10 unknown video stars making six figures

There are 10 independent YouTube stars who made over $100,000 in the past year, according to a study done by analytics and advertising company TubeMogul.

From July 2009 to July 2010, TubeMogul used their viewership data to estimate the annual income for independent YouTube partners, which they define as anyone who is not part of a media company or brand.

Here's how they got their estimates:

* Revenue only comes from banner ads served near content (we ignored pre-roll or overlay since we can't easily isolate by publisher).
* Since YouTube banner ads have a two-second load delay, we estimate 2.59% of viewers click away before an ad loads based on separate research.
* Ads were served near all videos that loaded (since there are partners, this is generally true).
* CPM for the banner ads was $1.50 (Google auctions a lot of this inventory off; we rounded this 2009 estimate down to be conservative).
* YouTube is splitting ad revenue with partners 50-50.

Basically, take their views from the past year, assume a few don't stick around long enough for an ad to load, divide that number by 1,000, multiply by $1.50 and divide that number in half.

Conservative estimates? Sure. But with that math, you get a pretty decent estimate of how much these YouTube celebrities are making from just the banner ads on their channel. So, without further ado, here are the highest earning YouTube stars!

1. Shane Dawson – $315,000

Shane Dawson is so popular that he is three different YouTube channels. His most popular channel consists of his comedy skits and music video parodies. Dawson created a second channel as a vlog and for a separate series called "Ask Shane," and his third channel only has videos taken from his iPhone.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 431,787,450

2. The Annoying Orange – $288,000

The Annoying Orange is a comedy web series that takes place in a kitchen and is about talking fruit. Dane Boedigheimer is the mastermind behind the series and is also the voice of Orange.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 349,753,047

3. Philip DeFranco – $181,000

Philip DeFranco uploads a new video onto YouTube every Monday to Thursday for his show – The Philip DeFranco Show. His video blogging topics range from politics to pop culture.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 248,735,032

4. Ryan Higa – $151,000

Ryan Higa makes comedy skits and is a video blogger who turned into a viral star with his "How to be Gangster" and "How to be Ninja" videos. Even though he doesn't upload as many videos as his fellow YouTube celebrities, Higa is still the top dog at YouTube with over 2.6 million subscribers.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 206,979,909

5. Fred – $146,000

Lucas Cruikshank plays "a lonely six year old named Fred" who uses his mom's video camera and posts videos on a YouTube channel. As the second most subscribed to YouTube channel, Lucas Cruikshank's immensely popular Fred character even has a movie coming out backed by Nickelodeon.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 200,656,150

6. Shay Carl – $140,000

As a radio DJ, Shay Carl started making comedy skits and put them on YouTube for the world to see. He claims to have held 20 different jobs before settling down with his DJ and YouTube gigs.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 192,309,247

7. Mediocre Films – $116,000

Greg Benson created Mediocre Films initially for a sketchy comedy TV series called "Skip TV." The show lasted for one season, and now Benson makes low budget comedy videos for the web.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 159,030,703

8. Smosh – $113,000

Smosh is the comedy duo of Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla, and with over 1.7 million subscribers, they make up the 5th most popular channel on YouTube. They first shot to viral fame with their "Pokemon Theme Music Video" which became YouTube's most viewed video in Spring 2006. However, due to copyright reasons, the original video was removed from YouTube.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 154,936,876

9. The Young Turks – $112,000

The Young Turks is a political talk show that also airs on Sirius Satellite Radio. Founded and hosted by Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks talk show and their vast viewership has proven that the Internet can be a viable broadcast platform.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 153,807,362

10. Natalie Tran– $101,000

Under the user name of communitychannel, Natalie Tran is the most subscribed to YouTube user in Australia. Like most others on this list, she is a video blogger and occasionally uploads comedy skits.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 138,871,829

New Facebook feature stirs privacy worries

The 411 on Facebook Places and privacy

Facebook just rolled out its take on Foursquare’s "check-in" feature, which lets you tell your friends — or the world, if you like — that you’ve just ambled into a specific venue. The twist? Unlike Foursquare, Facebook Places will let your Facebook pals go ahead and check you into a place, as well — cool if you're a freewheeling social butterfly, but troubling if you're at all protective of your privacy.

Announced and launched last night, Facebook Places is only available to U.S. Facebook users for now (and it hasn't been rolled out to every U.S. Facebook user yet, so be patient), and only on the Facebook iPhone app or on mobile devices with HTML 5-compliant browsers that boast geolocation features.

Here's how it works (this will sound familiar to anyone who's used Foursquare before): If you're out on the town and you want your Facebook friends to know that you've just arrived at the Starbucks down the street, you fire up Facebook on your Places-enabled handheld, tap the Places icon, search for the venue you want to check into (you can add a venue if it isn't listed), and tap the "Check In" button. (You must actually be physically near a place to check in; for example, you can't check into the Louvre if you're sitting at home in Plano, Texas.)

Once you've checked into a place, other Facebook Places users at your location will (for a few hours, at least) be able to see that you've checked in with them, and your check-in will appear in your Facebook news feed.

What sets Facebook Places apart from other Foursquare-like "check-in" apps, however, is that you can check your fellow Facebook users into a place at the same time that you check in yourself, simply by tagging them. So, for instance, if you're strolling into a movie with, say, your friends Pete and Amber, you can check yourself in and check in Pete and Amber as well; all three of you will appear in the "People Here Now" list for that particular theater, and your check-ins will pop up as status updates. (You'll be notified the first time a Facebook friend tries to tag you through Places.)

Now, that could be handy if, say, Pete and Amber want all their pals to know where they are even if they left their iPhones at home for the evening. But what if Pete had a good reason for not wanting everyone to know he was kicking back at the multiplex — like, say, he'd been home "sick" that day, or he'd begged off from dinner at his boss's place — but you'd checked him in anyway? Uh-oh.

The good news is that Facebook has rolled out a series of new privacy controls along with the new Places feature that control who's privy to your check-ins, as well as whether your friends can check you into a given place. The bad news: Even with the new Places privacy controls, your Facebook friends can (of course) always reveal your "20" if they so choose.

If you go to Privacy Settings under the Account tab in Facebook, you'll see "Places I check in" listed under the main "Sharing on Facebook" settings, which you can set to "everyone," "friends of friends," or "friends only."

For more granular control, click the "Customize settings" link. Under "Things I share," there's a checkbox next to "Include me in 'People Here Now' after I check in"; just clear the "enable" checkbox if you don't want friends or those who've also checked in at a given venue to see that you've recently checked in there.

Don't like the idea of Facebook pals checking you into a place? Go to the "Things others share" section, find "Friends can check me in to Places" (at the bottom), and select "Disabled" from the pull-down menu. And even if your "Friends can check me in" setting is enabled, you can still remove a Places tag and/or check-in after the fact, just as you can untag yourself from a photo.

But even if you block your friends from checking you in somewhere via Places, there's nothing stopping them from blurting out, "Hey, guess who's here at the movies with me!" in a regular status update, along with a (tagged) picture of you wearing 3-D glasses — and of course, they could do so whether you're a Facebook user or not. So it goes in the age of Facebook.

For more on Facebook Places and privacy, check out the ACLU's DotRights.org site, which has an exhaustive page covering all the various Places privacy settings.

What do you think of Facebook Places? Planning on using it? Worried about the privacy implications? Fire away below.

The Facebook Blog: Who, What, When, and Now...Where

6 Best Foods for Healthy Skin

Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, and Lindsay Lohan: What do these women have in common? They’ve all been embroiled in tabloid-worthy scandals. But what else? They all look good, even when the press isn’t. That’s because they have what so many of us strive for: Perfect skin.
So, what’s the secret? How do some of us achieve the golden hue of Halle Berry while the rest of us get stuck with a scaly patchwork of blotches, pimples, and dry spots? Some of it’s genetic, sure, but that’s not the whole story. If you listen to the conventional wisdom coming from the pharmaceutical companies, you might think the problem is that you just haven’t discovered the right cream, ointment, or alcohol-soaked cleansing pad to clear up your face. But those are solutions of last resort. What you need is a preventive strategy, one that involves nurturing the complex balance of nutrients that feed your skin and nurture your inner glow. In other words, if you want the kind of skin that looks good even through a Hollywood scandal, you’ve got to eat right. Here are six foods that will have you looking your best.

1. SALMON
Salmon is an ideal food for many reasons, but as far as your skin’s concerned, there’s only one that matters: It’s among the world’s greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the essential fats that, along with bolstering the cognitive powers of your brain, concentrate in the walls of your epidermal cells to help lock in moisture. Plus, in one study, researchers supplemented two groups of mice with either omega-3 or omega-6 fats. After two weeks, the skin of the omega-3-fed group exhibited a 20 percent faster recovery rate from exposure to ultraviolet light. That gives salmon two crucial skin boons: keeping your skin from looking dry and helping it battle the dangers of excessive sunlight.

Other omega-3 foods: sardines, walnuts, flaxseed

Bonus Tip: Sushi is one of my favorite ways to eat salmon. Use our Ultimate Sushi Selector to make sure your sushi roll doesn’t turn into a belly roll.


2. CARROTS
Carrots are teeming with tiny orange pigments called beta-carotene, and when you ingest those pigments, you’re inviting them to nestle into your skin, fill in blotches, and give you a healthy glow. And what’s more, research shows that this can actually help prevent premature aging from sun damage. But is the accumulation of orange in your skin going to make you look like an extra from Jersey Shore? Well, hopefully not. But eating excessive loads of carotene-rich foods can lead to a condition called carotenosis, wherein your skin stops looking healthy and starts looking, well, orange. But the conditions is rare, so unless you notice yourself turning into a prison jumpsuit, feel free to chow down.

Other beta-carotene foods: sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, red grapefruit


3. AVOCADO
One study published by The Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people with higher intakes of olive oil had fewer wrinkles than people with higher intakes of butter. The reason: Butter is loaded with saturated fat, while olive oil is rich in monounsaturates, the same essential fats that make up more than 50% of the calories in an avocado. So why eat avocado over olive oil? Both are good, but avocados have the added bonus of B vitamins, which also help to keep your skin looking vibrant and smooth.

Other monounsaturated-fat foods: olive oil, almonds, peanut butter

Bonus Tip: These foods are only the tip of the super-food iceberg. Click here for 15 more Foods that Cure.


4. BEANS

Legumes, to be more precise. This is the class of plants that includes black beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, and peanuts. And how do these puny pods protect your face? By smoothing out wrinkles. Australian researchers analyzed the diets of more than 400 elderly men and women and found that high intakes of legumes—alongside vegetables and healthy fats—resulted in 20% fewer wrinkles over time. The effect is likely a result of isoflavones—potent antioxidants—concentrated in the beans.

Other isoflavone-rich foods: alfalfa, tempeh, tofu


5. GRAPES
Besides providing protection from heart attack and stroke, antioxidants called polyphenols found in grapes can also help keep middle-aged skin from sagging. That’s because polyphenols improve skin’s elasticity by strengthening collagen, the primary protein in skin’s innermost layer.

Other polyphenol-rich foods: grape juice, blueberries

Bonus Tip: Here’s another easy way to tighten your skin and improve your looks: Lose 5 pounds. Start here: 10 simple weight-loss strategies that work.

6. WATER
Okay, it’s not as fun to drink as wine, but water is the strongest weapon you have against lifeless skin. That’s why they call it “moisturizing”—because you’re trying to lock moisture, aka water, into your skin. To put it broadly, all the body’s processes rely on hydration, so if you’re not sipping throughout the day, you’re likely to have a slower metabolism, groggier head, and, yes, drier skin. One study suggested that it takes a mere half-liter of water to create a measurable increase in the capillary blood flow to your body’s outer layer. That’s just over 16 ounces. Try doing that a few times a day and you’ll have a face like a baby’s bottom in no time.

Other water-rich foods: watermelon, peaches, celery

Hefty price to pay for a swimming pool

Taking a Bath on Your Pool

You're probably getting a lot of use out of it this sweltering summer. But how much is it really costing you?

If you don't have one you may be wondering -- are they worth the expense or is a pool just a money pit with floating chairs?

"It's definitely not an investment," argues Jim Holtzman, financial planner at Legend Financial Advisors in Pittsburgh. "It's a big liability, if anything."

Elaine Scoggins, a financial adviser with Merriman investment advisers in Seattle, agrees and thinks people tend to underestimate the long-term costs. "They think about a house as a potential money pit, but they may not think about the pool," she says. "I'm not saying don't own a pool, but go into it with your eyes open."

Let's do the math.

First, there's the initial cost. Although this will vary depending on where you live and how big a pool you want, you should probably budget maybe $25,000 to $50,000 for an in-ground pool, say financial advisers.

The "extras" mount up, from the concrete skirt around the pool to the lockable fence. In some states the fence is a legal requirement. Even where it isn't, it makes good sense. (Every year we hear of tragedies involving small children.) There may be landscaping and other work as well.



A heated pool in Rhinebeck, N.Y.

Then there are all the recurring costs -- the ones easiest to underestimate.

Even if you maintain the pool yourself and buy your supplies from a discount supply company like Leisure Living's poolsupplies.com, it's going to cost you. Sales director Sean Corrigan says chemicals may run to $500 a year. Dave cook, group vice-president at Supplies Company Pool Corp. in Covington, La., says it's typically "a range from $500 to $800," but if you live in a northern state and need to open and close the pool at the start and end of each summer, both men said, that may cost you at least another $500.

Then there's the cost of your time and all the hassle of dealing with the pool.

When I was growing up, several of our family friends had swimming pools in their backyard. It always seemed incredibly glamorous. I could never understand why my father refused to get one.

But then I noticed that our friends' pools were almost never in use. "We gotta replace the filters," they'd say, with a shrug. Or: "The pump's broken." I think I saw them spend more time raking leaves out of the water than swimming in it. When we wanted to swim, we'd go to the lake.

Many people save on effort by hiring a pool service company. But then the costs go -- far -- north.

The electric bill for the pumps, heater and so on may cost $100 a month. You may spend thousands of dollars every so often replacing things like the liner and the covers or repairing cracks or leaks.

And you need to check that your household liability insurance covers the additional risks. If neighborhood kids break in when you're away for the weekend and have an accident, you're in trouble.

All in? The financial advisers I spoke to all said that, through long experience, they had learned that pools ended up costing a lot more year to year than you usually expect. Susan Elser, a certified financial planner in Indianapolis ("and a former pool owner," she adds), suggests the ongoing costs can easily run to $3,000 a year, or about 10% of the initial cost. If you hire a pool service company, she says, make that 15%. Jim Miller at Woodward Financial Advisers in Chapel Hill, N.C., says the annual costs can run as high as $5,000 a year.

You may figure that you'll make a lot of this back when you come to sell your home. Advisers doubt it. "I question whether it adds anything to the [sale price]," says Ed Rose, a financial planner at Bayside Wealth Management in Pensacola, Fla. "It may contribute something, but you'll never get your money out of it on the resale." One of his clients recently bought a home with a pool and paid extra to have it filled in. "Many people don't want to buy a house with a pool because they don't want the responsibility," says Jim Miller at Woodward.

Sure, that's going to vary. If you live in the south or southwest, or you are selling a luxury home, some of your potential purchasers may expect a pool. Overall, you should be wary about relying on making some money back on the pool when you sell the home.

Bottom line? If your pool costs $30,000 to install, say $3,000 a year in total running, maintenance and repairs, and you don't get much back when you sell it, how much has it really cost you? Remember you could have invested that $30,000 and earned a return on the money. If you borrowed it, you have to pay interest.

Even if the rate of return is only 5%, that $30,000 pool would actually cost about $4,500 a year in total.

Is it worth it? A pool can be great fun in summer, and maybe it's worth the cost -- if you use it a lot. Up here in the northeast, for example, the summers really aren't reliable enough. Few are like this year. I'm amazed at how many people have an in-ground pool anyway. They could probably make better use of that money. As several advisers pointed out, it may cost a lot less to join a local club with a pool.

In many cases, people get a pool when they have small children, figuring the children will use it. It may not be the right move. "A lot of my neighbors built the pool for the kids," says Elaine Scoggins. "But the kids end up wanting to go to the community pool, because there are more kids there."

What you should know about Android

For Android newbies: 10 questions, answered

Sure, you’ve heard of Android — as in Android phones, which are multiplying like rabbits and taking the smartphone world by storm, giving even the mighty iPhone a run for its money. But are you still a little shaky on the Android basics? Do you turn into a wallflower when the subject comes up during cocktail parties? Read on.

1. What is Android, anyway?

At the most basic level, Android is an operating system for touchscreen smartphones — it’s the software engine that drives all the menus, windows, home screens and internal operations of any Android-powered smartphone, the same way that iOS powers the iPhone and the BlackBerry OS runs BlackBerry handsets.

Android was developed by Google and first announced in 2007, with the very first Android-based phone — the T-Mobile G1 — arriving in fall 2008. (Nope, not that long ago.)

2. What’s so special about Android?

Unlike the proprietary iPhone operating system (now known as "iOS,"), which is under the complete control of Apple — and the same goes for Research in Motion’s BlackBerry OS or Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform — Google released Android as an open-source OS under the auspices of the Open Handset Alliance, leaving phone manufacturers (relatively) free to tweak Android as they see fit for a given handset.

That’s one thing that’s special about Android. Another thing is that it just happens to be a really good OS, the first one in the post-iPhone wireless era to really give Apple a run for its money. Android may not be as sleek or polished as iOS (that’s my humble opinion, at least), but it’s fast and powerful, with an intuitive user interface that’s packed with options and flexibility. It’s also being constantly improved courtesy of the big brains at Google, making the Android experience sleeker by the day.

3. Are Android phones called "Droids"?

Not necessarily. "Droid" is a brand name used by Verizon Wireless for its Android-based phones — the Droid X, the Droid Eris, the Droid Incredible and so on. The HTC Evo 4G on Sprint is not a "Droid," per se, but it’s still an Android smartphone.

4. Why would I (potentially) choose an Android phone over an iPhone?

Well, for a variety of reasons — although I should point out that I’m actually a fan of both operating systems. (Sorry to disappoint the smartphone flame warriors out there.)

One reason to go the Google way is that Android phones boast tight integration with Google services like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts and Google Voice — perfect for anyone who uses Google for all their e-mails, contacts and events. Indeed, one of the coolest things about Android phones is that the first time you fire one up, you enter your Google user name and password, and voila: All your Google messages, contacts and other info start syncing into your new handset automatically, no desktop syncing needed.

Android is also far more open when it comes to applications. Whereas Apple takes a "walled garden" approach to its App Store, Google won’t restrict you from installing apps that aren’t featured in its official Android Marketplace. iPhone users, on the other hand, must "jailbreak" their phones if they want to install apps that weren’t approved by Apple for inclusion in the App Store.

Last but not least, because Android is open to all manufacturers, a wide variety of Android phones are available to choose from — big and small, souped-up and pared-down, some with slide-out keyboards (good luck convincing Steve Jobs to put a slide-out QWERTY on the iPhone) and some that are all-touchscreen, all the time. Indeed, in the past few months, a new Android phone has debuted practically every week, while we only get a single new iPhone each year.

5. What are the downsides of Android?

Well, if you ask me, the Android OS isn’t quite as forgiving to wireless beginners as the iPhone is. Setting up your e-mail, contacts and calendar on Android is a breeze (if you’re all about Gmail, that is), but when it comes to, say, your music and videos, you’re on your own with Android, which lacks an official media syncing client for the desktop. With the iPhone, you do all your syncing on easy-to-use iTunes, which also lets you manage your e-mail accounts, contacts, apps and photos. Then again, you can only use iTunes for syncing the iPhone, while Android users have a variety of third-party options.

That’s just one example, but in general, Android gives you more options and choices about how you manage your phone and your mobile content — great for experienced and advanced users, but potentially intimidating for newbies.

On the other hand, while beginners might appreciate the (usually) smooth, user-friendly experience that Apple has devised for the iPhone, advanced users may (and often do) get frustrated by Apple’s tight control over what they can and can't do on the iPhone. It’s a trade-off, plain and simple, and your choice of platform depends on what’s right for you.

6. What’s up with all these different versions of Android, like "Donut," "Cupcake" and "Froyo"?

Just as Apple does with iOS, Google continually updates Android with cool new features, leading to one "point" upgrade after another.

The most recent version of Android is 2.2, code-named "Froyo" (for frozen yogurt, yum), adds features such as native USB tethering (for sharing your Android phone’s data connection with a laptop via a USB cable), mobile hotspot functionality (which turns your phone into a portable Wi-FI hotspot that works with nearby Wi-Fi devices) and — perhaps most important — support for Flash, meaning that Flash-powered videos and modules that (notoriously) don’t work on the iPhone will work on the Android Web browser.

Before 2.2 Froyo, we had version 2.1, which added "live" animated wallpaper, new home screen icons and widgets (tiny apps for the home screen), speech-to-text functionality (for e-mail and text messages, for example), full-on multitouch (for pinch-to-zoom gestures), and an updated photo gallery that hooks into your Picasa Web albums. Android 1.6 "Donut" (someone at Google must have a sweet tooth) added various speed improvements, support for more screen resolutions, and faster camera and camcorder applications. The first major update to Android was 1.5 "Cupcake," which (among other goodies) finally added a native video recorder.

7. So if the current version of Android is 2.2, why are people still complaining about Android phones stuck with version 2.1, or even 1.6?

Ah, well, here’s where we find one of the downsides of Google allowing so much diversity in terms of available Android handsets. Don’t get me wrong: Variety is a beautiful thing, especially when it comes to phones. But it also means that each new version of Android must be certified to work on a specific handset — a long and sometimes drawn-out process that can leave users of a particular Android smartphone waiting weeks or even months to get the latest and greatest features. Indeed, manufactures and carriers may decide that it’s not worth the effort to upgrade their older phones to the latest Android version, leaving users high and dry.

On the other hand, only a handful of iPhones exist, which makes it far easier for Apple to roll out a new version of iOS to everyone, all at once — or at least it used to be easy. Because of the hardware demands of iOS 4, we’ve already seen the original iPhone from 2007 get left behind, while users of the second-generation iPhone 3G have complained bitterly that the new iOS has slowed their handsets to a crawl. So it goes.

8. How many apps are available for Android?

About 70,000 or so, growing by the day — still just a fraction of the 225,000-plus apps in the Apple App Store, but the official Android Marketplace has quite the head of steam, not to mention plenty of goodwill from the developer community given that Google doesn’t give apps the star-chamber treatment.

9. So, how should I go about picking an Android phone?

No question about it: The breadth and variety of Android phones now on the market can be downright bewildering. The easiest way to narrow your choices is pretty obvious: What features and form-factors are you looking for? Do you want a phone with a real QWERTY keypad, or would you prefer one with only an on-screen keypad? Looking for a big screen (like the 4.3-inchers on the Evo 4G or the Droid X) or something that’s an easier fit in your pocket (like, say, the Droid Incredible)? Will you primarily be sending e-mail and text messages (in which case a smaller screen with a QWERTY would work), or are you interested in watching movies and other videos (big display)? Finally, who’s your carrier — or who would you like to be your carrier?

Nope, it’s not rocket science.

Once you’ve zeroed in on a phone, find out which version of Android it’s running on. Is it the latest and greatest? (For now, only the Motorola Droid 2 is shipping with Android 2.2, although a 2.2 update for the HTC Evo 4G has finally arrived.) If not, ask when — and whether — an update is on the way. Finally, read some reviews (start here and here).

10. What are the hottest new Android phones out right now?

Well, earlier this summer we got the HTC Evo 4G, which supports Sprint’s budding, next-generation WiMax data network and boasts a 4.3-inch display — the same size as the screen on the Motorola Droid X, another eye-popper of a phone, except it’s on Verizon instead of Sprint. Samsung is in the midst of releasing a series of what it calls its Galaxy S-class Android phones: They’re thin and light, they all have high-contrast 4-inch "Super AMOLED" screens, and they’re available (or will be soon) on all four of the big U.S. carriers. If you’re looking for an Android phone with a slide-out QWERTY, consider the new Motorola Droid 2 on Verizon or the upcoming Samsung Epic 4G for Sprint. There’s also the older, cheaper ($99 with contract) Samsung Moment (Sprint).

Five money problems that doom marriages

Don't Let Money Problems Ruin Your Marriage partner

There’s no right way for married couples to manage their money. But there are plenty of wrong ways. “Financial issues are the primary reason for 90 percent of divorce cases I handle,” says John Thyden, a prominent Washington, D.C., divorce attorney. “But it isn’t necessarily the amount of money a couple has that tends to trip them up. It’s the differences in their spending habits and especially their lack of communication.” Here are some issues to watch out for. And while you're at it, try adopting these habits of the happiest couples.

1. Relationship Neglect
Pssst...sometimes arguments about money are actually about not paying enough attention to your marriage (do this to stop having the same fight), rather than your financial situation. When spouses feel neglected, they may resort to spending cash on items they can't afford or bring up their partner's buying habits as a way to retaliate for deeper issues. Examine the root of your fights and determine whether your fiscal concerns are actually a by-product of hurt feelings. Then, if necessary, get started on a marriage makeover.

2. Love Is Blind
At the beginning of a relationship, money often isn't an issue. Love can be intoxicating, and some spouses express their emotions by lavishing their partner with exorbitant spending sprees, jetting off to exotic vacations, and other costly pursuits (don't make these money mistakes). Then reality sets in, and couples have to worry about their rent or mortgage, kids and living expenses. A financial planner can help you get your finances back on track and develop a budget that you can stick to. Plus, set out some financial rules to follow as a couple

3. When Women Are the Breadwinners
Women are the breadwinners in one out of three dual-income families today. Although earning more money can be beneficial, it also challenges traditional gender roles,
so that wives may feel guilty about putting less time into mom duties while husbands may feel like they've failed somehow. Set up equal spending rights with your spouse so that you're both on the same page

4. Keeping Up with the Joneses
It can be easy for couples to become envious of other couples' spending habits and
feel like they need to live beyond their means just to keep up. However, this can lead to debt and put a significant amount of stress on a marriage. Do some digging with your spouse and work together to diminish these insecurities.

5. A Lack of Open Communication
Not knowing exactly where your money is going each month can spark resentment. Have an honest conversation with your partner where you both break down the spending in your household. Discuss your priorities and decide together if you need to cut back or add to a specific category.

New superbugs spreading from South Asia

Plastic surgery patients have carried a new class of superbugs resistant to almost all antibiotics from South Asia to Britain and they could spread worldwide, researchers reported Wednesday.


Many hospital infections that were already difficult to treat have become even more impervious to drugs thanks to a recently discovered gene that can jump across different species of bacteria.

This so-called NDM-1 gene was first identified last year by Cardiff University's Timothy Walsh in two types of bacteria -- Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli -- in a Swedish patient admitted to hospital in India.

Worryingly, the new NDM-1 bacteria are resistant even to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics often reserved as a last resort for emergency treatment for multi-drug resistant bugs.

In the new study, led by Walsh and Madras University's Karthikeyan Kumarasamy, researchers set out to determine how common the NDM-1 producing bacteria were in South Asia and Britain, where several cases had turned up.

Checking hospital patients with suspect symptoms, they found 44 cases -- 1.5 percent of those screened -- in Chennai, and 26 (eight percent) in Haryana, both in India.

They likewise found the superbug in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well 37 cases in Britain, where several patients had recently travelled to India or Pakistan for cosmetic surgery.

"India also provides cosmetic surgery for other Europeans and Americans, and it is likely that NDM-1 will spread worldwide," said the study, published in the British medical journal The Lancet.

NDM-1 was mostly found in E. coli, a common source of community-acquired urinary tract infections, and K. pneumoniae, and was impervious to all antibiotics except two, tigecycline and colistin.

In some cases, even these drugs did not beat back the infection.

Crucially, the NDM-1 gene was found on DNA structures, called plasmids, that can be easily copied and transferred between bacteria, giving the bug "an alarming potential to spread and diversify," the authors said.

"Unprecedented air travel and migration allow bacterial plasmids and clones to be transported rapidly between countries and continents," mostly undetected, they said.

The emergence of these new drug-resistant strains could become a serious global public health problem as the major threat shifts toward a broad class of bacteria -- including those armed with the NDM-1 gene -- known as "Gram-negative", the researchers warn.

"There are few new anti-Gram-negative antibiotics in development, and none that are effective against NDM-1," the study said.

NDM-1 stands for New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1.

Johann Pitout from the University of Calgary in Canada said patients who have medical procedures in India should be screened for multi-resistant bacteria before they receive care in their home country.