Even as a shocking number of malnutrition deaths is reported from Nashik alone, much of the Rs. 600 crore child welfare budget seems to have been spent on expensive toys.
In commodity purchases that seem to give direct competition to the Organising Committee's orders for the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the State Women and Child Development department spent Rs. 13,801 each for a set of four steel utensils consisting of a bucket, mug, jug and water drum last year.
It also spent Rs. 2.54 crore in one month on registers for recording details of food items and the growth of kids at anganwadis, at the rates of a whopping Rs. 52.30 for a 100-page register, and Rs. 136.50 for a 300-page one.
What puts the department head-and-shoulders above the CWG organising committee is, however, that if the Organising Committee (OC) allegedly swindled crores from general accounts, the department may have fudged expenses from money reserved for the welfare of underprivileged children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years, and pregnant women.
This, when nearly 450 kids have died of malnutrition-related reasons in the last four months in Nashik district alone where more than one lakh malnutrition cases have been reported.
These mind-numbing facts and figures have been revealed through copies of the purchase orders of the department for 2010-11 accessed by Mid-Day.com.
The documents go on to tell a sordid tale of various items being purchased for prices more than four or five times their price in the market despite the department buying them in bulk (see box).
Malnutrition stats In a meeting held recently of the women and child development committee, the district health officer for Nashik reportedly revealed that over 450 children had died due to malnutrition and close to one lakh were found malnourished.
Vidarbha is no better with 47,000 children being found malnourished in the Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts alone.
Money matters
83,700 The approximate number of Anganwadi centers in the state where children from the age group of 6 months to 6 years, and pregnant women, are provided nutritious food and shelter with regular check-ups
Rs. 600 cr The budget allotted to the women and child welfare department last year
Rs. 2.54 cr Money spent on purchasing registers to record details of the food items provided to the children and their growth stats. The multi-crore order, issued in March this year alone, was at the rate of Rs. 52.30 for a 100-page register and Rs. 136.50 for a 300-page register
Rs. 300 Price paid for each bottle of multi-vitamin syrup in 2011, up from Rs. 18 in 2010
Rs. 13,801 Was spent for each set of utensils a bucket, jug, mug and a steel drum for the kids. Orders worth Rs. 5.21 crore were issued in 2010
Rs. 4,631 Price paid for each of 3,202 weighing machines
March 31 The day most of these orders were issued, possibly to prevent funds from lapsing at the end of the fiscal year
Sony's new tablet computers failed to excite gadget reviewers and analysts who criticised the pricing and quality of the devices, underscoring the battle Sony faces regaining its consumer electronics crown.
Sony Corp is already late to the game with its first tablet, which hits stores this month, more than a year and a half after Apple Inc launched the blockbuster iPad and almost a year since Samsung Electronics Co Ltd came out with the GalaxyTab. Samsung's Galaxy occupies the No.2 slot in tablets that Sony is targeting.
Reviewers and analysts highlighted a high price and features that suggested Sony would remain an also-ran rather than a leader in the tablet market. Two versions of Sony's main tablet cost $499 and $599, the same price as two lower-end Apple iPad models.
"Consumers want tablets, but they are not prepared to pay the same amount they'd pay for an iPad for something that's not an iPad," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi. "Despite the brand and different design, with its pricing so close to the iPad, it will be challenging for Sony."
Once a symbol of Japan's high-tech might, the maker of the Walkman and PlayStation gaming console is struggling under the weight of its money-losing TV division and badly needs the boost of a hit product.
"Sony really must be in the tablet market and must succeed," said Mito Securities electronics analyst Keita Wakabayashi.
Worldwide tablet shipments are forecast to more than triple this year to 60 million tablets and then rise to 275.3 million units by 2015, according to a report this month from research firm IHS iSuppli.
Sony's new tablets run on Google Inc's Android software, like the GalaxyTab and many other tablets from Acer Inc , Asustek Computer Inc and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc .
It is trying to distinguish its tablets from other Android players with features such as having one model function as a universal remote, while another folds like a clamshell and offers access to some first generation PlayStation games.
Backed by a disco beat during an event in Berlin to unveil the devices on Wednesday, Sony CEO Howard Stringer brushed off concerns the company waited too long to get into the tablet market.
"We want to prove it's not who makes it first that counts but who makes it better," Stringer said.
Based on the initial reception, Sony has failed in that regard.
Tech reviewers credited Sony for coming up with a unique curvy design for the S tablet, which resembles a folded-back magazine and makes it easier to hold with one hand, but the quality of the hardware was questioned.
A review on the Gizmodo tech blog called the tablet "extremely plasticky" and said its screen scratched more easily than other tablets.
Sony vowed in January to become the world's No. 2 tablet maker behind Apple by 2012 and Sony executives stuck to that ambitious claim ahead of the tablet launch.
A 15-minute workout at the gym helps keep you young as well as fit, according to a study.
Researchers found that brief vigorous exercise tends to slow the ageing process.
Just 15 minutes of energetic activity a day reduces stress and prevents the deterioration of vital cells which lead to us feeling and looking older, reports express.co.uk.
Even if we are stressed, which tends to speed up the ageing process, we can hold time at bay by working up a sweat.
Psychologist Eli Puterman, who led the groundbreaking research, said the study is built on previous work that showed how changes in DNA result in ageing.
"We have extended those findings to show that, in fact, there are things we can do about it," said Puterman.
"If we maintain the levels of physical activity recommended by public health bodies we can prevent the damage that psychological stress may have on our body," he added.
NEW YORK (AP) — Two days after playing her first match in two months, Venus Williams suddenly pulled out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, revealing she recently was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain.
The 31-year-old American has won seven Grand Slam titles, including at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001.
"I enjoyed playing my first match here, and wish I could continue but right now I am unable to," Williams said in a statement released by the tournament. "I am thankful I finally have a diagnosis and am now focused on getting better and returning to the court soon."
She was supposed to face 22nd-seeded Sabine Lisicki in the second round Wednesday.
Williams cited a virus when withdrawing from hard-court tuneup tournaments since losing in the fourth round at Wimbledon in late June.
She returned to action Monday, beating Vesna Dolonts 6-4, 6-3 in the first round in New York, then said: "No one is more in one-match-at-a-time mode than me now at this tournament. It will just be one match at a time, for sure."
According to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation website, the disease is a chronic autoimmune illness in which people's white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands. Common symptoms include dry eyes and dry mouth. As many as 4 million Americans have the disease.
In rare cases, it can cause arthritis and joint pain, said Dr. John Fitzgerald, director of clinical rheumatology at UCLA. Fitzgerald is not involved in treating Williams and does not know her symptoms or medical history. But, he said, if Williams has the typical symptoms, "it does not seem life-threatening or career-ending."
Williams arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Wednesday hours before her match was scheduled to begin and tried warming up by hitting balls.
When Williams left the site shortly before 5 p.m., wearing a white sweater and purple shorts, she was asked by reporters whether she would say anything. She smiled and waved and shook her head to indicate, "No," then climbed into the back of a tournament transportation car and rode away.
"All of us came with the full expectation she'd be playing today. She was geared up to play her match," said Williams' agent, Carlos Fleming.
"I just hope she's OK," Fleming added, "and I hope she's healthy and going to be fine."
Despite all of her past success, including a brief stint at No. 1 in the rankings, Williams was unseeded at the U.S. Open, because she has fallen to 36th after a year of little action. Since reaching the semifinals at last year's U.S. Open, Williams has played only 11 matches, and the WTA projects that her ranking now will slide out of the top 100.
Her younger sister, Serena, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, is scheduled to play her second-round match Thursday.
"A lot of times, they've drawn a lot of criticism. But, trust me, (in) five years, when they're gone, everyone is going to miss them. Everyone is going to realize they're going to be living legends for the rest of their lives. Two girls from Compton, dominating tennis — that's not an everyday story," said 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, who's known the Williams sisters for about two decades.
"Venus is just the epitome of class, the way she's gone about it," he said. "I don't think she's ever even had a sniff of controversy around her. She's just done it the right way."
On Monday, Venus Williams was asked about the illness that caused her to skip tournaments this summer. She said that night that her ailment had been diagnosed, but wouldn't say what it was.
"It was just energy-sucking, and I just couldn't play pro tennis," she said Monday. "It was disappointing, because I had huge plans for this summer, of course, to improve my ranking. To miss out on all those points was definitely devastating. Just to miss so much time off tour was just disheartening. But I'm just really excited to be back."
Lisicki said she saw Venus Williams on the practice courts and in the locker room and expected to play their match — until the tournament referee passed along the news of the withdrawal.
"She's a tough girl, and I think she'll come back. You know, it would be unfortunate if she couldn't," Lisicki said. "Serena and Venus both are amazing players, and it's nice to have them in the women's sport. I hope she comes back."
A second-year postgraduate student at IIT-Madras was found dead inside his hostel room on Wednesday.
B Gowri Sankar, a 36-year-old MTech mechanical engineering student, was an employee of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore. Police said there was no suicide note.
"We have sent his laptop to the cyber crime department to see if it contains any documents that could give us clues as to why he committed suicide," a police officer said.
This is the third suicide in the past six months at IIT-M. In February, V Anoop, an MTech mechanical engineering student, committed suicide, and in May, L Nitin Kumar Reddy, another MTech mechanical engineering student, hung himself.
Police said Sankar was a senior engineer at HAL and the company had sponsored his studies at the IIT. He joined the institute on August 8, 2010 and was staying in Cauvery hostel on the campus. Sankar's wife Geetha was trying to reach him on his mobile phone on Wednesday morning and as he did not answer despite repeated attempts, she asked his friend Krishnamurthy, also an MTech student at IIT-M, to check on him.
Geetha and his two sons live at a house in Bangalore. Police said Krishnamurthy went to Sankar's room around 12.30pm and found the door unlocked. He found Sankar lying on his bed with froth at his mouth. He informed the hostel warden and the security officer, who alerted the police. Police inspector B Jaisankar sent the body to the government hospital in Royapettah for postmortem.
Police said Sankar stayed in the room allotted by the college. "He has been doing well academically. We can rule out health problems because not a single report has been filed with the institute hospital in his name," said V G Idichandy, director in-charge at IIT-M.
One of the professors who handled several courses said Sankar was scheduled to leave for Bangalore on Wednesday morning. "He did well in the last semester and didn't seem to be under any stress. He had spoken to his friends in other hostels last evening and they did not notice anything out of the ordinary. He was regular to class and hadn't taken a day off in the last six months," the professor said.
SUICIDES AT IIT-M
October 2008 - Sankar Perumal, MTech mechanical engineering student
May 12, 2010 - R Sandeep, MTech electrical engineering student
February 24, 2011 - V Anoop, MTech mechanical engineering student
May 4, 2011 - L Nitin Kumar Reddy, MTech mechanical engineering student
Aug 31, 2011 - B Gowri Sankar, MTech mechanical engineering student
October 2008: Sankar Perumal, MTech mechanical engineering student
May 12, 2010: R Sandeep, MTech electrical engineering student
February 24, 2011: V Anoop, MTech mechanical engineering student
May 4, 2011: L Nitin Kumar Reddy, MTech mechanical engineering student
Aug 31, 2011: B Gowri Sankar, MTech mechanical engineering student
This Ganesh Chaturthi, devotees will not be allowed to immerse idols in lakes. Home minister R Ashoka, while inspecting arrangements at Sankey Tank on Wednesday, said swimmers would be deployed to immerse the idols in 26 designated lakes, including Ulsoor Lake, Sankey Tank, Yediyur Lake and Saneguruvanahalli Lake.
A separate container will be available where flowers and other pooja material can be disposed of. “We want citizens to be environment-friendly and adopt measures prescribed by the BBMP,” said Ashoka.
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has organised 163 mobile immersion tanks in and around Bangalore for immersion of idols. It has charted detailed routes and Ganesha Mandals can call designated numbers for idol immersions along the routes.
Ashoka advised that adults should accompany children during the immersion. “There have been many drowning cases in the past and it is important that parents be watchful.”
US President Barack Obama has declared September as the National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month as part of his administration`s efforts to address the challenge of a "dramatic rise" in obesity among American children.
"Since the 1970s, the rate of childhood obesity in our country has tripled, and today a third of American children are overweight or obese. This dramatic rise threatens to have far-reaching, long-term effects on our children`s health, livelihoods, and futures," Obama said in his proclamation in this regard.
He said, "Without major changes, a third of children born in the year 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes during their lifetimes, and many others will face obesity-related problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma,"
As a nation, Obama said, the greatest responsibility is to ensure the well-being of American children. "By taking action to address the issue of childhood obesity, we can help America`s next generation reach their full potential."
Taking the lead, First Lady Michelle Obama has also launched a series of steps to fight increasing obesity among children and promote healthy food.
"Together, we can stop this epidemic in its tracks. Over the last year and a half, the First Lady`s Let`s Move! initiative has brought together Federal agencies and some of the biggest corporations and nonprofits from across our country, working to meet our national goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.
"Let`s Move! aims to help ensure we can make healthy choices about the foods we eat and how much exercise we get, while building the habits necessary to tackle one of the most urgent health issues we face in this country," Obama said.
The US President said everyone has a role to play in preventing and reversing the tide of childhood obesity. "This year, we announced groundbreaking partnerships with grocery stores and other retailers to increase access to healthy food in under-served areas."
The stores have pledged to increase their fruit and vegetable offerings and to open new locations in communities where nutritious food is limited or unavailable, he said.
Salman Khan has done it again. After Wanted and Dabangg, both of which released around Eid in 2009 and 2010 respectively and were box office hits, the actor’s third straight Eid release, Bodyguard, has struck box office gold too. Beating all estimates, which pegged the film to open in the Rs16-18crore range, Bodyguard grossed around Rs20crore on Wednesday, the highest ever for a film on a single day.
“It’s unprecedented. Even hardcore optimists could not have imagined the film would cross the Rs20crore mark,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, adding that according to the collections tracked by him, the first day net collections should be around Rs20.25crore. “This is not just a record for the biggest opening-day gross, but also the biggest gross for a single day ever.”
The previous record, he says, was held by Dabangg, which had grossed Rs18 crore on Eid last year, on a Sunday. What this means is that there are chances that Bodyguard might better its opening day collection this Sunday.
Prakhar Joshi, head of programming at PVR Cinemas, says the film opened well in all of the multiplex chain’s 35 properties.
“Dabangg had grossed Rs1.42 crore on a single day from all our properties, the highest ever. We expect Bodyguard to have easily grossed over Rs2 crore,” says Joshi, adding that the film might perform even better over the weekend.
Interestingly, critics don’t seem to have been too kind to the film, while the response among audiences has been mixed.
Manoj Desai of G7 multiplex in Bandra says that all shows of the film are booked right till Monday, which is unprecedented. “The film has obviously benefited from the long weekend, with Eid on Wednesday and Ganesh Chaturti on Thursday, but even then it’s quite a feat. Sadly, reactions have been mixed. So, it remains to be seen if the collections hold up after Monday,” says Desai.
Bodyguard, directed by Siddique, is a remake of the director’s 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The film had then been remade in Tamil as Kaavalan. Both the earlier versions were hits.
The film co-stars Kareena Kapoor and has music by Himesh Reshammiya.
The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack by the banned Pakistani militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) almost started a war between India and Pakistan that might have resulted in some kind of nuclear conflict, former US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer has said.
Roemer, who served as the 22nd US ambassador to India from July 2009 to June 2011, however did not divulge any further details of his conclusion that 26/11 could have led to a nuclear war between the two South Asian neighbours.
"Those attacks killed 177 people in Mumbai two years ago. Six Americans were killed. And they almost started a war between Pakistan and India that might have resulted in some kind of a nuclear war. So this self-radicalization issue is a critically important one," Roemer said yesterday at a discussion on Status of National Security and the Implementation of the 9/11 Commission's Recommendations.
The former US envoy, a member of the 9/11 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States set up in 2002, said he feared a scenario in which a terrorist group gets hold of nuclear weapon and an undetected self-radicalised or a cell in the United States.
"We're often asked a question, I think every one of us: What keeps you awake at night? And I would answer the question, two things: a terrorist group getting a nuclear weapon and a self-radicalized or a cell in the United States that is undetected and can pull off a catastrophic event here," Roemer said.
"Now, several months ago we had something that almost combined both. There was a person by the name of David Headley who was a terrorist living in Chicago who could travel between India, Pakistan and the United States seamlessly. And he was the guy that planned helped plan the attacks on Mumbai," he said in response to a question.
Roemer expressed concern that self-radicalized people can train themselves on the Internet, and the time frame was shrinking.
"Having spent the last couple of years abroad, I would say to now these self- radicalised people can train themselves on the Internet, and the five-year time frame is now down to sometimes months before they can be radicalised. It's really shrinking," he said.
Roemer referred to his conversation with a very high-level Indian official, a day after the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a secret raid in Pakistan's Abbottabad town.
According to the former US envoy, the Indian official pointed to the secret operation saying "this is precisely why the United States of America needs to be involved and active in the world, because you have the tenacity to keep going after people, the training of your joint operations to do it better than anybody else and the moral courage to do it the right way", he said.
Roemer underlined that successive US administrations has been able to degrade the al Qaeda leadership over the years.
"So with that successful strike, I think it shows that the United States and successive administrations, the Bush administration and the Obama administration, have done things to degrade the al Qaeda leadership, that have helped put the US in a stronger position," he said.
ATLANTA (AP) — A man jumped into an out-of-control Jeep as it drifted across lanes of traffic on a bustling parkway and steered the vehicle safely into a guardrail after its driver suffered a seizure, authorities said.
Christopher Sanders said he blacked out on his way home from work Thursday in Columbus, a west Georgia city. Police later told him his Jeep Cherokee was weaving through fast-moving traffic and had slowed dangerously on a busy parkway before the good Samaritan came to the rescue.
"It's a blessing that he was actually there and did what he did," Sanders told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "The situation could have gone dozens of different ways, but it went the best possible way."
With other cars whizzing past at around 65 mph, the Jeep had slowed to between 10 and 15 mph when help came, according to the account.
Police said 26-year-old Michael Perry had parked his own vehicle and began running after Sanders' Jeep, yanked open the passenger door, climbed in and then guided it into the guardrail.
"He risked his own life in the process," Sanders said in a telephone interview. "He didn't have to do what he did."
Sanders, 27, said he began having seizures about 10 years ago, but never experienced one while driving. He said he's been able to keep them in check, but Thursday's seizure was a violent one. He said doctors aren't certain of the cause, but he says he was shot in the neck during a robbery years ago and thinks that may have helped trigger the seizures.
Sanders said Perry banged up his leg after it got caught between the Jeep and the guardrail, but neither man was seriously harmed.
Columbus police say Perry's actions averted a potential disaster on the busy road and might have saved Sanders' life.
"It could have gone very, very badly," Sgt. Mark Graydon told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. "It was unbelievable. Everything worked right, and it was pretty miraculous."
Sanders and Perry are both from Phenix City, just across the state line in Alabama.
Maharashtra’s illustrious son has overshadowed the state's favourite festival, the Ganesh Utsav. Gandhian Anna Hazare, who came from a nondescript village in Ahmednagar district and captured the imagination of the country, has emerged as one of the favourite themes this year.
Anna Hazare's 13-day fast against corruption had united the nation; hence it’s no wonder that Anna finds a proud place on the podium with the Lord himself. He was discharged from hospital yesterday and has reached his village Ralegaon Siddhi to a hero’s welcome.
In one Mumbai pandal, the God of Wisdom is shown expressing his solidarity with Anna and the masses by wearing a white Gandhi cap. At the feet of Ganesh is a rat, signifying the common man, and sports a white dhoti and vest with a white cap. Another rat is depicted wearing an orange dhoti, signifying spiritual support across religions.
And it’s not just that, a copy of the Jan Lokpal Bill is 'presented' before Lord Ganesh idol and the rats are shown praying to Lord Ganesh for his divine intervention to rid the country of corruption.
The 10-day long festival began on Thursday with prayers being held at homes and thousands thronging various pandals all across the city and elsewhere in the state.
Today morning the 'pran pratishthapana' puja was performed at the auspicious 'muhurat' as per the Hindu 'panchang'. The idol can be kept at home for a half-a-day, five days or the entire 10 days of the festival.
In Mumbai, the biggest attraction, as always, is the Lalbagh Ganesh, fondly called Lalbaghcha Raja. Hordes of devotees have started to converge for a darshan amid tight security. Elsewhere in the city too, Ganesh pandals with huge statues of the God revered as vignaharta (obstacle remover).
The 10-day Ganesh festival has also begun with traditional pomp and gaiety in other cities of the state like Pune, Nashik, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad and Nagpur.
Over the years, the festival has grown out of Maharashtra and is celebrated with fervour in many other parts of the country as well.
Known as Vinayaga Chaturthi in Tamil Nadu, the festival is being celebrated on a large scale in the southern state.
The festival is also being celebrated with reverence in other parts of the country as well, including in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Udaipur and Delhi.
The festival ends with devotees immersing the idols in the sea or water bodies.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department's move to block AT&T Inc. from buying T-Mobile USA is motivated by the desire to keep a low-priced competitor in the game. But that's a game T-Mobile is losing.
Despite low prices and a peppy pitchwoman in a polka-dot dress, T-Mobile customers have been fleeing to other carriers in the last year and a half.
T-Mobile's 33.6 million customers may be relieved that the federal government is trying to block the merger, so they can keep their wireless service plans. But in the long run, T-Mobile is in an unsustainable position. Analysts say the company's past decisions have painted it into a corner.
The No. 4 wireless carrier is being squeezed by competitors from two directions. At the high end of the market, it can't compete with Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., the market leader and no. 2, respectively. At the low end, T-Mobile is struggling against competitors like Sprint Nextel Corp., which sells government-subsidized "lifeline" service, and MetroPCS Holdings Corp., which targets urban, working class consumers with cheap "unlimited" plans.
Essentially, T-Mobile is seen as a cheap brand by those who can afford better, and as an expensive one by those who pinch every penny.
"We're stuck in the middle from a brand point of view," T-Mobile CEO Philipp Humm said in January.
The most valuable customers, the ones who buy smartphones and sign up for two-year contracts with lucrative data plans, are leaving T-Mobile the fastest.
It's not because T-Mobile's customers are particularly dissatisfied with the service — they like their provider better than AT&T customers theirs, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Instead, the lure of the iPhone and wider network coverage is what draws high-paying customers to AT&T and Verizon.
So, even though T-Mobile is profitable, its revenue is shrinking fast — in the latest quarter, it was down to the level of 2007.
Customer flight could speed up even more this fall, if Sprint gets to start selling the iPhone, as The Wall Street Journal reported recently. That would make T-Mobile the only one of the four national wireless carriers that doesn't sell Apple Inc.'s coveted phone.
In about two years, T-Mobile will face another problem: limited wireless spectrum, or space on the airwaves. While other carriers have been bulking up their spectrum holdings in the last five years, T-Mobile stayed mostly on the sidelines. That means growing smartphone data use could fill up T-Mobile's airwaves in a few years, according to the company's own estimates.
Even before AT&T's $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile was announced in March, T-Mobile's corporate parent, Deutsche Telekom AG of Germany, said it's not interested in investing more in its U.S. subsidiary. It gave CEO Humm a mission to stop customer flight and start growing revenue, but he'll have to do it with the U.S. subsidiary's own resources.
Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner traces T-Mobile's current troubles in part to Deutsche Telekom's unwillingness to invest in T-Mobile's spectrum and network in the last few years. It waited until 2009 to start building out a wireless broadband network, several years behind Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel Corp.
Entner said Sprint, the industry's No. 3, is a good example of a carrier that has overcome a lot of adversity. It has slowed subscriber flight in the last few years through improvements in customer service.
"The US market is competitive and companies can come back from near death when they do things right. The problem is that T-Mobile USA's parent Deutsche Telekom is not committed to the US market the same way its competitors are," Entner said.
When the AT&T deal was announced in March, it came as a surprise. Industry rumors, instead, hinted at a linkup between T-Mobile and Sprint. If AT&T fails its appeal, that buzz could reemerge. But T-Mobile and Sprint use different network technologies, which would make any merger difficult.
Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett also thinks the Justice Department's reasoning in the AT&T case would preclude a Sprint-T-Mobile merger.
There would be a silver lining for T-Mobile if the deal falls through. AT&T would have to pay T-Mobile $3 billion in cash and transfer to it some unused spectrum. In addition, T-Mobile would get a renegotiated roaming agreement with AT&T. None of those are likely to change Deutsche Telekom's reluctance to invest in T-Mobile.
One of my many favorite scenes from Facing the Giants. It really illustrates what God can do if you're ready and willing to let God move through your life. Never underestimate the power of God to do great things.
While medical marijuana is legal in California and several other sites, those online trying to advertise medicinal sticky-icky are "treated like outlaws" to quote L.A. Weekly.
Google isn't very weed friendly, so how does a supporter of legal marijuana make money online with their website? Through a "marijuana-based search engine" called Cheeba.com.
"While ad networks like Google AdSense seem to flat out ban companies from reaching out the cannabis community, Cheeba is stepping in to give the green light for 420-friendly online advertising," the company said in a statement to LAWeeky.com.
The company hopes to supply ads that other places won't ... like Google Adsense for example, who was questioned by one webmaster about their practices in serving marijuana related ads, but not allowing a marijuana-related website to serve them.
"I recently spent weeks working on a site to launch..all to realize I can't put advertisements on my site," said one Google user. "When I set the site up, Adsense accepted my site and Marijuana related ads appeared on my site without a problem. After roughly a week I came upon a part in the Terms of Service saying any type of marijuana site can't contain advertisements."
The search engines allows you to search marijuana topics, videos, and images, as well as highlights some recent news regarding dispensaries, legalization, and more.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A California man was arrested for investigation of throwing his crying 7-year-old son into the water from a sightseeing cruise boat during an argument that shocked other passengers, authorities said Monday.
Sloane Briles, 35, was taken into custody for child endangerment and resisting arrest, Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.
"The father hit him several times and then threatened to throw him overboard if he didn't stop crying," Amormino said. "The crowd on the boat became very angry at the father for hitting the kid and extremely angry when he threw him overboard."
Authorities said Briles appeared to have been drinking. He was released Monday and couldn't immediately be reached at a number listed for him in Irvine.
Briles, his girlfriend and two sons from a previous marriage went on the Sunday afternoon cruise around Newport Harbor on a boat carrying 85 people. Briles began arguing with his girlfriend and his 7-year-old son, Amormino said, adding the child was not an expert swimmer.
Staff members on the tour boat said Briles told the boy he needed to toughen up then threw him into the water five feet below, said Charlie Maas, who oversees the tour company.
"Right in the middle of a sunny weekend afternoon in August there is a lot of boat traffic out there," Maas said. "That could have been fatally dangerous."
The incident happened so quickly that Maas said there was little time to react. Someone on the boat threw the boy a life ring, and he was rescued by another boater. The father also jumped in to save him.
Both the boy and his brother were returned to the care of their mother, who also could not be reached for comment. The couple was married in 2002 and separated in 2006 after having two children. They divorced in 2007.
Family court filings showed Briles lost his job in the mortgage industry in 2007 and got another job, but was injured and drew workers compensation. He successfully petitioned to get his child support obligation reduced and tried for a second reduction, which his ex-wife, Christin, opposed.
"If he truly wanted to support his boys he would find a job," she wrote in the filing. She also wrote that Briles sees the boys only on his weekends and rarely calls them during his off weeks.
Briles pleaded guilty in In February 2009 to being in contempt for not paying child support and was sentenced to three years of probation, according to court records.
The 90-minute tour on a 42-foot boat called "Queen," operated by the Fun Zone Boat Co., goes past Shirley Temple's childhood home and the homes of John Wayne and other celebrities.
Kanye West's musical mentor and former president of GOOD Music, No I.D. has been appointed Executive Vice President of A&R for Def Jam Recordings. Along with his new position, he brokered a deal for his record label Artium Recordings for an exclusive label partnership with Def Jam.
“No I.D. is one of the hottest and most well-respected hip-hop producers of our era," Barry Weiss, chairman and chief executive of Universal Republic and Island Def Jam Motown, said in a statement. "His years of mentoring and developing artists in the studio should serve him perfectly in his new A&R role and will surely help take Def Jam to the next level."
“I’m proud of the success I’ve had with so many of the great artists and songwriters at Def Jam,” the producer said in a statement. “The Def Jam brand is cultural and iconic, and I'm excited to be working closely with the artists, Barry, Karen [Kwak, executive vice president and head of A&R for Island Def Jam Music Group] and the team in what promises to be an incredible new phase in my career.”
No I.D has shared his music production talents across Hip Hop & R&B genres, producing "Run This Town" (Jay-Z), "So Appalled" (Kanye West), "More Than A Woman" (Toni Braxton), "I Miss That" (Lloyd) amongst other records. In his new post he will sign new artist to his label and oversee current projects on Def Jam's roster.
Madame Tussauds in Berlin, Germany recently revealed their latest creation, and Rihanna was their model. Her wax twin looks surprisingly realistic and is wearing one of the singer's most colorful ensembles.
It took a double take to determine that the short, red-haired version of Rihanna wasn't actually the "Rude Boy" singer, but a wax replica, mimicking the promotional photos from her video for "Who's That Chick" with David Guetta from 2010.
Hurricane Irene's rampage up the East Coast has become the tenth billion-dollar weather event this year, breaking a record stretching back to 1980, climate experts said Wednesday.
The storm, which damaged infrastructure, left 2.5 million without power and thousands of water-logged homes and businesses from North Carolina through New England, has been blamed for at least 44 deaths in 13 states. Estimates put the total cost at up to $10 billion.
"While it will take several months to determine an accurate estimate of the damage from Hurricane Irene, there is no question it will rank as the 10th billion-dollar weather event of the year," it said.
"This 10th U.S. billion-dollar disaster officially breaks the annual record dating back to 1980," the center added.
Other very costly disasters include this summer's flooding in the Midwest, the Mississippi River flooding in the spring and summer, several tornadoes and the heatwave that hit the Southwest and Southern Plain, according to a list on the NCDC website.
Insurance industry insiders estimate that Irene will cost between $7 billion and $10 billion,according to The New York Times.
Its unusually high price-tag was due to the storm's large path, which covered a wide area of the East Coast, the newspaper reported.
Insurers, which usually cover around half of losses in similar storms, may cover less than 40 percent of the damages related to Irene, according to Kinetic Analysis Corporation, the Times said.
The paper said Irene would would most likely one of the 10 costliest disasters in U.S. history.
Superintendents fret Meanwhile, power failures, flooding, road closures and other problems left by Irene have led some superintendents in New England and elsewhere in the East to delay the start of school.
Parents have had to scramble to find child care for kids who were supposed to be in school but now will be hanging around the house longer than expected.
"I hired baby sitters for the summer, but they're done now," said Tara Coleran, of Whitman, Mass., who has been busy searching for someone to watch her three boys this week because their first day of school, originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been delayed until Tuesday, the day after Labor Day.
Coleran, a bookkeeper for a nonprofit, said she expects to miss up to three days of work because she can't find a babysitter.
"I know people in the area who I could ask, but everybody has no power, so it's difficult," she said.
The school year is also expected to start late in other districts including some in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island and Vermont.
An extra day or week of summer vacation may be fun for kids, but the calendar reshuffling has caused problems for school administrators who must now reset schedules so students can make up the missed days either during the school year or at the end.
School officials in the Massachusetts communities of Whitman, Hanson, Marlborough, East Bridgewater and Springfield were among those who decided to put off the start of school for one to three days because schools, homes or both were still without power Tuesday. School officials also said they were not comfortable opening and allowing children to walk to schools while utility crews are still removing downed power lines.
"In a nutshell, it's just the lack of power and making sure we keep everybody safe and have everything ready for students when they come back," said Marlborough Superintendent Anthony Pope, who decided to push back the start date for the city's 4,700 students from Wednesday until next Tuesday.
"I have three kids of my own and I know how it is getting kids ready for the beginning of the school year, so we want to make sure that parents have that opportunity to get their children off to a good start," he said.
The school year has been postponed in some districts in Vermont, a landlocked state that was perhaps the hardest hit by Irene, then a tropical storm, with many roads washed out and entire communities cut off from the outside world.
'Unsafe conditions' In Rhode Island, more than a dozen public school districts have put off the first day of school. More than 30 daycare centers and pre-schools remained closed Tuesday because of power outages.
"We've had no damage to the schools but there are just too many unsafe conditions out there," said Robert McIntyre, superintendent of schools in Barrington, R.I. "I just want to give the cleanup crews more time to get out there and I didn't want to put buses on the road."
McIntyre said three schools were still without power Tuesday. School had been scheduled to begin Monday, but the start has been delayed more than a week, until Tuesday, the day after Labor Day.
Jenna Young, 7, of Kingstown, R.I., was supposed to start second grade on Tuesday. Now, she's not going back to school until next week.
She and her family had a picnic and enjoyed an extra day of summer at Viscoli Park in Providence on Tuesday.
"If they say it's fit for the kids to be there, you just have to trust them," said Young's father, De Kim.
Sightseeing instead of school In Maryland, friends Brandy Mosby, 26, and Heather Comer, 25, hopped on the subway and headed to Baltimore's Inner Harbor on Tuesday on the second day of canceled schools for their children. The moms and four children grabbed a dinner and then did some sightseeing along the waterfront.
Mosby, who stays at home, has two daughters, ages 10 months and 9 years old. Comer, a hairdresser, has two boys, ages 5 and 9.
Mosby thought the schools should have to get generators to make sure students weren't kept out of school in situations like this.
Two school districts in southern Maryland were the only ones in the state that would still be closed on Wednesday due to flooding.
In Connecticut, 42 of the state's 166 school districts had been slated to start the new year Monday, followed by dozens more on Tuesday.
Mark Linabury, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, said school officials were still tallying the number of districts that delayed their start dates to Wednesday and later. He said the school districts were grappling with power outages, flooding, road closures and disruption to bus routes — all caused by the remnants of Hurricane Irene.
"It's such an uncertain situation right now in many districts based on all of the circumstances," said Linabury.
Parents of younger children also were affected by the aftermath of the storm as daycare centers were forced to close because they had no electricity.
Megan Karavish, 36, of South Glastonbury, Conn., said she had to use a vacation day Monday to care for her 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter because their daycare was closed. She expected to shell out more than $100 for the babysitter she felt lucky enough to find Tuesday.
"The whole situation is very stressful, and quite frankly the extra costs this is bringing on is really adding to the stress," said Karavish, a tax software sales representative.
"The fact that there's no answer about how many more days it'll last is really what's the worst part. There's just no way to plan ahead."
Colleges hit too Colleges were not spared, either.
The storm delayed student move-ins and early classes on a number of campuses, though by Tuesday most appeared to be up and running. Two State University of New York campuses were still without power Tuesday, spokesman Morgan Hook said. Several were dealing with flooding.
The University of Vermont escaped serious damage, though some colleges farther south in the state were partly cut off by road flooding. Water covered playing fields and poured into an athletics building at Castleton State, rising to 56 inches in the football team's locker room and leaving pads strewn about the mud when the water receded.
One big challenge was that flooding at a state office building left public college campuses around Vermont with only intermittent Internet access. Students at numerous schools struggled to reach campus, while the schools offered assurances professors would understand if they missed early classes.
Marlboro College — a small private college in south-central Vermont — was still evaluating whether to start classes Thursday, and changed to a rolling course registration process to accommodate students who couldn't arrive in time.
Many school districts with planned openings after Labor Day are expecting to open on time, even though some are still struggling with power outages.
In Richmond, Va., six schools were still without electricity Tuesday, but since classes don't start until next week, they were still expected to open as scheduled, said schools spokeswoman Felicia Cosby.
In Boston, some schools had tree limbs to clear off their grounds after the storm, but none had prolonged power outages. Schools are expected to open Sept. 8 as scheduled, said school spokesman Matt Wilder.
60 percent of uniforms tested positive. Should workers wear duds outside?
They might look quite clean, but the white coats, pastel uniforms and colorful surgical scrubs worn by doctors and nurses actually may harbor a host of nasty, potentially dangerous bacteria, a new study finds.
More than 60 percent of health workers’ uniforms sampled by researchers tested positive for pathogens, including the germs that can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections and drug-resistant infections such as MRSA.
That’s according to a study of hospital attire published today in the American Journal of Infection Control. Israeli researchers collected samples from the sleeves, waists and pockets of 75 registered nurses and 60 doctors at a busy university-based hospital to confirm the germs.
Half of the samples tested positive for one or more pathogens; potentially dangerous bacteria were isolated from at least one site on 63 percent of the uniforms. Of those, 11 percent of the bugs were resistant to multiple front-line antibiotics.
“These data suggest that personnel attire may be one route by which pathogenic bacteria are transmitted to patients,” concluded the researchers, led by Dr. Yonit Wiener-Well of the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
To be sure, the study doesn’t verify a link between the germy garb and actual patient infections, the authors say. But it does raise enough questions to reignite conversations about the ick factor of hospital uniforms and scrubs — especially when health workers wear them in public: out to grocery stores, say, or to sandwich shops.
“I do cringe,” said Ramona Conner, a registered nurse and manager of standards and recommended practices for the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. “We do know that antibiotic-resistant organisms have been found to survive for extended lengths of time on hospital materials including clothing and linens.”
Workers shouldn't wear scrubs home AORN is among several groups and hospital systems that seek to limit potential infection by suggesting rules for hospital workers' attire. AORN guidelines say that hospitals should provide laundry services for surgical doctors and nurses to ensure proper cleaning and that health workers should be barred from wearing scrubs outside of their hospitals.
“Since we know these pathogens are present on attire, our job is to reduce exposure to as low a level as we can,” Conner said.
At the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y., hospital policy calls for staff to don only scrubs laundered at a hospital-owned facility and to refrain from wearing them outside the premises, said Ann Marie Pettis, director of infection prevention.
"The compliance with the policy, however, is less than perfect, unfortunately," Pettis admitted in an e-mail.
Previous studies in Britain and the United States have suggested that hospital worker attire — including neckties, long-sleeved shirts or coats, and watches, rings and other jewelry — could harbor bacteria that might be passed on to patients.
But other infection experts say that there are some contamination sources that are far more worrisome than clothing or accessories.
“Uniforms could be a source of contamination, but there is more concern about other surfaces around the patients,” said Russell N. Olmsted, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
“What we don’t want to do is direct a lot of energy to sterile attire,” he added.
In the new study, the bacterial burden detected on the sleeves, waists and pockets of the uniforms was apparent, but also fairly low, serving mostly as a warning of possible worse contamination nearby, Olmsted said. For instance, there were 89 isolates of Acinetobacter, a potentially nasty bug, with between one and 36 potential colonies, the study found.
“There are surfaces around the person that have a higher bacterial load. There could be 100 colony-forming units to 1,000 units on a bedrail, for instance,” said Olmsted, an epidemiologist in infection prevention and control services at St. Joseph Mercy Health System in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Experts said the germs detected on the uniforms likely reflected poor hand-washing practices, an intractable problem at most hospitals, where between one-third and one-half of health workers fail to follow good handhygiene, studies have shown.
The Israeli researchers found, not surprisingly, that contamination increased the longer health workers wore their garb. The rate of contamination with multi-resistant organisms was 29 percent on attire changed every two days, compared with 8 percent in uniforms changed daily, the study found.
They recommended that health workers change into clean uniforms daily, boost their hand hygiene practices and use plastic aprons for messy jobs that may involve splashing or contact with bodily fluids.
That’s good advice, agreed Olmsted and Conner, who both said that decreasing the opportunities for bacteria to hitch a ride on hands, clothing or other objects is the key to infection control.
“Our first response to everything is to err on the side of caution,” Conner said.
Looking for Texas Longhorns that won Herbie Awards? Look no further I've got them right here. Herbie awards are awards given annually each preseason by ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Here are the Texas Longhorn players who won awards.
It’s a decision that’s nearly as old as the auto business itself — should you buy a new car or a used one? While buying a new car carries an immeasurable degree of cachet for many consumers, buying a used model is typically a better deal. And this is even with used-car prices on the rise — they’ve jumped by around four percent over the last 12 months according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index.
Still, factory-fresh vehicles carry substantially higher price tags than same-make-and-model used ones and tend to take a larger hit in depreciation over the first few years of ownership. A new car can lose 50 percent or more of its resale value within just three years — that makes a three-year-old model at least half the cost of an average new one, which today is priced at nearly $30,000 according to TrueCar.com, an industry research and forecasting company.
We’ve identified what we feel are currently the industry’s best used cars, based largely on results from the latest J.D. Power & Associates U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study of three-year-old models.
One caveat: Buying any used car involves a measure of risk. Always have a used car under your consideration checked out by a trusted mechanic before signing on the proverbial dotted line to ensure that it’s in top operating condition. Also run its vehicle identification number (VIN) through a title-search service like carfax.com to make sure it hasn’t been previously flood-damaged or wrecked and subsequently salvaged.
Even as a three-year old model, the subcompact Honda Fit is a perfect car for the times. It performs well, is reliable and gets good fuel economy at 28-city/34-highway. Best of all it’s an inexpensive car that doesn’t feel cheap. Its 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine nets just 109 horsepower, but that’s sufficient to get this small car up to speed, especially if you find one that’s equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is also available. The Honda Fit’s handling is sharper than with most small cars, which makes it a good choice for driving enthusiasts as an economical commuter. It’s roomier on the inside than its diminutive exterior might otherwise indicate and its rear-seat folds flat into the floor to create a voluminous cargo hold. A Sport model includes larger wheels and tires (for a slightly smoother ride), steering-wheel paddle shifters and a few extra features, though the base model should suit most buyers.
Remaining current in the generation that debuted for the 2008 model year, the quirky Scion xB remains both boxy and muscular-looking. Then as now, the xB comes adequately powered by a 158 horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine it originally shared with the Toyota Camry. A five-speed manual was the standard transmission, but we found it a bit too notchy shifting for our tastes; instead look for models that come with the four-speed automatic. While no sports car, the Scion xB delivers athletic handling abilities even a casual motorist can appreciate. You’ll find used xBs generously equipped with standard vehicle stability control, front-side and side-curtain airbags, keyless entry and a premium audio system with full iPod integration. A roomy interior can transport four six-footers in complete comfort, which is why xBs of this generation are often used as taxicabs. With the back seat folded flat its cargo volume rivals many midsize SUVs.
This trio of attractive midsize sedans delivers agreeable performance, comfort and utility. Each offers its own distinct styling, with the LincolnMKZ being the handsomest choice, though it commands a higher price. The 2008 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan came standard with a just-sufficient 160-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and a choice of a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission; look instead for one that’s fitted with the optional 221-hp 3.0-liter V6 engine and six-speed automatic. Meanwhile, the Lincoln MKZ packed a quicker 263-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and the six-speed gearbox. The cars’ ride and handling characteristics are reasonably well balanced, with the Lincoln delivering a slightly plusher ride. Those subject to harsh winters should seek out a model that was equipped with the optional all-wheel-drive system for added traction. The sedans’ five-passenger interiors are sufficiently roomy and come trimmed in premium materials. If you’re a techie, look for a model that comes with Ford’s Sync voice-activated multimedia control system.
The Ford Edge midsize crossover SUV debuted for 2008 and isn’t drastically different than the current generation that came out for 2011. The five-passenger Edge affords a quiet and comfortable interior, with head- and legroom that’s sufficient for four tall passengers, with a fifth being able to squeeze in as needed. A 3.5-liter V6 engine nets a brisk 265 horsepower and is nicely paired with a sophisticated six-speed automatic transmission. Handling is about average among midsize people movers, though the optional “intelligent” all-wheel-drive system improves its cornering abilities a bit on dry pavement in addition to boosting its wet-road traction. You’ll find all versions equipped with stability control and six airbags; options to look for include the nifty Sync multimedia control system, a power-operated hatchback, rear-proximity parking alarm, heated front seats and a back-seat DVD entertainment system.
With the exception of a few tweaks and updates, the 2008 version of the Honda CR-V compact crossover remain current. It’s styling is neither too expressive nor too conservative and remains fresh. Its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine generates a sufficient 166 horsepower and is mated to a standard five-speed automatic transmission; fuel economy is rated at a decent 20-city/27-highway mpg. The Honda CR-V’s ride and handling qualities are on a par with most comparably sized passenger cars; seek out one that’s equipped with the optional all-wheel-drive system for added traction under inclement conditions. Standard safety features include stability and traction control, front-side airbags and side-curtain airbags that automatically deploy if a sensor determines the vehicle is about to rollover. Noteworthy features to look for include a navigation system with an integrated backup camera display for easier and safer parking.
The Lexus RX was the first luxury crossover to be sold in the U.S. and quickly became not only the best-seller in Lexus’ lineup but also the most popular luxury SUV in the industry. It was last redesigned for the 2010 model year, but the previous version still looks current and delivers similar performance. Then as now, the RX 350 comes powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that generates a brisk 270 horsepower; for 2008 it was mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, and you’ll find some used models further equipped with a manual-shift feature. All-wheel-drive was optional, with seven airbags (including one at knee-height for the driver) and stability control standard. The Lexus RX 350 features a comfortable wood- and leather-trimmed interior with convenient storage bins scattered throughout the cabin. A long list of amenities includes a standard power-operated tailgate and a CD changer. Some models can be found with a full array of high-tech gizmos like adaptive headlamps that illuminate the road around turns; a voice-activated GPS navigation system, a rear-view back-up camera and an adaptive cruise-control system that can automatically maintain a preset distance between the vehicle ahead.
Over the years the Toyota Sienna minivan has proved to be a workhorse of a family vehicle, delivering solid performance with a bevy of leading-edge features and stalwart reliability. The vehicle was just redesigned for 2011, but changes weren’t drastic over the previous generation, which came powered by a sturdy 266-horsepower 3.5-liter engine and five-speed automatic transmission. The Toyota Sienna remains the only minivan to offer all-wheel-drive, though such models may be difficult to locate in the resale market. Available with seven- or eight-passenger seating, the third row seat folds flat into floor one half at a time for maximum cargo-carrying flexibility. Six airbags are included, though antiskid stability control was standard only on select versions and optional elsewhere in the line. You’ll find some used Siennas equipped with what are still high-end features like a rear-view video camera and front/rear parking proximity warnings to facilitate parallel parking, laser-guided adaptive cruise control, a satellite navigation system and surround-sound audio.
Perhaps the best sports car value among new or used vehicles, 2008 was the last model year before the low-slung Mazda MX-5 Miata adopted its current “happy face” front end styling, which we find cloyingly cute. Otherwise it’s remained true to its roots over the years as a reasonably simple, peppy and nimble small roadster. Its two-seat interior is a snug fit, but it’s a minor tradeoff on a warm summer’s day while driving on a twisty road with the top down. Offered with either a manual cloth top or power retractable hardtop, we prefer the former for simpler and glitch-free operation. A lightweight 2.0-liter four-cylinder generates a respectable 166 horsepower, and is best mated to a manual transmission, which here can either be a five-speed or slicker-shifting short-throw six-speed version. Though sacrilegious in some circles you may find a few used Mazda MX-5 Miatas fitted with the optional six-speed automatic transmission; at least it came with steering wheel-mounted paddles for quasi-manual operation.
Smaller than the larger and swanker CL- and SL-Class models and larger and costlier than the two-seat SLK-Class, the since-discontinued midsize Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class can be found in both sporty luxury coupe and convertible versions. It performs well and delivers ample comfort, with an attractive exterior design that still looks contemporary. A standard sports suspension gives it just enough in the way of cornering abilities without delivering a harsh ride in the process. You’ll find it as a CLK350 with a just-adequate 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, a more-pleasing 382-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 in the CLK500 or a 475-horsepower 6.3-liter V-8 in the overpriced and outrageous CLK63 AMG. As is Mercedes’ modus operandi, standard safety and vehicle-control systems and creature comforts are plentiful. Options to look for include adaptive cruise control that can automatically maintain a set speed and interval on the highway, and high-intensity Xenon headlamps with Active Curve Illumination that can help illuminate the road at night through curves.
While casual buyers have fled the full-size SUV segment in favor of car-like crossovers, the Chevrolet Tahoe and its near-twin, the GMC Yukon remain top picks for those who require a large and powerful vehicle for hauling and towing. You may find some models in the used market equipped with the base 4.8-liter V8, but look instead for those that come with the 320-horsepower 5.3-liter V8 that was otherwise included in most versions across both lines; a stronger-yet 380-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 was also offered. Both the Tahoe and Yukon ride on a fully boxed frame for stout structural rigidity. A responsive suspension delivers a reasonably smooth ride with relatively easy (though not necessarily nimble) handling. Offered in either rear- or four-wheel drive models, with either two or three rows of seats and a full range of safety features included, you’ll likely find most used models on a dealer’s lot equipped with plenty of amenities.
Often overlooked in a segment that’s dominated by domestic brand-loyal buyers, the full-size Toyota Tundra pickup truck is nevertheless rugged and reliable, and can tackle the toughest tasks. The truck is handsomely designed, with a roomy and comfortable interior and easygoing ride and handling characteristics. It was last redesigned for 2008 and remains current. As with all big pickups, used Tundras can be found in various cab sizes, bed lengths and mechanical configurations, so shop wisely and according to your specific needs. A 236-horsepower 4.0-liter V6 was standard in 2008, but that engine is suited only for light-duty applications; a better choice would be either of the two available V8s, a 276-hp 4.7-liter and a 381-hp 5.7-liter. While most versions included a five-speed automatic transmission, those equipped with the largest V8 came with a smoother six-speed version. Available in rear- and 4X4 versions, antilock brakes, stability control and an automatic limited-slip differential for added traction are all standard. If you intend to use the truck for towing, look for models equipped with the optional tailgate-mounted camera that helps improve visibility when hitching a trailer.
