Random thoughts of little importance.

OOOOOOOPS

2009-10-05T18:15:00.000-05:00

Having not posted anything on this blog since the Twins got Orlando Cabrera, now with another tie-breaker game on tap tomorrow .. I figured I might as well post that I expect the Twins to beat Detroit 6-3 and have to play the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs in a best of 5 series. That means the Twins MUST win one of 2 in New York to have any shot at beating the Yankees, but I'll try to not think of that until they beat Detroit.

Twins Trade For Orlando Cabrera!

2009-08-01T15:00:00.004-05:00

In a sign of the new management.. hopefully.. the Minnesota Twins traded for and received Orlando Cabrera from the Oakland A's! He's a much better career hitter than Nick Punto and hopefully can help them produce from the number two spot in the batting order, where Alexi Casilla has failed all season. Nick Punto can still get plenty of games because of his defense, where he can spell Casilla and Crede and Cabrera so he's worth keeping around.

The one thing the Twins need to do is dump Mike Redmond! Jose Morales has been up with the Twins on numerous occasions and proven he can hit major league pitching! He hit .343 in 67 at bats with the Twins, in 32 games this season... where Redmond hit all of .242 in 33 games. Besides that, Morales is a younger player who can spell Joe Mauer and an play better defense as a better athlete than Redmond.

Go Twins!

Wendy's Boneless Chicken

2009-07-24T16:50:00.002-05:00

I stopped by Wendy's today to check out the boneless chicken they have advertised on TV lately.. .. I had the honey BBQ version and the sauce was great.. but the chicken was tough and not tender at all.. I'll still try the spicy asian ones to see if that might be better but I think the chicken will still be the same, kind of tough pieces of chicken.

You get a decent portion but it's not tender like it should be!

Big Brother Seson 11

2009-07-21T20:54:00.003-05:00

I've been watching BB11 this year for a the last 2 weeks now.. and this group being put in 'cliques' might be ok.. but they have some casting problems with bringing back Jessie, from BB10 and immediately putting him in a place of power as the starting 'HoH.' He thinks he knows it all because he's been in the 'house' before and uses that to make himself seem smarter than he really is.. when really he only made it 4 weeks last year so he knows nothing.. in my opinion.

Al Franken Finally Wins Senate Seat

2009-07-02T01:16:00.002-05:00

Whether you like him or hate him.. or could care less.. I'm glad that we Minnesotans finally have 2 Senators in Washington D.C. again.. The b.s. was going on way too long with Coleman trying to take what the courts weren't giving him.

Most Annoying Thing Heard on TV This Week

2009-06-27T16:33:00.001-05:00

Michelle Wie.. giving an internet on ESPN after a round.. she says 'ya know' nearly 50 times in 3 minutes! Someone give her a grammar lesson, ya know?

Squirrel Farm?

2009-06-18T15:09:00.003-05:00

This video..is made by a nut .. ok .. made by a cat lady who may BE nuts ;) Check out her regular weekly show (minus the squirrels usually) every Friday night at 1 am Eastern (Midnight Central, 10 Pacific for those too stupid to figure that out) at the "Trailer Radio Network" on Ustream

Squirrel Training

Business Equals Lack of Random Thoughts

2009-06-15T21:56:00.002-05:00

Lately, I haven't posted anything on this blog.. though really.. I wouldn't call it lately, since I haven't posted anything on it since... January!

A few completely random thoughts in the last few months...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. really needed a new start and hopefully he's gotten it with his new crew chief.. you can't expect him to immediately start winning.. but it's a huge deal with Lance McGrew taking over for Tony Eury Jr. McGrew probably has the toughest job in Nascar right now, other than those who need to replace moneys lost with GM pulling a bunch of sponsorship money.
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Been taking lots of walks and posting photos, which are updated on one of my other blogs and posted on my website. Besides Cloquet (and some Duluth) area sports, I've posted Pro Wrestling galleries from Echo Pro Wrestling in Sartell, Minnesota, and lots of outdoor photos from walks.
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The new Ice Road Truckers season started 3 weeks ago and each week they tease more and more that one of the drivers gets into a bad accident.. I don't know if it's just for ratings ploys or not, but so far there are lots of other trucks in the ditch on this new show focusing on the Dalton Ice Road in Alaska.
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The Deadliest Catch season has actually been good so far, though it seems the show is lacking some of the drama of last season's medical emergencies until last week's accident trying to put up a tarp on the Wizard, with the episode ending in the hospital.

On the same subject.. Mike Rowe isn't hosting 'After the Catch' anymore, being replaced by Ben Bailey who hosts Cash Cab on Discovery. I think Cash Cab is a joke and can't stand Bailey on it so I don't know that he can make After the Catch the show it's been before. Ratings of 'ATC' will of course be the sign if he's successful.
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The Minnesota Twins bullpen is lame... they used to be a shut-down bullpen that kept hte team in leads.. but this year the only really consistent pitcher from the 'pen' is Joe Nathan. The starters haven't been *that* bad and have given the bullpen leads that they've lost on many ocassions leading to a medicocre .500 season so far.

That's plenty of thoughts for now.. even though the Minnesota Wild, and Timberwolves, have both got new GM's who hopefully can turn their seasons around. I'll deal with those thoughts at a later time.

Funny Video, Only in Los Angeles

2009-01-30T22:25:00.000-06:00

What happens when Californians experience hail?

L.A Hailstorm

Finally, NBA 2K9 on the PC

2009-01-02T19:01:00.002-06:00

In the beginning of this year, I sold my old X-box and haven't replaced it with a newer video game system because I have a computer able to play the best games..

EA (Electronic Arts) decided to get OUT of the PC Sports game world because of video game pirates copying games...

2K Sports has finally come out with their NBA 2k9 and so far it's a great game.. I only bought it today.. but I don't have a single complaint about it yet.. the crowd noise is great.. the players look ultra-realistic and have gotten better every year..and the controls aren't bad either!

The best part of the game is Kevin Harlin. I don't know which year they added him but I've been a huge fan of him since he started working for the Timberwolves in their inaugural season. The call I remember most is Tom Gugliotta making a play, and Harlin yelling 'Great Googily Moogily!' I know my opinion doesn't count for *THAT* much, and I don't post my opinions (and random thoughts) as much as I really would like to.. but Harlin's one of the BEST NBA play by play guys.. even better than Marv 'Cross Dresser' Albert!

This My Name is Earl & The Office Sandwich Tastes Terrible

2008-10-16T19:31:00.003-05:00

NBC is forcing Molly Shannon down our throats!! She's nasty 'fugly,' and her comedy isn't very good either... so they put her new sitcom between the two GOOD Thursday night sitcoms, My Name is Earl and The Office....This show Kath & Kim is terrible at best, even with decent looking Selma Blair.

Myspace Heroes

2008-08-10T15:23:00.000-05:00

I just started playing Heroes on mysapce.com If you have a small mob and want to add another player click the blog title and let's get together for the Heroes app!

Michael Symon New Host

2008-08-05T01:11:00.003-05:00

Food Network is showing commercials for the new season of Dinner Impossible with Michael Symon (who I mistakenly spelled Simon in a post before.)

Robert Irvine as most people know lied about a lot of information on his resume and was dropped from this great show. Hopefully Symon can be as entertaining as Irvine always had been!

My NEW Website

2008-06-21T18:51:00.002-05:00

Less than two weeks ago, I opened a BRAND NEW WEBSITE! called View Through My Lens. There's going to be a ton of photo galleries AND the website goes along with my Photo Blog. Right now there are a few galleries up, including a gallery of CLOUD photos,
and a great gallery of Heavy On Wrestling photos shot on June 14th in Superior Wisconsin.

There will be a lot more galleries in the future as I bring my camera to more and more places :) Most will be Northern Minnesota photos, seeing how I live in Northern Minnesota. Click the blog title to view the site!

Michael Simon Battle Finally

2008-06-09T12:24:00.002-05:00

A commercial last night during Iron Chef America, advertised a new Michael Simon Battle for next Sunday (the 15th.) It's about time they had a new battle with someone OTHER than Bobby Flay or Cat Cora. It seems like Food Network is pushing Bobby Flay for every show they've got, since he's a big part of 'The Next Food Network Star,' a show which I do not watch. Let's see some other 'Iron Chefs' do battle.

Completely Random Stuff, WWE/WCW Wrestling Entrance Themes

2008-06-05T01:15:00.003-05:00

Out of complete boredom I went to Youtube to see what there was online for old WWE Wrestlers entrance themes.. a few of my favorites..

Jimmy Superfly Snuka

Ultimate Warrior's Rollin Dead Man Walkin! Keep Rollin!

Steve Austin Titantron

Ya can't post any of these entrance videos without the DX Entrance.. even though the 2007+ version of DX has been really lame with "Shawn Michaels" fricken religious kick.

The NwO Wolfpac theme from WCW was also a great one

Shane McMahon ShanoMac titantron video

Ya can't mention money without
Ted DiBiase.. one of the classic's

Ok, so wrestling is "fake" and "scripted" but who cares?

Ice Road Truckers Season 2!!

2008-06-02T01:50:00.002-05:00

Ice Road Truckers Season 2 starts this week! Tonight (Sunday Night) was the Season 2 preview show. There have been posts online that they weren't filming a season 2 because it's too dangerous... but that was just for the diamond mines I guess. Season 2 is 1000 miles NORTH of the other ice road.. and they drove on the Arctic Ocean for this season. As with last year, this season will be on History Channel at 8 pm central/9 Eastern. This was one of my favorite shows to watch last summer and hopefully is this year also.

Iron Chef America, Michael Simon

2008-03-16T14:10:00.003-05:00

I know I don't post on this blog that often, but I'm going to start trying to, along with posting on my Photo Blog a lot more often..

A while back I posted about Michael Simon winning the Iron Chef America contest to find a new Iron Chef....The thing is.. they've had new Iron Chef episodes on lately and I still haven't seen him actually "battle" in an episode since the first one he did...

Same with Mario Batali, who it turns out is still an Iron Chef though there were rumors that he'd left the show which was the reason for the contest. There have been more Iron Chef Cora and Iron Chef Flay episodes than the others... I'd rather seen more Morimoto, Simon, and Batali Iron Chef episodes than watch Cat Cora lose once in a while.

Just wanted to do a little rant so there ;)

Cool Aquarium Webcams

2008-01-06T20:35:00.000-06:00

I've always liked watching live streaming webcams of different places, including aquariums such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Check it out.. click on the blog title. Occasionally on the Kelp Forest cam you can watch aquarium employees feed fish and even do live Q&A sessions.

They also have sea and fresh water otter cams, penguin cams (which are offline now) and an aviary as well.

Carl Pohlad, Cheap Bastard

2007-11-25T12:21:00.001-06:00

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

2007-11-24T23:39:00.000-06:00

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

Iron Chef DVD's Petition

2007-11-18T21:59:00.000-06:00

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'

2007-11-12T00:52:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-11T01:29:00.000-05:00

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

Web Hosting Nightmare, Stay Away From Shieldhost

2007-09-14T16:20:00.001-05:00

For 1+1/2 years I've had a website called Clickonthese.com hosted by a company called Shieldhost.com. In the past 5 months I've had a site called We B Pervs hosted by Host Gator.

Shieldhost is the crappiest webhosting company I've found and I'm transferring that website to my Host Gator account because Shieldhost is crappy and doesn't respond to messages for help and their email system doesn't return tickets asking for password changes.

Host Gator has been perfect for me, answering problems within 2 hours every time and is nice enough to offer more help via email for transferring my domain name.

Anyway, STAY AWAY FROM SHIELDHOST.COM as your hosting service.. their customer support would work better if it were run by monkeys.

LA Ink Show Rocks

2007-09-05T20:40:00.000-05:00

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??

2007-08-09T21:32:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-22T13:49:00.001-05:00

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?

2007-06-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-21T12:08:00.000-05:00

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.

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Sex on the ledge? That takes brains.

New Siding, house & garage

2007-06-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-13T17:35:00.001-05:00

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!

2007-06-04T19:39:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-14T13:07:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-05-07T15:05:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-05T16:37:00.001-05:00

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!

2007-04-01T13:40:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-19T13:34:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-03-17T18:44:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-05T15:33:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-28T14:59:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-25T10:45:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-22T16:05:00.001-06:00

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

2007-02-16T16:59:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-13T22:48:00.000-06:00

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!

2007-02-11T20:54:00.000-06:00

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

Honeycombs cereal changed, it sucks!

2007-02-09T13:09:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-30T13:05:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-28T11:15:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-19T10:46:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-18T22:33:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-15T23:56:00.000-06:00

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!

2007-01-10T12:11:00.000-06:00

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.

2007-01-08T11:37:00.000-06:00

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.

Vitacost.com

2007-01-02T22:16:00.000-06:00

Through a link at the bottom of the blog, or through this entry.... try Vitacost.com and save a ton of money on vitamins!

Search my Blog

2007-01-01T16:41:00.001-06:00

Don't forget, you can do your GOOGLE searches, OR search my blog at the bottom of any page of my blog!

John Cena Subway Commercial, K-Fed

2007-01-01T15:48:00.000-06:00

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.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2006-12-31T20:00:00.000-06:00

I'm 4 hours early, but Happy New Year already :)

Oberstar Taking Fight to Invasive Species

2006-12-31T13:02:00.000-06:00

This is a long article from the Duluth News Tribune today, that focuses on invasive species that are infecting/affecting our lakes, and Great Lakes as well.

Invasive species targeted
John Myers Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, December 31, 2006
The incoming chairman of the U.S. House committee that oversees ports and shipping vows to head the federal government’s strongest action ever to regulate ships’ ballast water and thwart invasive species.

U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., soon to be chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he’ll hold hearings in coming months.

He promised to pass a bill in 2007 ordering ships to treat their ballast water to ensure that foreign species can’t be moved into U.S. waters or spread between the Great Lakes.
Zebra mussels.
Zebra mussels.
On the day a Michigan law targeting ballast water takes effect, and on the heels of a federal judge’s order that ballast water be regulated as water pollution, it’s the strongest sign yet the federal government will act on invasive species.

“We were in a position to start taking action in the 1980s and early 1990s, and we could have stopped many of these species from coming in,” Oberstar said in a recent interview with the News Tribune. But opponents to ballast regulations “said there wasn’t the technology. They said it was too expensive. They said it wasn’t enforceable and that we needed more science. Bullshit. We don’t need any more scientific certainty. We know how adversely these species have affected the Great Lakes. It’s time to take action.”

Oberstar called invasive species the top threat to Great Lakes ecosystems and among the nation’s most-pressing environmental problems.

“Mercury [pollution] is a problem. But mercury doesn’t reproduce. Viruses reproduce. Zebra mussels reproduce. Lamprey reproduce. We have to stop that chain now or we’ll lose control,” Oberstar said. “We’re going to move a bill that has strong enforcement of ballast water to stop the destruction of one-fifth of the world’s fresh water. … If the president vetoes it, it will be on his grave marker, not mine.”

Stars aligning for action

The ballast water issue, simmering for decades, has started boiling. The signs:

* Last year a federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to start regulating ballast water under the federal Clean Water Act by September 2008.

* A new Michigan law that demands permits for saltwater ships takes effect Monday. If ships exchange ballast, they’re required to treat it to kill exotic species. Experts predict a showdown over jurisdiction.

* On July 1, a Washington state law will begin requiring state permits for ships entering state waters and requiring ballast water exchange outside state borders. California and Oregon have similar laws intended to add teeth to existing federal policy. Minnesota and Wisconsin haven’t taken any action on ballast water to stem invasive species.

* A new exotic species has emerged in the Great Lakes in the past year, killing fish across wide areas. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia — or VHS — has infected 27 species, killing fish from Lake St. Clair near Detroit into Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and a New York lake. The saltwater virus is expected to spread west, possibly devastating native fish stocks in Lake Superior within years.

More than 20 years after zebra mussels invaded the Great Lakes, the emergence of a virus that can quickly kill native fish has pushed the issue of invasive species control into a new era of urgency.

“We support what Michigan has done, because Congress has dragged its feet for 20 years,” said Jordan Lubetkin, spokesman for the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office. “But we really need a national solution, and it appears the stars may finally be about to align to get that. People are fed up with things like VHS killing fish. Fishermen are fed up. And this isn’t just about the Great Lakes. We’re talking Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf Coast and San Francisco Bay.”

Industry officials agree, although a fight is likely on the timeframe and methods. The shipping industry would have to spend millions of dollars to comply.

“I think we’re seeing the heat being turned up, mostly because of the change in leadership in Congress,” said Steve Fisher, executive director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association. “The Democrats appear more willing to take action on this. If this new momentum leads to federal legislation, that would be great. Our industry has been pleading for a federal law.”

The emergence of VHS also adds a controversial wrinkle to ballast water regulation, Fisher said. Michigan’s law and past federal proposals have focused on saltwater vessels. But with VHS already in the Great Lakes, protections would only work if they also applied to lakers — vessels that never leave the Great Lakes.

“We’re talking a whole new issue here that’s going to have huge ramifications,” Fisher said. “Imagine if someone decides that VHS has to be stopped and that we can’t move ballast around in the lakes? That kills your taconite industry and the Iron Range overnight.”

INVASIVE HITCHHIKERS

Ballast water is used to help balance ships so they float evenly and steer better. Ships can carry more than 2 million gallons of ballast water that must be moved quickly into and out of tanks as they unload or take on a load.

There are at least 183 invasive species in the Great Lakes, and scientists say the majority got here hitchhiking in ships’ ballast. A new invasive species is found in the lakes every 28 weeks, on average.

But it’s far from just a Great Lakes issue.

The U.S. Geological Service estimates that 45,000 vessels globally are moving some 7,000 different species in their ballast on any given day. Experts say there are now more foreign species in San Francisco Bay than native species.

Industry officials note that, even if all shipping ended, exotic species still would invade U.S waters.

The mean-looking snakehead fish found in East Coast waterways recently was imported by Asian chefs as a delicacy that needs to be transported live. The giant, leaping Asian carp now thriving in the Mississippi River system and threatening to enter the Great Lakes is spreading without any help from ships. Imported to the U.S. by fish farmers to clean fish holding ponds, it escaped during floods.

“We’d like to see comprehensive aquatic invasive species legislation, not just ballast water,” Lubetkin said. “It’s impossible to talk about restoring the Great Lakes if you don’t stop invasive species.”

Testing ballast treatment

Shipping industry leaders say nearly 40 companies have developed on-ship technology to treat ballast water. Several of those products are expected to be available to ship owners in coming months.

In the Twin Ports, the Great Ships Initiative is working to test ballast treatment in the lab at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, in giant on-land tanks being built near Barker’s Island and on vessels later this year. The effort is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Great Lakes port authorities.

“We expect to get something [in a ship] on the water this spring,” Fisher said. “We have several vendors who say they are almost there with the technology. We just want to make sure it really works before someone spends $1 million on something.”

While the Michigan law requires one of four specific technologies — two chemical treatments, ultra-violet light and deoxygenating water — Fisher said the best treatment may be by another means or a combination of methods to kill even microscopic organisms.

Other technologies are being tested at similar facilities in Key West, Fla.; Tacoma, Wash.; Norway and Singapore.

Duluth scientist Gary Glass, a former EPA researcher, said the solution might be easier and less expensive than previously believed. Glass envisions a system that would use chlorine to kill organisms inside the ballast tanks of ships and then use sulfur dioxide to render the chlorine harmless before it’s released into a harbor.

Whatever technology is used, environmentalists say it’s up to the federal government to set a standard that will keep everything from new viruses to mussels to ruffe out of U.S. waters.

“The industry has had 20 years to do something on their own. The time has come for the government to set a strict standard and then hold the industry to it,” Lubetkin said.

But Jim Sharrow, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth’s facilities manager, said it may be impossible to kill 100 percent of invasive species.

“Hospitals aren’t even 100 percent sterile,” he said. “You can get close. But trying to make a [ship’s ballast] totally sterile, that may not happen.”

SKYPE is now available through Google Pack

2006-12-30T20:22:00.000-06:00

Click the title of this entry to go to google pack and download some fun computer accessories. SKYPE is a program that allows you to make internet phone calls, voice (with your speakers/mic or headset with a mic) to anyone who uses the program. It is one of the most popular programs out there right now for download.

NOW will you please fire Glen Mason?

2006-12-30T12:03:00.000-06:00

I didn't watch the game when I got home from a high school basketball game.. since I was told the score was 21-0 Gophers... then on the radio it was 38-7 a story said... well ESPN.com tells it:

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Trailing Minnesota by four touchdowns at halftime, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach told his team it had a chance to make history.

The pep talk turned out to be a prediction.

The Red Raiders spotted Minnesota a 31-point, third-quarter lead, then rallied for a stunning 44-41 overtime victory in the Insight Bowl Friday night, the largest comeback in Division I-A bowl history.

The previous record for a bowl comeback was 30 points, set by Marshall against East Carolina in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.

"We talked at halftime that we had a great opportunity to make history, and the reason people come to Texas Tech is to play all 60 minutes," said Leach, who fought back tears during a postgame interview.

It took Tech more than 60 minutes to earn one of the more improbable victories in its history.

Tech (8-6) appeared finished after Minnesota (6-7) took a 38-7 lead with 7:47 to go in the third quarter. But the Red Raiders mounted a furious comeback, scoring 31 unanswered points in less than 20 minutes.

Alex Trlica's 52-yard field goal as regulation expired sent the game into overtime.

Joel Monroe kicked a 32-yard field goal to put Minnesota up 41-38 in overtime, but Shannon Woods scored on a 3-yard run to win it for the Red Raiders.

That sparked a wild celebration for the Red Raiders, who mobbed each other while the shocked Gophers trudged to the locker room.

"Everyone felt like, 'Hey, we're going to win,'" said Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, who was selected bowl MVP after throwing for 445 yards and two touchdowns. "If you believe, good things can happen."

Tech's comeback began with 4:58 to go in the third quarter, when Harrell hit Phoenix native Joel Filani for a 43-yard score to cut the lead to 38-14. That started an avalanche that buried Minnesota in the first meeting of the schools.

"We're an offense that can score in a hurry, and everyone knows that," Harrell said.

Trailing 38-35 with no timeouts, the Red Raiders took over at their own 11 with 1:06 remaining. Eight plays later, Trlica tied it.

Woods rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns and Filani caught nine passes for 144 yards.

For Minnesota, Amir Pinnix ran for 179 yards, Bryan Cupito threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns and tight end Jack Simmons caught seven passes for 134 yards.

Minnesota set a school bowl scoring record, and Cupito, a senior, tied Asad Abdul-Khaliq's career record of 55 touchdown passes. The records were little consolation in the end.

"We just broke down," Minnesota linebacker Mike Sherels said. "You just kind of got the feeling that we were back on our heels and playing not to lose instead of playing to win."

That's not how the Gophers opened the game. They jumped ahead 7-0 after Leach went for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 45 on the opening series. Harrell was stopped on a sneak, and six plays later Cupito found Simmons for a 2-yard touchdown with 9:27 to go in the first quarter.

Four minutes later, Minnesota made it 14-0 after Sherels intercepted Harrell at Tech's 37. Pinnix capped a six-play drive with a 2-yard run.

Another Harrell turnover killed a Tech scoring drive. He fumbled on a sack by Willie VanDeSteeg, and Steve Davis recovered at the Golden Gophers' 13. Minnesota marched 87 yards -- its longest scoring drive of the year -- to take a 21-0 lead on Justin Valentine's 1-yard plunge on the first play of the second quarter.

Tech had a chance to slice the deficit when cornerback Antonio Huffman picked off Cupito's pass at the Minnesota 20. But Pinnix jarred the ball loose, and it bounded into the end zone, where the Gophers recovered for a touchback.

After Tech's Shannon Woods scored from 1 yard out to make it 28-7, the Gophers answered with an 81-yard drive that ended in a 3-yard touchdown pass from Cupito to Logan Payne in the final minute of the first half.

Minnesota looked as if it ended any Tech hopes for a comeback by opening the third quarter with a 16-play, 78-yard drive that consumed 7:13. Monroe's 20-yard field goal gave the Gophers a 38-7 lead.

"Everything was going our way," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said.

But it turned out to be a mirage.

Afterward, interviewers told Leach that his team had indeed made history. His locker room rhetoric had turned into a record.

"Didn't realize it until the end, but I knew it was kind of a big one," Leach said. "Quite honestly, despite that, I would have liked to have spotted them less points in order to come back from behind to win this thing."

Goodbye Glen Mason, don't let the Metrodome door hit ya in the ass!

Finally.. snow!

2006-12-29T12:26:00.000-06:00

We've got almost 2 inches now I think.... the first real snow that MIGHT stick around until the end of February. They're calling for light snow almost every day until Tuesday ... but.. they never can predict that correctly that far ahead

National Sports Center, Blaine Minnesota

2006-12-28T23:25:00.000-06:00

Today, I went to the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN for the first time, to watch a couple girls High School hockey Schwan's Cup tournament games. I'd never been down there to the complex and it's even better than I thought it would be, even though the CEC (Cloquet) girls lost to Benilde St. Margaret's 1-0.

The parking lot is nice and large, the rinks aren't bad to watch games in..and the lobby is great, with viewing windows to all 4 ice sheets in the SSR (Schwan's Super Rinks).. the concession stand is nice also.

I was told it's even better in the summer when there's soccer etc going on, so there might be plans for a trip down there to look around during summer daylight sometime.

Sports Cards for sale

2006-12-26T23:42:00.000-06:00

I've decided to sell sports cards on eBay again more than doing the consignment auctions. The consignment auction business has been really slow the past 3 months so I've decided to list as many sports cards as possible and keep them listed in my eBay store. I'll still sell stuff FOR people but, on my own time rather than their time.

Listings are available HERE

Saddam to be HUNG within 30 days!

2006-12-26T16:54:00.000-06:00

FOXNEWS.COM(click to go TO the article) today:

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi appeals court has upheld the death sentence imposed on Saddam Hussein at his first trial, Iraq's national security adviser said Tuesday, and a tribunal official said the verdict will be carried out even if the presidency doesn't ratify it.

"The appeals court approved the verdict to hang Saddam," Mouwafak al-Rubaie told The Associated Press.

On Nov. 5, an Iraqi court sentenced Saddam to the gallows for the 1982 killings of 148 people from a Shiite Muslim town after an attempt on his life there.

The appeals court decision must be ratified by President Jalal Talabani and Iraq's two vice presidents. Talabani opposes the death penalty but has in the past deputized a vice president to sign an execution order on his behalf — a substitute that was legally accepted.

Once the decision is ratified, Saddam and other co-defendants sentenced to death at the trial would be hanged within 30 days.

Raed Juhi, a spokesman for the High Tribunal court that convicted Saddam, said the Iraqi judicial system would ensure that Saddam is executed even if Talabani and the two vice presidents do not ratify the decision.

"We'll implement the verdict by the power of the law," Juhi said without elaborating.

The appeals court was expected to announce its decision at a news conference later in the day.

An official on the High Tribunal court said the appeals court also upheld death sentences for Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam's half brother and intelligence chief during the Dujail killings, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court, which issued the death sentences against the Dujail residents.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the appeals court concluded the sentence of life imprisonment given former vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan was too lenient and returned his file to the High Tribunal. Ramadan was convicted of premeditated murder in the Dujail case.

The official said the appeals court demanded the death penalty for Ramadan in a letter to the High Tribunal.

At his trial, Saddam argued that the Dujail residents who were killed had been found guilty in a legitimate Iraqi court for trying to assassinate him in 1982.

The televised was watched throughout Iraq and the Middle East as much for theater as for substance. Saddam was ejected from the courtroom repeatedly for political harangues, and his half brother, Ibrahim, once showed up in long underwear and sat with his back to the judges.

The nine-month trial inflamed Iraq's political divide, however, and three defense lawyers and a witness were murdered during the course of its 39 sessions.

Saddam is in the midst of a second trial charging him with genocide and other crimes during a 1987-88 military crackdown on ethnic Kurds in northern Iraq. An estimated 180,000 Kurds died during the operation.

The trial is in recess until Jan. 8. It is unclear how the appeals court ruling Tuesday might affect proceedings in the trial, which includes defendants who were not involved in the Dujail case.

Saddam was captured by U.S. soldiers while hiding with an unfired pistol in a hole in the ground near his home village north of Baghdad in December 2003, eight months after he fled the capital ahead of advancing American troops.

Check out my SPONSORS

2006-12-25T12:59:00.000-06:00

On this blog, I have put up blog sponsors..Including the freebie newsletter, which is free to subscribe to and is not spam. It is a list that tells you were to find good free stuff online!

If you like what you read, take a peak at some of the sponsors :)

As always, this blog is best viewed in Firefox (see bottom left to download Firefox!)

I'm Dreaming of a GREEN? Christmas

2006-12-25T12:37:00.000-06:00

Well, it's Christmas Day..... and it's GREEN outside still. We've got a 20% chance forecast for snow or rain today... but.. that isn't going to make it a white Christmas.

It's still a GOOD Christmas it's just the wrong color.

That brings me to this funny picture:

Wrestling websites

2006-12-24T01:20:00.000-06:00

On my page of my favorite Pro Wrestling Websites: http://clickonthese.com/wrestlingsites.html I added a bunch of wrestling items you can buy just by clicking on their picture. They're for sale at Walmart.com's website so.. just click the picture and it'll put the item in your 'shopping cart' on the website.

Over time I'll be adding items on other pages that you can buy through walmart.com as well. I feel shopping online saves the headaches of waiting in line in a Walmart store.

Japanese catch giant squid!

2006-12-23T00:11:00.000-06:00

The story's been in all the newspapers but Fox News seems to have the best pictures of the Giant Squid that was caught by the Japanese.::>

TOKYO — A Japanese research team has succeeded in filming a giant squid live — possibly for the first time — and says the elusive creatures may be more plentiful than previously believed, a researcher said Friday.

The research team, led by Tsunemi Kubodera, videotaped the giant squid at the surface as they captured it off the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo earlier this month.

The squid, which measured about 24 feet long, died while it was being caught.

"We believe this is the first time anyone has successfully filmed a giant squid that was alive," said Kubodera, a researcher with Japan's National Science Museum. "Now that we know where to find them, we think we can be more successful at studying them in the future."

Giant squid, formally called Architeuthis, are the world's largest invertebrates.

Because they live in the depths of the ocean, they have long been wrapped in mystery and embellished in the folklore of sea monsters, appearing in ancient Greek myths or attacking the submarine in Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

The captured squid was caught using a smaller type of squid as bait, and was pulled into a research vessel "after putting up quite a fight," Kubodera said.

"It took two people to pull it in, and they lost it once, which might have caused the injuries that killed it," he said.

The squid, a female, was not fully grown and was relatively small by giant squid standards. The longest one on record is 60 feet, he said.

Kubodera and his team had been conducting expeditions in the area for about three years before they succeeded in making their first contact two years ago.

Last year, the team succeeded in taking a series of still photos of one of the animals in its natural habitat — also believed to have been a first.

Until the team's successes, most scientific study of the creatures had to rely on partial specimens that had washed ashore dead or dying or had been found in the digestive systems of whales or very large sharks.

Kubodera said whales led his team to the squid. By finding an area where whales fed, he believed he could find the animals. He also said that, judging by the number of whales that feed on them, there may be many more giant squid than previously thought.

"Sperm whales need from 500 to 1,000 kilograms (1,100-2,200 pounds) of food every day," he said. "There are believed to be 200,000 or so of them, and that would suggest there are quite a few squid for them to be feeding on. I don't think they are in danger of extinction at all."

Click on my blog title to go to the fox news site with the pictures.

NFL Network???? Yeah Right

2006-12-22T02:06:00.000-06:00

The Vikings lost to the Packers 9-7 tonight ... and a large part of the state didn't even watch.... NOT because they didn't want to (well, ok.. some of us decided to do better things)... but.. because MANY of us do not get the NFL Network on our cable systems.

Instead of going some place and watching the game, I went to the high school hockey game in town and had a much better time than I would have watching Brad Childress' offense do nothing all game. Tarvaris Jackson will be a good quarterback when he's had a full preseason to learn the NFL game. Hopefully Brad Childress will put in more plays suitable for moving the ball forward next year since he'll have a much more athletic quarterback than Brad Johnson.

Make money with your blog!

2006-12-20T13:05:00.000-06:00

Not only can you put ADSENSE (you know, the little boxes with ads in them) on your blog to make money.. you can put advertising from companies YOU choose on your blog, like I did with the uBid ad.

Click the box below and join fineclicks.com and ad small advertising to your blog entries OR ad them as HTML boxes on your blog as well with the layout editor! Fineclicks has great FREE companies such as hypersweep that offer FREE contests and drawings to people, and every new person who enters a drawing earns you money if you offer them the drawing through your blog (or website.)

I'll show a couple of their contests in a couple days, but some include winning money, or candy, or free gasoline for your car!. You can earn 35 cents PER person who enters some of the contests, besides the other great companies that use Fineclicks to let you market them.

Fineclicks doesn't charge you anything to join either so there's no risk and 100% reward!

UBid.com offers hot deals WITH warranties!

2006-12-19T23:57:00.000-06:00

On the left border of my blog, check out uBid.com:

uBid.com is the marketplace you can trust! uBid.com offers brand-name merchandise at a deep discount through an online auctions and fixed price items. Most auctions start at $1 and come with manufacturer warranties. At uBid.com, customers can save up to 70% on their purchases. Products include:

* Computers
* Consumer Electronics
* Home & Garden
* Jewelry & Watches
* Music, Movies and Games
* Plus much more!

Just click the uBid.com box and check out the great deals!

Merry Christmas, even the BAD get a gift

2006-12-19T17:19:00.000-06:00

Since it is that time of the year.. I'm going to share my favorite Christmas card, that I found online 2 years ago and sent a couple people:

I think this is great anyway... I took some paper that was a little thicker and printed if off as a Christmas Card!

Green Christmas?

2006-12-19T17:18:00.001-06:00

Ya know what really is starting to suck? There's no snow! This is Northern Minnesota.. there is supposed to be SNOW on the ground during Christmas time! Sheesh

'Older Posts"

2006-12-18T23:00:00.000-06:00

I just happened to notice, if you look to the right BELOW this post or other posts.. there's a link that says 'Older posts' where you can click it and it brings you back one post. The new template etc has some good to it after all.. (definitely lots of randomness today/tonight.)

Tarvaris Jackson hopefully playing Thursday

2006-12-18T20:26:00.000-06:00

Even though the game is on the NFL Network and a lot of us won't get to WATCH the game against the Packers.. Hopefully Tarvaris Jackson gets to start against them instead of Brad Johnson. Johnson is old and slow, while Jackson has speed and agility that Johnson's never had!

OK, Changes finished I think

2006-12-18T20:15:00.000-06:00

I've decided to change the blog to where there's the last post made is the one you see. We'll see how it goes like this for a while and what kind of feedback or comments I get about it.

The college women's hockey blog, I'll keep the old way for now. It's easy to go back and see what you've missed.. just click on the left where it says Blog Archive and choose the month you want!

Working on changing some blog stuff

2006-12-18T20:07:00.001-06:00

I'm editing some shit just to see how it looks etc.. trying to figure out how to put the GOOGLE ADSENSE ads after each post in the beta templates right now.

George Karl tells off Isiah Thomas

2006-12-18T18:28:00.000-06:00

I missed this when it happened, but Fox News has a great article up about the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks brawl:

NEW YORK — Denver Nuggets coach George Karl used a mouthful of expletives to describe Isiah Thomas Monday after the NBA failed to penalize the New York Knicks coach for his part in the court brawl that erupted between the two teams.

Reacting to suspensions of three of his top players by the NBA league office, Karl referred to Thomas as being "... full of [expletive], he's a total [expletive] who should be held accountable for what his actions were."

The Nuggets allege Thomas called on one of his players to commit the flagrant foul which started the brawl at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 15 games and six other players were penalized as NBA commissioner David Stern came down hard on both teams for the fighting.

Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith each got 10 games, and four other players also were suspended. Stern fined each organization $500,000. But there was no separate penalty for Thomas, who had warned Anthony not to go into the lane before the mayhem started.

It was the NBA's scariest scene since the brawl between Pacers players and Pistons fans two years ago. The league is still recovering from that episode, and Stern made it clear the players must learn to control themselves.

"We're going to go after the players who aren't able to stop," he said during a conference call. "We have set up the goal of eliminating fighting from our game. We haven't eliminated it completely."

Anthony's suspension was the sixth longest in NBA history. Mardy Collins, whose hard foul on Smith sparked the fighting, was suspended six games and Knicks teammate Jared Jeffries will miss four. Also, the Knicks' Jerome James and Denver's Nene were both penalized one game for leaving the bench area during the chaos.

Ten players were ejected after the fight, which started with 1:15 left in Denver's 123-100 victory. The punishments were announced before both teams were to play Monday night — New York at home against Utah; Denver at home against Washington.

"I was very disappointed," Stern said. "Clearly, we're not getting through or players in certain circumstances just don't want to be restrained. I would suggest that those players will not have long careers in the NBA."

Stern was especially troubled by the fight between Robinson and Smith that spilled into the stands.

"My concern is actually for the safety of the players and the fans, and when things get out of hand you cannot predict or project where they're going to go," Stern said. "There were certain players who weren't going to allow themselves to be calmed."

There was speculation Thomas would be penalized for his comments to Anthony. Stern acknowledged hearing about it, but said he relied only on "definitive information" when handing out punishments.

But he was clearly annoyed by remarks from Thomas and the Knicks after the game that the problems were caused by the Nuggets still having four starters on the floor late in a blowout. And the fine showed he wants teams to be serious in helping him clean up the game.

"It's a more general message that I'm going to start holding our teams accountable," he said.

Collins prevented Smith from an easy basket by grabbing him by the neck and taking him to the floor. Smith rose and immediately started jawing with Collins, and Robinson jumped in to pull Smith away. Anthony shoved Robinson away, and Robinson and Smith then tumbled into the front row while fighting.

Just as things appeared to be calming down, Anthony threw a hard punch that floored Collins, and Jeffries sprinted from the baseline toward halfcourt in an effort to get at Anthony, but was tackled by a Denver player.

By the time security had finally contained Smith, they were nearly at the opposite end of the court from where the fighting started.

Before Stern talked, the Knicks held their morning shootaround, where Thomas didn't back away from the Knicks' postgame assertions that some of the problems were caused by Denver coach George Karl leaving his starters on the floor too long in a blowout.

"I can't speak for him, but he put his players in a tough position," Thomas said. "I think he put his players in a very bad position."

In Denver, Karl was irate with Thomas. Karl accused Thomas of a "premeditated" act, underscoring his disgust with the New York coach with expletives.

"It was directed by Isiah," he said during a shootaround. "I think his actions after the game were despicable. He made a bad situation worse. I'll swear on my children's life that I never thought about running up the score. I wanted to get a big win on the road."

"My team has had trouble holding leads at the end of games," he added. "I didn't want the score to get under 10 points because if it would've gotten under 10 points it would've had a negative feeling on my team."

Karl has bigger problems now. He'll be without Anthony until the Nuggets' game at Houston on Jan. 20, and Smith will be gone until Jan. 8. That duo combines for more than 48 points a game.

"It's going to be tough," said Nuggets center Marcus Camby, one of the five players ejected who wasn't suspended. "It's already tough being in the Western Conference, and missing guys like J.R. and Carmelo is going to make it even worse."

Anthony's conduct represents a big blow to the player, team and league. He starred as a captain on the U.S. team at the world championships this summer, and had been getting more marketing opportunities as one of the league's brightest young stars.

Stern took none of that into account when issuing his decision.

"We judged him on his actions on the court, period," Stern said. "And they deserved a harsh penalty."

FOX News' Denis King and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Somehow, I actually missed that this happened because I've had a busy week.

Superior 20 yr olds save man from drowning while ice fishing

2006-12-17T17:35:00.000-06:00

Saturday's News Tribune had this great article about 2 Superior Wisconsin 20 yr olds saving a 65 yr old man from drowning:

Two Superior men stage risky rescue of fellow ice angler
Sam Cook Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, December 16, 2006
Aaron Mikulich and Norm Holt could hear the cries from out on the lake. The two men were heading out to go ice fishing on Crystal Lake near Iron River on Monday afternoon.

“Instantly, I knew what it was,” said Mikulich, who lives in Superior. “I looked over to where I’d seen a guy ice fishing earlier, and just saw his head sticking up. I heard, ‘Help! Help me!’ ”

The fisherman’s cries set in motion a daring thin-ice rescue by the two men, both 20. Mikulich and Holt were fishing for northern pike and crappies from the Mikulich family cabin on Crystal Lake. The rescue took place about 2 p.m., Mikulich said. Other than the victim, no other anglers were out.

The fisherman was Dennis Schumacher, 65, of Brule. An avid angler, Schumacher was out to fish for bluegills. He had drilled one hole and found 3½ inches of ice and another with 4 inches. But he wanted to be farther from shore and drilled another hole in 3 inches of ice.

“I heard some cracking, and I was down,” Schumacher said.

When Mikulich and Holt heard his cries, Holt grabbed an Otter plastic sled that he and Mikulich had been using and began running toward Schumacher. He was holding his arms across the ice to keep his head and shoulders out of the water. Mikulich ran for the cabin to get life jackets and a rope to throw Schumacher. All he could find were two dog leashes, which he clipped together to make a 25-foot length of line. As Mikulich went running back across the lake, he could see Holt running across the ice.

“Every step he was taking, I could see the ice, like, bouncing,” Mikulich said. “We cut back toward shore.”

Schumacher was about 70 yards from shore in about 15 feet of water, Mikulich said.

“We were worried,” he said. “The guy was screaming for help. Adrenaline took over. We knew what we had to do.”

Mikulich and Holt spread out on the ice and got as close as they dared — about 25 feet — to throw the line to Schumacher.

“The whole time this was going on, we could hear the ice creaking,” Mikulich said.

Both he and Holt weigh about170 pounds.

Meanwhile, Schumacher had other thoughts.

“All I was thinking of was, I haven’t filled out that damned living will,” Schumacher said.

Once Holt and Mikulich got close enough, they threw Schumacher the tethered dog leashes. Mikulich wrapped one end around his wrist to get a secure grip. Then they began pulling.

“We kept slipping,” Mikulich said. “There was no snow on the ice. I don’t know how, but somehow we caught an edge.”

They pulled Schumacher part way out of the hole, but the ice kept breaking under his weight. That happened two or three times, Schumacher said. Finally, the young men were able to get Schumacher out of the water and onto the ice, where he rolled onto his back. The two young men kept pulling and brought him nearer shore to safe ice.

Schumacher and his rescuers estimated he had been in the water for about 10 minutes. Schumacher was able to walk under his own power. Holt ran up the hill to start the man’s vehicle for him.

“He asked our names,” Mikulich recalled, “and said, ‘You just saved an old man’s life.’ ”

Schumacher went to a friend’s home nearby to warm up, then returned to thank Mikulich and Holt again. He said he never was extremely cold, although his chest felt “tingly” when he was in the water. Schumacher said he usually carries ice pegs — dowels with sharp points protruding — for just such a situation. But he couldn’t find them that day.

“This time I just wasn’t prepared,” he said.

Mikulich and Holt don’t consider themselves heroes. They simply reacted.

“You see someone fall in, what else are you going to do?” Holt said.

“I would hope anybody would do the same thing for me without thinking about it,” Mikulich said.

I had to post this great story on my blog

Saturday was a long day

2006-12-17T17:32:00.000-06:00

Saturday was the one LONG road trip of the year as a 7th/8th grade basketball coach. It was a 3 hour bus ride up the north shore for the 7th and 8th grade games, then 3 hour ride back. It's not *THAT* bad a trip except that I have a 20 minute drive to GET to the school and the bus left at 7 am. That means.. getting up at just before 6 am. That may not seem early to some people, but normally I get up around 10 am ;)

Grandma's Marathon Winner Disqualified for Steroids

2006-12-15T12:11:00.000-06:00

This article below is in today's Duluth News Tribune Why the hell would someone even show up TO race if they knew there were drug tests they would fail?

Grandma’s winner disqualified
Kevin Pates Duluth News Tribune
Published Friday, December 15, 2006

Halina Karnatsevich of Belarus was officially disqualified as the women’s champion of the 2006 Grandma’s Marathon on Thursday. USA Track and Field confirmed that she tested positive for the prohibited substance Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid.

Karnatsevich, 37, who also won the 2005 Grandma’s Marathon title, has forfeited her $8,000 in prize money from the June 17 race. Runner-up Svetlana Nekhorosh, 32, of Ukraine has been named the winner.

It was the first positive test for Grandma’s Marathon, which has included drug testing four times in 30 years.

In accordance with International Association of Athletics Federation policy, the Belarus Athletic Federation has banned Karnatsevich from competition for two years, until July 21, 2008. She is Belarus’ top-ranked female marathoner.

Ten athletes from the 2006 Grandma’s Marathon, including the top three men and women, were tested in Duluth immediately after the race by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of Colorado Springs, Colo. USA Track and Field randomly selects American road races to be drug tested annually. Grandma’s Marathon was last tested in 1994.

“I say, ‘Let’s catch the cheats.’ We want a clean sport. We want a level playing field for everyone,’’ Grandma’s Marathon executive director Scott Keenan said.

The outcome was announced by the Belarus Athletic Federation in October, when USA Track and Field reported a non-negative result in testing one of Karnatsevich’s two drug samples. Yet the official results, after tests from a second drug sample were completed, weren’t released until Thursday, nearly six months after the race.

“Our sport has cheating going on, but most races don’t have the resources to have their own drug testing,’’ said Katie Koski, 33, of Two Harbors, who has run Grandma’s Marathon eight times and was 19th in this year’s women’s race. “If you’re lucky and play your cards right, you can make a lot of money before you’re caught.

“I’m sure there are Americans who cheat, but I think it’s more likely to be Eastern European runners, who aren’t tested by their governing associations. They can come here and run in some smaller races and make a living.’’

The last 10 women’s winners at Grandma’s Marathon have come from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova or Kyrgyzstan.

Duluthian Jarrow Wahman, 45, who has raced for 30 years and run in 13 Grandma’s Marathons, said he isn’t surprised by the disqualification.

“If there’s money to be made, some runners will take the risk,’’ Wahman said. “To win $8,000 means so much more to someone from a country in Eastern Europe or Africa.’’

The lengthy testing process delayed payment to this year’s race prize-money winners and didn’t allow the Grandma’s Marathon race results booklet to have the official women’s winner listed.

“We’re interested in more dialogue to get increased testing in American road racing. We want to cooperate,’’ said Keenan, who has been with Grandma’s Marathon since its inception in 1977. “And when there is testing, we would like to get the results in a more timely manner.’’

Grandma’s Marathon asked to be tested this year, and Keenan said he already has put in a request with USA Track and Field for the testing in 2007.

Karnatsevich won the 2005 Grandma’s Marathon in2 hours, 28 minutes, 43 seconds, the second-fastest women’s time in race history, and won in June in 2:33:39, beating Nekhorosh by nearly four minutes.

Grandma’s Marathon officials have mailed Nekhorosh the additional $1,500 she earned by placing first. On Dec. 3, in the Macau International Marathon, Nekhorosh was third in 2:41:46.

Karnatsevich lives in Grodno, in northwest Belarus, and is married with a 5-year-old son. She has been running professionally for about 10 years and has a marathon best of 2:27:14.

“She is a treasure in Belarus. She is a star,’’ Grandma’s Marathon entrant Dzmitry Sivou of Belarus said of Karnatsevich in June.

I don't think she's a treasure anymore in her own country.....

Cloquet hockey boys beat East 2-1!

2006-12-14T22:35:00.000-06:00

In a game that they mostly dominate, CEC (Cloquet Esko Carlton) beat Duluth East 2-1 at the DECC. It's about time a team I WANTED to win, won AT the DECC. The UMD Men have been miserable there, and it was great as always, to beat East.

One thing I think all of us are trying to figure out, is, at the end of the game there was a large scrum in front of the Duluth East bench which drew some major penalties and a couple minor penalties for roughing, etc. Tyler Johnson was checked to the ice and 2 players held him to the ground and were cross checking him to the ground when the fight/scrum broke out and there were penalties all over the place. Somehow, Duluth East got a powerplay out of it, with 30 seconds left in the game. In the end, it didn't matter, but trying to figure out where the extra Cloquet penalty came from would probably take a magician.

Oh well :) CEC Wins 2-1 is all that really matters.

Boring couplaweeks

2006-12-13T02:27:00.000-06:00

This last week and half or two has been really boring with not that much stuff to post about. The weather warmed up and now the snow is basically gone aside from the larger snow banks that were plowed up. Hopefully something interesting happens with the holiday coming, that I'll have more to randomly post about :)

YUM! Roasted Chicken for dinner

2006-12-10T17:02:00.000-06:00

Although I didn't take pictures of it... YUM.. roasted chicken breast with red skin potatoes for dinner.. mmmmmm

Took a bunch of potatoes and cut them in quarters (they weren't the little baby sized) and stirred them with a little olive oil and oregano then put 6 split chicken breasts (nice large size) on top around the pan and put Lowry's seasoned salt (Lowry's what else is there really) on top of it all and some paprika.

Roasted with the lid ON at 425 for 40 minutes then for 15 minutes WITHOUT the lid on to crisp up the skin of the chicken breasts. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM and of course we eat it with some canned corn also (Green Giant Niblets..)

damn that was good! ;)

Bring Allen Iverson to the T'Wolves!

2006-12-10T01:06:00.000-06:00

In a story published in the Duluth News Tribune, Kevin Garnett mentioned he wants Allen Iverson in Minnesota. Iverson wants out of Philadelphia so this would be perfect for him. Garnett needs someone who can score to help him.

Obviously this would be great! The article from the paper follows, and I make no claim to it myself of course:

By Jerry Zgoda and Kent YoungbloodMcClatchy Newspapers, Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, December 10, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS — The notion of a trade for Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson played well in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ locker room before and after their NBA game Friday night against Utah.

Wolves forward Kevin Garnett was sitting next to his locker after the game when he was told of the latest Iverson developments.

“Where’s Kevin at?” he said, feigning a sudden move out of his chair to search for Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale.

His actions, suggesting he was ready to make a deal, were in jest. His words were not.

“Shoot, bring it on,” he said about the possibility of Iverson playing for the Timberwolves. “I love ‘The Answer.’ Come on, boy. There’s not anybody in here who would not want to play with him.”

Earlier in the day, Garnett said, “He’s not only a personal friend, but he’s a warrior and a soldier that I’ve always looked up to since he came into the league.”

Garnett entered the NBA in 1995 directly out of high school. Iverson arrived the next season after two years at Georgetown.

“I’ve been in the league longer than him, but we’re like brothers,” Garnett said. “He’s like my big brother.”

Veteran guard Mike James, who has been traded twice and signed and waived almost too many times to count, welcomed the possibility as well, even though he knows he, along with rookie Randy Foye, likely could be part of any deal the Wolves might strike.

“What he’s capable of doing with the basketball in his hands, man,” James said. “If he comes, I don’t know who Philly is going to get, but Philly’s going to get a lot. If I’m playing in Philadelphia, well, business is never personal.”

The Wolves haven't had someone like Iverson at point guard since Stephon Marbury went away.

Minnesota Winter Sports Stink so far

2006-12-07T20:37:00.000-06:00

The WILD have played bad of late, the Timberwolves aren't good at all, and the Vikings, are .. to be nice.. TERRIBLE. The Gopher football and basketball teams are as bad as the Vikings.. (I won't mention their hockey because that's the Gopher sport I will not watch!) FORMER(now) Gopher basketball coach Dan Munson finally resigned so maybe that will improve some stuff. Glenn Mason should resign next so the football program can move on as well.

Mom has son arrested for opening presents early???

2006-12-05T17:59:00.000-06:00

According to a Fox News story, a mother had her 12 yr old son arrested for opening a christmas present early.... what the hell?

The story starts:
After a mother discovered her son had unwrapped a Nintendo Game Boy Advance that was meant for him as a present from his grandmother, she called the Rock Hill Police and had the young man arrested for petty larceny, according to the police report filed this week.

Read the rest by clicking on the blog title, or the link above

Speaking of the VIKINGS Sucking

2006-12-04T11:53:00.000-06:00

Today's Jim Souhan article on the Vikings demise in the News Tribune, from the Star Tribune:

NFL coaches and quarterbacks, we hear, receive too much credit after victories and too much blame after losses.

Baloney. As the Vikings’ season froze like a tongue to a flagpole on Sunday at frigid Soldier Field, the culprits were the Bear Market Brads.

Because Brad Johnson threw away the biggest game of the year, Brad Childress is facing the most important decision of his career.

Johnson tossed four interceptions in the Vikings’ 23-13 loss to Chicago, leaving Childress with no choice but to send in Brooks Bollinger.

That doesn’t take Childress off the hook.

Johnson’s mistakes lost this game. Childress’ mistakes might have ruined his first season.

The rookie coach so believed in the user-friendliness of his offense that he started his first season with a 38-year-old quarterback and no reputable backups.

He so believed in his ability to mentor quarterbacks that he chose the raw Tarvaris Jackson in the second round.

This week, Childress will pick between the flailing Johnson, the ailing Bollinger (who injured his left shoulder) and the unveiling of Jackson.

The Chiller had better choose wisely, or he’ll turn an already-seething locker room into the set of “Mutiny on the Bounty.”

After the game, defensive players laughed over the absurdity of holding Bears “quarterback” Rex Grossman to a 1.3 passer rating and still losing.

How bad was Grossman? If Johnson had changed sidelines, he would have improved both teams.

Viking defenders weren’t the only ones fuming. Those responsible for the running game wondered how they rushed 35 times for 192 yards and a touchdown against one of the NFL’s best defenses yet managed only 13 points.

Maybe it was attempting zero passes into the end zone, abiding by Childress’ philosophy that you take what the defense gives you, even if the defense gives you nothing more desirable than Enron stock.

“It wasn’t like we weren’t moving the ball,” center Matt Birk said. “We were gashing them. It wasn’t like they were playing Cover-2, either. They had an extra guy in the box every time, and we gashed them.

“They made more big plays than we did. That’s why, even though we felt like we outplayed them, they won.” Childress did more than the Bears to slow the Vikings offense in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings got the ball with 12:14 remaining, needing two touchdowns, two extra points and a field goal just to send the game into overtime, and yet Childress didn’t call for a time-saving, no-huddle offense.

Bollinger led the Vikings to a touchdown, but just 5:40 remained when Ciatrick Fason scored.

Childress then called for an onside kick. That’s a coaching non sequitur. If you deem an onside kick necessary, you are past the point where you should have been running a no-huddle offense.

Now Childress must fix his no-offense huddle, and he faces a coach’s toughest decision — whether to change quarterbacks when the playoffs are a mathematical possibility.

His options: Johnson, who’s playing like a victim of identity theft; Bollinger, who’s hurt; and Jackson, who sounds worried he might be asked to start.

Choose Johnson, and the defense might revolt. Choose Bollinger, and you’d better Mapquest directions to the emergency room. Choose Jackson, and you’re telling a veteran team with a strong defense and running game to wait ‘til next year.

The pick here: Bollinger if he can lift his arm, Jackson if he can’t.

The longer the season lasts, the worse the Vikings play. Blame this loss on Johnson, but it’s the other Bear Market Brad who has guided his team into this nasty recession.

Jim Souhan is a national sports columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Souhan's great.. and writes a lot of Minnesota Twins articles during that season, and appears on the Twins FSN broadcasts a lot.

The VIKINGS SUCK

2006-12-04T11:48:00.000-06:00

The Vikings lost again yesterday, to Chicago. The Vikings actually ended up finally giving Tarvaris Jackson about 1 minute of playing time in the final 2 minutes of the game.. Brooks Bollinger didn't do anything before he got hurt getting tackled onto the concrete like frozen turf in his Vikings debut as a reliever.

Rex Grossman threw as many Interceptions as Brad Johnson did but his team managed to actually win...

The only Chicago sports team I like is Da Bulls.. used to be a Cubs fan.. but they've been depressing as hell over the last 5 years or so again

eBay Consignment Business can be weird

2006-12-04T11:42:00.000-06:00

One of my consignment customers.... isn't that bright.. I was listing a bracelet for her.. and it sold.. so I call her to go pick it up and ship it. I get there and she hands me a different bracelet because she thought that one was sold and she had **PAWNED** the other one.. wtf!?!?!?

I had to email an apology to the person on eBay who won it..and emailed them a refund of payment. Well, the next morning (Saturday) they paid for it AGAIN.. so I re-did the refund again..and.. they paid for it AGAIN.. and I did the refund *again*... so far so good now.. 24 hours and not a 4th payment. Don't people read their email?

Ok, just in case you want to see what I'm selling.. click the title of the blog.

Damn it's COLD

2006-12-03T13:27:00.000-06:00

It is officially .. colder than a witches tit outside! The windchill factor is 0!

BRRRRR

Bulldogs win!

2006-12-03T12:46:00.000-06:00

Holy Crap.. the UMD BULLDOGS Men's team actually won a game.. beating Alaska Anchorage 7-3 up in Alaska...

Vikings playing in Chicago......

2006-12-02T21:18:00.000-06:00

Earlier in the season, the VIKINGS almost beat the Chicago Bears, losing only 19-16 back in week 3. They've been bad the last 6 weeks, just barely beating Arizona.... but.. I'll be watching at least until the game gets out of hand. Hopefully Rex Grossman's season keeps going downhill at least through the game

Sea World Whale Injures Trainer

2006-11-30T13:31:00.000-06:00

This article's the talk of the Internet today... a Sea World killer whale took it's trainer underwater twice during a show. This version is from Mediacom's news page:

A trainer at SeaWorld Adventure Park remained hospitalized Thursday after a killer whale grabbed him and twice held him underwater during a show, officials said.

The trainer was in fair condition at the University of California, San Diego, Medical Center, nursing supervisor Denise Thompson said. Ken Peters, 39, was "resting comfortably," SeaWorld San Diego spokesman Dave Koontz said.

Koontz did not know the extent of Peters' injuries and the hospital declined to release details.

Peters was hurt around 5 p.m. Wednesday during the final show of the day at Shamu Stadium, a 36-foot-deep tank.

The show's finale called for a female orca named Kasatka to shoot out of the water so Peters could dive off her nose. The whale is about 17 feet long and weighs well over 5,000 pounds.

As several hundred spectators watched, the whale and trainer plunged underwater, where Kasatka grabbed Peters by the foot and held him for less than a minute before surfacing, Koontz said.

"The trainer was being pinned by the whale at the bottom of the pool," Karen Ingrande told KGTV-TV.

When they came up, Peters tried to calm the animal by rubbing and stroking its back but it grabbed him and plunged down again for about another minute.

The crowd "began to realize there was not something right and the whale was down again under the water. Again they were splashing the water to try to get the whale to come to the surface," Ingrande said.

The whale finally released him and Peters was able to surface and swim away. Other trainers stretched a net between him and Kasatka, Koontz said.

He emerged from the tank with one leg of his wet suit torn.

"He tried to stand up on the stage and that's when we realized there was something wrong with his leg and his foot. He was just white as a ghost," spectator Sherri Justice told KFMB-TV in San Diego.

Mike Scarpuzzi, who oversees zoological operations, said Peters has been working with animals for 16 years, including 12 spent at Shamu Stadium.

"His skills and techniques, and close relationship with the whale played a major role in helping the animal calm down and allowed him to eventually swim out of the pool," Scarpuzzi said.

The park planned to continue the Shamu Stadium shows Thursday using other whales. The park has a total of seven killer whales, including two of Kasatka's offspring, Koontz said.

He did not know whether Kasatka would be allowed to perform.

Koontz said trainers from the San Diego park and sister parks in San Antonio and Orlando, Fla., planned to confer Thursday and review the incident in an effort to figure out what made the orca grab Peters.

Koontz said the 30-year-old orca had been performing most of her life and was familiar with the routine.

"She's been one of our strongest, most consistent performers," he said.

Koontz said a different whale dived with a trainer's foot in its mouth two or three weeks ago but obeyed commands to release the trainer and return to the side of the tank. The trainer was not injured.

SeaWorld officials reported in 1999 that Kasatka tried to bite a trainer during a show, but he was unhurt.

I'm not sure anyone really knows why it happened but I'm sure we'll find out soon why they think it happened.

DAMN it's cold

2006-11-29T17:51:00.000-06:00

Damn it's COLD here... without any snow on the ground it seems to feel even colder for whatever reason! I may have blogged before that winter was here.. but **NOW** it really is!