Carl Pohlad, Cheap Bastard

I just wanted to take a second and mention how sick I am of Carl Pohlad not keeping his free agents. Torii Hunter's gone from the Twins forever, signing with the Anaheim Angels, because Pohlad's too fucking cheap to put up the money to keep him signed. The Twins are getting a brand new money making stadium, yet Pohlad and the Twins are too cheap to pay the guy. Next up, Joe Nathan and Johan Santana, two of the best pitchers in the league, will be free agents that Pohlad won't pay to play for the Twins.

The new stadium will be a huge money maker for Pohlad's family, especially when they're too damn cheap to pay for a competitive team.

Funny comic strip

Just thought I'd share this funny Andy Capp comic
Click on it to be able to read it.

Iron Chef DVD's Petition

There's an ongoing 'petition' online for IRON CHEF DVD's to be made.. via Petitionspot.com

Since Food Network's not showing many if any of the old episodes they possess at this time, it would be nice to be able to buy 'season' dvd's of the show to have forever. If they were still showing the original Japanese made episodes I'd record them on my computer and burn them myself but they're not showing those so I can't exactly record them. If only I'd had this new computer with Vista Media Center and tv tuner card to record them before.

Michael Simon wins "Next Iron Chef'

In what had to be an upset for Food Network.. Michael Simon won their Next Iron Chef competition that was held to replace Mario Batali who has obviously gone from Food Network.. since he showed up on a full episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on Travel Channel I knew Batali had to be done as an Iron Chef

The competition on all the shows seemed to be geared towards an easy win for John Besh, but in the end it turne dout that Michael Simon out-did John Besh in the end and won the role on Iron Chef America!

cool free online game

Since I haven't done an random thought entry in a long time.. here's one.. I was lookin for something to do and came upon freeonlinegames.com This taxi game is great!

My eBay Store

I'm trying out a new eBay function to see how it works

Web Hosting Nightmare, Stay Away From Shieldhost

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LA Ink Show Rocks

While I never really got into the Miami Ink show on TLC, Kat Von D is smokin on LA INK Tuesday nights! She's damn hot on this show.

Could Big Brother Be Rigged??

I haven't hit up this blog for a while and I figured it was well past time to do a post so here's the first post since June.

For the first time ever, I'm watching Big Brother(this is season 8 now) on CBS, and on Showtime-Too 'After Dark' and all seemed to be playing out well, until now.. when "America's Player," a new twist in the game, was 'put up' aka nominated for eviction from the house.

This new twist allows people to text message in and vote online on a list of tasks CBS creates, and to allow people to actually be Eric's vote rather than him cast them himself.

This load of bullshit twist, I personally believe after witnessing what's gone on the past couple days since he was nominated, creates a fraud out of the Big Brother show. There are a couple girls in Eric's alliance, Jameka and Jessica, who have come out of Diary Room (where they speak candidly to a camera that films their thoughts for the tv show only) session saying stuff to the extent of 'Big Brother' putting doubts in their head and hinting that Eric's not lying to them about stuff when it's blatantly obvious to the viewer that he is.

I won't go into details (because people who watch know, and those who don't have already stopped reading) other than that the people that America has voted for him to vote out have gone against the way Eric's played and aligned himself in past weeks and cast shadows over OTHER players in that original alliance.

If 'Big Brother' aka CBS Producers really are hinting and putting thoughts into the people's heads who are ready to vote out CBS's 'Twist' of America's Player, then I believe the game is a big fraud now and a huge waste of everyone's time. I also believe that this can and may create a giant battle between evicted players and CBS after the show is over.

Just my thoughts, take them as you will :) I'm still going to watch this show and see how far they actually let America's Player go into the game, obviously he can't be allowed by CBS to win the whole thing, that's a gigantic conflict of interest.

My We B Pervs Message Board There is a Big Brother thread where I keep my thoughts.

Emmitt Smith Ebay Card Lot

My EBAY Emmitt Smith 39 Card Auction

Click above to check out the 39 card Emmitt Smith card lot I've got for auction on eBay. I've been into trading cards for a long time buying and selling on eBay for a bunch of years now. Enjoy!

Are you a PERV?

If you're a perv like me, and EVERYONE's got *SOME* perv in them.. check out my website We B Pervs.com!

Don't forget to also check out and join my We B Pervs MESSAGE BOARD! This is a great place to talk about what we all perv out there!

Sports Cards Beanie Babies on eBay

Now that May and half of June is over, it's time for me to start adding MORE cards and beanies to my eBay STORE. There's 30 listings for Beanie Babies right now with nothing priced higher than $5 and most under $3.00. ClICK HERE of click the blog title to check out the listings. There's close to if not more than 100 sports cards listed at this time.

S.C. Cops: Naked Couple Falls 50 Feet From Rooftop to Their Deaths

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Police on Wednesday were investigating how a naked couple fell 50 feet from the roof of a downtown office building to their deaths.

The bodies were found on the road by a passing cabdriver around 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Clothing was discovered on the roof, leading authorities to suspect the man and woman, in their early 20s, may have been having sex. Their identities were not released.

"It's too early to rule out anything," Columbia police Sgt. Florence McCants said, but McCants said a preliminary investigation didn't show any sign of foul play.

---

Sex on the ledge? That takes brains.

New Siding, house & garage

Oh fucking boy! It's new siding time what a mess but there's a crew here just starting to take the old siding off the garage today. I may take some progress report pictures for my photo blog
so stay tuned.

Random clips from StupidVideos.com

I hadn't been to THIS website in a long time so I headed to stupid videos.com to see what they've had posted lately.

Paris in jail!

Fox News Article:

LYNWOOD, Calif. — Paris Hilton completed the first night of her probation sentence as morning arrived Monday in her new surroundings -- a Los Angeles County jail cell that will be her home for much of this month.

The 26-year-old hotel heiress worked the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday afternoon, then traded her strapless designer gown for a jail-issue jumpsuit and a solitary cell.

Hilton entered the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood just after 11:30 p.m. to serve 23 days for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case. She is due out on June 26.

Singleton said she and other inmates were asleep when Hilton checked in.

Around 7 a.m., they learned Hilton was there when they watched the TV news. To most of them, it was no big deal. "Oh, Paris, Paris, Paris. If you do the crime you've got to do the time," Singleton said.

Hilton surrendered after a surprise visit to the MTV awards.

"I am trying to be strong right now," she told reporters on the red carpet. "I'm ready to face my sentence. Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me, and that's really helpful."

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Hilton was easy to work with.

"Her demeanor was helpful. She was focused, she was cooperative," he said.

Hilton, accompanied by her mother, Kathy Hilton, surrendered at the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles just after 10:30 p.m. She was then escorted to the women's facility in Lynwood, where she was booked, fingerprinted, photographed, medically screened and issued an orange top and pants, Whitmore said.

Hilton's booking photo shows her wearing what appeared to be a V-neck shirt, eye makeup and lip gloss that highlighted a slight smile. Her blond hair was draped over one shoulder.

Sheriff's deputies had released a mug shot taken last year after Hilton was arrested by Los Angeles police. That photo showed her smiling, in full makeup and with her head tilted to the left, with her blond hair flowing over her bare shoulders.

The mistake was made because the sheriff's department and LAPD mug shots are in the same database, Whitmore said. "It was an inadvertent release."

Hilton, star of the TV reality series "The Simple Life," is being housed in the "special needs" unit of the 13-year-old jail, separate from most of its 2,200 inmates. The unit contains 12 two-person cells reserved for police officers, public officials, celebrities and other high-profile inmates. Hilton's cell has two bunks, a table, a sink, a toilet and a small window. She does not have a cellmate.

Like other inmates in that unit, Hilton will take her meals in her cell and will be allowed outside the 12-by-8-foot space for at least an hour each day to shower, watch TV in the day room, participate in outdoor recreation or talk on the telephone. No cell phones or BlackBerrys are permitted in the facility, even for visitors.

It will be pretty stark for her, but it will be a step up from the general population.

Teresa Jones, 50, of Lancaster, who wasn't clear about what she served time for, called the jail "so filthy it's worse than skid row."

At check-in, jailers hand out a pamphlet on infections, which are common, she said.

"That place is hell, it's awful. Life is easy compared to this," Jones said.

The jail, a two-story concrete building next to train tracks and beneath a bustling freeway, has been an all-female facility since March 2006. It's located in an industrial area about 12 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

When Hilton was sentenced May 4, the judge ruled that she would not be allowed any work release, furloughs or use of an alternative jail or electronic monitoring in lieu of jail.

Hilton's publicist, Elliot Mintz, said he spoke with Kathy Hilton after she returned from the jail.

"She told me it was very emotional," Mintz said. "She also said that she feels this will be a time when Paris will be able to think and reflect and to spend time alone to learn from the experience because in Paris' life she's never alone -- there's always a constant chatter around her."

Officers arrested Hilton in Hollywood on Sept. 7. In January, she pleaded no contest to the reckless-driving charge and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines.

She was pulled over by California Highway Patrol on Jan. 15. Officers informed Hilton she was driving on a suspended license and she signed a document acknowledging she was not to drive. She then was pulled over by sheriff's deputies on Feb. 27, at which time she was charged with violating her probation.

What the HELL? 10 month old with Gun Permit

Fox News.com:

In Illinois, you're never too young to own a gun.

That's what one father found out, when he registered his 10-month-old son for a Firearm Owner's Identification Card.

Daily Southtown columnist Howard Ludwig registered his son —- Howard David Ludwig, nicknamed "Bubba" — online after the child's grandfather bought him a gun shortly after the baby's birth. Ludwig chronicled the road to gun ownership in a story that appeared in the Southtown on Sunday.

"Anyone who wants to own a firearm or purchase a firearm needs a FOID card," Ludwig told FOX News. "I applied for one of these for my son. Now ironically he can’t buy a gun until he’s 18 years old, but if he wants to own one -- which he does thanks to Grandpa -- he needs one of these cards anyhow."

The ID card, complete with a photo of the tot, allows the child to own a firearm and ammunition, and legally transport an unloaded weapon, even though Bubba has yet to learn how to walk.

“Not only did I have his birthday on there, it had a picture of him giving a toothless grin," Ludwig said. "It asked for his weight, which I listed at 20 pounds, and his height, which is 2 feet, 3 inches.”

The only tricky thing was getting his son, who has yet to learn how to write, to sign his John Hancock.

"He can’t quite sign his name yet, so I just put a pen in his hand," Ludwig told FOX. "He made a scribble in the appropriate box and that came superimposed at the bottom of the card."

Officials say that while it's rare to issue a FOID card to minors, it's not illegal.

"There is nothing in the FOID Act or any of the rules that says anything about age restrictions," Lt. Scott Compton, of the Illinois State Police, told the elder Ludwig.

Bubba got his ID card a few weeks after his father sent in the application and $5 fee.

"It’s pretty rare that anyone would need a FOID card at 10 months, but the fact that they’re issuing them I think is pretty interesting as well,” he said.

Me eBay Sale!

In my eBay sports card store, I'm having a huge sale until July 1st! You go to my EBAY STORE and buy as many items (cards or beanie babies or whatever) and only pay the shipping on the 1 highest s/h rate! I'm running this sale because of the USPS postage increase which starts May 14th.

Click on the blog title to go buy some cards or other.

De La Hoya/Mayweather

THIS fight was BORINGGGGGGGGG.. I'm glad I only watched it on Paltalk instead of buying the PPV. De La Hoya really didn't land enough punches to make the fight interesting.

De La Hoya / Mayweather prediction

Just making my 9th round De La Hoya win prediction now, about 5 and half hour before the Main Event of the biggest boxing match is many years starts!

It's WRESTLEMANIA Time!

It's Wrestlemania time! Wrestlemania 23 is in Detroit tonight.

The matches for this huge event:

World Heavyweight Champion Batista vs. Undertaker
WWE Champion John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
Battle of the Billionaires
Money in the Bank Ladder Match
ECW Originals vs. New Breed
Women's Champion Melina vs. Ashley
Kane vs. The Great Khali
United States Champion Chris Benoit vs. MVP

My picks to win, in opposite order.

Chris Benoit
Great Khali (because they're pushing him on tv it seems, not because hes' good)
Ashley (Playboy cover.. duh)
ECW New Breed win, Vince hates ECW
Money in the Bank Match...I expect 'Mr. Kennedy' to come out on top.
Vince McMahon will have HIS head shaved
John Cena defeats HBK, but I doubt it'll be a 'clean' victory.
Undertaker goes 15-0 at Wrestlemania.

Just my thoughts on tonight. Those are the 8 listed matches.

Fox News: British Airways Moves Dead Passenger to First Class Seat

LONDON — A first-class passenger on a flight from Delhi to London awoke to find the body of a woman who had died in the economy cabin placed in a seat near him, British Airways said Monday.

The economy section of the flight was full, and the cabin crew needed to move the woman and her grieving family out of that compartment to give them some privacy, the airline said.

The first-class passenger, Paul Trinder, told the Sunday Times newspaper that he was sleeping during a February flight from India and woke up when the crew placed the dead woman in a seat at the end of his row.

"I didn't have a clue what was going on. The stewards just plonked the body down without saying a thing. I remember looking at this frail, sparrow-like woman and thinking she was very ill," the newspaper quoted Trinder as saying. "When I asked what was going on, I was shocked to hear she was dead."

British Airways said in a statement that about 10 passengers die each year in flight and that while each situation is dealt with on an individual basis, safety is paramount.

"The deceased must not be placed in the galley or blocking aisles or exits, and there should be clear space around the deceased," the statement said. "The wishes of family or friends traveling with the deceased will always be considered, and account taken of the reactions of other passengers."

Because there was space in the first class cabin, that "allowed the family members traveling with the deceased some level of privacy in their grief," the airline said.

"We apologize to passengers in the first cabin who were distressed by the situation -- our cabin crew were working in difficult circumstances and chose the option that they believed would cause the least disruption," the statement said.

David Learmount, a former pilot and cabin crew member who now writes about the aviation industry for Flight International magazine, said that each airline has to deal with the relatively rare situation on an individual basis. He said that diverting the flight would be an unusual move, and that the captain would be consulted before the crew acted.

"Personally, I think they did the thing that was the best thing to do," he said. "Really, you want as much as possible to isolate the person.

"It's an isolated incident. It's not as if it happens every day, but you do have to take in people's sensibilities when it does happen."

Cabela's in Cloquet? Finally?

Cabela’s considering four Carlton County sites for retail store
Jane Brissett Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, March 17, 2007

Four places in Carlton County are under consideration as sites for a new Cabela’s store.

Pat Oman, economic development director for Carlton County, said Friday that he’s been working with a search firm, Cresa Partners, for a year to find a location for the outdoor retailer. Cabela’s and Cresa officials are expected to visit the four Carlton County locations within the next two to three weeks. A decision probably will be made about a week later, Oman said.

Cabela’s seems to be seriously interested in building a store in the area, presumably because of the traffic to the northern reaches of the state where people participate in outdoor activities, and also to catch Canadian traffic, according to Oman. “They’re certainly going all-out to gather information,” he said.

“We do know we’re sort of on the short list,” Oman said. There is at least one site outside the county on that list, too, but Oman said he didn’t know where it is.

Cresa Partners has been scouting locations in the Northland for months. In January, Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson said Cabela’s had looked at sites in Duluth.

The Carlton County sites all are on Interstate 35. They are:

* In the Moose Lake area.

* Near the Carlton exit.

* Near the Cloquet exit.

* Near the Esko exit.

In some cases, the company is looking at several properties in the same area.

Thomson Town Board Chairwoman Ruth Janke said that the parcels under consideration in the Esko area are privately owned.

Cabela’s is looking for at least 20 acres on which to build a 100,000-square-foot store, which would be Minnesota’s fourth Cabela’s store, Oman said.

Company officials are moving quickly to make a decision, he said. “They’re considering this a top priority,” he said.

Cabela’s officials did not return phone calls from the News Tribune on Friday.

Oman said he was told Cabela’s is looking for a minimum of 20 acres, visibility from the interstate, easy access off the freeway, traffic volumes that would justify the location and an available workforce. He said he is unsure how many people the store would employ, but noted that the stores have full- and part-time jobs and offer full benefits.

The Thomson Town Board is in favor of the store locating within its boundaries, Janke said. “It would be a great help for our tax base. We don’t have much. We’re kind of a bedroom community,” she said.

Cabela’s is a unique retailer and people travel long distances to shop at its stores. “As much wildlife museums and education centers as retail stores,” is the way Cabela’s Web site describes the outlets.

The Owatonna store was the second-most popular tourist attraction in Minnesota in 2005, with 4.5 million visitors, according to the Department of Employment and Economic Development. The Mall of America in Bloomington was the top draw.

The largest Cabela’s in the state is the 185,000-square-foot Rogers outlet. The Owatonna store is 150,000 square feet and the East Grand Forks store is 60,000 square feet. No state currently has four Cabela’s stores.

Cabela’s reported $2.06 billion in total revenue last year. The company has 18 stores open and is growing aggressively, with 12 stores under construction. It is headquartered in Sidney, Neb. It began as a mail-order company and does a large catalog and Internet business.

My Pictures Blog

I've created another blog, this one for all the pictures I take. Check it out, I call it The View Through My Lens

Fudge! Fjuckby, Sweden, Will Keep Its Name

The residents of Fjuckby are doubly cursed.

Their name is rude in both English and Swedish, and now Sweden's Institute of Language and Folklore refuses to allow the town to revert to the more genteel name of Fjukeby, the Local reported Tuesday.

Only a fourth of the village's 60 residents voiced support for the name change, so the institute refused to allow the change.

"There should not be any doubt at all that, as a result of relatively new associations, the pronunciation and spelling of the place name 'Fjuckby' today arouses ridicule, teasing and hilarity in the general public," resident Katrina Flensburg wrote in a letter to the institute.

"This regrettable fact engenders feelings of weariness, embarrassment and conditioned shame among villagers, who are often forced against their will to take a tiresome 'defensive stance' with regard to the name of their home town," she continued.

Looks like Fjuckby will continue to be the butt of all the jokes.

Cloquet Lumberjacks triumph in Johnson’s return

News Tribune article, Cloquet Lumberjacks defeat Elk River, head to section finals Thursday:

Lumberjacks triumph in Johnson’s return
BY RICK WEEGMANNEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER, Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, February 25, 2007

OK, so maybe it wasn’t quite Kirk Gibson limping to the plate in the World Series or Willis Reed lacing up his sneakers for the NBA finals, but Tyler Johnson’s unexpected appearance in the Section 7AA semifinals Saturday had the same effect for the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team.

Though admittedly playing tentatively in his first game back since breaking his collarbone against Hermantown on Feb. 1, Johnson scored the game-winning goal with 1:17 remaining in the third period as the Lumberjacks beat Elk River 3-1 at the DECC to move within one victory of the Class AA high school state tournament.

Top-seeded CEC (22-3-2) faces defending section champion Grand Rapids (16-7-4) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the DECC in a rematch of the 2006 final.

Johnson, a senior center who entered the game during a power play in the first period, was playing a regular shift by the time he picked up a loose puck near his own blue line, raced down the ice and wristed a shot past Tony Seibert to break a 1-1 tie.

“I was nervous. I was real tentative because I didn’t know what to expect when I got hit,” Johnson said. “But right now, I’m good to go.”

Senior forward Sever Lundquist scored his second goal of the period eight seconds later to sew up the come-from-behind win.

“Hockey’s a game of mistakes,” Elk River coach Tony Sarsland said. “They made plenty and we didn’t finish. We made two mistakes [and they capitalized].”

Johnson, the 2006 News Tribune Player of the Year, said he didn’t know he would play until shortly before game time. Coach Dave Esse, after consulting Johnson, his parents and orthopedic specialists, decided his star player was ready for action.

“If the game was tight or we were behind, he was going in,” Esse said of the Colorado College signee. “I would never jeopardize a player for one game. Tyler’s got his whole career ahead of him.”

But the sixth-ranked Lumberjacks were in need of an offensive spark. They had scored just 21 goals in the eight games since Johnson’s and other players’ injuries. Senior forward Riley Roe also returned Saturday, but the time off messed up the Lumberjacks’ line combinations.

“Since Christmastime, we’ve played every combo possible,” Esse said. “Not because we wanted to, but we had no choice because of injuries and sickness.”

CEC went 5-1-2 during that span, thanks to solid goaltending by Reid Ellingson. Ellingson was stellar again Saturday, posting 27 saves, but was caught off guard when Brandon Martell’s slap shot beat him up high at 11:33 of the second period.

The Elks (17-9-1) lost the lead when Lundquist pounced on the puck at the Elk River blue line and fired a well-placed shot past Seibert at 5:47 of the third period.

That set the stage for Johnson’s late-game heroics.

“It’s that second chance you get. You’re told your season is over because you broke a collarbone, but you always want that one opportunity to come back to play again,” Johnson said about returning to the ice. “And that’s what it was.”

Johnson’s teammates were confident he would come through.

“He’s a great player,” said Lundquist, who scored an insurance goal with 1:09 left on a nice feed from Justin Jokinen. “We play hard with or without him, but he’s one of those kids that every time he gets the puck there’s a chance it’s going in the net.”

Elk River 0-1-0—1

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 0-0-3—3

First period — No scoring.

Second period — 1. ER, Brandon Martell (D.J. Foss, Mario Brant), 11:33.

Third period — 2. CEC, Sever Lundquist (Peter Allen), 5:47. 3. CEC, Tyler Johnson (David Brown, Justin Jokinen), 15:43. 4. CEC, Lundquist (Jokinen), 15:51.

Saves — Tony Seibert, ER, 23. Reid Ellingson, CEC, 27.

Former Celtics great Dennis Johnson dies

AUSTIN - Dennis Johnson, the star NBA guard who was part of three championship teams, died today at 52.

``He is deceased and is in our building. He will be autopsied,'' said Mayra Freeman, a spokeswoman for the Travis County medical examiner's office.

Johnson, a five-time All-Star and one of the great defensive guards, played on title teams with the Boston Celtics and Seattle SuperSonics. He had been coaching the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Johnson played 14 seasons, retiring after the 1989-90 season. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1979 with Seattle, with his other titles coming with Boston in 1984 and 1986.

He averaged 14.1 points and 5.0 assists. When he retired, he was the 11th player in NBA history to total 15,000 points and 5,000 assists. Johnson made one All-NBA first team and one second team. Six times he made the all-defensive first team, including five consecutive seasons from 1979-83.

Johnson was born Sept. 18, 1954, in Compton, Calif. He played in college at Pepperdine and was drafted by Seattle in 1976. Johnson was traded to Phoenix in 1980 and Boston in 1983.

Teen Can't Shake Hiccups After 3 Weeks

My ISP's news report today had this headline:

Teen Can't Shake Hiccups After 3 Weeks
Friday, February 16th, 2007 at 1:43pm
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.

For more than three weeks, despite medical tests and home remedies, a teenager has been hiccuping. A lot.

In fact, Jennifer Mee is hiccuping close to 50 times a minute, stopping only when she's sleeping.

The 15-year-old has had blood tests, a CT scan and an MRI since the fits started Jan. 23. Drugs haven't worked. Neither has holding her breath, putting sugar under her tongue, sipping pickle juice, breathing into a paper bag and drinking from the wrong side of a glass.

And, yes, people have tried to scare them out of her.

According to the National Institutes of Health, hiccups can be triggered by anything from spicy foods to stress, and they can start for no reason at all. They're caused by involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, which causes the vocal cords to close briefly, making that distinctive sound.

It's painful, Jennifer told NBC's "Today" show Friday, trying to talk through her hiccups. She said the rapid contractions hurt in her back and chest.

Jennifer's mother, Rachel Robidoux, turned to a newspaper for help, but the suggestions of hundreds of readers have failed.

"I'm just looking for some answers where somebody's gone through this," Robidoux told the St. Petersburg Times. "At this point, we're willing to do anything."

Kansas School Board Repeals Guidelines Questioning Evolution

Fox news article from today, click on title to go see it.

TOPEKA, Kansas — The Kansas state Board of Education on Tuesday repealed science guidelines questioning evolution that had made the state an object of international ridicule.

The new guidelines reflect mainstream scientific views of evolution and represent a political defeat for advocates of "intelligent design," who had helped write the standards that are being jettisoned.

The intelligent design concept holds that life is so complex that it must have been created by a higher authority.

The state has had five sets of standards in eight years, with anti- and pro-evolution versions, each doomed by the seesawing fortunes of socially conservative Republicans and a coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats. Moderate Republicans captured two seats from conservatives last year, paving the way for Tuesday's 6-4 vote.

The board Tuesday removed language suggesting that key evolutionary concepts — such as a common origin for all life on Earth and change in species creating new ones — were controversial and being challenged by new research. Also approved was a new definition of science, specifically limiting it to the search for natural explanations of what is observed in the universe.

"Those standards represent mainstream scientific consensus about both what science is and what evolution is," said Jack Krebs, a math and technology teacher who helped write the new guidelines. He is also president of Kansas Citizens for Science.

The state uses its standards to develop tests that measure how well students are learning science. Although decisions about what is taught in classrooms remain with 296 local school boards, both sides in the evolution dispute say the standards will influence teachers as they try to ensure that their students test well.

The board's conservative minority said the new standards will limit the information students get about evolution.

"There seems to be a pattern," said board member Steve Abrams. "Anything that might question the veracity of evolution is deleted."

Many Kansans harbor religious objections and other misgivings about evolution. The Intelligent Design Network presented petitions with almost 4,000 signatures, opposing the standards the board eventually adopted.

There have been debates or legal battles in several other states over evolution and the intelligent design argument, but none has inspired comedians' jokes or parodies like Kansas' ongoing battle has.

Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" had a four-part "Evolution Schmevolution" series in 2005, and hearings that year drew journalists from Canada, France, Britain and Japan.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat re-elected last year, cited embarrassment caused by the board's past decisions on evolution as a reason to strip it of its power to set education policy.

Charles Darwin, the British naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution, was born 198 years ago Monday.

7 days till Daytona 500!

Finally, it's NASCAR season again! Daytona 500 is in less than 7 days now! Go JR.

Honeycombs cereal changed, it sucks!

I hadn't bought Honeycomb cereal in a while but last week I did. I didnt' know they CHANGED the cereal... NOW it's terrible. The texture is soft almost and sort of like that cinnamon buns cereal now rather than the regular honeycomb texture.

The flavor is terrible also, doesn't taste anything like Honeycomb that we all grew up with.

Ohio High School Idiot Runs Naked Through Cafeteria

Cops Taser Student Running Naked Through High School Cafeteria

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

WESTERVILLE, Ohio — A student ran naked into his high school lunch room, screaming and flailing his arms, until a police officer used a Taser twice to subdue him on Monday, police in this Columbus suburb said.

The 18-year-old student, Taylor Killian, had rubbed his body with grapeseed oil to keep from being caught, and got up after the first time he was shocked to continue running toward a group of frightened students huddled in a corner at Westerville North High School, Lt. Jeff Gaylor said.

"That prank went a little farther than he intended, I guess," Gaylor said.

Killian was quiet and cooperative with officers once he got to the police station, and there was no indication of substance abuse or a medical problem, Gaylor said.

Officer Doug Staysniak, who subdued the student, was monitoring the lunch period when Killian, with long hair and a full beard, ran in the room toward students, who screamed and ran away. The officer, normally assigned to a middle school, did not recognize Killian as a student, Gaylor said.

Police said an administrator ordered Killian to stop, but the student made a sexual gesture toward him and kept running.

District spokesman Greg Viebranz said he could not comment because of privacy laws, other than to say Killian will be disciplined.

Killian is charged with inducing panic, public indecency, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

The senior was part of a two-week program for gifted students in summer 2005 at the Ohio Supercomputer Center. Gaylor said school officials said he was a good student.

How stupid is this guy... to be almost graduated and pull a stupid stunt like that?

Royal Rumble tonight

I watched the WWE Royal Rumble tonight. It wasn't that bad really.... except for the ECW championship match. Test was 'counted out' in the title match with Bobby Lashley..that was really STUPID. The Undertaker and HBK Shawn Michaels the final 2 in the Rumble match was kinda cool, they rarely have 2 "faces" aka 'good guys' go against each other at the end. Undertaker won and probably sets up a Batista vs Taker vs Ken Kennedy Wrestlemania match for the "World Championship."

John Cena choking out Umaga was at least a different way to end a Last Man Standing match so it wasn't that bad. The rest of the PPV was pretty much decent, with a lot of it predictable.

I'd give the PPV about a B grade, considering it lasted LONGER than the last few ppv's that ended around 9:30 central time.. this one at least went until 9:45 again.

Bam Bam Bigelow death article, Asbury Park Press

Mourners recall "gentle giant"

Friends: Wrestler Scott Bigelow was a big man with a big heart
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/27/07

BY STEPHEN EDELSON
STAFF WRITER

NEPTUNE — Even in death, Scott Bigelow was larger than life.

Hundreds of family, friends and fans of the massive wrestler known the world over as "Bam Bam" paid their final respects to Bigelow on Friday, a week after the 45-year-old was found dead in a home in Hudson, Fla.

"He was a gentle giant," said Anthony Mistretta of Belmar, Bigelow's cousin. "There was a compassionate side to him that people who were close to him got to see."

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has ruled out foul play, although no cause of death has been determined. According to family members, Bigelow was a diabetic and had been battling a staph infection that had moved from his legs to an arm.

A Neptune native, Bigelow quickly developed a reputation in the ring for agility and speed that belied his 400-pound frame during a golden era for professional wrestling, beginning in the mid-1980s. He was easily identified everywhere he went by the flames tattooed on his shaved head.

"I was a huge fan of his right from the start of his career," said Robert Dennis of Asbury Park. "I loved his moves, and I loved his tattoos, especially the one on the head. He made it fun to watch."

While life had become more difficult for Bigelow over the past few years since the end of his wrestling career and a divorce, combined with legal and health problems stemming from a 2005 motorcycle accident in Florida, it was his time in the ring and the friendships he made along the way that were celebrated on this day. He reached the height of his fame in 1995, when his rivalry with former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor ended with their meeting in the main event at WrestleMania XI.

"We'd be walking through an airport, and maybe because of the travel schedule he might not have slept for 28 hours," recalled Ray Liccachelli of Rockaway, N.Y., who was Bigelow's main adversary for several years in his role as Doink the Clown. "I was always very fortunate because people didn't recognize me. I was always under a costume. But poor Scott. It was like the circus was in town. And he always tried to be as gracious as he could. "Could I have an autograph? Sign my shirt? Sign my back, sign my leg?' He was always nice to them.

"One year I wrestled 297 days, and I know Scott did at least that or more, with 13 overseas trips thrown in there. At one point I wrestled Scott every day for seven months, in what seemed like every town across America, and the world."

A standout wrestler at Neptune High School, where he also played football, Bigelow finished among the top eight wrestlers in the state for two straight years during the late 1970s. He began training for a career in professional wrestling in the early 1980s at the Monster Factory in Bellmawr, and went on to achieve success with several different organizations.

Todd Bigelow, 46, of Springhill, Fla., would often spend time with his younger brother when he was on the road performing.

"We weren't like brothers, we were like bookends," he said. "You know how they say you can only count your friends on one hand? He had hundreds of good friends, and everybody has their own little story about how he did something for them."

"He was one of those people who would do anything for you if he was your friend," added Joseph Teresi Jr., a former Ocean Township resident who lived near Bigelow in Hudson, Fla.

In addition to his wrestling career, Bigelow appeared in three movies, including the 1995 release "Major Payne," along with guest appearances on several television shows.

"Over the last few years he wanted everyone to know he was Scott, not just Bam Bam," said his mother, Diana Bigelow of Manchester. "He wanted people to know who he really was, not just as the wrestler."

Click the blog title to go visit the Asbury Park Press

damn it's cold again

The windchill today, at almost 11 am is -12 degrees! It looks nice out though.. lots of sun, no clouds, but there's a strong gusting wind really whipping around out there.

American Idol wednesday

I don't normally watch American Idol, but Wednesday night I caught the 2nd hour. The only times I really watch is when the auditions are on and they eliminate the 'jokes' who really can't sing. The final contestant turned out to be a guy who grew up 20 minutes away in Superior Wisconsin. The Duluth News Tribune has an article today about him:

Mom angry over son's rough 'Idol' reception
Superior Daily Telegram,
Published Thursday, January 18, 2007
The mother of a former Superior man who performed on “American Idol” Wednesday is totally mystified, and not a little angry, at her son’s actions.

“My son can’t carry a tune,” she said this morning. “My son should have never been on there. I don’t have a clue why he decided on go on ‘American Idol.’”

Lorimor did not see her son’s performance — she was watching “Medium” — but has received enough comments from friends and family to know her son embarrassed himself in front of millions of people.

“I had phone calls until midnight,” she said. “I finally had to shut the phone off.”

Thoen had called her with news he had made it through the show’s first two auditions, with his third airing Wednesday. Lorimor’s response: “I want to crawl under a rock.”

But Lorimor also has a second reaction: fury. She said her son is developmentally disabled. She argues it was irresponsible of “American Idol” to have allowed Thoen on the reality show, and consequently allowing him to humiliate himself. Lorimor said she is “seriously” considering contacting FOX, the broadcast company that produces “American Idol,” and giving them a dose of her displeasure.

According to a Baltimore Sun story published today, Thoen, who is nicknamed “Red” because of his hair, said he occasionally does a little “care-oki.” He predicted success, contending he can hit the high notes.

“This is not typically a good sign. He said he is as good as Freddie Mercury and launches into ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in a high pitch and hitting none of the notes,” the newspaper said.

Judges laughed throughout his performance.

“Thoen said he can even do country. This doesn’t help. Cowell says it was ‘like a 1-year-old’ and Thoen said, ‘That was harsh!’” the newspaper reported.

You can click on the blog title to go TO the complete article

BRRRRRR It's fucking COLD

The forecast for overnight says -40 degrees WINDCHILL meaning, the air temperature feels a LOT worse because of high winds. BRRRRRRRRRRR




Obviously, the button there will change as the temp changes, but right now it says -6 and our actual windchill is -23 so it "feels like" it's -23 degrees outside.

Bert Blyleven got ripped off AGAIN!

Once again, Bert Blyleven didn't get enough votes for the baseball Hall of Fame. It doesn't make any sense. Below is an associated press story from MSNBC.com:

MINNEAPOLIS - Bert Blyleven wore down opposing hitters over 22 seasons on his way to compiling some impressive statistics.

Now in his 10th year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, Blyleven is hoping he’s wearing down the baseball writers in much the same way.

After getting just 83 votes on his first try, Blyleven received 277 votes in the 2006 results — showing up on 53.3 percent of the ballots. Election requires 75 percent of the votes, which are limited to 10-year members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Players remain on the annual ballot for up to 15 years as long as they get 5 percent of the votes each year.

Because it’s beyond his control, Blyleven will continue being patient. And because he has slowly picked up more votes each year, Blyleven will continue thinking positive about his progress.

“It’s an honor to play the game as long as I did. Whether I make it or not, I still had a lot of fun playing a kid’s game,” Blyleven said Monday from Florida, where he lives when he’s not doing his job as a television analyst for Minnesota Twins games.

Jim Rice, Rich Gossage and Andre Dawson are the other holdovers who finished with more votes than Blyleven last year, and Tony Gwynn, Mark McGwire and Cal Ripken are the headliners among 17 newcomers in the 2007 candidates.

“I vented earlier on, because I wanted my pops there,” Blyleven said, referring to his father, Joe, who died of complications from Parkinson’s disease more than two years ago. “But it’s up to the writers, and I think I’ve learned over the years to be patient. Whatever happens happens.”

Don't drive on the ice! Trucks breaking through.

Monday's News Tribune has an article about 2 different lakes, and vehicles breaking through the ice!:

Two trucks broke through ice on Duluth-area lakes over the weekend, including a pickup on Island Lake that sank in 30 feet of water. Authorities warned anglers not to drive on any lakes until it gets colder.

The Island Lake incident happened Saturday night with two men in the pickup at the time, authorities said. The men escaped, but the truck sank to the bottom and now must be recovered.

Island Lake is notorious for currents under the ice which can cause ice thickness to vary every few feet. While some areas now have more than a foot of ice, others might have just a few inches. And residents of the lake say ice thickness can change from day to day.

But temperatures above freezing and 10 to 20 degrees above normal in recent weeks have made ice on all Northland lakes suspect.

At Grand Lake on Sunday afternoon, another pickup broke through the ice, but only one wheel sank below the ice surface. There were only a few inches of ice in the area.

“The worst part about that one is the same guy went through the ice in the same spot with his ATV just a week before,” said Dale Ebel, Duluth area conservation officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He thought it had been cold enough to make the ice thicker. But it’s been so warm that we’re actually losing ice.”

Ebel is warning anglers and others not to drive on any Northland lakes until the region receives several days of below zero temperatures. That could happen by this weekend, weather forecasters say. Officials say it takes a minimum of 12 inches of ice to support a car or light truck.

“I wouldn’t drive on any lake right now. I’ve been using the ATV and walking… and I’ve found some spots I the bays with just a couple inches of ice,’’ Ebel noted. “I wouldn’t drive a vehicle on Island Lake if you paid me. Ever.’’

You wouldn't catch me even walking out on a lake right now. This probably means the Big Jig ice fishing contest held on Duluth's Pike Lake is in jeopardy right now.

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John Cena Subway Commercial, K-Fed

Today I saw the John Cena Subway commercial. It's actually a funny commercial so that's a good thing.

Tonight, Cena gets to wrestle Kevin Federline on WWE Raw so hopefully Federline comes out of the match seriously injured.. even though Wrestling is scripted.