed to report to CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, a defect involving Kolcraft Travelin' Tot play yards and play yards manufactured by Kolcraft for Carter's, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bare, and Eric Carle. The play yards were sold nationwide from January 2000 through January 2009 for between $50 and $160.

The side rail of the play yards can fail to latch properly and can unlatch unexpectedly when a child pushes against it, posing a fall hazard to children.

In August 2005, failure analysis experts hired by the firm identified the potential for false latching. In 2006, the firm made prospective improvements to the warning labels, instruction sheets, and the side-rail latch to eliminate false latching in future production of the play yards.

From about January 2000 through July 2009, Kolcraft received about 350 reports of the play yard collapsing, resulting in 21 injuries to young children, including bumps, scrapes, bruises, and one concussion.

Kolcraft did not report the information regarding the play yards to CPSC until January 2009.

In July 2009, Kolcraft and CPSC announced the recall  of one million play yards.

Federal requirements

Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to report to CPSC immediately (within 24 hours) after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety rule or any other rule, regulation, standard, or ban enforced by CPSC.

In agreeing to the settlement, Kolcraft denies CPSC staff allegations that its play yards contained a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, or that it knowingly violated the reporting requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Act.  

Green Planet is recalling "Night Bullet," a product sold as a dietary supplement to enhance male sexual performance.

The product was tested and found to contain trace amounts of Sulfohydroxyhomosildenafil and Aminotadalafil, analogues of sildenafil -- the active pharmaceutical ingredient in an FDA-approved drug that is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED).

These undeclared active ingredients pose a threat to consumers because sildenafil may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates.

The recalled products are in capsule form, packaged in one (1) count blister packs. The lot and expiration date can be found on the back of the package. The following lot is being recalled:

Night Bullet was sold nationwide between October 2012 and March 2013 to wholesalers and sample provided at trade shows.

Consumers who have purchased these products should immediately discontinue their use and return them to their place of purchase. Consumers may also return products directly to Freedom Trading.

Customers can call the Company at 877-621-2048 Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm PST for instructions on the return and refund process.

When it comes to those who are single, there seems to be two groups. For now let’s call them Group A and Group B.

Group A tends to use their time productively, using their single status to do things that might be harder to accomplish if they were married or in a relationship, like going on a lone self-discovery trip or just taking the time to learn what they really want in a mate.

And many times people in Group A won’t even think about relationships or finding the ideal mate and through their solitude they find a way to be content without having a steady mate and will maintain that level of satisfaction whether someone great arrives or not.

Then there’s Group B.

This group uses a lot of mental space dreaming about that one day when their prince or princess will appear over the horizon on that same white horse that’s in every fairy tale they ever loved as a kid. And each day that doesn’t happen is considered a loss, which keeps them in a state of perpetual want and anticipation.

Additionally, the person in Group B fears being alone for the rest of their lives more than they fear the Boogieman himself, and in their head remains an image of eating alone, sleeping alone and never getting the chance to experience love, commitment and all the other things that make a relationship exciting and healthy.

Both single people in Group A and Group B will hit the online and offline dating circuits, but one group will do it to be social and meet new people and the other folks—Group B—will play a numbers game and go on as many dates as they can to increase their chances of finding Mr. or Mrs. Right; these people are known as serial daters.

I'm sure you know the type. They’re the ones who turn dates into interviews to size up potential mates and they think every kind and attractive person they meet could be The One.

Serial daters

To find out why someone really becomes a serial dater we spoke to relationship expert Wendy Walsh, Ph.D., author of "The 30-Day Love Detox" and resident expert at DatingAdvice.com.

She says that many people who are serial daters are actually more comfortable with ending relationships for a number of reasons, instead of putting in the slow work and time it takes to get to know somebody.

“On a personal side we’re becoming more and more emotionally avoidant,” says Dr. Walsh.

“As a culture we move around a lot, our parents divorced, our parents chased new jobs, we moved around a lot growing up and it doesn’t actually teach you how to have long-term stable relationships, it teaches you how to say goodbye.”

Another reason people jump from person to person, Walsh says, is because they simply don’t know how to be alone. In fact some people never even gave single life a fair try.

“A lot of people have early life traumatic experiences where they didn’t have a secure attachment, so sometimes it’s a detachment disorder where people have trouble connecting,” she says.

Furthermore, technology has made it much easier for a person to explore several dating options at the same time and both dating and social sites provide people with perpetual hope that they will finally meet that fantasy person that always lived inside their head, says Walsh.

Courtship is dead

Technology has done another thing to dating too, she explains: It just about ended the traditional ways of courtship and has made people place a stronger focus on quantity and speed instead of quality and proper pace.

“Nowadays [a guy] can sit in their mom’s basement and play Xbox all day and ask women to text a naked picture of themselves, and that’s all the courtship they need to do,” said Walsh.

Another characteristic of the serial dater is their willingness to believe that a few good dates equal a possible soul mate.

“A lot of people believe that a “hookup” can be a stepping stone to a relationship—about 35% of women in one study believe that—so they’re moving too quickly,” she says.

And although both genders tend to be serial daters, Walsh explains that the reasons are different.

Women tend to serial date because they’re looking for a very specific someone, she says, and men do it until they’re able to reach a certain point of willingness to commit.

“Women look for the perfect guy. They dream their whole life about who their groom is going to be and what their husband is going to be like,” Walsh explains. “And they spend their dating life looking for a specific person. Men however hit a state of readiness.”

State of readiness

A few things that push that readiness for some men are things like reaching a certain financial status or level of education and if a guy’s group of friends have settled down, he may be more likely to settle down too, she says.

“A sign of a man’s state of readiness is that all his single buddies are going down," Walsh advises.

"I say [to] women—if he’s still running to Vegas with a bunch of single guys, he ain't settling down soon, it’s not happening, so you want to look for a guy whose peer group is settling down, you want to look for a guy whose parents may still be together or he still has a healthy relationship with his mother.”

In addition, “A lot of people—men and women—both keep holding out for something bigger and better, because their expectations are just so high or they use that as an excuse not to commit, because they actually have attachment issues—they’re afraid of intimacy, their afraid of closeness, so they keep saying I can find the right one, I can’t find the right one and that’s a simple way to disguise their own inability to make a secure attachment.”

But does that mean a person should settle for someone who doesn’t posses the things they’re looking for?

Walsh says the word “settling” shouldn’t even be used in relationship terms because it implies that you’re purposely lowering your standards and getting nothing you actually want.

“That’s that negative word in our culture that makes no sense,” she says. 

“Settling implies that you’re choosing a lower-status person than yourself. When in truth, what they need to do is look at the great qualities in the people they are dating and understand that they may be higher status.”

Walsh says it’s in our nature to seek out a person of a higher status, whether it’s financial, social or in other ways. And men tend to gravitate towards youth and beauty, while women tend to seek a man that’s older and has a bit of financial stability.

“Both genders do say that they look for kindness and intelligence above both of those things," she says. "So it’s about breaking down the details of that particular person and then asking yourself, ‘am I ready to commit.’ " 

"It’s not should I settle, it’s can I get there, can I commit," Walsh explains.

And hopefully, if you do that or simply find a level of contentment while being by yourself, you can move from that overcrowded B group of single people and move over to the more relaxed and satisfied A group of single people.

And who wouldn’t want that?

You’ve probably heard the nursery rhyme that goes “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage,” which is a song that definitely gets points for being cute and succinct, but loses points for leaving out a major part of the relationship storyline.

The song should really go, “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes debt”—because a lot of folks end up breaking the bank to pull off the wedding of their dreams and it’s not just women who are steering the ship when it comes to the planning, as both genders do their parts to spend ridiculously on the ceremony, the reception and the rest of the things people feel they need to make a wedding day seem fairytale-like.

And since the start of the economic downturn a few years ago, elaborate weddings were just some of the things that people cut back on, but according to TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, two popular wedding websites, people are starting to let go of their frugality and are planning bigger and more expensive weddings these days.

Both of the sites surveyed 17,500 brides who said “I do” in 2012, to gauge just how much they were spending on weddings compared to 2011. In addition, the survey revealed the most expensive U.S. marriage venues. 

According to Carley Roney, co-founder of The Knot, wedding budgets and overall spending first started to increase back in 2011 and today people are starting to feel less guilty about shelling out the dough for their nuptials. 

“In 2011, budgets increased for the first time since the economic downturn, and this past year, in 2012, we saw that wedding budgets are continuing to rise even more and to an all-time high since 2008. Couples are increasingly less concerned with the economy and are comfortable investing more than ever in the once-in-a-lifetime experience of planning their wedding and making it a fabulous experience for their guests.”

Big bucks

But let’s face it folks—fabulousness doesn’t come cheap, in fact it can run you $28,427 for the entire wedding and that’s not even counting the honeymoon, the survey found.

Here are just some of the financial breakdowns:

On average, it’ll cost you $12,905 for the venue, $2,379 for the photographer, $1,997 for the flowers and $3,084 if you want a band for your reception, which is a hefty amount to pay for a bunch of cover songs--I’m mean, how many different versions do we really need of “Twist and Shout" anyway?

Some of the other wedding costs include $1,619 for a videographer, $708 for the limo and even the rehearsal dinner will run you a cool $1,135.

But unfortunately, as we all know, high cost doesn’t guarantee high quality and some of our readers who have planned a wedding can easily attest to this.

In our ConsumerAffairs Weddings section, there are numerous tales of great plans gone sour and there are a handful of companies--like the wedding site HeleneBridal.com--that have really loused up some peoples weddings.

This is what Danielle of Lake Forest, Calif. had to say about Helene Bridal after she ordered a dress for her wedding day:

“If you look at the tab on the website, it says ‘wholesale cheap wedding dresses.’ Very accurate,” she wrote. “The dress I ordered was indeed cheap. The color of the bodice didn’t match the skirt and the dress in the photo wasn’t the dress I received. I contacted the company, but since it wasn’t within their allotted ’24 hour notification return policy,’ they won’t take back the dress.”

“In fact, customer service told me to contact the manufacturer, take photos and maybe they will give me some sort of discount, taking no responsibility for the products they are selling. Please, please think twice before ordering. That return policy is definitely their loophole to get away with ripping people off.”

We reached out to HeleneBridal for a comment and we’re waiting for a response.

Priciest spots

As far as the most expensive places to get married, according to the survey,  New York City is at the top of the list, so if you want to exchange vows in a Manhattan loft overlooking the Hudson, complete with the Upper Westside reception, it’ll just cost you a meager $76,687--but keep in mind that City Hall is just a cab ride away and you’ll still be able to get married in Manhattan, right?

Next on the most-expensive-wedding-destination list is Chicago, third is the New York Metropolitan area, then New Jersey, Rhode Island, Santa Barbara/Ventura Calif. and Boston, closing out the top seven.

Look, many people dream of having a celebrity-style wedding, sometimes so much so that fulfilling that dream ends up being the deciding factor in their decision to get married.

But others know that even the fanciest and biggest wedding won’t be a springboard that determines how well a marriage is going to do, and with finances being one of the main topics of argument and divorce among married couples, maybe you shouldn’t start your lives together in debt.

Just a thought.

How do you use credit? There are right ways and wrong ways, and the latter almost always lands you in trouble.

Consumer credit as we know it has evolved fairly quickly in the last four decades. Before the late 1970s few people had credit cards. Even if they had a Mastercard or Visa – it used to be called BankAmericard – they rarely had more than one.

Over the years, having credit cards allowed consumers to expand their purchasing power, sometimes buying things they really couldn't afford. But it stimulated the economy and generated income for the banks so everyone was happy.

End of the party

Eventually it caught up with us. The credit crisis of 2008 was about more than mortgages. In its aftermath credit card companies reduced customers' credit lines and in some cases, unilaterally closed accounts.

Even now, more than four years later, we're still left with a significant credit balance. Combining credit statistics from a number of federal agencies, NextAdvisor.com, a financial research site, came up with the top credit mistakes that consumers make.

For example, the company cites Federal Reserve data showing consumers carry more than $793 billion in credit card debt. That debt is borne by the 46% of credit card holders who don't pay off their full balance each month.

“If you're not paying your credit card balance each month, you're paying interest in addition to the principal your owe,” said Jeff Hindenach, director of content for NextAdvisor. “I think the most shocking statistic is the $22.5 billion in credit card penalty fees. That's people paying their credit card bill late or going over their credit limit. These are penalties that no one should have to pay.”

Blissfully unaware

Not only that, 36% of consumers are unaware of the interest rate on their credit cards. Maybe knowing the rate isn't very important if you pay the balance down to zero each month, but if you carry a balance, it's information you really need to know.

“If you don't know what interest rate you're paying and its 22%, then you're paying a lot more interest than you should be paying,” Hindenach said. “There are balance transfer cards out there that can save a lot of money but you have to be aware of your interest rate in order to take advantage of them.”

A recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) study showed that 42 million consumers have errors on their credit reports that they do not know about. Hindenach says it's just more evidence that consumers are not always aware of the credit mistakes they are making.

Credit report errors

“Errors in your credit report will obviously lower your credit score and a lower credit score can often times mean a higher interest rate,” he said. “If your credit score dips low enough you could have problems getting credit cards, getting loans, getting a mortgage.”

To make sure the information in your credit file is accurate, you should go to www.annualcreditreport.com, a site sanctioned by the U.S. government, and download your credit reports, at no charge, from all three credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. If you find inaccurate information, go to the website for the agency containing the errors and look for instructions for disputing the information and seeking a correction.

“After you file that paperwork, which is actually like a letter, they have 30 days to respond,” Hindenach said. “Resolution is fairly quick.”

Not always wise to close credit accounts

When examining your credit report you may see a number of credit accounts you are not using. But don't close them. Sometimes, doing that can negatively impact your credit score.

Instead, if you make a couple of small purchases each year on a little-used credit card and pay off the balance immediately, it will boost your credit score. Carrying a credit card balance, especially a large one, not only limits your purchasing power but can lower your credit score over time.

“It would be great if schools started having some sort of financial literacy class for students,” Hindenach said. Something we advocate is parents talking to their kids about credit at an early age.”

Then again, a lot of parents will probably need to educate themselves about credit and break some bad habits too.

Why is it that we only get serious about housecleaning in the spring? It probably goes back to harsh winters where people had to stay indoors most of the time and tracked in mud and dirt when they did venture out.

In any event, whether it's springtime or another season, your home needs intensive cleaning and maintenance on at least an annual basis. No less an authority than Martha Stewart recommends getting organized and giving yourself plenty of time.

"Create a realistic schedule, keeping in mind that a single weekend won't suffice, as you'll need several days for more involved projects, such as shampooing carpets and organizing closets," she writes on her website. "Whether you prefer to proceed from the attic to the basement or start outdoors and wind your way inside, focus on one task at a time."

But maybe you don't have as much time to devote to cleaning as Martha would like. Let us, then, offer 10 chores that your home really needs.

1. Trimming and pruning

Let's start with your home's exterior. What happens outside can impact the health of your home's structure. Specifically, inspect trees and shrubs growing near the house. Prune tree branches that are growing too near the house or outbuildings. Look for branches that are now extending over, or coming in contact with the roof. Vegetation that touches the building can trap moisture and cause all sorts of problems.

For that same reason, cut back bushes and shrubs that are growing near the house. Not only are out-of-control bushes unsightly, they can damage decks and siding.

2. Inspect and clean gutters

You may need help on this one if you aren't able to climb a ladder. However, after the winter your gutters are probably going to need a thorough cleaning so that they efficiently channel rain water away from your home. Inspect them to make sure they haven't been damaged by ice over the course of the winter.

3. Power wash and reseal deck

If you have a deck made of pressure-treated lumber, it should be pressure washed and sealed when it no longer repels water. A water test is the easiest way to ensure that the wood can absorb sealer or finish.

Pour a small amount of water on the deck. If it soaks in immediately, the deck should be sealed. If the water beads up or stands on the deck, your deck may not need sealing yet. Before sealing, clean the area with a pressure water to restore the wood's appearance and remove dirt and grime. Now, we can move indoors.

4. Replace furnace filter

Replacing the filter to the air intake to your home's heating and air conditioning system should actually be done several times a year, but a spring cleaning should be one of those times. The filter traps dirt, dust and pet hair to prevent it from being sucked into the air handler. A dirty and clogged filter will reduce HVAC efficiency.

5. Clean and dust electronics

All that dirt and dust circulating in the air all winter is hard on the sensitive electronics in your home, and these days there's a lot more electronic devices in homes than in years past. In some cases these devices act as a magnet, attracting dust.

Using a soft cloth, or a wipe made specifically for screens, wipe down the front and back of your TV sets. Using the same type of cloth, clean computer screens and desktop towers. You may find that the vents on these machines are clogged with hair and debris. After powering down the computer, use a vacuum cleaner to remove as much of the dirt as possible.

6. Remove dust from light fixtures

Dust circulating in your home all winter long will attach itself to light fixtures on the ceiling. When you dust furniture and woodwork, don't forget to look up. Dust on light fixtures can become quite heavy and fall, continuing the dusting cycle.

If your home has ceiling fans, this can be a special problem. The fan blades tend to attract a thick coating of dust during the winter, creating unhealthy conditions.

7. Clean kitchen appliances

Major appliances need routine cleaning and the spring is a good time to do it. Dean, of Livermore, Calif., had written to ConsumerAffairs complaining about problems with his Samsung French door refrigerator. The freezer wasn't keeping food frozen. He wrote us back after someone suggested removing the unit's back cover.

"I did this and found that the coils were covered in lint and dog hair, we have dogs," Dean wrote. "The fan blade to cool the coils was also dirty and the water sump was full. I vacuumed as much of the build up I could out of there, then unplugged the unit and used a small air compressor to blow out as much dust from the coils as I could. I then carefully cleaned off the fan blades with hot water and dish soap, with a sponge. It will make a mess to clean up, but it should probably be done yearly."

You should also clean the oven. Clean the stove top, remove elements and drip bowls and clean thoroughly. Clean the inside of your microwave oven, removing any food splatters that have baked onto the sides of the oven.

8. Clean kitchen and bathroom grout

The grout between ceramic tile in the kitchen and bath needs to be cleaned on an annual basis to prevent a build-up of dirt and grease. Consumers can purchase commercially-available grout cleaner or make their own. Powdered oxygen bleach is nontoxic, doesn't produce harsh fumes, and don't alter colors. It gets rid of stains with no or minimal scrubbing. The oxygen ions attack the stain molecules, breaking them into pieces that rinse away.

9. Clean flooring

If you have carpets throughout your home, spring is a great time to have them cleaned. You can rent a carpet shampooer and do it yourself or hire a carpet-cleaning company to do it for you. If you have hardwood floors, clean them in accordance with manufacturer's guidelines. There are a number of commercially-available products that will restore a shine.

10. Change batteries in smoke detectors

Finally, purchase new batteries and put them in all of your home's smoke detectors. Ideally this should be done twice a year, but doing it on your spring cleaning day may help make it a chore you'll remember to do. An early warning if a fire breaks out will not only save your home, it could also save your life.

That big gulp you heard east of the Hudson? It was the reaction to a ruling by New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling, who today tossed out New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ban on large sugary drinks, which were set to go into effect tomorrow.

Fuhgeddaboudit, said the melodiously-named jurist.

The judge said the regulations were "fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences," partly because they would have barred restaurants, food carts, delis, theaters and stadiums from selling sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces while supermarkets and convenience stores would not have been affected.

That, said the judge, made no sense.

"The simple reading of the rule leads to the earlier acknowledged uneven enforcement even within a particular city block, much less the city as a whole….the loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the state purpose of the rule," he wrote.

It's not that the city didn't want to impose its rules on supermarkets and convenience stores, it's simply that it isn't able to do so because they're regulated by the state, whereas the delis and so forth fall under the warm embrace of the NYC Health Department.

Tingling over the last-minute setback, Bloomberg's office Tweeted that it would appeal: "We plan to appeal the sugary drinks decision as soon as possible, and we are confident the measure will ultimately be upheld."

The big shape-up

The big-sugar ban followed a string of New York City health edicts that include a strict policy on public smoking, and a ban on trans fats throughout the five boroughs.

While His Honor insists he's just trying to make New Yorkers shape up, lose weight, live longer and so forth, critics say the nanny-state rules are turning New York into the kind of namby-pamby town where people don't even jaywalk anymore, let alone smoke, drink big sodas and wolf down whatever it is that would have trans fat in it.

Cynics say that Hoboken -- yes, Hoboken -- is becoming the wild and crazy place New York used to be, as our Daryl Nelson noted recently, adding the truly painful observation that Hoboken and even Jersey City have a better view of the New York skyline.

Not surprisingly, Hizzoner's mouthpieces don't agree with the critics.

“We’ve heard claims of pending apocalypse before when we proposed bold public health initiatives, and they have been proven false, said a spokeswoman for Bloomberg, Samantha Levine, in a statement last year. “Critics predicted the end of tourism and that businesses would sink when we banned smoking in bars and restaurants, yet we’ve grown tourism to record levels and the restaurant and bar industry continues to grow.”

You frequently hear complaints that the United States lags in broadband access, and it may well be that rural areas aren't as well served as they might be. But when it comes to speed, the U.S. is doing just fine, thanks.

That's the result of Netflix' most recent Global Speed Index, which aggregates performance results from its 33 million worldwide subscribers, letting consumers see which ISP offers the best Netflix performance in their country.

The U.S. can thank Google Fiber for putting it over the top in February. Although there aren't many Google Fiber customers yet, since the service is only being offered in a portion of Kansas City, those lucky few saw an average Netflix speed of 3.35 Mbps in February.

The Netflix finding lend support to a recent report from the Federal Communications Commission, which found broadband speeds hitting, and even exceeding, their advertised targets much of the time. 

Second in is the U.K., where Virgin customers averaged 2.37 Mbps during the same month. At the bottom of the list is Mexico, where the fastest ISP averaged 2.10 Mbps.

As for which companies are delivering the fastest streaming in the U.S., well, here's the chart:

Remember how your mother would warn you that going out in chilly or rainy weather without a coat would make you sick? Turns out that -- as was usually the case -- mom was on to something.

An epidemiological study led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s Fogarty International Center found that two types of environmental conditions -- cold-dry and humid-rainy -- are associated with seasonal influenza epidemics.

The paper, published in PLoS Pathogens, presents a simple climate-based model that maps flu activity globally and accounts for the diverse range of seasonal patterns observed across temperate, subtropical and tropical regions.

Tracking the spread of flu

The findings could be used to improve existing current influenza transmission models, and could help target surveillance efforts and optimize the timing of seasonal vaccine delivery, according to Fogarty researcher Cecile Viboud, Ph.D., who headed the study.

“The model could have a broader application, encouraging researchers to analyze the association between climatic patterns and infectious disease across a wide range of diseases and latitudes,” said Viboud.

Human influenza infections exhibit a strong seasonal cycle in temperate regions, and laboratory experiments suggest that low specific humidity facilitates the airborne survival and transmission of the virus in temperate regions. Specific humidity is the ratio of water vapor to dry air in a particular body of air while relative humidity -- commonly used in weather forecasts -- the amount of water vapor in the air relative to its capacity to hold water vapor, and is primarily a function of temperature.

Data from animal studies indicate low temperature and humidity increase the duration of the virus’s reproduction and expulsion in infected organisms and virus stability in the environment, increasing the probability of transmission through coughing, sneezing or breathing. In contrast, high temperature seems to block airborne transmission.

According to James Tamerius, Ph.D., a geographer at Columbia University, New York City, and the first author of the study, the effect of low specific humidity on influenza could cause annual winter epidemics in temperate areas. “However, this relationship is unlikely to account for the epidemiology of influenza in tropical and subtropical regions where epidemics often occur during the rainy season or transmit year-round without a well-defined season,” he said.

Predicting flu outbreaks

After assessing the role of local climatic variables on virus seasonality in a global sample of study sites, Viboud and her colleagues found that temperature and specific humidity were the best individual predictors of the months of maximum influenza activity, known as influenza peaks.

The team discovered that in temperate regions, influenza was more common one month after periods of minimum specific humidity. These periods happen to coincide with months of lowest temperature. In contrast, sites that maintained high levels of specific humidity and temperature were generally characterized by influenza epidemics during the most humid and rainy months of the year. “The models we used predicted the timing of peak influenza activity with 75 to 87 percent accuracy,” said Viboud.

More to be done

"Anecdotal evidence suggests that colder climates have winter flu while warmer climates that experience major fluctuations in precipitation have flu epidemics during the rainy season, and the current study fits that pattern,” said Viboud. “In contrast, the seasonality of influenza is less well-defined in locations with little variation in temperature and precipitation, and is a pattern that remains poorly understood. One hypothesis that is often used to explain tropical influenza activity is that people congregate indoors more frequently during the rainy season, increasing contact rates and disease transmission. There is little data to confirm this, however, and it’s an interesting area for future research."

Though the study offers researchers a new tool in the global effort to track the spread of influenza, climate is only one of several potential drivers of influenza seasonality. “Further work should focus on examining the role of population travel and other factors in influenza transmission,” notes Mark Miller, M.D., director of Fogarty’s Division of International Epidemiology and Population Studies. ”

More broadly, additional analysis of the link between climate and infectious diseases is needed -- particularly for respiratory and intestinal pathogens that display marked seasonality. The authors conclude, “A better understanding of the environmental, demographic and social drivers of infectious disease seasonality is crucial for improving transmission models and optimizing interventions.”

It may be politically incorrect to say so, but there is a difference between men and women -- particularly when it comes to certain heart ailments.

According to an analysis of patients in a large national registry compiled by the Duke Clinical Research Institute, women with atrial fibrillation have more symptoms and lower quality of life than men with the same condition.

The finding adds to a growing body of research that highlights gender disparities in how cardiovascular disease is managed, and serves as a caution to doctors to be alert to treatment decisions that might perpetuate the differences.

"We need to pay close attention to women with atrial fibrillation, and it's important for physicians to know that women with the condition have more symptoms and a lower quality of life than their male counterparts," said Jonathan P. Piccini, M.D., MHSc, an assistant professor of medicine and electrophysiology at Duke. Piccini presented the data during the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Sessions & Expo.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of abnormal heart rhythm, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States. Symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue. The condition is associated with an increased risk of stroke and reduced survival.

Piccini and colleagues at Duke analyzed outcomes data from more than 10,000 patients with atrial fibrillation enrolled in a long-term, observational study called the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation, or ORBIT-AF.

The study was launched in 2010 to help healthcare providers understand how atrial fibrillation is managed and to better understand long-term outcomes among patients in "real-world" situations. The registry is tool to evaluate long-term health outcomes, quality of life, and the impact of existing and emerging treatments.

The current analysis involved 10,132 people with atrial fibrillation from 176 clinics and practices across the country. About 42 percent of study participants were women.

Gender disparities

Both men and women took blood thinners at about the same rate, but beyond that, several disparities emerged. Compared with men, women in the study:

• Tended to be older;
• Generally had lower rates of coronary artery disease and sleep apnea, as well as a less severe form of atrial fibrillation that occurs periodically;
• Had higher risk for stroke;
• Reported lower quality of life on a survey that measures symptoms, daily activities and treatment concerns in patients with atrial fibrillation;
• Had less optimal control of their anti coagulation.

"If you look at many disease processes, the experience and outcomes of men and women are different," Piccini said. "Although women live longer than men in general, in many cardiovascular diseases, women have more functional limitations. Why this occurs is the $64,000 question."

Despite having more symptoms and worse quality of life, women with atrial fibrillation tended to live longer than their male peers. Piccini said additional studies could help pinpoint the causes of the disparities.

People who have suffered a stroke often lack energy and are afraid of falling while walking, prompting them to withdraw from meaningful activities like going to church, buying groceries and visiting friends and family. But a new study finds that ratcheting back isn't particularly helpful.

In fact, research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke shows regular, brisk walking after having a stroke could help boost your physical fitness, mobility and quality of life.

"Walking is a great way to get active after a stroke," said Carron Gordon, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a lecturer in the physical therapy department at University of the West Indies in Jamaica. "It's familiar, inexpensive, and it's something people could very easily get into."

Walking study

Researchers divided 128 adult stroke survivors into a group that performed brisk outdoor walking three times a week for three months and a group that had therapeutic massage and no supervised exercise.

Compared with the massage group, the walkers:

• Reported a 16.7 percent improvement in quality of life based on physical health.
• Walked 17.6 percent farther in a six-minute endurance test.
• Had a 1.5 percent lower resting heart rate (the massage group's resting heart rate was 6.7 percent higher).

Previous research has shown that improving physical activity without putting too much stress on your body can help achieve a higher quality of life after a stroke. But those studies evaluated treadmill walking and cycling.

The new study shows you can walk without exercise equipment at any convenient place in the community, Gordon said.

Quality of life improves

Study participants were from three Jamaican hospitals, had either an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke six to 24 months before the study and could walk independently with or without a cane. The average age of the 70 women and 58 men was 64.

Before and after the study, researchers interviewed participants and measured their fitness and quality of life. They also monitored heart rate and blood pressure before and after each walking session.

Walking group participants were supervised by instructors during their walk. Eventually, friends or family members could walk along instead, until the participants were comfortable walking alone, Gordon said.

Although most study participants were blacks living in Jamaica, similar results can be expected in any ethnic or cultural group, Gordon said. However, the results can't be extended to patients with more severe effects or those unable to walk independently.

"Walking can help control blood pressure, reduce lipid or fat levels and help with weight control — all cardiovascular risk factors," Gordon said. "So doctors should encourage it for patients who have had a stroke."

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or some combination of both) for most people. For stroke survivors, the association recommends aerobic exercise three to seven days a week, for 20 to 60 minutes, depending on fitness level.

Steve’s Real Food of Murray, UT, is recalling its 5-lb. bags of "Turducken Canine Diet -- 8-oz. patties due to potential contamination of Salmonella.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and have these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recalled Turducken Canine Diet -- 8-oz Patties in a 5-lb. bag were distributed from October 2012, to January 2013, in retail stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, California, Minnesota and Tennessee.

Production of the product has been suspended while the company and the FDA continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.

The product comes in 5 lb. green and cream colored biodegradable film bags with lot number 209-10-27-13 with an expiration date of October 27, 2013.

Consumers who have purchased 5-lb. bags of Steve’s Real Food Turducken Canine Recipe are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions should contact the company at 801-540-8481 or gary@stevesrealfood.com Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm MST.

Retirement was once a subject of fond anticipation. All too often these days it's a topic of dread. Who, after all, can afford to retire?

The whole concept has changed in recent years. At one time, a retiree hung it up around age 65 and began drawing Social Security and maybe a pension. If they had a low cost of living, they could do nicely. Weekly golf games, parties with friends and maybe a trip or two each year.

Somewhere along the way our idea of retirement became a bit more ambitious: a vacation home in Florida or maybe the purchase of a New England bed & breakfast or a California vineyard as a retirement business.

Some might have adequately saved and invested for such a life of leisure but most of us didn't. According to a survey by ING, the national average for retirement savings is 2.42 times your annual income. People in New Mexico saved the most, at 4.56 times their income.

Great Recession

Then along came the Great Recession of 2008. That seemed to change the landscape for a lot of people nearing retirement age.

“I believe this downturn hit baby boomers the worst,” said Michelle Perry Higgins, a principal at California Financial Advisors, in San Ramon, Calif. “Many people at or nearing retirement age were forced back to work or had their retirement dates pushed out. Some even began tapping into their retirement funds early to make ends meet. They simply never imagined that home value and stock market losses could be so severe. I also believe that many investors have had to reassess their risk level and determine what they could tolerate in this new economy.”

They've also had to recalibrate their savings goals. But how much savings is enough? A number of websites have devised retirement savings calculators, to help answer that question.

Last November the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College issued a report finding that over half of U.S. households may be unable to maintain their present standard of living in retirement. The hardest-hit were those nearing retirement and those with the highest incomes.

Rising medical costs

A 2012 study by Fidelity Investments found a 65-year-old couple retiring last year was estimated to need $240,000 just to cover medical expenses throughout retirement. That was a four percent increase from the previous year, when the estimate was $230,000.

“Today’s workers must understand that the cost of health care is expected to continue rising significantly in future years,” said Brad Kimler, executive vice president of Fidelity’s Benefits Consulting business. “Medical inflation is outpacing salary increases and cost-of-living adjustments for many people. Until that situation changes, it is critical that individuals include health care costs in their retirement savings strategies today so they can be prepared to pay their medical bills throughout retirement.”

Social Security won't get you very far but surprisingly, many retirees rely on Social Security benefits as their primary source of income. For a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2012 on a $75,000 annual household income, Fidelity estimates their annual Social Security payments will be about $29,970.

In another report, the Employee Benefit Research Institute found 60% of workers report total savings and investments, excluding home value and pension, are less than $25,000. It found 56% of workers have not even attempted to determine how much they need in retirement savings.

Sense of urgency

“The people I see that have a heightened sense of urgency about retirement are those that were actively planning for retirement pre-recession,” Higgins said. “They were caught off guard like everyone else, but they made corrections more quickly. During the financial crisis they were on top of their finances, adjusting living expenses, reviewing their portfolios and evaluating risk. These folks understand how the meltdown changed their financial plan, and are making moves necessary to keep themselves on track.”

Making matters worse for many people approaching retirement age is debt. It's a huge drain on resources at a time you need to be putting money away for the future. Credit card debt, car loans and even student loans are proving to be a financial drag for some baby boomers. If there's one message Higgins would like to deliver it's this: stop procrastinating.

“I believe there are many Americans that are not adequately prepared for retirement and the reality of this terrifies them,” she said. “I urge those people to take their heads out of the sand and start the planning process now. The recession didn’t discriminate against race or class; it affected everyone, so we all need to take some type of action. A retirement recovery plan will take a bit of effort, but it doesn’t have to be done alone. There are plenty of well qualified financial advisors that can help.”

Getting a handle on expenses

To get serious about retirement, Higgins says you need to get a handle on your expenses. If you've never tracked your expenses, start now – looking for places to cut. In addition, she says there are five questions you need to answer to get on the road to a secure retirement:

1. Would I be willing to downsize my home or move out of the area?
2. Am I willing to reduce my standard of living, if need be?
3. Can I continue to work for several more years if my financial plan requires it?
4. What is my model for retirement and is it a priority to me?
5. Have I been honest with my financial planner so they can help me achieve my goals?

Maybe you’re getting ready for an evening out with your guy or your girlfriends or maybe you just want to get your usual weekly touchup, but either way, whenever you enter a nail salon the one thing you expect is that it be totally clean when you get a manicure or pedicure.

But just how do you know if the place you’re getting your nails done is sanitary and the workers are following all of the necessary guidelines to ensure they’re not risking the health and safety of their customers?

Dr. David A. Johnson, an expert on the subject, said a nail salon’s level of cleanliness really hinges on whether it’s not only aware of the sterilization musts, but on how consistently those requirements are being followed.

“Whether there is sufficient compliance with disinfection requirements is an important variable in the safety of salon and barbershop services from a public health perspective,” said Dr. Johnson in a published statement. “The risk of transmission of infectious disease, particularly Hepatitis B and C, in personal care settings is significantly understudied in the United States.”

Experts say that hepatitis can be passed through different tools that salons use like nail brushes, nail files, finger bowls, razors, scissors, buffers and foot basins, according to a 2011 report about salon safety from the American College of Gastroenterology.

Take a close look

Cheryl Biesky, a nail inspector at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation in Florida, told a local news outlet that consumers should take a good look at the inside of a salon upon every visit.

“When you walk into an establishment, look at floors, walls, ceiling and determine whether this is a place where I want to have a service provided,” said Biesky. And you shouldn’t be afraid to ask a technician how the salon sanitizes its tools.

“If you have any concerns whatsoever, you should be asking how do you clean the tools? How do you disinfect the tools,” she advised.

And it’s not just the tools that folks have to look out for; many experts say those soothing foot tubs or basins can be hotbeds for all kinds of nasty little germs and bacteria. There have been many claims from inspectors and consumers alike, that a lot of basins aren’t cleaned after each customer use, leaving a person exposed to fungus and bacteria.

A good way to protect yourself when using a foot tub in a salon is to purchase plastic tub liners that are sold in either stores or nail places for a buck or two, and by covering the base and the walls of the tub, you’ll still be able to feel the sensation of the water, but you’ll lower the chances of catching something that you definitely don’t want.

In addition, experts say to never shave your legs on the day you’re getting a pedicure, as shaving causes microscopic cuts in the skin, making it easier for bacteria to be transferred to the tub, which can easily be caught by other people.

Check the log

Biesky says customers should ask to see a salon’s pedicure log, since it should list each time the tub was cleaned.

“If the pedicure spa has not been cleaned properly and disinfected properly, there is a chance that bacteria, funguses, viruses, will be circulating in that pedicure spa,” she said.  “There is a pedicure log book and the consumer can ask to see the pedicure log. It would detail for them that it’s cleaned after every use.”

Additionally, Biesky says it's imperative that consumers look for both the most recent inspection and the license of a salon, which should be placed near the front entrance.

Dr. Johnson says consumers should never take the word of a salon that it’s complying with health regulations, and he says that physicians should place more focus on hepatitis being contracted through dirty tools and instruments.

“No one should accept on blind trust that a business is taking the necessary steps to prevent transmission of bloodborne infections such as hepatitis,” he said. “Health care providers need to be aware of these risks—both for appropriate counseling of their patients, and when assessing possible causality in patients with hepatitis B or C.”

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, those who regularly get manicures and pedicures should purchase their own instruments and bring it with them on each salon visit, and consumers should never allow a technician to pushback or cut their cuticles, as this increases the chances of getting a nail infection.

Johnson says that more research needs to be conducted on the relationship between hepatitis and dirty nail salons and until this happens, the potential risks won’t subside at all.

“The absence of infection control guidelines from federal health agencies for the prevention of hepatitis infections in nail salons and barbershops implies that barbering, manicure and pedicure have not emerged as significant risk factors for HBV and HCV infections in the United States," he said.

Facebook, where people post pictures of their babies, cats, dogs and cars, is undergoing a facelift that its impresarios hope will make it look a little less like the bulletin board at the local Safeway.

The redo of Facebook's "news feed," as it calls its often odd collection of postings, brings a cleaner, more minimalist look to the site, in the hope that users will stay there longer and consume more advertising and sponsored content.

"We've completely rebuilt each story to be much more vibrant and colorful and highlight the content that your friends are sharing. Photos, news articles, maps and events all look brighter and more beautiful," Facebook gushed in a prepared statement.

Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg says -- and actually appears to believe -- that the new design will be the foundation for building the "best personalized newspaper" anywhere.

News isn't noise

News, of course, is something a bit more than just random noise but Zuckerberg either doesn't know this or just chooses to ignore it. He proudly proclaimed at a briefing Thursday that the new Facebook would feature bigger pictures, new fonts and logos of publications and companies.

These, of course, are things that newspapers have -- you know, pictures, words, ads. So since he has those, Facebook must be a newspaper, seems to be the logic.

Currently, lots of users complain that they have trouble figuring out why their "news feed" has the content it does, much of it clearly not being news. The answer, of course, is that it's selected by an algorithm that thinks it knows what each person wants to see, based on who that person's friends are, where they're located, what types of things they've posted, and so on.

To try to make it a little easier to comprehend, Facebook will be reverting to something it offered a few years ago -- the option of seeing the latest items in the "news feed," all of them or certain other types of items, rants about music, for example.

Besides the "news feed," Facebook says it's adding these new entries:

- All Friends - a feed that shows you everything your friends are sharing
- Photos - a feed with nothing but photos from your friends and the Pages you like
- Music - a feed with posts about the music you listen to
- Following - a feed with the latest news from the Pages you like and the people you follow.

The new design is being rolled out over the next few weeks. If you just can't wait, you can put yourself on a priority waiting list