19 October 2008
Police Chief Rebukes Thomas For Involving Daughter
25/10/2008 20:52
NEW YORK - A suburban police chief likened the conflicting accounts of an accidental overdose at Isiah Thomas's home to a ''cover-up'' and rebuked the former New York Knicks coach Saturday for saying it was his teenage daughter who required treatment.
"It wasn't his daughter," Harrison Police Chief David Hall told The Associated Press. "And why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand."
Authorities were called early Friday to Thomas's Westchester County home, where police said a 47-year-old man was taken to the hospital and treated for an overdose of sleeping pills. Several media outlets reported that police confirmed it was Thomas who went to the hospital.
But reached on his cell phone Friday, the 47-year-old Thomas told the New York Post he had not been treated for a sleeping pill overdose, and that it was 17-year-old daughter Lauren who had a medical issue.
"(It) wasn't an overdose," he told the newspaper. "My daughter is very down right now. None of us are OK."
Hall forcefully refuted Thomas's statement.
"My cops ... know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female," Hall said. "These people should learn something from Richard Nixon - it's not the crime, it's the cover-up."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It would appear that Mr. Isiah Thomas has more than one problem, folks.
Bits And Pieces . . .
25/10/2008 09:35
Lottery Woes . .
.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you before, but another lottery is in big trouble. The folks that run the fund raiser in support of the Misericordia hospital, Edmonton’s oldest home lottery has sold just half the tickets with the draw date nearly upon them. How many times do lotteries have to be told they have reached a saturation point in the marketplace? Blame the Edmonton Oilers lottery who nearly faltered last year as a big part of the cause of the trouble. And oh yeah, lotteries might just want to consider the tough economic times too. Those $100 tickets are just too damn expensive.
Food Bank Usage Up Sharply . . .
Usually reliable sources tell St. Albert’s Place that the St. Albert Food Bank has seen a sharp upturn in the amount of local people in need of the service. It’s hard to believe in a community so rich that council can raise taxes a mere 27% over the next three years that this can be possible, isn’t it? In reality, which is out of council’s concept, economic times are likely the culprit here.
Ignoring The Taxpayer . . .
I find it astonishing that after Elke Blodgett ran an open letter here which ran in at least one local paper asking questions of all members of council and the city manager, that only one councillor chose to respond. When city officials at nearly every level refuse to even answer a series of questions from a concerned local resident it could be construed as contempt for local citizens, could it not? Shame on all of them for ignoring simple questions intentionally.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you before, but another lottery is in big trouble. The folks that run the fund raiser in support of the Misericordia hospital, Edmonton’s oldest home lottery has sold just half the tickets with the draw date nearly upon them. How many times do lotteries have to be told they have reached a saturation point in the marketplace? Blame the Edmonton Oilers lottery who nearly faltered last year as a big part of the cause of the trouble. And oh yeah, lotteries might just want to consider the tough economic times too. Those $100 tickets are just too damn expensive.
Food Bank Usage Up Sharply . . .
Usually reliable sources tell St. Albert’s Place that the St. Albert Food Bank has seen a sharp upturn in the amount of local people in need of the service. It’s hard to believe in a community so rich that council can raise taxes a mere 27% over the next three years that this can be possible, isn’t it? In reality, which is out of council’s concept, economic times are likely the culprit here.
Ignoring The Taxpayer . . .
I find it astonishing that after Elke Blodgett ran an open letter here which ran in at least one local paper asking questions of all members of council and the city manager, that only one councillor chose to respond. When city officials at nearly every level refuse to even answer a series of questions from a concerned local resident it could be construed as contempt for local citizens, could it not? Shame on all of them for ignoring simple questions intentionally.
The Kid In All Of Us Loves Halloween . . .
25/10/2008 08:15
Cambridge Takes Aim At Kid's Hockey Nets
25/10/2008 08:10
CAMBRIDGE - It
almost sounds un-Canadian.
Cambridge city council is ready to ban hockey nets from being left along sidewalks in front of homes.
Portable basketball nets and skateboard ramps would also be banned under a new city boulevard bylaw.
Look at any subdivision today and sports equipment is everywhere, said Coun. Rick Cowsill.
“My goodness, they’re all over the place because the kids don’t have the recreational facilities in their neighbhourhoods.”
Read about another wayward council here.
SINC SAYS:
Nice to know we’re not alone. Yet another city council with “social engineering” in mind when it comes to by-laws.
An Examination Of The Work Environment
25/10/2008 08:08
Every office has one of these:
Click on picture to see larger image.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John
25/10/2008 08:07
Directed by Taggart
Siegel
USA, 2007, 82 min.
DATE/TIME: Monday, Oct. 27 @ 9pm ~ one night only ~
LOCATION: Metro Cinema, 9828-101A Avenue (Zeidler Hall, Citadel Theatre)
ADMISSION: $8 General Admission. Free to Farmers!
VIEW TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqP1SC5Tr7U&eurl
Film Synopsis:
The Real Dirt on Farmer John will turn every idea you ever had about what it means to be an American farmer, or an American dreamer, on its head. Meet Farmer John, the incredible human being whose inspirational story of revolutionizing his family farm and redeeming his own life has won accolades and awards at film festivals around the world.
Director Taggart Siegel of Collective Eye made the film in a most unusual way—shooting farmer John Peterson over 25-years of their evolving friendship, and using multiple media, from 8 mm home movies to modern video—allowing him to capture his alternately humorous, heartbreaking and spirited life with raw drama and intimacy.
With the death of his father during the late 60s, a teenaged John takes over the traditional family farm, slowly turning it into an experiment of art and agriculture, making it a haven for hippies, radicals and artists. The Real Dirt on Farmer John charts the end of this idealistic era as the farm debt crisis of the 80’s brings about the tragic collapse of the farm.
As the intricate weave of rural America unravels, vicious local rumors turn John into a scapegoat, condemning him as a Satan-worshipping drug-dealer. Threatened with murder, his home burned to the ground, John forsakes his farm and wanders through Mexico, where he is transformed by the soulfulness and pageantry of this ancient land. Mysteriously, his quest leads him back to his hostile homeland.
Defying all odds, he gradually transforms his land into a revolutionary farming community, a cultural mecca, where people work and flourish providing fresh vegetables and herbs to thousands of people every week.
The Peterson family farm has become Angelic Organics, one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the United States, a beacon of today’s booming organic farming movement.
Accolades:
“This is a loving, moving, inspiring quirky documentary." – Roger Ebert
“…one man's extraordinary life as a gateway to a larger history of tragedy and transition. It's an unflinching account of what farming takes—and, more important, what it gives back…” - Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times
An extraordinarily personal and invigorating saga of one man’s reclamation of traditional American ideals… this symbiotic artistry is surely one of the greatest films ever made about America’s farming traditions.” - Jeff Shannon, The Seattle Times
“What a blessing this film is, for everyone who’s chosen the road less taken, and even perhaps for anyone who’s stood in their way.” - Jan Stuart, NewsDay.com
“Beautifully shot. Heartbreakingly sad. Funny as sh!t. A+” - Portland Mercury, Oregon
“Inspiring....outstanding documentary... an intimacy unimaginable in most nonfiction films. “ - Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
[One of the Top Ten films of the Year]. Funny, heart-stirring and hopeful...[No other documentary] has been so convincing in making the grass roots of our frequently divided country and culture seem so unifying and precious.” - Shawn Levy, The Oregonian
“Unbelievably special… told with insight and humor.” - Al Gore
AWARDS (selected): Golden Gate Jury Award, San Francisco International Film Festival; Audience Award, Chicago Int'l Documentary Festival; Grand Jury Award & Reel Current Award, Nashville Film Festival; Grand Jury Award & Audience Award, Wisconsin Film Festival; Grand Jury Award, Cinemambiente Environmental Festival, Italy; Best Documentary, Seagate Foyle Film Festival, Ireland
This event is part of the ESPA’s 2008 North of Nowhere Expo: Festival of Independent Media & Underground Art. For more info call 780-434-9236 or visit www.edmontonsmallpress.org or see us on facebook. $8 General Admission. Free to Farmers.
The Musings Of Maxine And Marvin . . .
25/10/2008 08:06
A pessimist is a man who thinks all women are bad.
An optimist is a man who hopes they are.
Drunken Pie Poker Felled By Baker's Rolling Pin
25/10/2008 08:01
A DRUNK was whacked
on the head by a baker wielding a rolling pin
after running amok in a bakery while looking
for an early morning feed, a court was
told.Ipswich Magistrate's Court heard the man poked his finger in several pies as bakers tried to evict him.
Prosecutor Tara Pease said Craig Moyle, 34, walked through the rear door of Billy Mac's Bakery at Brassall, 40km southwest of Brisbane, at 1.30am on October 8.
Constable Pease said the store was closed for business, but bakers were baking and had left the door open because of the heat coming from the ovens. The court was told staff asked Moyle to leave and he eventually left after grabbing a pie.
Plum good story here.
SINC SAYS:
If the guy had used his thumb, he might have got off by claiming to be Little Jack Horner.
Seve’s Brain Tumor Confirmed As Cancer
25/10/2008 07:58
Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - The news for five-time major champion Seve Ballesteros is not getting better.
Officials at La Paz hospital in Madrid released a statement saying Ballesteros' condition is serious and he needs more surgery after the tumor in his brain was determined to be cancerous.
"The patient Mr. Severiano Ballesteros remains stable within the seriousness (of his condition)", read the statement. "Ballesteros will undergo a new operation on Friday. In the operation, they will work on the edema and the intracerebral haematoma that has developed in the past few hours and they will increase the removal of the remains of the tumor.
"The tumor has been classified as an oligoastrocytoma -- which affects the cells which cover and protect the nervous system cells in the brain and the spinal cord -- and is located in a very deep area which makes it very complicated to reach."
Ballesteros, a three-time winner of the British Open and two-time Masters champion, collapsed at a Madrid airport nearly two weeks ago and further tests diagnosed the tumor.
Friday's surgery will be the third for Ballesteros. The first procedure removed part of the tumor and the second operation was called a 'decompressive craniotomy', in which part of his skull was removed to relieve pressure that was building on his brain.
On Friday, doctors will remove the remaining parts of the tumor as well as relieve the pressure on his brain caused by an edema and bleeding.
The Spaniard is the all-time wins leader on the European Tour with 50 and has totaled 87 career wins worldwide. He has also accumulated a 20-12-5 record in eight Ryder Cup appearances, and was the captain for the victorious European Ryder Cup squad at Valderrama in 1997.
Ballesteros undergoes third operation for brain tumor.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is definitely tragic news. We wish you all the best, Seve.
Annika Stepping Away From Golf With Second Thoughts
25/10/2008 07:58
HAIKOU, China - Annika Sorenstam announced in June that she is "stepping away" from golf at the end of this season, a phrase the 10-time major winner has repeatedly used rather than say she's retiring.
Now, with a half-dozen events left before she plays the Dec. 11-14 Dubai Ladies Masters - a Ladies European Tour event - Sorenstam is hedging a bit more.
"We'll see if I will come back in a few years to play," Sorenstam said Thursday, on the eve of the 54-hole Grand China Air tournament, the first LPGA event in China.
"As of now, I'm leaving the door open. ... That's why I'm not using the 'R' word."
The 38-year-old Swede is getting married in January, and she expects family and business interests to keep her occupied. She designs golf courses, has a clothing line, a charitable foundation and runs a golf academy.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
If I was a betting man, I’d bet we’ll see Annika back on the LPGA Tour sooner rather than later.
Falling Loonie Has Canadian NHL Teams Worried
25/10/2008 07:57
Dollar's exchange rate means teams will pay out millions more in player salaries
It's the most important game in the NHL right now, and it's not taking place on the ice.
The unpredictable nature of the Canadian dollar means the NHL's six Canadian teams are involved in a high-stakes contest of financial chicken, trying to stay one step ahead of the loonie at all times.
It's a game they can ill afford to lose.
As recently as last November, the Canadian dollar briefly reached $1.10 US, and still hovered above par with its American counterpart in May. But on Wednesday the once-mighty loonie plunged below 80 cents U.S., and it could keep falling, according to market experts.
Not surprisingly, NHL owners north of the border are monitoring this situation closely.
NHL teams pay their players in American currency, which means the plummeting Canadian dollar has serious ramifications on the league's Canadian clubs.
The below chart, based on payroll data from nhlnumbers.com, outlines how much extra each Canadian team would pay in player salaries depending on the value of the dollar:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/10/23/f-nhl-loonie.html
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm . . . that’s funny. I saw a TV interview with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday night and he said the current world economic situation was having no effect whatsoever on the NHL. Yeah, right!
Brett Favre Angered At Reports Of Cheating
25/10/2008 07:56
Florham Park, NJ (Sports Network) - New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre said he did not share information on his old team, the Green Bay Packers, with the Detroit Lions.
This past Sunday, Fox Sports reported that Favre had a conversation with then-Lions president Matt Millen in early September during the week Detroit played Green Bay. The Fox story said Favre spent over an hour on the phone with Lions coaches, giving them a rundown on the nuances of Green Bay's offense.
Favre, on Wednesday, said nothing of the sort happened.
"That week, Matt Millen called me. Matt and I are friends," said Favre, also disputing the part of the story that said he had called Millen.
Favre said Millen called and invited him hunting, but the two did talk briefly about football.
"He just asked me how we attacked them last year," Favre said. "I told him we attacked them pretty good. I didn't give him any game plan. I haven't been in that offense in over a year."
Favre spent 16 seasons with the Packers before his off-season trade to the Jets and said he has no animosity toward his old team, despite the difficulties this past summer after he decided to end his premature retirement.
"I wish those guys well in Green Bay," Favre stated. "It's unfortunate the way things went down in the off-season, but no hard feelings.
"To be spending time, giving away another game plan, it's just totally not true. I don't have a playbook from Green Bay. I didn't send a playbook."
The Packers went on to beat the Lions on September 14, 48-25.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I don’t blame Favre for being angered. The future hall of famer has proven to be a player of the highest personal integrity over the years. He just wouldn’t do what is being suggested.
Quebec To Hold 2010 World Curling Juniors
25/10/2008 07:56
Sorel-Tracy, Que, will host the 2010 M&M Meat Shops Canadian junior curling championship, the Canadian Curling Association announced Wednesday.
The event, scheduled for Jan. 16-24, 2010, will be held at the Aurele-Racine Curling Club and will feature 13 men's and 13 women's teams from all 10 provinces as well as Northern Ontario, Northwest Territories and Yukon.
Quebec has hosted three previous Canadian junior men's (1950, 1960, 1970) and two junior women's (1973, 1986) championships. The province has hosted one championship (Trois Rivieres in 1993) since the two tournaments were combined in 1987.
"The sport of curling is gaining more and more notoriety in Quebec over the last few years," Guy Hemmings, two-time Brier runner-up and the host organizing committee president, said in a statement. "To host a major Canadian curling championship like the M&M Meat Shops Canadian juniors in Sorel-Tracy will certainly be a major step in the right direction and gives us an outstanding promotional tool in the years to come."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Count on this being just a great event with Guy Hemmings as President of the host organizing committee.
Reader Questions Grant Possibility For AltaLink Move
24/10/2008 09:25
Hi Don,
I have several times asked the city if anybody had tried to apply for environmental grant funding to avoid possible tax increases which the relocation of the power line might cost the residents of St. Albert or all other Albertans. The city manager did not know. Another employee told me that they had not. Why not?
It seems to me that they simply do not want to move the line. I am also told we have the money in the reserve fund for this purpose, and I believe that a one-time expenditure of about $350,000 should not cause a permanent 0.75 tax increase as Mayor Crouse claims.
How much of a tax increase will the proposed off-leash dog areas cost? Permanent maintenance costs will have to be added to the hundreds of thousands dollars of the initial expense .
By the way, as far as I am aware, the power line is not located within the Provincial Park in St. Albert, unless the city has contributed new lands. Since the Park consists of "the bed and shore of Big Lake" within the St. Albert area (other areas include dry lands), the line may cross the park where it spans the river at the edge of the lake.
Elke Blodgett
SINC SAYS:
Sadly, council's most recent move on this issue has made them look foolish. It is so tacky to back out of a previously made agreement with the other two parties. The move reminds me of asking those pro hockey players for cash to keep their names on those two arenas. That too was viewed as a "no class act" by many residents.
Scientists Test Ice That Fell Through Roof
24/10/2008 05:01
6-Pound Chunk Hit
66-Year-Old On
HeadYORK COUNTY, Pa. -- Scientists are testing a chunk of ice that fell from the sky, went through the roof of a home in York County and hit a woman in the head.
Mary Ann and Perry Foster brought the six-pound block of ice to York College for tests.
Scientists are trying to determine if the ice is part of a comet, a piece of mega-sized hail or something else.
It will take several weeks to complete the tests.
"Something woke me up," said 66-year-old Mary Ann Foster, who has lived with her husband in her York Township home the past 31 years. "I felt my head and I had kind of a big -- a kind of a bump."
Foster's husband, Perry, said the ice weighed about 6 pounds. The chunk broke into pieces after it punched a hole in the roof and bounced off the side of Mary Ann's forehead.
"She came in and very calmly said, 'Something hit me on the head,'" said Perry. "She said, 'You better go upstairs and look at the ceiling. It's in bad shape.'"
The ice left a gaping, two-foot hole in the ceiling. Mary Ann escaped with a bruise and feels lucky that's all that happened.
"If I had been over further, if I had be laying on my back, if a bigger piece had hit me, I could be dead," she said. "Just remember, you never know what's going to happen. Just enjoy everyday.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve seen large hail before in my day, but that one takes the cake.
Edmonton Council to Transfer Treatment to EPCOR
24/10/2008 04:56
Actions
Requested: Let Council Know Your
Opposition
When: Before October 29, 2008
Background:
Three years ago, the City of Edmonton attempted to hand over the City’s $8 billion in water drainage assets to EPCOR, the utility company wholly-owned by the City. Citizens raised concerns about this “corporatization” and “semi-privatization” of key municipal infrastructure, fearing lack of control and accountability. Mobilization from Edmontonians caused Council to vote 7-6 AGAINST the transfer. It was a victory for the public interest!
Last month, the City Manager issued a public statement that the City now plans to transfer the operations of the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant to EPCOR. This multi-million dollar facility has won international awards for its quality, innovation and forward-thinking projects.
Experts suggest the motivation for the transfer is to assist EPCOR in its efforts to expand to other municipalities. EPCOR bids on contracts to run municipal utility services when municipalities decide to privatize or transfer their services to a P3 model.
City Council will be debating the proposal during its October 29 Council meeting, before an opportunity for public consultation or input.
AFL’s Position:
The AFL opposes the transfer at this time for two key reasons:
1. This is a significant move being made in a rush and without public consultation. The consequences of the transfer need to be debated. Edmontonians need to know what this will mean for their water bills, for the quality of their drinking water, and for the job security of the workers at the plant.
2. This is a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Gold Bar Plant is a international jewel for the City of Edmonton. Transferring the plant to Gold Bar benefits EPCOR corporate plans for expansion OUTSIDE the City of Edmonton, but will do little to benefit the citizens of Edmonton. The AFL believes EPCOR should be focusing its energy on provide high quality services to Edmontonians, and not in participating in the creeping privatization of water and power in Canada.
Action:
Contact Edmonton City Council asking them to defeat the proposal on October 29. Demand a full public consultation process before any such proposal is considered.
PHONE: 780-496-8110 and ask to speak to your Councilor
EMAIL: councilors@edmonton.ca and let them know you are concerned
Talking Points:
• While EPCOR is a valuable asset for the City that we should all be proud of, it does not need to operate the Gold Bar Plant to provide high quality services to Edmontonians.
• The Gold Bar Plant is internationally regarded as a model for wastewater treatment. Transferring it to EPCOR creates uncertainty and raises questions about its future directions. Will EPCOR remain as committed to innovation and world-class science? Our wastewater treatment does not need this level of insecurity given its strong track record.
• This is a significant decision, involving assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Such a decision requires time and a full, transparent debate. There is no need to rush into this decision. Council should be moving slowly to careful consider the consequences of the decision.
Luanne Climenhaga
Alberta Federation of Labour
10802 - 172 Street
Edmonton, AB T5S 2T3
Telephone: 780-483-3021
Fax: 780-484-5928
Website: www.afl.org
Suburban NYC Cop Tickets His Own Mayor - Twice
24/10/2008 04:53
MAMARONECK, N.Y. -
Can you beat City
Hall?The question is pending for a police officer who ticketed his mayor.
In March, Officer Michael Petrillo pulled over Mayor Kathleen Savolt in the bedroom community of Mamaroneck, just outside of New York City, for using her cellphone while driving.
The mayor argued the incoming call was an emergency and she was in an area where she couldn't pull over.
A judge agreed and dismissed the case Sept. 15, but Petrillo wasn't done.
That night, he rang Savolt's doorbell and issued a second ticket, saying he thought the judge's decision was wrong.
"He said to me, 'I think the ticket was unfairly dismissed, so I'm issuing a duplicate ticket,"' Savolt said Tuesday. "So then, once I was issued a second ticket, clearly in some people's minds it's not a legal ticket because the case had been closed."
Savolt's next court date had not yet been scheduled.
Police Chief Steven Anderson wouldn't comment.
SINC SAYS:
This reminds me of the cost overrun on $ervu$ Place. When they first found out about it, citizens rejected it. Then council ticketed us again with the operating cost subsidy anyway.
Countdown To Halloween . . .
24/10/2008 04:49
Shih Tzu Miyako poses for a snapshot during the Halloween dog costume contest at the annual Kawasaki Halloween 2008 festival in Kawasaki, Japan, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
More pet costumes here.
SINC SAYS:
In the week leading up to Halloween, we’ll be featuring a daily Halloween item. If you have a favourite Halloween shot or joke, send it along and we’ll add it to the collection to date.
B.C. Man Shoots Self With Crossbow Arrow
24/10/2008 04:45
Police say liquor
involvedGRASMERE, B.C. — A man is being treated in hospital after shooting himself in the head with a crossbow in the southeastern B.C. community of Grasmere.
The RCMP say the incident happened early Wednesday at the home of the 19-year-old victim during a house party in the town near Fernie, B.C.
Witnesses say the arrow was fired accidentally by the man himself.
Police say the victim was flown to a hospital in Calgary to have the arrow removed but his condition is not known.
They say the crossbow was seized and they believe liquor was a factor in the incident.
SINC SAYS:
I know, let’s all get drunk, take out the old crossbow and play William Tell. Oh wait, that hurts.
6 Of Your Favorite Things That Secretly Make You Fat
24/10/2008 04:39
Obesity is rampant.
The devastating cocktail of fast food and
sedentary lifestyle has made the western world
look like a visit to the Hutt palace, and we're
coming for you next
Asia!But this article isn't about junk food. You know you shouldn't crumble a bag of Oreos over your breakfast nachos. These are six seemingly innocent things that fly under the radar, and crash land right on your ass.
#6.
Your Caffeine Addiction
"Addiction" might be a tad dramatic seeing as how there isn't actually any hard evidence that caffeine is addictive, but we're willing to stake our reputation as Internet doctors that pretty much everybody reading this has had a liquid stimulant today. There are casual and hard-core caffeine users, but both can find themselves getting fatter by the day.
The casual drinkers disguise their stimulant in layers of crushed ice and whipped cream. This gets to be a problem when drinks like Starbucks' famous Frappuccino have around 500 calories per cup. Even worse, the human brain has a logical disconnect when it comes to liquid calories. That is to say, it doesn't acknowledge them at all.
Read about the other five things here.
More things here.
SINC SAYS:
Whoa, who knew about some of these things?
Woods, GM Discuss New Buick Endorsement Pact
24/10/2008 04:32
Tiger Woods and General Motors Corp., the largest U.S. automaker, have had an "early conversation" about his current endorsement contract and whether the two sides will continue beyond 2009.
Woods's agent, Mark Steinberg, and Larry Peck, marketing manager for the golf division of GM's Buick line, said they recently spoke about setting a time frame for when they will hold further discussions.
Buick, which has had an endorsement agreement with the world's No. 1-ranked golfer since 1999, has no plans "right now" to scale back its golf sponsorships, Peck said in a telephone interview. The company's stock has dropped more than 74 per cent this year to $6.19 at Wednesday's close, and GM has cut 53,000 union workers since 2005.
Because of that, Steinberg said in a telephone interview that he wants to find out if it "makes sense to continue" beyond 2009, when the contract is due to expire.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just what Tiger needs, another new, lucrative endorsement package!
Howard Goes For 3-Peat At Curling’s Masters
24/10/2008 04:31
Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., will try for an unprecedented third consecutive Masters of Curling title next month when the Grand Slam tournament comes to Waterloo, Ont.
Howard, the 2007 world champion, topped the field of 18 elite skips revealed Friday for the Nov. 12-16 event, the first of four tournaments in this season's Grand Slam of Curling.
CBC Sports will televise the championship rounds of each event, with live streaming available on CBCSports.ca
Howard won the Masters in both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Since the Grand Slam's inception in 2001-02, no skip has won one of the events three straight times.
The top 15 Canadian teams on the World Curling Tour's Order of Merit standings as of Oct. 13 automatically qualified for the Masters.
Joining Howard are skips Kevin Martin (Edmonton), Randy Ferbey (Edmonton), Wayne Middaugh (Midland, Ont.), Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg), Kerry Burtnyk (Winnipeg), Greg McAulay (Richmond, B.C.) and Brad Gushue (St. John's).
Sixteenth-ranked Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw, Sask., was added to the field following the withdrawal of 14th-ranked Jean-Michel Ménard of Gatineau, Que., who bowed out because of work commitments.
The remaining three entries went to Norway's Thomas Ulsrud, Switzerland's Ralph Stöckli, and Craig Brown of the United States.
The Grand Slams are part of the Canadian Curling Association's qualifying process for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Based on their performances at the Slams, teams can earn points toward a berth at the 2009 Canadian Olympic trials.
The Grand Slam season continues with the National (beginning Dec. 3 in Quebec City), the Canadian Open (Jan. 21, Winnipeg) and the Players' Championship (April 14, Grande Prairie, Alta.).
The events can be held in a different order each season. Last season, Martin started off by winning the Canadian Open and the National before Howard took the Masters and the Players' Championship.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Howard, Martin, Ferbey, Gushue, Middaugh, etc., etc., etc., - what a great line-up to kick-off this season’s Grand Slam of Curling. I can hardly wait.
Sarah Palin To Drop Puck At Blues’ Game
24/10/2008 04:25
ST. LOUIS - Republican vice-presidential candidate and self-proclaimed "hockey mom" Sarah Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck Friday night at the St. Louis Blues' game against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Blues say the Alaska governor and running mate of Republican John McCain confirmed Wednesday that she'll make a stop at Scottrade Center.
Palin has scheduled an appearance at a rally Friday morning at Missouri State University in Springfield.
The Blues said more details will be announced Thursday.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Oh, brother, this is becoming a bit of a habit, isn’t it folks? Maybe she’s looking for a job for after the election!
Pound Apologizes For ‘Pays De Sauvage’ Remark
24/10/2008 04:24
One of Canada's most high-profile Olympic officials apologized Wednesday for unintentionally angering First Nations with comments that some interpreted as him calling them savages.
Richard Pound told The Canadian Press Wednesday that he never intended to be derogatory when he used a French-language phrase that was interpreted as calling Canada a "land of savages" 400 years ago.
"I apologize for any unintentional harm that was caused — absolutely," he said. "That was not my intention in any way, shape or form."
Pound made the comments in an August interview with a French-language newspaper about whether China should have been awarded the Olympics because of its human rights record.
He used the phrase "pays de sauvage" when talking about Canada being a young country compared to China.
"That is the term [pays de sauvage] that has been used in French, which means something entirely different than savages in English for close to 400 years," Pound said in an interview.
"It's fallen out of favor now and I probably should have been more alert to the change in vocabulary. It's not derogatory."
Sauvage, in French, can mean either wild or savage.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s probably just my perception, but would it appear that some of our First Nations’ citizens are very easily offended by a number of things these days?
New Year’s Day Game Will Be Sellout: Bettman
24/10/2008 04:24
CHICAGO - Chicago season-ticket holders will get the first shot at tickets for Blackhawks' New Year's Day game against Detroit at 41,160-seat Wrigley Field.
"The game is going to be sold out," commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday night. "Most of the tickets, not all, are going to be going to the season-ticket holders of the Blackhawks. We're not going to have a mass public sale like we did in Buffalo last year when we were playing in a 73,000-seat facility."
But Bettman, in Chicago for an NHL general managers meeting Thursday near O'Hare International Airport, emphasized that "some tickets will be made available to the public." He said the ice surface probably will be positioned in the infield, angled diagonally from first to third base.
The game will be the first NHL contest in a major league baseball stadium. The previous two outdoor game were played in football stadiums in Edmonton and Buffalo.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Yawn.
Councillor Roger Lemieux Responds To Questions
23/10/2008 01:25
Hi Don,
Thank you for asking my input on this issue, hence I have made a few comments.
" Firstly, I respect the dedication and sincere contributions of all past councils "
** Have all decisions of past councils been correct? . . . I think not.
** Will this council make some errors as well? Yes . . . I do not think we will sail through 3 years in municipal politics without making a mistake or two.
** Was the approved motion (referred to in this column) one of those mistakes? . . . No.
Many St. Albert Residents want us to at least try to have the Province pay for moving these lines. After all, these power lines are located in a Provincial Park. This could save a potential expenditure of over $300,000, which would have to be paid for by increasing property taxes. The monies that we received from the Province ($300,000) can only be used if we agreed to the split funding." (Which still may happen).
Councillor Roger Lemieux
City of St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Thank you for your timely response, it is appreciated by readers. But for readers to understand the issue, let me try to get this straight Councillor Lemieux. The province gives us $300,000 to be used towards moving the power line. It can only be used for that purpose, so I assume if we don't use it we have to give it back do we? Have I got that right?
Now that we've got that cleared up, you further state, "This could save a potential expenditure of over $300,000, which would have to be paid for by increasing property taxes." Huh? The province gives us the money and council will tax us for the expenditure anyway? Or is the $300,000 you refer to, in addition to the provincial funds? Sometimes answers raise more questions.
Reader Response . . .
23/10/2008 01:22
Don,
Re: the three year proposed tax increases.
Your figures are absolutely correct. If these increases go forward, the net tax increase for the average St. Albert taxpayer over the next three years will be 26.73 per cent, which is absolutely unacceptable.
Cheers,
Jim Starko
St. Albert
-----------------------
Hi Don!
It seems to me that the city is doing everything possible to avoid moving the power lines. I wonder why?
Do you know how many “human errors” have been committed in this whole process?
Are they saying they look nice now with dead birds hanging off them and if they were to move them, that would ugly them up?
Obviously the view from where ever they are looking is different than the view the rest of us gets.
How come the city can keep the money they were given to move the power lines without doing what the money was intended for? If I did that I’m sure I’d get sued for breach of contract.
I sat in on the meeting with the environment group and listened to all the options.
One thing I paid special attention to was the damage that would be done to the environment if they were to bury the lines. It would involve uprooting so much of the land around it and would cause other problems, either temporary or permanent.
This council isn’t the same council I thought I was voting for. It’s too bad.
Barb Freysteinson
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
You are correct about this council Barb. It has turned into a “don’t question us, we’re right again” kind of council that will tax us to death if we don’t stop them and their $ervu$ Place crusade that prevents us from affording other things.
Reminder - Taxpayers Association Meeting Tonight
23/10/2008 01:20
Hi Everyone;
The next meeting of the St. Albert Taxpayers Association Meeting:
- Thursday - October 23rd
- 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
- St. Albert Senior Citizens Club
- 7 Tache Street (across from the Legion)
The BIG issue will be the 24% tax increase over the next 3 years.
Bring friends and neighbors - we must have a strong voice to fight City
Hall.
Sorry for the short notice - This is a REMINDER!
Take Care;
Gord Hennigar
Chairman
Man Writes Calligraphy Using His Own Tears
23/10/2008 01:17
Truly defying some
natural laws, this Chinese man can write
calligraphy with water he shoots from his own
eyes.Ru Anting, aged 56, actually sucks up the water with his nose and then sprays it through his tear ducts!
Ru told the press that he has had this special talent since he was a child. He discovered it quite by accident while swimming one day in a local river.
“Sometimes I would swallow water while swimming, and once I accidentally discovered the water I swallowed could be shot out through my eyes. My friends were all shocked to see it.”
This weird skill lay dormant until the 1990s when he lost his job in a local fertilizer factory where he had worked for more than twenty years.
He then began to hone his spraying talent and after three years of intensive training, he found he could shoot water from his eyes accurately up to 10 feet!
Ru has demonstrated his strange talent at the Lotus World Park in Shanshui city, Guangdong.
He wrote the following four characters on a board covered with red paper: Fu Ru Dong Hai, which translates into fortune as vast as the sea.
SINC SAYS:
Kleenex anyone?
Health And Beauty Spa Offers Snake Massage
23/10/2008 01:12
An Israeli health and
beauty spa is offering a snake massage for its
customers.The treatment consists of six non-venomous snakes massaging the client's aching muscles and joints.
Ada Barak's snake spa, in Talmei Elazar, northern Israel, uses California and Florida king snakes, corn snakes and milk snakes for the massages, which cost £40 ($70).
Miss Barak believes that physical contact with the reptiles can be a relaxing experience. She says that she was inspired by her belief that once people get over any initial misgivings, they find physical contact with the snakes to be stress relieving.
"Some people said that holding the snakes made them feel better, relaxed," she said "One old lady said it was soothing, like a cold compress."
The size of the snakes depends on the type of massage - the larger ones are said to alleviate deeper muscle tensions and the smaller ones create a 'fluttering' effect. All are the snakes used are non-venemous.
Miss Barak began offering the service at the Talmey El'Azar tourist attraction in 2006 and now most of her income comes from exhibiting plants at her carnivorous plant farm, which eat everything from insects to small mammals.
She appeared on Tyra Banks Show, an American chat show, in April for an episode entitled "Beauty Tips Around the World".
SINC SAYS:
I guess some people witll go to any lengths to look beautiful.
Are You A Fan Of The Northern Lights?
22/10/2008 21:20
If so, the
University of Alberta has a web site you will
want to join to receive e-mail alerts as to
the probability of the Aurora Borealis making
an appearance in the night skies.
It’s free to join and will update you as to when to watch for the lights.
Enjoy!
Visit the web site here.
It’s free to join and will update you as to when to watch for the lights.
Enjoy!
Visit the web site here.
Raptors Stuck In Mud At Rexall
22/10/2008 21:16
Fail to climb out of a 10-point hole in second quarter, end exhibition season with 4-4 record
EDMONTON - The Toronto Raptors final pre-season game was one they'd like to forget, but 17,534 basketball fans in Edmonton will likely hold on to it for years to come.
Playing in front of a supportive home-away-from-home crowd, the Raptors fell 105-94 to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at Rexall Place.
Toronto ends its pre-season with a 4-4 record, while the Nuggets improve to 5-1 with one exhibition game left to play against the Clippers in Los Angeles on Friday.
J.R. Smith led the Nuggets with 22 points, while Carmelo Anthony and Nene added 15 points apiece.
Toronto was led by Andrea Bargnani's 19, while Jose Calderon added 18 points and seven assists. Chris Bosh was good for 17 points and three rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
Jermaine O'Neal didn't play in the second half, citing soreness in his right knee.
For the fans in attendance, taking in the first NBA game at Rexall Place since 1999, the outcome was likely secondary. The crowd chanted and cheered for the Raptors from the moment the team took to the floor, with Bosh, Bargnani and O'Neal being the fan favorites.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Untapped potential in hoops.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Once again, Edmonton demonstrates that it is a mighty fine, big-time sports town - selling out Monday night’s NBA exhibition tilt at Rexall, especially considering that court-side tickets for the game were going for $450 a pop.
Wrecking Ball Smashes Sportex
22/10/2008 21:15
Walls tumble town on former city landmark
Jean Chriest started working in the Sportex building in 1965, two years after the Edmonton Exhibition Association opened the low, flat-roofed building on its grounds.
The Sportex was as modern a building as could be found in Edmonton at that time, said Chriest, 81. It was freshly painted and felt brand-new. In the 45 years since, the building has become dated, fraught with technical problems and almost too small for the trade shows that pass through its doors. On Monday, a 182-kilogram steel wrecking ball smacked against the building's south wall, beginning a demolition job that is expected to take six weeks.
Crews have already erected some steel frames that will support a new trade-show venue at Northlands. It is part of a two-year redevelopment project that will add almost 200,000 square feet of new exhibition space. The project's first phase, which includes a building to house offices and one exhibition hall, is set to open Friday.
Funding for the $150-million project has come from the federal and provincial governments, and Northlands.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Wow, I watched and curled many a game in that old barn over the years. RIP, Sportex.
Clarke Lights Into Avery On Off The Record
22/10/2008 21:15
In his 40 years as a National Hockey League executive and former Broad Street Bully, Bob Clarke has been around some of the game's most interesting and abrasive on-ice personalities.
But don't count modern-day NHL agitator Sean Avery among them.
The Hall of Famer didn't hide his distaste for the Dallas Stars' pesky winger when asked about Avery's antics on TSN's Off The Record on Wednesday.
The Flyers' senior vice-president also joins the NHL on TSN panel in tonight's game between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers at 7pm et/4pm pt.
The prime example he used was Avery's actions during the first round of last season's playoffs. Avery parked at the edge of Brodeur's crease and waved his arms wildly to distract the Devils' goaltender. He also waved the blade of his stick back and forth in front of Brodeur's mask and later scored on him.
The two players will be reunited Wednesday night when the Stars visit the Devils.
"He's (Avery) making a fool of the game," Clarke told TSN. "He crosses the line all the time. He's an idiot. And if the referees see him giving it to Brodeur like he did in the playoffs - yapping, yapping, yapping - it's pre-meditated. Give him a penalty. You'll end it right away. If not, I think one of the Devils should come to Brodeur's aid. Drill him, punch him, make him fight. If he wants to be a yapper, make him fight."
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Not that I have much use for Bobby’s Clarke’s extremely “dirty” style of play over his extinguished career in the NHL, but he’s right about one thing – Sean Avery is a goof.
Vick To Plead Guilty To Virginia Dogfighting Charges
22/10/2008 21:14
SURRY, Va. - Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick plans to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges, a step that could allow him to qualify for an early release from federal prison and into a halfway house, court papers show.
In a motion filed Oct. 15 in Surry County Circuit Court, Vick's attorneys asked to have him enter his plea by video teleconference. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Oct. 30, Surry County Circuit Court administrator Sally Neblett said Tuesday.
The court papers note that allowing Vick to appear on two-way video would save the government the considerable expense of transporting him from prison in Leavenworth, Kan., to Surry County. His guilty plea would also allow him to pursue a halfway house program.
Under federal rules, Vick is ineligible to be released to a residential re-entry centre in the federal system until any pending charges against him are resolved.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I knew there had to be a method to Vick’s madness. Plead guilty and he may get early parole to a halfway house.
2009 Telus World Skins Game Comes To Quebec
22/10/2008 21:14
QUEBEC - The World Skins golf tournament, which has attracted big names like Greg Norman, Mike Weir, Sergio Garcia and Fred Couples, will be held in Levis, Que., on June 22-23, organizers announced Tuesday.
"We will make the 2009 World Skins one of the biggest events in our 17 years of existence," said Brad Pelletier, vice-president and managing director of IMG Canada.
He noted the tournament, which is broadcast in a dozen countries, will give considerable visibility to the province.
Next year's event will be the fifth to take place in Quebec since the competition started. It has also been held at various venues around the province in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2004.
Promoters didn't reveal the lineup for the 2009 edition except to say that a Canadian pro will be included in the list of players.
More from yahoo.com
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What will be interesting is when they make the announcement of which players will compete in this event.
St. Albert Taxpayers Association Meeting Tomorrow
22/10/2008 09:41
Hi Everyone;
The next meeting of the St. Albert Taxpayers Association Meeting:
- Thursday - October 23rd
- 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
- St. Albert Senior Citizens Club
- 7 Tache Street (across from the Legion)
The BIG issue will be the 24% tax increase over the next 3 years.
Bring friends and neighbors - we must have a strong voice to fight City
Hall.
Sorry for the short notice - This is a REMINDER!
Take Care;
Gord Hennigar
Chairman
SINC SAYS:
As I have pointed out here before, the three year tax increase is NOT just 24 percent as Gord states. Consider this:
When you compound the rates the tax increase is actually 26.73%.
Using 8.39% for the first year on $1,000.00 = $1,083.90
So the next year, taxes go up another 8.42% on $1,083.90 = $1,175.16
Third year another 7.84% on $1,175.16 = $1,267.29
Total tax increase in real dollars is $267.29 per $1,000.00 or 26.73%, not 24.65% by adding the three proposed increases together.
That extra 2% or so is "hidden" by compounding, gives the city a substantial amount of "extra" income.
Just thought you might like to know folks. Any number crunchers out there want to double check my figures?
Open Letter To St. Albert Council, Administration
22/10/2008 01:00
On October 20,
2008, council rejected Alderman
Watamaniuk's motion to contribute the city's
share to the relocation of the AltaLink power
line.
The gist of the motion was a request that council respect the previous council's direction in motion 585-2007, and that $350,000 be allocated immediately from the stabilization reserve to match the funds being provided by AltaLink and the Province to relocate the existing 128KV transmission line 747.
Instead, the city approved a motion by Alderman Burrows to ask the province to fund one of the other options, which would put the line underground or on ground, and cost between $6.3 and $8.5 Million. The City would not have to contribute a penny.
As much as I would like to see the lines underground, I somehow doubt the province will be that generous.
The big question is: does the previous council's motion to support the relocation still stand? It has never been rescinded. It was simply somehow forgotten by administration and no action was taken. That was called "human error" last night.
If the province refuses to fund the underground option, as some of us expect they will, does the original previous council's motion remain in force? (I suspect that efforts will be made to have it speedily rescinded.)
Will Alderman Watamaniuk's motion to adopt option 3 be resurrected, or will the entire project be dead because St. Albert is not honouring an agreement made between three parties, The City of St. Albert, Altalink and the Province of Alberta?
What do the other parties to the agreement say and were they even consulted? What will happen to the $300,000 the Province has already given to the City last year as their share of the agreement? (I was surprised our mayor was not aware of that contribution.)
From my point of view, what happened last night shows a sad lack of respect to a previous council's motion and wishes, to the parliamentary process and to the memory of Lois Hole. It also shows a disrespect to an international treaty, the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Most of all, it shows a deplorable lack of foresight, and lack of caring for the victims of that power line.
Oh yes, the other Big Question of the night: What is aesthetics?
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
So there you have it folks. A series of direct questions to the mayor, council members and the city manager. It will be interesting indeed to read their replies and rest assured we will publish them here for all to read. Over to you Mayor Crouse, Mr. Holtby and council members.
St. Albert Wants Province To Bury Power Line
22/10/2008 00:53
Environmentalists
wanted bird-killing line moved away from Big
LakeEDMONTON - St. Albert city council has likely ended an initiative to move a waterfowl-killing transmission line near Big Lake, says a local activist.
AltaLink and the provincial government had agreed to work with the city and contribute money to the project. But St. Albert councillors voted 5-2 Monday to ask the province to bury the whole power line instead of simply relocating it.
That pushes the estimated project cost from $900,000 to $8 million. And the city would like the province to pay for all of it, because it will be Crown land, said Coun. James Burrows.
"I'm slightly peeved to say the least," said Elke Blodgett, a St. Albert environmentalist who has argued long and hard to have the line moved. "This will get rejected by the province."
Blodgett said many city councillors have never wanted to pay a cent to have the line moved and this is their way of ending the initiative.
Burrows disagreed.
"I think she should try to be a little more optimistic," he said, about their funding request to the province. "We won't know unless we ask them."
Mayor Nolan Crouse said council decided not to fund the move of the power line because they didn't want the environmental and financial risks associated with such a project. They also didn't want an above-ground move that would take it closer to the sports parks.
Full details in the Edmonton Journal.
SINC SAYS:
Don’t readers find it odd that St. Albert council can subsidize $ervu$ Place to the tune of millions in any given year to give service to the barely 51% who wanted that monster built? Yet when asked to participate in a plan to save wildlife who have been placed in danger by our own bad road, a paltry $350,000.00 is more than they can swallow. Are our priorities in St. Albert screwed up? You be the judge. Did we learn nothing from the embarrassment of the naming of the hockey arena fiasco?
READER RESPONSE:
Don,
In response to Councillor Burrow's comments in the Edmonton Journal article re Elke Blodgett:
"I think she should try to be a little more optimistic",
let me just say that if she were not so optimistic, she would have given up on St. Albert city council a long time ago.
No Name Please
St. Albert
A Proud Moment For Local Mom, Son
22/10/2008 00:47
Don,
A heartening moment to share amongst those who have kindly supported our daughter and thus, our family unit. A few pictures of 13 year old, Daniel, at the medical conference we participated in along with a copy his speech.
We had a crowd of guests comprised of persons from British Columbia to Newfoundland as well as a speaker from the United States. I have been a Council member for the hospital since its inauguration in 2005 and I was asked to provide the greetings and an update into rehabilatative health care trends.
Our son, Daniel, was invited to participate on the panel as a speaker on behalf of siblings of children with disabilities. Daniel discussed both his siblings and their conditions, including ASD and the syndrome tetrasomy 18p. The crowd was highly receptive! It is heartening to see Family-Centred Care becoming prioritized in health practice!
Can you tell that I am a proud mom?
Velvet Martin
Here is the text of Daniel’s speech:
Good-afternoon, my name is Daniel Martin, I am 13 years old and in grade 9. I am interested in athletics. I might become an elementary teacher one day, but I'm also thinking about police work and the trades like my dad and grandfather. I am here to speak with you on the subject of being a sibling of persons with disabilities and its impact on my life. Having a brother and sister with a disability affected me at times because I have had to stick up for them. Sometimes problems that arise are like when my friends laugh at some of the embarrassing things my brother does. When somebody I know does stuff like make fun of or laugh at a person with disabilities, I don't join in, I tell them to leave the person alone or try to change the subject.
My sister's disability was a chromosome disorder so it was very visible to others. Samantha wasn't made fun of as much because people knew she had problems, but my brother's disability is not as plain. He has a minor form of Autism – our doctor calls it Aspergers-like – so sometimes he is made fun of because people are oblivious that he has a disorder. He doesn't look any different, but at times he doesn't act his age. One time I got hurt defending him and had to go to the hospital. Some older kids were picking on my brother and I stood up to them and ended up with a concussion. Sometimes it's hard even for me to remember that he is not doing things to bug me on purpose.
I don't mind when people ask questions about disabilities. I did a science fair project about my sister's disability and lots of people asked what her chromosome disorder meant for her and what kind of problems she had. It is called tetrasomy 18p so that means she had too much chromosome material: An extra half of the top part of chromosome 18. For Sam, it meant that she couldn't speak very well, she needed lots of attention, she had small ears and facial features and she was missing a crease in her palm – it is called a “simian crease”. Samantha had other difficulties so she needed supervision for the washroom and stairs. Otherwise, she was just like a “normal” sister. She liked to play with us, but she also enjoyed annoying us.
Some of the things that have helped are having support groups that help people with disabilities like Transitions Rehabilitation Agency. They help teach others that everyone is an important individual no matter how different they look or act on the outside. They hire people to do respite so that sometimes my brother or sister could do things with an aide. A lot of my parent's time is needed for my brother and sister. So, the agency does fun things like give tickets to events; not just for my siblings with a disability, but sometimes for the whole family to enjoy together.
Things that hurt are like when our family was not supported. It is difficult to have a brother or sister with a disability because it costs a lot of money for things that most other people don't need, like diapers, special clothes or shoes and babysitters for older people. What happened to my family was really unfair: My mom & dad were told that they could not have support for my sister when she was born unless she lived in foster care. Parents should get the same help for their own children so that they can stay at home with their family who really love them. Things are getting better now. My mom was able to get a family law changed for kids with disabilities like my sister so that now when families ask for help, they do not have to give up rights.
When people ask questions, they get to know the person and what kind of problems they have. Then, they are not afraid or wonder why they do some things differently. Like why my sister didn't talk much. It was just the way things are. Like having blue eyes or brown eyes.
My little brother, Alex was 8, when our sister died. He wrote this for her and it says a lot about how we feel: “We loved Sam very much; we are sad she had to go. Samantha was a good sister. She might have pulled my hair, but I will always love her forever. She will always be in my heart. We loved playing with you very much. We loved your crazy laugh. We loved when you stuck out your bottom lip and pouted. You are very beautiful, Samantha, and if you grow up, I bet a big man would think so too. I loved it when you said my name in sign language. You were so kind to us all.” It is the good things that we remember. Things that other people who don't know someone with a disability might not know. People with a disability are just the same as you and me and they feel love and they are loved.
Thank you,
Daniel 10-13-2008
SINC SAYS:
Take a bow Daniel, for a job well done. Congratulations.
Homeowner Serves Notice To Vandals
22/10/2008 00:42
Resident warns
would-be yard sign
vandals.Lena Long of Ashland stands near a McCain/Palin sign her husband affixed with a no-trespassing message after some of their signs were stolen from their yard last week.
Lena Long doesn’t pull any punches. And it’s not punches she has in mind for the thieves - college students, she thinks - who stole the McCain/Palin campaign signs from her Ashland yard last week a few hours before sun-up.
"They’re going to be in for a surprise if they don’t stop it," Long said in a phone message Thursday morning to the Tribune. "They might find electric shock, and it might shock some sense into their heads."
Around noon, when Long picked up her phone to answer a return call, she was closer to making good on that threat.
"I found me an electric fence, and they told me, ‘You’re going to have to have that pole in the ground 6 foot,’ " she said. "I told them if I had to stand out in the yard and peck all night, I’ll do it."
More electrifying details here.
SINC SAYS:
Only in the Excited States of America folks.
Bear-Attack Survivor Faces Trouble From PETA?
22/10/2008 00:36
Jim West's fight for
life killed mama bruin,
cubsA B.C. man who clubbed a bear to death in self-defence is now defending himself from a smear campaign.
Jim West of 70 Mile House says angry animal-rights crusaders have been harassing him at home and impersonating him in e-mails to media outlets.
"I figure this is someone from PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] because I've had some people tracking me down and giving me the gears," said West, 45.
"I really hate that. I hate confrontations of any kind. I try to be as polite as possible. I'm sorry, but it was simply a life-or-death situation," he said yesterday.
PETA spokesman Martin Mersereau denied any involvement in the smear campaign.
"We are absolutely not involved," said Mersereau. "We focus our efforts on accomplishing things and this doesn't fit in that category."
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
I have an idea folks. Let’s take the jerks from PETA, toss ‘em in a cage with an angry bear and see if they do anything different. Last I heard, “nice doggy” didn’t work very well.
U.S. Mint To Use Dollar Coins?
22/10/2008 00:33
WASHINGTON — The
government is trying to convince consumers that
dollar coins are greener than the dollar
bill.The U.S. Mint is spending about $12 million on a pilot project to promote the presidential dollar coin by appealing to Americans' duty to protect the environment while saving the government money.
The campaign, which may be expanded nationwide, stresses that coins last longer than dollar bills, are recyclable and could save tax money if more people used them.
You're in the money here.
SINC SAYS:
It sure does take them a long time to catch up to us doesn’t it?
Schultz: Who Should Be 'The Man' In Regina?
22/10/2008 00:26
One of the most compelling stories in the CFL relates to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and what they're going to do with their quarterbacking position.
Here we are in Week 18 with the playoffs drawing closer and the Riders do not have a clear-cut starter.
Making the problem more exasperating is the fact that the Riders have an excellent team. They have a top defence, a powerful runner in Wes Cates and when they're healthy - the best set of receivers in the CFL.
As many know in this league, if you can't find a quarterback that can avoid mistakes and make plays, you're going to struggle. That said, Michael Bishop, Darian Durant and Steven Jyles all have clear-cut strengths and subtle weaknesses.
With Bishop, you have the most powerful arm in the CFL. His greatest asset is that he can change a game in the length of time it takes to run a play. Whether you're seven to 14 points up or seven to 14 points down, Bishop can get you a quick seven in a football moment.
With Jyles, the curiosity is that you just don't know. He hasn't played enough to really give you a clear indication if he's the next great quarterback in waiting. He was quite impressive in the one half of football against Hamilton - going 12 of 14 with 149 yards and a touchdown. But can you conclude with confidence that he's going to be a Grey Cup-winning quarterback? That should be his goal.
More from TSN football analyst Chris Schultz here.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
In this case, I agree with Schultz. Darian Durant is definitely their quarterback of the future. However, SWIVEL HIPS has learned that the starting quarterback for the 'Riders this Saturday against the Edmonton Eskimos will be none other than Steven Jyles. Yes, the Esks still have a chance! A very good chance.
Dick Irvin Headlines CBC Sports HOF Inductees
22/10/2008 00:26
The CBC Sports Hall of Fame announced Monday that Dick Irvin, Gordon Craig, Tom Fisk, Bob Moir and Fred Walker have been selected for induction this November.
"We are proud to honour these five outstanding individuals and are looking forward to welcoming them as members of the CBC Sports Hall of Fame," said Scott Moore, executive director of CBC Sports.
"They each represent many different facets of the business — producer, cameraman, play-by-play and colour announcer, radio host, executive director — and their contributions to sports broadcasting are countless."
Irvin, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, was one of the longest-serving members of Hockey Night in Canada, having joined CBC in 1966 as a color commentator for Montreal Canadiens games with Danny Gallivan.
Regarded as one of the best hockey broadcasters ever, Irvin penned five books and retired from broadcasting in 1999.
Gordon Craig was a former head of CBC Sports, and was in charge of the department during the landmark broadcast of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
Fisk, a popular cameraman with CBC Sports, worked on 27 Grey Cups, 14 Stanley Cup Finals and eight Olympic Games during his 34 years at the network.
Moir was a former host and play-by-play commentator for the CFL on CBC for more than 25 years. Moir's most defining moment came alongside the late Don Wittman during the terrorist tragedy at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, when both men snuck into the athletes village posing as team doctors and reported live back to Canada as the tragedy unfolded.
Walker is best known for his career in sports broadcasting, covering both amateur and professional sports, including the Olympic Games, Pan-American Games and Commonwealth Games.
These five inductees join seven broadcast legends who were part of the inaugural induction class last year: Don Wittman, Foster Hewitt, George Retzlaff, Joan Mead, Ted Reynolds, Ernie Afaganis and Geoeff Gowan.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Ah, yes, those were the days. Dick Irvin and Danny Gallivan – the finest hockey broadcast team ever. Congratulations to all five of this year’s inductees.
Union Says Teams Acted Against Bonds
22/10/2008 00:25
The baseball players' union says it has found evidence that teams acted in concert against signing Barry Bonds, but it reached an agreement with the commissioner's office to delay the filing of any grievance.
The union expressed concern in May about the lack of offers to the home run king. Filing a grievance would trigger proceedings before arbitrator Shyam Das.
Bonds was indicted last Nov. 15 on charges related to 2003 grand jury testimony during which he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. No team signed Bonds when he became a free agent after the 2007 season.
Union general counsel Michael Weiner confirmed the deal with Major League Baseball, which was first reported by murraychass.com.
"We have the agreement about the timing of a potential grievance," Weiner said Thursday. "Our investigation revealed a violation of the Basic Agreement. It's a violation of the Basic Agreement related to Barry Bonds and free agency."
Weiner said the section that had been violated was Article XX (e) of the collective bargaining agreement, which states, in part: "Players shall not act in concert with other players and clubs shall not act in concert with other clubs." Weiner would not say how long the agreement runs to allow the union to file a grievance.
Baseball lawyers repeatedly have denied that teams acted in concert against Bonds. Management lawyer Dan Halem said Thursday that MLB would have no additional comment.
Bonds pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of making false declarations to a federal grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice, and his trial is scheduled to start March 2. Any grievance is likely to follow the trial.
The players' association won three collusion grievances in which owners were found to have conspired against free agents following the 1985, 1986 and 1987 seasons. Management agreed in 1990 to settle those cases for $280 million US and also agreed to a provision that future collusion would be subject to triple damages.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Collusion, concert and conspiracy, my foot! If you plead guilty to 14 counts of making false declarations to a federal grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice, would you actually expect any team in their right mind to run out and sign you to a whopping, lucrative contract? Here’s a perfect example of what I call the “union mentality.”
Some NHL Governors Favour Second Team In Toronto
22/10/2008 00:24
It appears some
National Hockey League officials think the
Toronto market is big enough to have two teams.
According to The Globe and Mail, NHL governors have had informal talks about putting a second team in Toronto.
"Why shouldn't we put another team in the best and biggest market in the world?" one governor told the newspaper anonymously, adding one scenario involves Research in Motion CEO Jim Balsillie being awarded an expansion franchise after coming to the aid of the financially-strapped Nashville Predators.
"I've heard bits and pieces of this scenario, although not in that kind of detail," Calgary Flames co-owner Harley Hotchkiss told The Globe and Mail. "Our priority is to have the existing franchises solid."
President of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Richard Peddie said his organization would listen to any expansion suggestions and downplayed any negative effect it could have on the Maple Leafs.
"When and if the league brings expansion to the table, we'll listen and decide what is best for hockey," Peddie told The Globe and Mail. "The Maple Leafs would not be hurt one bit. In fact, it would help them. They could make all kinds of money renting the Air Canada Centre to the other team."
Another governor told the newspaper the league would be better served by moving an exisiting team as opposed to granting an expansion franchise.
"I don't think it can be an expansion team," the unnamed governor told The Globe and Mail. "We can't expand because we would be the laughingstock of professional sports. We've got too many troubled franchises."
In recent years, Balsillie has made attempts to buy the Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins amid speculation he would move the team to the southern Ontario region.
Files from The Globe and Mail were used in this report.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Oh, brother, just what they need – a second NHL team in Toronto. They should get ONE team there first, don’t you think?
2008 World Series – Position By Position Breakdown
22/10/2008 00:23
The Tampa Bays Rays look to continue their unlikely 2008 season with a World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies when the series starts on Wednesday.
The Rays became the first team since the 1991 Atlanta Braves to reach the World Series a year after having the worst record in the game. They are also only the third team in history to make it the final after 10 or more consecutive losing seasons.
The Phillies are returning to the fall classic for the first time since they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 of the 1993 Series. Their only championship win was in 1980.
The two clubs have met 15 times in the regular season, with the Rays winning 10 of those games.
With that in mind, TSN.ca has broken down the match-ups at each position. The stats provided are this season's playoff numbers leading up to the World Series.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
To read more of TSN’s position-by-position breakdown of the 2008 World Series, click here.
Sit Back, Relax And Enjoy These Photos . . .
21/10/2008 01:59
Top Gun Versus Alien
21/10/2008 01:56
A FORMER Top Gun told
yesterday how he was ordered to shoot down a
massive UFO — over
NORWICH.RAF controllers told US pilot Milton Torres to “lock on” and launch all 24 of his rockets over the city.
But as he came within seconds of firing at the alien intruder — “the size of an aircraft carrier” on his radar — it vanished at 10,000mph.
The amazing close encounter is revealed in secret Ministry of Defence X-Files which are declassified today.
Milton said: “It was some kind of alien snooping over England. I guess we’ll never know what it was.”
The incident happened in 1957 when Milton was a 26-year-old US Air Force lieutenant based at RAF Manston in Kent.
At 11pm one night he was ordered to scramble in his F-86D Sabre fighter to attack a “bogey” hovering above Norfolk.
Speaking about it publicly for the first time, he said: “I was told I would be firing a complete salvo, all 24 rockets. I was pumped up — this was the sort of thing that happened before a war.”
Eerie details here.
SINC SAYS:
This UFO stuff has always fascinated me. Anyone out there ever seen one?
Fat Moms Making Their Kids Sick
21/10/2008 01:50
OVERWEIGHT mothers
are more likely to have chubby babies, setting
them a lifetime risk of diabetes and other
obesity-related
illnesses.A University of NSW study reveals that one in three Australian babies are likely to become overweight children because their mothers are obese, with researchers believing that the brain's appetite controls can be set in early life.
"Maternal obesity and overfeeding early on in life caused significant changes in the chemicals that regulate appetite, which may suggest that the babies were programmed to eat differently from those born from lean mothers," lead researcher Professor Margaret Morris said yesterday.
Stuff yourself on details here.
SINC SAYS:
I guess the old saying like father, like son is no longer applicable?
Please Join Us For This Presentation
21/10/2008 01:48
Headlines Theatre's
play Shattering toured into 26
communities throughout BC in 2007 to tremendous
critical and audience
acclaim.
After receiving
numerous requests to bring the play to
additional communities, Headlines is
now bringing the award-winning production
back, along with the original cast...
SHATTERING
Forum Theatre created and performed by people who have struggled with addiction
Shattering begins with the premise that addicts come from somewhere: our communities. It is also within our communities that solutions dwell. By combining the very real issue of addiction with Forum Theatre, Shattering engages our collective creativity. Audience members are invited to stop the action of the play, and replace characters onstage, providing an opportunity to initiate community dialogue in search of grassroots solutions. The play asks difficult questions that dig beneath the symptoms to get at the root causes of addiction, and also provides a safe place to explore approaches to complex situations.
SHATTERING PERFORMANCE DATES (Edmonton):
Dates/Times: Friday, Oct. 24 @ 7pm
- and -
Monday, Oct. 27 @ 1pm
Location: Inner City High, 9515 104 Ave.
(located in the Boyle Street Community League, entrance at North side)
See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT4xa5DfC10
Both shows: Doors open one hour before performance. Admission is by donation ($5-$15 suggested; free to low-income). Reservations recommended. Call 780-434-9236 to reserve your seats.
Language advisory
Shattering is co-presented in Edmonton by ihuman Youth Society, the InnerCity Youth Development Association, Neighbourhood Empowerment Team and the Edmonton Small Press Association.
See Headlines Theatre's website at: http://www.headlinestheatre.com/shattering/index.htm
Call 780-434-9236 for more info.
Edmonton Small Press Association (ESPA)
P.O. Box 75086 RPO
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 6K1 Canada
780-434-9236
http://www.edmontonsmallpress.org
SHATTERING
Forum Theatre created and performed by people who have struggled with addiction
Shattering begins with the premise that addicts come from somewhere: our communities. It is also within our communities that solutions dwell. By combining the very real issue of addiction with Forum Theatre, Shattering engages our collective creativity. Audience members are invited to stop the action of the play, and replace characters onstage, providing an opportunity to initiate community dialogue in search of grassroots solutions. The play asks difficult questions that dig beneath the symptoms to get at the root causes of addiction, and also provides a safe place to explore approaches to complex situations.
SHATTERING PERFORMANCE DATES (Edmonton):
Dates/Times: Friday, Oct. 24 @ 7pm
- and -
Monday, Oct. 27 @ 1pm
Location: Inner City High, 9515 104 Ave.
(located in the Boyle Street Community League, entrance at North side)
See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT4xa5DfC10
Both shows: Doors open one hour before performance. Admission is by donation ($5-$15 suggested; free to low-income). Reservations recommended. Call 780-434-9236 to reserve your seats.
Language advisory
Shattering is co-presented in Edmonton by ihuman Youth Society, the InnerCity Youth Development Association, Neighbourhood Empowerment Team and the Edmonton Small Press Association.
See Headlines Theatre's website at: http://www.headlinestheatre.com/shattering/index.htm
Call 780-434-9236 for more info.
Edmonton Small Press Association (ESPA)
P.O. Box 75086 RPO
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 6K1 Canada
780-434-9236
http://www.edmontonsmallpress.org
One For The Eggs Files
21/10/2008 01:39
It was a normal
Sunday afternoon at Pat Cowie's
place.Until a pigeon laid an egg on the stovetop.
As they do.
The pigeon popped in an open door at Pat's Evans Street home, climbed 14 stairs (leaving an incriminating trail of pigeon poo on the way), turned hard left at the top, wandered into the kitchen, and chose a smooth ceramic stove top as the ideal location for a spot of ovular action.
Pat was outside when the pigeon arrived and didn't know she had a bird burglar until she wandered into the kitchen. It took a moment to register the pigeon was there, let alone the fact it had laid an egg.
More eggciting details here.
SINC SAYS:
It’s in the right place for breakfast, but it would be kind of small, wouldn’t it?
Questions For Burke As Ducks Visit Toronto
21/10/2008 01:36
Brian Burke's status will be the hot topic of discussion over the next couple of days as his Anaheim Ducks visit Toronto for a Tuesday night showdown with the Maple Leafs.
Burke, who is in the last year of his contract with the Ducks, has long been rumoured to be the top candidate for the general manager's job in Toronto held by interim executive Cliff Fletcher.
Burke is expected to meet with the media on Monday afternoon, but is not expected to address the topic with much - if any - detail.
"I'm going to tell them all the same thing," Burke told the Orange County Register over the weekend. "I've been offered a generous extension (by Anaheim). There are family issues involved and we're still trying to sort it out. There is no change to anything."
Burke's position in Anaheim appears to be in limbo for the time being, as the league's suspension of Ducks co-owner Henry Samueli remains in effect. The NHL handed Samueli an indefinite suspension in June after he pleaded guilty to one count of lying to federal investigators about his role in a stock options scandal.
Adding more intrigue to Burke's arrival is a Globe and Mail report from two weeks ago that the NHL would keep an eye on potential player transactions between the Leafs and Ducks because of the possibility of Burke becoming the Leafs' next GM.
In an interview with The Sporting News, Burke was asked if he felt a trade between the two teams would represent a conflict of interest and he replied concisely. "All the discussions with Toronto are done by (senior vice-president of hockey operations) Bob Murray," Burke replied. "There are no issues there."
Sources told TSN earlier this month that the Maple Leafs made a strong pitch to acquire defenceman Mathieu Schneider as part of a package that included winger Bobby Ryan and a conditional first-round pick in the 2009 draft.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Actually, folks, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brian Je . . . , er, I mean, Burke deserve each other!
Rays Beat Red Sox, Advance To World Series
21/10/2008 01:35
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Down to their last chance, the Tampa Bay Rays left no doubt they were World Series-worthy, after all.
Believe it: Baseball's doormats have arrived.
Going from worst to first, the young Rays completed a stunning run to their first pennant, holding off the defending champion Boston Red Sox 3-1 Sunday night behind Matt Garza's masterful pitching in Game 7 of the AL championship series.
"It's unbelievable," centre-fielder B.J. Upton said. "We battled a lot of adversity this year. We stuck together as a team."
And, they showed a bit of Boston-like resolve when they needed it.
The Rays nearly let the series slip away when they blew a seven-run lead late in Game 5 and lost meekly Saturday night. But when rookie David Price struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning, the Rays were on their way.
Price, who didn't make his major league debut until late September, also worked the ninth, walking Trail, B.C., native Jason Bay and striking out Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek before getting pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie ground into a game-ending force play.
Tampa Bay's worst to first saga was the feel-good story of this season, and it probably was fitting that Price - the least experienced of the young Rays - was on the mound at the most critical point of the ALCS.
"Minimal experience, but I was not hesitant," manager Joe Maddon said.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s nice to see former doormats, like the Tampa Bay Rays, advance to the World Series. Now all they have to do to cap this “Cinderella” story is beat the Philadelphia Phillies, starting tomorrow night.
Our Game: Join The Real World Of Minor Hockey
21/10/2008 01:35
Every Canadian community has its beloved hometown rink. A place where moms buy arena coffee, dads hang on to every moment of the game and kids go to skate, pass and shoot. Hockey Night in Canada's "Our Game" is for each and every one of you.
Here you'll find helpful tips on how to fit shoulder pads, what type of skates a growing player needs, and whether that $250 single composite hockey stick is really worth it.
Hockey stars like Jason Spezza, Jordin Tootoo and Marc Crawford recall their first games, their early days in minor hockey, and their funniest teammates.
Every week Canadian sports psychologist Cal Botterill has valuable advice for parents and kids on how to get the best out of the hockey season.
This is a place that brings together Canadians who live and breathe minor hockey on a daily basis. This is your site. This is "Our Game."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
To check out the “Our Game” website, click here.
Chiefs’ Johnson Involved In Another Altercation
21/10/2008 01:34
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is in more trouble, as he was reportedly involved in a late-night altercation with a woman during the team's bye weekend.
The news, first reported by ESPN, came Sunday night after the Chiefs suffered a 34-10 home loss to the unbeaten Tennessee Titans. Johnson was not active for the game.
"We are aware of the most recent incident involving Larry Johnson and we are very disappointed with his involvement," Chiefs president Carl Peterson said in a statement. "We will cooperate fully with the Kansas City authorities who are investigating the matter. We have also made the NFL office in New York aware of the incident and officials there are conducting their own independent investigation. Based upon the NFL player conduct policy, we will have no further comment."
The news comes less than a week after word surfaced that Johnson was facing a simple assault charge for pushing a woman at a Kansas City nightclub in an unrelated incident. The Kansas City Star obtained court and police documents and reported the 26-year-old woman accused Johnson of using his open hand to push the left side of her head. Johnson faces a December court date for the incident, which occurred February 24 of this year.
Although no charges have been filed in the latest incident, Johnson has already faced three charges with assaulting a woman since he came to the Chiefs. In 2003 Johnson was accused of aggravated assault and misdemeanor domestic battery for waving a gun at his ex-girlfriend, but the charges were dropped because the running back entered a domestic-violence program. In 2005, Johnson was accused of pushing a woman to the ground at another KC nightspot, but the charges were later dropped.
Johnson has run for 417 yards and three touchdowns this season for the Chiefs (1-5). That includes a 198-yard, two-TD performance in their lone win of the season, 33-19, over Denver on September 28.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Larry Johnson is just another prime example of a primadonna who never grew up and learned how to behave properly. Something has to be done about Mr. Johnson’s behavior before he seriously injures somebody, or worse.
Turnesa Keeps PGA Card With Win In Vegas
21/10/2008 01:34
LAS VEGAS - Marc Turnesa completed a wire-to-wire victory for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to hold off Matt Kuchar by a stroke in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
The fourth rookie to win on the PGA Tour this season, Turnesa opened with rounds of 62, 64 and 69 at TPC Summerlin en route to a tournament-record 25-under 263 total. He earned a career-best US$738,000 to jump from 138th to 75th on the money list.
Turnesa birdied Nos. 9, 11, 12 and 14 to reach 25 under on the mostly sunny, breezy day. He also birdied the par-3 17th, but dropped a stroke on the par-4 18th.
''I only won by a shot, so obviously every birdie I made was important,'' said Turnesa, the 30-year-old former North Carolina State star who broke the event mark of 23-under 264 set last year by George McNeill.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is a great story. It’s nice to see a young lad like Turnesa win and keep his PGA Tour Card. As you know, only the top 125 money winners on the PGA Tour in any given year are fully exempt for the next year’s tour – unless you qualify under one of the PGA Tour’s “Special Exemptions.”
No, It Couldn't Be St. Albert's Taxes, Could It?
20/10/2008 03:38
Hi Don:
Just an observation I made yesterday.
Went to Sherwood Park, and the amount of new construction is very noticeable especially when you travel along Baseline Road from highway 16 through to Lakeland Drive.
Both sides of the road have a large number of developments in various stages.
Yet when you read the following regarding St. Albert, it makes you wonder:
"Administration told the committee (Finance and audit committee) that a slowdown in housing starts is hitting the city with a double whammy.
Don't you think that maybe, just maybe the difference is in the TAXES?
George Proulx
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Taxes George? Good heavens no. Just ask council and administration. They want to hit us for another 26 percent over the next three years. It couldn’t possibly be the taxes. Or could it? What do readers think?
The Derivation Of The Doughnut
20/10/2008 03:05
There’s nothing quite
like a
doughnut.Sure, there’s a wide variety of breakfast-oriented pastries out there, from Danishes and cinnamon buns packed with sweet deliciousness, to crullers, which are essentially doughnuts without their distinctive shape. But when all is said and done, the king of the morning sugar rush remains the doughnut.
The origin of this sweet circular staple is a bit mysterious; there are a number of theories as to where doughnuts came from. One thing we know for sure is that the doughnut was born from the age-old desire to avoid waste. Since we’ve been making bread, the question has always been what to do with the multitude of leftover dough scraps. Cooks in Holland and Germany began dropping their extra dough into boiling oil, creating fry-cakes. The Dutch took it a step further, shaping the fried bits into decorative knots (dough knots, a clear precursor to the term we use today) and rolling them in sugar afterward. Thus was born the delicious doughnut. Apparently, the Puritans discovered the confection during their time in Holland and brought it along with them to the New World.
Devour all the types here.
SINC SAYS:
Excuse me, I’ll be right back. After looking at that picture, I’m off to Timmy’s, back in five.
Lego Ad Red Lighted Over Gender
20/10/2008 03:00
A Swedish advertising
watchdog has slammed Danish toymaker Lego for a
catalogue it claims promotes outdated gender
roles.Sweden’s Trade Ethical Council against Sexism in Advertising (ERK) singled out images in a recent Lego catalogue which featured a little girl playing in a pink room with ponies, a princess, and a palace accompanied by a caption reading, “Everything a princess could wish for…”
On the opposite side of the page, a little boy can be seen in a blue room playing with a fire station, fire trucks, a police station, and an airplane. The caption beneath reads, “Tons of blocks for slightly older boys.”
In its findings, the ERK singled out the images for preserving traditional and anachronistic views on gender roles, according to the Göteborgs-Posten newspaper.
Furthermore, said ERK, the pictures constituted a form of stereotyping which was degrading to both men and women.
Lego defended the images in question by pointing out they were included in a catalogue which also contained several pictures of boys and girls playing together.
The company said it didn’t believe the catalogue would be viewed as promoting stereotypes, insulting, or discriminatory.
The ERK backed its ruling by referring to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which says that advertising should be not be discriminatory when it comes to issues of gender.
SINC SAYS:
Sometimes those watchdog groups are just that. Dogs.
Study: Cups Of Java Cut Cup Size
20/10/2008 02:55
LUND, Sweden, Oct. 19
(UPI) -- Drinking a lot of coffee reduces the
size of many women's breasts, a Swedish
researcher
finds.Helena Jernstrom, an oncologist at Lund University in southern Sweden, said that the effect is the result of a gene that about half of women possess, The Local reported.
"Drinking coffee can have a major effect on breast size," she said.
Jernstrom became interested in the subject because of research that has shown that large-breasted women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, while downing at least three cups of coffee a day reduces cancer risk. She decided to look for a correlation directly between drinking coffee and breast size and found one.
Her study tracked 270 women. Jernstrom's results were published in the British Journal of Cancer.
SINC SAYS:
Did you hear that? I think it was the sound of hundreds of coffee cups hitting the kitchen table this morning.
Sex Called Off In Hunt For Brothels
20/10/2008 02:53
PRIVATE investigators
will no longer need to have sex with
prostitutes to gather evidence against illegal
brothels.Under new laws before Parliament, the State Government has made it easier for local councils to prove an illegal brothel is operating in their area.
Previously, in a bizarre and controversial situation, private investigators had to pay and receive sexual services from prostitutes so local councils could prove to a court the existence of an illegal brothel.
The changes mean local councils and their private investigators will only have to prove that sexual services were offered, not actually provided.
Instead of entering a suspected illegal brothel, council officers or hired investigators could sit across the road from a premises and note the number and gender of visitors.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
Do you realize how tough it’s going to be to hire investigators now?
Oberst A Rock Star With Students
20/10/2008 02:47
Hockey Night in Canada anthem winner answers some interesting questions
As a regular feature, Canwest reporter Cory Wolfe gets personal with a sports figure. Today, Colin Oberst -- the winner of CBC's Anthem Challenge -- gets cornered. Wolfe caught up with the 37-year-old teacher from Edmonton's Holy Family School.
Canwest: How many times did you vote for your own song, Canadian Gold, in the CBC Anthem Challenge? Oberst: To be perfectly honest, I didn't. But my wife (Natalie) probably put in my share. I really don't know, but probably about 100 times total from the beginning until the final two.
Canwest: Have you phoned to trash-talk that 13-year-old kid who was runner-up? Oberst: No, no, no. The top-five finalists have been e-mailing and Facebooking. We're all actually pretty good friends right now.
Canwest: Just having some fun with you. Choose one group that you'd like to do a re-mix of your anthem.
Oberst: It would almost have to be someone that could do something instrumental. I'd like to hear a mean Rush re-mix of it.
Canwest: That might be good. They could get the synths in there. OK, in addition to the $100,000 prize, you get half of the lifetime royalties. When are you announcing your retirement? Oberst: This is one guy that will never retire, my friend. I've got too many things on the go.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
While Oberst’s tune is indeed catchy, as he says, it certainly hasn’t sunk into 40 years of collective Canadian hockey psyche. As a young feller’, having grown up in the 60s and 70s, I think the original, iconic Hockey Night In Canada Anthem will be forever tattooed in my psyche.
Retired NFL Players Sue Union Over Royalties
20/10/2008 02:46
SAN FRANCISCO - Fans of the popular ''Madden NFL'' video game by Electronic Arts Inc. can play vintage matchups such as the 1967 Green Bay Packers against the 1971 Dallas Cowboys.
Just don't look for either team's dominant left cornerback: Hall of Famer Herb Adderley, who played for both Super Bowl champions. There is only an anonymous video game figure with Adderley's weight and height displayed at left cornerback on each defence.
That did not sit well with Adderley, so he sued. His class action lawsuit on behalf of more than 2,000 retired players is set to start Monday in federal court, with the retirees accusing the NFL Players Association of cheating them out of millions of dollars in royalties from video games, trading cards and others sports products.
They contend that the union actively sought to cut them out of licensing deals so active players could receive bigger royalty payments. As proof, the retirees point to a 2001 letter from an NFLPA executive telling EA to scramble the images of retired players in ''Madden NFL,'' otherwise the company would have to pay them.
Retired players complain that, even though they signed licensing agreements with the NFLPA during a four-year period that ended in February 2007, they have earned little from the union's lucrative contract with EA.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Where will the greed ever end, folks?
Purolator, CFL Reach Goal For Food Donations
20/10/2008 02:45
TORONTO - Purolator, the official courier of the Canadian Football League, and the CFL announced today that the Purolator Tackle Hunger program has reached a historic milestone: more than two million pounds of food collected for food banks across Canada since the program's inception in 2003.
Now approaching the end of its sixth season, the Purolator Tackle Hunger program visits each CFL community throughout the year, offering fans the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Grey Cup trophy in exchange for a non-perishable food item or cash donation. In addition to the food drives, every time a quarterback gets sacked during the regular season, Purolator donates the player's weight in food to the local food bank where the game is being played. Throughout the year, Purolator employees and customers across Canada also participate in the program to help support their local food bank.
''This new milestone truly reflects the difference teamwork makes when it comes to tackling hunger in the community,'' said Brian Meagher, Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service at Purolator. ''We'd like to thank the CFL teams, our employees and customers, and football fans across Canada for their dedication and contribution to this program. We're already looking forward to another great year.''
The Purolator Tackle Hunger program's food collection figures have steadily increased every year since the inception of the program in 2003. This year's milestone of 2,000,000 pounds of food was reached in large part thanks to record-breaking contributions from football fans in Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Hamilton, Vancouver, Regina, Montreal, and most recently, Toronto in 2008.
''This is a great accomplishment, one that CFL fans should be very proud of,'' said Mark Cohon, CFL Commissioner. ''It's always great to see our fans, teams and partners come together to make a positive difference in our communities.''
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What a great record for donations CFL fans across Canada have made to the Canadian Food Bank.
Stony Plain Honors “Mr. Goalie” With Name On Arena
20/10/2008 02:45
Hall won Stanley Cup, three different individual trophies, in stellar career
Just when we thought Glenn Hall's barn was the most famous piece of real estate in Stony Plain, he's now got his name on the Centennial Arena, complete with an 80-foot mural to celebrate some of the memories of a Hall of Fame career.
"When we were growing up (in Viking), the brothers would cut out the picture of Glenn from the back of a box of cereal, I think it was Cheerios, and we'd wear it to school," reminisced former NHL coach and St. Louis Blues winger Brian Sutter, who was tickled to be a guest Thursday as the town of Stony Plain went overboard to salute Hall.
The special day for Mr. Goalie his wife and Pauline was spiked by the arrival of the Stanley Cup, Vezina, Calder and Conn Smythe trophies -- all of which Hall won.
Phil Pritchard, the Hockey Hall of Fame's keeper of the Cup, was there with his white gloves. So were Sutter, former Hawks' teammate and Montreal Canadiens' coach Al MacNeil and Al Coates, the former Calgary GM who now works as director of player personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs. John Short, who was writing about Hall 50 years ago, was also on the speakers list.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It's about time the media woke up to this story. And, as I said earlier, a very well deserved honor, indeed, for Mr. Goalie.
Face-Off Over Converted Garage
19/10/2008 02:34
Could land woman, 83,
in jailCamargo's troubles began when a code enforcement officer spotted a light shining from her garage, a violation, and firmly fixed garage doors.
La Quinta, Calif., resident says the space was a bedroom when she bought the house 30 years ago, but the city says it's her responsibility to undo the illegal conversion.
Ageda Camargo was sitting in her shady frontyard, wondering aloud if jail is as bad as it sounds.
"I'm thinking of writing Martha Stewart to ask what it's like," said the soft-spoken 83-year-old. "Do they put you in a cell? I wouldn't want to be in a cell."
These weren't idle worries.
Camargo, a grandmother of six, has run afoul of La Quinta's code enforcement in a big way, big enough to put her behind bars.
The city near Palm Springs insists that one of her three bedrooms is really an illegally converted garage. She insists it's just a bedroom.
More on this story here.
SINC SAYS:
Sometimes city officials can’t see the forest for the trees and harrass their citizens with stupid bylaws. Remind you of anyplace you know folks?
READER RESPONSE:
Can't help but be reminded of our "illegal" basement suite dwellers.
I know of one who recently felt it was safer to leave the only home he had known for years and could afford before the homeowner would be forced to ask him to get out in case somebody reported the "illegal" suite to the city by the year-end deadline.
He was lucky to find another place.
No Name Please
St. Albert
The Musings Of Maxine And Marvin . . .
19/10/2008 02:28
Loo With A View:
19/10/2008 02:21
The world's toilets
with the best
vistasWe may not really care what our view is when we use the loo.
But maybe we should - for according to the World Toilet Organisation we spend three years of our lives on the throne.
And that fact was enough to set author Luke Barclay off on a mission to flush out the planet's best loos with a view.
See all the great views here.
SINC SAYS:
There is a men’s room on the top floor in a downtown Toronto hotel that I once wandered into. The end stall had a magnificant view of the downtown.
Unfortunate Ad Placement
19/10/2008 02:17
Every once in a while
in the publishing industry, an advertisement
gets placed in what turns out to be a very bad
position. Such was the case with these two ads:
Jamaica Puzzled By Theft Of Beach
19/10/2008 02:10
A good beach is seen
as a valuable asset to hotels in
JamaicaQuestions are being asked in Jamaica about a police investigation into the theft of hundreds of tons of sand from a beach on the island's north coast.
It was discovered in July that 500 truck-loads had been removed outside a planned resort at Coral Spring beach.
Detectives say people in the tourism sector could be suspects, because a good beach is seen as a valuable asset to hotels on the Caribbean island.
But a lack of arrests made since July have led to criticism of the police.
More on this story here.
SINC SAYS:
‘Twas the headline that drew me into this story folks.
‘Rider Fans, Police Scuffle Caught On YouTube
19/10/2008 02:02
There are no plans
to beef up security for Saturday's Calgary
Stampeders game despite an online video that
shows a rough altercation between a police
officer and rowdy football fans.
The video, posted to YouTube on Wednesday, apparently shows a Calgary officer trying to remove a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan from the crowded stands during Monday's game at McMahon Stadium.
Another fan appears to lunge at the officer while his back is turned.
The officer then turns with his arms swinging to grab the fan, which causes both of them to fall into the seats in front of them.
The video shows what kind of dangerous situations officers are sometimes faced with at Canadian Football League games, said Calgary police Supt. Trevor Daroux.
"This is a 38-second snapshot of really what was happening here. This happened [with] about five minutes left in the game," he said on Friday.
"At same time, there were a number of similar incidents occurring and in many of those our officers were being swarmed and outnumbered by the crowd."
At the same game, Daroux said one fan was treated for serious head injuries after a fight with another fan, and an officer was approached by a man wearing brass knuckles.
More from CBC Sports.
To view the incident, click here.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Even though this incident occurred in Calgary, this sort of repeated behavior is precisely the problem I have with Saskatchewan Roughrider fans.
The video, posted to YouTube on Wednesday, apparently shows a Calgary officer trying to remove a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan from the crowded stands during Monday's game at McMahon Stadium.
Another fan appears to lunge at the officer while his back is turned.
The officer then turns with his arms swinging to grab the fan, which causes both of them to fall into the seats in front of them.
The video shows what kind of dangerous situations officers are sometimes faced with at Canadian Football League games, said Calgary police Supt. Trevor Daroux.
"This is a 38-second snapshot of really what was happening here. This happened [with] about five minutes left in the game," he said on Friday.
"At same time, there were a number of similar incidents occurring and in many of those our officers were being swarmed and outnumbered by the crowd."
At the same game, Daroux said one fan was treated for serious head injuries after a fight with another fan, and an officer was approached by a man wearing brass knuckles.
More from CBC Sports.
To view the incident, click here.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Even though this incident occurred in Calgary, this sort of repeated behavior is precisely the problem I have with Saskatchewan Roughrider fans.
2010 Team - Stevie Y., Lowe, Holland, Armstrong, Gretz
19/10/2008 02:01
Hockey Canada announced on Saturday that Steve Yzerman has been named executive director of Canada's National Men's Olympic Hockey Team for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
"I am truly honoured and privileged to take on the role of executive director for Hockey Canada going into 2010," said Yzerman in a statement on Saturday. "I am also very excited about the group that we have in place, a group that has great experience at both the professional and international level. With support from Bob Nicholson, Johnny Misley and the Hockey Canada team, I know that we have the right mix in place to assemble a team that will make all Canadians proud in 2010."
Yzerman, vice-president of the Detroit Red Wings, will be making his third appearance as a member of management with Team Canada. Yzerman was Canada's general manager at the past two World Championships, leading the team to gold in 2007 and silver in 2008.
Yzerman represented Canada on eight occasions as a player, including at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games when he helped Canada win its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey in 50 years.
"Hockey Canada is going to Vancouver to make all Canadians proud in 2010 and Steve is just the person to lead us," said Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson in a statement. "Steve is well respected throughout the hockey world for good reason. He has served this country whenever called upon and we are thrilled that he will be leading our Men's Olympic Team in 2010."
Yzerman will work with Nicholson and Johnny Misley, Hockey Canada's executive vice-president of hockey operations, along with a management staff, in putting together Canada's team.
Yzerman also announced his management staff, which includes associate directors Ken Holland, and Kevin Lowe and Doug Armstrong.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
As I’ve said before, Canada’s 2010 men's Olympic hockey team is in good hands. About the only thing left is the naming of a coach. How about Scotty Bowman?
Ottawa CFL Group Bids To Remake Lansdowne
19/10/2008 02:00
A group hoping to bring the CFL back to Ottawa has announced ambitious plans to revitalize Lansdowne Park with an updated football and soccer stadium, a refurbished arena and exhibition hall, an aquarium, a retail and restaurant complex, and more.
The group includes the owner of the Ottawa 67's, Jeff Hunt, and Minto property developer Roger Greenberg.
Greenberg said the plans were just "step 2 of 122" in the process. The group was hoping to be in play for 2010, but meeting that date might prove too ambitious.
"We haven't formally ruled out the 2010 season," Hunt said, "but as this goes on, it may not be reasonable to hit that date."
There are many other potential stumbling blocks in the group's way.
Hunt's group is proposing a 30-year lease of the land and has to convince the city to agree to pay the cost of the facelift and maintain its current operating and repair costs, while it will put up the money for the rest.
The consortium has already been granted a franchise for a team by the Canadian Football League, conditional on getting approval for its Lansdowne Park plan, and said Friday it will raise $120 million just to get the project started.
The plan, called Lansdowne Live, will be formally presented to the city on Monday, but was unveiled at Lansdowne Park on Friday.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
If I can give a bit of advice to this group – just keep Loonie, er, I mean, Lonnie Glieberman as far away from you as possible!
Mom Who Joined Daughter’s Cheerleaders Pleads Insanity
19/10/2008 02:00
GREEN BAY, Wis. - A 33-year-old woman accused of stealing her daughter's identity to attend high school and join the cheerleading squad has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Wendy Brown faces a felony identity theft charge after enrolling in a Wisconsin high school as her 15-year-old daughter, who lives in Nevada with Brown's mother.
According to a federal complaint, Brown attended one day of classes, practised with the cheerleading squad and went to a party at the coach's house.
Brown also faces theft and forgery charges from an unrelated case, where she is accused of collecting money for an apartment she didn't have authority to rent.
She could face up to nearly 13 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, this is the first thing about this story that is sane, folks!