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Expert Advice on Your Biggest Training Questions
We answer 17 of your most pressing training and nutrition questions here.
by Shawn Perine shawnperine
In the world of health and fitness, old wives' tales and gym lore are oft repeated, chapter and verse, as hardcore fact. Opinions are bandied about as truth, and legend is taken as history. Health clubs are home to more speculation than the pork bellies market. And that's just the way it's always been. Until now.
We've recruited bona fide experts in the fields of exercise science and nutrition to help us answer 17 questions that have historically been ripe for speculation, guesswork and hearsay. So now, instead of listening to the advice of your training partner's friend's roommate's sister, you can be the one giving it. But one word of caution: You may find your standing among old wives seriously downgraded. So, what really happens when . . .
What Happens When...
1) You don't wear a belt during heavy lifting?
According to nutrition and exercise guru Chris Aceto, there are two sides to this coin. "If you don't use a belt when lifting heavy, you could possibly injure yourself because belts support the abdominal and lower back muscles—the stabilizers of the trunk region," he says. "Paradoxically, when people start out training with a belt, they don't build those stabilizer muscles, so the risk of injury increases as the strength of other muscles increases." In other words, use a belt only to help prevent possible injury on your heavier sets, not to take the place of supporting muscles.
2) You eat too much or too little protein?
We all know that protein builds and maintains muscle. So we do our best to get the right amount of protein to reach our personal fitness goals. But what happens on those days your meal schedule gets derailed?
Aceto explains: "If you eat too much protein, the excess is sent to the liver, changed to a sugar and used as fuel, stored as glycogen or stored as bodyfat. Many people don't realize that protein can be stored as fat. Conversely, if you eat too little protein, you fall into a negative nitrogen balance, meaning there aren't enough amino acids to make your muscles grow." All the more reason to keep a log of your daily nutrient intake. Try to stick to 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily.
3) You get less than eight hours of sleep?
Sleep deprivation has reached epidemic levels in the United States. While eight hours of work, eight hours of play and eight hours of sleep used to represent the magic triangle of balance in a person's day, our current version is an isosceles, with the sleep side getting ever shorter. What does this mean to you, the dedicated trainer?
"Sleep need is an individual thing," notes M&F Science Editor. "But research supports the fact that most people require between seven and nine hours. You should strive for at least seven; otherwise you risk perturbations in your hormone levels, like growth hormone, which seven hours tend to gain more bodyfat."
4) You don't stretch on a regular basis?
Between work, the fiancée, Sunday afternoon with the kids and your Internet addiction, you've got maybe an hour a day, four days a week, to hit the gym -- and you're not about to waste one minute of it stretching. So what's the worst that could happen?
"You'll lose flexibility and range of motion in each muscle," reports Aceto. "Consequently, you won't be able to overload the muscle through its entire range, and you'll limit your growth potential." Stretching is best done after working out to maximize flexibility and range of motion. It's never a good idea to stretch cold muscles, because it could lead to muscle pulls and tears.
5) You try to train while you're sick?
"Studies show that exercise will generally cause an acute suppression of the immune system," states William J. Kraemer, PhD, CSCS, director of research and a professor in the department of kinesiology at The University of Connecticut, Storrs. "But with things like upper respiratory tract infections [colds], it's not going to do much damage and can even be beneficial if the exercise isn't too intense."
But what about the feverish? "If you're experiencing any flulike symptoms, you don't want to take the chance of compromising yourself and making things worse," Kraemer warns. Plus, it's not polite to sneeze on your gym partner while he's benching.
6) You eat a meal (or meals) after 9:00 p.m.?
"Diet experts" often advise not to eat after 9:00 p.m. But what if you do?
"If your goal is to build muscle, you should consume a slow-digesting protein like meat or a casein product within an hour before sleeping to provide amino acids throughout the night," Stoppani advises. "Without them, muscle breakdown occurs while you sleep. As far as carbs go, some controversy exists. Many bodybuilders get good results by not eating carbs within four hours of bedtime. Others say it doesn't matter, as carbs won't make you fat if you don't take in excessive calories throughout the day."
A good rule of thumb: Try to grab a protein-rich (30 grams or so), low- to moderate-complex-carbohydrate meal about an hour before bedtime. Your muscles will thank you in the morning.
7) You have sex before working out?
"Women weaken legs!" This infamous caveat bleated by crusty boxing trainer Mickey Goldmill to Rocky Balboa as he trained for his title shot made many a lonely lady out of athletes' wives and girlfriends. Did Mickey know what he was talking about, or did he have a few marbles knocked loose during his fighting days?
"It depends on who it's with," jokes Aceto. On a more serious note, he adds: "The idea that having sex drains you of your strength is an old wives' tale. I think it's probably a positive thing because it can help you to relax, men-tally and through the release of chemicals. When you're relaxed, you tend to perform better." Just don't make it a marathon session.
8) You train a body part two days in a row?
This idea is all but taboo in gym circles; the common belief is that it will surely lead to overtraining.
"We've trained people on consecutive days and have had success with it," Kraemer points out. "But the key is, the rest period following needs to compensate for the intensity of the workouts. This means between workouts, don't do any other type of activity -- just go home, eat and relax. It's also important that you vary the load on the muscles and the angle of the exercises. For example, if you were to train chest on consecutive days, you'd want to do flat benches on day one and inclines on the following day, or vice versa."
While this shouldn't be the basis of a long-term approach to your training, you could certainly incorporate it as a short-term way to shock your muscles into new growth. And make sure you consume sufficient carbs, protein and total calories.
9) You slack off and miss a workout?
So now the job, the fianc´e and the rest of your busy life has squeezed that chest/back workout right out of your schedule. Or worse yet, all of your bodyparts took a backseat this week. Is it time to start repenting?
"Missed workouts provide you with an opportunity to rest," assures Kraemer. "A lot of guys become obsessed with getting to the gym anyway, so it can be a positive thing. The body is not going to untrain that quickly." Just how much time are we talking here? "In high-level athletes it can take two weeks," he says. "Recreational athletes won't see the effects for up to six weeks. Moreover, we've found that the longer an athlete has been training, the longer a rest period he or she should take to re-energize."
10) You take a month . . . or a year . . . off from training?
A lot of the more serious (read: obsessed) trainees out there can't stomach the thought of missing one workout, let alone a month's -- or a year's -- worth. What's the worst that could happen, other than gym-withdrawal side effects?
"After a month, you'll definitely lose some muscle mass and strength, but probably not as much as you might think," Stoppani points out. "A recent study found that lifters lost little muscle and strength and gained minimal fat after six weeks off."
And what if you decide to call it quits for good -- will your muscle turn into fat? "The myth that muscle cells turn into fat derives from the fact that most guys who were bodybuilders at one time continue to eat as if they still were -- as if they still have the same metabolic requirements as someone with big muscles," Stoppani remarks. "But with smaller muscles comes a slower metabolism, and less training means less opportunity to burn calories. Hence fat begins to accumulate."
11) You drink a glass of raw eggs?
Credit Rocky with propagating yet another sports-related myth. Who can forget watching the Italian Stallion in the ultimate act of athletic dedication, downing a glass full of freshly cracked eggs? And who didn't try, at least once, to emulate his gut-churning heroics? But to what end -- increased strength, energy and stamina, or food poisoning?
Although it's uncommon, you could suffer bacterial contamination. "You need to be careful with raw foods because they could contain food-borne pathogens," explains Kraemer. In fact, cooked eggs are better digested and utilized than raw. Sorry, Rock. Mickey should have told you.
12) You get too busy and skip a meal?
Sooner or later, it happens to everyone: You're running late and you're fresh out of meal replacement bars. Major dilemma?
"If you skip a meal here or there, it's not going to suddenly put you into a catabolic state," Aceto notes. "We do have amino-acid pools that we store for just these instances. We also have glycogen reserves. But if you're trying to put on mass, you obviously don't want to make a habit of it."
13) You sit in a sauna and try to "sweat off" pounds?
It's hard to envision an image more synonymous with weight loss than that of a towel-clad health enthusiast sweating it out in a sauna. But what's really going on in there? Is some mystical metabolic process transpiring that will ultimately render the user thinner?
"No, you just lose water due to sweating for cooling the body," reports Stoppani. Don't sauna before a workout, as the majority of the water comes from the blood, so you may compromise blood flow and the pump to your muscles. A recent study did find, however, that sweating can be beneficial for your health."
14) You don't consume whey protein and simple carbs post-workout?
M&F has repeatedly heralded the importance of grabbing a quick-absorbing protein and simple-carb meal after working out. But why is this so important, and what happens if you miss it?
"We've found, as have other labs, that the initial 30 minutes to an hour after a workout is the optimal time for protein synthesis to occur," Kraemer states. The mantra "the sooner the better" clearly applies in this instance, he adds. "We actually try to get to that post-workout meal within 10 minutes after training. But sometimes people have a tough time getting a meal down that soon after working out, in which case a half-hour or even an hour is fine."
If you can't find whey or casein after your workout, go for any kind of protein. It may not be digested as efficiently, but as the sailors say, "Any port in a storm."
15) You lift too soon after eating?
Remember how your mom always told you to wait an hour after eating before going in the pool? Some people believe the same warning applies to resistance training. But what really happens if you lift on a full stomach?
"For most people, nothing," Stoppani remarks. "Some people have to eat earlier, as their stomachs may be more sensitive; when you work out, blood flow is diverted away from the GI system and to the muscle, and digestion and absorption of nutrients slows. But it's more of an individual thing." Regardless of your preworkout eating habits, you need to consume some sort of protein and carbohydrate within an hour after your workout.
16) You work out when you're still sore?
Another old wives' tale is to stay out of the gym if your muscles still ache from your last workout. "A recent study found that when muscles were trained when still sore, no added damage occurred to those fibers," states Stoppani. "One study found that when a workout was repeated just two days later and muscles were still sore, subjects had lower cortisol levels than normal. Since low cortisol means more testosterone is available, it may actually be beneficial from time to time to train the same bodypart two days in a row -- but only rarely."
17) You lift on an empty stomach?
Once again, life gets in the way of lifting, and you miss your preworkout meal. What can you expect from your hungry body during the workout? "As far as fatigue goes, it depends on your reps and total sets," says Stoppani. "The higher your reps, the more muscle-glycogen you'll depend on to complete those reps. Without some form of dietary carbohydrate, you may fatigue earlier."
He continues: "As far as hormonal responses go, lifting without taking in carbs before the workout will lead to higher cortisol levels during and after the workout. Cortisol inhibits testosterone's anabolic effects and leads to muscle breakdown.
"Not having any protein before the workout is a double whammy as even higher cortisol levels lead to further muscle depletion. Eating protein helps to inhibit some of this breakdown, so having nothing to eat before a workout is bad for muscle gains." In other words, carry a bar, a drink, something. Just don't hit the gym with a growling gut.


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Home / EDUCATION / Reviews
How to use diagnostic technologies wisely and for the benefit of your health
The early detection of health problems is very important in curtailing the progress of, or eliminating, disease at its onset. Over the last decades, various imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI and CT scans have been developed and applied to diagnostic, as well as therapeutic, medical care.
However, in recent years, many doctors – and especially radiologists – have become concerned with the overuse of certain diagnostic techniques, in particular those that expose patients to radiation. Although infrequent use of X-ray or CT (computed tomography) scans will not have adverse effects on a patient, multiple exposures to radiation over a short period of time can cause serious damage to cells, resulting in an increased risk of cancer and other diseases.
In addition to illustrating some of the concerns associated with medical radiation exposure, the following overview presents ways to protect our bodies and minimize the risks of damage.
Sources of radiation exposureSources of radiation exposure
Our bodies are exposed to different types of radiation coming from a variety of sources, such as non-ionizing radiation from microwaves, electric power lines or radio signals, and a natural ionizing radiation originating from substances contained in the earth's crust and space. In medicine, many diagnostic imaging technologies, such as X-ray machines and CT scans, were designed to look for abnormalities inside of the body's organs and are based on radiation.
These medical diagnostic technologies are increasingly becoming more popular. The use of CT scans in the US has skyrocketed over the past three decades, from 3 million scans in the 1980s to 70 million scans in 2007. This rate has doubled in the last 5 years. More than 4-7 million children are getting CT scans, and the numbers continue to increase by 10% every year. ...hide content
Increasing health concerns with the use of radiation-based diagnosticsIncreasing health concerns with the use of radiation-based diagnostics
The controversy about CT scans being an increasing source of radiation exposure – and thus increasing the risks of future cancers – caught public attention in 2007. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. David Brenner, the lead author, highlighted various concerns related to a large increase in the use of CT scans in children and adults. He emphasized that only a small percentage of scans are absolutely necessary and that about one-third can be replaced by other approaches or not done at all. Another study published in the same year, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), estimated that the increased exposure may lead to 29,000 new cases of cancers in upcoming years.
Despite the continually increasing popularity of CT scans, there are very few regulations regarding their use. In a study published in 2009 by the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF), researchers found that there is up to 13-fold variation in the radiation doses for similar tests conducted using different machines or settings, sometimes even at the same medical facility. In 2009, a major hospital came under FDA investigation for over-exposing more than 200 patients due to improper settings in brain scans. Similar issues were revealed at other centers in the USA. ...hide content
Why are so many CT scans being performed?Why are so many CT scans being performed?
One of the reasons for the increase in CT scans is that they are a non-invasive, fast and painless testing method with which to identify tissue abnormalities and developing health problems. Many CT scans provide high resolution 3-D images, which make it easier to view details of internal organs, blood vessels, bones and tumors. Also, as the scan can be taken within seconds, CT scan images are easy to take – as opposed to X-Rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs, which require the patient to remain still for long period of time.
The popularity of CT scans also relates to the fact that many physicians use multiple testing as a protection against malpractice claims. Some physicians, when unsure as to which is the best test to order for a particular symptom, often choose a CT scan so as to cover a wide range of potential problems. However, sometimes for appendicitis in a child, an ultrasound exam is better and far less dangerous than a CT scan. Quite often, multiple CT images are taken in one setting to give a clearer idea of a potential problem.
Cost can also play a role because the insurance "fee-for-procedure" method rewards doctors for doing more tests. Many commercial centers promote annual testing to screen the whole body for early detection of diseases. Their customers, who are sometimes referred to as the "worried well," pay out-of-pocket expenses to get that extra dose of radiation. Many patients request this test because another friend with similar symptoms had also had a CT scan.
In many cases, the over-use of radiation-based technologies relates to a lack of awareness about the associated health risks. According to a 2003 survey, approximately 75% of radiologists and emergency-room physicians significantly underestimate the radiation dose from CT scans. They seem to think that the radiation exposure through CT is equal or marginally more than a conventional X-Ray. In fact, the radiation from one CT scan can be equivalent to approximately 500 chest X-Rays, with a wide range of variation depending upon the body area scanned. For instance, a cardiac CT scan recording calcium deposits has a much lower dose of radiation exposure (equal to one mammogram scan) than a CT angiogram, the latter of which exposes a patient to multiple higher doses (the equivalent of 20 mammogram scans).
Some orthodontists, especially those with the highest percentage of pediatric patients, say they feel "blind-folded" if working without a cone-beam CT scan. Some also use the "fun-factor" of viewing 3-D skull images as a selling point for their practice. The scan technologists tend to increase the radiation per dose to get "amazing" pictures with more contrast.
Following recent regulations, the US Transportation Security Administration will be scanning all airline passengers with X-ray scanners, thus further exposing millions of travellers to radiation. Although an individual's lifetime risk of developing cancer due to radiation exposure may not be high, with millions of scans being performed every year, the cumulative risk for the population is much higher. As such, this is a huge public health issue and potential cancer epidemic. ...hide content
Who is at risk?Who is at risk?
In general, there is no "safe" level of radiation exposure. In particular, children, young adults and women have the highest risk of developing radiation-induced cancer in their lifetime.
Children and young adults: Children are 10 times more sensitive to the same dose of radiation than an adult. Nevertheless, an increasing number of children are getting CT scans because it is convenient for the doctor and parents. Approximately one-third of children getting a CT scan are 10 or younger. Yet, the machine settings are rarely changed for a child's CT scan. There are many concerns with radiation-based tests conducted in children, which include:
- A child's torso is thin, thus providing less protection from radiation-induced damage.
- Children have a longer life span to manifest the hazards of radiation.
- Immature and rapidly dividing cells (i.e. blood cells) and developing organ systems are more prone to DNA damage from radiation exposure, which increases a risk of developing organ abnormalities or diseases.
According to Dr. Brenner's 2007 study, an estimated 33% of CT scans are unnecessary. This translates into more than 1.5-2 million children getting very high doses of radiation that has detrimental health effects
Women: A UCSF researcher, R. Smith-Bindman, projected that 1 in 270 women aged 40 who undergo a cardiac angiography CT scan to study coronary blood vessels will develop some form of cancer, as opposed to 1 in 600 men of the same age who undergo the same procedure.
Although all body organs could potentially be harmed by radiation exposure, the breast, thyroid, bone marrow, digestive and reproductive organs are more radiosensitive due to continuous cellular growth activity. It is reported that a higher radiation dose is used for head scans, yet the risk of potential harm is higher in abdominal scans due to organ sensitivity. ...hide content
The role of the radiologist as a gatekeeperThe role of the radiologist as a gatekeeper
In a typical scenario, a patient is referred by a physician to a radiologist for a specific scan. A technician performs the scan, prepares the images and preliminary results for the radiologist to review and sign and the office sends out the bill. Special consideration is rarely given to any other aspects of the patient's history, symptoms, possible diagnosis, age, height and weight, or whether there is a better option than performing a CT scan.
Increased usage of CT scans does not add value to patients' medical care, but does put them – and future generations – on a trajectory for cancer, heart disease and genetic malformations.
In a 2010 meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, in a campaign named "Image Wisely," more than 700 radiologists pledged to use less radiation on their patients. This campaign aims to better educate health practitioners and patients to keep radiation exposure to a minimum level. The International Commission on Radiological Protection already recommends using the ALARA ("as low as reasonably achievable") principle for limiting the radiation doses received by people. The Image Wisely campaign is based on a previously successful "Image Gently" campaign launched in 2008. The Image Gently campaign encourages the usage of imaging protocols specifically modified for children. These two campaigns mainly focus on standardization of protocols, reducing multi-scan images, and the optimization of radiation exposure based on each individual patient. At present, however, use of these recommendations remains voluntary and the efforts are still in their infancy. It is therefore up to the individual to take control of his/her radiation exposure and, thereby, their health. ...hide content
What a patient can do to minimize radiation exposureWhat a patient can do to minimize radiation exposure
The best defense is knowledge and a dose of healthy skepticism. You need to be an advocate for yourself and your children. There are some steps that you can take right away:
1) Avoid repetitive tests: Keep your own accurate records of exposure to X-rays and CT scans, along with the reports. Patients with previous emergency (ER) visits for chest pain, kidney stones, and abdominal pain are more likely to have multiple tests.
2) Go to facilities committed to radiation safety. Some institutions follow the American College of Radiology accredited protocols, with staff trainings on appropriate machines. However, such certification is currently not mandatory for CT scan owners.
3) Ask questions:
- What information is the doctor looking for when a CT scan is suggested?
- How will this information improve the diagnosis/treatment/outcome of the disease?
- Are there any alternatives through which the same information can be obtained?
For example, cardiac Ultrafast CT exposes the body to less radiation than the angiogram CT. An MRI scan is equally effective to provide images of the liver, pancreas and kidneys. As far as possible, parents may suggest using ultrasound tests for children as a substitute for radiation-based tests. The application of the ALARA ("as low as reasonably achievable") principle is advised for ultrasound tests as well. Will the radiation dose be adjusted according to the size of the person? The dose should be much lower for children and adjusted for adults based upon their body mass index (BMI).
- Can the scan range be limited to a specific region only?
Reduce exposure to multiphasic scans with contrast (e.g., 64 sliced scans are popular for cardiac studies).
4) Consider financial interests, such as owning a machine.
Many cardiologists, oncologists and some primary physicians purchase CT machines to increase their revenue sources. With inadequate staff training on appropriate radiation doses, higher doses are given to get clearer images. Some states like California, New York, Illinois have prohibited physician self-referral for CT scans. ...hide content
Use of CT scans for screeningUse of CT scans for screening
Use of radiation-based tests is important for the diagnosis and monitoring of high risk patients. However, the concern is greater when tests are performed on healthy populations for information purposes.
Whole body CT scans: Health-conscious people often want to get a whole body CT scan in the hope that it will aid the early detection of diseases. In addition to the extra radiation that such scans subject the body to, an additional issue with such screening is that it can generate suspicious results which may eventually turn out to be harmless. Yet, in the meantime, until given the "all-clear," the person undergoes many invasive procedures and a lot of anxiety.
Mammography: While mammograms have helped in the detection and treatment of many cases of breast cancer, it is important that women talk to their physicians about the requirements and frequency of their mammogram tests. Mammogram radiation exposure can vary and can sometimes be equal to 75 chest X-rays. Considering the risk-benefit ratio and cost, regular yearly mammograms in women over 40 may not be essential and, especially, not necessary for every woman. A comparative study in breast cancer detection between the USA and UK found although the cancer detection rates were similar in both countries, false positive test results were twice as high in the US. To save patients a lot of psychological and financial burden, it is important that mammograms are evaluated by an experienced physician.
Lung Cancer screening: Preliminary findings of a government funded study presented in November 2010 indicated that annual CT scans of current and former smokers may reduce the death risk from lung cancer and other causes. As a result, without a thorough peer-review assessment and confirmation of the findings of this study, many commercial screening centers are already advertising such CT scans for a much broader population, including nonsmokers. Similar to other screening scans, in addition to unnecessary radiation, there is a high possibility of detecting false positives or benign abnormalities. Such screening, followed by the "treatment" of diseases that never existed, could prove more harmful than useful.
It is very important to diagnose and prevent diseases using appropriate advances in medical technology. However, the benefits of radiation-based scans should always be weighed against the risk of radiation damage. ...hide content
Consequences of radiation damage to our body cellsConsequences of radiation damage to our body cells
The damaging effects of ionizing radiation on cells can be summarized as follows:
A. Ionizing radiation can cause damage in two ways:
- Directly: Radiation damages cellular macromolecules, e.g., DNA and proteins leading to DNA mutation and cell death
- Indirectly: Radiation interacts with water molecules in the cell, generating free radical unstable hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) which has a toxic effect on cells and can cause cell damage or even death.
B. Radiation-induced carcinogenesis can occur in two ways:
- Initiation effect: Radiation can cause a genetic mutation that can convert normal, rapidly developing, cells into precancerous cells leading to cancers. Children and young adults are more susceptible to this effect.
- Promotion effect: This effect could be more active in adults who already have pre-existing cancerous cells. External radiation prompts rapid growth and development of these cells. ...hide content
How to protect the body's cells from unavoidable radiation exposureHow to protect the body's cells from unavoidable radiation exposure
Incorporate a synergistic nutrient program in the daily regimen and adjust it before the CT scan. Nutrients, especially antioxidants such as vitamins C, A, and E, green tea extract, quercetin and others are reported to prevent the formation of oxygen free radicals and reduce the toxicity of already formed free radicals, thereby avoiding cellular damage in multiple ways.
Vitamins C, A and E - In addition to other protective effects, vitamin C is most important in preventing genetic damage to chromosomes. In addition, it also protects bone marrow cells and acts synergistically with antioxidants such as vitamins A and E to prevent the radiation-induced death of healthy cells and induce cell death (apoptosis) in damaged cells.
Phytonutrients:
Green tea extract is unique in providing protection to rapidly dividing cells in the digestive system and bone marrow and in reducing the damaging effects of radiation impact.
Quercetin provides protection to chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA.
Resveratrol protects the most radio-sensitive tissues and organs, such as the liver and the digestive tract, from radiation damage. In addition, it also has selective action on cancer cells.
Curcumin protects normal cells from radiation damage, as well as increasing the activity of the genes responsible for cancer cell death.
Other nutrients:
N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) is known to synergistically act with vitamins C and E to protect the cells, even when taken immediately after radiation exposure.
Zinc and Manganese are the cofactors of natural antioxidant enzymes which are important components of a cellular anti-oxidant defense system. Zinc is known to protect bone marrow – and especially red blood cells – against damage, but not tumor cells. Zinc and Manganese together are powerful in protecting cellular mitochondria, which fuel our cells with bio-energy.
Although many of these studies are conducted in research laboratories, it is already recommended that airline pilots, other crews and astronauts take high doses of antioxidant nutrients. However, due to lack of awareness, physicians do not recommend the same to their patients.
While the guidelines are still blurry on who should or should not get CT scans, and what their exact indications and frequency should be, our knowledge and open discussion with the physician are the keys for minimizing the health risks of these diagnostic tests. In addition, it is very important to ensure an optimum daily intake of antioxidant nutrients and increase it as necessary.
Bilwa Bhanap, MD, Aleksandra Niedzwiecki, PhD ...hide content
ReferencesReferences
1. Brenner D, Hall E. Computed Tomography: An Increasing Source of Radiation Exposure. New England Journal of Medicine 2007; 357:2277-84
2. Smith-Bindman R, Lipson J, Marcus R, Kim KP, Mahesh M, Gould R, Berrington de González A, Miglioretti DL. Radiation dose associated with common computed tomography examinations and the associated lifetime attributable risk of cancer. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Dec 14;169(22):2078-86.
3. Smith-Bindman R, Chu PW, Miglioretti DL, Sickles EA, Blanks R, Ballard-Barbash R, Bobo JK, Lee NC, Wallis MG, Patnick J, Kerlikowske K. Comparison of screening mammography in the United States and the United Kingdom. JAMA. 2003 Oct 22;290(16):2129-37.
4. National Lung Screening Trial Research Team, Aberle DR, Adams AM, Berg CD, Clapp JD, Clingan KL, Gareen IF, Lynch DA, Marcus PM, Pinsky PF. Baseline characteristics of participants in the randomized national lung screening trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010 Dec 1;102(23):1771-9. Epub 2010 Nov 22.
5. Yong LC, Petersen MR, Sigurdson AJ, Sampson LA, Ward EM. High dietary antioxidant intakes are associated with decreased chromosome translocation frequency in airline pilots. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Nov;90(5):1402-10. Epub 2009 Sep 30.
6. Shuryak I, Sachs RK, Brenner DJ. Cancer risks after radiation exposure in middle age. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010 Nov 3;102(21):1628-36. Epub 2010 Oct 25.
7. Brenner DJ. Slowing the increase in the population dose resulting from CT scans. Radiat Res. 2010 Dec;174(6):809-15. Epub 2010 Aug 23.
8. Brenner DJ. Should we be concerned about the rapid increase in CT usage? Rev Environ Health. 2010 Jan-Mar;25(1):63-8.
9. Okunieff P, Xu J, Hu D, Liu W, Zhang L, Morrow G, Pentland A, Ryan JL, Ding I. Curcumin protects against radiation-induced acute and chronic cutaneous toxicity in mice and decreases mRNA expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic cytokines. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2006 Jul 1;65(3):890-8.
10. Velioğlu-Oğünç A, Sehirli O, Toklu HZ, Ozyurt H, Mayadağli A, Ekşioğlu-Demiralp E, Erzik C, Cetinel S, Yeğen BC, Sener G. Resveratrol protects against irradiation-induced hepatic and ileal damage via its anti-oxidative activity. Free Radic Res. 2009;43(11):1060-71.
11. Tobi SE, Gilbert M, Paul N, McMillan TJ. The green tea polyphenol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, protects against the oxidative cellular and genotoxic damage of UVA radiation. Int J Cancer. 2002 Dec 10;102(5):439-44. ...hide content

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A Road to Far Away Places
Lisa was only in the 8th grade when she was placed in foster care. The journey would not be easy for her. Tough adjustments had to be made. Trust did not come easy.
"It's stressful being placed to live with strangers, trying to get them to trust me, and learning to trust them. You don't know how the household is run, so what you're accustomed to really doesn't matter," said Lisa. "You have to learn to adapt and live in someone else ́s environment which can be difficult – especially when you're so young and you see other children coming in and out of the household."
The instability of the transition into foster care caused Lisa to rebel, but her wayward days were short-lived.
"Nothing lasts forever, and hope will get you a long way. You have to find some willpower to accept your circumstances and keep trucking forward," says Lisa.
With a laser-sharp focus on her education, and a network of inspirational teachers and BCFS programs in place to support her, Lisa began "trucking forward" – toward college. She always knew school would be important to her, and even at a young age she excelled in her classes.
"I believe my teachers saw potential in me and I looked up to them," says Lisa. "Many of them cared enough, beyond just my school work, and encouraged me to grow up to be a better person, and to aspire to do better for myself in all aspects of life."
Confidently, Lisa made a profound decision for one so young. "I never wanted to go back to the life I was forced to live when I was young. I always wanted better for myself."
BCFS Health and Human Services' Education Training Voucher program helps youth in foster care pay for college tuition and related expenses so they can make a smoother transition to self-sufficiency and adulthood after aging out of the system. Lisa credits the BCFS ETV program for setting her on the right path to earning a degree and stand on her own two feet.
"The program helped me be able to sustain an independent lifestyle. I have always worked, but it helped immensely knowing that I had a program that would provide me with financial assistance to help me reach my goal of obtaining a degree."
Juggling the demands of work plus college classes could have overwhelmed Lisa – and unfortunately high college dropout rates among youth in foster care show that's a disappointing trend – but Lisa says BCFS was her stabilizing force. "When my school course load became stressful and my work hours were cut, BCFS put my worries at ease because I knew I'd be able to stay in school and finish my degree no matter what."
Lisa acknowledges that her experiences and educational pursuits have forced her to mature in many ways – and even her dreams for the future have changed.
"At this point, I would rather travel the world with a suitcase instead of settle down too quickly and acquire a mountain of debt," says Lisa. "When I started my first semester as an undergrad, I wanted the 'white picket fence' ideal, but now I just want to enjoy my freedom and live an adventurous life, if possible."
Where does Lisa dream the great adventure of her life will take her? "Somewhere far, far away – traveling."
ETV Success Story!
This success story was brought to you, in part, by the ETV program!
The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program helps Texas' current and former foster youth, youth adopted at age 16, and youth that enter Permanency Care Assistance at age 16, to make a smoother transition to independent adulthood by providing funds and support that help youth achieve their educational goals. Visit TexasETV.com for details.


The Old Post Office Campsite provides pitches suitable for camping, motor homes and touring caravans. There are five hard standing pitches with electric hook ups available for either caravans, motor homes and tents. Grass pitches are mainly level and are available for tents, motor homes and touring caravans. 22 pitches are served with electric hook up. Many pitches are situated overlooking the very pretty River Irt.


Tasneem has had a rich and diverse career spanning 30 years in both radio and television. She has reported, presented, produced and been an editor in news and current affairs.
Some of the highlights have included: championing the cause of the consumer as Presenter on 'You and Yours' (BBC Radio 4), producing at 'Newsnight and 'BBC Breakfast', reporting and presenting for 'Newsroom South East' and 'BBC East' (BBC TV), presenting 'Outlook' (World Service) and producing documentaries for the Asian strand 'East' (BBC 2) and Carlton TV. Tasneem currently produces and reports at BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Services).
She honed her training skills at the BBC Training Unit where she delivered courses in broadcast journalism to new producers and reporters.
Her media training portfolio is varied and she also delivers presentation, communication and media skills workshops on behalf of Media First.
She is a qualified English and Media Studies teacher and a guest lecturer in Broadcast Journalism at several universities.


Simply place the open end of the Practice Stick over the golf ball and 'click' the ball in. This ball shagger will hold 21 golf balls. To empty the Practice Stick, simply raise your foot from the heel and use the top of your foot to release the spring loaded lever- out come the golf balls. Chip, putt, repeat! Never bend over.


We provide an integrated approach to public relations, engaging multiple mediums across different platforms and stakeholder groups. Our healthcare partners trust us to produce results-driven plans that align with business goals, while expressing brand messaging through strategic, compelling stories.
Our public relations counsel reflects the convergence of traditional and digital marketing. We leverage earned, shared, owned and paid media to engage, inform and connect brands with their target audience.


text:
using namespace std;
namespace bfs = boost::filesystem;
using namespace boost::lambda;

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// TODO:  move this stuff

class Reporter_Population : public Reporter
{
    public:

    Reporter_Population(const string& output_directory, bool verbose)
    :   outdir_(output_directory), verbose_(verbose)
    {}

    virtual void update(size_t generation_number,
                        const PopulationPtrs& populations,
                        const PopulationDatas& population_datas)
    {
        if (!verbose_) return;

        if (populations.size() != population_datas.size())
            throw runtime_error("[Reporter_Population] Population data size mismatch.");

        const size_t population_count = populations.size();
        const char* filestem = "population";

        for (size_t population_index=0; population_index<population_count; ++population_index)
        {
            ostringstream filename;
            filename << filestem << "_" << generation_number << "_" << population_index << ".txt";

            bfs::ofstream os(outdir_ / filename.str());
            if (!os)
                throw runtime_error(("[Reporter_Population] Unable to open " + filename.str()).c_str());

            os << *populations[population_index];
            os.close();
        }
    }

    virtual void update_final(size_t generation_number,
                              const PopulationPtrs& populations,
                              const PopulationDatas& population_datas)
    {}

    private:

    bfs::path outdir_;
    bool verbose_;
};

class Reporter_Genotypes : public Reporter
{
    public:

    Reporter_Genotypes(const string& output_directory, Locus locus, bool verbose)
    :   outdir_(output_directory), locus_(locus), verbose_(verbose)
    {
        os_allele_freqs_.open(outdir_ / "allele_freqs.txt");
        if (!os_allele_freqs_)
            throw runtime_error("[Reporter_Genotypes] Unable to open file allele_freqs.txt");
    }

    virtual void update(size_t generation_number,
                        const PopulationPtrs& populations,
                        const PopulationDatas& population_datas)
    {
        if (populations.size() != population_datas.size())
            throw runtime_error("[Reporter_Genotypes] Population data size mismatch.");

        const size_t population_count = populations.size();

        // update allele frequenices

        for (size_t population_index=0; population_index<population_count; ++population_index)
        {
            GenotypeDataPtr genotypes = population_datas[population_index].genotypes->at(locus_);
            os_allele_freqs_ << genotypes->allele_frequency() << " ";
        }
        os_allele_freqs_ << endl;

        // if verbose, write full genotype data

        if (!verbose_) return;

        const char* filestem = "genotypes";

        for (size_t population_index=0; population_index<population_count; ++population_index)
        {
            ostringstream filename;
            filename << filestem << "_" << generation_number << "_" << population_index << ".txt";

            bfs::ofstream os(outdir_ / filename.str());
            if (!os)
                throw runtime_error(("[Reporter_Genotypes] Unable to open " + filename.str()).c_str());

            GenotypeDataPtr genotypes = population_datas[population_index].genotypes->at(locus_);
            copy(genotypes->begin(), genotypes->end(), ostream_iterator<int>(os, "\n"));
            os.close();
        }
    }

    virtual void update_final(size_t generation_number,
                              const PopulationPtrs& populations,
                              const PopulationDatas& population_datas)
    {}

    private:

    bfs::path outdir_;
    bfs::ofstream os_allele_freqs_;
    Locus locus_;
    bool verbose_;
};

class Reporter_Fitnesses : public Reporter
{
    public:

    Reporter_Fitnesses(const string& output_directory, bool verbose)
    :   outdir_(output_directory), verbose_(verbose)
    {
        os_mean_.open(outdir_ / "mean_fitnesses.txt");
        if (!os_mean_)
            throw runtime_error("[Reporter_Fitnesses] Unable to open file mean_fitnesses.txt");
    }

    virtual void update(size_t generation_number,
                        const PopulationPtrs& populations,
                        const PopulationDatas& population_datas)
    {
        if (populations.size() != population_datas.size())
            throw runtime_error("[Reporter_Fitnesses] Population data size mismatch.");

        const size_t population_count = populations.size();

        // update mean fitnesses

        for (size_t population_index=0; population_index<population_count; ++population_index)
        {
            const DataVector& fitnesses = *population_datas[population_index].fitnesses;
            os_mean_ << fitnesses.mean() << " ";
        }
        os_mean_ << endl;

        // if verbose, report full fitnesses

        if (!verbose_) return;

        const char* filestem = "fitnesses";

        for (size_t population_index=0; population_index<population_count; ++population_index)
        {
            ostringstream filename;
            filename << filestem << "_" << generation_number << "_" << population_index << ".txt";

            bfs::ofstream os(outdir_ / filename.str());
            if (!os)
                throw runtime_error(("[Reporter_Fitnesses] Unable to open " + filename.str()).c_str());

            const DataVector& fitnesses = *population_datas[population_index].fitnesses;
            copy(fitnesses.begin(), fitnesses.end(), ostream_iterator<double>(os, "\n"));
            os.close();
        }
    }

    virtual void update_final(size_t generation_number,
                              const PopulationPtrs& populations,
                              const PopulationDatas& population_datas)
    {}

    private:

    bfs::path outdir_;
    bfs::ofstream os_mean_;
    bool verbose_;
};

class SNPIndicator_SingleLocusHardyWeinberg : public SNPIndicator
{
    public:

    SNPIndicator_SingleLocusHardyWeinberg(Locus locus, size_t population_size, double allele_frequency)
    :   locus_(locus)
    {
        const double p = allele_frequency;
        const double q = 1-p;
        const size_t N = population_size;

        // individuals: (0, 1, 2, ... ,     max_2, ... ,     max_1, ...    )
        // genotypes:   (2, 2, 2, ... , 2,  1, 1,  ... , 1,  0, 0,  ... , 0)
        //                       N*p^2            N(2pq)          N*q^2

        max_2_ = size_t(N * p * p);
        max_1_ = size_t(N * (1 - q*q));
    }

    virtual unsigned int operator()(unsigned int chromosome_id, const Locus& locus) const
    {
        if (locus != locus_) return 0;
        Chromosome::ID id(chromosome_id);
        if (id.individual < max_2_) return 1;
        else if (id.individual < max_1_ && id.which == 0) return 1;
        return 0;
    }

    private:

    Locus locus_;
    size_t max_2_;
    size_t max_1_;
};

class QuantitativeTrait_SingleLocusFitness : public QuantitativeTrait
{
    public:

    QuantitativeTrait_SingleLocusFitness(int id, Locus locus, vector<double> w)
    :   QuantitativeTrait(id), locus_(locus), w_(w)
    {
        loci_.insert(locus); // to satisfy interface loci() -- TODO: revisit
    }

    virtual DataVectorPtr calculate_trait_values(GenotypeMapPtr genotypes) const
    {
        if (genotypes->size() != 1 || genotypes->count(locus_) != 1)
            throw runtime_error("[QuantitativeTrait_SingleLocusFitness] Invalid genotype map.\n");

        const GenotypeDataPtr& g = genotypes->at(locus_);

        DataVectorPtr fitnesses(new DataVector(g->size()));

        // transform {0, 1, 2} -> {w[0], w[1], w[2]}
        DataVector::iterator jt = fitnesses->begin();
        for (GenotypeData::const_iterator it=g->begin(); it!=g->end(); ++it, ++jt)
            *jt = w_[*it];

        return fitnesses;
    }

    private:

    Locus locus_;
    vector<double> w_; // relative fitnesses
};

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::Config::Config(const Parameters& parameters)
:   w(3, 1)
{
    seed = parameters.count("seed") ? atoi(parameters.at("seed").c_str()) : 0;
    output_directory = parameters.count("outdir") ? parameters.at("outdir") : "";

    population_count = parameters.count("popcount") ? atoi(parameters.at("popcount").c_str()) : 1;
    population_size = parameters.count("popsize") ? atoi(parameters.at("popsize").c_str()) : 0;
    generation_count = parameters.count("gencount") ? atoi(parameters.at("gencount").c_str()) : 0;
    initial_allele_frequency = parameters.count("allelefreq") ? atof(parameters.at("allelefreq").c_str()) : 0; // atof

    w[0] = parameters.count("w0") ? atof(parameters.at("w0").c_str()) : 1;
    w[1] = parameters.count("w1") ? atof(parameters.at("w1").c_str()) : 1;
    w[2] = parameters.count("w2") ? atof(parameters.at("w2").c_str()) : 1;

    verbose = parameters.count("verbose"); // no good for verbose=0
}

std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::Config& config)
{
    os << "seed = " << config.seed << endl;
    os << "outdir = " << config.output_directory << endl;
    os << "popcount = " << config.population_count << endl;
    os << "popsize = " << config.population_size << endl;
    os << "gencount = " << config.generation_count << endl;
    os << "allelefreq = " << config.initial_allele_frequency << endl;
    os << "w0 = " << config.w[0] << endl;
    os << "w1 = " << config.w[1] << endl;
    os << "w2 = " << config.w[2] << endl;
    if (config.verbose) os << "verbose" << endl;
    return os;
}

SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection(const Config& config)
:   config_(config)
{}

void SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::usage() const
{
    cout << "Usage:  simrecomb single_locus_selection [parameter_name=value] ...\n";
    cout << "        simrecomb sls [parameter_name=value] ...\n";
    cout << "        simrecomb sls config=config_filename ...\n";
    cout << endl;
    cout << "Required parameters:\n";
    cout << "  outdir=<output_directory>\n";
    cout << "  popsize=<population_size>\n";
    cout << "  gencount=<generation_count>\n";
    cout << endl;
    cout << "Optional parameters:\n";
    cout << "  config=<config_filename>\n";
    cout << "  seed=<value>\n";
    cout << "  popcount=<population_count>              (default: 1)\n";
    cout << "  allelefreq=<initial_allele_frequency>    (default: allelefreq=0)\n";
    cout << "  w0=<relative_fitness_genotype_0>         (default: w0=1)\n";
    cout << "  w1=<relative_fitness_genotype_1>         (default: w1=1)\n";
    cout << "  w2=<relative_fitness_genotype_2>         (default: w2=1)\n";
    cout << "  verbose\n";
    cout << endl;
}

Random random_hack_; // TODO: remove

namespace {

void write_deterministic_trajectories(const SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::Config& config)
{
    bfs::path outdir(config.output_directory);
    bfs::ofstream os_p(outdir / "allele_freqs_deterministic.txt");
    bfs::ofstream os_w(outdir / "mean_fitnesses_deterministic.txt");

    double p = config.initial_allele_frequency;
    const double w0 = config.w[0], w1 = config.w[1], w2 = config.w[2];

    for (size_t generation=0; generation<config.generation_count; ++generation)
    {
        double q = 1 - p;
        double w0_marginal = q*w0 + p*w1;
        double w1_marginal = q*w1 + p*w2;
        double w_mean = q*w0_marginal + p*w1_marginal;
        double dp = p*q*(w1_marginal-w0_marginal)/w_mean;
        //double dw = dp*(w1_marginal-w0_marginal) + dp*dp*(w2-2*w1+w0);

        os_p << p << endl;
        os_w << w_mean << endl;

        p = p + dp;
    }
}

} // namespace

void SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::initialize()
{
    // check parameters

    if (config_.output_directory.empty())
        throw runtime_error("[SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection] No output directory specified (outdir=value).");

    if (bfs::exists(config_.output_directory))
        throw runtime_error(("[SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection] Output directory exists: " + config_.output_directory).c_str());

    if (config_.population_size == 0)
        throw runtime_error("[SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection] Population size not specified (popsize=value).");

    if (config_.generation_count == 0)
        throw runtime_error("[SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection] Generation count not specified (gencount=value).");

    bfs::create_directories(config_.output_directory);

    bfs::ofstream os_config(bfs::path(config_.output_directory) / "config.txt");
    os_config << config_ << endl;
    os_config.close();

    cout << config_ << endl;

    // initialize simulator

    simulator_config_.seed = config_.seed;
    simulator_config_.output_directory = config_.output_directory;

    // population configs

    Population::Configs configs_gen_0(config_.population_count);
    for (size_t i=0; i<config_.population_count; ++i)
    {
        Population::Config& popconfig = configs_gen_0[i];
        popconfig.size = config_.population_size;
        popconfig.populationID = i;
        popconfig.chromosomePairCount = 1;
    }
    simulator_config_.population_configs.push_back(configs_gen_0); // copy

    Population::Configs configs_gen_next(config_.population_count);
    for (size_t i=0; i<config_.population_count; ++i)
    {
        Population::Config& config_gen_next = configs_gen_next[i];
        config_gen_next.size = config_.population_size;
        config_gen_next.populationID = i;
        config_gen_next.matingDistribution.push_back(1, make_pair(i,i));
    }
    for (size_t i=0; i<config_.generation_count-1; ++i)
        simulator_config_.population_configs.push_back(configs_gen_next); // copy

    bfs::ofstream os(bfs::path(config_.output_directory) / "popconfig.txt");
    if (!os)
        throw runtime_error("[SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection] Unable to open popconfig.txt");
    os << simulator_config_.population_configs;
    os.close();

    // QuantitativeTraits, FitnessFunction, SNPIndicator, Reporters

    Locus locus(0, 100000); // hardcoded locus
    int qtid = 0; // hardcoded QT id

    QuantitativeTraitPtr qt(new QuantitativeTrait_SingleLocusFitness(qtid, locus, config_.w));
    simulator_config_.quantitative_traits.push_back(qt);

    FitnessFunctionPtr ff(new FitnessFunction_Identity(qtid));
    simulator_config_.fitness_function = ff;

    simulator_config_.snp_indicator = SNPIndicatorPtr(new SNPIndicator_SingleLocusHardyWeinberg(
        locus, config_.population_size, config_.initial_allele_frequency));

    simulator_config_.reporters.push_back(ReporterPtr(new Reporter_Population(config_.output_directory, config_.verbose)));
    simulator_config_.reporters.push_back(ReporterPtr(new Reporter_Genotypes(config_.output_directory, locus, config_.verbose)));
    simulator_config_.reporters.push_back(ReporterPtr(new Reporter_Fitnesses(config_.output_directory, config_.verbose)));

    simulator_ = SimulatorPtr(new Simulator(simulator_config_));

    write_deterministic_trajectories(config_);
}

void SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::run() const
{
    // hack: TODO remove -- fix Simulator logic for this

    Organism::recombinationPositionGenerator_ =
        shared_ptr<RecombinationPositionGenerator>(new RecombinationPositionGenerator_Trivial(random_hack_));

    simulator_->simulate_all();
}

void SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::report() const
{
    simulator_->update_final();
}

void SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::example(const std::string& output_directory) const
{
    cout << "SimulationController_SingleLocusSelection::example() not implemented.\n"; // TODO
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Tag Archives: responsibility
LAUTENBERG'S GOTTA GO! DICK ZIMMER FOR U.S. SENATE
New Jersey Candidate For U.S. Senate, Dick Zimmer
New Jersey is a state in crisis. A manmade crisis that has created a state that is unaffordable and a government that is inconsequential. For more than 5 years little has come out of its state capital to make much of a difference in the lives of its approximately 8,725,000 people. Yet from its lush green, rolling hills and mountainous peeks in its northwestern corner to its Victorian Painted Ladies along Cape May on its southern seaside corner, New Jerseyans are battered, burdened and brushed aside by a state legislature that is as effective as a sail boat without a sail. From it's northern mountains to it's southern shores and all the suburban sprawl in between, New Jersey's citizens suffer. While most of the nation is realizing a national economic pinch, New Jerseyans are trying to cope with an economic punch.
Rising prices across the nation only compound the rising cost of living in New Jersey. Costs that have been increasing every month since the states liberal led assembly and senate went to work with disgraced former Governor Jim McGreevey and than his successor, former Goldman Sachs financial genius, Governor Jon Corzine. It is a liberal menage-a-tois that has done nothing with our state problems accept make them more expensive.
Ever since Corzine took office, all we have seen in New Jersey are new proposed taxes and rate hikes. Our Governor has proposed everything from ridiculously high, progressive, toll increases on our critical roads, to creating new tolls on roads that have not had a one before. When he first came into office he invented a whole new slew of taxes. One even took advantage of the state's motto by implementing a tax on any landscaping or planting of shrubbery and flowers. Now that's one way to keep the garden in "the Garden State", isn't it?
Despite the despair of its citizens, state government in New Jersey simply adds to the high cost of living in the state. They have done little to curb the excesses of it's own governance or of public employee and teachers unions who hold us hostage to their whims, little to improve public transportation, public safety, education, or any quality of life issues that affect us. What they have done is cost us a lot more for a lot less and created one of, if not the most, unfriendly business environments in the nation.
But even though the state of the state is in the midst of malaise, you would never know that there was an election in New Jersey. Its liberal loving legions are undoubtedly voting for Barack Obama to become our next President. It is so definite that neither Obama or McCain have wasted anytime or money in the state since they got their party's nominations. But even putting the presidential election aside, you would think that there would be some acknowledgment of the fact that we have an election for the United States Senate going on here. Yet, you would never know it.
Even though it is an election for federal, not state office, you would think the people of New Jersey might have an ounce of interest in trying to better the conditions of our state by electing someone who's representation of us in Washington, DC could help to benefit us here in New Jersey. But such is not the case.
Instead the four term incumbent Senator Frank Lautenberg is going to be sworn in to a fifth term in office as one of the two very best New Jerseyans to represent us in Washington, DC. It would actually be a laughable arrangement if it wasn't so pathetically sad.
For twenty-four years Mr. Lautenberg has represented New Jersey in the federal government by promoting his own self interests. He has not made one iota of difference for the state or the nation since his first term in office.
Over two decades ago Senator Lautenberg spearheaded efforts to eliminate smoking on airplanes. During that same first term he was instrumental in effectively raising the legal age for drinking from 18 years of age to 21, throughout the nation. Lautenberg fought hard for the passage of his legislation that linked federal funding to states for their roads to their raising the legal drinking age. No state wanted to lose out on the federal money available to maintain and build their roads. So this resulted in a uniform legal drinking age throughout the nation and prevented teens from driving across state lines so that they could legally drink in one state and then get behind the wheel to drive back to their home state while intoxicated. The bill may have actually saved lives. It was a responsible and, at the time, a creative measure.
But since that first time in office, Frank Lautenberg has produced nothing. His name has joined many others on various liberal pieces of legislation but the extent of his efforts stopped after allowing a staffer to put his name on the bill.
Lautenberg has not been in the forefront of any legislative initiatives or in the lead in opposition to any legislation. Frank Lautenberg has provided no solutions to our nations problems. For display he has simply offered a press release or sound bite in regards to issues, but little, very little, more than that.
On taxes Frank Lautenberg has never opposed an increase that has been proposed. On the budget, the only thing he has endorsed cutting is spending on our national defenses. He has never once moved to significantly reduce government spending or it's size.
His spending habits are perhaps best exemplified by his staff. It is one of the three highest paid staffs in the entire US Senate. This is odd when you realize that he is one of the least active members of the senate. Yet his staff is occupied by countless consultants and a number of state directors. Even though New Jersey is a relatively small state, Mr. Lautenberg requires three state directors, including a number of South Jersey directors. These are obviously patronage positions made available to help consolidate Lautenberg's power. South Jersey is where his greatest challenges to re-election come from. It is where Congressman Bob Andrew comes from and where he challenged Lautenberg for the nomination from.
Even though New Jersey ranks last among all states in the amount of return on the dollar we recieve from Washington, Frank's staff is one of the highest paid in the federal government and for what? Two press releases a week and his seal of approval for a far left agenda?
The fact is that until this election rolled around one had to take pause and try to recall if Frank Lautenberg was still in the U.S. Senate. The man was scarce and his accomplishment are even more scarce. Now that he is running for re-election he has tried to demonstrate himself as a doer. He most recently proclaimed great pride in what one ad described as his forcing homeland security money to be allocated by need rather than politics. It might be a powerful issue if it were true. First of all, Lautenberg, as well as his senate cohort Bob Menendez, have brought back little money from Washington to New Jersey. In the case of homeland security money, what the state did receive was being allocated by a liberal led state legislature and governor who only gave the money to districts that were represented by Democrats. This pattern finally and only changed after Republican lawmakers took the issue to court. Then and only then was the allocation of homeland security dollars doled out based upon the security needs it was meant for.
The truth is that Frank has little to run on. It is hard to have to go back more than two decades in order to demonstrate ones effectiveness.
Not that it matters. This is New Jersey. Here. where liberals rule, two plus two does not equal four. In fact, here in New Jersey, just adding two plus two together costs you 5 in new taxes and then you must subtract the total of the equation and give that amount to the union whos leader slept with Governor Corzine and negotiated contracts behind closed doors.
So common sense is not something that you find a large quantity of New Jersey. It is something that we have to import from neighboring states and in the Northeast it is hard to find. But it explains why Lautenberg is being rewarded with a fifth term in office. That and the fact that the New Jersey Republican party is so unorganized and out of touch with the ability to tap into the political despair that we are in, all accounts for why one would not know that there was election for the US Senate in Jersey.
Lautenberg is the wealthy owner of ADP, the paycheck service that rakes in millions for producing the checks that many American's receive for their livings. So he has oodles of dough and even has the financial backing of the Democratic National Committee and the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.
The Republican nominee does not have Frank's wealth, nor does he have the great deal of money coming to him from the RNC or Senate Republican Campaign Committees. They're tapped out.
On top of that Frank Lautenberg even refuses to debate the issues and will not go face to face with his opponent.
All of this makes the fact that there is a race for the United States Senate in New Jersey, a well kept secret, much like Frank Lautenberg's accomplishments.
But there is a race and it's one that could truly help to turn the tide of inaction and lack of solutions or innovation in this state. It could come from Dick Zimmer.
Dick Zimmer is a former 3 term Republican congressman. While in office Congressman Zimmer brought about more productive measures in just one of his two year terms than any of Frank Lautenberg's four, six year terms in office.
While in office Congressman Zimmer fought wasteful government spending. When it came to his own staff budget, unlike Frank Lautenberg who uses every dime given to him to have one of the highest paid federal staffs in government, Zimmer returned money that his staff budget didn't require, to the federal government. He even tried to pass legislation that required unused portions of staff budgets to be returned to the federal government and applied to deficit reduction.
As a congressman, Dick Zimmer's fiscal conservatism and legislative initiatives earned him the title of "Taxpayer Hero" by Citizens Against Government Waste each year he was in office.
Zimmer's zealotry did not stop with economic issues though. He proved himself to be a man of great social conscience and activism. When a toddler in New Jersey was brutally assaulted and murdered by a convicted sex offender who recently moved into the girls neighborhood, Dick Zimmer made government work for the people and he wrote and fought for passage of the federal legislation known as Megan's Law which mandated that parents be notified when a convicted sex offender moves into their neighborhood.
Zimmer was also responsible for no frills laws which eliminated luxuries in federal prisons for criminals who were there to be punished instead of comforted.
He did this while also never allowing the United States to roll over in the face of international opposition or belligerent enemies. Zimmer knows that the best America is a strong America, not just militarily but economically as well as educationally.
These are but a few examples of Dick Zimmer's active participation in government. They exemplify his ability to implement improvements into our lives through a government that he helps to make work for us, not be a burden on us.
Dick Zimmer knows that the purpose of holding elected office is not for the title or ability to hand out patronage to consolidate power. He knows that it is an opportunity to empower the people he represents and a chance to improve lives through legislative action as opposed to putting out press release announcing that he put his name on someone's legislation.
Frank Lautenberg on the other hand has spent about two decades proving that he knows how to make government work for him. It finances his patronage mill and pays him well to do nothing more than repeat the words of some of his more active and innovative liberal buddies in the Senate.
Perhaps the most accurate description of Frank Lautenberg and his long, lackluster waste of time in the Senate is best exemplified by the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station in Secaucus, New Jersey. Built at a cost of more than 600 million dollars the transportation committee that Lautenberg chaired invested our tax dollars in it because of the dire need to expand and improve public transportation in New Jersey. Here in New Jersey one must drive everywhere. You must even drive long distances to catch a train to somewhere. So this terminal was built in Northern New Jersey where there is a need to help increase public transportation to and from neighboring New York City.
The More Than $600 Million Dollar, Empty, Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Terminal in Secaucus
Well the genius of the transportation committee, under Lautenberg's leadership, allocated the money and after years of construction it was finally finished. It's a beautifully cavernous, multi leveled facility and it was humbly named after the man who designated the money for it…..Frank R. Lautenberg. Well years later it still stands but it does so empty. With no parking made available anywhere near the facility, it is impossible for commuters to access it and so except for the occasional tourist in world famous Secaucus, New Jersey, no one uses it.
So here we have a useless, hollow monument to Senator Lautenberg that cost a lot but does little. It's just like it's namesake. Senator Lautenberg is a useless living fossil who costs taxpayers a lot but does little for them.
It's time to retire Senator Lautenberg. It was time for his retirement 8 years ago when he did retire only to be brought back to run for the senate when Senator Bob Toricelli was found guilty of accepting gifts and other bribes. When it became obvious that he was not going to win re-election, state democrat leaders illegally took Torricelli off the ballot and replaced his name with Lautenberg's.
Let's face it folks, we have gotten all that we can we out of Lautenberg. He was devoid of ideas and enthusiasm after his first term more than 18 years ago. Since than we have been waiting for him to do something worth anyone's while. How many more terms in office does he need to provide us with something meaningful?
When all of New Jersey's major daily newspapers, liberally biased newspapers, from the Asbury Park Press to the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Gloucester County Times to the Courier Post have endorsed Dick Zimmer, a Republican, you know that there is something wrong and that something is Frank Lautenberg.
With all the problems that are going unaddressed or worsening here in New Jersey, it is time that we shake things up. It's time for some new thinking and representation in Washington that can help make the federal government work better for us than our state government does.
It's time for Dick Zimmer.
So this Tuesday, November 4, 2008, regardless of who you cast your presidential vote for, be sure to vote for New Jersey and cast your ballot for Dick Zimmer for US Senate.
Even if his time hasn't come, we know for sure that Frank Lautenberg's time has gone.
Presidential Summit
There was a presidential summit and the presidents of the world were asked to propose topics to discuss about.
The president of the United States said, "I think we'd see about how to stop wars." Everybody applauded.
The president of Somalia said, "I think we'd see about how to stop hunger." Everybody applauded.
The president of Costa Rica stood up and said, "I think…" Everybody applauded.
Tagged as 2008 election, 2008 presidential election, actual politics, all three branches of government controlled by liberals, anthony del pellegrino, barack obama, barack obama for President, battleground states, blogspot, cala katz union toubles, change, democrat, democrat party, democratic party, dick zimmer, dick zimmer for senate, digg, elect someone new, election results, endorsements, frank lautenberg, governor jon corzine, jon corzine, liberal menage-a-tois, longing serving senator, new jersey, new jersey elections, penssylvania, performance, politcs 247, political base, political blog, political consultant, political consultants, political exploitation, political gotcha, political joke, political jokes, political news, political polling, political polls, political punch line, political strategy, politicians, politics, politics 24/7, politics247, poll closing times, polls, polls closed, president, president elect, president of the united states, presidential campaign, presidential debate, presidential election, presidential race, presidential speeches primary voters, punchline politics, race for president, race for the white house, republican, republican party, responsibility, rethinking the election, Sarah Palin, sarah palin for vice president, sarah palins, schedule of poll closing times, sean hannity, secret negotiatons, senator frank lautenberg, senator lautenberg, should democrats be happy, socialist agenda, t voter fraud, teachers unions, technorati, the electoral college, the key to winning the election the race for the white house, the presidential election, the senate race in new jersey, the tim conway jr show, the times that the polls close, tim conway jr, time for a change, times that states close their polls, townhall, u4prez, united states senate, us senate, vermon, what is the electoral college, what state will report election results first, when do the polls close, when does voting end in, when will we know the winner, when will we know who won, when will we know who won the election, which states does Mccain needs to win, who will win the election, who's winning the election, whos winning in new jersey, winning, wordpress, wordpress political blogs, wordpress.com, zimmer for united states senate
ELECTION NIGHT SCHEDULE AND PREDICTIONS
Election night can and will be very interesting but if you have yourself the right tools it could be a short one. Certain state races could be quite telling and barring any voter machine falures or an obvious voter scandal that calls for the impounding of ballots, if some of those states go one way or the other, you couid know who the next President will be buy as early as 8:00 pm. Maybe even earlier.
But to reach that conclusion you need the right tools. So here it is, your own little election night guide.
It's kind of like a racing slip for the Kentucky Derby of elections.
Below you will find the scheduled poll closing times for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. You will also find the play by play for one election night scenario.
7PM Eastern
Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia
At 7:00 pm the first polls close In Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. If the results are not particularly close, projections could be made within minutes. Vermont will be a landslide and it will be called for Senator Barack Obama. Kentucky, South Carolina and Georgia will also have pluralities large enough s to safely call them, but they will be for Senator John McCain. These results may come in relatively quickly, probably by 7:10 to 7:20 PM.
Virginia is also, usually, called rather quickly but I suspect that there will not be a rapid rush to call Virginia for Obama or McCain. With polls claiming that the Virginia race is in the bag for Barack Obama by as much as 10% and others having the race as close as 2% combined with the high voter turnout, calling this one quickly may be tough.. Ultimately though, Virginia is likely going blue. If it does, McCain is in trouble. By losing Virginia, Senator McCain will need to make up for the loss of their 11 electoral votes and he will have to do so within a map that offers him few opportunities. It will not be impossible to make them up but difficult. However, Indiana closes it's polls at this time and if Indiana goes to Barack Obama, especially with Virginia going the same way, than you can start hiding your money under the mattresses because you can safely say that President Obama will be living in the White House
An average of all polls in Indiana give Barrack Obama an edge over McCain by less than half of 1 percent but if there is any state that is likely to lean in McCain's direction it is Indiana so if McCain does get it, the first round of poll closings should result with John McCain receiving 42 electoral college votes to Obama's 16.
7:30PM Eastern
Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina
The biggest player in this second round, Ohio, will probably be the most conclusive of all. If Senator McCain losses their 20 electoral votes, the possibility to win any combinations that reaches the magic number of 270 electoral votes is highly unlikely. To do so he would need Pennsylvania, Missouri, Florida, Colorado, Indiana as well as two other state that may have already been called for Obama, Virginia and North Carolina. That would leave Obama with only 265 to McCain's 273. This highly doubtful.
West Virginia is unquestionably in McCain's column and despite the current polls of these states, in this second set of closings, I expect McCain to win Ohio in and North Carolina. Conventional wisdom and history would seem to make this very possible if not likely. So we give them to him. That brings the total count for John McCain to 82 electors to Obama's 16.
Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee
Now 8:00 pm arrives. If McCain received any of the necessary combinations needed up to this point, here too, is a do or die situation for John McCain. It also produces one of the most lucrative results of all poll closing times. 171 electoral votes are up for grabs at this point and it includes some of the south which is strong territory for McCain. The problem is that much of Obama's true blue northeastern states also turn out their results at 8 o'clock. The results for the Obama rich megalopolis from Massachusetts in the Northeast to DC in the Mid Atlantic begins to pour out for him here. It also includes the crucial states of Pennsylvania and Missouri. Most important of all for McCain will be the sunshine state of Florida. We can safely say that of the states in this 8:00 pm round of poll closings, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee will break for McCain. That gives him 33 more electors bringing him up to 115.
Obama will definitely take Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Washington, DC and his home state of Illinois. That's a total of 84 bringing Obama up to 95votes in the electoral college.
That leaves us with the battleground states of Missouri and two of the biggest cliff hangers in this 8:00 pm closing time. They are some of the biggest prizes in the electoral sweepstakes , Pennsylvania and Florida.
Parts of Florida close ealier than 8:00 pm. But by 8 pm, the panhandle, which is in a different time zone form the rest of the state, makes the results in Florida official. In the 2000 election, the pro-Gore media ignored this fact and called the election for Gore before these results were in. I do not expect them to make the same error this time.
With an average of polls showing McCain trailing in Florida by 2.2 %, he can pull it off. If he does, it gives him a total of 142 electoral votes and he will still be in the race for at least another half hour and the next rounds of results.
With the polls almost as close in Missouri as they are in Florida, I will put Missouri in Mac's column too. Now he is up to 153.
The remaining state in this group, Pennsylvania, is becoming interesting.
Obama's reference to the citizens of the western part of the state "bitterly clinging to their guns and religion" along with their own Congressman John Murtha first calling them racists and than apologizing by calling them rednecks, Pennsylvania could be in play and I think it just might be the surprise of the night. I think McCain will win it by a whisper. If the polls in Pennsylvania are as inaccurate as I believe, and it does go McCain's way, he will now have 174 electoral votes.
I do regret that this is looking unlikely. McCain most likely will not be able to pull it off. Currently Mac is in back by as much as 11% here. That would give Obama 116 electoral votes and would also likely seal his winning the 2008 election for President of the United States.
If the scenario goes the way I have suggested, so far, and McCain can pull off Pennsylvania, Senator McCain is still viable when we get to 8:30 pm and the next polls close.
By the time many of the 8:00 pm results are being tabulated and projections are being made in other states, parts of Arkansa start reporting results. Arkansas, with it's 6 electoral votes closes it's polls at 8:30 pm. By 9:00 pm all voting is completed in Arkansas and the results should be conclusive enough to call it for McCain. That would bring the Republican nominee up to 180 electors.
Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming
At 9:00 pm., the polls close in 14 more states. It concludes the Northeast where Obama wins New York and Rhode Isalnd bringing Obama up to 130 electoral votes, just 50 less than McCain. But McCain will be able to safely claim victories in the results from states outside of the Northeast. Such as his home state of Arizona. Others include South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Louisiana, Kansas and the second largest prize, Texas. That will bring John McCain up to 250.
In addition to New York and Rhode Island, Senator Obama should easily claim 42 more electoral votes from the combined total of victories in Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. Barack Obama will now have 172 electoral votes in his column.
That leaves Colorado. Obama is ahead here but it is not a insurmountable lead for John McCain to overcome. However, trends would indicate to me that Obama will take Colorado and after the 9:00 pm results have been projected it will be Barack Obama 181electoral votes to John McCain's 250.
10:00PM Eastern
Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Utah
At 10:00 pm 4 more state polls close and throw their combined 20 electoral votes into the ring. Iowa, Montana, Nevada and Utah should all be good states for McCain but Obama's has a lead in Iowa that will not be overtaken and so Obama will get their 7 electors. McCain should take Montana and will take the state that consistently gives Republicans some of the widest margins of victory in all elections, Utah. Now it's 258 Mccain to 188 for Obama.
Yet again another crucial state for McCain will be Nevada. If he manages to win Virginia earlier in the evening and still wins Ohio and Missouri the final result would be 269 to 269. Obama would still win any such tie in the electoral college by a majority of states controlled by democratic congressional delegations but if McCain happened to change New Hampshire's direction and won the granite state, he would be the next President.
Fact is that McCain is behind Obama by an average of 3.3 % in Nevada. Even though that is a smaller margin than in other states, Obama will probably pull Nevada off. His ground game and union support from hotel workers and gambling interests in Las Vegas make him tough to beat here. So now it's Obama's 193 to McCain's 258. If McCain did happen to win Nevada it still wont matter. The Obama blue tide to come will inevitably doom McCain to his last campaign for President.
California, Hawaii, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington
By 11:00 pm. Hawaii, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington State and the largest electoral prize, California, all close their poll.
McCain will undoubtedly take Idaho and North Dakota which would bring his electoral vote count to 265. Obama is going to win Hawaii, Oregon and the state of Washington overwhelmingly, which brings him up to 215 votes.
Then California's whopping 55 electoral votes will be handed over to Senator Barack Obama like the Oscar being awarded to the years best actor at the Academy Awards ceremony. The Keith Olbermanns, Chris Matthews, Tom Brokaws and other liberal loving loons will be able to rejoice with certainty because Barack Obama will have a total of 270 electoral votes. That would be just the right number needed to win .
1:00AM Eastern – Alaska
It won't be over though. With iceberg like speed, Alaska will make it official at 1:00 am and cast all three of their electoral votes for John McCain and their popular Governor, Sarah Palin. That would give the McCain-Palin ticket a total of 268 electoral votes or 2 short of what he would have needed to win.
Of course there are 4 different possible scenarios that could create a victory for John McCain. Some include winning Pennsylvania while also taking Nevada while still losing in Virginia. Other scenarios don't allow McCain to prevail but are more interesting. One actually is a tie in the electoral college with a combination of state wins for McCain that includes New Hampshire. All are unlikely. It is even unlikely that McCain will win Pennsylvania.
The bottom line though is, that if current polls are correct, McCain will probably lose not only Nevada, Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina but Florida as well as Pennsylvania and Missouri.
Either way one should be able to tell who won by between 8:00 pm and 8:30 pm. It could be even earlier than that. If when the polls close at 7:00 pm, Indiana has Obama winning their electoral college votes, than you can rest assured that McCain probably can't pull out victories in some of the other states that he needs and are less friendly to his candidacy than Indiana is.
If after 7:30 pm,North Carolina bolted it's previous red hue and went blue for Obama, even if McCain won in Indiana, that could prove to be fatal. If North Carolina votes for Obama it will most likely precludes Senator John McCain from being able to achieve the minimal number of 270 electoral required to win the election.
Polls have been known to be wrong and there is still a chance for McCain to win. Obama has not locked up states like Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina or even Colorado and Virginia. New Hampshire could alos start changing directions as undecided voters begin to break in his direction.
In any event I am confident in this fact. Obama will win the popular vote He will do so even if he losses the election in the electoral college. I make this claim because Obama will produce the highest voter turnout we have ever seen in our urban centers, the areas where the highest concentration of voters are.
Obama will produce victories in heavily populated states like New York and California, Michigan and even in Florida. Barack Obama will win with exorbitant pluralities, especially in cities. Because of those high concentration of voters he will win some states with those highly populated, big cities by a million or more votes. Whereas McCain will win in smaller states and by smaller margins. Margins more like tens or hundreds of thousands as opposed to millions.
The margin of victories will not matter as much as the electoral college vote. So if McCain can win some key states like Missouri, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada, even by a small margin, it won't matter how many millions Obama beats McCain by in places like New York, Illinois or California and you can rest assured that Obama will beat him big time in those places.
I actually fear the reaction that we might encounter from the electorate if McCain wins the electoral college but loses the popular vote to Obama. It is a reaction that will probably effect us more than the presidenciy of either McCain or Obama.
Below Are Some Of The Likely Scenarios
This map depicts the results articulated in the above account
A very possible mccain victory scenario
A less likely but still possible McCain victory scenario
The unlikely but very possible tied election result
One of the more likely Obama victory maps
Another Obama possible win scenario
Republicans Democrats
The difference between Republicans & Democrats
A Republican and a Democrat were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person.
The republican gave the homeless person his business card and told him come to his business for a job. He then took twenty dollars out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.
The Democrat was very impressed, and when they came to another homeless person, He decided to help. He walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office. He then reached into the Republicans pocket and gave him fifty dollars.
Tagged as 2008 election, 2008 presidential election, actual politics, all three branches of government controlled by liberals, anthony del pellegrino, barack obama, barack obama for President, battleground states, blogspot, california, colorado, controversial election results, democrat, democrat party, democratic party, digg, early returns from virginia, election, election controversey, election controversy, election maps, election night schedule, electoral college map, electoral college predictions, electoral map, first results on lection night, free republic, gather, gay italian republican from new york, georgia, heavy voter turnout, high voter turnout, indiana, is mccain ahead, is McCain winning, is obama winning, issues in the campaign for president, issues in the election, issues in the presidential election, joe biden, joe biden for vice president, John mccain, john mccain for president, kempite, ket to election night, liberal, liberals, long election night, los angeles, los angeles california, lose the popular vote, mcain palin, McCain needs to win, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, no reason to support barack obama, northeastern, obama, obama biden, obama campaign, obama compared with carter, obama is unqualified, obama landslide, obama vs. McCain, obama's economic plan, obama's record, ocean county, ohio, our national security, palin, pennsylvania, politcs 247, political base, political blog, political consultant, political consultants, political exploitation, political gotcha, political joke, political jokes, political news, political polling, political polls, political punch line, political strategy, politicians, politics, politics 24/7, politics247, poll closing times, polls, polls closed, president, president elect, president of the united states, presidential campaign, presidential debate, presidential election, presidential race, presidential speeches, primary voters, punchline politics, race for president, race for the white house, republican, republican party, responsibility, rethinking the election, Sarah Palin, sarah palin for vice president, sarah palins performance, schedule of poll closing times, sean hannity, should democrats be happy, socialist agenda, technorati, the electoral college, the key to winning the election, the race for the white house, the tim conway jr show, the times that the polls close, tim conway jr, times that states close their polls, townhall, u4prez, vermont, voter fraud, what is the electoral college, what state will report election results first, when do the polls close, when does voting end in, when will we know the winner, when will we know who won, when will we know who won the election, which states Mccain needs to win, who will win the election, who's winning the election, winning penssylvania, wordpress political blogs, wordpress.com


How many Iraqees, Afghanees, Palestinians, Syrians, Yamanees and other non muslim countries are killed by American leaders ? in Millions.. but They did not worry this Millians death.. BUT They are very much worrying the death of one journelist who writes against to his own government?
Fox crying for sheep get wet in rain.
They will plot against all Muslim countries till we turn to their religion .... as already stated in hadees.
May Allah Guide all our Muslim Countries and protect the Muslim Rulers from Kuffars.
All these people are killed due to wrong politics of saudi in the Middle East ..
Who brought Americans for Middle East? Who buy weapons for billions dollors ..
Who created radical groups ..
Why to blame only saudi.? Even other middle eastern countries, especially turkey too are buying weapons from US. Who creat radical groups ? definitely the main country is IRAN. Iran made destruction to Yemen by initiating HOOTHI, Iran made destruction to Iraq by invading after US left almost, Iran made destruction to Syrian Muslims by supporting mass killer Bassar by providing its Army.
Do not you see this ? Brother open your eyes.