Former Falcons coach still in the game with Chick-fil-A Bowl

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Almost three decades after his last season as coach of the Falcons, Leeman Bennett remains involved with one Atlanta football game each year.

Bennett, 73, is the long-time chairman of the team selection committee for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which will match Auburn against Virginia on New Year's Eve in the Georgia Dome.

Bennett's association with the bowl dates to 1987, when he got a call asking him to consider helping the then-struggling event. He's been helping ever since, making him one of the bowl's longest-serving -- and highest-profile ?- volunteers.

Bennett was the Falcons' fourth head coach, the first to accumulate a winning record with the franchise (46-41 from 1977 through 1982).? He was fired after a playoff loss in the strike-shortened ?82 season; the owner who fired him, Rankin Smith Sr., later would call it a mistake. Even now, only three coaches in Falcons history have had cumulative winning records while with the team: Bennett, Jim Mora (26-22 in 2004-06) and Mike Smith (42-20 since 2008).

Bennett had only one coaching job after the Falcons fired him, that with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the mid-1980s, but the years have been kind to him.

After a wide range of pursuits ?- several years in the recreational vehicle and automobile businesses, about a decade as director of development for Greater Atlanta Christian School, a year as executive director of Atlanta's 1994 Super Bowl host committee, a seat on a bank board, a stint as host of the Falcons' pregame and postgame radio shows ?- Bennett these days is enjoying retirement with his wife of 51 years, Pat.

They split their time between homes in Cumming and Jacksonville, each home close to two of their four grandchildren (ages 6 to 16). Bennett enjoys fishing, hunting, golfing and, pertinent to his involvement with the Chick-fil-A Bowl, college football.

"It's been a good life," Bennett said last week at the bowl offices, shortly before leaving on a family ski vacation. "I've had a great run."

Most of the people who live in metro Atlanta today were not here when Bennett coached the Falcons, but he still regularly encounters folks who fondly remember those years.

"That was a fun time. It was the first time [the Falcons] had ever won. We went to the playoffs three out of the six years," Bennett said. "I'm not as high-profile as I used to be, but plenty of people do still remember."

Dozens of coaches have been fired in Atlanta's professional sports history, but Bennett's firing was perhaps the most criticized. Appreciation of his winning record only grew as the Falcons posted losing records in eight consecutive seasons (and 13 of 15) following his departure.

"With Rankin [Smith] coming out later and making the statement that it was the biggest mistake he ever made, it made me feel a little better about being fired anyway," Bennett said.

Most pro coaches quickly leave town after being fired, but Bennett has mostly stayed here. He left in 1985 to? coach the talent-poor, penny-pinching Buccaneers but returned to Forsyth County two years later when back-to-back 2-14 seasons got him fired in Tampa.

At that point, Bennett was almost 50, had spent 25 years as a coach on the college and NFL levels and was tired of moving from city to city, job to job.

"After Tampa, we decided to come back to Atlanta," he said, "because we had lived here longer than anywhere else and our roots seemed to be deeper here with our friendships and church and things that make a community."

As the years went by and it became clear Bennett wouldn't coach again, his association with Atlanta's bowl game -- known as the Peach Bowl before adopting the Chick-fil-A name -- kept him involved with football.

"I looked at it as a way to give back to the community," Bennett said.

The bowl, which struggled for survival in the 1980s, has become a success in terms of attendance, TV ratings, payouts to participating teams and contributions to charity. Bennett cites four developments for the turnaround: "getting out of the cold" of Atlanta-Fulton County by moving into the Georgia Dome; contracting with the ACC and SEC to provide the teams; the addition of Chick-fil-A as title sponsor; and the leadership of bowl president and CEO Gary Stokan.

Another key factor, Bennett said, has been the contribution of about 450 volunteers.

Stokan said several volunteers have been continuously active with the bowl, which started in 1968, for more than 40 years and more than a dozen others, including Bennett, for around 25 years or longer.

Bennett, chairman of the team selection committee since 1987 and also the bowl's overall chairman from 2004 through 2006, plans to remain involved in some capacity "as long as they'll let me hang around," although he noted that his time spent in Florida curtailed his presence this season. Stokan said he and Bennett talked by phone twice a week while Bennett was away.

"I treasure Leeman as a sounding board for a lot of issues," Stokan said. "He has a good feel for people and analyzes things well. As a coach, he brings a different perspective to the table. "

"It has been a great ride," Bennett said of his involvement with the bowl. "I certainly wasn't the key by any stretch of the imagination, but it has been good to be just a small piece in the wheel of something that turned into a success."

Source: http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/former-falcons-coach-still-1271608.html?cxtype=rss_sports

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12 million Motrin bottles pulled from shelves

Johnson & Johnson, the consumer products company which has been plagued by product recalls in the past two years, said it is voluntarily asking retailers to remove about 12 million bottles of Motrin pain relievers from store shelves.

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The coated caplets may not dissolve as quickly as intended when they near their expiration dates, the company found when testing product samples, according to a statement posted Wednesday on a website of J&J's McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division.

"There is no safety concern if consumers continue taking the product in accordance with its label; however, it is possible there may be a delay in experiencing relief," the statement said.

Bonnie Jacobs, a J&J spokeswoman, told Reuters the company is not asking consumers to return the caplets. The bottles were distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Fiji, Belize, St. Lucia and Jamaica.

Three McNeil manufacturing plants have been under stepped-up U.S. government supervision since March following a rash of consumer product recalls.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45759450/ns/health-health_care/

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insidethegames: See pics from today's Baku 2020 Olympic bid launch http://t.co/KlUSUBhg #olympics #paralympic #baku #ioc #doha #rome #tokyo #istanbul...

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Deathtoll from Russian oil rig accident rises

The deathtoll from Sunday's oil rig accident off Russia's east coast has risen to 17 people.

A spokeswoman for the Emergencies Ministry said rescue teams recovered six bodies from the Sea of Okhotsk where the floating oil rig capsized and sank Sunday.

Of the 67 men aboard, 14 were rescued from the icy water; 36 men are still missing and chances of finding them alive are negligible.

The Kolskaya floating platform was being towed back to a Sakhalin Island port in a fierce storm when a strong wave broke some of its equipment and portholes, and it capsized in the choppy water.

AP

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/deathtoll-from-russian-oil-rig-accident-rises-6280445.html

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Breastfeeding saved babies in 19th century Montreal

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Breastfeeding increased infant survival rates in 19th -Century Montreal in two major ways, according to research from Concordia University and McGill University. Mother's milk protected vulnerable infants from food and water contaminated by fecal bacteria, while breastfeeding postponed the arrival of more siblings and that improved the health of mothers as well as their subsequent children.

Published in the journal Population Studies, using data gathered from Montreal's civil burial records and the 1881 Census, the study examined how poverty, poor sanitation, disease and various cultural factors affected death rates among newborns and children.

"Infant feeding practices, such as how long to breastfeed, at what age to introduce food supplements and in what season to wean, all influenced infant survival and all were subject to cultural tradition," says first author Patricia Thornton, a professor in the Concordia University Department of Geography, Planning and Environment.

Cultural groups that stopped breastfeeding earlier and especially before the summer when rising temperatures, dry weather and falling water table made contamination worst, were also more likely to have their next child more rapidly and less likely to limit their family size. This caused both the mother's and her next child's health to suffer.

"Poverty, high population density, room crowding and contagious diseases all affected death rates among children, yet these effects were nuanced by cultural identity," says co-author Sherry Olson, a professor in the McGill University Department of Geography.

The cultural factor

Studying 19th - Century health in Montreal was compelling for Thornton and Olson, since the city featured three well defined cultural groups: French Canadians, Irish Catholics and Protestants from Great Britain and Ireland. Each group had their own residential and occupational profile.

"Cultural factors eclipsed economic status as factors that influenced infant death rates," says Thornton. "Even though most French and Irish Catholics lived in similar working class conditions, the positive effects of later marriage and longer breastfeeding among Irish Catholics protected their infants and children, while French Canadians' infants were negatively impacted by early weaning."

According to the study, French Canadian women were weaning earlier, having more children and waiting less time between babies. What's more, French Canadian infants who survived their first year were more likely to suffer from bouts of intestinal diarrhea that could render them more vulnerable to common childhood illnesses.

Poverty and disease

Economic status, environmental conditions and neighbourhood characteristics all had an impact on newborns' and children's health and lifespan. High population density and crowded conditions helped the spread of contagious diseases and along with the presence of horses, and their impact on sanitation, all played a role in health, too.

"While French Canadian children bore a disproportionate share of urban deaths," says Thornton, "those who reached the age of 10 were as likely to survive as others and much more likely to survive than Irish Catholic men."

Why Montreal?

"The exceptional quality of records in Montreal provides a rare opportunity to study a North American metropolis in 1881, and to demonstrate the effects of poverty on infant and child mortality, as well as mortality over a lifetime," says Olson, noting, Montreal is one of few industrial cities where high-quality registration permits the examination of mortality with respect to a wide range of social and environmental factors.

"In the city of Montreal in 1881, the presence of three cultural communities from different economic backgrounds makes it possible to observe the way social settings affected survival over a lifetime," says Thornton.

###

Cited study: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2011.571385

Concordia University: http://www.concordia.ca

Thanks to Concordia University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116184/Breastfeeding_saved_babies_in___th_century_Montreal

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Whatever Happened to Ringtones? [INFOGRAPHIC] (Mashable)

When was the last time you downloaded a ringtone? 2008? For many of us, downloading our favorite pop song du jour feels as dated as choosing a buddy icon our AIM profile. However, somewhere, people still download ringtones. The mobile call alerts still make up one-third of the online music industry. This Music Production School infographic takes a look at the still-kicking ringtone ecosystem.
Not surprisingly, the ringtone industry has been in decline since 2006, when it totaled about $4.5 billion in global sales. Some predict it will be extinct by 2016.

[More from Mashable: Malls Send Geo-fencing Texts to Lure Shoppers to Stores]

As of November 2011, Lil Wayne dominates the ringtone charts, having the number one tune, "6 foot 7," and being featured in the number two and five tracks (Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now" and Kelly Rowland's "Motivation"). The rapper's five-time (ringtone) platinum hit "Lollypop" is the most popular tune of all time.

Overall, rap is the most dominant ringtone music genre, although when it comes to free downloads, iPhone users have more diverse tastes than their Android counterparts.

[More from Mashable: iTunes Match Goes Live Internationally]

SEE ALSO: HOW TO: Make Free iPhone Ringtones

Though not a download, Nokia's classic ringtone is the world's most popular call alert, heard two billion times around the world each day.

What was your best ringtone you ever had? No judgement if you say Crazy Frog's "Beverly Hills Cop."

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/digitalmusic/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20111216/tc_mashable/whatever_happened_to_ringtones_infographic

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Analysis Of Full Coverage Car Insurance

The benefits of full coverage auto insurance:

Full Coverage Auto Insurance is essential for virtually any car owner out there. By using it you insure the safety of yourself, your loved ones and all that might be involved in an accident. Your wellbeing is going to be taken care of in the case of a collision; furthermore you?re going to be completely protected from the financial frauds from auto insurance company that you chosen to work with. Naturally cheap full coverage auto insurance will probably be something a bit harder to come by, however it is well worth the price. Just think about on what is the major concern for you: standard low cost auto insurance and constant concern of a collision or your safety.

Liability insurance coverage:

Liability insurance coverage is a very first puzzle section that produces full coverage auto insurance. If someone sues you for anything at all, or on the other hand you sue someone else with regards to some road regulation misunderstanding your auto insurance company will handle all the charges which may be associated.

Under insured motorist coverage:

Under insured motorist coverage will be the second plan that ought to be attained. What it suggests is that in case someone without insurance or poor coverage hits you, you must proceed through the legal operations with that person to win what?s due to you. You will get reimbursed and on that note your role in it is going to be complete, however auto insurance company is still intending to contest the exact amount compensated from the person responsible.

Collision and comprehensive coverage:

Full coverage auto insurance needs only comprehensive and collision coverage in order to be sufficient enough. One can guess what it does by its title. Just in case you get into a car accident, all the things shall be dealt with. If with collision coverage you were shielded from auto accidents, with comprehensive insurance coverage you?re going to be shielded from any type of damage that does not fall under the collision group.

Where you can get cheap full coverage auto insurance:

As pointed out above, you will find three crucial prerequisites, meaning that the whole thing shouldn?t be very costly in the first place. Some things may be neglected such as a medical health insurance as if you currently have medical care coverage it would be ineffective to pay for it two times. Many top car insurance companies present superb deals for people who choose full coverage auto insurance, especially when it?s paid beforehand. Not only that, but specific promotions with bonuses such as free of charge coverage for your pets can be acquired with certain auto insurance company. You must carry out an investigation before you make a purchase, much like with everything else you normally acquire.

For tip top news, please try out the site at Car Insurance GA.

Source: http://carinsurance-georgia.org/analysis-of-full-coverage-car-insurance

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Japan set to declare nuclear plant stable (AP)

TOKYO ? Japan's government was to declare Friday that the tsunami-devastated Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant had finally achieved a "cold shutdown," meaning it has stabilized and is no longer leaking substantial amounts of radiation.

The announcement would mark a big milestone nine months after the March 11 tsunami touched off a crisis at the plant and sent three of its reactors into meltdowns. Experts noted, however, that the facility remains vulnerable to more problems and will take decades of difficult and dangerous work to safely close down.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was to announce the government's assessment of conditions at the plant in a news conference later Friday.

The government's official endorsement of the claim by Tokyo Electric Power Co. that the reactors have reached cold shutdown status is a necessary step toward revising evacuation zones around the plant and focusing efforts from simply stabilizing the facility to actually starting the arduous process of shutting it down.

But the assessment has some important caveats.

The announcement is expected to say Fukushima has reached cold shutdown "conditions"_ a less definitive phrasing reflecting the fact that TEPCO cannot measure temperatures of melted fuel in the damaged reactors in the same way as with normally functioning ones. So the government also attached additional conditions to be met, including minimizing radiation leaks around the plant and taking backup safety measures to ensure Fukushima's wrecked reactors are safely cooled.

Even so, the announcement would mark the end of the second phase of the government's lengthy roadmap to completely decommission the plant, which is expected to take 30 years or more.

Officials can now start discussing whether to allow some evacuated residents who lived in areas with lesser damage from the plant to return home ? although a 12-mile (20-kilometer) zone around the plant is expected to remain off limits for years to come.

Some 100,000 people were displaced by the crisis.

A cold shutdown normally means a nuclear reactor's coolant system is at atmospheric pressure and the its reactor core is at a temperature below 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), making it impossible for a chain reaction to take place.

According to TEPCO, temperature gauges inside the Fukushima reactors show the pressure vessel is at around 70 C (158 F). The government also says the amount of radiation now being released around the plant is at or below 1 millisievert per year ? equivalent to the annual legal exposure limit for ordinary citizens before the crisis began.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_nuclear_crisis

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'AutoLoans.com' Confirms Recovery of Automotive Market Due to ...

Tempe, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/16/2011 -- Although the economy is still struggling in some areas, a website that is devoted to helping its customers compare and contrast rates on auto loans has some good news to report.

The staff at AutoLoans.com said it can confirm a recovery of the automotive market, as auto financing requests are increasing right along with automobile purchases.

AutoLoans.com has earned its reputation as a proven leader in auto loans and car financing. Visitors to the website can take their time browsing and comparing the auto finance options that are available to them, only without any hassles or obligation to buy. For people who are considering buying a new or used vehicle, AutoLoans.com can help simplify the process as well as allowing them to spend less of their hard-earned money.

?We have partnered with some of the best lenders in the industry to ensure that you get the best deal.? an article on the website explained.

?You have the ability to make lenders compete for your business. We also include countless resources and articles aimed at assisting you throughout the entire vehicle loan process.?

Using the website is easy and stress-free; simply log onto the home page and begin browsing through the information and articles about auto loans and car financing. Those who are interested in getting free quotes can fill out a quick and easy application form right on the website, which will let them to see the various auto loan rates that are available to them from prominent national lenders.

AutoLoans.com also helps explain the often-confusing language of car finance. Short articles near the bottom of the home page define terms like bad credit auto loans, 100% online car loans, and auto loans with fast approval. The website can also help customers who want to refinance their existing car loan by showing them what types of rates they can get for their car or truck.

?In today's trying economy, searching exhaustively for the most competitive auto loan rates is critical. Finding a good rate could mean the difference between an affordable car payment and a crushing one,? an article on the website noted, adding that auto loan features are customized to each customer?s borrowing priorities.

For more information on AutoLoans.com, please visit http://www.autoloans.com

About AutoLoans.com
AutoLoans.com is a website devoted to helping consumers compare the various auto loan rates and terms that are available to them. By filling out a simple online application, visitors to the site can get fast and free quotes from a variety of auto loan companies. The website also includes resources and articles that help people throughout the car loan process.

Source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/autoloanscom-confirms-recovery-of-automotive-market-due-to-increase-in-auto-financing-requests-119124.htm

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