Legislature passes bill on personal-care homes but stalls on one to regulate pill mills as doctors lobby hard

By Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

The effort to quash "pill mills" that feed one of Kentucky's worst problems, prescription drug abuse, stalled on the next-to-last day of the General Assembly's session and faces cloudy prospects on April 12, when the legislature returns to conclude its business. But the legislature gave final passage to a bill aimed at limiting the admission of mental patients to personal-care homes.

The snag in the pill-mill bill stems from the Kentucky Medical Association's opposition to moving the state's electronic prescription-tracking system to the attorney general's office from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, which is controlled by doctors and has been found to go easy on them, compared to other states. The bill includes several other measures, including a requirement that pain clinics must be owned by doctors.

After Sen. Carroll Gibson, R-Leitchfield, failed in a parliamentary maneuver to make the bill more difficult to pass, and Senate President Pro Tem Katie Stine, R-Southgate, ruled that his motion had lost on a voice vote, Majority Floor Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, "said it might be better to consider the bill April 12, but Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, said delaying a vote on it would give its opponents more time to try to kill it," report John Cheves and Jack Brammer of the Lexington Herald-Leader. "Stivers called for party caucuses to meet to discuss the issue. After the caucus meetings, the Senate adjourned and Stivers said lawmakers would work on the bill for possible consideration April 12."

The session's final day is scheduled to give the legislature a chance to override any vetoes by Gov. Steve Beshear, so a bill passed then could be killed by a veto. That might seem unlikely, since Beshear has been among those pushing for stronger action against pill mills. However, if he were unhappy with a bill the legislature sent him, he could veto it and call a special legislative session to pass one more to his liking. That possibility, and his power to set the agenda of a special session, could make him a player in the negotiations between now and April 12.

The bill’s sponsor, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, downplayed the problem. He blamed it on "confusion over a provision that limits the amount of drugs that may be supplied to a patient at any one time," Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal reports. "Some lawmakers feared that limits on prescriptions would cause more patient co-pays, but a simple fix to the bill’s language could allay those concerns, Stumbo said."

Also on Friday, the legislature sent Beshear a bill that would "require potential residents at personal-care homes to be screened for brain injuries by medical professionals," the Herald-Leader reports. "Personal care homes provide long-term care for people who do not need full-time nursing care but need some assistance."

Senate Bill 115 "stems from the death last year of Larry Lee, a brain-injured resident who disappeared from a personal care home and was found dead four weeks later on the banks of the Licking River, not far from the Falmouth Nursing Home in Pendleton County," the Herald-Leader notes. "There are about 2,500 to 3,000 people in 82 free-standing personal care homes across Kentucky," and many are mentally disabled or mentally ill. Kentucky Protection and Advocacy, a watchdog state agency, released a report last week saying that said placement of the mentally ill in personal-care homes violates federal disability laws. (Read more)

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

Demand "Justice" But Beware The Rush To Judgment In The Trayvon Martin Case

There are many disturbing questions surrounding the shooting of Trayvon Martin, many of them outlined here.  A rigorous independent investigation geared towards answering these questions and determining the extent to which George Zimmerman committed criminal acts is essential.  But as rallies today by civil rights groups and others "demand justice" and call for Zimmerman's "immediate arrest," I want to urge caution.

The disparity in treatment between young African Americans suspected of criminal conduct and George Zimmerman, who we know shot and killed Trayvon Martin, is stark and I share the frustration and the outrage of the protesters.  But, I remain very uncomfortable with the demands and petition drives calling for Zimmerman's arrest and prosecution (not to mention the vigilante response) based only on the selected facts to which we, the public, have become privy. 

There are very good reasons to doubt the good faith of local law enforcement and the prosecuting agencies in this case, and we should certainly be demanding justice.  But we can't know yet what a just response is.  We should await the findings of the special prosecutor -- which may very well spur more legitimate questions and demands -- rather than rush to judgment now based on the limited information filtered down to us from the media.

Far more often than not, in the wake of a tragic death it is the suspicious-looking African American in the hoodie for whom there is this kind of clamor for "swift justice."  

[Stop Racism, Not Hoodies;  The Right Continues To Play To Stereotype]

I Quit

  Image courtesy of www.bobbiemel.com

Veteran host actress (VH) apparently did not leave her show quietly in contrast to the press releases as to why she left. VH got fed up with the way her show was running. She walked out, said she does not want to continue anymore, and declared, “I quit!” The production said that VH was very meticulous with the script and would request rewrites, even of the idiot board. The only thing lacking was her interference in the plugs of the show. VH can be such pain, according to the staff. However, the fact that VH is part of a religious group can have something to do with how she wants the show to flow. Besides, such a show demands so much from the host and very few hosts are cut to deal with such a format. Unlike her other shows that ended when she quit, her show is continuing with the network experimenting with younger actresses as hosts.

Can you guess the identity of VH? Please abide by the RULES in writing comments if you want me to post them. Initials and comments that are too explicit will not be accepted.

Follow micsylim on Twitter for the latest update. Please continue to send your juicy stories to michaelsylim@gmail.com. Thank you very much for loving Fashion PULIS.

Off to South Africa

Vincent van Gogh: "I'd like to show by my work what such an eccentric, such a nobody, has in his heart"

How a genius feels: "I'm a nonentity, an eccentric, an unpleasant person"

March 30th is the birthday of Vincent van Gogh, born in Holland in 1853, a famous painter and also great letter-writer. His letters were lively, engaging, and passionate; they also frequently reflect his struggles with bipolar disorder.

He wrote: "What am I in the eyes of most people — a nonentity, an eccentric, or an unpleasant person — somebody who has no position in society and will never have; in short, the lowest of the low. All right, then — even if that were absolutely true, then I should one day like to show by my work what such an eccentric, such a nobody, has in his heart."

He wrote thousands of letters to his brother Theo over the course of his life. Theo's widow published the van Gogh's letters to her husband in 1913.

Doctors' Day in a high-risk profession: suicide rate of U.S. doctors is one per day

This quote serves as a good reminder how people with depression may have an altered perception of themselves. March 30 is also National Doctors' Day in the U.S. Other countries celebrate Doctors' Day on different dates.

More than a quarter of primary care doctors reported being "burnt out." The United States loses the equivalent of at least one entire medical school class (approximately 400 physicians) each year to suicide.

In other words, 300-400 doctors in the United States kill themselves every year, or roughly 1 per day. Male doctors have suicide rates 1.4 times that of the general population, while female doctors have twice the rate of depression and 2.3 times the suicide rate when compared with women who are not physicians.

A conversation could save a life: "Are you OK?" Day

Hugh Jackman shows his support for R U OK?Day, a national day of action in Australia that aims to prevent suicide by encouraging people to connect with colleagues, friends and loved ones and ask simply: "Are you OK?" This may help your medical colleagues too:



References

Writer's Almanac. NPR, 2012.
High-risk profession: Suicide rate of U.S. doctors is one per day
Help for Today's Tense, Frustrated Doctors. Medscape, 2009.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/710904
Doctors have higher rates of suicide than the general population: 40% higher for male doctors, 130% for female doctors http://goo.gl/ckTm
R U OK? Day
Image source: Vincent van Gogh's 1890 painting At Eternity's Gate. Wikipedia, public domain.

'Meds for meth' bill is about to become law despite heavy lobbying campaign by pharmaceutical companies

The bill to limit purchases of a popular cold medicine used to make methamphetamine passed the General Assembly today and Gov. Steve Beshear said he would sign it.

The Senate voted 29-8 to approve changes the House made in Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Senate Majority Floor Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, left. The bill would require a prescription to buy more than 7.2 grams of pseudoephedrine in a month and 24 grams in a year. "A generic box of pseudoephedrine with 48 pills, each with a 30-milligram dosage, contains 1.44 grams of the medicine," Jack Brammer of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. ""Gel caps and liquid pseudoephedrine would be excluded from the limits in SB 3 because making meth from those forms is considered more difficult."

The bill’s sponsors had wanted lower limits, and initially a prescription for any amount, "but they compromised with opponents who worried about inconveniencing cold and allergy sufferers," Brammer notes. "The pharmaceutical industry has lobbied aggressively against the state requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine at any level," ranking first in reported lobbying expenses without even counting its extensive advertising campaign. The industry apparently viewed Kentucky as a sort of firewall, the absence of which could make passage of similar "meds for meth" bills in other states. Only Oregon and Mississippi now have such legislation.

Quote Of The Day

"The limit is the Constitution." 

Akhil Reed Amar, from Ezra Klein's Wonkblog

Amar, a Yale law professor, goes on to say:  "The most important limit, the one we fought the Revolutionary War for, is that the people doing this to you are the people you elect. That’s the main check. The broccoli argument is like something they said when we were debating the income tax: If they can tax me, they can tax me at 100 percent! And yes, they can. But they won’t. Because you could vote them out of office. They have the power to do all sorts of ridiculous things that they won’t do because you’d vote them out of office."

Justice Scalia Shills For The Tea Party

There has always appeared to be a consensus in mainstream circles, if not necessarily in the legal community, that whether you agreed with him or not, Justice Antonin Scalia possesses a great legal mind.  His performance during the arguments this week on the Affordable Care Act case was therefore striking for the way he often parroted Tea Party talking points.

Talking Points Memo provides the top five GOP Buzzwords echoed by the Supreme Court Justice:

‘Broccoli’

One of the GOP’s favorite talking points about the individual mandate, which a conservative lower court judge also invoked, is that it could open the door to Congress mandating that people eat broccoli.
“Could you define the market — everybody has to buy food sooner or later, so you define the market as food,” Scalia said, discussing a hypothetical. “Therefore, everybody is in the market; therefore, you can make people buy broccoli.”  He added, “Does that expand your ability to, to issue mandates to the people?”

‘Exercise’

On a similar note, Republicans have warned that letting Congress require an affirmative act could lead to forced exercise in order to keep people healthy. Scalia made that point, too.
“Everybody has to exercise, because there’s no doubt that lack of exercise causes illness, and that causes health care costs to go up,” he said. “So the Federal government says everybody has to join an exercise club.”

‘Cornhusker Kickback’

During Wednesday’s arguments about how closely linked all the provisions of the law are, Scalia twice echoed a catchphrase devised by Republicans to mock a special Medicaid deal Senate leaders offered Ben Nelson (D-NE) to win his vote.
“If we struck down nothing in this legislation but the — what’s it called, the Cornhusker kickback, okay, we find that to violate the constitutional proscription of venality, okay?” the justice said. “When we strike that down, it’s clear that Congress would not have passed it without that. It was the means of getting the last necessary vote in the Senate. And you are telling us that the whole statute would fall because the Cornhusker kickback is bad. That can’t be right.”
Obscured in Scalia’s remark is that the deal was stripped out of the statute around the time of enactment — a fact that hasn’t stopped Republicans from railing against it over the last two years.

‘2,700 Pages’

Discussing what parts of the bill could be “severed” from the mandate, Scalia said: “Mr. Kneedler, what happened to the 8th Amendment? You really want us to go through these 2,700 pages?” There were laughs in the chamber. “Is this not totally unrealistic? That we are going to go through this enormous bill item by item and decide each one?”
The 8th Amendment is the part of the Constitution that prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment” — the length of the bill is a running joke among Republicans, who often invoke the 2,700 figure, to argue that nobody could reasonably be expected to read it.

‘10th Amendment’

“I mean, the 10th Amendment says the powers not given to the Federal Government are reserved, not just to the States, but to the States and the people,” Scalia said Tuesday, arguing that the court has held certain laws “reasonably adapted” but not “proper” because they “violated the sovereignty of the States, which was implicit in the constitutional structure.”
The 10th Amendment argument is a common line of attack by Republicans, including Mitt Romney, invoked to argue that ‘Obamacare’ tramples states rights. And though the states challenging the law claim the Medicaid expansion violates the 10th Amendment, Scalia cited it in reference to the individual mandate.
Scalia’s argument is particularly noteworthy because the justice greatly disappointed 10th Amendment advocates in his 2005 Gonzalez v. Raich decision, concurring with the court’s liberals to say Congress may override a state law permitting licensed medical marijuana patients to grow cannabis for personal, non-commercial use.

Ungraceful Gallops

Image courtesy of www.graffitine.com

In one of the concerts of this host comedian (H), the audience did what was expected. They laughed at his corny jokes and did not mind the repetition. H was able to entertain the audience as usual. Then, the production staff started to sense that H was going to do something different just before the closing number. He insisted on performing a song that was not in the guide flow of the show. Hence, it would affect the coherence of the program. H said he told someone in the production earlier that he wanted to sing a song for his grandmother. Of course, the production people doubted this excuse. They knew he was just being hardheaded and wanted to get his way done. Much to their dismay, H got his way this time.

In another incident, just before the taping of his show, H started vomiting and complained that he was not feeling well. H asked to be rushed to the hospital and the taping was packed up because of his “sickness.” The production team was very upset because the setup cost almost one million and the show had already scheduled a guest artist. One of the higher ups decided to investigate secretly. H has a reputation of going on a gimmick on the eve of a workday and disregarding the call time for his daily show. The investigation revealed that H was indeed out the whole night before the taping. Now, the head wants H to shoulder the cost of the wastage of the resources caused by his irresponsible absence.

It’s not all the time that H can ride into the sunset. Do you know who he is? Please abide by the RULES in writing comments if you want me to post them. Initials and comments that are too explicit will not be accepted.

Follow micsylim on Twitter for the latest update. Please continue to send your juicy stories to michaelsylim@gmail.com. Thank you very much for loving Fashion PULIS.

The Off Price Show

Guess Who are Wearing Michael Antonio Contest

1. ___________________________

 2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________ 

 4. ___________________________

5. ___________________________

6. ___________________________

 7. ___________________________ 

To join the contest:

1. Guess the names of the 7 celebrities in the photos.

2.  Email your name, mobile number and answers (numbered accordingly) to michaelantoniophils@gmail.com with Michael Antonio as the subject line. Each email address is entitled to one entry.

3. The deadline of submission is on April 7, 2012 at 11:59pm (Manila time).

4. Emails with all 7 answers correct will be raffled to determine the 5 winners.

5. Each winner will receive a P4,000 Michael Antonio gift certificate (good for 1 pair of MA shoes) .

6. Contestants may go to the http://www.facebook.com/mantoniophil for clues.

Road To Dystopia With The GOP

DonkeyHotey

Joan McCarter at Daily Kos wrote two pieces yesterday, one on the actions of the Republicans in the House and one on what they did in the Senate, that come pretty close to telling us all we need to know about what the GOP stands for.

First, the House Republicans passed Paul Ryan's budget resolution, the so-called "Path to Prosperity," which as McCarter explains, would among other things end Medicare as we know it:

The House Republicans made their ultimate dystopian statement today, in passing Rep. Paul Ryan's budget in a 228-191 vote. Ten Republicans voted against it, no Democrats voted for it and 13 members did not vote.

House Speaker John Boehner called this plan "a real vision of what we were to do if we get more control here in this town. It's still a Democrat-run town."

Just a few reminders about the Ryan budget, and what the House Republicans put down as their political marker for 2012, their vision for a Republican-ruled America: It would give the wealthy a humongous tax break, the lowest tax rate since the Hoover administration; it would gut nutritional assistance, cutting it by 17 percent over the next decade; it would cut Medicare benefits and begin the process of killing the program; it would kill millions of jobs; it turns Medicaid into a block grant and deeply cuts federal spending for it, and for SCHIP, the children's health program; and it breaks the already agreed upon Budget Control Act of 2011, threatening, once again, a government shutdown.

This is also the budget endorsed by Mitt Romney. Today the Republicans made their most definitive statement for the America they envision. This is their platform for 2012, from the top down.

Not to outdone, the Senate Republicans filibustered a bill to repeal subsidies and tax breaks to Big Oil that had majority support.

 Another day in the Senate, another filibuster by Republicans on behalf of corporate America. The Senate voted on advancing a bill to repeal subsidies and tax breaks to Big Oil, and while the majority supported the bill, the filibuster held in the final 51-47 vote (Republicans Mark Kirk and Orrin Hatch were not present to vote).

Maine Republicans Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins voted with Democrats, while Democrats Mark Begich (AK), Mary Landrieu (LA), Jim Webb (VA) and Ben Nelson (NE) switched sides. Landrieu and Begich, being from oil producing states, were needlessly voting for self protection, since there wasn't a chance the filibuster could be broken. Webb and Nelson, both retiring, are completely inexcusable.
But this is the status quo that the Republicans voted to protect:

Just this past January the typical household paid about $290.76 for gasoline, up by $25 over the same one-month time span in January 2011. It looks like households will face a similar increase in gasoline expenditures in February with gas prices on the rise even though demand is the lowest it’s been since 1997. This especially affects the 82 million households that spend 6 percent or more of their annual household budgets on gasoline. High oil and gasoline prices in 2011 enabled the big five companies to rake in $137 billion in profits last year. These enormous earnings contributed to the $1 trillion in profits they earned from 2001 through 2011. Despite a profit figure with 12 zeroes—count them: $1,000,000,000,000—these oil giants are major players in the lobbying efforts to retain $4 billion in annual tax breaks for oil and gas companies that they clearly do not need. In the scheme of all things Big Oil, these tax breaks are small, particularly in relation to their profits and in light of the fact that in 2011 these companies also had a combined $58 billion in cash reserves, nearly 30 times more than they received in special tax breaks.

The American taxpayer is subsidizing those billions Big Oil is raking in, while we pay more and more at the pump every week. At least we know now, definitively, which side the Republicans are on.

What to do if you win the Mega Millions lottery jackpot

Daydreaming about winning the lottery is amazing. In fantasizing, we think about spending our winnings. Considering whether you would buy a castle or travel around the world first become real debates. But if your lottery fantasies do become a reality, you'll need to take care of a few things before you start the spending spree.

With good money management you–and your heirs–could live handsomely for many, many years. But from the moment that you claim that prize, you will be descended upon by vultures who want a hefty helping of those winnings. And if you didn’t have smart money habits up until now, you could easily turn out to be your own worst enemy by quickly squandering the fortune.

Here are some steps to help you steer clear of additional risks. Most of them work well for other windfalls too–for example with sudden wealth that comes from an inheritance or the sale of a business.

Remain anonymous if your state rules permit it. Once people know you’re suddenly wealthy, you’ll be badgered by requests for handouts from everyone from charities to long-lost friends and relatives–not to mention all the financial “experts” who will be vying for your business. So check state rules to see whether you can dodge them all by remaining anonymous.
You have plenty of time to ponder this strategy—prize winners in all states have one year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize. So find out what the state rules are and plot a course.

Obtain an Unlisted Telephone Number. Until your unlisted number is activated, ask friends, family and your financial advisor to call you on a cell phone. The unlisted number is crucial for several reasons. Most lotteries release the names and locations of winners. This means that you will be bombarded with calls from charities asking for contributions, not to mention long-lost family members looking to "borrow" money.


 See a tax pro before you cash the ticket. You have the choice between taking the prize money all at once or having it paid out over 30 years in the form of an annuity. With a lump sum payment, you must immediately pay tax on the entire amount. With an annuity, you are taxed only as you receive the payments. People who have trouble controlling their spending might prefer the discipline of receiving the money as an annuity. But this payout form has other drawbacks. You will want to compare the effective yield of the annuity with what you could earn by taking the money as a lump sum, paying the taxes and investing the proceeds.
Another issue to consider is whether taking an annuity will leave your family without the cash they need to pay estate tax if you die before the 30-year period is up. In such situations people typically buy life insurance policies to cover the estate tax bill.
You have 60 days from the time you claim your lottery prize to weigh the pros and cons. During this time, ask advisors to crunch the numbers and help you decide which type of payment suits you best.



 Avoid sudden lifestyle changes. For the first six months after you win the lottery, don’t do anything drastic, like quitting your job, buying a McMansion, or trading up for a luxury car. Meanwhile, set aside a fixed amount for splurges—it’s only natural to want to celebrate your windfall. Save the big purchases for later. 

 Pay off all your debts.  There is no better investment than paying off debts. Whether it is credit card debt or a mortgage, your rate of return equals the interest rate on the loan.  When you’ve paid down a dollar of debt, that’s a dollar you no longer owe. When you invest a dollar, you can’t be sure whether it will grow or shrink.

 Assemble a team of legal and financial advisers. In situations like this it’s very hard to know “who’s trying to help you and who’s trying to use you.
Rather than signing on to a group of advisors that someone else has put together, handpick your own lawyer, accountant and investment advisor, and requiring them to work together.
Your new financial advisor can recommend what steps you should take, such as establishing a trust, before claiming your winnings. Consult with him or her to decide whether to collect the money in a lump sum or installments. Later on, work with your advisor to develop a realistic spending strategy so you don't end up going from glamour to gutter.

 Invest prudently.

 Live within a budget.  

 Take steps to protect assets.

 Plan charitable gifts.
Have your financial plan in place before you start giving away money. You'll also want your advisor to screen charities to make sure they're legitimate. Having the unlisted telephone number will give you some breathing room to make financial decision thoughtfully, rather than under pressure from aggressive callers. Be sure to use the same approach with your loved ones. Don't make grand promises in the heat of the moment. Instead, wait until you've had time to talk with your advisor and get a sense of your true financial situation.


Review your estate plan.   

In my book that will be released soon I talk about "The Star Team" of advisers you should have, winning or not winning the lottery. 

The Team Of Advisors will help you to keep your money for many generations and still have a beautiful life.

Contact us if you have any questions. We have been helped thousands of individuals, families and business owners achieving their financial goals and needs.


We work for you! 


www.MintcoFinancial.com


anecamara@mintcofinancial.com


Florida: 813-964-7100
New York: 716-565-1300





   

Crohn's disease - 2011 review

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the GI tract at any point from the mouth to the rectum.

Symptoms and signs may consist of:

- diarrhea
- abdominal pain
- fever
- weight loss
- abdominal masses
- anemia

Extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease include:

- osteoporosis
- inflammatory arthropathies
- scleritis
- nephrolithiasis
- cholelithiasis
- erythema nodosum

Laboratory findings

Acute phase reactants, such as CRP and ESR, are often increased with inflammation and may correlate with disease activity.

Levels of vitamin B12, folate, albumin, prealbumin, and vitamin D can help assess nutritional status.

Procedures often used to diagnose Crohn's disease:

- colonoscopy with ileoscopy
- capsule endoscopy
- computed tomography (CT) enterography
- small bowel follow-through

Diagnostic tools for extraintestinal manifestations or complications (e.g., abscess, perforation):

- ultrasonography
- computed axial tomography (CT)
- scintigraphy
- MRI

Medical management

Mesalamine products are used for mild to moderate colonic disease. Antibiotics (e.g., metronidazole, fluoroquinolones) are often used for treatment.

Patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease are treated with:

- corticosteroids
- azathioprine
- 6-mercaptopurine
- anti-tumor necrosis factor agents (e.g., infliximab, adalimumab)

References

Diagnosis and management of Crohn's disease. Wilkins T, Jarvis K, Patel J. Am Fam Physician. 2011 Dec 15;84(12):1365-75.

Image source: Colon (anatomy), Wikipedia, public domain.

Virginity: Why Some Teens Wait

Some teens are waiting longer to have sex - they are thinking more carefully about what it means to lose their virginity and begin a sexual relationship.

For these teens, there are many reasons for abstinence (not having sex). Some don't want to worry about unplanned pregnancy and all its consequences. Others see abstinence as a way to protect themselves completely from STDs. Some STDs (like AIDS) can literally make sex a life-or-death situation, and many teens take this very seriously.

Some teens don't have sex because their religion prohibits it or because they simply have a very strong belief system of their own. Other teens may recognize that they aren't ready emotionally and they want to wait until they're absolutely sure they can handle it.

When it comes to sex, there are two very important things to remember:

1. that you are ultimately the person in charge of your own happiness and your own body
2. you have a lot of time to wait until you're totally sure about it.

If you decide to put off having sex, it's OK - no matter what anyone says. Being a virgin is one of the things that proves you are in charge, and it shows that you are powerful enough to make your own decisions about your mind and body.

If you find yourself feeling confused about decisions related to sex, you may be able to talk to an adult (like a parent, doctor, older sibling, aunt, or uncle) for advice. Keep in mind, though, that everyone's opinion about sex is different. Even though another person may have useful advice to share, in the end, the decision is up to you.

By: D'Arcy Lyness, PhD

Makers of Sudafed, similar cold medicines again lead in legislative lobbying expenses, and that doesn't count their radio ad campaign

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which is fighting legislation that would limit the amount of pseudoephedrine that could be bought without a prescription, remained the leading spender among lobbying interests at the General Assembly in February, the state Legislative Ethics Commission said in its monthly newsletter.

CHPA, which represents manufacturers and distributors of over-the-counter medicines, spent $192,985 on lobbying in February, and a total of $388,000 for the first two months of the session. Those amounts do not include an extensive radio advertising campaign, which from all indications has cost more than the spending that had to be reported.

Other health-care interests were among the top spenders in February. Ranking second through 11th were the Kentucky Hospital Association ($38,422, for a two-month total of $74,543); the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce ($30,056, two-month total $63,404); Altria (Philip Morris) Client Services ($28,129, two-month $50,434); the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation ($24,805, total $38,655); AT&T ($24,199, total $47,432); the Kentucky Medical Association ($21,958, total $42,731); the Kentucky Education Association ($21,629, total $45,249); the Kentucky Retail Federation ($21,191, total $45,452), which also opposes the meds-for-meth bill; Kentuckians for the Commonwealth ($18,317, total $34,188) and the Kentucky Optometric Association ($18,227, total unavailable).

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Quote Of The Day

In those years, people will say, we lost track
of the meaning of we, of you
we found ourselves
reduced to I
and the whole thing became
silly, ironic, terrible:
we were trying to live a personal life
and, yes, that was the only life
we could bear witness to

But the great dark birds of history screamed and plunged
into our personal weather
They were headed somewhere else but their beaks and pinions drove
along the shore, through rages of fog
where we stood, saying I 

Adrienne Rich (1929-2012)

Subaru's new BRZ

You might think you know every last detail about the BRZ. Between Subaru and Toyota, there's been a blizzard of multimedia. Enough concept cars, prototype sneak previews and track tests to broach your download limits.

But you don't know it all. Because this is a road car, and here we are for the first time on the actual road.

So does it live up to the hype? Of course not. Unless it had been styled by da Vinci and engineered by Brunel - and for good measure had Newton quietly bent the laws of mechanics in its favour - it'd never have been as good as they said it would be.

A quick recap. It's a low-built, short-overhang, long-wheelbase rear-drive coupe. But the centre of mass is even lower than everyone else's cars of that type, because it has a flat-four engine. And actually the flat-four is even lower and far further back than with other Subarus, because (since it's RWD-only) there are no front driveshafts or diff in the way. There's a limited-slip diff. It uses comparatively narrow tyres, so its 200bhp is enough.

The whole thing is a recipe for agility, low roll, tossable handling and general chicanery.

And so it turns out. The first few mountain hairpins or wet roundabouts verify that pivoting into a corner is the most natural feeling in the world. The front wheels are always happy to carve the exact track you request. Then you can poke the back end out and feel the hero. And unlike some rear-drivers, the BRZ's magical balance and progression means it's a cinch to gather up again. The low roll makes it marvellously tidy through S-bends.

But a road car needs more from its suspension and steering than a track car does. The steering needs to be direct and progressive, so you can pour the car into an uneven or unknown bend. The springs need to absorb bumps and keep the tyres evenly weighted so you don't hop about.

And the BRZ is brilliant there too. All the steering lacks is a bit more feel, to tell you how much grip the tyres have left. But in this car more than in most, you don't miss that because the rest of the car's reactions are so accurate and faithful. You get the information from other sources.

The 200bhp two-litre is enough engine. Just. In this age of turbos, it does seem very light on torque between 3000 and 4000rpm. You have to revise your whole style of driving. Change down. And again. Rev its little spuds off, make sure you keep getting flashed by shift-up light as you zero in on 7500. That way happiness lies. For a flat-four, it doesn't sound as charismatic as it might, but it's always smooth enough that there's no pain in sticking with those epic revs.

By: Paul Horrell

Eccentric Behavior

Image courtesy of www.city-data.com

In a concert, music icon (M) and girlfriend (G) were spotted in a corner getting physical with one another. M noticed that cameras were pointed at them. He requested the camera people not to show on TV any footage of him and G. M said he did not want other people to know who was with him in the concert. The people found this strange because he and G are publicly acknowledged as a couple. However, they were too chummy that night and onlookers had comments, such as “get a room.” Another angle has it that M is also seeing a fashion personality (P). P has denied any involvement with M but she is known for making denials, anyway. 

Do you know who M, G and P are? Please abide by the RULES in writing comments if you want me to post them. Initials and comments that are too explicit will not be accepted.

Follow micsylim on Twitter for the latest update. Please continue to send your juicy stories to michaelsylim@gmail.com. Thank you very much for loving Fashion PULIS.

Letter from a Reader: Fierce and Fashionable?

Image courtesy of www.diytrade.com

Dear Fashion PULIS,

I am a regular reader of your blog. I find your blog a "complete package" as it is not just about showbiz stuff, but you also write about inspiring stories of ordinary people. And there's social responsibility, too, as you also address consumers' rights by providing them space in your blog. If only for that, I thank you, Fashion Pulis.

Anyway, I would like to relay to you a story about an American clothing retailer in the Philippines (AR) with several branches worldwide. I came to realize that its Philippine branch seems to be duping its local clientelle.

My teenage kids and I are regular shoppers at AR. Aside from the shop's cool interior, we also like the trendy and hip designs of its varied collections. Although prices may not really be cheap, but the thought that we're buying quality is enough to justify the cost. As they say - quality has a price.

But lately, we are often disappointed to find out that quality ceases to be AR's major turn-on anymore. Slowly we are getting suspicious of their products. To be honest about it, we did our own investigation to satisfy our curiosity and disgust. And lo and behold, what did we find out?

Some of AR's merchandise are not originally made in USA. For one, we found out that some of its fashion accessories are just copied/outsourced from a major local retailer, stamped with AR's name and then sold at double, and more often, triple the price. What a big let-down!

The (mal)practice is real. But if not addressed properly, the damage will even be greater. With competition in the industry getting intense, this is the last thing that AR needs. As they say in business - it takes years to build a good reputation, but only minutes to ruin it.

Yours truly,
A. Salvador

Jessica Sanchez: Sweet Dreams

Do We Deserve To Kill?

Bryan Stevenson

I consider myself very fortunate to have met Bryan Stevenson up close and personal.  I have heard him speak countless times, and he never fails to inspire and educate.  No one speaks with more power, eloquence and compassion on the death penalty, on criminal justice, on race, and on how these issues intersect.

The Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Institute in Alabama, Bryan is a brilliant lawyer who recently argued in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of two defendants who were sentenced to life without parole for murders committed when they were fourteen.  He was a guest on Rachel Maddow's show last night, where he discussed the cases, which he described as "death in prison" for juveniles, and how the death penalty frequently "obscures such other issues of severe and excessive punishment."

Bryan explained how our political discourse around crime and punishment "has been corrupted by decades of politics of fear and anger" so that people believe that the fact that a terrible crime has been committed is the "end of the conversation."  But, he maintained, while the criminal justice system is designed to punish and protect public safety, "it also has to be just, to have integrity and to have credibility."

Finally, he talked about the death penalty:

Increasingly we have to confront the fact that the death penalty in this country isn't a question that has to be answered by simply asking, "do people deserve to die for the crimes they committed?"  I think we have to ask, "do we deserve to kill?"  And if our system is flawed, if our system is discriminatory, if our system is unequal as to class and economic status, if our system permits innocent people to be wrongfully convicted and condemned, then I think we will get to a different answer then we might otherwise get. 

Bryan Stevenson is a national treasure.  Here's the entire segment:.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"Lifestyle 180": Cleveland Clinic 1-year program promises to reverse chronic disease through lifestyle modification

During the past 5 years, the Cleveland Clinic has moved aggressively to expand from illness management to wellness management. They even have a Wellness Institute. One example of its programs is Lifestyle 180 (R) which is "designed to reverse" the effects of chronic disease through lifestyle modification.

Here is a 5-minute video about the program from the Clinic YouTube channel:



The program focuses on nutrition, exercise, and stress management. The yearlong program is available at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute campus located in Lyndhurst, Ohio.

References:

Lifestyle medicine

Interactive wellness guide by Cleveland Clinic

Lifestyle 180 (PDF)

Disclaimer: I was on faculty at Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University as Assistant Professor of Medicine until 2008.

Comments from Twitter:

Meenakshi Budhraja @gastromom: Like>>

Linda Pourmassina,MD @LindaP_MD: "the $3,000 fee for this program represents a fraction of the increasingly high co-pays for doctor visits and medications."

Meds-for-meth, pain-pill bills each clear a second chamber; both probably headed to conference committee(s)

"State lawmakers gave new life Wednesday to two bills designed to tackle Kentucky's problems with methamphetamine labs and prescription drug abuse," John Cheves and Jack Brammer report for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"On a 60-36 vote, the House approved Senate Bill 3, which would further limit the amount of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine that consumers could buy without a prescription. Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient used in making meth. Meanwhile, the Senate approved House Bill 4, which transfers from the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the attorney general's office an electronic monitoring system that keeps track of prescriptions for pain pills. The vote was 26-9. Both bills are likely to go to conference committees made up of representatives from both chambers, who will try to negotiate a compromise on differences in the House and Senate versions of the bills." (Read more)

R.I.P. Jesse Hernandez

Roman Colosseum lit to protest an execution

On March 28, 2012, Texas executed Jesse Hernandez for the beating death of 10-month old Karlos Borjas in 2001.

Hernandez' current lawyers tried to establish that his trial lawyers and initial post-conviction lawyers were grossly ineffective -- unfortunately a far from unique claim in Texas. 

Neither trial counsel nor habeas counsel developed evidence which would have supported a claim that Hernandez did not directly cause the child's death.  Hernandez did not dispute that he beat Karlos, who was taken to the hospital, placed in a medically-induced coma and died after taken off life support.  New evidence based on expert review of the medical records suggests, however, that the hospital gave the child a lethal dose of the drug pentobarbital and that he was removed from life support prematurely.   Because the claim of trial counsel's unreasonable failure to obtain this evidence was not raised in the first instance by post-conviction counsel, current counsel has been precluded from having the evidence heard.

This is the 12th execution in the United States in 2012, the fourth in Texas.

16 Reasons why accountants prefer indexed life insurance to mutual funds

16 Reasons why accountants prefer indexed life insurance to mutual funds

 

By Allen Koreis

It’s not just about the death benefit.

Have you heard about the remarkable savings vehicle that offers the appeal of market-linked gains without the worry of market-based losses? Your accountant certainly has, and he or she is beginning to weigh in on their many benefits, guarantees and tax advantages.

Consider:

1. An indexed universal life policy account value can never lose money due to a down market. Indexed universal life insurance guarantees your account value, locking in gains from each year, called an annual reset.

a. During a year of growth, the IUL account value will participate in typically 100 percent or more of the underlying index gains, via linkage to the published returns of the various indices (S&P 500, NASDAQ 100, DJIA, Russell 2000, etc.). b. During a subsequent down year, an IUL principal and accumulated gains are locked in and carried forward (annual reset) to the next contract anniversary. c. If the markets should recover the following year, the IUL account value again participates in those gains up to a pre-determined cap (typically 12 percent to 15 percent) without having to recover from the previous year’s “correction” (losses).

Not only do mutual funds not provide this safety from market declines, but an investor can lose substantial portions of both principal and past earnings during a market downturn often requiring extreme market gains just to get back to even. Because of the absence of a potential drop in account value due to market losses, IUL qualifies as a fixed product under the licensing regulations with the Department of Insurance Commissioners of all 50 states.

2. IUL account values grow tax-deferred like a qualified plan (IRA and 401(k)); mutual funds don’t — unless they are held within a qualified plan. Simply put, this means that your account value benefits from triple compounding: You earn interest on your principal, you earn interest on your interest and you earn interest on the money you would otherwise have paid in taxes on the interest.

Unless held in a qualified plan, mutual fund gains are annually reportable and taxable, thus denying an investor the benefits of such three-fold compounding. Although qualified plans are a better choice than non-qualified plans, they still have issues not present with an IUL. Investment choices are normally limited to mutual funds where your account value is subjected to wild volatility from exposure to market risk.

3. There are no limitations on the amount that may be contributed annually to an IUL. As of the date of this article, the IRS limits the annual contribution to an IRA to $5,000 annually if the account owner is under the age of 50 and $6,000 annually if the participant’s age is 50 or higher.

4. Policy owners may access their money from an IUL without IRS penalty regardless of age. Qualified plan withdrawals prior to age 59 1/2 are subject to a 10 percent penalty in addition to being taxed as ordinary income for the year the withdrawal is take.

Commonly, people find themselves in a situation where they need to access their savings. When this means tapping into a qualified plan, the available amount of the account value is typically reduced by 30 percent (10 percent and 20 percent withholding). Then when the tax return is filed for the year in which the withdrawal was taken, additional taxes may be due if the qualified plan owner is in a tax bracket greater than 20 percent. With indexed universal life insurance, the available account value may be accessed at any time for any reason without tax or penalty via policy loans which are not required to be repaid.

5. You control your taxes, not the fund manager. IULs grows tax-deferred, and is never taxed if taken in the form of policy loans. This allows owners to control precisely if, when and how much money will be taxable, depending upon their needs and circumstances.

Mutual fund owners are subject to the fund manager’s annual capital gains distributions whether or not they redeem any shares for additional income. Many equity (stock) mutual funds have turnover rates averaging over 80 percent annually, meaning that management sells over 80 percent of their fund’s holdings every year, replacing them with other stocks (and sometimes even buying the same stocks back after Jan. 1), often in an attempt to beat their category averages.

Because of this, mutual funds rarely provide the 20 percent long-term capital gains tax rate that many claim their owners might receive. The reportable gains that a mutual fund shareholder must pay taxes on each year is exclusively a function of how long the fund manager holds the underlying investments he or she purchases, and has almost nothing to do with how long the shareholder has owned his or her fund.

6. Mutual funds often make annual taxable distributions to fund owners, even when the value of their fund has gone down in value. Mutual funds not only require income reporting (and the resulting annual taxation) when the mutual fund is going up in value, but can also impose income taxes in a year when the fund has gone down in value.

When the markets take an extended downturn after several years of sustained growth (as they did in 2000-2002 and again in 2008), fund managers will often resort to selling appreciated stocks purchased several years earlier in order to generate gains to offset those losses. This has the effect of minimizing the fund’s published loss-in-value at year end, allowing the fund to claim that it was “only” down, say, 9 percent on the year while its peer group was down an average of perhaps 17 percent.

The unsuspecting shareholder of this fund receives his Dec. 31 statement; sees his account is down 9 percent, and assumes incorrectly that “at least” he’ll owe no taxes on his “loss” come April 15; three weeks later, he receives a Form 1099-Div from his mutual fund company showing several thousand dollars of reportable income.

The reason for this is that the longer-held stocks which the fund manager sold to reduce his fund’s year-end loss were sold at a gain (over their original purchase price years earlier), a gain that is now reportable and taxable to the mutual fund owner even though his statement shows his account balance is down. An IUL grows tax-deferred, cannot lose value in a market downturn and imposes no annual tax reporting as it is increasing in value.

7. IULs avoid myriad tax traps. The ownership of mutual funds may require the mutual fund owner to pay estimated taxes. Tax-deferred accumulation inside an IUL does not create the same tax problem. IULs are easy to position so that, at the owner’s death, the beneficiary is not subject to either income or estate taxes.

The same tax reduction techniques do not work nearly as well with mutual funds. There are numerous, often costly, tax traps associated with the timed buying and selling of mutual fund shares, traps that do not apply to indexed life Insurance. Additionally, mutual fund ownership can result in the loss of tax exemptions, tax deductions, and tax credits, and mutual funds (with the exception of those held in an IRA or 401(k)) are usually subject to state and local income taxes in those jurisdictions that have such taxes. These losses do not occur with IULs and, because they grow tax-deferred, IULs are not subject to state and local income taxes during their accumulation phase.

Finally, mutual fund ownership, specifically the annual distributions made by such mutual funds, can subject the fund owner to taxation under the alternative minimum tax. The AMT always results in increased income taxes. Indexed life insurance ownership cannot trigger the AMT in the same manner as mutual funds. 8. Mutual funds may cause income taxation of Social Security benefits. The annually reported earnings from mutual funds can, in many cases, cause a retired couple’s income to exceed the thresholds above which up to 85 percent of their Social Security benefits are taxed in their income bracket. The growth within the IUL is tax-deferred and may be taken as tax free income via loans. The policy owner (vs. the mutual fund manager) is in control of his or her reportable income, thus enabling them to reduce or even eliminate the taxation of their Social Security benefits.

9. Mutual funds create an income tax trap for individuals purchasing funds late in the year. Because mutual funds must distribute realized gains to fund owners each year, fund companies usually do so in November or December. An uninformed investor purchasing such a fund during the last quarter of the year may place himself at a disadvantage by taking on a partial tax liability for gains which took place earlier in the year which never accrued to his account. An IUL presents no such problem when late-year purchases are made.

10. The record-keeping requirements for owning mutual funds are significantly more complex. The keeping of excellent records (redemptions, purchases, dates, values, commissions, etc.) is often one’s only defense in the event of an IRS audit. With an IUL, one’s records are kept by the insurance company, copies of annual statements are mailed to the owner, and distributions (if any) are totaled and reported at year end.

11. Mutual funds are commonly part of a decedent’s probated estate. Estate funds may be available to any and all creditors of the estate. In addition, they are subject to the delays and expenses of probate. The proceeds of the IUL policy, on the other hand, is always a non-probate distribution that passes outside of probate directly to one’s named beneficiaries, and is therefore not subject to one’s posthumous creditors, unwanted public disclosure, or similar delays and costs. Your heirs receive their insurance proceeds within weeks, not months or years after your passing.

12. Medicaid disqualification and lifetime income. An IUL can provide their owners with a stream of income for their entire lifetime, regardless of how long they live. Insurance is often classified so that it is not considered assets for Medicaid disqualification of nursing home costs. This is beneficial when organizing one’s affairs, and converting assets to income prior to a nursing home confinement. Mutual funds cannot be converted in a similar manner, and are almost always considered countable Medicaid assets.

13. Chronic and terminal illness rider. All policies will allow an owner’s easy access to cash from their policy, often waiving any surrender penalties when such individuals suffer a serious illness, need at-home care, or become confined to a nursing home. Mutual funds do not provide a similar waiver when contingent deferred sales charges still apply to a mutual fund account whose owner needs to sell some shares to fund the costs of such a stay.

14. Indexed universal life insurance provides death benefits to the beneficiaries of the IUL owners, and neither the owner nor the beneficiary can ever lose money due to a down market. Mutual funds provide no such guarantees or death benefits of any kind.

15. IULs allow the tax-free exchange of one policy for another. An indexed universal life insurance policy owner may exchange their policy for a completely different policy without triggering income taxes. A mutual fund owner cannot move funds from one mutual fund company to another without selling his shares at the former (thus triggering a taxable event), and repurchasing new shares at the latter, often subject to sales charges at both.

16. Mutual funds do not provide cost-free asset rebalancing whereas indexed universal life insurance does. This option is usually available among the major index choices (the S&P 500, NASDAQ, DJIA, Russell 2000, etc.), as well as a fixed interest option, at policy anniversaries. Rebalancing one’s portfolio within a family of mutual funds always requires the sale and purchase of shares, often generating both taxes and commissions.

There are even more reasons why knowledgeable accountants prefer this remarkable savings vehicle, such as how the account value can be used to fund major purchases, college education, medical expenses, retirement income or any other cash need and continue to grow as if the money have never been used.

www.mintcofinancial.com

Call us if you have any question: 813-964-7100

anecamara@mintcofinancial.com

Panetta, Polls, And The Afghan Quagmire

By Matthew Rothschild, cross-posted from Progressive.org

It’s disgusting to watch Defense Secretary Leon Panetta trying to justify the ongoing war in Afghanistan long after it’s proven unwinnable and now after the public has decisively moved against it.

A recent poll showed that 69 percent of the American people are against the war.

But Panetta doesn’t care. “We cannot fight wars by polls,” he said. “If we do that, we’re in deep trouble.”

But it’s the people who are supposed to decide whether we wage war or not. That’s why our Constitution requires Congress, the elected officials closest to the people, to make this fateful decision, not the President, nor the Secretary of Defense, nor the brass.

And the lesson of Vietnam, the lesson of Iraq, is that when the American public clearly doesn’t support the way anymore, the war can’t be won.

The pathetic and inexcusable thing is that Panetta must know that himself. The generals must know it. And Obama must know it.

But like Robert McNamara, and General Westmoreland, and Lyndon Johnson before them, they keep fighting the war because they are unwilling, for political reasons, to come clean to the American public that hired them.

It’s shameful that they keep sending our soldiers to fight and die in a useless cause.

And a government that continues to wage war without the support of its people forfeits the right to call itself a democracy.

Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine, which is one of the leading voices for peace and social justice in this country.  He is the host of "Progressive Radio," a syndicated half-hour weekly interview program, and does a two-minute daily radio commentary, entitled "Progressive Point of View," which is also syndicated around the country.  Rothschild is the author of You Have No Rights: Stories of America in an Age of Repression (New Press, 2007)

Watch Your Back

Image Courtesy of www.istockphoto.com

Some reporters went on a set-visit. One reporter (R1) saw a friend (R2) in the set and shouted, “Bakla!” to call the attention of his fellow Becky. Coincidentally, this singer (S), who is rumoured to be in the closet, was walking towards another reporter when R1 hollered. R2 looked at where R1 was and to their surprise, even S turned around. When S realized what he did, he glared at R1.

Incidentally, S and a good-looking talent (G), whose tagline includes the city where he grew up, are getting along well. S is so into G that he allows G to bring his straight friends to make their meetings look like a group gimmick. Hence, anyone who sees them would think it is nothing more than an innocent boys’ night out. However, only after everyone has left, does the real date begin. As to where S and G go for their private moment, we can only surmise.

However, there’s more to this. S is still involved with someone who works in an airline (A). It seems that S is dating G on the side. Moreover, there is already some suspicion that S brings G to the house A maintains.

No wonder S can really hit those high notes! Do you know who he is? How about G? Please abide by the RULES in writing comments if you want me to post them. Initials and comments that are too explicit will not be accepted.

Follow micsylim on Twitter for the latest update. Please continue to send your juicy stories to michaelsylim@gmail.com. Thank you very much for loving Fashion PULIS.

Shirley Lam on Women's Health

Congratulations to My Thinspiration, Shirley Lam! I posted her inspirational story on Fashion PULIS last November 2011. Since then, she has already been featured on several magazines and TV shows. I hope her story continues to inspire more readers. 

Quote Of The Day

"The frictionlessness and invisibility of modern warfare for the American public represents a drift off the course set for us by the Constitution. It has made wars easier to start but, perhaps more important for us now, has also made them harder to stop. It has almost normalized the condition of America being at war. But even an inured public has a limit, and maybe 4,000 days is it."

Rachel Maddow, 4,000 Days of War in Afghanistan

Ford Flex 2013

The Ford Flex, is, of course, the Taurus's wagony analogue, the glitzy, boxy companion to the D-segment sedan that the unlamented Freestyle never was to the Taurus's daddy, the Five Hundred. What this particular Flex is is the freshened-for-2013 version.

While the basics remain the same, Ford's updated the styling of its boxy seven-seater, offering a front-end treatment more avant garde than that of the previous car--or even that of the 2005 Fairlane concept which spawned the Flex. The blue oval grille badge is gone, replaced by extra-width "FLEX" lettering spanning the hood's leading edge.

Inside, Ford upgraded the materials and redesigned the dash, offering touch-sensitive buttons à la the Chevrolet Volt's center stack--though the look is decidedly 1970s Aston Martin Lagonda--minimal rather than the Volt's Starfleet hodgepodge. Furthermore, the new Flex ships with the updated version of the often-cursed MyFord Touch. Some 300,000 people are now using the infotainment system, and we presume that some of them are happy with it.

Under the skin, Ford upped the power of the available engines. The 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 now makes 288 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque, and the EcoBoost twin-turbo six pumps out 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. Mileage improves as well, up a tick to 18/25 mpg for the FWD naturally aspirated base model and 16/23 mpg for the AWD EcoBoost version. A six-speed slushbox is still the only available transmission.

We sampled an AWD Flex Limited EcoBoost. If you've driven the previous model, the new wagonoid will feel like a subtle yet substantial improvement. Ford added sound-deadening insulation, recalibrated the steering and imparted the handling with an aura of solidity that pairs well with the upgraded interior. Ford also beefed up the brakes, which now offer fine modulation and confidence-inspiring stopping power.

The turbocharged six never overwhelms the chassis, nor does it feel underpowered. Call the thrust level "adequate" in the Rolls-Royce manner. Not that the Flex is Rolls refined. There's a hint of coarseness to everything Ford builds on the D3/D4 platform (the MKS, the MKT, the Taurus, the Explorer, the Flex) that the company has yet to entirely iron out. It's not bad, it just feels as if it should somehow be better.

2013 Ford Flex
On Sale: Spring 2012
Base Price: $30,885
Drivetrain:288-hp, 254-lb-ft, 3.5-liter V6/365-hp, 350-lb-ft, 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6; FWD/AWD, six-speed automatic
Fuel Economy: 3.5-liter: 20 mpg (FWD), 19 mpg (AWD); 3.5-liter turbo: 18 mpg (AWD)

By: Davey G. Johnson