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EarthTalk: Home remedies? Electric scooters?

By E Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Are there natural headache remedies that can get me off of Tylenol, Advil and other medicines whose side effects can be as bad as or worse than the pain that led me to use them? – Jan Levinson, Portland, ME
Many of us may be too dependent on over-the-counter painkillers to treat the occasional [...]

In Blast:

Blast Magazine Culture and Fashion Section

Leinenkugel’s beer and brats for October

This is a new one for us, but season beer is all the rage, and we’re giving it a try.
Plus we just love saying the name!
Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest Lager is a distinct fall brand, brewed with three malts: Munich, caramel and a blend of two-row Pale malts.
We found the beer to be a great fall BBQ [...]

Heavenly Horchata and other cold weather tequilla cocktails

Okay, so we haven’t done enough of these drink features in a while, and that’s dumb because they practically write themselves. [...]

Grant the artist

Recently hired by Lucasfilm Ltd., Gould is part of a team that’s working on The Clone Wars online web comics. Released in tandem with the television show, the comics will supplement the plots and characters found in the weekly episodes.

Can a bad boss kill you?

It seems there’s always a steady supply of sympathy available for anyone stuck working under a bad boss. Most everyone I know has been there at one time or another, working under a tyrant who somehow manages to survive in this world without people skills. If you haven’t had a boss like this, you should consider buying a lottery ticket–and I mean soon. You are that lucky. [...]

Mystery Halloween Pirate Ship Snacks

Food for your monster bash.

EarthTalk: Inflating tires with nitrogen? Backyard fire dangers.

Dear EarthTalk: Is using nitrogen to inflate my car’s tires really better for the environment than using air? And if so, how? – Roger Mawdsley, Abbotsville, BC
Whether or not it makes environmental sense to inflate car tires with nitrogen instead of air is a matter of much debate. Proponents of nitrogen say the element is a [...]

Tina Fey reprises Palin role

One word: accurate.
Two words: comedic timing.
Tina Fey did another spot-on impression of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. We watched it, live, and loved it, live.
SNL also parodied Friday night’s presidential debate, but it didn’t get very good reviews.
But for putting this together (they even got the flag lapel pins or lack their [...]

Another blast rocks India’s capital

An explosion at a flower market in New Delhi killed one teenager and injured 18 others Saturday, according to Indian police. The attacks took place in a region with a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims.

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

Strangely familiar…

What would you do with $700 billion?

The 700 billion dollar bailout that the government is trying to get passed to save the economy is causing quite a stir from the people in the United States. Seven hundred billion dollars is a lot of money, and can do a lot of things.

So the real question is, what would you do with all that money?

Odd new Miller Lite bottle comes in a 9-pack

Well … that’s … different.
The Ball Corporation is supplying their new 16-oz. Alumi-Tek aluminum bottles to Miller Brewing Company for Miller Lite.
It looks odd, but the resealable bottles have a wide-mouth opening, the company says they are quick to chill and are 100 percent recyclable.
“The great taste of Miller Lite gets even better when it’s [...]

Bad milk sickens thousands of infants

At least four Chinese infants have died and 53000 have been struck ill by milk tainted with melamine, CNN reports.

Will the bailout cost us each $2k?

As the government prepares an economic bailout that could cust as much as $700 billion, one group calculates that American taxpayers and families will be left with the tab — despite what both candidates are saying about lowering taxes.
WashingtonWatch.com says American taxpayers could be hit with $2,000 and families with $6,500 in extra costs from the [...]

EarthTalk: Smart cars? Non-dairy milk?

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve suddenly been seeing a lot of those tiny “Smart Cars” around. Who makes them and what is their fuel efficiency? And I’m all for fuel efficiency, but are these cars safe? – David Yu, Bend, OR
Originally the brainchild of Lebanese-born entrepreneur/inventor Nicolas Hayek of Swatch watch fame, Smart Cars are designed to be [...]

Have you tried The Finn?

Bartender Stewart Bishop of Boston’s Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro made a special trip recently to bring back his cherished home state of Montana’s huckleberries for a new infusion cocktail called The Finn! [...]

Palin gets lots of media coverage

Not exactly breaking news, but good data nonetheless

The occasional romantic

Ever so often we get a piece that is nice and that we love to share with the world. With the fall comes the drop of old leaves and the promise of new ones in the Spring. Like this little piece says, change is a good thing. If you read Blast and have something to [...]

WHAT is the election about?

After two years of rumors, expectations and political dramas, America finally has its four main contenders for the presidential race. Democrats Obama and Biden are up against Republicans McCain and Palin. As they prepare to face what will become one of the most historic and awaited elections, there are many questions still unanswered by either [...]

Government statement on bailout of AIG

The following is a statement released by the Federal Reserve Tuesday regarding American International Group Inc:
The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday, with the full support of the Treasury Department, authorized the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to lend up to $85 billion to the American International Group (AIG) under Section 13(3) of the Federal [...]

EarthTalk: Carbon footprint? Immigration?

Dear EarthTalk: How can I measure-and then improve-my overall “carbon footprint?” What are the major areas of one’s daily life that one measures? — Andy Fusco, Passaic, NJ
With global warming dominating so many headlines today, it’s no surprise that many of us are looking to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases [...]

Society of Professional Journalists concerned about Quinnipiac University actions

From the Society of Professional Journalists:
INDIANAPOLIS – After Quinnipiac University threatened to revoke the status of the campus’ Society of Professional Journalists chapter for supporting a new student-run publication, SPJ leaders sent a letter to university president John L. Lahey expressing its grave concern over the proposed action.
On Monday, Quinnipiac Student Center Director Daniel W. [...]

Ike halts UPS service in some costal areas

Neither rain nor snow nor wind — no, wait, that’s the wrong one.
Ahead of powerful Hurricane Ike, likely to land on the Texas coast this weekend, UPS has closed several of its facilities around Beaumont, Galveston and Houston as mandtory evacuations go into effect.
“Safety is our first priority, and UPS encourages our employees in the [...]

How to survive eating in college

The new school year has arrived and college freshmen, like millions who have come before them, are facing the daunting challenge of dorm eating.
Most will come to realize that after orientation, the quality of their school’s food drops drastically and is not at all worth the wait in line. Luckily, there are easy ways to [...]

Fall fashion steps back in time

Saying goodbye to summer never looked this good.

EarthTalk: Animal cloning? Household cleaners?

Dear EarthTalk: What’s the story with animal cloning? Is the meat industry really cloning animals now to “beef up” production? – Frank DeFazio, Sudbury, MA
Cloning has been controversial ever since Scottish scientists announced in 1996 that they had cloned their first mammal, a sheep they named Dolly. While Dolly lived a painful, arthritic life and died [...]