16 November 2008
St. Albert's Place Grey Cup Special
22/11/2008 05:11
This is Grey Cup weekend, folks.
The Grey Cup has been called many things over the years – among them “The Great Canadian Drunk” and “Canada’s National Party.”
More than any other festival, Grey Cup is uniquely Canadian. It's a great piece of Canadiana - our history, heritage and culture. It exemplifies who and what we are. It's the one single event that transcends provincial, cultural, linguistic, age and gender boundaries. It's the one celebration where grown men hugging grown men is expected.
It has this uncanny ability to unite east and west, young and old, English and French, black and white, male and female and brings us all together as one – as Canadians, in celebration.
Who can forget the moments – The Chuck Hunsigner fumble, the mud bowl, the fog bowl, the staple bowl and the iconic names – Parker, Bright, Kwong, Etcheverry, Patterson, Fleming, Mosca, Jackson, Stewart, Lancaster, Reed, Campbell, Wilkinson, Moon, Kepley, Allen, Flutie and many, many, many others – far too many to name here.
On the eve of the 96 Grey Cup Festival, St. Albert’s Place presents the following Grey Cup memories. We hope you enjoy.
Click here to see the top 10 Grey Cup bloopers of all time.
Click here to see the top 10 Grey Cup heroes and zeroes.
Taxpayer's Association Presentation To Council Today
22/11/2008 04:54
SINC SAYS:
The following letter and attached document was received by St. Albert's Place last evening. This is one of the most well thought out and impressive documents I have seen in many years. It goes straight to the heart of the matter and should open the eyes of a council blind to increased taxation at a time when the global economy is in the crapper. Congratulations to the Association and Lynda for their fine efforts. If you can attent this morning's presentation, please tak the time to do so. After all it is your money they are trying to save.
Hi Folks:
Some of you know that the St. Albert Taxpayers Association is making a presentation to Council on the Budget. It is being made at 9:00 a.m. today, Saturday, November 22, Council Chambers in City Hall. I'm hoping
that some of you can be there.
I've attached the "final" presentation for your information. Please feel free to print off a copy for your own review. I've included the speaking notes. I would be delighted to have comments (although may not be able to do them justice at this late date, but I'm sure it will not be the last time we talk with Council.
Also, as a reminder, our next meeting is:
Thursday, November 26th, 7:30 p.m.
7 Tache Street (Senior's center)
St. Albert
Hope to see you there.
Lynda Flannery
St. Albert Taxpayers Association
---------------------------------------------
READER COMMENTS:
Lynda:
I want to commend you for an excellent, excellent presentation. Well researched, drafted and developed.
I regret I will be out of town this weekend; in fact, I was slated to make the Northern Alberta Business Incubator presentation at 10:00, but needed to pawn that off to our executive director.
As you are aware, I have had discussion on this issue with all councilors. Many question the MPI, however, Len Bracko supports it 100%. He, unfortunately is not here, but in Ottawa for the Federation of Canadian Municipality's meeting.
Andy von Busse
St. Albert
------------------------
Lynda,
Let me congratulate you on what I think is just an excellent budget presentation.
It's really unfortunate to know in advance that council will not listen to a word you have to say.
Jim Starko
St. Albert
---------------
Well done, Lynda.
Very professional. It should generate more than passing interest with the press and help to bring in some more members.
The issue with the MPI is that it is a positive feedback mechanism, a self-fulfilling prophecy in effect. The more that municipalities pump up their expenditures to "catch up," the faster it rises. There is no market control, as there is somewhat with the CPI. I say somewhat, because central governments do take steps to manipulate indices such as the CPI downward by substitutions and hedonics among other techniques, rather than upward as municipalities would prefer, to mask inflation and avoid paying out more for labour or for "inflation adjusted" expenditures, such as pensions.
One can understand why municipalities would prefer an index that gives them more room for rationalizing expenditure increases, but they are at risk of having the unions adopt the MPI for bargaining too and making the rate of cost escalation even worse.
Regards,
John Shaw
St. Albert
The Battle For Lyme Disease Treatment
22/11/2008 04:50
Everyone has heard of
it. Lyme disease. Everyone knows what causes
it. Tick bites. But there are those in Alberta
who for whatever reason don't want to recognize
it. And that is a shame. Congratulations to Mr.
Taft and the Alberta Liberal Party for their
attempts to put Lyme disease on centre stage
and help the afflicted. Please click on this
images to see the actual size documents and
lend your support to this worthwhile cause.
22/11/2008 04:41
Dear Valued Buyer,
"My commitment to you is offering great service, paying attention to detail, and placing your needs above all else on these two excellent Morinville homes."
Selling or buying a home can be a very stressful and emotional time. As your REALTOR®, you will enjoy the buying or selling experience and be comforted that I am working for you.
Please allow me, Peter Müller, to take care of your real estate needs. Whether it is to talk about how the market is affecting your home, giving you a FREE home evaluation, or by allowing me to SELL or FIND you a home at the best price possible. When you’re ready to look for that perfect house, allow me to assist you to make it your home.
Call me at 780-458-8300. Cell 780-996-0208 or e-mail me at peter@makeityourhome.ca or visit my web site.
Esks' Kamau Peterson Named CFL's Top Canadian
22/11/2008 04:35
Receiver is first Eskimos player to win the award since Leroy Blugh in 1997
MONTREAL - Kamau Peterson caught another award Thursday night.
The Edmonton Eskimos leading receiver was named the Canadian Football League's most outstanding Canadian, turning the tables on Montreal Alouettes slotback Ben Cahoon, who finished ahead of Peterson in the all-star voting last week.
"All these late-season accolades have surprised me, just because you never know how those things are going to go,'' said Peterson, who received 25 of the 46 votes from the Football Reporters of Canada and eight league head coaches.
"I had Ben picked in my pool, so I lost money. But it's great, it's humbling and it's truly an honor.''
Peterson, who caught 101 passes for 1,317 yards and four touchdowns in his second straight 1,000-yard campaign, is the first Eskimos player to win the top Canadian award since defensive end Leroy Blugh in 1997.
More from Canwest News Service.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Kamau had one helluva of a season, as is evidenced by his besting two-time winner Ben Cahoon for this award. Peterson has sure come a loooooooooong way from his Winnipeg Blue Bomber days, when he was nicknamed “Kamau IncomPleterson” by Bomber fans because of his penchant for dropping very catchable passes. Congrats, Kamau!
‘Little General’ Receives CFL Commissioner’s Award
22/11/2008 04:34
Ron Lancaster has been named the recipient of the 2008 Commissioner's Award. This award is presented annually to a person or group who make a special contribution to the Canadian Football League.
To many, he'll forever be remembered as the Little General, a diminutive quarterback with a tenacious resolve who led the Saskatchewan Roughriders to their first-ever Grey Cup title and became one of the most prolific passers in CFL history.
But it was Ron Lancaster's gift of the gab, approachable nature and willingness to always swap stories that made him immensely popular with fans and an unofficial CFL goodwill ambassador, sometimes at the expense of his teammates.
"We'd always have to grab him by the neck and put him on the bus, otherwise we would've been sitting there for three years (talking to people)," said George Reed, the Riders' legendary fullback. "He had that way of really mingling with the people and giving them his time and talking to them.
"He just had a way with people and people loved to talk to him. He always had time."
More from cfl.ca
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What a “class” move by the CFL and Commissioner Mark Cohon – giving one of its all-time, all-time greats this very prestigious honor at Thursday night’s CFL awards ceremonies in Montreal. Not enough can ever be said about the late, great Ron Lancaster as a CFL player, broadcaster, coach, executive and icon.
Hank Not Smilin' After Awards Handed Out
22/11/2008 04:33
Not everyone was smiling at the 2008 Gibson's Finest Player Awards on Thursday night in Montreal.
While the spotlight focused on the winners including B.C. Lions' Cameron Wake (Defensive Player), Edmonton Eskimos' Kamau Peterson (Top Canadian) and Montreal Alouettes' Anthony Calvillo (Most Outstanding Player), members of the Calgary Stampeders felt slighted.
"The thing is, we're the best team in the league record wise and nobody came away with anything," Burris said following the show.
Burris, who helped the Stampeders to a CFL best 13-5 record, was runner-up to Calvillo for the Most Outstanding Player award.
"It is what it is. Anthony had a great season, and I've said that all week long," Burris told reporters. "He's definitely as deserving as anybody. But we're here for one thing, and that's on Sunday."
The Montreal quarterback picked up 27 of a possible 46 first-place votes from a voting group consisting of the eight CFL head coaches and members of the Football Reporters of Canada.
"Oh, Henry's not smiling. Hey folks, I'm a competitor, that's what I do for a living, I compete," said Burris.
The Stampeders went undefeated against the B.C. Lions (13 All-Star selections) and Montreal Alouettes (14 All-Star selections) this past season.
"All I know is we're 6-0 against 27 all-stars," Nik Lewis explained.
Calgary had six All-Star selections (Burris - QB, Ken-Yon Rambo - WR, Joffrey Reynolds - RB, Rob Lazeo - C, Brandon Browner - CB and Sandro DeAngelis - K).
The Stampeders will have a chance to get even on Sunday at Olympic Stadium when they face the Alouettes for the Grey Cup (coverage begins at 3pm et/Noon pt on TSN and TSN HD).
"We've been slighted a lot as a team and hopefully we use this as motivation Sunday when it will be decided by our skill not somebody's opinion," said DeAngelis.
DeAngelis was runner-up to Toronto Argonauts' Dominique Dorsey in the Special Teams Award.
Grey Cup: Smilin' Hank sour on CFL awards.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Henry (Smilin’ SHank) Burris and this edition of the Calgary Stampeders are the most “classless” bunch of hooigans I have ever seen in Canadian Professional Football history. I truly hope they get their lunch handed to them (their rear-ends kicked) by the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday in the Grey Cup game.
Sorenstam’s LPGA Career Comes To An End
22/11/2008 04:32
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Standing in the centre of a sun-drenched 18th green, as waves of cheers rippled from a packed gallery, Annika Sorenstam hugged caddie Terry McNamara and took the flag from his hand.
She held it high, like a conquering hero, then slammed it into the hole.
"It's over," she said.
Sorenstam's tour career presumably ended Friday afternoon, when she failed to qualify for the third round of the ADT Championship. She shot a 3-over 75, putting her at 5 over for the week - two shots away from surviving the cut from 32 down to 16 for Saturday, after which the field will be pared in half again before the final round battle for US$1 million.
"All of a sudden, the time is here," Sorenstam said. "You're standing there on the 18th fairway and it's your last approach shot in an LPGA event. A lot of thoughts go through your head .. and what's been the coolest thing this week is all these people who showed up that I don't know, my fans."
They showed up in droves Friday. When Sorenstam was on the 16th tee, hundreds crowded around her and playing partner Laura Diaz. At the same moment, about 100 feet away on the 11th tee, a gallery of exactly nine people watched a South Korean twosome.
Everyone wanted to see history, in case it really was the final round of Sorenstam's 72-win, Hall of Fame LPGA career.
Even Lorena Ochoa - the defending ADT champion, who also didn't advance to the weekend - showed up at the 18th green to give her friend and rival a farewell hug.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
We salute and thank you, Annika. You are a truly great champion.
2010 Olympic Torch Relay To Cover 45,000 Kilometres
22/11/2008 04:32
WEST VANCOUVER - The Olympic torch relay will begin its Canadian journey in Victoria on Oct. 30, 2009 at Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada Highway, within sight of Washington State’s Olympic Mountains.
It will end 45,000 kilometres and 106 days later at B.C. Place Stadium for the Feb. 12, 2010 opening ceremony of the XXI Olympic Winter Games.
VANOC CEO John Furlong, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell and federal sport secretary Gary Lunn unveiled the route at Key Meek Centre on Friday. VANOC budgeted $30 million and the federal government announced $25 million last February. Most of the 12,000 torchbearers will be chosen via contests run by co-sponsors Coca-Cola and RBC.
The relay will cover Canada’s extremes: Point Pelee, Ont., to the south, Cape Spear, Nfld., to the east, Old Crow, Yukon to the west and the Canadian Forces station at Alert, Nunavut, the world’s most northerly settlement.
More from the Edmonton Sun.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
On January 13, 2010, day 76 of its 106 day journey, the torch will pass through St. Albert before stopping for an evening celebration in Edmonton. I wonder what our city fathers have in store for this event, or whether they'll still be too busy blowing our tax dollars on other frivolous nonsense, as usual?
Original Six All-Stars, Montreal Canadiens
22/11/2008 04:31
By hockey analyst Jeff Marek
In honor of Hockey Night in Canada's Original Six Saturday on Nov. 22 with games featuring the New York at Ottawa, Chicago at Toronto, Boston at Montreal and Detroit at Calgary, I humbly submit for discussion my all-time, all-star team for each of the Original Six squads.
Last time we looked at the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers, and today we have a look at the most-storied franchise in the sport’s history: the Montreal Canadiens.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I can’t really disagree with any of Marek’s picks here.
More from hockey analyst Jeff Marek.
Now They’re Calling My Cell Phone
21/11/2008 04:56
Phone telemarketers
have in my opinion always ranked among the
lowest of the very low.
But they have sank to new depths when they are starting to call my cell phone and waste my air time.
I got a call this week about mid day and when I checked the call display, the calling number was 000-000-0000, a dead giveaway for a telemarketer.
I could not believe that they had my cell number, but out of curiousity, I decided to answer it just to be sure.
I of course got the drone of a jet engine for about three seconds before the dreaded, “This is your captain speaking” message began their spin. I hung up.
Now I have had my cell phone number since 1988 and never once got a call from a telemarketer, so what has suddenly changed?
The only thing different is that I registered my cell phone and my home number with the new Canadian “Do Not Call List”.
Yeah, I know, that list is sure working great isn’t it?
Grey Cup Weekend At LB's Pub
21/11/2008 04:38
It's Grey Cup weekend
and the party is on beginning Sunday afternoon
at 3:00 p.m., and hour before game time. Bring
the gang and come on dow and watch the big game
in HDTV on the big screen. And we're offering
all refreshments at happy hour prices as a
special for Grey Cup day. See you there! (Click
to see larger images.)
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Six Chip Dips to Avoid at a Grey Cup Party
21/11/2008 04:32
The appetizers at
your party might be gone in a flash, but what
you dipped into them won't soon disappear from
your
waistline.Calories are sneaky—and you probably haven't made accommodations for those snacks in your calculations. Especially unhealthy? Party dips for the tortilla chips, pita triangles and pieces of bread your hosts are almost sure to lay out. Try to aim for the guacamole, hummus or plain salsa, but if you must indulge, here's how to tally the damage.
1. Sour cream dip: Sour cream is used as a base ingredient in many dips. Watch out: A quarter cup of it (the measurement most recipes use to gauge a single serving) has 123 calories and 12 grams of fat, according to CalorieKing.com. And that's before all the add-ons.
2. Cheese dip: These dips are nacho lovers' go-to's, but that doesn't mean they're any good for the waistline. A recipe that calls for onions, chilis, tomatoes and garlic—along with cream cheese and cheddar or jack cheese—serves up 145 calories and 12 grams of fat in a quarter cup, according to RecipeZaar.com.
3. French onion dip: This chip-dunking staple is composed of onions or onion powder mixed with various combinations of sour cream, cream cheese and mayonnaise. And one commercial brand estimates that each serving can hold as much as 200 calories and 15 grams of fat.
4. Spinach and artichoke dip: Don't let the green specks fool you into thinking this tasty topping is any healthier than it is: one popular recipe for homemade dip calls for cream cheese, heavy cream and two types of cheese along with the veggies and seasonings. That adds up—the recipe, on AZcentral.com, estimates that one serving (a quarter cup of dip) packs 235 calories and 21 grams of fat.
5. Crab dip: Think of all the fatty, creamy foods you can imagine. Odds are, most of them find their way into crab dip, which packs mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and cream cheese into the same little bowl. One serving will rack up 372 calories and 37 grams of fat, according to AZcentral.com.
6. Five-layer dip: On their own, refried beans aren't so bad; a quarter cup of them has almost 60 calories and 0.8 grams of fat, according to thecaloriecounter.com. But add salsa, guacamole, cheese and sour cream and you're heading toward trouble. One popular online recipe substitutes cream cheese for guacamole and ends up packing a whopping 519 calories and 35.1 grams of fat into a single serving, according to RecipeZaar.com.
SINC
SAYS:
Uh, no thanks, I'm
on a diet.
Lost Cockatiel Spoke To Owners On Phone
21/11/2008 04:27
GWERSYLLT, Wales,
Nov. 20 (UPI) -- A Gwersyllt, Wales, woman who
found a missing cockatiel said the bird uttered
its first words in her care when she put it on
the phone with its
owners.Sue Hill said the cockatiel perched on her shoulder in Bellevue Park and she immediately contacted the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals, which informed her that a bird had been reported missing from David Edwards' home 2 miles from the park, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
"I was given a phone number for the man, Mr. Edwards, but I wanted to be sure he was the actual owner," Hill said. "I called and spoke to his wife who told me her pet was called Smokey and asked me to put him on the phone. As soon as he heard her voice, he stopped chirping and began saying 'Smokey,' it was very funny. That was the first time the bird had spoken and it was then I was sure that he belonged to them."
David Edwards told The Daily Telegraph he was "over the moon" to have his pet back at home after it went missing during the weekend.
SINC SAYS:
Well doesn’t that beat all? A bird who calls home. I’ll bet ET is jealous.
St. Albert Golfer Gets Provincial Award
21/11/2008 04:21
EDMONTON - St. Albert's Shane O'Neill has won the Alberta Junior Order of Merit for 2008. O'Neill won this summer's Edmonton Junior by 10 shots and the RCGA's Future Links Western Championship by four shots.
O'Neill, who plays out of the Sturgeon Valley G&CC, accumulated 785 points to outdistance Calgary's Jack Wesche, runner-up in this past summer's Canadian Junior Boys Championship held at the Edmonton Petroleum G&CC. Also a winner of a Canadian Junior Golf Association tournament at Stony Plain and runner-up in the Alberta Junior/Juvenile held at Claresholm, O'Neill, 18, will be presented with an award at next week's annual Alberta Golf general meeting in Calgary.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congratulations, Shane, on another well-deserved honor. Maybe, just maybe, folks, one day we'll be able to cheer for Shane on the PGA Tour. You just never know.
Now It’s A Matter Of Time
21/11/2008 04:21
Jason Tucker takes a wait-and-see attitude on his future after shedding his cervical collar
EDMONTON - Four months after breaking his neck, Jason Tucker got the green light from his neurosurgeon.
The Edmonton Eskimos receiver can remove the tight cervical collar he has been wearing and he can hardly wait to start playing again ... golf, that is; at least for now.
"That's one of the first things I want to do -- to get back on an actual golf course," Tucker said following Wednesday's medical appointment where X-rays were taken of the two fractured vertebrae that were fused together in July.
A confessed golf addict, Tucker has been relegated to hitting chip shots in the backyard -- often late at night under the porch lights -- with his teammate and roommate, Noel Prefontaine.
As for ever playing football again, Tucker said, "We will have to see. You never know.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Thanks for seven great years, Jason. You were the “ultimate” Edmonton Eskimo. There are many, many more important things in life other than football – like living a “normal” life and being able to play with your daughters.
Original Six All-Stars, New York And Detroit
21/11/2008 04:20
By hockey analyst Jeff Marek
In honor of Hockey Night in Canada's Original Six Saturday on Nov. 22 with games featuring the New York at Ottawa, Chicago at Toronto, Boston at Montreal and Detroit at Calgary, I humbly submit for discussion my all-time, all-star team for each of the Original Six squads.
On Tuesday, we looked at the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, and today we have a look at a pair of American teams: the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I can’t really disagree with any of Marek’s picks here, folks.
More from hockey analyst Jeff Marek.
Grey Cup: The Fans And The Fanfare
21/11/2008 04:20
Heroes, underdogs and last-minute shockers make the Grey Cup the most celebrated event in Canadian football. Since 1909 the annual event has brought out the best in Canadian fan spirit and appreciation, from prime ministers to cross-country trekkers. Though the gridiron has been muddy at times, the fogs thick and the winds cold, the players have soldiered on and the fans have never stopped cheering.
Looking back over seven decades of scintillating moments, CBC radio broadcaster Alan Maitland narrates the history of the Grey Cup. It began when the fourth Earl Grey, who was Canada's governor general, became intrigued with the game, watching it weekly at the Ottawa Varsity Oval. In 1909, he donated a trophy to be awarded to the amateur rugby football champion of Canada. The idea caught on, and pretty soon there were eight teams across the country vying for the prize.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
More from CBC Sports.
Concussions ‘Alarmingly High’ In Women’s Hockey
21/11/2008 04:19
Jennifer Botterill couldn't drive a car without getting a headache. Bright lights and loud sounds made the symptoms worse. Physical exercise was out of the question.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist and member of Canada's women's national hockey team was suffering from the worst concussion of her career, one that kept her off the ice for four months. The cause: a full speed collision with another player at practice.
"It's one of the toughest injuries to deal with, because honestly, you just have to be so patient," says the Winnipeg native, a fixture on the national team for the past decade.
"Other injuries, you can be active and do active rehabilitation. All I could do was rest."
According to recent findings, Botterill is far from alone. A study of NCAA sports found women playing hockey were more than twice as likely as their male counterparts to suffer concussions. The female game even topped football in concussion numbers, according to the study.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
More of Part 3 of CBC Sports’ three-part series on hockey-related concussions.
20/11/2008 10:43
Dear Valued Buyer,
"My commitment to you is offering great service, paying attention to detail, and placing your needs above all else on these two excellent Morinville homes."
Selling or buying a home can be a very stressful and emotional time. As your REALTOR®, you will enjoy the buying or selling experience and be comforted that I am working for you.
Please allow me, Peter Müller, to take care of your real estate needs. Whether it is to talk about how the market is affecting your home, giving you a FREE home evaluation, or by allowing me to SELL or FIND you a home at the best price possible. When you’re ready to look for that perfect house, allow me to assist you to make it your home.
Call me at 780-458-8300. Cell 780-996-0208 or e-mail me at peter@makeityourhome.ca or visit my web site.
Children's Group Often Overlooked
20/11/2008 05:32
Dear Don,
An overlooked group of children and families who access government services are those parents of individuals with developmental and medical issues.
Policy which is in force to protect individuals is often over-utilized to encompass both groups of children even when no issue of protection exists! This has resulted in dire consequences for individuals and is not strictly a Provincial dilemma, nor Canadian one, but a National over-sight affecting scores of persons. Often, stigma is attached to seeking assistance; funding and services of children with exceptional needs from Governing agencies.
In Alberta, Canada I was able to effect change to Legislation in the Family Support for Children with Disabilities program to underscore concern and need for amendment:
The Act was proclaimed on August 1, 2004 and amendment effective December 2006, in tribute to Samantha Martin, Section 2-3 Reads: "The Family Support for Children with Disabilities Program to have separate legislation from that of child protection services."
Link here.
In an ever-changing society, we must be aware and constantly open to creative representation of all individuals with Family-Centred Care. Education of parents and professionals, careful monitoring of situations, including adequate response to need, family constellation and the differences that make individuals unique must be continually re-evaluated. As proverb contends: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” The same is true of persons in crisis needing support: Individuals facing situations that are life-altering, such as the birth or injury of a child have profound effect on all family members. We must ensure strength and character - as well as equal funding and services - to assist survival of family wherever possible rather than over-ladening an already full system of fostering children's care outside of the home.
Sincerely,
Velvet Martin
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Congrats on all the good work Velvet. Many people will applaud your efforts.
Christmas Light Display For The Ages
20/11/2008 05:30
Iowa Zoo Recapture Flamingo That Flew The Coop
20/11/2008 05:25
From CBC News
DES MOINES, Iowa - An Iowa zoo has recaptured a flamingo that flew over a Des Moines neighbourhood, a golf course and the entire zoo during a seven-hour freedom flight.
Blank Park Zoo workers clipped the adult Chilean flamingo's wings a second time after it was recaptured.
The zoo's flamingos usually don't fly because their wings have been clipped.
However, zoo spokesman Terry Rich says the birds can molt and regrow those feathers, enabling them to fly.
SINC SAYS:
Who would think pink could fly?
Fascinating Last Pictures . . .
20/11/2008 05:14
Bill Biggart
1947-2001
Photojournalist Bill Biggart was covering the events of September 11th and was Tragically killed as the second tower of the World Trade Center came down. Four days later Biggart’s body was recovered from the rubble and his personal effects, including his cameras were given to his wife. Biggart’s widow later handed over the camera bag to a good friend and fellow photographer. She was convinced that no pictures had survived because the falling debris had blown off the backs of the two film cameras and the lids of the film canisters had been peeled back. His friend turned his attention to the digital camera that was covered by ash. The lens had been sheared off but when he opened the chamber that held the flash card he discovered it was in pristine condition. The card contained 150 pictures including the last picture taken shown above which is time stamped 10:28 am and 24 seconds. The time was 10:30am when the second tower came down.
Interesting Fact: When Biggart’s wife reached him on his cell phone shortly after the first tower fell. He told her not to worry, and would meet her in 20 minutes at his studio. “I’m safe,” he assured her, “I’m with the firemen.” It was the last time they ever spoke. About 20 minutes later, the second tower collapsed
Jersey City Senior Holds Toilet Handle
20/11/2008 05:12
While water company
impostor ransacks
houseA man pretending to be a United War employee gained entry to an apartment on Cator Avenue in Jersey City this afternoon and then stole $3,650 from the 91-year-old resident, reports said.
Responding to a knock on her front door around 2 p.m., the female resident told police she found a man who told her he was an employee with the water company and that "there was an emergency" and "he had to check the water," reports said.
The man first opened and shut a faucet in the kitchen and then went into the victim's bathroom where he flushed the toilet, reports said.
The man then instructed the victim to "hold down the flush handle or else the house will explode," reports said.
The victim, who said the man was speaking to someone on his cellphone the entire time he was in her house, did as she was told, reports said.
But after about two minutes, the victim told police "I didn't care if the house exploded" and walked into her living-room, at which time she discovered her house had been ransacked, reports said.
The man -- described as white, slender, and in his 40s -- got away with $3,650 in cash the victim kept in a metal box, reports said.
SINC SAYS:
How stupid can people be? I mean really, how can your toilet explode? Oh wait. Dany Glover in Lethal Weapon had that happen, didn’t he?
Ten Things That Would Have Killed A Lesser Cup
20/11/2008 05:07
Memorable CFL championship moments in honor of the Grey Cup's fortitude
Back in 1947, Toronto firefighters were roused out of their sleep by a major blaze on the lakeshore at the home of the Argonaut Rowing Club.
Arriving, they found the offices and clubhouse aflame and there wasn't anything they could do but douse the fire and see what was left.
Not much — 75 years of history, melted trophies and loving cups, plaques and awards lay in the sodden mess, surrounded by a few burnt out building frames.
On one of those frames was a hook. Dangling on that hook, having fallen off a collapsing shelf and been miraculously snagged by a handle, was one surviving trophy.
It was the Grey Cup.
Since 1909, calamities both natural and man-made have conspired to put an end to Canada's second most-beloved trophy, but the Grey Cup has beaten them all.
In honour of the mug's fortitude, we present Nine Other Things That Would Have Killed a Lesser Cup.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For more of CBC Sports’ 10 most memorable Grey Cup moments, click here.
Fifth Estate Examines Football Head Injuries
20/11/2008 05:07
Dynasty to Death: Head Games on CBC’s Fifth Estate examines football head injuries
Bob McKeown remembers the 1972 CFL East final like it was yesterday, an intense and physical battle between his Rough Riders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park.
In particular, the former all-star centre recalls the rough play of Hamilton middle linebacker Mark Kosmos.
"It was like a professional boxing match because back then, not only could you use your helmet as a weapon, you could basically punch somebody in the head over and over again. And Mark did that with his forearm," McKeown, now host of CBC's The Fifth Estate, told CBCSports.ca.
"I was throwing up for 24 hours after the game because I had such a severe concussion. I didn't tell anybody. I didn't think it was worth mentioning."
He wasn't alone. But for some players, including former Eskimos linemen Bill Stevenson, York Hentschel and David Boone, it appears the undetected concussions they suffered in the late 1970s and early '80s, may have contributed to their premature deaths over the past three years.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I watched the program on CBC last night, folks, and let me tell you, it was a scary, scary dose of reality.
Original Six All-Stars, Toronto And Boston
20/11/2008 05:06
By hockey analyst Jeff Marek
In honor of Hockey Night in Canada's Original Six Saturday on Nov. 22 with games featuring the New York at Ottawa, Chicago at Toronto, Boston at Montreal and Detroit at Calgary, I humbly submit for discussion my all-time, all-star team for each of the Original Six squads.
Up first, a look at the two teams who played against each other Monday night at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto and Boston.
Let the debate begin!
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I would have to strongly disagree with a couple of Marek’s picks for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I believe Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald have to be there somewhere, especially Sittler. Yeah, Matts Sundin is good, but he’s certainly no Darryl Sittler.
More from hockey analyst Jeff Marek.
Sorenstam Prepares For Emotional Sendoff
20/11/2008 05:05
Swede intends to retain links to game she loves
LOS ANGELES - Sweden's Annika Sorenstam, the dominant figure in women's golf for the past decade, is ready to make a poignant farewell appearance on the LPGA Tour at this week's season-ending ADT Championship.
Sorenstam will also play in the Lexus Cup in Singapore this month before bringing down the curtain on her competitive career at the Dec. 11-14 Dubai Ladies Masters.
Although the 37-year-old Swede intends to retain her ties to the game away from tournament golf, she has prepared for an emotional send-off.
"I'm not really sure how I'll feel or what the emotions will be," Sorenstam told reporters in the buildup to Thursday's first round at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I still have this feeling that, when the dust settles, we haven’t seen the last of Annika Sorenstam on the LPGA Tour.
Yukon Soccer Suspends Three In Hazing Incident
20/11/2008 05:05
Coach won't be disciplined, association head says
The Yukon Soccer Association has suspended three players from its under-14 team as a result of a hazing incident at a national tournament last month.
The suspended players were competing in the national U-14 championships in Charlottetown, P.E.I., along with three other teenage boys who were allegedly hazed in their hotel rooms.
However, the team's coach will not be disciplined for the incident, in which the three boys were allegedly tied up with athletic tape and had obscenities written on their faces with markers.
"This is the first time there has been incidents on one of his teams," association president Brian Gillen said of the coach while speaking in an interview Tuesday with CBC News.
"We've done our investigation, we've looked into it, and we're satisfied that the coach took the appropriate and reasonable steps to ensure the kids were settled for the evening before they retired. The coach is not being suspended."
The identities of the players and the coach haven't been released. The mother and father of one of the boys who was allegedly hazed told CBC News about the incident earlier this week, but spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to protect their child's identity.
Gillen would not say for how long the players will be suspended. The parents who spoke out about the hazing have said they wanted year-long suspensions for the players who did the hazing, and an equally long suspension for the coach.
If the parents of the three hazed players are not happy with the association's decision, Gillen said they have 10 days from Tuesday to appeal.
"We took this seriously, we spent an awful lot of time doing this, we talked to players, we've done our research on a course of action, and we've come up [with] an appropriate course of action," he said.
Gillen said the Yukon Soccer Association will also introduce anti-hazing education measures for its players.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
There’s no place for this crap anywhere in sports, or elsewhere in our society, for that matter – never mind on a team of boys all under the age of 14 years.
Items Lost In Space Over The Years
19/11/2008 03:03
From CBC News
HOUSTON - It's not easy holding on to a small bag some 300 kilometres above Earth.
Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper proved that Tuesday when she accidentally let go of her tool bag after a grease gun inside it exploded outside the International Space Station. The tote bag, containing two grease guns, a putty knife and cloth mitts, was one of the largest items ever to be lost by a spacewalker.
But Stefanyshyn-Piper isn't the first person to drop something in space. Bulky gloves and weightlessness have led to a history of some clumsy moments at NASA.
Here are some recent examples of astronauts accidentally adding to the thousands of pieces of junk already in space:
-During a September 2006 spacewalk, astronaut Joe Tanner, working outside the space station with Stefanyshyn-Piper, accidentally released a bolt, spring and washer.
-During a July 2006 spacewalk, astronauts Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum lost a 35-centimetre spatula while testing a method to repair the space shuttle.
-During a March 2001 spacewalk to mount important equipment to the International Space Station, a foot attachment used to anchor spacewalkers to the end of the space shuttle Discovery's robotic arm managed to float free from astronaut Jim Voss and was lost in space. Later in the mission, Discovery's thrusters had to be fired to move the spacecraft to a higher orbit to dodge the menacing piece of space junk.
SINC SAYS:
Now I know why they called that old TV series “Lost In Space”.
Marriage, Before And After . . .
19/11/2008 02:42
You just have to
click on this one folks to enlarge it so you
can read it properly. It’s a very clevely
designed illustration
indeed.
RCMP Grill Prospective Recruits
19/11/2008 02:35
On bestiality, drugs,
domestic
disputesOTTAWA - So you wanna be a Mountie?
Be prepared for a polygraph test in which you'll be asked whether you've had sex with animals, the worst thing you've done while drunk, and if you've ever seriously thought about committing suicide.
The RCMP says the candid questionnaire is a crucial tool for screening out people unfit to wear the red serge in the post-9-11 era, when terrorists and other serious criminals are trying to infiltrate the police force.
A newly declassified RCMP assessment of the polygraph program's privacy implications says the force was "not doing a sufficient job" of weeding out unworthy applicants.
"Internal Affairs Branch reports that at any given time 40-50 members are suspended and a majority of these cases are related to criminal activity."
The Canadian Press obtained a copy of the privacy impact assessment through the Access to Information Act, along with a list of dozens of often highly personal questions put to prospective Mounties.
More probing questions here.
SINC SAYS:
Gee, some of that stuff is kinda personal, don’t you think?
Concussions: How To Handle Hockey’s Head Cases
19/11/2008 02:29
Players often call it a 'bell-ringer.'
It's the big hit that happens after a suicide pass, or when a skater turns up ice with the puck, head down, and gets run over. Crushed. Dinged.
Whatever you call it, skating off the ice can be challenging with the disorientation, dizziness and hazy feeling that comes with getting your bell rung.
Hockey concussion specialist Dr. Karen Johnston says the course of action after one of these big hits should always be the same -- and it never involves 'shaking it off.'
"You automatically have to ask questions," she says. "The key thing is to get that player off of the ice, whether it's the game, practice, playoffs, whatever it is. You've got to get the kid out."
Even if the player claims to be feeling fine, that's it for the day, Johnston says.
"Symptoms may be much worse later that night, and even again the next day. You can't always tell on the ice at that time, so even if they just felt dazed or dinged, they come off, and I don't care how important a game it is, they do not go back that same day.
"I think adrenaline protects you from the pain and the symptoms sometimes. Often they don't manifest themselves until the next day."
The next step is going to see a doctor, something every person who may have a concussion needs to do, Johnston says. "No exception."
One of the country's leading hockey concussion specialists, she has counseled NHL stars plagued by concussions like Eric Lindros and goalie Mike Richter, who retired from the New York Rangers in 2003 on Johnston's recommendation.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
More of Part 2 of CBC Sports’ three-part series on hockey-related concussions.
Council Debate Thwarts Aldermen’s Grey Cup Plans
19/11/2008 02:28
A debate over hiking property taxes in Calgary will likely keep two aldermen from attending the Grey Cup game in Montreal this weekend.
A few Calgary aldermen usually attend the big game to shake hands and promote the city. This time it's a bigger deal, because not only are the Stampeders playing the Alouettes, but Calgary is hosting the Grey Cup next year, so the city was going to cover the costs of sending two aldermen to Montreal.
But council members started going through the proposed 2009-11 operating budget line by line Monday night in hopes of trimming some of the $7.9 billion in spending proposed — and a subsequent double-digit property tax hike.
City council has set aside the rest of the week for special meetings on the budget.
"We need to finish the budget deliberations before I go anywhere," said rookie Ald. Joe Connelly, one of the two slated for the trip.
"We will see how it goes. Obviously the budget is more important. If I miss the Grey Cup, it's not a big concern to me. I've been to the Grey Cup many times."
Ald. Ric McIver said the budget takes precedence over a football game.
"It certainly does for me, and it sounds like my colleagues who were on the list to go have made the same decision and I support that decision," he said.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Speaking of municipal budget deliberations, can’t you see exactly the same thing happening right here in St. Albert, folks? Two of St. Albert’s councillors, slated for all-expense paid junkets to the Grey Cup, putting duty first and staying home to debate the budget and keep our property taxes as low as possible? Yeah, right – dream on!
Canada’s Female Ski Jumpers Get Day In Court
19/11/2008 02:28
VANCOUVER - A date of April 20, 2009 has been set to hear a lawsuit against the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee by a group of women's ski jumpers who want to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
"We are pleased to be progressing in our lawsuit, and this allows enough time for the women's events to be added to the 2010 program," said DeeDee Corradini, a spokesperson for the women's ski jumping group.
The International Olympic Committee voted in 2006 to exclude women's ski jumping from the 2010 Games, saying the sport didn't meet the basic criteria for an Olympic event.
The lawsuit alleges that excluding women's ski jumping violates the athletes' rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It asks for women's ski jumping to be added to the 2010 Games, or, barring that, for men's ski jumping to be removed.
Vancouver Olympic organizers have said they are bound by the decision of the international committee.
The case will be heard in B.C. Supreme Court.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What next, folks?
Weir Expanding Career With Business Interests
19/11/2008 02:27
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. - Mike Weir is the first to point out that he's not getting any younger.
But when you see him deftly work his way through a room of dignitaries or hear him speak about his budding golf course design business, he doesn't exactly seem like an aging athlete on the verge of fading into oblivion. In fact, the 38-year-old looks more entrenched than ever with an evolving career that hinges on more than just his wedge game or putting stroke.
With a growing roster of interests away from the links, it might be time to start referring to the Canadian icon as both a golfer and a businessman. Even Weir admits the transition is inevitable.
"When you're pushing 40, you've got to think about what you're going to do when you're done (playing)," he said Monday. "I still feel I can play for a long time, but you've got to set yourself up and be smart."
To be clear, the lefty from Bright's Grove, Ont., hopes his health allows him to play at the highest level of pro golf for at least another 10 years. At the same time, it's hard to ignore the growing role of business in his life.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Atta boy, Mike, following in the footsteps of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will make you a multi, mutlti-millionaire for sure.
Country Star Opens Up About Relationship With Clemens
19/11/2008 02:27
NEW YORK - Country singer Mindy McCready claims she broke off her relationship with Roger Clemens when the former baseball star wouldn't marry her, according to an interview to be broadcast Monday by the syndicated show "Inside Edition."
McCready said she met Clemens when she was 16, not 15, as reported by the New York Daily News last April. She told the news magazine they met in a karaoke bar, that her relationship with the pitcher didn't turn sexual until several years later and the relationship lasted for a decade.
"Carrying on a relationship with him is not something I'm proud of," she said, according to a partial transcript released by the show. "Roger Clemens is one of the most wonderful men I've ever known. He treated me like a princess."
Clemens in May denied having an affair with a 15-year-old but didn't specifically address whether he had a romance with McCready. He issued a statement that "I have made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just another chapter in the continuing downward spiral of former Yankees’ all-star pitcher “Rocket” Roger Clemens. First there were the accusations of Clemens lying to the United States Congressional panel over alleged steroid use and now this.
New BLESS WebCam Covers Big Lake
18/11/2008 08:13
Hi Don,
The BLESS webcamera came about through greatly improved technology, from solar panels to small high quality cameras, the dedicated efforts of a small team of environmentalists, monetary support from the provincial Parks Department and siting support from the City of St Albert.
Such work will educate many people about he incredible beauty of their own locale and will provide a strong foundation for the continued protection of the Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park and the Big Lake wetlands.
Sincerely
Miles Constable
President
BLESS
SINC SAYS:
This is a great addition to our community folks, especially if you don’t have the mobility to get out there and see it in person. It really is the next best thing. Congrats to all involved in the project! For readers convenience, we've added a permanent link to the webcam in the left column under St. Albert Web Sites.
See the camera in action here.
Bits ‘N Pieces From Our Readers . . .
18/11/2008 07:58
Hi Don:
Here's an interesting little item I come across - never heard this before:
"The day after President George w. Bush was re-elected in 2004, Canada's main immigration web site had 115,000 visitors. Before Bush's re-election, this site averaged about 20,000 visitors each day.
George Proulx
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
I have no doubt there were a lot of disenchanted people in the USA that day. Many still think that election was fixed George.
Here's an interesting little item I come across - never heard this before:
"The day after President George w. Bush was re-elected in 2004, Canada's main immigration web site had 115,000 visitors. Before Bush's re-election, this site averaged about 20,000 visitors each day.
George Proulx
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
I have no doubt there were a lot of disenchanted people in the USA that day. Many still think that election was fixed George.
-----------------------------------
Don:
You'll be amused by the photo of the Alberta NDP's Brian Mason on my blog. I can vouch for it - it's the real thing. No PhotoShopping!
David J Climenhaga
St. Albert Diary
SINC SAYS:
I see it, but I don’t believe it David. I sure hope Brian didn’t pick up anything while in near contact with that dopey gal.
Don:
You'll be amused by the photo of the Alberta NDP's Brian Mason on my blog. I can vouch for it - it's the real thing. No PhotoShopping!
David J Climenhaga
St. Albert Diary
SINC SAYS:
I see it, but I don’t believe it David. I sure hope Brian didn’t pick up anything while in near contact with that dopey gal.
-----------------------------------
While not many readers took the time to vote, we do appreciate the efforts of those who did. The clear favourite was Sobey's followed by a tie for second between Real Canadian Superstore and Wal*Mart. Who knew?
POLL
RESULTS
While not many readers took the time to vote, we do appreciate the efforts of those who did. The clear favourite was Sobey's followed by a tie for second between Real Canadian Superstore and Wal*Mart. Who knew?
1963 LeMans Tempest Sells For $226,521
18/11/2008 07:55
eBay Find of the
Day: The eBay auction for this 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest started out innocently enough. Obtained after owner died. Appears to have original interior but no motor, no transmission. Body has a little rust and some dents. There's stuff in the trunk, but no key to open it. Opening bid nine days ago was a mere $500. After one week, eBay seller 123ecklin will pocket $226,521 before auction fees. What happened between Day 1 and Day 9 is an amazing story.
The car's plexiglass windows, unusual suspension setup and a dash plate bearing the name of a racetrack tipped the owner to its racing history. But what he didn't know is that the car is one of only six 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest Super Duty coupes ever made. Hemmings recently did a story on the rare cars in which they listed all ever built. This one looks to have been driven by Stan Antlocer and was the fastest drag car in 1963 before disappearing.
Reading through the questions on the auction gives us reason to believe the seller truly didn't know the car's provenance. In his answers, he seems both surprised by the car's potential value as well as overwhelmed by the attention. He turned down an offer of $160,000 to end the auction early because he feared getting negative eBay feedback. That decision paid off. With only seven minutes remaining, the highest offer was $95,000. When the virtual gavel fell, eBayer ccsi2000 had bought a very rare, if a little rusty, LeMans for $226,521.
SINC SAYS:
I guess I’m going to be forced to put my 49 Meteor on eBay. One never knows, does one?
Training A Parrot With An Attitude
18/11/2008 07:54
A young man named
John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot
had a bad attitude and an even worse
vocabulary.
Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the
bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.
Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The
parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.
Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer.
The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched
arm and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I am sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intended to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behaviour."
John was stunned at the change the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behaviour, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?
New Honeycomb Tire Is "Bulletproof"
18/11/2008 07:44
The University of
Wisconsin-Madison and a Wausau, WI company have
come up with a 37 inch, bullet and a bomb proof
Humvee tire based on a polymeric web so cool
looking there's no need for hub
caps.Resilient Technologies, LLC, and Wisconsin-Madison's Polymer Engineering Center are creating a "non-pneumatic tire", (no air required) that will support the weight of add-on armor, survive an IED attack and still make a 50 mph getaway. It's basically a round honeycomb wrapped with a thick, black tread.
The http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.htm wants an alternative to the current Humvee "run-flat" tires, which despite the name, still need a minimal amount of air pressure to roll and can leave troops stranded after being shot or blown out.
"You see reports all the time of troops who were injured by an IED or their convoys got stranded because their tires were shot out," said Resilient's general manager Mike Veih. "There's all sorts of armor on the vehicle, but if you're running in the theater and get your tire shot out, what have you got? You've got a bunch of armor in the middle of a field."
In developing the design, the Wisconsin team studied other airless tires, like the Michelin "Tweel," but in the end settled on lessons learned from nature.
The patent pending design mimics the precise, six-sided cell pattern found in a honeycomb and best duplicates the "ride feel" of pneumatic tires, according to the developers.
"The goal was to reduce the variation in the stiffness of the tire, to make it transmit loads uniformly and become more homogenous," said mechanical engineering professor Tim Osswald. "And the best design, as nature gives it to us, is really the honeycomb."
This particular geometry also does a great job of reducing noise and heat levels while rolling-two common problems with past models.
Costs per tire are expected to be same or less than current units. Delivery is anticipated for 2011.
SINC SAYS:
This might very well be the way of the future. Imagine never having a flat tire. Once again St. Albert’s Place brings you stories you won’t find in conventional media.
The Fear Of Being Soft – Playing Through Concussions
18/11/2008 07:37
Brad Marsh remembers nothing about that Thanksgiving tournament. His only knowledge comes from stories he's been told.
He was 13 and it was the first game of the holiday weekend for the peewee AA Mississauga Terriers. The season was weeks old.
A physical player, Marsh came across the blueline, ready to lay a hit on the puck carrier. At the last second, Marsh's target panicked and put his stick up for protection.
Marsh got the worst of it.
The crashing noise resonated through the rink as the stick struck his helmet. He fell to the ice, unconscious.
"It left a dent in my helmet," says Marsh, now 22. "I had no idea where I was when I woke up. I kept repeating myself, and my mom was really worried. I was so confused -- I just didn't know what happened.
"That was the only time I ever had memory loss. To this day, I don't remember a thing."
It was Marsh's fifth hockey concussion, and it was his worst.
His parents took him to the hospital and a week later they visited a concussion specialist. Marsh remembers this conversation like it was yesterday. The doctor sat him down and told him five concussions was too many for a 13-year-old. His parents agreed.
Marsh's career in body-contact hockey was over.
"That was really, really tough," he says. "I wanted to play no matter what. I said, 'I don't care what happens, I want to play.'
"It's so hard to accept and it's upsetting at that age, when you've been playing hockey every day of the week, and suddenly you're told you can't play anymore. I felt like it was cutting off three-quarters of my life."
Karen Johnston has been the doctor on the other end of those conversations. One of the leading hockey concussion specialists in North America, Johnston has treated NHL players like Eric Lindros and Mike Richter, who were plagued by concussions during their professional careers.
Richter retired from the New York Rangers in 2003 on Johnston's recommendation.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is exactly why Calgary Stampeders’ quarterback Dave Dickenson should retire. Just ask Matt Dunigan, Dave. The CBC program “The Fifth Estate” is airing a documentary on this subject tomorrow (Wednesday) evening. I noted one of the participants is former Edmonton Eskimos’ all-star middle linebacker Danny Ray Kepley.
For more on this three-part series, click here.
Calvillo And Burris Set To Face-Off In Grey Cup
18/11/2008 07:37
The quarterback position is the most important one in the CFL, so it's no coincidence that Montreal's Anthony Calvillo and Calgary's Henry Burris are Grey Cup-bound.
Calvillo and Burris, the East and West Most Outstanding Player nominees respectively, will meet on Sunday at Olympic Stadium for the 96th edition of the Grey Cup (coverage begins at 3pm et/Noon pt on TSN and TSN HD). The Alouettes will be seeking their sixth Cup victory in 16 trips to the championship game.
"It's a huge week for us," Calvillo told the Montreal Gazette. "I want to go out with a bang. It's going to be an emotional week, with people wondering whether we can win at home."
Calvillo led the league with 43 touchdown passes during the regular season, the highest total of his career and the fifth-highest in CFL history. He threw a total 5,633 yards despite sitting out the season finale against the Eskimos.
The 36-year-old was held to only one touchdown in Saturday's East Final against the Eskimos, but he still completed 20 of 32 passes for 295 yards in the win.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Look for Calvillo to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player for 2008 on Friday evening in Montreal, with Burris as runner-up. Also, look for the Als to beat the Stamps on Sunday to capture the 96th Grey Cup. Catch all of the action of the big game starting at 4:00 p.m. local time Sunday on TSN and TSN-HD.
Laval, Western To Meet In Vanier Cup
18/11/2008 07:36
Le Rouge et Or administered a frightful beating on Sunday, advancing to the Vanier Cup final after a 59-10 rout of the University of Calgary Dinosaurs.
No. 1 Laval (11-0) led by two touchdowns within five minutes of the Uteck Bowl kickoff and was never threatened in front of an ecstatic crowd at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City.
Le Rouge et Or will meet No. 3 Western Ontario (10-1) in the Vanier Cup on Saturday at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton where it will be looking for its fourth Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship in six years and fifth overall.
Western defeated the Saint Mary's Huskies 28-12 in the Mitchell Bowl on Sunday evening. The Mustangs will be looking for a record seventh Vanier Cup, but the first since Larry Haylor's 1994 squad took the championship.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
After last year’s win by the University of Manitoba Bisons, and SWIVEL HIPS’ second-cousin who was a starting slotback, it’s unfortunate, once again, to see two eastern teams fighting for the Vanier Cup, symbolic of Canadian College football supremacy.
Catania Scores By Dropping Shorts To Screen Goalie
18/11/2008 07:36
ROME - Serie A side Catania has come up with a creative way to score from a free kick: block the goalkeeper's vision by having players drop their shorts down in a wall.
The Sicilian team carried out the manoeuvre to perfection when Giuseppe Mascara scored in Sunday's 3-2 win over Torino.
Three Catania players dropped their shorts down near their knees so Torino goalkeeper Matteo Sereni couldn't see Mascara's kick.
"This is a strategy that (Catania coach Walter) Zenga tries continually in training," the club's chief executive Pietro Lo Monaco told RAI state radio Monday.
Former referees co-ordinator Paolo Casarin called the move "unsportsmanlike and in bad taste.
"It's a trick that should not be tolerated anymore by the referees," Casarin said.
Lo Monaco responded, "A trick? I wouldn't say so. It's up to the referee to decide if it should be penalized, otherwise I don't see where the problem is....Good taste is relative."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Talk about an “ass -” inine way to win!
Annika Back To World No. 2
18/11/2008 07:35
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Annika Sorenstam moved back to No. 2 in the world rankings after tying for second place behind Angela Stanford at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday.
Sorenstam moved up one position this week, bumping Yani Tseng to No. 3 and pulling into the second spot behind the top-ranked Ochoa. All three will play in the season-ending ADT Championship this week, when Sorenstam will make her final appearance on the LPGA Tour ahead of her scheduled retirement at the end of the year.
Paula Creamer moved up a spot to No. 4 in the rankings, kicking Suzann Pettersen down to fifth, while Ji-Yai Shin, Cristie Kerr and Helen Alfredsson remained sixth through eighth.
Stanford was up two places to No. 9 following her second win of the season, a move that dropped Karrie Webb to 10th and knocked Seon-Hwa Lee out of the top 10.
Jeong Jang, Yuri Fudoh, Maria Hjorth, Jee Young Lee, Momoko Ueda, Hee-Won Han, Morgan Pressel, Eun-Hee Ji and Inbee Park rounded out the top 20.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just a hunch, but don’t be surprised if Annika doesn’t hang them up after this year as she said she’s going to do. She’s having too much fun, she’s too competitive and she’s playing far too well to retire right now.
Federal Liberals Bicker Over Forum Rules
17/11/2008 04:55
Bob Rae boycotts
closed-door
sessionFederal Liberal leadership contender Bob Rae made good on his threat to boycott the party's first all-candidates' forum on Sunday after learning it would not be open to the media or the public.
Rae put in an appearance at a hotel in Mississauga, Ont., where the meeting was taking place, but denounced the closed-door policy and refused to take part.
"If we're going to have a successful renewal of a political party, it has to include the public and it has to include the media," he told reporters who had gathered at the hotel. "We can't have a discussion that doesn't include the media. It's just not possible."
"You can't have a townhall without the town," he added.
Rae said he and MP Dominic LeBlanc, another leadership candidate, were willing to open the event to journalists, but that handlers of their rival, Michael Ignatieff, balked at the idea.
"I think sometimes in any party's life there's a time for a family gathering and then there's a time for public gatherings. Today's family, it was agreed a couple of weeks ago, and I agreed to those rules," Ignatieff told reporters.
The debate went ahead without Rae, prompting LeBlanc to level his own dose of criticism.
"I've always thought that this event should be open to the media. We have nothing to hide and a lot to offer to Canadians, so I regret that Mr. Ignatieff has decided to try and keep it closed to the media, but I also think that Bob Rae was wrong to boycott the event," LeBlanc said.
Scary details here.
SINC SAYS:
The Scary Face Of Michael Ignatieff . . .
Remember this face folks. And be afraid. Be very afraid. Any candidate that forces a party to hold debates with the doors locked to not only the media, but to the public as well is to be feared.
If some of you thought Stephan Harper was scary, think again. These are the actions of a control freak in the extreme and not a potential opposition leader or PM.
You have to wonder why a guy who spent most of his adult life outside this country would want to come back and lord it over fellow Canadians. And remember too that this is the guy who would have had us fully engaged in the Iraq war with the US if he had his way back then.
It is not often that I genuinely fear a politician, but I will make an exception in Ignatieff’s case. I think this man would be a detriment to our country if he ever gained any kind of power.
That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.
Council To Reconsider Altalink Power Line Move
17/11/2008 04:49
Will they or won’t
they?
No one knows for
sure but the stigma of all the bad press they
have generated about themselves, all by
themselves, might just prod this bunch of
dodge ball artists to actually step up to the
plate and do something at tonight’s council
meeting.
I refer of course to the Altalink power line funding to move the alignment.
Council sidestepped the issue last time around, much to their own embarrassment. Trying to pass the buck, and the expense, backfired.
Have they learned anything folks? Today’s meeting will tell the tale. This time, perhaps they will do the right thing and approve the funding.
Here is the link to the agenda item with all the details.
I refer of course to the Altalink power line funding to move the alignment.
Council sidestepped the issue last time around, much to their own embarrassment. Trying to pass the buck, and the expense, backfired.
Have they learned anything folks? Today’s meeting will tell the tale. This time, perhaps they will do the right thing and approve the funding.
Here is the link to the agenda item with all the details.
This carcass of a Great Blue Heron was recently found under the Altalink High Power Line in the wetlands north of the Sturgeon recently, across from the BLESS observation platform. It obviously had recently been killed. Remnants of several other birds were also found. - Reader supplied photo.
10 Tips To Spot A Fake Rolex
17/11/2008 04:45
Used Rolex watches
are big business for unsavory sellers. What’s
real and what’s fake? That’s what buyers need
to know.
"The question is
simple but the answer is seldom easy," says
Avi Dayan, an international expert on used
Rolex watches.
"Trickery and deceit is the hallmark of those who peddle phony Rolex watches." The finest Rolex detectives 'know the devil is in the details,' says Dayan. "When the pros inspect a watch their attention is always focused on the little things most people would never notice."
10 tips that tell a real Rolex from a fake
1. They have never manufactured a watch with a see-through case. If you see a glass-back case on a watch, move on. You’re not looking at a Rolex.
2. Rolex has never fabricated a case or a band with even the smallest amount of rubber. You know it’s a fake if you feel rubber.
3. Skeleton dials display the moving parts of a timepiece. They have never made a skeleton dial.
4. Oyster Perpetual watches always have a screwed-back case – never a pop-up.
5. Oysters are fabricated of steel, gold or platinum. Chrome or chrome-plate is never used.
6. Only men’s full-size watches have day and date features.
7. The case of a President is platinum, 18-karat yellow or white gold – never steel or two-tone stainless and gold.
8. Rolex watches are not gold-plated – ever. When it comes to gold, a Rolex is either 14 or 18-karat gold.
9. Surprise, surprise. Rolex does indeed, make a quartz movement watch — the perpetual Oyster. But, be careful before you buy. Quartz movement comprise fewer than 10% of all Perpetual Oysters. The other 90% are conventional automatic Rolex movements.
10. They are a Swiss company that has in years past manufactured watches in various other countries including the U.S, Mexico, Italy and Venezuela – but never China. A “Chinese-made Rolex” is a genuine fake.
Avi Dayan has owned San Francisco-based A&E Watches for more than 16 years.
Also, check out things that you can do to protect yourself:
1. Never buy a watch on the street.
2. Never buy used Rolex watches from an Internet dealer – unless he also operates a brick and mortar store situated in a secure, respectable location.
3. A customer always should always have the option to visit the proprietor’s store and personally inspect a watch. A used Rolex, like a new one, should always come with a warranty.
4. Never buy Rolex watches in the Far East or Turkey, even if the dealer has a storefront presence.
SINC SAYS:
Don’t look too closely at mine, OK?
"Trickery and deceit is the hallmark of those who peddle phony Rolex watches." The finest Rolex detectives 'know the devil is in the details,' says Dayan. "When the pros inspect a watch their attention is always focused on the little things most people would never notice."
10 tips that tell a real Rolex from a fake
1. They have never manufactured a watch with a see-through case. If you see a glass-back case on a watch, move on. You’re not looking at a Rolex.
2. Rolex has never fabricated a case or a band with even the smallest amount of rubber. You know it’s a fake if you feel rubber.
3. Skeleton dials display the moving parts of a timepiece. They have never made a skeleton dial.
4. Oyster Perpetual watches always have a screwed-back case – never a pop-up.
5. Oysters are fabricated of steel, gold or platinum. Chrome or chrome-plate is never used.
6. Only men’s full-size watches have day and date features.
7. The case of a President is platinum, 18-karat yellow or white gold – never steel or two-tone stainless and gold.
8. Rolex watches are not gold-plated – ever. When it comes to gold, a Rolex is either 14 or 18-karat gold.
9. Surprise, surprise. Rolex does indeed, make a quartz movement watch — the perpetual Oyster. But, be careful before you buy. Quartz movement comprise fewer than 10% of all Perpetual Oysters. The other 90% are conventional automatic Rolex movements.
10. They are a Swiss company that has in years past manufactured watches in various other countries including the U.S, Mexico, Italy and Venezuela – but never China. A “Chinese-made Rolex” is a genuine fake.
Avi Dayan has owned San Francisco-based A&E Watches for more than 16 years.
Also, check out things that you can do to protect yourself:
1. Never buy a watch on the street.
2. Never buy used Rolex watches from an Internet dealer – unless he also operates a brick and mortar store situated in a secure, respectable location.
3. A customer always should always have the option to visit the proprietor’s store and personally inspect a watch. A used Rolex, like a new one, should always come with a warranty.
4. Never buy Rolex watches in the Far East or Turkey, even if the dealer has a storefront presence.
SINC SAYS:
Don’t look too closely at mine, OK?
Neighbors Angry Over 'Monster' Toyota Sign
17/11/2008 04:24
PORTSMOUTH — When the
sun goes down, Philip Geraci said his home
lights up.
Directly across from Geraci's home at 237 Hillside Drive — on the other side of the Route 1 Bypass — is Toyota of Portsmouth, which is currently undergoing a massive renovation project after being held up in court for two years. Part of the new-look dealership is a 37-foot-tall, 58-foot-wide "portal" or "sign " — depending on whom you're talking to — with the Toyota insignia near the top of it.
"It's approximately the size of the left field wall at Fenway Park," said Geraci. "Only this monster glows in the dark."
Geraci and neighbor Jill Tapscott told the City Council the sign illuminates the inside and outside of their homes.
"I feel as though it affects my quality of life as well as my property value," said Tapscott. "In order to escape the lighting of that huge sign, I need to draw the blinds and shades all the time once darkness hits."
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
When will man learn that we have so much light pollution it isn’t even funny? Take a drive far out into the country any night and see what you are missing in the night sky. And that folks, is very sad.
Howard Wins Third Consecutive Masters Of Curling
17/11/2008 04:17
Skip Glen Howard hit a successful runback with last rock in the ninth end for his third consecutive Masters of Curling championship on Sunday in Waterloo, Ont.
Howard prevailed 4-3 over Edmonton's Kevin Koe in the first of the four Grand Slam events for the season.
"It was a great game," Howard told CBC Sports. "A couple of ends went back and forth, I know we were scoring ones along the way, but man, there was all kinds of shots made.
"Kudos to my guys, they make a ton of shots in front of me, and fortunately I made the last one."
The Coldwater, Ont., native has now won three straight Grand Slams dating back to last year and six overall. His teammates are Rich Hart, Brent Laing and Craig Savill.
The team has won all five events they've entered to begin this season.
"Pinch me I'm dreaming, I just can't quite believe it's going on," said Howard. "But again, the guys are making so many shots. It's so much fun and I'm going to ride this wave and hopefully keep [it] going."
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
That’s quite a start to the curling season for Team Glenn Howard, eh, folks – winning the first five events they’ve entered? What’s that in prize money – approximately $100,000.00, so far?
Virtual Personal Trainer – Interactive Fitness Program
17/11/2008 04:17
A new trend in video games that is gaining weight -- and could help you lose some -- is the virtual personal trainer.
The latest entry, due in stores in March, is EA Sports Active for the Nintendo Wii video game system. From the makers of Madden NFL Football and Tiger Woods PGA Tour video games, the interactive fitness program is being developed with the help of Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer, Bob Greene, and other experts.
Home fitness fits well with the Wii-owning crowd, which has grown to more than 12.5 million, according to the NPD Group. Nintendo's own Wii Fit program, released in May with a balance board and a virtual trainer that helps players with yoga, aerobics and muscle toning, is a top-seller with more than 2.3 million sold.
"Lifestyle sports is becoming more and more important to that Wii consumer," says EA Sports president Peter Moore. "It's great for people who can't get out to a gym or don't feel quite comfortable going to a gym."
More from redorbit.com
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What next, folks?
Baseball, Golf Make Pitch For 2016 Olympics
17/11/2008 04:16
Baseball made its pitch for reinstatement in the Olympics in Geneva on Friday, one the seven sports fighting for two spots on the program for the 2016 Summer Games.
A team of six, led by International Baseball Federation president Harvey Schiller and featuring Detroit Tigers centre-fielder Curtis Granderson, spent an hour putting their case to an IOC panel.
Schiller said the one-hour presentation to the program commission at the International Olympic Committee headquarters went well.
"I thought everybody was smiling," said Schiller, a former Turner Sports and New York Yankees executive.
Softball, golf, karate, rugby, roller sports and squash also made hour-long, closed-door presentations to the IOC program commission.
The 16-member panel will deliver an influential report to the IOC's top decision-making body before a vote next year in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Schiller said the baseball delegation was asked if it could deliver major league players to a 16-team Olympic tournament in August 2016.
"We're committed to bringing the best players ever to the Olympic baseball tournament," he said. "We talked about our advances in drug testing. We have an agreement with the professional leagues in terms of out-of-competition testing for the events we sanction."
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It was nice to see this process occur. SWIVEL HIPS has said for a long time now that what is or what is not an Olympic sport needed to be thoroughly reviewed, and it looks like that is exactly what is happening.
Burke, Leafs Talk – Lawyer To Lawyer
17/11/2008 04:15
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Brian Burke have made contact.
According to sources, lawyer Gord Kirke, who is heading up the Leafs' search for a new general manager, and Burke's Vancouver-based lawyer Peter Gall had a conversation Friday.
Burke's camp wanted the Leafs to know for sure that the Anaheim Ducks filed the paper work to allow teams to negotiate with him, while the Leafs apparently let Gall know nothing would happen until Leafs brass met to the determine next steps, if any.
But while there was a brief conversation, there have been no contract discussions.
There was speculation that the Leafs board of directors had called a meeting for Tuesday morning, but that has been denied. Needless to say, there will be a meeting sooner than later to prepare for talks with Burke.
Burke told CBCSports.ca earlier Saturday that no other teams have contacted him, or his lawyer.
Rumours that he was headed to Vancouver for the Leafs-Canucks game are false.
Burke is heading to Vancouver on Tuesday to accompany his wife, Jennifer, who has some work to complete. He was also contemplating a hunting trip.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
As I have said many times before, folks, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brian Burke deserve each other!
Judge Rejects Request For Trial Delay
17/11/2008 04:15
MIAMI - A U.S. federal judge in Miami has rejected requests to delay the tax evasion trial of IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves.
U.S. District Judge Donald Graham on Friday said the March 2 trial date will stand. Lawyers for Castroneves and Penske Racing Inc. had sought a delay until November to ensure he could drive in the 2009 IndyCar Series that runs April to October.
Lawyers for team owner Roger Penske had indicated that if the trial date was not changed, then Castroneves would likely have to be replaced for fear that he would not be able to fulfill his contractual obligations to the team. Attorney's for the Brazilian said it would be "catastrophic" to his career if Castroneves were to lose his job.
Castroneves has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion involving about $5.5 million in income stashed in offshore accounts.
His sister and business manager, along with his attorney, are also charged in the case.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s beginning to look more and more difficult to “dance” your way out of this one, Helio.
The Photography Of Al Popil . . .
16/11/2008 06:52
Hi Don,
Now I know why the soccer fields on Riel are so green in summer.
Seems as a thousand or so use the field.
Enjoy.
Al Popil
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Thanks for the shots Al. I know our readers look forward to your work and it's not hard to tell why.
Cologne Brothel Offers Tattoo Discount
16/11/2008 06:49
About 40 men have
agreed to a Cologne brothel owner’s offer of
lifelong free entry in exchange for getting
tattoos of the establishment logo on their
arms, daily Express reported on
Friday.Armin Lobscheid, the manager at one of the city's most famous brothels "Pascha," told the paper he didn’t think anyone would take him up on the offer he put up in the hallway of the 11-story hotel and club that offers a money back guarantee for a myriad of services. But Express reported he "learned his lesson" on Wednesday about how far a thrifty john is willing to go.
Dozens of men formed a line that night for their "Pascha" tattoo.
One die-hard customer, 46-year-old Herbert Manske, told the paper he didn’t hesitate long to get the six large blue letters tattooed on his arm. "My wife doesn’t mind. I save five euros entry, plus the thirty euro cost of a lap dance," he said. "And apart from that I get free drinks all night and can look at all the pretty girls. She knows that me and my friends go once a month to party in the Pascha.”
Karl-Heinz Daheim, 46, and Peter Schneider, 63, also opted to go for the money-saving deal at the Puff, the German word for brothel.
"You have to do something crazy in life at least once," Daheim told the paper.
Kerry, the tattoo artist in the deal has some "long nights ahead," the paper reported. He needs 90 minutes for each session.
SINC SAYS:
So, lemme get this straight. Some of thses guys are in their 60s, they go to see hookers once a month, and their wives don’t mind since the tatoo saves them money. That wouldn’t fly in local homes, would it?
Things That WD-40 Will Do For You
16/11/2008 06:42
Water Displacement
#40. The product began from a search for a rust
preventative solvent and degreaser to protect
missil e parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by
three technicians at the San Diego Rocket
Chemical Company. Its name comes from the
project that was to find a ' water
displacement' compound. They were successful
with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.
The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to
protect their Atlas missile parts.
When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It is a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... It is now shinier than it has ever been before.
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that ..just-waxed.. sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of waterspots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat awa y the finish on your car. Removed quickly, with WD-40!
20) Gives a childrens play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift on lawn mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain .
37) Floridas favorite use 'Cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38) Protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time.
40) Fire ant bites . It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) If you've washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you spray WD-40 on the distributor cap, it will displace the moisture and allow the car to start. I keep a can of WD-40 in my kitchen cabinet over the stove. It is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring
SINC SAYS:
Who knew?
Solar at Sea: Chinese Cargo Ships Will Have Solar Sails
16/11/2008 06:39
The Australian
company, Solar Sailor, has signed a deal with
the largest Chinese shipping line COSCO to
outfit their tankers with large solar-powered
sails controlled by a computer that angles them
for maximum wind and solar efficiency and the
company claims that the sails will pay for
themselves within four
years.The sails are 30 meters long, covered with solar PV panels that will provide 5 percent of the ships' electricity and will harness enough wind to reduce fuel costs by 20 to 40 percent.
The shipping and air travel industries have been the hardest to conform to new energy efficiency demands. Planes and tankers require huge quantities of fuel, but our global economy depends on both of them to survive, so they've been difficult industries to regulate. Even the latest environmental standards set by the EU included gimmes for shipping and airline companies.
It seems as though China is slowly but aggressively moving into a position of leadership in the transition to a global green economy.
SINC SAYS:
St. Albert’s Place, bringing you stories you wouldn’t read anywhere else.
Your Sunday Laugh . . .
16/11/2008 06:36
An Italian, a
Scotsman and a Chinese man, are hired at a
Construction site. The foreman points out a
huge pile of sand.
He says to the Italian guy, "You're in charge of sweeping."
To the Scotsman he says, "You're in charge of shoveling."
And to the Chinese guy, "You're in charge of supplies."
He then says, "Now, I have to leave for a little while. "I expect you men to make a dent in that pile of sand."
So when the foreman returns after being away for a couple of hours the pile of sand is untouched.
He asks the Italian, "Why didn't you sweep any of it?" The Italian replies, "I no hava no broom. You saida to the Chinesea fella that he a wasa ina charge of supplies, but he hasa disappeared and I no coulda finda him nowhere."
Then the foreman turns to the Scotsman and says "And you, I thought I told you to shovel this pile." The Scotsman replies, "Aye, that ye did laddie, boot ah could nae get meself a shoovel. Ye left th' Chinese gadgie in chairge of supplies, boot ah couldna fin' him neither."
The foreman is really angry now. He storms off toward the pile of sand to look for the Chinese gent.
Just then, the Chinese man leaps out from behind the pile of sand and yells, "SUPPLIES!"
Inmate Escapes German Jail In Box
16/11/2008 01:09
The inmate hid in a
cardboard box and was taken out of the prison
by courier
A manhunt is under way in western Germany for a convicted drug dealer who escaped by mailing himself out of jail.
The 42-year-old Turkish citizen - who was serving a seven-year sentence - had been making stationery with other prisoners destined for the shops.
At the end of his shift, the inmate climbed into a cardboard box and was taken out of prison by express courier. His whereabouts are still unknown.
The chief warden of the jail told the BBC this was an embarrassing incident.
The prison authorities in Willich, near Duesseldorf, said the man, who was tall and broad-shouldered, had hidden in a box that was about 150cm by 120cm.
When the weekly express courier arrived to pick up several boxes of merchandise, the one containing the prisoner was also loaded into the back of the lorry.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
You mean to tell me that a courier driver wouldn’t notice the weight, never mind that it must have taken two to lift the box? Something is fishy here.
Stamps To Face Als In Grey Cup
16/11/2008 00:59
The Calgary Stampeders are Grey Cup-bound for the first time in seven years.
Calgary's bend-but-not-break defence limited B.C. to six field goals en route to earning a 22-18 win over the visiting Lions on Saturday evening in the CFL's West Division final.
Calgary advances to next Sunday's Grey Cup in Montreal, where they face the daunting task of taking on the hometown Alouettes.
The Als defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 36-26 in the East Final on Saturday afternoon.
Calgary last won the Grey Cup in 2001 in Montreal.
A finalist for this year's most outstanding player award, Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris completed 17-of-27 passes for 236 yards with one interception. He also ran the ball in for a touchdown.
The star of the game was Calgary defensive end Mike Labinjo, who recorded two sacks, forced a fumble and made two consecutive tackles to prevent a B.C. touchdown early in the second half.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Look for the Als to win a ring-a-ding-dong-dandy on Sunday at home in Montreal.
Sage Advice For Oilers Dismantled Kid Line
16/11/2008 00:58
Former NHLer Dave Gagner weighs in on struggles of son, Cogliano, Nilsson
As Edmonton Oilers fans anxiously await the return of the "real" Sam Gagner, his father, Dave, sits two time zones away in his London, Ont., home confident that better days are ahead for the promising forward.
The elder Gagner knows all about scoring slumps, having been through them "a hundred times" in the 1980s and '90s during his National Hockey League playing career.
"I don't think there's a player that's ever gone through stretches where things didn't go the way they wanted," Dave Gagner told CBCSports.ca. "As long as [Sam] continues to play the right way, things will eventually turn for him. I think he's handling it fairly well."
Through Nov. 13, young Sam had two assists and one goal in 16 games this season after finishing fifth in rookie scoring last year with 49 points as an 18-year-old.
His father didn't establish himself in the league until he was 23, splitting three of his first four seasons with the American Hockey League's New Haven Nighthawks and the NHL's New York Rangers, who drafted Dave 12th overall in 1983.
"I was a first-round pick of the New York Rangers and never panned out for them, so I felt like I had failed," said Dave, now the Vancouver Canucks' director of player development. "I ended up getting traded [to Minnesota] after I got passed in the waiver draft by everybody, and the next year, I scored 35 goals."
However, without the support from then-Nighthawks head coach Robbie Ftorek, he might not have spent the next 12 years in the NHL with four other teams and racked up 318 goals and 719 points in 946 games.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hopefully, the “kids” can shake off the sophomore jinx and raise the levels of each their games back to where they were last year, or higher. At some point this season, I’d like to see the “kid line” reunited.
Grassie’s Manitoba Rink Wins Canadian Mixed
16/11/2008 00:58
IQALUIT, Nunavut - Manitoba's Sean Grassie won the Canadian mixed curling championship on Saturday by defeating Ontario's Wayne Tuck 6-4.
Down 4-3 in the sixth end, Grassie scored once in the sixth, seventh and eighth to complete the comeback victory.
Manitoba finishes with an overall record of 11-1 at the tournament, which was staged in the territory of Nunavut for the first time.
It's the eighth mixed title for Manitoba - first since 1991 - since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto. Alberta leads all provinces with nine wins, while Saskatchewan also has eight victories.
It's also the first Canadian mixed title for Grassie, lead Kendra Green, second Ross Derksen and third Alli Nimik, who represent the Deer Lodge Curling Club.
Derksen is a former Canadian and world junior champion, having played third for David Hamblin in 2002.
Two players from the winning team will now represent Canada at the 2009 world mixed doubles championship, April 17-25, 2009 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congratulations to Sean Grassie and his rink from the Deer Lodge Curling Club in Winnipeg.
Dickenson’s Playing Days Likely Over
16/11/2008 00:57
While the focus is on the field for this weekend's Division Finals, it appears Dave Dickenson is walking quietly into the sunset.
According to the Calgary Sun, the Stampeders quarterback has decided he has played his last game after missing half the season with yet another concussion.
"I don't see it happening," Dickenson told the Sun. "If I can't play this year, then I can't see myself (coming back)."
Dickenson suffered the fourth concussion of his career on Labour Day and was eligible to come off the 9-game injured list for the playoffs. However, team officials told the veteran signal-caller he wouldn't be cleared medically to rejoin the Stampeders for the playoffs.
"I was hoping," Dickenson told the Sun about possibly returning for the post-season. "We talked about it, but I couldn't get clearance. I couldn't get the doctor to get on board. If the training staff and the doctor decide it's not a good idea, we could really never go past that."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is definitely the right decision by Dave Dickenson, folks. Ask Matt Dunigan. One more hit and Dickenson risks his brain ending up like scrambled eggs.
Heart Transplant Patient Compton Misses PGA Card
16/11/2008 00:57
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Erik Compton, playing six months after a second heart transplant, failed to advance by one shot in the second stage of PGA Tour qualifying after he closed with a 1-over 73 on Saturday.
Compton was tied for 13th going into the final round at Southern Hills Plantation Club, but had two bogeys in the opening three holes and never quite caught up. He was even at the turn, but bogeyed the 15th and finished with three pars for a 6-under 282 to tie for 22nd.
Jon Mills of Oshawa, Ont., had a luckier day than Compton. Mills shot 2-under 70 to tie for 15th and move on.
Only the top 20 and ties advance to the final stage of Q-school next month in California.
More from ESPN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Not one, but two heart transplant operations. What a story this would have been for Compton.