igniteCAST - News

Michael Jackson - Thriller Video

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:02:09 -0500

The Classic Michael Jackson - Thriller Video. We will miss your talents Michael.

Video - Iran Cracks Down on Protesters after Riot

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:49:51 -0500

AFP Video - Iran Cracks Down on Protesters after Riot - June 15, 2009 - source http://www.youtube.com/user/AFP

2009 Eurovision - Backstage at Second Semi-Final rehearsal

Thu, 14 May 2009 17:14:03 -0500

Photographer Glen Webb (EBU) Date added 13/May 2009 Photos from backstage at the Second Semi-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

SBWire Spring 09 - New Feature Tour

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:38:09 -0500

SBWire, the small business online newswire, is pleased to announce the latest version of our online service, SBWire Spring ’09. In this new feature tour we will show you many of the new features SBWire Spring ’09 has to offer.

For more information visit: http://www.sbwire.com

IgniteCast Contest - Win an iPod

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:41:54 -0500

Ignitecast is hosting a free ipod contest on ignitecast.com every month until December of 2009! To win, all you need to do is to create an ignitable for ignitecast.com and post a link or embed it on another website. Every week, a finalist will be chosen, and at the end of the month a winner will be chosen and announced.

Scate Ignite at 2009 MACUL Conference

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:12:43 -0500

Scate Technologies sponsors 2009 MACUL (Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning) Conference at Cobo Hall in Detroit Mi. www.scateignite.com, www.macul.org

US Airways Flight 1549 Down in Hudson

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 10:11:32 -0600

AP. Federal officials have released the audio of the conversation the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 had with air traffic controllers as his plane lost power and he had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. (Feb. 5)

Internet Advisor Show Podcast - WJR760 Jan 24, 2009

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 10:17:41 -0600

Software developers Jeff Holth (CTO) and Steve Sadler (CEO) from Scate Technologies, Inc. Lake Orion, MI, showcase their new presentation software, Scate Ignite 4 on Internet Advisor Radio Show on WJR AM760, January 24, 2009. Also Jake Sigal, CEO of Myine Electronics based in Ferndale, MI, shows off his revolutionary new Abbee Commercial-Free FM Radio and Ira Wi-Fi Internet Radio that was launched at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas recently.

Anthrax Scare at Ford Field

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 16:13:41 -0600

Detroit, Michigan - Monday, November 24, 2008 -- Detroit Lions football practice was delayed nearly two hours this afternoon after a player reported finding an unknown white powder substance on the practice field. Head coach Rod Marinelli immediately suspended practice while police and federal agents were called in to investigate. Read on...

Marshall returns insults after Porter's postgame comments

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:27:11 -0600

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Joey Porter and Brandon Marshall just can't leave the trash talk on the field.

Still steamed over the Miami linebacker calling him soft after the Dolphins' 26-17 win at Denver on Sunday, the Broncos star receiver returned the insults Tuesday.

"Yeah, Joey Porter's one of them guys, when you got guys who talk a lot of trash, just want to talk about people or put people down, they have their own insecurities," Marshall said. "And his insecurities I don't know. But he's definitely one of those guys who all those muscles are popcorn muscles. He's soft."

Porter, who leads the league with 11½ sacks, helped hold Marshall to two late catches Sunday and then continued his jawing in the locker room afterward, suggesting Marshall pouted after not getting an early catch and allowed all the taunting to affect him mentally and knock him off his game.

"He's one of those soft receivers, where he has to have the ball all the time. If he don't get it, he's going to mope and cry. He did it to himself," Porter suggested.

Marshall was clearly frustrated by the effective coverage he faced and after the game took shots at his quarterback, Jay Cutler, for not finding him on the few occasions he was in single coverage and at Denver's defensive coordinator for giving Miami's receivers so much cushion.

Marshall didn't hear about Porter's jabs until after he had left Invesco Field on Sunday night. After a day off, Marshall was eager to return the ridicule Tuesday.

"You know, we hear stories floating around the league all the time about him as far [as being] in nightclubs dancing with his shirt off like a girl or in the playground getting beat up back in California," Marshall said. "He's one of those guys that no matter how big he is, he can still get knocked on his butt and he's soft. He's soft at heart and you can tell by the way he talks.

"And his nickname is 'Peezy.' I don't know what 'Peezy' is," Marshall added, then paused and leaned forward to deliver the punctuation: "Joey!"

The Dolphins were off Tuesday and Porter wasn't available to respond to Marshall's volleys.

But what about Porter's allegation that defenders can get into his head and take him out of the game? Is there some truth to that?"No, no, you've got to understand the situation, they're winning and we're going back and forth and he won because they won the game," Marshall said. "It wasn't nothing to do with us talking, going back and forth. And he ran with it. He ran with it pretty good.

"Getting in my head? Never. He can't get in my head because I'm always trying to make plays and I'm always trying to make things happen," Marshall insisted. "I'm never shutting down. I don't care if we're down by 40 points or we're up by 40 points, I'm never shutting it down, I'm always going to try to do my best and make plays."

Video - Obama's Victory Speech

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 09:26:25 -0600

(CNN) -- Barack Obama told supporters that "change has come to America" as he claimed victory in a historic presidential election. "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there," Obama said in Chicago, Illinois, before an estimated crowd of up to 240,000 people. With Obama's projected win, he will become the first African-American to win the White House.

Obama had an overwhelming victory over Sen. John McCain, who pledged Tuesday night to help Obama lead. Video Watch Obama pay tribute to McCain » "Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much, and tonight, I remain her servant," McCain said. McCain called Obama to congratulate him, and Obama told the Arizona senator he was eager to sit down and talk about how the two of them can work together. President Bush also called Obama to offer his congratulations. Bush told Obama he was about to begin one of the great journeys of his life, and invited him to visit the White House as soon as it could be arranged, according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. Obama will be working with a heavily Democratic Congress. Democrats picked up Senate seats in New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia, among others. Read about the Senate races Don't Miss * Read Obama's victory speech * Read McCain's speech * Democrats pick up Senate seats * House Republicans lose seats * Complete video coverage "While the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress," Obama said. Video Watch more on the balance of power » Flanked by American flags, Obama told the roaring crowd, "This is your victory." "To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -- I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too," he said. Video Watch Obama tell voters 'all things are possible' » Supporters in Chicago cheering, "Yes, we can" were met with cries of "Yes, we did." More than 1,000 people gathered outside of the White House, chanting "Obama, Obama!" Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's former rival for the Democratic nomination, said in a statement that "we are celebrating an historic victory for the American people." iReport.com: Share your Election Day reaction with CNN "This was a long and hard fought campaign but the result was well worth the wait. Together, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and a Democratic Congress, we will chart a better course to build a new economy and rebuild our leadership in the world." Sen. Ted Kennedy said Americans "spoke loud and clear" in electing Obama. "They understood his vision of a fairer and more just America and embraced it. They heard his call for a new generation of Americans to participate in government and were inspired. They believed that change is possible and voted to be part of America's future," the Massachusetts senator said in a statement. As results came in Tuesday night, Obama picked up early wins in Pennsylvania and Ohio -- states considered must-wins for McCain. Obama also won Virginia, a state that has not voted for a Democratic president since 1964. Going into the election, national polls showed Obama with an 8-point lead. Voters expressed excitement and pride in their country after casting their ballots in the historic election. Poll workers reported high turnout across many parts of the country, and some voters waited hours to cast their ballots. Tuesday marks the end of the longest presidential campaign season in U.S. history -- 21 months. Obama, 47, will now begin his transition to the White House. He will be sworn in at the 44th president on January 20, 2009.

obama, obama victory speech, obama speech, cnn, mccain concession speech

Will Democrats Lock Up a Supermajority

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 17:29:30 -0600

Original Feed

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," November 3, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: The Diageo/Hotline polled voters about the congressional election and found that, as of today, 44 percent plan on voting Democratic. Thirty-nine percent will cast their vote for a Republican. The poll indicating Democrats may be losing some support, as their lead is now only 5 percent as opposed to 8 a week ago. Joining us now is the host of the red hot "Huckabee." By the way, you had Lorne Michaels. You had Bill Maher — who by the way, hates me; I don't know what it is — on your program. It was a great show this weekend. Mike Huckabee, FOX News contributor, host of "Huckabee" right here on the FOX News Channel. What do you make of the brand issue, and that is that the Republican brand isn't as well? But it was like 20 points before, and now it's down to five. Is that — is that a sign something's going on? Maybe people not liking Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?

Sarah Palin - Canadian Radio Prank Call

Sun, 2 Nov 2008 19:54:22 -0600

MONTREAL — A Quebec comedy duo notorious for pulling prank calls on celebrities have struck again. This time, comedian Marc Antoine Audette and Sebastian Trudel Audette, known as the Masked Avengers, tricked Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin into believing that she was speaking to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The duo kept Palin on the line for several minutes and discussed politics and hunting, even making a jab at the current Vice-President's infamous 2006 incident where he shot a friend in the face.

Throughout the interview Audette drops hints that he's not who he claims to be. He names popular French singer Johnny Hallyday as his advisor on U.S. affairs and Quebec singer Stef Carse was named as Canada's Prime Minister.

"We have such great respect for you [Sarkozy], John and I," she gushed.

Later in the interview, Audette, jokes that he and Palin shared an interest in common, hunting.

"We should try hunting by helicopter like you did, I never did that," Audette said.

"We could have a lot of fun together while we're getting work done. Kill two birds with one stone," Palin replied.

Palin also went on to praise Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni. "I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally, and your beautiful wife, oh my goodness," she says.

"You've added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours."

Audette responded by joking that Sarkozy's wife, singer and model Carla Bruni, wrote a song about her.

When Audette said that he saw Palin as President one day, Palin's response was a diplomatic, "maybe in eight years."

At the end of the interview, Audette tips his hand and tells Palin that the call is a hoax. "Oh, have we been pranked," Palin says as she hands the phone to an aide who quickly ended the call.

The call will be airing on Montreal radio station CKOI on Monday, the day before Americans go to the polls.

The Palin campaign has also responded to the prank (from Politico):

"Gov. Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy, and other celebrities in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie."

Phillies Win the World Series

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:58:36 -0500

Phils parade tickets By Rachael Samuels The Phillies World Championship parade route and time have been set but what about tickets? John Weber, Vice-President of Ticket Sales for the Phillies says there's only one way to get tickets to tomorrow's festivities at the ballparks.

Even if you get tickets to Lincoln Financial Field you will still see your Phillies as they parade through with the trophy before heading across the street to Citizen's Bank Park.

The parade will begin at City Hall, before heading down Broad Street and ending at Citizens Bank Park. To get your free tickets go to the Phillies website at 3PM.

Phillies Win the World Series

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:03:58 -0500

Phils parade tickets

By Rachael Samuels

The Phillies World Championship parade route and time have been set but what about tickets?

John Weber, Vice-President of Ticket Sales for the Phillies says there's only one way to get tickets to tomorrow's festivities at the ballparks.

Even if you get tickets to Lincoln Financial Field you will still see your Phillies as they parade through with the trophy before heading across the street to Citizen's Bank Park.

The parade will begin at City Hall, before heading down Broad Street and ending at Citizens Bank Park.

To get your free tickets go to the Phillies website at 3PM.

Patrick Edwards May File Lawsuit Over Leg Injury

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:55:15 -0500

Patrick Edwards -- a ride receiver for the University of Houston's football team -- suffered a compound leg fracture in an accident during the Cougars' 37-23 loss at Marshall.

Houston QB Blake Joseph threw deep in the end zone to WR Edwards, causing him to run and smash his right shin into a band equipment cart.

The impact caused a compound fracture of Edwards' right leg.

The cart had been left a few yards past the out-of-bounds line. It is not clear why the cart was there in the first place, but is however stirring speculation that Edwards and his family may file a lawsuit.

Cougars' coach Kevin Sumlin told the Houston Chronicle that while he had "his opinions" on the subject, he would have no comment.

Houston Athletic Director David Maggard said he would pursue the matter with Marshall officials.

"It was duly noted, and I think we'll save the conversation for another day," Maggard told the Houston paper.

"I don't think there is any question that it is a problem. We all noticed it, and we want to find out why something like that would occur. It was a serious injury, no question about it."

HP Mini 1000 - First Look - Slideshow

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:53:07 -0500

First impressions

The Mini 1000 is easily one of the most attractive netbooks we have seen yet with a smooth black plastic casing that has the HP imprint technology on the lid. The device is less than an inch thick, one of HP's design goals, and starts at 2.2 pounds making the Mini 1000 one of the thinnest and lightest netbooks around. The build quality is superb and feels very sturdy in the hand and could easily take the rigors of traveling.

The first thing we checked out on the Mini 1000 was the keyboard as the outstanding keyboard on the Mini-Note is easily the best on any netbook. We are happy to report that HP listened to the praise of that keyboard and the Mini 1000 has retained the same keyboard. This keyboard is 92% the size of a full keyboard and it is tailor-made for touch typing like a banshee. It feels good to use and has no poorly placed keys which is common on other netbooks. This is still the best keyboard we have used to date on a netbook and kudos to HP for sticking with what works.

(by James Kendrick source)

Microsoft Office in Web Browser

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:15:52 -0500

Microsoft announced this morning at its PDC conference that the next release of Microsoft Office will include browser-based versions of some of its main office software products - Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. These will be "lightweight versions", but Microsoft told us yesterday that they'll still have rich functionality and will be comparable to Google's suite of online office applications. The apps will enable users to create, edit and collaborate on Microsoft Office documents through the browser. The apps will work in IE, Firefox and Safari browsers (no word on whether Google Chrome will be supported). Update: Commenter Sean, who says he works on the project, said that this will be 100% HTML + AJAX - rather than Silverlight or a proprietary MS plug-in.

The online versions will share the same names as their desktop counterparts (Word, Excel, etc), although unfortunately they don't fully escape the awkward and confusing branding that Microsoft gives to most of its Internet apps. The collective name for these apps is "Office Web Applications". To remind you, there is also an Office Online (a separate Microsoft site where users can download templates) and an Office Live Workspace (for sharing office files between desktop and Web - our coverage).

The "Office Web applications" will be available to consumers through Office Live, a service which has both ad-funded and subscription options. Business users will be offered Office Web applications as a hosted subscription service and through existing "volume licensing agreements". There will be a private technology preview of the Office Web applications later this year.

Last month we ran a poll asking which word processing tool you primarily use. We got over 2,600 separate votes and a resounding 49% of people still use Microsoft Word as their main word processing tool. Its open source desktop equivalent OpenOffice got 16%. Google Docs was the best placed Web Office app, with 15%.

The results showed that there is still a big place for desktop Office apps. Nevertheless, with the announcement yesterday of Microsoft Azure - a so-called cloud computing OS - Microsoft is clearly serving a growing demand for browser-based office software. We expect these apps to become more full featured over time.

High School Musical 3 Trailer

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:30:13 -0500

"High School Musical 3: Senior Year," the first big-screen adaptation of Walt Disney Co's popular TV movie franchise, rocked movie theaters around the world during its first weekend of release, the company said on Sunday.

The movie sold $42 million worth of tickets across North America for the three days beginning on Friday, and grossed $40 million internationally. It was No. 1 by both counts, becoming the first worldwide chart-topper since the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" in July, Disney said.

The "High School Musical" franchise has generated two smash TV movies, two chart-topping albums, and made teen idols out of its stars, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale.

The plot of the new film brings the cast back to their fictional New Mexico high school, where Troy (Efron) must decide between pursuing a basketball scholarship or his song-and-dance dreams. The usual teen-angst issues ensue.

Elsewhere at the North American box office, "Saw V" came in at No. 2 with $30.5 million, in line with the previous three installments in the horror franchise. The series was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

Last weekend's champ, the Mark Wahlberg thriller "Max Payne," slipped to No. 3 with $7.6 million, taking its 10-day haul to $29.7 million. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bill Trott, yahoo)

Birds fly from Alaska to New Zealand nonstop

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:57:36 -0500

The bar-tailed godwit, a plump shore bird, has blown the record for nonstop, muscle-powered flight right out of the sky. A study being published today reports that godwits can fly up to 7,242 miles nonstop in their annual fall migration from Alaska to New Zealand. The previous record, set by eastern curlews, was 4,000 miles from eastern Australia to China. The godwits flew for five to nine days, tracked by satellite. The birds weigh no more than 1.5 pounds when they leave. Half of that is fat, which they burn off completely during the flight. The route they take is the shortest and safest to fly. — The Washington Post.

Scate Ignite 4.3 Launch - Open Mansion Event

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:51:10 -0500

Our mad scientists have been extremely busy in our lab creating the best Scate Ignite version and we invited you all to see it live at the ‘Monster Mash-up’ lunch and launch. Where: Scate Headquarters, 40 Engelwood Dr., Suite B, Orion, MI 48359 When: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 12:00pm to 3:00pm

Obama with Joe the Plumber - video

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:27:24 -0500

"This weekend," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said today, "a plumber concerned that Senator Obama was going to raise his taxes asked him directly about his plan. The response was telling. Senator Obama explained to him that he was going to raise his taxes to quote 'spread the wealth around.'"

Is that what happened?

Judge for yourself -- here's the exchange.(Watch the video)

Outside Toledo, Ohio, on Sunday, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was approached by plumber Joe Wurzelbacher, a big, bald man with a goatee who asked Obama if he believes in the American dream.

"I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes 250 to 280 thousand dollars a year," Wurzelbacher said. "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?"

Obama said, "First off, you would get a 50% tax credit so you'd get a tax cut for your healthcare costs….. if your revenue is above 250 – then from 250 down, your taxes are going to stay the same. It is true that from 250 up – from 250 – 300 or so, so for that additional amount, you’d go from 36 to 39%, which is what it was under Bill Clinton. And the reason why we’re doing that is because 95% of small businesses make less than 250. So what I want to do is give them a tax cut. I want to give all these folks who are bus drivers, teachers, auto workers who make less, I want to give them a tax cut. And so what we’re doing is, we are saying that folks who make more than 250 that that marginal amount above 250 – they’re gonna be taxed at a 39 instead of a 36% rate.”

Responded Wurzelbacher, "the reason I ask you about the American dream, I mean I've worked hard. I'm a plumber. I work 10-12 hours a day and I'm buying this company and I'm going to continue working that way. I'm getting taxed more and more while fulfilling the American dream."

"Well," said Obama, "here's a way of thinking about it. How long have been a plumber?"

Wurzelbacher said 15 years.

Obama says, “Over the last 15 years, when you weren’t making 250, you would have been given a tax cut from me, so you’d actually have more money, which means you would have saved more, which means you would have gotten to the point where you could build your small business quicker than under the current tax code. So there are two ways of looking at it – I mean one way of looking at it is, now that you’ve become more successful through hard work – you don’t want to be taxed as much.”

“Exactly," Wurzelbacher said.

Obama continued, “But another way of looking at it is 95% of folks who are making less than 250, they may be working hard too, but they’re being taxed at a higher rate than they would be under mine. So what I’m doing is, put yourself back 10 years ago when you were only making whatever, 60 or 70. Under my tax plan you would be keeping more of your paycheck, you’d be paying lower taxes, which means you would have saved…Now look, nobody likes high taxes."

"No," said Wurzelbacher.

"Of course not," said Obama. "But what’s happened is that we end up – we’ve cut taxes a lot for folks like me who make a lot more than 250. We haven’t given a break to folks who make less, and as a consequence, the average wage and income for ordinary folks, the vast majority of Americans, has actually gone down over the last eight years. So all I want to do is – I’ve got a tax cut. The only thing that changes, is I’m gonna cut taxes a little bit more for the folks who are most in need and for the 5% of the folks who are doing very well - even though they’ve been working hard and I appreciate that – I just want to make sure they’re paying a little bit more in order to pay for those other tax cuts. Now, I respect the disagreement. I just want you to be clear – it’s not that I want to punish your success – I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you – that they’ve got a chance at success too.”

Wurzelbacher said it seemed as though Obama might support a flat tax.

Obama says, “you know, I would be open to it except here’s the problem with a flat tax is that if you actually put a flat tax together, in order for it to work and replace all the revenue that we’ve got, you’d probably end up having to make it like about a 40% sales tax. I mean that’s the value added, making it up. Now some people say 23 or 25, but in truth when you add up all the revenue that would need to be raised, you’d have to slap on a whole bunch of sales taxes on. And I do believe for folks like me who have worked hard, but frankly also been lucky, I don’t mind paying just a little bit more than the waitress that I just met over there who’s things are slow and she can barely make the rent."

Obama said, "My attitude is that if the economy’s good for folks from the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody. If you’ve got a plumbing business, you’re gonna be better off if you’re gonna be better off if you’ve got a whole bunch of customers who can afford to hire you, and right now everybody’s so pinched that business is bad for everybody and I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody."

That's the key moment McCain is jumping out…"when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody."

"But listen," Obama said, shaking Wurzelbacher's hand, "I respect what you do and I respect your question, and even if I don’t get your vote, I’m still gonna be working hard on your behalf, because small businesses are what creates jobs in this country and I want to encourage it.”

"Guys I gotta get out of here and go prepare for the debate," Obama said, "but that was pretty good practice right there."

From ABC NEWS:

By:

Jake Tapper - He is ABC News' Senior National Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.

Third and Final Presidential Debate 2008 - Full Video

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:17:04 -0500

Full Video of the Third and Final 2008 Presidential Debate with Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain.

Hempstead, NY
Hofstra University

Moderator:
Bob Schieffer
CBS News

2008 Chicago Marathon

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:08:41 -0500

CHICAGO — One of the least experienced of the elite runners at the Chicago Marathon, Evans Cheruiyot of Kenya proved the fastest on Sunday, winning in 2 hours 6 minutes 25 seconds on a sunny, hot day that had organizers again concerned about the safety of the more than 30,000 average runners in the field. Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia won the women’s race in 2:27:17, tempering an embarrassing summer for her native country, in which five Olympians were suspended before the Beijing Games for using someone else’s urine in an attempt to circumvent doping controls. Meanwhile, as temperatures rose to 78 degrees an hour and a half into Sunday’s 26.2-mile race, organizers were hoping to avoid a repeat of the calamitous 2007 Chicago Marathon, when the race was halted after 3½ hours because of temperatures in the high 80s, oppressive humidity and complaints about lack of available drinking water. This year, 20 aid stations were placed along the course, an increase from 15. More water was made available, along with misting stations and a color-coded alert system on the course. Considering that Chicago is seeking to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, another interruption of the race would have been a public relations — not to mention a health nightmare. No major incidents were reported as the average runners went through the first five aid stations. At Sunday’s 8 a.m. start, the temperature was already 65 degrees — about 10 degrees above optimum for the end of a marathon — and the humidity was 73 percent, though dropping. By 9:30, the mercury had risen to 78, with 41 percent humidity. Some 45,000 runners had registered for the race, but only about 35,000 appeared at the start on Sunday. Some, perhaps, were discouraged by the weather. In the men’s race, Daniel Njenga of Kenya, who had finished second or third in the past five Chicago Marathons, had hoped to finally get a victory on Sunday, but fell off the pace by 11 miles. Meanwhile, the race appeared to distill itself to three other Kenyans: Cheruiyot, who was running in only his second marathon, Emmanuel Mutai and David Mandago. By mile 18, Mutai had drifted, and it was left to Mandago and Cheruiyot to share the lead with a metronic pace of 4:52 per mile. Mandago, a taller runner whose left arm swings wide with each stride, drew ahead and at one point seemed to be pulling away from his countryman. But Cheruiyot, 26, would not fade, though. He drew ahead in the 24th mile and finally forced Mandago to succumb in mile 25 with a steady, short stride. Cheruiyot’s winning time was a personal best by nearly four minutes. Through 21 miles, Cheruiyot and Mandago were on pace to break Khalid Khannouchi’s course record of 2:05:42, set in 1999, until the heat sapped finishing speed from the Kenyans’ legs. Mandago took second more than a minute back in 2:07:37, and Timothy Cherigat of Kenya finished third in 2:11:39. In the women’s race, the Olympic champion Constantina Tomescu-Dita of Romania tried to win a second marathon only 56 days after taking gold in Beijing. The pace was slow through the halfway point (1:15:26) and Tomescu-Dita hung with a pack of a dozen leaders. The sluggish pace seemed to be playing into her hands. Unlike the Olympic race, though, when Tomescu-Dita broke away at 13.1 miles, she didn’t have enough energy left in her legs on Sunday. Instead, it was two Russians, Grigoryeva and Alevtina Biktimirova, who drew ahead, along with Bezunesh Bekele of Ethiopia, with a 5:15 mile, by far the fastest in the race. By mile 15, Bekele, too, had dropped away and the two Russian were left to sort the race among themselves. After letting her countrywoman do the hard work in the lead, Grigoryeva surged to the front in mile 21, with another 5:14 mile. She had won Boston in 2007, and on Sunday she won by more than two minutes. Biktimirova took second in 2:29:32. Kiyoko Shimahara of Japan was third in 2:30:19. Tomescu-Dita finished a distant fourth.

Steve Sadler for President

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 10:40:00 -0500

Hockey Dad - Steve Sadler for President of United States.

Presidential Town Hall Debate 2008 - Full Video

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 12:52:59 -0500

With no major gaffes, stumbles or snafus made by Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. John McCain during the second presidential debate, neither candidate won hands down.

There were no fireworks, no major water cooler moments. Even though the debaters traded testy jabs over the economy, the Drudge Report went so far as to label the debate "boring." At first glance, it might seem this duel was a draw.

Nevertheless, there is a growing consensus among the pundits that McCain lost the debate, not because of what he did but because of what he didn't do: He didn't create the game-changing moment his campaign needed to alter the trajectory of the race.

With McCain lagging in the polls, Politico's Alexander Burns sums up why Obama gets the "W" next to his name:

Obama didn't deliver a knockout punch tonight. But he denied his opponent the chance to rescramble the campaign, and that was enough. The day goes to him.

The Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post all concur, in their own way. This snoozefest created a winner because no one won at all.

There were a few in the media who focused more on the apparent tie. Mark Halperin at Time gave McCain a B and Obama a B+. Of McCain, he wrote:

The Republican nominee was by turns aggressive, sensitive, conservative and conversational. Successfully presented a negative case against Obama with an upbeat, optimistic smile.

Ultimately though, Halperin echoed the general consensus:

[Obama] played it typically cautious and safe, and thus avoided major blunders, knowing if he commits no errors for the next 30 days, he will be the next president of the United States.

Even if you don't put much stock in the talking heads, consider what non-media types said. Each candidate stood his ground, looking comfortable in the town-hall setting, yet the insta-polls showed the same opinion: Obama won.

In the CBS poll, 40 percent of uncommitted voters said Obama won. Twenty-six percent said John McCain won, while 34 percent said it was a tie.

Over at CNN, Obama fared even better in the poll: 54 percent said he did a better job, 30 percent gave it to McCain.

Despite those numbers, this isn't all bad news for McCain. The CBS poll did have a silver lining -- respondents still see McCain as more prepared for the job (83 percent to 58 percent).

The other good news for the Arizona senator: there is about a month left in the campaign. That's enough time for him to find the game-changer he is looking for.

(from yahoo.com)

Vice Presidential Debate 2008 - Full Video

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 11:56:40 -0500

Vice Presidential Debate 2008 -

Between Senator Joe Biden (Democrat) and Governor Sarah Palin (Republican)

New sea creatures discovered - Video

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 08:54:19 -0500

100's of new sea creatures discovered in Coral Reef, Australia. And a Big Jelly fish too.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi Speech - Video

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:42:23 -0500

House Republicans on Monday blamed a partisan speech from Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the failure of a massive Wall Street bailout measure.

“I do believe that we could have gotten there today had it not been for this partisan speech that the speaker gave on the floor of the House,” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said, adding that Pelosi “poisoned” the GOP conference.

Deputy Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) held up a copy of Pelosi’s floor speech at a press conference and said she had “failed to listen and to lead” on the issue.

The Speaker had blasted the Bush administration in her speech and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) asserted that some GOP lawmakers, who had reluctantly agreed to support the bill, might have changed their minds following Pelosi’s remarks.

Pelosi had said that the $700 billion price tag of the measure “is a number that is staggering, but tells us only the costs of the Bush Administration’s failed economic policies — policies built on budgetary recklessness, on an anything goes mentality, with no regulation, no supervision, and no discipline in the system.”

Democrats noted that a majority of Republicans had opposed the bill, while a majority of Democrats supported it.

Fireproof

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:33:17 -0500

The third movie produced by a Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., will be shown in Bismarck starting today and running through Thursday, Oct. 2. "Fireproof," the third in a series of movies with a Christian theme, stars Kirk Cameron (Mike Seaver of the TVseries, "Growing Pains") as firefighter and town hero trying to reconcile with his wife.

Best catch ever

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:49:55 -0500

During Morgan State's 21-7 win over Winston-Salem State, the Bears' Baptiste made one of the greatest pass catches ever caught on tape.

With the Bears' offense backed up into its own end zone, quarterback Carlton Jackson tosses the ball down the middle of the field. Baptiste leaps, extends one arm and manages to tuck the ball to his chest before landing on his back and doing a flip before coming to rest near the 38-yard line.

For the whole story, go to www.myfoxwghp.com.

First Presidential Debate 2008 - Full Video

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:04:21 -0500

First presidential debate
Friday, September 26, 2008
The University of Mississippi, Oxford.
Jim Lehrer
Executive Editor and Anchor, The NewsHour, PBS

Several positive reviews for Obama. A CBS News instant poll finds:

    40% of uncommitted voters who watched the debate tonight thought Barack Obama was the winner. 22% thought John McCain won. 38% saw it as a draw.

    68% of these voters think Obama would make the right decision
    about the economy. 41% think McCain would.

    49% of these voters think Obama would make the right decisions about Iraq. 55% think McCain would.

David Blaine - Dive of Death - Video

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:08:44 -0500

David Blaine lives to pretend to almost kill himself another day.

The 35-year-old illusionist/stuntmeister/attention-junkie has survived his latest feat of fortitude, a 44-foot "jump" after hanging 50 feet above the skating rink in New York City's Central Park, upside down, for 60 hours.

The mystery, supposedly, was whether Blaine's head would pop off, his lungs would explode or some other dastardly fate would befall him (pardon the pun) after spending all that time inverted, which in and of itself could cause breathing trouble, blindness, a stroke and a host of other organ difficulties, according to a vascular surgeon at the scene.

But not only did Blaine look pretty damn good, albeit a little bleary eyed, once he was turned upright, he evaded sharp scrutiny altogether. When it came time to "dive," he sort of fluttered down to Earth before the hoister of his harness whisked him away.

Mystifyingly into the ether, he'd have us believe.

The dishy magician was inevitably a little worse for wear after going since Monday morning without sleep, food or a proper place to pee—and, according to the host of the two-hour ABC special David Blaine: Dive of Death (what, you thought Blaine was doing this for his own amusement?), the magician's eyes started to swell shut by hour four.

"What was really quite remarkable was that his eyes, in the first hour or two, were incredibly swollen and red, and as the time went on, his eyes returned to normal," Blaine's personal physician, Dr. Ronald Ruden said upon observing how practically normal his patient looked.

"His ability to adapt is really almost superhuman."

Bernanke's Outside Bailout Pitch

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:16:08 -0500

Ben Bernanke may not have sold Main Street on the largest bailout in American history, but it isn't for lack of trying. The Federal Reserve chairman appeared flustered speaking before Congress Wednesday as politicians skewered the $700.0 billion financial bailout he is backing questioning motivations for the plan and even whether it will work. “Americans are furious," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. Lawmakers were hearing "amazement, astonishment and intense anger" from their constituents, he said. Yet, he said a deal on a bailout would soon be reached, suggesting that all the Washington pushback may just be grandstanding. Still, it was the second day the bailout plan got a cool reception from lawmakers. (See "Paulson Plays Pinata.") Click here for complete article: http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/09/24/bernanke-bailout-testimony-markets-equity-cx_md_0924markets26.html

Matt Millen Fired?

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:00:37 -0500

Matt Millen's highly criticized and unproductive tenure with the Lions has ended.

Millen has been the president and CEO since January 2001. Reports have swirled since late morning that he was no longer with the team. The Free Press has confirmed his departure with a person who has spoken with a high-ranking team official.

For several hours today, a small army of media has been waiting at the team's Allen Park headquarters for word of any kind. Shortly after noon, William Clay Ford Sr. arrived at the facility. It was not immediately clear when an announcement would be forthcoming.

Full Story: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080924/SPORTS01/80924031/&imw=Y

Whiskey Jacques-Ketchum Idaho

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:14:48 -0500

At 3:09 am a call was placed informing Ketchum police a fire had started next door to Whiskey's-at around 6:00am the roof engulfed in fames and collapsed. A day none of us could imagine...and a face of a town forever changed...a landmark lost...

2008 - See You At The Pole - Prayer

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:38:17 -0500

Students across the country are expected to gather around their school flagpoles before classes on Wednesday morning to pray for each other, for their schools and for the nation. This will be the 19th annual “See You At The Pole,” an event held on the fourth Wednesday in September. Organizers predict that up to two million students will take part this year. Read more about the event, see photos and a video.

http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=2111

Truckers Protest Fuel Prices Capitol Hill

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:41:47 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fewer than 20 truckers showed up in Washington to protest fuel prices, with organizers blaming the expensive cost of travel for the low turnout. Members of Truckers and Citizens United drove their tractor-trailers from FedEx Field in suburban Maryland to Capitol Hill for Tuesday's rally. To express their frustration, the truckers blared their horns and taped signs to their trucks reading: "America is going broke because of oil." Organizers said Monday they expected more than 200 truckers to participate in the rally. Truckers say the hauling industry has been hit hard as drivers pay nearly double than in recent years to fill up their rigs. In turn, they say consumers pay more for the products they deliver. Participants are asking Congress to approve measures to bring down gas prices. Full Story Here

Sarah Palin Biography

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:29:36 -0500

Sarah Louise Heath Palin ( born February 11, 1964) is the governor of Alaska and the Republican vice-presidential nominee in the 2008 United States presidential election. She was on the Wasilla, Alaska, city council from 1992 to 1996 and mayor from 1996 to 2002. After an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor of Alaska in 2002, she chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004. She was elected governor of Alaska in November 2006, becoming the first woman and the youngest person to hold the position in Alaska. On August 29, 2008, Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain announced that he had chosen Sarah Palin as his running mate. She was nominated at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Palin is the first woman and the first Alaskan to run on the Republican party's presidential ticket.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

Idaho cheerleaders told to cover up

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:55:22 -0500

The University of Idaho has ordered that the Cover 2 defense be implemented. Not for the football team, for the cheerleaders. For the second time this season, changes have been ordered for the Vandals' cheerleading squads. The first problem was with having the UI logo sewn onto the seat of the young ladies' pants. Now the squads' two-piece outfits with halter tops have been scrapped. An editorial in the school newspaper, The Argonaut, said: Jaws dropped at the Vandal football game on Sept. 6, and it wasn’t because the football team finally won a game. It was because of the dress of the cheerleaders. There was an uproar about the taste level of the Vandal spirit squad’s uniforms with laced-up details and low cut halter-tops that didn’t seem to provide much support. Complete story: http://blogs.usatoday.com/gameon/2008/09/idaho-cheerlead.html

Google Goodies on T-mobile G1

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:35:30 -0500

This video explains about the Google Goodies preloaded on T-Mobile G1 phone

T-mobile G1 - Google Android

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:58:48 -0500

T-Mobile today unveiled the highly anticipated T-Mobile G1 - the first phone to run on Android, the innovative open source mobile phone software platform. The Android Market allows users of the T-Mobile G1 to choose from a variety of applications in order to tailor their phone to suit their lifestyle. The T-Mobile G1 will be available exclusively from T-Mobile in the UK before Christmas this year.

The T-Mobile G1 has full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard, which makes navigating the different functions of the device easy. It's perfect for whatever communication users prefer, whether it's calling, texting, email, or having instant messenger conversations. It's also optimised for accessing the internet on your phone, so users can keep up-to-date with social networking sites such as Facebook, search for locations on Google Maps, or upload photographs to image-sharing websites.

The T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and further customise their phone to fit their lifestyle.

Summary points:

- This is the first phone to offer access to Android Market, which will host hundreds of unique applications and mash ups of new and existing services from developers around the world.

- T-Mobile and Google teamed up with manufacturer HTC to integrate the phone's form and function. The T-Mobile G1's vibrant, high quality screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. As another option for accessing the device, the T-Mobile G1 comes equipped with a convenient trackball for more precise, one-handed navigation.

- A full HTML internet browser allows users to see any website the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on the screen.

- With built-in support for T-Mobile's 3G (HSDPA) network as well as Wi-Fi, the T-Mobile G1 automatically connects to the best available high-speed data connection for surfing the internet and downloading information quickly and effortlessly.

- The T-Mobile G1 will be available for free on price plans from Pounds Sterling 40 a month, which will include unlimited mobile internet browsing(i).

New Trailer Harry Potter Half Blood Prince

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:17:11 -0500

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince NEW Trailer. Movie releases June 2009.

Trailer - HARRY POTTER - HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:06:35 -0500

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer. Movie supposed to be out in November 2008, now June 2009.

HARRY POTTER and the HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:46:53 -0500

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince changes it's release date and gets Hollywood to move around big movies to compensate.

For Lots More Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Clips Go To:

http://www.reelzchannel.com/

Lion Takes Refuge in Church from Ike

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:36:19 -0500

GALVESTON, Texas -- Texas authorities busy trying to clean up after Hurricane Ike have a new problem on their hands: There's a tiger loose. A county official said Tuesday that the animal somehow left its enclosure at an exotic pets center in Crystal Beach. Animal experts are coming in to try to catch the tiger. Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough put it this way: "Turns out there's a tiger, and I understand he's hungry ... so we're staying away from him." Crystal Beach is on Bolivar Peninsula. The area is one of the hardest-hit by Ike. The news follows reports of a lioness holed up in a Baptist church with its owner on Bolivar Peninsula. The full-grown lion was from a local zoo, and the owner was trying to drive to safety with the animal when he saw cars and trucks stranded in the rising floodwaters. He knew he and the lion were in trouble.

Dog Calls 911, Saves Owner's Life

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:39:19 -0500

A German shepherd dog saved his owner's life by calling for an ambulance when the man suffered a seizure.

Police officers in Scottsdale, Arizona, could hear the whimpering and barking of Buddy after receiving the 911 call.

Dispatcher Chris Trott can be heard on a recording of the incident saying: "Hello, this is 911. Hello... Can you hear me? Is there somebody there you can give the phone to?"

Police were sent to Joe Stalnaker's home and after about three minutes Buddy is heard on the recording barking loudly when they arrive.

Mr Stalnaker's address was flagged in the Scottsdale system's with a notification that a trained assistance dog could call 911 when the owner was incapacitated.

Police explained Mr Stalnaker adopted Buddy at the age of eight weeks from Michigan-based Paws with a Cause, which trains assistance dogs.

Buddy, now 18 months old, has been trained to press programmed buttons until a 911 operator is on the line, should his owner suffer seizure symptoms.

This was the third time he has called the emergency services on behalf of Mr Stalnaker.

Scottsdale police sergeant Mark Clark said Mr Stalnaker spent two days in a hospital but has recovered from the seizure.

He said: "It's pretty incredible. Even the veteran dispatchers - they haven't heard of anything like this."

Sgt Clark added Mr Stalnaker's seizures are the result of a head injury he suffered about 10 years ago during a military training exercise.

Hurricane Ike - Boston Globe Pictures

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:55:41 -0500

The short - but eventful - life of Ike In its brief lifespan of only 13 days, Hurricane Ike wreaked great deal of havoc. Affecting several countries including Cuba, Haiti, and the United States, Ike is blamed for approximately 114 deaths (74 in Haiti alone), and damages that are still being tallied, with estimates topping $10 billion.

Many shoreline communities of Galveston, Texas were wiped from the map by the winds, storm surge and the walls of debris pushed along by Ike - though Galveston was spared the level of disaster it suffered in 1900.

Link to original story and comments.

Big Bang Experiment

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 20:40:38 -0500

Scientists involved in a historic "Big Bang" experiment to begin this
week hope it will turn up many surprises about the universe and its origins --
but reject suggestions it will bring the end of the world.

The world's most powerful particle accelerator will be launched on Wednesday
(September 10) at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), based
in Geneva. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is in an underground ring tunnel of
27 kilometres (17 miles) beneath the French-Swiss border. Scientists will
recreate conditions just after what was known as "The Big Bang" by colliding two
beams of particles at close to the speed of light in a bid to understand the
origins of the universe. Critics say the $9 billion dollar project is a doomsday
machine that could destroy the planet. They fear the experiment could generate
black holes that could gobble up the earth - a theory CERN scientists reject.

Helen Long reports from Reuters.

US Open Tennis 2008 Men's Final

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 11:11:43 -0500

ROGER Federer won his fifth consecutive US Open title after overwhelming young British Andy Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2 at Flushing Meadows.

Federer fell to the ground with joy and relief after match point while Murray looked like the sense of occasion got the better of him.

US Open Tennis 2008 Women's Final

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:37:36 -0500

Serena Williams defeated Jelena Jankovic, 6-4, 7-5, to win the U.S. Open 2008 women's singles final title, the third U.S. Open title of her career.

It was the 9th grand slam title overall for Williams, who entered the tournament as the fourth seed. Williams had a tremendous tournament and didn't even drop a set, and the combination of her victory and Ana Ivanovic's early upset loss makes Williams the new No. 1 player in the world.

Obama's Plan for military cuts

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 12:14:11 -0500

Barack Obama's presentation to Caucus for Priorities spells out his plan for the military and how he will cut spending and development and the ability to defend the country when elected President.

2008 McCain - Palin - Freedom Hill, MI

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 17:51:39 -0500

This is for all you Hockey Players and Hockey Mom's all over the great US of A.

John McCain's Speech at RNC 2008

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 22:34:55 -0500

Thank you all very much. Tonight, I have a privilege given few Americans -- the privilege of accepting our party's nomination for President of the United States. And I accept it with gratitude, humility and confidence.

In my life, no success has come without a good fight, and this nomination wasn't any different. That's a tribute to the candidates who opposed me and their supporters. They're leaders of great ability, who love our country, and wished to lead it to better days. Their support is an honor I won't forget.

I'm grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I'm grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.

As always, I'm indebted to my wife, Cindy, and my seven children. The pleasures of family life can seem like a brief holiday from the crowded calendar of our nation's business. But I have treasured them all the more, and can't imagine a life without the happiness you give me. Cindy said a lot of nice things about me tonight. But, in truth, she's more my inspiration than I am hers. Her concern for those less blessed than we are -- victims of land mines, children born in poverty and with birth defects -- shows the measure of her humanity. I know she will make a great First Lady.

When I was growing up, my father was often at sea, and the job of raising my brother, sister and me would fall to my mother alone. Roberta McCain gave us her love of life, her deep interest in the world, her strength, and her belief we are all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country. I wouldn't be here tonight but for the strength of her character.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you, who helped me win this nomination, and stood by me when the odds were long. I won't let you down. To Americans who have yet to decide who to vote for, thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to win your trust. I intend to earn it.

Finally, a word to Senator Obama and his supporters. We'll go at it over the next two months. That's the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. We're dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. No country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn't be an American worthy of the name if I didn't honor Senator Obama and his supporters for their achievement.

...

Sarah Palin's Speech at RNC 2008

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 07:45:49 -0500

Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for Vice President of the United States...

I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.

I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election... against confident opponents ... at a crucial hour for our country.

And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges ... and knows how tough fights are won - the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.

....

Google Chrome Browser - First Impressions

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 10:17:02 -0500

Google Launched the "beta" version of it's long anticipated Chrome Browser yesterday, Sept. 1, 2008. Google Chrome, one of the worst kept secrets in modern computing, promises to provide faster browsing, and an easy to understand environment. While those benefits might help us consumers right now, Google's long term strategy behind Chrome is to better support web-based applications, and of course, to get a foothold on our desktops. Yes, it can be said that Google Chrome is Google's first serious attempt to chip away at the desktop operating system, like Windows and even Mac OS. The future, as Google sees it, is a search-based world, and they are either just plain right, or it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Either way, Google wins.

Detroit ALMS Sports Car Challenge 2008

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 09:17:13 -0500

Andretti Green Racing Records First Overall Victory

August 30, 2008
Photos by Sizzler

DETROIT, MI - Andretti Green Racing fulfilled the promise and potential it showed all season with its first overall victory in the American Le Mans Series on Saturday. James Rossiter and Franck Montagny won the Detroit Sports Car Challenge as Acura swept the overall podium for the first time in its two-year stint in the Series. Audi's Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner clinched the LMP1 driver championship when the race-winning Audi R10 TDI of Emanuele Pirro and Marcel Fässler was excluded after it failed to meet the required minimum weight in post-race technical inspection.

The day was about Acura, however. The manufacturer also posted its second overall race victory and took the lead in the LMP2 manufacturer championship by four points over Porsche.

The victory also ended a dry streak for Andretti Green which hadn't won in the Series since a debut win for the team and Acura at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2007.

"Everything went to plan," said Rossiter, who won in his third Series start. "I managed to make up one place and maintain that to the end of my stint. We managed to keep it clean throughout. The team is really good and did a great job. The strategy was perfect and they deserved for us to be in first place."

After Rossiter completed the opening stint, Montagny led the final 46 laps and drove the final two hours on the same set of Michelin street soft tires. The last stop was for fuel only.

The Frenchman beat Patrón Highcroft Racing's David Brabham across the line by 3.985 seconds. De Ferran Motorsports' Acura of Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud finished third, 28.836 seconds behind the Andretti Green entry.

With their finish, Brabham and Scott Sharp pulled to within four points of the P2 driver championship lead, held by Penske Racing's Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. They finished fourth in class.

Montagny and Rossiter drove only their third race together and were 12 minutes from a class win at Road America three weeks ago. Montagny crashed into a slower GT2 car that knocked the Acura out of the race. The duo has not been lacking for speed, and Andretti Green made its own luck with its strategic calls and dominating display.

"The team did a very good job in terms of strategy, which was especially good after Mosport where we struggled," Montagny said. "This time we were a little bit lucky. James did his stint with tires from qualifying and the car looked OK although there was a bit of understeer. The tires looked fine as well. We did put a lot of time on the tires, and I don't think they could have could have lasted another 10 laps or half-stint. It was very close all the time."

Intersport Racing took the LMP1 victory following the exclusion of the No. 1 Audi and Lucas Luhr's crash in the second R10 TDI. The trio of Jon Field, Clint Field and Richard Berry ended Audi's 30-race class winning streak that dated back to Sebring in 2006.

The win is Intersport's first of the year and its first since Clint Field and Liz Halliday won at Portland 2006 when they beat a pair of Penske Racing Porsches in LMP2. Jon Field's last victory came at Sebring in 2006, and Berry won for the first time.

The Fields also became the 20th and 21st driver in Series history to win in multiple classes.

Luhr and Werner claimed the P1 title with two rounds remaining and a 66-point gap over Pirro; only 55 points are available in the last two Series races. It is Werner's third championship and the fourth for Luhr, who becomes the first driver in Series history to win championships in three different classes (LMP1, LMP2, GT).

"Of course we would have prefered to have won the title under different circumstances," said Luhr and Werner. "But with seven consecutive victories already this season we certainly feel we have earned the title."

Corvette Racing's Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta won in GT1 for the first time since late March with more than a minute in hand to beat teammates Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen. Three-time and defending class champions, Gavin and Beretta took the lead early when the No. 4 crew got the car out of pitlane ahead of the sister car during the first round of stops at the 40-minute mark.

"We have had some bad luck this year," Beretta said. "For the first time we didn't have any problems and we were the faster car. Ollie did a good job pushing the car up to the end. Our crew did a very good job and they have all three years. Michelin and Compuware were great this week. They are very strong and know what to do. They are experienced and have a winning spirit. They never give up."

The Bell Motorsports' Aston Martin DBR9 of Terry Borcheller and Chapman Ducote finished third in class for the third straight race.

The victory for Beretta and Gavin came in the shadows of General Motors' headquarters in downtown Detroit. They finished second last year and have had the speed to win more than twice this season. Luck was another matter.

"I haven't been so kind to the car the last couple of events and it was great to reward the guys for their hard work this year," Gavin said. "This is the place they want to win more than anywhere else. It is a fantastic team and they have themselves in a position that they know the car and the Series so well. It's one of the best sports car teams in the world if not the best."

Gavin and Beretta still trail O'Connell and Magnussen by 31 points in the class championship.

Flying Lizard Motorsports scored its third 1-2 finish of the season as GT2 championship leaders Jörg Bergmeister and Wolf Henzler bolstered their class lead with their fourth win of the season. The pair of Porsche factory drivers stayed clean while Ferraris from Tafel Racing and Risi Competizione had their problems, and Johannes van Overbeek was hit while leading by Penske's Bernhard.

Henzler, the class polesitter, crossed the line 6.570 seconds ahead of van Overbeek who teamed with Patrick Pilet. Mika Salo and Jaime Melo, last week's winners at Mosport, finished third in Risi's lead Ferrari F430 GT.

"I said yesterday that my favorite part of the track was the start-finish line," Henzler joked after the race. "In my second stint I came out behind Johannes and I wasn't going to make a stupid move on him. Unfortunately he had an incident with a prototype and then it became hard to communicate with my pit crew. They couldn't hear me and I could barely hear them. I unplugged the radio, twisted it and suddenly it worked. At the end, another yellow came and I had to push a little more. Even after one lap, there was a big gap and it was easy at the end."

The Lizard duo saw their championship lead jump from 10 points to 28 points as the Tafel Ferrari of Dirk Mueller and Dominik Farnbacher lost time in the pits with a faulty ignition. They finished ninth in class.

The Lizards have been championship contenders since joining the Series since 2004 and finished second in both the team and driver championships last season.

"I don't want to jinx it," said Bergmeister, himself a two-time GT2 champion. "We are in good shape and still have to fight for race wins. You have to have luck to win a championship and everyone is trying their best. We're keeping our heads down and going forward.

Link to original story...

Barack Obama's Speech at DNC 2008

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:11:26 -0500

Surrounded by an enormous, adoring crowd, Barack Obama promised a clean break from the "broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush" Thursday night as he embarked on the final lap of his audacious bid to become the nation's first black president.

"America, now is not the time for small plans," the 47-year-old Illinois senator told an estimated 84,000 people packed into Invesco Field, a huge football stadium at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

He vowed to cut taxes for nearly all working-class families, end the war in Iraq and break America's dependence on Mideast oil within a decade. By contrast, he said, "John McCain has voted with President Bush 90 percent of the time," a scathing indictment of his Republican rival _ on health care, education, the economy and more.

Polls indicate a close race between Obama and McCain, the Arizona senator who stands between him and a place in history. On a night 45 years after Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a Dream Speech," Obama made no overt mention of his own race.

"I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree" of a presidential candidate was as close as he came to the long-smoldering issue that may well determine the outcome of the election.

Fireworks lit the night sky as Obama accepted the cheers of his supporters. His wife, Michelle, and their daughters Malia and Sasha joined him, and the country music sounds of "Only in America" filled the stadium.

Campaigning as an advocate of a new kind of politics, he suggested at least some common ground was possible on abortion, gun control, immigration and gay marriage.

Obama delivered his 44-minute nominating acceptance speech in an unrivaled convention setting, before a crowd of unrivaled size _ the filled stadium, the camera flashes in the night, the made-for-television backdrop that suggested the White House, and the thousands of convention delegates seated around the podium in an enormous semicircle.

Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden. of Delaware, leave their convention city on Friday for Pennsylvania, first stop on an eight-week sprint to Election Day.

McCain countered with a bold move of his own, hoping to steal some of the political spotlight by spreading word that he had settled on a vice presidential running mate. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty canceled all scheduled appearances for the next two days, stoking speculation that he was the one.

Rep. John Lewis of Georgia spoke from the convention stage of the anniversary of King's memorable speech.

"Tonight we are gathered here in this magnificent stadium in Denver because we still have a dream," said the Georgia lawmaker, who marched with King, supported Obama's primary rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, then switched under pressure from younger black leaders in his home state and elsewhere.

Obama's aides were interested in a different historical parallel from King _ Obama was the first to deliver an outdoor convention acceptance speech since John F. Kennedy did so at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1960.

In his speech, Obama pledged to jettison Bush's economic policy _ and replace it with his own designed to help hard-pressed families.

"I will cut taxes for 95 percent of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class," he said.

The speech didn't mention it, but Obama has called for raising taxes on upper-income Americans to help pay for expanded health care and other domestic programs.

He did not say precisely what he meant by breaking the country's dependence on Mideast oil, only that Washington has been talking about doing it for 30 years "and John McCain has been there for 26 of them."

Criticized by the GOP for his thin foreign policy portfolio, Obama said he welcomed a national security debate with McCain.

"We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country," Obama said. "I will never hesitate to defend this nation."

He said McCain had no standing on foreign policy, not after backing the Iraq war from the start and rejecting timetables for withdrawal now accepted by Bush. "John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war," he said.

Obama's pledge to end the war in Iraq responsibly was straight from his daily campaign speeches.

"I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," he added.

As he does so often while campaigning, Obama also paid tribute to McCain's heroism _ the 72-year-old Arizona senator was a prisoner of war in Vietnam _ then assailed him.

"Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?

Former Vice President Al Gore picked up on the same theme. "If you like the Bush-Cheney approach, John McCain's your man. If you want change, then vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden," he declared.

The much-discussed stage built for the program was evocative of the West Wing at the White House, with 24 American flags serving as a backdrop. A blue carpeted runway jutted out toward the infield, and convention delegates ringed the podium. Thousands more sat in stands around the rim of the field.

The wrap-up to the party convention blended old-fashioned speechmaking, Hollywood-quality stagecraft and innovative, Internet age politics.

The list of entertainers ran to Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and will.i.am, whose Web video built around Obama's "Yes, we can" rallying cry quickly went viral during last winter's primaries.

In a novel bid to extend the convention's reach, Obama's campaign decided to turn tens of thousands of partisans in the stands into instant political organizers.

They were encouraged to use their cell phones to send text messages to friends as well as to call thousands of unregistered voters from lists developed by the campaign.

In all, Obama's high command said it had identified 55 million unregistered voters across the country, about 8.1 million of them black, about 8 million Hispanic and 7.5 million between the ages of 18 and 24.

Those are key target groups for Obama as he bids to break into the all-white line of U.S. presidents and at the same time restore Democrats to the White House for the first time in eight years.

The Democratic man of the hour paid a brief visit to members of his home-state Illinois delegation before the curtain went up on his show. "I came by (because) I had this speech tonight. I wanted to practice it out on you guys. See if it worked on a friendly audience," he joked.

There was no joking about the stakes in the speech, a once-in-a-campaign opportunity to speak to millions of voters who have yet to make up their minds between McCain and him. The polls show a close race nationally, with more than enough battleground states tight enough to tip the election either way.

Obama's hopes of victory rely on holding onto the large Democratic base states such as California, New York, Michigan and his own Illinois, while eating into territory that voted for George W. Bush. Ohio tops that list, and Democrats have also targeted Montana, North Dakota, Virginia and New Mexico, among others, as they try to expand their Electoral College map.

McCain was in Ohio as Obama spoke, and after a series of sharply negative convention week television commercials, his campaign aired a one-night advertisement that complimented Obama and noted the speech occurred on the anniversary of King's famous address.

"Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America. Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, 'Congratulations,'" McCain says in the ad.

"How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight Senator, job well done."

321earn

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:23:42 -0500

Bill Clinton's Speech at DNC 2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:24:46 -0500

Bill Clinton Speech Video DNC 2008 :

Here is Bill Clinton’s speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention where he praised Barak Obama and blasted the Republicans.

Hillary Clinton's Speech at DNC 2008

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:25:39 -0500

Hillary Clinton Speech DNC/Democratic National Convention Video:

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s speech was all about unity after an introduction by Chelsea Clinton.In Hillary Rodham Clinton’s speech at the DNC/Democratic National Convention earlier to night,she said:

"No way. No how. No McCain.
Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President."

321earn

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:28:11 -0500

Ted Kennedy's Speech at Convention

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:21:23 -0500

Ted Kennedy's Speech at Democratic Convention

Sen. Ted Kennedy made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver Monday evening, sending the party faithful into a frenzy.

The ailing Kennedy recently underwent surgery and is suffering from brain cancer.

"It is so wonderful to be here and nothing was going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight," Kennedy said, his voice strong and clear.

Despite his bleak prognosis, he said he had this to say: "I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate."

Kennedy spoke out strongly in support of Barack Obama, comparing the presidential hopeful to his brother, slain U.S. president John F. Kennedy.

"We are told that Barack Obama believes too much in an America of high principle and high endeavor," he said. "But when John Kennedy thought of going to the moon he didn't say, 'It's too far to get there, we shouldn't even try.'"

"Today an American flag still marks the surface of the moon."

A video tribute was planned for Kennedy but it wasn't clear he would be able to see it in person. He flew to Denver Sunday but doctors were said to be worried about his exposure to crowds because of his frail immune system.

Kennedy has been at every convention except two in the last 48 years.

Usain Bolt 100m and 200m

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:02:31 -0500

In the most outrageous display of speed to ever burn across the
Olympic Games, Usain Bolt of Jamaica rocketed to gold in winning the
men’s 100m dash in 9.69 seconds — not only a new world record but the
first time in the history of human beings a man has run the distance
under 9.7 seconds without a significant tailwind.

Richard THOMPSON of Trinidad & Tobago finished second, a full two-tenths of a second back, in 9.89.

Walter Dix of the United States took third, in 9.91.

Usain Bolt sets another world record in the 200m final at Beijing
Olympics 2008. Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix get silver and
bronze.

Officially, Usain Bolt won by an astounding 0.66 second over
American Shawn Crawford, the defending Olympic champion. Crawford won
the silver medal when Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who had
finished 0.52 behind Bolt, was disqualified after a U.S. protest for
running out of his lane.

American Walter Dix was awarded the bronze medal when the third man
across the line, teammate Wallace Spearmon, also was disqualified for
leaving his lane.

* Images from REUTERS

20080815_tfort_2

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:41:58 -0500

WORLD WIDE- China's Expanding Influence

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 07:30:28 -0500

Why Every American Should Care About China.
The Emerging Superpower Is Forging Relationships Where the U.S. Isn't.

China Inside Out - Documentary on ABC.
By BOB WOODRUFF, GABRIELLE TENENBAUM, SUSAN SCHAEFER and MEENA HARTENSTEIN.

For complete news visit: http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/China/story?id=5510369&page=1