stolen from here
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Balloon Boy's 15 minutes are quickly running down
This has to be the most uninteresting news story of the year. A kid takes off in a hot air balloon but he wasn't in the balloon. Instead he was at home hiding from his parents? Or was he hiding as directed by his parents who some suspect are nutty, attention-seekers. I can't believe Wolf Blitzer was interviewing this bunch. Was Benjamin Netanyahu not available? Then balloon boy sort of lets it slip that it was likely faked [ “You guys said, we did this for the show”] but Blitzer lets it slide. He was probably pre-occupied with preparing for his next interview - likely a college kid who tasered himself.
Meghan McCain getting over exposed?
It appears quasi-celebrity Meghan McCain, daughter of the 2008 Republican Party candidate for president John McCain got more publicity than she wanted.
It appears Meghan, who is a blogger and allegedly a GOP strategist, posted a cutesy picture of herself on Twitter that some are calling racy and others are calling slutty was immediately snarked at by a mob of Twitter stalkers waiting to mock someone. Especially Conservative Twits.
Responding on her account McCain wrote:
so I took a fun picture not thinking anything about what I was wearing but apparently anything other than a pantsuit I am a slut, this is why I have been considering deleting my twitter account, what once was fun now just seems like a vessel for harassmentIt is just total silliness and illustrates how powerful Internet tools if not used with care can do more harm than good (see my previous post).
Meghan keep this up and you will be honoured as one of my Hump Day Hotties.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Disturbing arrest at the University of Western Ontario
This video taken at the UWO shows campus police attempting to arrest a young student. The video shows the police punching and kicking the man while repeatedly shouting "stop resisting". We don't know the complete story here which makes the video by itself disturbing to watch. It also illustrates the power of the Internet and YouTube because at any time your actions can be viewed around the world by millions without your consent.
Toronto Maple Leaf Relief Plan
Toronto Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment announced today plans to resolve the Maple Leaf slump that has Leaf Nation totally in knots. As all Leaf fans are well aware, the team has begun the season winless after 6 games. The media and fans have been rushing to the aid of the team with all types of helpful suggestions.
Damien Cox of the Toronto Star has suggested waiving Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala to free up $8 million in cap space.
Once commentator on Sportsnet says the Leafs should install Jonas Gustavsson as their number one goalie - as soon as he recovers from his groin pull. Another one claims expectations are just too high so the team should just stay the course.
Some say fire the coach. Some say fire all the players. Advice is coming from everywhere and the Leafs are concerned they may miss the right solution without an organized plan to review on the suggestions. So MLSE has announced the following plan.
1. Fans are encouraged to call MLSE (416-872-5000) with their suggestions. A call centre has been set up to record every suggestion.
2. One hundred suggestion boxes have been set up around the ACC for fans to drop written suggestions off during games. The boxes will be reviewed after each intermission and any urgent advice will be run down to the coaching staff so that they can be implemented during the game.
3. Ron Wilson and his assistants will be stationed at Union Station all next week during rush hour to chat with commuters about hockey strategies.
5. Damien Cox will be appointed acting GM one day each month to make as many player personnel changes as he can in a 24-hour period.
6. MLSE will hold focus group sessions in arena throughout the GTA. There will be separate sessions held for season ticket holders and other fans.
7. Dick Button and Sandra Bezic have been hired to evaluate each member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Each will be scored using a 6 point rating system.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Too fat for Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren's clothing company fired the model whose body looked emaciated in a touched-up ad because she weighed too much, the woman told the New York Daily News.
Filippa Hamilton - whose hips appeared slimmer than her head in the recent altered ad - said her contract was terminated in April because she was too heavy.
The 5-foot-10, 120-pound stunner was amazed to see her body digitally distorted for Ralph Lauren Blue Label.
Ten women battled it out in the final over the weekend - which aimed to bring attention to the plight of the country's homeless.
Contestants had to make it through all five parts of the Miss Homeless Belgium pageant, including a talk where judges assessed their "will to get themselves out of a difficult situation."
Therese Van Belle, 58, won the crown (she's the one holding the dog) and will now be able to stay in a rent-free flat for a year.
source
Toronto Maple Leafs by the numbers
So how bad has it been? Let’s look at the numbers.
It should come as no surprise that the Maple Leafs are last in goals against average (4.67) and save percentage (.441) with Toskala leading the way with an ugly 5.57 GAA and .812 SV% - worst in the NHL. With those kinds of numbers you could do just as well with no goalie and an extra defenseman. Specialty teams are similar to last year with the powerplay ranked 8th overall (27.8%) but the penalty killers ranked 29th (58.3%) The opposition is scoring on almost 1 out 2 chances.
The offense at even strength has been impotent. The Leafs are scoring only 2.17 goals per game which ranks them 27th overall. They have only scored 8 even strength goals in 6 games. So goaltending isn’t there only problem. After playing three hundred and sixty-four minutes and forty seven seconds of hockey this young season, the Leafs have held a lead for all of six minutes and forty seconds. So who is the worst performer? Well Jason Blake is a -6 which ranks him 3rd worst in the NHL but he gets some credit for shoving Chris Drury into Toskala this week and partly addressing the goaltending problem.
So how are the Leafs doing in the truculence department? Well they are 1st overall in fights per game (1.5) and 7th in penalty minutes (17.8) but considering the penalty killing situation fewer penalties might be a good thing right now. Orr and Komisarek and 2nd and 3rd in the league in penalty minutes. Komisarek is also 3rd in the NHL in hits (23) and 21st in blocked shots (12) so he has more or less provided the sandpaper Burke was looking for.
With just a single point the Maple Leafs are last in the Northeast Division, last in the Eastern Conference and last in the NHL overall. That must be making the Bruins very happy. With 76 games remaining, to hit the 94 point mark (the presumed cut-off to qualify for the playoffs) the Leafs have to play .612 hockey for the balance of the season.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Maple Leaf organization is clueless
I was at the Maple Leaf game this evening to watch the latest debacle. This is a team that at the moment is tentative at best. Their confidence is shattered. They look lost. So what does management do to give the team a boost? Not much but they sure know how to give the opposition a big boost.
Let me explain. About 5 minutes into game during a stoppage in play, they play a video tribute to Darcy Tucker who was returning to the ACC for the first time since management ran him out of town. It was a strange thing to do considering his salary is still being paid by the Leafs and will rob them of cap space for another 4 years. At the end of the clip much of the crowd provides Tucker with an extended standing ovation.
I turn to my friend and immediately state that the tribute was a huge mistake. He replies what do you mean Tucker was a great Leaf. I indicated I didn't want to debate the contribution he had made in the past but he is playing for the opposition. The last thing this fragile team needs is an opposing player being given a boost by the crowd. Within two minutes Tucker sets up the first goal of the game. He goes on to score one himself and is named the second star of the game.
Will this team ever get it right?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Battle of the Blades - week 2
Kurt Browning stole the show tonight when he did a skating program in hockey skates. He even did a salchow which is possible in hockey skates since you jump from an edge rather than a toe pick. Don Cherry had no idea what was going on and jumped all over Dick Button for being critical of Anderson and Dubreuil. Both Monday night and Sunday night he yelled out scores at the wrong time. Hey Cherry can get away with it.
Glenn Anderson/Isabelle Brasseur and Stéphane Richer/Marie-France Dubreuil landed in the bottom two which led them to battle for the opportunity to return next week. Overall, the judges were happier with Anderson and Brasseur’s performance from last night. They had removed the footwork routine that caused Anderson to fall (see below). Richer and Dubreuil would go on to win over the judges with a routine that was filled with difficult lifts and smooth skating.
Glenn Anderson/Isabelle Brasseur and Stéphane Richer/Marie-France Dubreuil landed in the bottom two which led them to battle for the opportunity to return next week. Overall, the judges were happier with Anderson and Brasseur’s performance from last night. They had removed the footwork routine that caused Anderson to fall (see below). Richer and Dubreuil would go on to win over the judges with a routine that was filled with difficult lifts and smooth skating.
Future Father of the Year Candidate
While his girlfriend was in the process of delivery, Adam Jay Manning of Bountiful, Utah, could not get his eyes off the delivery nurse who he complimented on being hot. The nurse ignored him until he commented that her neck looked sore and proceeded to try to give her a neck massage while she attended the expectant mother. When she moved away to the other side of the wheelchair, he proceeded to reach out and grab her breast. The nurse pushed him away and informed police who arrested him on suspicion of felony forcible sexual abuse.
So when his kid asks where Manning was when he was born, he will be able to proudly state “I was in jail for groping the delivery nurse.”
Another brainless NFL player
I would be remiss if I didn't mention Seahawks fullback Owen Schmitt who some sat is short on talent, but he’s even shorter on brains. Here’s Schmitt after being introduced before his first career start yesterday against the Jaguars. And Schmitt marked the occasion by beating himself in the head, with his helmet.
Queens Park fire extinguished quickly
Toronto firefighters have extinguished a small fire on the roof of the Ontario legislature. There were no injuries.
Flames were seen shooting from the building Sunday night just before the fire was brought under control.
The fire was on the roof of the west side of the downtown building, which is more than 100 years old.
There must be a witty comment someone would like to make about politicians.
Entire City of Boston on suicide watch
On a day when the Red Sox get swept out of the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion and boy wonder Tom Brady looked like JaMarcus Russell it seems like Bostonians are all on the ledge. Is it possible to remove every single belt and shoelace from the city and put every citizen on collective suicide watch?
Could it be that Boston's decade of dominance is over after winning 3 Superbowls, 2 World Series and an NBA Championship since 2002? To date Tom Brady just doesn't have it after missing almost the entire 2008 season. The Red Sox didn't keep pace with the Yankee's spending and pretty much limped into the wild card spot before getting dumped in the playoffs. The Bruins haven't been that sharp and so far Tim Thomas does not look like a Vezina Trophy winner with his .868 save percentage.
Woman arrested for 'poking' on Facebook
The Facebook poke is possibly one of the most pointless, annoying features of any social network to date. And apparently, it can land you in jail for nearly 12 months with a possible fine of $2500.
Police in Tennessee deemed that 36-year-old Shannon Jackson violated a protection order – similar to a restraining order – by using the site's feature to attract the attention of another user.
The order previously obtained by the woman who received the poke banned Jackson from "telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with the petitioner".
This case may seem absurd but poking on Facebook is certainly a form of communications. Though the real crime is that Jackson failed to read Christopher Null's Facebook Etiquette guide, which clearly states: "No pokes. If you are over the age of 16, don't ‘poke' people -- seriously."
Battle of the Blades is so lame but it works
Just when I thought CBC's Battle of the Blades couldn't get any more lame, Don Cherry joined the fun.
Your Canadian Everyman showed the reality TV figure skate-off's contestants some love as a shockingly praiseful guest judge last night.
Sitting alongside permanent panelists Sandra Bezic and Dick Button (and all the way across the rink from his Hockey Night in Canada buddy Ron MacLean, who hosts the show with Kurt Browning), Grapes offered his two-cents and a score after each of the seven remaining retired hockey players performed cutesy ice dances with their even-cuter pro skater partners. The theme was Sinatra and some of the guys looked more dapper than Don.
All the guys have switched to figure skates except for Tie Domi who looks more ridiculous out there than any of his competitors. He skates around with his partner Christine Hough smirking at the audience just like he did wearing a Leaf uniform. Actually the skating looked better in weak two but still bad. Poor Glenn Anderson caught a toe pick in the ice and took a tumble.
The production quality of the show is typical CBC - amateurish. The judges are lame and the two hosts Ron McLean and Kurt Browning are incredibly annoying. The CBC has forgotten that this type of reality show only works when you have at least one nasty judge. Everything about shouts this is worth your time but you can't look away. We are a nation of skaters. In fact we are obsessed with skating so it's not surprising that the show is a runaway hit.
I'm picking Jamie Sale and Craig Simpson to win this thing.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Winter comes early to the Praries...like Thanksgiving weekend
Many areas in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have already experienced flurries and Environment Canada is predicting more in the next couple of days.
Daytime temperatures are hovering around freezing -- about 10 degrees below normal -- but are dipping five to eight degrees below that overnight.
Hey, it's Canada! Happy Thanksgivings Day Western Canada!
TTC will fine you for putting feet on seats
Next week the TTC will be cracking down on riders who violate bylaws. Putting your feet on seats, blocking doorways, smoking, not paying fare, and littering are all ticketable offences that carry fines, which, incidentally, are going up. I don't want to be around when transit police and thugs square off over these kinds of things. It's a shame that some riders are that inconsiderate. I just don't see how a small number of constables will be able to enforce the bylaws. Though the TTC does claim it collected $600,000 in fines last year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)