17 August 2008
Reader's Shots From The Road . . .
23/08/2008 08:25
More pictures from
Bob and Jim Starko on their Radium B.C. trip,
these of Coy's Par 3 Golf Course. Looks like a
nice place to play a round.
Reports From The Road . . .
23/08/2008 04:42
We returned yesterday from a two week road trip to parts of southern Saskatchewan. During that time we endured days so cold that being outside was not pleasant, to searing heat that reached into the high thirties.
Perhaps the strangest weather we noted during our trip was yesterday in Battleford, Saskatchewan, where fall appears to be in full swing as this picture will attest. Go figure. (Click image to see larger version.)
Reader Response To Sports Liquor Story
23/08/2008 04:22
Dear Mybirdie:
Just read your article on our Sport Stadiums selling Liquor to minors. I don't know if our story will help you, but I felt I should send it.
It is a bit perplexing that society is willing to drink at a Game when most of them have to drive home and don't want to fall asleep in the stadium. But, being a recovering alcoholic now for 16 months, 5 days, I would have been more than happy to chug-a-lug with the best of them.
My biggest concern is the astounding number of under aged kids that are drinking, many starting at home with Mom & Dad. Makes me wonder what type of a society will there be, when they are adults in charge of things.
I'll leave this with you, to use at your own discretion. God Bless you in your endeavors!
****************************************************
I'll try to make this brief, but if you should have any inquiries, please let me know. To explain the years preceding our health deterioration, we both had been married twice previous, to individuals that we were not suited for. As most people do now a days, we drank to relax and calm our nerves. And while that is a poor excuse, unfortunately, very true for many. Never had we heard, read, or even been told, by anyone, of possible derogatory health effects from Alcohol, so it all came as a real shocker.
Myself and my late husband were born to Mothers who drank. We picked up the nasty little drinking habit quite well, in our late teens, when first employed. Being the youngest and newest recruit, you want to fit in and be accepted, especially when you are hoping for a career in that field. Many lunch and after work drinks became a ongoing way of life. Both of us were well educated and extremely hard working, therefore rose quickly in the professions we loved. This all came to a devastating halt in our mid 40's. It is called 'Grand-Mal Seizures' somewhat related to 'Epilepsy'.
There are no known cures! Prescription drugs are the only help, along with complete Alcohol abstinence, permanently. The current medications have pages and pages of horrific side effects, and hit each patient different times, different ways. You must stay on these pills for the rest of your life though! And are expensive. I have a distant relative, who's baby girl was born with the exact same problem. So it's not really Epilepsy, but almost another form of it. While this tiny little girls parents have never consumed Alcohol, suspicions are that her Dad's biological parents did. But being adopted, leaves the question unanswered.
When it first hit, our drivers license's were suspended, in addition to us both having to quit our employment, which is very horrible, when you have worked your entire life in a profession you loved, and are extremely well known and respected in the industry. Not to mention the fact that you've been accustomed to a certain level of income, which is now basically, vanished into thin air! Your license to drive may be returned after six months, without an attack, however it is like having a wretched poisonous snake, dwelling permanently inside of you forever ! The medication professes to hold it down, so to speak and yes it does, however, it is always on your mind, especially when your license to drive is returned and makes travelling costs, to an unbelievable amount of Doctors/Specialists/Surgeons and blood tests, slightly more affordable.
There is a little journal book always here in our home, where it is noted, time and day medication is taken, in dreaded fear of missing, then being served notice basically, by the python dwelling inside. He is very aware when he hasn't received breakfast or supper, call it 'tranquilizing medication'. Consequently, you may or may not be served his wrath! I trust you get the picture.
I never ever leave the house, without checking this precious little diary, always sitting in clear plain view, as having a seizure while driving could cause a horrendous dreadful outcome! This is not drunk driving so to speak, but the aftermath of drinking for years and years, not to mention the continual worry of it causing a fall, sometimes splitting your skull open (happened twice.)
A year before my spouse passed away, he had a seizure while negotiating two steps, flew over 20 ft., breaking his hip, resulting in surgery, then a year long recovery process. This is for someone who at 6 ft 4" tall, in excellent physical condition. Previously he had broken his arm and ankle from the same cause ! And all because of the almighty drink.
I am attempting to bring this to as many organizations attention, as possible, as well as our governments, federal and provincial. Hoping that along with AA, ALANON, MADD it will result in mandatory warning labels on all liquor containers, and an increase in purchase prices!
Cigarette manufacturers have been forced to do the same, and I don't remember having ever heard of a deadly traffic accident or a bone breaking fall, from smoking.
This sort of affliction, does make life difficult. Causing again, a great deal of stress, as suddenly everything you've known and been accustomed to, is uprooted and basically gone! My lovely husband passed away, a year ago last April, from a perforated ulcer, and his reluctance to go into the hospital immediately, as he didn't want me to be on my own, I suspect, in case of an attack! Well, my sweets, I'm kinda on my own now.
Thank you for spending valued time, reading our story. I trust you will pass this on to others. I have replied to by some, they absolutely convinced, seizures are only caused from alcohol withdrawal. Well, not so. I'm no physician, but have confirmed this with professionals, and it is only from continued drinking! And having this wretched, horrible health defect, is like wondering if the unwanted tenant inside, is dead, alive, pissed off with you bored, or maybe, just maybe, peacefully content, for now?
Sincerely yours, in deep hopes of helping others,
Sheila Joyce Gibbs,
Victoria, B.C.
SINC SAYS:
Sorry to hear of your troubles, but I seriously doubt many of your "theories" have any basis in science.
READER RESPONSE:
Don,
That's quite the first posting on the website today.
Anyway, Sheila should know that seizures can be caused by a number of things. For example, they think mine, which I had over a year ago and have not had a recurrence, was caused because the electrolytes (sodium, potassium, etc.) in my body were out of balance. Where did this drinking thing and alcoholism as the only cause of seizures come from?
No Name Please
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Like I stated earlier there is no science or evidence involved in Sheila's views. They are personal and subject to query, not to mention highly unlikely.
Self-Styled Typo Vigilantes Sentenced
23/08/2008 04:18
For vandalizing Grand
Canyon park
signFrom CBC News
PHOENIX - When it comes to marking up historic signs, good grammar is a bad defence.
Two self-styled vigilantes against typos have been sentenced to probation and banned from national parks for a year.
Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson pleaded guilty Aug. 11 for defacing a more than 60-year-old, hand-painted sign at Grand Canyon National Park on March 28.
Authorities say Deck wrote in a diary that they used a marker to cover an erroneous apostrophe, put the apostrophe in its proper place with white-out and added a comma.
Deck and Herson, both 28, toured the United States this spring, wiping out errors on government and private signs.
They were interviewed by the Chicago Tribune, which called them "a pair of Kerouacs armed with Sharpies and erasers and righteous indignation."
SINC SAYS:
Some people just have waaaay too much time on their hands, don’t they?
Oil Falls 5.4 Percent In Biggest Drop Since 2004
23/08/2008 04:15
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude oil prices fell more than 5.4 percent on Friday in the biggest one-day slide since 2004 as dealers turned their focus to rising supply levels and weakening global demand.
A rebound in the U.S. dollar encouraged the sell-off, applying downward pressure across the commodities markets by weakening the purchasing power of buyers using other currencies, dealers said.
The slide adds to a more than 20 percent fall in the price of crude since mid-July and could increase the chance oil cartel OPEC will cut official production limits when the group meets in Vienna on September 9.
U.S. crude fell $6.59, or 5.4 percent, to settle at $114.59 a barrel -- the biggest fall in percentage terms since December 27, 2004. London Brent crude fell $6.24 to $113.92 a barrel.
"People who were buying yesterday are taking profits today," said Peter Beutel, analyst at consultancy Cameron Hanover. "There is also renewed technical selling and talk again of demand destruction. The dollar is strong again too."
Slick details here.
SINC SAYS:
Did you notice the 5 percent drop at the pumps folks? Oh, you didn’t either eh? Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Are You A Martha Or A Maxine?
23/08/2008 04:12
*MARTHA'S
WAY*
Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
*MAXINE'S
WAY*
Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink! 'All' your pains go away.
Dinosaurs Helped Build The Pyramids?
23/08/2008 04:10
Far from becoming
extinct 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs
actually co-existed with early humans, and even
helped in the construction of the pyramids.
This is the word of Vince Fenech, Evangelist pastor and director of a fully licensed, State-approved Creationist institution which admits children aged between four and 18.
“Of course the ‘dinoceros’ existed (as Fenech pronounces the word). It is mentioned in the Book of Job. They were used to help build the pyramids,” he says, adding that this latter observation is only “his personal belief”, and that it does not form part of the school’s curriculum.
But the curriculum of the Accelerated Christian Academy in Mosta is not exactly free of such fanciful reinventions of history. Fenech reiterates the basic Evangelist tenet that the entire universe was created in 4004 BC… and this time, he also supplies “proof”.
More "evidence" here.
SINC SAYS:
Uh, ah, er, ahem, right. Whatever you say sir.
Town Declares All-Out War On Divebomber Seagulls
23/08/2008 04:09
TO SOME, they are
graceful seabirds that swoop serenely over the
waves.
To others, they are terrifying scavengers that tear apart rubbish, divebomb children and disturb sleep.
Now seagulls in one Scottish town are to be targeted by a new task force that will hunt out and destroy their nests. Deterrents being considered in Dumfries include putting spikes on buildings and covering nesting hot-spots with wires.
If successful, the pilot initiative could be rolled out to other towns and cities. It was announced yesterday by Mike Russell, the environment minister, who has promised to be "tough on seagulls and tough on the causes of seagulls".
Dive into this story here.
SINC SAYS:
It would appear that the land of my ancestors have had enough with these bird brains.
Eskimos Smoke Defending Champ 'Riders
23/08/2008 03:49
EDMONTON - It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
The Edmonton Eskimos did not have a good start against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday night, falling behind 10-0 early.
But they showed some finish as touchdowns from A.J. Harris and Kamau Peterson helped Edmonton erase that early deficit and they never looked back from there. The Eskimos moved into sole possession of second place in the CFL's West Division, knocking off the league leading Saskatchewan Roughriders 27-10 on Thursday night.
"I thought we could have played better than we did," said Edmonton head coach Danny Maciocia. "Overall I thought we just played well enough to win. We made a few more plays than they did."
One of the strongest performances was put forward by Harris, a rookie running back from Northern Illinois. Harris won the battle of the running backs over Saskatchewan's Wes Cates on the night recording 189 rushing yards on 21 carries, tying for the fifth best rushing game in Eskimos history. Cates had just 77 yards on 14 tries.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. The only thing I regret is that I couldn't be there to see it in person.
Cools Crashes, Doesn't Finish Women's BMX Final
23/08/2008 03:48
BEIJING - There was dirt smeared on her jersey and disappointment in her voice but Sam Cools still managed a smile Friday after she crashed and didn't finish the women's BMX final at the Olympic Games.
Cools smacked into the dirt about five seconds into the race. The tumble followed a mid-air collision with Argentina's Gabriela Diaz between the second and third jumps in the first-ever Olympic BMX final.
"I'm alive, I can, walk, that's all the matters," said the 22-year-old Airdrie, Alta., native. "It was frustrating when I was dusting myself off but really, I was there.
"I learned a lot and experienced so much for my first Olympics. I will take that onto the next one."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Talk about heartbreak for the young Airdrie native.
Van Koverden Finishes Out Of Medals
23/08/2008 03:47
BEIJING - It was like an out-of-body experience for Adam van Koeverden.
Paddling as hard as he could down the stretch, the star kayaker from Oakville, Ont., could only watch as athletes he's beaten time and again blew by him in the men's K-1 1,000-metre final at the Beijing Olympics on Friday.
He ended up eighth out of nine boats, a shocking result for the athlete who had been touted as Canada's top medal favourite heading into Beijing and one who had won nearly every race he'd entered this season.
''The first thing that went through my head was 'What have I done? What did I do?''' a stunned van Koeverden said after the race. ''And then crossing the finish line, I think I said it out loud, 'What did I just do?' Was I completely out of it the whole way? Was I like hypnotized for 3 1/2 minutes? That's what it felt like.''
It was a result nobody would have predicted.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, so much for our "best chance" for an Olympic medal and Canada's vaunted flag-bearer. I still say that Ian Millar should have carried the Canadian colors.
Scrivener Gets Bail On Attempted Murder Charge
23/08/2008 03:47
WINNIPEG - According to a report in the Winnipeg Free Press, a former Winnipeg Blue Bomber who is charged with attempted murder has been released on bail.
Colin Scrivener, 38, was granted his freedom on Thursday with conditions, including losing a $10,000 surety if he is re-arrested.
Scrivener was arrested on August 3.
Scrivener, 38, is one of three Winnipeg men facing several charges, including attempted murder, following a police investigation into an assault during which a man was thrown out of a third-floor suite.
Police say three men forced their way into a Winnipeg suite, physically assaulted and stabbed a 29-year-old man and threw him out the window.
The victim was badly injured and went to hospital in critical condition, but has since been upgraded to stable condition.
Scrivener, a defensive tackle, played with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1995 to 1997 before joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1998-2002.
In 127 career CFL games, Scrivener had 116 tackles.
His case has been adjourned to October 3.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This kind of story is becoming all too common with former professional athletes.
NHL Stars, Celebrities Team Up To Support 'Right To Play'
23/08/2008 03:47
TORONTO, August 20, 2008 - Canadian NHL stars including Joe Thornton(San Jose Sharks), Jason Spezza (Ottawa Senators), Curtis Joseph(Toronto Maple Leafs), Matt Stajan (Toronto Maple Leafs), Robyn Regehr(Calgary Flames), Mike Cammalleri (Calgary Flames), Sean Avery (Dallas Stars) and Andrew Ference (Boston Bruins) - along with Hollywood's Tim Robbins, Alan Thicke, D.B. Sweeney, Cameron Bancroft and director Jason Reitman - head a list of more than 30 celebrities including team CaptainsDoug Gilmour and Luc Robitaille who will skate in the inaugural Festival Cup charity hockey game at Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Friday, September 5, 2008. The opening face-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Festival Cup is presented by GMP Capital Trust, one of Canada's leading independent investment dealers. All proceeds raised from the event will go to support the international humanitarian organization Right To Play.
"It's a great inspiration to see so many high-profile stars from Hollywood and the hockey world come together for the inaugural Festival Cup, presented by GMP Capital Trust, in support of Right To Play," said Johann Koss, President and CEO of Right To Play. "These actors and athletes understand that sport and play are critical tools to help children and communities in disadvantaged areas of the world build a healthier, more peaceful future."
The Festival Cup is one of the festivities kicking off the first weekend of the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. As part of the event, two teams featuring a mix of NHL and Hollywood celebrities will face-off in a fun and entertaining game.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What a great way to support the benefits of sport, heath and fair play.
U.S. Man Wins Fight To Keep Property
22/08/2008 07:03
Century-old
Saskatchewan farm inherited from
momREGINA - An American man has won the right to keep his family's century-old farm in southeastern Saskatchewan, but still worries about what will happen to the homestead in the future if legislation isn't changed.
Dale Kreimeyer was given a lifetime exemption Thursday on a rule that limits foreign ownership of farmland to four hectares.
"I'm very happy what was accomplished," Kreimeyer told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview from Oklahoma.
"All the lawyers that I had talked to, they tell me, 'you don't have a chance in this thing. They just will not give you exemption.' So I'm very happy that they have given me exemption."
The Farm Land Security Board had given Kreimeyer until November to sell nearly all of the 260 hectares that his grandfather, Paul Berndt, first settled in Midale in 1909.
Kreimeyer inherited the land from his mother, Myrtle, in 1998.
SINC SAYS:
As one who was born and raised in our neighbour to the east, I can understand the ties to that land.
Bigfoot Hoaxers Resurface, Blame California Promoter
22/08/2008 06:57
Bigfoot hoaxers Rick
Dyer and Matthew Whitton are back in the
limelight — and they're blaming Tom Biscardi,
the California promoter who trotted them out
for a nationally televised press conference
last
Friday.Back home in Georgia after their brief moment in the big time, Dyer and Whitton told two Atlanta TV stations Wednesday that the entire affair was a "joke" that got out of hand.
"I just wanted to put out some good news," Dyer told Joanna Massee of WGCL-TV. "People are upset with the war and stuff — what's so bad about Bigfoot? Nobody got hurt."
The men admitted they bought the Sasquatch suit over the Internet, and showed WSB-TV's Mark Winne a Web page at TheHorrorDome.Com selling it.
"It got into something much bigger than it was supposed to be," Whitton told Winne. "It started off as just some YouTube videos and a Web site. ... We're all about having fun."
Two people definitely aren't smiling. One is Clayton County Police Chief Jeffrey Turner, who fired Whitton from his job as a police officer Tuesday after the hoax came to light.
RELATED
"A defense attorney could put him on the stand and say, 'You lied about this — how do we know you're not lying now?'" Turner told FoxNews.com. "A police officer needs credibility and honor."
Whitton will be allowed to contest his termination, and he insists he's still an honest man.
"I don't believe it does affect my credibility at all, because this is Bigfoot," he told Winne. "It would be one thing if I came out and said I had something else that is tangible or real, but right now, as far as I'm concerned, there is no real Bigfoot."
The other unhappy party is Biscardi, who accuses Dyer and Whitton of running off with the $50,000 advance he gave them a week ago. According to an employee of his Searching for Bigfoot company, Biscardi plans to sue.
"There will be legal action," Catherine Ortez told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "If this was a joke, it was very methodical and thought-out."
Neither of the TV interviewers asked Dyer and Whitton about the money, but the men have hired a prominent defense lawyer.
They also briefly posted a YouTube video arguing that Biscardi knew all along that the Bigfoot body was bogus. It was taken down, but Cryptomundo.com managed to save it for posterity.
"We have proof," Dyer told Massee. "Not proof of Bigfoot — we have proof of everything, and that's what's gonna come out in the next couple of days."
SINC SAYS:
Ah yes, the on again off again Bigfoot boys are on again. Or are they off again?
22/08/2008 06:53
Are children who use sign language allowed to talk with their mouth full?
How come all of the planets are spherical?
Why doesn't Winnie the Pooh ever get stung by the bees he messes with?
Why do they put holes in crackers?
What do people in China call their good plates?
How come toy hippos are always blue, or purple, when real hippos are brown?
Young Girls Fight Produce Stand Closure
22/08/2008 06:50
CLAYTON, CA (KGO) --
Two young East Bay girls are trying to find out
if you really can fight city hall. The
youngsters are battling to get their produce
stand back after the city of Clayton shut them
down.The mayor himself is getting involved in this issue; he says the produce stand, operated by two young sisters, had to be shut down because of public safety and a zoning ordinance. But members of the Lewis family say - we have just begun to fight.
On a Clayton street corner is where 11-year-old Katie and 3-year- old Sabrina Lewis had been selling their families surplus fruits and veggies - stuff like:
"Zucchini, melons, tomatoes, radishes," said Sabrina Lewis.
They did it for maybe four hours on Saturday mornings to make a little money. They haven't sold a thing since the police showed up recently in response to one complaint to the mayor's office.
"They said traffic was being stopped and then they came up with we can't have a roadside stand and then they said it was a commercial enterprise," said Katie Lewis, former produce seller.
As for the traffic issue, neighbor Terri Highsmith says there isn't one.
"On the weekends is when I mostly notice them selling. I come and go a lot and I've never seen any traffic problems," said Highsmith.
Clayton Mayor Gregg Manning disagrees. And wonders what Katie and Sabrina might do with that produce stand if the zoning laws weren't enforced.
"They may start out with a little card-table and selling a couple of things, but then who is to say what else they have. Is all the produce made there, do they make it themselves? Are they going to have eggs and chickens for sale next," said Manning.
Lucky for Katie and Sabrina their folks don't have lemon trees.
"Lemonade stands are technically illegal, but they don't last long enough to do anything about," said Manning.
"I was extremely shocked," said Mike Lewis, father of Katie and Sabrina.
The girls' father is speaking about the city's decision to enforce the letter of the law, and run his girls out of business.
"There is always exceptions and compromises and ways to go around it. To this day, I haven't seen anything except 'no, you can't do it,'" said Mike Lewis.
"I wish everyone would follow the rules and not be just self-centered," said Manning.
"I've called the mayor a couple of times and he won't talk to me at all," said Mike Lewis.
"He knows the rules and chose to ignore them," said Manning.
"Why is this a problem?"
That last comment from one of the people who has signed a petition to bring the produce stand back. The petition circulated by its author 11-year old Katie, suddenly the voice of reason in the middle of a controversy that's growing faster than:
"That big pumpkin over there," said Katie Lewis.
And that's getting bigger by the day.
SINC SAYS:
Isn’t that just the way it goes? City hall versus little kids and wins? Kind of like idling by-laws and cycling helmets isn’t it?
If Olympics Coverage Were A Sport
22/08/2008 06:45
. . . We'd give
Canada the gold; would NBC even
medal?Guest author Philip Michaels lives in the Bay Area, but this week he is in Canada and files this report to TV Barn on watching the CBC's Olympic Games coverage.
Until I arrived in Vancouver this past weekend, I thought the Olympics had been pared down to four sports. Whenever I turned on NBC's prime time coverage, I would either see swimming (which I love), gymnastics (which I detest), beach volleyball (which I feign having little interest in so that I may preserve domestic tranquility), and synchronized diving (which I am surprised to discover is a competitive sport). And that was that -- unless enduring one of Cris Collinsworth's grin-filled, content-free personality profiles has been elevated to an Olympic-level sport. If it has, I ain't medaling, that's for sure.
Yeah, yeah, I know: There's plenty of coverage elsewhere on what have been imperialistically dubbed The Networks on NBC. You've got coverage on MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Telemundo, and -- if you hate sport -- Oxygen. But unless you've got 24 hours of free time each day and a color-coordinated spreadsheet outlining exactly what's on when, you're pretty much dependent on what NBC's showing between eight and midnight. And that, for the most part, has been four sports, some of which may not have involved Michael Phelps.
Now, in just the past day or so up in Canada, I've flipped on CBC's coverage and seen, in no particular order: rowing, synchronized swimming, triathalon, track, trampoline, gymnastics, diving, baseball, softball, and beach volleyball. Admittedly some of these sports, I'm not particularly interested in. But I feel like I'm getting a better flavor of the entire Beijing games instead of the handful of sports NBC deems worthy of prime time coverage.
How else is CBC's coverage superior to what NBC has stuck on the air? Let me count the ways.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
Well OK. I guess the CBC is good for one thing. Couldn’t tell by me though. I don’t watch the games, now or ever before. They just don’t interest me.
Study Says 'Gaydar' Is Real
22/08/2008 06:36
Not only does
"gaydar" exist, suggests a study out of Tufts
University, but it can work pretty
fast.Some people say they can tell the sexual orientation of folks with little information, and now a study gives them data to back up their claims.
Published in July's Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the study claims that people could guess fairly accurately ("better than chance") whether men were gay or straight by looking at photos of their faces.
For the study, 15 undergraduate students, both male and female, were shown photos of faces of 90 men, evenly divided between gay and straight. The photos were taken from Internet personal ads and from Facebook. The study's lead author, graduate student Nicholas Rule, says men were used in this study for convenience, because they have a greater presence on the Internet than women.
Story details here.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve known some people for years before I knew they were gay. What difference does it make anyway? I just wish gays didn’t have to “flaunt” themselves. That IS offensive to many.
NHS Dentists Pulling More Teeth
22/08/2008 06:33
NHS dentists in
England are extracting more teeth and providing
patients with fewer x-rays, fillings and
crowns, official figures revealed
yesterday.The NHS Information Centre said treatments involving the fitting or repairing of false teeth accounted for 38% of complex dental activity in 2003-04. This rose to 48% in 2007-08. At the same time, extractions increased from 7% to 8% of dentists' workload, but the proportion of time spent on preparing and fitting crowns fell from 48% to 35% and fillings from 28% to 26%.
Dr Barry Cockcroft, the chief dental officer, rejected a suggestion that the contract given to NHS dentists in April 2006 discouraged time-consuming interventions to save natural teeth. He said: "The oral health of the nation has improved dramatically over the last 10 years thanks to fluoride toothpaste, fluoridated water and greater awareness of the importance of oral hygiene." The increase in dentures was caused by a growth in the number of older people and a switch towards providing partial dentures instead of a full set.
The information centre said 27 million people - 53.3% of the population - were seen by an NHS dentist in the two years following the introduction of the contract. That was 1.1 million down on the number seen in the previous two years.
Mike Penning, a Conservative health spokesman, said: "Since Labour introduced its botched, untested new contract, well over one million people - more than the entire population of Birmingham - have lost access to an NHS dentist."
SINC SAYS:
It’s a toothy bit of news, is this.
Eric Lamaze Wins Gold In Individual Show Jumping
22/08/2008 06:32
HONG KONG - Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., captured the show jumping title Thursday at the Beijing Games, giving Canada its first-ever individual equestrian gold.
Lamaze, aboard Hickstead, posted back-to-back clean runs in his first two rounds before winning a jump-off with Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson for his second medal of the Games.
It's just the second individual show jumping medal for Canada in Olympic history. Michel Vaillancourt won an individual silver medal at the 1976 Games in Montreal.
Canada's only other equestrian gold came in team jumping at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
Lamaze was also part of the Canadian team that won silver in the team jump Monday.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congratulations, Eric on winning Canada's first gold medal in Equestrian since 1968! I guess I was sort of pulling for the sentimental favorite, the 61-year-old, nine-time Olympian, Ian Millar.
Some Sports Stadiums Serve Alcohol To Underaged, Intoxicated
22/08/2008 06:32
Researchers wanted to find out whether major sports stadiums would sell alcohol to people who appear to be intoxicated or underage, and found that many will - and it's easier for them to purchase a drink in the stands than at a concession.
Nearly one in five people posing as underage drinkers, and three out of four people pretending to be drunk fans were able to buy alcoholic beverages at professional sporting events, according to the findings, published Wednesday in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
The U.S. study looked at 16 sports stadiums in five different states but did not include any Canadian venues. It was conducted from September 2005 to November 2006. The stadiums and the states were not identified.
"Our drinking age is 21, so to assess whether or not they were upholding the drinking age and not selling to someone who was underage, we hired individuals that are 21 or older, but judged to look under the age of 20," said lead author Traci Toomey, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I wonder if this is the case at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field in Regina? It would certainly explain a lot of things. Naw, couldn't be . . .
Tory Minister Attacks Chretien Over China Remarks
22/08/2008 06:31
A junior Conservative cabinet minister has lambasted former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien, who has criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to skip the Beijing Games.
Jason Kenney, secretary of state for multiculturalism, told CTV Newsnet on Wednesday that Chretien has many clients who do business in China and has represented Chinese state firms.
"Mr. Chretien has a lot of explaining to do when it comes to, at the very least, the appearance of conflict of interest," Jason Kenney.
"You've got Prime Minister Harper who's representing Canada's interests and values ... and then you've got Mr. Chretien representing his own personal financial interests."
Kenney didn't name any firm, but Chretien has strong ties to Quebec's Power Corp.
On Monday, Chretien took aim at Harper's China policy, saying the prime minister's non-attendance at the Beijing Olympics and decision to honour the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet, with honorary Canadian citizenship could harm relations with the rising economic power.
More from CTV News.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Stephen Harper doesn't need some junior "flunkie" like Jason Kenney coming out of the woodwork and accusing Jean Chretien of conflict of interest, which is completely off topic and missing the point. Harper can do a good enough job of that himself.
NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw Dead At 63
22/08/2008 06:30
NEW YORK - Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, has died. He was 63.
Upshaw died Wednesday night at his home in Lake Tahoe, Calif., of pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed only Sunday, the NFL Players Association said Thursday. His wife Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Justin and Daniel were by his side.
"Few people in the history of the National Football League have played the game as well as Gene and then had another career in football with so much positive impact on the structure and competitiveness of the entire league as Gene," former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said.
Current commissioner Roger Goodell offered similar praise.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
While I make no secret of my dislike for unions, I must admit the NFL players came an awfully long way under Upshaw's watch. RIP Gene.
Umps, MLB Sign Agreement To Start Using Video Replay
22/08/2008 06:29
NEW YORK - Baseball umpires and management signed an agreement Wednesday that will allow the sport to start using instant replay to help determine calls on the field.
Major League Baseball still hasn't determined when the use of replays will start. Installation of equipment has been going on at ballparks, and officials have said they hoped to start using replay in August.
Replays will be limited to boundary calls, such as determining whether fly balls were fair or foul, or whether they went over fences.
''I told our members that it's just another tool that we can use to get the play right, not to look at it as a negative, but a positive,'' World Umpires Association president John Hirschbeck said. ''As hard as you try, as much as you hustle, sometimes with just the landscape of the ballparks nowadays, it's hard to tell. So if we can get it right, you know what, let's use it as a tool to get it right.''
The deal was signed by management lawyer Dan Halem and WUA lawyer Brian Lam one day after a WUA spokesman went public with complaints over negotiations.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is certainly welcome news, as it can only make the game better. The only place I haven't seen it work so far is in the CFL.
Reader's Shots From The Road . . .
21/08/2008 06:49
St. Albert's Place
readers Jim and Bob
Starko are enjoying a
vacation in southeastern B.C. They sent along
these shots for readers to see.
If you have some shots of your trip or vacation to share, send them along and we'll publish them here.
"Steam Train Ride, Aerials Of Kootenay River And Log - Fort Steel, B.C."
If you have some shots of your trip or vacation to share, send them along and we'll publish them here.
"Steam Train Ride, Aerials Of Kootenay River And Log - Fort Steel, B.C."
Living With Humans Has Taught Dogs Morals
21/08/2008 06:42
Dogs are developing a
sense of fair play, scientists have
foundDogs are becoming more intelligent and are even learning morals from human contact, scientists claim.
They say the fact that dogs' play rarely escalates into a fight shows the animals abide by social rules.
During one study, dogs which held up a paw were rewarded with a food treat.
When a lone dog was asked to raise its paw but received no treat, the researchers found it begged for up to 30 minutes.
But when they tested two dogs together but rewarded only one, the dog which missed out soon stopped playing the game.
Doggy details here.
SINC SAYS:
Bow wow, woof,
woof.
21/08/2008 06:40
If you get cheated by the Better Business Bureau, who do you complain to?
When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Can you cry under water?
Why Does Pluto Live in a dog house, eat dog food, etc. but Goofy, who is also a dog, lives in a condo and drives a car?
If you blew a bubble in space would it pop?
Five Hoaxes That Fooled the World
21/08/2008 06:37
Long before Bonsai
Kittens and the tourist guy, hoaxsters have
been wreaking havoc on the gullible to amuse
themselves and maybe gain a little
notoriety.
Here are a few
hoaxes that pre-date the Internet, in some
cases by centuries. There are plenty more, so
perhaps a follow-up is in order – if you have
any suggestions, leave them in the comments.
The Turk
This might not seem so impressive in the day and age of computers, but at the time, a mechanical man who could beat anyone at chess was quite the novelty.
Wolfgang von Kempelen constructed just that. It baffled people from 1770 until 1854. It was a life-sized man from the waist up, dressed in robes and a turban (to emphasize the mystic quality, I suppose). It sat with a cabinet which opened to reveal all kinds of cogs and gears and complicated-looking machinery, which were designed to hide a person sitting on a sliding seat.
The person could maneuver around in the cabinet to conceal himself as the presenter opened various cabinet doors to prove that nothing was inside but machinery. The person inside would then use various levers to make the Turk move, pick up chess pieces and even shake his head disapprovingly at opponents trying to cheat. The Turk defeated the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte. Edgar Allan Poe wrote an essay on it, guessing how the tricks were done, but was largely incorrect.
The Turk was lost in a fire on July 5, 1854. In 1857, the son of the Turk’s final owner decided that since the Turk was “deceased”, it was time for his secrets to be revealed. He wrote a series of articles for The Chess Monthly and exposed nearly everything.
More tricky stuff here.
SINC SAYS:
Doesn’t take much to pull the wool over my eyes.
The Turk
This might not seem so impressive in the day and age of computers, but at the time, a mechanical man who could beat anyone at chess was quite the novelty.
Wolfgang von Kempelen constructed just that. It baffled people from 1770 until 1854. It was a life-sized man from the waist up, dressed in robes and a turban (to emphasize the mystic quality, I suppose). It sat with a cabinet which opened to reveal all kinds of cogs and gears and complicated-looking machinery, which were designed to hide a person sitting on a sliding seat.
The person could maneuver around in the cabinet to conceal himself as the presenter opened various cabinet doors to prove that nothing was inside but machinery. The person inside would then use various levers to make the Turk move, pick up chess pieces and even shake his head disapprovingly at opponents trying to cheat. The Turk defeated the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte. Edgar Allan Poe wrote an essay on it, guessing how the tricks were done, but was largely incorrect.
The Turk was lost in a fire on July 5, 1854. In 1857, the son of the Turk’s final owner decided that since the Turk was “deceased”, it was time for his secrets to be revealed. He wrote a series of articles for The Chess Monthly and exposed nearly everything.
More tricky stuff here.
SINC SAYS:
Doesn’t take much to pull the wool over my eyes.
Armed 85-Year-Old Woman Makes Intruder Call Cops
21/08/2008 06:32
From CBC News
POINT MARION, Pa. - An 85-year-old woman boldly went for her gun and busted a would-be burglar inside her home, then forced him to call police while she kept him in her sights, police said.
"I just walked right on past him to the bedroom and got my gun," Leda Smith said.
Smith heard someone break into her home Sunday afternoon and grabbed the .22-calibre revolver she had been keeping by her bed since a neighbour's home was burglarized a few weeks ago.
"I said 'What are you doing in my house?' He just kept saying he didn't do it," Smith said.
After the 17-year-old boy called 911, Smith kept holding the gun on him until state police arrived at her home in Springhill Township, about 70 kilometres south of Pittsburgh.
The boy will be charged with attempted burglary and related offences in juvenile court, Trooper Christian Lieberum said. He was not identified because of his age.
"It was exciting," Smith said. "I just hope I broke up the (burglary) ring because they have been hitting a lot of places around here."
SINC SAYS:
Good on her, showing the young chap how crooks like him should be treated and all.
Are You A Martha Or A Maxine?
21/08/2008 06:29
*MARTHA'S
WAY*
*MAXINE'S
WAY*
Michigan Man's Decades-Old Cadillac-A-Year Tradition
21/08/2008 06:26
From CBC News
FLINT, Mich. - There are loyal customers, and then there's Joseph Macko.
The 84-year-old Flint man has bought or leased a new Cadillac every year since 1955, the year Disneyland opened in Anaheim, Calif., and Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus. "You only live one time. Money is to spend," he told The Flint Journal. "I spend it once I get it."
Macko, a retired General Motors Corp. worker, used to buy a new car every year, but he's been leasing the last few years. Last week, he drove home this year's fresh set of wheels - a black 2009 Cadillac DTS - from the Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc.
"He looks forward every year to buying a new car," said Gordon Taylor, who has been Macko's salesman for 22 years. "He wants that same vehicle."
Marcella Macko says her husband isn't the spendthrift he might seem - he saves up all year to pay for a new car.
But, she said, she just doesn't get excited anymore about the annual ritual.
"He does, but I don't," she said.
SINC SAYS:
Something tells me that at her age, she doesn’t get excited anymore about a lot of things.
Phony Guards Steal From Bank Customers
21/08/2008 06:23
TIGARD, Ore. (AP) -
Tigard police say two men dressed as security
guards fooled a pair of bank customers into
giving them
deposits.Police spokesman Jim Wolf says the phony guards stood outside a night deposit slot at the Wells Fargo Bank at 9200 S.W. Washington Square Road on Friday evening and and told the victims it was out of order. The men offered to take the money and make the deposits when the bank reopened.
Wolf says the men wore uniforms and had badges and guns. The night deposit slot was covered by a sign saying it was out of service.
Police learned of the crimes when a business contacted the branch to ask about its deposit.
The bank says it has never had a problem with the slot.
SINC SAYS:
So, should one never trust a man in uniform? Seems like that might be a good idea.
What's That Smell? Fresh Air In Beijing?
21/08/2008 06:23
Official promises liveable city after games
BEIJING - Olympic host Beijing enjoyed its cleanest air in 10 years this month and will adopt strict new measures to ensure its notorious smog does not return, a top environment official said on Tuesday.
Over the past 18 days, air quality in the capital ranged between excellent and fairly good on China's index, Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, told reporters.
And he pledged good conditions would continue.
"Beijing will be built into a liveable city," Du said. "We will take some new measures to ensure that air quality will reach a new level after the Olympic Games."
Du said those measures would be announced after the Games end on Sunday, once officials had studied Beijing's "successful experiences."
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For the sake of the Chinese people living in Beijing, let's hope the deputy dirctor, Du, is not just spouting "the party" line.
Airdrie's Sam Cools Moves On In BMX Competition
21/08/2008 06:22
Samantha Cools advanced to the semifinals with the 13th fastest time in Wednesday's time-trial round of the Olympic women's BMX competition in Beijing, while fellow Canadian Scott Erwood was eliminated in his quarter-final heat on the men's side.
Cools of Airdrie, Alta., clocked 39.137 seconds on the second of her two runs on the 350-metre course where BMX is making its Olympic debut.
France's Anne-Caroline Chausson, the silver medallist at this year's world championships, had the best time in the 16-woman field at 36.660. Two-time reigning world champion Shanaze Reade of Great Britain was second in 36.882.
The exercise was essentially meaningless, as all 32 men and all 16 women move on to the next round, where seedings are determined by the time-trial results.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Good luck, Sam! We're keeping our fingers crossed for the young native of Airdrie as she pursues an Olympic medal in BMX biking.
Phelps To Appear On Cover Of Cereal Boxes
21/08/2008 06:22
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - Move over Tony the Tiger, here comes Olympic champion Michael Phelps.
The record-setting American swimmer will soon be appearing on boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes.
Kellogg Co. made the announcement Tuesday. The winner of eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics will be featured on Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes expected to be in stores by mid-September.
Battle Creek-based Kellogg says the images of Phelps that will be used will highlight some of the most memorable moments of the games.
Phelps, 23, is a Baltimore native who has lived and trained in Ann Arbor, Mich., in recent years as part of the University of Michigan-linked Club Wolverine.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It's amazing what eight gold medals will do for you, isn't it?
Chretien Skipped Olympics, Too: Harper
21/08/2008 06:21
HAMILTON - Former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien is being a hypocrite for suggesting that Stephen Harper's failure to attend the Olympic opening ceremonies in Beijing has damaged the Chinese-Canadian relationship, the Conservative prime minister said Tuesday.
"I would just point out that Mr. Chretien almost never attended Olympics when he was prime minister for 13 years," Harper told a news conference in this southern Ontario city.
Harper downplayed his decision to not attend the opening ceremonies, saying he chose to remain in Canada because he had work to do.
"As you know, I haven't attended Olympics in the past (and) I indicated a long time ago I had no intention of attending this one," he said.
On Monday, Chretien said Harper made a political blunder by failing to attend the Olympic opening ceremonies in China, denouncing the sitting prime minister for burning bridges and undoing decades of goodwill between the two countries with his swipes at the emerging superpower.
"I would have been at the Olympics myself," Chretien said at the time. He also lambasted the Harper government for alienating the Chinese by bestowing honorary Canadian citizenship on the Dalai Lama of Tibet.
Harper was one of a handful of world leaders who skipped the lavish Olympics opening ceremony on Aug. 8.
Chinese media pick up on Harper-Chretien war of words over Olympics.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
In typical Harper fashion, he just has to get in the last word.
Boxer Disqualified For Biting Olympic Opponent
21/08/2008 06:21
BEIJING - A light heavyweight boxer from Tajikistan was disqualified for biting his opponent on the shoulder during their Olympic quarter-final match Tuesday.
Dzhakhon Kurbanov's bout with Kazakhstan's Yerkebulan Shynaliyev was stopped with 17 seconds left in the third round when Kurbanov apparently bit Shynaliyev during a clinch.
Shynaliyev, who angrily showed the blood on his shoulder to the referee, led 12-6 at the time. Kurbanov had been warned multiple times for shoving and holding his opponent.
Kurbanov, 22, got off to an auspicious start in Beijing last week, beating world champion Abbos Atoev in his first bout. He won the 2005 Asian championship as a middleweight, and was competing in his first Olympics.
Oddly enough, the evening card at Workers' Gymnasium was watched by American Evander Holyfield, who was infamously bitten on the ear by Mike Tyson on June 28, 1997.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
And I thought Mike Tyson had retired!
Chinese Go To Extremes Over Games
19/08/2008 15:54
BEIJING (Reuters) -
Liu Xianghui cycled over 1,300 km (800 miles)
to Beijing towing his 98-year-old grandmother
in a pedicab to fulfil her dream of attending
the
Olympics.Reports of Chinese sports fans going to extremes to support the Olympics have been popping up in Chinese newspapers and websites since the start of the Games on August 8, making stunts like shaving five Olympic rings into your hair look tame.
Wen Shengchu, 58, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, stuck 200 acupuncture pins bearing flags into his head.
Huang Junde, 62, of Chongqing, used 1,860 badges of China's former leader Mao Zedong to make Olympic symbols.
Walking around Beijing and the Olympic venues, examples of fan fever are everywhere as Chinese people take the government's message of fully supporting the Games to heart.
Take the man walking down the street in front of the Bird's Nest stadium wearing a red dress, high heels, and a crown crafted out of palm leaves with Chinese flags draped over each shoulder, or the spectator with a model of the Bird's Nest on his head.
Sun Shijie, 72, from Hebei province, has grown an Olympics Five Rings Tree, painstakingly working on the branches of a winterberry plant, trimming and tying them, to shape them into the rings.
Middle school student Yang Yijie rollerskated 2,300 km from Guangzhou in Guangdong province to Beijing over 16 days, collecting names of Olympic supporters along the way.
Around 2 million Chinese people are expected to attend the Games, which end on August 24.
SINC SAYS:
These games to the Chinese are like Wheel Of Fortune to our friends to the south.
Wild Dolphins Tail-Walk On Water
19/08/2008 15:50
The tail-walking
dolphins were spotted at the coast near
AdelaideA wild dolphin is apparently teaching other members of her group to walk on their tails, a behaviour usually seen only after training in captivity.
The tail-walking group lives along the south Australian coast near Adelaide.
One of them spent a short time after illness in a dolphinarium 20 years ago and may have picked up the trick there.
Scientists studying the group say tail-walk tuition has not been seen before, and suggest the habit may emerge as a form of "culture" among this group.
"We can't for the life of us work out why they do it," said Mike Bossley from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), one of the scientists who have been monitoring the group on the Port River estuary.
"We're doing systematic observations now to determine if there's something that may trigger it, but so far we haven't found anything," he told BBC News.
Rich culture
In the 1980s, Billie, one of the females in the group, spent a few weeks in a local dolphinarium recovering from malnutrition and sickness, a consequence of having been trapped in a marina lock.
It would seem that among the Port River dolphins we may have an incipient tail-walking culture
She received no training there, but may have seen others tail-walking.
Now, other females in the group have picked up the habit. It is seen rarely in the wild, and the obvious inference is that they have learned it from Billie.
"This indicates that they do learn from each other, which is not a surprise really, but it does also seem that they exhibit elements of what in humans we would call 'cultural' behaviour," said Dr Bossley.
"These are things that groups develop and are passed between individuals and that come to define those groups, such as language or dancing; and it would seem that among the Port River dolphins we may have an incipient tail-walking culture."
The "cultural" transmission of ideas and skills has been documented in apes, while dolphins off the coast of Western Australia are known to teach their young to use sponges as an aid when gathering food.
SINC SAYS:
It’s like that old saying, “monkey see, monkey do”. Only dolphins in this case.
Mutated Fish Alarms Delegates
19/08/2008 15:45
. . . At Northern
Alberta Water
GatheringResidents in Fort Chipewyan, Alta., say they saw this fish, seen in this Aug. 15 photo, caught from Lake Athabasca last week. (Courtesy of Ling Wang)
Days before a conference on water quality began in Fort Chipewyan, Alta., last week, residents say a strange fish with two mouths was found at the nearby lake.
The deformed fish, which residents say children had caught off the dock at Lake Athabasca, has since been turned over to park wardens at Wood Buffalo National Park. Some residents, including officials from the Mikisew Cree First Nation, took photographs of the fish over the weekend.
It was found just days before the Keepers of the Water conference began Friday in Fort Chipewyan. The conference wrapped up on Sunday.
The event brought together western and northern Canadian aboriginal leaders and environmental activists, all of whom expressed concern with the quality of water in the Athabasca River, downstream from oilsands development in Fort McMurray.
Sad details here.
SINC SAYS:
It seems to be that the longer the oil sands are in operation, the more problems begin to occur.
Weatherman Freaked Out By Trouser Snake
19/08/2008 15:41
The moment the snake
slithers up Kurtis Gertz's
shortsThere's a reason the saying 'never work with children or animals' was coined, as a terrified TV weatherman found out.
Weatherman Kurtis Gertz put on a fixed-yet-terrified grin as a python started to slither inside his shorts on US television.
It had all started so well. The KCCI-TV presenter first appeared with the 10ft long creature around his shoulders as he reported from the Iowa State Fair last week.
But the giant Burmese python, called Dawn, had other ideas.
First her head inched towards Gertz's face and made to kiss him.
Then, she made her way up his leg. To make matters worse for a terrified Gertz, the whole thing was being broadcast live.
He joking said: "Hey, that was a hot, wet kiss."
But it was then that Dawn decided to get a bit more frisky and as he continued to hold the snake its tail crawled up Gertz shorts and down the other leg.
"This is Dawn and she might have a crush on you," said Nick, the snake's trainer.
Thinking this might be the end, Gertz said: "It's been a great 20 years in television, God bless."
A clearly panicked Gertz in a bid to get producers to move on with another item said: "OK, let's go to stupid human tricks. Let's see you top this one."
He was quickly rescued by snake's trainer and co-anchor Steve Karlin who helped unwind the amorous Dawn.
SINC SAYS:
If the forecast was bad, the guy deserved this kind of treament.
Are You A Martha Or A Maxine?
19/08/2008 15:38
*MARTHA'S
WAY*
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
*MAXINE'S
WAY*
Celery? Never heard of it!
Police: Men Reprogram ATMs to Give Out More Money
19/08/2008 15:36
Lincoln Police and
the Lancaster County sheriff's department are
working together after thieves reprogrammed
ATMs to give out more money than they were
supposed to.
Authorities are investigating two cases involving private ATMs.
The first reprogramming happened at the Ollie's in Waverly on Aug. 16, 17 and 18. Authorities believe two men used a pass code to reprogram the ATM to think it was dispenses $1 bills when it was really giving out $20. Over three days more than $4,000 was taken.
Lincoln police have a similar crime at Lobo's City Mex at 338 N. 27th St. Officers say two men reprogrammed the ATM there on Aug. 13, 17 and 18 to give out $10 instead of $1. The ATM lost $1,400 in the transactions.
Police say this is new to the Lincoln area, but similar crimes have popped up around the country in the last few years.
They said they believe the crooks may be getting owner's manuals and pass codes for the ATMs online.
The suspects in both cases are described as a Hispanic male 5'5", clean cut, wearing sunglasses and a tall, thin white male about 6'0".
SINC SAYS:
Did anyone think to write down the address of that machine? I thought not.
Canada's Medal Total Jumps With Three Silver And A Bronze
19/08/2008 15:36
BEIJING - Canada's dramatic second-half turnaround continued at the Beijing Olympics as another multi-medal performance by Canadian athletes helped the team eclipse its overall performance from four years ago in Athens.
Triathlete Simon Whitfield, trampoline gymnast Jason Burnett and diver Alexandre Despatie each won a silver medal on Tuesday, while hurdler Priscilla Lopes-Schliep added a bronze as Canada increased its medal count to 13 - one more than it won in Greece.
''I'm just very proud of the whole Canadian team,'' said Sylvie Bernier, the Canadian chef de mission in Beijing. ''We knew we were doing well, we knew we were right on track. We've been saying that (the) whole first week.
''We knew the progression was there,'' added Bernier, who won a gold medal in three-metre diving at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. ''We had faith and we were confident the morale was there, the enthusiasm was there and we were just waiting for these medals. We knew they were coming. Tonight it's great. I feel so great.''
Canada sat tied with the Netherlands at 12th overall in the medal standings after Tuesday's competition with two gold, six silver and five bronze medals. All medals have come over the last four days.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, after an extremely slow start, Canada has now won more medals than we did four years ago in Athens.
Vancouver Mayor To Carry Torch For Paralympic Games
19/08/2008 15:36
RICHMOND, B.C. - In a bittersweet bookend to his single term as Vancouver's mayor, quadriplegic Sam Sullivan will participate in the torch relay at next month's Paralympics in Beijing.
Sullivan, who left for the Chinese capital on Tuesday, came to worldwide attention in 2006 when, as the new mayor of the host city for the 2010 Winter Games, he accepted the Olympic flag in Turin.
The image of Sullivan joyfully spinning on stage in his powered wheelchair, the fluttering flag secured to a special holder, was a highlight of the Turin Games.
That holder, adorned with Vancouver's civic crest, has been adapted to take the Olympic torch, though Sullivan joked this will be a little riskier than clutching the flag.
"The problem is how to make sure the mayor doesn't catch on fire," said Sullivan as he prepared to board his flight.
"I'm worried about a big gust of wind that comes this way. My job is to come back with my hair intact."
Sullivan won't be presiding over the Vancouver and Whistler Games as mayor because he's not on the ballot in this fall's municipal elections.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Good for Mayor Sam. Talk about one hell of a street fighter.
Report: Bertuzzi Disobeyed Crawford's Orders In Moore Attack
19/08/2008 15:36
According to a published report, former Vancouver Canucks head coach Marc Crawford claims in court documents that Todd Bertuzzi acted in "direct disobedience" of the team's coaching staff in his 2004 attack on Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore.
The Toronto Star is reporting that Crawford stated that the Canucks' coaching staff was attempting to pull Bertuzzi off the ice before the attack that broke Moore's neck and ended his career.
"Just prior to the attack on Moore, Bertuzzi had been on a shift to kill a penalty, had missed the shift change and had remained on the ice for longer than the rest of his line,'' states Crawford's third-party defence.
"After being directed to get off the ice, Bertuzzi was on his way back to the bench when, suddenly and without warning, he turned around and skated back in the direction of Moore . and attacked Moore.
"This was not done under any specific or general direction or encouragement from Crawford, was a direct disobedience of the instruction that Bertuzzi had been given from the bench to get off the ice, and was a violation of Bertuzzi's duties which Crawford could not be expected to have reasonably anticipated, let alone control.''
Crawford filed a defence in an attempt to protect himself from a claim by Bertuzzi that stated that Crawford should be libel to pay damages awarded to Moore. Moore filed a lawsuit seeking $38 million for loss of income and damages, naming Bertuzzi, the Canucks and Orca Bay as defendants.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Do you think we'll ever know the real truth, folks? I think not.
Umpires Refuse Instant Replay Conference Call With MLB
19/08/2008 15:36
NEW YORK - Umpires want baseball to take another look at instant replay.
Umps said their governing board voted Tuesday to boycott a conference call with management intended to discuss implementing replay, angry that their concerns aren't being addressed.
Major League Baseball responding by saying it cancelled the Wednesday call because it doesn't have a replay agreement with the union.
"A lot of the procedural issues necessary for instant replay to be implemented need to be worked out," World Umpires Association spokesman Lamell McMorris said. "Major League Baseball needs to step up to the plate and iron out these issues."
Umpires say they're unhappy that replay equipment is being installed away from the field in nearly all major league ballparks and say MLB wants to limit the number of umpires allowed to review replay monitors.
They also aren't pleased that MLB wants them to discuss the replays with umpire supervisors in New York before making a decision on whether to reverse a call. They claim MLB may not be able to provide replays for some rescheduled games.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I sure hope they get this dispute settled because there is no doubt in my mind instant replay will improve the game. The only place it doesn't seem to have worked is in the CFL.
Red Sox Legend "Yaz" Undergoes Triple Bypass Surgery
19/08/2008 15:36
BOSTON - Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, the last player to hit for the Triple Crown, underwent heart bypass surgery Tuesday after experiencing chest pains.
The 68-year-old Yastrzemski was in surgery Tuesday evening after being admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital, said his spokesman, Dick Gordon.
The popular Yaz was an 18-time all-star and spent his entire career with the Boston Red Sox, taking over left field for Ted Williams in 1961 and playing through 1983.
In 1967, Yastrzemski helped revitalize the flagging franchise during the "Impossible Dream" season. And all over New England that summer, kids tried to imitate his unique left-handed batting stance, with the bat held high over his head.
With calls of "Yaz" echoing around Fenway Park, he won the Triple Crown that year, hitting .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBIs. Behind the AL MVP, the Red Sox won their first pennant since 1946, but lost the World Series in Game 7 to St. Louis.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
When I was growing up, "Yaz" was one of the superstars of major league baseball. Here's hoping everything turns out okay for the Red Sox legend.
A Smile To Start Your Day . . .
19/08/2008 07:38
Bill, Jim and Scott were at a convention together and were
sharing a large suite on the top of a 75-story skyscraper.
After a long day of meetings, they were shocked to hear
that the elevators in their hotel were broken and they would have to
climb 75 flights of stairs to get to their room.
Bill said to Jim and Scott, "Let's break the monotony of this
unpleasant task by concentrating on something interesting.
I'll tell jokes for 25 flights, Jim can sing songs for the next
25 flights and Scott can tell sad stories for the rest of the way."
At the 26th floor, Bill stopped telling jokes and Jim began to
sing. At the 51st floor Jim stopped singing and Scott began to
tell sad stories.
"I will tell my saddest story first," he said.
"I left the room key in the car!"
Local CAW Members Support Turner Valley Event
19/08/2008 06:48
Don,
Three local members of CAW 4050 from St. Albert went down to help with this event. It was an awesome event.
If you think you can mention this on St. Albert's Place, I'd be very happy, even if you need to edit it so it fits.
Alison Glass
SINC SAYS:
Gosh Alison, we can't have you being unhappy, so here is your report on the event. Thanks for sending it along to St. Albert's Place.
On August 17, a free BBQ was held in support of the Farm workers Union of Alberta (FUA), the Turner Valley Food Bank and to raise awareness of the problems farm workers and their families face here in Alberta.
FUA President, Eric Musekamp, Darlene Dunlop and the Canadian Auto Workers Union Local 4050 hosted approximately 200 people including MLA David Swann, Doug Wilson, MLA Kent Hehr, and Lorna Chandler, who lost her husband in a tragic farming accident just over a year ago.
The Turner Valley and Black Diamond Fire Departments also volunteered. Issues focused on how the Alberta Government denies basic rights to Agricultural Workers. Laws such as the OH&S Act, WCB Act, Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Code, contain agricultural exemptions which take away basic rights for these workers who in numerous cases are the sole bread winner for their family.
Farm workers face conditions where injury means job loss and pay can be less than the minimum wage. Large “factory styled” farm operations should not be exempted under present laws. Many times when farm workers find themselves hurt and unable to work without any compensation, it is the Food Banks that enable families to continue to survive.
The FUA and CAW would like everyone to support this cause by donating some non-perishable food items or money to a Food Bank in your community in the name of National Farm workers Day on August 20, 2008.
Sincerely,
Trevor Alway
President CAW/TCA Local 4050
Three local members of CAW 4050 from St. Albert went down to help with this event. It was an awesome event.
If you think you can mention this on St. Albert's Place, I'd be very happy, even if you need to edit it so it fits.
Alison Glass
SINC SAYS:
Gosh Alison, we can't have you being unhappy, so here is your report on the event. Thanks for sending it along to St. Albert's Place.
On August 17, a free BBQ was held in support of the Farm workers Union of Alberta (FUA), the Turner Valley Food Bank and to raise awareness of the problems farm workers and their families face here in Alberta.
FUA President, Eric Musekamp, Darlene Dunlop and the Canadian Auto Workers Union Local 4050 hosted approximately 200 people including MLA David Swann, Doug Wilson, MLA Kent Hehr, and Lorna Chandler, who lost her husband in a tragic farming accident just over a year ago.
The Turner Valley and Black Diamond Fire Departments also volunteered. Issues focused on how the Alberta Government denies basic rights to Agricultural Workers. Laws such as the OH&S Act, WCB Act, Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Code, contain agricultural exemptions which take away basic rights for these workers who in numerous cases are the sole bread winner for their family.
Farm workers face conditions where injury means job loss and pay can be less than the minimum wage. Large “factory styled” farm operations should not be exempted under present laws. Many times when farm workers find themselves hurt and unable to work without any compensation, it is the Food Banks that enable families to continue to survive.
The FUA and CAW would like everyone to support this cause by donating some non-perishable food items or money to a Food Bank in your community in the name of National Farm workers Day on August 20, 2008.
Sincerely,
Trevor Alway
President CAW/TCA Local 4050
Balloons Blamed For Power Outage, Fire
19/08/2008 06:43
SNOHOMISH - A bouquet
of helium-filled party balloons are to blame
for a small house fire, damage to a travel
trailer, and a minor electric shock to one
woman.Crews from the Bonneville Power Administration were still working to fix the damage caused to power lines, said Mike Gatterman, battalion chief of Snohomish County Fire District 4.
Several Mylar balloons, apparently lost by weekend revelers, floated away and got tangled in the transmission box for power lines near the 7700 block of 67th Avenue, west of Snohomish, Gatterman said.
The balloons deflated just enough to create an arc between two power lines, he said. A jolt of electricity zipped down the power pole and hit a metal fence near the ground, he said. The fence, which was already electrified to protect private property, was further energized. The jolt caused a fence post to blow and hit a nearby house, he said.
Another fence post leaning up against a travel trailer ignited, causing a small blaze, he said.
Meanwhile, a woman who lived at the house tried to escape the situation by climbing over the electrified fence, Gatterman said. She was shocked, but wasn’t injured, and was treated and released at the scene, he said.
Fire crews who tried to get to the scene were stopped about a block away because of a car that drove into a ditch, Gatterman said. The minor car accident wasn’t related to the electrical malfunction, but caused yet another headache for emergency crews, he said.
Damage to the house and to the travel trailer is minor, Gatterman said.
SINC SAYS:
Who’da thunk it? Balloons causing a fire?
19/08/2008 06:39
Why does triangularly cut bread taste better than square bread?
If one man says, "it was an uphill battle," and another says, "it went downhill from there," how could they both be having troubles?
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
Do bald people get Dandruff?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
Why do superheros wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes?
Two-Headed Turtle Stolen From NYC Pet Shop
19/08/2008 06:37
BROOKLYN (CBS/AP) - An animal shelter's mascot -- a rare two-headed turtle -- was the star of a newspaper article on Monday, but it was stolen from its tank before the article ran.
The turtle was taken Sunday evening, hours after the Daily News reporter left, said Sean Casey, owner of the Sean Casey Animal Rescue and neighboring pet supply store in Brooklyn.
Casey said the reptile was sent to him by a man in Florida who was unable to care for it.
Part of the newspaper article was a contest to name the two-headed pet. The newspaper later ran a story about the theft on its Web site.
The turtle had been on display for the past few weeks and was getting a lot of attention, but Casey said he made clear it wasn't for sale.
Casey said it must be specially fed by hand -- or the two heads will fight over the food.
"We just want the turtle back," Casey said Monday. "We're worried about his health."
Concerned customers have donated more than $1,000 as a reward for returning the reptile unharmed.
SINC SAYS:
Two heads eh?
Seems to me a turtle is ugly enough with only one.
Thieves Steal Grandmother's Ashes During Burglary
19/08/2008 06:32
MADISON (CBS13) -
Thieves made off with a grandmother's ashes
during a home burglary, and now the family is
pleading for the return of her
remains.Silvia Postell died about 10 years ago, but now her husband of 37 years feels like he lost her all over again.
"The first day or so [after the theft], there was really a lot of anger," Roy Postell said.
Silvia's ashes were stored in a 300-pound safe in his son's house, but thieves carted it off during a break-in on Friday. The burglars knocked down a fence, climbed into the house through a window, and made off with the safe from a bedroom.
"I thought she would be safe," said Janet Postell, Silvia's daughter-in-law.
The loss has a lasting impact: Roy had planned to, one day, have his ashes mixed with Silvia's, so they could be buried together.
"It's so hard to express your feelings about something like that," Roy said.
The theft occurred in broad daylight, but no witnesses have come forward. The family is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction from the theft.
SINC SAYS:
Why would anyone want to steal poor old Grandma? I mean think about it. What would you do with her anyway?
Chretien Slams Harper For Not Going To Beijing
19/08/2008 06:31
QUEBEC - Prime Minister Stephen Harper was wrong when he decided not to attend the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and Canada could pay a heavy price for his absence, Jean Chretien said Monday.
Chretien said he wouldn't have "hesitated a second" in going to China if he had still been prime minister.
The former prime minister says Harper should have been at the celebration given China's economic and demographic clout and the mentality of its leaders.
"It is the second biggest economy in the world, and in 50 years it will be the biggest," Chretien said after a speech to the annual meeting of the Canadian Bar Association.
"Starting with Diefenbaker, Trudeau and all of us, we established very good relations, relatively speaking, with China.
"And suddenly, you break the bridge. It would have been easy just to be there."
Harper has insisted his decision to stay away from the Games had nothing to do with politics, but rather with a scheduling conflict.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I don't care what anybody says, I always kind of liked old Jean Chretien. And, in this case, I think what he is saying is, unfortunately for Canada, correct.
Karen Cockburn Wins Silver Medal In Trampoline
19/08/2008 06:31
BEIJING - Karen Cockburn will go down in history as one of Canada's most reliable Olympians.
The 27-year-old from Toronto held her nerve in a tense trampoline final Monday to earn the silver medal, even though she was bouncing on a sore knee.
It's her third Olympic medal in as many Games. Only three other Canadian athletes have done the same in a non-team or non-relay event.
Cockburn matched the silver she won in 2004 in Athens. She took bronze in 2000 when the sport made its Olympic debut in Sydney.
"I just started this sport for fun and it wasn't even an Olympic sport and then it got into the Olympics, I went to three Games and now I have a third medal," marvelled Cockburn. "It's hard to believe."
These will likely be the last Olympics for Cockburn. She's twice had surgery on a right knee that would be hard-pressed to make it to the 2012 Olympics in London.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It's nice to see someone like Cockburn, who has been living on Celebrex for the pain in her right knee, win a Silver medal in what is undoubtedly her last Olympics. SWIVEL HIPS knows all too well what it's like living on Celebrex for pain.
Ian Millar Wins First Medal In Ninth Olympic Appearance
19/08/2008 06:30
HONG KONG - Canada has won a silver medal in Olympic equestrian team show jumping, after losing a jump-off with the United States.
Ian Millar of Perth, Ont., Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, Ont., Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., and Mac Cone of King City, Ont., finished silver with a two-day total of 20 jumping faults.
The U.S. won gold when their first three riders executed clean rounds in the jump-off. Henselwood, Canada's lead rider, had picked up four faults.
Norway won bronze.
It was Millar's first medal in nine Olympic appearances.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congratulations to Canada's elder statesman Ian Millar who, at 61-years-of-age, won his first Olympic medal in his record ninth appearance.
It's Official: Nadal Is No. 1
19/08/2008 06:29
Rafael Nadal of Spain officially moved into the No. 1 position on Monday with the release of the latest rankings of the Association of Tennis Professionals.
Nadal has 6,700 points, ahead of Roger Federer at 5,930.
Federer had held the top spot since early in February 2004, a record 237 consecutive weeks.
Nadal has enjoyed a dream summer, winning the French Open and Wimbledon over Federer, and taking the Queen's championship in London, England, and the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
"The feeling for sure is very happy for being No. 1, but the feeling doesn't change too much because the last years I did very well too," Nadal said on Sunday from Beijing, where he captured the gold medal by defeating Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in straight sets.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
There is absolutely no doubt that Rafael Nadal is one heck of a tennis player and, in SWIVEL HIPS' humble opinion, is very deserving of the world no. 1 ranking.
Christopher Comes Up Short In 400 Metre Heats
19/08/2008 06:29
BEIJING - Tyler Christopher lumbered down the homestretch Monday as if he had weights attached to feet.
In a way, perhaps he did.
The 24-year-old from Chilliwack, B.C., carried Canada's hopes of a track medal into the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing. But his dreams were dashed in stunning fashion when he failed to advance out of the heats in his slowest run of the season.
"Disappointed? That's a bit of an understatement," Christopher said as he leaned over a barrier, looking down at the ground through his dark performance shades. "Disappointment would be not making it to the final.
"Not making it out of the heats, that's just ridiculous."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Christopher, who was training for the games in Edmonton, was touted as one of Canada's pre-Olympic medal favorites. He certainly had a very disappointing games, to say the least. In his words, "Not making it out of the heats, that's just ridiculous." However, he does have an excuse, being ill with the flu and all.
Puffer Fish Needs Dentist After Clash With Stingray
18/08/2008 03:53
A puffer fish needed
emergency dental surgery after a fight with a
stingray.Henry, a yellow Mbu puffer fish had to have a tooth extracted after the encounter snapped off a chunk of the tooth.
The battle took place in the tank Henry shared with Clyde, a ten-year-old American stingray, over a piece of shellfish at the Sea Life Adventure centre in Southend, Essex.
Despite being twice the size of Clyde, it was Henry who was left needing treatment.
Aquatic dentists coaxed Henry, a carnivore which originally hails from the Congo, into a fish bag before carefully lifting him into a sedation vat.
Anaesthetic was pumped into the water in his tank and he was gradually lulled into a deep sleep, where his breathing and heartbeat slowed until he was unconscious.
When the fish was numbed, he was lifted on to a fine-meshed net and laid on folded tarpaulin on a bench so the dentists could get to work.
The tarpaulin traps enough water around him during the procedure to keep him safe before he could be dropped back in the tank.
The whole procedure took 45 minutes.
David Knapp, the centre's curator, said: "The normal diet of the Mbu is shellfish, which help to keep their teeth worn down - exactly like the gnawing rodents do to keep theirs at a manageable length.
"But following the fight, we noticed Henry had become lazy and was just chewing his food with the flat edge of the worn tooth, instead of using the good one.
"Now that good tooth has grown so long he cannot close his mouth, and it's starting to cut his bottom lip - so we had to take drastic action. It is a bit like being buck-toothed."
Clyde has now been relocated to an aquarium in Germany.
SINC SAYS:
I have but one question. Why, oh why? Hmm, maybe that’s two questions.
Naked Senior Foils B.C. Home Invasion
18/08/2008 03:50
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. -
A Port Alberni, B.C., senior aborted a home
invasion on Sunday by wrestling a 12-gauge
shotgun away from a female suspect and fending
off her male accomplice, police
say."I heard a noise while I was in bed, and it woke me up," said the man, who did not want to be identified.
"I looked up and I saw a woman at the foot of my bed. She'd been going through my drawers. I jumped out of bed and I had nothing on - I mean nothing on."
Police say the 78-year-old military veteran pursued the suspects after they left the home before calling the RCMP.
Police have arrested two suspects in the break-in.
Port Alberni is located 200 kilometres northeast of Victoria.
SINC SAYS:
I tried to find a picture of a naked 78 year old man to go with this story, but It was so bad, I used the one you see.
Are you a Martha or a Maxine?
18/08/2008 03:46
*MARTHA'S
WAY*
If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant 'fix-me-up.'
*MAXINE'S
WAY*
If you over salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please recite with me the real woman's motto: 'I made it, you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!'
Texas School District To Let Teachers Carry Guns
18/08/2008 03:43
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A
Texas school district will let teachers bring
guns to class this fall, the district's
superintendent said on Friday, in what experts
said appeared to be a first in the United
States.The board of the small rural Harrold Independent School District unanimously approved the plan and parents have not objected, said the district's superintendent, David Thweatt.
School experts backed Thweatt's claim that Harrold, a system of about 110 students 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth, may be the first to let teachers bring guns to the classroom.
Thweatt said it is a matter of safety.
"We have a lock-down situation, we have cameras, but the question we had to answer is, 'What if somebody gets in? What are we going to do?" he said. "It's just common sense."
Teachers who wish to bring guns will have to be certified to carry a concealed handgun in Texas and get crisis training and permission from school officials, he said.
Recent school shootings in the United States have prompted some calls for school officials to allow students and teachers to carry legally concealed weapons into classrooms.
Read it for yourself here.
Shoot 'em up here.
SINC SAYS:
Lunacy I say. Sheer lunacy.
Edmonton Man Makes A Splash
18/08/2008 03:37
as Canada's newest cannonball champion
TORONTO - Although fans of aquatic sports may be captivated by the feats of Olympic gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps, enthusiastic fans in Toronto watched Doug Bergmann in a more lighthearted competition in the water Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Edmonton man was crowned Canada's new national cannonball champion after four impressive leaps at the Trident Splash National Cannonball Championship. Bergmann, who finished tied for second in last year's competition, beat out former champion Brian Utley of Calgary to become the country's new cannonball king.
"This is going to the Olympics, baby," he said after his win. "You'll see me there in 2012."
Ten competitors - called "ballers" - made a splash at the Donald D. Summerville Pool, each trying to outdo their fellow jumpers with elaborate costumes, slick dance moves and huge splashes.
Bergmann, a rehabilitation practitioner, donned several bright, skin-tight outfits for his jumps, including dressing up as a bumblebee and cancan dancer.
Dive into this story here.
SINC SAYS:
Can’t you just picture this guy dressed up as a cancan dancer? Sadly, I can too.
Reports Of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
18/08/2008 03:31
MICHAEL O’Neill has
brought a whole new meaning to the term
“back-from-the-dead”.Neighbours of the 49-year-old feared the worst when he disappeared from his home in The Meadows, Coulby Newham.
Police were contacted and officers broke into the flat, but could find no evidence of his whereabouts.
Then last week, friends of the man felt their fears had been confirmed when a family announcement was made in the Gazette.
By coincidence, it announced the death of another Michael O’Neill from Middlesbrough.
Both men were of almost the same age - the late Mr O’Neill was 50 - and both have brothers named Kevin and Terry.
Mr O’Neill from The Meadows was in fact alive. He had been on a long trip to Australia, but failed to inform friends and neighbours of his plans.
“I went out on June 2 to stay with a friend and when I got back last Monday I found my door had been smashed in!” said Mr O’Neill.
“My neighbours thought I had died so they got in touch with police who came and broke the door down.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
Boy, I’m away on holidays myself. I wonder if anyone thinks that I have died? Naw, probably not.
North Pole’s ‘Mrs. Santa Claus’ Dies At 91
18/08/2008 03:28
NORTH POLE — Known
far and wide for decades as “Mrs. Santa Claus,”
Nellie Miller, 91, died Sunday at a residential
care home in North Pole as a result of a stroke
she suffered a few days
earlier.
Mrs. Santa Claus was just one of the many titles that Miller, co-proprietor with her husband, Con, of the Santa Claus House in North Pole, held during her long life as one of the community’s leading residents.
Nellie served on the city’s school board before the borough was created; was magistrate of the city of North Pole in the 1960s; was active in Republican politics, serving as president of the Republican Women’s Club locally and statewide; and was a marriage commissioner for many years, her son Mike Miller recalled.
“She married thousands of people,” said Mike, who served in the state Legislature for 18 years and as Commissioner of Administration under Gov. Frank Murkowski.
“Wherever I went campaigning or around the state, people would say, ‘Your mother married me in the store (Santa Claus House), or she came to my house and married me.’”
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
You know folks, there are some people on this old earth born just to bring joy to others.
Norminton Enforces His Effort On Courses
18/08/2008 03:27
Marathon aspirations replace hockey dream
Matt Norminton finished 23 minutes and hundreds of places ahead of Georges Laraque in Saturday's 10-kilometre race through Edmonton's downtown streets.
Norminton hit the Sir Winston Churchill Square finish line about 32 minutes after he left to win the event quite handily. But if he and Laraque could have switched places, Norminton would have been the happiest guy on the planet.
The 31-year-old shoe buyer from St. Albert - yes, that's a real job - fancied himself a budding NHLer, right up until a stint on the southside midget triple AAA squad, when he knew he was way too small for the pros.
Laraque is perfectly proportioned for his enforcer role in the NHL, but way too big for road racing. Hauling his 265-pound mass around 10 km in about 55 minutes is a decent feat, even though he said he was disappointed to be 10 minutes off his usual finishing time.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to St. Albert runner Matt Norminton on his win in Saturday's Edmonton 10-kilometre race and best of luck in the upcoming final two races of the series in Calgary and Banff.
Marathon Produces Winners, Heat Exhaustion
18/08/2008 03:27
Many volunteers hit the streets in Edmonton Sunday to help keep marathon runners hydrated as scorching temperatures continued to grip the city.
Sherwood Park resident David Corbitt beat all other runners to the finish line during ING Edmonton Marathon, with a time of 2:35:27.
While Corbitt easily cruised to victory over his competitors, the volunteers had a harder time beating the hot temperatures, which soared to 32C by mid-day.
Water tents and water bottles were set up throughout the 42.2-kilometre race to help the marathoners try and stay cool.
In some extreme cases, runners got leg cramps while a few had to be taken to the hospital.
Yet many said they came prepared to beat the heat.
More from CTV News.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I remember one Saturday a few years back when SWIVEL HIPS was training for the Edmonton marathon and had run 32-kilometres, then collapsed from heat exhaustion. I never again trained for another marathon. Now, I'm lucky if I can run to my fridge and back to the couch during a commercial break.
Redemption Row
18/08/2008 03:26
BEIJING - The men's eight crew capped a three-medal day for Canada at the Olympic rowing regatta by capturing a gold medal.
They won their race in five minutes 23.89 seconds.
"I knew that we had won it, there was nobody coming back at that point," coxswain Brian Price said of raising his arms near the finish line. "I kept telling them to keep on cranking."
Britain took silver in 5:25.11 while the United States won bronze in 5:25.34.
Earlier Sunday, the lightweight men's four and the lightweight women's double each captured bronze at the Beijing Games.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Cheez, Canada went from 59th, or last place, to 19th in one fell swoop!
Hull Wins CN Canadian Open For First LPGA Win
18/08/2008 03:25
OTTAWA - Katherine Hull took advantage of Yani Tseng's collapse to claim her first LPGA tournament title with a one-stroke win over Se Ri Pak on Sunday at the US$2.25 million CN Canadian Open.
Hull had only one bogey to post a 3-under 69 to finish the tournament at 11-under 277 and win the $337,500 top prize at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.
The Australian clearly likes to play in Canada. Her best previous finish was second at the 2005 Canadian Open behind Meena Lee - her only other top-3 finish since joining the tour in 2004.
Tseng started the day with a four-shot lead over Pak and six shots over Hull and defending champion Lorena Ochoa, but the Taiwanese rookie bogeyed four holes on the front nine and double-bogeyed the 11th for a 77 to drop to third place at 9-under 279.
The 19-year-old Tseng posted her first win at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, a major, this year, and now has four second-place finishes and a third.
Pak, a Hall of Famer with 24 career wins, was 4 over on the front nine, but battled back to even par 72 with a birdie on the 18th to take second place at 10-under 278 and win $205,481. That was enough for her to become the fifth player in LPGA history to top the $10 million mark in career earnings.
Hull's prize put her over the $1 million mark in her career.
Ochoa, the world's top-ranked player, struggled to a 73, while Sun Young Yoo carded a 69 and Song-Hee Kim a 70 to finish in a three-way tie fourth place at 281.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, I guess it's next year time again for Canadian professional golfers Lorie Kane and the others. Annika Sorenstam, playing in her last Canadian Open, finished without much fanfare, as did teenage phenom Michelle Wie and cover-girl Natalie Gulbis.
Retired NBA Player Charged With Sexual Battery
18/08/2008 03:25
Retired NBA player Vincent Askew posted bond Thursday following his arrest on charges that he had sex with a 16-year-old girl in Florida.
Askew, 42, is charged with three counts of sexual battery.
According to the police report, he allegedly claimed to be recruiting players for a Miami-Dade County middle school when he met the teen in May and lured her to a Ramada hotel, where they had consensual sex.
Askew reportedly was supervising the pool at Gulliver Preparatory School, which was considering hiring him as a basketball coach.
He was taken into custody Wednesday, charged and released on $22,500 US bond.
Askew was drafted out of Memphis University in the second round (39th overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1987 NBA draft.
The swingman toiled nine seasons in the NBA from 1987-98, averaging 7.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 20.0 minutes in 467 games, including 27 starts.
Askew played for the Sixers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers.
He later coached minor-league basketball teams in Kentucky and Albany, N.Y.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Seems to me there's far too many stories like this involving professional athletes or ex-pro athletes.