Current Events in October 2013

If you wonder why so many Americans (and other industrialized-world citizens) are getting fat these days, the answer is probably quite simple: human evolution is lagging behind human technology. We live in an industrially and technologically advanced world where food is abundant, yet still have the bodies of Cro-Magnon hunter gatherers living under constant threat of famine.

For example: last April the journal Obesity published a study about late-night snack cravings: namely, why are they so common? If you’re trying to lose weight—or just avoid gaining any—then eating before bedtime is the worst thing you can do, because your sleeping body takes those calories and converts them almost immediately into fat.

Obesity discovered evidence suggesting that our body’s circadian rhythms are naturally inclined to make us feel hungry at night.

Dr. Steven Shea, from the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at Oregon Health & Science University, wrote: “We found with this study that the internal circadian system also likely plays a role in today's obesity epidemic because it intensifies hunger at night …. it seems likely that the internal circadian system helps with efficient food storage. While this may have been valuable throughout evolution, nowadays it is likely to contribute to the national epidemic of obesity.”

Age of abundance 

Packing on some extra body fat tonight is a very good idea when you know you might not eat at all tomorrow—and until only a few generations ago, that was the human status quo. Only in an age of abundance, when people’s main calorie-related problem is “We eat too many of them,” does the urge to eat just before bed become fantastically counterproductive.

Of course, this was far from the only study suggesting our own evolutionary history is conspiring to expand our waistlines.

Last month, researchers at Yale suggested that eating low-calorie artificial sweeteners might paradoxically make you fatter than full-calorie sugar—because when your brain tells you “We’re seriously craving some sugar right now,” sugar is the only thing that will satisfy that craving. And, unfortunately, even if you personally are a genius, your brain still isn’t smart enough to figure out “Instead of generating fresh sugar cravings, maybe I should do something with the extra poundage bulging around my owner’s waistline.”

So when you get annoyed by those late-night snack cravings, just remember: it’s because your brain and body are trying to save you from starving to death. (Which does not make it any easier for us to fit into our old blue jeans, but—well, it’s the thought that counts, right?)  

Let’s hash out the burning debate of our time: If you’re trying to sell your house but enjoying no success, would it help if you reorganized your home according to the principles of feng shui?

Well, that depends on exactly what you mean by feng shui (which is pronounced “fung shway,” to rhyme with “rung way”). In today’s America, feng shui is sometimes used colloquially to mean “organize and decorate your space to make it more pleasant.” If, for example, you check out this Bankrate article “6 Feng Shui Secrets To Selling Your Home,” you’ll find many of the “secrets” are actually pretty self-evident, like “Create a good traffic flow” – of course an area through which people can walk unhindered makes a better impression than a cramped, cluttered space where folks keep bumping into things.

But “feng shui” also carries quasi-mystical or even semi-religious baggage, when it discusses concepts like “energy flow,” “spirits,” “chi,” “life forces” and other things whose existence must be taken on faith rather than objectively measured. Bankrate’s article also uses this faith-based feng shui meaning, when it advises:

Real estate agents will tell you to close toilet lids because no buyer wants to look into your commode.

Feng shui philosophy advocates the same thing for a different reason.

"Water represents money and the toilet is the one place where water/money escapes," [feng shui consultant Jayme] Barrett says.

Instead, "You can place a small tabletop water fountain either at the entrance or in the back left corner of the home, which is the wealth corner," she says. "Moving water circulates prosperity energy throughout the home."

Prosperity energy

Of course, there’s never been a controlled scientific test demonstrating that decorative fountains result in prosperity increases, regardless of the fountains’ location relative to you. For that matter, nobody has ever shown that “prosperity energy” exists, let alone figured out how to detect or measure it. Yet there is a [tiny] kernel of truth at the center of the more mystical feng shui claims.

Feng shui originated in ancient China, which is also where the magnetic compass was either invented or discovered (depending on your point of view). The two facts are connected. After all, the Earth really is criss-crossed with invisible lines of force undetectable by human senses: namely, the planet’s magnetic field. That’s why a compass in the northern hemisphere will always point toward magnetic north (unless there’s a closer magnetic field interfering with it)—humans can’t sense the magnetism ourselves, but it’s real and it’s strong enough to move the needle. 

Back in ancient China, some genius whose name is lost to history discovered, probably by accident, that if you dropped small objects made out of “magnetite” or “lodestone” (a naturally magnetic mineral), they would always land aligned along a certain straight-line axis—just as compass needles align themselves today.

So it’s understandable why the ancient Chinese would’ve observed this and then thought “There’s obviously invisible forces affecting this weird piece of rock; maybe there’s invisible forces affecting everything else, too!”  

Objective measurement

But the difference between magnetism versus feng shui “prosperity energy” or “chi” or other mystic forces is simple: you can conclusively detect magnetic forces with a compass. Send three different people into the same windowless room, ask them to identify magnetic north, and (provided their compasses aren’t broken) they’ll all point in the same direction.

There is no identical experiment you can perform with feng shui consultants, to identify “prosperity energy” or “life force” or—well, anything except where the compass is pointing.

The comedy magic team of Penn and Teller tried such an experiment several years ago, in an episode of their old cable-TV series “Bullsh*t!” (which we always thought was a pretty good show; we just wished it had a name we could politely mention in the presence of kids).

Three different feng shui consultants hired to work on the same room reached three completely different (and oft-contradictory) conclusions regarding how to make the room conform to whatever mystic principles the feng shui consultants proclaimed.

Of course, you’d get similarly contradictory results if you asked three different interior decorators how to make your home more attractive. But interior decorators generally don’t claim their work is based on channeling “prosperity energy” or “life force” or any other pseudoscientific power source.

When you think about it, radio is old technology. Inventor Guglielmo Marconi figured out how to transmit voices through the airwaves in the early 20th century. The first commercial radio station in the U.S., KDKA in Pittsburgh, began broadcasting in 1920.

Radio was the electronic media until it began to be supplanted by television in the 1950s. Radio found a new lease on life by broadcasting music formats in the 1960s. It also gave small towns, too small to support a TV station, a local media outlet.

But that began to change in the 1990s as deregulation of the industry led to conglomerates buying up dozens – even hundreds -- of stations and becoming highly profitable corporations, some of them publicly traded on Wall Street.

Regional approach

To maximize profits individual stations did not bother to focus on their local community – known as “city of license” – and instead broadcast to a region. Instead of covering the local city council and high school sports, the stations tried not to be identified with one particular locality.

There was another change in the industry. Instead of local announces, stations used syndicated programs, delivered by satellite. An announcer sitting in a studio in Los Angeles might be heard on hundreds of stations, coast to coast.

Radio rebirth?

But it's possible local radio could make a comeback, riding on the back of the Internet. For years over-the-air radio stations have streamed their signals over the Internet, making their programming accessible – not just within range of their broadcast tower but worldwide. But there's no requirement for your signal to be broadcast over the air to stream online.

The Internet offers content producers an inexpensive way to distribute that content to the public. Multimedia server space is relatively cheap. There is no expensive transmitter to buy or tower to erect. And there is no requirement to get permission from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to start webcasting.

If someone wanted to start a radio station to serve their local community, there is now nothing to stop them. Starting a station is as simple as producing programming and streaming it.

That, however, may take a while to become commercially viable. In the meantime, companies have found a way to bundle existing radio streams and present them at one location. TuneIn is one such company, providing access to over 70,000 radio stations around the world, with over two million on-demand programs and podcasts.

Internet radio-friendly cars

Giving the concept a boost, automakers have begun equipping cars with Bluetooth, a wireless connection standard, in their entertainment systems. It was designed to make it safer to talk on your cellphone while driving. An unintended consequence is that it allows you to play your phone through your car's speakers.

With new cars making it simple to link mobile devices to in-dash entertainment systems, listening to these streaming stations in your car is as easy as listening to traditional over-the-air radio, with many times the choices.

"TuneIn wants to change the way people listen to radio on the road, said John Donham, TuneIn's CEO.

“By offering access to over 70,000 stations worldwide, TuneIn is giving drivers access to a multitude of stations normally not available to them.”

Choices

Indeed, should the mood strike you, you might listen to a radio station in Brazil. Or if you are driving through the Allegheny Mountains in the east you can relax with your favorite jazz station in Los Angeles. While the stations are easily accessible on a smartphone or tablet, now thanks to technology, they are also easily accessible in your car.

"Most radio listening today occurs in the car, and TuneIn already has two million monthly active in-vehicle listeners through dashboard integrations and car-mode listening," Donham said.

Services like TuneIn, and more recent competitor I Heart Radio, are blurring the shape of what constitutes a radio station. Does it have to be broadcast through the air? Apparently not. It just has to be compelling enough that people want to listen. And an old medium may be getting a new lease on life.

Swedish pharmacologists have discovered a nasty modern paradox: cold sores might make you wish you were dead—but cold sore treatments might make you think you are dead.

It’s rare, but it happens. There exists a rare psychological disorder called Cotard’s syndrome, also known as walking-dead syndrome because its sufferers erroneously believe they are dead, decomposing, or missing key internal organs or body parts.

And in extremely rare cases, patients with no history of mental problems who use the drug acyclovir (sold under the trade name Zovirax) to treat cold sores, herpes, shingles or chicken pox, started demonstrating symptoms of Cotard’s.

Possible link 

According to a study published in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Swedish researchers uncovered a possible link between renal failure, acyclovir use and Cotard’s (which is not synonymous with saying “Cotard’s only inflicts renal-failure victims who take acyclovir”).  

Researcher Anders Helldén from Stockholm’s Karolinska University Hospital mentioned the case of a Swedish woman who started showing Cotard’s symptoms after taking acyclovir to treat shingles: she went to the emergency room in a state of high anxiety because she strongly feared she was dead. After a few hours her symptoms alleviated enough that she decided she was alive after all—except for her left arm, which she insisted didn’t really belong to her. Yet within 24 hours of her hospital visit, all such delusions had completely vanished.

So what happened? Turns out that people suffering from Cotard’s tend also to have high levels of a chemical called CMMG in their bloodstreams. And CMMG is also one of the chemicals left over after acyclovir breaks down in the body. Helldén speculated that CMMG might constrict blood flow in the brain, which in turn might interfere with ordinary brain functions to the point of delusion.

For acyclovir users who develop Cotard’s symptoms, the cure is as simple as weaning off the drug. As for those unfortunate people who suffer from Cotard’s syndrome without acyclovir—well, thus far medical science has not yet found a cure, but the discovery of the CMMG/Cotard’s connection might prove the first step on the road leading to one.

There's still no free lunch. And, believe it or not, there's no free gas either despite the claims of the Green Millionaire scam. 

This was a little sleight-of-hand negative-option number that was making the rounds a few years back. Its website promoted a book that supposedly held the secret to getting "free gas for life,"  "how to put solar panels on your roof for free," and "how to make your electricity meter go backwards paying you." 

The Green Millionaire asked consumers to provide their credit card or bank account number, which supposedly would be used to pay a "small shipping and handling fee," without clearly disclosing that they would be charged $29.95 for a two-month subscription to an e-magazine, or $89.95 for a one-year subscription.

The Federal Trade Commission made the Green Millionaire's bank account gauge run backward and is now mailing 58,234 refund checks to consumers who lost money to the scam.

More than $1.9 million is being returned to consumers, about 54 percent of consumers’ total estimated loss.  Each person will receive an average amount of about $33.88.

What to do

Those who receive the checks from the FTC’s refund administrator should cash them within 60 days of the mailing date.  Also, please note that the FTC never requires consumers to pay money or to provide information before refund checks can be cashed, so if someone calls and offers to "help" you get your money back, hang up.

Those with questions should call the refund administrator, Epiq Systems, Inc., at 1-877-866-6385, or visit www.FTC.gov/refunds for more general information.

Planning a European trip? If you can wait til next summer, you may be able to save a lot of money. A new budget air carrier -- Norwegian -- starts service between London's Gatwick and New York, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale in July 2014.

A one-way ticket between London and NYC will start at £149, currently US$220, with similar fares to Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. The basic face includes seatback entertainment but if you want meals, reserved seating and checked bags, it will cost you another £30 (US$48).

The Scandanavian carrier will be flying Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, which is much more fuel-efficient than similar-sized airplanes, a difference Norwegian thinks will enable it to operate profitably even at cut-rate fares.

“There’s great demand for high quality flights at a low fare between the UK and the U.S., particularly to and from London Gatwick, where no other airline currently offers these routes. We are looking forward to welcoming many new customers on board our brand new aircraft. Launching long-haul routes between London Gatwick and the United States is also an important part of our strategy to expand internationally and get a stronger foothold in markets outside Scandinavia,” said Norwegian’s CEO Bjørn Kjos. 

Norwegian, the third-largest discount carrier in Europe, currently offers 320 weekly flights and 25 routes from London Gatwick.

Will it work?

History, of course, is littered with the bones of budget airlines that thought they could make money offering cheap trans-Atlantic fares, Laker Airways being perhaps the most notorious.

Europe's leading low-fare carrier, Ryanair, has so far resisted the temptation to apply its short-haul model to longer routes. Whether Norwegian's move pressures it to do so remains to be seen.

For awhile there, Gatwick was shaping up as a major trans-Atlantic portal but both British and Virgin Atlantic dropped their Gatwick-NYC routes, saying they couldn't turn a profit on them.

Gatwick changed hands a few years ago and has been aggressively courting new business. The airport's CEO, Stewart Wingate, says Norwegian's plans will be a "significant industry game-changer."

"Norwegian's decision to re-establish London Gatwick's links to strategic destinations in North America gives passengers, once again, real choice about how to get there and, importantly, provide options for affordable travel to popular business and leisure destinations."

Ticket info

Tickets to the new destinations will be available for sale today (October 17) at www.norwegian.com.

Flight schedule

London – Los Angeles twice a week from July 2, 2014
Norwegian will operate two weekly flights between London (LGW) and Los Angeles (LAX) – on Wednesdays and Sundays. The introductory fare is £199 one way.

London – New York three times a week from July 3, 2014 
Norwegian will operate three weekly flights between London (LGW) and New York (JFK) – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The introductory fare is £149 one way.

London – Fort Lauderdale twice a week from July 4, 2014 
Norwegian will operate two weekly flights between London (LGW) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – on Mondays and Fridays. The introductory fare is £179 one way.

London – Santorini once a week from April 5, 2014 
Norwegian will operate one weekly flight between London (LGW) and Santorini (JTR) – on Saturdays. The introductory fare is £29.90 one way.

London – Corfu once a week from July 19, 2014 
Norwegian will operate one weekly flight between London (LGW) and Corfu (CFU) – on Saturdays. The introductory fare is £29.90 one way.

London – Sicily once a week from April 5, 2014
Norwegian will operate one weekly flight between London (LGW) and Catania, Sicily (CTA) – on Saturdays. The introductory fare is £29.90 one way.

London – Cyprus once a week from April 5, 2014
Norwegian will operate one weekly flight between London (LGW) and Cyprus (LCA) – on Saturdays. The introductory fare is £39.90 one way.

London – Budapest three times a week from March 30, 2014
Norwegian will operate three weekly flights between London (LGW) and Budapest (BUD) – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The introductory fare is £29.90 one way.

An analysis of data previously gathered on more than 3,000 older people suggests that the use of certain blood pressure medications may reduce the risk of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD).

The team of Johns Hopkins-led researchers found that people over the age of 75 with normal cognition who used diuretics, angiotensin-1 receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors showed a reduced risk of AD dementia by at least 50%. In addition, diuretics were associated with 50% reduced risk in those in the group with mild cognitive impairment.

However beta blockers and calcium channel blockers did not show a link to reduced risk, the scientists reported.

The report was published in a recent edition of the journal Neurology.

"Identifying new pharmacological treatments to prevent or delay the onset of AD dementia is critical given the dearth of effective interventions to date," says report author, Sevil Yasar, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Department of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Our study was able to replicate previous findings, however, we were also able to show that the beneficial effect of these blood pressure medications are maybe in addition to blood pressure control, and could help clinicians in selecting an antihypertensive medication based not only on blood pressure control, but also on additional benefits."

Alzheimer's disease is a rapidly increasing clinical and public health issue in the United States' aging population, and the most common cause of intellectual and social decline.

'Post-hoc' analysis

Yasar and her colleagues conducted a "post-hoc" analysis of information gathered originally in the so-called Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS) study, a six-year effort to determine if use of the herb ginkgo biloba reduced AD risk.

That study , a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial of 3,069 adults without dementia, aged between 75 and 96 years, began in 2000 and recruited participants from four U.S. cities: Hagerstown, Md.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Winston-Salem/Greensboro, N.C.; and Sacramento, Calif.

Yasar said that while the GEMS trial showed no benefit of ginkgo biloba in reducing incidence of dementia, information was also available among the study participants related to their use of several classes of antihypertensive drugs.

Extensive studies suggest that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for dementias including AD, and there had been suggestions that drugs used to control blood pressure conferred a protective effect on the brain in addition to controlling blood pressure.

The question, she said, was which ones were associated with reduced AD dementia risk, and which were not.

Yasar and colleagues looked at 2,248 of the GEMS participants. Of them 351 reported use of a diuretic, 140 use of ARBs, 324 use of ACE inhibitors, 333 use of calcium channel blockers and 457 use of beta blockers. The average age of this group was 78.7 years, and 47% were women.

"We were able to confirm previous suggestions of a protective effect of some of these medicines not only in participants with normal cognition, but also in those with mild cognitive impairment," says Yasar. "Additionally, we were also able to assess the possible role of elevated systolic blood pressure in AD dementia by placing those within each medication group in categories above and below systolic blood pressures of 140 mmHg, the standard cut-off reading for a diagnosis of hypertension," she said.

Limitations

Yasar cautioned that the analysis had its limitations, owing mostly to the fact that the data collected by the GEMS trial were not gathered to directly measure the effect of the drugs, and by the fact that it was impossible to tell with certainty how well each group of participants complied with their drug treatments. Nor did the research team have information on subjects' use of drugs prior to the study period.

But, she said, "the consistent pattern we saw of reduced risk of AD dementia associated with these medications warrants further studies, including the use of brain imaging, to better understand the biologic basis of these associations." Such studies, she added, "could lead to identification of new pharmacologic targets for preventive interventions to slow cognitive decline and possibly delay progression of AD dementia."

Costco’s El Camino Real store in San Francisco, Calif., is recalling an additional 14,093 units of rotisserie chicken products that may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. This is in addition to the 9,043 units that were recalled on Oct. 12.

No illnesses have been reported in association with the products being recalled

The products subject to recall are:

• 13,455 “Kirkland Signature Foster Farms” rotisserie chickens
• 638 total units of “Kirkland Farm” rotisserie chicken soup, rotisserie chicken leg quarters, and rotisserie chicken salad.

The products were sold directly to consumers in a Costco located at 1600 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, Calif., between Sept. 24 and Oct. 15, 2013.

Consumers and media with questions regarding the recall should contact Costco at (800) 774-2678.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., is recalling approximately 803,000 model year 2012-2013 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Venza vehicles due to a problem with the air conditioning condenser unit housing.

Water from the air conditioning condenser unit housing could leak onto the airbag control module and cause a short circuit, resulting in illumination of the airbag warning light. In some instances, the air bag(s) could become disabled or could inadvertently deploy.

In some cases, the power steering assist function could also become inoperable if a communication line in the airbag control module is damaged. Loss of power steering assist results in increased steering effort.

Owners of the involved vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return their vehicles to a Toyota dealer for the repair. Dealers will apply sealant and install a cover to the air conditioning condenser unit housing seam located above the airbag control module.

Detailed information is available to customers by calling the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Now that Congress has avoided default and gasoline prices have dipped from their summer highs, the nation's retailers are feeling more optimistic about the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Walmart said it is planning a blockbuster Black Friday event this year, its largest ever. At an investor conference, executives promised aggressive price rollbacks designed to spur sales after after a lackluster third quarter.

Mike Duke, president of Walmart Stores, said the company will rely on a mix of e-commerce and in-store sales to bolster sales this season. Industry analysts say of the two channels, e-commerce may prove to be the most potent.

In-store sales flatlining

Eric Jones, a principal at Jones Dengler Marketing and operator of BestBlackFriday.com, says he expects in-store sales will remain static or dip slightly while online sales lift profits. In other words, more people may shop this year, but they'll do it online.

“We can expect the online total sales for Black Friday to once again top $1 billion,” Jones said. “The reason I think the actual offline sales totals on Black Friday are going to drop again is because shoppers are becoming smarter and smarter about how and when they purchase.”

In previous years Jones said he saw almost instant consumer reaction when his company emailed lists of deals to consumers on its list. Now, he says, consumers are taking a more deliberate approach, searching for just the right deal.

Week-long event?

“Retailers previously offered some of the biggest deals on days such as Thanksgiving and the weekend following Thanksgiving,” he said. “However, these weren't advertised as much as Black Friday. Now, the savvy shopper will wait around searching for these deals and sometimes forego Black Friday altogether.”

So instead of a super shopping day on Black Friday, consumers can expect the kick-off to the holiday shopping season to last more than one day – it's already crept into Thanksgiving night – and maybe last an entire week, including Cyber Monday.

“We have several emails from retailers asking, not how we can promote their deals on Black Friday, but how can we promote their offers the entire week of Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. In fact, the entire day of Black Friday will be stretched even further this year as more and more retailers are going to open on Thanksgiving night or earlier.”

What's this mean for shoppers, both those who brave the crowds and those who prefer to shop online? Jones thinks it will translate into more and better deals than in the past.

Better deals

“We expect retailers to spread them out over a few days in order to lure shoppers into their stores several times during the Black Friday Week, Jones said. “Each day should have a couple of really aggressive deals that will lure shoppers in with hopes that they will also take advantage of other moderate offers.”

Amazon a leader

Where will consumers find the best deals? Despite Walmarts boast that it will blow consumers' socks off, Amazon.com – at this point, at least – appears to be the most aggressive, with deals that have been running for months on big ticket items like flatscreen TVs and tablets.

“We expect this trend to continue into the holiday season as they will likely start their deals an entire week before the big day,” Jones predicts.

Stores that start promoting holiday sales early may end up offering the best deals. Jones notes that Kmart started airing holiday commercials Sept.11, so consumers can expect to see some attractive deals there before the end of the shopping season.

“Also, Walmart has announced plans to market heavily during NFL games on Thanksgiving which is something they never do,” Jones said. “So they have to be planning something big for Black Friday, right? We just hope it's not a ploy to ward off some of the bad press garnered by the looming Black Friday strikes.”

New strategy from Macy's

Jones also expects big things from Macy's, after the retailer last year forced Jones' website to remove its Black Friday ad after it was leaked online. This year, Macy's has already revealed some of the highlights of its Black Friday specials on Pinterest.

Manufacturers are also getting aggressive for the holiday shopping season. One of the most aggressive so far, Jones says, has been Hewlett-Packard (HP).

“We've had several email and phone conversations with their representatives and I expect them to really surprise everyone this year,” he said. “They currently have some 20% off coupons on printers as well as discounted monitors and laptops. I'd expect these offers to ramp up as we head into November for HP online and trickle down into other retailers' deals that offer HP products.”

Nothing like settling back and zoning out on a nice piece of leather furniture, right? Well, yes, but unless that leather adorns the bucket seats of your high-end BMW, it may turn out to be something of a disappointment in the long run.

Besides the damage inflicted on the creature that once wore that leather as its skin, real leather furniture also takes a big bite out of your hide, monetarily speaking, and -- most significantly -- may not be nearly as durable and long-lasting as you had hoped.

Fact is, real leather is very expensive. It is, after all, the hide of an animal and thus somewhat precious, not only to the beast in question but to the rest of us as well, since in this age of rampant veganism, there's just not as much readily available leather as there used to be.

"Leather" isn't always leather

What you frequently wind up with when you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on leather furniture is what's called "bonded" leather. This doesn't mean bonded as in backed by the full faith and credit of whatever government may still be solvent. No, it means different pieces of hide are bonded -- glued, to put it bluntly -- together to look like the entire hide of a critter.

It's also called "reconstituted" leather. Vinyl, in other words.

Jennifer Convertibles has taken a lot of heat from consumers who find their leather furniture doesn't last as long as they had expected but the problem really is much more widespread than that. We were browsing around the furniture reviews the other day and could barely get past all the issues with leather furniture from Macy's. In fact, we thought we had blundered into the Jennifer section but no, it was Macy's.

"I purchased a leather couch and love seat, which were fairly expensive, in 2008 and thought that I was buying quality all-leather furniture thinking that Macy's was a quality retailer. I also purchased the 'Worry No More' 7-year protection plan," David of Naples, Fla., wrote earlier today.

"This fall I had a puncture in my couch and had a very difficult time trying to get someone to inspect the damage and repair it as covered under the protection plan," David said. "I finally got a rep to come to the house and he told me that it was covered. Also the leather ...which turned out to be a leather thin film coating over a backing was separating from the backing around the puncture...definitely not the quality I thought I was purchasing."

David said that after some back-and-forth, Macy's told him the damage was not covered.

Leaves a bad taste

Christopher of Rehobath Beach, Del., had a similar problem with his leather-covered dining room chairs.

"About 3 months ago, the leather seats on these seldom-used chairs started cracking all over, and within the last week every one of the chairs has developed large holes and tears in the fabric that go all the way through to the seat padding underneath," he said. "I contacted the Worry No More customer service number earlier this week to file a complaint, and explained the problem. They immediately denied the claim while I was still on the phone, saying 'cracks' are not a covered item."

David protested that the cracks "have developed into rips, tears, and holes, and the warranty document clearly states that it covers 'Rips, Tears or Punctures' in upholstered leather furniture." No dice. Macy's insists the damage isn't covered.

Ditto Linda of Spring Lake Heights, N.J. "My four-year-old leather sofa looks awful! The cushions are bumpy and unsightly. The Worry no More Protection Plan is a waste of money, cushions aren't covered even though they are falling apart," she fumed.

Meanwhile, in Novato, Calif., Gerardo tells a similar tale.

"We bought a Natuzzi leather sofa from Macy's in 2009. Two years later all the webbing straps under the sofa that holds the foam broke. The foam was breaking down and the wood frame between the cushions that held the foam was sticking out between the cushions... OUCH!" he said.

"We took the extended warranty Macy's offered from "Worry No More." Well, you'd better worry a lot more because the extended warranty only covers accidental stains and spills, which we were only informed about when we went to use the warranty," Gerardo said.

What to do?

What's the lesson in all this? Avoid Macy's? Frankly, that's not the answer. Avoiding leather might be more like it, unless you're willing and able to spend $10,000 or so on a true top-end piece of furniture. 

As Daryl Nelson wrote on these pages last August: "Many are sadly surprised when they realize the true difference between bonded and genuine leather is its durability, and plenty of retailers leave this important detail out just to close the sale."

A Missouri newspaper ran a syndicated version of Daryl's story, which sparked this response from St. Louis Leather Repair: "Bicast leather (also known as bycast leather, split leather, or PU leather) is a split leather with a layer of polyurethane applied to the surface and then embossed. Bicast was originally made for the shoe industry and recently adopted by the furniture industry. Furniture made with Bicast exhibits none of the characteristics associated with genuine leather; it will not develop a patina or suppleness nor otherwise 'improve with age'. With constant use the polyurethane layer will crack and split."

Enough said? 

Social media sites just love kids. They can't get enough of them and are willing to pay just about any price to get more of them, as long as that price is extracted from the kids' privacy protections and not from the webmeister's billions.

Facebook is the latest to look for a way around the minimal privacy protections that had been in place for teens, today announcing a new policy that allows minors to share more information with the general public.

Critics are not happy, charging that Facebook is sacrificing children's safety in the pursuit of profit. Surprisingly, Facebook doesn't even bother to deny that. In a news release, the company said it's making the changes to stay competitive.

"Teens are among the savviest people using social media, and whether it comes to civic engagement, activism, or their thoughts on a new movie, they want to be heard," Facebook's announcement states. "While only a small fraction of teens using Facebook might choose to post publicly, this update now gives them the choice to share more broadly, just like on other social media services."

Teens may be "savvy" but they are also prone to act impulsively and have even been known to take actions that endanger themselves and their friends but that apparently has slipped through whatever decency filters may still be in place at Facebook.

Posts become public

Just to clarify, the latest change means that Facebook users 13 to 17 can now set the audience for their posts to "Public," which opens them up to the world. Prevously, they were restricted to sharing their posts with "Friends of Friends" or even just "Friends."

We all know, of course, that "Friends" aren't always friends, or even very friendly, but no matter.

Parents who pay attention are likely to be incensed at the notion that their kids are suddenly open prey to stalkers and predators of all descriptions.

Beyond that, there are also concerns about what might be called the "under-the-hood" data that teens share about themselves, data that winds up being used for advertising and marketing purposes. Privacy groups have been demanding that Federal Trade Commission take a careful look at the data Facebook collects from its younger users.  

Less than a month ago, a coalition of more than 20 public health, media, youth, and consumer advocacy groups wrote to the FTC, raising concerns about the potential negative impact of Facebook's earlier changes to its privacy policy. saying the changes would expose teens to the same problematic data collection and sophisticated ad-targeted practices that adults currently face.

“The FTC, which has acknowledged that teens require special privacy safeguards, must act now to limit the ways in which Facebook collects data and engages in targeted marketing directed at adolescents,” the organizations said in a letter to FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez.

Here’s a piece of advice which you hopefully know already, though it still needs to be said: never, ever sign a contract without reading it first. Even if the salesman verbally assures you “This contract says A, B and C,” you still must read before you sign to ensure it doesn’t actually say X, Y and Z.

Granted, when we say “Don’t sign a contract unless you read it,” you might counter: “Have you actually seen those contracts? Too long! Too much fine print! Too much legalese—you can’t even understand it without a law degree.” Okay—but if that’s the case, why in the world would you make the default assumption, “Although I don’t know what this says, I’m sure it’s in my best interest”?

This rule applies to any company you can name, but for today we’ll make an example of Gold’s Gym because, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve heard from several disgruntled customers whose complaints boiled down to “The salesman promised one thing but the contract said something else.”

Consider Mark S. of Richmond, Va., who wrote us on Sept. 30 to say “When I first spoke with the gym person that was filling out the agreement, he assured me that I could cancel it at any time.” This cancellation clause was important to Mark because he bought the membership as a gift for his wife, but he wasn’t certain she would actually use it.

Sure enough: “She never once set foot on the gym so later on, when I tried to cancel, they threw the contract at me, saying that [the salesman’s promise] was non-binding and [they] would not even discuss” it.

Another Virginian, Jenny Z. of Arlington, told us a similar story on Oct. 16. She warns everybody: “DO NOT SIGN UP ANY CONTRACT WITH THEM if there is any little chance you will relocate to another place …. When I signed the contract, they told me that the airline ticket could be a proof for international relocation. But now, after struggling for several months, they still charge me money even after they know [I am] not here anymore, [in] direct contrast with their promise.”

Unfortunately for Jenny, that was only a verbal promise, which directly contradicts the actual written contract she signed -- and, of course, can't be proven.

But, of course, that turned out not to be the case: “After several headaches with various assistant managers …. we finally decided to cancel our membership, only to discover that we were actually bound by a two-year contract. *NEVER* did anyone mention we were signing up for a two-year contract, not a single time. We've tried to resolve this over the phone, but every employee dodges the issue and says we must handle this in person; there are no cancellations over the phone. Okay, fine. We go in-person to attempt to cancel and every single time, the General Manager is not in today, so they're unable to address our issue ….”

Maybe the salesmen deliberately lied, or maybe they all made the same honest mistakes. From the customers’ point of view it doesn’t matter; what matters is what’s actually written in the contract they signed.

What to do

And finally, this word of advice from one of the attorneys who is always hovering around us: Whenever you sign a contract, be sure to keep a copy of it. You would be amazed how many people don't do this.

Why do you need a copy? Well, the most basic reason is so you know what you agreed to. But on a more practical level, the contract will tell you how to cancel it. 

Yes, that's right. Every contract contains the seeds of its own cancellation. A contract provides the legal names of the parties, the address at which they can be contacted and the means by which the agreement can be canceled or modified. If you follow these steps exactly, you will nearly always be successful.

Companies are entirely within the law when they ignore cancellations or modifications that do not abide by the steps outlined in the contact. If the contract says cancellations must be in writing and mailed to a specific address, then -- guess what? -- that's the only way to do it.

Simple as that. 

Completing your education should be a dream come true as you head out into the real world to find employment and begin your real life. But for students with private education loans, it can be a nightmare.

We at ConsumerAffairs hear regularly from folks caught up in what seems like a never-ending maze of dealing with the process.

Alexander of Forest Hills, N.Y., says that without any notification, his loan was sold to another company. “I had no say which bank/company pays my loan and what are the conditions of it. Now, we are dealing with enormous problems, such as, bad customer service and legal expenses. As soon as I have time, I intend to terminate all my business with this bank.”

“I have been continuously paying my Citibank student loans on time each month,” writes Mark of Chester, Md., in a ConsumerAffairs post. “When I checked my credit reports last month, it said that a loan with Citibank student loans had been charged off for nonpayment which I have all canceled and checked. I called them to see what was going on and finally got them to admit to their error and to fix the account, which I sent them a 6 months advance payment. I am worried that they would continue to do this to me.”

CFPB takes a look

Now, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Student Loan Ombudsman has released a report analyzing complaints the bureau has received from private student loan borrowers. It shows these loan borrowers face payment processing pitfalls that can lead to increased costs, prolonged repayments, and harm to their credit profiles.

The CFPB is also issuing a consumer advisory to help certain borrowers communicate their payment preferences to servicers, so they can take better control of their student loans.

“Repaying a student loan should be simple,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “When servicers process payments to maximize fees and penalties, they undermine the trust of their customers. Student loan borrowers deserve better; they deserve transparency and accountability.”

“With limited options to refinance, many borrowers want to pay off loans where they are stuck in high rates,” said CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman Rohit Chopra. “But too many borrowers have to run through an obstacle course to get their payments processed properly.”

Payback struggles

In recent years, many consumers have borrowed significantly to pay for postsecondary education. Before the financial meltdown, the private student loan market boomed. Today, while the private student loan market has declined after the bust, many borrowers are still struggling to pay back their loans.

According to a recent CFPB analysis, for borrowers graduating at the time of the financial meltdown with more than $40,000 in student debt, 81% used private loans. Unlike federal student loans, these private student loans generally have higher and variable interest rates and may not allow borrowers to easily manage their payments in times of hardship.

The most common complaints submitted to the CFPB were about payment processing pitfalls when consumers try to take control of their loans, including when borrowers attempt to pay off their loans early or pay them off in a certain sequence. Major areas include:

• Prepayment Stumbling Blocks: Since options to refinance high-rate private student loans are limited, many consumers attempt to pay off their loans in order to reduce the amount of interest owed over the life of the loan. But many of them express confusion about how to pay off their loans early. For example, borrowers complained that payments in excess of the amount due are applied across all their loans, not the highest-interest rate loan that they would prefer to pay off first.
• Partial Payment Snags: When borrowers have multiple loans with one servicer and are unable to pay their bill in full, many servicers instruct borrowers to make whatever payment they can afford. Many complaints described how servicers often divide up the partial payment and apply it evenly across all of the loans in their account. This maximizes the late fees charged to the consumer and it can exacerbate the negative credit impact of a single late payment.
• Servicing Transfer Surprises: When borrowers’ loans are transferred between servicers, borrowers say they experience lost paperwork, processing errors that result in late fees, and interruptions of routine communication, such as billing statements. Consumers complained that payment-processing policies can vary depending on the servicer. And, consumers said when they make decisions on the previous servicer’s practices, they can get penalized.

What to do

The CFPB has put out a consumer advisory to help borrowers instruct servicers on how to process their payments.

If a borrower has several loans with the same loan servicer and does not provide instructions on how to process the money sent in each month, the servicer generally decides how to allocate the payments. Leaving this decision up to the servicer is not always in the consumer’s best interest.

The new advisory includes sample instructions to a servicer telling it to always direct any extra payments toward the highest-rate loan, saving consumers the most money.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they may have a head start on dealing with Alzheimer's disease.

According to the scientists, by measuring levels of certain proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), they can predict when people will develop the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's years before the first symptoms of memory loss appear.

Identifying such biomarkers, they say, could provide a long-sought tool to guide earlier use of potential drug treatments to prevent or halt the progression of the ailment while people are still cognitively normal.

Treatment comes too late

Medications designed to stop the brain damage have failed in clinical trials, possibly, many researchers say, because they are given to those who already have symptoms and too much damage to overcome.

"When we see patients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, we don't say we will wait to treat you until you get congestive heart failure,” says Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Early treatments keep heart disease patients from getting worse, and it's possible the same may be true for those with pre-symptomatic Alzheimer's."

Albert, the primary investigator of the study whose results are published in the Oct. 16 issue of the journal Neurology, adds that “it has been hard to see Alzheimer's disease coming, even though we believe it begins developing in the brain a decade or more before the onset of symptoms."

Testing for proteins

For the new study, the Hopkins team used CSF collected for the Biomarkers for Older Controls at Risk for Dementia (BIOCARD) project between 1995 and 2005, from 265 middle-aged healthy volunteers. Annually during those years and again beginning in 2009, researchers gave the subjects a battery of neuropsychological tests and a physical exam.

They found that particular baseline ratios of two proteins -- phosphorylated tau and beta amyloid found in CSF -- were a harbinger of mild cognitive impairment (often a precursor to Alzheimer's) more than five years before symptom onset. They also found that the rate of change over time in the ratio was also predictive.

The more tau and the less beta amyloid found in the spinal fluid, the more likely the development of symptoms. And, Albert says, the more rapidly the ratio of tau to beta amyloid goes up, the more likely the eventual development of symptoms.

Predictive possibilities

Researchers have known that these proteins were in the spinal fluid of patients with advanced disease. "But we wondered if we could measure something in the cerebral spinal fluid when people are cognitively normal to give us some idea of when they will develop difficulty," Albert says. "The answer is yes."

Alzheimer's disease disrupts critical metabolic processes that keep neurons healthy. These disruptions cause neurons to stop working, lose connections with other nerve cells, and finally die. The brains of people with Alzheimer's have an abundance of two abnormal structures -- amyloid plaques and "tangles" made of tau.

The plaques are sticky accumulations of beta-amyloid that build up outside of the neurons, while the tangles form inside the neurons. When there are too many tangles inside the cells, the cells start to die. In a normal brain, tau helps the skeleton of the nerve cell maintain itself. When too many phosphate groups attach themselves to tau, too much of the protein develops and tangles form.

Albert says researchers believe that the relative amount of beta-amyloid in the spinal fluid decreases as Alzheimer's progresses because it is getting trapped in the plaques and therefore isn't entering the fluid.

Early treatment possible

Though the BIOCARD study has been going on for nearly two decades, this is some of the first predictive data to come out of it, Albert says, owing to the length of time it takes for even high-risk middle-aged people to progress to dementia. Only 53 of the original patients have progressed to mild cognitive impairment or dementia, giving a sample size just large enough to draw some preliminary conclusions. These first symptoms include memory disruptions such as repeating oneself, forgetting appointments, and forgetting what others have said.

Albert cautions that the biomarker ratio at this point is not accurate enough to precisely predict whether a particular individual is progressing to dementia, and further analysis of information about the group over time is needed.

However, she says, if the findings prove valid, they not only could guide the use of early treatments with drugs that become available, but also may also help test new drugs by seeing if they alter the rate at which the proteins change over time.

The number of workers filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits fell in the week ending October 12, but not by as much as some forecasters had expected.

Government figures show initial claims were down by 15,000 from the previous week to 358,000. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com were looking for a total of 330,000.

The initial claims level elevated for a second week in a row thanks to computer problems in California.

Glitches following a conversion to a new computer system there caused an enormous backlog unemployment benefit applications in the beginning of September. The state is continuing to process those applications, which is inflating the initial claims level. The higher-than-normal claims levels are expected to fall soon and the level returning toward 300,000.

Claims filed by nonfederal workers disrupted by the government shutdown were unchanged from last week, while close to 70,000 federal workers applied for unemployment insurance as a result of the government furloughs. Those workers were not included in the initial claims data.

The 4-week moving average, which is less volatile than the weekly number and thus considered more accurate gauge of the labor market, rose 11,750 -- to 336,500.

The complete report is available on the Department of Labor website.

The concept of holiday shopping on Thanksgiving – instead of waiting for Black Friday – is apparently here to stay. Despite some grumbling last year from traditionalists who thought Thanksgiving was for family time, it appears the shoppers are winning out.

Macy's is the latest major retailer to announce it will open at least some of its stores Thanksgiving evening. The press release announcing the early opening is careful to point out the shopping will begin at 8:00 p.m., after holiday celebrations across America.

In announcing its Black Friday hours, Macy's also announced it will have Black Friday special prices on fragrances, clothing and kitchen gadgets. Macy's said it will donate $2 from every One Direction Out Moment fragrance purchase to Make-a-Wish, up to $100,000.

Fun and excitement

“Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year and brings with it a level of fun and excitement to our customers around the nation,” said Peter Sachse, Macy’s chief stores officer. “For Macy’s, it's important to make this day enjoyable and convenient for everyone, as our customers search for great deals on favorite wish-list items. Shopping at Macy’s on Black Friday means having the opportunity to purchase the most sought-after products at unbelievable savings.”

Where did Black Friday come from and how did it become Black Thursday? Black Friday gets its name from the fact that most retailers don't break into the black each year until the holiday shopping season, which officially starts the Friday after Thanksgiving.

How did it morph into Black Thursday? Like many recent developments, it has everything to do with money. Those of a certain age can remember when the World Series was played on weekday afternoons, while millions of fans were at work and school. The Super Bowl, until about 30 years ago, was played on a Sunday afternoon, like any other football game.

Follow the money

But at some point the marketers pointed out that a lot of money was being left on the table. Now these classic sporting events are played – and broadcast – in prime time when the audience is at its maximum and advertisers can be charged the highest rates.

A few years ago Walmart and several other retailers began opening at 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday. Then someone said, “why not open at midnight?” So they did.

Last year many retailers thought, “hey, there's nothing to do after Thanksgiving dinner. Let's open on Thanksgiving night.” Walmart set the pace but Target and other competitors quickly joined in.

Despite predictions that consumers would recoil at the intrusion on a sacred American holiday, consumers seemed to like the idea. Stores that opened early reported a brisk business during their pre-Black Friday hours.

National holiday

To many consumers Black Friday has, itself, become a national holiday and cramming into stores, scrambling for the few available advertised specials, is sort of a communal experience – maybe better than sitting around the table while Aunt Gladys recounts, for the umpteenth time, the details of her gall bladder operation.

Last Christmas a neighborhood pub in Richmond, Va., announced it would be open Christmas night with the slogan, “come be with your real family.” The communal experience just may be the big attraction.

It isn't the prices. Sure, there are incredible prices on popular items but it always turns out there are only a few available at that price. Most go home disappointed.

In 2012 a study by ShopAdvisor tracked the prices of 252 toys from the first day of autumn and found that in the 54 days from Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, the day with the lowest percentage -- 46 percent -- of products on sale below their initial holiday season price was Black Friday, Nov. 25. The best deals turned out to be on Nov. 13.

The Internet has also done a lot to make Black Friday obsolete. A lot of Black Friday deals will be available at retailers' websites – with more deals on the following Cyber Monday.

Even so, that won't deter millions from getting up from the dinner table on Thanksgiving and heading for the mall. Then again, maybe they aren't really going for the deals, but to spend time with their real families.

The holiday season may not be as jolly this year.

The National Retail Federation's (NRF) holiday consumer spending survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, finds that consumers facing continued economic uncertainty and used to doing more with less will take a conservative approach to spending this holiday season.

As a result, the survey projects the average holiday shopper will spend $737.95 on gifts, decor, greeting cards and more -- 2% less than the $752.24 they actually spent last year. Overall, NRF is forecasting holiday sales will rise 3.9% -- to $602.1 billion.

“Though the foundation for solid holiday season growth exists, Americans are questioning the stability of our economy, our government and their own finances,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “We expect consumers to set a modest budget for gifts and other holiday related purchases as they wait and see what will become of the U.S. economy in the coming months.

The Washington effect

For the first time, NRF asked holiday shoppers if the political gridlock in Washington around U.S. fiscal concerns would affect their holiday spending plans. On average, 29% said the situation would somewhat or very likely affect their spending plans. Nearly one-third (32.7%) of those between the ages of 55 and 64 said political gridlock in Washington was somewhat or very likely to affect their spending -- the highest percent among all age groups surveyed.

When asked specifically about the overall state of the economy and how it would affect their spending plans, more than half (51.0%) of consumers said the economy would in some way have an impact on how they spend this holiday season. Specifically, 79.5% say they'll spend less overall, cutting corners and tightening budgets where they can.

Family and friends first

In order to make room in their budgets this year, consumers will cut back on so-called “self-gifting,” or treating themselves to something because the deals are too good to pass up. When asked if they plan to take advantage of sales or price discounts during the holiday season to make additional non-gift purchases, 57.0% said “yes,” down 2% from last year. Self-gifters will spend an average of $129.62 this year, compared with a survey high of $140.43 last year and $137.17 in 2011.

According to the survey, the biggest portion of shoppers’ budget will go towards gifts for family members, with the average person planning to spend $415.50 on mom, dad and other loved ones; last year they spent $423.36. Additionally, people will spend $72.14 on friends, $23.59 on co-workers and $25.63 on others, such as pets and community members.

Consumers will also spend on food and candy ($100.35), greeting cards ($28.03) and flowers ($21.12). When it comes to decorations, the average person will spend $51.60. Total spending on holiday decor will reach $6.8 billion.

“Consumers have had years of practice when it comes to managing tight budgets while still spending on items they need to, whether it be gifts or groceries for the family,” said Prosper Insights Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. “Retailers can expect to see practical and refined attitudes from their customers this holiday season as families make thoughtful decisions about what they need to buy and what they can pass on.”

Early shopping

Consistent with results seen the past 11 years, four in 10 (41.2%) consumers say they will begin holiday shopping before Halloween. Specifically, 12.4$ say they started before September, 8.2% began in September, and 20.6% say they'll get started in October. More than one-third (38.8%) will begin in November and 16.0% plan to start shopping in the first two weeks of December. Almost four percent (3.9%) will wait until last minute and shop in the last two weeks of the month.

For the first time, shoppers were asked why they shop early. Of those who shop prior to or in September and October, six in 10 (60.3%) do so to spread out their gift shopping budget. Another four in 10 (41.9%) said the prices and promotions are too good to pass up. Additionally, 46.5% shop early to avoid the crowds associated with November and December shopping, and 44.2% do so to avoid the stress of last-minute shopping.

Where they shop

With plenty of options to shop around for the best value, consumers will look to discounters (64.7%), department stores (56.3%), and grocery stores (51.1%) for their gifts and goods this holiday season. More than half (51.5%) will shop online and 35.1% will shop at clothing or accessories stores. Additionally, 29.5% will shop at electronics stores and 20.9% will shop at drug stores.

Whether to comparison shop or look for deals on their mobile device while out and about, the Internet will play a crucial role for retailers and shoppers this year. The average person will complete about 39.5% of her shopping on retail and other company websites, compared with 38.8% last year and the highest amount in the survey’s history. Shop.org, NRF’s digital division, is forecasting online holiday sales will grow between 13 and 15% to as much as $82 billion.

Using smartphones and tablets

As retailers improve their mobile websites and company apps, more people are drawn to the convenience of shopping using their mobile and tablet devices. According to the survey, more than half (56.3%) of holiday shoppers say they own a smartphone, and more than one-third (34.0%) own a tablet -- both significantly higher than this time last year. Of those who own a smartphone, 53.8% will use their device to look up store hours, compare prices and purchase products; six in 10 (63.2%) tablet owners will use their device to shop, compare prices and look up product information.

Gift card popularity

When it comes to holiday wish lists, gift cards take the prize once again as the most requested gift item for the seventh year in a row. According to the survey, six in 10 (59.4%) people say they’d most like to receive gift cards. After a few years on the back burner, clothing and clothing accessories will fill wish lists with more than half (51.2%) requesting these items -- the highest amount seen since 2006.

More than one-third (36.1%) want electronics, one-quarter (23.3%) want jewelry and 20.8 percent want home decor or home-related furnishings.

Sales and discounts

Holiday shoppers fine tune their skills each year in order to maneuver the stores, discover the best free-shipping deals and perfect their hassle-free shopping experience. When it comes to decisions like where to shop, price and promotions are top-of-mind.

According to the survey, 35.6% said the most important factor in deciding where to shop is offers for sales and discounts, along with 16.4% who say the most important factor is selection of merchandise and 13.6% who say it’s quality of merchandise. Three percent (3.4%) rate free shipping or shipping promotions as the most important factor, versus 2.9% last year.

There are two economic facts of life that are creating some discomfort in modern families. The cost of having children is going up while the salaries of young Americans of child-rearing years has leveled off or is going down.

In a survey of young mothers, BabyCenter.com has found that parents spend an average of $13,000 a year on their children. Couples worry that they don't have enough money to start a family.

“Children are expensive, but couples aren’t letting that hold them back from starting a family,” said Carmen Wong Ulrich, a BabyCenter.com financial expert. “They are exploring ways of saving that they may not have previously considered, like moving back in with their parents or accepting money from in-laws. This can be a good short-term solution for couples to get them started, but they need to make sure they are taking the necessary steps to eventually become financially independent.”

Would like to save $4,500

In the survey expectant mothers said they would like to save an average $4,500 before the birth of their child. And if they can't, or if $4,500 turns out not to be enough, young parents-to-be most often look to their parents for help. That, in turn, puts a financial strain on a generation that is relatively well off but is trying to prepare for retirement.

Preparing for the birth of a child is expensive enough. Nearly 50 percent of young women in the survey are spending money on products or services to encourage pregnancy, and it’s not cheap. From ovulation kits to vitamin supplements, women trying to get pregnant spend close to $500 to help them conceive.

The request for financial help doesn’t stop once the baby is born. About 30 percent of the mothers in the survey said they received financial help from their parents or in-laws during the baby’s first year.

“Budgeting for baby is one the biggest challenges new parents face,” said Wong Ulrich. “A new baby can drastically alter a family’s financial status, and parents need to be prepared.”

Multi-generational households

And so, apparently, do the grandparents. Multi-generational households are on the rise as more young families move in with parents and in-laws to save money. Some financially support their children and their children directly.

A 2011 study found nearly 60% of parents gave financial support to their adult children, some of whom were married and had families. The survey, by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), also showed that 65% of adult children—those ages 18-39 who are not in school—believe the financial pressures faced by their generation are tougher than those experienced by previous generations.

Parents tend to agree – at least 32% do – which may be why they are willing to open their checkbooks. In the survey 43 percent of parents who were providing financial support said they were doing so because they were"legitimately concerned" with their child’s financial well-being.

"Parents are continuing their involvement longer than we expected," Ted Beck, president and CEO of NEFE, said at the time the survey was released. "The general sentiment is that financial pressures are higher for this generation. But if parents are going to financially support their adult children, they should first have a serious talk about their kids’ expectations so that everyone protects their financial futures."

Beck also noted what he considers a disturbing trend -- parents making sacrifices to help their adult children. Helping a young family get a foothold is one thing but continuing to support children and their families simply isn't a sustainable course of action.