In the bacterial world of your mouth, nurture wins out over nature

Saturday, October 13, 2012

The human mouth is home to a teeming community of microbes, yet still relatively little is known about what determines the specific types of microorganisms that live there. Is it your genes that decide who lives in the microbial village, or is it your environment? In a study published online in Genome Research (www.genome.org), researchers have shown that environment plays a much larger role in determining oral microbiota than expected, a finding that sheds new light on a major factor in oral health.

Our oral microbiome begins to take shape as soon as we are born and sees a myriad of bacteria introduced to our mouth during childhood and later in life, yet little is known about whether nature (your genes) or nurture (your environment) has a stronger influence. Because of variations in the oral microbiome in both health and diseases like bacteremia and endocarditis, understanding the determinants of oral microbiota communities might lead to better prevention and treatment strategies.

In this study, a team of researchers from the University of Colorado sequenced the microbial DNA present in the saliva samples of a cohort of twins, and matched the DNA sequences in a database to determine which types of bacteria were present in each individual. In their data set, they utilized samples that were gathered over a decade of adolescence from the same individuals to observe how the salivary microbiome changes with time.

By comparing the salivary microbiomes of identical twins, who share the same genetic make-up and live in a common environment, the group found that their salivary microbiomes were not significantly more similar than the salivary microbiota of fraternal twins, who share only half of their genes, suggesting genetic relatedness is not as important as environment. "The conclusion that genetic relatedness plays at most only a small role in microbial relatedness was really a surprise," said Dr. Ken Krauter, senior author of the study.

"We were also intrigued to see that the microbiota of twin pairs becomes less similar once they moved apart from each other," added Simone Stahringer, first author of the study, explaining further evidence for the influence of environment on oral microbiota. Interestingly, in the samples obtained from the same individuals over time, they found that the salivary microbiome changed the most during early adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 17. This suggests that factors such as puberty or prominent behavioral changes at this age might be important.

Krauter explained that their work uncovered another unexpected finding, that there is a core community of bacteria that are present in nearly all humans studied. "Though there are definitely differences among different people, there is a relatively high degree of sharing similar microbial species in all human mouths."

The authors suggested that this report has established a framework for future studies of the factors that influence oral microbial communities. "With broad knowledge of the organisms to expect to find in mouths," said Krauter, "we can now better understand how oral hygiene, environmental exposure to substances like alcohol, methamphetamines and even foods we eat affect the balance of microbes."

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Stahringer SS, Clemente JC, Corley RP, Hewitt J, Knights D, Walters WA, Knight R, Krauter KS. Nurture trumps nature in a longitudinal survey of salivary bacterial communities in twins from early adolescence to early adulthood. Genome Res doi: 10.1101/gr.140608.112.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: http://www.cshl.org

Thanks to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/124444/In_the_bacterial_world_of_your_mouth__nurture_wins_out_over_nature

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Chinese scientist says prehistoric man ate pandas

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2012 file photo, Mei Xiang, a giant female panda, rests at the National Zoo in Washington. A Chinese scientist said that humans used to eat pandas. In a newspaper interview, Wei Guangbiao said prehistoric man ate the bears in what is now part of the city of Chongqing in southwest China. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2012 file photo, Mei Xiang, a giant female panda, rests at the National Zoo in Washington. A Chinese scientist said that humans used to eat pandas. In a newspaper interview, Wei Guangbiao said prehistoric man ate the bears in what is now part of the city of Chongqing in southwest China. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

BEIJING (AP) ? China's beloved national symbol ? the panda ? may have been seen quite differently by ancient humans: as food.

Scientist Wei Guangbiao says prehistoric man ate pandas in an area that is now part of the city of Chongqing in southwest China.

Wei, head of the Institute of Three Gorges Paleoanthropology at a Chongqing museum, says many excavated panda fossils "showed that pandas were once slashed to death by man."

The Chongqing Morning Post quoted him Friday as saying: "In primitive times, people wouldn't kill animals that were useless to them" and therefore the pandas must have been used as food.

But he says pandas were much smaller then.

Wei says wild pandas lived in Chongqing's high mountains 10,000 to 1 million years ago.

The Chinese government invests greatly in studying the native species and trying to ensure its survival. Pandas number about 1,600 in the wild, where they are critically endangered due to poaching and development. More than 300 live in captivity, mostly in China's breeding programs.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-14-China-Eating%20Pandas/id-bc9b6a630c1744768a33170d295ebd82

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Card fee "settlement" just start of big legal battle

(Reuters) - Visa, Mastercard and a group of retailers plan to ask a judge this week to approve a landmark settlement of a lawsuit over credit card fees, setting the stage for a battle with Wal-Mart and hundreds of other merchants who say it is a bad deal.

Announced in July, the $7.2 billion settlement is intended to resolve seven years of antitrust litigation between merchants and credit-card companies and their banks over so-called "swipe fees" that retailers pay to process credit-card transactions.

Merchants alleged the card companies and banks worked together to inflate rates for these interchange fees, costing billions of dollars each year.

If approved, the settlement would apply to the nearly 8 million merchants that take Visa Inc and MasterCard Inc's cards.

But in the months since it was filed, a number of major retailers and trade groups have said they would rather have no deal than the one that court-appointed lawyers negotiated on their behalf. On Friday, 10 of the 19 trade groups and stores that led the litigation against the card companies said they would ask U.S. District Judge John Gleeson to reject the settlement.

If approved, the deal would be the largest federal antitrust settlement in U.S. history. In addition to a $6.05 billion payment and $1.2 billion in temporary fee reductions, the deal calls on card companies to allow merchants to charge customers extra for using certain cards. It would also release Visa and Mastercard from a wide range of antitrust claims and new lawsuits over interchange fees.

"This is a remarkably and fatally flawed deal," said Jeff Shinder of law firm Constantine Cannon, who argues that the settlement forces merchants to give up valuable legal rights.

Four of the major trade groups now opposing the deal have replaced their court-appointed counsel with Shinder, a veteran antitrust lawyer who has already represented clients in two other multi-billion dollar antitrust settlements with Visa and Mastercard.

Shinder also represents Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's largest retailer, which was not part of the original lawsuit, but would be bound by the settlement if approved.

Retail and restaurant heavyweights such as Target Corp , Starbucks Corp and Lowe's Cos Inc , and other national restaurant and retailer groups have also signaled they plan to fight the deal.

That is an unusual show of force against a proposed class-action settlement, legal experts said.

"You don't usually see a lot of objectors in class actions and you don't usually see them of this size and significance," said Jay Tidmarsh, a professor at Notre Dame School of Law.

The settlement also has the support of some big-name retailers, including Kroger Co , the largest U.S. grocery chain operator, and its No. 2 rival, Safeway Inc .

Among questions the settlement's supporters raise are whether objecting merchants are trying to create a legal stalemate to pressure Congress for credit-card fee legislation.

The "over-the-top criticism" from Shinder and the objectors is "untethered to the law, economics and dynamics of this case," Richard Arnold, who represents individual stores, including Kroger and Safeway, said in a September 18 letter to Shinder filed with the court. His clients include a group of about 20 large stores that have agreed to settle.

Those stores, mostly supermarket and drug store chains, have maintained individual lawsuits alongside the class action. They struck a separate deal for $550 million from the credit card companies and banks, but would still be subject to the non-monetary portions of the class action settlement - including the rule changes and litigation releases.

Representatives for Kroger and Safeway said the settlement would let them communicate with customers directly for the first time about swipe fees. They said consumer awareness of swipe-fee costs could motivate them to switch to less costly payment methods, such as cash.

"We think it will begin to produce real competition in the payments business and potentially lower costs for all consumers," Melissa Plaisance, Safeway's senior vice-president of finance, said of the settlement.

Those who favor the settlement ? the individual plaintiffs and a shrinking number of the stores that originally brought the suit - say that without a deal, stores will have to continue to operate in a broken interchange system for years longer.

Attorneys appointed by the court to represent and negotiate on the merchants' behalf are scheduled to formally submit the settlement by October 19 for preliminary approval.

Even without the high-profile objectors, the legal process for approving the proposed settlement was expected to stretch well into 2013. If the objectors succeed in convincing the lawyers, or Gleeson, to reject the deal in its current form, that process could go on even longer.

What merchants such as Wal-Mart say they really want is transparency into how swipe-fee rates are set by banks and credit card companies, and they do not think this deal delivers, said Mallory Duncan, general counsel for the National Retail Federation, which opposes the settlement.

The legal standard for approving class action settlements is that it be "fair, reasonable and adequate."

To Shinder, the deal falls short.

"Because of the scope of the (litigation) release, which by its express terms gives defendants more than they could ever win at trial, this settlement is worse than losing," Shinder said.

He explained that, if merchants lost, they would be back to square one, but at least they could go back to court and try again.

Craig Wildfang, one of the lawyers appointed by the court to represent U.S. merchants affected by the settlement, said merchants got "95 percent of what they wanted" from the settlement and that objectors were asking for relief that only Congress or bank regulators could provide.

The lawyers who favor of the deal, along with Visa and Mastercard and the individual plaintiff stores, say they are confident the settlement will be approved.

While the stores supporting the deal have portrayed Shinder, his clients and other objectors as malcontents trying to drag out the litigation to get Congress' attention, scholars say the legal concerns are legitimate ? even though those concerns must be weighed carefully against the court's general reluctance to upset such difficult settlements.

But Gleeson, a well-respected federal district judge, will not have an easy time setting aside the concerns of the nation's largest retailer, particularly when it has joined forces yet again with Shinder and Constantine Cannon. After all, Wal-Mart was the lead plaintiff on behalf of 5 million merchants in a $3.05 billion antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard over card-acceptance rules in 2003. Constantine Cannon was its law firm in the litigation and Gleeson was the judge who ultimately approved that deal.

"You have a top judge, you have very fine lawyers for the settlement's proponents, and you're going to have the same thing on the other side," said Howard Langer, a managing partner at Langer Grogan & Diver. "The overwhelming number of settlements are approved, but the overwhelming number of settlements aren't for $7.2 billion and aren't before this kind of judge with this quality of objectors."

(Reporting By Jessica Dye.; Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein. Editing by Brad Dorfman and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/card-fee-settlement-just-start-big-legal-battle-140221721--sector.html

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GOP senator alleges cover-up on Libya

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Grab F-Secure Internet Security 2013 for free

TipRadar | Oct 13, 2012 | Comments 1

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F-Secure Internet Security Technology Preview (ISTP) is a non-stop project of our security product for Windows PCs. New ISTP versions are released every other week. This ensures that our users are always running the latest version of our product.

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Smallish Home Business Webhosting Plans: Compact Business ...

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Internet Marketing Has By no means Been Simpler: Try These Tips ...

Internet Marketing Has By no means Been Simpler: Try These Tips

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New treatments for epilepsy, behavioral disorders could ... - Health.am

? Epilepsy ? ? Neurology ? Oct 11, 2012

Three studies conducted as part of Wayne State University?s Systems Biology of Epilepsy Project (SBEP) could result in new types of treatment for the disease and, as a bonus, for behavioral disorders as well.

The SBEP started out with funds from the President?s Research Enhancement Fund and spanned neurology, neuroscience, genetics and computational biology. It since has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health-funded grants aimed at identifying the underlying causes of epilepsy, and it is uniquely integrated within the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the Wayne State School of Medicine and the Detroit Medical Center.

Under the guidance of Jeffrey Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics (CMMG) and professor of neurology, the project brings together researchers from different fields to create an interdisciplinary research program that targets the complex disease. The multifaceted program at Wayne State is like no other in the world, officials say, with two primary goals: improving clinical care and creating novel strategies for diagnosis and treatment of patients with epilepsy.

The three studies were published in high-impact journals and use human brain tissue research to identify new targets for drug development, generate a new animal model and identify a new class of drugs to treat the disease. In the first study, ?Layer-Specific CREB Target Gene Induction in Human Neocortical Epilepsy,? published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, donated human brain samples were probed to identify 137 genes strongly associated with epileptic seizures.

Researchers then showed that the most common pathway is activated in very specific layers of the cortex, and that it?s associated with increased numbers of synapses in those areas. Because epilepsy is a disease of abnormal neuronal synchrony, the finding could explain why some brain regions produce clinical seizures.

?Higher density of synapses may explain how abnormal epileptic discharges, or spikes, are formed, and in what layer,? Loeb said, adding that localizing the exact layer of the brain in which that process occurs is useful both for understanding the mechanism and for developing therapeutics.

The first study, which identified a new drug target for epilepsy, precipitated a second study that has found such a drug.

In the second study, ?Electrical, Molecular and Behavioral Effects of Interictal Spiking in the Rat,? published recently in Neurobiology of Disease, SBEP researchers found that the same brain layers in the rat are activated as in the human tissues and searched for a drug to target those layers. In fact, the first drug they tried, a compound called SL327 that has been used in nonhuman subjects to understand how memory works, ?worked like a dream,? Loeb said. ?SL327 prevented spiking in rat brains,? he said, ?which not only prevented seizures, but led to more normal behaviors as well.?

That finding led to collaborations between Loeb?s lab and Nash Boutros, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, and the Belgian drug company UCB.

?Whereas animals that developed epileptic spiking became hyperactive, those treated with the drug and had less spiking in their brains were more like normal animals,? Loeb said. ?Now whenever we screen for drugs for epilepsy, we look at behavior as well as epileptic activity.?

Noting that many seizure medicines currently are used to treat various psychiatric disorders, Loeb said the SBEP team?s latest round of work marks a ?nice crossover? between psychiatry and neurology in the field of drugs related to epilepsy.

In the third study, just published in Genetics, researchers say they have found ?fascinating interrelationships? between ?junk? long noncoding RNA and normal RNA that are regulated by human brain activity. That work has the potential to be translated into new genetic treatments for epilepsy.

?This study shows how the human brain deals with half of the human genome in its most important function, electrical activity, using human brain tissue from patients with epilepsy to understand the basic molecular processes of how the brain works, and what?s unique about human brains compared to the brains of less-developed species,? Loeb said.

The third study, titled ?Activity-Dependent Human Brain Coding/Noncoding Gene Regulatory Networks,? is a collaborative effort between Loeb?s lab and Leonard Lipovich, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology and molecular medicine and genetics. It found that certain genes and their noncoding counterparts (which some researchers have called ?junk") are co-regulated, or turned on at the same time, with brain activity.

?This tells us that some of these noncoding genes may actually have functions in brain activity,? Loeb said. ?In some, turning one on turns another one off. Some are regulatory and can be used to control plasticity genes - which are involved in memory, learning and behavior - with one of these novel, noncoding RNA genes.?

The synergy exhibited by the three studies, Loeb said, is testimony to the multidisciplinary nature of Wayne State?s systems biology platform, partly developed with a remarkable three-dimensional database created in cooperation with Farshad Fotouhi, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering, and Jing Hua, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science.

?SBEP is a cross-campus endeavor,? Loeb said. ?These studies are the fruits of the labor of this consortium and only exist at WSU. The next steps will be translating these exciting findings into new treatments to prevent or even cure patients with epilepsy and other psychiatric disorders.?

###

The above studies were funded by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant Nos. R01NS045207, R01Ns05058802, F30NS049776; by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the NIH, grant No. 1R03DA0262-01; and by the State of Michigan Joe Young Funds to the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, and were started with help from the WSU President?s Research Enhancement Fund.

Wayne State University is one of the nation?s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.

###

Julie O?Connor
313-577-8845
Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research

Provided by ArmMed Media

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Source: http://www.health.am/ab/more/new-treatments-for-epilepsy-behavioral-disorders/

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Georgia Tech's MacGyver Robot Will Solve Problems

The Georgia Institute of Technology received a $900,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research to develop a robot that can use found objects to solve problems.

?Our goal is to develop a robot that behaves like MacGyver, the television character from the 1980s who solved complex problems and escaped dangerous situations by using everyday objects and materials he found at hand,? said Mike Stilman, an assistant professor in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech, reported Gizmag.com. ?We want to understand the basic cognitive processes that allow humans to take advantage of arbitrary objects in their environments as tools. We will achieve this by designing algorithms for robots that make tasks that are impossible for a robot alone possible for a robot with tools.?

Researchers said they will design the robot to pick up objects and then determine what use that object may have as a tool. Such a development would represent a step forward in traditional robotics as robots typically possess limited artificial intelligence capabilities and must be preprogrammed to use built-in tools to solve problems. But the MacGyver robot would be able to enter disaster areas, find objects and decide how to best apply them to solve a problem such as crossing a ditch or prying open a door.

In addition to developing human-like cognitive decision-making capabilities, researchers will also need to develop a sense of touch for the robot so it can determine various properties of the objects it holds. The first step for the Georgia Tech team will be to develop software that can be tested in computer simulations. Once the software is deemed useable, researchers will test the software in Stilman's Golem Krang humanoid robot, which will be the foundation for the MacGyver robot.

Source: http://www.govtech.com/technology/MacGyver-Robot-to-Solve-Puzzles-With-Found-Objects.html

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Rain Man Robot Builds Ramps With Thousands of Randomly Tossed Toothpicks [Video]

In what has to be one of the most wasteful ways to traverse stairs, Harvard's Self-organizing Systems Research Group has designed a robot that builds its own access ramps by randomly flinging thousands of glue-covered toothpicks. When the pile eventually solidifies, it provides a sturdy support for the robot to climb. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/BXuUpIRCmX8/rain-man-robot-builds-ramps-with-thousands-of-randomly-tossed-toothpicks

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Watching Your Postmenopausal Health - Sexual Well-Being Article ...

Once a year has passed without a menstrual cycle, women are considered postmenopausal, wrote Livestrong.com. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, most women spend more than one-third of their lives after menopause.

During postmenopause, many of the bothersome symptoms women experienced prior to menopause gradually ease, said WebMD.

But due to several factors, including lower levels of estrogen, postmenopausal women are at increased risk for a number of health conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease.

Postmenopausal women should continue getting regular check-ups and preventive screening tests such as pelvic exams, Pap smears, breast exams, and mammograms, wrote WebMD. These are among the most important things women can do for themselves after menopause.

Everyday Health said that women should also have blood tests at a minimum of every five years until age 50, and then at regular intervals based on cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension or obesity.

Bone density screening should be performed every two years in all women older than 65 years, and begin sooner in women with additional risk factors for osteoporosis, wrote the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Postmenopausal women are particularly at risk for osteoporosis, said Everyday Health. Estrogen is one of the best stimulators of bone growth.

When it dips after menopause, the risk of osteoporosis increases and can result in fractured hips and problems related to bone density.

Everyday Health said that women ages 50 and up should consume at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily to maintain bone health.

Weight maintenance becomes particularly challenging for women during postmenopause, said ABC News. A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found -- after four years -- eating fewer desserts and drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages were linked significantly to weight loss in postmenopausal women.

A woman's risk of heart disease increases after menopause, reported More Magazine.

Many think of heart disease as a man?s disease.

We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

Source: http://www.empowher.com/sexual-well-being/content/watching-your-postmenopausal-health

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Biden?s Libya dodges (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/254983700?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Don't buy a Chevy Volt, lease it - Personal Finance

GM?s lease incentives for the Chevy Volt have helped transform what could be a pretty pricey lease deal into something attractive.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) ? If you?re considering buying General Motors? plug-in Chevrolet Volt, forget it. You?re much better off leasing the car, experts say.

General Motors Co (GMPRB) is spending heavily on incentives for the Volt, which hadn?t been selling as quickly as the automaker had once hoped. But instead of just handing out big rebate checks to car buyers, GM is offering extraordinarily low lease rates.

Right now, you can lease a Chevy Volt for two years for only $269 a month with a roughly $2,800 down payment. If GM weren?t helping out, that lease payment would be $450 a month, according to car pricing analysts at Truecar.com.

Besides those savings, Volt owners can save about $114 a month on fuel costs compared to a typical car, according to the EPA. According to Voltstats.net, Volt drivers are routinely getting between 100 and 150 miles per gallon.

Related: Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive

Ordinarily, a Chevy Volt costs bout $40,000 to buy, before a one-time $7,500 federal tax credit. A buyer might pay about $600 a month for the car with a $4,000 down payment, according to the car cost analysts at Truecar.com. Those figures include GM?s 0% financing incentive on a five-year loan.

That?s a hefty monthly payment, even if you figure that, yes, you will be eligible for that big tax credit.

When leasing, a customer doesn?t get the tax credit. Instead, the leasing company will take that tax credit for itself and pass along all or most of it to the customer in the form of that discounted lease rate.

Normally, plug-in cars should cost a lot to lease because they don?t hold their value well, said Ricky Beggs, president of Black Book, a company that tracks used car values for auto dealers and financing companies. In a lease, the customer is essentially paying for the value the car loses over the life of the lease, plus various fees and interest.

But GM?s lease incentives have helped transform what could be a pretty pricey lease deal into something attractive, Beggs said.

Related: 9 electric car stalls, misses, and crackups

Beggs calls the lease incentives a ?win-win? for customers and the automaker since they?re clearly working to sell the cars. GM had a record Volt sales month in August when lease incentives were even more attractive than they are now.

Besides that, anything that gets cars out onto the streets is good for marketing and helps build momentum, GM spokesman Rob Peterson said.

?There?s still a lot of people who don?t even realize these cars are in dealerships,? he said.

But these lease deals are costing GM some serious money. According to Truecar.com they add up to about $10,000 per car, including all types of incentives.

?I don?t know if I would call it a good deal for GM,? said Alec Guitierrez, an analyst with Kelley Blue Book, a competitor to Black Book. ?It?s a really aggressive lease promotion.?

But at least customers are getting into the cars, Gutierrez said, and GM figures they?ll like them.

?I think they?re betting people are going to maybe hold onto it at the end of end of the lease,? he said.

It?s a reasonable bet, considering that the Chevy Volt has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any compact car, plug-in or not, according to J.D. Power.

If customers do enjoy the Volt so much that they buy out their lease and keep the car, that would prevent one big downside of lease promotions: a relative glut of used Volts hitting the market in two or three years.

While a glut of cheap, used Volts may not be great for GM, it would be a boon for customers.

First Published: October 2, 2012: 5:37 AM ET

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 10th, 2012 at 10:40 am and is filed under Latest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://personal-finance.wark.biz/dont-buy-a-chevy-volt-lease-it/

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Where can I find a good recording system for game consoles?

Hello once again, it's Thergox with another screen recording question. Lately I've been hunting down a proper screen recording system for game consoles -- because the ghetto look of a big TV screen at an angle isn't exactly appealing. I am not concerned about computer-central games (Computer referring directly to the Macintosh and PC) -- it is things like the Wii, Xbox, and the PS3 that I am looking to record. Things like Dazzle or EasyCap won't fit -- I am told they are not very good at what they are meant to do. Things more like AVERMEDIA, just a little more in a cheaper price range. Please tell me what you know.

Thank you, Thergox.

Source: http://www.instructables.com/answers/Where-can-I-find-a-good-recording-system-for-game-/

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How Do I Break My Contract With A Realtor? | REALTOR.com? Blogs

Q: I have signed with a Realtor that only sends me automatic listings. She has not contacted me or has done any research on my behalf. In the state of Virginia I can?t even see a property without being signed up with a realtor. So, how can I break this contract and/or how binding is the contract and implications of breaking the agreement? Right now I want to only work with listing agents as I feel they might work harder for me if they are receiving both selling and listing commission.
?HMS, Springfield, VA

A: You can choose to work with whomever you like. I strongly disagree though that a listing agent will work harder for you. I would get a good buyers agent. Interview two or three of them. Go with one that is going to work hard for you and that you mesh well with. Best of luck.
Matt Laricy is a Realtor? with Americorp Real Estate in Chicago, IL.

A: Do you really have a contract? If you have a buyer agreement and you are unhappy with the service the agent provides, speak with the managing broker or broker in charge. Contracts are always with the broker, not the agent. You are unhappy, it?s the broker?s problem. As for working with listing agents only, think again. The listing agent works for the SELLER. Should you not want to be represented by YOUR agent? Also, ?working? with listing agents only is a pain. You are going to re-educate each agent as to what you are looking for, what are deal-killers etc. Let?s say there are 12 homes you are interested in. You are now giving 12 different agents your pre-approval, your personal preference, your bank statement (proof of funds)? Get a good buyer?s agent and stick with him or her.
Sylvia Jonathan is a Realtor? at Coldwell Banker Platinum Properties in Irvine, CA

A: You really need to talk with the Division of Real Estate in Virginia. Each State has laws on how the Consumer is to be represented. The listing agent here in Ohio, representing only the seller however, agent can practice dual agency. Dual agency says an agent CAN NOT advocate for either party. In other words, totally neutral not giving either party the upper hand in the negioating.. When I am the listing agent, I will not represent the buyer. The buyer deserves their own representation not shared representation.

Think about what you said, ?Right now I want to only work with listing agents as I feel they might work harder for me if they are receiving both selling and listing commission?. I would be rather outraged if the only reason an agent would work really hard for me is because they would earn more money.

Have you ever made contact with the agent an asked for their help in doing research? I can?t do any research unless I know what kind of research is needed.
Sunny Demko is a Realtor? with Keller Williams Realty in Westlake, OH.

Are you interested in having a qualified REALTOR answer your questions? Click through to Ask a REALTOR? now.

Are you a REALTOR who would like to answer consumer questions? Click through to become an Ask a REALTOR? participant.

Related posts:

1. Can I Sell My House Privately If We Signed A Contract With A Realtor?
2. What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Working With The Seller?s Agent To Buy A Home?
3. Can I Break A Listing Contract If I Haven?t Listed My Home Yet?
4. If Another Realtor Shows My House While My Realtor Is On Vacation Do I Have To Pay Them?
5. What Should I Expect From My Buyer?s Agent?

Source: http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2012/10/10/how-do-i-break-my-contract-with-a-realtor/

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PST: Altidore understands the omission

One more quick word about l?affair Altidore: (And, no, this is not just another excuse to use ?l?affair Altidore,? although I have to admit, I do rather like it.)

In a telephone interview with Sports Illustrated?s Grant Wahl, Altidore sure sounds like a guy who understands the situation and isn?t about to sit around and brood about it.? As I?ve said before, Altidore always sounds like a sharp fellow, and this is another example. From Wahl?s piece:

I?m the student here. I?m the player and I?m learning always. It doesn?t matter if I don?t understand. I have to get on the same page as the boss and all the senior players, not the other way around. I?m not a guy who can walk into the team and say, ?Guys, adjust to me.? That?s not my mindset. I?m trying to get on the same page as them, and until I do that I?m sure I won?t be playing. I want to try and do that as quickly as possible. I want to score great goals for the national team and be dominant for them. But unfortunately it?s not so easy sometimes when the styles of play are much different.?

In the piece, Altidore also acknowledges that AZ Alkmaar?s choice hold him in the Netherlands for an extra week last summer, as Klinsmann held what he termed an important mini-camp, was damaging to his national team pursuits. That part is pretty interesting ? especially since the U.S. forward?s short, forced estrangement was not his fault.

(MORE: the surprising overreaction on Altidore?s omission)

The important number to remember here is ?22.? That?s Altidore?s age.

He could easily be assisting the United States qualification efforts for World Cup 2022 ? and all points in between, obvioulsy???and could quite plausibly be in Qatar for that summer?s sun-sizzle of a tournament.

Keeping his cool about all this is the man?s best play, and he?s nailing it. Even at age 22, he seems to have a better perspective on this than quite a few fans and even a few writers or broadcasters.

It is, after all, just two matches. And like the team itself, the goal isn?t to play in Antigua or even in Kansas City on a cool October night ? as awesome as the atmosphere promises to be next week at Livestrong Sporting Park.

The goal, of course, is to be in Brazil in the summer of 2014.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/09/last-word-here-on-jozy-altidore-the-guys-gets-it/related

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Striking South Africa gold miners reject pay rise offer

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Striking South African gold miners have rejected the industry's latest wage offer, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Thursday, dimming hopes that wildcat strikes that have paralyzed the industry could come to an end.

"This was a final offer from the companies. They said take it or leave it," NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said. "Now that it has been rejected our options have been exhausted."

Since August almost 100,000 workers across South Africa - including 75,000 in the mining sector - have downed tools in often illegal and violent strikes that may hit economic growth this year and undermine investor confidence in the minerals hub.

Africa's top two bullion producers AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields have been hit by an estimated 48,000 miners taking to the streets fighting for higher wages.

The wildcat strikes, which started in the platinum industry and spread to other mining companies and beyond, have raised questions about President Jacob Zuma's leadership and tarnished South Africa's reputation among foreign investors.

Production of platinum group metals fell 1.9 percent in August compared to the same month last year, data showed on Thursday, a sign the unrest was taking its toll on Africa's biggest economy.

Gold output still rose 0.4 percent in August as the strikes only spread to bullion the following month.

The rand fell to a 3-1/2 year low against the dollar earlier this week and Moody's cut South Africa's government bond rating last month, citing the government's difficulty in keeping up with spreading unrest.

(Reporting by Sherilee Lakmidas, Agnieszka Flak and Tiisetso Motsoeneng; editing by David Dolan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/striking-south-africa-gold-miners-reject-pay-rise-092107543--finance.html

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Turkish PM touts ruling party success

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? Turkey's leader is delivering a major speech that celebrates a decade of electoral success for his ruling party and touts the rising power's regional stature and strong record of economic growth.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is addressing thousands of delegates in a sports arena at which the ruling Justice and Development Party will lay the groundwork for what it hopes is the continued domination of Turkish politics in the years ahead.

At the party congress Sunday, many people enthusiastically applauded Erdogan and some were even moved to tears. Turkey, however, faces tough challenges, including an increase in attacks by Kurdish militants and challenges presented by the war in neighboring Syria.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-30-Turkey-Politics/id-49322bf43b5341529435501208ad8f7a

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