Joining the Greek community means "opportunities for leadership development, service, brotherhood, academic achievement, networking and social engagement," "a home away from home" and "an opportunity to belong to one of the world's largest lifelong, personal development organizations," according to the North-American Interfraternity Conference, a trade association representing 5,500 men's fraternities at more than 800 U.S. college campuses.

In the 2010-2011 school year, the most recent year for which data are available, more than 300,000 men belonged to undergraduate fraternities, gave 2.25 million hours of community service and raised $14.6 million for charity. The National Pan-Hellenic Conference, which represents 2,986 women's fraternity and sorority chapters on 655 campuses, says women's fraternities provide value beyond the college years, by helping individuals develop their potential "through leadership opportunities and group effort." While you may not be able to put a price on benefits like these, you can put a price on the many expenses associated with membership.

SEE: What You Need To Do Before Applying To College Room and BoardThe room and board expenses associated with belonging to a sorority or fraternity vary by school and chapter. At the University of North Carolina (UNC), for example, the average cost for a fraternity member's room, board and dues is $2,970 per semester but ranges from $1,600 to $5,000. For sorority members, the average cost is $2,987 per semester and the range is $2,575 to $3,407. Living in a Greek house is not necessarily more expensive than living in student housing and buying a university meal plan. For example, in Westwood, the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood where UCLA resides, Greek housing can actually save students money. The costs for both seem to be steadily rising as well, but there are ways to combat rising college costs .

New Member Dues and Active Member DuesAt UNC, new members pay $600-$900 in new member dues in the semester when they join. Thereafter, the average cost is $200 to $300 per semester. Dues consist of chapter dues, national dues and pan-hellenic dues. This money helps cover expenses, such as liability insurance, house upkeep, scholarships and social events. Some chapters have payment plans that help members meet their dues obligations.

SEE: Student Borrowing: University Payment Plan Vs. Federal Student Loans FinesSome chapters impose fines on individual members for breaking rules. You might have to pay up if you miss a mandatory meeting or activity, or don't meet GPA standards. Recruitment infractions can also result in fines, which might cost $50 per violation. Members may also be fined for not doing assigned housework or for drinking alcohol at events where alcohol consumption is not allowed. Some chapters allow these fines to be paid in service hours. Also, Greek houses can face fines for fire code violations, trash violations and failure to submit required paperwork on time. In a worst-case scenario, a house could face expensive police fines for violations of city laws, such as serving alcohols to minors and exceeding house occupancy limits during parties.

Social Expenses Expenses associated with social activities can be difficult to estimate before joining a sorority or fraternity. They can vary significantly by chapter but they're also the expense you technically have the most control over. However, just because it isn't mandatory to donate to every charity event and buy a new dress for every dance and a new t-shirt for every function, doesn't mean you won't feel like these expenses are required when you're overtly or subtly pressured into them. Social expenses can add hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to the cost of "going Greek."

You might be expected to spend money on clothes with your chapter's colors and letters, gifts for your brothers or sisters, event tickets, outings to restaurants and bars, limousine rentals for formal nights out and professional event photos. In some chapters, you could face pressure to buy designer clothes and accessories to maintain the group's self-styled image.

SEE: Pay For College Without Selling A Kidney Alumni ExpensesStudents who take to heart the lifelong membership component of the Greek system will find themselves with sorority- and fraternity-related expenses long after they graduate. "Adults spend an astronomical amount of money as members of alumni chapters of fraternal organizations, especially in the African-American community," says Crystal L. Kendrick, president of Cincinnati marketing firm The Voice of Your Customer.

"Many professionals join alumni chapters at costs that could easily reach $1,000," she says. In addition to joining fees, there are event fees. Regional and national sorority conventions that give graduates an opportunity to meet members of all ages of their chapters from other colleges, but it costs money to travel to and participate in these events. Kendrick adds that supporting various fundraising efforts throughout the year and purchasing expensive paraphernalia can further add to alumni expenses.

Career AdvantagesFraternity and sorority members are more likely to graduate and, as a group, have slightly higher GPAs than their non-Greek peers. Beyond graduation, if you nurture the social connections you'll develop as a member of the Greek system, you can have access to a lifelong network that can help you get a job and advance in your career. Numerous politicians, Fortune 500 executives, Supreme Court justices and American presidents belonged to fraternities or sororities.

Original post:
Should You Join A Sorority Or Fraternity?

By Eric Fox - August 4, 2012 | Tickers: BBG, XEC, DNR, MRO | 0 Comments

Eric is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

Marathon Oil (NYSE: MRO) is cutting back on its oil and gas development program in the onshore United States as the company reacts to lower cash flow from falling commodity prices while drilling and completion costs continue to stay at stubbornly high levels.

Eagle Ford Shale

Marathon Oil's largest onshore operation in the United States is in South Texas, where the company is developing the Eagle Ford Shale. The company is operating 20 rigs here and plans to drop two rigs as a result of lower prices for crude oil and natural gas liquids. Marathon Oil still believes that it can still maintain its original development program of 230 to 240 wells as the company has become more efficient in its drilling operations here.

Marathon Oil even announced that it would drill 11 additional Eagle Ford Shale wells on properties recently acquired from Paloma Partners II LLC. The company is buying 17,131 net acres for approximately $750 million.

Woodford Shale

The largest reduction in activity for Marathon Oil will be in its operations in the Mid Continent, where the company is developing the Woodford Shale in the Anadarko Basin. The company plans to operate two rigs here, down from the previous level of six rigs. Despite the cut, Marathon Oil is maintaining its 2012 exit rate production guidance of 10,000 BOE per day from here and believes that a two rig program will be able to convert the companys leases from term to held by production.

Cimarex Energy (NYSE: XEC) has a much larger operation in the Woodford Shale and is active mostly in the Cana portion of the play due to the high level of natural gas liquids present in the production stream. The company spent approximately 44% of its capital budget in the Woodford Shale and drilled 25 net wells in the Cana play in the first half of 2012.

Cimarex Energy is dealing with lower commodity prices by shifting development toward plays that produce mostly crude oil. The company is targeting the Bone Spring in Texas and New Mexico where oil ranges from 79% to 87% of total production.

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Marathon Oil Dials Back in the Onshore United States

The FDA is unlikely to rule out personal genetics tests, but it may require that physicians get more involved.

Self awareness: 23andMe ships "spit kits" directly to consumers who want to explore their genetic makeup. flickr creative commons | Pelle Sten

Personal genetics company 23andMe announced it has applied for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for seven of its genetic tests. The company hopes that FDA approval will increase consumer confidence and interest in its tests, and ultimately feed into its goal of crowdsourcing human genetic information for medical research.

But it could be a risky moveif regulatory approval includes a requirement for a medical provider's involvement, that could interfere with the company's direct-to-consumer model, at least for some of its tests.

"That's the part where we are going to have to see how it plays out," says Linda Avey, a cofounder of 23andMe who has since left the company. The direct-to-consumer model was a founding principle of 23andMe, which emphasizes individual participation in health and medicine, says Avey.

23andMe, in which Google has invested $6.5 million, offers a genome analysis test directly to consumers, who can use the product to explore their genetic risk for everything from curly hair to Alzheimer's disease. Although the company isn't disclosing which particular tests it is seeking regulatory approval for, Ashley Gould, vice president for corporate development and chief legal officer, says the tests are medically relevant and examine genetic variants with disease connections that are well supported by scientific research. The company is already working on a second submission, and plans to eventually seek approval for some 100 of its 240 tests.

The company has made two other significant moves within the medical arena in recent months. In May, the company patented a genetic variant for Parkinson's disease risk. Last month, 23andMe acquired a patient networking site called Cure Together, an online forum where users share stories of their personal experiences with disease and treatment (see "23andMe Expands Its Data-Mining Operations").

For $299, you can order a genetic test for every genetic trait the Silicon Valley-based company examines. Consumers receive a kit in the mail and return a saliva sample that is then analyzed for around a million variants in the genome. Some of the variants connect to harmless traits like eye color. Others have serious medical implications, such as risk for Parkinson's disease and how an individual's body will respond to certain drugs.

This isn't the first time 23andMe has dealt with the FDA. In 2010, the FDA sent letters of warning to 23andMe and four other direct-to-consumer genetics companies, warning them that their genetic testing service is a medical device and thus needs regulatory approval. The FDA says it oversees direct-to-consumer genetic tests to ensure that such products are safe and effective, and to make sure that manufacturers deliver on their medical claims. "The goal is to ensure that consumers have access to accurate and reliable information that consumers can use to help better understand their own health needs and how to go about seeking additional information," said an agency spokesperson by e-mail.

23andMe's move to seek regulatory approval is a first for the direct-to-consumer genetics market, and is widely viewed as a necessary step forward. "I think it's a positive move in general for the industry and the field," says Cinnamon Bloss, a clinical psychologist at the Scripps Translational Science Institute who studies how people respond to the kind of genomic information supplied by 23andMe and others. "A central issue is going to be how [the FDA] responds to the notion of offering these tests directly to the consumer," she says.

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Personal Genetics Company Seeks Regulatory Approval

August 3, 2012 - ASTM WK38096, Test Method for Measuring Transmitted Impact Force Through Materials Used in Protective Clothing, is proposed standard being developed by Subcommittee F23.20. It will measure amount of energy absorbed by protective item compared to no protection at all. Also, standard will verify quality and performance of protective clothing in regard to transmitted force. Subcommittee is seeking perspectives on transmitted impact force of items like goalkeeper and motorcycle gloves. ASTM International 100 Barr Harbor Dr., Box C700 West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959 USA Press release date: August 1, 2012

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. - Personal protective equipment manufacturers, material manufacturers and end users with an interest in impact resistance are encouraged to contribute to the development of a proposed new standard on measuring transmitted impact force on protective clothing.

The proposed standard, ASTM WK38096, Test Method for Measuring Transmitted Impact Force Through Materials Used in Protective Clothing, is currently being developed by Subcommittee F23.20 on Physical, part of ASTM International Committee F23 on Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment.

"Workers in the oil and mining industries often have a work process that exposes their hands to multiple hazards throughout their shift," says Angela Fisher, manager, product development, Wells Lamont Industrial, and an F23 member. "The increase in hand injuries within these industries has led to the development of gloves designed to protect against multiple hazards including transmitted impact force."

The proposed standard will measure the amount of energy being absorbed by a protective accessory or garment when compared to no protection at all. In addition, once approved, ASTM WK38096 will verify the quality and performance of protective clothing in regard to transmitted impact force.

Fisher invites all interested parties to participate in the ongoing development of ASTM WK38096. She also notes that the subcommittee is interested in perspectives on transmitted impact force from manufacturers of items outside the realm of protective clothing, such as sports goalkeeper gloves or motorcycle gloves.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit http://www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions.

For more news in this sector, visit http://www.astm.org/sn-safety or follow us on Twitter @ASTMSafety.

ASTM Committee F23 Next Meeting: Jan 29-31, 2013, January Committee Week, Jacksonville, Fla.

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Transmitted Impact Force on Protective Clothing Is Subject of Proposed ASTM Standard

The BBC was kind enough to point out that one of the most significant early personal computers,the Commodore 64, went on sale in August 30 years ago. For many people, this machine was their introduction to personal computing, and for two members of the Ars staff, thinking about the machine brings up strong memories.

For me, stepping up tp the Commodore 64 from my TI-99/4A was a quantum leap forward in computing. The multimedia experience alone was worth the price of admissionincredible graphics and sound that seemed light years ahead of the market. Then there were the games. From arcade knock-offs to innovative 2-player experiences, you never got bored with the c64. Every visit to Zayer (yesteryear's Walmart) meant spending any allowance or yardwork money I'd saved up. But nothing was more exciting than sliding in a brand new 5.25" floppy diskif you were lucky, it was an epic adventure game with multiple disks!

Watch and listen to the majesty that was Giana Sisters (a thinly veiled rip-off of another game with siblings of Italian heritage).

Racing Destruction Set featured an addictively competitive 2-player mode.

Look at this madness! A full GUI environment for the Commodore called GEOS.

As great as the gaming was, it was my introduction to the magical world of modems and BBSs that changed everything. Owners of the "Hayes compatible" Commodore 1670 1200 baud modem will surely recognize the letters ATDT as the gateway to another dimension of human interaction, predating most people's awareness of the Internet. For a time, I even ran a nighttime BBS (since I couldn't tie up the family phone line during the day) using the venerable Color 64 BBS softwarean expensive outlay at $50 but with real, live colors!

How good was the Commodore 64? So good that, even when the new c128 model came out, most owners never moved beyond c64 mode (though this probably speaks more to Commodore's failure to achieve any traction with software developers on the new platform). While I eventually transitioned to Commodore Amigas, and thenwith the rest of the worldto Windows, Mac, and Linux, I'll never forget the pioneering days of Commodore when the world of personal computing and interconnectedness lay before me, intriguing, foreign, and impossibly engaging.

- Jason Marlin, Technical Director

When I was growing up, computers were something the other kids got. My parents made it clear that, if i wanted one, I was paying for it myself, and a morning paper route just wasn't cutting it for most of the models on the market. Then the Commodore 64 came out, substantially cheaper than any of the competition, and just barely within reach (though my parents helped out with a disk drive).

That machine introduced me to lots of cultural aspects of personal computing that are still around to this day. Like the platform wars with Apple ][ and Atari users, who were each convinced that their choices were superior. Or user communities, both at high school and college, of people who shared tips and software. And a lot of that software was piratedI simply didn't understand how the software economy worked, or how much hard work went in to getting that software put together.

Read more here:
Three decades of the Commodore 64

Winning government approval would be the first step in increasing public confidence in personalized genetic testing

Maciej Frolow / Photodisc / Getty Images

Earlier this week, the personal gene-testing company 23andMe announcedthat its seeking the blessing of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its DNA tests that allow people to peer into their genetic makeup.

If the FDA grants approval, it would be a major step forward for the growing industry springing up around genetic testing. Every day, it seems, scientists are reporting new gene-based discoveries that allow them to better pinpoint the causes of disease. As technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, single-gene tests are being joined by the sort of genotyping technology used by 23andMe, which scans about 1 million points on the genome that are known to vary among humans. An even more complex technique, genomic sequencing, looks at about 3 billion points that cover a persons entire genetic code. 23andMe the name is a reference to the 23 pairs of chromosomes that comprise a persons genome intends to eventually offer sequencing, but the cost starts at around $4,000, which is considerably more expensive than the $299 the company charges for its testing.

Not only is sequencing more costly, but it also uncovers a trove of data that researchers have yet to fully understand. Even among the more targeted areas of the genome that 23andMe examines, there is much information that remains murky if not elusive. Of the 1 million points we look at, theres only a fraction of those that science can tell us anything about, says Ashley Gould, 23andMes vice president for corporate development and its chief legal officer.

Since 23andMe began offering testing in late 2007, more than 150,000 people have become clients. The vast majority have been adults, although parents can give consent for their children to participate. Our goal is to get 1 million in our database, says Gould. Having more people will increase our power to conduct research. There is immense power in coming together to progress research.

(MORE: 23andMe Seeks FDA Approval for Personal DNA Test)

The company was co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, who is married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Her bio on the company website explains why shes interested in personal genetics, expressing her hope that the company will create a common, standardized resource that has the potential to accelerate drug discovery and bring personalized medicine to the public. (Plus, getting access to her own genetic information and understanding it has always been one of Annes ambitions.)

The $299 fee includes processing of a saliva sample via a collection kit the company sends out. The data gleaned from the sample is shared with users via a secure website. Customers also have access to the companys ancestry features, which have helped people track down relatives. There are 242 health reports available for different conditions, enabling users to learn more about traits like freckling or eye color as well as carrier status for cystic fibrosis, for example, and risk for diseases such as Alzheimers. As new literature is published, we add new reports, says Gould.

When data reveals increased risk for certain diseases, 23andMe offers up videos that share more detailed information about that specific condition. The company also has a relationship with a nationwide genetic counseling service that users can call for an appointment.

Read more:
Personal Genetic Testing: Can DNA Discovery Go Mainstream?

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 03, 2012

The self help and personal development industry is huge. With people looking for different ways to improve and change in a down economy it's no wonder sales of self help books, Cd and seminars are better than ever.

You have probably read a book, listened to a CD or been to one of these very conferences. But is it all smiles behind closed doors?

That's what Point Loma resident and author Matt Belcher wanted to discover.

I have always had a healthy fascination with the personal development industry that started in the UK. I have read a lot of books from the likes of Tony Robbins, Dale Carnegie and Brian Tracy to name a few. But what I always wanted to know is what goes on behind the scenes. Are these people really living what they preach? That's the basis of my fiction/thriller 'Mr Personal Development'.

Belcher created a fast paced story that features a UK based 'guru', James Skye who is on the up and from the outside is very successful. Behind the scenes he is a womanizer, alcoholic, liar and almost bankrupt.

The book is currently on sale at Amazon for only 99 cents. It's a quick read and should be a lot of fun for anyone interested in this industry.

To get your copy search on Amazon or visit Matt's blog. ----

Matt Belcher is a San Diego based self published author originally form the UK. He's a marketing consultant that successfully turned his hand to writing because he wanted to tell stories. Matt is a proud Englishman, animal lover and Rugby supporter. He can be contacted on his blog at http://www.mattbelcherwrites.blogspot.com or 619 259 0387.

Originally posted here:
Is the Self Help Industry All it's Cracked Up to Be?

By Eric Fox - August 1, 2012 | Tickers: CLR, GEOI, HES, KOG, MRO | 0 Comments

Eric is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) has adjusted the companys capital budget for 2012 and expects to spend an extra billion dollars on the Bakken play in the last half of the year. The company is facing higher costs on drilling and completion services and more infrastructure spending.

Second Quarter of 2012

Hess reported average daily production of 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) from the Bakken formation in the second quarter of 2012, up more than 100% from 25,000 BOE per day in the second quarter of 2011. The company expects production in 2012 to average between 54,000 and 58,000 BOE per day, down slightly from the original goal of 60,000 BOE per day set earlier in the year.

Bakken Overview

Hess has more than 800,000 net acres under lease prospective for the Bakken formation and plans to operate an average of 16 rigs here in 2012. The companys goal is to ramp up development and generate net production of 120,000 BOE per day from its properties by 2015.

Capital Spending Increase

The original investment plan that was set by Hess for 2012 called for $1.9 billion of capital spending on the Bakken during the year. This would have represented about 28% of its $6.8 billion exploratory and development spending in 2012.

Hess has now increased capital spending for 2012 to $8.5 billion and will put an extra $1 billion toward development and other spending in the Bakken. The $3 billion in capital spending here represents one of the largest investments in this area.

More here:
Hess to Spend More in Bakken in 2012

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Nucor Corporation selected My Creative Team to design and build a website focused on employee development. The privacy-protected website allows employees to set personal and business goals, for which they are presented classes, events and resources that will help them achieve their goals. Additionally, employees can select mentors, peers or supervisors to receive automated emails, keeping them apprised of goal achievement.

"My Creative Team is just what the name suggests; a team dedicated to helping us find and execute on innovative solutions that are tailored to our needs," says Josh Wall, Leadership Development Manager at Nucor. "We have seen other agencies come and go, but we have a long-term partnership with MCT because they understand the value of relationships and results."

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Nucor makes more steel in America than any other company. Nucor and affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; light gauge steel framing; steel grating and expanded metal; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.

My Creative Team, http://www.My-CreativeTeam.com, is a Huntersville, NC-based network of highly experienced and talented independent professionals that gives clients better work that's a better value. The ad agency delivers great work, on time and on target, and that makes the client look good.

Services include turnkey website development and promotion, presentation development, email marketing programs, pay-per-click advertising, advertising, media planning and buying, PR, and video production. Clients range from Energizer and Nucor to Momentive Performance Materials and National Gypsum.

View original post here:
Nucor Selects My Creative Team For Employee Development Website Project

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Lubrizol Corporation announces that it has completed the acquisition of Lipotec SA, a leader in the development, manufacturing and sale of personal care ingredients based on three core technologies: peptide-based active cosmetic ingredients, delivery systems and biotechnology products. This purchase includes Lipotecs cosmetic active ingredients business and its subsidiaries, Diverdrugs and Lipofoods. The transaction was announced on June 20, 2012.

The addition of Lipotec complements Lubrizols global personal care ingredients business, strengthening its offering of high-performance technology solutions to marketers of formulated skin care products. Furthermore, it illustrates Lubrizols commitment to provide a broad product portfolio, new technology and applications expertise that enhance its ability to make customers successful through expanded access to innovative ingredients.

With the close of this transaction, Lipotec is now part of Lubrizol Advanced Materials, with Lipotec, Diverdrugs and Lipofoods retaining their respective names. The previous owners will continue their activities in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic finished goods segments through BCN Peptides, GP Pharm and Prima-Derm which are not part of the transaction. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About The Lubrizol Corporation

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an innovative specialty chemical company that produces and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These technologies include lubricant additives for engine oils, other transportation-related fluids and industrial lubricants, as well as fuel additives for gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, Lubrizol makes ingredients and additives for personal care products and pharmaceuticals; specialty materials, including plastics technology and performance coatings in the form of specialty resins and additives. Lubrizols industry-leading technologies in additives, ingredients and compounds enhance the quality, performance and value of customers products, while reducing their environmental impact.

With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, The Lubrizol Corporation owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 7,000 employees worldwide. Revenues for 2011 were $6.1billion. For more information, visit http://www.lubrizol.com.

Originally posted here:
Lubrizol Completes Acquisition of Lipotec