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You CAN see Russia from here!
When talking about what she says is her foreign policy experience, Sarah Palin told ABC news “…you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.” That quote made us want to go to that island. So we did.
We were curious if Sarah Palin has ever visited this island. According to the natives, the answer is no. When talking about what she says is her foreign policy experience, Sarah Palin told ABC news “…you can actually see Russia from land h... more -
Borger: McCain's bold Palin move becomes a crisis of caution
Then they decided to get really careful. And now Sarah Palin has become the first sequestered vice presidential candidate in American history.
And when she isn't being hidden as she crams for her vice presidential debate, she has been let into public view for selective interviews and photo-ops that have been alternately silly, painful to watch and sometimes even alarming. Video Watch how Palin may be turning into a liability » Then they decided to get really careful. And now Sarah Palin has become the first sequestered vice presidential candidate in American ... more -
The 3 A.M. John McCain Phone Call
Then there’s the frightening Mr. McCain — more frightening now than he was a few weeks ago.
We’ve known for a long time, of course, that Mr. McCain doesn’t know much about economics — he’s said so himself, although he’s also denied having said it. That wouldn’t matter too much if he had good taste in advisers — but he doesn’t. Then there’s the frightening Mr. McCain — more frightening now than he was a few weeks ago. ... more -
For McCain and Team, a Host of Ties to Gambling
Mr. McCain portrays himself as a Washington maverick unswayed by special interests, referring recently to lobbyists as “birds of prey.” Yet in his current campaign, more than 40 fund-raisers and top advisers have lobbied or worked for an array of gambling interests — including tribal and Las Vegas casinos, lottery companies and online poker purveyors. Mr. McCain portrays himself as a Washington maverick unswayed by special interests, referring recently to lobbyists as “birds of prey.... more
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McCain’s Suspension Bridge to Nowhere
WHAT we learned last week is that the man who always puts his “country first” will take the country down with him if that’s what it takes to get to the White House.
To put these 24 hours in context, you must remember that McCain not only knows little about the economy but that he has not previously expressed any urgency about its meltdown. It was on Sept. 15 — the day after his former idol Alan Greenspan pronounced the current crisis a “once-in-a-century” catastrophe — that McCain reaffirmed for the umpteenth time that the “fundamentals of our economy are strong.” As recently as Tuesday he had not yet even read the two-and-a-half-page bailout proposal first circulated by Hank Paulson last weekend. “I have not had a chance to see it in writing,” he explained. (Maybe he was waiting for it to arrive by Western Union instead of PDF.) WHAT we learned last week is that the man who always puts his “country first” will take the country down with him if that’s what it ta... more -
McCain Lied about Always Buying American Cars--Not All of his 13 Cars are American...
McCains currently own 13 cars — two of which are foreign-made: a Honda and a Volkswagen. That appears to contradict the Republican presidential nominee's past statements he only buys cars made in America. (Cindy McCain also drives a Lexus and daughter Meghan owns a Toyota Prius, but neither are registered to the McCains.)
Newsweek also reported Barack Obama owns one car: a Ford Escape Hybrid. McCains currently own 13 cars — two of which are foreign-made: a Honda and a Volkswagen. That appears to contradict the Republican pre... more -
British Philosopher of Morality Says Dementia Patients Should Consider Ending Thei...
A British philosopher of morality, Baroness Warnock said recently that, "If your demented, you're wasting people's lives, your family's lives, and you're wasting the resources of the National Health Service". A British philosopher of morality, Baroness Warnock said recently that, "If your demented, you're wasting people's live... more
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Old people with dementia have a duty to die: Medical Ethics expert
Elderly people with dementia are 'wasting' the lives of those who have to care for them, one of the country's most influential experts on medical ethics said yesterday.
Baroness Warnock said that for the old and sick who are contemplating dying, 'there is nothing wrong with feeling you ought to do so'.
Her remarks in an interview with a church journal were the first public suggestion from any expert with close links to Whitehall that euthanasia should not only be legal but that elderly people should be pressed towards death.
Lady Warnock said: 'If you are demented, you are wasting people's lives, your family's lives, and you are wasting the resources of the National Health Service.'
Her remarks were condemned as 'shocking ignorance' and 'barbaric' by Alzheimer's charities.
Right to life groups furiously accused Lady Warnock and fellow supporters of euthanasia of telling the public they want a right to choose while privately supporting compulsory killing.
Lady Warnock, 84, was the head of the committee which during the 1980s opened the way for legal research on human embryos.
Influential in education as well as in medical ethics, she became an open supporter of euthanasia after her ill husband was helped to die by his doctor in 1995.
She told the Church of Scotland's magazine Life and Work: 'I've just written an article called A Duty to Die? for a Norwegian periodical. I wrote it really suggesting that there is nothing wrong with feeling you ought to do so for the sake of others as well as yourself.'
She added: 'I am absolutely, fully in agreement with the argument that if pain is insufferable, then someone should be given help to die, but I feel there is a wider argument that if somebody absolutely, desperately wants to die because they are a burden to their family or the state, then I think they too should be allowed to die.'
Lady Warnock first suggested that the elderly and sick should die rather than becoming a burden four years ago.
In 2006 she supported an attempt by fellow peers to push through a law allowing doctors to kill patients suffering unbearable pain.
Some 700,000 in Britain have dementia and this is expected to double over the next 30 years.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: 'Lady Warnock demonstrates a shocking ignorance when espousing her highly insensitive views.
'People with dementia can live quite comfortably when cared for properly. The solution to our dementia crisis is not euthanasia; the answer is more research so we can find new treatments, preventions and a cure.'
Neil Hunt, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: 'With the right care, a person can have a good quality of life very late into dementia.
'To suggest that people with dementia should not be entitled to that quality of life or that they should feel that they have some sort of duty to kill themselves is nothing short of barbaric.'
Phyllis Bowman, of the Right to Life group, said: 'When has loving somebody been a waste?
'We always thought Lady Warnock was in favour of coercive or compulsory euthanasia.
'Her views are an illustration that while euthanasia is promoted as a right to choose, it pretty rapidly becomes no right to live.'
Euthanasia is a crime in England. But the 2005 Mental Capacity Act endorsed the right of people to have a 'living will' in which they can order doctors to kill them if they become too ill to speak for themselves.
Patients are killed by the withdrawal of water tubes, which are considered to be treatment.
Doctors who ignore such living wills - or ignore the instructions of someone appointed by a patient to make medical decisions for them - commit a crime and can face prison. Elderly people with dementia are 'wasting' the lives of those who have to care for them, one of the country's most infl... more -
McCain's brain is plainly on the wane
Last week we finally got a clue as to why John McCain has been slavishly supporting the Bush administration policy on Iraq for all these years: He doesn't have a clue what it is.
That became obvious during a press conference in Jordan Tues day. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who had just come from Iraq, stated that "Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran."
This prompted his fellow senator and fellow neoconservative Joe Lieberman of Connecticut to whisper something in his ear. McCain promptly corrected himself. But the damage was done, forcing him to issue this elaboration later in the week.
"I corrected my comment immediately. To think that I would have some lack of knowledge about Sunni and Shiite after my eighth visit and my deep involvement in this issue is a bit ludicrous."
Ludicrous? No, It's true. What McCain's critics failed to note was that this gaffe fit within a pattern of gaffes that show not just a lack of knowledge but astounding ignorance. Consider this comment a few weeks earlier about al Qaeda's prospects in Iraq in the event of an American withdrawal: "My friends, if we left, they wouldn't be establishing a base," McCain said. "They'd be taking a country." Last week we finally got a clue as to why John McCain has been slavishly supporting the Bush administration policy on Iraq for all the... more -
Should McCain take an alzheimers test?
"McCain's age is no joke. He will turn 72 on Friday and would be halfway to 73 if elected and sworn in on January 20. That would make him the oldest first-term President ever, two years older than Ronald Reagan. He has survived four skin cancers (melanomas), including one in 2000 that was classified as Stage IIa.
McCain is two years older than his father was when he died suddenly of a heart attack at 70. He is 11 years older than his grandfather was when he died suddenly of a heart attack at age 61.
McCain's medical records are not available to physicians. He did not "release" them for the campaign; he only allowed hand-picked reporters to examine them quickly without making copies. And there were no results of an Alzheimer's test, because McCain has never had one - even though he has 6 of the 10 warning signs, including his inability to remember facts like the number of homes he owns or the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003."
-Taken from Democrats.com.
Depsite the paritsan nature of the subject, it's still a valid question. Do we really want a president who could possily be suffering from a mental disorder such as Dementia or Alzheimers? Sign the petition if you want, but I'm more curious to know how people will react to this. So, should McCain have to take an Alzheimer's test? "McCain's age is no joke. He will turn 72 on Friday and would be halfway to 73 if elected and sworn in on January 20. That w... more -
Dementia drugs still prescribed, despite warnings
Prescription rates of certain antipsychotic drugs given to seniors with dementia have increased significantly despite safety warnings in recent years, according to a new study that questions the effectiveness of the warning mechanisms used by drug makers and Health Canada.
The findings, published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, reveal that overall prescriptions of atypical antipsychotic drugs to elderly people suffering from dementia - many of whom live in nursing homes - jumped 20 per cent between 2002 and 2007. Three major safety warnings were issued during that period. "The point is the warnings had a limited impact," said Geoffrey Anderson, professor in the department of health policy, management and evaluation at the University of Toronto and an author of the study. "These are human beings ... It's our duty to protect the care for them."
Atypical antipsychotic drugs are a relatively new class of "second generation" antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other serious psychological problems.
Health Canada issued the first warning about the atypical antipsychotic drug risperidone, sold under the brand name Risperdal, in 2002 after studies showed it was associated with an increased risk of stroke in older dementia patients. Another warning was issued in 2004 about the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine, sold under the name Zyprexa, amid fears of increased risk of stroke and other health issues.
A third blanket warning about the potential risks followed in 2005 after numerous studies showed the drugs were associated with an increased risk of death.
Despite these warnings, the number of prescriptions for atypical antipsychotic drugs for seniors increased, according to the study, which suggests the drug makers and Health Canada may have to do more to protect at-risk patients.
"I think one of the things that was brought out in these papers is that maybe these warnings aren't enough," said Paula Rochon, scientist at Toronto's Baycrest Centre and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
"Maybe the warnings need to be complemented with other things, like guidelines."
The findings demonstrate the importance of non-pharmaceutical treatments for dementia patients, and should prompt health-care providers and families to look for alternatives, Dr. Rochon said.
Instead of turning to drugs, it may be beneficial to determine what factors trigger a dementia patient to become agitated, such as the desire to go for a walk or to have a meal, in order to help them, she said.
The drug safety warnings did affect the growth of prescription rates of atypical antipsychotic drugs, but not by much, Dr. Rochon said. Although the rates at which the drugs were prescribed continued to climb in the wake of safety warnings, growth in use was between 3 and 5 per cent lower than expected.
"The rates that those drugs looked like they were increasing was a little bit blunted," she said. "[The warnings] didn't have, I would think, the effect that people might have wanted to have seen on the way the drugs are being prescribed."
Two of the three atypical antipsychotic drugs that have been subject to Health Canada warnings are not even approved for use in elderly patients, raising questions about whether they should be funded under provincial health plans, Dr. Anderson said.
Although Risperdal is approved for use in elderly people with dementia, Seroquel and Zyprexa are not.
Doctors can still prescribe drugs to patients even if the medication is not approved in a particular age group to treat a particular condition - a practice known as "off label" prescribing.
"Why [do provincial health plans] fund the use of these drugs in this population despite three warnings?" Dr. Anderson asked. "It's a particularly vulnerable population. It's not a population in a position to speak for themselves." Prescription rates of certain antipsychotic drugs given to seniors with dementia have increased significantly despite safety warnings ... more -
Britain's "Iron Lady" Thatcher has dementia: daughter
LONDON (Reuters) – Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher -- once known as one of the world's most formidable political minds -- has been suffering from dementia for the past seven years, according to her daughter, Carol.
Carol Thatcher tells in her memoirs of how her 82-year-old mother, nicknamed the "Iron Lady" for her tough reputation, often struggles to remember things and repeats questions.
In a memoir serialized in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, her daughter paints a picture of a very different woman from the political heavyweight who strutted the world stage in the 1980s.
"The woman who had dominated discussions for so long could no longer lead debates or keep up with the thread of a drinks-party conversation," she wrote.
"On bad days, she could hardly remember the beginning of a sentence by the time she got to the end."
Thatcher rarely appears in public these days after being advised by doctors in 2002 that she should avoid public speaking following a series of minor strokes.
People suffering with dementia have a significant loss of the mental skills that affect daily life. It is caused by various factors such as strokes, tumors, head injuries and Alzheimer's disease and affects some 700,000 people in Britain, around two-thirds of them women.
Carol Thatcher said the first sign of dementia appeared when her mother was about 75, when she confused the Falklands and Bosnian conflicts in a conversation over lunch.
"I nearly fell off my chair," Carol Thatcher wrote, according to excerpts of the book which will be published next month. "Watching her struggle with her words and her memory, I couldn't believe it. She was in her 75th year but I had always thought of her as ageless, timeless and 100 per cent cast-iron damage-proof."
Thatcher took power in Britain in a general election on May 3, 1979, becoming the nation's first and only female prime minister. She left the famous Number 10 Downing Street office after a record-breaking 11 years in power.
At the peak of her powers in the early 1980s, Thatcher's sheer strength of personality made her one of the West's best known figures, famous for "handbagging" her opponents into backing her, or at least backing down.
Carol Thatcher wrote that one of the most difficult episodes in recent years had been the death of her father Denis Thatcher in 2003, which her mother often forgot had happened.
"Losing Dad ... was truly awful for Mum, not least because her dementia meant she kept forgetting he was dead," she wrote.
"I had to keep giving her the bad news over and over again." LONDON (Reuters) – Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher -- once known as one of the world's most formidable political ... more -
McCain's dementia witnessed while in Iraq: Talking to a table, soiled his pan...
Here is just a personal vignette of an experience I and my psychologist buddy had with the Republican probable nominee, Senator McCain. There was the Senator all by himself, sitting on a folding chair by a card table. Then his lips moved but he said nothing. He looked up and smiled. (My wife's grandfather did just that.) And the Senator may have been sitting right near us but believe me, he was somewhere else. Then he began a conversation with someone who wasn't there. We started to go back the way we came when some civilian came in. "It's time to go to the meeting, John," but McCain just smiled and kept on talking to the table. The civilian said, "All right, gentlemen, time to go. The Senator is very tired and has jet lag." And when we left, the Senator was talking complete nonsense. Later, one of the staff personnel told both of us that the Senator had "a little accident" and he had to change his pants. My friend, who is a pro, said he was very obviously suffering from pre-Alzheimer's and believe me, although I am not trained, this one was a pure space case. They must know this. Here is just a personal vignette of an experience I and my psychologist buddy had with the Republican probable nominee, Senator McCain... more
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Official Net Worth: McCain $36.4 Million, Obama $799,000
I dont think anyone in the top 1% of America's wealthiest can call shots for an entire country in an economic crisis, let alone lead it.
Hey Cindy, How many mansions do we own? I dont think anyone in the top 1% of America's wealthiest can call shots for an entire country in an economic crisis, let alone l... more -
McCain visits Mexico, says more border walls needed - USATODAY.com
McCain wants to make immigration simpler, but on the other hand he wants to wast millions in building a wall. All our technology, and McCain wants to build a wall.
Guess that's what you get from a candidate who doesn't even know how to send an email! McCain wants to make immigration simpler, but on the other hand he wants to wast millions in building a wall. All our technology, and ... more -
McCain to tell Hispanic voters he's earned their trust - WTF?!?
Naive McCain at it again. This reminds me of his statement "I know what's best for Americans". This coming from the man who can't relate to Any of the issues facing Americans. When asked the price of a gallon of gas he didn't even know and responded with "I really don't see how that is relevant"! Is he serious?!? Naive McCain at it again. This reminds me of his statement "I know what's best for Americans". This coming from the m... more
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Disabled, and Waiting for Justice - New York Times
nytimes.com — One should not forget the damage the Bush administration has inflicted by shortchanging important domestic programs in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy and his never-ending Iraq war. Wait! Isn't that McCain's strategy?!? nytimes.com — One should not forget the damage the Bush administration has inflicted by shortchanging important domestic programs in ... more
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McCain's Brain-How might the senator's mind deteriorate
Even the most healthy human brains undergo chemical and anatomical changes in their sunset years—changes that can and do affect behavior. We don't know the details of McCain's mental health, but it's worth examining what happens to the minds of normal people at his age. Even the most healthy human brains undergo chemical and anatomical changes in their sunset years—changes that can and do affect behavi... more
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Child diagnosed with dementia
Seven year-old boy diagnosed with dementia.
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John McCain Revealed: The Briefing Book
An easy to read, non partisan, guideline to McCain’s policy including Economy, Healthcare, Trade, Workers Rights, Retirement, Security. What you learn may shock you. An easy to read, non partisan, guideline to McCain’s policy including Economy, Healthcare, Trade, Workers Rights, Retirement, Security... more
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Dementia
