21 September 2008
St. Albert's Place Advertising Really Works
27/09/2008 05:44
Hi Don!
When I wrote my skydiving story I was worried that my brutal honesty in my experience would scare some people away, even though I ended it with saying I'd do it again.
In June when the mall flooded it was beyond dead around here. We considered closing until the mall was back up and running fully.
Then suddenly business improved to the point of me saying repeatedly "what's going on around here? How come we are busier now then when the mall was normal?"
Then I realized it must be your site because we haven't done much advertising anywhere else.
You can mention my testament to anyone who's considering advertising on your site.
It works! It's been more effective than any other advertising we've done in the past.
Thank you so much Don!
Barb Freysteinson
Bad Girlz
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Barb, readers really enjoyed your sky diving story and especially women readers. They admired your courage. Thanks for the kind words about advertising on this site. And if any other businesses are interested in an ad here, you will be pleasantly surprised at the low rates. E-mail inquiries to mybirdie@telus.net.
When I wrote my skydiving story I was worried that my brutal honesty in my experience would scare some people away, even though I ended it with saying I'd do it again.
In June when the mall flooded it was beyond dead around here. We considered closing until the mall was back up and running fully.
Then suddenly business improved to the point of me saying repeatedly "what's going on around here? How come we are busier now then when the mall was normal?"
Then I realized it must be your site because we haven't done much advertising anywhere else.
You can mention my testament to anyone who's considering advertising on your site.
It works! It's been more effective than any other advertising we've done in the past.
Thank you so much Don!
Barb Freysteinson
Bad Girlz
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Barb, readers really enjoyed your sky diving story and especially women readers. They admired your courage. Thanks for the kind words about advertising on this site. And if any other businesses are interested in an ad here, you will be pleasantly surprised at the low rates. E-mail inquiries to mybirdie@telus.net.
Autumn Sunset On Big Lake
27/09/2008 05:36
Sometimes we forget
the beauty that surrounds us.
Sometimes we need to slow down and observe that beauty.
Local resident Elke Blodgett does just that and sent along this stunning picture taken one recent evening near Big Lake.
Thanks Elke for sharing the beauty.
(Click on photo to see larger image.)
Anyone else have a photo they would like to share? E-mail it to mybirdie@telus.net.
Some Brits Kept Those French Language Skills
27/09/2008 05:32
Hi Don,
Some people taught French at school in the UK did retain their knowledge. My mom was a prime example.
She learned French at school, got a French pen friend these two ladies kept in touch till mom passed away about 8 years ago! Mom writing in French and receiving letters from her friend in French!
In about 1955 mom and I went to France to meet the pen friend and her family. They could not believe how good mom's French was and that she spoke with a Parisian accent!
In 1989 mom and I were in the province of Quebec and there she was yakking away in French like she was a native of France.
She was even a volunteer at Father Jan School because she loved French so much!
So we have an English "gal" who retained her knowledge of French for at least 60 years! Perhaps she was the exception to prove the rule!
I can not remember much French even though I learned it for seven years over there and passed my French 30 exam after I moved here. To my instructor's amusement because he said, I spoke French with a Dutch accent! (I lived in Holland before here and spoke Dutch at work there) and knowing I was originally from England he found that very amusing.
Alison Glass
SINC SAYS:
Thanks for sharing that story Alison. I guess there are exceptions to every rule.
The Musings Of Maxine And Marvin . . .
27/09/2008 05:25
Why do women have smaller feet than men?
It's one of those 'evolutionary things' that allows them to stand closer to the kitchen sink.
-------------------------------
How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart?
When she starts a sentence with 'A man once told me...'
New York Bank Teller Scares Off Robber
27/09/2008 05:23
By asking: 'Are you
serious?'CENTEREACH, N.Y. - Police say a bank teller in Long Island, N.Y., had a simple question for a would-be robber: Are you serious?
The teller's question was apparently enough to spook the female suspect, who fled the Roslyn Savings Bank on Thursday afternoon without a dime.
Police say the suspect walked into the bank located inside a supermarket in Centereach, N.Y., and gave the teller a note in which she threaten to open fire if she didn't hand over her cash.
That's when the teller expressed her crime-fighting dubiousness and asked if the suspect was serious.
Police say the woman left without ever showing a gun.
They say she is also a suspect in a robbery Tuesday at the Bank of Smithtown, also in Centereach, a Long Island town about 80 kilometres east of New York City.
SINC SAYS:
Given the "cash stash" used at banks these days, why do dumb crooks insist on trying? They could get more dough holding up a grocery store.
Man Accused Of Posing As Dodger On Field
27/09/2008 05:14
LOS ANGELES - A man
faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing a
uniform from Dodger Stadium and posing as one
of the team's
players.Ronald Higgins pleaded not guilty to several charges Friday, including burglary and trespassing.
The 47-year-old Higgins was arrested Wednesday morning after a security guard found him walking on the field in a Dodgers uniform and holding a glove with two balls. Higgins allegedly identified himself as a Dodgers player, but the guard recognized him from an earlier incident and called police.
Prosecutors say Higgins' clothes were later found in the bat boys' locker room. It was not immediately clear where he got the uniform.
If convicted, Higgins could spend nearly four years in state prison.
SINC SAYS:
Some fans will do anything to get close to their sports heroes, including extreme stupidity.
12-Year Old McDonald's Hamburger, Still Looking Good
27/09/2008 05:02
The McDonald's
hamburger on the right is from 2008; the one on
the left is from 1996. And they both look
fairly
edible.Wellness educator and nutrition consultant Karen Hanrahan has kept a McDonald's hamburger since 1996 to illustrate its nonexistent ability to decay. Aside from drying out and bit and having "the oddest smell," it apparently hasn't changed much in the past 12 years.
This isn't the first time someone kept an uneaten McDonald's hamburger for an extended period of time for the sake of science. Or in the case of the Bionic Burger Museum, multiple burgers for over 19 years. There are even instructions on how to start your own collection of old, self-preserving burgers.
Anyone else have experience with Fast Food That Just Won't Rot?
SINC SAYS:
Years ago there were plenty of rumours about what was used for fillers in burgers. Maybe some of them were true?
HNIC ‘Theme’ Contest Down To Semi-Finals
27/09/2008 05:02
Hockey Night in Canada is one step closer to receiving new theme music.
CBC has revealed that an expansive judging committee on Canada's Hockey Anthem Challenge contest has whittled the number of entries down from 14,685 to five semifinalists.
Television viewers will be given a sneak peek at the five submissions each night during The Hour beginning Sept. 29 through to Oct. 3 at 11 p.m. when host George Stroumboulopoulos profiles clips from the original online submissions.
Viewers will then get an opportunity see all five submissions in their entirety during the Hockey Night in Canada Anthem Challenge, a one-hour special co-hosted by Stroumboulopoulos and Ron MacLean on Oct. 4 (CBC, 9 p.m. ET local time).
Following that broadcast, round one of fan voting will open up to the country, closing on Oct 7.
The two finalists will then be revealed during Hockey Night in Canada's Thursday broadcast on Oct. 9 and the second round of voting opens and continues to Oct. 10.
The new theme will be unveiled on Oct. 11 on the traditional Saturday broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada. The winning entry will receive $100,000 in cash and half of the ongoing performance royalties, with the other half going to Canadian minor league hockey.
For the two rounds of voting, Canadians will be invited to vote online at CBCSports.ca/anthemchallenge, by phone and via SMS on their mobile phones.
CBC launched the Canada's Hockey Anthem Challenge contest on June 19 after the network did not renew the rights to the old Hockey Night In Canada theme song, which were subsequently purchased by CTV Inc.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Cheez, it looks like the CBC is turning the fiasco of having the Hockey Night In Canada theme song ripped right out from under their noses into quite a PR happening! Good on the Mothercorp.
It will be kind of interesting to see which song is finally picked in the end.
Olympic Tickets To Include Transportation Surcharge, Fees
27/09/2008 05:02
A surcharge of $4 to $18 will be added to all tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic events to cover public transit and administration costs, organizers said Friday.
People attending events in Whistler from Vancouver will be required to buy a $25 round-trip bus pass on top of the surcharge because there will be no parking at venues.
The return-trip pass using the Olympic bus network will be $12 for people going to events at Cypress Mountain.
There will also be a delivery fee for all tickets.
"Most ticket holders will need to use public transportation to get to Olympic events as there will be no parking at venues," said Caley Denton, vice-president of ticketing and consumer marketing of the Vancouver Organizing Committee.
"One of our goals is to see the increased use of public transportation, walking and cycling as one of the legacies of hosting the Games," Denton said in a release on Friday.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Why can’t I get over the feeling that this public transportation surcharge and all these extra fees are just another money grab? It’s the same with my Edmonton Oiler season tickets. After all of the ticketing fees, entertainment fees, processing fees, handling charges, taxes and surcharges, they’re $87.50 each a game, folks.
CFL Executive Ralph Sazio Dies At 86
27/09/2008 05:02
BURLINGTON, Ont. - Ralph Sazio, who won three Grey Cups as a coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, has died. His son Mark says Sazio died Thursday night at his home. He was 86.
Ralph Sazio was more than a CFL player, coach, executive and builder," said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. "He was more than a Hall of Famer. He was a leader. And his tough-as-nails approach to leadership not only won games. It captured the mood, and epitomized the image of an entire city."
Current Tiger-Cats' owner Bob Young offered his thoughts on Sazio, who also served as the organization as a player and executive.
''I grew up on Ralph Sazio stories. Since I became involved with the Tiger-Cats, I had the great pleasure to meet with Ralph on many occasions. Even though he had a reputation for toughness as head coach and general manager, he was a genuinely kind, thoughtful and caring person,'' said Young. ''During our conversations we spent little time discussing his past career simply because he was much more interested in the current state of our favourite football team and the league. We have lost one of the great Tiger-Cats of all time. On behalf of the Tiger-Cats organization, our thoughts and prayers are with Ralph's family and friends.''
Sazio, who was named coach of the year in 1964, was also a player, general manager and president with the Tiger-Cats. He coached the team to Grey Cup victories in 1963, 1965 and 1967.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This year has been a very hard year on the CFL. The league loses yet another icon with the passing of Ralph Sazio yesterday.
Generals Retire Bobby Orr’s Sweater
27/09/2008 05:01
OSHAWA, Ont. - The Oshawa Generals have decided to reconnect with their past.
The Ontario Hockey League announced Friday that it will retire Bobby Orr's No. 2 this season.
Orr's number will be raised to the rafters at General Motors Centre on Nov. 27 before the Generals host the Peterborough Petes.
The Hall of Fame defenceman joined the Generals as a 14-year-old in 1962 and later helped the team capture the OHL championship in 1966.
In four seasons with Oshawa, Orr compiled 278 points in 194 games.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Robert G. Orr, the greatest defenseman of all time – bar none.
Way Back When - Memories From My Past
26/09/2008 09:13
I can clearly remember my first ever encounter with a badger.
It was in the 50s and I was likely about 12 years old. We were at my granddad's farm some 13 miles SW of Ponteix, SK and had just finished a picnic lunch with my family among the trees surrounding the old homestead he established there in 1914.
The old house had been converted into a granary and the old barn still stood, although it had a distinct lean to it.
I had my trusty Remington .22 calibre single shot bolt action rifle with me and took a walk out along the edge of the wheat field down to the coulee where I knew from past years visits, I would find some bottles for target practice. Dad always put some there as the coulee had a portion of it where it provided an embankment so spent rounds would harmlessly enter the side.
As I walked through that coulee to get to my position to set up some bottles, I heard a strange noise and came face to face with Mama badger and a couple of little ones.
She was NOT in any mood to have me visiting and I began a very slow back up with gun at the ready. Thank goodness she never charged or I would have had to change pants.
And I doubt that getting off one shot with a single shot .22 would have done much more than anger her more.
That day would be indelible on my psyche about the respect one must give wild animals to avoid becoming the victim of an attack.
I had chills up my spine as I walked the mile or so back to the homestead, looking over my shoulder every other step.
Anyone else have a memory from days of old to share?
We'd love to hear from you.
Duane Steele Performs At LB's Pub Tonight
26/09/2008 09:05
Tonight’s another special night at LB’s Pub with an appearance by Canadian country recording star Duane Steele.
You can read all about Duane on his web site by clicking here.
And don't forget
tomorrow night Salsa dance lessons along with
Combo Re playing Saturday
night.
It's St. Albert's
entertainment place.
Duane Steele is among Canada's top country recording artists and songwriters with a professional career dating back to 1984.
Born and raised in the small Alberta Peace Country town of Hines Creek, music was a big part of Duane's life growing up. He fondly remembers parties at his parents home with everyone sitting around singing and playing various instruments. As teenagers Duane and his cousins started a band spending summers and weekends playing for weddings and community dances.
In 1984 Duane's professional career began, fronting the band Rock 'N' Horse. Their album, Highways, was released in 1991. Despite top 20 singles, non stop touring, and a Juno nomination for Country Band of the Year Rock 'N' Horse disbanded in 1993. Duane took this opportunity to pursue his goals as a recording artist and songwriter, landing a publishing contract with Warner Chapel in Nashville. This full time job as a staff songwriter allowed him the privilege of working with and learning from some of the most talented writers from the United States and Canada
In 1995 a showcase at Canadian Country Music Week in Calgary resulted in his signing a recording contract with Mercury Canada. Duane's solo debut album "PO Box 423" was released in February 1996 and saw his first three singles go Top 5 on the Canadian Country Charts, including the #1 Hit "Anita Got Married". His sophomore release "This Is The Life" was released a year and a half later and furthered his presence on the Canadian music charts with all six singles released achieving Top 30 chart position (two becoming Top 10 hits). In support of both albums Duane released seven music videos on CMT (three of which went to #1).
Touring and promoting became a way of life for Duane once again. He was on the road traveling with his CCMA award winning band opening for some of the hottest acts in country music including Shania Twain, Terri Clark, Trisha Yearwood, Sammy Kershaw, and Prairie Oyster. In 1997 Duane was the winner of the CCMA for Vocal Collaboration of the Year with Lisa Brokop for the single "Two Names On An Overpass".
About That Lottery Rant Of Yours . . .
26/09/2008 05:23
Hi Don,
Read your column about the big lotteries. This isn't the first time competition has flooded the marketplace.
The Kinsmen Club of St. Albert used to run one of the biggest home lotteries in the province (I believe it may also have been the first). It raised hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in the early eighties, but then the hospitals and others started to creep into the marketplace hiring big PR and marketing firms to run the lotteries for them.
The volunteers with the Kinsmen couldn't compete and when proceeds dropped dramatically, the Kinsmen Dream House lottery ultimately had to fold.
Just a little St. Albert / Alberta history for you...
Neil Korotash
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Now there is something I did not know Neil. Thanks for the edumacation.
UK Adults 'Forget School French'
26/09/2008 05:20
Half of adults in the
UK have forgotten the languages they learned at
school, a survey
suggests.Two fifths of the 1,000 people polled by ICM regretted not keeping up their language skills after leaving school.
Most people thought languages were important in everyday life and 52% said they were important to a career.
The survey findings are published as children across Europe are celebrating language learning as part of the European Day of Languages.
Many secondary schools will use the day to promote the importance of learning languages, as fewer students have been taking traditional modern languages at GCSE in recent years.
The latest figures show the number taking French has slumped by a third in four years, although language experts say they hope the trend is now slowing.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
I took four years of French in high school. Why? Because I had to. Never used it my entire life, don’t remember but a word. Merci.
Make Ice Cream From Human Breast Milk
26/09/2008 05:15
PETA's latest
campaignWATERBURY, Vt. - Mooove over, Holsteins.
PETA wants world-famous Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream to tap nursing moms, rather than cows, for the milk used in its ice cream. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is asking the ice cream maker to begin using breast milk in its products instead of cow's milk, saying it would reduce the suffering of cows and calves and give ice cream lovers a healthier product.
The idea is getting a cool reception from Ben & Jerry's officials, the company's customers and even La Leche League International, the world's oldest breastfeeding support organization, which promotes the practice - for babies, anyway.
PETA wrote a letter to company founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield on Tuesday, telling them cow's milk is hazardous and that milking them is cruel.
A spokeswoman for the animal rights advocacy group says dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies and obesity.
"If Ben and Jerry's replaced the cow's milk in its ice cream with breast milk, your customers - and cows - would reap the benefits," wrote Tracy Reiman, the group's executive vice-president.
More from CBC News.
SINC SAYS:
I have always contended that the people at PETA are idiots. I can now rest my case.
Marvin's Had Enough Of Maxine . . .
26/09/2008 05:09
Meet Marvin folks! He's had enough of that sassy Maxine and has horned his way into our lives here on St. Albert's Place.
How many men does it take to open a beer?
None. It should be opened when she brings it.
------------------------------------
Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman?
Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably never be able to support you.
Farmers Warned: Don't Shoot Killer Parrots
26/09/2008 05:07
High country farmers
are being urged not to break the law to stop a
protected bird preying on their
livestock.The kea, known for its intelligence and inquisitive nature, is turning to live sheep for food, which can result in a slow and miserable death for the sheep.
Until 1986, farmers could protect stock by shooting a rogue kea, but the birds are now an endangered and protected species, so such an act could result in prosecution.
Federated Farmers high country spokesman Donald Aubrey said kea attacks were a long known hazard for high-country farmers.
"They target the area around a sheep's kidneys," Mr. Aubrey said. "They do that by riding on the back of the sheep and pecking around the spinal region.
Peck away at this story here.
SINC SAYS:
If I raised sheep and some varmint pecked it to death, it would get a load of buckshot.
Why Canadians Are So Tired . . .
26/09/2008 05:03
No wonder...we're so
tired!
The population of Canada is 30 million.
11 million are retired, that leaves 19 million to do the work.
There are 5.5 million in school, which leaves 13.5 million to do the work.
Of this there are 3 million employed by the federal
government, leaving 10.5 million to do the work.
1 million are in the armed forces, preoccupied with killing
Terrorists, which leaves 9.5 million to do the work.
Take from that total the 7 million people who work for
Provincial and city Governments, and that leaves 2.5 million to do the work.
At any given time, there are 476,000 people in hospitals, leaving 2,024,000 to do the work.
Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons and 812,000 on Employment Insurance and Welfare.
That leaves just two people to do the work......you and me.
And there you are sitting on your ass, at your computer, reading jokes.
Nice, real nice!
SINC SAYS:
St. Albert's Place reader George Proulx sent this one along for readers to enjoy and by George, I think he's right!
O. J. Said To Bring Guns, Court Told
26/09/2008 05:03
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - O.J. Simpson asked friends to bring guns to a confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, a witness told the sports star's armed robbery trial here Wednesday.
American football legend Simpson asked members of a gang who accompanied him to the showdown to carry weapons for their own protection and to "look tough" by displaying the guns in their waistband, Walter Alexander told the court.
"'I need somebody to watch my back ... do you think you can get some 'heat'?" Simpson said in a meeting before the raid, according to former friend Alexander, using a slang word for firearms.
Alexander is the first witness to give detailed information about how Simpson, 61, allegedly ordered the use of guns in retrieving personal items that were stolen from him a decade ago in Los Angeles.
Simpson, famously acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles in 1995, could be jailed for life if convicted on a dozen robbery and kidnapping charges.
More from yahoo.com
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Never minds guns for O. J., just bring a rope.
50,000 Tickets Already Sold For Grey Cup
26/09/2008 05:02
MONTREAL - The Grey Cup is still two months away but already more than 50,000 tickets have been sold to the CFL's championship game.
The game will be held Nov. 23 at Olympic Stadium. More than 15,000 tickets remain, event organizers said Thursday.
"We are thrilled with our fans' response," said Larry Smith, the Alouettes president and Grey Cup Committee co-president. "This proves Quebec is a true football province and that all of Canada will join the party.
"We're working hard to offer Canadians a full week of shows and entertainment in the Grey Cup Village downtown and hope people will be numerous to enjoy the festivities."
A total of 65,255 spectators attended the 2001 Grey Cup in Montreal. However, the 2008 committee's objective remains to beat the 68,318 spectators who attended the '77 Grey Cup when Montreal beat Edmonton at Olympic Stadium.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It should be a great party. SWIVEL HIPS already has his tickets and will be reporting back to the website from La Belle Province.
‘With Glowing Hearts’ Slogan Of 2010 Olympics
26/09/2008 05:01
VANCOUVER - The next time hockey fans stand up before a game, grasping a beer as they sing along to the national anthem, they will be unwitting marketers of the 2010 Winter Games.
And the next time a grade school student fumbles her way through O Canada at the start of class she, too, will be reciting the slogan for the Vancouver Olympics.
The words "with glowing hearts" from the English version of O Canada, and "des plus brilliant exploits" from the French version, have been chosen as the slogan for the Games.
"We chose words that are cherished by all of us, words that we believe in," John Furlong, the chief executive officer of the organizing committee of the Olympics, announced Thursday.
"Together the words embody our great Canadian spirit and what results when we give life our very best."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm . . . ‘With Glowing Hearts’ – how original.
49ers To Retire Young’s Number 8
26/09/2008 05:01
Santa Clara, CA (Sports Network) - The San Francisco 49ers announced Thursday they will retire the jersey No. 8 of former quarterback Steve Young, the 11th player to be so honored in team history.
The ceremony will take place at halftime of San Francisco's game against New England on October 5.
"It's a tremendous honor. No question about it," Young said. "This is your team. It's not the league, it's the guys that you fought with, it's the heart and soul of who you really were and you can turn back after all your time and efforts together, that they would turn back to you and say, 'We feel that your contribution was such that we want to retire your number.'"
Young played with San Francisco for all but two years of his 15-season career, from 1987-99. In that time, Young compiled a 91-33-0 record with the Niners, twice earned the league's MVP award (1992 and 1994), won the MVP award of Super Bowl XXIX, was a seven-time consecutive Pro Bowl selection (1992-98) and thrice was named first-team All-Pro (1992-1994).
He currently stands as the most accurate passer in NFL history with a 96.8 quarterback rating, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 -- the first left-handed QB to be inducted.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Personally, I have always felt that Joe Montana was the 49ers greatest quarterback of all time, bar none.
NHL Announces Asian Television Deal
26/09/2008 05:01
NEW YORK - The NHL's television audience is about to grow in an unlikely place.
The league announced Thursday that the Hong Kong-based All Sports Network (ASN) has signed a multi-year deal to obtain rights to show games throughout much of Asia, including India and China.
More than 130 regular-season games will be televised on ASN's channel Yes TV along with the all-star game, playoffs, Stanley Cup final and NHL highlight programs.
"We have been very impressed by ASN's aggressive rollout plans and their commitment to a growing roster of sports programming," said NHL senior vice-president Ken Yaffe. "Partnering with ASN represents a significant step in expanding our broadcast footprint internationally, and we are excited to begin offering our fans in Asia a comprehensive, season-long game schedule."
ASN has rights to broadcast the NHL via all forms of television, including HDTV.
"The National Hockey League has great potential for development in Asia," said Thomas Kressner, the CEO of Yes TV. "We are thrilled to be able to bring another big American sport to Asian sports fans."
The network will start showing games in South Korea during the second year of the deal. The deal does not include rights to Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm, interesting . . . hockey night in Asia, eh?.
Too Many Lotteries, Second Time Around
25/09/2008 03:51
Last year about this
time I wrote that I was concerned that too many
lotteries had been started in the greater
Edmonton area. I wrote of my fears that group
after group elbowing their way into the $100,
$250 and even $500 ticket costs would
eventually starve one or more organizations
out.
I was right when it was announced last year the the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation their newcomer lottery faced losing money and made a public plea for assistance buying tickets.
I was one of many who came to their rescue by purchasing a $50 ticket, the price last year. But when I made that purchase, I told the EOCF in an e-mail that this would be the last time I would bail them out and they should get out of the lottery game before they did any more damage.
They did not listen. They instead launched a new and better lottery and in fact doubled the price of a basic ticket to $100 in the offer to purchase they sent me this year via e-mail.
I won’t be buying a ticket this year for that reason. Whether they need another bail out or not.
Nor will I be buying any more than a few tickets for the various lotteries that bombard local residents every year at this time. I will support the hospital foundation lotteries and the cancer and $25 Legion lottery, but that is it. Why? Because I believe in the work these organizations do, and they were among the very first to gamble that a lottery was a good fundraiser.
The rest of the “copy cats” saw a good thing and have split the pot so badly in a down turning economy that they might hurt more than their own organization.
A pox on lotteries, they’ve outlived their goodwill with me as well as many people I talk to about them.
Reader Questions Answered Re: RV Dumping Stations
25/09/2008 03:46
SINC SAYS:
I had been asked for this information by three readers over the past week or so who were trying to plan last minute outings with their rigs. So now we know.
Good Morning Don,
The City has two RV sanitary Dump Stations, one on Chevigny Street, next to the Recycling Depot. The second at 17 Riel Drive.
The Riel station is opened year round for dumping of wastewater. However the water to the facility is shut off once the temperature starts dipping below freezing overnight.
The exact date is weather dependent, but we anticipate that occurring over the next few weeks at the latest.
The Chevigny station is opened for dumping of waste until the end of November, and possibly longer depending on the amount of snowfall by that time. However water to this station is again shut off when the temperature dips below freezing overnight.
Thanks,
Glenn Tompolski
Public Works Director
City of St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Thanks to Mayor Crouse who forwarded our question along to Glenn and thanks Glenn for setting the record straight.
Glenn Tompolski
Public Works Director
City of St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Thanks to Mayor Crouse who forwarded our question along to Glenn and thanks Glenn for setting the record straight.
The Most Dangerous Cake Recipe In The World
25/09/2008 03:38
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE
MUG
CAKE 4 tablespoons cake flour (That's plain flour, not self-rising.)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla essence
1 coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla essence and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!
I have just tried this cake. It rose about 2" above the top of the mug but deflated quite quickly as it cooled. It is rather solid but tastes just like chocolate cake!
Alison Glass
SINC SAYS:
I might even have to try this myself Alison. Thanks for sharing.
Cashing In On Controversy
25/09/2008 03:32
Jon Basso has thrown
traditional forms of advertising by the wayside
and is serving up big helpings of controversy
instead with his Heart Attack
Grill.Aside from maintaining a website, Jon Basso hasn't spent one dollar on advertising. And yet his restaurant has garnered international attention thanks to the controversy he's created. "We purposely try to generate controversy, there's no question about that," Basso says. After all, with menu items like the Quadruple Bypass Burger and Flatliner Fries, who needs marketing?
Yet even Basso, owner of Heart Attack Grill in Tempe, Arizona, agrees with his health-inclined critics on one point: Because of his 8,000-calorie burgers and french fries cooked in lard, the 40-stool burger joint isn't a place customers should frequent daily. "I tell everybody, 'Don't come here every day of the week; it'll kill you,'" he says.
For Basso, who also goes by "Dr. Jon, chief surgeon," what began as a marketing thesis has turned into a diner with a world-wide reputation. Though he started out operating a chain of personal fitness training studios, Basso heard so much talk from clients about what they did on their "diet cheat days" he decided the Heart Attack Grill he wrote about in his thesis could be the ultimate place to go for a dose of gluttony.
The controversial grill, which claims on its website to offer "taste worth dying for," officially opened its doors in January 2006--and it didn't take long for public debate to begin. Basso figured people would speak out against the ingredients in his burgers or the items on his menu--including filter-free cigarettes and beer--but was surprised when the biggest source of contention became the way his waitresses, or "nurses" as he calls them, dressed. The grill drew criticism from the Arizona Board of Nursing and the Center for Nursing Advocacy for putting the female-only "nurses"--the males are called doctors--in naughty nurse uniforms, saying they degraded the profession and that the restaurant shouldn't be allowed to use the title "nurse."
SINC SAYS:
Having suffered three heart attacks in my time, this is one place I’m gonna pass on, thanks.
The Moment A Cow Jumped Over A Woman
25/09/2008 03:26
And the donkey
collapsed with a fit of the
gigglesIt looked like a scene from a comedy sketch show - the moment a cow attempted to leap over a woman - and the donkey she was with appeared to collapse to the floor laughing.
This bizarre sequence of pictures shows the cow spotting a lush patch of grass and bolting towards it for a quick feed.
The fact that peasant woman and owner of the cow, 68-year-old Rositza Kasaboba, was in the way did not deter Dana the hungry bovine, who simply attempted to hurdle her.
Thankfully Rositza was virtually unscathed by the incident and managed a grin as she picked herself up off the floor.
See all the pictures here.
SINC SAYS:
Hi diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the . . . er wait, that’s another story. There’s lots more pictures via the link.
The Cost of Kids And Grandkids
25/09/2008 03:16
I have repeatedly
seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a
child, but this is the first time I have seen
the rewards listed this way. It is nice,
really nice!
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That does not even touch college tuition.
But $160,140 is NOT so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That is a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice says do not have children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite.
What do your get for your $160,140?
Naming rights,--- First, middle, and last!
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.
You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney Land, and wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel. You get to be immortal.
You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you are lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
You have all the power to heal a booboo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.
ENJOY YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS!
Ben Johnson Shocked The World 20 Years Ago
25/09/2008 03:15
September 24, 1988 was one of the greatest days in Canadian sports history. At least it should have been.
For just a few minutes, the entire country was focused on Seoul, South Korea as Toronto's Ben Johnson prepared to grab the spotlight in the most high-profile event at the Summer Olympics - the 100-meter sprint.
With a tense and quiet crowd looking on, Johnson lined up along with American rival Carl Lewis and Great Britain's Linford Christie. It was the dream match-up of its day.
With a shot of the starting gun, Johnson exploded off the blocks, pulling several long strides ahead of Lewis and rocketing past the finish line with his right index finger pointing skywards in victory. It was a cocky gesture, but no one in Canada seemed to care. He won a gold medal in the 100-metres - a sport that was all about individual effort. And he did it in fine fashion, lowering his own world record to a sparkling 9.79 seconds.
It was Canada's biggest moment in the biggest event at the biggest sports spectacle in the world. Johnson's triumph was Canada's triumph.
That is, until an IOC press conference changed everything three days later.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Twenty years ago yesterday was the greatest moment in Canadian sports history. Unfortunately, everything changed just three days later when the IOC stripped Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson of his 1988 Olympic gold medal.
‘Hockey Theme’ Returns To Canadians On TSN
25/09/2008 03:14
TORONTO - It's revered by many as the unofficial national anthem.
Now, the iconic hockey theme that once opened CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcast has a new recording for its TSN debut.
Re-recorded by 54 members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the new reading holds true to the version familiar to Canadians while adding a little more percussion, giving it a very 1960s feel.
John Ciccone, president of Copyright Music and Visuals, the company that represented the original rights holder, got a sneak preview of the new recording.
"It's beautiful, beautiful. Boy, it's breathtaking," said Ciccone.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I still can’t believe the Mothercorp. was so asleep at the switch as to let TSN “steal” the ‘Hockey Theme’ right out from under their noses.
Habs Unveil 100th Anniversary Plans
25/09/2008 03:14
The Montreal Canadiens unveiled a full schedule of events Wednesday for a two-year celebration of the team's 100th season.
Owner George Gillett Jr. and president Pierre Boivin were on hand at the Bell Centre to announce plans for the next two NHL seasons leading up to the 100th anniversary of the team's founding on Dec. 4, 2009.
Among the features this season will be a Ring of Honour section, which will open prior to the Canadiens' home-opener against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 15. The team will also set up a wing for its Hall of Fame area at the Bell Centre next April.
"We had no idea the kind of excitement that was coming our way with something as important as the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary franchise," Gillett said of purchasing the Canadiens in 2000.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
One hundred years in the NHL, eh? Good on the most storied franchise in National Hockey League history. Vive Les Canadiens!
Six Former NFL Players Contribute To Concussion Study
25/09/2008 03:13
NEW YORK - Six retired NFL players are among a dozen athletes who agreed to donate their brains to study the long-term effects of concussions, The New York Times reported on its website Tuesday night.
Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson, one of the players who committed to the donation, hopes Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy can help clear up the debate on the issue.
"I shouldn't have to prove to anybody that there's something wrong with me," Johnson told the newspaper.
The 35-year-old's neurologist has pointed to Johnson's multiple concussions between 2002-05 as a cause of his permanent and degenerative problems with memory and depression.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is scary stuff, folks. I’m glad they’re finally looking deeper into the causes and effects of these head injuries, though.
Europe Should Make Ryder Changes: Monty
25/09/2008 03:13
Colin Montgomerie thinks Europe will respond to its Ryder Cup loss by adopting the American qualifying system of having four wild-card picks instead of two for its team in the the international golf tournament.
Montgomerie also said he'd like to see Sandy Lyle as the next European captain, but that if he himself ever gets the job — considered a likely possibility before 2014 — he would scrap the current system of 10 automatic qualifiers and two wild cards.
"If it hasn't changed by then, I'll certainly be asking for that change by the time that I possibly do this job," Montgomerie said on the eve of the British Masters at The Belfry, which has hosted four Ryder Cups.
Montgomerie, who was overlooked for selection by captain Nick Faldo after playing in the previous eight Ryder Cups, praised U.S. captain Paul Azinger for pushing for more wild-card picks.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It was nice to see the media get a chance to interview a “jilted lover,” player Colin Montgomerie. And, certainly, Monty is unbiased, right? I mean toting fellow Scotsman Sandy Lyle as the possible next captain of the European Ryder Cup team, or perhaps even himself? There’s absolutely nothing as wonderful as self-promotion, is there folks?
New Lois Hole Library Opens In Edmonton
24/09/2008 03:17
Every TV station and
news media must have been
documenting the new Lois Hole Library
opening in Edmonton this morning.
A couple of provincial and even a federal Minister, the mayor of Edmonton and several councillors (including former councillor Michael Phair), the Chancellor of the University of Alberta, Stanley Milner, library board representatives, to name just a few, were among the invited dignitaries.
The Hole family was there, of course, and so was the sculptor Danek Mozdzenski.
When the time came to cut the ribbon, the guests of honour were given a little gardening trowel and asked to plant some flowers in honour of Lois.
Under Jim Hole's guidance, they actually got their hands dirty. And a group of very young children presented a bouquet of paper flowers they had made.
It was a very moving ceremony and I think Lois would have given out a lot of her hugs today.
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Thanks for covering the event for St. Albert’s Place, Elke. We beat all local media with this story thanks to you. Lois would have been very proud.
Reader Responds To RCMP Centenary Bowl Request
24/09/2008 03:12
Don,
Here's what I've managed to find which might give the fellow a place to look for a value and maybe a place to sell the item, if he'd consider an auction. Here's a URL for Waddington's, a Canadian Auction house: http://www.waddingtons.ca/
The reason I recommend them is because I found an online copy of their catalog from an auction held in Nov. of 2005 (pg.3 of .pdf) that appears to have included such a commemorative bowl... I'm attaching the .pdf. I hope it's not too big... but it may be of value. See page 81 - Item 1059
Description:
1059
English Silver Parcel-Gilt R.C.M.P.
Centenary Commemorative Bowl and
Cover,Limited Edition 117/500
the rim moulded in low relief with early
scenes of daily life as an officer, the cover
bearing a crown finial; in a presentation
box, ht. 6.5”— 16.5 cm., 28.4 oz. — 885
grams, London, 1973, makers: Aurum Designs
Est. $200/300
There's no picture of the item but it sure sounds spot on. That auction was nearly three years ago, I don't know how it turned out or what the value of such an item might be now.
I hope this helps,
Diane Koke
Calgary
SINC SAYS:
You bet it does help Diane and I have forwarded the information to St. Albert's Place reader John. We'll let you know how he makes out.
St. Albert Taxpayers Association Meeting Tomorrow Night
24/09/2008 03:04
Hi to all St. Albert
Taxpayers;
On behalf of the Board; we hope you and your family had a SAFE and pleasant summer; unfortunately, it wasn't long enough.
The Board has been meeting throughout the summer; keeping up to date with the St. Albert happenings and concerns. We as St. Albert residence; taxpayers; and stake holders; have a lot to be concerned about:
- Servus Credit Union Place - are administrators prepared to book Soccer fields for 38 hours per week rather than accepting a proposal for 55 hours per week?
- West Bypass road - is there more traffic on St. Albert Road than we can handle?
- Property being developed between Socrates and Fountain Tire; a natural ravine.
- Can we spend our hard earned money on Servus Place and Council can ONLY contribute $240,000 for affordable housing?
- on and on it goes
Our next meeting is planned for:
- Thursday - September 25th, 2008
- 7 pm - 8:30 pm
- Seniors Center, 7 Tache Street
If the St. Albert Taxpayers Association is going to make an impact on our local civic government or future direction, we need to have as many St. Albert citizens as possible to join our Association. Please bring your St. Albert friends; neighbors; etc., to one or all our monthly meetings.
See you at the meeting;
Gord Hennigar
St. Albert Taxpayers Association
Biggest Private Collection Of Two Million Bricks Of Lego
24/09/2008 02:59
A toy-mad collector
and Star Wars fan has amassed Britain's biggest
private collection of Lego - containing over
two million bricks.
Darren Smith, 32, started collecting the colourful building blocks aged five when he was given a set by his parents as a Christmas present.
He was so taken with Lego he carried on collecting it all his life and his mammoth collection now fills his large garage and a specially converted loft.
Darren, a data analyst, says his favourites Lego figures are the Star Wars characters - particularly C3PO and Darth Vadar.
He also has over 2,000 sets including pirates, police, cowboys, astronauts, Vikings and super heroes such as Indiana Jones, Spiderman and Batman.
Darren, of Exeter, Devon, also has Lego cars, bikes, helicopters, trains, dinosaurs, robots, fire stations, footballers, aliens, Harry Potter and farm animals.
He has more than 2,000,000 bricks in his incredible collection - eclipsing the previous British record of 500,000.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
This story is just for one special lady reader of St. Albert’s Place in return for her never ending assistance to this site.
Fun, Fitness, Travel And Dance Lessons Too . . .
24/09/2008 02:45
I met a nice young
lady by the name of Yvonne Dicristafaro the
other day at LB’s Pub where she was getting
some help with a new web site from owner Pat
Beier’s brother Maurice.
She is the gal who teaches the Salsa dancing classes Saturday nights at LB’s.
She was interested in this site so I asked her to send along an e-mail by way of introduction.
Herewith are two of her current projects. If I was a little younger ( and single too
), I might just be interested in
that Cuba trip. Oh wait, it involves fitness,
count me out.
All the contact info you need is here. Just click on the images for a larger more readable version.
Man Decorates Basement With $10 Worth Of Sharpies
24/09/2008 02:38
When Charlie Kratzer
started on the basement art project in his
south Lexington home, he was surrounded by
walls painted a classic
cream.
Ten dollars of Magic
Marker and Sharpie later, the place was black
and cream and drawn all over.
There are fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Winston Churchill lounging with George Bernard Shaw — and the TV squirrel Rocky and his less adroit moose pal Bullwinkle.
Says Kratzer of his cartoon of a cartoon: "You appreciate the cleverness more as an adult."
There's Georges Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. There is Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and the Cornell Law School, of which Kratzer is an alumnus. There is Kratzer's dad. There is the harlequin pattern — alluded to in culinary culture today by the Panera bread bag — and a fake fireplace facing a real one.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
See the 360-degree photo of Kratzer's artwork by clicking on the link.
There are fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Winston Churchill lounging with George Bernard Shaw — and the TV squirrel Rocky and his less adroit moose pal Bullwinkle.
Says Kratzer of his cartoon of a cartoon: "You appreciate the cleverness more as an adult."
There's Georges Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. There is Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and the Cornell Law School, of which Kratzer is an alumnus. There is Kratzer's dad. There is the harlequin pattern — alluded to in culinary culture today by the Panera bread bag — and a fake fireplace facing a real one.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
See the 360-degree photo of Kratzer's artwork by clicking on the link.
Another 34 NHL Games Available This Season On TSN2
24/09/2008 02:38
In addition to the 70 NHL games already scheduled to air on TSN this season, TSN2 will bring an additional 34 live regular season NHL games - including two Ottawa Senators games that previously were never scheduled for broadcast.
In addition to the two exclusive Senators games, TSN2's includes six games with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and five games with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. TSN2 will also show four games featuring the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, including a long-awaited rematch against Pittsburgh, their opponent in last season's final.
The two Senators games to air on TSN2 are Ottawa at Chicago on Dec. 10 at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt and Ottawa at Carolina on Mar. 25 at 7pm et/4pm pt.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For more on the games available on TSN2 this upcoming year, click here.
TSN’s Chris Schultz Remembers Ron Lancaster
24/09/2008 02:37
Ron Lancaster was a childhood hero of mine. He was one of several sports stars that created a desire and determination for me to go as far as I could go in the game of football.
It was in the early 1970's that I became enamored by the game and the personalities that played it. I would go see the Ticats play at Ivor Wynne Stadium one weekend and travel to Exhibition Stadium in Toronto to see the Argos the following weekend. Out West, I was a big Saskatchewan Roughriders fan. I watched Ron Lancaster hand off to George Reed and throw touchdown passes.
I wanted to be a blend of those two great players.
When you lose a childhood hero, you get hit with a sense of vulnerability and an understanding of how finite life can be. That being said, I hate the thought of not having Ron Lancaster around. Ron was always at his best when times were tough, and I believe that even his darkest moments had a silver lining in the sense that he didn't have to suffer through the pain of extended treatment for his cancer. The disease has been in my life and I can't put into words how agonizing it is to see a family member's health slip away.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
For more from TSN football analyst Chris Schultz, click here.
DB Johnson Leaves Bombers After Brother’s Shooting
24/09/2008 02:36
Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB Jovon Johnson has left the team indefinitely following the murder of his younger brother in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The Bombers released the following statement:
"Our thoughts are with Jovon and his family as he deals with this difficult time The Winnipeg Football Club has continued to communicate with Jovon and has made it known that we will help him in any way as he deals with his personal tragedy. As Jovon and his loved ones grieve, the organization would ask the media and public to respect the family's privacy as they deal with a very difficult situation."
The Blue Bombers will not be making any further comment, out of respect for the family's wishes.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm . . . I wonder what the real story is here?
Buzz Hargrove Joins NHLPA
24/09/2008 02:36
Buzz Hargrove, the former Canadian Auto Workers union, is about to drop the puck on a new job.
Hargrove confirmed to the Toronto Star that he's joining a special advisory group of the NHL Players' Association. The group will advise the NHLPA on key issues.
Hargrove told The Star that the position is non-paying and the group will meet a few times a year. He told the newspaper that he won't be involved in any collective bargaining.
The group's formation comes after the most tumultuous period in the union's history.
It includes the dismissal of executive director Ted Saskin for allegedly hacking into player e-mail accounts last year and the contract dispute and lockout that wiped out the 2004-2005 season.
Hargrove retired as president of the Canadian Auto Workers union earlier this month.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Oh, brother, what next? It seems that people like Hargrove, always seem to find another trough to feed at, don’t they?
Moose On The Loose Near Ray Gibbon Drive
23/09/2008 05:48
Hi Don,
This past week, our local moose population put on quite a show at Big Lake.
A bull, cow and calf were resting or grazing peacefully right across the river from the Bless platform. Another bull turned up when the first one went off after the cow into the bushes. At the same time, another cow was observing us from behind, from the south shore of the lake. She was resting in the reeds.
The next night, a female took her calf, on foot, across the lake to the north shore. It took them quite a while. And last night (Saturday), a female was observed feeding on the south shore again.
This photo was taken by Dave Conlin. Several other local photographers got some good shots. Maybe they'll send you some more.
This should also be a reminder to those who drive the WRR (Ray Gibbon Drive) to be on the lookout. Earlier this year, a young moose was hit and killed on that road.
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
When man intrudes in a sensitive wildlife area, things are bound to happen. We don’t belong there. The moose do. End of story.
Reader Wants Help Selling RCMP Centenary Bowl
23/09/2008 05:48
We love to hear from
St. Albert’s Place readers and John is no
exception. This week, John
wrote:“I have a RCMP centenary bowl. These were produced in 1973 to commemorate the centenary. 500 were made. They are made of gold and silver. It stands 7 inches high and is 7 inches in diameter. I need to sell this bowl but have no idea of it's value. Can you suggest where I could find out it's value?”
I searched the net and came up empty John, but you can bet our readers will rise to the challenge to see if we can help find the information you seek.
How about it folks? Anyone out there have any ideas I can pass along to John in his quest to sell his bowl?
Celebrating A Decade Of AgitProp
23/09/2008 05:40
~ Please join us! ~
ESPA is giddy with excitement to be presenting:
MEDIATION: ESPA’s 10th Anniversary Retrospective Exhibition
Celebrating a Decade of AgitProp
Sept. 25 - Oct. 30, 2008
@ ArtsHab Studio Gallery*
3rd floor, 10217 106 St., Edmonton
Please Join Us Thurs., Sept. 25 from 7-11pm for our Opening Reception!
Free admission, all welcome (bring your kids!); licensed event requiring I.D. for bar service
Have a few libations & organic/fair trade snacks with us, listen to some great music, watch some great video, gawk at the hundreds of great originals, prints, posters, mail-art, artistamps, zines, artists' books & other ephemeral artwork representing ESPA's favourite (mostly political) pieces from our permanent collection and our first decade of rabble-rousing.
And that's not all . . .
New Work by ArtsHab Artists in Residence
New works by Jeff Collins, Roger Garcia, Gina Shields, Lynn Malin, Tessa Nunn, Harold Pearse, Tim Rechner, Jenna Stanton, Arlene Wasylynchuk, Darren Woluschuck, Jason Muirhead and Erika Ampudia.
ArtsHab Studio Gallery is a community of contemporary artists living and working in downtown Edmonton. ArtsHab offers a unique opportunity for art lovers to come out and meet these working artists in their homes and studios.
* ArtsHab Studio Gallery is open every Thursday from 5-8pm or by appointment. Phone 780-423-2966 (Tim) or 780-439-9532 (Jeff), or visit http://www.artshab.com
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, visit http://www.edmontonsmallpress.org or join ESPA on facebook.
Edmonton Small Press Association (ESPA)
P.O. Box 75086 RPO
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 6K1 Canada
780-434-9236
http://www.edmontonsmallpress.org
The 2008 "North of Nowhere Expo: Festival of Independent Media & Underground Art" Oct. 17-31, 2008
"To criticize the government is the highest act of patriotism." - Howard Zinn
23/09/2008 05:37
If I had my legs
amputated, would I have to change my height and
weight on my driver's
license?
If nobody buys a ticket to a movie do they still show it?
How do you tell when you run out of invisible ink?
Do movie producers still say lights, camera, and action when it is a dark scene?
What do you call male ballerinas?
Man Vows To Fight Garden Gnome Arrest Threat
23/09/2008 05:34
The offending police
garden
gnomeA man vowed to keep a glowing garden gnome on display today in defiance of a police notice. Gordon MacKillop even faces possible prosecution over the offending ornament.
He was woken in the night by two police officers who warned him that the solar-powered gnome, dressed in full police uniform, was offensive to his neighbours.
They served him with a notice under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 for "placing a garden gnome with intent to cause harassment to Mr John McLean".
The notice, issued on August 30, also accuses Mr MacKillop of intimidating potential buyers of former policeman Mr McLean's £209,000 cottage in Treovis, near Liskeard, Cornwall. It warns the 46-year-old that he could be arrested and prosecuted.
"When you hear a knock at the door at quarter to midnight you don't expect to be served with that," said Mr MacKillop, a marine surveyor at Devonport Dockyard.
"I was absolutely fuming. I thought there had been an accident in the family."
The gnome saga is the latest in a long-standing dispute between the two neighbours over access to land.
Mr MacKillop denied having harassed house-hunters viewing his neighbour's property. A Devon and Cornwall Police spokeswoman said today: "This isn't just a petty issue. This has been ongoing for two or three years."
Mr McLean has told officers that the garden gnome, who comes complete with police dog and solar light and costs £13.99, was in an "annoying position".
But, Mr MacKillop said he had bought the offending object at a supermarket in a bid to deter criminals after his motorcycle was stolen from his drive.
"I happened to be walking through a local superstore. It was the only type of solar-powered gnome and it just happened that it had a police uniform on," added Mr MacKillop.
"I'm not having the police telling me what type of garden gnome I can have in my garden. It's all very stupid but the sinister side is that it says on the form should this type of behaviour reoccur I will be liable for arrest and prosecution.
"The gnome is still out there in the same place and I suppose the police could return at any time and arrest him or me. This is a standard gnome I bought from a retail store. If they are considered to be harassing they should be withdrawn from sale."
SINC SAYS:
Have those coppers never heard of gnome sweet gnome?
Baldy Bird Gets A Shell Suit
23/09/2008 05:30
A STRESSED-OUT hen
that lost all its feathers at a cramped battery
farm has been given a new shell suit to keep
warm — a knitted
JUMPER.One-year-old Buffy was plucked to safety three weeks ago by the RSPCA.
She was almost entirely bald and 1kg underweight
But thanks to a big-hearted volunteer, the chilly chicken has now been knitted a striped woollen sweater to keep her warm – and to cover her modesty.
Buffy is now back to full health and has become the star attraction at the RSPCA rescue centre at Brent Knoll, near Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset.
Deputy manager Emma Phillips has become Buffy’s foster mum and keeps the hen in a luxury nestbox at the centre’s chicken shed.
She said: "Sadly, we occasionally find hens in this state when we rescue them and when Buffy arrived she looked like she was oven-ready.
"But now she’s bold enough to peck and scratch about and tries to join the other chickens sunbathing in the sunshine wearing her little jumper.
"Hopefully, with me acting as Buffy’s foster parent she will be nursed back to health with a full set of feathers.”
Buffy will be re-homed in the coming months when RSPCA vets give her the all clear.
SINC SAYS:
Good thing she didn’t grow up on our farm. She’d a been chicken pot pie real quick, given you don’t have to pluck her feathers.
Rowdy Saskatchewan Fans Prompt CFL Review
23/09/2008 05:27
The Canadian Football League said Monday it will review a beer-throwing incident at Saturday night's game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions.
Some fans in Regina threw beer cans at B.C. players standing on the sidelines in the fourth quarter. B.C. won the game 27-21.
According to some B.C. players, an estimated 50 cans and plastic containers showered down from around the midfield stands at Mosaic Stadium.
The CFL said it will review videotape of the game and meet with both teams with a view to preventing similar behaviour in the future.
Since the incident, Roughrider fans have been voicing strong opinions about what happened.
Devin Heroux, who was in the east side of the stadium and near the action, told CBC News that the incident was prompted by a controversial call by referees.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, Regina – the absolute worst football stadium, and worst behaved fans, in Canada.
Ticats Sign Kenton Keith
23/09/2008 05:27
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have bolstered their backfield by signing running back Kenton Keith, according to a Canadian Press report.
The deal, which ties the former Saskatchewan Roughriders star to the Ticats through the 2010 CFL season, is expected to be announced by the club Monday afternoon. The source said Keith would be paid $170,000 in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons along with a "significant" signing bonus.
Hamilton leads the CFL in rushing, averaging 181.6 yards per game. The Tiger-Cats are also are tops in the league in yards per carry (7.1) and overall attempts (283).
While starting tailback Jesse Lumsden is fourth in CFL rushing with 586 yards on 84 carries, he has missed a chunk of time already battling ankle and shoulder injuries. However, import Terry Caulley has been solid, standing eighth overall in rushing (6.9-yard average) and recording five touchdowns.
Keith was a star with the Roughriders from 2003 to 2006 when he rushed for 3,811 yards and scored 28 touchdowns in 43 games.
While the Tiger-Cats would add a proven CFL running back, they seem to have more pressing needs at receiver and offensive line.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
No wonder the Hamilton Tiger Cats are destined to remain mired in the CFL basement forever. With player personnel decisions like signing the “cancer” Kenton Keith, they deserve everything bad they get.
British Press Slam Faldo For Ryder Cup Tactics
23/09/2008 05:26
One headline branded the outcome "Faldo Folly." Another deemed him "Captain Calamity."
European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo was under siege Monday after his team's loss to the United States. Faldo, a six-time major winner, was belittled for his player selections.
"Nick Faldo, not the crowd, was America's 13th Man," the Daily Mail said of his role in Europe's 16½-11½ loss at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
The Times of London said that while U.S. captain Paul Azinger instilled belief in his team, "Faldo inspired chaos."
The Times assailed Faldo for using his most successful players — Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell — near the end of Sunday's singles matches rather than at the beginning. That meant the overall result was decided by the time they won their matches.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It was nice to see the U.S. team win, if for no other reason than to wipe that cocky smirk off Nick Faldo’s face.
Red Tag Day For Pro Baseball Hall Of Fame
23/09/2008 05:26
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Jose Molina's home run in the final regular-season game at Yankee Stadium put him into the history book, and the Hall of Fame.
Molina hit the last home run at the ballpark, connecting Sunday night in the Yankees' 7-3 win over Baltimore. The spikes he wore were donated to the Hall after the game.
The bat Johnny Damon used to homer in the last game - he'd broken all of his own, so he used a Xavier Nady model - also was sent to Cooperstown.
Derek Jeter will be represented, too, with a bat that he used during the final homestand and the spikes he wore when he passed Lou Gehrig on the Yankee Stadium career hit list.
The new items will go on display this fall after they are entered in the museum archives.
Dozens of other artifacts from Yankee Stadium already are at the Hall, including the lockers of Babe Ruth, Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, box seats and two turnstiles and a ticket booth.
The Hall is also working to acquire artifacts from the final regular-season game at Shea Stadium, which will be played Sunday.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The Americans always seem to go a little bit overboard in nearly everything they do, don’t they, folks? I wonder which player that played in that last game in Yankee Stadium on Sunday donated his underwear to the Pro Baseball Hall Of Fame?
Rude Customer In Local Restaurant
22/09/2008 02:23
Hi Don,
I was in Smitty's in St. Albert a few evenings back playing the Ts and there was a lady playing the machine beside me. She put the reserved sign on her machine and left.
She came back about 15 minutes later and resumed play. She opened her purse and there was a paper bag
inside. She opened the bag without taking it out of the purse and there was a foil bag inside the paper bag. The foil bag was from A&W. It was a hamburger, which she proceeded to eat.
She looked as if she did not want anyone to see her doing this as she bent over to take a bite and never pulled the bag out of her purse. Her back was to the room so no one but me could see what she was doing.
I didn't say anything but I got more and more offended as I thought about this. It would take a lot of nerve to go to a restaurant and buy some food and then take it into another restaurant to eat it.
I thought about the owner of Smitty's who is paying a hefty rent, staff and supplies and hoping to have some left over to support his family. I used to be in the restaurant business and this stinks. Finally I said something to the
woman and her response was, "I don't like Smitty's hamburgers."
I told her I thought what she was doing was extremely rude and if it was my restaurant I would ask her to leave. She told me I was rude to even mention it to her. She has probably done this before and no one has had the balls to say anything to her. Next time I will tell the owner.
We Canadians are a ridiculously polite lot. We continuously say sorry and we hate to offend anyone, but this woman just got my goat. Maybe if the woman reads your web page she will get the hint. I am sick and tired of letting rude behavior pass without comment.
Rick
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
You’re right Rick, establishment owners do indeed face a myriad of costs, and as such are deserving of our total support if we patronize their restaurant.
SINC SAYS:
You’re right Rick, establishment owners do indeed face a myriad of costs, and as such are deserving of our total support if we patronize their restaurant.
A Grammar Lesson To Be Remembered
22/09/2008 02:18
Harry is getting
along in years and finds that he is unable to
perform in bed, so he goes to his doctor,
who tries a few things, but nothing seems to
work.
Eventually, the doctor refers him to an old gypsy medicine woman. The medicine woman says, "I can cure this."
That said, she throws some white powder into a flame, and there is a flash with billowing blue smoke.
She Collects the ash and says, "This is powerful medicine, and you can use it only once a year. All you have to do is say "123" and it shall rise for as long as you wish!"
The guy then asks, "What happens when it's over, and I don't want to continue?"
The medicine woman replies; "All you or your partner has to say is "1234", and it will go down. But be warned - it will not work again for another year!"
He rushes home, eager to try out his new powers and prowess.
That night, he is ready to surprise Joyce. He showers, shaves, and puts on his most exotic shaving lotion.
He gets into bed, and lying next to her says, "123."
He suddenly becomes more aroused than ever before, just as the medicine woman had promised.
Joyce, who had been facing away, turns over and Asks, "What did you say 123 for?"
And that, my friends, is why you should never end a sentence with a preposition.
LAST ORDERS FOR PUB SIGN
22/09/2008 02:13
The inn sign is
classless and central to British culture
Traditional signs outside British boozers are dying out, claim campaigners.
They say pub artwork, which dates back to Roman times, is vanishing fast and will be a major loss to the country’s heritage.
There are only 30 independent pub chains and breweries left which still order individually-painted signs in Britain.
Inn and tavern signs, which often have historic importance to an area, have instead been replaced by the logos and brand names of major pub chains.
Firms such as Slug and Lettuce, Pitcher and Piano and JD Wetherspoon have standardised what pubs offer.
The dwindling number of signs has been intensified by the closure of an estimated 57 pubs a month.
More boozers are also opting to replace old-fashioned signs with more modern artwork such as The Victoria in St Werburghs, Bristol, which swapped its image of Queen Victoria with Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, 34, in 2002.
Locals in Stoke Poges, Bucks, were up in arms when the Red Lion replaced its traditional sign with a cartoon image of a red lion.
The Inn Sign Society is now setting up an online archive of popular artwork before it disappears.
Campaigner Tim Minogue said: “The inn sign is classless and central to British culture.
SINC SAYS:
I know a few pub signs that have been central to my culture, as well as classless over the years.
Users Are Tossing Their Landlines Overboard
22/09/2008 02:10
Still have a
landline? You’re showing your
age.
The young, hip, cool
people have cellphones only, and that is bad
news for traditional phone providers. In a
survey of Internet users, JupiterResearch
found that 12 percent “do not subscribe to
fixed voice service, and nearly two-thirds of
them are ages 18 to 34.”
It is true that 70 percent of online users still have fixed lines in their homes provided by a telecommunications company. Fifteen percent receive fixed-line service from a cable company (cable providers are attracting customers with “bundled” offers) and 3 percent from an Internet-based service provider.
Alarmingly for the fixed-line providers, though, “12 percent of online users indicate their intent to replace home phone service with exclusive cellphone use during the next 12 months,” Jupiter says.
For the adaptable young, it may be easy — even trendy — to abandon the old-fashioned landline. But older people will probably feel a pang if they make the move to cut that cord.
SINC SAYS:
We’ve still got our land line in spite of having two cell phones. One day soon though.
It is true that 70 percent of online users still have fixed lines in their homes provided by a telecommunications company. Fifteen percent receive fixed-line service from a cable company (cable providers are attracting customers with “bundled” offers) and 3 percent from an Internet-based service provider.
Alarmingly for the fixed-line providers, though, “12 percent of online users indicate their intent to replace home phone service with exclusive cellphone use during the next 12 months,” Jupiter says.
For the adaptable young, it may be easy — even trendy — to abandon the old-fashioned landline. But older people will probably feel a pang if they make the move to cut that cord.
SINC SAYS:
We’ve still got our land line in spite of having two cell phones. One day soon though.
Bali Bikini Ban Threatens Tourism
22/09/2008 02:06
FIRST it was the Bali
bombers, now it is law-makers in faraway
Jakarta that threaten to drive Aussies from the
resort
island.Bikini-clad tourists may have to cover up if a law is passed across Indonesia.
The Bill is designed to define pornography and set a moral tone across the vast, mainly Muslim archipelago.
Bali, which is mainly Hindu, is up in arms, fearing for its easy-going lifestyle and sensual charms.
The Bill, which could be passed in weeks, criminalises all public acts and material capable of raising sexual desires or violating "community morality", including poetry and music.
It has won the support of Golkar, the country's largest party, but is opposed by the Democratic Party of Struggle, backed by the former president Megawati Sukarnoputri. Democratic spokesman Made Arjaya said the Bill could hurt Bali's tourism industry, which was still recovering from the terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005.
"I can't imagine the impact on all the hotels and the tourists we have here if the Government insists on issuing the porn law," he said.
"Everyone will probably be afraid to come to Bali."
Balinese legislators, rights activists, artists and tourism operators plan to join forces in a campaign of civil disobedience against the move.
They say it will encourage Muslim extremists to enforce their values on Bali.
"Balinese . . . have a different view on what sexual or pornographic materials are," Bali intellectual Wayan Sayoga said at a rally of 5000 people on Wednesday.
SINC SAYS:
Gee whiz, even the old geezers will stay away if they can't watch the eye candy.
Millionaire Spooked From Mansion
22/09/2008 01:56
Businessman from
Nottinghamshire has said ghosts forced him to
flee his 52-room
mansion.
Clifton Hall was bought by Anwar Rashid for £3.6m in 2007, but he has now handed it back to the bank.
Mr Rashid claimed that during the eight months the family lived there they were haunted by mysterious figures and found unexplained blood stains on bedclothes.
He called in paranormal investigators and said he stopped paying the mortgage as a last resort.
The 32-year-old, who is worth £25m, made his money through a chain of nursing homes and a hotel in Dubai, and owns 26 properties.
He and his wife Nabila, 25, moved into Clifton Hall - which dates back to the Norman conquest - with their daughters, aged seven, five and three, and 18-month-old son.
When we found red blood spots on the baby's quilt, that was the day my wife said she'd had enough
Mr Rashid said: "I fell for its beauty but behind the facade it is haunted . . . "The ghosts didn't want us to be there and we could not fight them because we couldn't see them."
He said the paranormal experiences began on the day they moved in, ranging from tapping on the wall and unexplained voices to ghostly presences taking the forms of their children.
Mr Rashid added: "When we found red blood spots on the baby's quilt, that was the day my wife said she'd had enough. We didn't even stay that night."
Paranormal experts were unable to solve the problem.
The family left in August 2007 and Mr Rashid, who now lives in Wollaton, stopped paying the mortgage in January. The Yorkshire Bank finally reclaimed the hall on Thursday.
He said: "When people used to tell me about ghosts, I would never believe them and would say 'whatever'.
"But I would have to tell any new owner that it was haunted having experienced it."
SINC SAYS:
I scratched this one off my list of possible new homes.
Houston Texans Helping With Hurricane Relief
22/09/2008 01:56
The Houston Texans are doing what they can to assist people who have suffered losses from Hurricane Ike.
The NFL club kicked off its "Texans Helping Texans" campaign Sunday and said its goal was to raise $2 million US to help relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts in Texas.
Houston Texans owner Bob McNair revealed he is giving $500,000, an amount that will be matched by the league and NFL Players Association. The Chevron Corporation will also contribute $25,000.
McNair said they are hoping to raise the remaining money from corporations and other businesses.
"We've been out at the Pods centre distributing items," McNair said. "We'll be at the food bank, and we'll be distributing food there. We just have a lot of empathy for all the fans that have suffered. I'm without power still, so I understand. But at least I have a roof over my head, and some people don't. So we feel very fortunate."
The relief drive will give the money it raises to the Houston Ike Relief Fund started by Houston Mayor Bill White and the United Way.
Hurricane Ike caused extensive damage throughout Houston, including damage to the retractable roof at Reliant Stadium where the Texans play their home games.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Kudos to Texans’ owner Bob McNair and the rest of the Houston Texans organization.
Best Stadium Moment Could Go To Joe Louis
22/09/2008 01:55
The greatest save in Yankee Stadium history came on a night when there wasn't a ballplayer on the field.
Joe Louis collected it on behalf of millions of Americans so grateful for what he did that they put aside their racial prejudices for a night and cheered for a black man to beat a white.
"Kill that Nazi, Joe. Kill him," one shouted from ringside as the bell was about to ring for Louis' heavyweight title defence against Germany's Max Schmeling.
It was 70 years ago on a cloudy June night in the Bronx, and all Louis wanted was revenge for a beating Schmeling had given him two years earlier in the same ring. But a lot more was at stake than the heavyweight title at a time when the world was growing increasingly anxious over the actions of a German dictator intent on spreading his message of Aryan superiority.
This was good versus evil, democracy against Fascism. If Louis couldn't beat Schmeling, whom the Nazis trumpeted as one of the finest specimens of their race, what chance did the rest of the world have against Adolf Hitler?
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Of the many events held in Yankee Stadium over the years, it would be hard to argue that the greatest of them all was the Joe Louis/Max Schmeling bout, for the Heavyweight Championship of the World, in 1938.
U.S. Clinches Ryder Cup For First Time In Nine Years
22/09/2008 01:54
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - U.S. captain Paul Azinger sprinted up the stairs to the clubhouse balcony and grabbed the biggest bottle of champagne he could find to join an American celebration he felt was a long time coming in the Ryder Cup.
They didn't need a miracle putt or an amazing comeback like their last victory in 1999.
They didn't even need Tiger Woods.
Strong as a team and equally mighty on their own, the Americans rode the emotion of a flag-waving crowd and their Kentucky heroes on Sunday to take back the Ryder Cup with a 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory over Europe.
Kenny Perry, the 48-year-old native son who dreamed of playing a Ryder Cup before a Bluegrass crowd, delivered a 3-and-2 victory that was part of an early push that swung momentum toward the U.S. team.
"I figured this was going to define my career," he said. "But you know what? It made my career."
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, I guess Jack Nicklaus was right. The U.S. did win the Ryder Cup “easily.”
Fans And Players Bid Goodbye To Yankee Stadium
22/09/2008 01:54
NEW YORK - Even Yogi Berra knew this was the end.
As baseball said farewell to Yankee Stadium, one of the game's most beloved players stood beneath the stands in a full vintage uniform. Now 83, the man who coined the phrase "it ain't over till it's over" put his own stamp on the day.
"I'm sorry to see it over, I'll tell you that," Berra said.
The goodbye completed an 85-year-old run for the home of baseball's most famous team. What began with a Babe Ruth home run on an April afternoon in 1923 was likely to end with Mariano Rivera pitching on a September night.
All the greats were remembered, with fans wearing a collection of jerseys that could fill a Hall of Fame. On one subway car alone, there were shirts with Derek Jeter's No. 2, the Babe's No. 3, Mickey Mantle's No. 7, Phil Rizzuto's No. 10 and Don Mattingly's No. 23.
Fans were allowed on the field starting at 1 p.m. and entered through the left-field seats not far from where Aaron Boone's home run landed five years ago.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Even Yogi Berra, who made the line, “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over” famous, had to admit that he was “sorry to see it over.”
River Clean-Up Nets Lots Of Junk
21/09/2008 03:26
Don,
WWF, BLESS and local
volunteers came out on Saturday to help clean
up the river shores and park trails.
It was a splendid day to be out in a canoe and go fishing.
Piled up around a garbage container, this is just part of the catch we hooked along the shoreline near City Hall.
We are still looking for the foot to fit the shoe.
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
You have to wonder what goes through people's minds when they use our river to toss away their junk. It is disgusting behaviour and anyone witnessing such acts should report them immediately. Our thanks go out to the volunteers who make this type of clean-up possible.
It was a splendid day to be out in a canoe and go fishing.
Piled up around a garbage container, this is just part of the catch we hooked along the shoreline near City Hall.
We are still looking for the foot to fit the shoe.
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
You have to wonder what goes through people's minds when they use our river to toss away their junk. It is disgusting behaviour and anyone witnessing such acts should report them immediately. Our thanks go out to the volunteers who make this type of clean-up possible.
Taxpayers Association Meeting Planned For Thursday
21/09/2008 02:45
Don,
Robert Hartley is on holidays right now, and he asked me to forward this to you with the completed brochure about our association. As an update, we are having our kick off meeting on Thursday, September 25th 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Seniors Center, 7 Tache Street, St. Albert.
Lynda Flannery
Hi Don,
Please share with your readers.
Read this site or either local newspaper over the past several years, and it is likely that you would find letters from local residents expressing concern over: high taxes, tax assessments, city management, costly administrative decisions, Arts & Heritage Foundation, proposals for new "Cadillac" facilities, etc. including Servus Place, Ray Gibbons Drive, Riel Football Fields, a proposed new Library, a proposed new City Hall, etc. etc..
We also read weekly, it seems, of council continually approving new funds for this group or approving increased budget for that project. In fact it makes one wonder as to whether this assault upon the beleaguered St. Albert taxpayer will ever subside!
In addition, it seems that our Council and City administration are deaf to the economic woes that are assailing the planet, and as the Petrocan announcement about delaying their project indicates, Alberta is not immune.
We continue to hear about St. Albert spending justified as making us a community of choice, or words like World Class facilities. If common folks like me can't afford to live here, how can this be a community of choice. When will be ask the questions about whether we can afford these elite facilities. Council and Administration don't operate on a business basis with the bottom line influencing decisions, rather they just put their hands back into the taxpayers pocket.
With all of this in mind a small group of local residents are attempting to do something about it. That is the point of this letter. If you are sick and tired of the status quo, HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SUPPORT US.
We have formed a group called the “St. Albert Taxpayers Association” it is a non profit, registered association. Our aim: To develop into a strong credible organization. Our goal: To influence our city administration and elected officials in such a way as to affect future decisions regarding: taxes, projects, services etc. in a such a manner as to be positive to the residents of St. Albert.
We cannot achieve our aim or goal without the support of local residents. Help us in our quest, Join us. Our brochure is attached. (Click on images to see larger version of brochure.)
Regards,
Robert Hartley
St. Albert Taxpayers Association.
SINC SAYS:
It is our pleasure to encourage local residents to band together to stop the madness with yet more and higher taxes being proposed as recently as this very week by a mayor and council who cannot see the forest for the trees. Recently I wrote, “It is time Crouse and his council listened up and did the bidding of those who elected them. Stop more taxation and stop it now. Even if it means cutting back on services. And if council needs help deciding where to cut back, try killing the $ervu$ Place subsidy. Is that so hard to understand Mayor Crouse?”
Meet A Butcher-In-The-Buff
21/09/2008 02:40
Christchurch
butcher-in-the-buff Ryan Mornin, 26, celebrated
World Nude Day yesterday amongst the mince and
tenderloins at Peter Timbs Meats in
Edgeware.Mornin, who said he had always been comfortable in his own skin, put up with a lot of double-entendre meat-based jokes in response to his nudity.
"I heard it all," he said. "I got things like, `watch out which sausage you bag up' and `be careful what meat you slice'. Customers know it's just a bit of a laugh."
Mornin said he left the shop only once to visit the bakery next door. He was careful not to walk too fast in case a breeze lifted his apron. He would have been unable to get his knickers in a knot had that happened.
Although the butcher keeps in shape, Mornin promised to get his kit off for future national nude days even if he developed an overhang belly.
Shop manager David Timbs said that of the 12 butchers on staff, Mornin was the only one brave enough to get naked.
"And it was done in a tasteful way," he said.
"We had a group of seniors who come in every Friday morning and it made their week."
Timbs said no-one took offence but a couple of customers rang the shop to ask whether they knew they had a nude butcher in store.
And, sorry ladies, the buff butcher of Edgeware is spoken for.
SINC SAYS:
I wonder if any local butchers will follow this guys trend setting ways? Nope, not likely, at least not the one I know.
21/09/2008 02:37
Why do they call it
"getting your dog fixed" if afterwards it
doesn't work anymore?
Does a 'Marks-A-Lot' marker, mark any more than a regular marker?
If you really could dig a hole to China, and you did, and you fell in, would you stop in the middle because of gravity?
If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with their headlights off?
What happens when you put a lightsaber in water?
On Gilligan's Island, how did Ginger have so many different outfits when they were only going on a 3 hour tour?
Will You Be My New Mommy?
21/09/2008 02:33
Orphan gorilla gets
to grips with her new keeper after being
adopted by British
zooThey were worried she might have trouble fitting into the family.
But as these tender pictures show, Kera the gorilla already considers herself perfectly at home.
Cuddling up to her keepers, having a quiet chat or clinging on for a piggyback ride, she looks like she has known them all her life.
But the four-year-old western lowland gorilla is the new girl on the block, arriving at Bristol Zoo Gardens only two weeks ago.
Bonding, despite her keepers' fears, hasn't been a problem. She loves everybody she meets, both human and gorilla.
More photos here.
SINC SAYS:
The series of pictures that accompany this story are well worth a look.
Donkey Jailed For Stealing
21/09/2008 02:28
AN Egyptian donkey
has been jailed for stealing corn on the cob
from a field belonging to an agricultural
research institute in the Nile Delta, local
media reported
today.The ass and its owner were apprehended at a police checkpoint that had been set up after the institute's director complained that someone was stealing his crops, the state-owned Al-Ahram daily said.
The unnamed ungulate was found in possession of the institute's corn and a local judge sentenced him to 24 hours in prison.
The man who had his ass thrown in jail got off with a fine of 50 Egyptian pounds ($11.40).
SINC SAYS:
This is rather an assinine story, don’t you think?
Fans Can Walk Field At Yankee Stadium
21/09/2008 02:26
Fans will be allowed to walk on Yankee Stadium's field for three hours before the ballpark's final game this Sunday.
Gates will open at 1 p.m., about seven hours 15 minutes before New York plays the Baltimore Orioles in its final game at the 85-year-old stadium.
For the first three hours, fans will be able to walk through Monument Park, behind the fence in left-centre, along the warning track in the outfield and to home plate.
Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry, Graig Nettles and Bobby Richardson are to be part of the pre-game ceremonies, which start at 7:05 p.m. ET.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Today will be another sad day as we bid adieu to another sporting shrine, Yankee Stadium, the house that Ruth built.
Requests For Ticket Packages Honored First, VANOC Says
21/09/2008 02:25
Ticket packages and single-session tickets will be available for the public when tickets to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games go on sale on Oct. 3, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) said Wednesday.
There are 52 individual Olympic Experience Packages, ranging from $140 to $1,267. A ticket package contains a minimum of three sessions spread over three to six days during the Games.
"OEPs can be combined with single-session tickets, offering the convenience of a well-rounded experience over a set number of days that's tailored to local residents or visitors, to city or Whistler venues, or both," said Caley Denton, vice-president of ticketing and consumer marketing of VANOC.
Denton said requests for ticket packages will be allocated first, followed by requests for single-session tickets, offering people a better chance of obtaining their first choice of tickets.
About two million tickets will be available for the Vancouver 2010 Games, with half of all tickets priced at $100 or less, and 400,000 tickets priced at $25.
The ticket program runs from Oct. 3 to Nov. 7.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I really like to new 2010 Vancouver graphic identity. As long as they don’t try to make the Canadian team wear those gosh-awful pajamas again.
Americans Lead After Second Day Of Ryder Cup
21/09/2008 02:25
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Birdie putts kept falling, one on top of the other, until the Americans finally secured a Saturday lead in the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1995 to set up a final day that finally matters.
The last hour defined the pressure and passion of the Ryder Cup, so intense that players on both teams were emotionally exhausted.
All that's left now are 12 singles matches Sunday to determine the winner.
Robert Karlsson concluded a gripping afternoon at Valhalla with his seventh birdie in 10 holes as he and fellow Swede Henrik Stenson scratched out a halve against Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan.
The Americans hung on for two key halves to split the afternoon fourballs session, taking a 9-7 lead to finally give them a fighting chance to wrest the 17-inch gold chalice away from Europe.
"The golf has been incredible," U.S. captain Paul Azinger said. "My stomach is just churning."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
No matter who wins, the golf has been absolutely fabulous the past two days, folks.
Josh Howard Makes Off-Key Remark About National Anthem
21/09/2008 02:24
Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks has found himself in trouble once again as online video surfaced this week showing the forward disrespecting the national anthem of the United States.
The YouTube video shows Howard, 28, on a football field at a charity flag football game hosted by Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson.
With the anthem playing in the background, Howard approaches a camera and says: "The Star-Spangled Banner is going on right now. I don't even celebrate that (expletive). I'm black."
Representatives for Howard did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Mavericks team officials, including president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and team owner Mark Cuban, also declined to comment.
More from CBC Sports.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Josh Howard – just one more in a long line of spoiled, pampered, malcontent, supposedly professional athletes who didn’t learn to behave themselves.
A-Rod, Wife Finalize Divorce
21/09/2008 02:24
It's over for A-Rod and his wife of more than five years.
New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and Cynthia Rodriguez have reached a settlement of their divorce, their lawyers confirmed Friday.
The terms weren't disclosed, but a statement approved by both sides called the split amicable. Concern centred on the best interests of their two young daughters, the statement said.
Cynthia Rodriguez, 35, filed for divorce in July, claiming that the Yankees infielder, 32, was repeatedly unfaithful. There were rumours of romance with pop star Madonna, which she and A-Rod denied.
Rodriguez is in the first year of a 10-year deal paying at least $275 million US total. The perennial Major League Baseball all-star is batting .304 this season with 35 homers and 101 RBIs.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Methinks Mrs. A-Rod just became a very wealthy woman.