Pet Dental Claims Skyrocket

Pet advocates are encouraging pet owners to focus on their dog's or cat's oral health during National Pet Dental Health Month this February. And it appears more Americans are paying attention, as national pet insurance provider PetFirst Healthcare saw claims for illnesses related to oral-health increase 179 percent during the past year.

"Many pet owners don't place as much emphasis on dental health as compared to other aspects of their pet's wellbeing," said Brent Hinton, CEO of PetFirst. "It's just as important, though, because oral disease can lead to serious health problems for both dogs and cats."

According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.

Without proper care, plaque and tartar build-up can lead to periodontal disease, which affects the tissues and structures supporting the teeth. Left untreated, it can cause oral pain, dysfunction, tooth loss and complications with the heart, liver and kidneys.

"Pets cannot speak up to tell their caregiver they are experiencing discomfort, so pet owners should pay extra attention to warning signs of dental issues," Hinton said.

Symptoms of periodontal disease include yellow and brown tartar build up along the gum line, inflamed gums and persistent bad breath. PetFirst saw the most significant increase in claims related to periodontal disease, which increased 200 percent last year.

Common indications of oral disease for pets include bad breath, a change in eating habits, pawing at the mouth and depression.

Hinton said the best preventative plan is to schedule regular teeth cleanings for pets and for pet owners to work with veterinarians to establish a dental-care regimen at home.

Some pet insurance policies reimburse pet owners for costs related to preventative care. Mirroring the rise in claims related to oral disease, the amount PetFirst reimbursed for preventative oral care, increased 132 percent in the past year.

Cars.com Heads Back to the Big Game With 'Confidence'

Cars.com, the leading online destination for car shoppers, will debut an all-new advertisement on Super Bowl XLIII, "Lifetime of Confidence." The 60-second spot, which will air in the second quarter, illustrates how Cars.com helps shoppers prepare to head to the dealership and buy a car.

The ad builds on Cars.com's "Car Shopping Confidence" campaign that kicked off last year with two ads on Super Bowl XLII. The commercial uses the epic life story of fictitious character David Abernathy to illustrate how even the most confident people need a little extra help when it comes to car shopping.

From shaking his doctor's hand upon birth and successfully negotiating a later bedtime at age 3, to saving the class pets from his burning school and performing surgery at an opera house, the narrative spot takes viewers through various events in David's lifetime of confidence. Yet even David is intimidated when it comes time to buy a car. David's preparations on Cars.com build his confidence so he can get the perfect car at the perfect price. The ad closes with Cars.com's tagline, "Confidence Comes Standard."

"We wanted to showcase our confidence message in a big way during the big game," said Mitch Golub, president of Cars.com. "Consumer confidence in car shopping has never been more important, and it speaks to what Cars.com delivers. We are seeing the largest increase in internet shoppers in more than a decade, a clear sign of the times. As consumers are faced with more automotive options and economic uncertainty, they want to be sure they are making the right purchase decision, and they are coming online to do their homework.

The Super Bowl gives us the biggest stage in advertising to remind consumers that Cars.com delivers confidence by providing tools, credible information and advice that fuel smart new- and used-car purchase decisions."

"'Lifetime of Confidence' is a great extension of our 'Confidence' campaign," said Carolyn Crafts, Cars.com's vice president of marketing.

,"Car shopping can be an intimidating process, even for the most knowledgeable and confident people. We're showing that everyone needs to come to Cars.com to prepare for the buying process," she said.

DDB Chicago, Cars.com's agency of record, created the spot specifically in response to Cars.com's desire to make confidence the core focus of its Super Bowl presence.

"To best deliver the confidence message in the Super Bowl environment, we chose to produce a cinematic 60-second spot that would be larger than life. It tells a great story that gives viewers a little escape," said Mark Gross, creative director at DDB Chicago.

Following the Super Bowl, Cars.com will surround consumers with its confidence message on air, in print and online, promoting the site's credible and easy-to-understand research tools and advice. Online ads will run after the big game on top sites such as Yahoo!, ESPN.com, CBSSports.com and YouTube. "Lifetime of Confidence" will run on leading cable networks, including ESPN, where Cars.com will continue its sponsorship of ESPN's "Saturday Afternoon College Football" and "NASCAR Now."

The campaign will also get additional weight from Cars.com's local affiliate network, including leading newspapers and television stations such as The Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, Arizona Republic, Los Angeles Times, KHOU Houston, and The Miami Herald, who will back the campaign locally in print and online.

Jiffy Lube Seeks to Raise $1.5 Million for American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Movement

Jiffy Lube this week announces the launch of the second year of its nationwide campaign to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement.

Starting January 28, more than 85 percent of Jiffy Lube locations across the U.S. will participate in the Jiffy Lube Maintenance Partners for Life campaign, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy heart and a healthy vehicle. Jiffy Lube seeks to raise $1.5 million to help fight heart disease, which would exceed last year's total of $1,034,757. One hundred percent of the funds will benefit Go Red For Women initiatives.

Nearly 2,400 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day -- an average of one death every 37 seconds. In fact, heart disease is the nation's number one killer of women and men. Despite more women dying of heart disease than the next five causes of death combined, only 21 percent of women view heart disease as their greatest health threat.

"We're very excited to continue our partnership with the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement, which has made such a positive impact in the fight against heart disease," said Rick Altizer, president of Jiffy Lube International.

"We were so blown away by the positive response and overwhelming support from our system and customers alike. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the AHA."

Between January 28 and March 16, customers at participating service centers can support this cause with a donation of $3. In return, donors will receive a Jiffy Lube Maintenance Partners for Life savings book containing heart-healthy recipes, as well as $100 in savings from Jiffy Lube, Perfumania and Yankee Candle. Funds will be donated to local American Heart Association chapters in the communities in which they are raised.

In addition, for each Jiffy Lube Gift Card purchased during the campaign, both online or at participating service centers, Jiffy Lube will donate $1 to Go Red For Women.

Jiffy Lube Maintenance Partners for Life leverages the strong parallels between properly maintaining both heart health and vehicle health, and educates people on smart preventive maintenance of their bodies and vehicles.

Maintaining a healthy heart and healthy vehicle is a matter of choice; the right choices can turn into life-saving actions. Regular visits to the doctor, along with a proper diet and exercise regime help keep both the body and heart healthy. Likewise, following the vehicle manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule can help keep a vehicle running properly. Simple choices can provide long-term benefits; to learn about choices that can benefit your heart health, visit www.GoRedForWomen.org.

"Jiffy Lube has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the fight against heart disease," said David Josserand, American Heart Association Board Chairman.

"Its Maintenance Partners for Life campaign touches many lives by raising awareness and much-needed funds across the nation. We're extremely grateful for the contributions Jiffy Lube has made to this cause and we look forward to working collectively to reach our Go Red For Women goals," he said.

Steve Harvey to Sign Copies of 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man' at Borders in Largo Jan. 30

Actor, Radio personality and commedian, Steve Harvey began doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. His success as a stand-up comedian led to a WB network show, "The Steve Harvey Show," which ran from 1996 to 2002.

It was a huge hit and won multiple NAACP Image Awards. In 1997, Harvey continued his work in stand-up comedy, touring as one of the "Kings of Comedy," along with Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Bernie Mac. The comedy team would later be reunited in a film by Spike Lee called "The Original Kings of Comedy." Steve Harvey is now widely known as the host of the nationally syndicated "Steve Harvey Morning Show," which has more than seven million listeners.

Harvey will sign his latest book, "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment." on Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., Borders 931 Capital Centre Blvd. Largo, MD 20774. Please call (301) 499-2173 for details.

Steve Harvey, the host of the nationally syndicated "Steve Harvey Morning Show," can't count the number of impressive women he's met over the years, whether it's through the "Strawberry Letters" segment of his program or while on tour for his comedy shows. These are women who can run a small business, keep a household with three kids in tip-top shape and chair a church group all at the same time. Yet when it comes to relationships, they can't figure out what makes men tick. Why? According to Steve it's because they're asking other women for advice when no one but another man can tell them how to find and keep a man.

In "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man," Steve lets women inside the mindset of a man and sheds light on concepts and questions such as:

-- The Ninety Day Rule: Ford requires it of its employees. Should you require it of your man?

-- How to spot a mama's boy and what if anything you can do about it.

-- When to introduce the kids. And what to read into the first interaction between your date and your kids.

-- The five questions every woman should ask a man to determine how serious he is.

Sometimes funny, sometimes direct, but always truthful, "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man" is a book you must read if you want to understand how men think when it comes to relationships.

"We Have Not Turned the Corner. In Fact, We Can't Even See the Corner Right Now."

In an essay opening the February 2 Newsweek cover package, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" (on newsstands Monday, January 26), Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria writes that President Barack Obama will have to quickly start planning for a set of more extraordinary measures to pull the United States out of its current, unsustainable economic condition.

"The American financial system is effectively broken. Major banks are moving toward insolvency, and credit activity remains extremely weak. As long as the financial sector remains moribund, American consumers and companies -- who collectively make up 80 percent of GDP -- will not have access to credit, and economic activity cannot really resume on any significant scale. We have not turned the corner. In fact, we can't even see the corner right now," he writes.

"President Obama faces a terrible dilemma. He needs to act quickly and on a massive scale," Zakaria writes.

Without large scale action, the financial system will keep bleeding, but the American public believes that we have already spent far too much on bailing out the banks.

Zakaria argues that the economic fact is that we have not spent enough.

"This current crisis has resulted in a deep erosion of American power that we have not fully understood. Even in the depths of the Iraq War, when much of the globe was enraged by George W. Bush's unilateralism, people everywhere believed that the United States had the world's most advanced economy and that its capital markets in particular were the most sophisticated and developed," he said.

That system is now seen across the world as a sham, and the attitudes of officials and businessmen range from shock to rage at what they see in the United States.

"When he began his run for the White House, Barack Obama thought he could restore American power and leadership by righting our foreign policy, winding down the Iraq War, closing Guantanamo, ending torture. These are all important policies, and I am glad that he is pursuing them. But right now, the most important way for him to restore America's credibility and influence in the world is to rescue the American model," Zakaria writes.

Also in the cover package, Senior Editor Daniel Gross writes how more and more companies and firms are deciding to forgo the work of restructuring their finances, and instead selling off their inventory and closing.

"Rather than soldier on, many operators have opted to simply fold, returning money to investors. Companies, homeowners and money managers willing to quit rather than fight is both a symptom of the nation's deep economic woes and emblematic of the challenge the Obama administration faces," Gross writes. "Our 'Yes, We Can' president is going to have to fix a 'No, We Can't' economy," Gross said.

Steinway Installs World's Largest Solar Cooling System

With more than 11 acres of factory operations housed in a cluster of century-old buildings in Queens, Steinway & Sons is keenly aware of the need for energy-saving technology to power its piano manufacturing processes. That's one reason the 156-year-old company has installed the largest solar-powered rooftop system in the world to provide cool air to dehumidify the factory and protect the precision pianos inside.

The $875,000 solar system is partly funded through a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and through federal tax credits. It will function as a beta site for the tri-state area.

"It's critical that we find energy-efficient ways to dehumidify our plant, and the solar panels are the answer," said Bill Rigos, Facilities Manager at the Steinway & Sons factory in Queens.

The system, which will be completed in late spring, pumps solar-heated water into an 80-ton double-effect absorption chiller that serves as a heat exchanger. The chiller removes the superheated water and leaves cool air for dehumidifying. Lower humidity in the factory provides a more stable environment, with no moisture to threaten the precision construction of the famed Steinway pianos. In winter, the system will convert water to steam to heat the factory.

"Steinway has always been an innovative and progressive company; it's part of the company's culture," said Andrew Horbachevsky, Steinway's Vice President of Manufacturing.

"This begins with a bold vision. Our objective is to continue to challenge the status quo, whether in piano performance and quality, product offerings or factory operational efficiency. Using renewable energy sources reflects this same sensibility."

Steinway has found that a desire to cut energy costs leads naturally to green alternatives, and the solar panels are a huge example.

"We look at green initiatives as a way to recapture resources," said Todd Sanders, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Steinway.

"We're not doing it to be flashy. We're doing it because it makes good business sense and helps to maintain the excellence of our products."

Walmart Offers $9 Smoking Cessation Starter Pack

To help motivated consumers quit smoking and to further its Operation Main Street efforts to save customers money on prescription medications, Walmart today announced that it has expanded its affordable pharmacy program to include a smoking cessation prescription starter pack for $9, the lowest price on the market.*

The $9 starter pack of bupropion ER 150mg, the generic equivalent of Zyban, is now available at Walmart, Neighborhood Market and Sam's Club pharmacies in a 17-tablet, 10-day supply. This announcement is part of the retailer's January Healthy Living initiative, which aims to help Americans maintain their better eating, smoking cessation and exercise pledges in 2009.

"Times are tight right now, and Walmart is committed to helping our customers maintain their healthy lifestyles in both good economic times and bad," said Dr. John Agwunobi, Walmart senior vice president and president, health and wellness.

"With our affordable smoking cessation offerings, we're hopeful that smokers who are committed to quitting will be able to get the tools they need to stop smoking and still be able to afford everyday household items so they can live better," he said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 43 million Americans currently smoke, with 70 percent of them saying they want to stop. However - given today's current economic landscape - money previously set aside for smoking cessation products may now be re-allocated toward items American families need most.

Smoking cessation medication for $9 at Walmart may help reverse this trend as the bupropion ER starter pack - initiated at the request of both health care professionals and customers - is low-priced and affordable for consumers who want to quit.

"The public health community has long recognized that the cost of either cigarettes or smoking cessation medications has served as a determining factor for smokers to continue smoking or finally to decide to quit," said Cheryl G. Healton, Dr. P.H., President and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation.

"This move by Walmart to provide science-based smoking cessation therapies that smokers can more easily afford is a huge step forward in helping millions of smokers finally quit for good. We applaud Walmart and hope other retailers will follow their example. It can only result in longer, healthier lives."

According to the CDC, smoking cessation treatments, including counseling and medications, can double quitting success rates. In addition to the bupropion ER starter pack, Walmart also currently offers the following over-the-counter and prescription products for consumers and physicians to consider for continued success toward a smoke-free lifestyle:

-- Nicorette Coated Gum 120-count bonus pack, assorted flavors ($39.84)
-- NicoDerm Step 1 21-count bonus pack patches or Step 2 14-count patches
($39.84)
-- Commit Lozenges 96-count bonus pack, assorted flavors ($34.84)
-- Equate-Brand Nicotine Gum, Patches, and Lozenges
-- 60-tablet, 30-day supply of bupropion ER 150mg ($27)

"Quitting smoking is tough, but we know that when smokers have the resources available to help, their rates of success are higher," said Terry Music, chief mission officer, American Cancer Society.

"In addition to accessing smoking cessation medications, smokers wanting to quit should make a quit plan to further increase their chance of success. By calling the American Cancer Society Quitline(R) at 1-800-227-2345, smokers can talk with a trained counselor who can explain how best to use the cessation treatments and provide other tips and tools to help in a successful quit attempt."