02 November 2008
About Those Customers Stiffing The Local Waitress . . .
08/11/2008 03:35
READER
RESPONSE:Don:
Barb Freysteinson writes:
"Did you know that when you [walk out on a restaurant bill] it’s not the bar or restaurant who takes the hit? It’s the poor minimum wage earning sap who serves you who gets stuck paying it."
Ms. Freysteinson should be aware that the Alberta Employment Standards Code (principally governing employee-employer relations in non-union workplaces) states:
Deductions from earnings
12(3) ...[A]n employer may not deduct from earnings a sum for
(a) faulty workmanship, or
(b) cash shortages or loss of property if an individual other than the employee had access to the cash or property.
While the act of Ms. Freysteinson's angel was a kind one, her employer's demand that she "take the hit" seems to me to be a clear violation of Section 12(3)(b) of the Code.
I know you disagree with me about this, Don, but this is exactly the kind of nonsense perpetrated by employers on a daily basis that proves working people need unions as much today as they did a hundred years ago.
I say Barb Freysteinson's employer owes her an apology . . . and $100!
David J Climenhaga
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
You're right that we disagree about establishing a union to look after the problem David, but you have given Barb an option to point out to her employer the part of the act you quote. A simple discussion, not a union will solve the issue. That being said, I have two other observations. Thanks for taking the time to inform readers of their rights and my bad for yesterday's headline. It obviously should have read, "Employer Stiffs Local Waitress For $100 Tab".
READER RESPONSE II:
Don,
Re David Climenhaga’s note regarding Section 12 (3) (b) of the Alberta Employment Standards Code.
It seems to me this section of the code is very much open to interpretation. I would bet the section is intended to cover cash or property “thefts” from a business. While non-payment of a bill could loosely be interpreted as “theft” in some respects, I really question whether this section of the Code was intended to cover the types of scenarios experienced by Ms. Freysteinson.
I do know one thing for sure, though. I completely agree with you and disagree with Climenhaga in that I believe we don’t need unions in any way, shape or form – particularly in solving situations such as this.
Cheers,
Jim Starko
St. Albert
Another Little Thang To Drive You Crazy . . .
08/11/2008 03:31
These are the things we're supposed to do to remove the cholesterol around our brain and try to slow up Alzheimer’s.
I think it took me 2 times before I could finally tell this brain of mine to concentrate on the color and not what it said. A great test, do it until you get 100%!
Bet you can't get 100% on the first try! But I'm rootin' for ya.
It takes an average of 5 tries to get to 100%. Follow the directions!
It's harder than it seems, as it should be!
A brain waker-upper for today!
Have a go at it here.
SINC SAYS:
If this one doesn’t drive you crazy, nothing will.
Curious Critter Turning Heads Near Sauble Beach
08/11/2008 03:23
SOUTH BRUCE PENINSULA
— In the 21 years they’ve lived on a rural
property near Sauble Beach, Alice and Harry
Hilliard have seen their share of curious
critters.There are lots of raccoons and skunks, for sure, and a black bear paid a visit one year. And there was Henrietta, the friendly wild turkey that once hung around.
But it’s a squirrel that’s turning heads these days. A black and white squirrel that looks as though it tangled with a skunk. Or a Holstein. Or Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians.
“It really threw us off when we saw him,” said Alice. “We tried to get a picture, but it ran up a tree.”
He first turned up looking for spoils under their bird feeders on Thanksgiving Day, and he’s been pretty punctual in making a daily appearance ever since.
Kitchener’s Kevin Loader managed to snap some photos of the squirrel during a recent visit to the property with his wife, Hilary Kekanovich — Alice and Harry’s niece.
Markings like this are unusual, but not unheard of. This little guy is what’s known as a piebald squirrel — the term piebald applies to any animal displaying depigmented white fur.
The condition is genetically tied in to the development of the animal’s nervous system. According to some sources, it’s most common in horses but does affect other species.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve seen Piebald horses before and they usually have one blue eye. The good news is that this little guy doesn’t smell like his bigger cousin.
Pilot Blinded In Mid-Air Guided To Safety By RAF Jet
08/11/2008 03:16
A man who had a
stroke and went blind while flying a plane was
guided safely to the ground by an RAF jet
scrambled to come to his
rescue.Jim O'Neill was flying his Cessna plane at 15,000 feet when he suddenly lost his sight while suffering a stroke last Friday.
The 65-year-old, who had taken off from Prestwick airport and was on his way to Colchester in Essex, radioed for help and the RAF responded, sending a jet to his aid.
The military aircraft flew alongside Mr O'Neill and guided him down to land at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in north Yorkshire.
He was taken to hospital where doctors discovered that the stroke had caused blood the back of his head to put pressure on the optic nerve, blinding him.
Mr O'Neill, who is still receiving medical attention, said: "I should not be alive. I owe my life to the RAF, it was terrifying.
"Suddenly I couldn't see the dials in front of me. All there was in front of me was a blur. I was helpless at the controls."
Group Captain Mark Hopkins, station commander at Linton-on-Ouse, said: "Shepherding aircraft in this way is something we do from time to time, but this is a very strange case.
"I'm proud we could get him on the ground safely."
SINC SAYS:
Now that is scary. Can you even imagine being in his shoes?
Duane Forde Says Maciocia Won't Be Fired
08/11/2008 03:10
Random thoughts and observations as the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers battle tomorrow in the East Division semifinal playoff game in the Manitoba capital ...
- Edmonton head coach Danny Maciocia shouldn't be fired if his club is defeated tomorrow, according to TSN analyst Duane Forde.
"Not a chance," said Forde, who will provide colour commentary on the East semifinal (11 a.m. MST kickoff) on TSN.
"If the Eskimo brass gave Maciocia a reprieve after missing the playoffs in consecutive years, following a Grey Cup win, then how could they possibly justify firing him now?
"In 2008, Maciocia and his staff revived the offence, discovered budding superstars Calvin McCarty and Kelly Campbell, got the most out of Kamau Peterson, changed the attitude of the defence and guided the team through horrific injuries to projected cornerstone players Jason Tucker and Fred Perry.
"Oh, yeah, they also went (above) .500 and made the playoffs in a year when everyone predicted they'd be spectators by November.
"After the progress that's been made this year, deciding the fate of Maciocia and his staff based on one game wouldn't be right."
The Eskimos finished the regular-season at 10-8 after a dismal 5-12-1 mark last year.
More from the Edmonton Sun.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I have my own thoughts on this subject and they aren’t the same as Forde’s. However, SWIVEL HIPS predicts there is no way Maciocia won’t be leading the Edmonton Eskimos on the field in 2009, unless he doesn’t want to.
Lotteries Expected As Ticket Deadlines Approach
08/11/2008 03:09
Time is nearly up for Canadians to get their orders in for the first round of ticket sales for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
The deadline for residents of Canada to place their orders is midnight PT on Friday.
Caley Denton, vice-president of ticketing with the Vancouver Organizing Committee, said demand is already exceeding official sales targets and there's no doubt they'll need to hold a lottery for medal round hockey events.
Denton is also expecting demand will exceed supply in many other high-profile events, including figure skating and the opening and closing ceremonies. Officials have not been specific about which event tickets beyond hockey will be distributed by lottery.
Once the deadline has passed, a computer will randomly start picking who gets the seats for the popular events.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Frankly, folks, if they were playing those Olympic Games in my back yard, I’d close the blinds.
Judge Turns Down Bid By O. J. For New Trial
08/11/2008 03:08
LAS VEGAS - A judge in Las Vegas has rejected O.J. Simpson's bid for a new trial in the robbery of two sports memorabilia collectors.
District Court Judge Jackie Glass said Friday the issues raised by lawyers for Simpson and co-defendant Clarence (C.J.) Stewart don't merit a second trial.
Glass acknowledged during a hearing that the ruling paves the way for Simpson and Stewart to appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.
Both men were convicted Oct. 3 of 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, in a hotel room confrontation last year with two sports memorabilia dealers.
They are scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 5 and face up to life in state prison.
Stewart's lawyer, Brent Bryson, alleges misconduct by the jury foreman.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
About all I have to say about this is – good! I look very much forward to the sentencing on December 5.
Ladner Defends Secrecy Over Olympic Bailout Plan
08/11/2008 03:08
Vancouver city councillor and mayoral candidate Peter Ladner revealed more Friday about city council's decision to lend up to $100 million to the troubled developer of the Olympic Athletes Village.
Sources, who asked not to be publicly identified, told CBC News on Thursday that the council had made the decision to approve the loan earlier in October, but city council refused to officially confirm the information.
Ladner also refused to talk directly about the loan on Friday, saying the decision was made in a closed-door meeting. However, he did provide a new detail — that the decision was unanimous.
"These are very high-level, difficult, legal-commercial negotiations," Ladner, who is also chair of the city's finance committee, told CBC News. "It's completely irresponsible and ridiculous to think that we could do all this in public and still protect the taxpayer."
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Does this remind you of any other Mayor and Council you know, folks?
Health Of Ted Rogers Stabilizes
08/11/2008 03:07
The health of Rogers Communications Inc. founder and chief executive Ted Rogers has stabilized after he received hospital treatment for an existing heart condition, the company said Thursday.
Rogers, 75, was admitted to hospital last Friday and temporarily handed over the reins of the cable and telecom company to chair Alan Horn.
"I am grateful for the quality of care I am receiving at the Toronto General Hospital, a world-class facility," Ted Rogers said in a brief statement Thursday.
The company did not say when he would return to work.
Rogers's health raised questions about who would be appointed to replace him if he retires or is unable to return to work.
Earlier this week, analysts had tapped his children Edward and Melinda as potential successors. Edward Rogers is currently CEO of the company's cable operations. Melinda Rogers is senior vice-president of strategy and development.
As well, Nadir Mohamed, the company's highly regarded chief operating officer, was named as a potential prospect.
Rogers Communications owns Canada's biggest wireless company, as well as one of the country's largest cable companies, and Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre where they play.
It also owns more than 50 radio stations, several television stations, and 70 magazines and trade journals.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
We wish Ted a full and speedy recovery.
Customers Stiff Local Waitress For $100 Tab
07/11/2008 04:49
Don,
This letter is
written to the people who walked out on a $100
dollar tab and left me to pay it. And for
everyone else who has done it too.
Did you know that when you do that it’s not the bar or restaurant who takes the hit? It’s the poor minimum wage earning sap who serves you who gets stuck paying it.
After owning my own store for 4 years and having a zero income for all that time we decided to close and get me a paying job.
It was my second day on the job when I had the misfortune to encounter you.
That $100 that I had to pay would have been the first $100 to my name in all those years but you stole that from me.
I only hope that someone does the same to you ten fold because that’s what it felt like to me.
The fact that you had me split the alcohol from the food on the tab tells me that you will probably claim it on income tax.
But why not? Why just be a crook by walking out on tabs? You might as well rip as many people off as possible. It’s obvious how you operate.
The saving grace that day was a man who I consider an angel.
He witnessed the whole fiasco and felt sorry for me so he tipped me as much as his bill to make up a bit for you.
I felt bad that he did it, but was so grateful to him for doing it. He restored my faith in mankind by reminding me that YOU are an unfortunate exception, not the norm.
I hope to never lay eyes on you or your kind again.
To my “angel”, you may not realize how big your act of kindness was to me, but it was HUGE! Bless you!
Barb Freysteinson
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Thanks for sharing that story Barb. I’ve seen people do this to a waitress before and it stinks. If the group who did that to you is reading this, shame on you.
Did you know that when you do that it’s not the bar or restaurant who takes the hit? It’s the poor minimum wage earning sap who serves you who gets stuck paying it.
After owning my own store for 4 years and having a zero income for all that time we decided to close and get me a paying job.
It was my second day on the job when I had the misfortune to encounter you.
That $100 that I had to pay would have been the first $100 to my name in all those years but you stole that from me.
I only hope that someone does the same to you ten fold because that’s what it felt like to me.
The fact that you had me split the alcohol from the food on the tab tells me that you will probably claim it on income tax.
But why not? Why just be a crook by walking out on tabs? You might as well rip as many people off as possible. It’s obvious how you operate.
The saving grace that day was a man who I consider an angel.
He witnessed the whole fiasco and felt sorry for me so he tipped me as much as his bill to make up a bit for you.
I felt bad that he did it, but was so grateful to him for doing it. He restored my faith in mankind by reminding me that YOU are an unfortunate exception, not the norm.
I hope to never lay eyes on you or your kind again.
To my “angel”, you may not realize how big your act of kindness was to me, but it was HUGE! Bless you!
Barb Freysteinson
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Thanks for sharing that story Barb. I’ve seen people do this to a waitress before and it stinks. If the group who did that to you is reading this, shame on you.
Big Changes Coming To LB's Pub Entertainment
07/11/2008 04:28
Hi Don,
We are no longer having Karaoke on Tuesdays and it is now going to be the Moosehead Jam Night being hosted by Mark Aamar. He has done this at the Tap House, the Blind Pig and at the Castlerock and The Rock Pub until recently. This will start on November 11 at 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.
On Thursdays we have Open Stage with Fred, Kenny and Gord Matthews from 9:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Also, on Saturday November 15, we will start having Molson Jam nights starting form 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and this will be hosted by Gord MacDonald and Norm Hanze.
Thanks,
LInda Beier
LB’s Pub
SINC
SAYS:
Good luck with your
new programs Linda. It looks like a fine new
set of entertainment for your
customers.
Definitions By Any Other Name . . .
07/11/2008 04:20
ADULT: A person who
has stopped growing at both ends and is now
growing in the middle.
BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye.
CANNIBAL: Someone who is fed up with people.
CHICKENS: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out.
EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.
GOSSIP: A person who will never tell a lie if the truth will do more damage.
HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.
INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISIN: Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.
SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.
TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction.
TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.
YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed.
WRINKLES: Something other people have. You have character lines.
BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye.
CANNIBAL: Someone who is fed up with people.
CHICKENS: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out.
EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.
GOSSIP: A person who will never tell a lie if the truth will do more damage.
HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.
INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISIN: Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.
SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.
TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction.
TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.
YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed.
WRINKLES: Something other people have. You have character lines.
Illinois Man Has 5 Holes-In-One In A Week
07/11/2008 04:17
KAPPA -
Central Illinois amateur golfer Curt
Hocker is on a roll. Five rolls, to be
exact.Just ask anyone at the El Paso Golf Club, where the 22-year-old has recorded five holes-in-one in the last week, including two on Saturday.
In this year alone, Hocker has seven aces, five on par-4s, and two other double eagles.
"I don't know what to think," said Hocker, who works in the club's pro shop. "After each one I say it's over, and it keeps happening."
Friends and family, 15 of whom have witnessed Hocker's strokes of luck while playing with him, are equally mystified.
"It's incomprehensible this kind of luck could happen, but it does happen," said El Paso pro Steve Fulton. "There are other things in life that have been just as weird and eerie that have happened. What are the odds?"
Hocker said he's just glad that his club membership comes with "hole-in-one insurance."
That "insurance" means the club -- and not Hocker -- has to honor the golf tradition of buying everyone in the clubhouse a drink after an ace is made.
"I think the golf course is getting mad at me for all the drinks," Hocker said. "It's hard to talk about, but it's awesome to have it happen."
SINC SAYS:
He should have been playing in a tourney with a car for a prize for a hole-in-one.
Teen Compacted In Garbage Truck, Survives
07/11/2008 04:10
MILWAUKEE – Police in
Milwaukee say a teenage boy has survived after
being accidentally dumped into the back of a
recycling truck and
compacted.Police say the 14-year-old ran away from a boot camp-style school for teens Monday and hid in a recycling bin filled with cardboard.
The bin was picked up by a Waste Management truck and dumped into the vehicle's rear compactor.
Waste Management spokeswoman Lynn Morgan says the truck continued on its collection route, compacting cardboard several times.
The boy wasn't discovered until the truck dumped its load at a recycling processing center.
He was semiconscious and was taken to a hospital, but police say his injuries aren't life-threatening.
SINC SAYS:
I get all claustrophobic just thinking about this story.
‘Barry O’Bomber’ To Shoot Hoops In White House
07/11/2008 04:04
Along with a new president, Washington's most prestigious address may soon house a brand new sporting venue, a five-on-five indoor basketball court.
The 44th president of the United States stands to be the first resident of the White House to make basketball a presidential sport.
A fan of Michael Jordan, U.S. president-elect Barack Obama found refuge on the blacktop while growing up poor in Hawaii. He was a member of the state-championship high school team, earning the nickname Barry O'Bomber.
"Sports have always been a central part of my life," Obama told SI.com before being elected president. "Growing up, I learned about competition and teamwork on the basketball court, and these days I try to get in a pickup game whenever I can.
"If I'm fortunate enough to move into the White House, I'd consider putting in a basketball court," he added.
Obama is a left-hander, and indulged in a basketball game before the results most of the Democratic primaries throughout the 10-month U.S. presidential campaign.
Past presidents have also added sports facilities to the White House:
Franklin D. Roosevelt installed a swimming pool.
Dwight Eisenhower put in a putting green.
George Bush Sr. added a horseshoe-throwing pit.
Bill Clinton installed a running track.
Just before the results of the Nov. 4 presidential election rolled in, Obama spent two hours at the Attack Athletic Centre on Chicago's west side to play basketball with his campaign staff and friends.
It had become a voting-day ritual throughout this campaign. On the days he played basketball he won the Iowa and South Carolina primaries, and the days he did not play, he lost to Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire and Nevada primaries.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I’m really enthusiastic and looking very much forward to the Obama administration. He’s gonna knock the socks right off some of the stodgy old codgers in Washington, D.C., isn’t he?
Anderson Honored, Finally!
07/11/2008 04:04
By CBC Hockey Analyst Craig Simpson
This week will be a special one for Glenn Anderson and his family.
His induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame will be the culmination of a long journey for Anderson from his minor hockey days in British Columbia to his 18 years and 1,354 regular season and playoff games in the NHL. The wait for the Hall has been a long and tenuous one for one of the game’s most exciting players.
Anderson has been overlooked and passed by for the Hall of Fame for years now and has watched from the sidelines as other players (none to be named) with lesser accomplishments have been picked in front of him.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For more from CBC hockey analyst Craig Simpson, click here.
$100 Million Bail Out For Olympic Village Developer
07/11/2008 04:03
The City of Vancouver has agreed to lend up to $100 million to bail out the financially troubled company building the athletes village for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, CBC News has confirmed.
The developer, Millennium Development Corp., is facing an estimated $60 million in cost overruns on construction of the athletes village.
At a mayoralty debate earlier Thursday morning, Coun. Peter Ladner, who is the chair of the city's finance committee, refused to answer reporters' questions about the loan, after the story broke in the Globe and Mail that morning.
Critics say Vancouver taxpayers should be outraged by this, but not only at the municipal government.
"I think it starts with [Premier] Gordon Campbell," said BC NDP Olympic critic Harry Bains.
"Local governments continue to be asked to bail out the provincial government for their failures and also to cover them up, basically going behind closed doors and making decisions on taxpayers dollars…and not even coming clean with the taxpayers."
The CBC confirmed the loan was approved at a recent closed-door meeting at city hall.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm . . . in this case, does Vancouver sound like a certain Alberta city you know folks?
Players Show Loyalty To Maple Leaf In ‘Logogate’
07/11/2008 04:02
TORONTO - While officials debate what jersey Team Canada will wear at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, it's clear that player loyalty to the Hockey Canada Maple Leaf logo in question runs deep.
''Simply put, a lot of us wore that jersey, wore that logo - we won a gold medal in that jersey,'' said Steve Yzerman, executive director of the 2010 men's team. ''It does have some special significance to us.''
''It signifies our pride and our tradition and our history,'' said women's coach Mel Davidson.
While it may not be a surprise that hockey still touches a chord in this country, who would have guessed that a simple logo held so much value?
That in itself should be considered a victory for Hockey Canada.
It wasn't all that long ago that Canadian hockey teams were sent to international competitions with all kinds of different emblems. That changed in the mid-90s when Hockey Canada adopted its current logo and started putting it on all national team jerseys.
''I think it's helped give players recognition of who they're playing for,'' said Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson. ''Before that time, we used to wear different logos and the general public didn't know who was playing. Now they know when they see that logo on the ice that it's Team Canada.''
Ironically, the Olympics played a big part in creating that awareness - both for fans and the players themselves.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Rather than scrap the Hockey Canada logo, why don’t we just scrap the Olympics? That make much more sense to me.
Eskimos Not Holding Stegall’s Boast Against Him
07/11/2008 04:02
Milt Stegall offered to strike a deal with Winnipeg fans on Tuesday, promising a win in exchange for a sold out stadium in Saturday's East Semi-final against the Edmonton Eskimos (Noon et/9am pt on TSN and TSN HD), but the message travelled far beyond the team's marketing region. Word of the proposal reached Edmonton today, where the Eskimos were gearing up for Stegall and the Bombers.
What did the Eskimos think of Stegall's bold guarantee?
"I think he's got a cut of the gate," joked Edmonton coach Danny Maciocia. "It's the first time I've heard a guaranteed win with a sell out crowd - so he's got a cut of the gate."
The players said they understood Stegall's motives and were not about to hold it against him on game day.
"It's a little risky making a guarantee like that," said Edmonton defensive back Jordan Younger. "But I understand he's trying to get people in the seats so they can sell out the playoff game.
"It's not going to make us play any harder, but it might give us a little something to talk about when we're out on the field face-to-face," Younger added. "I'll think of something (to say), but I'll save that for Milt."
Edmonton linebacker Agustin Barrenechea said it was not something the team would be sticking on the bulletin board.
"If that was a marketing ploy on his part, that was a good move," Barrenechea said. "But in terms of anything else, it having any validity in our locker room, it has none."
Maciocia did say he was worried that Stegall's ploy might catch on with other players.
"That just makes it tough on guys like myself and our organization because now players are going to come back and try to negotiate contracts where they can get a cut of the gate," Maciocia said, trying to hide a smile. "It's a pretty smart move from his end."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I guess we’ll see on Saturday, eh Milt?
Charities Face Loss On Lottos
06/11/2008 06:01
Organizers may not
sell enough tickets to cover costs of lucrative
prizes,
advertisingEDMONTON - An Alberta lottery supporting children's charities is in danger of losing money this year, as an economic downturn sours ticket sales.
Demands for increasingly lucrative prizes and higher advertising costs have also hurt the Changing Lives Provincial Lottery, which has sold barely half its tickets with less than two weeks left in the campaign.
Organizers are now scrambling to peddle another 1,000 tickets by Nov. 16. If they fail, the lottery will not have enough money to cover its costs and won't be able to provide a contribution to the charities it supports.
Story in today's Edmonton Journal.
SINC SAYS:
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. I wrote last year that there were too many lotteries and the bubble would burst when the Edmonton Oilers Foundation got in trouble and appealed for public help. Did they learn from that experience? Not one iota. The plunged in again this year and raised ticket prices to boot. What will it take to convince charities that lotteries are done? Stick a fork in ‘em.
Back When Comedy Was Comedy . . .
06/11/2008 04:47
St. Albert’s Place
regular reader George Proulx wrote:
Hi Don,
When comedy was so hilarious!!
SINC SAYS:
I could not agree more George. That skit had me in tears back when it was new and I still giggle at it today.
Hi Don,
When comedy was so hilarious!!
SINC SAYS:
I could not agree more George. That skit had me in tears back when it was new and I still giggle at it today.
Rooster Arrested In Benton, Illinois
06/11/2008 04:46
A rooster played
chicken in the wrong
town.That's the word from the downstate community of Benton, where police took a rooster into custody after it allegedly confronted a woman and her child.
Police Chief Mike O'Neill says the rooster has been bothering people lately, trying to keep them from getting where they want to go.
O'Neill says officers had enough on Monday and took the rooster into custody after what he described as a brief scuffle.
Nobody was injured and the rooster was thrown in an enclosed area near the police department. There, it lived on chicken feed and water until police located the owner. Chickens aren't allowed to live in Benton and the rooster was turned over to the owner only after he promised to find it a new home in the country.
SINC SAYS:
I say boy, Cock-A-Doodle-Dumb.
PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT
06/11/2008 04:40
Tell your spouse,
your children, your neighbors, your parents,
your Dr.'s office, the check out girl at the
market, everyone you run
across.Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:
It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.
It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.
And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there . This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
Why DO Women Have These Tramp Stamps?
06/11/2008 04:33
They criss-cross the
nation's women, rendering their victims
permanently
scarred.
They peep out of
shirt collars, above the waists of jeans or
between the straps of a pair of sandals. They
wink at you as someone passes the sugar across
a table.
They are a mark of temporary insanity, instantly turning the classiest, chicest woman into trailer trash. Not for nothing are they known as 'tramp stamps'.
They were once the ultimate symbol of working-class machismo, but now, even the wife of the leader of the Tory party has one.
Yes, I am talking about tattoos, the most tasteless, tacky, tawdry, terrible plague to infect our nation since mad cow disease.
It is nigh on impossible these days to find a young, famous, beautiful woman who has not got a tattoo.
More ink here.
SINC SAYS:
I saw a woman the other day, who to put it politely wore large dresses, with her two children and a big old ugly dolphin on either outter ankle. They looked like blue splotches on a sponge. Did I mention I detest tatoos on anyone and especially women?
They are a mark of temporary insanity, instantly turning the classiest, chicest woman into trailer trash. Not for nothing are they known as 'tramp stamps'.
They were once the ultimate symbol of working-class machismo, but now, even the wife of the leader of the Tory party has one.
Yes, I am talking about tattoos, the most tasteless, tacky, tawdry, terrible plague to infect our nation since mad cow disease.
It is nigh on impossible these days to find a young, famous, beautiful woman who has not got a tattoo.
More ink here.
SINC SAYS:
I saw a woman the other day, who to put it politely wore large dresses, with her two children and a big old ugly dolphin on either outter ankle. They looked like blue splotches on a sponge. Did I mention I detest tatoos on anyone and especially women?
SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2007
06/11/2008 04:24
Thanks to St.
Albert's Place reader "Randy" for this little
gem:Scenario:
Jack goes quail hunting before school,
pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, police called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counsellors called in
for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins.
Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark.
Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario:
Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal.
Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie.
Tested for ADD. School gets extra money
because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car
and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal,
goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse.
Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang.
Psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers
being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.
Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations.
Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July,
puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007- Authorities called.
Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, parents investigated,
siblings removed from home, computers confiscated,
Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list
and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee.
He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job.
She faces 3 years in Prison.
Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
06/11/2008 04:15
Why doesn't McDonald's sell hotdogs?
At a movie theater which arm rest is yours?
What is Satan's last name?
Why do doctors leave the room when you change? They're going to see you naked anyway.
Where does the toe tag go on a dead person if they don't have toes?
If you dug a hole through the center of the earth,and jumped in, would you stay at the center because of gravity?
What’s Going To Happen In The CFL Playoffs?
06/11/2008 04:14
Arguing sports is what makes it all fun, of course, so in the spirit of the proceedings I present my absolute, definitive, I'm-smarter-than-you-are rundown of what's going to happen in the Canadian Football League playoffs.
Please send argumentative comments at your leisure, and let's start by annoying everyone in northern Alberta …
For CBC Sports’ Malcolm Kelly’s take on things, click here.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I really love it when nobody’s picking the Eskimos to do anything in the playoffs!
Stegall Guarantees Bomber Win Over Esks
06/11/2008 04:13
Milt Stegall wants fans in Winnipeg to fill the stadium for the Blue Bombers East Semi-Final game against the Edmonton Eskimos (Saturday at Noon et/9am pt on TSN and TSN HD). And to make it happen, he's willing to give the shirt off his back - literally.
"If we sell more than 29,000 tickets, the jersey that I wear in the game and the gloves that I wear in the game will be given to one lucky fan," Stegall said Tuesday. "If we let these fans from Regina, Saskatchewan - is that the name of the province out there?" Stegall joked. "If we let them out-do us again, I'll be very disappointed."
Stegall took it a step further, promising a win in exchange for a sellout.
"Now I'm not a marketing major, I'm not a numbers guy," Stegall said. "But we've got to sell out this game. This is what we're looking for. These fans come out, we're guaranteeing a win.
"Did I just say that?" Stegall asked with grin. "We sell out the game, we're guaranteeing a win, I'll say that."
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I overheard some ardent football fans talking yesterday and suggesting Milt Stegall is a moron for making this prediction. Judge for yourself.
NHLPA Files Unfair Labor Practice Over Europeans
06/11/2008 04:13
NEW YORK - The NHL players' association filed an unfair labour practice charge with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board Tuesday regarding negotiations with clubs over European player releases.
The latest move by the union followed notification that it lost a grievance challenging the NHL's institution of defected player status on drafted and unsigned European players.
That came about because of a lack of an International Ice Hockey Federation transfer agreement between the NHL and hockey federations in some European countries.
The filing of the charge with the NLRB was confirmed by union spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon. The NHLPA declined to comment further because of the ongoing legal matter.
The New York Post first reported the union's action Tuesday on its website.
In the last collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the players' association, the union fought for European players to have the same rights as their North American counterparts.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Another prime example of a union trying to expand its membership and power base.
Cynamon Discusses Argos’ Nightmare Season On OTR
06/11/2008 04:12
With a 4-14 record in the books and no playoff berth, there's plenty of blame to be shared for the on-field demise of the Toronto Argonauts.
And count team co-owner David Cynamon among the first individuals pointing the finger at themselves.
"(Co-owner) Howard (Sokolowski) and I are very accountable," he told Michael Landsberg on TSN's Off the Record on Tuesday. "And yeah, we have to take the blame for this. We ultimately make the decisions."
The first offseason debate will be the fate the front office, namely CEO Michael "Pinball" Clemons and general manager Adam Rita. While the local media and fans hve pointed the finger in their direction, Cynamon says the blame is shared because their decision-making process was done collectively.
"The guy (Clemons) really is special, a nice human being," he told Off the Record. "You're right, (he made some mistakes). Every mistake you claim he made, Howard and I agreed with. How can you make somebody accountable when you've agreed with it? We agreed to everything he decided."
And will Rita, who has more than 20 years of CFL experience, be back next season?
"We hope so," said Cynamon.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
There’s more than enough blame to go around in Argo-land after that pathetic display of a season.
Augusta National Shortens Length For Masters
06/11/2008 04:12
Augusta National will be shorter for the Masters next year - but only by 10 yards on the scorecard, with the option to trim off a few more yards depending on the weather.
Despite some criticism that a longer, stronger Augusta National has taken away some of the excitement, chairman Billy Payne announced Tuesday only minor changes to the home of the Masters.
The back of the first tee was moved forward seven yards, primarily to help the movement of the gallery between the tee and the putting green. The official scorecard was changed from 455 yards to 445 yards.
An additional 10 yards was added to the front of the tee on the 450-yard seventh hole, and nearly 10 yards were added to the front of the 530-yard 15th hole, although neither hole required a change in the official length.
In both cases, Payne said it gave the tournament flexibility to move the tees depending on the weather.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I love the Masters and Augusta National. As far as I’m concerned, they should just leave it alone.
Frozen Mice Cloned - Are Woolly Mammoths Next?
05/11/2008 05:32
WASHINGTON (Reuters)
- Japanese scientists have cloned mice whose
bodies were frozen for as long 16 years and
said on Monday it may be possible to use the
technique to resurrect mammoths and other
extinct
species.Mouse cloning expert Teruhiko Wakayama and colleagues at the Center for Developmental Biology, at Japan's RIKEN research institute in Yokohama, managed to clone the mice even though their cells had burst.
"Thus, nuclear transfer techniques could be used to 'resurrect' animals or maintain valuable genomic stocks from tissues frozen for prolonged periods without any cryopreservation," they wrote in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Wakayama's team used the classic nuclear transfer technique to make their mouse clones. This involves taking the nucleus out of an egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus of an ordinary cell from the animal to be cloned.
When done with the right chemical or electric trigger, this starts the egg dividing as if it had been fertilized by a sperm.
"Cloning animals by nuclear transfer provides an opportunity to preserve endangered mammalian species," they wrote.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
If they’re not careful, we could have a real Jurrasic Park next time around.
Tough Break For Small-Bladdered Train Passengers
05/11/2008 05:27
Passengers on a train running between Borlänge and Gävle in central Sweden couldn’t believe their ears on Sunday afternoon when the conductor told them why the train’s toilets had been shut off.
In a calm and nonchalant tone, the train’s conductor explained to confused passengers that if too many people flushed the train’s toilets, the train would stop, according to the Arbetarbladet newspaper.
Why?
It turns that the same compressor responsible for triggering the emergency brake is also connected to several other systems on the train including the suspension and the toilets.
“When the pressure sinks below a certain level, the emergency brakes are triggered automatically. In other words, it’s possible to flush on the emergency brake,” said Mats Gustavsson, a technical official with the Bergslagen train line, to the newspaper.
Engineer Hans Kaplan was one of the passengers forced to hold it in for the rest of the trip on account of the train’s unique assembly.
“It’s completely nuts, there has to be a mistake in the construction,” he said.
Gustavsson understands passengers’ bewilderment over the situation.
“I have the utmost respect for people who don’t understand why the toilets were shut off. I was also quite curious when I first heard about it,” he said.
SINC SAYS:
Now there’s a real pisser of a story if I ever heard one!
Cookie Monster Breaks Into Bakery
05/11/2008 05:23
Thieves broke into an
Auto Center Way bakery Sunday, taking an
unspecified number of cookies and other baked
goods, according to Bremerton police
reports.Officers went to the 4800 block of the road at about 5 a.m. Monday and found that a garage door had been pried open. Five boxes of baked goods, were taken in addition to trays of cookies.
Police are still investigating the theft.
SINC SAYS:
It’s a good thing they didn’t hoist any doughnuts. The cops would have been all over them immediately. Scent trail and all you see.
Blood Clots / Stroke Indicators
05/11/2008 05:20
There Is now a fourth
Indicator, the
tongue.STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. Totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE:
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke
.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently i.e. It is sunny out today?)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
SINC SAYS:
Worthwhile information passed along to our readers, from a reader.
Esks Peterson West’s Nominee For Top Canuck
05/11/2008 05:12
Every team will be represented at the 2008 Gibson's Finest CFL Player Awards in Montreal with the hometown Alouettes leading the way with three finalists.
''In a season where our veteran players have had career years and our young players have emerged as bona fide stars, it makes perfect sense that every team is represented at this year's awards show,'' said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. ''Congratulations to all of our league's finalists and their teams on an exciting year in the CFL.''
The Alouettes three finalists include Anthony Calvillo for Outstanding Player, Ben Cahoon for Outstanding Canadian and Scott Flory for Outstanding Offensive Lineman.
Representing the East for Outstanding Defensive Player is Winnipeg Blue Bomber Doug Brown and for Outstanding Rookie is receiver Prechae Rodriguez from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The only unanimous selection is Toronto Argonauts kick return specialist Dominique Dorsey in the Outstanding Special Teams Player category.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Peterson deserves to win the award for Outstanding Canadian player in 2008, but stranger things have happened - as he’s up against “the legend of Ben Cahoon.”
Team Canada Can’t Use Familiar Logo
05/11/2008 05:11
Team Canada will have to find a new logo to display on its jersey for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Chris Rudge, the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, tells the Globe and Mail they will not be seeking an exemption to allow Canada's hockey teams to use the Maple Leaf logo which they have worn at the past three Winter Games.
The International Olympic Committee forbids national sport federations from using logos on team uniforms at the Olympics. Rudge tells the newspaper that the IOC warned countries as far back as two years ago that it would begin enforcing the rule.
The IOC strictly enforced its rules at the recent Beijing Games - notably with the Brazilian and Argentine soccer teams
"They made it clear after Torino that the national sport federation logos were out," Rudge tells the Globe. "We knew it would be an issue with sports of high profile, and it was an issue for Brazil and Argentina in Beijing."
Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson was hoping that the COC would ask for an exemption but Rudge says it's out of their hands.
"(Bob) Nicholson's discontent is that we're not going the extra mile to go for an exemption for Hockey Canada," said Rudge. "But it's not our fight, it's the IOC's rule, and Hockey Canada knew this was coming."
"Hockey Canada may choose to proceed with its logo, but we can't account for what the IOC may do in that case. It's not our call."
Nicholson says he's disappointed with the COC's decision not to fight for the exemption.
"[The rule] has always been in the IOC charter and the COC, for the past three Winter Olympics, has signed a form supporting us wearing our logo," Nicholson tells the newspaper. "They refuse to fight this with us."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just when you thought the IOC couldn’t possibly have any more ridiculous rules . . . they never cease to amaze you.
Andy Not Sure What To Say In HOF Speech
05/11/2008 05:10
The big day is approaching at a gallop, but Glenn Anderson still isn't sure what he'll say when it arrives.
The 48-year-old former scoring star of the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty team from the 1980s will finally be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night in Toronto, long after old teammates Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr were asked in.
If the Vancouver native is bitter about waiting so long, it hardly showed in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.
''I've had a little time to think about it, more than the average person, so I'm savouring the moment,'' said Anderson. ''Ever since I got the call June 17, it's something I'd like to soak in and remember forever.''
Anderson will be inducted along with Igor Larionov, former official Ray Scapinello and builder Ed Chynoweth.
He and Larionov will have large contingents of friends and family in attendance.
And there will be speeches. Anderson joked as he spoke that his six-year-old daughter Autumn was helping to write his, but really, he hasn't worked that part out yet. And he's not sure if he'll laugh or cry when he is officially in.
''As you get closer to the day, you reflect on the history of how it transpired,'' he said. ''How did I get where I am? Where did I come from? Where I am and where I'm going - these are the questions you ask yourself.
''The more I think about it, the more things pop up. The memories come back in a flood. That's why I don't know how it's going to be that night. I don't know how emotional I'll be or how I'll react because I've never been in this situation before.''
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is one honor that is very long overdue, folks. Andy certainly does march to his own drummer and, because he isn’t a conformist, was shunned by hockey’s “power brokers,” who hold the keys to the Hall Of Fame, for many years.
Halifax Awarded 2010 Brier
05/11/2008 05:10
HALIFAX - The Tim Hortons Brier will return to Halifax in 2010.
The Canadian Curling Association announced Tuesday that the Canadian men's curling championship will be staged at the Metro Centre from March 6-14, 2010. It will mark the sixth time the city has hosted the event.
"On behalf of the host committee, together with the Nova Scotia Curling Association, I am very excited that the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier has been awarded to Halifax," host committee co-chairman Hugh Avery said in a release. "It will not only allow us the opportunity to show off our great city, but will also provide a legacy of growth for the sport of curling in our province."
Halifax last hosted the tournament in 2003.
"The Canadian Curling Association is very pleased to see Canada's East Coast get to participate in one of the most anticipated curling seasons on record," said CCA chief executive officer Greg Stremlaw. "With this, I am proud to announce that Halifax will host the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier and we are excited to be returning to this gem of a city."
The 2009 Tim Hortons Brier will be held in Calgary this March. The winner will represent Canada at the Ford world men's curling championship in Moncton in April.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The Canadian men’s curling championships should be one hell of a party in Halifax in 2010.
Er, Um, Ah, About Those Flying Cars . . .
04/11/2008 05:51
READER
RESPONSE:Don:
Good luck with the flying car based on a Ferrari.
My advice? Don't buy shares in this company.
VSTOL aircraft are notoriously unstable and hard to fly - Harrier jump jets are forever pancaking into flight decks, fields and the ocean. And they're flown by fit young men with perfect vision, lightning quick reflexes and no alcohol in their bloodstreams.
The way St. Albertans drive, if some fool licenses these things for flight in our town, we'll all need to rush out and buy anti-aircraft guns to protect our gardens!
Hope this finds you well.
David J Climenhaga
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Long time no here from David, and that is indeed a shame. We need to hear from people like you more often who have a “way with words” to give us our daily smile.
A Reader's Golfing Tale . . .
04/11/2008 05:41
Gidday Sinc,
Ever been there and done this?
Grahame Allen
St. Albert
( P.S . I have)
It was a sunny Friday morning on the first hole of a busy course and I was beginning my pre-shot routine, visualising my upcoming shot, when a piercing voice came over the clubhouse loudspeaker.
'Would the gentleman on the women's tee back up to the men's tee please?'
I could feel every eye on the course looking at me.
I was still deep in my routine, seemingly impervious to the interruption.
Again the announcement, 'Would that MAN on the WOMEN'S tee kindly back up to the MEN'S tee? '
I simply ignored the announcement and kept concentrating, when once more, the man yelled:
'Would the MAN on the WOMEN'S tee back up to the MEN'S tee, PLEASE!'
Finally, I stopped, turned and looked through the clubhouse window directly at the person with the mike.
I cupped my hands and shouted back, 'Would the SOB in the clubhouse kindly shut the hell up and let me play my second shot?'
SINC SAYS:
Thanks for the laugh Grahame. As to your question, yes, I’ve been there, done that. Why do you think I gave up golf?
The Doorway To Hell?
04/11/2008 05:35
This place in Uzbekistan is called by locals “The Door to Hell”. It is situated near the small town of Darvaz. The story of this place lasts already for 35 years.
Once the geologists were drilling for gas. Then suddenly during the drilling they have found an underground cavern, it was so big that all the drilling site with all the equipment and camps got deep deep under the ground.
None dared to go down there because the cavern was filled with gas. So they ignited it so that no poisonous gas could come out of the hole, and since then, it’s burning, already for 35 years without any pause.
Nobody knows how many tons of excellent gas has been burned for all those years but it just seems to be infinite there.
Hell of a story and more pictures with video here.
SINC SAYS:
The video shows a person walking the rim of the opening in the background. From the amount of fire, one would think it would be very hot on the rim. Hell indeed. Dion of course will want to carbon tax it. Please be patient as this site does take some time to load.
Tiger Adopts Piglets
04/11/2008 05:26
This story submitted
by St. Albert's Place regular reader George
Proulx:
Read the story first, then look at the pictures.
In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.
The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.
After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species.
The only orphans" that could be found quickly, were a litter of weaner pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger.
Would they become cubs or pork chops?Take a look, you won't believe your eyes!
SINC SAYS:
I am always skeptical of these types of stories when people send them to me. I investigated this one and found that while the event actually took place, someone “invented” the where, when and why and how:
The photos above are genuine, but there is more to this story than meets the eye.
To begin with, the snapshots were taken at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand (near Bangkok), not some nameless zoo in California. Moreover, it would appear that the sad tale of the tigress falling into a deep depression after losing a litter of cubs was fabricated, as was the claim that the piglets were substituted for the deceased cubs by zookeepers in order to console the "mourning mother."
As it happens, this sort of intermingling of species is not at all unusual at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, where "creating successful relationships with animals of different species" is something of a guiding principle. The facility, more accurately described as part zoo and part circus, boasts offbeat attractions like basketball-playing elephants, "lady crocodile wrestlers," and a petting zoo where customers can bottle-feed baby tigers with their own bare hands. Visitors have reported seeing tigers, pigs, and dogs all housed together within the same enclosure, with sows nursing tiger cubs and tigresses nursing piglets "adorned in tiger-print costumes."
The costumes are strictly for show, by the way. The mother tiger pictured above, who has been photographed on other occasions suckling piglets au naturel, was herself nursed by a pig in infancy and apparently regards the other species as family, not prey.
Esks Place Four Players On Western All-Star Team
04/11/2008 05:19
The Montreal Alouettes reaped some reward for dominating the CFL East Division by having 14 players named as division all-stars on Monday.
But the 11-7 British Columbia Lions pulled a surprise by having 13 players named to the West all-star team despite finishing third in the division behind the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
''When you give up the least number of sacks, awards go to the offensive line and when you're the top passing team and have three of the top receivers in the league, they all get rewarded,'' said Montreal general manager Jim Popp.
''We're overwhelmed that we had 14. It's fantastic. But when you win the division, you always get more.''
At least in the underwhelming East, where the 11-7 Alouettes were the only team with a record better than .500. The second-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers had six all-stars, the Toronto Argonauts had four and the last-place Hamilton Tiger-cats had three.
In the tightly contested West, the first-place Stampeders had six players named as all-stars, while Saskatchewan and fourth-place Edmonton each had four.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to Esks’ Kamau Peterson, Dario Romero, Jason Goss and Patrick Kabongo. Peterson has a real good chance of also being named the CFL’s most outstanding Canadian player of 2008.
Frost Trial Hears Closing Arguments
04/11/2008 05:19
NAPANEE, Ont. -- Testimony proves that former NHL agent David Frost was a controlling man who sexually exploited two of his players, a Crown attorney argued Monday.
Assistant Crown attorney Sandy Tse told Justice Geoffrey Griffin he should not believe evidence from the two players -- who testified that alleged three-way sex with Mr. Frost and their former girlfriends did not happen -- because they remain loyal to Mr. Frost, who has coached and mentored them since they were 10 to 12 years old.
Meanwhile, the "richness" of details from the women who alleged they were involved in the sexual activity helps to prove their credibility, Ms. Tse said.
Mr. Frost's lawyer, Marie Henein, said during her closing arguments that there is a lack of evidence with which to convict Mr. Frost.
Although Mr. Frost was an aggressive coach, witnesses have not presented clear evidence his style would have played a role in any alleged three-way incidents, Ms. Henein said.
More from the Ottawa Citizen.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I eagerly await Judge Griffin’s verdict.
Surprises Chris Schultz Did Not Anticipate In 2008
04/11/2008 05:18
By TSN Football Analyst Chris Schultz
Now that the 2008 CFL season is over, each team had something about them that as I look back, I did not anticipate.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats:
I thought Casey Printers would be the savior of the Ticats organization. I remember the skill set he had in B.C., and I logically deducted that it would transfer over successfully in Hamilton. There is a lot to say about the fact that quarterbacks are a product of their environment in that back in his time with B.C., Printers had an offensive line, running back and a set of receivers that were better than what Hamilton has right now. But, then why did Quinton Porter thrive in comparison to Printers, who at times was just trying to survive? My number one surprise with Hamilton was the difficulty at quarterback.
Toronto Argonauts:
Continuity, rhythm, routine - it was absent from day one and all the way through the entire season. It began with the early season press conference with both Kerry Joseph and Michael Bishop present. It continued with the absence of a dominant defense that previously Toronto could depend on, and just continued week after week with tension between coachers and players, players and players, coaches and coaches. What a mess. My number one surprise with Argonauts football is no peace and harmony, just stress and confrontation.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For more from TSN football analyst Chris Shultz, click here.
‘Riders Sell Out Semi-Final In 35 Minutes
04/11/2008 05:17
REGINA - It didn't take the Saskatchewan Roughriders long to sell out their West Division semifinal contest against the B.C. Lions.
The Riders made tickets to the game available to the general public Monday morning, and they were sold out within 35 minutes.
So when Saskatchewan takes to the field against B.C. on Saturday (TSN, 4:30 p.m. ET), it will do so with the support of a capacity gathering of 30,945.
It will mark the 18th straight sellout at Mosaic Stadium dating back to last year.
The Roughriders will also be hosting a playoff game for the second straight season after going 18 years without one.
"The support the Riders have received continues to overwhelm us," team president Jim Hopson said in a statement. "From pre-season to the playoff game, the dedication from our fans has not wavered and for that we are grateful."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I’m sure it will be another regular “Animal House,” as usual, at Mosaic on Saturday.
Obama, McCain Appear On Monday Night Football
04/11/2008 05:17
WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama tells ESPN's ''Monday Night Football'' it's time for U.S. college football to pick a champion with a playoff system while Republican John McCain wants to put an end to performance-enhancing substances.
On the eve of the election, the two American presidential candidates were interviewed via satellite by ESPN's Chris Berman. The taped interviews were to air during halftime of game between the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Both candidates were asked to name one thing they would change in sports.
''I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. I'm fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other. Get eight teams - the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion,'' Obama said.
College football uses a Bowl Championship Series system, commonly known as BCS, that is based on computer rankings.
McCain said he would ''take significant action to prevent the spread and use of performance-enhancing substances. I think it's a game we're going to be in for a long time. What I mean by that is there is somebody in a laboratory right now trying to develop some type of substance that can't be detected and we've got to stay ahead of it. It's not good for the athletes. It's not good for the sports. It's very bad for those who don't do it, and I think it can attack the very integrity of all sports going all the way down to high school.''
Not lost on the candidates, who have spent millions on campaign advertising, is the ratings for Monday Night Football.
ESPN said this year's Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys telecast on Sept. 15 attracted U.S. cable's largest audience ever - 13 million homes and 18.6 million viewers.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Can you say, “President Obama?”
St. Albert's Place Readers Photos
03/11/2008 08:46
Last night, this
motorized glider was cruising into the sunset
over Big Lake.
Too bad I could not get a better photo. He came from the south and circled back via the eastern lakeshore into the sunset.
I think a hot air balloon launched him, since two hot air balloons were also floating around in the area the glider came from.
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Nice shots Elke, but I don’t think a motorized parachute can be launched from a hot air balloon, In fact, I would bet money on it.
Consumers' Taste For Organic Is Tapering Off
03/11/2008 00:21
Once upon a time,
sales of organic and natural products were
growing in double digits most
years.
Enthusiastic grocers
and venture capitalists prowled the halls of
trade shows looking for the next big thing.
Grass-fed beef? Organic baby food? Gluten-free
energy bars?
But now, shaky consumer spending is dampening the mood. It turns out that when times are tough, consumers may be less interested in what type of feed a cow ate before it was chopped up for dinner or whether carrots were grown without chemical fertilizers, particularly if those products cost twice as much as the conventional stuff.
Whole Foods Market, a showcase for the natural and organic industries, is struggling through the toughest stretch in its history. And the organic industry is starting to show signs that a decadelong sales boom may be ending.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve always thought the organic craze was a scam to up the price of veggies. Never did buy them and never will.
But now, shaky consumer spending is dampening the mood. It turns out that when times are tough, consumers may be less interested in what type of feed a cow ate before it was chopped up for dinner or whether carrots were grown without chemical fertilizers, particularly if those products cost twice as much as the conventional stuff.
Whole Foods Market, a showcase for the natural and organic industries, is struggling through the toughest stretch in its history. And the organic industry is starting to show signs that a decadelong sales boom may be ending.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve always thought the organic craze was a scam to up the price of veggies. Never did buy them and never will.
Pub-Goers To Be Tested For Drugs
03/11/2008 00:13
Swabs will be fed in
to the 'Itemiser' device to test for drugs
Pub-goers in Aberdeen are facing a drugs test before entering bars as part of a crackdown by Grampian Police.
Officers in the force will be the first in Scotland to use an Itemiser - a device which can detect traces of drugs from hand swabs in a matter of seconds.
The test is voluntary, but customers will be refused entry if they do not take part. They could be searched and even arrested if traces are found.
The device was trialled by the police force in the area earlier this year.
The Itemiser allows police officers or door staff to swab customers hands as they enter a pub or club. It can tell almost instantly if drugs are present - including cocaine, cannabis, heroin and ecstasy.
The device can show three possible results: green, amber or red.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
Talk about 1984. Perhaps Orwell was right after all?
Flying Car Based On Ferrari
03/11/2008 00:07
'Could be reality
within two
years'A flying car based on a Ferrari could be ferrying wealthy commuters to work within two years, designers have predicted..
The 'Autovolantor' - based on a £200,000 Ferrari 599 GTB - is being developed by "Moller International".
It will have the ability to take off vertically and hover thanks to eight powerful thrusters which direct air down for take off. Vents then tilt so the car can fly forward.
The car is expected to be able to do 100mph on the ground and 150mph in the air.
The calculated airborne range is 75 miles and ground range is 150 miles.
Designer Bruce Calkins says the car features a specially designed hybrid fuel and electric system to power the thrusters, creating as much as 800 horse power.
He believes it will be able to fly at altitudes of up to 5,000ft.
Mr Calkins said: "The Autovolantor is powered by eight fans mounted in the fuselage of the vehicle.
"On the ground these fans push the vehicle around with a firm but not-too-powerful thrust of deflected air.
"Small vanes in the exit area of the ducts can direct the air forward or back, or remain in the neutral position for vertical take off and landing.
Pilot your car here.
SINC SAYS:
I predicted in an essay written in the eighth grade in 1958 that we would have flying cars by the year 2000. Seems I wan only off by 10 years or so.
Whisky Blender Has Nose Insured For £1.5M
03/11/2008 00:03
MASTER whisky blender
Richard Paterson's bosses go all out to ensure
he doesn't catch cold in
winter.For the dram expert's nostrils are so sensitive they are insured for £1.5million.
Richard, 59, is known simply as The Nose in distilleries for his skills - he can detect the slightest scent on the breeze.
It is a talent that helps him select the tones and flavours that make the perfect whisky.
The dad-of-three said: "I saw myself named in a list of people with valuable body parts.
"There was a porn star who'd insured her breasts for £5million and Rod Stewart whose vocal chords were insured for £3million - then there was me and my nose, which was a bit strange."
Richard, of Glasgow, is master blender at Whyte & Mackay and created the world's most expensive bottle of whisky - a 62-year-old Dalmore Single Highland Malt that sold for nearly £26,000 in 2002.
He has now written his autobiography - Goodness Nose - about his remarkable career.
Fill your glass here.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve known more than a few guys over the years who had a nose for whiskey. Trouble was they used their noses as a straw.
Daly Says Night In Jail A ‘Misunderstanding’
02/11/2008 23:59
With no golf on his schedule, John Daly says he went to North Carolina to have fun with some friends.
What followed was a night in jail to sober up, a photo of Daly in orange coveralls with his eyes half-open, and the kind of publicity that seems to accompany the two-time major champion no matter where he goes.
"Nothing is going right in my life right now," Daly said in a telephone interview Sunday. "I'm going through a hell of a divorce. I haven't seen my son. It was an unfortunate incident, but it's a joke what people are saying. I take full responsibility for what happened, but it wasn't that big of a deal."
According to Winston-Salem police, Daly appeared "extremely intoxicated and unco-operative" when he was found outside a Hooters restaurant early Oct. 27. With no other means of transportation, he was taken to the Forsyth County jail for 24 hours to get sober.
Daly said it could have been avoided if his friends had realized he tends to sleep with his eyes open when he's tired, stressed and has been drinking. He said the driver of his private bus, parked near Hooters, panicked when he saw Daly and called the paramedics.
"If I had seen someone like that, I probably would have done the same thing," he said. "They were only trying to protect me."
But he said he was not arrested, nor was he thrown out of Hooters. The restaurant closed more than an hour before police arrived.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
A ‘misunderstanding,’ eh? What’s the matter, didn’t John understand where he was? You know folks, the continuing downward spiral of John Daly is very sad to watch. Let’s hope he gets the help he so desperately needs, before his friends do find him dead the next time.
Professional Sports Feeling Economic Pinch
02/11/2008 23:58
TORONTO - While it's a given that pro sports events attract a loyal, even rabid, fan base and provide distraction from life's woes the tanking global economy means no team should consider itself recession proof, experts say.
Even those who argue sports organizations are almost immune to the effects of shrinking disposable incomes concede teams will need to offer perks to keep people in the stands.
Teams with wide appeal should be able to weather the storm but teams in non-traditional locations could be in for tough times, said Howard Bloom, publisher of the Ottawa-based website sportsbusinessnews.com.
"I don't think it will have an impact at the high end - the high end being the most expensive tickets. In other words, the Super Bowl charging $1,000 for a ticket, that will still sell," said Bloom.
"Where it will have an impact is in the lower to middle end, where there's still sports fans trying to actually buy tickets."
Hockey teams in the southern United States, which already have documented attendance and debt issues, could be forced to move in the near future, added Bloom, who also teaches in a post-graduate sports management program.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Don’t anybody tell Gary Bettman!
Karlsson Wins Volvo Masters, Takes Order Of Merit
02/11/2008 23:57
San Roque, Spain (Sports Network) - Soren Kjeldsen only needed an even-par 71 in Sunday's final round to win the season-ending Volvo Masters.
Kjeldsen finished the tournament at eight-under 276 and won the championship by two strokes over Martin Kaymer (68) and Anthony Wall (69) at a soggy Valderrama.
The third round was completed Sunday morning and then the players went back out for the final round. There was some rain on Sunday, but the final round was contested under mostly sunny skies.
It was certainly a sunny day on Sunday for Robert Karlsson.
The Swede, who only tied for 32nd place, won the Order of Merit title.
Padraig Harrington, winner of two majors this year, had the best chance to catch Karlsson before the tournament, but it was Lee Westwood who had the opportunity on Sunday.
If Westwood would have won the event, he would have gone past Karlsson for the money title, but it didn't happen.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to Karlsson for winning the Order Of Merit title. The British Order Of Merit title is equivalent to being the leading money winner on the PGA Tour, and is quite an accomplishment.
Gamblers Cheer Horse Named Subprime
02/11/2008 23:56
NEW YORK - The mortgage problems that have helped shape the current economic downturn have made "subprime" an unwelcome word to investors.
For gamblers, however, Subprime drew cheers this week.
That was the name of a horse that won the ninth race Thursday at the Aqueduct race track in New York.
It was the first win in three tries for the two-year-old filly, but the name made her an instant crowd darling.
The horse ran as the favorite and paid $6.30 on a $2 bet.
Maybe it's a family connection. Subprime was sired by a stallion with another name inspired by Wall Street: High Yield.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm . . . I wonder if they were cheering George W. Bush at the same time? Thank goodness that reign of error is quickly coming to an end.
Reader Questions City's AHF Funding
02/11/2008 01:24
Hi Don,
Additional funding for Carol Watamaniuk's former group, Arts & Heritage Foundation.
In this week’s Saint City News, “Council unanimously approved a motion to designate $140,000 to the development of a plan that will detail the future of heritage related projects in St. Albert.
The plan is to provide a vision, strategies, initiatives and a potential implementation schedule to guide planning”.
What the hell does that mean, or is it just me?
City residents are funding our Arts & Heritage Foundation to the tune of one million dollars per annum, $900.000 of which go to staff wages, benefits and contract services. With such a payroll one could be forgiven for assuming that “visionary thinking, strategic planning and implementation scheduling” were already a part of the A.H.F. employee’s job description.
You couldn’t make it up.
Regards,
Robert Hartley
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
You’re right Robert, you could not make this stuff up. Things are so far fetched in what should be a time of severe fiscal restraint, it isn’t even funny.
2nd Egg Emerges From Giant Chicken Egg
02/11/2008 01:20
A second,
normal-sized egg popped out of a giant egg laid
by a chicken raised at a high school in Shiga
Prefecture, a school official said Saturday
after breaking open the
shell. The huge egg, which was 8.1 centimeters high and weighed 158 grams, was laid at the Yokaichi Minami High School in the city of Higashiomi in late October. The egg was scheduled to be displayed after grabbing headlines in local and national newspapers.
But school teachers decided on Friday to remove the shell by using a scalpel and tweezers after finding a crack. They later discovered another medium-sized egg inside the giant egg as the yolk and the white portion spurted out. Word of the second egg spread quickly after assistant principal Toshitaka Minami made a school announcement on making the surprising discovery.
The hot topic at the high school now is whether another egg is hidden inside the second, medium-sized egg. To find out, Minami said the school plans to break open the second egg next week.
SINC SAYS:
St. Albert’s Place, bringing you all the eggciting news there is to know.
Brush With Death On Highway Amazes Witnesses
02/11/2008 01:11
E. Hempfield man is
'one lucky dude'
Dennis Klingseisen says somebody was watching out for him Tuesday afternoon, as he drove north on Interstate 83 in York County.
The 42-year-old East Hempfield Township man was motoring home from Baltimore, when he saw drivers in front of him swerving to avoid something on the highway.
Then he saw something cartwheeling through the air.
Within seconds, a blunt, battered, 3-foot-long metal bar catapulted through his windshield, shattering a hole in the glass.
The bar was headed directly for Klingseisen's throat, "just below where you tie a knot in your tie," according to one astonished witness.
But by some miracle, the bar hit Klingseisen's steering wheel, flipped down and landed on his dashboard, instead of piercing Klingseisen's windpipe.
See more photos here.
SINC SAYS:
I once had a piece of concrete off a cement mixer come right through my windshield back in 1972. That was one scary experience.
UFO Over Tinley Park
02/11/2008 01:06
The skies were clear
over Tinley Park on the night of Aug. 21, 2004.
Despite the absence of a breeze, the
temperature outside was about as agreeable as
you get in the Chicago area that time of year.
All around the Chicago suburbs, people were
having block parties or barbecues and otherwise
enjoying the last gasps of
summer."It was a nice night out," Tinley Park resident Bob Peterson recalls. "Me and my son Tyler were out on the back deck just hanging out when we saw them."
They have come to be known as the Tinley Park Lights: three red orbs that have been seen floating across the suburban sky on at least three separate occasions. They usually float for a distance and eventually stop and seem to hover in a triangle pattern for as long as 30 minutes at a time.
Peterson watched them for a little while. Being in the path of planes flying in and out of Midway, he was used to seeing objects in the sky. These were different, though.
"There was no noise. They just literally floated by real quiet and slow," he recalls.
The lights also caught the attention of neighbor Bill Dooley and his son Nick. Neither Dooley nor Peterson knew what he was looking at for sure.
Hundreds of witnesses have come forward to offer detailed accounts of what they saw that night. Peterson and 17 other people from several Chicago suburbs managed to videotape the mysterious and unexplained objects.
To those absolutely convinced of extraterrestrial life, the Tinley Park Lights are proof-positive that we are not alone. The History Channel's series "UFO Hunters" devotes an entire hour to the event in an episode titled "Invasion Illinois" that airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
"It was a mass sighting that cut across all demographics," says Sam Maranto, the director of the Illinois chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), one of the oldest and largest organizations dedicated to investigating and documenting UFO sightings.
Maranto notes the same pattern was later seen in New York and, a day later, hovering over Australia.
"A lot of the cases we have featured on the show have been older. The witnesses aren't always alive," says "UFO Hunters" co-host and UFO magazine publisher Bill Birnes. "This happened four years ago and there were multiple witnesses available, and that gave us the ability to do a thorough scientific investigation."
Peterson remains skeptical. "I thought maybe it was something tied to a balloon," Peterson says. "They reminded me of LED lights or something you would see at the top of towers and buildings."
He was somewhat reluctant to appear on the TV show, for fear of coming across as the typical overzealous UFO believer.
"Under normal circumstances, people are reluctant to come forward to report a UFO sighting," Maranto says. "It tends to be less of an issue with mass sightings, because when a mass of people all see the same thing, no one can call you crazy."
After reviewing footage, Maranto is convinced they are alien in origin.
"There is something about them; they just don't seem of this world," Maranto says. "These same objects have been depicted historically and in folklore. It's reasonable to assume that curiosity is a driving force in the universe and we're being watched."
Birnes dismisses those notions, though.
"Why would aliens, assuming it is an alien craft, care about Tinley Park?" Birnes ponders. "We know the military are working on a cloaking device and with respect to everything but the speed of the lights, which remain iffy for me, I don't see any technology in the Tinley Park Lights that the military doesn't currently have."
If the craft is some top-secret military project, why would the government take it for a test drive in one of the busiest commercial air spaces in the world?
"Anyone who has ever read Edgar Allan Poe's The Purloined Letter knows the best place to hide something is out in the open," Birnes counters.
Moreover, he says the CIA has a history of using the mythology of UFOs as a cover for its own secret weapons program.
"My first impression in this case is they are more conventional than they are unconventional," Birnes says.
"UFO Hunters" states that, were the orbs part of one craft, it would be six times larger than the biggest jetliner ever made.
Though its scientists succeed in debunking the theory that the lights were flares attached to weather balloons, Peterson still thinks they were some sort of a hoax.
He has managed to tape them three times in the hopes of proving once and for all what they are. He hasn't seen them since 2005.
SINC SAYS:
They’re really out there. Aren’t they?
Ray Breaks Moon’s One-Season Passing Record
02/11/2008 00:28
Ricky Ray may be no Warren Moon, but he's working on it.
The Edmonton Eskimos' quarterback hung around long enough Friday night to pass for 302 yards and move by Moon to become the Canadian Football League team's all-time single-season passing leader.
All this in a meaningless 37-14 victory over the visiting Montreal Alouettes as both clubs prepped for next week's playoffs where the Esks will travel to Winnipeg and the Als will wait seven more days for the winner.
Moon, of course, has five Grey Cup rings with the Eskimos and is the only player elected to both the Canadian Football League and National Football League halls of fame.
Ray, for his part, has just one Cup ring, and his club had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons up until this one.
But with his final pass of the game — a little 10-yarder to Kamau Peterson early in the third quarter on the way to another touchdown and a 27-7 lead — Ray finished the regular season with 5,663 yards in the air.
That broke Moon's previous mark of 5,648 set in 1983. The league all-time mark is 6,619 yards set by Doug Flutie.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
While Ricky Ray certainly is a great quarterback, Warren Moon is arguably the best to ever play the CFL game.
Schultz Hands Out His CFL Awards
02/11/2008 00:28
By TSN Football Analyst Chris Schultz
For me, this CFL season has been a long, long grind, but somehow it has also gone by very fast.
I remember back to May 1, when I switched my mind over to 100 percent football mode and now we’re moving into November and the playoffs. November also marks the time of the year that the individual awards become a focus. Those awards are enjoyable to assess and breakdown.
As much as key individuals do determine the success or failure of a team, what is more important is the unit. Not the offence, defence or special teams, but rather the way players work together with their specific groups.
Trying to determine who is ‘the best’ is always speculative even when you have statistical evidence.
With that in mind, here are my speculative observations on who were the best positional players by groups, not individuals.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For TSN football analyst Chris Schultz’ picks, click here.
Here Come The CFL Playoffs
02/11/2008 00:27
CALGARY - Back-up quarterback Barrick Nealy ran for three touchdowns to lead the Calgary Stampeders to a 41-30 win over the B.C. Lions in CFL action Saturday.
Jon Cornish also had a rushing touchdown for the Stamps (13-5), who swept all three games they played against the Lions this season.
Starting quarterback Henry Burris tossed a TD pass to Nik Lewis, while Sandro DeAngelis booted two field goals and four converts to finish as the CFL's leading scorer with 217 points, also a personal best for the fourth-year kicker.
Needing to win the game to secure a home playoff game next week, the Lions (11-7) came up short in front of an announced crowd of 30,275 fans at McMahon Stadium.
Instead, the Lions will now travel to Regina next Saturday to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Division semifinal.
Calgary will then host the winner of the Lions-Riders game in the West Division final on Nov. 15.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The western conference semi-final will see the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the B.C. Lions this Saturday, while the “eastern” conference semi-final will pit the Edmonton Eskimos, via the western cross-over, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Winnipeg.
Look for the Eskimos and the Lions to win and advance to the conference finals in Montreal and Calgary, respectively, next Saturday. You can catch all of the action of the conference semi-finals this Saturday on TSN and TSN-HD.
New Hockey Logo For 2010 Games?
02/11/2008 00:25
Team Canada may be forced to play without its familiar Maple Leaf logo at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the victim of an International Olympic Committee rule that is only now being enforced.
The IOC regulation forbids sport federations from displaying their logos on uniforms at the Olympics, which includes Hockey Canada's trademark Maple Leaf with a hockey player. Hockey Canada says it has been able to get around the rule in the past by having the Canadian Olympic Committee sign an exemption from Games uniform regulations.
But the COC says times have changed. The IOC strictly enforced its rules at the recent Beijing Games - notably with the Brazilian and Argentine soccer teams - and is expected to do the same in Vancouver.
"In the past three Winter Games, this wasn't the same issue that it is now," said Chris Rudge, the COC's chief executive officer. "In those Games, the IOC turned a blind eye to its own rules. That's no longer the case - they made that very clear going into Beijing.
"It was a test case in Beijing with the soccer teams and it was very clear from the IOC that the rules now are the rules and they're not turning a blind eye to exemptions."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just when you thought the IOC rules and regulations couldn’t get any more ridiculous . . .
Zamboni Driver Arrested For Drunk Driving
02/11/2008 00:24
KINGSVILLE, Ont. - A 34-year-old woman from Kingsville, Ont., has been charged with impaired driving - on a Zamboni.
Provincial police say an off-duty officer spotted the woman driving erratically on the ice resurfacer at Kingsville Arena on Thursday night.
The driver was missing major spots on the ice and bumping into the boards.
At one point, police allege the woman stopped the Zamboni and slumped over the steering wheel.
Police say they found a bottle of vodka on the woman, whose name was not released.
She was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and driving over the legal alcohol limit.
The woman is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 2 in Windsor, Ont.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
By the looks of some of the ice surfaces SWIVEL HIPS used to play hockey on in his youth, driving the Zamboni while under the influence may not be as infrequent an occurrence as you may think!