Grabbing a Cheesesteak in South Philly, Palin Opines on Pakistan -- But Does She Contradict McCain Policy?

clipped from blogs.abcnews.com Saturday night in Mo-town Philly, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin found herself at Tony Luke’s on Oregon Avenue. “It’s Tina Fey!” shouted a bystander as Palin and her daughter Willow walked in. At the counter, Palin ordered two cheesesteaks, whiz and onions. The woman at the counter asked the governor's name. As Palin was glad handling, a man named Michael Rovito, wearing a Temple University t-shirt, approached Palin “How about the Pakistan situation?" he asked her. "What’s your thoughts about that.” “So we do cross the border," he asked, "like from Afghanistan to Pakistan, you think?” “If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in," she said, "absolutely, we should.”

Free Ice Cream---World's Largest Ice Cream Social

You can get free ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery on Thursday, September 25th.

Use the link in the clip to find the participating locations.

clipped from www.coldstonecreamery.com To cap off this special month, don't miss the 7th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social at participating Cold Stone Creamery locations nationwide, a special night to join together and share the simple pleasures of life with a FREE ice cream and family fun. On September 25th from 5:00 - 8:00PM, guests will be treated to a 3 oz. serving of Jack or Emily's Creation. All donations will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

McCain Campaign Disputes Post Poll

clipped from voices.washingtonpost.com On the heels of a new Washington Post-ABC News poll that showed Barack Obama leading John McCain 52 percent to 43 percent nationally, the Arizona senator's campaign convened a conference call today insisting that the survey was an "outlier". A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll produced similar results with 48 percent of the sample saying Obama would do a better job handling the financial crisis as president while 35 percent said the same of McCain.

Clay Aiken acknowledges he's gay

clipped from www.reuters.com Former "American Idol" contestant Clay Aiken has acknowledged he is gay, confirming in an interview with People magazine what most of his fans have suspected for years. Aiken, 29, a born-again Christian who forged a successful career after being named runner-up in the 2003 "American Idol" television talent show, said he decided to come out after becoming a father in August. He told People he came out to his mother four years ago, and said he hoped his fans, dubbed the Claymates, would not desert him. "I've never intended to lie to anybody at all. ... But if they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me." In August, Aiken fathered a baby through in-vitro fertilization with his friend, music producer Jaymes Foster. Foster gave birth to a boy Parker on August 8.  clipped from www.reuters.com The news came as little surprise to those in the music business. "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell said, "If he said it, it's the right thing for him. Good for him. I don't think anyone cares. Let's face it. It's 2008."

Combining Alzheimer's drugs helps slow rate of decline in Alzheimer's Patients

These findings should bring hope to those suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. Baby boomers should take note.

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com My mother is currently moving into the medium stage of Alzheimer's so for us this is exciting news. I intend to send this information to our personal care physician and discuss it with him immediately. "Finding something that could actually modify the course of the disease is the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's treatment, but we really don't know if that is happening or what the mechanism behind these effects might be," Alireza Atri explains. "What we can say now is that providers should help patients understand that the benefits of these drugs are long term and may not be apparent in the first months of treatment. Even if a patient's symptoms get worse, that doesn't mean the drug isn't working, since the decline probably would have been much greater without therapy." The results raise the intriguing possibility that the drugs may be protecting the patients' brains from further deterioration, the authors said.

Obama TV Ad Continues Hammering McCain on Health Care

Obama’s campaign is already trying to capitalize on McCain’s statements with a TV ad that you can see here.

clipped from thepage.time.com “We’ve seen what Bush-McCain policies have done to our economy. Now John McCain wants to do the same to our health care.” Watch it above. Read script here.

Watch the Season Premier of Dexter Right Now!

clipped from stasiaandbob.blogspot.com The season premieres of Dexter and Californication are up and ready to be viewed. Beat the traffic and be the first person on your block too see these two shows scheduled to premier on September 28. To get in use the password "ladykiller" Here is the direct link Dexter Premier. Same password and link for Californication. Enjoy and let us know what you think. For more information and stuff like this subscribe to our blog via email or feed.

Watch the Ryder Cup Live on your Computer

clipped from efhutton.blogspot.com Use this direct link 37th Ryder Cup!

Small (Car, House) Is Beautiful

I think everyone should have at least on tiny house. Might be a good idea for all of us living on the Atlantic and Gulf coast. When you run you need somewhere to go.

clipped from dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com One is a report on the Wheels blog by my friend Jim Motavalli about the possible rebirth of the “air car,” a vehicle that runs on compressed air and a small amount of fuel to run a heater that boosts its range (it is said to get the equivalent of more than 100 miles per gallon when you account for the energy it takes to compress the air). There’s lots more at the link above and in a story on the pneumatic-car technology written by Jim in 2000. Another is a story about tiny houses, which resonated particularly because on Tuesday night I went to an art show in Beacon, N.Y., organized by friends, including the sculptor Simon Draper, who are building tiny free-standing artists’ “habitats.” The Times story, by Steven Kurutz, descrbes a growing “small house movement Below is a video showing Simon Draper building a tiny artist’s shed (set to music by the songwriter Dar Williams, for whom he’s also building a similar creative nook).

Which Patients Are Going to Retail Clinics?

clipped from blogs.wsj.com There’s been plenty of debate over the walk-in clinics cropping up in drug stores and big-box retailers. But research has been lacking on just who is using those clinics and what they’re being treated for. In a new study that helps fill that gap, researchers pooled data from 1.35 million visits to more than 300 clinics operated by eight different companies. The clinics were in a variety of stores, including Wal-Mart, CVS and Walgreen. Roughly 90% of the patients came for one of 10 relatively simple treatments. The list included ear infections, upper respiratory infections, immunizations and blood pressure checks. Insurance paid for 67% of visits Most of the patients said they didn’t have a primary care provider The study, published in Health Affairs, was conducted by RAND researchers and funded by the California HealthCare Foundation

The North Wales Tidal Energy Project

clipped from www.exploration-architecture.com The North Wales Tidal Energy Project by Grimshaw employs a new form of technology to generate tidal energy using an offshore lagoon instead of a barrage. The lagoon would be constructed out of rock and boulders and would create 30 linear kilometres of new rocky shore. In contrast to barrage schemes this proposal would have a very positive environmental impact - boosting biodiversity and providing breeding grounds for birds. Above one of the turbine halls a pavilion was included in the design to provide space for a renewable energy exhibition centre with seminar rooms.

Alzheimer's and the Thyroid

This is a clip. Follow the link for the complete article.

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com I wish I could shout this from the mountain top: "when Alzheimer's or dementia present themselves get the thyroid checked".

Aricept Beneficial for Alzheimer's Patients, But Expensive

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com I get asked this question frequently: "Does your mother take Aricept"? When I answer yes, I get the follow-up. "Does it work?" I am confident that Aricept works well for my mother. There is little doubt that it has slowed the progression of Alzheimer's disease and helped smooth out her behavior. I know from personal experience it works well with other persons suffering from Alzheimer's but not all of them. I also learned it is critical if you suspect Alzheimer's or dementia to get to the doctor and get on the appropriate medication as soon as possible. Delaying this decision can be more harmful then you could ever imagine.

The Sahara Forest Project

Clever plan. Would cost.

clipped from www.exploration-architecture.com The Sahara Forest Project combines two proven technologies in a new way to create multiple benefits: producing large amounts of renewable energy, food and water as well as reversing desertification. A major element of the proposal is the Seawater Greenhouse - a brilliant invention that creates a cool growing environment in hot parts of the world and is a net producer of distilled water from seawater. The second technology, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) involves concentrating the sun's heat to create steam that drives conventional turbines, producing zero carbon electricity twice as efficiently as photovoltaics. The two technologoes have very promising synergies that make the economic case even more attractive. Client - Seawater Greenhouse Limited Architect - Exploration Environmental Engineer - Max Fordham & Partners

clipped from www.impactlab.com Measure Your Home Energy Use With The Spark Lamp September 7th, 2008 at 11:21 am The Spark Lamp concept by Beverly Ng is an LED lamp that you can flip over during the day to recharge itself using solar power. It’s designed to educate the owner about their power consumption. The lamp sports integrated WiFi which wirelessly keeps track of you home’s power usage. When you turn the lamp on, it will change colors and flash to tell you what your home’s power consumption is. It’s no accident that it looks like a houseplant as a metaphor for how plants are powered by sunlight through photosynthesis. The Spark Lamp was created in reaction to the Swedish’s government response to the energy crisis. In Sweden, future homes will have smart meters that will give real-time feedback to homeowners on the internet. But data on a website is not all that engaging so the Spark lamp was developed to enhance the experience. Via SlipperyBrick

Utter contempt for voters

clipped from commentsfromleftfield.com Serial Liars So here’s the reason why the whole “Bridge to Nowhere” flap is a big deal; it’s an outright lie.  LIE.  Not a big word, so say it with me; the Bridge to Nowhere narrative pushed by the McPalin campaign is one gigantic LIE. It’s a lie because part of McCain’s narrative is that he hates pork barrel spending.  In order to embue his new running mate with anti-pork street creds, they hammer her opposition to the Bridge to Nowhere over and over again.  Indeed, Justin Gardner has a new McCain ad where they hit it again. He’s bewildered and so am I.  Why would one continue to sell this lie when it is so readily debunked if for no other reason than an utter contempt for the voter; a disbelief that they will go through even the most cursory of fact checking. cause, you see, McCain has said multiple times that he will be ruthless in going after pork barrel spending; going so far as to say he will “make them famous.” Apparently his way of making them famous is by selecting them as running mate.

US Govt payouts to states: Alaska grabs most

Gets more than it pays in taxes. "Alaska has been masterful in having the federal government send billions, while it gives its own tax revenues directly to its citizens. While Alaska could afford to pay for its bridges to nowhere (Palin approved!), it would rather have the rest of the 49 states shoulder the cost..." Country first? Smaller government? Lower federal taxes? They'll take all of yours they can get!

clipped from www.dailykos.com Alaska is, in essence, an adjunct member of OPEC. It has four different taxes on oil, which produce more than 89% of the state's unrestricted revenue. On average, three-quarters of the value of a barrel of oil is taken by the state government before that oil is permitted to leave the state. Alaska residents each get a yearly check for about $2,000 from oil revenues, plus an additional $1,200 pushed through by Palin last year to take advantage of rising oil prices. Any sympathy the governor of Alaska expresses for folks in the lower 48 who are suffering from high gas prices or can't afford to heat their homes is strictly crocodile tears. Alaska also ranks No. 1, year after year, in money it sucks in from Washington. In 2005 (the most recent figures), 18th in federal taxes paid per resident ($5,434) but first in federal spending received per resident ($13,950) in the absolute amount it receives from Washington over and above the amount it sends to Washington, Alaska ranks No. 1.

Emperor's New Clothes: Palin Pork Public

Over the last couple days, every newspaper and network in America has disproven Sarah Palin's claim that she opposed the Bridge to Nowhere. Yet just moments ago at a campaign rally in Lebanon, Ohio, she repeated her familiar refrain on the bridge, claiming she told the federal government, "Thanks, but no thanks.

clipped from www.motherjones.com Over the last couple days, every newspaper and network in America has disproven Sarah Palin's claim that she opposed the Bridge to Nowhere. Yet just moments ago at a campaign rally in Lebanon, Ohio, she repeated her familiar refrain on the bridge, claiming she told the federal government, "Thanks, but no thanks." There appears to be no accountability here; the McCain campaign will trot out Palin to repeat her talking points no matter how many times the press reports that Palin campaigned for governor as a supporter of the bridge and only opposed it when it became obvious the federal government was going to cancel its funding. Today, states receive roughly $50 per person in earmark funds from the federal government. Alaska gets a stunning $506 per person small towns in Alaska never sought federal earmarks until Palin pioneered the tactic, even using an Abramoff-connected lobbyist to get them

Facing Veto, Democrats Drop Plan for Vote on Child Bill

The child health program has become an issue in some Congressional races. In almost every speech, Kay Barnes, a Democrat running for Congress in northwest Missouri, criticizes Representative Sam Graves, a Republican, for voting against the bill last year. Mr. Graves said the bill would have allowed illegal immigrants and some high-income people to get “free taxpayer-funded health care.”

clipped from www.nytimes.com Congressional Democrats have scrapped plans for another vote on expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, thus sparing Republicans from a politically difficult vote just weeks before elections this fall. Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said: “We are not going to change any votes on the children’s health insurance bill. We still don’t have enough to override a veto. Those who opposed this bill can face the voters and explain why they believe 10 million kids should not get health coverage.”

Experts Confirm Open Water Circling Arctic

There have been some breathless headlines in the last few days about the North Pole’s being an “island” for the first time in 125,000 years.

clipped from dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com [UPDATE 9/6: The National Ice Center on Friday said that a navigable passage has opened through sea ice along the entire Russian Arctic coast, although the center added that patches of dangerous thick ice still pepper the area. In a statement, the center said: "This is the first recorded occurrence of the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route both being open at the same time." The full statement is below in the comment string. Here's an animation loop of the retreating sea ice.]