Obama vs. McCain

Well the presidential race for 2008 is definitely on although the primaries are not completed yet and the nominating conventions haven't taken place. Hillary Clinton has yet to concede but she no longer matters. Even the running mates are becoming more and more clear. The main combatants are taking shots at each other:

• Edwards has said the GOP prospects are the worst since Watergate
• Huckabee made a joke about someone aiming a gun at Obama
• President Bush compares Obama to those who supported appeasement when dealing with the Nazis
• Obama reponds by calling Bush and McCain fear-mongers and their foreign policy "naive and irresponsible"
• McCain tells NRA that Obama and Clinton threaten gun rights
• Oh, and Hillary continues to campaign into obscurity
  

One Hit Wonder

The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men (1979)

For those who enjoy hockey fights...this was a beauty

Although Finland beat the USA in this quarterfinal game, American David Backes pummeled Finn Anssi Salmela.



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Electric Cars Coming to Israel

The Israeli government announced a major initiative to push the nation's drivers toward electric cars, a move meant to both lessen dependence on foreign oil and address the environmental and health hazards of gas-burning vehicles.

Automaker Renault-Nissan will manufacture the cars and Better Place, a California start-up founded by former SAP executive Shai Agassi, will build the infrastructure, which may eventually consist of 500,000 charging statopms and up to 200 battery-exchange stations. A pilot involving a few dozen cars will start later this year in Tel Aviv. A few hundred vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2009, with production scaled to the mass market by 2011. On Jan. 13, Israel slashed the tax rate on cars powered by electricity to 10% in order to encourage consumers to buy the vehicles once they are available.

Agassi figures that if he adds electrical outlets to at least 500,000 of Israel's three to four million parking spots, people will feel like they can charge their cars whenever they need to. Since most people seldom drive more than 100 miles at a time, wiring workplaces and public spaces like shopping malls should keep most cars juiced. For longer drives, customers will be able to pull into a battery-swap station and get a fresh battery. Better Place, and not individual drivers, owns the batteries, which should keep the price of the cars comparable to gas-powered vehicles.

Go Oscar Go!

The double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius from South Africa, today won his appeal to compete for a spot in this year's Beijing Olympics. The decision, taken by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), overturns a ban on Pistorius competing against able-bodied athletes, and thus allows him to run in all International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) sanctioned events. It seems it's not OK for Pistorius to compete in Olympic track and field events because his hook-shaped prosthetic legs—made of carbon fiber—give him an unfair “mechanical advantage.” As for Barry Bonds - well let's not get into that.

The IAAF had ruled in January that the 21-year-old Pistorius could not compete with able-bodied athletes because the carbon-fibre blades attached to both legs gave him an advantage. However, after a two-day meeting of CAS, world sports highest tribunal, disagreed.

Pistorius must still reach a qualifying time to run in the individual 400m in Beijing. However, he can be picked for the South African relay squad without qualifying.

Philly's "Bonnie and Clyde" Cop a Plea

Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, and her now-ex-boyfriend Edward Anderton, 25, from Philadephia, had both signed plea deals that would send them to jail for several years.

Prosecutors allege they stole credit card and bank account details from friends, co-workers and neighbours to fund their lavish lifestyle. U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan called Kirsch and Anderton "the poster children for identity theft."

The pair was arrested in December while using a neighbour’s ID to pick up a package from a local courier.

Photos found in their $3000 a month apartment showed the couple enjoying luxury overseas holidays.

US Attorney Patrick Meehan said Mr Anderton also set up eBay accounts using stolen identities to buy and sell non-existent goods, netting him $33,000.

Anyone Tried the New Starbucks Breakfast Sandwiches?

This week in the Toronto area, Starbucks introduced their "hot" breakfast sandwiches. I understand they've already been introduced in a number of markets in the U.S. There are five sandwiches: sausage, egg, and cheese; pepper bacon, egg, and cheese; sun-dried tomato, ham, egg, and cheese; reduced-fat turkey bacon, egg, and cheese; and eggs Florentine, made with spinach, eggs, and cheese.

I can't imagine that they are very good. Eggs are only good when prepared fresh but these sandwiches are pre-made and reheated. You can get a fresh version in hundreds of restaurants and shops around town.

My guess is the sandwiches are doomed.

Kardashian Sisters are Morons

The Kardashian sisters put out a public service announcement on Burma asking for aid but the video is a joke with upbeat music playing in the background while they're all out shopping. They're trying to find something to wear for a benefit aiding Burma. Kim asks what's this benefit again for? Burping? And says she wrote her college thesis on Burma. Later her sister asks if she really wrote her thesis on Burma. Kim asks what's a thesis. The video was supposedly done before the cyclone but its still in bad taste.

Italian Reality TV is Strange

Stripped by a Mechanical Shovel! - video powered by Metacafe

Except in Ballparks

source

Vintage Flight Attendant Uniforms

Jays Sweep Twins and Continue a Strong May

The bats still suck but great pitching is helping the Blue Jays slowly dig themselves out of the whole the got themselves in during April. They are 10-5 for May and moved from 13th overall in the AL to 8th. Only Stairs and Rolen are hitting .300 and just barely. But it seems to be enough.

Moneyball not doing too good these days

If the baseball playoffs started today, the four American League teams would be: Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A’s.

In the National League it’d be: Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, and St. Louis Cardinals.

No Yankees, no Red Sox, no Tigers, no Mets, no Phillies, no Dodgers...all the big spenders are struggling. The Yankees are in last place in the AL East.

It's still early but interesting so far.

Manny Ramirez is Baseball's Resident Goofball

High-fives a fan after making a catch and doubles off a man at 2nd base.

Walt Disney Would Not Have Approved

Nice Distraction

Jack Black at Cannes

No question the French had this coming.

I read Hillary Clinton drew strong support from white, working class voters in West Virginia

Who Knew Port Perry Had Hot Chicks?

Jayde Nicole from Port Perry, Ontario is Playboy Playmate of the Year – the first Canadian in 26 years (Shannon Tweed).

On Playboy’s website, she says her turn-ons are “intelligence, honesty, politeness, hopeless romantics and someone who is really into music. And nice eyes help.”

Her turn-offs include: “Liars, rude people, arrogance, people who are fake, bad hygiene and anyone who is mean to animals.”

Bush Has Made the Ultimate Sacrifice...No More Golf!

For the first time, Bush revealed a personal way in which he has tried to acknowledge the sacrifice of soldiers and their families: He has given up golf.

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," he said. "I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

What a guy!

But mom, he really seems nice

source

Hamas Rocket Hits Israeli Shopping Centre

A rocket fired from Gaza exploded in a shopping center in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon wounding 15 people.

The rocket attack came as U.S. President George W. Bush wrapped up talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The Israeli leader said at the end of the talks that Israel would not tolerate attacks from Gaza militants. That is a signal for more reprisal attacks which so far have only backfired on the Israelis.

However, according to a recent poll, Israelis are fed up with seven years of Qassam rockets falling on Sderot and the communities near Gaza, as well as the fact that Shalit has been held captive for more than a year and a half.

Sixty-four percent of Israelis say the government must hold direct talks with the Hamas government in Gaza toward a cease-fire and the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Less than one-third (28 percent) still opposes such talks.

The figures were obtained in a Haaretz-Dialog poll conducted several weeks ago. An increasing number of public figures, including senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces' reserves, have expressed similar positions on talks with Hamas.

They are going to have to face the reality that Hamas is not going to disappear.

Few Leaks Coming From Maple Leaf Sports

If you were to exclusively use media reports (TSN, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun) and bloggers to determine the progress of the Maple Leaf Executive Search, this is what appears to have happened to date.

Richard Peddie and Gord Kirke began a search for a President/GM in early February. They put Brian Burke on the top of their list but could not contact him until his team was eliminated from the playoffs. The Leafs were ultimately rejected by Burke and approached San Jose regarding Doug Wilson and were again rejected. They may have approached Detroit about Ken Holland depending on which paper you read even though the Wings are still playing hockey but were not given permission to speak to him either.

At that point the Leafs ran out of possibilities and decided to take another run at Brian Burke through his buddy Dave Nonis who had just been fired by the Canucks. The Leafs weren’t really interested in Nonis but felt they could lure Burke next year by having Nonis cover the job for him until Burke completed his contract with Anaheim. Other reporters came up with an alternate theory where the presence of Nonis in the Leaf executive suite would be so compelling that Burke would get out of his contact this summer and immediately join the Leafs. Meanwhile the NHL would look the other way and ignore any possible tampering.

So much speculation, but very little reality. What is impressive is that there have been very few leaks coming out of MLSE. Normally the Leafs spring more leaks than the S.S. Minnow. So without any information from MLSE leakers, friends of candidates, the guy who washes Larry Tennenbaum’s car, etc, reporters are coming up with some wild scenarios. The only interview that has come out in the open has been Dave Nonis so some are giving us the impression that in over 3 months only one person has been seen.

The reality is that a long list have candidates was put together and Peddie/Kirke have met with quite a number of people. Once the search team has met with all those who might be interested in the Leaf job, I would expect they will put together a short list of serious candidates. A serious candidate would be someone who has the background and experience sought by the Leafs and has shown a genuine interest in the job. A second round of interviews would be conducted where discussions would focus on each candidate would rebuild the organization from the bottom up. This seems to fit into the time frame mentioned by Cliff Fletcher last week when Paul Maurice was let go. That would have the new GM in place around the time of the NHL Entry Draft and the start of the free agent signing period.

In the interim, foolish reporters will have you think that Gord Kirke, one of the most powerful figures in hockey, has no clue what he is doing. So Leaf Nation, sit back and be patient. Good news is on the way.

So a Barrel of Oil Hit $126.98

I love steeplechase mishaps

The World Just Gets Sicker

Three teenagers from Texas were arrested on Wednesday for digging up the corpse of an 11-year old boy, and taking the skull from the corpse, using it as a marijuana bong.

Houston police have stated that Matthew Richard Gonzalez, and Kevin Wade Jones admitted to digging up the corpse. They are both 17-years old. They were helped by a 16-year old friend.

The corpse came from a Humble, Texas cemetary, where they took the head off the corpse and used it as a bong. Police have no physical evidence, but are pursuing the charges based on the statements from the three teenagers.

Grave digging teens. I'm having problems with this one.

Mug Shot of the Week

Looks like ZZ Top may have been busted.

New York City Restaurants Starting to Post Calorie Info

Nathan's appears to be just about the first New York City restaurant to post calorie info now that an appeals court has ruled the city can force restaurant chains to post the info. Nathan’s basic hot dog has just half the calories packed into a Big Mac from McDonald’s.

Eating just one or two “Original Frankfurters” won’t do much damage to one’s waistline. But what about Joey Chesnut who won last year's Nathan’s July 4th hot dog eating contest by consuming 66 of the dogs. That’s a grand total of 19,602 calories in 12 minutes!

Get Jimmy Carter Back to the Middle East Pronto

So has anyone noticed whats going on in Lebanon? Hezbollah gunmen seized control of west Beirut and has pushed the country dangerously close to another all-out civil war. So although they do not control the government, Hezbollah has essentially taken control of the country and no one can oppose them.

So now Israel finds themselves with a terrorist group supported by Iran and committed to destroying Israel in Gaza and another terrorist group supported by Iran and committed to destroying it also on its northern border. Just imagine how much worse this would have been if Jimmy Carter hadn't already established an atmosphere of peace in the region.

Another Bad Break for the Jays

So with Vernon Wells on the DL, Frank Thomas in Oakland and Reed Johnson in Chicago, yesterday the Jays had Kevin Mench batting clean up with a .167 batting average. Protecting him in the #5 spot was Shannon Stewart hitting a big .216.

Lets face it the Jays have no depth which is why release 2 decent major league players makes no sense. Time to start the fire Riccardi campaign. That is if anyone in Toronto actually cares about the Jays.

Mothers Day is 100 Years* Old Today

My mom is just 83. Happy Mothers Day Mom!

*On Sunday, May 10, 1908, a simple church services in Grafton, W.Va., inspired by Anna Jarvis who wanted to honour her recently departed mother began a tradition to honour the nation's mothers. A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate that year failed to establish an official Mother's Day, but it set the stage for a successful measure in 1914.

Wow! This is classy!

What will be more memorable than a tacky Jenna Bush wedding souvenir.