She had 16 babies

Smells like a recession....

According to media reports, there are at least 7.5 million American homeowners who are "underwater," owing more on their homes than they are currently worth. If they sold their homes today, they'd have to bring a check to the closing, CNNMoney.com reports. almost half of Nevada homeowners with a mortgage owe more to the bank than their homes are worth.Nationwide, almost one out of every five homeowners with a mortgage owes more to their lender than their properties are worth. But if you subtract those states, the rate drops to about one in 10, according to a report released Friday by First American CoreLogic.


....
Obama Win-fomercial

Barack Obama's campaign "infomercial" was the most-watched telecast in U.S. prime time on Wednesday. The infomercial drew an audience of more than 33.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research .

The three big networks alone, CBS, NBC and Fox, accounted for 25.5 million viewers combined -- 1.2 million more than they drew in the same half hour a week ago, Nielsen said.

By comparison, 19.8 million viewers watched the conclusion to baseball's World Series championship as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays. The game, ranking as the night's No. 2 broadcast, was carried by Fox following Obama's multi-network commercial.
....
16 Pups

newenglandnews
In Massachusetts, a two-year-old Golden Retriever Retro gave birth to 16 puppies at Slade Veterinary Hospital. A normal litter only has six to 10 puppies. Mom seems to be doing well.

Students suspended for calling home

A Return to Standard Time

As if we didn't have enough to do.

This Sunday marks the end of Daylight Savings Time and a return to Standard Time. Standard tiime generally begins each year at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. American's move thier clocks back one hour to return to Standard Time. Daylight Saving time and Time zones are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, not by NIST.

In 2008, Daylight Saving Time begins on March 9 and ends on Nov.2.

In 2009, Daylight Saving Time begins on March 8 and ends on Nov.1.

Standard time in time zones was instituted in the U.S. and Canada by the railroads on November 18, 1883. Prior to that, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form of local solar time, maintained by a well-known clock (on a church steeple, for example, or in a jeweler's window). The new standard time system was not immediately embraced by all, however. (The train at right is a Union locomotive used during the American Civil War, photo ca. 1861-1865.)

The use of standard time increased because of its practical advantages for communication and travel. Standard time in time zones was established by U.S. law with the Standard Time Act of 1918, enacted on March 19. Congress adopted standard time zones based on those set up by the railroads, and gave the responsibility to make any changes in the time zones to the Interstate Commerce Commission, the only federal transportation regulatory agency at the time. When Congress created the Department of Transportation in 1966, it transferred the responsibility for the time laws to the new department.

Time zone boundaries have changed greatly since their original introduction and changes still occasionally occur. The Department of Transportation conducts rulemakings to consider requests for changes. Generally, time zone boundaries have tended to shift westward. Places on the eastern edge of a time zone can effectively move sunset an hour later (by the clock) by shifting to the time zone immediately to their east. If they do so, the boundary of that zone is locally shifted to the west; the accumulation of such changes results in the long-term westward trend. The process is not inexorable, however, since the late sunrises experienced by such places during the winter may be regarded as too undesirable. Furthermore, under the law, the principal standard for deciding on a time zone change is the "convenience of commerce." Proposed time zone changes have been both approved and rejected based on this criterion, although most such proposals have been accepted.

NIST's Time and Frequency Division, FAQs page

	You can download software from NIST and USNO in order to use the Internet to automatically set your computer clock to the correct time.
	For a more detailed time zone map, look at our map of US time zones.
	For time zone offsets around the world, please consult our world time zone map.

In the News October 30, 2008

The Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Series

Catcher Carlos Ruiz embraces closer Brad Lidge after the final out of the Phillies 4-3 victory over the Rays to win the World Series. ( Jerry Lodriguss / Staff Photographer )

It finally happened. It has been a 28 year wait but, last night the Phillies captured the decisive fifth game 4-3 over Tampa Bay. In a game that took two days to play, it all came down to
Pedro Feliz who drove in the winning run for the Phils in the bottom of the seventh inning. Phillies relievers J.C. Romero and closer Brad Lidge pitched scoreless ball from there. Lidge struck out Eric Hinske in the ninth to end it. It was their second World Series title in team history, and first since 1980.


.....
In Politics

• A new ethics complaint has been filed against Sarah Palin, accusing the Alaska governor of abusing her power by charging the state when her children traveled with her.

• Barack Obama has pulled ahead in enough states to win the 270 electoral votes he needs to gain the White House — and with states to spare — according to an Associated Press.
• With less than a week till Election Day, in the Real Clear Politics national poll average, Barack Obama's 8-point lead from Saturday has decreased to 5.9, due mostly to a gain in John McCain's average

......

Snow Storm in the East

Despite the fact that much of the U.S. is just getting their first frost of the season, there are more than 40,000 customers without power in upstate New York thanks to the snow storm that has dumped as much as 15 inches of snow on some locations.
In northern West Virginia's mountainous Tucker County, schools are closed. The National Weather Service reports that storm totals of about 14 inches at northern New Jersey's High Point State Park, as much as 15 inches along the northwestern edge of New York's Catskill Mountains, and a foot in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. Lake effect snow warnings are in effect for northwestern Pennsylvania, with accumulations of up to 12 inches possible at higher elevations, as wind picked up moisture from Lake Erie.

Raw Video: Store customer shoots at robber

Did you miss the Obama Infomercial?

In the News, October 19th, 2008

More about the economy


Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to slash a key interest rate by a half-point, pushing the federal funds rate down to 1 percent.
Mortgage applications jumped 17% last month.
Gasoline prices fell to their lowest level in more than a year and a-half
According to a survey released by AAA, the average price of unleaded regular gas dropped 4 cents to $2.589 a gallon,
...
Nebraska Rethinks Safe-Haven

Nebraska's governor is calling a special session of the legislature next month in an attempt to fix the state's unique safe-haven law, which allows parents to abandon children as old as 18.
He wants to amend the law so it applies only to infants up to 3 days old.

Nebraska's safe-haven law is the only one in the country that lets anyone leave a child as old as 18 at a state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution for the abandonment.

According to reports, a 17-year-old was left at a Lincoln hospital Tuesday night, making him the 23rd child abandoned since the law took effect in July.



...
Just in time for cold and flu season...

Scientists at the University of Virginia say that cold can live for two days or longer.
They found commonly touched areas like refrigerator doors and handles were positive about 40 percent of the time" for cold germs.

Spots found to harbor the germ, doorknobs , refrigerator handles, light switches, remote controls, bathroom faucets, phones, and dishwasher handles.

Tests also showed that fragments of cold viruses are on the toys in waiting rooms.

Man jumps fence at White House compound

2008 World Series

2008 World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays will play the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series beginning Wednesday, Oct. 22, in St. Petersburg, Fla. This will be the 104th edition of major league baseball’s best-of-seven championship series, marking the first World Series appearance for the American League champion Rays since entering the league in 1998. The National League champion Phillies make their sixth appearance, with their only victory coming in 1980 over the Kansas City Royals. To commemorate this occasion, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of statistics relating to the metropolitan areas — Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., and Philadelphia — represented by the teams in this year’s Fall Classic. Unless otherwise indicated, the data come from the 2007 American Community Survey.

Our National Pastime

30 million
The estimated number of hot dogs consumed at major league ballparks in 2008.
Source: National Hot Dog and Sausage Council <http://www.hot-dog.org>

$46 million
Retail sales of hot dogs in Philadelphia in 2007, the fourth largest total in the nation. Only New York, Los Angeles and Washington/Baltimore spent more on hot dogs.
Source: Information Statistics Inc. <http://www.hot-dog.org/ht/d/sp/i/38581/pid/38581>

1908
The year when the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was written by Jack Norworth and composed by Albert Von Tilzer. Cracker Jack — a blend of peanuts, popcorn and caramel — is immortalized with the third line, “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.”
Source: Cracker Jack <http://www.crackerjack.com/history.php>

$5
Price for a 21-ounce draft beer at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. This price is the cheapest in the major leagues, according to Team Marketing Report. At Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, $5 gets you 16 ounces of beer.
Source: 2008 Team Marketing Report <http://www.teammarketing.com>

Tampa Bay (Rays)

19th
Where Tampa Bay (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.) ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous metropolitan areas. This area’s estimated population on July 1, 2007, was 2.7 million.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/cb08-49table3.xls>

26%
Percentage of Tampa Bay’s residents age 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007; 87 percent had at least graduated from high school.

18%
In 2007, the proportion of Tampa Bay’s residents age 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home.

25.6 minutes
Average amount of time it took Tampa Bay’s residents to get to work in 2007. Eighty-one percent of the metro area’s workers drove to work alone, 9 percent carpooled and 1 percent took public transportation.

$46,607
Median household income in 2007 for Tampa Bay. The national median income was $50,740.

$203,300
The median value for owner-occupied housing units in Tampa Bay in 2007. The national median value was $194,300.

11.3%
Tampa Bay’s poverty rate in 2007. The national poverty rate was 13 percent.

Philadelphia (Phillies)

5th
Where the Philadelphia metro area (Philadelphia-Camden, N.J.-Wilmington, Del.) ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous metropolitan areas. This area’s estimated population on July 1, 2007, was 5.8 million. Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/cb08-49table3.xls>

31%
Percentage of the Philadelphia metro area’s residents ages 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007; 87 percent had at least graduated from high school.

14%
In 2007, the proportion of the Philadelphia metro area’s residents age 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home.

28.2 minutes
Average amount of time it took Philadelphia metro area residents to get to work. Seventy-four percent of the area’s workers drove to work alone, 9 percent carpooled and 9 percent took public transportation.

$58,309
Median household income in 2007 for the Philadelphia metro area.

$240,300
The median value for owner-occupied housing units in the Philadelphia metro area in 2007.

11.5%
The Philadelphia metro area’s poverty rate in 2007.

Retirees

Halloween

Halloween
Oct. 31, 2008

The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches, ghosts, devils and hobgoblins. Over the years, Halloween customs and rituals have changed dramatically. Today, many of the young and young at heart take a more light-spirited approach. They don scary disguises or ones that may bring on smiles when they go door to door for treats, or attend or host a Halloween party.

Trick or Treat!

36 million
The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2007 — children 5 to 13 — across the United States. This number is down about 38,000 from a year earlier. Of course, many other children — older than 13, and younger than 5 — also go trick-or-treating.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html>

110.3 million
Number of occupied housing units across the nation in 2007 — all potential stops for trick-or-treaters.
Source: Housing Vacancies and Homeownership <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/historic/histt15.html>

93%
Percentage of households with residents who consider their neighborhood safe. In addition, 78 percent said there was no place within a mile of their homes where they would be afraid to walk alone at night.
Source: Extended Measures of Well-Being: Living Conditions in the United States, 2003,
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009884.html>

Jack-o’-Lanterns and Pumpkin Pies

1.1 billion pounds
Total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin-producing states in 2007. Illinois led the country by producing 542 million pounds of the vined orange gourd. Pumpkin patches in California, New York and Ohio also provided lots of pumpkins: Each state produced at least 100 million pounds. The value of all pumpkins produced by major pumpkin-producing states was $117 million.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp>

Where to Spend Halloween?

Some places around the country that may put you in the Halloween mood are:

• Transylvania County, N.C. (29,984 residents). Source: Population estimates 2007
  <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011635.html>
• Tombstone, Ariz. (population 1,562). Source: Population estimates 2007
  <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html>
• Pumpkin Center, N.C. (population 2,228); and Pumpkin Bend, Ark. (population 307).
  Source: Census 2000 <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
• Cape Fear in New Hanover County, N.C. (15,711); and Cape Fear in Chatham County, N.C. (1,170).
  Source: Census 2000 <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
• Skull Creek, Neb. (population 274). Source: Population estimates 2007
  <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html>

Candy and Costume

1,170
Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2006, employing 39,457 people and shipping $13.9 billion worth of goods. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments, with 128, followed by Pennsylvania, with 116.
Source: 2006 County Business Patterns
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/012181.html> and
2006 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Value of Product Shipments <http://www.census.gov/mcd/asm-as2.html>

473
Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2006. These establishments employed 18,733 people and shipped $7.2 billion worth of goods that year. California led the nation in this category, with 72 establishments.
Source: 2006 County Business Patterns
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/012181.html> and
2006 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Value of Product Shipments <http://www.census.gov/mcd/asm-as2.html>

24.5 pounds
Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2007.
Source: Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/cir/www/311/ma311d.html>

2,077
Number of costume rental and formal wear establishments across the nation in 2006.
Source: 2006 County Business Patterns
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/012181.html>

Raw video: Men dump body in lobby

Daniel most popular name for NYC babies

McCain/Palin Get Bush Endorsement

In the News, October 23rd, 2008

GOP spent $150,000 in donations on Palin's look





Many contributors are asking how the Republican National Committee could spend t about $150,000 on clothing, hair styling, makeup and other "campaign accessories" in September for the McCain campaign after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin joined the ticket as his running mate.

According to Politico.com, the expenses include $75,062 spent at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis and $41,850 in St. Louis, $4,100 for makeup and hair consulting, $4,902 at Atelier (a stylish men's clothing store in New York)and a $92 romper and matching hat with ears froma baby store in Minneapolis.
.....
Democrat Barack Obama's lead over Republican rival John McCain has grown to 12 points in the U.S. presidential race, with crucial independent and women voters increasingly moving to his side, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released today. Obama leads McCain 52 percent to 40 percent among likely voters in the latest three-day tracking poll, which had a margin of error of 2.9 points.


...
Foreclosures up 21% from this time last year.

According to RealtyTrac, the number of homeowners hit by the foreclosure crisis grew by more than 70 percent in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2007. In September, 81,312 homes were lost to foreclosure. 265,968 troubled borrowers received foreclosure filings, such as default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions in September -- a 12 percent decline from August's record high number and a 21 percent increase since September 2007.

Nationwide, nearly 766,000 homes received at least one foreclosure-related notice from July through September. By the end of the year, RealtyTrac expects more than a million bank-owned properties to have piled up on the market, representing around a third of all properties for sale in the U.S.


Six states; California, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan and Nevada were the hardest hit.

Ratchet the Iraqi puppy, has a new home in Minnesota

This is a story that I for one have been following.

Having a problem with your bank? What to do.

If You Have a Banking Problem A number of federal, state and local agencies regulate financial institutions.
State chartered banks and trust companies that are members of the Federal Reserve System are covered by the Federal Reserve System.	State chartered banks that are NOT members of the Federal Reserve System are regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.	State chartered banks are also regulated by state banking authorities.
Banks with National in the name or N.A. after the name are regulated by the Comptroller of Currency, U.S. Department of the Treasury.	Federal savings and loans and federal savings banks are regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision, Department of the Treasury.	Federally chartered credit unions are regulated by the National Credit Union Administrati

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Credit Reporting Agencies
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Phone: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)
TTY: 1-866-653-4261
Online complaint form

Federal Credit Unions
National Credit Union Administration
Phone: 1-800-755-1030
Email: consumerassistance@ncua.gov

Federal Savings and Loan
Office of Thrift Supervision
Office of Consumer Programs
1700 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20558
Phone: 1-800-842-6929
E-mail: consumer.complaints@ots.treas.gov

Investments, Securities, Stocks, Brokers, and Traders
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, NE
Washington, DC 20549-0213
Fax: 202-772-9295
Online complaint form

National Banks
Comptroller of the Currency
Customer Assistance Group
1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450
Houston, TX 77010-9050
Phone: 1-800-613-6743
Fax: (713) 336-4301
Email: customer.assistance@occ.treas.gov
Complaint Form [PDF]

State Chartered Banks
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection
Consumer Response Center
2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite100
Kansas City, MO 64108
Phone: 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342)
TTY: 1-800-925-4618
Email: consumeralerts@fdic.gov
Online complaint form

All other Financial Institutions
Federal Reserve Board Consumer Help
P.O.Box 1200
Minneapolis, MN 55480
Phone: 1-888-851-1920
TTY: (877) 766-8533
Fax: (877) 888-2520
Email: ConsumerHelp@FederalReserve.gov
Complaint form [PDF]
Online complaint form

In the News, October 22nd, 2008

AP INVESTIGATION: Alaska funded Palin travel with Kids


According to the AP, Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska for her children to travel with her which included events where they were not invited. She later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.

• According to the report, the charges included costs for hotel and commercial flights for three daughters to join Palin to watch their father in a snowmobile race,
  
• a trip to New York, where the governor attended a five-hour conference and stayed with 17-year-old Bristol for five days and four nights in a luxury hotel.
• Palin has charged the state $21,012
• There were 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights since she took office in December 2006.
  

...

Dr. Phil Sued by OJ Memorabilia Dealer

The memorabilia dealer who led O.J. Simpson to a hotel room where an infamous robbery occurred has filed a lawsuit against the "Dr. Phil" show claiming his remarks in an interview were spliced to change their meaning.

Thomas Riccio, who testified at Simpson's most recent trial, is suing Dr. Phil for unspecified damages. Ricco claims defamation, fraud, emotional distress and being portrayed in a false light.

Riccio said that on the show he was referred to as "the shady deal maker," "a puppet master who would sell his soul for a coin" and "the ring leader of this crime."


...
Decriminalized Sex in San Francisco

Voters in San Francisco can become the first in a major U.S. city to decriminalize prostitution if they approve Proposition K, a measure that forbids local authorities from investigating, arresting or prosecuting anyone for selling sex.

The ballot question technically would not legalize prostitution, since state law still prohibits it, but the measure would eliminate the power of local law enforcement officials to go after prostitutes. Proponents say the measure will free up $11 million the police spend each year arresting prostitutes and allow them to form collectives.

Man says receipt included racial slur

Google Android Phone

Google Android is making it's debut to the public today thanks to the folks at T-Mobil.
The first cell-phone based on Google's Android platform went on sale .

T-Mobile USA began offering the G1, made by Taiwan's High-Tech Computer.

What is Android?
According to Google, the Android platform is a software stack for mobile devices including an operating system, middleware and key applications. Developers can create applications for the platform using the Android SDK. Applications are written using the Java programming language and run on Dalvik, a custom virtual machine designed for embedded use, which runs on top of a Linux kernel.

A beta version of the Android SDK is available for download. Along with the Android framework and application libraries, it includes sample projects with source code, a device emulator, and development tools for monitoring and debugging your code and GUI layout.

The Open Handset Alliance, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies, developed Android: the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. To help developers get started developing new applications, we're offering the Android Software Development Kit.

About the Phone and Android
Apps without borders

Apps on Android can access core mobile device functionality through standard APIs. Through intents, apps can announce their capabilities for other apps to use. Watch video

Apps can easily embed the web

Apps can easily embed HTML, Javascript, and style sheets. An app can render web content through a WebView. Watch video


Apps are created equal

Any app on the mobile device can be replaced or extended -- even core components such as the dialer or home. Watch video

Apps can run in parallel

Android is a complete multitasking environment where apps can run in parallel. While running in the background, an app can produce notifications to get attention. Watch video


What to like about Android...

Watch video Browser Tricks

Watch video Copy & Paste

Watch video Reader & Photos

Watch video Media & Browser

In the News, October 21, 2008

106 Year Old Obama Fan

Meet Ann Nixon Cooper, 106 years old fromAtlanta, Georgia.

According to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released today, Barack Obama has opened an 8-point lead over John McCain. Obama leads McCain 50 percent to 42 percent among likely U.S.



...

Rising Suicide Rates Among an Unlikely Group

U.S. suicide rates appear to be on the rise, driven mostly by middle-aged white women, according to a research team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore .

According to researchers, there is a disturbing increase in suicides between 1999 and 2005 and said the pattern had changed in an unmistakable way. The reasons behind the change are not clear.

The overall suicide rate rose 0.7 percent during this time, but the rate for white men aged 40 to 64 rose 2.7 percent and for middle-aged women 3.9 percent,

"The biggest increase that we have seen between 1999 and 2005 was the increase in poisoning suicide in women -- that went up by 57 percent," said Susan Baker, a professor in injury prevention with a special expertise in suicide.



...
Gruesome Discovery

In what some may say has crossed a political line, police at Western Carolina University and wildlife officials were investigating the discovery of a dead bear cub draped with a pair of Barack Obama campaign signs.

Maintenance workers found the 75-pound bear cub shot to death in front of the school's administration building at the entrance to campus. The Obama yard signs were stapled together and placed over the bear's head. The bear had been shot in the head.

AC/DC

Google Maps Follows the Election

Keep up-to-date on the 2008 election with Google Maps

Use the Primary Results Map to view outcomes of each state primary. See results down to the county level by zooming in on a particular state.

In the news, October 20th, 2008

Britney and Posh have no fashion fears

Mr. Blackwell, the self proclaimed fashion police/ designer whose annual worst-dressed list has died. He was 86. Blackwell died of complications from an intestinal infection.

Richard Blackwell was at one time a dress designer when he issued his first criticism of Hollywood fashion disasters for 1960.


...
Tampa Bay Rays Dethroned the Champs

The boys of summer continue their World Series quest.
The Tampa Bay Rays have dethroned the defending champions Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the AL championship series. Bookmakers were giving this instance a 200-1 long shot of happening. The crowd at Tropicana Field, felt otherwise.

The Rays will host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 Wednesday night.
...
Colin Powell supports Obama and Obama is Grateful




After displaying gratitude for the endorcement from Colin Powell, Barack Obama says that Powell will have a role as a top presidential adviser in an Obama administration.

"He will have a role as one of my advisers," Barack Obama said on NBC's "Today" in an interview.

"Whether he wants to take a formal role, whether that's a good fit for him, is something we'd have to discuss," Obama said.
Powell, a four-star general among other distinctions, was President Bush's former secretary of state.

Can Halloween Mask Sales Predict the Election?

Ratchet is coming home

Operation Bagdad Pups and the SPCA have done it again.

You may have heard the story of Ratchet. Ratchet was found in a burning pile last May and rescued by a US soldier in Iraq. The soldier adopted and cared for the pup until early October, when Ratchet was confiscated by the US Army while the soldier was being moved. The soldier, who had served an extra 15 months, is finally due home in November. She was heartbroken when she was told that the Army had rules against her taking the dog home to the US.

In came the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which runs Operation Bagdad Pups. Ratchet and best friend Gwen Beberg, drew the attention of thousands of people who signed two online petitions urging the military to let Ratchet go to the United States.

Last Wednesday the pressure convinced the military to clear OBP to take Ratchet . Unfortunately, it was not in time for the Ratchet's flight from Baghdad.

Yesterday, private security contractors took Ratchet to the airport, where OBP put Ratchet on the charter flight to Kuwait.

Operation Baghdad Pups began with an email received on September 11, 2007. The desperate words of the U.S. soldier serving in Iraq told of his desire to get the dog, Charlie, he and his regiment had befriended out of the Middle East before their tour of duty ended. Because it is against regulations for troops to befriend an animal or transport one on a military flight, the likelihood of the determined soldiers succeeding alone seemed doubtful.

The dog is expected to arrive in Washington.

Operation Bagdad Pup has a history of helping soldiers bring their pups home. It is an amazingly difficult and expensive feat. The logistics of moving animals from a war zone to a new home are extremely complicated and expensive.
Every animal in the Operation Baghdad Pups program must already have a home in the states before being accepted. SPCA International carefully screens the soldier to make sure they are aware of the potential challenges they and their families might face as the dog or cat they have befriended adjusts to living in a real home and no longer in the middle of a war zone.

The rely on donations to bring dogs home with their soldiers. This is an easy prevention for the issues associated with PTSD. To donate, chick here.

In the news, October 19, 2008

Cole is Found

The 6-year-old boy kidnapped from a Las Vegas home by alleged drug dealers has been found alive in a neighborhood northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, according to police. The boy was found walking alone in east Las Vegas.
...
$150,000,000

Barack Obama raised $150 million in September, according to his campaign . This sets a new high water mark in campaign fundraising.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said a record 632,000 new donors gave to the campaign, with the average contribution under $100. More than 3 million donors have given so far. The Obama campaign raised $65 million in August.


The McCain campaign accepted $85 million in federal matching funds for the last two months of the campaign. The Obama campaign opted out of the matching funds program and is free to raise and spend as much money as it can.


...
Ratchet could be coming home today


Recall last week the story about the US soldier in Iraq, Sgt. Beberg, who rescued a puppy last May from burning rubble and how she wanted to bring the puppy home to the US but, was stalled by Army rules.
Operation Baghdad Pups, a program run by SPCA International, which has the motto 'No buddy gets left behind', faught for the puppy to travel only to get the okay 30 minutes prior to the scheduled flight, which the dog missed.



Sgt. Gwen Beberg and another soldier rescued the puppy, Ratchet, from a burning pile of trash in May.

Thanks to thousands of warm-hearted individuals signing a petition, Ratchet could be coming home today.The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International said it would make another attempt to bring him to the United States .

Top10+ network movies of all time

Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live

In the News, October 18th, 2008

Boy- Still Missing

Six year old Cole Porter is still missing in a kidnapping case that rivals a plot from the big screen. Now his grandfather, who had been reported missing in September, has been arrested in Southern California after police named him a "person of interest" in the abduction. Investigators say they believe the child's kidnapping may be linked to his grandfather's drug dealings with Mexican nationals.

The boy, Cole Puffinburger, was abducted from a Las Vegas home earlier in the week by three men posing as police officers. Police said they believe the men were Mexican drug dealers and that the kidnapping at gunpoint was a "message" to the grandfather.


...

College students who stole identities

In Pennsylvania, a college student who with her boyfriend stole the identities of friends and neighbors was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay more than $100,000 in restitution. The girl and her then boyfriend stile the identities of their friends and neighbors to fund expensive salon visits, exotic vacations and fancy dinners. The scheme unraveled when an employee at an upscale salon told police that a check for the girl's $2,250 hair extension job had bounced. About the same time, a neighbor of the couple told police a package she did not order had been sent to her.

...

Watch out for that E-Ticket

The Tulsa Police department has come up with an e-ticket system. They say it is their way of eliminating the cost and paper wasted on regular paper tickets. Officers will use a hand held computer to issue the tickets. No word on how they will get the e-mail addresses to notify the violators.

Google loses self; queen amused by baby

Make A Difference Day

Make A Difference Day is a national day of helping others . Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October.

The next event is Saturday, October 25, 2008.

Guide to the Day, creating and launching a project: Download a PDF brochure

Millions have participated. In 2007, 3 million people cared enough about their communities to volunteer on that day, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns. Your project can be as large or as small as you wish! Look around your community and see what needs to be done.

Or let the Idea Generator help you find a project idea to help your community. After participating Oct. 25, please send in an entry form so you will be counted among the millions of volunteers and be considered for an award. Each year in April, hundreds of good deeds done on Make A Difference Day are selected for honors, headlines and charitable donations. $10,000 to 10 projects

Newman's Own provide $10,000 donations to the charities of each of 10 national honorees. These 10 honorees will be spotlighted in an April 2009 issue, coinciding with National Volunteer week, and here on this Web site.

What are the rules? If you want to participate, just help someone else on the next Make A Difference Day, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. If you cannot participate on Saturday for religious reasons, you may do your project on Sunday. If you volunteer regularly, great! On Make A Difference Day, give an extra push to your ongoing volunteer activity. For example, expand your regular tutoring by creating a special event for the students, such as a trip to the library where they volunteer, or the recruitment of new students.

If you don't volunteer now, here's an occasion to get started. You could clean up an elderly neighbor's house, or organize your block to replant and repair a local park. You could visit lonely, institutionalized kids or the elderly. You can join in on someone else's project listed on this Web site. If you need more than one day for your project, still plan to do a good part of your volunteering on Make A Difference Day. For example, if you are rebuilding a community soup kitchen, you may have to do some wiring the week before or some painting the week after, but a significant part of the construction needs to take place on that Saturday.

If your volunteers are together only Monday-Friday (such as schools and workplaces), still plan to do a good part of your volunteering on Make A Difference Day. For example, if students collect food for the homeless during the school week, get a special group of students and teachers together on Saturday to hand-deliver the food to homeless people or a shelter. If it rains or snows, Make A Difference Day goes on. If your project is outdoors, have a contingency plan, or forge ahead. If you are an employee of Gannett, Hands On Network or USA WEEKEND carrier newspapers, you are invited to participate in Make A Difference Day, but you are ineligible for awards. If you are selected to receive an award, you must sign releases. The top-10 honorees participate in an awards ceremony.

In the News, October 17th, 2008

Nothing like a 20lb Burger Story to Jump Start a Friday...

The burger normally comes with everything on it, but Steve Kowalewski's family had the tomatoes and pickles put on the side. (Photo courtesy of Steve Kowalewski)

Brad Sciullo finishing off a 15-pound burger at Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in PA.

"We were on an RV trip last summer (2007) and stopped by to see what this place is all about. My son Mark called ahead and order the burger because it takes them 4+ hours to fix it. When we arrived the burger was ready and waiting for us," Kowalewski writes in an e-mail.

It took him four hours and 39 minutes to finish the burger, a 15-pounder with toppings and a bun that brought the total weight to 20.2 pounds.


....
McCain and Letterman

Remember a few weeks ago when John McCain canceled his scheduled appearance on Letterman, citing his suspended presidential campaign as the cause?
McCain didn't go to Washington until a day later and did an interview with Katie Couric instead. Letterman let McCain hear about it. When they met while taping the show, McCain told Letterman, "I screwed up."

McCain tries to make peace with Letterman @ Yahoo! Video

....
Enslaving a Girl in Seattle

Five Seattle-area immigrants from Afghanistan enslaved a teenage girl after they brought her to the U.S.
According to reports, she had morn to a poor single mother and was informally adopted by another family in Afghanistan that forced her to marry at age 13 .

After coming to the US, the girl, was forced to live with the family who beat her and sexually assaulted her. The girl escaped after some good Samaritans helped her report her situation to the police in January 2008 .

Parents complain after teacher changes sex