Thursday, November 10, 2011

2013 Ford Flex Loses Hard Edge

Just the Facts:
  • The 2013 Ford Flex, which debuts next week at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show, gets a rounder look to "modernize the design."
  • The 2013 Ford Flex goes on sale in the spring.
  • A new appearance package on Flex Limited and SEL models includes a two-tone roof.

DEARBORN, Michigan ? The 2013 Ford Flex, which debuts next week at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, gets a rounder look to "modernize the design," said the Dearborn automaker. The 2013 Ford Flex goes on sale in the spring.

When asked by Inside Line on Tuesday if the Flex's redesign was done in response to customer complaints, Ford said no. On November 1, Ford reported that 2011 year-to-date sales of the Flex were down 21.9 percent versus 2010. Ford sold 23,012 Flexes through October 31 versus 29,458 during the same period in 2010.

"It was about modernizing the design," said Angie Kozleski, a Ford spokeswoman. "It's a fresher new appearance. We rounded out the boxy edges."

The Ford blue oval has also been stripped from the front and replaced by the Flex name in boxy letters. The Flex also gets standard dual exhaust. A new appearance package on Flex Limited and SEL models includes a two-tone roof, as well as 20-inch machined aluminum wheels with painted pockets, leather seats and unique door trim panels. Three new colors have been added for the 2013 model year: Ruby Red, Deep Impact Blue and Kodiak Brown.

The Flex is equipped with a base 3.5-liter V6 engine that Ford says is "projected to deliver 1 mpg better fuel economy on the highway and in city driving, with 20 more horsepower." The upgraded engine delivers 285 hp.

The EPA says the 2012 Ford Flex FWD model returns 17 mpg in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway.

Pricing has not been announced on the 2013 Flex, but Kozleski said it will "remain competitive." The base 2012 Ford Flex SE FWD starts at $29,290, including an $825 destination charge.

Inside Line says: Ford softens the Flex's polarizing design for the 2013 model year.

Source: http://www.insideline.com/ford/flex/2013/2013-ford-flex-loses-hard-edge.html

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Davidson, Akins named BMI songwriters of the year

Rhett Akins, left, and Dallas Davidson arrive at the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

Rhett Akins, left, and Dallas Davidson arrive at the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

Bobby Braddock arrives at the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

Taylor Swift arrives at the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban arrive at the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

Grace Potter and Kenny Chesney arrivesat the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

(AP) ? Good friends and songwriting partners Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins share this year's BMI country songwriter and song of the year awards.

Many of country music's top stars were on hand to celebrate songwriters, including Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton, on Tuesday night at the BMI Country Awards.

Davidson and Akins each had five of the year's most-performed songs. The Georgia natives, also part of a songwriting trio called The Peach Pickers, collaborated on four of those hits, including song of the year "All Over Me," a No. 1 for Josh Turner. They also wrote hits for Shelton, Joe Nichols, Luke Bryan and Rodney Atkins.

BMI, the performing rights organization, also saluted songwriter Bobby Braddock. The writer of classics "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," two of country's most important songs, was named a BMI Icon.

Shelton, who Braddock discovered and produced early in his career, his wife Miranda Lambert's group Pistol Annies, Vince Gill and LeAnn Rimes sang his songs in tribute.

The 71-year-old Braddock has had quite the year. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this spring and has spent a lot of time walking red carpets, something the usually private Braddock has found unsettling.

"I wouldn't say private as much as I'm a hermit," Braddock joked before the ceremony. "Being in a crowd scares the daylights out of me. But I can do an impersonation of an extrovert. It's fakery, though."

___

Online:

http://www.bmi.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-11-08-Music-BMI%20Awards/id-807b4b7666a048da95ed46a5e4aa09dc

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Tendulkar milestone boosts India (Reuters)

NEW DELHI (Reuters) ? India's Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to pass 15,000 test runs and was eyeing another milestone as the hosts moved to within 124 runs of victory against West Indies in the first test on Tuesday.

Tendulkar took off his helmet, raised his bat and looked to the heavens after reaching the milestone. He was unbeaten on 33 at stumps on day three of the bowler-dominated test at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

Rahul Dravid was also unbeaten on 30 as India reached 152 for two in chasing 276 for victory.

Tendulkar will return to the crease on Wednesday hoping to reach a much-awaited 100th century in international cricket.

The home side owe their upper hand in the match to debutant off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (6-47), who helped dismantle West Indies for 180 in their second innings.

"I didn't expect so many wickets but before the test match I was hoping to get a five-wicket haul and probably some more runs as well," Ashwin, who finished with a nine-wicket match haul, said.

Resuming on 21 for two, West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals as India made the most of foggy morning conditions.

Ishant Sharma removed Fidel Edwards for one and nearly dismissed Darren Bravo (12) in the same over but Ashwin dropped the catch at extra cover.

Fellow quick Umesh Yadav claimed his maiden test wicket when he uprooted Kirk Edwards' (33) off-stump after the batsman offered no shot.

MAKING UP FOR FIELDING LAPSE

Ashwin more than made up for his fielding lapse with a double-wicket maiden over, trapping Bravo leg before and then pegging back scoreless Marlon Samuels' off-stump to reduce West Indies to 63 for six wickets.

Yadav removed Carlton Baugh (seven) for his second wicket of the match before Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) put his foot down to frustrate the Indians in the company of the tailenders.

In comparison, India's free-scoring openers Virender Sehwag (55) and Gautam Gambhir (22) took them past the 50-mark before Marlon Samuels broke the stand.

Gambhir was beaten by Samuels' flighted delivery that hit his pad and was given out leg before.

Sehwag hit Samuels and Devendra Bishoo for six to race to his second half-century of the match but got carried away and dragged a Darren Sammy delivery onto his stumps to depart after a run-a-ball knock.

Tendulkar walked out to join Dravid in the middle and the senior batsmen, with more than 56,700 international runs between them, adopted a patient approach to see through the rest of the day.

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson still sounded optimistic.

"276 is a good score... A lot of things have happened in the morning session and hopefully we can get a few wickets and put them under pressure," he said.

(Editing by Justin Palmer; To comment on this story: email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111108/india_nm/india603927

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Singer Andy Williams announced Saturday night that he has bladder cancer

Singer Andy Williams announced Saturday night that he has bladder cancer The Tri-Lakes News reports the 83-year-old Williams appeared early in the show at the Moon River Theatre and vowed to return next year to celebrate his 75th year in show business. “I do have cancer of the bladder,” Williams said. “But that is no [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/singer-andy-williams-announced-saturday-night-that-he-has-bladder-cancer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=singer-andy-williams-announced-saturday-night-that-he-has-bladder-cancer

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Investigators ask Penn St. victims to come forward

Curley, Schultz face arraignment on charges related to abuse allegations

By MARC LEVY AND MARK SCOLFORO

updated 1:27 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2011

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Investigators on Monday encouraged anyone who was sexually assaulted by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky to step forward and talk to police.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly specifically asked that a child reportedly assaulted by Sandusky in view of a graduate student to call detectives about the 2002 encounter.

Kelly spoke at a news conference Monday, two days after child sexual abuse charges were filed against Sandusky and about an hour before two high-ranking Penn State administrators were to face arraignment on charges they lied to a grand jury and failed to properly report suspected child abuse by the ex-football coach.

Late Sunday, after an emergency meeting of the board of trustees, university President Graham Spanier announced that Athletic Director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, the school's senior vice president for business and finance, would be leaving their posts.

Curley requested to be placed on administrative leave so he could devote time to his defense, and Schultz will be going back into retirement, Spanier said. Both men have maintained they are innocent of any wrongdoing in connection with the probe into whether Sandusky sexually abused eight boys ? preteens and young teenagers ? over a 15-year period.

State Attorney General Linda Kelly and state police Commissioner Frank Noonan were expected to hold a 1 p.m. Monday news conference about the case a few miles from the Harrisburg court where Curley and Schultz will be arraigned. The proceeding is scheduled for immediately after that.

Sandusky was arrested Saturday on charges that he preyed on boys he met through The Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youths. The charity said in a statement Sunday that Sandusky has had no involvement with its programs involving children since 2008, when Sandusky told the foundation that he was being investigated on child-sex allegations.

The case has rocked State College, a campus town routinely ranked among America's best places to live and nicknamed Happy Valley. Under head football coach Joe Paterno ? who testified before the grand jury and isn't considered a suspect ? the teams were revered both for winning games, including two national championships, and largely steering clear of trouble.

In a statement issued Sunday, Paterno called the charges shocking.

"The fact that someone we thought we knew might have harmed young people to this extent is deeply troubling," he said. "If this is true we were all fooled, along with scores of professionals trained in such things, and we grieve for the victims and their families. They are in our prayers."

Sandusky spent three decades at the school running the defense. The charges against him cover the period from 1994 to 2009.

Sandusky, who is married and has six adopted children with his wife, Dottie, retired in 1999 but continued to use the school's facilities. University officials said Sunday they were moving to ban him from campus in the wake of the charges.

Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the state attorney general's office, told The Associated Press on Sunday that it was premature to discuss whether Paterno might testify at trial.

"That's putting the cart way ahead of the horse," he said. "We're certainly not going to be discussing the lineup of potential witnesses."

The allegations against Sandusky, who started The Second Mile in 1977, range from sexual advances to touching to oral and anal sex. The young men testified before a state grand jury that they were in their early teens when some of the abuse occurred; there is evidence even younger children may have been victimized.

Sandusky's attorney Joe Amendola said his client has been aware of the accusations for about three years and has maintained his innocence.

"He's shaky, as you can expect," Amendola told WJAC-TV. "Being 67 years old, never having faced criminal charges in his life and having the distinguished career that he's had, these are very serious allegations."

Sandusky is charged with multiple counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child, indecent assault and unlawful contact with a minor, as well as single counts of aggravated indecent assault and attempted indecent assault.

One accuser, now 27, testified that Sandusky initiated contact with a "soap battle" in the shower that led to multiple instances of involuntary sexual intercourse and indecent assault at Sandusky's hands, the grand jury report said.

He said he traveled to charity functions and Penn State games with Sandusky. But when the boy resisted his advances, Sandusky threatened to send him home from the 1999 Alamo Bowl, the report said.

Sandusky also gave him clothes, shoes, a snowboard, golf clubs, hockey gear and football jerseys, and even guaranteed that he could walk on to the football team, the grand jury said. He testified that Sandusky once gave him $50 to buy marijuana, drove him to purchase it and then drove him home as the boy smoked the drug.

The first case to come to light was a boy who met Sandusky when he was 11 or 12, and physical contact began during his overnight stays at Sandusky's house, the grand jury said. Eventually, the boy's mother reported the sexual assault allegations to his high school, and Sandusky was banned from the child's school district in Clinton County. That triggered the state investigation that culminated in charges Saturday.

But the report also alleges much earlier instances of abuse and details failed efforts to stop it by some who became aware of what was happening.

Another child, known only as a boy about 11 to 13, was seen by a janitor pinned against a wall while Sandusky performed oral sex on him in fall 2000, the grand jury said.

And in 2002, Kelly said, a graduate assistant saw Sandusky sexually assault a naked boy, estimated to be about 10 years old, in a team locker room shower. The grad student and his father reported what he saw to Paterno, who immediately told Curley, prosecutors said.

The two school administrators fielded the complaint from the graduate assistant and from Paterno. Two people familiar with the investigation confirmed the identity of the graduate assistant as Mike McQueary, now the team's wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. The two spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the names in the grand jury report haven't been publicly released.

McQueary's father, John, said his son was out of town on a recruiting trip Sunday, and he declined to comment about the case or say whether they were the two named in the grand jury report.

"I know it's online, and I know it's available," John McQueary told the AP. "I have gone out of my way not to read it for a number of reasons."

Curley and Schultz met with the graduate assistant about a week and a half after the attack was reported, Kelly said.

"Despite a powerful eyewitness statement about the sexual assault of a child, this incident was not reported to any law enforcement or child protective agency, as required by Pennsylvania law," Kelly said.

There's no indication that anyone at school attempted to find the boy or follow up with the witness, she said.

Schultz's lawyer, Thomas J. Farrell, told The Associated Press on Sunday that the mandated reporting rules only apply to people who come into direct contact with children. He also said the statute of limitations for the summary offense with which Schultz is charged is two years, so it expired in 2004.

The grand jury report that lays out the accusations against the men cites the state's Child Protective Services Law, which requires immediate reporting by doctors, nurses, school administrators, teachers, day care workers, police and others.

Neither Schultz nor Curley appear to have had direct contact with the boys Sandusky is accused of abusing.

The law "applies only to children under the care and supervision of the organization for which he works, and that's Penn State, it's not The Second Mile," Farrell said of his client. "This child, from what we know, was a Second Mile child."


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Two resign amid scandal

??Investigators on Monday encouraged anyone who was sexually assaulted by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky to step forward and talk to police.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45186257/ns/sports-college_football/

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Monday, November 7, 2011

Adventure along the Namibian coast

When the first European explorers arrived on Namibia?s Skeleton Coast in the late fifteenth century, they named it As Areias do Inferno ("The Sands of Hell").

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Where in the world is Matt Lauer? The Skeleton Coast in Africa

In those days, they weren?t exaggerating.

Over the centuries, sailors shipwrecked on this treacherous coast would sometimes find alluvial diamonds lying in the sand at their feet. Then, after filling their pockets with the equivalent of a lifetime?s wages, they usually died of thirst within days.

Today, thankfully, even visitors on a tight budget can experience Namibia?s extraordinary desert coastline in considerably more comfort ? or, for those with enough dollars to spare, in luxury.

Video: Trip to Skeleton Coast kicks off Where in the World (on this page)

Westerners first arriving here tend to find that this is far from the Africa of movie clich?s like vast herds of migrating wildebeest or bored-looking professional dancers dressed up for tourists in gaudy traditional costume. Instead, the very harshness of the landscape here is what makes it unique, a blend of grandeur in some places, emptiness and stark beauty in others ? and sometimes just sheer oddness elsewhere.

The Namib Desert stretches the entire length of the coast, nearly a thousand miles from the South African border in the south to the exclusive Skeleton Coast Wilderness toward the Angolan border.

Video: Meet?Namibian tribesmen who bathe in smoke (on this page)

Between the two lies a breathtaking coastline of surprising contrasts, from vast orange dune fields (including "Big Daddy," the world?s highest sand dune at Sossusvlei) and lunar landscapes to genteel colonial settlements and comfortable lodges. Further north, ghostly shipwrecks litter the Skeleton Coast, with great rusting hulks stranded between cold Atlantic breakers and a shoreline described by 19th century explorer Charles Andersson as one of "frightful desolation."

How to explore Namibia
Predictably, things have changed along the Namibian Coast since the early seafarers first struggled to survive. Activities for visitors now include just about everything humanly possible on a desert coast, from boat-fishing trips, bird-watching and desert golf to balloon flights over the dunes, dolphin-watching trips, canyon-hiking, kite surfing, 4-wheeling, sand boarding and surf skiing. In short, there are enough adventure activities to exhaust the hardest-bitten adrenaline junkie or wilderness trekker.

Video: Getting sporty on Namibia's sand dunes and coastline

The ideal base for exploring the coast is the town of Swakopmund, easily reachable by road or rail, and a delightfully odd place to visit in its own right. The 2009 television miniseries "The Prisoner" starring Jim Caviezel was filmed in the area, a perfect location to suggest incongruity and desert isolation.

Part of the former German colony, the town still retains its strong Germanic influence, which makes for a bizarre contrast against the harsh African desert coastline. Colonial buildings from charmingly colorful private houses to a full-on neo-baroque church stand alongside German bakeries, caf?s and bars, fine restaurants (especially for seafood and game dishes), tour operators and the full range of accommodation from backpacker hangouts to luxury hotels.

But for many visitors, the desert itself is what makes a visit here so unforgettable. Take, for instance, the Fish River Canyon in the south (at 1,800 feet deep second only to the Grand Canyon) and the strange "roaring dunes" of the northern Skeleton Coast, which produce bizarre acoustic effects, thought to be caused by electrically charged sand particles.

Video: Matt takes birds-eye tour of the ?sands of hell? (on this page)

It?s not all jaw-dropping vistas, however. At first glance, for some stretches of the Namibian coast one can see little life in the landscape. Yet on closer inspection, at different times of day, one realizes that life goes on here after all, cunningly adapted to cope with an annual rainfall of almost zero.

What initially seems ugly and odd soon looks ingenious, with its own strange beauty, like beetles that perform handstands to collect condensed mist (their only source of moisture here) and the "fossil plant" Welwitschia, which can live up to two millennia. There are flora so curious-looking that Bushmen legend insists they grow upside down with their roots pointing skywards.

Video: Getting to know Namibia?s exotic creatures (on this page)

The treacherous ocean holds its own rewards. The cold Benguela Current sweeping northwards supports the best fishing on the southwest coast of Africa, and in season South African anglers flock here to catch steenbras, galjoen and blacktail.

Nature at its rawest
But all the comforts of the coastal settlements and tourist lodges rarely disguise the fact that nature in some of its rawest forms is all around you. What at first appears still and timeless is in fact in constant motion, the dune landscape steadily shifting and transforming before the ocean breeze, inch by inch. This is nowhere more evident than the "Ghost Town" of Kolmanskop near Luderitz in the south, a spooky colonial diamond settlement finally abandoned half a century ago and since slowly consumed by the desert.

Video: Exploring a?prohibited mining zone to find diamonds (on this page)

For many, the highlight of the Namibian coast is the incredible peace and beauty of the Namib. But this is peace and beauty with a slight edge to it. Even close to the settlements, once the sand-boarders and 4-wheelers have retired for the evening to the coastal bars and restaurants, the silence in the desert can be enjoyably eerie ? especially when dense fog creeps inland from the ocean, or on clear nights when the Milky Way and Southern Cross above the desert shine with extraordinary brilliance.

Even visitors not generally given to reflection have found themselves setting aside their sand-board or bottle of Windhoek Lager, and instead questioning their place in the grand scheme of things. Despite the fragility of its precious ecosystems, the Namib Desert ? the oldest in the world ? has been here for a very long time.

Best catch it while you can.

If You Go...

With its temperate climate, the Namibian coast can be visited at any time of year (fishing is best November to March). Bring sunblock. Nights can be chilly, and inland temperatures can soar. English is widely spoken in tourist areas.

Tours and activities
For many activities and trips you can make arrangements after arrival in Namibia, either in the capital Windhoek or in Swakopmund on the coast. Hotels, guesthouses and lodges can often make arrangements for you. However, if time is limited or you're set on some of the more exclusive destinations, such as the Skeleton Coast Wilderness (fly-in tours only, numbers strictly controlled), book well in advance before leaving home. Contact the Namibian Tourist Board or your preferred travel agent at home for advice on tour companies, trips and permits.

For exploring the coast you?ll need to hire a vehicle or arrange a tour. Most operators in Swakopmund or Windhoek can tailor your itinerary. One of the best is Wilderness Safaris, which also has exclusive access to some parts of the Skeleton Coast Wilderness.

Accommodation
For colonial luxury in Swakopmund try the Hansa Hotel, built in 1905. Aristotle Onassis stayed here, and the restaurant is highly recommended. Cheaper and more modern is the quiet and tasteful Sea Breeze Guesthouse in Swakopmund. If money is no object, for an exclusive luxury retreat the Skeleton Coast Wilderness Camp (run by Wilderness Safaris) is unbeatable. Camping is also possible in many parts of Namibia.

Eating
In Swakopmund, The Tug is actually built around a tugboat, with excellent seafood, ocean views, and very popular with the locals, so advanced booking is essential. A favorite bistro pub is the Swakopmund Brauhaus, serving German and Namibian game and seafood dishes.

Fran Sandham is the author of "Traversa: A solo walk across Africa from the Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean," published by Overlook.

? 2011 MSNBC Interactive.? Reprints

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45167964/ns/today-travel/

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Home Environment Affects Asthmatic Kids (HealthDay)

SATURDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Children with asthma who live in single-parent homes are 50 percent more likely to return to the hospital for treatment within a year than those who live in two-parent homes, a new study finds.

Kids from families whose annual income was less than $60,000 a year were also more likely to be readmitted, as were kids from homes with "time constraints."

The findings suggest that financial strain and competing priorities in single-parent homes are major issues, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center researchers said.

The study was to be presented Saturday at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Boston.

"Parents play an important role in controlling their child's asthma and it takes time, energy and resources to follow their physician's treatment plan, including reducing triggers and consistently giving medicines," Dr. Terri Moncrief said in a college news release.

"That's why it's important to understand the constraints on single parents and identify innovative interventions to help these parents better manage their child's symptoms and ultimately keep asthma under control," Moncrief added.

Because this study was presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Each year in the United States, uncontrolled asthma results in about 500,000 hospitalizations, 1.8 million emergency room visits and 10.5 million physician office visits, according to the ACAAI. In children, asthma accounts for nearly 13 million missed school days a year.

More information

The American Lung Association has more about asthma and children.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111106/hl_hsn/homeenvironmentaffectsasthmatickids

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