06 July 2008
Groundsman Destroys Golf Course Fairways With Weed Killer
12/07/2008 06:02
A golf club's
fairways were turned brown after the groundsman
accidentally watered the course with industrial
strength weed
killer.Fairways are usually sprayed with a light weed killer, but last month the turf was thoroughly watered with an industrial-strength solution.
The normally lush fairways have been scorched away after the groundsman sprayed them with a chemical usually used to destroy grass growing through pavements and roads.
A total of 11 holes have been ruined at Haywards Heath Golf Club in West Sussex, and will remain rusty brown for months to come.
Many members, who pay £1,100 a year, fear that prolonged rain could turn them to mud.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
Don’tcha just hate it when that happens at your golf club?
Dog Meat Off The Menu During Beijing Olympics
12/07/2008 05:56
Restaurant staff
told to 'patiently' suggest other options for
dinersBEIJING - Canine cuisine is being sent to the doghouse during next month’s Beijing Olympic Games.
Dog meat has been struck from the menus of officially designated Olympic restaurants, and Beijing tourism officials are telling other outlets to discourage consumers from ordering dishes made from dogs, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.
Waiters and waitresses should “patiently” suggest other options to diners who order dog, it said, quoting city tourism bureau Vice Director Xiong Yumei.
Dog, known in Chinese as “xiangrou,” or “fragrant meat,” is eaten by some Chinese for its purported health-giving qualities.
Beijing isn’t the first Olympic host to slap a ban on the dish.
South Korea banned dog meat during the 1988 Seoul Olympics by invoking a law prohibiting the sale of “foods deemed unsightly.” After the Olympics, the ban was not strictly enforced.
Dog meat is also eaten in some other Asian countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos.
SINC SAYS:
Good thing too, methinks. I mean you don’t want people barking during the opening ceremonies, do you?
Gentle Thoughts for Today . . .
12/07/2008 05:52
For example I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt.
Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
Dad Deploying To Country That Took His Son
12/07/2008 05:52
Staff Sgt.
Francisco "Paco" Martinez stands near his son’s
grave at Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery in
2007. FORT WORTH — In a few days, Francisco Martinez will land in Iraq.
He is one of tens of thousands of men and women who, with various motivations, enlisted in the armed forces, knowing that they’d someday end up there.
For Martinez, Iraq is a kind of perdition, a receptacle for all the dark emotions, anguish and guilt that have buffeted him for the last three years.
When Martinez steps off the airplane, he will be in the country that took his only son, a 20-year-old skateboarder and budding graphic artist whose loss is felt every single day of his father’s life.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
It takes a special kind of Dad to step up to the plate and do something like this, doesn’t it?
Suspicious Package Reported - Detonated
12/07/2008 05:46
It may not have
been a victory in the War on Terror, but the
Dothan City Police Department scored a win in
the War on Obesity Friday when the bomb squad
detonated a suspicious package that turned out
to be full of
snacks.
Police responded to a suspicious package call at the Regions Bank at the intersection of Headland Avenue and Ross Clark Circle. The package was found by a bank employee.
After clearing the area, at about 10 a.m. the police department’s bomb squad detonated the package, which on further inspection turned out to be full of peanut butter crackers and other snacks.
SINC SAYS:
Good thing it wasn’t full of doughnuts. I never could stand to see a grown cop cry.
Fun Facts . . .
12/07/2008 05:43
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes). (Yep, I knew you were going to 'do' this one.)
There are only four words in the English language which end in 'dous': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous. (You're not doubting this, are you?)
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: 'abstemious' and 'facetious.' (Yes, admit it, you are going to say, a e i o u)
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard. (All you typists are going to test this out)
Man Accused Of Lying About Seeing Sharks
12/07/2008 05:34
EDGARTOWN, Mass. -
A 60-year-old man was charged Friday with
disorderly conduct for allegedly lying about
seeing two great white sharks off the island
where the movie "Jaws" was filmed, authorities
said.Edgartown police Chief Paul Condlin said Michael Lopenzo warned people to get out of the water at the Joseph Silva State Beach on Martha's Vineyard Thursday. Lopenzo claimed he had seen two sharks about 6.71 metres long and 1,361 kilograms each while he was working on a fishing boat.
Officials closed the beach, but Condlin said investigators later determined Lopenzo was lying.
When asked by detectives whose boat he was working on, Lopenzo gave the name of a nonexistent boat and owner, Condlin said.
More from CBC News.
SINC SAYS:
Oh well, c’est la vie, but at least we got to hear that nifty “Jaws” music again yesterday.
Burke Insists On Getting Last Word
12/07/2008 05:33
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Brian Burke says he will abide by the NHL's request to end his criticism of Kevin Lowe and the Edmonton Oilers, but the Anaheim Ducks general manager still had plenty to say Thursday.
In a careful, measured statement, Burke said he had no intention of defying the league but did address some of Lowe's recent stinging comments about three of his players and his hockey market.
"There is no question in our mind or defiance about the league's authority here," Burke said in the statement first read to Ducks beat writers on a conference call and then posted on the NHL club's website. "We accept their authority to stop this and we intend to stop it."
"However, several things were said last Friday that I believe need to be addressed."
More from Canadian Press.
To read a transcript of Burke’s remarks, click here.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Enough, already, Burke. I thought “The Weasel” told you to cease and desist.
Favre Wants Unconditional Release From Pack
12/07/2008 05:32
ESPN reports that Brett Favre has asked the Green Bay Packers for his release, three days after a conference call with team officials in which the future Hall of Fame quarterback emphatically expressed his desire to play this season.
According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Favre formally asked for his contractual release from the Packers in a letter was sent by Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook.
Favre, who will be 39 in October, retired March 6 after a 17-year career.
The Packers issued a release Friday in response to the report.
"Brett earned and exercised the right to retire on his terms. We wanted him to return and welcomed him back on more than one occasion," said the release.
"Brett's press conference and subsequent conversations in the following weeks illustrated his commitment to retirement. The finality of his decision to retire was accepted by the organization. At that point, the Green Bay Packers made the commitment to move forward with our football team."
A three-time MVP, he leads the league with 442 touchdown passes, 61,655 yards passing and 160 career victories. He started 253 consecutive regular season games, more than any other quarterback in history. Including the playoffs, his streak stands at 275.
Favre has two years left on his contract with the Packers averaging about $12.5 million per season.
Brett Favre asks Packers to release him.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s really hard to figure out what the heck is up with Mr. Favre. I can't imagine Favre with any other team. If that's the case, retire Brett . . . please!
BAM Racing Seeks Obama’s Sponsorship
12/07/2008 05:32
JOLIET, Ill. - NASCAR's BAM Racing team has presented Barack Obama's presidential campaign with a potential sponsorship deal in the Sprint Cup series later this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean an Obama car will be burning rubber on the track sometime soon.
BAM team spokesman Rhett Vandiver told The Associated Press on Friday that the team has made a sponsorship proposal to the Democratic presidential hopeful's campaign, and has made similar proposals to the campaign of Republican John McCain and at least one third-party candidate.
Sports Illustrated first reported the proposal on its website, saying Obama's campaign is in talks with BAM, a part-time operation that hasn't raced in recent weeks, to sponsor its No. 49 car in the Aug. 3 race at Pocono.
"I don't know how far along the discussions are," Vandiver told AP.
Asked about the talks, Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, "We get a lot of good ideas every day, but there are no such agreements in place at this time."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Most politicians will do anything to get their names out there. No exception here. Hmm . . . BAM - OBAMa. Cute.
NHL, Russians Reach Transfer Agreement
12/07/2008 05:31
ZURICH, Switzerland - The NHL reached an agreement with a new Russian hockey league Thursday that temporarily ends the threat of players being lured away by big-money offers.
The pact to respect player contracts across all borders followed offers made last month by teams in Russia's Continental Hockey League - which begins play in September - to entice Evgeni Malkin out of the final year of his deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was reached at a meeting of the NHL, the NHL Players' Association and international hockey leagues in Zurich, the home of the International Ice Hockey Federation.
"Everyone in the room agreed that for the foreseeable future everyone will respect everybody's contracts," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.
Players' union director Paul Kelly said all parties recognized the need for "clear respect between leagues."
The deal was brokered with Russian league founder Alexander Medvedev, who had given his teams a green light to approach players like Malkin.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is good news, particularly for the NHL and NHL hockey fans.
Woods To Pass $1 Billion In Earnings By 2010
12/07/2008 05:31
NEW YORK - Tiger Woods is on pace to pass $1 billion in career earnings by 2010, becoming the world's first billionaire to accumulate his fortune by playing sports, says Forbes.
The 14-time major championship winner earned $115 million in 2007 alone, said the magazine, which annually ranks the world's richest people with its Forbes' Celebrity 100 list. English soccer player David Beckham was the No. 2 sportsman on the list with earnings of $65 million.
The magazine goes on to say in its Wednesday edition that while tycoons like Bill Gates accumulated wealth by holding a stake in a company with soaring profits, Woods is unique because his massive fortune was earned through pay cheques.
Woods is a marketers' dream, having earned more than $750 million in endorsement deals to date in his career.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I can see things are really tough in the professional sports world these days.
Man Sues Tennessee Church For $2.5 Million Over Spiritual Fall
11/07/2008 04:23
From CBC News
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A man in Knoxville, Tenn., says he was so consumed by the spirit of God that he fell and hit his head while worshipping.
Now he wants Lakewind Church to pay US$2.5 million for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Matt Lincoln says he is suing after the church's insurance company denied his claim for medical bills.
The 57-year-old has had two surgeries since the June 2007 injury, but still feels pain in his back and legs.
He says he was asking God to have "a real experience" while praying.
Lawyers for the church say he failed to look out for his own safety, and other congregants even saw him on the floor laughing after his fall.
SINC SAYS:
Lemme see, what scam can I pull on whom today? There has to be one to match this dummy.
LOSER'S $65M LOTTERY WIN
11/07/2008 04:15
COLLECTS 1 YEAR
AFTER TOSSING JACKPOT
TICKETHere's a guy who figured out how to be both the luckiest and unluckiest man on the face of the earth at the same time.
One crazy afternoon in June of last year, maintenance man Degli Martinez learned he had won a $65 million Lotto jackpot - the largest single prize in the 30-year history of the state Lotto game.
He then promptly lost the ticket.
That began a yearlong odyssey of hand-wringing and heartburn before Lottery officials were finally able to hand Martinez his check yesterday.
Good luck here.
SINC SAYS:
Boy oh boy, talk about being two times lucky. I can’t even win once, can you?
Fun Facts . . .
11/07/2008 04:10
Stewardesses' is the longest word typed with only the left hand
And 'lollipop' is the longest word typed with your right hand. (Bet you tried this out mentally, didn't you?)
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
'Dreamt' is the only English word that ends in the letters 'mt'. (Are you doubting this?)
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
The sentence: 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' uses every letter of the alphabet. (Now, you KNOW you're going to try this out for accuracy, right?)
Great White Shark Reported At 'Jaws' Filming Site
11/07/2008 04:04
From CBC News
EDGARTOWN, Mass. - The island where "Jaws" was filmed had a real-life shark scare Thursday, when an unconfirmed sighting of a great white forced the closure of two beaches.
South Beach on Martha's Vineyard was closed for a short time, and swimmers were kept out of the water at State Beach in Edgartown, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said.
A plane was dispatched to try to confirm the sighting, but no shark was spotted, said Lisa Capone, a spokeswoman for the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
In 1974, Steven Spielberg chose Martha's Vineyard for filming the movie version of "Jaws," depicting a series of deadly great white attacks in the fictional community of Amity.
Shark attacks are extremely rare in waters off New England, but great whites have been known to occasionally prowl in the region.
SINC SAYS:
I wish I could hum that theme song right here, but I can’t. So click here if you forget what it sounds like.
Signs Of The Times . . .
11/07/2008 04:01
At an Optometrist's
Office: "If you don't see what you're looking
for, you've come to the right place."
**************************
On a Taxidermist's window: "We really know our stuff."
**************************
On a Fence: "Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!"
**************************
At a Car Dealership: "The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."
**************************
Outside a Muffler Shop: "No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."
**************************
In a Veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"
Wacko Jacko Hits A Toy Shop In Pyjamas
11/07/2008 04:00
And a surgeon's
mask, a rasta wig and a wheelchair . .
. Looking every inch the invalid, Michael Jackson is wheeled around Las Vegas
Any popstar worth their salt knows that to survive in the business, you have to reinvent yourself every so often - and the King of Pop must know that better than any.
But quite what Michael Jackson thinks this look will do for his career is anyone's guess.
As he approaches his 50th birthday next month, the singer's appearance just seems to be getting more and more bizarre.
Pictured on a visit to a toy and book shop near his current home in Las Vegas, the singer was slumped in a wheelchair wearing pyjamas, a dreadlocked wig, a surgeon's mask, a baseball cap and sunglasses.
Such theatre was presumably designed to prevent shoppers from discovering his true identity.
The irony is of course that Jackson is now better known for wearing such ludicrous disguises than not.
More goofiness here.
SINC SAYS:
Does anyone really care about this goof any more? I mean he has done so many weird things that I’ve just given up on him being stable.
Kids Put Coach On Hot-Seat About Favre Comeback
11/07/2008 03:54
Packers coach Mike McCarthy was grilled about rumours of a Brett Favre comeback Wednesday — not by the media, but by kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay.
Standing at a podium to announce a $100,000 US donation to the club in conjunction with the team, McCarthy was asked by 11-year old Miranda Black of nearby Oconto Falls the biggest question in the state these days: "Um, is Brett Favre coming back?"
McCarthy politely punted.
"I want to know which one of those media individuals made you say that," McCarthy said, referring to reporters standing in the back of the room. "Those are things we'll obviously, we'll get to down the line. But great question."
But it didn't stop there, as other kids in the audience of about 75 shouted out questions about Favre, who retired in March but might be having second thoughts.
One wanted to know how good the Packers were going to be without Favre.
"Well, we're going to be a good football team regardless of what happens," McCarthy said. "It's a football team that has worked very hard since the end of last season. The team has done a great job of improving. And we have a big training camp coming up and that's always a big part of our preparation, getting ready to go."
After McCarthy dodged a few more questions about Favre — Why did he quit? How old is he, anyway? — one child asked the coach if he would sign their T-shirts.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Out of the mouths of babes!
Glencross, Hockey Rink To Chuckwagon Arena
11/07/2008 03:53
An integral part of the Calgary Stampede is the tradition of chuckwagon racing. The thrill of speed and the element of danger make for as much excitement as NASCAR racing.
For every chuckwagon driver that makes the loop around the track, there's a real support crew at the barns helping with the large number of tasks involved in the sport. That ranges from looking after the high-spirited horses, to washing the chuckwagon, to mucking out the stalls.
It's a lifestyle bred into many families, but it attracts others.
The Rae Croteau Jr. outfit has been getting a lot of attention this week because one of the hands around their barn is among the newest members of the Calgary Flames.
Curtis Glencross just signed with the Flames last week, after spending a good chunk of last season with the provincial archrivals up the road, the Edmonton Oilers. But when he's not stick handling, he loves to be part of the chuckwagon world. It was something he did all last season, and is doing, when he can, this year.
"It's something a little different," Glencross told me at the barns, as the buzz of pre-race activity was beginning to increase. "You meet a lot of good people. Hanging out in the barns with the horses, and just the atmosphere around here, it's awesome."
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Chuckwagon racing is an odd off-season hobby for most NHL hockey players, but it seems to come naturally for Glencross, the former Edmonton Oiler and transplanted farm boy from Provost, Alberta.
Chinese Arrest 82 In Alleged Olympic Terror Plots
11/07/2008 03:53
BEIJING - China has detained 82 suspected terrorists in the first half of the year on allegations that they were plotting attacks against next month's Olympics, according to state media reports Thursday.
The reports appeared to bolster human rights groups' claims that authorities were ratcheting up security and repression to shield the games from disruptions that could tarnish China's carefully crafted image of order and control.
Police nabbed the suspects in raids on five separate terrorist rings in the traditionally Muslim Xinjiang region of China's far west, regional police chief Chen Zhuangwei was quoted as saying by newspapers and the official Xinhua News Agency.
Separatists among Xinjiang's indigenous Turkic Uighur people have been fighting Chinese rule for decades. Critics say communist authorities fuel resentment with harsh repression and strict limits on cultural and religious expression.
"All officers recommit themselves to stepping up the fight against terrorism" and other threats, Chen was quoted by local newspaper Xinjiang Metropolitan as telling a news conference in the regional capital, Urumqi, on Wednesday.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I certainly hope I am wrong, but SWIVEL HIPS has said for some time now that the IOC will probably regret ever awarding this year’s summer Olympic games to Beijing, China.
Kim Tops List Of PGA Stars In Canadian Open
11/07/2008 03:52
Many of the PGA Tour's top stars have confirmed their intention to play at the 2008 RBC Canadian Open which will be held at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario July 21-27.
Leading the way is two-time PGA Tour winner Anthony Kim who currently ranks fifth on the PGA Tour money list after his victory at last week's AT&T National. The 23-year old Kim has taken the Tour by storm in 2008 after becoming the youngest American since Tiger Woods to claim two PGA Tour events in one year.
Joining Kim are six other young stars who have also confirmed their intention to compete including Camilo Villegas, Hunter Mahan, Johnson Wagner, Steve Marino, Ryan Moore and Nicolas Thompson.
“The young stars on today's PGA Tour have a tremendous opportunity right now to showcase their considerable talents on the world stage and we're delighted to welcome them all to this year's RBC Canadian Open,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bill Paul. “All of these players are under 30 years of age and will develop into the future stars of the PGA Tour for many years to come. Combined with our previously announced list of Canadians and PGA Tour veterans, these young stars enhance a solid field heading for the inaugural RBC Canadian Open.”
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
There is no good reason in SWIVEL HIPS’ mind the top stars of the PGA Tour, like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and many others, continue to avoid the Canadian Open like the plague. Scheduling it one week after the British Open might have something to do with it, however, non?
Richard Petty Celebrates 50 Years Of Racing
11/07/2008 03:52
Richard Petty made his NASCAR debut 50 years ago on a half-mile track in South Carolina, qualifying 13th in a car with the roof cut off.
He wasn't wearing cowboy boots. He wasn't walking around in a hat adorned with ostrich feathers. He wasn't even sporting dark sunglasses.
He was a tall, lanky, 21-year-old who wanted a chance to drive. He finished sixth - five laps behind the winner - and earned US$200.
"I got better," Petty says.
Indeed. Petty won an unmatched 200 races in his 35-year career, including seven Daytona 500 victories, and a record-tying seven NASCAR championships. Somewhere along the line, he became "The King," a larger-than-life persona that includes the hat, the boots, the shades and the dark, bushy moustache. It all started at Columbia Speedway on July 12, 1958, when he got behind the wheel for the first time.
The sport hasn't been the same since.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
“The King” certainly is an icon in stock car (now NASCAR) racing. Who can forget all of the thrills he has given racing fans over the years in his famous #43.
City Council Does The Right Thing
10/07/2008 08:00
I see city council
overrode concerns from the Chamber of Commerce
and authorized the building of a senior
citizens complex on the corner of Arlington
Drive and Hebert Road.
Good for them. Some days we are quick to criticize council and slow to give credit where credit is due. In this case it is due.
As I wrote here back a month or two, it is an ideal site for such a complex with so many amenities within walking distance for the seniors who will ultimately live there.
The Chamber needs to give its head a shake before opposing such obvious benefits to the entire community.
There is a shortage of such housing and this is a welcome addition to our city.
The “all commercial” or “all residential” thinking of the Chamber is dinosaur thinking at best. The Chamber and its employees, along with the city's business and tourism branch, had better get with the new millennia. A well thought out mix of commercial and residential can benefit all.
Even the Chamber of Commerce and tourism.
Well done city council! Take a bow.
Bursting Swivel Hips Bubble . . .
10/07/2008 07:02
Hi Swivel Hips,
I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but it actually was the Americans who had the original idea for the outdoor hockey game in a large stadium. I don’t recall the exact date place or time but it was a college game between Michigan State and someone else who I cannot remember.
There were well over 40,000 or perhaps even more at the game. I remember watching portions of it. So if anybody were the copycats it was Edmonton and the NHL. Albeit it was a college game so perhaps they figure it did not count.
Also the Edmonton game was played in 2003 not 2005, but I’m sure that was just a typo on your part.
Mark Fraser
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Interesting stuff Mark. Who knew?
SWIVEL HIPS RESPONDS:
To set the record straight, Mark, you are partially correct and SWIVEL HIPS is partially correct. SWIVEL HIPS apologizes for any inaccuracies in his comments.
The Heritage Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the second NHL outdoor game and the first regular season outdoor game in the history of the National Hockey League, and was modeled after the success of the "cold war" game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University in 2001.
The game was given the tagline "A November to Remember". The very first NHL game to be played outdoors was in 1991 when the Los Angeles Kings played the New York Rangers in an exhibition game outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The event took place in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in front of a crowd of 57,167, despite temperatures of close to -18 °C, -30 °C (-22 °F) with wind chill. It was held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Edmonton Oilers joining the NHL in 1979. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television broadcast also set the record for most viewers of a single NHL game with 2.747 million nationwide. This was the first NHL game broadcast in HD on CBC.
Senior Sex Up . . . So Are STDs
10/07/2008 06:59
They found
70-year-olds of both sexes are having more sex
than they did 30 years
ago.CHICAGO (Reuters) - More 70-year-olds are having good sex more often, Swedish researchers said on Tuesday in a finding bound to bring a smile to many an aging baby boomer.
They found 70-year-olds of both sexes are having more sex than they did 30 years ago, and many more women report being satisfied with their sex lives.
"Attitudes are more open-minded and positive today, at least in the elderly themselves," said Nils Beckman of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, whose study appears in the British Medical Journal.
More fun facts here.
SINC SAYS:
At first I was gonna say eeeew, but now I can hardly wait until I turn 70.
$55,000 Found In St. Louis County Jail Bathroom
10/07/2008 06:56
From CBC News
CLAYTON, Mo. - Someone at the St. Louis County Jail was flush with money.
A correctional officer at the intake facility at the St. Louis County Justice Center last week found $55,000 stuffed behind a toilet paper dispenser.
The bundle of money was in $100 and $50 bills, said Clayton Police Chief Thomas Byrne.
Officials interviewed inmates about the money, but none admitted knowing anything about the stashed cash.
The money was placed in a special bank account until the owner can be determined, Byrne said.
SINC SAYS:
Apparently when they search you and take your belt and shoe laces when they put you in a cell, they don’t check your wallet. And that much dough would be a sizeable lump in your pants.
Last Night's Winning Lotto 649 Numbers . . .
10/07/2008 06:53
Lotto 6/49 : Wednesday, July 9, 2008
2, 25, 28, 40, 45, 46, Bonus 34
Western Extra : 2086967
__________________
*Lottery numbers are unofficial, check lottery retailer for official numbers*
SINC SAYS:
Sigh, not even one lousy number. How'd you do?
Politician Says Gas Prizes Could Help Fuel Lottery
10/07/2008 06:50
From CBC News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A California state senator hopes to pump up the lottery's coffers by expanding prize offerings to include free gas.
Democrat Dean Florez says in a letter Wednesday to the California Lottery that such an offer would entice more people to buy lottery tickets. He argues that would raise more money for schools because they are funded partially by the lottery.
But Lottery Director Joan Borucki says California can't afford to award free gasoline. That's because state law restricts how much lottery money can go toward prizes.
Gas prices are soaring to $5 a gallon throughout California.
SINC SAYS:
Did you laugh out loud too when you read that line about not being able to afford gas?
Cow Farts Collected In Plastic Tank For Global Warming Study
10/07/2008 06:44
Scientists are
examining cow farts and burps in a novel bid to
combat global
warming.Argentine scientists are strapping plastic tanks to the backs of cows
Experts said the slow digestive system of cows makes them a key producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide.
In a bid to understand the impact of the wind produced by cows on global warming, scientists collected gas from their stomachs in plastic tanks attached to their backs.
The Argentine researchers discovered methane from cows accounts for more than 30 per cent of the country's total greenhouse emissions.
As one of the world's biggest beef producers, Argentina has more than 55 million cows grazing in its famed Pampas grasslands.
Guillermo Berra, a researcher at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology, said every cow produces between 8000 to 1,000 litres of emissions every day.
Methane, which is also released from landfills, coal mines and leaking gas pipes, is 23 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
Scientists are now carrying out trials of new diets designed to improve cows's digestion and hopefully reduce global warming. Silvia Valtorta, of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Investigations, said that by feeding cows clover and alfalfa instead of grain "you can reduce methane emissions by 25 percent".
SINC SAYS:
Well, it makes more sense to me to collect them than to invent a price for carbon credits. I wonder how much a fart credit is worth?
Gentle Thoughts for Today . . .
10/07/2008 06:44
He who hesitates is probably right.
Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are ' XL.'
If you think there is good in everybody, you haven't met everybody.
If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.
The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.
There's always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it.
Dutch House Cat Adopts Rejected Red Panda
10/07/2008 06:39
AMSTERDAM,
Netherlands - A zookeeper's house cat has
adopted a baby red panda abandoned by its
mother and is nursing the cub along with her
own kittens, the Artis zoo said
Wednesday.The panda's mother rejected her two cubs after they were born on June 30.
"She left them there, lying in the cold," said zoo spokesman Bart Kret.
The zoo initially kept the cubs in an incubator. But a keeper's tabby cat had just given birth to four kittens, and let the two panda cubs join the crowd.
One of the cubs was too weak and died Thursday.
The surviving cub is still smaller than the kittens, who were born three days before her. However, if she survives to be an adult, she will be slightly larger than a cat.
Kret said the cub will drink milk for about three months, after which she can start eating bamboo and fruit.
The cub doesn't have a name yet, but the zoo says that, through its adoption program, anyone willing to sponsor her will be allowed to name her.
The red panda is an endangered species that lives in China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Burma. It has a striped tail like a raccoon and is only distantly related to the much larger giant panda.
SINC SAYS:
So often animals look after one another regardless of differences. Too bad man can’t act the same some times.
The Future Of The Canadian Football League
10/07/2008 06:37
By Edmonton Eskimo
Kamau Peterson
With the imminent threat of a NFL takeover looming on the horizon as of late, many questions arise regarding the life and future of this league.
In pondering such issues, I find myself getting caught up in just what this league has meant to so many people in this country. I think of how many non-import players, like myself, have been able to make a name for themselves doing what they love to do in front of their families since this league began.
Or, I wonder how many American players have been able to come North to a land that they probably knew very little about, only to become stars and even citizens here - some even choosing to raise family in this country.
Most importantly, perhaps, what this league has meant to the fans. These same fans that, despite the CFL’s secondary ranking to the country’s national pastime, still turn out in droves for their teams and crave the league’s kickoff so strongly.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
To read Kamau Peterson's entire article, click here.
Discontinued Sports From Past Olympics
10/07/2008 06:36
Not every Olympic event has been a success. Some, like live pigeon shooting and equestrian high jump, lasted just one year. Here's a look at some other sports no longer in the Olympic program:
Rope climb (1896, 1904, 1924, 1932): Using only their hands, competitors try to see how fast they can get to the top of the rope.
One-hand weightlifting (1896): Similar to the modern snatch event, but athletes were only allowed to use one hand.
Tug-of-war (1900-1920): Two teams of eight try to pull a rope six feet; if neither team reaches the mark after five minutes, the team that pulls the farthest wins.
To read the entire list of discontinued Olympic sports, click here.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Motor boating, dueling pistol, live Pigeon shooting? Thank goodness they were discontinued! Like SWIVEL HIPS has said before, the entire process of determining what does and what does not qualify as an Olympic sport needs to be reviewed, yet again.
More Tickets For Public Urination At Stampede
10/07/2008 06:35
CALGARY - Bylaw officials say they're handing out more tickets for urinating in public to rowdy Calgary Stampede rodeo-goers.
Bill Bruce, manager of the city's bylaw enforcement division, says they've so far handed out a dozen tickets, which he says is higher than at the same time last year.
He suggests even more people could be urinating in public, but says bylaw officers have to pretty much catch people in the act to give them a ticket.
Bruce says the number of tickets may be higher this year because there are more bylaw officers patrolling city streets looking for infractions by those attending Stampede festivities.
Violators can be fined a maximum of $300 for urinating in public.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I’ve heard this will soon be an Olympic sport!
Sentencing For Disgraced Referee Postponed
10/07/2008 06:35
NEW YORK - A judge has delayed the sentencing of disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy.
The sentencing had been scheduled for next Monday, but will now be held July 29.
Donaghy is fighting with the NBA over the amount of restitution he should pay to the league over the betting scandal that he brought on. The league wants him to pay US$1.4 million, but Donaghy thinks that is way too high.
The judge said Wednesday that she delayed the sentencing because she needs more time to review arguments over restitution.
The 41-year-old Donaghy pleaded guilty last year to felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games himself. He faces nearly three years in prison.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I hope the U.S. court system sends a strong message, through its sentence, to any others out there who may have similar ideas to Donaghy.
Tracy Secures Car For Edmonton Indy
10/07/2008 06:34
EDMONTON - It appears Paul Tracy has secured a car and is close to signing a deal and securing a sponsor to compete in Edmonton's inaugural IndyCar open-wheel race on July 26.
"We're just down to the wire here and getting things locked down," Derrick Walker, owner of Walker Racing, said Tuesday in an interview from Indianapolis.
"We're through the worst. Now it's just getting all the details down and everybody agreeing, and off we go."
Walker, who has been brokering the deal with Vision Racing owner Tony George, said he expects a decision within days and pegged the chances of a deal at "80 per cent."
"I don't foresee any major issues and it's never done 'til it's done, but I think the likelihood is very, very strong," he said.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It will be nice to have a Canadian driver the calibre of Tracy in the race here on July 26.
Flood Damaged Car Story Has Happy Ending
09/07/2008 09:09
I sent the
following note to Barb Freysteinson of Bad
Girlz clothing store the other
day:Hi Barb,
I heard yesterday that your car was a victim of the big rainfall. I hope your store and stock were not affected.
Any comments on the storm, the car, or the store to relate? I have often wondered how much trouble it would be to have to deal with insurance companies regarding water damage to a vehicle.
Cheers,
Don
And I got this reply:
Hi Don!
Yes, my car was a victim along with several others that parked out behind Grandin Mall.
When I spoke to my insurance company at Unifund which was through Morgex, I explained that I'd never made a claim before so didn't know what to do. Johanna Hladky was amazing!
She explained the steps I'd need to do and even provided me with phone numbers, addresses etc. She even offered to book a rental car for me.
Sadly my car was written off right over the phone. As soon as I said the water was half way up my windows inside and out, she said it's done. They have a policy that if water reaches the dash, they don't fix them.
At first she thought they'd waive my deductible because this was clearly a situation that was out of my control, but they didn't. We both agreed that this would be one situation where it should be waived but policy is policy.
(that would be my only beef in all of this)
They gave me what I consider a fair settlement for my car so it all turned out well, except that I don't have a car.
I was never a Morgex fan before but now I think they are great!
Barb Freysteinson
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
It’s nice to hear of an insurance company with a no hassle claim settlement. Glad you got everything solved Barb.
Crystal Skulls In British, US Museums Were Fakes
09/07/2008 08:56
PARIS (AFP) - How
about this for the next instalment of the Indy
franchise: "Indiana Jones and the Dodgy
Antiques
Dealer"?Less than three months after the Quai Branly Museum in Paris discovered that a crystal skull once proclaimed as a mystical Aztec masterpiece was a fake, it is now the turn of the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution to find they were victims of skull-duggery.
Scientists from those two prestigious institutions on Wednesday said their crystal skulls were cut, honed and polished by tools of the industrial age, not by Mesoamerican craftsmen of yore.
"The skulls under consideration are not pre-Columbian. They must surely be regarded as of relatively modern manufacture," they say.
"Each skull was probably worked not more than a decade before it was first offered for sale."
The skulls became star exhibits in all three museums long before the Indiana Jones movie, "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," hit the movie screens this year.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
Beats me why it took them this long to find out. I mean, don’t museums carefully screen materials before putting them on display?
Gentle Thoughts for Today . . .
09/07/2008 08:54
Birds of a feather flock together and crap on your car
When I'm feeling down, I like to whistle. It makes the neighbour's dog run to the end of his chain and gag himself
A penny saved is a government oversight
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment .
The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
Massive Dog Rescued By Firefighters From Cat Door
09/07/2008 08:54
This is the
enormous 13 and a half stone dog who was stuck
for two hours after getting his head wedged in
a cat flap.
Huge hound Moses Chan had to be rescued by firefighters after squeezing his big head into the tiny hole.
The 14-month-old Dogue de Bordeaux, who measures more than 5ft tall on his hind legs, had been trying to copy his owner's four cats, but didn't realise how big he was.
'I can't believe I have a blonde dog who thought he could fit in such a tiny gap,' said owner Lisa Saberi, who has only had Moses a week.
'He seems to think he's a cat. He is always trying to play with them and he tries to eat their food if I'm not watching.'
More pictures here.
SINC SAYS:
They got their description backwards in the headline folks. It should have read Dog with massive “owner”. (See photo)
Beer, And Seven Year Olds Idea Of It!
09/07/2008 08:51
A handful of 7-year-old children were asked what they thought of beer.
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Tim- 'I think beer must be good. My dad says the more beer he drinks the prettier my mom gets.'
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Mellanie - 'Beer makes my dad sleepy and we get to watch what we want on television when he is asleep, so beer is nice.'
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Grady - 'My Mom and Dad both like beer. My Mom gets funny when she drinks it and takes her top off at parties, but Dad doesn't think this is very funny.'
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Toby - 'My Mom and Dad talk funny when they drink beer and the more they drink the more they give kisses to each other, which is a good thing.'
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Sarah - 'My Dad gets funny on beer. He is funny. He also wets his pants sometimes, so he shouldn't have too much.'
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Lilly - 'My Dad loves beer. The more he drinks, the better he dances. One time he danced right into the pool.'
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Ethan - 'I don't like beer very much. Every time Dad drinks it, he burns the sausages on the barbeque and they taste disgusting.'
---------------------------------------------------
7-year-old Shirley - 'I give Dad's beer to the Dog and he goes to sleep.'
Nose Cone Dent On Florida-Bound Plane Remains Mystery
09/07/2008 08:31
TAMPA, Fla. -- A
bird is not to blame for a dent in the nose of
a Northwest Airlines plane that landed in
Tampa, according to federal
officials.Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said Tuesday that the aircraft's fiberglass nose cone and an antenna were shipped to Minneapolis for analysis.
An FAA spokeswoman in Chicago said officials haven't determined what caused the dent yet, but there is "definitely no evidence of a bird strike."
Bergen said the crew aboard Flight 478 from Detroit reported a loud bang Monday and then the aircraft's radar became inoperative. The aircraft landed safely.
"I don't if they noticed anything was wrong until they got onto the gate and we're walking past the windows and saw the plane the commotion that was happening at the windows," a passenger said.
A Tampa International Airport spokeswoman initially blamed the dent on a bird, but Bergen said the crew reported the bang while flying at 18,000 feet -- an altitude too high for a bird.
SINC SAYS:
Maybe it was space debris falling out of orbit? Or a tiny meteor?
Beijing Scrambles To Clean Air
09/07/2008 08:25
Two surface-to-air missiles sit pointed towards the sky near the Bird's Nest in Beijing, ready to shoot down airborne attacks. The sky above them is grey and heavy with smog.
But with 30 days to go until the Games begin, it seems that the biggest airborne threat at the Olympics this year could be pollution.
When China put together its Olympic bid, it vowed to meet World Health Organization standards on air quality. Beijing spent about $20 billion to combat chronic pollution before the Games.
The city has tightened emission standards, closed factories and built new public transportation systems. More than 250 high-emitting companies north of the city were ordered to shut down by Tuesday. It has even ordered cars with even and odd license plates to run on alternate days starting July 20 in an attempt to clear the smog.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just one more reason not to care about the Beijing Olympics, folks.
U.S. Open Tennis Increases Prize Money
09/07/2008 08:25
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Total prize money at this year's U.S. Open will top US$20 million for the first time, with the men's and women's singles champions each earning a tournament-record $1.5 million.
The overall payout of $20.6 million is $1 million more than in 2007, matching the largest single-year jump in the hard-court Grand Slam tournament's history, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Tuesday.
There also was a $1-million jump in total prize money from 2006 to 2007, when the singles champions' take rose from $1.2 million to $1.4 million.
Adding in the bonuses available to the leading finishers in the summer circuit U.S. Open Series, the overall prize money could eventually be more than $23 million.
The No. 1 performers in the U.S. Open Series will earn a total of $2.5 million if they win the Grand Slam tournament, which begins Aug. 25.
Last year, Roger Federer won both the summer series and the U.S. Open title, giving him a total payout of $2.4 million - the largest paycheque in tennis history.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Prize money and salaries in all professional sports, except the CFL, are ludicrous. But, leading the pack is the NHL, where the players basically just have to show up breathing, never mind perform at any level, to become instant millionaires.
Tributes Continue To Pour In For Bobby Ackles
09/07/2008 08:24
VANCOUVER - Bob Ackles was praised for his love of football and his ability to make everyone he met feel important as tributes continued to flow Monday from both sides of the border for the B.C. Lions president who died suddenly over the weekend.
Jimmy Johnson, the former head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins, said he and wife Rhonda were saddened to learn of Ackles' death.
Johnson and Ackles worked together in Dallas and Miami. They remained close friends.
"Bob loved life and was always a joy to be around," Johnson said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kay and the family."
Jerry Jones, the Cowboys owner and general manager, said Ackles was liked and respected throughout the sport.
"Bob Ackles is one of a handful of men who made a visible impact on professional football on both sides of the border," Jones said in a statement. "He was a very good person who had a great love for the sport."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I have yet to hear one single person say a bad or unkind word about this man.
Former NFL Star Vick Files For Bankruptcy
09/07/2008 08:24
RICHMOND, Va. - Imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick is seeking bankruptcy protection, saying he owes between US$10 million and $50 million to creditors.
Vick filed Chapter 11 papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newport News on Monday. The seven largest creditors listed in the court papers are owed a total of about $12.8 million.
Vick is serving a 23-month prison sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, after pleading guilty last year to bankrolling a dogfighting ring. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely without pay and lost all his major sponsors, including Nike. He also faces state charges related to dogfighting.
According to the filing, the debt includes a $3.75 million prorated signing bonus the Atlanta Falcons are seeking to recover.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s amazing how quickly some people can go from the penthouse to the outhouse, isn’t it? And, for what?
Chiefs’ Gonzalez Saves Man’s Life In Restaurant
09/07/2008 08:23
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A California man says Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs kept him from choking to death.
"Tony saved my life. There's no doubt," Ken Hunter, a shipping company manager, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Huntington Beach, Calif.
"Tony came up behind me and gave me the Heimlich manoeuvre. Thank God he was there."
Gonzalez, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection who has set numerous NFL records, was having dinner with his wife, brother and five-week-old daughter at Capone's restaurant in Huntington Beach Thursday night. Hunter, 45, was dining with his girlfriend at the next table when suddenly a piece of meat stuck in his throat.
"I tried to take a drink of water, but I couldn't swallow," Hunter told The AP. "Then I couldn't breathe. That's a terrible feeling. I couldn't breathe. Then I guess I started to panic."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It never hurts to learn a little bit of basic first aid, like CPR and the Heimlich manoeuvre. You never know when it might come in handy. SWIVEL HIPS saved a lady’s life at a friend’s BBQ party a few years back, using the Heimlich manoeuvre, when she was choking on a piece of chicken.
A Fence To Keep Fish Off The Road?
08/07/2008 07:03
Only in St.
Albert?
Big Bird:
Was out for a stroll with the wife on the Red Willow trail, just past the rodeo grounds, when I notice a black fabric fence erected along the bank of the Sturgeon river. Bit of an eye-sore, interfering with proper grass cutting maintenance. I was wondering why the fence was installed in the first place, and who pays?
Then I met one of St. Albert's leading environmentalists and she said 'the fence was there to keep the fish off the road so they wouldn't get run over.
Go figure!!
What is our city up to next???
Cheers,
Sam Fenwick
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Well Sam, that’s a new one on me. A fence to keep fish off the road? I didn’t know fish could drive.
Smoke Detector Sparks New Jersey Fire
08/07/2008 07:01
MAHWAH - A
malfunctioning smoke detector started a fire
Thursday in a Franklin Crossings condominium,
police
said.The homeowner called 911 just after 2 p.m., when he heard a smoke alarm go off and found heavy smoke and visible flames in a second-story room. Mahwah firefighters responded, with the help of the Ramsey Fire Department, and extinguished the blaze in about 20 minutes.
A specially trained fire investigator with the Mahwah Police Department found that a smoke detector in a second-story room had short-circuited and fallen from the ceiling, igniting a pile of clothes below, Mahwah police Lt. Bruce Kuipers said.
The only resident of the home, a man in his 70s, was not injured. No other units in the complex were damaged.
SINC SAYS:
Well, that pretty much ruins my fondness for saying, “I’ve heard everything now”.
08/07/2008 06:59
How fast do hotcakes sell?
Do prison buses have emergency exits?
Do astronauts change their clocks when they move over different time zones in space?
When lightning strikes the ocean why don't all the fish die?
When there's two men who "get married", do they both go to the same bachelor party?
If a guy that was about to die in the electric chair had a heart attack would they save him?
'Zero' Chance Lottery Tickets Stun Some Players
08/07/2008 06:53
NEW YORK (CNN) --
When Scott Hoover bought a $5 scratch-off
ticket in Virginia called "Beginner's Luck"
last summer, he carefully studied the odds.
Even though he figured his chances of winning
were a long shot, he felt the odds were
reasonable.Hoover, a business professor at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, wasn't surprised when his tickets didn't bring him the $75,000 grand prize, but he was shocked to learn the top prize had been awarded before he bought the ticket.
"I felt duped into buying these things," Hoover said.
He discovered the Virginia State Lottery was continuing to sell tickets for games in which the top prizes were no longer available. Public records showed that someone had already won the top prize one month before Hoover played. He is now suing the state of Virginia for breach of contract.
"It's one thing to say it's a long shot to win the $75,000, but it's another thing to say you have no shot to win it," said John Fishwick, Hoover's attorney.
Draw on this story here.
SINC SAYS:
Do you think that this type of thing happens right here? My bet is that it does. Lottery officials should pull tickets once the major prize is won, however that means they would likely lose money on such tickets.
Convertible Belly-Flops Into Pool
08/07/2008 06:41
A car rolled into
the Campasinos' pool while they were in
Florida.Melissa Campasino was vacationing in Florida when she received a frantic call from her neighbor Kim Taylor.
By the sound of Taylor's voice, Campasino knew something was wrong.
Taylor started by saying something happened at Campasino's home in Stewartstown, but no one was hurt.
Then she offered a few more words, saying that a car went into her yard.
After more silence, Campasino heard Taylor say something about she thought she put the emergency brake on.
And then something about a car hitting her fence.
And then something about her pool.
Dive into this story here.
SINC SAYS:
I know you buy a convertible to have more fun, but taking it swimming?
Signs Of The Times . . .
08/07/2008 06:38
On a
Church's Bill board: "7 days without God
makes one weak."
**************************
At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee: "Invite us to your next blowout."
**************************
At a Towing company: "We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows."
**************************
On an Electrician's truck: "Let us remove your shorts."
**************************
In a Nonsmoking Area: "If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."
**************************
On a Maternity Room door: "Push. Push. Push."
Rare White Bengal Tiger Cubs Unveiled In Saskatoon
08/07/2008 06:37
From CBC News
SASKATOON - Two rare, white Bengal tiger cubs are the latest attraction at the Saskatoon zoo.
Staff named the baby tigers Jasmine and Jafar after they were born on May 31. Their mother, Rani, was unable to nurse the pair, so zookeepers have taken over feeding and caring for the tiny cats.
They are now on display in the Children's Zoo section of the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo.
Zoo manager John Moran said Monday the cubs are fed a mixture of kittens' milk and hamburger every three hours.
The amount of solid food in their diet increases every two days and will also include chicken and fish.
So far, Moran has scratches on his hands from feeding the growling, clawing cubs milk through a baby bottle.
"They're very aggressive," said Moran. "They're wild animals, and you've got to respect them."
Their mother and father are on a breeding loan from a zoo north of Toronto, where the babies will have to return in the fall.
Moran says a recessive gene causes one out of every 10,000 Bengal tigers to have white instead of orange fur.
SINC SAYS:
Finally an animal story that is close enough to home to hop in the car and go see these tiny critters.
Burke/Lowe Called To Principal’s Office
08/07/2008 06:12
A few days after Edmonton Oilers' Kevin Lowe fired back at rival GM Brian Burke, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman tried to pour water on the feud of the two rival team executives.
Following comments by Burke over the past year and comments Lowe made recently to an Edmonton radio station, Bettman ordered the two to cease and desist in a conference call Monday.
Burke and Lowe have been at odds since the Oilers put forth a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet to Group II restricted free agent Dustin Penner last summer - a contract that the Ducks did not match and sent Penner to Edmonton.
"If I had run my team into the sewer like that I wouldn't throw a grenade at the other 29 teams and my own indirectly," said Burke before the start of last season. "So I have no intention of speaking to him anytime soon."
Apparently Lowe finally had enough. In a candid interview, the Oilers' GM railed against Burke calling him a 'moron' and a 'media-junkie'.
"Here's a fact - he left (former Canucks GM) Dave Nonis nothing in Vancouver," Lowe added. "Nothing. He destroyed that team. If it wasn't for Nonis' incredible deals - to con Mike Keenan to get (Roberto) Luongo in Vancouver - that team was taking a nose dive two years ago."
"I hate the fact that my name is linked to his. He's an underachieving wanna-be in terms of success in the NHL."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Now Bettman steps in? I don't think this is really going to help the situation. It may possibly even make it worse. He should stick to what he does best – promoting U.S. cities in the NHL.
NHL Closer To Outdoor Game In Chicago
08/07/2008 06:11
St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - The Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings will play at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day in the league's second Winter Classic and third outdoor game.
According to the report, the game was finally approved last week when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman met with the Hawks, Cubs and Mayor Richard Daley.
The NHL has said that an official announcement likely won't be made until closer to the time the 2008-09 season schedule is released, likely in mid-July.
However, the report states that an announcement is expected next week before the inaugural "Blackhawks Convention" at the Chicago Hilton.
Last New Year's Day, Sidney Crosby scored on the final chance of the shootout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in the first NHL game played outdoors in the United States.
The game was played before an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York -- home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Methinks that since the success of the original "Heritage Classic" NHL outdoor game played at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on November 22, 2005, before a crowd of over 57,000, between the Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens, there is a lot of "copy-catting" going on in the U.S. Wouldn't it be nice, for a change, if our neighbors in the States came up with an original idea?
Wie Gets Exemption To Play In CN Canadian Open
08/07/2008 06:10
MONTREAL - Long-hitting teenager Michelle Wie has been given a sponsor's exemption to play in the US$2.25-million CN Canadian Women's Open, the Royal Canadian Golf Association announced Monday.
Wie, who played last year at Royal Mayfair in Edmonton, was added to an already strong field for the Aug. 14-17 event at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.
''Michelle's global notoriety will no doubt attract a following at Ottawa Hunt and I'm sure golf fans will offer her a tremendous welcome as she challenges the world's best players,'' tournament director Sean Van Kesteren said in a statement.
The tournament field includes stars like Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Paula Creamer and Meg Mallon, as well as Canadians Lorie Kane, Dawn Coe Jones and Alena Sharp.
The 18-year-old Wie did not attend Q-school last fall and is not a member of the LPGA, so she is allowed only six sponsor's exemptions this year.
Since playing her first tournament as a 12-year-old in 2002, Wie has played in 59 pro events, including 45 on the LPGA Tour and seven on the men's PGA Tour.
She played the U.S. Women's Open last month but missed the cut.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It never hurts to have someone of Wie’s celebrity in the CN Canadian Women’s Open.
Regina/Saskatoon Awarded 2010 World Juniors
08/07/2008 06:09
Saskatoon and Regina have been awarded the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada announced Monday.
The bid was chosen from three potential groups who made final presentations in Toronto. The three finalists were from Halifax/Moncton, Winnipeg/Brandon and Saskatoon/Regina.
''Today is a great day for hockey in Canada and especially in Saskatchewan,'' said Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson. ''The Saskatchewan bid team did a great job in bringing a province-wide bid and solid business plan for us to consider. We had three outstanding bids to choose from and all three candidates would have been great hosts of the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, but at the end of the process, we are very confident that Saskatchewan will deliver an outstanding event.''
The event will take place from late December 2009 to early January 2010, with exact dates to be determined, at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon and the Brandt Centre in Regina.
''The Canadian Hockey League is proud to be part of bringing the World Juniors back to Saskatchewan,'' said CHL president David Branch. ''This will be a great experience for all of the players and fans that will be part of this championship. The World Juniors is a unique event when it is held in Canada and the CHL and our member clubs in Saskatchewan will again help to run a first class event in the heartland of Major Junior hockey.''
The 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship will be hosted by Ottawa.
Canada will also host the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship. Bids from three communities have been presented - Toronto, Saskatoon/Regina and Calgary/Edmonton. The site selection committee is expected to announce the host of the 2012 event in the coming weeks.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I can’t think of two better places to host the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships than back right here in western Canada on the prairies in Saskatoon and Regina.
A-Rod’s Wife Sues For Divorce - Alleges Infidelity
08/07/2008 06:09
MIAMI - The wife of New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez has filed for a divorce in a Miami court.
Cynthia Rodriguez cited the all-star's alleged infidelity in her Miami-Dade County Family Court filing today. She said Rodriguez has "emotionally abandoned his wife and children."
The filing comes days after the Yankees third baseman was linked to Madonna in several media reports.
His wife later visited the Paris home of rocker Lenny Kravitz, who said she came to France to escape the media frenzy in New York and denied anything improper happened.
Alex Rodriguez has refused to comment on his relationship with Madonna. The pop star has denied any romantic involvement with him.
Cynthia Rodriguez is seeking primary custody of the couple's two children. The two have been married since November 2002.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm . . . I wonder how much of a settlement she’ll get?
Sliced Bread 'A World First'
07/07/2008 06:16
SO what was sliced
bread the best thing
since?According to the full page ad taken out to announce its arrival, the sliced loaf was “the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped”.
On July 6, 1928, in the small US town of Chillicothe, Missouri, the local newspaper broke the story on the front - and carried the advertisement on the back - of its eight page edition.
From the following morning the Chillicothe Baking Company would be selling pre-sliced bread at quality grocers in the area, thanks to a powerful multi-bladed machine called the Rohwedder Bread Slicer.
“There was a time when you ground your coffee,” the bakery ad said. “Now you buy it ground.
“Well this is the same sort of sensible, logical improvement. It is indeed a fine product sold a better way.”
Grab a slice of this story here.
SINC SAYS:
We ought to have a contest to come up with a line that might have been used for such events back then. Anyone?
READER RESPONSE:
Don,
How about this: Sliced bread is the greatest invention since the in-house toilet.
Cheers,
Jim
SINC SAYS:
Well, that's pretty good. Anyone else?
How Is Your Memory?
07/07/2008 06:11
I must be repressing
that memory as I try to rationalize
through the denial of the dangers could have
befallen us as we trekked off each
day about a mile down the road to some
guy's vacant lot, built forts out of
branches and pieces of plywood, made trails,
and fought over who got to be the
Lone Ranger.
What was that
property owner thinking, letting
us play on that lot? He should have
been locked up for not putting up a
fence around the property, complete
with a self-closing gate and an
infrared intruder alarm.
Oh yeah... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!
We played king of the hill on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48 cent bottle of Mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting like iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked. Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.
We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we got our butt spanked (physical abuse) here too and then we got butt spanked again when we got home.
Oh yeah... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!
We played king of the hill on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48 cent bottle of Mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting like iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked. Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.
We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we got our butt spanked (physical abuse) here too and then we got butt spanked again when we got home.
Zara The Lion Cub And Arnie The House Cat
07/07/2008 06:10
Make a purrfect
coupleWith whiskers entwined and their furry bodies snuggled close, Zara and Arnie make a purrfect couple.
Unfortunately, the best friends are set for a rude awakening.
Very soon Zara the lion cub will have to say goodbye to her male companion Arnie the ginger tom cat.
After six weeks together, Zara is set to leave the confines of her comfy home to start a new life in Africa. But Arnie will not be going with her.
Cute cub Zara would have died if she had been left with young parents Safina and Zuri, who were struggling to cope with their newborn at Linton Zoo in Cambridgeshire.
Instead the little lioness joined the family of zoo director Kim Simmons and has become best buddies with their cat.
Purrfect details and more photos here.
SINC SAYS:
Don’tcha just love cute pictures like the ones with this story?
The Original Computer!
07/07/2008 06:04
Memory was
something you lost with
age
An application was
for employment
A program was a TV show
A cursor used profanity
A keyboard was a piano
A web was a spider's home
A virus was the flu
A CD was a bank account
A hard drive was a long trip on the road
A mouse pad was where a mouse lived
And if you had a 3 inch floppy.
You just hoped nobody ever found out!
Golf Carts Take To The Streets
07/07/2008 06:04
Spiking gas prices
have driven some resourceful commuters to
complete more than a round of 18 holes in their
golf
carts."Based on 11 cents per kilowatt hour, it comes out to 3 cents per mile to drive a cart," said Greg Nelson, owner of West Coast Golf Cart in Yuma. "Even the Yuma Police Department is using golf carts."
The YPD began using golf carts to patrol the wetlands parks seven years ago to provide greater mobility options, according to Officer Clint Norred, YPD spokesman.
"They're street legal, but for us it's a utility type thing to handle off-road terrain where a police car can't get to," Norred said. "It was not in response to the rising cost of gas but it's a useful thing to have."
But before that golf cart can leave the lush green fairway for the blacktop, the typical golf cart must have all the required safety equipment, cautioned Nelson.
To be "street ready," they must include windshield, rear-view mirror, turn signal lights, brake lights, electric horn, four-way flashers, license plate and license plate light. They also need seat belts if they go more than 20 mph, but unless the power is increased, they typically do only 17 mph.
The cost for a street-ready 2002 E-Z-Go golf cart with new seats and paint would be $2,900. A new one costs $5,800.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
Might be an idea that will catch on here in town. A trip to the grocery store would be a pleasant ride in one of those little buggies.
RV Owners Justify Staying On The Road
07/07/2008 06:01
Soaring fuel
prices don’t have to keep you at home this
summer when you can take your home with
you.That sums up the attitude of recreational vehicle owners such as Virg and Vickie Paulson of Overland Park, who are adjusting to paying $4 a gallon for gasoline and even more for diesel fuel.
“We don’t see that the price of fuel will have any substantial impact on how much we travel in our motor home,” said Virg, whose Winnebago averages between eight and 10 miles per gallon.
“We really do believe that the other savings more than make up for the cost of fuel. We want to be able to sleep in our own bed every night, and we like being able to pull off at a convenient spot when we’re hungry and not even having to open the door. It really is a convenience thing.”
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
As an RV owner myself, I can verify that it is cheaper to travel in a large RV, than it is to travel by car and pay for hotels and meals on top of gas. If I keep the RPMs down to 2,500 in cruise, I get about 13 MPG.
Laugh At High Gas Prices With A 282-MPG VW
07/07/2008 05:56
With gas prices
going through the roof and regulators requiring
cars to be ever more miserly, Volkswagen is
bringing new meaning to the term "fuel
efficiency" with a bullet-shaped microcar that
gets a stunning 282 235
mpg.Volkswagen's had its super-thrifty One-Liter Car concept vehicle -- so named because that's how much fuel it needs to go 100 kilometers -- stashed away for six years. The body's made of carbon fiber to minimize weight (the entire car weighs just 660 pounds) and company execs didn't expect the material to become cheap enough to produce the car until 2012.
But VW's decided to build the car two years ahead of schedule.
According to Britain's Car magazine, VW has approved a plan to build a limited number of One-Liters in 2010. They'll probably be built in the company's prototype shop, which has the capacity to build as many as 1,000 per year. That's not a lot, but it's enough to help VW get a lot of attention while showing how much light weight and an efficient engine can achieve.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
I predict auto manufacturers will develop vehicles that get twice the gas mileage they get today, in the next five years in response to high gas prices. If they don’t they might just be out of business.
B.C. Lions Icon Bobby Ackles Dies
07/07/2008 05:32
The Canadian Football League has lost one of its biggest supporters. Bob Ackles, an integral member of the B.C. Lions for more than 50 years, died of a heart attack early Sunday morning. He was 69.
Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Ackles started with the Lions as the team's water boy in 1953 and rose up the ranks quickly. In 1971, he was named assistant general manager and earned the post as GM just four years later. He held the job until 1986 and was promoted to director of football development a decade later.
Under Ackles' leadership, the Lions captured the Grey Cup in 1985 and in 2006.
"It was our league that virtually adopted him when he was just a boy, and it's our league that has looked to him as a man for counsel, inspiration and leadership by example," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a statement. "As much as the CFL has meant to Bob, he has meant so much more to us."
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is a big loss for the CFL and, particularly, the B.C. Lions. This is truly a sad day for the CFL, as Bobby was one of its greatest leaders, supporters and ambassadors. RIP, Bobby.
Nadal Wins Wimbledon In Epic Slugfest
07/07/2008 05:31
Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - Rafael Nadal has ended the five-year reign of Roger Federer at Wimbledon, capturing his first men's singles title at the All England Club with a thrilling 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 triumph.
Nadal, who lost to Federer in each of the previous two Wimbledon title matches, finally won a Grand Slam crown not played on clay. He is the reigning four-time champion of the French Open, having beaten Federer in each of the last three finals at Roland Garros.
The super Spaniard dominated Federer in a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 triumph last month in the French Open final, and on Sunday survived an epic comeback to earn his fifth Grand Slam title and deny Federer his 13th. Nadal also became the first Spaniard to win on the famed lawns of the London slam since Manuel Santana in 1966.
Federer hadn't lost at Wimbledon since a 2002 first-round setback to Croatia's Mario Ancic. The Swiss superstar also had a streak of 65 straight wins on grass courts stopped and his 40-match win streak at Wimbledon also came to a crashing halt -- one short of Bjorn Borg's record of 41, set from 1976-81.
"Rafa is a deserving champion," said Federer on court after the match. "He just played fantastic today."
Nadal, meanwhile, became the first man since Borg in 1980 to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is the one tennis match SWIVEL HIPS watches from start to finish every year – the gentlemen’s final at Wimbledon.
In what is unquestionably the best tennis match I have ever seen, or ever will see, in my life, Nadel, the young Spaniard, defeated Federer in a gruelling, five-set marathon that was as close and entertaining as any sporting event I have ever witnessed.
The match lasted over seven hours, including three rain delays, and the players slugged it out on centre court at the All-England Lawn and Tennis Club for four hours, forty-eight minutes, eclipsing the previous record of four hours, sixteen minutes set by Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in 1983.
With Nadel also beating Federer in the French Open on clay last month, is it possible we’re seeing a changing of the guard in men’s professional tennis from the affable Swede to the young, upcoming Spaniard? Wow! What an absolutely classic match!
Christopher Punches Ticket To Beijing
07/07/2008 05:30
WINDSOR, Ont. - Tyler Christopher raced to a Canadian championship meet record Saturday to officially punch his ticket to the Beijing Olympics.
The world indoor champion from Chilliwack, B.C., ran 45.03 seconds to easily win the men's 400 metres.
The 24-year-old Christopher, whose Canadian record is 44.44, needed only a top four finish to secure his spot on the Olympic team.
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Whitby, Ont., also clocked a Canadian meet record en route to a spot on the Olympic squad, winning the women's 100-metre hurdles in 12.78 seconds. Edmonton's Angela Whyte, who was coming off knee surgery and needed to run the B qualifying standard of 13.11, achieved her goal, crossing in 12.96 to put two Canadian women's hurdlers through to Beijing.
Perdita Felicien of Pickering, Ont., the former world indoor and outdoor champion, who received an injury exemption from the Canadian championship to allow a serious foot injury more time to heal, presented the medals.
Christopher, Russell nail down spots.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Here’s wishing Christopher all the best of luck at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Do Canada proud and bring home the gold, Tyler!
Sorenstam Beats Ochoa In Mexican Skins
07/07/2008 05:30
IXTAPA, Mexico - Annika Sorenstam won 11 skins and US$165,000 to beat Lorena Ochoa on Saturday in an exhibition event, the Swedish star's third straight victory over the top-ranked Mexican in the competition.
"It was a great experience thanks to all the Mexicans," said Sorenstam, set to retire at the end of the season. "Every time I played here was a great one. You have always been nice to me."
Ochoa earned $105,000.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
As Annika is retiring at the end of this season, this was probably the last time fans will get to see, arguably, the two best female golfers in the world go head-to-head.