• Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 6th on 20:01

    These are my links for May 6th from 20:01 to 20:03:

    • Dentistry 2.0 – Dentists Linger In Social Network "Land of the Lost" – For many Americans the Internet has become a credible source of health information.  Medical sites like WebMD, MayoClinic.com, Vitals.com, Healthgrades.com and others offer unprecedented access to health information to feed this growing consumer appetite for health information.  According to a recent survey by Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, 61 percent of Americans turn to the web for online medical advice and information.  This trend will certainly grow as the penetration of the Internet and mobile devices continue to grow and change the way Americans demand, search, and consume media.

      At the same time, healthcare professionals, including dentists are seeking the best possible position online by developing websites for their practice, and increasingly using tools like search engines (organic and pay per click), blogging, and social media.   Although dentists have been using the web to promote their practices in the United States by spending thousand of dollars each year on the medium, aggregate data on quality of dental websites in terms of user experience, search engine friendliness, and patient conversion rates are not readily available in the marketplace.   Now dentists are speeding ahead into the wild west of social media and staking their claim on properties like Facebook.

      =======

      Read it all

    • Rudy Giuliani could be ‘talked into’ running in 2012 – Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani admitted Friday that he can "probably be talked into" a run for the presidency.
      While speaking to a group from the Republican National Lawyers Association at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Giuliani asserted that his major goal is for a Republican to be elected as president in 2012.

      But he wouldn't rule out his own bid when responding to the question of whether he will consider a run.
      "Sure, but not right now," he said. "I enjoyed the debate so much last night…I will, sure, think about it, but not yet."
      And if Giuliani turns out to be the best Republican for the job, the 2008 candidate for the GOP nomination said, "I could probably be talked into doing it."

      ======

      In other words, Rudy is running for Vice President. And, he would make a good one or Attorney General which I think really is the job he wants,if not President

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 6th on 12:27

    These are my links for May 6th from 12:27 to 19:56:

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 6th on 08:49

    These are my links for May 6th from 08:49 to 12:02:

  • Barack Obama,  Mitch Daniels,  President 2012

    President 2012: Mitch Daniels and President Barack Obama Make Nice in Indy

    President Barack Obama talks with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels as he steps off Air Force One upon his arrival in Indianapolis, Ind., Friday, May 6, 2011

    Well, at least Mitch Daniels didn’t hug President Obama.

    President Barack Obama today told workers at Allison Transmission that they represent the answer for a nation concerned about both jobs and rising gas prices.

    Obama, in his fifth trip to Indiana as president, chose Allison Transmission because it is a leader in developing hybrid transmissions, and has done so with $62.8 million federal grant.

    The nation, he said, wants to know where the jobs are, and what will be done about gasoline that now costs more than $4 per gallon.

    “The reason I’m here today,” he said, “is because the answers to these questions are right here at Allison, right here in these vehicles, right here in these transmissions.”

    “This is where the American economy is rebuilt, where we are regaining our footing,” Obama told several hundred people, a mix of Allison employees and political supporters.

    In 2008, Obama became the first Democrat to win Indiana’s electoral votes since Lyndon Johnson did so in 1964. Winning them again will be harder. Republicans won’t ever again take Indiana for granted, and in 2012 Obama will be running on his own record. The key to staying in the White House will be whether the public believes he has turned the nation in the right direction. (…)

    President Barack Obama greeted Gov. Mitch Daniels, Mayor Greg Ballard and a crowd of well-wishers at the Indianapolis airport at about 11:30 a.m. Friday.

    Ballard and Daniels, who is weighing a presidential run against Obama in 2012, chatted with the president for close to five minutes. Then — in a surprise move — Obama jogged over to a crowd of well-wishers, the family and friends of his staffers, and shook hands and chatted for a few more minutes.

    The fact is President Obama would like to again win Indiana, a key battleground state that the GOP needs to beat him in 2012. Most pundits say that the President has an uphill battle.

    But, the significance of today’s meeting with Governor Mitch Daniels is one of symbolism over substance. Remember the photos of turncoat Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist hugging Obama. Remember how those photos were used against Crist?

    Some conservatives are leery about Mitch Daniels and his ties to the GOP Establishment – so they are watching him very close. Of course, showing some common courtesy to POTUS as he goes about his official duties, should be discouraged or something? And, greeting the President of the United States at an airport is heresy?

    But the photos are important and I don’t think Daniel’s gets into any trouble with the RIGHT with some of these.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 6th on 08:32

    These are my links for May 6th from 08:32 to 08:45:

    • What Will Be the Future for Long Time Fosamax Users? – While jumping rope with the neighborhood children, a 59 year old Queens, New York woman felt her thigh bone snap. The pain was so severe that she fell to the ground as she readied for another jump. Sandy Potter had been diagnosed at the age of 48 with osteoporosis and began taking the drug Fosamax. She further stated that she had been on the medication for eight years prior to the incident and was now informed that her femur had snapped into two separate pieces.

      Fosamax is a commonly described drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis and contains bisphosphonates, which is used to slow the loss of bone and increase bone mass. Concerns about some of the side effects of Fosamax have been increasing and now there is mounting evidence that for some women that have been taking Fosamax for more than five years could be in danger of having fractures that are spontaneous in nature.

      According to Dr. Kenneth Egol, a professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center, over the last 18 months, femur fractures, such as the one in Sandy Potter’s case are occurring with more frequency
      Many patients claim that they were engaged in a low-impact exercise when they suddenly experience a break in the femur. What concerns Dr. Egol, is that because the femur is known as one of the strongest bones in the body, it should not be sustaining the damage that it has. Yet, people taking a leisurely walk or walking down a flight of stairs is experiencing this type of injury. Dr. Egol further stated that upon reviewing the X-rays taken of some of his patients, the images take on the appearance of an injury endured by a car accident rather than a minimal fall.

    • Dietary changes may preclude some prescriptions for osteoporosis, researchers say – While a number of prescription medications exist to reverse the bone loss associated with osteoporosis, a recent survey of medical literature indicated that many patients should first look into getting more calcium and vitamin D in their diets or through supplementation.

      Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign stated as much in an article published in the journal Nutrients, where they noted that bisphosphonates may not rebuild the best sort of bone tissue, compared to adequate vitamins and nutrients in one's meals.

      In a meta-analysis of more than 200 research papers published in the prior 10 years, scientists found that the direction of medical inquiry has been increasingly swinging toward the initial use of calcium and vitamin D to treat osteoporosis.

      Co-author Karen Chapman-Novakofski said that a partial explanation for this trend appears to be the difference in bone quality between individuals on bisphosphonates and those eating a more complete diet or taking dietary supplements.

      "Bisphosphonates…disrupt normal bone remodeling by shutting down the osteoclasts – the cells that break down old bone to make new bone," she commented. "When that happens, new bone is built on top of old bone. Yes, your bone density is higher, but the bone's not always structurally sound."
      The National Osteoporosis Foundation states that bisphosphonates decrease the risk of hip fracture by up to 50 percent. However, the organization adds that some researchers have raised concerns that the drug class can occasionally lead to negative side effects, including thigh aches and broken femurs.By contrast, people over the age of 50 who take 1,200 milligrams of calcium and up to 1,000 international units of vitamin D each day may see gains in bone density with relatively few side effects, Chapman-Novakofski said.

    • Osteoporosis Drugs, Bisphosphonates Increases the Risk of Fractures – According to a new study at Sweden, it has been disclosed that osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates is linked to the infrequent bone fractures. However, the risk of the fractures from osteoporosis drugs is very small in contrast to their benefits.

      The bone-building drugs bisphosphonates includes Aclasta, Actonel, Aredia, Bondronat, Boniva, Didronel, Fosamax, Fosavance, Reclast, Skelid, and Zometa.

      A Study Researcher and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Linkoping University, Sweden, Per Aspenberg, MD, and PhD said that the risks of these drugs are very rare if it is prescribed correctly.

      The study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has included 12,777 women aged 55 and older, who suffered a fracture of the thigh bone in 2008. The study found that osteoporosis drugs are associated with the higher risks of fractures. The association among the bone-building drugs and fractures is very weak.

    • Bisphosphonate use and ?risk of atypical hip and ?femoral shaft fractures – Clinical question Do oral bisphosphonates increase the risk of atypical hip and femur fractures in postmenopausal women?

      Bottom line Oral bisphosphonate use for 5 years or longer is significantly associated with an increased risk of atypical hip and femur fractures (subtrochanteric or femoral shaft). A previous study (JAMA 2006;296:2927-2938) found little if any benefit of extended bisphosphonate use beyond 5 years in reducing the risk of typical fractures of the femoral neck or intertrochanteric region. Although this study design (case-control) is classified as weak evidence (LOE = 3b), it may be the best we have for some time. Thus, practicing clinicians should consider stopping bisphosphonates for most women after 5 years, except for those at high risk (eg, chronic steroid users). (LOE = 3b)

      Synopsis Current evidence on whether bisphosphonates increase the risk of subtrochanteric or femoral shaft fractures in postmenopausal women is uncertain. These investigators analyzed information obtained from multiple databases on the association between bisphosphonate use and fractures in a cohort of women in Ontario, Canada, 68 years or older, who initially started oral bisphosphonate (alendronate, risedronate, or etidronate) therapy between April 2002 and March 2008. Separate databases included information on drug prescriptions, hospitalizations, physician service claims, cancer, and basic demographic information. Cases included those women hospitalized with a subtrochanteric or femoral shaft fracture. Up to 5 women who were not hospitalized with similar fractures were matched to age and cohort entry date and served as control patients. Analyses were performed to adjust for other fracture risk factors. During the 7-year study period, 205,466 women commenced oral bisphosphonate therapy. Of these, 716 (0.35%) were hospitalized for an atypical subtrochanteric or femoral shaft fracture. The use of bisphosphonates for 5 years or longer, compared with transient or no use, was associated with a significantly increased risk of atypical hip or femur fracture (odds ratio [OR] = 2.74; 95% CI, 1.25-6.02). Among the 52,595 women using bisphosphonates for at least 5 years, a subtrochanteric or femoral shaft fracture occurred in 188 (0.36%) within 2 years. Duration of therapy of less than 5 years was not associated with an increased risk of fracture.

      Park-Wyllie LY, Mamdani MM, Juurlink DN, et al. Bisphosphonate use and the risk of subtrochanteric or femoral shaft fractures in older women. JAMA. 2011;305(8):783-789.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 6th on 07:41

    These are my links for May 6th from 07:41 to 07:50:

    • Republicans and Immigration – The Stupid Party – The standard line among the high-immigration right (earnestly, if insincerely, seconded by their fellow-travelers on the left) is that Republican opposition to open immigration is driving otherwise-conservative immigrant (and/or Hispanic) voters into the arms of the Democratic party. Some new research suggests it’s actually the other way around. Far from Republican anti-immigration views pushing immigrants further toward the Democrats, it’s immigrant anti-Republican views that push Republicans further toward restriction.

      =====

      Read it all.

      Clueless and Stupid are indeed the words to use about the GOP and illegal immigration.

    • Charge of the Latino Brigade – Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result: A few days ago I wondered whether President Obama, faced with knowledge that his immigrant legalization plan now has no chance of passing, would

      a) recognize that [his] political strategy for winning Latino votes has hit a dead end; or b) organize another White House conference!

      We now know the answer. … I’m searching for the right metaphor for the absurd political strategy Obama is pursuing. Is it performance art? Camusian heroism? Pickett’s Charge? The Charge of the Light Brigade? He’s asking Latino leaders and voters to join him for one more futile straightahead push, knowing that it’s futile and knowing they know it’s futile. And he expects them to reward him for it. …

      True, it’s not Obama’s fault that amnesty is dead. The way to get amnesty (as Lawrence O’Donnell once pointed out to me) has been clear for years: gain support for legalizing the current wave of illegal immigrants by demonstrating that you can and will prevent the next wave of illegal immigrants. The reason Latino leaders won’t take this deal is equally obvious: they don’t want to prevent the next wave of illegal immigrants–at least of Latino illegal immigrants. If they did, they’d have their amnesty by now.

      =====

      Race-based politics at its worst – color me cynical that there will ever be another immigration bill.

      There might be E-Verify but not soon.

  • Mike Huckabee,  Mitch Daniels,  Mitt Romney,  Polling,  President 2012,  Sarah Palin

    President GOP Poll Watch: Business and the Economy Top Issues for Republicans

    According to the latest Gallup Poll.

    Given a choice, 36% of Republicans say business and the economy are the most important political issues to them, up from 32% in March, and now on par with the percentage who say the same about government spending and power. Fewer Republicans choose either social issues and moral values or national security and foreign policy as their top political priorities.

    This is really not surprising – it is the economy, stupid. The GOP nominee, whoever it may be, may very well ride to the Presidency on the back of Obama’s poor economic performance.

    However, there should be a warning attached to this poll since polling occurred prior to the Osama Bin Laden killing operation.

    Let’s look at the demographics of the GOP and the important issues:

    Interesting that younger Republicans are more concerned about social issues than their older counterparts. I find this hard to believe so this may be an outlier in the sample.

    Younger Republicans, those aged 18 to 29, are more likely than their elders to choose social/moral issues as their top priority, and less likely to choose government spending and power. This is somewhat counterintuitive. Younger Americans in previous Gallup research have been the most likely to rate the current state of moral values as excellent or good, and most likely to say moral values are getting better rather than worse.

    And, who do social issue Republicans choose as their Presidential nominee?

    Mike Huckabee

    The graph:

    So, what are the implications of this polling?

    • Mike Huckabee has strength within the GOP and will now likely seek the Presidency.
    • Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who has mentioned a “truce” on social issues, might very well do well emphasizing economic issues as the social issues do not appear to be a prominant concern for Republicans.

    Republicans clearly have two main political concerns that now provide the prism through which they view next year’s presidential election — government spending/power and the economy. They are significantly less likely to say either social issues or national security and foreign policy are their top concerns.

    Republicans who prioritize business and the economy are more likely to be moderate or liberal in their ideology than the average Republican. They do not have a strongly differentiated choice for president, spreading their support among Romney, Huckabee, and Palin, in that order.

    Those who prioritize government spending and power are more likely than average to be conservative, and split their early support between Huckabee and Romney. Palin does much less well among this group, barely edging out Texas Congressman Ron Paul by one point.

    More than a fourth of Republicans whose top priority is social/moral issues choose Huckabee for their party’s presidential nomination, the highest proportion of support for a candidate among any of the four issue groups. Social issue Republicans also like Palin, while giving only single-digit support to any other candidate.

    The small group of Republicans whose priority focus is on national security and foreign policy split their support among Palin, Huckabee, and Romney.

  • Day By Day,  Mike Huckabee,  Mitch Daniels,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  President 2012,  Tim Pawlenty

    Day By Day May 6, 2011 – Balls



    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    The South Carolina GOP Presidential debate last night was disappointing. None of the REAL candidates bothered to show up for this Fox News sponsored event.

    I mean REALLY who can take Rick Santorum, Gary Johnson or Ron Paul seriously?

    The GOP Presidential race is getting a late start and it is probably for the best. The REAL candidates will be savaged by an Obama supporitng MSM and why give them a head start prior to the summer.

    So, who do I think will run?

    Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty.

    Who will be the nominee?

    Mike Huckabee or Mitch Daniels.

    But, we will see, since it it not clear at this time whether Huckabee or Daniels will even run.

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    The Day by Day Archive

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for May 5th through May 6th

    These are my links for May 5th through May 6th: