Archive for July, 2009
Did Michael Vick Deserve a Conditional Reinstatement?
July 31st, 2009 |Did Michael Vick deserve a conditional reinstatement?
A couple of years after a conviction on animal cruelty charges related to dog fighting, one time NFL star Michael Vick has been “conditionally” reinstated to the professional football league by its commissioner Roger Goodell. Analysts were split on exactly what would happen to Vick, a quarterback with enough talent for three or four players. Some insisted he would be let back into the league immediately, having served a full two year suspension. Still others expected that Vick would never play football again, at least not for the…
What Is Obama Cutting from the Federal Budget?
July 30th, 2009 |What is Obama cutting from the Federal budget?
There’s an old saying in our nation’s capital — “$1 billion here, $1 billion there”. This is supposed to be a joke about the large amounts of money that our Federal government deals with on a daily basis, and is meant to give the common man a chuckle. However, in the case of President Obama’s recent budget cut decisions, it just isn’t true.
When President Obama organized his Cabinet, he let them know that he expected them to come up with $100 million in budget savings, and to do it pronto.…
Are Mercury Dental Fillings Safe?
July 29th, 2009 |Are mercury dental fillings safe?
Mercury is well known as one of the most dangerous metals on earth. One of only four metals that are in liquid form at room temperature, mercury (also known as quicksilver) is a poison that can cause sickness and even death. So how does it make sense that we get mercury-based fillings in our teeth?
Though people have been petitioning the government for answers for years, a definitive answer has only recently been offered by the FDA.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced this week that the silver colored dental fillings containing mercury…
Are Tanning Beds a Cancer Risk?
July 29th, 2009 |Are tanning beds a cancer risk?
International cancer experts have determined, once and for all, that the use of tanning beds and any other device that transmits any kind of ultraviolet or UV radiation do cause cancer. How have they done this? By moving up tanning beds, sun lamps, and similar devices to “the highest risk category”, the same as very dangerous poisons, such as mustard gas.
The new classification for these devices is more than just a symbolic gesture. It means that there is now medical support for the belief that tanning beds and UV rays definitely cause…
Are Computer Games Addictive?
July 28th, 2009 |Are computer games addictive?
I remember my first personal computer — it was 1987 and my uncle gave us his old Apple IIe. What was then a 3 year old computer system seemed to me a playground unlike any other. Looking back, it was a simple machine. Kids wear more complicated devices on their wrists now and call them watches. “Programs” (read Games) ran off floppy disks and the monitor displayed a dizzying mix of toxic green and charcoal gray.
And I was something of a computer game addict. There was nothing more engaging to me than repeated journeys…
Is Texting While Driving Dangerous?
July 28th, 2009 |Is texting while driving dangerous?
Surprisingly, the issue of cell phone usage while driving is a divisive issue. Ask a crowded room how they feel about laws banning the use of handheld cell phones for calling, texting, or any other use, and you’re likely to split the room. On one hand, there are people who will always favor less legislation or “small government”. Those on the other side of the issue feel that it is sometimes the government’s duty to regulate issues related to safety. We’ve all used our phones at inappropriate times — in class, during a movie,…
What Is the ITablet?
July 28th, 2009 |What is the iTablet?
The iTablet is Apple’s next attempt to shake up the entertainment industry — this time with a kind of revamp of some older Mac technology.
Apple’s cult hit Newton was a kind of early PDA. It was hugely popular among a percentage of the population, but is a well known flop in the computing industry. This time around, Apple is introducing a device, known for now as the iTablet, that is portable and lets its users download movies, play games, and read digital books. According to insiders, more and more pieces of entertainment are being…
Terrorists in North Carolina?
July 28th, 2009 |Terrorists in North Carolina?
According to the FBI and several major news outlets, seven people were charged today with “conspiring to provide material support to terrorists” and “conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad”. The press release, issued by David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, and other FBI agents name the following people as part of the case:
Dylan Boyd, 22, U.S. citizen, resident of North Carolina
Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, 22, U.S. citizen, resident of North Carolina
Ziyad Yaghi, 21, U.S. citizen, resident of North Carolina
Daniel Patrick Boyd,…
Who Won the 2009 Tour de France?
July 27th, 2009 |Who won the 2009 Tour de France?
As predicted here at AskDeb.com, the winner of the 2009 Tour de France is Astana team member Alberto Contador. This is not Contador’s first time on the podium — he won last year’s seminal cycling event as well.
The battle for top prize in this year’s Tour de France (the 96th running of the race, by the way) ended in a mostly ceremonial conclusion event. Lance Armstrong was there — he took third place — and he was exhibiting stiff body language and looking rather uneasy. You get the feeling that Armstrong…
What Are the Top Ten College Football Teams Heading into the 2009 Season?
July 27th, 2009 |What are the top ten college football teams heading into the 2009 season?
There are so many college football polls out there it is difficult to decide which one to rely on. It seems every newspaper and sports venue has their own ranking of the top 10, top 15, top 25, or even top 130 teams in the country.
To make things easy, we’re going to take a look at the top 10 teams in this year’s preseason Associated Press poll. While many of you are sure to disagree, this is the concensus opinion of a ton of journalists…
What Caused the Recent Stock Boom?
July 24th, 2009 |What caused the recent stock boom?
The major U.S. stock index scores kept up the recent winning trend today, and have now risen to their highest levels in recent months. The up trend is caused by many factors, not the least of which is an unexpected number of quarterly results beating their estimates and a trickling upward in the home sales data.
That’s right — good news from the real estate market. Stocks are booming on news that existing home sales rose for the third consecutive month as reported from June. This boost in confidence for the stock market…
How Was ESPN Reporter Erin Andrews Filmed while Undressing?
July 23rd, 2009 |How was ESPN reporter Erin Andrews filmed while undressing?
It has become one of the hottest search terms of the year — millions of people entering Erin Andrews name into web crawlers looking for a video that is shocking, disturbing, and downright wrong.
Erin Andrews was filmed in various states of undress, without her knowledge, in hotel rooms recently. The video, which appears to have been filmed in at least two different locations, is available on the web for viewing. However, you have to understand that this woman is going through hell — use the Golden Rule here, people,…
Why Was Henry Louis Gates Arrested?
July 23rd, 2009 |Why was Henry Louis Gates arrested?
Recently, Harvard professor and the director of Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research was arrested while “breaking in” to his own home.
The backlash from this event has brought up issues of race and ethnicity that many thought buried for years. Even President Barack Obama has found his way into the controversy — it doesn’t help that he is a friend of Henry Louis Gates or that he is the first African-American president. Obama spoke out about the arrest of America’s most prominent black scholar, and in doing so…
What Are Vibram Five Fingers?
July 23rd, 2009 |What are Vibram Five Fingers?
When a piece of footwear occupies the top spot in Google’s web search trends, it may be time to pay attention.
I’ve been hearing about Five Fingers shoes for about a week now. First, a friend of mine (who does a lot of cross training) shows up for a short run wearing what look like river shoes. Before I have a chance to ask him what the heck he’s wearing on his feet he offers up an explanation — “They’re Vibram Five Fingers”. He extended his foot and wiggled his toe. The strangest shoes…
How Is the New Swine Flu Vaccine Going to Be Tested?
July 22nd, 2009 |How is the new swine flu vaccine going to be tested?
U.S. health officials announced this morning that trials of the experimental new H1N1 swine flu vaccine will start in August. The trials will take place at eight different university medical centers and some university clinics within the next thirty days. The first two vaccines to be tested are made by two pharmaceutical giants — vaccines made by Sanofi Aventis and CSL Limited will get the first tests.
This vaccine is in rush mode because of the impending flu season, which experts think could give us a resurgance of…
What Charges Will Ben Roethlisberger Face?
July 22nd, 2009 |What charges will Ben Roethlisberger face?
Ben Roethlisberger’s lawyer spent all day yesterday with any news source he could find denying adamantly any of the allegations that have been made against the Steelers quarterback. Big Ben, as Roethlisberger is known, is one of several men who have been named in a lawsuit by a woman accusing the men of sexually assaulting or contributing to her sexual assault last summer.
Roethlisberger, whose rise to fame in the NFL is the stuff of legend, has cancelled a news conference that was scheduled for today, perhaps to circle the wagons and have…
What Colleges Earn Their Graduates the Most Money?
July 22nd, 2009 |What colleges earn their graduates the most money?
We’ve all heard the numbers — people with college degrees earn a ton more money than those who do not graduate from college. Also, the more degrees you earn the more money you’re worth. However, some schools seem to graduate students with higher salaries. It could be because employers are looking for specific names on resumes, or it could be that one college prepares students for the real world more than another. Whatever the reason, we now know what schools graduates earn the most money.
PayScale, a financial analysis website, spent…
Why Is It So Difficult to Close the Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay?
July 21st, 2009 |Why is it so difficult to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay?
President Barack Obama’s campaign promise to close the military base at Guantanamo Bay within a year of taking office is certainly turning out to be easier promised than accomplished. The process of closing the base, and the detention center there, is quite complex due to the need to place inmates in the proper Federal facilities (which are already quite crowded), and this process is much more more complex to achieve than it was to simply announce during the campaign for the Presidency.
President Obama has organized…
Where Will this Month’s Solar Eclipse Be Visible?
July 21st, 2009 |Where will this month’s solar eclipse be visible?
This Wednesday, June 22, 2009, a large portion of the population of Earth is in for quite a show.
The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century is about to take place — specifically, this Wednesday, with time around 2:35:21 UTC. This will be the longest totality event until June 13 2132, when none of us will be alive to view its beauty — hell, it is unlikely that any of our children will be around then.
There will be no other eclipse to rival its duration for over a…
Who Took Home an Espy Award in 2009?
July 20th, 2009 |Who took home an Espy award in 2009?
Surprisingly, the biggest winner at the 2009 Espy awards (put on by cable sports channel ESPN) was one of sports’ most controversial figures.
Michael Phelps, in trouble recently for his off camera behavior (including the circulation of pictures of him smoking marijuana), won four awards in last night’s show in Los Angeles. In a year when it seemed there were dozens of men and women eligible for multiple prizes (think Manny Pacquiao, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Serena Williams, Lorena Ochoa, Phil Jackson, Sidney Crosby, etc) Phelps snapped up all four awards…
What Is Congress Doing about Health Care?
July 17th, 2009 |What is Congress doing about health care?
The United States Congress has increased their workload based on the expected overhaul of the $2.5 trillion healthcare industry. Congress is making good on their promise to the President to attempt to pass legislation in each chamber before the August congressional recess takes place.
The first rumblings of action from the Senate committees took place on Wednesday — the Senate started debates on its own versions of the healthcare overhaul, meanwhile House of Representatives’ Democrats are pushing legislation and debate on their approach. The White House released information Wednesday that confimed that…
What Baseball Teams Will Make the Playoffs this Year?
July 17th, 2009 |What baseball teams will make the playoffs this year?
Sports predictions are notoriously shaky. In baseball, the situation can be even more challenging, considering certain teams’ penchant for going on win streaks late in the season and ruining all analyst’s insight. Think of the Houston Astros, whose late season heroics are legendary, or the Colorado Rockies’ “Rocktober” performance from last year. But now that we are at baseball’s halfway point, we can start to get a picture of what this year’s playoffs will look like.
Here is a breakdown of every time, their high and low points, and a…
Will Sonia Sotomayor Be Confirmed as the Newest Supreme Court Justice?
July 16th, 2009 |Will Sonia Sotomayor be confirmed as the newest Supreme Court Justice?
Sonia Sotomayor has become a controversial figure during the past couple of months. In fact, ever since she was nominated to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Justice David Souter, political pundits can talk of little else.
The conservative right want the concentration to be on her controversial “wise Latina” statement, a piece of her stump speech that indicates her belief that a Latina in America has had such a wide range of experience that she may be “more likely” to be a good judge than a…
Bill Gates: Hurricane Killer?
July 16th, 2009 |Bill Gates: Hurricane Killer?
It may sound like the twisted plot of a comic book or the ramblings of a James Bond villain, but this week’s oddest tech story is based on a patent filed by Bill Gates himself — controlling the weather. Bill Gates and a litany of other inventors have come together to form a plan to “kill hurricanes” while they’re over open ocean and before they can hit land and wreak havoc.
Gates’ idea sounds simple enough — send barges to pull cold deep ocean water up to the surace to create a virtual road…
Who Got Snubbed in this Year’s Emmy Nominations?
July 16th, 2009 |Who got snubbed in this year’s Emmy nominations?
You would think that this year’s Emmys would be less of a snub factory than usual — after all, the Emmy awards have expanded. Most categories now features six nominees instead of the traditional five, with the two biggest categories (Best Drama and Best Comedy Series) expanding to seven.
Before revealing the full list of nominations, I want to point out some interesting oversights. Jim Parsons was finally recognized with a nomination in the Best Actor in a Comedy Series category for his role in the hilarious The Big Bang Theory,…
What Are the Symptoms of Swine Flu?
July 15th, 2009 |What are the symptoms of Swine Flu?
With the H1N1 flu strian still active, and many people worried about a potential comeback during the next flu season, it is important to understand the difference between symptoms of a standard flu and symptoms that may be something more serious.
Many people get scared when they hear the words ‘swine flu’ — and rightly so, as this particular strain of the flu has caused deaths around the world, and in some cases may not respond to traditional flu treatments. Swine flu is merely a different strain of flu, known among scientists…
Who Won the 2009 Home Run Derby?
July 14th, 2009 |Who won the 2009 Home Run Derby?
Its trendy to hate the Home Run Derby. Listen to sports talk radio, sports analysts on television, or the guy at the water coolor — the Home Run Derby is a has been, an event that is sandwiched between the excitement of mid season baseball and the duldrums of the All Star game.
For those of us that still enjoy watching the league’s best bat artists swing for the fences, last night’s Home Run Derby was a solid success. Not only were there plenty of long balls to ogle, but Major League…
What Are Some Good Wine Blogs?
July 13th, 2009 |Wine is an elegant, classy beverage that makes one think of sparkling glassware and subtle aromas. In Europe, wine has been the drink of choice for any celebration or festivity. In the United States, it was usually reserved for the society’s elite or for romantic dinners and occasions.
Yet over the past several years, there has been a growing interest in wines. It is not just for a select privileged few. More and more people are letting their taste buds experience the different vintages. The growing interest has even sparked numerous wine blogs.
Wine blogs cover everything from…
What Is the Big Green Egg?
July 10th, 2009 |What is the Big Green Egg?
In the life of every serious backyard chef, there comes a time when you have to break down and get hold of a serious backyard grill.
Some barbecue aficionados prefer dropping thousands of dollars on fancy, sleek, complex backyard kitchens — with grills from here to eternity packed with every feature you could possibly want. DVD players, wine chillers, expensive South American woods, modern styling . . . grills can get so fancy it’d be a shame to cook on them.
For those of you looking to kick up your backyard cookery game…
Why Was Gmail in Beta Release for So Long?
July 9th, 2009 |Why was Gmail in beta release for so long?
Many of us were so used to seeing the cute little “beta” tag attached to the Gmail icon, we assumed it was part of the name. “Gmail Beta”.
The fact is that applications and software, as well as any old invention really, starts life out with the “beta” tag we’ve all come to know and love. A “beta” release of an item means that item is in its infancy, its first stages of release outside of a private organization. In general, a “beta release” of a product implies that product…
Is the H1N1 Flu Scare Over?
July 9th, 2009 |Is the H1N1 flu scare over?
It has been over a month since the end of major news reporting about the so called “Swine flu” — a strain of flu more properly identified as H1N1.
Just because CNN and other big name news outlets have stopped reporting about the H1N1 virus does not mean that the danger has passed. Remember that the “Spanish flu” incident in the 1930s started out very mild in the spring time before becoming a full fledged epidemic later that year, during the more traditional flu season.
In fact, President Obama spoke with governors and…
What Is Chrome OS?
July 8th, 2009 |What is Chrome OS?
The war between Google and Microsoft wages on. And that’s good news for consumers.
The last year of the conflict between the two computing giants has led to the release of Microsoft’s new (and quite popular) Bing search engine, as well as many innovations from Google that have varied in their levels of popularity. For my part, I don’t know where I’d be without Google News Timeline or Google’s outstanding new browser Chrome. The race for dominance on today’s web — as well as the push for top dog in the new “semantic” web —…
Was Steve McNair Murdered?
July 7th, 2009 |Was Steve McNair murdered?
On the Fourth of July, the stunning news of the death of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair broke, though few details were known.
Since that time, it has become clear that McNair was murdered, and that the body of the woman found next to him is that of his suspected murderer — a 20 year old waitress who purchased the gun that led to McNair’s death. Though Sahel Kazemi, the woman in question, seems guilty, we can only report that she is a suspect.
Steve McNair was found with multiple fatal gun shots, including one…
Who Are the Front Runners for the 2009 Tour de France?
July 7th, 2009 |Who are the front runners for the 2009 Tour de France?
There are at least four names to watch during this year’s Tour. Not surprisingly, Amercan Lance Armstrong is part of the list. The surprise is — he’s at the bottom.
Lance Armstrong, the 37-year-old cancer survivor who retired in 2005 but returned to the sport six months ago at the Tour Down Under, has used the publicity surrounding his comeback to promote his charity, Livestrong.
The other names on the list of notable cyclists — Mark Cavendish, considered one of the great “sprinters” of all time, Fabian Cancellara, the…
Why Did Sarah Palin Resign as Governor of Alaska?
July 6th, 2009 |Why did Sarah Palin resign as Governor of Alaska?
When a politician makes a surprise resignation announcement there’s usually something more going on behind the scenes.
When that resignation is made on a major national holiday such as the fourth of July, you can bet there’s more going on than what we’ve been told.
If Sarah Palin, who is still technically the goveror of Alaska until the end of July, made her bombshell announcement on the fourth of July in an attempt to bury the story, her tactic failed. The day of her announcement wasn’t exactly a slow news…
What Are America’s Fattest States?
July 3rd, 2009 |What are America’s fattest states?
America is facing an obesity problem — some even call it an epidemic.
Overwhelmingly, the obesity problem pops up in the Southern states. Annually, a group called The Trust for America’s Health conducts a study into percentages of obese and overweight people, comparing geographical areas of the country and identifying the fattest states and regions.
The news is grim this year — not a single state grew LESS obese, though there were shifts in the dubious lineup of “fattest states”.
Adult obesity percentage actually rose in 23 states — this means that an unbelievable…
What Names Are on the Alleged 2003 Steroid List?
July 2nd, 2009 |What names are on the alleged “2003 steroid list” ?
Just when you thought the steroid talk in baseball had died down.
Allegedly, part of the “list of names” of players that failed a drug test in 2003 has been leaked.
What is being called the “2003 steroid list” has been popping up on the internet, first among sports bloggers, eventually making its way into more mainstream web sources.
Before you read the list of names, it is important to remember than anyone can make a list of 103 names of baseball players. There is no verification that this…
How Will New Facebook Policies Affect Users?
July 1st, 2009 |How will new Facebook policies affect users?
Facebook is getting ready to overhaul its users privacy options in an effort to provide transparency and to “simplify the way in which [Facebook] offers privacy to its users.” There are a few other tweaks, but the biggest change for Facebook is in user’s privacy features.
Though Faceook is preparing to alter the landscape of the site (by allowing content published on Facebook to be archived like other info on the web and therefore searchable), they say this new set of policy changes has nothing to do with the massive change planned…
What Medications May Have Led to the Death of Michael Jackson?
July 1st, 2009 |What medications may have led to Michael Jackson’s death?
It has been widely reported that Michael Jackson used the painkiller Demerol (generic name meperidine) for back trouble. While no one is insinuating that Jackson was an addict, reports of his use of Demerol could be a clue to his cardiac arrest. Long term use of Demerol can cause all sorts of nasty side effects, including the buildup of a chemical called normeperidine — a toxic metabolite of meperidine that normally causes no harm in short term use. Over time, however, the buildup of normeperidine is known to cause cardiac…
How Did Comedian Al Franken Win a Senate Seat?
July 1st, 2009 |How did comedian Al Franken win a Senate seat?
After a mere 545 days, the 2008 election is finally over. It didn’t end when Barack Obama took the (temporarily) mangled oath of office — it ended on Tuesday, June 30th of 2009 when Republican Norm Coleman gave a concession speech — the Minnesota Supreme Court decided that Al Franken earned more votes than Norm Coleman, and will now take his place in the hallowed halls of the United States Senate.
Al Franken, the comedian best known for his work on the variety show Saturday Night Live, famously refused Norm…