22 March 2009
Countdown To The 2009 Masters
28/03/2009 13:54
Countdown To The 2009
Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 11 – Jack Nicklaus Wins 1986 Masters At Age 46
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Nicklaus could taste victory as his birdie putt tracked toward the cup at No. 17, the deciding stroke on a stunning Sunday.
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 11 – Jack Nicklaus Wins 1986 Masters At Age 46
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Nicklaus could taste victory as his birdie putt tracked toward the cup at No. 17, the deciding stroke on a stunning Sunday.
Jones Loses Playoff Game At Women’s Worlds
28/03/2009 13:53
Team Canada will not repeat as World Champions
GANGNEUNG, South Korea - Jennifer Jones's quest to repeat as world women's curling championship ended Saturday by the slimmest of margins.
Jones narrowly missed the game-winning shot in the 10th end, and Anette Norberg responded with a draw for one in the 11th as Sweden knocked off Canada 5-4 in 3-versus-4 Page playoff action.
The loss drops the Jones foursome into Sunday's bronze-medal game versus Denmark. Sweden went on to defeat the Danes 7-6 in the semifinals to advance to Sunday's gold medal match against China's Bingyu Wang (TSN2, 2 a.m. ET).
Trailing 4-3 in the 10th end, Jones made a hit-and-roll behind cover with her first shot to lie one. Norberg sat her final stone on top of Canada's to lie shot rock, and Jones attempted to nudge the Swede's shot just far enough away to lie two.
Her shooter sat on the button, but the second Canada stone finished less than an inch away from being second shot, limiting Jones to a single point.
That gave Sweden last rock in the extra end, and Norberg took advantage, drawing down to Jones's shot stone in the four-foot for the victory.
Jones said she thought the game was over in regulation.
"I thought we made my last one in 10," said Jones, who dropped a 7-4 decision to Norberg in the round-robin. "It was a really hard shot, but I thought we made it. It curls a sixteenth of an inch less, and we make it.
"It's just not meant to be. Hopefully we'll come out and play well tomorrow and try to win that bronze medal."
More from Canadian Press.
New Brunswick, B.C. punch tickets to seniors finals.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to Jennifer Jones and the girls from Winnipeg on a great performance at the women’s worlds. I knew Sweden was going to be tough in that Page 3 vs. 4 playoff game. And, I was right – there was Canada’s old nemesis again – Anette Norberg of Sweden. Over the years, I have developed an intense dislike for Norberg – I have never liked the Swedes as curlers. All I can say at this point is, “Go China, Go!”
Jones took on Denmark’s Angela Jensen last night at 6:00 p.m. local time for the bronze medal, as Norberg also defeated Jensen 7-6 in the semi-final yesterday, also relegating Denmark to the bronze medal game.
Holy Moly, ‘Roli The Goalie’!
28/03/2009 13:52
Sensational 51-save show stones Ducks
Dwayne Roloson was at his scrappy best in the Edmonton Oilers net on Friday night.
He had to be.
He faced no less than 54 shots, many of which came on the penalty kill, and saved a 5-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in a crucial Western Conference NHL battle.
After Thursday's lacklustre 3-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Oilers tarnsformed from meek Dr. Jekyll to mean Mr. Hyde, stepping onto the ice with a purpose.
Dustin Penner put away two goals, something he hasn't done since the season opener, to help stake Edmonton to a 4-2 lead, but Roloson had to save the day virtually single-handed in the third period, stopping 23 of 24 shots before Ales Kotalik produced an empty-net goal with 12 seconds left.
"We had to battle to get back into the playoff picture," Roloson said. "After squandering a couple of games like we have, it was huge for us to get the win tonight.
"Yeah, there were a lot of shots, but a lot of them came from the outside."
A lot of them didn't, like the glove save he made on a Chris Pronger one-timer in the third. Or when he robbed Scott Niedermayer when the Ducks sent out an extra attacker. Or when he held the fort for a four-minute stretch after J.F. Jacques was sent off for a high stick.
"I haven't seen a goaltending performance like that since Pete Peeters beat the Quebec Nordiques when I was playing with the Boston Bruins. Wow," said Oilers coach Craig MacTavish, whose team returns to Edmonton with a record of 36-30-9.
"Pronger must be in there with two ice bags on both shoulders. He was just pounding it."
The Oilers, who definitely had vinegar in their blood, drew 14 penalties for 36 minutes. Still, they got the two points and moved up to seventh place.
"It was just a crazy game. We were a tired group of battlers," MacTavish said. "But we eked one out."
"That's where age played a factor," said Penner. "(Roloson's) got the veteran presence of mind to stay calm in the net. He was the backbone for us tonight. It was a pretty exciting game to be a part of. The biggest game for us, and probably them as well. You could tell by the way tempers flared on the ice."
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Roloson showing no signs of tiring in Oilers’ net.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a goaltending performance like Dwayne Roloson turned in Friday night for the Edmonton Oilers. To say he was fantastic is certainly an understatement. The save he made on Chris Pronger’s point-blank slapshot “bomb” from the slot in the third period was absolute highway robbery. If the Oilers are fortunate enough to make the NHL playoffs this year, it will be strictly because of the play of Roloson down the stretch.
Heil, Bilodeau Win Gold At National Freestyles
28/03/2009 13:52
WEST VANCOUVER, B.C. - Olympic champion Jennifer Heil and world champion Alexandre Bilodeau captured gold at the national freestyle ski championships Friday.
Heil, of Spruce Grove, Alta., captured her ninth national moguls title in fog-delayed conditions with a score of 24.90 in the women's single finals, more than two points ahead of defending single-moguls champion Kristi Richards of Pemberton, B.C.
Richards scored 22.56 for the silver medal, while Chloe Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal took bronze in 22.48.
Heil, 25, called the victory a season highlight.
"It was one of my goals, and it was 100 per cent where I wanted to be," she said. "What's exciting is I can improve on it with more speed and aggression."
In the men's final, Bilodeau of Rosemere, Que., won his second-ever national single moguls crown with a score of 24.58.
"It's always good to get as much experience as possible on the Olympic course," said Bilodeau, 21.
Warren Tanner of West Vancouver, B.C., was second in 24.15. Maxime Gingras of Ste-Hippolyte, Que., was third in 23.59.
Despite the slower snow, Bilodeau performed the two jumps he usually performs on the World Cup circuit - a back twisting flip and a back flip.
"I'm happy," said Bilodeau. "I did a good run. The only thing I could have changed was my time."
Defending men's champion Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau of Drummondville, Que., didn't compete after breaking ribs in a fall in France earlier this month.
Because of late-morning fog, the qualification round was scrapped in favour of a straight one-run final for women and men.
Visit CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca for full coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to Alexandre Bilodeau and Spruce Grove’s Jenn Heil. The 2009 season really has been a great tune-up for Vancouver 2010 for Heil, hasn’t it folks? Do us proud at Whister in 2010, Jenn, and bring home the gold!
Agency Says Anchor Caused NFL Boating Tragedy
28/03/2009 13:51
TAMPA, Fla. - An agency investigating a deadly boating accident involving two NFL players and their friends in the Gulf of Mexico has concluded it was a caused when the vessel was improperly anchored and the boat capsized after one of them tried to throttle forward to pry loose the anchor.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's investigation also cited carelessness and operator inexperience as contributing factors. The combination of errors also came at the time a storm front was moving in, making conditions on the water very rough.
Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith, and former University of South Florida players William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler departed from Clearwater Pass, Fla., early Feb. 28 to go offshore fishing for amberjack.
Schuyler, found clinging to the boat two days later, was the lone survivor. The other three men have not been found.
In an in-depth interview with the agency, Schuyler gave this account of the accident:
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What a heart-breaking story and what a way to go.
Japanese Schoolgirl Strikes Out Batter In Pro Baseball Debut
28/03/2009 13:51
OSAKA, Japan -- Japan's first female professional baseball player made her debut Friday, striking out one batter in the ninth inning of her team's first game of the season.
Eri Yoshida, a 17-year-old who throws a sidearm knuckleball, took the mound in the ninth inning of Kobe 9 Cruise's 5-0 win over the Osaka Gold Villicanes in the newly formed Kansai Independent League.
She walked the first batter leading off the inning on four pitches and allowed a stolen base before striking out the next batter swinging at Osaka Dome. She was then replaced after facing just two batters.
The five-foot, 114-pound Yoshida is hoping to stick with the men's team. Friday's performance was far from conclusive but at least she has the first strikeout of her career.
"I wasn't thinking about anything other than just going out there and giving it my all," Yoshida said. "I think this was a bad result but the stadium is great and the fans were really cheering me on. I want to be able to pitch more innings and become a pitcher who can be relied upon."
Yoshida created a stir when she signed a contract in December to become Japan's first female professional baseball player.
Some speculated the move was more of a publicity stunt by the team to generate interest in the new league. There were 11,592 spectators in the 45,000-seat stadium for Friday's game
Yoshida, who started playing baseball when she was in second grade, said she wants to emulate Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who has built a successful major league career as a knuckleballer.
Until now, no woman had ever played against men in Japan. A women's professional baseball federation was established in 1950 but its activities ceased after two seasons.
The Cruise and the other three teams in the Kansai league are more like farm teams and are a far cry from Japan's mainstream pro teams such as the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What next, folks?
Homeless In 2010 ‘Security Zones’ To Be Removed
28/03/2009 13:50
Homeless people living within 2010 Olympic security zones will be removed by police during the Games in Vancouver.
But Deputy Chief Const. Steve Sweeney of the Vancouver Police Dept. says the homeless will be offered space in shelters or given help to go wherever they want, and only arrested if they refuse to move.
Sweeney's comments came at a packed community forum on Olympic security held in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
He and RCMP Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer, who is overseeing security for the Games next February, ran up against seven years of suspicion and rumour about a police crackdown during the Olympics.
People raised concerns about protests, surveillance and a potential rash of pre-Game arrests.
But Mercer pledged whatever is lawful now will remain so come 2010, and Sweeney said there was no plan to cleanse Vancouver's streets of marginalized people.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
So, what’s this all about – Vancouver trying to put its best ‘face’ forward to the world during the Olympic games, or what? What a joke. Next they’ll be saying they don’t have any homeless people in Vancouver. Sounds like another city of about 60,000 people just north of Edmonton, doesn’t it folks? Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.
New Virus May Target Computers On April Fool’s Day
28/03/2009 07:09
Don,
Can you shed some light on this mysterious new April 1 virus we can expect? What precautions does one take? No longer read blogs, for example? Can they spread it?
Elke Blodgett
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
When one owns a Mac like all my computers are, I don’t ever think about such things as they do not affect Mac users. That being said, I did some research and here is an overview of the virus and how you can protect yourself against it. But note the operative word in the headline: “MAY”.
UPDATE 8:00 a.m., Today:
The worm has turned: Conficker virus won't wreck our computers
'Sky isn't falling' April 1 -- expert
Take a deep breath and relax: the computer virus you've been warned about this week -- the Conficker worm -- is not that big a deal, Internet security experts say.
"The sky is definitely not falling," said Dean Turner, director of Global Intelligence Network Symantec Security Response. "Some folks who have been talking about it have misinterpreted some of the technical details . . . but, we should definitely be aware of this."
Newspapers, TV networks and websites have been reporting that the Conficker worm could cause tremendous damage to computers around the world when it updates itself on April 1.
But tools are now in place to remove the worm from any personal computer system, vulnerabilities have been plugged and the worm has stopped propagating itself, experts say. In short, there is little need to worry that the Internet's virtual Armageddon is upon us.
More In today's Edmonton Journal.
Conficker C :
A new virus may be set to target computers on April Fool’s Day.Wired PR News – A new malware threat may prove to be the most destructive one seen in a while. As reported on Yahoo! Tech Buzz, the Conficker C worm is expected to be set to attack on April 1, and has led to the rush of security experts seeking ways to lesson it’s potential impact.As noted in the report, the Conficker was first given widespread attention in January of this year after initially surfacing in the latter part of 2008. It is said to have affected more than nine million computers. The Conficker C is the third version of the malware to be released.Microsoft has reportedly offered a $250,000 reward to those who may have information leading to the worm’s source or writer. Individuals are cautioned to help protect their PCs by taking steps such as updating anti-malware software.
===========================
Graham Cluley, of the security specialist Sophos, has claimed that Conficker C is programmed “to hunt for new instructions on April 1?. There has been tremendous online buzz about Conficker C, a malicious virus for quite some time now. Will it Wont’t it and if it will what will it do are the many questions doing rounds.
Conficker C is a sophisticated piece of malicious computer software, or malware, that installs itself on a PC hard drive via specially written web pages and then conceals itself on a computer. According to PCMag, “avoiding detection is a major theme with Conficker.C. It’s not the first malware to try to defend itself in-memory against security software and diagnostic tools, but C does a lot of this. For instance, it disables Windows Automatic Updates and the Windows Security Center.”
Conficker.C is not the first of its kind though. There have been earlier versions A and B (and even a B++ if I am not wrong). Conficker first caught attention in 2008 infected over 9 million computers. According to Yahoo, Conficker C, the worm has grown incredibly complicated, powerful, and virulent… though no one is quite sure exactly what it will do when D-Day arrives. And that’s the catch. Everyone knows that the malware is going to be deployed, but what will it do and how will it harm just presents clueless faces.
The ET report suggests that on April 1 all the world’s millions of infected computers may receive simultaneous instructions to attack, or to flood the Internet with spam email. Cluley explains the situation as, “It’s as if someone is assembling an army of computers around the world, but hasn’t yet decided where to point them.”
Alright, so another exciting April 1 in the making. I figure the funny part would be that a lot of unwitting users might get their computers infected and not even know that their system has been infected. It will also put a lot of harmless online pranks under the microscope perhaps.
================================
How to protect yourself against Conficker
Now that we've got you all stressed out and worried (sorry!), you can solace in the fact that you found this article and now have the opportunity to protect your computer from infection. Just follow these recommended steps:
• If you're running Windows, please install and run Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool.
• When you run it, you can select "Quick Scan," and it will check for Conficker and a few dozen other known issues. If you have time, you should also run the Full Scan.
• Make sure Windows Update is set to automatically check for and download patches for your system every day. You may even wish to set it to automatically install them.
• Make sure your systems are protected by a firewall. Preferably a hardware firewall, such as those sold by Linksys, but at least a software firewall, which all modern operating systems now offer (but which you may need to enable).
• Install anti-virus software, and make sure it's regularly updating itself to get the latest malware signatures.
• Install and run Secunia PSI, which is a piece of software that can scan all of your installed third-party programs, and let you know if any are out-of-date, insecure, or unsupported. It also provides links to download any necessary updates for the software. This is the only tool we are aware of that has this capability -- and many times, third party applications are not being updated, even though they contain serious security risks.
• If you're still using IE 6, please consider updating your browser to at least IE7, if not IE8. You may also wish to try Mozilla Firefox, a popular browser that has a good security track record.
Topless Peepshow At Cathedral
28/03/2009 07:09
Because of the unique
design of St. Mary Cathedral, and the
positioning of it geographically, a distinct
shadow that resembles a woman's breast is cast
both in the morning and in the afternoon on the
West and East sides of the building
respectively.Spring has sprung, and with it, so has the two o'clock tit.
As drivers enter San Francisco via the Octavia Street off-ramp, and they crest the small hill at Haight street, if their trip is timed just right and the sun is out, they will be greeted by one of the funniest landmarks this city has to offer: the two o'clock titty.
Because of the unique design of St. Mary Cathedral, and the positioning of it geographically, a distinct shadow that resembles a woman's breast is cast both in the morning and in the afternoon on the West and East sides of the church, respectively.
I first head about this on SFist, where they had a link to artolog's photo stream from flickr with a picture of the afternoon shadow creeping across St. Mary's Cathedral producing an image that as artolog states is, "better than the face of the Virgin Mary on a tortilla."
I wanted to get a better look for myself, so a few weeks ago I went to Dolores Park for an overview shot of the city with the titty in view.
Luckily I was early, because before daylight saving time, a more appropriate name would've been, the "one-thirty titty."
But now that we've set our clocks forward, the two o'clock titty is back in full force.
I had to go take a closer look and it seemed to me like the best spot to view St. Mary's was from a little street called Rose in between Haight and Page streets.
I started thinking to myself, "I think this shadow landmark needs a name," and just then I looked up at the Rose street sign to see that the street numerical was 200, and the arrow was pointing at the two o'clock titty.
Just then the planets aligned. Well, the sun, the street sign, and I aligned and a rainbow appeared in the reflection of the sun on the Rose sign as the 200 arrow pointed right at the Cathedral.
So I'm here to propose that this formerly nameless and shameless shadow be given the name Rose, Our Lady of the Two O'clock Titty. And a year from now, on the Sunday when we turn the clocks forward an hour, the fans of Rose should meet up on the corner of Rose and Octavia streets at 2 p.m. and toast the funny things in life that we can't control or anticipate.
I'll be staying until at least 2:45 p.m., because for my taste that's when Rose is looking her best.
Josh Keppel has had artolog's photo as his work computer screensaver since first reading the sfist article almost a year ago. It should also be noted that while taking pictures for this story, I found that another great place to see Rose, Our Lady of the Two O'clock Titty is from Jefferson Square park just below St. Mary's.
SINC SAYS:
What’s next, boobies in the belfry?
Dizzy Ducklings Plucked To Safety
28/03/2009 07:09
A FLEET of ducklings have been saved from certain starvation by a city policeman.
While driving along Embankment Road in Plymouth, Pc Dave Bullock and Pc Carley Moloney spotted a mother duck crossing the road with her ducklings.
Pc Bullock, from Plympton, said: "It was about 1.30am on Wednesday morning and we were out on routine duty when we saw the mother duck and ducklings heading for the long grass."
But when they saw one of ducklings drop down a roadside drain, the officers stopped to investigate.
Pc Bullock said: "As we approached the drain we could hear the ducklings calling for their mother, the rest of them had followed the first one in."
After lifting the drain cover, he carefully picked out each bird and placed them on the nearby pavement.
He said: "The water was smelly and I had to be careful not to have too much human contact with the birds in case the mother rejected them."
"Some of the birds were stuck further up the sump of the drain and I had to reach far back to pull them to safety."
After being placed on dry land the smallest of the ducklings waddled under the police car and warmed up using the heat from the car's exhaust pipe.
The seven or eight ducklings, who eventually huddled together and watched the rescue of their brothers and sisters, were reunited with their mother and walked off into the undergrowth.
The incident was also captured on video with the use of a head mounted camera that Pc Bullock was wearing throughout the rescue.
"When I got out the car I turned on my head camera hoping to later show my fellow officers our good deed. My head camera is an essential part of my kit – as vital as my radio and truncheon", he said.
Pc Bullock, who works night shifts, said this was one of his more unusual incidents: "We don't get many ducks stopping us in our tracks, but we see plenty of foxes - it's nice to deal with the good guys for once."
SINC SAYS:
Finally, a cop who gives a duck.
Pilot Survives Crash, Dies In Rescue
28/03/2009 07:09
A FIGHTER pilot who
survived the crash of his jet plunged to his
death with a rescuer after a cord broke as they
were being pulled up to a
helicopter.The Ecuadorian pilot, identified as Rafael Durango, and an unidentified co-pilot had earlier ejected safely from their MK-89 Strikemaster before it crashed into a heavily jungled area near the Colombian border yesterday.
Ecuadoran military officials said two helicopters were sent to recover them.
But an air force official later said the rescue went awry as Durango and a rescuer were being lifted up to one of the hovering choppers.
"A cord that was attached to a helicopter broke and the pilot and one of the rescuers fell, dying in the rescue operation,'' the official said.
The second pilot was successfully rescued, the official said.
SINC SAYS:
What a tragic twist of fate. Talk about your number being up.
Night Falls On Hong Kong . . .
28/03/2009 07:09
St. Albert’s Place reader George Proulx submitted this interesting item and he says it is worth a look.
I couldn’t agree more George, thanks.
Place your cursor at the top of the photo. You will notice it is 6:10 PM. Bring the mouse down slowly over the photo without pressing the button on the mouse. Do not right or left click. Night time appears, the lights come on and at 7:40 PM it's dark. Photo & web technology at its best!
Click here to view.
Endangered And Adorable
28/03/2009 07:09
Zoo Research Center
Celebrates Leopard
CubsIn the end, Hannibal did not administer the fatal bite to his mate's neck. And Jao Chu did not immediately kill their offspring, as is often the case.
\
And so, early yesterday, despite murderous tendencies in the captive species, two newborn clouded leopard cubs were found alive, well and squealing at the National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Va.
They were taken immediately from their gorgeous mother before she could do them harm, or do them in, placed in an incubator set at 88 degrees and fed salt water from baby bottles. Born with dappled, reptile-pattern fur, they were the first such births at the zoo in 16 years.
Their births were a coup, and the end of a complex reproduction saga involving an exotic, endangered and beautiful species of animal that experts call the ghost cat.
The rest of the story.
SINC SAYS:
You just hafta run a picture when these guys are that cute, don’t you?
Tiny Dog Brushing Up On Artistic Skills
28/03/2009 07:09
By learning how to
paint
Ziggy the Pekingese terrier begins to paint while proud owner Elizabeth Monacelli looks on
A tiny Pekingese dog is sending the art world barking mad after his owner discovered his hidden talent for producing abstract works of art.
Little Ziggy is making a roaring trade from his work which fetch up to £170 a painting.
Owner Elizabeth Monacelli said he three-year-old pet began painting about three years ago after she encouraged him to pick up a paintbrush.
And unlike many struggling artists, Ziggy is doing a roaring trade with his works in big demand across his home town of Fallbrook, California.
Ms Monacelli, a violin instructor, attaches a paintbrush to the end of a paper roller, which Ziggy either bites into or attaches to his snout to paint on canvas.
But she said Ziggy is a temperamental artist who's prone to bouts of ennui and existential doubts.
'He enjoys painting but has to be in the right frame of mind for it,' Ms Monacelli said.
It can take Ziggy days or weeks to finish a canvas, as the little dog can only carry his artistic inspirations for a minute or two at a time.
'He'll go for a while then just roll himself into a little ball and start snoring,' Ms Monacelli said.
'Or he wanders off looking for snacks.'
SINC SAYS:
Aw c’mon, this isn’t normal behaviour for a dog. The owner has obviously trained him to paint so she can make a buck.
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
28/03/2009 07:09
Countdown To The 2009
Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 10 –Tiger Woods 2005 Masters
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Woods' portfolio of electrifying shots followed by robust reactions reached a new high when his chip finally fell in on the 16th hole during a Sunday duel with Chris DiMarco.
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 10 –Tiger Woods 2005 Masters
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Woods' portfolio of electrifying shots followed by robust reactions reached a new high when his chip finally fell in on the 16th hole during a Sunday duel with Chris DiMarco.
Confident Jennifer Jones All Set For Playoff
28/03/2009 07:09
Mid-game letdowns hurt defending champ
GANGNEUNG, South Korea On the upside, it was a win.
But was a 10-7 win over Switzerland's Mirjam Ott to close out
the round robin Thursday what the emphatic, confidence-boosting Jennifer Jones and her Team Canada foursome was looking for to head into the playoffs at the Mount Titlis world women's curling championship? Well, that's debatable.
Strong start. So-so middle, when it became clear that first or second place was out of reach based on results around them. And a solid finish: Jones' short runback double-takeout snuffed out the Swiss comeback in the 10th end.
What is clear is this: Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin know that mid-game letdowns won't work out so well in the plan to claim the three straight wins they'll need to capture back-to-back world titles.
And they almost certainly can't do it against two-time world champion, 2006 Olympic gold-medallist and longtime thorn in Canada's side Anette Norberg of Sweden in the Page three versus four game Friday night (11 p.m. MDT, curltv.com).
"We're pretty happy," insisted Jones, who raced to a 6-1 lead on the Swiss before Ott fought back to get to within a point in the 10th end.
Jones had to make a short runback double with her last rock for the win.
"We came out and played really well at the beginning of that game and then kind of faltered a little bit, but we knew the game really didn't matter at that point," she said.
"I thought it was our best start to the week, so we're pretty happy with that. I thought we made some big shots early to get up. You know you're playing well when I had two draws the whole game." The Canada-Sweden winner moves onto Saturday semifinal (4 a.m., TSN) against the loser of Friday's Page one versus two game (5 a.m., curltv.com) between China's Bingyu Wang (10-1), who lost her opener to Canada before rattling off 10 straight wins, and Denmark's Angelina Jensen (9-2).
One ill-timed loss to Denmark, on Wednesday afternoon, was all that kept Jones from the one-two game. But she's not looking back anymore. Now, the focus is squarely on those three wins, beginning with Sweden.
"Obviously, they're just an amazing team and we're going to have to go out and play well," said Jones, an 8-5 winner over Italy's Diana Gaspari earlier on Thursday.
China in world women’s final; Canada’s Jones plays Saturday.
Martin, Ferbey ready to roar in Grande Prairie.
Pinkney reaches perfect 10.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, we should know the score of the Canada/Sweden Page 3 vs. 4 playoff game about 2:00 a.m. this morning. If they lose, there’s no way I’m getting up at 4:00 a.m. to watch the semi-final because, if Canada is out, who really cares anymore?
Sale, Pelletier Head Into Hall
28/03/2009 07:08
Jesse Pelletier is too young to appreciate his parents' induction Thursday into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
But at 18 months, he's old enough to give what got them there a whirl.
Yes, the son of pairs figure-skating gold medallists Jamie Sale and David Pelletier has already been on skates.
"Hockey skates," Pelletier said Thursday, after the skaters were
formally inducted into the hall of fame at a Canadian Olympic Committee gala dinner and ceremony. "He loves being on the ice."
The 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City were an eye-opener for the duo.
Sale and Pelletier were awarded gold medals for their efforts in Salt Lake City, but only after a judging scandal was revealed.
Sale and Pelletier were initially awarded silver, but received gold medals a week after the competition when the extent of the scandal, centred around French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne, came to light.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to Edmonton residents Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. Who could ever forget their performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games and the subsequent judging scandal that ensued.
Patrick Chan Rises To The Occasion
28/03/2009 07:08
Canadian teenager wins silver medal; French rival takes bronze
Patrick Chan didn't get the big prize Thursday night, but if given a lie-detector test, he might admit that he passed the guy he really wanted to get.
The 18-year-old Canadian phenom was conclusively beaten in the free skate at the world figure skating championships by American Evan Lysacek, who performed the skate of his life for his first world title, but Chan won silver ahead of his French rival, Brian Joubert.
"Getting off the ice, I just had a huge smile on my face," said Chan, who had to wait 45 minutes to find out where he would finish after skating an impressive long program with just a couple of minor bobbles.
"I didn't expect this at my second worlds, just 18 years old. It's going to be weird going back to high school, being a regular guy again. I'll be back in class Tuesday, bleary-eyed. I have an essay due in a week, on the Illuminati, pretty deep stuff. Grade 12 English." After an ear-splitting, screaming standing ovation for Lysacek, who had done everything in his power and a career-best skate to lead with one skater left, Joubert opened with the one thing neither Lysacek nor Chan had in his arsenal -- the quad toeloop -- and nailed it. He didn't attempt his second planned quad, the Salchow, but did a triple Axel-triple toe combination, then put two hands down to save his second Axel.
Things started to unravel, though, and he began re-arranging on the fly, as he did a year ago, ending with an unscheduled double Axel that left him face-first on the ice. By the time his music ended, he knew it wasn't going to be his night.
Chan had been magnificent, and there is just nothing like him in skating right now, but Lysacek had just a little more technical firepower on the jumps, and it didn't hurt being an L.A. boy.
"I've known for a few years it was coming here to Staples Center, I come here as often as I can to cheer for the Lakers and Kings, so I really wanted to skate well in front of my hometown crowd," said Lysacek. "I was waiting for close to an hour backstage, so to get my legs under me on that opening combination was a great start." Chan started beautifully, too.
"The first three jumps went so easily, it was as if I just woke up and realized I was already a quarter into the program.
"I was like in my own world. It's just putting it together like a thousand-piece puzzle," he said.
"This all happened so quickly, I mean . . . and then to win a silver medal, on top of everything else. I thought I was walking out of here with bronze. I don't know if this has happened before to someone my age. Gosh, I feel like going home and playing video games, seriously." Calgary's Vaughn Chipeur showed no signs of nerves in a strong performance to finish 12th in his first worlds -- one too many placement points, as it turned out, to qualify a third men's skater for the Olympics.
Canada’s Chan skates to silver at World Championships.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Atta' boy, Patrick. Do your talking on the ice.
Forde: CFL Draft Day Plot Thickens
28/03/2009 07:08
The path from the Evaluation Camp to Draft Day is hardly a straight line for CFL teams and the prospects who are vying for their attention. Here are a few of the twists and turns to emerge in recent weeks.
- Help Is On The Way -
Even those in Canadian football's inner circle can be forgiven if they're not overly familiar with two of the fastest rising prospects for the upcoming CFL Draft. You see, the CFL drafts only non-import players and, as a result, the vast majority of the nearly 800 players eligible to be selected were raised in Canada. However, Toronto-born wide receiver Spencer Armstrong (Air Force) and Winnipeg native Zac Carlson (Weber State), an offensive lineman, are exceptions to the norm, having spent much of their youth living in Nevada and California respectively. Both individuals qualify as non-imports by virtue of having lived in the Great White North for at least seven years before their fifteenth birthdays and, in a year where the league's draft pool is a little on the shallow side, CFL teams couldn't be happier about it.
Each is among the top prospects at his position, and recent events have caused the stock of both to see a sudden spike.
In Armstrong's case, he was granted non-import status and added to the league's draft eligibility list in January. At that time, he was also offered an invitation to audition in front of CFL scouts at the Evaluation Camp. Unfortunately, that invitation was withdrawn when the teams learned that he has two year military commitment upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy this spring which will render him unavailable until the 2011 season (the clubs voted to replace him with a prospect who would be immediately available). However, with a strong performance at Air Force's Pro Day on March 16, Armstrong served notice that he could be well worth the wait. He posted the following scores in physical testing:
To read more from TSN football analyst Duane Forde, click here.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Yes, the CFL draft will indeed be interesting. It’s too bad the Eskimos don’t have a first round pick this year. I don't think they pick until 11th or 12th.
Gary Bettman Positive On Coyotes
28/03/2009 07:08
Commissioner says new investors will enable franchise to survive current financial troubles
Commissioner Gary Bettman was in Phoenix for an update on one of the National Hockey League's troubled franchises, not to deliver last rites.
Speaking between periods of the Coyotes game against the Edmonton Oilers, Bettman stressed that the team will be fuelled by new investors and will stay put.
"Based on the information I'm getting, the process of finding a new buyer is moving along to their satisfaction. (Bankruptcy) is not something that we find likely or desirable," he said.
"I think everybody needs to take a deep breath.
"There's no urgency right this minute, and at least based on the information that I've been given, things are on track.
"At some point there needs to be a deal done (but) we have plenty of time to let the process play itself out."
News broke in February that the City of Glendale had not received an arena lease payment since July. Team owner Jerry Moyes has been working with the league to find new investors, and all the while the losses continue to mount.
There were as many empty seats in the rink as there were game goers on a night the Coyotes were up against the Sweet 16 basketball tournament, which was being staged a stone's throw away.
In the meantime, the club, which has been receiving financial aid from the league, has to find a way to keep drawing fans.
The Coyotes, a tough draw at the best of times, are in 14th place in the Western Conference and have been talking about next season, not the post-season, for a few weeks.
Executive vice-president and chief marketing officer Mike Bucek admitted that that process requires some different tactics. Some of which have received more attention than others. Take the Power Play.
In attempt to fill more seats for an April 7 contest against the St. Louis Blues, the Coyotes drummed up a deal with Smirnoff vodka. Anyone who picks up a 1.75-litre bottle can get a pass to the contest at Jobing.com Arena.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Bettman: Coyotes may get new owner, but team staying put.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It seems that Gary Bettman is completely unaware and out of touch with the world economic climate that surrounds him. He’s delusional and in denial, folks.
VANOC Logo Could Go On Hockey Sweaters
28/03/2009 07:08
Inukshuk, the logo for the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee, may be on the Team Canada's hockey jerseys at the 2010 Olympics.
Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer Bob Nicholson -- still in negotiations with the Canadian Olympic Committee and the IOC about the crest that can be worn on the jersey -- said Thursday that he'd like to see the logo somewhere on the men's, women's and sledge hockey sweaters, perhaps the sleeve or shoulder.
"VANOC has been outstanding with us," Nicholson said Thursday. "How great would that be? I'd love to wear the VANOC mark. I had discussions with Dave Cobb (the organizing committee's vice president of revenue and marketing) today. I was told by Dave that they will do everything they can to get the VANOC mark on the jersey."
With less than a year until the 2010 Olympics, Team Canada still doesn't know what sweater its teams will be wearing.
At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the IOC started cracking down on countries using national federation logos on their sweaters. That meant Canada's iconic crest had to go, leaving Hockey Canada in a quandary.
"We've submitted a number of jerseys," Nicholson said. "We're being told that it has moved forward to the IOC, but it seems like it just continues to swirl.
"The sooner the better for Hockey Canada. This should be about preparing our athletes, not knitting our sweaters."
The IOC crackdown is a smack-down in a country where the crest means so much.
"I'm so proud of what that logo means to our athletes, and that's why we continue to have this dialogue," said Nicholson. When they put that jersey on, they are proud, and that's what we're looking for, but it certainly doesn't look like we'll have our traditional mark (logo) on it.
"Our mark means so much, not just to the players who put it on but to all the young boys and girls in this country. That's the key issue for us."
As for the actual players, Nicholson said men's team executive director Steve Yzerman has been picking the brain of 2002 and 2006 Olympic executive director Wayne Gretzky.
The Team Canada brass will watch the Stanley Cup playoffs and world championships and bring 36 to 38 players to a summer training camp in Calgary.
Nicholson said the coaching staff would be named in June.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Folks, this is just a prime example of the asininity of this organization called the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
ET Tracked Down On Google Street View
27/03/2009 03:36
UFO experts were left
baffled after claims that ET was finally
tracked down on Google Street
View.A misty shape, bearing a distinct similarity to the movie alien, was captured behind a bush next to a mysterious beam of light.
The spooky snap was caught by Google image cameras in the town of Berkeley Heights in New Jersey.
Some claim the image could be evidence of life in outer space while others point to a simple trick of the light.
The 'ET' alien was photographed on Diamond Hill Road, a semi-rural location about eight miles from Morristown Municipal Airport, New Jersey and 30 miles from the bright lights of New York City.
Malcolm Robinson, head of the Strange Phenomena Investigations, described the image as "the first of its kind".
He said: "On close inspection the similarities with ET are obvious but it's hard to say with any certainty what exactly it is
"Of added interest is the strange beam of light to the right, which I cannot explain either.
"This picture is the first of it's kind, as far as I'm aware, in that its been captured on Google's new Street View technology.
Check it out here.
SINC SAYS:
They’re out there, aren’t they? I knew it!
1.66666667 Pounds?
27/03/2009 03:36
The idea of paying
$20 for a hamburger at a Minor League ballpark
seems a bit absurd, don't you
think?
In this economy,
fans are looking for value above all else. No
one seems particularly anxious to indulge
themselves, unless they have recently awakened
from a decade-long coma.
But context is everything. The West Michigan Whitecaps recently announced their new concession items for 2009, and this list is indeed highlighted by a $20 hamburger. Believe it or not, this burger is actually a good value: it weighs 5/3rds of a pound, and can feed a family of four!
The "Fifth Third Burger" (so-called because the Whitecaps play in Fifth Third Ballpark) is 5/3 pounds of grilled hamburger topped with lettuce, tomato, nacho cheese, chili, salsa and crunched tortilla chips. Saddled with the heroic task of holding it all together is an eight-inch sesame seed bun.
SINC SAYS:
While the burger might be unique, it doesn’t forgive the bad math they used to name it. It’s kinda like a tall lady describing her height as 5’ 13”. Come to think of it, the burger’s bad too. Who the hell would want that on their lap at a ball game?
But context is everything. The West Michigan Whitecaps recently announced their new concession items for 2009, and this list is indeed highlighted by a $20 hamburger. Believe it or not, this burger is actually a good value: it weighs 5/3rds of a pound, and can feed a family of four!
The "Fifth Third Burger" (so-called because the Whitecaps play in Fifth Third Ballpark) is 5/3 pounds of grilled hamburger topped with lettuce, tomato, nacho cheese, chili, salsa and crunched tortilla chips. Saddled with the heroic task of holding it all together is an eight-inch sesame seed bun.
SINC SAYS:
While the burger might be unique, it doesn’t forgive the bad math they used to name it. It’s kinda like a tall lady describing her height as 5’ 13”. Come to think of it, the burger’s bad too. Who the hell would want that on their lap at a ball game?
The Look Of Love?
27/03/2009 03:36
Only if you manage a
glance that lasts longer than 8.2
secondsHis eyes meet yours across a crowded room - is that the look of love? Only, say scientists, if it lasts longer than 8.2 seconds.
If a man's gaze is more like four seconds, research suggests he is less than impressed. Women, however, treat both hunks and geeks alike, with their eyes lingering on both for similar amounts of time.
Hidden cameras secretly tracked the eye movements of 115 students as they chatted with actors and actresses. They were then asked to rate their conversation partner's attractiveness.
The men looked into the eyes of actresses they considered beautiful for an average of 8.2 seconds, but that dropped to 4.5 seconds when gazing at those they rated less attractive.
The female students, however, did not differ in the amount of time they spent looking at the actors, the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior reported.
The researchers believe that men use eye contact to seek out fit and fertile mates. But women are more wary of attracting unwanted attention because of the risks of unwanted pregnancy and single parenthood.
SINC SAYS:
Someone once told me there is an old formula that has to do with the cup size of the woman being watched. The bigger the size, the lower the eyes. I think is how it went.
Bucket Truck Crew Rescues Dog From Tree
27/03/2009 03:36
Knoxville, TN - Sure
you've heard of cats getting stuck in trees,
but what about a
dog?Buford, a 5-month-old hound mix, climbed a tree on Tuesday, and no one can figure out how he managed such a feat.
A KUB bucket truck crew rescued Buford from a tree in South Knox County that was more than 20 feet tall. No one saw it happen, but he had managed to find his way to the very top branch.
After doing a lot of coaxing, a KUB worker managed to get Buford into the bucket truck and back down into the waiting arms of his family.
Even in his excited state, Buford still remembered his manners. He walked around and personally thanked all the workers who played a role in his rescue.
The experience apparently was a first for others besides Buford.
"Never seen it in my life. Have you ever seen a dog climb a tree? I sure haven't. This is a first for me," said Tyler Wilson, Buford's owner.
As for the "how, when, and why" surrounding Buford's bizzare predicament? We may never know.
SINC SAYS:
Now that’s the doggondest story I’ve ever heard.
Rabid Bobcat Attacks Three Inside Arizona Bar
27/03/2009 03:36
COTTONWOOD – A bobcat
was on the loose inside an Arizona
bar.The bobcat in the bar caused a panic Tuesday night in Cottonwood near Sedona.
Three people were hurt and the bobcat was killed.
Cottonwood Police were called out to three different scenes Tuesday night all within an hour and a mile of each other. Everyone was complaining of an aggressive bobcat that attacked three people. 3TV has learned the bobcat was rabid.
One patron tells 3TV, “I was sitting in the back and watched the bobcat run in.”
That bobcat caught patrons off guard, causing some to jump on pool tables and grab pool sticks before pulling their cell phone cameras out for pictures. Another patron explains, “My friend got down with his camera phone and the cat jumped up and hit him in the face.”
Kyle Hicks is now undergoing treatment for rabies. He tells 3TV the bobcat, “Scratched up my face and pretty good the back of my ears.”
Watch the video and read the full report here.
SINC SAYS:
The burning question is how did the cat gain entry to the bar in the first place? Do they leave the door open or what?
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
27/03/2009 03:36
Countdown To The 2009
Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 9 – Larry Mize Chips In To Win 1987 Masters
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The native Augustan, Larry Mize, exploded in celebration after holing a 140-foot chip on the second extra hole to hand Greg Norman his second straight heartbreaking defeat in a major.
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 9 – Larry Mize Chips In To Win 1987 Masters
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The native Augustan, Larry Mize, exploded in celebration after holing a 140-foot chip on the second extra hole to hand Greg Norman his second straight heartbreaking defeat in a major.
Avalanche Kills Two Men From Stony Plain Area
27/03/2009 03:35
Snowpack too unstable to recover snowmobilers' bodies
The pregnant widow of one of two Stony Plain area snowmobilers killed Tuesday in an avalanche near McBride, B.C., says the men were experienced riders.
A third man survived after digging himself out.
He dug down to find one body. When he couldn't find the other man, he walked four hours to reach a cabin, where other snowmobilers found him Wednesday morning.
Search-and-rescue crews found the body of the missing man on Wednesday, but an unstable snowpack kept them from retrieving either of the two bodies, said the widow, pregnant with the family's second child.
"They were just all young, 30-year-old men," she said. "It's just a horrible, horrible sad story."
She asked that their names not be printed because some family members still haven't heard. The other victim also has a family.
The three men had been snowmobiling since they were children.
"They were very experienced," she said. They carried avalanche probes, shovels and beacons.
"Snowmobiling was their absolute passion, and they were smart, smart riders."
The avalanche occurred on Renshaw Mountain, just west of Jasper National Park.
RCMP sent out a public notice Wednesday asking everyone to stay off the mountain while avalanche technicians detonate explosives to stabilize the snow pack.
Crews are hoping to go into the area today to recover the bodies.
"The place is entirely unstable," said RCMP Sgt. Pat McTiernan, pointing to higher than normal amounts of snow this year and temperatures above freezing that increase the instability.
The area was rated considerable for avalanche risk when the trio went out, said Glenn Daykin, owner of SpinDrift Power Sports in McBride. The rating can reach high or extreme.
The mood is sombre in McBride, Daykin said, but people will never give up the sport.
"The freedom, the view you get. It's just pure enjoyment. I'll still go out this year. I'll still be going riding."
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Despite the number of snowmobilers who have been killed this year in avalanches in B.C., I agree with Glenn Daykin. As a former snowmobiler, the feeling you get from snowmobiling in the mountains is something that you just can’t explain to others. I used to snowmobile when you could still do so in Kananaskis Country and, let me tell you, there was nothing better than being on top of the world. Nothing.
Brit Oiler Fans To Get Married In Edmonton
27/03/2009 03:35
Shared love of hockey brought them together, so it's only appropriate they tie the knot at home of their favorite team
It was 1986 and the Oilers were duking it out with the Calgary Flames in another Battle of Alberta when Cliff March landed in Edmonton for a two-week training camp for swimming.
It wasn't long before March, who hails from Newcastle, England, was swept up in the hockey frenzy which gripped the city as the see-saw battle for the Smythe Division came down to the last two games.
"You could feel the electricity and the anticipation in the air," March said. "When we were driving down to the Kinsmen Centre, every electronic sign we saw said: 'Good Luck Oilers' and 'Go Oilers Go.' They were everywhere."
His host family were huge Oilers fans and March watched his first hockey game on TV. It was Game 6 of 7 and a do-or-die for the Oilers. They won the game in Calgary.
By Game 7, March had morphed from hockey novice to rabid Oilers fan. He can recall with clarity the infamous Steve Smith goal which cost the Oilers the win, and the blue funk which settled over the city as fans mourned for their team.
"You could see the disappointment the next morning. People's faces were tripping them up," said March, who has been coming back to Edmonton every year since, except during the NHL strike, to get his Oilers fix. This year's trip is extra special because March is marrying the love of his life, Sue Coffell, who also happens to hail from Newcastle and loves hockey.
The couple will marry at 3 p.m. on Friday. After the ceremony, which will be attended by four close friends, they will enjoy the chocolate buffet at the Sutton Hotel's Central Park Lounge where they plan to watch the Edmonton-Anaheim game.
Coffell fell in love with hockey years ago while living in Montreal and was a Canadiens fan before she switched her allegiance. But she still cheers for the Habs when they play the Oilers. "Yeah. We're screwed when they play each other," March joked, as the couple watched Oilers play the Blackhawks in Chicago last Friday.
Unlike the majority of their fellow countrymen, March and Coffell are not soccer fans. They prefer the speed and skill of a hockey game, and they love the atmosphere inside Rexall Place when Oiler fans are in high gear.
"The atmosphere is just electric. After watching hockey, soccer is such a bore. And then you get these guys, who get paid millions of pounds, they trip over a blade of grass and they are rolling around in agony while hockey players like Fernando Pisani play with a broken ankle," March said.
In addition to the Oilers, the couple cheer on the Oil Kings when they are in Edmonton for their yearly dose of copper and blue. When they are back home, they get their hockey fix by supporting their hometown team, the Newcastle Vipers, members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, which was founded in 2002. It was at a Vipers game the couple met, Coffell said.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Those ‘juicers’ are always full of surprises, aren’t they, folks. I mean getting married in the city of your favorite hockey team? That’s stuff strictly out of Sports Illustrated.
Adam Braidwood Has Future In Pugilism: Promoter
27/03/2009 03:35
Carriere believes Esks lineman could be Canadian champ
When Glen Carriere speaks of Adam Braidwood he pulls no punches.
The promoter and owner of KO Boxing lets loose with his opinions like Braidwood unleashes a looping right hand. Same result, really, right over the top and intended as a knockout statement.
"My opinion is Adam will fight again here, play football this year and could, very well turn to professional boxing after that," said Carriere, who has big plans for the Edmonton Eskimos defensive lineman.
"Adam, I believe, has a great future. There's no question in my mind he can win a Canadian title -- minimum. He can be Top 10 in the world. Write that down, read my lips," stressed Carriere, who as a promoter is obviously not afraid to share his opinions.
"I'm not going to spend time and energy with Adam if I didn't feel that way," he continued.
"Sure it's going to be a long, challenging process, but I think that with the training under Milan Lubovac, he can get it done. The one thing he has to learn is how to box.
"He can take a punch. He works hard, trains hard, he can punch like a mule and he's got the right size."
Maybe too much size right now, but eventually Braidwood will slim down, suggested Carriere, of the six-foot-four, 265-pounder, who is set to step into the ring for his second pro bout on April 9 at the Shaw Conference Centre.
The name of the card is about as subtle as a two-by-four upside the head. Blunt Force Trauma originally had Braidwood (1-0) taking on local boxer Patrick Graham (6-5). Graham has since pulled a bicep muscle and will be replaced by Lethbridge's Lee (Gladiator) Mein, who has a mixed martial arts background that carried a less-than-stellar 1-7 record.
Braidwood, in size alone at 265 pounds, will command attention from Mein, who tips the Toledos at 249 and stands six-foot-three.
"Ideally, Adam will fight at 240 or 245 (lbs.)," said Carriere, of Braidwood's future.
The Eskimos lineman will obviously be on the undercard of Blunt Force Trauma, whose headliner will be Edmonton's Jelena Mrdjenovich facing Winnipeg's Olivia (The Predator) Pereira Gerula.
"That will be a great fight," promised Carriere.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Of course the promoter, Carriere, is going to say that Braidwood has a future in boxing. What else would you expect him to say? However, I wish Adam Braidwood would just stick to football, folks. Or, I wish someone would punch his lights out causing him to ‘reconsider’ his boxing career.
Canada Clinches Playoff Berth At Worlds Curling
27/03/2009 03:35
Jones rink shrugs off loss to Danes and settles in to beat Italy
An evening trip to a local masseuse seemed to work wonders for Team Canada's Jennifer Jones Thursday morning at the Mount Titlis world women's curling championship.
After suffering a frustrating loss to Denmark's Angelina Jensen Wednesday afternoon, Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham and second Jill Officer -- lead Dawn Askin took a pass -- headed downtown for a little R and R.
It paid off the next morning as a relaxed Team Canada turned back Diana Gaspari of Italy 8-5 at the Gangneung International Ice Rink to clinch a berth in the playoffs.
A win later Thursday against Switzerland's Mirjam Ott, combined with a loss from either Bingyu Wang of China (9-1) or Denmark (7-2) would sew up a spot in the Page playoff one versus two game, set for either Friday or Saturday depending on TV demands and tiebreakers.
"The goal is to make the playoffs; we were pretty disappointed after losing that game to Denmark (Wednesday) night, and now we want to end the round robin with a big win," said Jones. "We had to come out and win this game. I was quite disappointed, but we bounced back and we're still in there. You just have to make the playoffs."
For the record, a massage in Korea isn't like the ones Jones gets back home.
"It was definitely different than a Canadian massage," said the smiling Canadian skip, who's chasing back-to-back world championships. "It can't be explained, only experienced. I don't know, they kind of have their body on you, they're stretching you. And fully clothed. Both of us. We had our translator in there saying, 'OK, not so hard.'"
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Canada's Jones advances to 3 vs. 4 playoff at women's worlds.
Hritzuk mars Howard’s perfect picture.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Canada beat Miriam Ott of Switzerland 10-7 yesterday, but since China and Denmark also won, Jones finishes the round-robin in third place. They will face old Canadian nemesis Anette Norberg of Sweden in the Page 3 vs. 4 playoff game today, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s semi-final against the loser of the China/Denmark game.
The Page 3 vs. 4 playoff game against Norberg is going to be really tough, folks. The Swedish skip owns two world championship titles, seven European crowns, the 2006 Olympic gold medal and also has recent history on her side, as she beat Jones 7-4 in Draw 11 of this year's worlds. Don’t go betting a lot of money on Team Canada to win it. The loser of that game is out.
Canadian Skiers Turn All Thoughts To Olympic Gold
27/03/2009 03:35
Their international competitive seasons now finished, members of Canada's national ski teams turn their attention fully towards next winter, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Whistler, B.C., and the impractical Own The Podium goals.
With that in mind, over the winter The Journal asked three Edmonton-area athletes who will be included in OTP's list of expected gold medal winners in Whistler-- freestyle skier Jenn Heil and Paralympic skiers Kimberly Joines and Viviane Forest -- for their thoughts on Canada's goal of being No. 1 in the Olympics and top three in the Paralympics.
"As Canadians we're saying we don't want to go out there and do our best, we want to go there for excellence and that's really important because I don't think you can build a system of excellence unless you're willing to stand up and say this is our goal," said Heil, the reigning Olympic moguls champion.
They are intriguing goals. Canada's best finish in the Winter Olympics was in 2006 when we captured seven gold medals and 24 medals overall. That left us third behind Germany with 11 gold and 29 medals and the U.S. with nine gold and 25 medals. In 2002 Canada had seven gold and 17 medals to finish fifth behind Germany (12-36) and the U.S. (10-34).
"The reason we've done well the last two Olympics is because the programs have been in place, the support has been in place, the attitude is there and also the resources," said Heil, who had enough individual financial support to hire her own personal coach and trainers to help in her bid for Olympic gold.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Best withes to Spruce Grove’s Jenn Heil and the rest of the 2010 Canadian Olympic ski team. Do us proud and bring home the gold!
Patrick Chan May Be Paying His Dues
27/03/2009 03:35
First the good news: Patrick Chan saw six points stripped from his season's best-in-the-world mark Tuesday, and has no idea why, and he's frustrated and finds himself in third place after the short program at the ISU world figure skating championships.
Actually, there is no bad news.
This may be a world championship the 18-year-old Canadian doesn't really want, or need, to win -- so if Wednesday's pattern is repeated in Thursday's men's free skate, and the veterans are rewarded and the kid is held back on the basis of reputation and little else, he can console himself with the fact that he'll be under a lot less pressure when the home-country Olympics roll around in 11 months.
Brian Joubert, the French 24-year-old former world champ who jousted with Chan this week over the need for a quad jump, didn't land a clean one or complete his quad-triple combination without a hand down and step-out, but he leads the competition with 84.40 points -- four-and-a-half shy of the 88.90 Chan posted at the Four Continents championship six weeks ago.
Evan Lysacek of the U.S. did land his quad, and everything else, but was second at 82.70, with Chan -- whose program was almost indistinguishable from the one he performed at Four Continents -- third at 82.55.
But the real shocker was that Joubert, whose connective work between jumps was so poor last year that he lost the world title by a mile to the quadless Canadian Jeff Buttle, beat Chan on component scores, essentially the skating skills/transitions segment.
And in that sphere, the Frenchman is not in Chan's league.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Chan third heading into long program at world championships.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Let’s hope the ‘hissing’ contest between Chan and Frenchman Brian Joubert is finally over.
Tiger’s Return To Bay Hill Garners Memories
27/03/2009 03:35
ORLANDO, Fla. - The birdie putt to win at Bay Hill was vintage Tiger Woods.
Not so typical was the reaction.
He backpedaled as the ball rolled toward the hole, and when he saw it fall, Woods turned and slammed his cap to the ground. It gave him a one-shot victory over Bart Bryant, his fifth victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
"I saw the highlights that night, and I didn't know I went that crazy," Woods said Wednesday. "But evidently, I did."
Woods could use a few moments like that.
The Masters is three weeks away, and the status of Woods' game remains somewhat of a mystery. He has played only six competitive rounds at two tournaments since reconstructive knee surgery after winning the U.S. Open last June.
Woods was reminded of how long he has been away when he arrived early Wednesday for his pro-am round. It was his first time playing a pro-am since Bay Hill last year. The Masters, U.S. Open and two World Golf Championships - the only tournaments he has played since last year - don't have them.
He was surprised how quickly his game has returned, even if the results aren't evident. He lost in the second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship and tied for ninth two weeks ago in the CA Championship at Doral.
"I think it's taken less time to get my feel back for my game," Woods said. "I thought it would take a little bit longer."
"The question mark to me was how many rounds could I play? How much golf could I play? That's probably been the greatest positive is I've been able to recover from day-to-day and not feel a thing."
The negative - especially at Doral - has been the putting.
More from Canadian Press.
Tiger Woods surges into contention at Bay Hill.
Woods to play in China before going Down Under.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
If Tiger can get the putter working this week, look out. It’s the only reason he hasn’t won so far in his comeback from knee surgery.
St. Albert Taxpayers Meet Tonight
26/03/2009 05:34
Just a quick reminder
of the meeting tonight and an agenda. Please
print and bring with you if possible. Thank you
and hope to see you there. Lynda Flannery
AGENDA
ST. ALBERT TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
7 Tache Street, St. Albert (Seniors center)
7:00 pm
Thursday, March 26, 2009
GUEST: Gareth Jones, Councilor, St. Albert "Questions, Answers and Discussion"
BUSINESS MEETING
1. Agenda Review
2. Minutes, February 26, 2009
3. Treasurer’s Report
4. Old Business
A. Registration update
B. Building Membership: Networking other organizations, Chamber, CTF, Breakfast group etc…Tabled…April meeting
C. Research update: Voting Patterns Council…Tabled April Meeting
D. Meeting space and costs
5. New Business
A. Draft strategy presentation, discussion and next steps
6. Adjournment: 8:30
St. Albert’s Place Mail Bag . . .
26/03/2009 05:34
Hi Don,
I loved that sheep herding pig story. I'm going to forward it to my sister who trains agility dogs.
And the horse story was interesting too ... I remember back when our family had much to do with horses ... we found that they were also terrified of helium balloons.
Normally unflappable horses would freak out if a child brought a balloon into the stable. We guessed that it was simply because it was so unnatural for something that size to float in the air above their heads and the equines couldn't rationalize is as something safe within any of their paradigms. The only things that came from above like that were likely predators.
It made me assume that circus horses must be conditioned to accept them.
Kim
(in CALGARY)
SINC SAYS:
Some folks have told me this whole site is a bit of a circus Kim.
Don,
A friend turned me onto your blog. Great to see you still getting your word out there.
Checked a few of your past postings and noticed the A & K Lick-A-Chick sign.
That sign (and the restaurant) sits on the highway about four miles from the Newfoundland ferry in North Sydney, Cape Breton. BEST chicken in the world! Great Ice Cream too!
I remember my father's best friend sharing a story about how the restaurant owner settled on chicken and the name.
Seems the owner couldn't decide on a chicken or a fish restaurant.
Besides these two favorite foods, his other passion was “ahem”, his girlfriend.
He finally decided on the first passion (chicken) dropped the second passion (fish) and his third passion (girlfriend) gave him the name for the restaurant!
I was about eight years old, riding in my father's truck between him and his buddy when I heard that gem - Buddy always was a classy guy.
Shaun (in LLOYDMINSTER)
SINC SAYS:
Well, thanks for that enlightening story Shaun. Here’s that picture again for those who might have missed it the first time:
That Absurd CFRN TV Commercial . . .
26/03/2009 05:34
There are days that I
wonder who the heck makes the decision when to
air TV commercials.
Take the one currently running on CFRN called “Good Growing Neighbours” sponsored by the City of Edmonton, Strathcona County and CFRN.
I mean what the hell is a guy in shorts doing on a commercial announcing that the time of year has arrived to take care of your lawn for God’s sake?
Has anyone at CFRN looked out the window lately? Or have they even checked with their resident expert Josh?
That commercial won’t
be current until sometime in May for heaven’s
sake.
And hey, come to think of it, isn’t that guy in the shorts the weather guy from Global TV? I guess that makes it poetic justice, doesn’t it?
Answer To Yesterday's Puzzle . . .
26/03/2009 05:34
Pre-schoolers were
shown this picture asked the same question.
90% of the pre-schooler's gave this answer:
'The bus is traveling to the left.'
When asked, 'Why do you think the bus is traveling to the left?'
They answered:
'Because you can't see the door to get on the bus.'
READER RESPONSE:
Don,
The bus is travelling to the left because you can’t see the door that opens to let passengers in and out in the picture.
Cheers,
Jim
================================
Don
I usually suck at these but reckon the door is on the other side of the bus so figure it's headed left. On the other hand, I'd rather have a better claim to fame than being smarter than a 5th grader!
Shirley
SINC SAYS:
Congrats to both Jim and Shirley who got it right. Well done!
Walk It Off, It's Only A Heart Attack
26/03/2009 05:34
An Italian doctor
completed a brain operation despite having a
heart attack after realizing his patient would
never recover if he stopped the
surgery.Surgeon Claudio Vitale started feeling pains in his chest half way through the operation but refused to stop despite his team's urging and the pain worsening.
After finishing the surgery, the doctor had an angioplasty operation to treat his attack.
Vitale insists he's not a hero, but that he couldn't leave the patient "at such a delicate moment."
Both doctor and patient are recovering.
SINC SAYS:
Having survived a heart attack when I was alone, I know exactly what this guy went through. It’s not easy, believe me.
PETA Founder's Will Leaves Ear To Ottawa
26/03/2009 05:34
'Mounted' body part
to be sent to parliament so that gov't may hear
'animal
suffering'The founder of the world's largest animal rights organization wants to give Canada's parliamentarians an earful, in a bizarre online will.
Ingrid Newkirk, founder and president of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said that upon her death, she wants one of her ears "removed, mounted" and sent to Ottawa to help the government "in hearing, for the first time perhaps, the screams of the seals, bears, raccoons, foxes, and minks bludgeoned, trapped, and sometimes skinned alive for their pelts."
Newkirk said that she wants her body parts to be used to draw "attention to needless animal suffering and exploitation" after her death.
She asked that her other ear be displayed outside an India slaughterhouse "to remind all who do business there that the screams of the cattle who are slaughtered within its walls are heard around the world."
The U.S. government was also singled out.
The 59-year-old activist asked that "one of my eyes be removed, mounted, and delivered to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a reminder that PETA will continue to be watching the agency until it stops poisoning and torturing animals in useless and cruel experiments."
Stupidity continues here.">Details here.
SINC SAYS:
It is exactly stunts like this that leave PETA with zero credibility. They are simply a bunch of off the wall whackos.
THE DANGERS OF NOT DRINKING . . .
26/03/2009 05:34
THOSE who seek
salvation in a bottle may have found their
muse. Dr. Malcolm Lloyd, a Johns Hopkins and
Dartmouth-trained physician and former
pharmaceutical clinical researcher, will appear
on "Good Morning America" this week to espouse
the health benefits of daily
drinking."A lot of research shows that people who drink moderately flat-out live longer than those who don't," Lloyd tells Page Six. "From the pre vention of the common cold to the pre- vention of the onset of Alzheimer's to preventing certain types of cancer, regular drinking can be very beneficial."
Whereas most research has focused on wine, he says spirits can provide the same boon. Lloyd notes that "moderation" means one to two drinks a day for women and one to three drinks a day for men, and, "the positive effects start going in the other direction" once those numbers are exceeded.
SINC SAYS:
Our thanks go out to a certain university lecturer who alerted us to this story as a follow up to our red meat story of yesterday. Ya gotta love a man who loves a drink! The rest of ‘em are stuffed shirts anyway.
Mind Your Pees And Queues
26/03/2009 05:34
BRUSSELS (Reuters
Life!) - A world record in the length of a
queue to a toilet was set on Sunday when 756
people lined up to a latrine in central
Brussels to raise awareness for the need for
clean water on World Water
Day.The event was organized by the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF which gave each participant a wristband with his or her number in the line and T-shirt certifying participation in the event.
"The latrine was of the same design as we use in third world countries -- a dry latrine -- and we formed the longest queue this morning," UNICEF spokesman Benoit Melebeck said.
"The Guinness Book of Records told us we needed to get at least 500 people in the queue to get the record," he said.
Melebeck said the event was to raise public awareness and eventually funds for the need for more pumps, wells, latrines hygiene education for children in third world countries.
"We have 5,000 children dying every day from the lack of clean water, sanitation and hygiene education -- this means one every 20 seconds," he said.
Melebeck said none of the 756 people did not actually use the latrine, which was only a fake.
SINC SAYS:
Shucks, that ain’t nothin’ folks. Those guys from Guiness ought to drop by the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose come the August long weekend and see the real thing.
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
26/03/2009 05:34
Countdown To The 2009
Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 8 – Tiger Woods Wins 1997 Masters
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Tiger Woods hugs his father, Earl, after winning the 1997 Masters with a record-breaking 18-under-par score and 12-stroke margin of victory.
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 8 – Tiger Woods Wins 1997 Masters
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Tiger Woods hugs his father, Earl, after winning the 1997 Masters with a record-breaking 18-under-par score and 12-stroke margin of victory.
Trading In Shoulder Pads For A Three-Piece Suit
26/03/2009 05:34
Garrett maintains professional air as he leaves the world of sports
Ever the consummate pro, freshly retired Eskimos linebacker Shannon Garrett dressed for his official announcement Tuesday in the costume of the full-time banker he has become -- a brown, three-piece pin-striped suit.
Nor was the 37-year-old, 14-year CFL pro (nine years in Edmonton), merely walking his new nine-to-five banking role at Western Canadian Bank. He talked it up, too, smoothly commanding a roomful of media, Eskimos staff and coaches and former teammates like a polished, proud, funny, self-deprecating chairman of the board.
There were no tears, but a torrent of well-chosen words, something new for many who experienced the athlete as a laconic man of action.
"You know it's time to retire when players that you played against and players that you played with are getting inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame," said Garrett, referring to Henry (Gizmo) Williams, Willie Pless, Allen Pitts and Doug Flutie. "You also know it's time to retire when your teammates call you Pops.
"It kind of bothered me at first. But, really, if you look at it, I have some teammates (whose) parents and I are the same age.
"Ron McClendon, I think his mom and I are about the same age. Fred Stamps, his mom's about the same age. And I'm still looking at Gerald Larose. He kind of resembles me a little bit, so we're still waiting for the DNA tests to come back," Garrett said, as the room broke up laughing.
In his prime, Garrett, a self-described "jack of all trades," played with distinction at variously, linebacker, corner, halfback and free safety. But the last three seasons, he had to fight for a job. Last year, playing hurt from start to finish, Garrett felt his game had slipped to average.
"I don't think I'm a mediocre guy, I don't think I'm a mediocre player," Garrett said. "I always told myself that when I played average, I'll call it quits."
In his prime, Garrett played in three Grey Cups as an Eskimo, an epic championship trilogy with the Montreal Alouettes. The Als won in Edmonton in 2002, with the Eskimos winning in '03 and '05. That second Cup and the run-up to it remains the highlight of his career.
After playing on some bad Winnipeg and Saskatchewan teams, Garrett encountered a different culture when he arrived here in 2000.
"The first day in the locker-room was a totally different atmosphere," Garrett said. "Players were talking about playoffs and going to the Grey Cup and talking about the Edmonton Eskimos way.
"I was new here, I didn't know that was going on. But I bought into it."
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Shannon Garrett is one of those athletes that did prepare for life after his sports career was over. Good luck, Shannon, in your career as a banker.
Osgood Remains Defiant In Face Of Naysayers
26/03/2009 05:34
Detroit netminder makes habit of rising to occasion in playoffs
Chris Osgood has been hearing he's Nogood for most of this season, but he doesn't duck the question about the Red Wings' goaltending any more than he would a Sheldon Souray slapper.
He's won 387 games, only two back of Dominik Hasek, who is No. 10 all time and going to the Hall of Fame. He's only 16 back of his boyhood hero, Grant Fuhr, who is in the Hall of Fame. He's won 303 of his games in Detroit; only Terry Sawchuk (with 352) has ever racked up more Ws as a Red Wings netminder.
But Ozzie is supposed to be the weak link if Detroit hopes to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Not just him, but his partner, former Oiler Ty Conklin, even if Conklin went into the game against his old club Tuesday with a 2.44 average, a .911 save percentage and six shutouts.
The standard bleat is, "How can they win another Cup with these guys?"
If Osgood, 37, has a bad night and gets yanked, as he did against the Flames in Calgary on Monday, raising his goals-against average to 3.18 and dropping his save percentage to a mediocre .884, he really hears it.
He refuses to be cowed, however.
He's become The Defiant One, although he's more proud than loud. He didn't sneak out of the rink Tuesday morning or easily could have said "not today" to a couple of reporters who waited until he was the last guy off the ice at an optional skate.
"Last year I was 1.55 in the playoffs, with a .930 (save percentage). I played almost 20 games.
"That's not a fluke," said Osgood, who went 14-4 after replacing Hasek after the second game of the first round.
"I know when the big games are. I'll be ready on April 15 (when the season ends).
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Although he was born in Peace River, Chris’ dad, John Osgood, is now a principal right here in St. Albert at Robert Rundle Elementary School in Grandin.
Jones Falls To Danes, Clinches Tie-Break At Worlds
26/03/2009 05:34
GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- Canada has reached the playoffs at the world women's curling championship -- but Jennifer Jones is far from satisfied.
Denmark's Angelina Jensen scored two in the ninth end and stole another two in the 10th to earn a come-from-behind 7-5 win over Jennifer Jones in Draw 13 action Wednesday.
The win moves Jensen into sole possession of second place at 7-1 entering a Draw 14 showdown with the host Koreans later Wednesday. China's Bingyu Wang leads the standings at 8-1, while Jones slipped to third at 7-2 with her second loss in the past three games. Sweden's Anette Norberg and Switzerland's Mirjam Ott are next at 5-3, followed by Eve Muirhead of Scotland at 4-4.
Wang can finish no worse than third in the round-robin following a Draw 13 win over Germany. Jensen's victory over Canada earned her a playoff spot, and Jones is also in the mix despite squandering a two-point lead against Denmark.
Trailing 5-3 in the ninth end, Danish fourth Madeleine Dupont drew to the back of the four-foot for two points to tie the game. Then, with Canada lying shot stone in the 10th, Danish third Denise Dupont made a perfect hit to leave Denmark lying one.
Jones came up slightly short on a draw with her first shot of the end, and was left with a tricky angle raise for the win. She hit the stone too thin, and the rock went spinning out of the house to give Denmark the win.
Jones said afterward that she misjudged the ice on her first shot.
"If we bury it, (Madeleine) doesn't have a shot," said Jones. "The ice straightened up a little bit, and we just took too much ice."
Jones was frustrated with the end result.
"We'll have to shake it off, but that was pretty disappointing," said Jones. "To control the whole game and all of a sudden you lose..."
"We have to play better. We're making some big shots, we're just not as consistent as we'd like to be."
More from Canadian Press.
Jones steals win from Koreans.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Jennifer Jones and Team Canada from Winnipeg now sit at 7-2 at the women’s worlds. With a win over last place Italy late last night, they can guarantee themselves one of the four playoff spots at this year’s worlds.
'Not A Sore Loser,' Says Joubert
26/03/2009 05:34
It’s all about the quad
Give the Frenchman full marks for taking the high road.
Brian Joubert, the 2007 men's world figure skating champion, answered Monday's criticism by Canadian champion Patrick Chan with a twinkle in his eye.
"So I am a bad guy? Sorry," shrugged Joubert, after his short-program practice Tuesday, which he opened with a quad-triple combination, as if to say: "Take that, Patrick."
The 18-year-old Chan, winner of the Four Continents title six weeks ago and considered a solid contender for the world title this week, teed off on Joubert a day earlier, saying the 24-year-old Frenchman was a "sore loser" for denigrating Canadian Jeff Buttle's 2008 world championship. Joubert said that day, and has repeated many times since, that he thought it a shame that Buttle or anyone could win without even trying a quad in either program.
"You know, I think like the other skaters, I don't like to lose. Nobody likes to lose. But I am not a sore loser," said Joubert, who had to have the phrase translated before he could respond to it. "I respect the other skaters. But I prefer when they beat me with a quad jump."
Joubert's assertion is that if there isn't more incentive in the scoring system to land a quad, fewer skaters will try one, and the sport will regress."When I did my first world championship in 2002, maybe 15 skaters were able to do a quad in the short program," he said. "Now, we can see the difference."
At most, there will be five quads attempted in the men's short program here.
"Maybe the skaters today are better on footwork, spins, skating -- and I work a lot on it, I don't work just on the jumps," said Joubert. "But I think the young skaters who are coming don't want to do the quad jump, because they say they don't need it. So that's a bad point for the future."
There is much discussion within the ISU about bumping up the point value of the quad, but it's unlikely to happen before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
"They might change the level for the footwork or the spins like every season, but not the jumps," said Joubert, who noted that most of the criticism of his comments after last year's world championships seemed to come from this side of the Atlantic.
"The French people agreed with me. I think the Canadians . . . no," he smiled. "I am sorry for them."
He seemed genuinely mystified at Chan's remarks, given their friendly relationship on the ice.
"I don't understand why he would say that. I am very surprised. Because he's a nice guy," he said. "But I still respect him. He beat me at the beginning of the season. He can beat me in this competition. But I will do my best to beat him, that's all.
"Patrick Chan and other skaters can say what they want, I don't care. I just want to do my job, to give some fun to the audience, to the judges -- and the best one will win the competition."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Hmm . . . Joubert and Chan – they should just get over it, don’t you think? Sounds a little bit like a cat fight to me, folks.
Tiger Eyes Record Sixth Victory At Arnie’s Tourney
26/03/2009 05:34
MIAMI - Tiger Woods’ rivals may feel as if they are stepping into his private lair this week when the American world number one defends his Arnold Palmer Invitational title at Bay Hill Club in Orlando.
Although Woods will be playing only his third tournament since being sidelined for eight months after having reconstructive knee surgery midway through last year, he has established a remarkable record at the Florida venue.
He won the first of his three consecutive U.S. junior amateur titles there in 1991 and this week will be seeking to triumph for a record sixth time at the PGA Tour event hosted by Palmer.
"I’ve had good success there," Orlando resident Woods said on his official website (www.tigerwoods.com).
"We all love to support Arnold’s tournament — he helped put professional golf on the map.
"Plus, I get to sleep in my own bed," added the 14-times major winner. "It’s always nice to basically have something on at home and you can keep your routine."
Last year, Woods won the event in dramatic fashion with a 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole to beat fellow American Bart Bryant by one stroke.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I wouldn’t bet against him this week. Would you bet against him, folks? Catch all of the action of the Arnold Palmer Invitational from Bay Hill on the Golf Channel and Golf Channel-HD starting this afternoon.
U.S. Curlers Get Year To Prepare For Olympics
26/03/2009 05:34
Canada picks teams eight weeks before Games
When Deb McCormick marches into BC Place Stadium next Feb. 12 during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, it will cap nearly 12 months of preparation for the skip of the U.S. Olympic women's curling team.
Her Canadian counterpart, on the other hand, will have only booked her ticket to Vancouver a measly eight weeks earlier and will be among the final Olympians named to the Canadian contingent.
But McCormick, who'll play in her third Olympics, can understand why the early selection process might not work so well for a Canadian team.
"I think it's a little different with Canada," said the 35-year-old McCormick. "I think if a Canadian team did this, they'd just be bombarded for the whole year. This will help curling in the States because we need more media attention. It's a different world in Canada. A million curlers compared to our, what, 50,000?"
McCormick won the U.S. national championship last month in Colorado, an event that also served as the Olympic trials. Her previous trip to the Games, in 2002, featured a selection tournament with similar timing to Canada's, about two months before the Games.
This time around, said U.S. Curling Association athlete development director Ed Lukowich, the focus is on long-term preparation as opposed to a rapid course of workouts.
"We have a chance to really concentrate on working with those two teams and give them plenty of time to get ready for the Olympics," said the Calgary resident, who played for Canada at the 1988 Winter Games in his hometown, when curling was a demonstration sport. "We just felt that our teams need a little bit more work with one coach along the way to the Olympics. It worked well with the (Pete) Fenson team prior to Torino (where it won a bronze medal in 2006)."
While the 16 remaining eligible men's and women's Canadian teams will spend the summer and fall preparing for both the pre-trials qualifier in Prince George, B.C., and the trials themselves in Edmonton in December, McCormick and John Shuster's men's teams will have training camps. They'll likely travel to an August event in New Zealand, they'll be made available to the media at a U.S. Olympic Committee event in Chicago and will be introduced to sponsors at an NBC event in Burbank, Calif.
"We'll see how it goes," said McCormick. "Obviously, right now I like it because we're going to have the whole year to train and compete and just work really hard to get as good as we can. In past when we had only two months, there was Christmas in there and there weren't many events in Canada, so we had to go to Europe. You feel kind of rushed. And you're also trying to organize friends, family, tickets, the media."
That's a common complaint among past Canadian Olympic teams, too. But as much as the trials are a curling event, they're also a marketing event for the Canadian Curling Association, thus their early December timing to keep them from going head-to-head with the Canadian Football League playoffs.
"I don't think we have enough time," said Team Canada skip Jennifer Jones, who has earned a direct entry into the Edmonton trials. "I think you need more time to prepare, especially with the trials falling just before the holidays.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia undefeated after 13th draw at Seniors.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is the one big flaw that I can see in the system the CCA has set up to select Canada’s Olympic curling representatives. While most of the other countries will have upwards of a year to prepare for the games, our reps will only have eight weeks, or less. I guess we’ll be relying on our superior skill and talent to even things out a bit.
Eating Quarter Pound Of Red Meat A Day?
25/03/2009 05:28
If you’re between
50 and 71 you’re raising mortality
riskIn Canada, the average person eats 200 grams of meat a day, or the equivalent of two quarter-pound hamburgers. (CBC)
People over 50 who eat large amounts of red and processed meats face a higher risk of death from heart disease and cancer than those who eat the smallest amounts of hamburgers and hot dogs, a study of more than 500,000 Americans reports.
In Monday's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, Rashmi Sinha and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Md., looked at the link over 10 years between meat intake and risk of death among people aged 50 to 71.
Those in the top fifth for eating red meat — at a median of 62.5 grams per 1,000 calories per day or a quarter-pound hamburger daily — had a higher risk of death overall, death from heart disease and death from cancer than those in the bottom fifth.
Those in the lowest group ate a median of 9.8 grams per 1,000 calories per day or the equivalent of a hamburger per week.
During the 10-year follow-up period, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died.
"For overall mortality, 11 per cent of deaths in men and 16 per cent of deaths in women could be prevented if people decreased their red meat consumption to the level of intake" in the lowest quintile or one-fifth, the study's authors wrote.
Deadly details here.
SINC SAYS:
I bet this is going to upset the folks over at MacDonald’s. I mean how do you justify selling those Quarter Pounders?
No, You're Not Hallucinating
25/03/2009 05:28
That really IS a
pink
elephant on
parade
If you're seeing a pink elephant, don't worry - no one's spiked your morning orange juice.
This three-month-old calf is believed to be an albino, an extremely rare phenomenon among African elephants.
It was spotted by cameraman Mike Holding as he filmed the 80-strong herd for a BBC wildlife programme in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
Experts say the calf could suffer skin problems, including sunburn, but could protect itself by rolling in thick mud and finding shade under trees.
Mr Holding said: 'We only saw it for a couple of minutes as the herd crossed the river.
'This was a really exciting moment for everyone in camp. We knew it was a rare sighting - no-one could believe their eyes.'
Albino elephants are not usually white, but instead they have more of a reddish-brown or pink hue.
While albinism is thought to be fairly common in Asian elephants, it is much less common in the larger African species.
Ecologist Dr Mike Chase, who runs conservation charity Elephants Without Borders, said: 'I have only come across three references to albino calves, which have occurred in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
'We have been studying elephants in the region for nearly 10 years now, and this is the first documented evidence of an albino calf that I have come across.
'Because this elephant calf was sighted in the Okavango Delta, he may have a greater chance of survival. He can seek refuge under the large trees and cake himself in a thick mud, which will protect him from the Sun.
'Already the two-to-three-month-old calf seems to be walking in the shade of its mother.
'This behaviour suggests it is aware of its susceptibility to the harsh African sun, and adapted a unique behaviour to improve its chances of survival.'
He added: 'I have learned that elephants are highly adaptable, intelligent and masters of survival.'
SINC SAYS:
While I have never experienced seeing a pink elephant myself, barkeeps have told me it really does happen from time to time with some of their customers.
If you're seeing a pink elephant, don't worry - no one's spiked your morning orange juice.
This three-month-old calf is believed to be an albino, an extremely rare phenomenon among African elephants.
It was spotted by cameraman Mike Holding as he filmed the 80-strong herd for a BBC wildlife programme in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
Experts say the calf could suffer skin problems, including sunburn, but could protect itself by rolling in thick mud and finding shade under trees.
Mr Holding said: 'We only saw it for a couple of minutes as the herd crossed the river.
'This was a really exciting moment for everyone in camp. We knew it was a rare sighting - no-one could believe their eyes.'
Albino elephants are not usually white, but instead they have more of a reddish-brown or pink hue.
While albinism is thought to be fairly common in Asian elephants, it is much less common in the larger African species.
Ecologist Dr Mike Chase, who runs conservation charity Elephants Without Borders, said: 'I have only come across three references to albino calves, which have occurred in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
'We have been studying elephants in the region for nearly 10 years now, and this is the first documented evidence of an albino calf that I have come across.
'Because this elephant calf was sighted in the Okavango Delta, he may have a greater chance of survival. He can seek refuge under the large trees and cake himself in a thick mud, which will protect him from the Sun.
'Already the two-to-three-month-old calf seems to be walking in the shade of its mother.
'This behaviour suggests it is aware of its susceptibility to the harsh African sun, and adapted a unique behaviour to improve its chances of survival.'
He added: 'I have learned that elephants are highly adaptable, intelligent and masters of survival.'
SINC SAYS:
While I have never experienced seeing a pink elephant myself, barkeeps have told me it really does happen from time to time with some of their customers.
Bill Would Tax Hookers $5 Per Session
25/03/2009 05:28
CARSON CITY – Sen.
Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, proposed a tax on
prostitution today that he says could raise $2
million a year for the
state.Patrons of prostitutes — both legal and illegal — would pay an extra $5 tax per session under the bill, which Coffin said was his idea alone.
In the runup to the legislative session, a lobbyist for the state’s legal brothels volunteered to be taxed, an effort that some said would guarantee their continued survival. Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley turned down the industry, effectively killing the effort.
“I think we will support it,” George Flint, a spokesman for the state’s brothel industry, said of Coffin’s bill.
There are eight “major” brothels in the rural counties, where they are legal, and 17 smaller houses of prostitution, said Flint. The minimum charges range from $100 to $200.
Coffin said he had considered applying the state’s live entertainment tax to prostitution, but encountered some constitutional questions.
Information received by the state Department of Taxation in collecting the proposed tax would be confidential, he said. The department could publish how much it took in, so long as it didn’t identify an individual business.
Part of the receipts would be used to finance an “ombudsman for sex workers” who would help prostitutes who have complaints or want to leave prostitution and enter another profession.
Asked how the state could collect the tax from the independent street walkers, Coffin said that the business tax, when first imposed, wasn’t collected from all of those who were required to pay it.
As a new tax, the bill would require a two-thirds vote for passage.
SINC SAYS:
There’s one thing about government. They can find more than one way to screw you.
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
25/03/2009 05:28
The Grandma Test . . .
25/03/2009 05:28
I was out walking with my four-year-old Grandaughter. She picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that.
'Why?' my Granddaughter asked.
'Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's dirty, and probably has germs,' I replied.
At this point, my Granddaughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, 'Grandma, how do you know all this stuff? ?You are so smart.'
I was thinking quickly and replied, 'All Grandmas know this stuff. It's on the Grandma Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Grandma.'
We walked along in silence for two or three minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information.
'Oh . . . I get it!' she beamed, 'So if you don't pass the test you have to be the Grandpa'.
'Exactly,' I replied with a big smile on my face.
Why It's OK For Newspapers To Die
25/03/2009 05:28
The transition that's
taking place in the news publishing industry --
from print to online -- is a healthy step in
technology-driven evolution, though there will
undoubtedly be some short-term
pain.
The loss of print
newspapers is akin to the loss of the horse
and buggy. The Internet offers the potential
for broader and deeper news reporting.
Maximizing Social Media
Written for the marketing executive, this whitepaper provides a useful framework to begin to assess how an organization can engage in social media to build deeper relationships with its customers and make offers more relevant. To learn more read the whitepaper today.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ceased print publication this week to focus solely on the Web, a transition that frightened some in the publishing business, coming so shortly after the Rocky Mountain News shut down. However, as many in the tech industry are aware, this is simply a form of "creative destruction" that should boost both choice and economic activity in the longer term.
"Creative destruction," a term coined by Joseph Schumpeter in his 1942 book Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, means exactly what it says -- the process by which a new technology or structure replaces the old and builds a new infrastructure. This is how progress happens and capitalism moves ahead. For a clear example, think back a century or so, when Henry Ford released his first prototype automobile, relegating the horse and buggy, and the buggy whip industry, to obsolescence.
Most would agree that such creative destruction resulted in a good outcome for society. Yet, not everyone is willing to let such revolutions take place without a fight. Indeed, some politicians have proposed bailing out newspapers, as the federal government has done for failing automakers.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
The world is catching up to newspapers everywhere and many are in danger of failing. Will another local paper be next? Stay tuned.
Maximizing Social Media
Written for the marketing executive, this whitepaper provides a useful framework to begin to assess how an organization can engage in social media to build deeper relationships with its customers and make offers more relevant. To learn more read the whitepaper today.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ceased print publication this week to focus solely on the Web, a transition that frightened some in the publishing business, coming so shortly after the Rocky Mountain News shut down. However, as many in the tech industry are aware, this is simply a form of "creative destruction" that should boost both choice and economic activity in the longer term.
"Creative destruction," a term coined by Joseph Schumpeter in his 1942 book Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, means exactly what it says -- the process by which a new technology or structure replaces the old and builds a new infrastructure. This is how progress happens and capitalism moves ahead. For a clear example, think back a century or so, when Henry Ford released his first prototype automobile, relegating the horse and buggy, and the buggy whip industry, to obsolescence.
Most would agree that such creative destruction resulted in a good outcome for society. Yet, not everyone is willing to let such revolutions take place without a fight. Indeed, some politicians have proposed bailing out newspapers, as the federal government has done for failing automakers.
Details here.
SINC SAYS:
The world is catching up to newspapers everywhere and many are in danger of failing. Will another local paper be next? Stay tuned.
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
25/03/2009 05:28
Countdown To The 2009
Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 7 – Masters Moments Through The Years
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Jack Nicklaus winds up and tosses his ball down the fairway after he putted out to win the 1965 Masters golf Tournament on April 12, 1965. He fired a record score of 271, 17 strokes under par.
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 7 – Masters Moments Through The Years
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Jack Nicklaus winds up and tosses his ball down the fairway after he putted out to win the 1965 Masters golf Tournament on April 12, 1965. He fired a record score of 271, 17 strokes under par.
Shannon Garrett Hangs Up Pads After 14 Seasons
25/03/2009 05:28
Veteran linebacker has worn Green and Gold since 2000
Veteran Edmonton Eskimos linebacker Shannon Garrett announced his retirement from the Canadian Football League yesterday.
The 37-year-old played 15 years in the league, including 10 with the Eskimos, being named a West Division all-star in 2001 and 2003.
News spread throughout the organization on Monday and a press conference was set for yesterday afternoon.
"I tried to talk him out of it," said Eskimos receiver Kamau Peterson. "There are very few guys in this league with his wealth of knowledge."
"It's very hard to replace that kind of experience and talent," added Esks linebacking coach Dan Kepley.
"I just know him as a class, class man who gave you every bit that he could on the football field."
Garrett, a native of Bay St. Louis, Miss., had 45 defensive tackles, one special-teams tackle, four knockdowns, one interception, one quarterback sack and a 25-yard fumble return for a touchdown in 18 regular-season games in 2008. He added seven defensive tackles and a knockdown in the playoffs.
Garrett first began his CFL career with Winnipeg in 1995 and played three seasons with the Blue Bombers before moving to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for two years. He joined the Eskimos in 2000 after he was released from the New Orleans Saints' training camp.
Eskimos defensive back Lenny Williams is a possible replacement for Garrett at linebacker.
"Lenny has that potential," said Esks general manager Danny Maciocia. "But there are others. We'll have an answer, it's not like it comes as a surprise to us."
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Eskimos’ Garrett announces retirement after nine seasons with Esks.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The Eskimos will certainly miss Shannon Garrett. And, what’s worse is they are very, very thin at linebacker right now. I certainly hope they have signed some prospects this off-season.
Jennifer Jones Curling Hot Despite Cold
25/03/2009 05:28
Team Canada 6-1 At Worlds
Jennifer Jones isn't letting a common cold derail her quest for back-to-back world women's curling championships.
The Canadian skip from Winnipeg rolled to her sixth straight win at the 2009 Mount Titlis women's worlds Tuesday at the Gangneung International Ice Rink, knocking off German veteran Andrea Schoepp 8-7.
The victory left Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin alone in first place in the 12-team round-robin; previously perfect Angelina Jensen of Denmark lost her first game, bowing 8-5 to Bingyu Wang of China, leaving both of those teams with 5-1 records.
Jones was dealing with the effects of the cold during the morning game.
"I haven't been feeling good for a couple days now," she admitted. "But I'm OK now. I'm sleeping well; I just have a little bit of a sore throat and I'm a little congested, but I'll be fine. I had the same thing (at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last month in Victoria)."
The Germans could only put three players on the ice Tuesday morning; Schoepp's long-time vice-skip Monika Wagner sat out because she was ill, and the Germans didn't bring a fifth player because the player they had hoped to use in that position, Martina Tichatschke, is believed to be just the third curler ever to be suspended for a doping violation.
Tichatschke played for Schoepp at the 2006 Continental Cup, but since then missed two random tests from the German anti-doping agency -- once because she was on a holiday in Australia and neglected to inform the agency of her absence, and again last September when her cellphone was off when the agency called to arrange for the test.
Schoepp's team thought it had permission to allow Tichatschke to accompany the team to South Korea, but shortly before leaving, the agency informed Schoepp that the suspension would stand, leaving no time to find another alternate.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Canada’s Jones falls to Sweden at women’s worlds.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, they’re in a three-way tie for first place right now at 6-1, along with Denmark and China with four games left in the round-robin. Things are looking good for Canada to clinch one of the four playoff berths.
Chan Nails ‘Sore Loser’ Joubert On, Off The Ice
25/03/2009 05:28
Feud between men's skaters spices up sport
With several Skate Canada officials within easy earshot, Patrick Chan calmly lit the fuse Monday on what is certain to be a cracking good feud between two of the world's finest figure skaters.
What brought it on was a simple question about 2007 French world champion Brian Joubert, and his oft-expressed opinion that if the sport is willing to crown a champion who doesn't even try a quadruple jump, figure skating is actually regressing.
Chan, the 18-year-old, Ottawa-born phenom who is rated a solid chance of winning at this week's ISU world figure skating championship at the Staples Center, doesn't have a quad. Neither did Canada's Jeff Buttle, who won it all a year ago in Sweden, prompting a sour-grapes, post-competition news conference by Joubert, the runner-up.
"Right after the result, I was very disappointed, and I am still disappointed, because Jeffrey did the perfect competition -- he did no mistakes. But he didn't try a quad jump," said Joubert, 24, who's won three world silver medals and is the reigning European champ. "But the new judging system is like that. It is better to do simple and clean than to try something difficult, and that's why I was disappointed. It's just for the figure skating.
"We need to give more points for the quad jump in the future."
Buttle's rebuttal was outstanding, but Chan took it a step further Monday, speaking between practices to a half-dozen reporters.
"I think Joubert is constantly complaining about that, because he's never got anything else to say," said Chan. "Honestly. Yes, OK, the men are doing worse -- in his opinion. Well, fine then, he better have three good quads in his program, and nail them good, or he has nothing to say."
Chan is still steamed at Joubert's denigration of Buttle's achievement last March -- especially considering that it wasn't even close. The judges had Buttle winning by a mile.
"Totally. I was really disappointed. It's no sportsmanship, none at all," Chan said. "Tiger (Woods) is never going to say, oh, Mike Weir sucks because he can't hit it as far as I can. You have to play a fair game, you don't talk behind a guy's back the way he did at world championships.
More from the Vancouver Sun.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
As long as the boys don’t start hitting each other with their purses, folks, everything will be okay.
Manitoba, B.C. Tied For 2nd After 12th Draw At Seniors
25/03/2009 05:27
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - Manitoba's Lois Fowler and B.C.'s Kathy Smiley each posted wins Tuesday morning to improve to 6-1 at the Canadian senior curling championships.
Fowler defeated Quebec's Rolande Madore 7-4 while Smiley edged Ontario's Cheryl McBain 5-4. The two skips are tied for second behind 5-0 Colleen Pinkney of Nova Scotia, who had the morning off.
In the other 12th draw game, Saskatchewan's Debbie Thierman defeated Wendy Ondrack of the Territories 10-7 to improve to 3-3.
On the men's side, Ontario's Bruce Delaney is 4-2 after a 6-5 win over Brian Gessner of B.C., while Saskatchewan's Eugene Hritzuk also improved to 4-2 with a 9-2 win over the Territories in Draw 12.
Quebec's Mike Carson boosted his record to 2-4 with a 7-6 extra-end win over Manitoba.
New Brunswick's Russ Howard leads the men's standings at 6-0 while P.E.I. is second at 5-0. Both rinks had the morning off.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
There are a few familiar names in this year’s Senior championship – Russ Howard, Eugene Hritzuk and Lois Fowler to name just three.
Giants Teammates Hope For Best For Burress
25/03/2009 05:27
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants isn't a legal expert when it comes to troubled receiver Plaxico Burress and his scheduled court appearance next week on a felony gun possession charge.
Umenyiora is just an optimist, and he believes after talking to legal experts that Burress will be playing for the Giants next season. He hasn't even considered the alternative, a mandatory minimum of 3 1/2 years in prison if Burress is not able to plead to a lesser charge and is convicted of the felony.
"I have talked to law enforcement officials and they say to me, that for a first-time offender, he would get five years probation, that's the maximum with a first-time offender," Umenyiora said Tuesday after taking part in the Giants' voluntary workouts at Giants Stadium. "He has one of the best lawyers money can buy and he's a very, very good guy, no matter what you hear about him. He is a good person. Hopefully, the Lord will be on his side."
Umenyiora has exchanged text messages with Burress, and the receiver who caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl 13 months ago said he was doing well.
Umenyiora acknowledged that nobody can say with certainty what will happen to the 31-year-old Burress, who was charged after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh in a New York City nightclub in late November.
However, Umenyiora knows what Burress means to the Giants, who lost four of their final five games after Burress was suspended for the final four games of the regular season, fined and placed on the non-football injury list, meaning he also could not appear in the playoffs. The Giants finished 12-5, losing at home in the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles.
"It's obvious that when he was on the football field we had that outstanding running game, the good O-Line, Eli throwing the ball well and that deep threat," Umenyiora said.
Without Burress as a deep threat, the Giants offence struggled.
One of Burress' closest friends on the team, halfback Brandon Jacobs said the uncertainty about Burress' future is a concern.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, folks, I guess we’ll know a lot more about Plaxico Burress’ football future after next week’s hearing.
NFL Passes Player Safety Rules At California Meetings
25/03/2009 05:27
DANA POINT, Calif. -- NFL owners have passed four player safety rules for next season. One of them is the elimination of blindside helmet-to-helmet blocks.
The changes came Tuesday at the NFL meetings in California.
The new rules state that the initial force of a blindside block can't be delivered by a helmet, forearm or shoulder to an opponent's head or neck. An illegal blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty.
Initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver also will draw a 15-yard penalty.
On kickoffs, no blocking wedge of more than two players will be allowed. Also, the kicking team can't have more than five players bunched together pursuing an onside kick.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I’m for anything that will increase player safety.
$ervu$ Place Now Called $urplu$ Place . . .
24/03/2009 04:39
Kudos:
To Council for:
approving the tax break for some seniors who
sorely needed a break and for not buying into
Administration's convoluted logic about giving
back to Servus Place the $800 thousand they
didn't loose last year!
Kudos: To Councillors Jones and Lemieux for at least trying to get the $800,000 we were overtaxed to support Servus Place back to the taxpayer.
Pans: To Administration and Council for not rebating the total $2.1 million “surplus” back to taxpayers.
What is happening to the money?
It's confusing to figure out what is actually happening to St. Albert's $2.1 million over-taxation of taxpayers in 2008, commonly called a “surplus”. It seems that $1.5 million went to a “stabilization reserve” and that a paltry $453 thousand might be available for a tax rebate. Don't hold your breath though, the ambulance debacle and Servus Place are competing for this money. I believe that this is wrong, particularly in the tough times we have today. The total $2.1 million surplus should be rebated to the taxpayer.
Why overtax us in the first Place?
In addition, why are we overtaxed in the first place? When city Administration creates a budget, it says this is what we need to get the job done next year. It does not come to the taxpayer or Council and say, we are going to put $2+ million dollars extra in our budget so we can put it into a spending account at the end of the year.
Yet, almost every year there is a surplus. Administration then says, because we have already taken this money from the taxpayer, lets keep it and spend it on our favourite projects or save it for future projects! For example, in 2008, the part of the 2007 “overtaxation” fund was allocated to a $1/2 million birthday party. Not only is the money spent, but the total surplus amount remains included as part of the 2009 base budget.
But administration could have predicted about $1.5 million of the underspending in the 2008 budget and not overtaxed us....but they did not.
Some of the underexpenditure should be expected and thus should not be budgeted for in the first place. Why is it expected? Because some spending categories are underspent in most years. For example, often there is an underexpenditure of $500-700 thousand in salaries. It is expected because we know some St. Albert staff will leave and their jobs will be vacant for a period before they are filled. The RCMP also has a similar phenomena as budgeted positions remain empty, this year to the tune of $775 thousand. So to avoid a surplus from these sources, it would be very easy to knock $1-1.5 million off the budget AND our tax increase this year simply by not budgeting for a surplus from salaries.
Servus Place dollars $800,000 should be the minimum that comes back.
Servus Place lost $1.3 million in 2008 vs. the $2.1 million it was expected to lose. Not a cent of the $800,000 that Surplus Place did not loose and St. Albert Taxpayers were overtaxed for, should be put into any project or fund for Servus Place or anything else. It should come directly back to the taxpayer! The taxpayer is paying enough for this albatross, and should not spend a cent more than what is necessary.
I encourage taxpayers to voice their concern to our elected representatives. Call Councillors and the Mayor, and encourage them to rebate all of the $800 thousand spending account back to the taxpayer. Encourage them to reconsider the issue of the other $1.3Million and tell Administration to apply it to decreasing the 2009 Budget!
AND/or show up at the “early April” Council meeting to see who again votes to spend your money frivolously.
George Valan
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
An excellent proposal George, but my bet is that if you attend that April meeting, you can watch as Robbing Hood And His Merry Men Band Of Men talk council into keeping the dough. And by the way, nice play on words with the Surplus Place thing, although it might be better as $urplu$ Place. Thanks for the letter.
St. Albert Taxpayers Association Meeting Agenda
24/03/2009 04:39
Gareth Jones, a
councilor with the City of St. Albert, will be
meeting with SATpA at its regular meeting this
Thursday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m. in the
Seniors Center at 7 Tache Street.
He'll be responding
to the questions that have been forwarded to
him (the result of my request to membership
for questions). He'll also respond to any
others you would like to raise. Please come
and join us, and ask your neighbours and
friend to this opportunity to speak with your
councilor.
The questions posed are:
1. St. Albert had a $2.1 Million surplus in 2008. Why would not the entire surplus be rebated to the taxpayer? When will the vote on sending a few bucks from the “surplus” back to the taxpayer be made so I can attend? What meeting will the millrate be set at?
2. How is Council viewing the zero base approach to budgets? Does it not make spending on all programs transparent and thus improves decision making, versus only looking at the extra spending Administration proposes for the next budget period? Why wouldn't you move forward with this?
3. Since 2000, what has justified the huge increase in staff (up by 70%), when population has barely increased by 14%?
4. What justifies an increase of expenditures by almost 100% in the same period?
5. Why does it make sense Council pursue “rebranding”...spending 90K for a Guru, plus all the downtown redevelopment costs, at this time of severe economic downturn?
6. Why hasn't the construction cost inflation figures in the 2009 budget been adjusted, and the final tax increase figures decreased? This is of particular interest as a member of Council indicated that we now have the lowest construction costs in many years (vs. The huge inflation factor presented by Administration in the budget)..
7. Why is Administration so determined to continue with expensive projects when we are in a recession? (e.g. Ray Gibbon Drive, Servus Place upgrades, City hall murmurings in the Mayor's task force)?
8. As spending in the 2008 budget was all fully accounted for and fully staffed, how does Administration manage to find the extra dollars for temporary and contract staff, and then suggest these should become regular positions in 2009?
9. Why is the “surplus” dollars at year end eg. 2008 not removed from the next year's budget base e.g. 2009?
10. Why is it costing St. Albert so much for blue box recycling, where the taxpayer is to pay almost $5 a month more when Morinville is planning to introduce this and it will cost an extra $15 annually? What are they doing that St. Albert is unable to do?
11. Are the $500,000 bathrooms still being installed at the Reil field or have you been able to consult with someone who can build functional facilities for a fraction of the cost?
Also at our meeting, we will be talking about the draft strategy for how SATpA will move forward over the next 3 years to meet its objectives. Again, this results from your input in response to my request for your comments, and the work of your subcommittee on the issue. We'll be looking for your initial feedback, will ask you to comment on the strategy by the April meeting and hopefully bring it back to you then.
Lynda Flannery
President, St. Albert Taxpayers Association
SINC SAYS:
Why not make a difference and get out and join this worthwhile group folks? You can effect change if enough people protest.
The questions posed are:
1. St. Albert had a $2.1 Million surplus in 2008. Why would not the entire surplus be rebated to the taxpayer? When will the vote on sending a few bucks from the “surplus” back to the taxpayer be made so I can attend? What meeting will the millrate be set at?
2. How is Council viewing the zero base approach to budgets? Does it not make spending on all programs transparent and thus improves decision making, versus only looking at the extra spending Administration proposes for the next budget period? Why wouldn't you move forward with this?
3. Since 2000, what has justified the huge increase in staff (up by 70%), when population has barely increased by 14%?
4. What justifies an increase of expenditures by almost 100% in the same period?
5. Why does it make sense Council pursue “rebranding”...spending 90K for a Guru, plus all the downtown redevelopment costs, at this time of severe economic downturn?
6. Why hasn't the construction cost inflation figures in the 2009 budget been adjusted, and the final tax increase figures decreased? This is of particular interest as a member of Council indicated that we now have the lowest construction costs in many years (vs. The huge inflation factor presented by Administration in the budget)..
7. Why is Administration so determined to continue with expensive projects when we are in a recession? (e.g. Ray Gibbon Drive, Servus Place upgrades, City hall murmurings in the Mayor's task force)?
8. As spending in the 2008 budget was all fully accounted for and fully staffed, how does Administration manage to find the extra dollars for temporary and contract staff, and then suggest these should become regular positions in 2009?
9. Why is the “surplus” dollars at year end eg. 2008 not removed from the next year's budget base e.g. 2009?
10. Why is it costing St. Albert so much for blue box recycling, where the taxpayer is to pay almost $5 a month more when Morinville is planning to introduce this and it will cost an extra $15 annually? What are they doing that St. Albert is unable to do?
11. Are the $500,000 bathrooms still being installed at the Reil field or have you been able to consult with someone who can build functional facilities for a fraction of the cost?
Also at our meeting, we will be talking about the draft strategy for how SATpA will move forward over the next 3 years to meet its objectives. Again, this results from your input in response to my request for your comments, and the work of your subcommittee on the issue. We'll be looking for your initial feedback, will ask you to comment on the strategy by the April meeting and hopefully bring it back to you then.
Lynda Flannery
President, St. Albert Taxpayers Association
SINC SAYS:
Why not make a difference and get out and join this worthwhile group folks? You can effect change if enough people protest.
No 'Room At The Inn' In St. Albert?
24/03/2009 04:39
Not sure what to call
this issue Don, but there is a depressing lack
of space for the public or any groups to hold
any meetings in St. Albert, something like a
Community Hall where groups like BLESS could
meet, for example, (They meet in a tiny public
room in Save-on-Foods!)
This is really quite depressing that a city the size of St. Albert, which prides itself on its cultural amenities, can not even offer a public space for events like this.
We have something called a Community Hall right downtown. Why can it not be used? City Hall has a main floor room called Progress Room or something like that, and it is generally unused.
Frustrated
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
I bet that some of our readers will have suggestions for a place for small groups to gather here in the city. There are most likely more than enough rooms that could be utilized if groups only knew where to find them. Can anyone help out this person by steering them to an appropriate location for their group’s next meeting?
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub . . .
24/03/2009 04:39
A nice mix of young
and older talent. Come out and play with us.
March 24th - Show #236 - Jerry Lutz and Zeek Ammar - Jerry is a very well known guitarist in the Edmonton area and has a reputation as a tech fanatic. He worked in Long and Mcquade music shop in Edmonton for years and years as the guy with all the tech know hows.He met every player under the sun working there and got to know all the ins and outs of where to go to play with the right players and rooms. When you watch him play he feeds off of feel and really approachs breaks with a strong bite. His style varies and he amazes me with the library of tunage he knows. Jerry writes alot of stuff and is currently part of a local sunday open jam at The Loop Lounge with Lenny and Bob. Jerry is one of the hardest working musicians I have seen for the past 30 years that I,ve known him. Zeek Ammar - Zeek recorded his first c.d. when he was 16 years of age with a band he called Bad Example. Grew up playing guitar since the age of 14 and has always had a great knack for listening and knowing where to be in a song. Great natural player who recently toured eastern Canada with the band Longway Down. I thought that Zeek and Jerry would be an interesting match up for the crowd to watch. Jerry being the elder who plays a style Zeek will thrive on for the night. 2 great guitarists to see here folks. I sense Led Zepplin and jimi Hendrix stuff for this night.
Ammar's Moosehead Tuesday Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
L.B's Pub - 23 Akins Drive - Appleyard Square -St. Albert, AB - 780-460-9100
Featured guests every week
Hosted by Mark Ammar and Noel (Big Cat) Mackenzie
Moosehead Beer Specials
Sponsored by Moosehead Beer
Sue, The Clever Little Piggy . . .
24/03/2009 04:39
With high hopes to be
a real-life
BabeFor this clever little piggy, life isn't exactly a bore.
Small, but no longer perfectly formed after a mix-up at the vets that left him castrated, he is hogging the limelight after mastering an array of tricks more usually taught to dogs.
Called Sue, after the Johnny Cash song A Boy Named Sue, on command he can shake hands by 'giving his trotter', run through tunnels, navigate round cones, climb ramps and even do a figure of eight.
Owner Wendy Scudamore believes her talented porker could not only beat canine competitors in an agility contest, but even turn out to be a real-life Babe and learn how to herd sheep just like the pig in the hit movie.
She has introduced Sue, a Kune Kune pig, one of the world's smallest breeds, to her flock at her Herefordshire farm and, judging from these pictures, despite being only 2ft tall, he certainly appears to have the masterful air necessary to keep them in line.
Mrs Scudamore, 51, said Sue started copying her dogs when he saw her daughter Lucy training them in the garden and worked out that they were getting treats for negotiating obstacles.
'Pigs are very intelligent and I would say Sue is easily as clever as a dog,' she said. 'I'm going to enter Sue in this summer's Royal Welsh Show in the dog agility event.'
She added: 'He has been watching the sheep through the fence and has even met them up close, although he was a little wary at first. If he saw a dog herding the sheep I'm sure Sue could learn to do it.'
The Kune Kune, pronounced Cooney Cooney, is a breed of domestic pig from New Zealand and their name means fat and round in Maori. They first arrived in Britain in 1992.
Mrs Scudamore, who has exported Kune Kunes all over Europe, had hoped to use Sue as a breeding boar.
But she said: 'Due to a very unfortunate mix up at the vets he was mistakenly castrated. I felt very bad about this and decided not to pass him on to someone else but to try to use him myself in some other way.
'I have always had a fancy for training pigs and with a little help from a friend, I managed to win the obedience class at a show last year. I then went on to train a few piglets up in the summer which I used to entertain people at further shows.
'I decided to try Sue at the training and so far he has been a little star.'
She also uses Sue and her other animals to help people with learning disabilities and behavioural problems at Barton Hill Animal Centre, near Kentchurch, Herefordshire.
SINC SAYS:
Mistakenly castrated and SHE feels bad? How do ya think the pig feels?
Bachelorette Party Prop Spooks Police Horse
24/03/2009 04:39
WICHITA - Wichita
police arrested three people in Old Town on
Sunday in an incident that began when a man
threw an inflatable penis at an officer's
horse.
Officers were patrolling Old Town on horseback at about 1:20 a.m. when they came across a large group of women in their early- to mid-20s who had been celebrating at a bachelorette party, police said.
Also in the group was a 24-year-old man, a brother to one of the women at the party. He was carrying a 5-foot-long inflatable penis, police said.
"While he was joking around with this toy, he launched this large toy toward one of our officers, who was on horseback," police spokesman Gordon Bassham said.
The toy struck the officer's horse, causing the horse to get spooked, he said.
Police arrested the man, of Eastborough, on suspicion of battery of a law enforcement officer, in this case, the horse.
A woman, upset at the arrest, grabbed the arresting officer's arm, police said. She too was arrested.
While the crowd was being dispersed, another woman in the party was arrested when she struck a horse's head, police said. The horse stepped on the foot of that woman, who was treated on the scene, then taken to jail.
SINC SAYS:
You know why the horse got excited don’tcha? It thought it was the real thing.
All The World's A Picture . . .
24/03/2009 04:38
That Blackbird below,
hitching a ride on the back of a Hawk is simple
awesome, isn't it?
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
24/03/2009 04:38
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 6 – 'The King' Remembers The Masters
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
'The King,' Arnold Palmer, played in 50 consecutive Masters. Watch him on video as he remembers his Masters experience and the birth of Arnie’s Army.
To view the video, click here.
Martin Continues Reign Atop Canadian Curling
24/03/2009 04:38
Klebrink follows path taken to last Olympics
Edmonton's Kevin Martin continued his reign over Canadian men's curling Sunday in Yorkton, Sask.
Martin beat Randy Ferbey, also of Edmonton, 8-5 on Sunday to win the men's division at the Canada Cup of Curling. The victory marked the second straight Sunday that Martin, John Morris, Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert had prevailed in a significant Canadian curling event.
On March 15, Martin beat Winnipeg's Jeff Stoughton 10-4 to cap a 13-0 run at the Tim Hortons Brier in Calgary and win a second consecutive Canadian men's championship without a loss.
Earlier Sunday, Calgary's Shannon Kleibrink beat Marie-France Larouche of St. Romauld, Que., 6-4 in the women's final.
Martin was challenged by Ferbey, who was bidding for a fourth Canada Cup men's championship. Two misses by Martin in the third end allowed Ferbey to score four and grab a 4-1 lead.
"It feels good after giving up a four to those guys to come back and win," Martin said during an interview on TSN. "It shows a lot for the guys to hang in there."
Martin then outscored Ferbey 7-1 over the remainder of the game, including two in the seventh end and a steal of two in the eighth.
Martin earned $25,000 and another $3,200 for each round-robin win. Ferbey won $15,000 and $3,200 for his four round-robin wins.
"We've had almost an identical year to 2005," Kleibrink said Sunday from Yorkton. "We started strong, had a dip in the middle and then we won the Canada Cup. I think that we're on track."
There are a number of ways of locking down in a berth in the full trials.
Kleibrink clinched her spot based for the 2010 Trials on her cumulative points total on the Canadian Team Ranking System during the past three years. The fact she had the berth wrapped up played a role in the team's success this weekend.
"It made it easier on us because we had spent the last half of the year watching what the other teams who were close to us were doing,'' said Kleibrink, who is backed by Amy Nixon, Bronwen Webster and Chelsey Bell.
Manitoba still perfect at Senior Curling Championships.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Yes, Teams Kevin Martin and Shannon Kleibrink look pretty good right now as favorites to represent Canada in curling at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, don’t they folks?
Oilers Sign Eberle To 3-Year Entry Level Contract
24/03/2009 04:38
Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - The Edmonton Oilers announced on Monday that they have signed forward Jordan Eberle to a three-year NHL entry level contract.
Eberle was taken 22nd overall in the 2008 draft by the Oilers and recently finished his third season of junior hockey with Regina of the Western Hockey League. In his time with the Pats, the 18-year-old notched 105 goals, 99 assists and 204 points in 197 games. That included 35 goals and 74 points in 61 games this season.
Eberle also established himself in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships while skating with Canada, as he posted the game-tying goal in his team's 6-5 overtime win over Russia in the semifinals. He also notched a shootout tally in that contest, helping move eventual-champion Canada into the gold medal game versus Sweden.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
So, they’ve now signed the Team Canada World Junior Championship hero. The future does, indeed, look bright for the Edmonton Oilers.
Bobsleigh Title May Send Lumsden To Olympics
24/03/2009 04:38
There is every reason to believe that Edmonton Eskimos running back Jesse Lumsden will have a realistic shot to represent Canada in the bobsleigh at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Lumsden and Pierre Lueders won the two-man event at Saturday's national championship. They were leading after the first run of Sunday's four-man event, but pulled out of the second run because Lueders wasn't happy with the sled.
Chad Rempel of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was in the sled that eventually won the four-man race.
What began as part of a training exercise to help Lumsden and Rempel prepare for the upcoming CFL season has potentially turned into something much bigger. Lumsden spoke with Eskimos GM Danny Maciocia on Friday, and the team has given Lumsden the green light, fully supporting this endeavour.
"(Lumsden) has obviously in a couple of weeks become quite proficient at being a bobsleigh athlete," said former Olympic champion Lueders. "It's happened before when athletes have come in late and gone to the Olympics and such, so anything is possible."
"It's been a lot of fun," said Lumsden. "It's a great competitive sport to be in, there's a lot of competitiveness within each other, but it's good people too. All around it's just been a great, great opportunity."
Both CFLers impressed at the two-week camp (and at the development camp in Calgary before that), but Bobsleigh Canada coaches and officials were over the moon with Lumsden's potential. His times were consistent with Canada's top brakemen and pushers.
"You look at the numbers...when we did our testing in the Ice House - pushing a bobsled over 15 metres - (and Lumsden) was right there with our best guy on the team, Lascelles Brown," said Canadian Bobsleigh head coach Tuffy Latour. "So we're optimistic that he can push with the best of them."
If Lumsden or Rempel were to go to Vancouver next winter, they wouldn't be the first athletes to combine Olympic experience with a CFL career.
Prior to joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Bob Molle won a silver medal for Canada in wrestling at the 1984 Olympics. He later won two Grey Cup rings (1988 and 1990) as an offensive lineman for the Bombers.
Representing the U.S., John Carlos won a bronze medal in the 200m in 1968. After his track and field career, Carlos played briefly for the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts.
Despite the excitement surrounding Lumsden's performance at the nationals, both he and Canada's Bobsleigh officials are firmly focused on the running back's most immediate goal - preparing for the beginning of CFL training camp.
"One of the things I made sure is to ask him about the (football) game and making sure that he's not thinking about what we're doing. One hundred percent he's committed to football, and I know some of the goals he's told me that he has for the season. I don't think there's any worry about him being in shape for the year and ready to go." said Lueders.
"What's next?" asks Lumsden. "I go back to Hamilton, and get ready to go to Edmonton in mid-May to get ready for June 1st. After the season we'll see what happens. The coaches and I have spoken at length, and they are fully aware that football is my number one priority from June 1st to November 29th, and that's the way it's going to be. I'll definitely stay in contact with all these people, because if there is an opportunity to race for Canada after the season is done then I will jump all over it, absolutely."
Lueders has other reasons for supporting Lumsden's football career - he happens to be a big Eskimos fan.
"I'm from Edmonton, I can't root for anyone else," said Lueders. "Yeah, it's quite ironic. I remember going to the games when I was a youngster and watching his Dad (Neil) play, so it's funny how long I've been in sports."
More from TSN's Farhan Lalji.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I guess this just goes to show that in sport, anything is possible. It’s going to be interesting to sit back and watch how this Jesse Lumsden/Olympic bobsleigh saga unfolds in the future. Personally, as long as it doesn’t affect his football career with the Eskimos, I don’t really care.
NHL Star Knows The Score With Ulcerative Colitis
24/03/2009 04:38
Intrusive bowel disease doesn't mean end of life as you know it, Pisani insists
Ulcerative colitis is not pretty.
It's an inflammatory bowel disease with the main symptom being bloody diarrhea, and who wants to hear about that?
But ever since an NHL hockey player started talking publicly about his diagnosis, that's started to change.
"I've had so many people come up to me and say, 'I have it' or 'My brother has it' or 'My sister has it,' or 'my dad,' " says Fernando Pisani, a forward for the Edmonton Oilers.
"I was really surprised at the amount of people who have this illness and haven't really talked about it until I kind of came out and said, 'This is what I have, and this is what it is.' I think it's made it a little easier for people to talk about it."
Pisani had minor symptoms that he ignored for two years, thinking they would go away. Then, in July 2007, he became really sick and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, the most severe of digestive health problems, and a chronic condition that causes inflammation and sores in the lining of the rectum and large intestine, also known as the colon.
"Anything I would eat or drink would go right through me," Pisani remembers. "I was going to the bathroom 20 or 30 times a day. It got to a point where you get scared to eat or drink."
He couldn't leave his house without worrying where the next washroom was. "I never wanted to leave because I was scared of what could happen."
In less than two months, Pisani lost a lot of blood and dropped from 95 kilograms (210 pounds) to 74 kg (165 pounds).
"At that point I was in the hospital. I wasn't functional at all. If I walked down the hallway I was exhausted. I had been trying to train and get ready for (hockey) camp and basically, I had to stop doing everything. It was pretty tough."
Pisani missed the start of the 2007-08 season and the first 26 games while doctors tried to find the right medication to control his disease. That turned out to be Remicade, an anti-inflammatory drug also used to treat arthritis, which Pisani, 32, receives by intravenous infusion every eight weeks.
"It's something I'll have to stay on for the rest of my life until they find a cure," he says.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What a terrible disease. Even though it’s not a cure, it’s great news that the doctors found something that works to relieve Pisani’s symptoms and enabled him to resume his NHL career.
Jones Beats Scotland, Is 5-0 At Women’s Worlds
24/03/2009 04:38
GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- Two big ends led to two more convincing victories for Canada's Jennifer Jones at the world women's curling championship.
Jones broke open a close game with three points in the eighth end to beat Norway's Marianne Rorvik 8-5 in Draw 8 action. The defending champions from Winnipeg improved to 5-0, good for a first-place tie with Denmark's Angelina Jensen.
Earlier in the day, the Canadians used a five-point fifth end to secure a 9-3 victory over Scotland's Eve Muirhead.
China's Bingyu Wang and Sweden's Anette Norberg are tied for third at 4-1 through eight draws, with Muirhead and Mirjam Ott of Switzerland next at 3-2.
Despite the spotless record Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin still aren't completely satisfied with their performance in the tournament. Overton-Clapham admitted the team was lucky to catch key breaks in both games.
"In both games we were fortunate that we got a miss out of the last thrower, which builds up the big ends," said Overton-Clapham. "We love getting big ends. We know it builds confidence, and to know that we're putting our rocks in the right spot is kind of our plan."
Overton-Clapham has been on the wrong end of enough big scores to know how miserable it can make a team.
"It's not fun to look at the scoreboard and see a big number up there," said Overton-Clapham. "You just have to dig deep if it does happen to you."
Rorvik (0-5) kept things interesting against the defending champions through the opening four ends. Trailing 3-1 in the fourth, the 25-year-old made a sensational raise takeout to score two and tie the game.
Jones answered back with a double-takeout for two in the fifth, and caught a break when Rorvik rolled her shooter out of the rings with the last rock of the sixth end, forcing her to settle for one.
Another Rorvik miss -- a wreck on her own guard with her final shot of the seventh -- left Jones an open draw for three points, sealing the outcome.
Muirhead had been just as charitable earlier in the day, misfiring on a takeout attempt with her final shot in the first end to give up a steal of three. She then left her final shot of the fifth end completely out in the open, leaving Jones a simple hit-and-stick for five.
Canada's victories have been mostly one-sided, but Jones insisted the games haven't been easy.
More from Canadian Press.
International competition can produce strange twists.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Good for Team Canada. It gives me no greater pleasure than to beat the Scots at curling. Never mind getting into a discussion of the very basic protocols involved in sportsmanship, I think it’s something to do with the way they conduct themselves on the ice.
Report: Gillett Considers Selling Montreal Canadiens
24/03/2009 04:38
The Montreal Canadiens could be going up for sale, reports La Presse in Montreal.
The newspaper, citing Canadiens president Pierre Boivin, reported on Monday owner George Gillett is considering options for many of his assets, including the legendary franchise.
"We're not hiding it; we're going through a very difficult economic period," Boivin is quoted as saying in La Presse.
According to La Presse, Gillett has hired BMO Capital Markets to investigate options for his operation.
Forbes Magazine ranked the Canadiens as the NHL's third most valuable team back in October. The magazine estimated the club's worth to be $334 million.
There were reports the club would be placed up for sale late last year, but Gillett and the Canadiens denied their accuracy.
Gillett purchased the Canadiens and the Bell Centre back in 2001 for $181 million. He also co-owns Liverpool soccer club and a racing team in NASCAR.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Say it ain’t so, George, say it ain’t so.
Amazing Animal Moment . . .
23/03/2009 02:21
Orang-utan Caught
Rope Thrown By Humans and swam across flooded
river to save her
baby
All mothers know there is no limit to what they will do to protect their children.
But this mother orang-utan proved that the selfless sentiment extends to the animal kingdom also.
These astonishing pictures from the World Wildlife Fund capture the moment the terrified mother caught a rope thrown to her by humans and swam across a flooded river to bring her baby to safety.
Easy does it: The
mother orang-utan, her baby clinging to her
chest, catches the rope thrown to her by
wildlife officials
It is a long-held belief that the giant apes are petrified of water. But the mother did not appear to give her leap into the swollen river a second thought.
The amazing pictures were taken by local officials of the WWF on the Malaysian island of Borneo.
Villagers had reported that the mother and her baby were stranded in a tree when a river flooded on the north east tip of the island.
Some reports claimed they had been trapped there for several days.
The Sabah Wildlife Department, which is linked to WWF, sent a team to the area and set up a rope bridge so they could get close to the hungry mother and baby.
But what next? How could they coax her to climb down from the tree when orang-utans have always been thought to be afraid of water? Even when it rains they scamper for shelter.
Then the rangers came up with the 'impossible idea' of throwing the mother a rope to cling on to so she could swim to the nearest river bank, said an official.
Anything was worth a try.
So a rope was tossed to the mother - and unbelievably she reached out and grabbed it.
Then in a scene that no-one could have ever imagined, she climbed down the tree, with the baby on her back, and slipped into the water.
Clinging to the rope, and ensuring the baby's head was above the water, she dog-paddled towards the river bank and scrambled up.
'We were able to give her some food, bananas and other fruit, before she and the baby disappeared into the jungle,' said an official.
'It's always been thought that orang-utans hate water but we now know that if they're desperate, especially if they have a baby whose life depends on them, they'll take any kind of risk.'
SINC SAYS:
Don’tcha just love a story with a happy ending?
All mothers know there is no limit to what they will do to protect their children.
But this mother orang-utan proved that the selfless sentiment extends to the animal kingdom also.
These astonishing pictures from the World Wildlife Fund capture the moment the terrified mother caught a rope thrown to her by humans and swam across a flooded river to bring her baby to safety.
Easy does it: The
mother orang-utan, her baby clinging to her
chest, catches the rope thrown to her by
wildlife officials
Clinging to the
tree, she clutches the rope as her baby
clings to her
It is a long-held belief that the giant apes are petrified of water. But the mother did not appear to give her leap into the swollen river a second thought.
The amazing pictures were taken by local officials of the WWF on the Malaysian island of Borneo.
Villagers had reported that the mother and her baby were stranded in a tree when a river flooded on the north east tip of the island.
Some reports claimed they had been trapped there for several days.
The Sabah Wildlife Department, which is linked to WWF, sent a team to the area and set up a rope bridge so they could get close to the hungry mother and baby.
But what next? How could they coax her to climb down from the tree when orang-utans have always been thought to be afraid of water? Even when it rains they scamper for shelter.
Finally she takes
the plunge, dog-paddling through the water as
she ferried her baby to
safety
Then the rangers came up with the 'impossible idea' of throwing the mother a rope to cling on to so she could swim to the nearest river bank, said an official.
Anything was worth a try.
So a rope was tossed to the mother - and unbelievably she reached out and grabbed it.
Then in a scene that no-one could have ever imagined, she climbed down the tree, with the baby on her back, and slipped into the water.
Clinging to the rope, and ensuring the baby's head was above the water, she dog-paddled towards the river bank and scrambled up.
'We were able to give her some food, bananas and other fruit, before she and the baby disappeared into the jungle,' said an official.
'It's always been thought that orang-utans hate water but we now know that if they're desperate, especially if they have a baby whose life depends on them, they'll take any kind of risk.'
SINC SAYS:
Don’tcha just love a story with a happy ending?
SUN Meeting Tonight . . .
23/03/2009 02:16
Alberta Seniors
United Now
Society
St Albert Chapter
Guest Speaker:
Guest Speaker:
Noel Somerville – Public Interest Alberta (PIA)
Pharmaceutical and Long Term Care Strategies
Monday March 23, 2009
1:30 PM
St. Albert Legion
6 Tache Street
St Albert, AB
Information call Frances @ 780-418-5730
We invite ALL INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS to attend.
Take this opportunity to meet other concerned individuals, exchange ideas and become informed.
Alberta Seniors
United Now Society St Albert
'He Really Is Dead'
23/03/2009 02:16
Son takes his
father's ashes to the doctor to stop endless
appointment
remindersHow are you feeling today sir? Frustrated Andrew Wild took his dad's ashes to see his doctor to prove sending appointment letters was pointless
A son got so fed up with hospital staff sending letters to his dead father that he took the ashes to an appointment.
Andrew Wild, 44, received more than 20 reminders asking his father Peter to attend kidney clinics at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire – despite repeatedly telling them he had died in 2007 – so he took the urn to one of his own appointments.
He said: ‘The consultant asked how I was feeling. I said I was OK, then produced dad’s ashes and asked, “But what can you do for him?”
‘He was gobsmacked. I know it was morbid but I couldn’t think of what else to do.’
The hospital has apologised.
SINC SAYS:
I bet the hospital though he was a deadbeat when he didn’t show up for those appointments.
Wild Turkeys Terrorize Trucker At Service Shop
23/03/2009 02:16
JACKSON, Mich.— Wild
turkeys are turning into bullies in one
Michigan
town.Tri-County International Trucks employee Dave Dodes told the Jackson Citizen Patriot that three of the birds scared a truck driver so much he stayed in his vehicle when he stopped at the truck service shop Friday.
He said a company worker had to create a diversion so the driver could escape, and the turkeys chased both men inside the building in an industrial area at the edge of Jackson, Mich.
Dodes says the birds had been seen near the building for a long time but only recently turned aggressive.
He says “they’re not afraid of traffic, and now they chase people around.”
Jackson is about 65 miles west of Detroit.
SINC SAYS:
I can still remember getting chased by turkeys as a kid. Those buggers can be just plain mean. I smile every time I see one now, on Thanksgiving.
Man Pulls Worms From Earth Using Music As Bait
23/03/2009 02:16
Know the saying about
the early bird and what it
catches?
It's Gary Revell's
credo. He likes to be in the Apalachicola
National Forest in northwest Florida at
daybreak, armed with a wooden stake he calls a
stob, a heavy steel file he calls a roop iron,
and a mess of one-gallon cans in which he
places the bounty he scares out of the ground.
Earthworms. By the thousands. In our state there is no more unusual way of making a living than — take your pick — worm rooping, worm charming, worm grunting or worm fiddling. This is a place where science meets folk life, where the 21st century intersects with the old Florida of horseback and Model A Fords.
Kneeling in the dirt at dawn, Revell buries the stob 15 inches deep in the topsoil. Grasping the heavy iron roop with both hands, he leans his weight against the stob and commences a passionate rubbing.
The roop-on-stob collaboration produces the Sopchoppy Symphony, which has been performed in a remote section of Florida for more than a century.
The Sopchoppy Symphony, as Revell plays it, starts with groan and proceeds to a kind of mighty grunt, the kind a distressed 100-pound bullfrog might produce, an awesome, hair-raising, teeth-rattling sustained kind of grunt. First the earth begins to tingle. Then it quakes for dozens of feet in all directions.
Then things get really get weird.
Watch the video and the rest of the story here.
SINC SAYS:
Just goes to show you that symphony music will drive anyone away.
Earthworms. By the thousands. In our state there is no more unusual way of making a living than — take your pick — worm rooping, worm charming, worm grunting or worm fiddling. This is a place where science meets folk life, where the 21st century intersects with the old Florida of horseback and Model A Fords.
Kneeling in the dirt at dawn, Revell buries the stob 15 inches deep in the topsoil. Grasping the heavy iron roop with both hands, he leans his weight against the stob and commences a passionate rubbing.
The roop-on-stob collaboration produces the Sopchoppy Symphony, which has been performed in a remote section of Florida for more than a century.
The Sopchoppy Symphony, as Revell plays it, starts with groan and proceeds to a kind of mighty grunt, the kind a distressed 100-pound bullfrog might produce, an awesome, hair-raising, teeth-rattling sustained kind of grunt. First the earth begins to tingle. Then it quakes for dozens of feet in all directions.
Then things get really get weird.
Watch the video and the rest of the story here.
SINC SAYS:
Just goes to show you that symphony music will drive anyone away.
Goosen Hangs On For Win At Transitions Championship
23/03/2009 02:16
Palm Harbor, FL (Sports Network) - Retief Goosen posted just a one-under 70 on Sunday, but it was enough for a one-stroke win over two players at the Transitions Championship.
Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open champion, completed his seventh PGA Tour win at eight-under-par 276. This was second time Goosen won this title. He hoisted the trophy in 2003.
Brett Quigley, who is still searching for his first PGA Tour crown, closed with a three-under 68 to share second place with Charles Howell III (69) at minus-seven.
Steve Stricker owned a piece of the lead on the back nine, but bogeyed the final two holes to post a two-under 69
He ended alongside Mathew Goggin (67) and Charlie Wi (69) at six-under-par 278. Wi led by one after 11 holes, but bogeyed three of the last six on the Copperhead Course at Westin Innisbrook Resort.
Third-round leader Tom Lehman managed just one birdie in the final round as he struggled to a four-over 75. That dropped him into a share of eighth at four- under-par 280.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s really too bad that third round leader, the 50-year old Tom Lehman, who qualifies to play on the Champions Tour, could not hang on for the win. However, Lehman shot a final round four-over-par 75 and finished at -4 for the tournament, four shots back of Goosen.
I guess there’s just something about nerves increasing with age, because you don’t see many golfers over 50 ever win on the PGA Tour. The oldest golfer to ever win a PGA Tour event was 'Slammin' Sammy Snead at the age of 52 years and 10 months, when he won the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open.
Ferbey, Martin In Canada Cup Of Curling Men's Final
23/03/2009 02:16
Kleibrink takes on Larouche for women’s title
Kevin Martin of Edmonton earned a championship date with Randy Ferbey after posting an 8-3 victory over Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg in the men's semifinal at the Canada Cup of Curling in Yorkton, Sask.
In the women's final today, Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary will meet Marie-France Larouche of St. Romuald, Que., in a rematch of the one versus one Page playoff.
Martin, the two-time defending Tim Hortons Brier champion and a two-time Canada Cup winner, stole one point in the second end, two in the third and added a three-spot in the fifth to build a 7-2 lead at the break in a rematch of last week's Brier final.
After swapping singles on six and seven, Stoughton shook hands, earning Martin a rematch today with fellow Edmontonian Ferbey for the title.
"The ice was so much better tonight," said Martin. "You could bury rocks. We were taking four, three-and-a-half feet and we were taking less than two earlier. So that's a significant difference.
"If the ice is like this, (today's final) is going to be a heck of a game."
Ferbey, a winner of six Briers, four world titles and three Canada Cups, defeated Martin 6-2 in the one vs. one game earlier Saturday to advance directly to the final. Both teams topped their respective sections with 4-1 records.
Larouche, meanwhile, will get a second shot at Kleibrink after edging veteran Cheryl Bernard of Calgary 7-6 in an extra end in Saturday's semifinal.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
Kleibrink downs Larouche in final at Canada Cup of Curling.
CANADA CUP UPDATE:
In the women’s final yesterday morning, Calgary’s Shannon Kleibrink beat Marie-France Larouche of St. Romuald, Quebec 6-4, to win her second Canada Cup Championship.
In an all-Edmonton battle in the men’s final last night, Kevin Martin thumped his arch-rival Randy Ferbey 8-5 to win his third Canada Cup of Curling title and pocket the $25,000 first place money - not to mention the 40 CTRS points, which he did not need as he has already qualified for the Olympic trials this December in Edmonton.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I’ve just gotta say it, folks – don’t bet against Team Martin in the final.
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
23/03/2009 02:16
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The Masters – Part 5 – The Appetizer Is Served, The Par 3 Contest
Fifty years later, the par-3 course gets its time on TV
Forget dogwoods and azaleas -- the most colorful spectacle at the Masters each year is the hillside of 30,000 or so fans, jammed shoulder to shoulder, watching the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday afternoon. The pregame warm-up embraces everything that makes the main event so compelling, without any of the stress. It's part Masters in microcosm -- flawless manicuring, tricky greens guarded by taunting ponds and glistening bunkers, cheers and groans echoing through tall pines -- and part carnival.
Players clown around, sign autographs, pose for snapshots. One right-handed golfer, Mac O'Grady, once played all nine holes left-handed, just for kicks. As befitting an abbreviated event, some caddies are abbreviated, players' sons and daughters dressed in miniature white caddie uniforms.
This year, anybody can peer into this fantasy fishbowl because the Wednesday contest -- a tradition since 1960 -- will be televised for the first time, on ESPN from 3-5 p.m. EDT.
It's well-deserved national exposure for the 1,060-yard, par-27 course built 50 years ago this summer. Paul Azinger, for one, has called it "the best golf course in the world."
The late Clifford Roberts, longtime chairman of the Masters, gave himself credit for the idea of a par-3 course at Augusta National, but in truth Alister Mackenzie, who designed the main course with club co-founder Bobby Jones, suggested a nine-hole "approach-and-putt" course in 1932, only to have it vetoed by Jones, who cited a lack of funds. Mackenzie later routed an 18-hole par-3 course, but Jones vetoed that, too.
Roberts revived the idea in 1958 and chose George W. Cobb, consulting architect to Augusta National during the 1950s and '60s. Cobb was directed to fit nine holes into a boggy 12-acre ravine, and to avoid steep uphill climbs. So he had the ravine dammed, creating a 3.5-acre pond, and routed the holes around it on gentle slopes. (For several years, the hazard was just called the Par 3 Pond, until someone renamed it DeSoto Springs Pond, after the little stream that was dammed.)
The course was constructed that summer and opened that fall. It measured about 1,000 yards, the shortest hole 40 yards, the longest 165. It had the same drainage and grasses as the main course. With bold slopes on small greens, the speed is slightly slower than on the big course.
The Wednesday contest, Roberts' idea, replaced a clinic, long-drive contest and trick-shot exhibition. Sam Snead won the inaugural, at age 47, with a four-under-par 23. (Art Wall Jr. and Gay Brewer share the record of seven-under 20.) Snead won the contest again in 1974, at age 61, and nearly won a third time in 1991, at age 78, but dumped his tee shot into a pond on the first hole of a four-man playoff.
The contest has produced a total of 63 aces so far, including back-to-back 1s by Claude Harmon in 1968 and Toshi Izawa in 2002.
Not everyone has been keen for the contest. Jack Nicklaus declined to compete after his first couple of years, preferring to practice, as did Seve Ballesteros after 1980. (Nicklaus has said he'll play the Par-3 this year.) So the field is filled by "honorary invitees," players not qualified for the Masters but still in attendance. Thus Jerry Pate, who hasn't played in a Masters since 1982, won the contest three years ago.
More from Golf Digest.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The Par 3 Contest is a very special competition, indeed. Not only does it actually turn back the hands of time – but it’s one of the few places where you can watch Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus play together again.
Rolheiser Carries Saints To 2-0 Series Lead
23/03/2009 02:16
Goaltender keeps pesky Grizzlys at bay
Brett Switzer's third-period power-play goal and stellar netminding by Travis Rolheiser carried the Spruce Grove Saints to a 2-1 win Saturday over the Olds Grizzlys and a 2-0 lead in their Alberta Junior Hockey League semifinal series.
Switzer scored with a high backhand to finish off a nifty three-way passing play that ended with him all alone in front of the Olds goal.
"I don't usually celebrate (goals), but I was pretty happy to see that one," said Rolheiser. "I put my arms up, I don't usually do that." His arms may have been a little tired by game's end after the Grizzlys dominated most of the third, outshooting the Saints 10-4 and doing everything but getting the equalizer.
"They hemmed us in pretty good," admitted Rolheiser. "The guys did a good job handling the traffic in front and blocking shots. Most of their shots I could see. There were a couple that bounced off bodies and into me." The best-of-seven series now shifts to Olds for games on Monday and Tuesday.
The Saints were easily the better team through 40 minutes, but couldn't shake the pesky Grizzlys who went into the series the solid underdogs. Olds finished second in the AJHL's South Division during the regular season but had scored 49 fewer goals than Spruce Grove and had given up 50 more.
As well, they are the smaller team and Spruce Grove was using its noticeable size advantage and finishing their checks with authority, something they failed to do with consistency in Friday's 4-1 win.
"That was by design," said Saints coach Steve Hamilton. "We were more emotionally involved." The Saints grabbed a 1-0 first- period lead on David Glen's second goal of the playoffs. He poked in the puck sitting on the goal line after Shane Lehman's wrap-around attempt failed. But in a scrappy but sloppy 20 minutes that was one of the few good offensive chances by either club.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, everything seems to be going according to plan for the Spruce Grove Saints, folks. They now lead the best of seven series with Olds 2-0, with game three set to go tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Olds. Even the CFRN (CTV) camera crew stayed until the game was over on Saturday night.
Jones 3-0 At Women’s World Curling Championships
23/03/2009 02:16
GANGNEUNG, South Korea - Jennifer Jones faced her first serious challenge Sunday at the world women's curling championship.
It lasted exactly one end.
The Winnipeg skip overcame a shaky start to earn an 8-5 win over Russia's Liudmila Privivkova in Draw 5 action, ending the weekend as one of three teams tied for the lead at 3-0. Sweden's Anette Norberg and Denmark's Angelina Jensen are also unbeaten through five draws, with three other teams - China's Bingyu Wang, Scotland's Eve Muirhead and Switzerland's Mirjam Ott - sharing fourth at 2-1.
After surrendering three points in the second end to find herself trailing 3-2, Jones reeled off four straight points, including a critical steal of three when Privivkova was heavy on a draw with her final shot of the fourth end.
Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin cruised from there, limiting Russia's scoring chances and eventually running them out of rocks in the 10th end.
Though the defending champions have been mostly dominant through the first two days, Jones has found fault with each game - and the victory against Russia was no exception.
"We didn't play very well in about three of the middle ends," said Jones, who curled 72 per cent in the win. "When we gave up that three, I think we had six misses in a row, which is very uncharacteristic.
"I thought we played really well after that. We ended the game well, and hopefully we'll carry that into tomorrow, but it was a little bit of a shaky game for us."
Privivkova didn't have a strong game either, missing a number of routine shots and giving Jones plenty of chances to take control. With several teams struggling with the ice or the rocks through the opening weekend, Jones believes the more experienced foursomes will start to figure it out soon.
"There's a lot of teams that have a ton of experience," said Jones. "There's always going to be issues, you just have to deal with them the best you can, and hopefully deal with them better than anybody else."
Jones opened Sunday with a 10-3 drubbing of Deb McCormick of the U.S., in a game that went just eight ends.
More from Canadian Press.
Bad omen doesn’t faze Jones.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, so far, so good for Team Canada – Jennifer Jones and the girls from Winnipeg – at this year’s women’s worlds. At least they got the Canadian Flag right-side-up on the pole, finally.
Lumsden Helps Lueders To Two-Man Bobsleigh Win
23/03/2009 02:16
WHISTLER, B.C. - Edmonton Eskimos running back Jesse Lumsden became a national two-man bobsleigh champion with pilot Pierre Lueders Saturday at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
Lueders with Lumsden on the brake clocked a two-run combined time of one minute, 44.73 seconds to finish in first place.
The six-foot-two, 226-pound football star has been training this week with the Canadian bobsleigh team. His times have been on par with some of the team's veterans. Lumsden signed last month with the Eskimos after playing four CFL seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
"When I volunteered to give bobsleigh a try, I never figured I would end up at this point. I think any athlete would take full advantage of the opportunity to possibly represent his or her country at the Olympics," Lumsden said.
Lumsden said bobsleigh and football is actually a good mix because bobsleigh training is helping him prepare for the CFL season.
"I jumped on the opportunity to do this because my coaches and I came to the conclusion that bobsleigh is great cross training for football," Lumsden said. "Pushing a 400-pound sled as hard as I can and being a running back go hand in hand."
The Eskimos agreed with Lumsden's logic and he said coaches have allowed him to compete in the fast-paced sport.
Lueders has crossed paths with the Eskimos before. In 2003 he won the two-man title at the Bobsleigh World Championships with Giulo Zardo. Zardo quit the bobsleigh team in 2005 to sign a contract with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos.
"It was the first race for Jesse and I am sliding with some new guys in this race as a way to add more depth to our team," Lueders said.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Who’duv thunk it, folks? Congratulations to Jesse Lumsden and Pierre Lueders on their national two-man bobsleigh win at Whistler over the weekend. Maybe, just maybe, Jesse does have what it takes to win an Olympic gold medal after all.
Cherry To Ovechkin: ‘Have A Little Class’
23/03/2009 02:16
Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin was eager to hear Hockey Night In Canada commentator Don Cherry's response to his now hotly debated "hot stick" celebration.
Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season in Washington's 5-2 win over the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning two night's ago.
The Russian then placed his stick on the ice and smiled while motioning that it was too hot to pick up.
After the game, Ovechkin told reporters he "can't wait when [Cherry] says something about me."
Ovechkin got his answer on during Coach's Corner on Saturday night.
"You should be a role model, you don't need to do this," Cherry said. You're above stuff like that. You're the best hockey player playing today. Have a little class and do it right."
Cherry also said Ovechkin was being disrespectful to the Lightning, who played rookie goaltender Mike McKenna on Thursday.
"How would you like to be playing for Tampa? They've gone through a nightmare season, it's in their building, they're being beat 5-1 and you score on a rookie goalie," he said. "I mean, how do you think McKenna feels about this?"
"You think the people from Tampa came to see [Ovechkin] act like that?" Cherry added. "That is not class and he knows it, Boudreau knows it."
Cherry has been one of Ovechkin's biggest critics this season, saying the winger needs to settle when scoring a goal.
"You don't do that," Cherry said. "Everybody said that he's taunting [the Lightning]. The guy's not a mean guy, he's not taunting them, he didn't mean to taunt them. But think how bad the rookie feels."
The celebration even bothered Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, who apparently spoke with his star on Friday.
"You can't do stuff like that," Cherry said, "and not make people feel bad. But he's not a mean guy, he's just having a good time. But you know what, even your own coach talked to you about the whole thing."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
When Ovechkin was mocking Cherry to say something about him, I’ll bet you he wasn’t counting on it being, ‘Have a little class.’ Ovechkin is an immense hockey talent, however he still has a lot of growing up to do.
Bits 'N Pieces From Our Readers . . .
22/03/2009 04:22
* Don, The geese are
back. I watched them circle over the football
field. Since there is nothing to eat for them
anywhere, I hope they don't get fooled by the
lovely green artificial turf and choke on the
stuff. - Elke Blodgett, St.
Albert* Hi Don: Just a note from one of your Toronto readers saying: WOW! Augie gives a new meaning to 'Dog gone' doesn't he? That's a hilarious story so needed every day. Loved the animal pics and the video of the new bowling method! I wonder if my score will get past 45 using that? Thanks for always putting forward a quality and balanced ePaper. I really liked the lead off letter from Velvet Martin and her appreciation for the youths' upstanding behavior. At the same time, I'd like to thank the PARENTS of those boys: they sure did a lot right! Oh and thanks for printing the words of my current idol, MAXINE! I love her - Vicki, Toronto
* Thanks Don, St. Albert’s Place continues to be a great resource for concerned residents. Regards - Robert Hartley, St. Albert
* Don, I forgot to write a quick note with my previous e-mail. I'm guessing that you've already guessed that I'm sending you these images as possible fodder for your birdies. The Michael Jackson one make me laugh out loud. TTFN! - Kim, St. Albert
* Don, Thought I would pass this along in case you haven't seen it yet. - Madeline Diaz, Edmonton
* Sinc, I enjoyed Ol' Willie's comment about his dick. - BC, Calgary
* Don, I keep sending things if I think you might like it. You have fans here in St. John's, NL. - Marc Glassman, St. John's NL
* The seniors at SUN and those who went to the legislature recently are very upset about this latest power trip--and all seniors who own anything better be nice to their kid and kin or will find themselves dispossessed... possibly shut up. ....this reminds far too much of Germany in the thirties and forties. Combine it with the land grab proposed by bill 19. - No Name Please, St. Albert
* Don, I think it’s a great idea administration and council have to close St. Anne Street and narrow Perron Street to one traffic lane in each direction. The next suggestion from one of our “bonehead” councilors will be to flood St. Anne and Perron Streets in the winter and we could convert downtown St. Albert into a winter ice skating park. How about that? - Tooker, St. Albert
* Mr. Sinclair, I loved reading your Saint City News articles you used to do, I am wondering why you stopped? It made that paper worth reading, now I hardly ever pick it up. If you still do these I'd love for you to e-mail me each one, as it was a highlight of my week once upon a time
- Derrick McInnes, St.
AlbertSINC SAYS: Obviously Derrick had not yet found this site and used the address, a holdover from the newspaper days to reach me. I updated him on St. Albert’s Place and welcome him as a new reader.
SUN Meeting Tomorrow Night . . .
22/03/2009 04:22
Alberta Seniors
United Now
Society
St Albert Chapter
Guest Speaker:
Guest Speaker:
Noel Somerville – Public Interest Alberta (PIA)
Pharmaceutical and Long Term Care Strategies
Monday March 23, 2009
1:30 PM
St. Albert Legion
6 Tache Street
St Albert, AB
Information call Frances @ 780-418-5730
We invite ALL INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS to attend.
Take this opportunity to meet other concerned individuals, exchange ideas and become informed.
Alberta Seniors
United Now Society St Albert
I Learn Something New Everyday Department . . .
22/03/2009 04:22
A woman went to her
doctor for advice.
She told him that her husband had developed a penchant for anal sex, and she was not sure that it was such a good idea.
'Do you enjoy it?' The doctor asked.
'Actually, yes, I do.' 'Does it hurt?' he asked.
'No. I rather like it.'
'Well, then,' the doctor continued, 'there's no medical reason that you shouldn't practice anal sex, if that's what you like, so long as you take care not to get pregnant.'
The woman was mystified. 'What? You can get pregnant from anal sex?!?'
'Of course,' the doctor replied. 'Where do you think politicians come from?'
Say Hello To The Unemployable
22/03/2009 04:22
US Birds In 'Widespread Decline'
22/03/2009 04:22
The number of western
meadowlarks has declined sharply in recent
yearsAlmost one third of the 800 species of birds found in the US are "endangered, threatened or in significant decline", a report has concluded.
Described as the most comprehensive assessment of its kind, the study listed habitat loss and invasive species as being the main threats.
But where conservation measures had been taken, some bird populations had shown signs of recovery, it added.
The US State of Birds report was commissioned by President Bush in 2007.
It was compiled by a partnership of organisations, including the US Geological Survey and the American Bird Conservancy, from three long-running bird censuses stretching back 40 years.
Full story here.
SINC SAYS:
Oh, no. Not the Meadowlark. I grew up with the song of the Meadowlark as part of every summer day. I still have fond memories when I visit southern Saskatchewan and hear that familiar refrain.
Mother Upset Boy Assigned To Buy Condoms
22/03/2009 04:22
After her 14-year-old
son was assigned to buy condoms and compete
with classmates to see who could place one
fastest on a wooden penis, a distressed parent
will ask her school board in Cambridge to
require teachers to communicate with parents
about upcoming lessons on human
sexuality.
A public-health
nurse for 20 years, Linda Strobl said she
doesn't oppose the curriculum that teaches
Grade 9 students about sexually transmitted
infections.
However, she was incensed with the condom-buying assignment at her son's school-- 75 kilometres southwest of Toronto -- and even more concerned that she knew nothing about it until her son came home upset one day last fall, complaining he didn't want to do his homework for health class. "I was about to tell him he had to do it, when I saw his distraught face and he told me he had to buy condoms for a race,"Ms. Strobl said.
From The National Post
SINC SAYS:
One has to wonder about a teacher’s decision to send a boy out to buy condoms. I mean talk about a man-in-training program.
However, she was incensed with the condom-buying assignment at her son's school-- 75 kilometres southwest of Toronto -- and even more concerned that she knew nothing about it until her son came home upset one day last fall, complaining he didn't want to do his homework for health class. "I was about to tell him he had to do it, when I saw his distraught face and he told me he had to buy condoms for a race,"Ms. Strobl said.
From The National Post
SINC SAYS:
One has to wonder about a teacher’s decision to send a boy out to buy condoms. I mean talk about a man-in-training program.
Kevin Martin Loses Two In-A-Row At Canada Cup
22/03/2009 04:22
Toronto's Wayne Middaugh stopped the roll by Edmonton's Kevin Martin just in time to help himself.
Middaugh beat the Brier champion 7-5 on Friday to earn a spot in the A2 versus B2 game against Winnipeg's Jeff Stoughton.
The loss was the first for Martin since January 25. He had won five straight at the Alberta Tankard and 13 in a row en route to winning a second consecutive Canadian men's curling championship in Calgary on Sunday. Martin beat Stoughton 10-4 in the final of the Brier.
Randy Ferbey advanced to the men's final, while Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary reached the women's championship after posting Page playoff wins Saturday at the Canada Cup of Curling.
Ferbey beat Kevin Martin in the Page 1 vs. 1 playoff game (the first place finishers in the 'A' and 'B' Pools) on Saturday to advance directly to today's final. Ferbey put up a three-spot in the seventh end, that prompted his fellow Edmonton skip Martin to shake hands with the score 6-2 in the match of the two first-place teams. It was Martin's second loss in-a-row, and only his second loss since January 25, 2009.
Martin can earn a rematch with Ferbey in today's final with a semi-final victory over Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg later Saturday.
Stoughton eliminated Wayne Middaugh of Toronto with a 5-3 victory in a clash of the second place finishers' playoff game.
Calgary's Kleibrink, meanwhile, knocked off Marie-France Larouche of St-Romauld, Que., 6-4 in the women's first place game to earn a spot in Sunday's final.
Larouche takes on Cheryl Bernard of Calgary - an 8-5 winner over Michelle Englot of Regina in the second place game - in the women's semi-final later Saturday.
CANADA CUP UPDATE:
In the women's semi-final yesterday afternoon, Marie-France Larouche of St-Romauld, Quebec beat Calgary's Cheryl Bernard 7-6 in an extra end and advances to this morning's championship final against Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary at 8:30 a.m. local time.
In men's action, in a repeat of Sunday's Brier final, Edmonton's Kevin Martin once again smoked Winnipeg's Jeff Stoughton - this time, 8-3 in just eight ends. Martin now faces his arch-rival, Edmonton's Randy Ferbey, in tonight's men's championship final at 7:30 p.m. local time. Catch all of the action from both the men's and women's finals on TSN and TSN-HD.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Team Martin hadn’t lost since January 25 – that’s nearly two months - and then they lose two in-a-row. That’s just incredible, folks. They are mortal! I'll bet the Edmonton Oilers would kill for a record like that - especially right now!
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
22/03/2009 04:22
Countdown To The 2009 Masters . . .
In an ongoing daily series leading up to the 2009 Masters, which will take place at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club from April 6-12, 2009, St. Albert’s Place brings you Countdown to the 2009 Masters . . . We'll reprise classic reporting and articles from earlier Masters, photo galleries, daily updates of current qualifiers, press releases from Augusta National and coverage of significant Masters 2009 anniversaries.
We hope you enjoy.
Countdown To The 2009 Masters – Part 4 – A Final Amen At Amen Corner
Fifty years after Herbert Warren Wind named Augusta's famous stretch, some memories have faded
At a tournament known for gallery roars that pinpoint what is going on where almost as clearly as the math on the giant leader boards, one location during the Masters stands apart. "It's immensely, almost alarmingly, quiet," two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw says of Augusta National's 12th green. "The only thing you can hear is your heartbeat and the heartbeats of your fellow players and the caddies. There is no spot like it in major-championship golf."
The eerily calm atmosphere that greets golfers once they reach the putting surface of the 155-yard par 3 is a reward for having solved one of the trickiest tee shots in the sport, where the wind is forever fickle and Rae's Creek is always accepting deposits.
"It's the greatest par 3 in the world," says Scott Verplank. That is a sentiment echoed by many others who have not birdied it four days in a row, as Verplank did in the 2003 Masters, including plenty of golfers whose green-jacket dreams have been washed away.
No. 12 is the anchor of a trio of holes on the south edge of the course that often are the center of the action. It follows the unforgiving par-4 11th and precedes the tempting par-5 13th -- all three holes pivotal in the Masters from the event's very early years, a confluence where the churchly silence is often interrupted by golf's loudest cheers -- and deepest groans. And thanks to Herbert Warren Wind, who was the Bobby Jones of the golf-writing game, for 50 years the 11th, 12th and 13th holes have had a name, "Amen Corner," every bit as good as they are.
"You know you're going to need good fortune, and occasional prayer, to get through those holes when you're in contention," Crenshaw says. "It's a beautiful expression. It just sounds right."
Though Wind is best known for his authoritative golf books such as The Story of American Golf and a long run as a golf essayist for The New Yorker magazine, in the 1950s he worked for Sports Illustrated, then a fledgling sports weekly. Wind read widely, had degrees from Yale and Cambridge, and loved music. A phrase from an old song popped into his head. He began his story about the 1958 Masters, won by Arnold Palmer and headlined "The fateful corner," this way:
On the afternoon before the start of the recent Masters tournament, a wonderfully evocative ceremony took place at the farthest reach of the Augusta National course -- down in the Amen Corner where Rae's Creek intersects the 13th fairway near the tee, then parallels the front edge of the green on the short 12th and finally swirls alongside the 11th green.
To Wind -- and purists to this day -- Amen Corner was defined as the second half of the 11th, the short 12th and the first half of the long 13th. Amen Corner certainly was a more magical name for the 11th, 12th and 13th holes than "the water loop" -- which, according to author David Owen's club history, was what early Augusta National members sometimes called the trio -- but it did not immediately become common usage, even for the man who coined it.
In his Sports Illustrated account of Art Wall's Masters triumph the next year, Wind wrote of "that bend in the course which has so often been fateful" but didn't apply the phrase.
The Augusta Chronicle, the tournament's hometown newspaper that fills many column inches every year detailing the action, first used Amen Corner in two stories previewing the 1965 Masters. "Reverence at 'The Corner' " was the headline on a story by Jim Martin, the paper's sports editor. "The wind swirls with devilish glee over Rae's Creek," Martin wrote. "It mangles the emotions. This is where a champion is made and where others are broken. The 12th green at the Augusta National Golf Club is the apex of the triangle of sorts they refer to as 'Amen Corner.' "
Martin followed up in 1966 with a Masters Friday column about Amen Corner. Alfred Wright made several mentions of Amen Corner in his Sports Illustrated story the next week (the first time it appeared in the magazine since Wind's 1958 mention), and the newsweekly Golf World used it for the first time as well. Golf Digest followed in its 1967 Masters preview.
"You sure it wasn't Tony Lema?" Tom Watson says when asked who popularized the term. "They asked Tony, after you get through 13, what do you think when you get through there, and he said, 'You say amen.' "
More from Golf Digest.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Holes number 11, 12 and 13 at Augusta National – “Amen Corner” – certainly three of the most challenging and beautiful holes in all of golf. Especially the 155-yard, par 3 – 12th.
Saints Exploit Critical Error By Grizzlys
22/03/2009 04:22
Olds struggles against aggressive Spruce Grove forecheck, Saints take first game of series 4-1
It was hard to tell Friday night who was the winning coach after Spruce Grove Saints posted a 4-1 win over Olds Grizzlys in the opening game of their Alberta Junior Hockey League semifinal.
It was expected that Olds coach Kevin Hasselberg wouldn't be happy with the performance of his club, but Saints head man Steve Hamilton wasn't any more pleased despite the win.
"I didn't think we played very well, we were too casual, pretty uninvolved," Hamilton said after his club had scored once in the first period, twice in the second and added an empty netter in the third. "They just got one wakeup call, they'll be getting another one."
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series goes tonight in Spruce Grove.
Brent Switzer in the first period, Conrad Becker and Curt Morrison in the second staked the Saints to a
3-0 lead after 40 minutes. Switzer's goal, on a rising wrist shot from the hash marks four minutes into the game, capped a furious opening that saw both teams come out hitting and skating.
The Saints -- who topped the North division standings, had a first-round bye and cruised past Fort McMurray in the second round -- had the better of the opening 10 minutes, but Olds came on strong to close out the period. They outshot Spruce Grove 10-9, but had only two prime scoring chances.
Spruce Grove changed tactics in the second period, coming out with a strong, aggressive forecheck that gave Olds plenty of problems and led to three excellent chances.
But it wasn't until midway through the period that they were rewarded. Olds got caught napping and that led to a partial breakaway by Becker who made a nifty move to get past a defenceman who caught him and then slid a backhand under the pads of goaltender Marc Boulanger.
"One of our forwards got caught watching the puck ... and one of our guys got caught on a change," said Hasselberg. "We just made too many critical errors, unforced errors. And when we make mistakes, they capitalized."
Morrison made it a three-goal margin when his high shot from the blueline was deflected down and into the net by an Olds defender.
Although the Grizzlys were down by three, it wasn't for a lack of effort or scoring chances. They fired a ton of rubber towards the Spruce Grove net, but many of their shots hit someone in front and they didn't get a deflection go their way.
"If you're not willing to take the puck into tough areas it doesn't matter how many shots you take," said Hasselberg. "If you take 10 less shots and turn that into two good scoring chances, you're going to do better offensively. They had more grittiness than us."
That was painfully evident in the final 90 seconds when Olds had a power play, pulled their goalie for a six-on-four manpower advantage and gave up a short-handed goal to Scott Allen. He picked up an errant pass in the centre zone and had an easy route to the empty net.
"I don't know what our guy was thinking when he made that pass," muttered Hasselberg.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to the Spruce Grove Saints (the former St. Albert Saints). They have a very good hockey team this season and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them take the AJHL championship this year.
Jesse Lumsden Trades CFL Turf For Ice
22/03/2009 04:22
New Eskimos acquisition gives bobsledding a shot at Whistler
Jesse Lumsden has always been a bit of a daredevil.
So when Bobsleigh Canada developmental coach Matt Hindle contacted him with thoughts of turning the star McMaster Marauders running back on to a new sport, Lumsden was intrigued.
"He e-mailed me several times," said Lumsden, of Hindle's offer to push a bobsleigh down a blistering, ice track. "I told him I thought it would be an excellent opportunity, but I wanted to concentrate on being a professional football player." The same opportunity recently arose again and this time Lumsden -- the Edmonton Eskimos' most-recent free-agent signing -- opted to give it a try.
Why one would throw his body into a bullet-like contraption and hurl himself down an ice track at speeds of up to 200 km/h is beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
"It's not as brutal or crude as that," chuckled Lumsden, who has been training with Edmonton's Pierre Lueders and portions of the Canadian team for the last month.
"I'm driving with one of the best pilots in the history of the sport," he said of pushing the four-time Olympian's sled at the Whistler Sliding centre in B.C.
"I'd rather be in the back with Pierre than with most of the cab drivers in Toronto," he laughed.
It wasn't until last week that Lumsden actually got to take his first ride. He will also be in Lueders' sled tonight and tomorrow as they compete in Whistler at the Canadian championship, that runs annually after the World Cup season.
It's a bit of a down time in the sport, a chance to train potential sledders.
"I've taken a few runs; the first one was very exciting," Lumsden admitted. "You don't know what to expect. People tell you that, and they're right.
"The first ride was awesome. After the first corner it felt like a roller-coaster. I'm a bit of a thrill-seeker and love roller-coasters, but after that first corner it was nothing like a roller-coaster ride at all.
"I got down to the bottom and felt like I had to do it again." This weekend Lumsden will ride with Lueders and regular four-man national-teamer Justin Kripps. Neville Wright, a track and field athlete, also from Edmonton, is the fourth.
Lueders' regular teammates -- former University of Alberta Golden Bears running back David Bissett and Ken Kotyk -- are currently not training with the team. That unit finished a disappointing 10th at the world championships last month in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Chad Rempel, yet another Edmonton native, who plays receiver with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, is also working out with the Canadian team, as it continually searches for potential athletes.
Lumsden isn't sure where it will all end, but he's enjoying the experience.
"Who knows," he said, dreaming of a World Cup spot or, better yet, the Olympics.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Please . . . just don’t get injured, Jesse.
Jones Opens Women’s Worlds Curling With A Win
22/03/2009 04:22
GANGNEUNG, South Korea - Jennifer Jones wasn't expecting much fan support at the world women's curling championship - so when more than a dozen red-and-white-clad supporters showed up to her opening game Saturday, she gave them plenty to cheer about.
Jones took advantage of several key mistakes from China's Bingyu Wang on the way to an 11-5 victory in Draw 2 action. Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin were their usual efficient selves, dominating the Chinese in a rematch of last year's title game.
The Winnipeg skip was encouraged by the vocal throng of Canadian fans that stood out among the crowd of roughly 150, consisting mostly of family and friends from other participating teams.
"We weren't really expecting to see any Canadians over here, so it was great," said Jones. "It was nice to have fans there to cheer us on."
The Jones foursome had little trouble adjusting to the unpredictable ice conditions at the Gangneung International Ice Rink, finishing at a tidy 82 per cent compared to just 70 for their Chinese counterparts.
"We felt pretty good," said Jones. "We missed a few shots that we wouldn't like to miss, but we felt pretty comfortable with the ice considering it was our first game.
"You never really know what the ice is going to do the first few games. It's always about getting comfortable with it as the week goes on. That's what we expected, and we were pretty comfortable out there."
Wang wasn't nearly as comfortable, and it showed. She surrendered steals in the first, fourth and seventh ends, allowing Jones to take control of the game.
Wang said her team struggled in every facet of the match - and she attributed the result to not having spent enough time on the ice.
"(We struggled with) the ice, the weight, the lights, everything," said Wang, who beat Jones twice in three meetings at last year's tournament in Vernon, B.C. "(Thursday's) practice was not enough."
Jones said she wasn't bothered by having just one hour of practice time prior to the tournament.
"This is standard, this is the practice that we get before the worlds and the Scotties (Tournament of Hearts)," said Jones. "That's what you get, and you just have to go out there and do your thing."
World junior champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland and reigning Olympic champion Anette Norberg of Sweden shared the early lead after both teams posted a pair of opening-day victories.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s a very, very impressive field this year at the women’s worlds. How can you tell they’re all getting ready for next year’s Olympic games? Anyway, SWIVEL HIPS predicts it will be a dogfight just to make the final four playoff teams at this year’s worlds.
Tiger's Appearance Fee Sparks Debate Down Under
22/03/2009 04:22
$2 million U.S.; Aussies question use of public cash to lure Woods
Tiger Woods's decision to play in November's Australian Masters sparked heated debate yesterday about how much taxpayers should contribute to his appearance fee.
The golfing superstar will reportedly be paid $2 million U.S. to play in Melbourne, with the Victoria state government chipping in half.
Victorian Premier John Brumby refused to confirm the figures, but said the crowds flocking to see Woods's first appearance in Australia for more than a decade would pump $19 million into Melbourne's economy.
"It secures for us an extraordinary drive in our tourism industry - it brings people to our state," Brumby said.
He released a report from auditors Ernst & Young estimating 10,000-20,000 overseas and interstate visitors would travel to the city to see Woods.
State opposition leader Ted Baillieu said taxpayers would be unhappy to see their money being used to lure Woods to Australia in tough economic times.
"At a time like this, when people are losing their jobs, it's hard to believe that the Victorian public would think that this is a good idea," Baillieu said.
"When there is concern about high levels of executive salary, the government's spending millions on the highest-paid sportsman in the world to come here for a tournament, which is not an international tournament."
He also questioned the government's figures, saying the Australian Masters was a stand-alone tournament that would not generate the revenue of full Australian Tour events.
"Where is the sponsorship deal, where is the television deal, where's the rights deal and where is the evidence that $19 million is going to flow to Victoria because Tiger Woods fronts?" he asked.
Welfare groups also criticized the payout.
"Any money that's put into a major sporting event is going to be money that won't be available to fund other services," Victorian Council of Social Services chief executive Cath Smith said.
The PGA of Australia's director of tournaments Andrew Langford-Jones said Woods would provide a huge boost for the sport in Australia and the appearance fee was money well spent.
"Many, many people in Australia depend on their incomes and their jobs from the golf industry, it's no different from the car industry or any other industry," he said.
Australian golfer Stuart Appleby said enticing Woods was a coup for Melbourne, but conceded some people would question his fee.
"There's a lot of people hurting in Australia, and they might look negatively that one guy is paid $2 million just to turn up," he said.
"The common man won't understand the business model because the government is paying for it. They might not see the money he brings in."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The appearance fee was first reported here to be $4.54 million U.S. But, no matter whether it’s $4.54 million or $2 million, in these economic times it’s still absolutely ridiculous and out of step with the rest of the world – Tiger Woods or not.