Commentary

2015 Grand Cherokee SRT features increased horsepower

For 2015, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT adds a new Red Vapor special edition package, along with new horsepower and torque numbers.

With a starting MSRP of $64,895, the Grand Cherokee SRT is powered by a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with 475 horsepower and 470 foot-pounds of torque that is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Stylish SRT

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Volkswagen’s flagship SUV, the Touareg

For 2015, Volkswagen brings fresh aesthetics and additional features to its premium SUV, the Touareg.

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Working on the positive side of life

This has been a tough first year. My life in the great state of Texas reads like a fairy tale and I always planned for and expected the “happily ever after” part. Didn’t work out quite like I planned. My husband of nearly a decade, who was my earnest cowboy hero, died a year ago on Aug. 16 after a terrific and fierce battle with cancer. Throughout the treatments and the after effects, I thought right up until the very end that he would get better.

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Nissan’s mid-size Frontier

For 2015, the popular Nissan Frontier continues to be one of the leaders in the mid-size truck segment, offering a wide range of available body and bed styles.

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Prescribing pain medications

Recently, the Opinion page of the New York Times included a brief description of the problem facing primary care physicians who are confronted by a patient who wants a narcotic pain medication. When I started practicing medicine over 40 years ago, doctors ordered urine drug screens in order to discover patients who were taking street drugs such as marijuana, heroin, etc. Today, urine drug screens are being recommended and/or required to discover patients who are NOT taking their prescription pain medication and other drugs that have a high potential for abuse.

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More security vulnerabilities disclosed for phones, carriers

If you are like me, I carry my cell phone everywhere, carrying on voice conversations, sending and receiving text messages, utilizing countless apps, and surfing the Web. Until recently, I gave very little heed to the security of these external communications as our smart devices are supposed to be somewhat secure. GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile utilize encryption to make communications secure; CDMA carriers like Sprint and Verizon also claim to have secure networks.

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Permanent reminder of a temporary feeling

I saw someone do something really dumb the other day, but it wasn’t my circus and they weren’t my monkeys, so I could not do anything to help other than pray for a decent outcome. The incident reminded me of a line or two in an old Jimmy Buffet song. He sang about “a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.” How many of us live every day with the results of a temporary feeling or an act that we committed when we were not in the best frame of mind? Perhaps we chose a partner that is not suited to us or to the family we want to create.

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Security bug could threaten 950 million Android devices

In recent weeks, at least two potentially frightening new vulnerabilities have been discovered that could threaten an estimated 95 percent of the one billion devices running the Android operating system. The good news is that as of this writing, there have been no documented attacks on Android devices that take advantage of these two security vulnerabilities.

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America’s best-selling vehicle for more than three decades

Ford’s F-150 is part of the successful Ford F-Series truck lineup — America’s best-selling truck for 37 consecutive years and America’s best-selling vehicle for 32 years.

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You’ve got a puncher’s chance

I love words. I have always loved words since my Uncle Donald encouraged me to read when I was very young. He brought me books he had found on sale, those given to him, and from the local library. For each book I read and was able to give him enough of a verbal report or the story line, he gave me a small amount of money. If it were a decent size book, I might get a quarter or two. I so looked forward to his visits, the books, and the prizes I earned.

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