http://www.metro.usen-us We know — you’ve barely planned your Thanksgiving, let alone started to think about going on a ski vacation. But if you want a great, money-saving ski getaway this winter, it’s imperative you book now,  as deals will start to dry up by next week.http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/05/3751-82/index.xml Beaujolais Nouveau, the French red wine that’s released worldwide annually on the third Thursday of November, is ready for its close-up, as people around the world prepare to sample the 2009 vintage. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/05/3040-82/index.xml Nintendo’s “Style Savvy” looks bad on paper. It’s a game targeted toward girls that places a ridiculous emphasis on fashion and beauty. Still, the hook of the game is solid.http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/04/3837-82/index.xml Annie Lennox has been an icon since shooting to fame with the Eurythmics two decades ago. The “Greatest White Soul Singer Alive” won a 2004 Academy Award for best original song. But these days, Lennox’s heart belongs less to Billboard charts than to dying children. She campaigns on behalf of African children infected with AIDS. She talked exclusively to Metro. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/02/3456-82/index.xml At age 10, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had already composed several symphonies. At age 10, pianist Daniel Hsu auditioned for a spot at Curtis Institute, one of the United States’ most prestigious conservatories.http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/02/3024-82/index.xml Twenty years later: Progress being made for children but much more work lies aheadhttp://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/02/2736-82/index.xml Two years ago, eight 14-year-old girls watched a newsreport about Ghanian children who are trafficked for as little as $20. That was good news for the girls. “For three years, we’d been saying that we wanted to help people, but could never agree on a project,” recalls Anjelica Mantikas. “When we heard about the trafficked children in Ghana, we all knew — this is it!”http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/02/1928-82/index.xml The sick bags stuffed into the back of the seat in front indicate this isn’t going to be the smoothest of journeys. We’re not in an airplane, we’re in an off-roader and about to do what the locals call “dune bashing” — driving at high speed across the undulating and constantly changing terrain. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/19/00/5026-82/index.xml When the first guests arrived last month at Hotel Palomar, they were greeted with colorful, pop art-inspired busts of Ben Franklin. The LEED-certified hotel — the first Kimpton hotel in Philly — resides in the former Architects Building and blends classic details such as marble fireplaces and Beaux-Arts pilasters with new eco elements, including a lobby floor made from recycled glass. And lots of cool art. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/18/06/4409-82/index.xml Do you use an iPod, or iPhone? Have you ever gotten a Dell? How about Motorola or Nokia? http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/18/05/0706-82/index.xml Superstar slugger Manny Ramirez is ready to leave Boston behind for good. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/18/04/4637-82/index.xml I spend my afternoons shuttling my children back and forth to all of their activities and I wonder who is it for: me or them? And why? Because they love it or I love it? Or because everyone else is doing it? My 7-year-old recently asked if he had to go to his weekly piano lesson. For the price I am paying of course he had to go. But is it really just about the money?http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/17/0943-72/index.xml I spend my afternoons shuttling my children back and forth to all of their activities and I wonder who is it for: me or them? And why? Because they love it or I love it? Or because everyone else is doing it? My 7-year-old recently asked if he had to go to his weekly piano lesson. For the price I am paying of course he had to go. But is it really just about the money?http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/07/5246-82/index.xml Meredith Vieira is an Emmy award-winning journalist and currently co-anchor of “Today” on NBC. She is the mother of three children: Ben, 20; Gabe, 18; and Lily, 16. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/07/4849-82/index.xml http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/06/1823-82/index.xml Jennifer Lopez was able to temporarily block the release of a sex tape her ex-husband, Ojani Noa, is threatening to release. The singer, who allegedly is walking around in skimpy underwear — among other activities — in the 11 hours of footage, can breathe easy for now, but her story is a lesson on recording your erotic escapades, says New York-based therapist Rachel Sussman.http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/06/1441-82/index.xml Women have a new reason to hit the Web thanks to Iamsuperchick.com, an online female fitness program developed by Sky Sports presenter Georgie Thompson and personal trainer Cat Dugdale.http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/06/0958-82/index.xml There are two elements to investigate: the degree to which schools value and support good teaching, and the specific faculty who will be teaching the classes you need to take.http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/05/4631-82/index.xml In that situation, having some information about the instructors involved can help you decide which class to take. And who better to give you that information than students who have taken that class, or others, from the instructor you’re curious about? http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/05/4048-82/index.xml Maybe you are thinking, “My child may never return home.” Or perhaps you fear that the safety and welfare of your child could be in danger, and you aren’t there to protect.http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/11/17/05/3632-82/index.xml