09 November 2008
What Is Your Favourite St. Albert Food Store?
15/11/2008 01:41
The poll to the left is just an illustration. You must click on the link at the bottom of the story to actually vote.
___________________________________
* Please note I
missed Wal*Mart in the original poll, so you
may have to vote
again.
___________________________________
The topics that don’t come up over a cuppa.
This past weekend it was the subject of groceries and that of course led to the question, “What local grocery store is your favourite?”
Safeway was a clear winner in the gathered crowd, but I suspect that is due to the ages of those in attendance. A younger crowd might think much differently.
Safeway you see, is the oldest of the food stores in the city and likely in the province for that matter, thus those who are older have an allegiance to Safeway, if for no other reason, habit.
The other stores are relatively new players compared to Safeway, like Real Canadian Superstore, (I call it Stupid Store), Sobey’s, (Nearly everyone I know still calls it the IGA) and Save On Foods, part of the Overwaitea group out of BC. (I never could understand how anyone could call a food store Overwaitea. It sounds like a place for fat people to shop, but I digress.) And last, but not least Wal*Mart.
So, St. Albert, who has the best food store in the city?
Since I can’t run polls on this site yet, (it’s one part of the technology I have yet to figure out), I can indeed run a poll on our old site which we still use for some purposes that shall remain a secret.
Here is a link to the actual poll.
Please take a minute to select your favourite and we’ll report back with the results. The poll will remain open until Monday noon.
And thanks in advance folks.
The topics that don’t come up over a cuppa.
This past weekend it was the subject of groceries and that of course led to the question, “What local grocery store is your favourite?”
Safeway was a clear winner in the gathered crowd, but I suspect that is due to the ages of those in attendance. A younger crowd might think much differently.
Safeway you see, is the oldest of the food stores in the city and likely in the province for that matter, thus those who are older have an allegiance to Safeway, if for no other reason, habit.
The other stores are relatively new players compared to Safeway, like Real Canadian Superstore, (I call it Stupid Store), Sobey’s, (Nearly everyone I know still calls it the IGA) and Save On Foods, part of the Overwaitea group out of BC. (I never could understand how anyone could call a food store Overwaitea. It sounds like a place for fat people to shop, but I digress.) And last, but not least Wal*Mart.
So, St. Albert, who has the best food store in the city?
Since I can’t run polls on this site yet, (it’s one part of the technology I have yet to figure out), I can indeed run a poll on our old site which we still use for some purposes that shall remain a secret.
Here is a link to the actual poll.
Please take a minute to select your favourite and we’ll report back with the results. The poll will remain open until Monday noon.
And thanks in advance folks.
Lonesome Penguin Cheered Up By New Friend
15/11/2008 01:24
Mates: Pingu the
penguin chick at the Living Coasts zoo in
Torquay who has found solace with a stuffed
toyA baby penguin which had to be separated from its family after a greedy sibling continually ate all its food has found companionship - with this stuffed toy.
The penguin - called Pingu - began to lose weight and appeared weak after its bigger relative regularly helped himself to all the fish on offer.
Concerned keepers were forced to remove Pingu from the enclosure, but at just three-weeks-old the penguin was in desperate need of company.
Staff bought a £3.99 toy penguin from the zoo shop which acts as a surrogate sibling to the chuffed chick - who cuddles up to its new friend all day.
Pingu - an African penguin whose sex has yet to be determined - was born with its sibling at the Living Coasts attraction in Torquay, Devon.
Senior head keeper Tony Durkin said: 'At first it seemed everything was going well but then we noticed one sibling was growing more quickly than the other.
'You do get size differences in the wild but it only becomes a problem if the difference gets too great.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
We work hard to bring you sappy animal stories, but readers keep coming back for more.
Doggone Good Advertising Gimmic . . .
15/11/2008 01:14
A lady was telling
her son that she saw a man driving down the
interstate, and a dog was hanging onto the tail
gate for dear life.
She said if he hadn't been going so fast in the other direction she would have tried to stop him.
A few weeks later, her son saw this truck at the Bass Pro Shop in Daphne, Alabama!
It's a taxidermist! Talk about an eye catcher!
SINC SAYS:
Something like that makes me wonder how many collisions have resulted from startled motorists reacting to that stuffed mutt.
Tucker Providing Inspiration For Eskimo Teammates
15/11/2008 01:08
He wears a neck brace instead of a helmet and remains on the sidelines when the offence trots on to the field.
But instead of coming up with key catches for the Edmonton Eskimos' offence, Jason Tucker is now delivering inspiration to the club's receiving corps.
"Tuck is a calming voice, a wealth of knowledge that can be tapped into at any point," said Eskimos veteran slotback Kamau Peterson. "He has really helped in the development of guys like Fred Stamps, Kelly Campbell and Maurice Mann.
"These guys all know Tuck, are very familiar with him and respect him a great deal so when he speaks, they listen. It has gone a long ways in terms of imparting what it is that we as Eskimos bring to the table and what we are.
"I can't say enough about what his presence has meant."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This really is a remarkable story. They dedicated the season to him, and I know the Eskimos want nothing more than to win the Grey Cup this year for Tuck.
Lawyers: Michael Vick Expects To Return To NFL
15/11/2008 01:08
RICHMOND, Va. - Imprisoned NFL quarterback Michael Vick expects to return to pro football, according to his bankruptcy attorneys who laid out a plan to pay creditors based in part on his anticipated earnings.
"The Debtor has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a substantial living," Vick's lawyers wrote in a disclosure statement filed before a hearing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk.
The former Atlanta Falcons star is serving a 23-month sentence in a federal penitentiary for bankrolling a dogfighting ring in rural Virginia and is scheduled to be released on July 20.
Once the NFL's highest-paid player, Vick has assets of US$16 million and liabilities of $20.4 million, according to the court filing in which lawyers wrote in extraordinary detail about Vick's dizzying financial mess - listing a fleet of vehicles, properties, businesses and the extended family he supported.
A Vick lawyer said a committee representing all his debtors has proposed a plan to pay off his debt. A judge scheduled a hearing for mid-December on the appointment of a trustee, which Vick's lawyers oppose.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
From the tone of this story, don’t you just get the feeling that Vick must owe his lawyers money, folks? Honest to goodness, I don’t know which is worse, folks, lawyers or unions?
Holyfied To Meet Valuev For WBA Boxing Title
15/11/2008 01:07
GENEVA - Evander Holyfield is getting another chance at a heavyweight title.
The 46-year-old former champion will challenge seven-foot Russian giant Nikolai Valuev for the WBA crown on Dec. 20 at Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, arena management said.
Holyfield (42-9-2, 27 KOs) hasn't fought since losing a one-sided decision to then-WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov more than a year ago. Holyfield is winless in his last four title fights since beating John Ruiz for the vacant WBA belt in October 2000.
The former Olympic bronze medallist has insisted that he wants to keep fighting until he regains the heavyweight title, but he's also been having financial problems.
Holyfield agreed in October to give his 10-year-old son a US$100,000 college fund while facing the threat of possible jail time and an auction on his home. Last summer, he failed to make three straight $3,000 monthly child-support payments.
The 330-pound Valuev - once referred to as the "Beast from the East" but now preferring "The Russian Giant" - won a unanimous decision over Ruiz in August to claim the vacant WBA crown.
Valuev (49-1, 34 KOs) told the Zurich tabloid Blick on Thursday that he was excited to face Holyfield.
"I'm taking this fight very seriously," Valuev said. "Holyfield is a strong opponent. ... Ten years ago I would not have dreamed of getting into the ring with this champion."
The fight will be the biggest in Zurich since 1971, when Muhammad Ali knocked out Juergen Blin of Germany in the seventh round.
Holyfield's bid for the title is not unprecedented. George Foreman was also 46 when he last defended the IBF heavyweight title in 1995, defeating Axel Schulz. Foreman was stripped of the title shortly after for not granting a rematch.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Evander Holyfield should have stayed retired. He’s going to get himself killed.
Public Clamoring For 2010 Tickets
15/11/2008 01:07
VANCOUVER - Demand for 2010 Olympic tickets has so exceeded expectations that three planned phases of requests likely won't be held, organizers said Thursday.
By the time the first five-week request period ended on Nov. 7, Canadians had asked for $345 million worth of tickets to the Vancouver Games, eclipsing the value set by the last Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
"It's a stunning reaction, far greater than anything we have ever seen or anticipated through Olympic history," John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee, told the Vancouver Board of Trade.
The organizing committee is now working on the lottery system that will be used to allocate tickets for 120 of the 170 sessions at the Games.
Hopeful fans will know by Dec. 5 whether they've been lucky enough to get highly coveted seats, but everyone who submitted a request will be able to queue up later in the month to buy any leftover tickets.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is one sports fan who isn’t clamoring for tickets. In fact, if they were playing those Olympic Games in my back yard, I’d close the blinds.
Ballesteros Improving Following Brain Surgery
15/11/2008 01:06
MADRID, Spain - Seve Ballesteros is improving following brain surgery on a malignant tumour and is likely to be released from intensive care next week.
The golfer's condition "continues to improve," Madrid's La Paz hospital said Friday in a statement. "It is likely that next week he will leave the intensive care unit."
The 51-year-old Spaniard underwent a 6 1/2-hour operation on Oct. 24 to remove the brain tumour and reduce swelling around the brain. It was his third operation since being admitted 18 days earlier after fainting at Madrid's international airport.
The hospital said earlier that Ballesteros is conscious and able to talk to relatives. Following his release from intensive care, Ballesteros is likely to be returned to a normal hospital ward, according to the statement.
It was not clear when he might be cleared to go home.
Ballesteros, a five-time major champion, is known for spectacular shots and fearless play. He retired in 2007, but has remained active in the sport, designing golf courses.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
We wish you a full and speedy recovery, Seve.
14/11/2008 04:53
Click info above to
see larger image.
SpeakersGeorge Chaconas, PhD Professor, Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary. Canada Research Chair in the Molecular Biology of Lyme Disease and Scientist of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
Molecular Biology of the Lyme disease spirochete.
Dr. Chaconas will be discussing three research projects underway in his laboratory.
Michael Parkins, MD MSc Department of Medicine, University of Calgary; and Calgary Health Region
Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis: A first for Canada.
Dr. Parkins will discuss a case occurring within Calgary of human disease caused by the rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum. While endemic to many areas of the United States, human cases of HGA have not previously been reported in Canada. He will discuss details regarding the diagnosis, management and pathophysiology of this emerging tick born pathogen.
Dr. Jonas Goring, BSc, DVM, MBA Professional Services Veterinarian, IDEXX Labs
Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Dogs across Canada
In 2006 and 2007, the prevalence of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytphilum in the Canine population across Canada was examined using the SNAP® 3Dx® and SNAP® 4Dx® Tests from IDEXX Laboratories. Dr. Goring will review the
findings from these studies.
Janet Sperling, MSc Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta.
and Felix Sperling, PhD Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta.
Lyme and Hope
From the perspective of entomologists and parents, Janet and Felix Sperling will share their struggle to obtain a working diagnosis and treatment for their teenage son's debilitating Lyme or Lyme-like illness. The remarkable degree of recovery their son eventually achieved means that treatment with antibiotics merits consideration in similar cases, despite potential risks.
Click to see larger
images.
Nurse In Times Square War Photo Reunites With Navy
14/11/2008 04:44
NEW YORK – A
90-year-old who says she's the woman being
kissed by a sailor in Times Square in one of
World War II's most famous photographs
reunited in town with the Navy on Sunday —
days before she is to serve as grand marshal
of the city's Veterans Day
parade.
Edith Shain of Los Angeles, donning a white nurse's uniform like the one she wore back in 1945, went to see the musical revival of "South Pacific" and posed for pictures, being hoisted off her feet on stage by five of the actors in their Navy whites.
On Tuesday, she'll ride in the parade at the head of a contingent of World War II veterans.
The "South Pacific" event was a touching reminder of history, but very different from Aug. 15, 1945, the day Shain recalls that she joined thousands of people whooping it up after Japan surrendered. Right there on Broadway and 45th Street, a sailor suddenly grabbed and kissed her — and the moment was caught by Alfred Eisenstaedt, a Life magazine photographer.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
It is interesting to see such a famous photo subject finally surface.
Edith Shain of Los Angeles, donning a white nurse's uniform like the one she wore back in 1945, went to see the musical revival of "South Pacific" and posed for pictures, being hoisted off her feet on stage by five of the actors in their Navy whites.
On Tuesday, she'll ride in the parade at the head of a contingent of World War II veterans.
The "South Pacific" event was a touching reminder of history, but very different from Aug. 15, 1945, the day Shain recalls that she joined thousands of people whooping it up after Japan surrendered. Right there on Broadway and 45th Street, a sailor suddenly grabbed and kissed her — and the moment was caught by Alfred Eisenstaedt, a Life magazine photographer.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
It is interesting to see such a famous photo subject finally surface.
Flicking Lighter Blows Boy Out Of Toilet
14/11/2008 04:43
Boy Hurled Through
Window When Toilet
Exploded
A German schoolboy was blown out of his toilet and through a window when the lavatory exploded into a fireball after he sparked a lighter just moments after spraying the room with air freshener.
The toilet turned into an orange fireball when Dennis Bueller, 13, began playing with a lighter after he sprayed the downstairs WC in his home.
'I sprayed the toilet because it smelled,' said Dennis.
'Then I began fiddling with a lighter my dad left in there and suddenly there was this big orange whoosh! of flame. I woke up outside with my clothes burned off me and smelling like a barbecue.'
The tin of Purple Rose air freshener stated that it was not to be used near naked flame but Dennis admitted he hadn’t read the instructions.
The boy from Recklinghausen was rushed to hospital but later transferred to a specialist burns unit. He has suffered burns over his face, arms, legs and upper body and will need months of treatment.
His father Artur Bueller said; 'Poor Dennis. When the doctors have to change his bandages he has to be knocked out, the pain is so great.
'He said the downstairs loo smelled but I think he realises he was a bit dim in playing with a lighter.'
SINC SAYS:
I’ve seen guys light up a fart before, but getting blown out of the window tops that for sure.
Church Bans Gnomes, Arificial Flowers From Cemetery
14/11/2008 04:32
Garden gnomes have
been banned from cemeteries by a church diocese
because leaders say they are "unnatural
creatures".The gnomes, along with plastic flowers and other decorations such as teddy bears, have been called "inappropriate" and tacky by the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
The church banned the garden figures from Wrington and Congresbury cemeteries in Somerset, and have said they will remove any that they find as part of new guidelines issued by the Chancellor of the Diocese, Worshipful Timothy Briden.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Bath and Wells said: "There is no such thing as a real gnome so why should we have such unnatural creatures in churchyards?"
The spokesman added: "Things such as gnomes and plastic flowers are not permitted because they are aesthetically unattractive and they make it harder to maintain the grounds.
"The historic churchyards are part of Somerset and we want to keep them tidy and safe.
"If people want their loved ones to be buried in one of our churchyards then they have to stick to the rules which are clearly displayed at all churchyards."
The decision to ban the gnomes and statues has been met with criticism from the community however.
Hollie Richards, 24, who has lived in Congresbury all her life and has two grandparents, an uncle and an aunt buried in St Andrew's churchyard in the cemetery, said: "People should be free to put what they want around the gravestones as it is down to personal preference.
"It helps the grieving process as you can surround the grave of the person you love with possessions that were important to them.
Ms Richards added: "I am lucky I live so near as I can take fresh flowers, but what about the people who live far away?
"They will have to leave knowing the flowers will deteriorate and will look unsightly after a few days."
SINC SAYS:
Banning artificial flowers too? How utterly stupid. Real flowers look like crap and require clean up and removal in a few short days. Go figure.
Esks Need To Rattle Calvillo To Deliver Upset
14/11/2008 04:21
EDMONTON - If the Edmonton Eskimos hope to ruin the Montreal Alouettes' Grey Cup party, they need to figure a way to put quarterback Anthony Calvillo on his back in Saturday's CFL Eastern Final.
Or at least hurry him up.
Good luck, says Eskimo head coach Danny Maciocia.
You can watch live coverage of the Wendy's CFL on TSN East Final on TSN and TSN HD, Saturday at 11:00 a.m. local time.
''You can bring as much pressure as you like, the ball's getting out,'' said Maciocia Wednesday after his players wrapped up their final practice in the Alberta capital.
With a victory Saturday at Olympic Stadium, the Eskimos earn a berth in the Grey Cup - to be played Nov. 23 in Montreal - as the Eastern conference representative against either the B.C. Lions or Calgary Stampeders.
But first they have to get under the skin of a quarterback and an offence that's made hash of defences en route to an 11-7 record and a first-place finish in the East.
More from Canadian Press.
Report: Maciocia using criticism as a motivational tool.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
As I said last week when they played Winnipeg, I love it when nobody is giving the Eskimos a chance. Same thing this week against Montreal. SWIVEL HIPS predicts the Eskimos will win by two points to represent the “eastern” conference in the Grey Cup game to be held in Montreal on November 23.
Too Close To Call
14/11/2008 04:20
Glenn Howard has the edge in curling's top rivalry, but maybe not for long
Leafs-Habs. Yankees-Red Sox. Celtics-Lakers. Federer-Nadal. Tiger-Phil. Martin-Howard?
OK, so maybe the last one lacks the sizzle (and international appeal) of the most famous active rivalries in sports. But in many ways, curling's top duel is no less compelling. And it could hardly be more balanced.
Over the last two seasons, Kevin Martin of Edmonton and Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., have turned the world of elite curling into their own semi-private domain. Combined, the two skips have won the last eight Grand Slam events, the last two Briers and the last two world championships. Over that time, they raked in more than half a million dollars in prize money on the World Curling Tour, and they've collected another $116,000 already this season. Both teams have already earned a bye into next year's Canadian Olympic trials.
Heading into this week's Grand Slam series opener — the Masters of Curling in Waterloo, Ont. — there's little doubt that a bipolar order grips men's curling.
Martin's and Howard's "are the two teams to beat," CBC curling analyst Mike Harris says. "There's very little difference between the two of them, but they've separated themselves from the rest of the world."
Indeed, predicting a winner in any meeting between the friendly rivals is akin to calling a coin toss. Maybe you have a gut feeling, but the result really could go either way.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
You just know that every match involving Howard and Martin is going to be a ring-a-ding-dong dandy.
Top Three Passing Quarterbacks In Division Finals
14/11/2008 04:20
He was the leading rusher among CFL quarterbacks this season, and a master at using his legs to break the spirit of opposing defences.
But B.C. Lions defensive back Ryan Phillips says that's not what sets Henry Burris of the Calgary Stampeders above the other quarterbacks remaining in the CFL playoffs.
"I'd say he's got the strongest arm of the four quarterbacks still in the playoffs," Phillips said. "He can throw it on a rope."
"(Edmonton's) Ricky Ray is a great touch passer, (Montreal's) Anthony Calvillo can really read a defence, has a strong arm and throws a great intermediate pass just like our guy (B.C.'s Buck Pierce). But Henry really throws a strong deep ball and can make all the throws."
Burris has made plenty of them this season. He finished second in the CFL in TD passes (39) and third in yards (5,094) - both career highs - in leading the Stampeders (13-5) to first in the West Division. And Burris is the conference's nominee for the league's outstanding player award.
But Burris won't be the only big-name quarterback in action Saturday. Ray and Calvillo, the league's top two passers this season, face off in the East final at Olympic Stadium while Burris and Pierce (64 per cent completion average, 19 TDs against nine picks while playing through an ankle injury) tangle in the West Division game.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Ever noticed how the “cream” always rises to the top, folks?
Grand Slam Of Curling 2008 – 2009 Season Preview
14/11/2008 04:19
Last chance for Canadian skips to reach for the rings
There's always a lot on the line in the Grand Slam of Curling, but this season the stakes may be higher than ever.
With the trials for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver just over a year away, time is running out for Canada's top rinks to position themselves for a run at the gold medal. The final dash begins this week at the Masters of Curling, the first leg of the World Curling Tour's invitation-only Grand Slam series.
Along with the usual $100,000 purse up for grabs, the Canadian teams competing in Waterloo, Ont., will resume their three-year-long quest for valuable points toward one of the eight spots at the Olympic trials in Edmonton in December 2009.
Including results from this season and the prior two, the top four skips after the season-ending Players' Championship in April receive a direct ticket to Edmonton, while the next 12 will have to battle it out for the four remaining berths at a qualifying spiel.
Based on their stellar performances over the last two seasons, the rinks of Glenn Howard and Kevin Martin have already guaranteed their place in the trials. Randy Ferbey, Kevin Koe, Pat Simmons, Jeff Stoughton, Kerry Burtnyk and Wayne Middaugh are assured of at least a spot in the qualifier, which is slated for Prince George, B.C., next November.
That leaves quite a bit up for grabs at the four Grand Slam tournaments. Following the Masters, there's the National (Dec. 3-7, Quebec City), the Canadian Open (Jan. 21-25, Winnipeg) and the Players' Championship (April 14-19, Grande Prairie, Alta.).
Already big dates on the pro curling calendar, those events are now looming even larger, according to Howard.
"The main focus is the Olympic trials right now, and the Brier is probably a secondary focus," the Coldwater, Ont., skip told CBCSports.ca.
CBC Sports brings you live coverage of the playoff rounds of the four Slam events, beginning with the Masters quarter-finals on Nov. 15 (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 3 p.m. ET). The championship final is set for Nov. 16 (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 1 p.m. ET).
To preview the action in Waterloo and beyond, CBCSports.ca spoke with CBC curling analyst Mike Harris about the big questions heading into the new season.
Skips to watch.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For more from CBC curling analyst Mike Harris, click here.
Hockey HOF Class Of 2009 Could Be Crowded
14/11/2008 04:19
TORONTO - The wait may have ended for Glenn Anderson but any of the other bubble boys hoping to get into the Hockey Hall of Fame are likely looking at another couple years before they get the call.
There will probably be a crowded class when the Hall opens its doors again next November.
Steve Yzerman is a lock to enter in his first year of eligibility and it's hard to imagine Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Luc Robitaille not joining him. All four of those players were legitimate stars in their prime and each has won a Stanley Cup along with one of the league's major personal awards.
Yzerman attended Monday night's ceremony in support of former teammate Igor Larionov and was reminded that his turn was coming in 2009.
"It would certainly be nice," he said.
A 17-man panel is currently responsible for making the Hall selections and at least 75 per cent of those men must endorse a candidate for him to gain election. The entire process is conducted in secret and voting results are never released.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Along with Yzerman, there are indeed some pretty formidable names eligible for hockey’s hall of fame class of 2009.
Differing Points Of View On Unions
13/11/2008 04:30
READER
RESPONSE:Taking The Pulse
Of The
Community
Don:
Now that I've read them, I think both your and Jim Starko's comments are "fair enough" - well within the reasonable viewpoint standard. (Yours more than his.) That is to say, while we disagree, I can understand how a reasonable
person could hold those views or reach those conclusions based on agreed-upon evidence.
Jim may well be right about proper interpretation of the section. I confess I first came across this legal concept in the 1970s, while reading the B.C. Code, which by law was posted on the staff-room wall of my employer, a large and classy hotel that, alas, was finally closed and bulldozed last year, taking many fond memories with it. (And not just mine, I am sure - though who can forget that the head dishwasher, Richard Burton, dated a waitress, Elizabeth Taylor! Neither was as good looking or well spoken as their namesake.) The B.C. Code of that era was much more explicit in its wording on this issue.
Regardless, if he is right, I would suggest is strengthens my argument for unions representation of working people. Face it, some employers are always going to try to take advantage of their employees. In the face of weak
legislation as we have across the board in Alberta (and not just in labour protection, but consumer and environmental protection and occupational health and safety as well) the best protection working people can have is a strong collective agreement.
Will some working people take advantage of that to do a less than perfect job? Of course, there are always slackers. Although in my experience it was often the most anti-union people in the workplace, operating under cover of their alleged loyalty to management, who were the laziest and least efficient workers in the place. Personally, I always felt as a trade unionist that I ought to set a good example and hold up the side by working hard.
Notwithstanding the claims of the business crowd, there is no Canadian jurisdiction in which an employer cannot fire a unionized employee with cause, and quickly, if due process is observed. And we all deserve due process if we're being treated unfairly ... even Jim.
By the way, only outside workers at the city of St. Albert are unionized, members of CUPE. City inside administrative staff, library workers and Servus Place employees are not unionized. So if folks want to find fault
with the way they do their jobs, don't blame their unions!
Best regards,
David J Climenhaga
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
For the record David, your comments too sound like, “a reasonable person could hold those views or reach those conclusions based on agreed-upon evidence”. Thanks for the input on the issue.
Don:
Now that I've read them, I think both your and Jim Starko's comments are "fair enough" - well within the reasonable viewpoint standard. (Yours more than his.) That is to say, while we disagree, I can understand how a reasonable
person could hold those views or reach those conclusions based on agreed-upon evidence.
Jim may well be right about proper interpretation of the section. I confess I first came across this legal concept in the 1970s, while reading the B.C. Code, which by law was posted on the staff-room wall of my employer, a large and classy hotel that, alas, was finally closed and bulldozed last year, taking many fond memories with it. (And not just mine, I am sure - though who can forget that the head dishwasher, Richard Burton, dated a waitress, Elizabeth Taylor! Neither was as good looking or well spoken as their namesake.) The B.C. Code of that era was much more explicit in its wording on this issue.
Regardless, if he is right, I would suggest is strengthens my argument for unions representation of working people. Face it, some employers are always going to try to take advantage of their employees. In the face of weak
legislation as we have across the board in Alberta (and not just in labour protection, but consumer and environmental protection and occupational health and safety as well) the best protection working people can have is a strong collective agreement.
Will some working people take advantage of that to do a less than perfect job? Of course, there are always slackers. Although in my experience it was often the most anti-union people in the workplace, operating under cover of their alleged loyalty to management, who were the laziest and least efficient workers in the place. Personally, I always felt as a trade unionist that I ought to set a good example and hold up the side by working hard.
Notwithstanding the claims of the business crowd, there is no Canadian jurisdiction in which an employer cannot fire a unionized employee with cause, and quickly, if due process is observed. And we all deserve due process if we're being treated unfairly ... even Jim.
By the way, only outside workers at the city of St. Albert are unionized, members of CUPE. City inside administrative staff, library workers and Servus Place employees are not unionized. So if folks want to find fault
with the way they do their jobs, don't blame their unions!
Best regards,
David J Climenhaga
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
For the record David, your comments too sound like, “a reasonable person could hold those views or reach those conclusions based on agreed-upon evidence”. Thanks for the input on the issue.
Artist Paints Hands, Takes Picture, Washes, Starts Anew
13/11/2008 04:21
Here’s a chap with some talent folks.
He paints people’s hands, takes a photograph of the finished product, then washes it off to do another.
The eyes on these animals are so lifelike that it is eerie.
Click here to see the entire collection of these stunning paintings.
Surge Of Cellphone Towers Cause Concerns
13/11/2008 04:16
It's a tree. It's a
clock. No, it's a cell tower. And its
aesthetics and health effects worry
some.Cellphone towers are popping up everywhere as demand grows, but neighbors often don't know about them until they are a done deal.
While Jefferson County residents laud increased coverage, they worry about potential health effects and aesthetic sensibility.
Matt and Monique Martin were alarmed this summer when a neighbor in their south Jefferson County neighborhood said he was allowing a wireless company to erect a 35-foot-high cell tower on his agriculturally zoned property. Though the tower would be disguised as a silo, the Martins are concerned about potential health hazards of low-level radiation, especially since "this industry is so young there are very few regulations and safety checks in place."
"We are the guinea pigs, and only time will tell," the Martins wrote in a letter to neighbors.
Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, cities and counties are not allowed to consider possible health effects in deciding whether to allow towers.
The property owner, who has reconsidered the silo tower, joined the Martins and other neighbors in appealing the county-approved tower permit at last week's Board of Adjustment hearing. The board ruled the county process was followed, thereby upholding the permit.
In another instance, the Bear Creek Village Homeowners Association is challenging an oversized tower on a county right-of-way in the middle of the subdivision.
"It looks like a missile silo," said Bear Creek Village HOA board member Rick Reinig. "The neighbors don't have any say in this."
Reinig said Jefferson County first ignored the 300-home community's concerns. Now the county has set a mediation Tuesday with the HOA, the county, the tower owner and residents.
Towers in disguise
In the foothills, Bear Mountain residents earlier this year won a fight against a variance for a "monopine" — a cell tower masked as a pine tree.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
I wonder how long it will be until this type of thing happens here?
Burke Out As Ducks GM, Murray Takes Over
13/11/2008 04:10
Brian Burke is out as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks and senior vice president of hockey operations Bob Murray is in.
Burke will remain on as special consultant to CEO Michael Schulman for now but that the final word on any hockey operations decisions in Anaheim will be made by Murray. Sources say Burke will, in this advisory capacity, have the ability to freely negotiate future employment opportunities as a GM in the NHL.
That would pave the way for Burke to be hired as president and GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the days, weeks or months ahead, if the Leafs and Burke so desire. And there is strong reason to believe that is precisely what will happen.
In any case, it would seem all but certain that Burke will find his way to Toronto as the Leafs' top hockey man.
More from TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Brian Burke deserve each other.
Doug Berry Fired As Bombers Head Coach
13/11/2008 04:09
Before the season, Doug Berry was looking for a victory in the Grey Cup. Now he's looking for work.
After a 29-21 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos in the East Semi-Final on Saturday, Berry was fired as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers today.
''This move has been made in what the club believes is in the best interest of the on-field product,'' said Lyle Bauer, president and CEO of the Blue Bombers. ''We thank Doug for his contribution over the past three years and wish him the best in the future.''
One year after making an appearance in the Grey Cup, the Blue Bombers struggled to an 8-10 record and second place finish in the East Division this season.
"Everybody had high expectations, whether it be the fans, media, coaches, players management," Berry told the Winnipeg Free Press on Monday. "We wanted to finish a little stronger than we did and make a statement in the playoffs."
More from TSN.
Bombers fire Berry, Esks Kelly to join.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, well . . . two jerks gone in one day. Brian Je, er, I mean Burke in Anaheim and now Doug Berry. I certainly hope the story about Eskimos’ receivers coach Mike Kelly is not true, but I’m a feared it probably is.
Masters Of Curling Rolling In Waterloo
13/11/2008 04:08
The 2008-09 Grand Slam of Curling series got rolling Wednesday night with the start of the Masters of Curling in Waterloo, Ont.
Top-ranked Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., figures to be a crowd favorite as he shoots for an unprecedented third consecutive Masters title in the first of the season's four Slam events.
CBC Sports will broadcast Saturday's quarter-finals (CBC, 3 p.m. ET) and semifinals (Bold, 7 p.m. ET), and Sunday's championship final (CBC, 1 p.m. ET).
Live streaming of each playoff round will be available on CBCSports.ca.
Howard, the 2007 world champion, was in action in Wednesday night's opening draw as he took on American skip Craig Brown.
Meanwhile, Winnipeg's Kerry Burtnyk faced Edmonton's Randy Ferbey, Shawn Adams of Halifax met Norway's Thomas Ulsrud, Edmonton's Kevin Martin took on Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw, Sask., and Switzerland's Ralph Stockli played Edmonton's Kevin Koe.
Rounding out the 18-team field are skips Wayne Middaugh (Midland, Ont.), Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg), Greg McAulay (Richmond, B.C.), Brad Gushue (St. John's), Mike McEwen (Winnipeg), Bob Ursell (Kelowna, B.C.), Pat Simmons (Davidson, Sask.) and Reid Carruthers (Winnipeg).
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Don’t bet against a Martin vs. Howard final on Sunday afternoon folks.
2009 PGA Tour: More Money And FedEx Cup Changes
13/11/2008 04:08
The PGA Tour released its schedule for the 2009 regular season Tuesday with 25 tournaments featuring purses of at least US$6 million and a newly configured "Texas swing" of three events in the spring.
Still to be determined are details on a revamped FedEx Cup, and whether to take a week off before the Tour Championship.
Once that it is decided, the tour said it would release the rest of its Fall Series schedule.
By announcing the majority of the schedule, the tour put to rest speculation that some tournaments might be in jeopardy because of the economy. The title sponsors are under contract at least through 2010, and most of them have slight increases in prize money built into their agreements. Among those that kept prize money the same were the FBR Open and Travelers Championship, both at $6 million.
Not counting the four majors, prize money for the regular season is $222.9 million, up from $214.4 million in 2008.
"I'm delighted to say that the demise of the PGA Tour has been overstated considerably," commissioner Tim Finchem said Monday night at the World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
In a statement Tuesday, Finchem said the charitable giving for 2008 was expected to set another record at $123 million.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I don’t know about you, folks, but I can hardly wait until another PGA Tour season is upon us – and it won’t be all that long.
Price, Champions Team Win 3 Tour Challenge
13/11/2008 04:07
HENDERSON, Nev. - Nick Price shot a 7-under 65 Tuesday to lead the Champions Tour team to two nine-hole tournament victories at the 17h Annual Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge.
Price shot a 5-under 31 to top the field of nine golfers and lead the Champions team to victory over the first nine holes at Rio Secco Golf Club. He also led the team with a 2-under 34 for the second nine.
The Champions team won US$200,000 for carding an 11-under total over the first nine holes compared to 8 under for the PGA threesome and 1 over for the LPGA team. The PGA and LPGA squads each earned $100,000.
For the back nine holes, the Champions won $300,000 with a 6-under effort while the LPGA and PGA both finished at 5 under. The LPGA and PGA teams split $150,000 for tying on the back nine.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to the three old codgers from the Champions Tour on their victory. However, once again, the big winner in professional golf is charity. Wendy’s 3 Tour Challenge, which will be aired at 1:00 p.m. local time on Dec. 13-14 on ABC, raised $3.7 million for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
Another Reader Wades In On City Hall Issue
12/11/2008 01:02
Hi Don,
Here are a few pics (below) from Sunday of an old farm on Meadowview drive, just before where the road to nowhere starts.
Also, regarding the stories in Saturday’s Gazette, I just can’t figure out where these people (administration) are coming from. But wherever it is please go back there.
And what about the whiney “Artsy-Fartsies”? They are bloody lucky to have the space that they do in city hall as the space they are using should be for just that, City Hall.
One of the reasons why Council is getting hot and bothered that they are running out of space. I say evict them and there won’t be a space crunch for City Hall and the Library.
If the so called “Arts Society’s” expect to stay where they are, well the free ride is over and they need to pay like everyone else.
My two cents.
Mark Fraser
St. Albert
(Click on photos to see larger image.)
SINC SAYS:
Well Mark you won’t get any argument from me on that issue. I have long maintained that those people do not belong in city hall and if they were evicted, we would not have to spend money building a new city hall.
READER RESPONSE:
Hi Don,
Mark is saying exactly what I have said a gazillion times.
If that building were used only for city business then there would be no need to build a new palace out in the boonies where no one would go!
It is, in my mind, in the perfect location right in the heart of St Albert, lets keep it there.
I wonder how many other readers feel this way? I would imagine a whole lot!
Just A Supporter
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Well, how about it readers? Your silence on these issues including hiring 40 more staff is astounding. Take the time to let council know your opinions by putting them here. As taxpayers, you have that right.
More Comments From Our Readers . . .
40 new staffers for City Hall need office space we don't have.
The easiest way to create that space is to ease the artist guilds out of City Hall by making it too expensive for them to remain. Art is not essential to our quality of life after all.
SINC SAYS:
I realize your comment is facetious, but the fact of the matter is that taxpayers are fed up footing the bill for either arts or recreation. This move makes no sense, they should simply be evicted to create more space. And as for those 40 new staffers, does that not offend you, given economic times?
Maybe the time has come . . .
I'd hate to see my name in print
BUT . . .
for many years there was a growing number of people muttering about Edmonton should take over St. Albert and run it properly . . then they woke up and realized that Edmonton was too smart to want to take over the place.
SINC SAYS:
That idea is not totally dead. There are many here who wish Edmonton would annex us and end our misery with the last three councils.
Don,
“The Arts, Heritage and Culture and the City of St. Albert have always had a parasitic relationship. The Arts have benefitted tremendously over the years in St. Albert by sucking the lifeblood out of the public purse for negligible return.”
No Name Please
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
There sure are a lot of people who oppose the arts people being in city hall, aren't there? During times of restraint, that type of funding needs to be cut or eliminated altogether. One does not put arts or recreation ahead of core services. When will council make $ervu$ Place pay its own way too?
OMG, Deep Fried Bacon?
12/11/2008 00:58
First there was
Wendy's "Baconator," two quarter-pound burgers
topped off with six strips of bacon. Hot 'n'
juicy
indeed.Then J&D's smoky Bacon Salt, billed as delivering the flavor without the fat, the frying or the filthy kitchen, hit the shelves of Meijer, Jewel and other area grocery stores in September.
And this month, we saw the unveiling of breaded, deep-fried bacon -- dressed in country gravy -- at Risque Cafe in Lake View.
If we know anything about these strips of cured and smoked meat, it's this: Bacon is the new black.
It's a billion-dollar-a-year business and that's just retail sales alone.
At Risque Cafe, 3419 N. Clark, country-fried bacon ($6) is on the appetizer menu. Raw bacon strips are put in an egg wash, dredged in a heavily peppered flour and then deep fried in vegetable oil, says chef Andrew Niemeyer.
Order yours here.
SINC SAYS:
Yummy. I mean if fat is no object that is.
Gold Earring Uncovered In jerusalem
12/11/2008 00:49
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL -
In this handout photo provided by the Israel
Antiquities Authority (IAA) on November 10,
2008, a 2,000-year-old gold earring inlaid with
pearls and precious stones is displayed after
its discovery at the City of David
archaeological excavation below the Old City
walls in East Jerusalem,
Israel. The earring is made of a coiled gold hoop and has a large inlaid pearl in its centre with two identical gold pendants each adorned with an emerald and a pearl.
According to archaeologists at the site, the well-preserved earring was discovered in the ruins of a building which dates to the Byzantine period (4th-5th Centuries AD) but was apparently produced during the course of the Roman period, some 2,000 years ago.
SINC SAYS:
It is always hard to believe that craftsmen had this kind of skill over 2,000 years ago. Man is multi-talented indeed.
Hockey Hall Of Fame Welcomes Class Of 2008
12/11/2008 00:41
TORONTO - It wasn't so long ago that Igor Larionov had no idea the Hockey Hall of Fame even existed.
Isolated behind the Iron Curtain in the former Soviet Union, Larionov didn't learn he'd been drafted by the NHL's Vancouver Canucks for two years.
Larionov was one of the best hockey players in the world while playing for the Soviets on the famed KLM Line, but he never imagined he'd one day be part of the ceremony that saw him formally inducted into the Hall on Monday.
And to think, he came to North America less than two decades ago.
"I never even knew about the Hall of Fame at that time, in the '80s," said Larionov. "I was drafted by the Canucks in '85 and I just found out about it in '87. I knew (about) the National Hockey League because I played the Canada Cups and the Super Series against NHL teams. .
"Talking about the Hall of Fame, I had no imagination 28 years ago to even think today I would be talking to you guys."
His presence brought an international flavour to the 2008 Hall of Fame class that also included longtime Oilers winger Glenn Anderson, linesman Ray Scapinello and late junior hockey builder Ed Chynoweth.
More from Canadian Press.
Anderson joins Boys in the Hall.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to Glenn Anderson, Igor Larionov, Ray Scapinello and the family of the late Ed Chynoweth, the class of 2008!
‘Riders Place Bishop On Waivers
12/11/2008 00:38
REGINA - The Michael Bishop experiment in Regina has come to an abrupt end.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders placed the veteran quarterback on waivers Monday, just two days after he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in a 33-12 loss to the B.C. Lions in the West Division semifinal at Mosaic Stadium.
The CFL club also said if no other team claims Bishop, he will be released and therefore become a free agent.
"I met with Kenny (Riders head coach Ken Miller) yesterday afternoon (Sunday), and, collectively, we decided that Michael Bishop will not be returning for the 2009 season," Roughriders general manager Eric Tillman said in a statement. "This is a very tough business at times, and this is certainly one of the more unpleasant aspects of professional football.
More from Canadian Press.
More from the Regina Leader-Post.
Lloyd expected more from Bishop.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, it didn’t take Eric (my hair-do looks like a Brillo pad) Tillman long to throw Bishop under the bus, did it folks? I wonder how long before he trades for Casey Printers?
Martin Overcomes Wayside Jinx
12/11/2008 00:37
Reigning World Championship team undefeated at Lloydmister bonspiel
Kevin Martin has won Canadian curling championships, a world title and played in the Olympics. But it took him 20 years to qualify for the final of the Wayside Inn Curling Classic, let alone win it.
Martin and his split Edmonton- Calgary rink of third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert, defeated Lloydminster's Warren Hassall 7-4 in Monday's final.
"I don't know why we haven't won here," said Martin. "But it feels good to win. We're pretty solid right now and are going pretty good." Both teams were undefeated in six games to reach the final, and both teams had to go to an extra end to win their respective semifinals -- Martin edging Scotland's David Murdoch 4-3 while Hassall downing Sean Geall of New Westminster, B.C., 5-4.
Martin's rink earned $22,000 with the win to jump ahead of Ontario's Glenn Howard for the No. 1 ranking on the World Curling Tour's money list. He has $73,553 in winnings this season.
Martin made one of his trademark shots to take control of the game with a three-ender in the third end.
"Typical Kevin Martin shot," said Hassall, who was also playing in his first Wayside final. "It was a high hard one on the side. After they made that shot, it kind of took the game away from us." To his credit, Hassall stayed within two points, trailing 6-4 coming home.
"It's fun playing at home," said Hassall, who is in his first season with his current team of Scott Manners, Mike Jantzen and Chris Hassall.
Martin's rink, which now has a 32-3 record this season, has won three bonspiels and finished second in the other two events it's played.
The team leaves today for the first Grand Slam event of the season. The Masters of Curling starts Wednesday at the Waterloo Memorial Rec Complex.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What a lousy start to the season for Team Kevin Martin. Five bonspiels, three wins and two second place finishes.
Golf Needs Tiger, According To Phil Mickelson
12/11/2008 00:35
World golf is sorely missing Tiger Woods and the sooner he is back the better, says Phil Mickelson, who is concerned about the impact on television ratings and fans.
The top-ranked Woods has not taken a full swing since his final playoff hole at last June's US Open, where he won his 14th Major despite leg pain to move within four of matching Jack Nicklaus's all-time career record.
Subsequent knee surgery has kept him on the sidelines, although he has said he is "very confident" of playing at next April's Masters.
Mickelson said his fellow American had done so much for golf that his absence had hurt the game.
"The reason why we all want Tiger back is because he drives the game of golf," said Mickelson.
"He drives television ratings, the sponsors need him in their events and the fans turn out to see him, so we need him back as soon as possible."
While Woods is confident he will play next year's Masters, he has set no concrete timetable for his return with the situation complicated by his wife expecting their second child.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The headline on this story just about says it all, folks.
Edmonton Connection To PGA Tour
12/11/2008 00:34
Canadian Tour alumni and former Telus Edmonton Open participants Spencer Levin and Matt Bettencourt are headed to the PGA Tour in 2009.
Bettencourt was speechless and emotional after winning the Nationwide Tour Championship. With a final round 69, Bettencourt earned the top spot on the money list, a full exemption on the 2009 PGA Tour, and an exemption into the Players Championship.
Levin, a three-time Canadian Tour winner and its 2007 rookie of the year, will be joining the PGA Tour as well. The Californian joined the Canadian Tour the winter of 2007 and quickly rose to the top.
Both Bettencourt and Levin played in the 2007 Edmonton Open at the Edmonton Country Club -- Bettencourt finished 20th and Levin seventh.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
We wish both Bettencourt and Levin the best of luck as they embark on the 2009 PGA Tour.
Remembrance Day November 11, 2008
11/11/2008 06:54
At 11:00 a.m. today, I shall physically stand before the cenotaph on St. Anne Street, here in St. Albert to take part in, and witness the Remembrance Day services.
My mind however, will be elsewhere. Part of the time it will have me in the Royal Canadian Legion burial plot in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, where I will stand before the graves of my father, Lt. F. J. W. Sinclair and my mother Pt. N. M. Sinclair and salute them. They both served in WWII where my father was wounded in action in France.
It will then take me to another family plot in the small town of Lafleche, Saskatchewan, where I was born. There too, I will stand before the graves of my uncles Marvin, Donald, and Roy who also served overseas in WWII. And I will also stand before, and salute the graves of my two younger uncles who served in Korea. Uncle Benjamin, who I got to know later in life. And Uncle Stanley, who I didn't get to know, dead at 33 years of age.
I shall remember that I am here, never having to go to war, because they did so on my behalf. They, and many other citizens, of many other countries, in many other conflicts. I shall remember them all.
When the final sweet
notes of The Last Post haunt the still morning
air, I will shed no tear, for they would not
expect me to do so. I will however, have a very
large lump in my throat.
LEST WE FORGET
READER
RESPONSE:The following was submitted today by Roger Lemieux of the city:
A British newspaper salutes Canada . . . this is a good read. It's amazing how it took someone in England to put it into words. Sunday Telegraph Article From today's UK wires:
Salute to a brave and modest nation - Kevin Myers, 'The Sunday Telegraph'
LONDON: Until the deaths of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan,probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops are deployed in the region.
And as always, Canada will bury its dead, just as the rest of the world, as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.. It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored.
Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped Glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again.
That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts.
For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved.
Yet it's purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada 's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle.
Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, it's unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the 'British.'
The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone.
Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth largest air force in the world. The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time.
Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of course, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity.
So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British.
It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers.
Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces.
Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia.
Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular non-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit.
So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan?
Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun. It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. This past year more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well.
Lest we forget.
We also received this:
I have the most painful memories of wars and personally find it very difficult to deal with even Remembrance Day. Too many losses, too many bombs falling too close, homes burned down, jumping off trains being attacked by sharp-shooters, etc.
So I am a total pacifist and have left each country I escaped to when they got involved in wars that did not solve anything. My grandfather died on the battlefield early in September 1914...for what?
But now I am here . . . and cry for those who don't come back and for their families.
I respect and honour your comments today.
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
Lotteries Selling Tickets After Big Prizes Already Won
11/11/2008 06:46
CBC investigation
findsLottery players often don't realize the grand prize has been won before they buy their ticket. (CBC)
Feeling lucky?
What if the big prize for the lottery ticket you just bought has already been won? And no one told you?
CBC Winnipeg’s I-Team has discovered that the Western Canada Lottery Corporation continues to market a variety of lottery tickets — even after the top prize has already been won.
The WCLC says customers should always read the disclaimer on their ticket, which says: “Some of the prizes on this ticket may already have been claimed.”
But lottery players say they don’t always do that, and besides, the practice is not fair — why continue selling lottery tickets if buyers have no chance at the top prize? The CBC's Investigative Unit found retailers still were selling games such as Texas Hold'em Poker, Lucky 7s and Set for Life, after the top prizes had been won.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Winnipegger Marguerite Lambert. "I wouldn’t continue to buy them if I knew that. If the prize is already gone — what’s the point?”
Take your chances here.
SINC SAYS:
Just one more way your friendly government is screwing you folks.
The Craziest Shoes From Around The World
11/11/2008 06:39
Uncategorized, Heels,
Flats, Ugly/Weird, Platforms, Open Toed,
Wedges, Flip Flops, Pumps, Athletic, Pointed
Toe, Ankle Straps and
Strappy.Continuing my search for The Craziest Shoes From Around The World, here are the next 23 weird shoes I found.
Some of these include heelless heels, gadget shoes, fish shoes, convertible heels, and built-in alarm platforms to scare off all those attackers (what a fantastic idea).
Personally, I like the umbrella shoes.
The shoe fits here.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve seen some wacky shoes in my day, but nothing compared to this bizarre collection. Check out the site. It’s good for a laugh, if nothing else.
Win In Shanghai Vaults 'El Toro' To World No. 2
11/11/2008 06:33
SHANGHAI, China - Sergio Garcia won the rain-delayed HSBC Champions to take the No. 2 spot in the world rankings behind Tiger Woods, beating Oliver Wilson with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff Monday.
The Spanish star made a seven-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th - the only hole used for the playoff at Sheshan Golf Club - after the Englishman missed a 10-footer.
Garcia won The Players Championship and his home-course Castellon Masters, and also has finished second or tied for second in three events this season. One was the PGA Championship - one of the four majors.
"I'm just so proud to win, and well, No. 2 in the world," said Garcia, who earned US$833,300. "So I'm very happy. It's a great week. The last seven months have been very, very positive since my win at The Players."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For goodness sakes, let’s hope the cocky, arrogant little Spaniard, Garcia, never gets to be World No. 1 or he will be absolutely unlivable. There’s not much chance of that, though, with Tiger still around.
Second Toronto Team Could Be Worth $600 Million
11/11/2008 06:33
If Southern Ontario is awarded a second NHL team it would be an extremely valuable commodity.
According to a report in the Globe and Mail, a second NHL team in Toronto could be worth up to $600 million and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment would likely be entitled to a territorial payment of approximately $250 million if an existing team relocated.
The research for the report was done by sports finance expert Marc Ganis who is the president of SportsCorp Ltd. of Chicago. He stated that he believes that the second team in Toronto would instantly become the third most valuable team in the league behind the Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers.
"There is no better (hockey) market anywhere than the one for a second team in Toronto," Ganis told the Globe and Mail. "The reason is the strength of the Toronto market for hockey."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Isn’t this obscene, folks? Paying $600 million for another team that will never ever see the light of the Stanley Cup – if they’re anything like Toronto’s number one NHL team. What’s it been now – since 1967?
Jury Orders NHLPA To Pay $28.1 Million To Retirees
11/11/2008 06:32
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal jury has ordered the NFL Players Association to pay US$28.1 million to retired players after finding the union failed to properly market their images.
The figure includes $21 million in punitive damages awarded to the former players Monday afternoon. It's just short of the $21.9 million award that the players' lawyer had asked of the jury, or roughly 10 per cent of the union's net worth at the start of the year.
A union lawyer urged the jury to award a far lesser amount so as not to damage the union's ability to represent its members.
The class action lawsuit represents 2,056 retirees who contend the union cut them out of lucrative licensing deals.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch. This certainly wouldn’t be the first time a union has tried to “shaft” its membership financially, or otherwise. Good for the U.S. justice system, not letting them get away with it.
Blues Announce Bailout Plan For Fans
11/11/2008 06:32
ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Blues are responding to tight economic times with a fan bailout plan.
The team announced Monday that at every remaining Saturday home game beginning Nov. 29, the organization will call the seat number of a fan and pay that person's mortgage or rent for four months, up to US$4,000 total.
The team also is offering discounted tickets, with 500 plaza-level seats available for $25 a ticket and another 500 in the mezzanine for $11.20 a ticket for each game this season.
The team will also continue its Free Food game, where fans can receive some free food when they attend the March 15 game against Minnesota.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
You don’t suppose the Edmonton Oilers could implement a similar plan, do you?
Castroneves Tax Case Goes To Trail In March
11/11/2008 06:31
MIAMI - Race car driver Helio Castroneves will stand trial in March in Miami federal court on tax evasion charges.
U.S. District Judge Donald Graham on Monday set the March 2 trial date for Castroneves, his sister and a Michigan lawyer. Prosecutors say Castroneves and the others tried to hide US$5.5 million in income from the IRS.
Castroneves is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and gained more fame as the 2007 winner of TV's "Dancing With The Stars" competition. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $10 million bail.
Monday also marked the first appearance in the case of high-powered Washington lawyer Robert Bennett, who is representing co-defendant Alan Miller. Bennett represented former U.S. president Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones scandal.
The 2009 IndyCar season is scheduled to start March 29th at Miami-Homestead. It's uncertain at this time how the trial will impact Castroneves' pre-season testing duties for Penske Racing.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Let’s see you dance your way out of this one, Helio.
Zero Based Budgeting A Must If We Are To Survive
10/11/2008 06:08
The Editor:
The story in last Saturday’s Gazette about the city budget containing over $3 million for 40 new staff positions just confirms the rumors I have heard about City Manager Holtby’s efforts over the past few months to create a bureaucracy of managers at the taxpayers expense. Councillor Gareth Jones at least gets points for trying to get this grandiose plan reviewed at a special meeting but was quickly shot down by his fellow councilors in a tie vote.
City Council and City Manager Holtby need to be reminded that each year their failure to deal decisively with the budget process beings us further away from the standing policy of an 80/20 split between residential and non-residential taxation. In fact, by June of this year, our assessment split was at an all time low ratio of 8.85% non residential against 91.15% residential.
There is another factor that needs to be challenged. I am getting tired of hearing City Manager Holtby talking about keeping our development fees low in order to compete with other municipalities in the metro region. Keeping these development charges and off site levies low is just short term political gain for long term pain for long suffering taxpayers.
Residential growth that does not pay its own way means that any costs of developing new subdivisions beyond the development fees and charges collected will have to be born by the taxpayer which include many seniors who are getting tired of increased taxes and the innumerable services charges that keep getting added to our utility bills.
Any addition to our staff also means that the city will keep renting space in buildings outside city hall to house this growing bureaucracy.
It’s time to get back to zero based budgeting where administration is directed to produce a budget based on the past two years expenses less surpluses that seem to arise from some creative accounting every year. With zero based budgeting administration and their camp followers on council will have to prove the rest of council and the public the need for any increased expenditures and the resultant increase in taxes.
Bob Russell
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
I could not agree more with your zero based budgeting suggestion Bob. But the bigger question that looms is when will council wake up and end the reign of tax terror this administration is infamous for and rid this city of their influence on taxation?
Playstations, Movies Are Perks For Prisoners
10/11/2008 06:03
PLAYSTATIONS, a
four-channel pay-TV service and a special movie
station are available to Victoria's
high-security
prisoners.Jails have approved PlayStation game consoles for 65 inmates this year.
About 50 consoles have gone to prisoners in jails for the worst offenders - Barwon and Port Phillip prisons.
Inmates who have a game system in their cell must pay for it and cannot play games rated higher than PG.
But taxpayers are footing the bill for inmates to receive pay-TV at Loddon and Fulham prisons.
The service is also in cells at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, which houses body-in-the-boot killer Tania Herman.
Critics are angry offenders such as murderers and rapists are getting the perks.
The Crime Victims Support Association said it made a mockery of victims and that many decent, working Victorians could not afford pay-TV.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
Looks to me like prison administration were trained for their jobs by our local city administration. There are many who cannot afford $ervus$ Place, yet they are taxed to supplement the playground of the rich.
Cash Found In House's Wall Becomes Nightmare
10/11/2008 05:53
CLEVELAND (AP) -- A
contractor who found $182,000 in Depression-era
currency hidden in a bathroom wall has ended up
with only a few thousand dollars, but he feels
some
vindication.The windfall discovery amounted to little more than grief for contractor Bob Kitts, who couldn't agree on how to split the money with homeowner Amanda Reece.
It didn't help Reece much, either. She testified in a deposition that she was considering bankruptcy and that a bank recently foreclosed on one of her properties.
And 21 descendants of Patrick Dunne - the wealthy businessman who stashed the money that was minted in a time of bank collapses and joblessness - will each get a mere fraction of the find.
We're in the money.
SINC SAYS:
Oh the things that money does to people. Winnings and windfalls have a way of spawning disputes, but I’d sure like to win the lottery just to see how it works out for me.
Largest North American Catfish In Captivity Dies
10/11/2008 05:43
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) --
State officials say Big Blue -- believed to
have been the largest North American catfish in
captivity -- has died in a Nebraska
aquarium.
Known as "Big Blue," the 95-pound catfish was brought to the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium in Gretna more than 11 years ago in 1997, in the bed of a pickup. The fish was caught by Cliff and Donna Ferguson in the Nishnabotna River in northwest Missouri.
Aquarium staff say the fish had stopped eating his regular diet of trout, of which he used to eat seven a week. The fish died Tuesday.
Based on an examination of the Big Blue's spine and ear bone, aquarium staff determined the fish was at least 35 years old at the time of his death. That would make him among the longest living blue catfish ever documented.
SINC SAYS:
What ever happened to catch and release? I mean why take something like that out of the wild and stick it in a tank? RIP Big Blue.
Hufnagel Says Lions 'All-Star Team' Heading To Final
10/11/2008 05:37
His team posted the CFL's best record and finished atop the West Division standings. Yet Calgary coach John Hufnagel figures it's the Stampeders who will have to beat an all-star squad to reach the Grey Cup.
After all, the B.C. Lions placed 13 players on the West Division all-star team, more than twice as many as first-place Calgary (which had six). A dominant B.C. team emphatically stamped its ticket to the West final, forcing seven turnovers in downing the Saskatchewan Roughriders 33-12 at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday.
"They have great personnel on defence, that's why they're the all-star team they are," Hufnagel said. "Really, it's the Calgary Stampeders playing the CFL all-stars in this game.
"The bottom line is don't turn the ball over. B.C.'s defence didn't do anything different from what it's done for 18 regular-season games."
Hufnagel said his all-star reference is neither a shot against the Lions nor an attempt to use it as a motivation for the Stampeders. Rather, he's simply showing respect for a very formidable opponent.
"I'm just stating a fact," he said. "I'm stating how good of an opponent we're facing.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I must agree with Hufnagel that the Lions look awfully good right now and looked particularly good in routing the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday in the Western Semi-Final. SWIVEL HIPS calls the Lions to beat the Stamps by five points this Saturday in the Western Final.
Catch all of the action of the conference finals starting at 11:00 a.m. local time this Saturday on TSN and TSN-HD.
The Long Wait Is Finally Over For ‘Mork’
10/11/2008 05:36
TORONTO - The big moment is finally set to arrive for Mork and The Professor.
Passed over in years past, Glenn Anderson and Igor Larionov will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night along with linesman Ray Scapinello and junior hockey builder Ed Chynoweth.
The wait has been longest for Anderson. He's been eligible since 1999 and had to watch as 23 players were enshrined before him during that time.
Perhaps it's only fitting for a guy that has never done things the traditional way, which earned him the nickname Mork - after a TV alien from outer space. Anderson won six Stanley Cups during his career and earned a reputation as a big-game player.
He attributes that success to a few painful losses he suffered earlier in his career - with the Canadian national team at the 1980 Olympics and with the Oilers prior to their dynasty years.
"I hated to lose more than I liked to win," Anderson said in a recent interview. "I think you have to lose before you can win. And the hardships that I had from losing hurt so bad that I didn't want to do that again."
More from Canadian Press.
Skating into Hall of Fame easy compared to perils of fishing.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats, Andy and the rest of this year's NHL Hockey HOF class!
Love Wins 20th Tourney, Gains Lifetime Exemption
10/11/2008 05:36
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Davis Love III hit into the rough and a bunker on the last two holes. Then he hit the jackpot.
Love scrambled for pars on both holes and closed with an 8-under 64 to win his first tournament in more than two years, holding off a late challenge from Tommy Gainey for a one-shot victory Sunday in the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Disney World.
It was the 20th career PGA Tour victory for Love, giving him a lifetime exemption. Among active players, only Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson have won at least 20 times.
"I always questioned, 'Am I doing the right thing? Why am I still doing this,'" the 44-year-old Love said. "I didn't doubt my desire, or that I could still compete, it was just the little things I had to do."
Calgary's Stephen Ames, the lone Canadian to make the cut, closed with an even-par 72 to wind up in a tie for 33rd at 11 under.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
That lifetime exemption has got to be mighty sweet.
N. Y. Jets Set Franchise Record In Rout Of Rams
10/11/2008 05:35
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Thomas Jones ran for 149 yards and three touchdowns, as the New York Jets scored early and often on the way to a 47-3 rout of the St. Louis Rams at the Meadowlands.
The Jets made it a laugher by scoring on each of their seven offensive possessions and adding another score on defense in the first half. The Rams helped with four turnovers, as New York opened a 40-0 cushion after 30 minutes and cruised in the second half on the way to the largest margin of victory in franchise history. The previous record was 42 in a 45-3 triumph over the Houston Oilers on September 18, 1988.
Brett Favre completed 14-of-19 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions for the Jets (6-3), who won their third straight game and remained tied with New England for first place in the AFC East. The Jets and Patriots will meet for the outright division lead on Thursday night in Foxboro.
"It's New England, it's a tough game," said Jets head coach Eric Mangini. "It's always a tough environment up there. I think that's what we anticipate and we don't see it any different this time around.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Jets’ set the franchise record the year that Brett Favre takes over as their quarterback? Not on your life.
Kim Disqualified From HSBC Champions Tourney
10/11/2008 05:35
SHANGHAI, China - Anthony Kim was disqualified Sunday from the HSBC Champions for playing with an altered driver.
Kim, a star in the United States' Ryder Cup victory over Europe two months ago, accidentally hit a sprinkler head as he tapped his driver on the ground while walking down the seventh fairway.
"I wasn't angry or anything, just walking down the fairway," Kim said. "The toe hit the sprinkler, hit the top of the sprinkler, and I looked at it and it looked a little bit different. But I wasn't sure and I put it in my bag."
At the eighth, he hit his first drive only 150 yards, and out of bounds. He then hit a second provisional shot - also poorly. He took a triple-bogey 8 on the hole and played two more before he found a rules official, who told him he must disqualify himself for playing with an altered club.
Kim was disqualified under rule 4-3b, said Andy McFee, European tour referee.
Kim had an 8-over 44 on the front nine, and parred the 10th hole. He entered the third round at 5 under - five strokes behind the leaders - with rounds of 66-73.
The HSBC Champions will be completed Monday after a delay caused by a rain washout on Friday and more rain on Saturday.
"I was pretty shocked," Kim said. "But you know, the rules are the rules and I have no problem with that."
In the last few weeks, Kim said he badly sprained his right ankle - falling down stairs at a friend's home - and also bruised his jaw while horseback riding.
Kim said he's played little golf in the last three weeks and has lived on a diet of noodles, unable to chew with the sore jaw.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Golf is a game that has a lot of very strange rules indeed.
City’s Budget Asks For 40 New Staffers For $3 Million
09/11/2008 02:46
Yes folks, you read
that headline correctly. Administration has
presented a budget to council requesting they
hire 40 new positions at a cost of over $3
million.
What the hell is administration smoking? Have they even read the financial news for the past month? Have they no idea whatsoever concerning restraint? Or are they just plain incompetent?
Here are a few quotes from a story in Saturday’s Gazette which you can read here.
“City council is having a hard time swallowing the 40 new staff positions proposed in the 2009 budget.
If approved, the 40 full-time equivalents (FTE) would boost the complement at city hall to 534. That raised eyebrows from the very start of this week’s budget deliberations as taxpayers face an 8.97 per cent property tax hike this year.
"It’s too high," Mayor Nolan Crouse said of the staffing positions. "We’ve got to find a way to cut back — and I would say substantially. I just do not accept it."”
And then this:
"[New positions] represent well over $3 million. That’s a lot of new spending," Jones said Tuesday, just minutes into the first budget meeting. Council would be in a better position to make staffing decisions after hearing all the departmental presentations, he said. "With our economic situation, I surely believe with the new spending we should sit down and look at that thoroughly together."
And further:
“During early presentations, city manager Bill Holtby used words like "tight" and "lean" to describe the budget. The budget was driven by council priorities, he said, noting direction has been to maintain and in some cases improve service levels.”
And then, thankfully:
“Crouse said this council’s desire to look into the details, coupled with the economic situation, will make for further scrutiny as budget deliberations progress.”
At least Crouse is
tuned in to current economics. It is painfully
obvious Holtby and crew are not.
How much longer will this council stand for an administration that is so obviously hooked on spending that they will take us all to the poor house if we don’t rid ourselves of their ring leaders?
I hereby dub them, “Robbin’ Holtby and his Band Of Wary Men.”
The Smartest Kid In His Class . . .
09/11/2008 02:44
A father passing by
his son's bedroom was astonished to see that
his bed was nicely made and everything was
picked up. Then he saw an envelope,
propped up prominently on the pillow that was
addressed to 'Dad.'
With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.
Dear Dad:
It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with mom and you. I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercing, and tattoos, and tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion. Dad, she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.
Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy. In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it.
Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.
Love,
Your Son,
Todd
P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I am over at Darrell's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the report card that's in my center desk drawer. Love you.
Call me when it is safe to come home.
SINC SAYS:
I bet this kid won the open writing contest in his school.
Stainless Steel Fords Built Way Back When
09/11/2008 02:40
This is the 1936 Ford
Coupe built for and owned by Allegheny Ludlum
Steel. It was attending an open house and then was featured in a parade.
This is one of only four in existence and is the only one currently in running and in roadworthy condition. The car is in exceptional condition, with the interior and even the frame looking great.
All four cars each had over 200,000 miles on them before they removed them from service. These cars were built for Allegheny as promotional and marketing projects.
The top salesmen each year were given the honor of being able to drive them for one year.
The v-8 engine (max 85 hp and I was surprised by this as I was under the impression that Ford only put out what they called the '36/60, a 60 HP V8 engine that was pretty much worthless.) ran like a sewing machine and was surprisingly smooth and quite.
FYI, the car was insured (we were told) for the trip to Louisville via covered trailer for 1.5 million dollars. We were also told that the dies were ruined by stamping the stainless car parts, making these the last of these cars ever produced.
85-Year-Old Biker Chick Rides Harley
09/11/2008 02:35
Lois Chai always
wanted to ride a motorcycle — so she did, for
her
birthdayFORT WALTON BEACH - A lifelong dream came true Friday for Lois Chai: She celebrated her 85th birthday by riding on a Harley-Davidson.
The lively resident at Westwood Retirement Resort took her first ride while decked out in a leather vest and matching helmet.
It was her sister LoRaine Setterberg's idea. As they traveled together over the years, Setterberg said Chai always commented how much fun riding a motorcycle looked and how free the riders seemed to be. So Setterberg decided that her sister would ride a motorcycle on her birthday.
"She looked forward to a bike ride forever," she said.
Full story plus video here.
SINC SAYS:
Don’tcha just love it when women take control like that?
Esks Smoke Bombers In Eastern Semi-Final
09/11/2008 02:27
The Edmonton Eskimos are heading to Montreal following a 29-21 victory over the Blue Bombers in Saturday's East Semi-Final from Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg.
The victory was historic in that Edmonton became the first West Division team to earn a playoff win as a crossover squad since the CFL adopted the concept in 1996.
A pair of rushing touchdowns by running back A.J. Harris and field goals by Noel Prefontaine were the difference in the contest.
Harris ran 12 times for 33 yards and caught four passes for 38 yards while Prefontaine had field goals of 23 and 28 yards and also had singles off a 38-yard try and a punt.
The Bombers got touchdowns on a 78-yard pass from Kevin Glenn to Romby Bryant and a 93-yard punt return by Jason Armstead. It was deja vu all over again, as Armstead ran an 84-yard punt return back for a touchdown against Edmonton earlier this season.
With just over two minutes remaining in the first half, defensive end Fred Perry tipped, then intercepted a Glenn pass and ran it in for a touchdown to secure Edmonton's lead heading into the locker rooms.
''For them to have that punt return, you just kind of could see everybody's down a little bit, kind of looking around wondering what happened,'' Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray said. ''For Fred to make that play and get into the end zone kind of re-energized us.''
More from TSN.
Lions thump ‘Riders to advance to Western final.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Is it possible? An Edmonton vs. Calgary Grey Cup. Do you think?
The Man In The Striped Shirt
09/11/2008 02:27
Ray Scapinello reflects on 33 years as a NHL linesman and induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Ray Scapinello saw it all during his NHL career.
As a linesman, 'Scampy' shared the ice with the likes of Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur, Phil Esposito and many more on a long list of hockey's all-time greats.
Scapinello worked 2,508 regular-season and 426 playoff games, and 20 Stanley Cup finals, and never once missed work due to sickness or injury during his remarkable 33-year NHL career. His longevity and iron-man streak is all the more amazing when you consider he never wore a helmet and visor, from his first game in 1971 to his last one in 2004.
It's been four years since he retired, but Scapinello's time away from the NHL hasn't dimmed his love affair with hockey, or his memories.
"Man, it was so much fun. It was never work. The famous saying about finding a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life, that was me," said Scapinello.
"I don't like to use the word work when describing my career because it was never work. I loved every minute of it."
In a one-on-one interview with CBCSports.ca, Scapinello, 62, reflected on his 33-plus years as an NHL linesman and about being officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 10.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
To read the interview with Ray Scapinello, click here.
Hockey HOF Creates Exhibit To Celebrate Habs
09/11/2008 02:26
TORONTO - Yvan Cournoyer's trip down memory lane started a couple days before he turned up for a busy weekend at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The legendary Montreal Canadiens winger was originally scheduled to fly to Toronto but decided to take a different kind of journey instead. Cournoyer and his wife travelled by train and checked in to the Royal York hotel, just as the Habs used to do during his playing days.
It was a fitting way for Cournoyer to start a weekend that will be full of reminders about how things once were.
"It's good memories," he said. "I was a less nervous coming here this week than when I was 20 years old and coming to play Toronto."
Cournoyer joined fellow ex-Habs Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Frank Mahovlich at the Hall on Friday to unveil a beautiful exhibit that commemorates the team's 100th anniversary.
They are four of the record 54 people with Montreal Canadiens connections that have gained induction into the Hall of Fame, and were all part of the 1972-73 Canadiens team together.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Those names – Cournoyer, Robinson, Savard and Mahovlich are synonymous with all that is hockey in this country.
Hall Of Fame Inductees Inspired By Each Other
09/11/2008 02:26
TORONTO - Entering Canada's Sports Hall of Fame alongside Donovan Bailey and his 4x100-metre relay teammates couldn't have been more fitting for Marc Gagnon.
The short-track speedskater from Chicoutimi, Que., is Canada's most decorated athlete at the Winter Olympics with five medals, and he believes watching the sprinters blast past the favoured Americans for gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games helped him take a critical step forward in his own career.
At that point, Gagnon had a bronze medal from the '94 Lillehammer Olympics under his belt, but his mental game was wanting. There was too much worrying and not enough believing.
Then he saw the self confidence Bailey, Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert, Robert Esmie and Carlton Chambers took into their memorable race and knew he had to make a change.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame class of 2008 – Donovan Bailey, Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert, Robert Esmie, Carlton Chambers, Lennox Lewis, Steve Yzerman, Nancy Garapick, David Dore and Pat Gillick.
‘Smiley’ Will Not Coach Argos Next Year
09/11/2008 02:25
Michael 'Pinball' Clemons has taken his name off the list of candidates to be the next head coach of the Toronto Argonauts.
Clemons appeared on TSN's Off The Record on Friday and put all the rumours to rest.
"I will not be the coach next year," Clemons told OTR host Michael Landsberg. "As an organization, we have to move on. The reality is that it's not the best thing for the organization."
In two stints as head coach of the Argonauts, Clemons compiled a lifetime regular season record of 68-55-1 and a .552 winning percentage. He is the second-winningest coach in team history behind only Bob O'Billovich.
After six seasons on the sidelines, Clemons was promoted to the Chief Executive Officer with the club prior to this season.
With the Argonauts missing the playoffs with a record of 4-14, there has reportedly been some finger-pointing but Clemons told Landsberg he is willing to take the blame.
"I'm the guy who's supposed to get the criticism," Clemons told Landsberg. "I'm the CEO and the guy to find for somebody to blame."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Stay tuned for more of “As The Good Ship Argo Turns.”