Lovers and Other Strangers

Lovers and Other Strangers

Sexually transmitted diseases can't just be kissed off

According to a recent study, men with two to four sex partners over  lifetime have a 1 in 29 chance of contracting a bacterial sexually transmitted disease such as syphilis or gonorrhea. For women with an equivalent number of partners, the risk is about twice as high. The patterns are similar for viral STDs such as genital herpes and hepatitis B. But men tend to have more partners than women. When that is taken into account, the chance of getting an STD is ultimately about the same for both sexes. Following are descriptions of the most common STDs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bacterial Vaginosis (Also called Gardnerella or Hemophilus).

How Spread: Through sexual intercourse and possibly through towels and wet clothing. A common cause of vaginitis.

Symptoms: Graylish vaginal discharge is common. Untreated, it can cause reproductive problems such as abnormal Pap smears and urinary tract infections.

Treatment: Metronidazole.

Chlamydia

Caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Most common STD inn the United States.

How spread: Vaginal or anal intercourse, mother to child during birth, hand-to-eye contact if hands have infected discharge.

Symptoms: Appear 7 to 14 days after exposure. In women, it can cause infertility or pregnancy complications, vaginal discharge, painful urination, vaginal bleeding, bleeding after sex, and lower abdominal pain. In men, chlamydia causes burning during urination, urethral discharge, and inflammation of the urethra. Four-fifths of women have no symptoms; sexually active women may want to be screened periodically.

Treatment: Tetracycline. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend Doxycycline as the treatment of choice because it only has to be taken twice a day. Erythromycin for pregnant women. Chlortetracycline for eye infections.

Lovers and Other Strangers. Photo by Elena

Crabs/Pediculosis Pedis

Caused by crablike lice that live in eye-brows, pubic, armpit, and chest hair.

How spread: Physical contact with someone who is infected, or using towels, clothes, or bedding of a person who has crabs.

Symptoms: Intolerable itching in the genital or other areas. The crabs can be seen by the naked eye, so it's easy to diagnose.

Treatment: A lotion called Kwell can be prescribed. After treatment, clean clothes, towels, and bed linen. The crab will die in 24 hours. If skin is irritated from itching, use aloe vera cream to ease the irritation.

Genital warts/Human Papilloma virus

Caused by a virus similar to the one that causes skin warts.

How spread: Sexual intercourse.

Symptoms: Appears three weeks to eight months after exposure. Small painless warts can appear on the labia, vulva, cervix, or anus in women. In men, warts appear on the penis or scrotum. Using a condom can help prevent infection.

Treatment: Dry ice or laser beam can burn off warts, or Podophyllin can be applied.

Gonorrhea

Caused by gonoccocus, a bacterium.

How spread: Sexual intercourse, oral sex, from mother to child during birth, from hand-to-eye contact. For women, from being inseminated by infected semen.

Symptoms: Appear two days to three weeks after infection. In women, thick discharge, burning or painful urination, pain in lower abdomen, vomiting , fever, irregular periods, a rash, chills, fever, pain in the wrists and fingers, hands, feet, and toes. Some 80 percent of women have no symptoms. In men, thick milky discharge, pain during urination. Almost all men show symptoms.

Treatment: The CDC recommends ceftriaxone as treatment. Since people are often infected with gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time, the CDC also recommends seven days of taking Doxycycline to treat clamydia. Pregnant women should take Erythromycin; it's less effective, but safer.

Herpes

Two types of herpes are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Type I is characterized by cold sores and fever blisters on the mouth. Type II is characterized by sores and blisters on the genitals.

How spread: Sexual intercourse or oral sex with someone who has an active infection. The disease is most contagious when sores exist, but infection can occur even when there are no symptoms.

Symptoms: Appear 2 to 20 days after infection, but most people don't have symptoms until much later. Tingling, itching in the genital area, burning sensations, pain or feeling of pressure in the legs, buttocks or genitals, sores starting with one or more bumps that turn to blisters. Women can have sores or cervix with no noticeable symptoms. Blisters rupture in a few days and heal without treatment. Active sores may make urination painful. Also may be a dull ache or sharp pain in the genitals.

Treatment : No cure at present. CDC recommends keeping sores dry and clean. If very painful, xylocaine cream or ethyl chloride may be helpful. The antiviral drug acyclovir may reduce outbreak recurrence.

HIF Infection/Aids

Caused by the HIV virus.

How spread: Sexual intercourse, anal sex, blood transfusions, sharing of needles with an infected person. The virus is found in blood, semen, and vaginal secretions, so any contact with these bodily fluids with someone who is infected such as unprotected sexual intercourse could lead to infection.

Symptoms: In both men and women, fatigue, weight loss, swollen glands, and skin problems such as seborrheic dermatitis. Bronchial infections, sores in the mouth, fevers, night sweats, loss of appetite, headaches, trouble swallowing. In women, recurrent yeast infections, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, and severe genital herpes.

Treatment: There is currently no treatment for AIDS, which is fatal. But there are ways to stave off a full-blown AIDS outbreak. AZT and DDI are some drugs that are in use.  The progress of the disease  should be monitored by using a CD4 cell monitoring lab test.

Nongonococcal urethristis (NGU)

Caused by Ureaplasma Urealyticum bacterium.

Now spread: Contracted through sexual intercourse. It can be found in apparently healthy people with no signs of infection.

Symptoms: In men, symptoms include discharge from the penis and inflammation of the urethra. Some researchers think NGU causes pregnancy problems in women, but more research needs to be done.

Treatment: Tetracycline is the standard treatment. Doxycycline or Erythromycin may also be prescribed.

Scabies

Caused by tiny parasitic mites.

How spread: Sexual contact, towels, clothes and even furniture.

Symptoms: Intense itching, red bumps on breasts, waist, genitals, buttocks, or hands.

Treatment: Kwell, which is also used to cure crabs. For pregnant women, Eurax.

Syphilis

Caused by a bacterium called spirochete.

How spread: Sexual or skin contact with infected person, or from mother to unborn child. Spreads from open sores or rashes and can penetrate mucous membranes and broken skin anywhere on the body.

Symptoms: Appear from 9 to 90 days after infection with a painless sore that looks like a pimple. In men, pimple could appear on penis or scrotum. Left untreated, could lead to rash over entire body, sore throat, swollen painful joints, aching bones, hair loss, or raised area around the genitals. After 10 to 20 years, bacteria can invade the heart and brain, causing heart disease, blindness, mental incapacity, crippling.

Treatment: Penicillin by injection, Doxycline, or tetracycline pills.

Reading a Balance Sheet

Reading a Balance Sheet

A Guided Tour from a Noted Investment Authority

John Train is well known as the author of The New Money Masters (Harper-Collins) and Most Remarkable Occurrences (Harper-Collins), and founder of Train, Smith Investment Counsel in New York. The following article, which originally appeared in Harvard Magazine, outlines Train’s basic approach to understanding a financial statement.

The most important single truth to grasp about investing is that when you buy a share of stock you become a partner in a business. The essence of investing is thus understanding business, companies.

Company event are reported in dollar terms. To invest sensibly you therefore need to understand what the company is trying to tell you in its financial statement, which is published in a conveniently stylized form, like a sonnet. Though the elements are fairly simple, I observe that many of my clients have trouble reading one. So here is a simple guide to help you started. A company’s financial statement comes in four parts: the balance sheet, the income statement, the cash flow statement, and the statement of shareholders’ equity.

The first of these, the balance sheet, is in essence a financial snapshot of the company at one moment in time, the end of its fiscal year. It is generally brought up to date each quarter thereafter.

The income (or profit and loss) statement shows how the business did during the period: that is, sales minus costs.

The cash flow statement shows where cash came from and what it was used for. The amounts don’t quite match those on the income statement, which includes, for example, purchases or sales on credit, where cash has not yet changed hands.

The statement of shareholders’ equity tells how much the company’s book value rose or fell during the period, whether because it made or lost money or took in new capital by selling stock. If the company made money, this statement will show how much of the profit was put back into the business and how much was paid out to shareholders.

A company’s financial statement ordinarily includes an auditor’s opinion. A “qualified” opinion often indicates trouble. The balance sheet is called that because it is set up to balance, like an equation: There is an implied equal sign between the two parts. On the left (or asset) side you show all the assets in the company at that moment – what it owns and on the right or liability side you show all the company’s debt – what it owes – plus the money that has been put up by the owners and kept in the business the shareholders’ equity. If you think about it, the money you have invested in a house – your equity – plus the mortgage – a debt – perforce corresponds to the physical structure: the asset.

Beware of Investing. Investing is a lot of fun. Photograph: Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Here is an example. Let’s suppose the shareholders of a company put up $1 million, which goes to buy $1 million worth of gold. A simplified balance sheet would look like this:

Assets – Gold: $1,000,000.

Liabilities: + Shareholders’ equity, Shareholders’ Equity: $1,000,000.

Suppose we now borrow a million dollars from the bank and buy an additional million dollars woth of gold. Our simplified balance sheet would then looks like this:

Assets – Gold: $2,000,000/$2,000.000.

Liabilities + Shareholders equity:

Bank Debt: $1,000,000

Shareholders equity: $1,000,000

Total: $2,000,000.

In other words, the two sided of the equation still balance.

Good. Now suppose that during our first year business the price of gold doubles, and we happily sell half our hoard for the original cost of the entire amount. Our simplified income statement now looks like this:

Revenues: 2,000,000

Loss: cost of goods sold: $1,000,000

Profit before tax: 1,000,000

Loss: Provision for taxes – $250,000

Net income $750,000.

(Sales are ordinarily shown on an accrual basis – that is, what you are committed to –rather than a cash basis (when you actually take in the money).

We can use this $750,000 of free cash to pay down the bank loan, pay ourselves a dividend, build up our shareholders’ equity or buy back our own stock. Let’s look at the first case. After paying taxes, we pay down the bank loan:

Assets:

Cash – $1,000,000

Gold (at cost) $1,000,000

Total $2,000,000.

Liabilities + Shareholders’ equity

Common stock $1,000,000.

Retained earnings $750,000.

Total: $2,000,000.

(At market: $2,000,000. Accounting principles require that you show the lower of cost of market value).

“Retained earnings” on the balance sheet is where you put money the company has earned and left in the business, not paid out in dividends.

As interesting question arises when we add to our inventory at various prices. For instance, suppose that in our gold-trading activities we bought at different prices. The two major systems of showing these transactions are called “First In – First Out” or FIFO, and “Last In – First Out” or LIFO. When the costs of raw materials are rising, FIFO makes the profits look higher, since sales are taken against the earlier, low-cost purchases. LIFO makes the profits look lower. Why might you want to do this? (1)To improve the bottom line of the balance sheet; (2) to lower taxes.

Footnotes to the financial statements may include information that does not show up in any of the numerical tables, such as pending litigation, company restructuring, or prospective mergers. So always read the footnotes.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the way business professionals and non-professionals examine financial statements is that if you have actually been in business, you tend to look at the cash and equivalents, and at the cash flow section of the report. If a business is doing well, cash will be building up and can be put to work in useful ways: paying off debt, adding to plant, buying back the company’s own shares in the market. If things are going badly, the company will be short of cash, bank and other debt will be rising, and management will be run ragged coping with creditors, instead of improving its products. (A hot growths company may also want cash because it has so many opportunities, but that’s a more agreeable problem).

After you have worked with financial statements for a while, you get in the habit of calculating the return on equity, how fast the inventory turns over, the operating profit margin, and a hundred other things.

So much for the Shortest possible course. To continue on your own, send to Merrill Lynch for the excellent 28-page pamphlet called How to Read a Financial Report. (It may be sooner or later their “financial consultant” will call). After that, try Benjamin Graham’s admirable Interpretation of Financial Statements (HarperCollins). It’s out of print but should be available at your library.

The whole thing is a lot more fun than you might think. And consider this: Even if you’ve got this far, you’re already well ahead of the mass of investors!

Stocking Up on Investor’s Freebies

Stocking Up on Investor’s Freebies

There’s a gold mine of freebies, perks and giveaways awaiting investors in many companies, says Charles Carlston, author of Free Lunch on Wall Street (McGraw Hill). Carlson grew up the following list of companies that lavish goodies on investors. Most offer dividend reinvestment programs as well:

American Recreation Centers, Inc.: 11171, Sun Center Dr. #120, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. Shareholders of 500 or more shares join the Distinguished Shareholder Club, which entitles them to five free games of bowling per day at any of the firm’s bowling centers.

Anheuser-Busch Co. One Busch Place, St. Louis, MO 63118. Shareholders get a 15 percent discount at the company’s amusement and themes parks, including Busch Gardens and Sea World. The company also gives free tours of its main brewery to its shareholders and non-shareholders alike.

Brown-Foreman Corp. 850 Dixie Highway, Louisville, KY 40210. The company has traditionally provided shareholders with a 50 percent discount on certain Lenox holiday china and ornaments, as well as 50 percent discount on its Hartmann-brand luggage.

Chalone Wine Group. 621 Airpark Rd. Napa, CA 95558. Shareholders of 100 or more shares get up to 25 percent off on wine, including older vintages and special reserve bottles, and VIP tours of vineyards.

Shareholders’ Freebies. Photo: Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

CML Group: 901 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219. CSX is best known for its railroad operations, but it also operates a prestigious resort, the Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Shareholders receive discounts on stays at the resort.

General Mills. One General Mills Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55426. The company offers a holiday package of products and coupons with a retail value of$50 for just $19,95. Packages include a range of products from Cheerios to Gold Medal muffin mix to Gushers fruit snacks.

Tandy Corp. 1800 One Tandy Center Fort Worth, TX 76102. Around the holidays Tandy shareholders receive a 10 percent discount on purchases of up to $10,00 at Radio Shack home electronic stores.

Walt Disney Corp. 500 South Buena vista St. Burbank, CA 91521. Shareholders may join Disney’s Magic Kingdom Gold Card Program at a reduced rate to receive reduced prices on hotel accommodations and tickets to theme parks and discounts on Disney store merchandise.

William Wrigley, Jr., Co. 410 North Michigan Ave. Chicago, Il. 605611. Shareholders are sent a box of 20 packs (100 sticks) of the company’s chewing gum each year.

Keeping Your Car Breakdown Free

Keeping Your Car Breakdown Free

With the average cost of a new car over $25,000, maintenance is crucial

Cars just aren’t made the way they used to be. Thanks to Total Quality Management, they’re made better. But not even the most demanding of automakers has figured out a way to keep a car running if it’s not properly maintained. And with the average price of a new car now exceeding $25,000, at least, the price of neglect can wreak havoc with your budget. To keep your garage bills down and your wheels running smoothly, Automotive Services at the American Automobile association, recommends the following maintenance schedule:

Check the brakes for wear once a year. The front brakes wear out more quickly than the back brakes, particularly in the city, where you have to start and stop in traffic. Many repair shops have free safety checks. Replacing wrn brake pads should not cos much, including labor. If the pistons have to be rebuilt or replaced, that would cost more, but it will not be too costly.

Change the oil and oil filter every three months, or every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. Oil lubricates and cools the engine. When it becomes dirty, it’s doing its job. But if it gets too contaminated, it can cause more wear on the engine than there should be. An oil change will usually cost less than a hundred dollars even at a garage. Manufacturers typically recommend standard oil, which is defined as meeting manufacturers’ specifications. Synthetic oil is blended better and only needs changing once a year, but it’s considerably more expensive. If the auto manufacturer stipulates that the oil be changed at certain intervals, and you don’t do so, the manufacturer won’t accept liability if the car breaks down.

Replace the air and fuel filters when they are dirty, or once a year. The fuel takes particles from the gas tank and filters it, so it doesn’t clog fuel injection equipment. It also stops water that may build up in the fuel injection system. Replacing the fuel filter should cost about $55: about $20 for the filter and about half an hour of labor, depending on where it is located.

Air filters screen out dirt from the engine clean. They need to be replaced once a year unless you live in extremely dusty conditions. Filters cost $10 to $15 and take only a couple minutes of labor to replace.

Replace spark plugs every 30,00 miles. Spark plugs ignite the mixture of fuel and air in the cobustion cylinder. They are like the pilot light on a gas stove. If they’re not replaced from to time to time, the car may not start or may be sluggish or jerky. Depending on how many cylinders your car has, it takes about one and a half hour of labor, at anywhere from $60 to $80 per hour.

Check the battery regularly. The average life of battery is two to three years, possibly longer. A new one costs around $100. Corroded connections need cleaning or replacing. If you don’t have the maintenance-free variety, be sure to check the water.

Replace radiator and heater hoses every five years. The radiator and heater hoses are made of rubber, so they can get brittle and crack , which is when they fail. It’s usually the bottom radiator hose that goes; it’s the hardest to see and it id not regularly looked at. A replacement hose doesn’t cost much, plus about one and a half hours of expert labor. But replacing hoses before they go can save as much as $1,000 in repairs on an overheated engine. Sometimes a garage will replace the hoses at the some time as it replaces antifreeze.

Keep your car breakdown free. Photo by Elena

Change the antifreeze mixture every two years. The cooling system includes the radiator, heater core, hoses that attach the engine, and the antifreeze mixture. In a place where there are extreme conditions, the antifreeze mixture should be changed once a year. To flush and refill the antifreeze mixture takes about an hour. Some specials must cost around $60, otherwise, it can cost up to $150.

Leave the air-conditioner alone unless it’s not cooling. There are three major parts of an air-conditioner that can go bad. The problem with the condenser or evaporator will cost a few hundred dollars; a problem with the compressor also. If you need more freon, the likely bill will be about $100.

Check the exhaust system regularly. The rubber mounts that hold the exhaust system sometimes need to be replaced if they are worn. Wear is more likely if you take a lot of short trips, but in some cases, mounts will never need replacing. The exhaust system should also be checked for leaks at least once a year on late-model cars, and twice a year on older cars. In the height of summer or winter, the windows are closed; if there’s a leak in the exhaust system, you could be breathing the fumes. A garage will normally check your system free of charge. A new exhaust system will cost you up to $1,000 or more.

Check tires at least once a month for proper pressure and other problems. Low tire pressure cuts gas mileage and affects the car’s stability and safety. Tires also should be inspected for bulges or cuts on the side wall. Sometimes a tire is wearing unevenly, and there are rough edges. If you use a full-service gas station, they usually check the tire for free. You don’t have to take the tires off.

Rotate your tires every 10,000 miles or once a year. It costs dozens of dollars, but if you don’t do it, your tires will wear out a lot faster.

Replace wiper blades once a year. Do it before rainy season. If you get new blades, you can insert them into the arm yourself. You can replace the whole unit for a few dollars. It’s about 15 minutes of labor. A repair shop may install them for free.

Check vehicle lights regularly, especially during winter. To get the brake lights replaced, it costs less then $10 for a bulb. It’s a about a half-hour’s work. Changing the brake light in some cars can be done in 2 or 3 minutes. In the winter, it’s especially important to make sure the headlights are working properly. Depending on the type of headlights, it will take 15 minutes to a half-hour to change them. Normally, a new bulb doesn’t cost much.

Replace the clutch on a manual transmission every 60,000 to 100,000 miles. If you ride the clutch excessively, replacement will be needed sooner. Expect to pay from $400 or more for a new clutch.

The Fix-It Factor

Engine overhaul: If the engine is worn out, making a lot of noise, blowing smoke, or has no power, it might need an overhaul. That’s when an engine gets rebuilt to the manufacturer’s specification. For a 4-cylinder engine, it might cost thousands, it can get up even more for an 8-cylinder. That’s when you have to evaluate if it’s worth putting that much money into the vehicle.

Automatic transmission: The automatic transmission should be serviced every 25,000 miles. Symptoms of automatic transmission failure are that the vehicle feels as if it lacks power, is going nowhere, or is making grinding noises. The majority just won’t drive. If you have a transmission failure, it could cost thousands

Retail Seasons: Sales Make the World Go ‘Round

Retail Seasons: Sales Make the World Go ‘Round

For every retail item, there’s a season. White sales big on Columbus Day and silverware sales flourish in the June wedding season. Here’s when the following items are likely to go on sale across the United States.

January

    Holiday-related products, including wrapping paper, cards, lights, candles, holiday decorations.

    Cookware.

    Curtains.

    Dishes.

    Housewares, small appliances, including toaster ovens, blenders, food processors, coffee makers, etc.

    Rugs.

    Silverware.

    Toys.

    White sales, including linens.

    Winter apparel, including coats, furs, sweaters.

February

    Presidents Day sales, big for the electronics industry.

    Candy.

    Jewelry.

    Lingerie.

    Stereos.

    Televisions.

    VCRs.

    Winter clothes.

March

    Best time to buy winter clothes as retailers make room for spring lines.

    Camping gear.

    Gardening.

    Spring fashion promotions.

Shopping. Photo by Elena

April

    Bicyles.

    Jewelry.

    Lingerie.

    Personal care products.

May

    Furniture (bedroom sets, sofas, dining room tables).

    Gardening supplies.

    Home furnishings.

    Luggage.

    Mattresses.

    Outdoor furniture.

    Refrigerators.

    Spring clothing.

    Stereos.

    Televisions.

    Tires.

    VCRs.

    Washer/dryers.

June

    Father’s Day promotions.

    Electronics.

    Silverware (for wedding season).

    Sporting goods.

    Summer recreational gear.

July

    Bathing suits.

    Bicycles.

    Furniture.

    Mattresses.

    Refrigerators.

    Tires.

    Washer/dryers.

August

    Back-to-school promotions for children’s and junior’s clothing.

    Office supplies.

    School supplies.

    Undergarments.

    Wardrobe basics.

September

    Labor Day “last chance” promotions on summer wear.

    Air-conditioners.

    Cookware.

    Dishes.

    Lamps.

    Musical instruments (pianos, guitars, flutes, etc.)

    Recreational gear.

    Stereos.

    Televisions.

    Tires.

    VCRs

October

    Columbus Day white sales.

    Fall apparel.

    Home textiles.

November

    Curtains.

    Fall apparel.

    Holiday promotions.

    Lamps.

    Rugs.

    Winter recreational gear.

December

    Consumer electronics.

    Cookware.

    Cosmetics.

    Furniture.

    Home appliances.

    Jewelry.

    Luggage.

    Perfume.

    Toys.

    Washer/dryers.

    Winter apparel.

To buy or not to buy. That is the question. Illustration by Elena.