Ranking obnoxious SEC football fans

Thursday, 21 August 2008
Any partisan can nettle a neutral. That’s the difference between passion and dispassion. And I, it must be stipulated, get paid to be neutral. So maybe I’m not the best judge.

On the other hand, I saw my first SEC game in 1969 and covered my first conference game in 1976, and over time I’ve visited each of the league’s 12 outposts. So I’ve had the opportunity to observe and collate, and today, as a preseason public service, I present this ranking of SEC football fans, starting with the least irritating and culminating with the truly insufferable.

12. Mississippi State: The only time State fans get really upset is when you make fun of their rustic town. I know this from experience. But you know what? If I’d have been a Starkvillian and read what I wrote back in 2005, I’d have gotten ticked, too.

11. Kentucky: No, not because I’m an alum. Because, contrary to popular belief, the world’s worst basketball fans actually care about football. Unlike in hoops, though, they’re not ready to fire their coach after a loss. Good thing, since the football ‘Cats lose a lot.

10. Vanderbilt: The best thing about Vandy is its academics. The worst thing about Vandy fans is their insistence in hitting you over the head with those academics. If the Commodores don’t care about winning, why are in they in this cutthroat league?

9. Ole Miss: There really aren’t that many Rebel fans, but half of that number feels the burning need to emulate William Faulkner - he was from Oxford and spent a year at the university - and write long and difficult books about Ole Miss football.

8. LSU: Winning fans tend to be the most overstated, but somehow Tiger backers manage to stay relatively polite even when they’re bragging about all their national championships. Maybe it’s because they know, win or lose, they’ll always have the best food.

7. Tennessee: Being a Kentuckian by birth and a Georgian for 24 years, I’m supposed to be disposed to hate UT fans. Sorry, but I never have. Don’t mind all the orange. Don’t mind hearing “Rocky Top” a thousand times. Don’t know why I don’t, but there it is.

6. South Carolina: Sisyphus would be a Gamecock. These fans keep showing up, sure that this will finally be be their year. When this year turns out no different from all others, they simply shrug and show up the next year. Kind of sad, but also kind of admirable.

5. Arkansas: It was over the top for Hog fans to file Freedom of Information requests to gain access to Houston Nutt’s cell phone records, but it was over the top in an amusing way. One word of warning: Don’t try that stuff with Bobby Petrino. He’ll just up and leave.

4. Alabama: Tide fans used to be the best at being boorish, but now they’re just irrelevant. They don’t have any reason to strut anymore, so they have to make do with whining about how Tennessee cheats twice as much as Bama but never gets penalized for it.

3. Georgia: Too many grown-up Bulldog fans continue to believe that a game cannot be properly enjoyed without consuming mass quantities of alcohol. A tip: Just because you’re going to watch college football doesn’t give you license to act like you’re still in college.

2. Auburn: Taking their lead from the preening Tommy Tuberville, Auburn people won’t shut up about how they’ve come to dominate Alabama. This is precisely the thing that used to frost these same folks when they were being dominated. They have become what they beheld.

1. Florida: Gator fans didn’t become obnoxious when Steve Spurrier started beating everybody. They were obnoxious when their team couldn’t win the SEC to save its life. And for all Floridians still irked by Georgia’s celebration, here are two words to Google: Gator Flop.

Beth Ann Chester sentenced to prison

Beth Ann Chester, a former teacher, has been sentenced to 1 and 1/2 to 3 years in prison for having sex with a student, according to the Pittsburgh Gazette.



Beth Ann Chester used to be a health and gym teacher at Moon Area High School until authorities learned she had a sexual relationship with a 14 year old boy. Chester made matters much worse for herself when she continued to send the boy explicit text messages, after police were already investigating the crime.

It was a much more contrite Chester who appeared before Common Pleas Judge David R. Cashman.

"I wanted to apologize to everyone," Chester told the judge during her sentencing. "I know this is the punishment I deserve. I'm really sorry for everything."

NFLPA head Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of cancer

NEW YORK (AP) — Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, has died. He was 63.
Upshaw died Wednesday night at his home in Lake Tahoe, Calif., of pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed only last Sunday, the NFL Players Association said Thursday. His wife Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Justin and Daniel were by his side.
"Gene Upshaw did everything with great dignity, pride, and conviction," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
"He was the rare individual who earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame both for his accomplishments on the field and for his leadership of the players off the field. He fought hard for the players and always kept his focus on what was best for the game. His leadership played a crucial role in taking the NFL and its players to new heights."
News of Upshaw's death first came through a Clear Channel Online report that appeared on several radio Web sites.
Upshaw died only two days after the union announced he would hold a briefing on labor negotiations before the Sept. 4 season opener between Washington and the New York Giants.
His outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Upshaw's biography was posted on the front page of the Hall of Fame Web site Thursday along with his enshrinement speech from 1987.
In 1983, he became executive director of the players' association and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football. By 1989, the players had a limited form of freedom, called Plan B, and in 1993, free agency and a salary cap were instituted.
Since then, the players have prospered so much that NFL owners recently opted out of the latest labor contract, which was negotiated two years ago by Upshaw and then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Upshaw was criticized by some for not being tough enough in talks with Tagliabue, a close friend of the union head. He also was blamed by many older veterans for not dealing sufficiently with their health concerns.
But the salary cap for this season is $116 million and the players are making close to 60 percent of the 32 teams' total revenues, as specified in the 2006 agreement. In all, the players will be paid $4.5 billion this year, according to owners.
Upshaw recently became more aggressive in his dealings with the owners and Tagliabue's successor, Roger Goodell. Owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement, which means a season without a salary cap in 2010. Upshaw declared the cap would disappear for good should there be no new deal by March 2010.
"I'm not going to sell the players on a cap again," Upshaw said. "Once we go through the cap, why should we agree to it again?"
NFL officials claimed players are getting a disproportionate amount of the revenue. Upshaw's supporters said management's viewpoint indicates he did his job well.
The players called a strike in 1987 — leading to games with replacements — and it wasn't until 1993 that labor peace was reached with a breakthrough seven-year contract. It included free agency and a salary cap. Almost ever since, player salaries have spiraled up along with revenue from television and marketing deals made by the league.
The NFLPA also has its own marketing arm, Players Inc., established in 1994, that has grown into a multimillion dollar operation.
Upshaw also negotiated the first-ever union agreement for Arena Football League players.
"He was a tough negotiator but always reasonable and respectful with the ultimate goal of growing the game," said the league's acting commissioner, Ed Policy.
Frequently listed as one of the most powerful men in U.S. sports, Upshaw was drafted in the first round by Oakland in 1967 out of Texas A&I — hardly a football factory. He was an NAIA All-American at center, tackle and end, but was switched to left guard by the Raiders.
And that's where he stayed through a magnificent career that included 10 conference championship games as well as the Super Bowl victories.

At noon, WFTV, WKMG promote their Fay projections

Monday, 18 August 2008
The National Hurricane Center tells us where storms are headed, but so do local stations.

At noon Monday, WKMG-Channel 6 and WFTV-Channel 9 were stressing how they saw the path of Tropical Storm Fay. And they weren't shy about promoting their efforts.

There's a lesson here: It's good to look around to see how differently the stations are doing things.

At WFTV, meteorologist Brian Shields noted that the ABC affiliate had issued its own storm track at 4:30 a.m. "We switched the track here, and it's still on track according to us," Shields said. "The National Hurricane Center [is] coming a little bit more in line with what we've been thinking through the morning hours."

Shields added, "We think our thinking has been right."

At noon, both lines -- WFTV's and the revised one from the hurricane center -- showed Fay hitting Central Florida with strong winds starting late Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday.

On WKMG, chief meteorologist Tom Sorrells offered a forecast track from his Viper radar. It was east of the hurricane center's forecast and predicted that Fay would move toward Melbourne late Tuesday.

"There's the official path, there's the Vipir Local 6 forecast path," Sorrells said, stressing the difference.

WKMG meteorologist Eric Wilson added that the winds would turn bad for Polk and Osceola counties Tuesday night.

Hurricane Fay Projected Path Continues to Inch Towards Florida

Hurricane Fay is now ready to strike Florida as citizens prepare and worry about its projected path. The projected path of storms like Hurricane Fay can change frequently, leaving much uncertainly and fear. But the projected path of Hurricane Fay suggests that Hurricane Fay will both be a minimal hurricane by hurricane standards, but may still be stronger than some think. The projected path of Hurricane Fay looks to bring almost a foot of rain to the Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast.

As early as the middle of morning, Hurricane Fay should give parts of Florida bursts of rain and possibly the beginning of some flooding. Sustained winds could go up to 40 MPH as far east as the Wellington area. The afternoon and overnight storms from Hurricane Fay are expected to be the worst, leaving evening rush hour particularly harsh for drivers.

The projected path of Hurricane Fay started in Cuba, where the center of Fay still was at 8 a.m. By mid-morning, Hurricane Fay's path should be into the Florida Straits, where it will head for the Florida Keys by nightfall. Already, visitors to the Florida Keys are being asked to evacuate. By Tuesday, Hurricane Fay should be heading north.

As Fay approaches the Florida Keys, it may pass the hurricane threshold of 74 MPH as it heads for the Florida peninsula. Top winds earlier this morning were at 60 MPH, while the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County has begun to get severe rain bands. Due to Hurricane Fay's unorganized nature, the exact projected path of Fay has been hard for the National Hurricane Center to get exactly right.

Currently, Fay is projected to first land between Tampa and Ft. Myers, heading northeast but staying to the north of Lake Okeechobee.

Total rainfall of 6-8 inches is expected for Palm Beach Country and the Treasure Coast, though isolated areas could get a foot. Tornados may also be formed in fringe areas.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the Florida Keys, the Florida mainland and provinces of Cuba, with a tropical storm warning for the northwestern Bahamas. The next official update from the National Hurricane Center should come at 11 AM Eastern time.

Wsvn 7

Wsvn 7



What an eye-catcher. Wsvn 7 is quickly becoming big news. I found some more information and posted it below.


RELATED NEWS STORIES:




RELATED BLOG POSTS:



wsvn 7 wsvn7 ; wsvn 7 local 10 ; wsvn 7 local 10 ; wsvn 7 nbc 6 ; wsvn 7 wsvn weather ; wsvn 7 nbc 6 ; wsvn 7 nbc 6 ; wsvn 7 wsvn miami ; wsvn 7 nbc 6 ; wsvn 7 wsvn miami ; 0.526504039764.
16 hours ago
alda's space - http://aldaavi11.spaces.live.com/



web stats Some other posts : wsvn 7 wsvn7 ; wsvn 7 wsvn miami ; wsvn 7 noaa ; wsvn 7 wsvn7 ; wsvn 7 local 10 ; wsvn 7 local 10 ; wsvn 7 nbc 6 ; wsvn 7 wsvn weather ; wsvn 7 nbc 6 ; wsvn 7 nbc 6 ; 0.587991952896.
15 hours ago
kelsi's space - http://kelsimy14.spaces.live.com/



by Taylor
17 hours ago
wsvn wsvn miami ; miami dade county public schools ; wsvn wsvn miami ; wsvn miami herald ; miami dade county public schools ; nbc 6 wsvn 7 ; wsvn miami dade county public schools ; wsvn weather ; nbc 6 wsvn 7 ; wsvn wsvn wfor
antiquity - http://acctnttdcz.blogspot.com/



by celebrityjpg
16 hours ago
Sunshine and Heat Continue. immune - http://elangeeouz.blogspot.com/by Taylor 15 minutes ago wsvn wsvn miami ; miami dade county public schools ; wsvn wsvn miami ; wsvn miami herald ; miami dade county public schools ; nbc 6 wsvn 7
Celebrity JPG - Celebrities pictures and gossip. - http://celebrity-pictures-gossip.com



by Google Hot Trends
16 hours ago
rick warren obama mccain debate; handgun holsters; slickdeals; channel 7 news; www.browardschools.com; sun sentinel; simeon nix; josh saviano; motherhood maternity; wsvn 7; stepmom; uga oasis; tbo.com; poland women s volleyball
koogita - http://koogita.site88.net

Sheer Luxury - The Hyundai Genesis 2009

Sunday, 17 August 2008

At first glance you may not recognize the Hyundai Genesis 2009 is actually a Hyundai. However it is a Hyundai and it is sheer luxury. This is the South Korean automaker's first car with a V-8 and rear-wheel drive and it is ready to take on luxury sedans from Japan, Europe and America.

Since entering the scene in the 1980s Hyundai has came a very long ways. The Genesis competes against models such as the Cadillac CTS, Lexus ES and Chrysler 300. But Hyundai says it "benchmarked" cars such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series, Infiniti M and Lexus GS when developing the Genesis.
The 290-horsepower V-6 model lists at $32,250, while the $37,250 model has a smooth, sophisticated V-8 that provides 375 horsepower with premium-grade fuel and 368 horsepower using unleaded gasoline.

In terms of traditional luxury branding “Image” approaches it will be interesting to see how Hyundai will sustain in the luxury market.

Let me be the first to say, welcome to the luxury market Hyundai Genesis 2009! I am completely sold.

The Bigfoot press conference and the art of selling a website

Saturday, 16 August 2008
What was most revealing about today's exhilarating and highly truthful Bigfoot press conference was not what was said.

It was the headgear.

Emblazoned with the URL searchingforbigfoot.com, the baseball caps worn by Matthew Whitton (aka Gary Parker) and Rick Dyer said so very much.

Their words on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olberman said it with a cleanliness only rivaled by Bigfoot's teeth. When asked by the lucky stand-in presenter, Rachel Maddow, whether they were out to make as much money as they could, Mr. Dyer, who had not uttered a word through the entire interview, firmly stated that this was the case. (Please take note, Mr. Zuckerberg and Ms. Sandberg)

These are businessmen who put most Web 1.0 enterprises to shame. Most of Web 2.0 too. They have a geneticist's rigorous grasp of the detail. And they have a clearly articulated business plan.

Messrs Whitton and Dyer are afraid of nothing, certainly not of the world's press. After all, they have faced and sniffed the body of Bigfoot. They have dragged his five hundred pounds back to their pickup truck. They have resisted the urge of calling the police, or Animal Rescue. These are men smart and courageous enough to have run Webvan.


In their interview with Ms. Maddow, they were amusedly unphased. They stated their case. They insisted that they weren't hunters at all, merely hikers who happened to come across an incredible find and even braved the circling of other Bigfeet who were perturbed to see the body of their blood brother being dragged away, like a large, hairy Lindsay Lohan, to a career in Hollywood.

But they have learned one thing about life- and specifically about the internet business. They don't just talk monetization. They do it.

If you hotfoot it to searchingforbigfoot.com, you can pick up an authentic SearchingForBigfoot cap, in black or white, for $24.99. You can hitch up your trousers with a commemorative Bigfoot Lives pewter belt buckle, its price inexplicably reduced from $34.99 to $29.99. And for a mere $35 (reduced from $40) you can adorn your front porch with a Bigfoot Welcome Mat.

Were they hunters, which they avowedly are not, they might describe this as a great way to make a killing.

Of course, these products are merely loss leaders, because when the venerable scientists from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan or Georgiastan confirm that Matt (aka Gary) and Rick are, indeed, in possession of a Bigfoot cadaver, searchingforbigfoot.com will rival Amazon and Fifth Avenue for traffic and profit. And it will rival Facebook on the engagement scale.

The possibilities are taller than some would accuse their story. Bigfoot perfume, Bigfoot dogfood, a Bigfoot steakhouse chain, perhaps even a Bigfoot blog from beyond the grave.

You see, it's not enough just to have a good idea, you have to have your business plan jingling with readiness.

I understand that the real reason today's press conference was held in Palo Alto is that the two intrepid businessmen had another meeting in the vicinity.

The Stanford Business School has already offered Messrs. Whitton and Dyer professorships. The two hikers from Georgia said they would think about it.

You see how clever they are?

brooke wilberger :: brooke wilberger :: Retrospective on Brooke ...

The families of Brooke Wilberger and Maura Murray have forged an unlikely bond since the college students vanished within three months of each other in 2004.Now police are targeting a convicted sex offender in Wilberger's disappearance, ...

California: Bigfoot Remains a Myth

Results from tests on genetic material from alleged remains of Bigfoot, made public at a news conference in Palo Alto held after the claimed discovery swept the Internet, failed to prove the existence of the mythical half-ape and half-human creature. The story was fueled by a photograph of a hairy heap, bearing a close resemblance to a shaggy full-body gorilla costume, stuffed into a container resembling a refrigerator. One of the two samples of DNA said to prove the existence of the Bigfoot came from a human and the other was 96 percent from an opossum, said Curt Nelson, a scientist at the University of Minnesota who performed the analysis.

Kenesiology and Kinesio Tape - Not Tattoos - Appear on Kerri Walsh

When photos of Kerri Walsh appeared, it looked like she had a large tattoo, not particularly attractive and definitely very large, on one shoulder during the Olympic games. But now it seems that she has actually been wearing a special kinesthetic tape also known as Kinesio - instead of a permanent tattoo. Photos of her with what appears to be kinesio tape can be seen at the Kinesiotaping website here kinesiotaping.com/olympic-watch.php, with information indicating that the mysterious black material is indeed tape and not a tattoo.

Kinesiology tape, Kinesio and the Olympic games

So what is the big deal about kinesthetic tape? Plenty of injured athletes tape the area around their sprained legs and muscles. I'd had to use tape myself since I'd recently undergone treatment for a stress fracture and one of my sons had also had to tape his leg after a soccer injury. The material we used, however, was nothing like what appeared on Kerri Walsh's shoulder area. Instead, it was flesh colored and didn't help us get back to exercising right away. Our doctors actually instructed us to rest often, avoid exercise and give our muscles time to recover. My doctor even called to make sure I was staying off my foot as much as possible.

In contrast, Kerri Welsh was actually competing in the Olympic games! I not only wanted to know more but wondered why this special kinesiology tape wasn't being used for athletes of all levels, perhaps helping them get back to playing sports sooner while still allowing their bodies to heal. If it worked for professional athletes, it seemed like it ought to work for anyone.

What makes kinesiology tapes different than traditional muscle wraps?

Having had personal experience with conventional methods for treating sprains and muscle injuries, I had been less than happy with the results. Not only did it take forever for my muscles to heal but I was forced to stay off my foot as much as possible. I was also given special heel lifts to take pressure off the damaged ankle and back of my foot. None of this did much good nor did it speed up the healing process.

Memorable moments in Mike and the Mad Dog history

Friday, 15 August 2008

"Mike and the Mad Dog" helped pioneer the sports talk radio genre, which still was in its infancy when the show debuted Sept. 5, 1989. It quickly began to challenge the print media's traditional power and influence.

Mike Francesa and Chris Russo often helped set the local sports agenda, influencing even what sports editors at newspapers considered important, to the dismay of their own reporters and columnists.

At times, the duo had a direct impact on events, such as when they encouraged the Mets to pursue Mike Piazza in 1998.

IN 1991, while Mike Francesa was still with CBS Sports at the NCAA basketball tournament, Chris Russo criticized CBS' coverage of the event. Francesa called Russo to ask him to stop. Russo wouldn't, and it led to one of their many on-air arguments.
IN 1992, when Francesa was on vacation, Russo introduced the show by saying "Welcome to ... and the Mad Dog." Francesa called station executives and wanted an apology, which he didn't get. When Francesa returned, there was a meeting with executives, and the two were rumored to have come close to blows.

WHEN THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS were knocked out of the NLCS in 2003, Russo went into a rant over the ineptness of his favorite team. He said if they could win the World Series "one time," he would give up everything he owned, including his three children.

IN 2005, Francesa and Russo were doing their annual summer show from the Jersey shore, and Russo had professed that the Yankees, not the Giants, were now his baseball team. Francesa wanted him to admit that Mickey Mantle was a better player than Willie Mays. Russo couldn't do it and shouted "We hate the Yankees!" on the air.

ON OCT. 9, 2006, Francesa and Russo got into an acrimonious conversation with Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, who called them to object to criticism leveled by the pair toward him. Two days later, Lidle died in a plane crash in Manhattan. They didn't take calls to their show in the aftermath, leading to criticism that they might not be able to take criticism themselves.

Russo Out At WFAN


Two weeks shy of its 19th anniversary, the "Mike and the Mad Dog" show is no more.

WFAN said Thursday that Chris Russo is leaving the company, making Mike Francesa the sole host of the popular afternoon drive time show.

"Mike and Chris pioneered the genre more than 18 years ago," WFAN operations director Mark Chernoff said in a statement. "We wish Chris nothing but the best and look forward to all that Mike will do in a role in which he has excelled."

Russo is expected to land at Sirius Satellite Radio. Russo and Francesa, who were often contentious, were at odds often and battled for years.


The announcement of Russo's departure coincided with the announcement of a new contract for Francesa, whose deal was believed to be expiring around the end of the year. He will now be the sole host of the show.

The show debuted in 1989 and originally was heard from 3 to 7 p.m., and beginning in 2002 it received additional exposure via a simulcast on the new YES Network. Francesa, 54, and Russo, 48, moved into the prime slot just as WFAN was beginning to take off.

Dazzle DVD Recorder: cost-effective video capture solution


The Dazzle DVD Recorder has to be one of the most cost-effective ways for video capture. This product from Dazzle combines both user-friendly interface by using Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder software.

This system allows you to quickly record videos directly to DVD without the need for copying it to your hard drive first. This saves both time and space.

In just a few short clicks you are able to capture your home videos as well as TV recordings and transfer them directly to DVD. Both menus and chapter marks are also recorded.

Some of the features of the Dazzle DVD Recorder include, Transfer and share your videos on DVD with Dazzle DVD Recorder, Plug-in-play simplicity and a step-by step guide, copying your home movies from almost any video device to DVD, Capture from any video source with composite (RCA) or S-Video output, Burn videos direct from video source to DVD to preserve your memories and play them on a TV.

Woot are currently selling the Dazzle DVD Recorder for $19.99

The case of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui

Thursday, 14 August 2008

Five years after she vanished from her parents’ home in Karachi along with her three children, Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui appeared in a New York court last week accused of trying to kill U.S. officers in Afghanistan

Accounts of her arrest and the shooting incident differ.


Siddiqui, 36, was arrested outside the governor’s office in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province on July 17 after police searched her handbag and found documents on making explosives, excerpts from the book “Anarchist’s Arsenal” and descriptions of New York City landmarks, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

The next day when U.S. soldiers and FBI agents went to question the U.S.-trained neuroscientist, she attacked them, the Justice Department said in a statement. She fired two shots using the rifle of one of the U.S.. army officers but nobody was hit. The officer then fired back at her, using his service pistol and at least one shot hit her, the Justice Department said.

Afghan police in Ghazni however, told a different story, according to a report filed by Reuters. Afghan police said officers searched Siddiqui after reports of her suspicious behaviour and found maps of Ghazni, including one of the governor’s house, and arrested her along with a teenage boy.

U.S. troops requested the woman be handed over to them, but the police refused, a senior Ghazni police officer said.

U.S. soldiers then proceeded to disarm the Afghan police at which point Siddiqui approached the Americans complaining of mistreatment by the police. The U.S. troops, the officer said, “thinking that she had explosives and would attack them as a suicide bomber, shot her and and took her”. The boy remained in police custody.

Whatever the circumstance, Siddiqui was then flown to New York where she appeared in a wheelchair, looking frail and, according to her lawyers, in urgent need of medical attention.

The case bears recounting, not just because Siddiqui is a MIT educated mother of three, but because it has roused strong passions especially in Pakistan.

Since the time of her disappearance in 2003 human rights groups have alleged Siddiqui had been taken into secret custody, one of thousands of Pakistanis who had disappeared in the U.S.-led war on al Qaeda and Taliban. They said they believed she was in Bagram, the U.S. air base in Afghanistan.



U.S. authorities strongly denied Siddiqui was in custody, and according to the New York Times, military and intelligence officials believed her to be in Pakistan until her arrest in Afghanistan last month.

Protests have taken place in Karachi, Lahore and even outside the court in Manhattan where Siddiqui appeared . The anger is directed as much, if not more, at the Pakistani government and its agencies who are accused of handing over Siddiqui to the United States as at Washington itself.

There are online petitions seeking Siddiqui’s release and others warning this is only the tip of the iceberg and that there are many others at risk. Comments on blogs reflect anger, shame and helplessness. to undo what many see as a terrible wrong done to her,


On Wednesday, the Pakistani Foreign Office said it had protested against the detention of Siddiqui’s three children and demanded their repatriation.

Player Profile - Karl Duguid


While most of us had the bucket and spade out over the summer, or even an umbrella, Plymouth Argyle manager Paul Sturrock was working hard and searching high and low for new players to bring to Home Park.

At the time of writing Sturrock managed to sign eight players to boost the Pilgrims' squad, the new signings included Karl Duguid from Colchester United, flying winger Jason Puncheon from Barnet for £250,000, defender David McNamee from Coventry City, keeper Graham Stack, winger Yala Bolasie, record signing Simon Walton, Manchester United youngster Craig Cathcart and defender Chris Barker from QPR.

With the transfer window remaining open until August 31st there is still time for more new arrivals at the Theatre of Greens.

We take an in-depth look at the new players and their careers and the next player in the hot-seat is Karl Duguid.

Duguid was Sturrock's second signing of the summer with Argyle paying an undisclosed fee for the Colchester United captain. The 30-year old arrived in June and put pen to paper on a two-year contract after spending 14 years at Layer Road.

Karl Anthony Duguid was born on March 21st 1978 in Hitchin and progressed through the youth system at Colchester to sign professional forms aged 16.
'Doogie' quickly established himself as a competative, versatile and hardworking player and popular with the Layer Road faithful.

The Colchester stalwart missed the whole of the 2004-2005 season due to a knee injury but returned the following season to captain Colchester to promotion to the Championship.

The 'U's' finished the season in 10th place in the Championship, a considerable achievement given the resources at Layer Road but at the end of last season the club were relegated back to League One.

Duguid made a total of 442 appearances for Colchester playing in a variety of positions including right-back, midfield and as a striker.

Duguid was saddended to leave Colchester but the lure of the Championship was too much and is now looking forward to a new career with Argyle, after signing for the Pilgrims' he said: 'I want to improve and, hopefully, achieve things with Plymouth, like I did during my time at Colchester.
'The Championship is a great standard and I have had a taste of it for the last two seasons.
'It was, without doubt, the most enjoyable time of my career, even though we ended up getting relegated.'

Duguid continued: 'I think the Premier League is the best league in the world, and it's just a pleasure to know you are playing in the second tier of English football.
'Right-back is my favourite position, and that's where the manager will get the best out of me.
'But I think I played pretty much everywhere for Colchester - apart from goalkeeper and centre-back.'

Duguid made his Argyle debut as captain in the first game of the new season against Wolves.

We welcome Karl to Home Park and wish him good luck for the new season.

DNC Statement on Passing of Arkansas Democratic Party Chair Bill Gwatney

WASHINGTON, Aug 13, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, DNC Vice Chair Lottie Shackelford, and former mayor of Little Rock, and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer, the President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, issued the following statement on the passing of Arkansas Democratic Party Chair Bill Gwatney:

"On behalf of the Democratic Party our thoughts and prayers are with Chairman Gwatney's family and friends and the extended Democratic family in Arkansas. With this senseless act of violence we have lost a good friend and honorable man. Bill will be remembered for his hard work and dedication to the Party, and he will be sorely missed."
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Predjama Castle

Spooky claims abroad are investigated tonight on the Sci Fi channel.

“Ghost Hunters International” is airing two episodes that will take the team of paranormal investigators to four European spots.

A repeat airs first at 8. During this episode, the team spends the night at 300-year-old Belgrave Hall in Leicester, England, before moving on to the Ragged School of Edinburgh, a former home for destitute children.

In a new installment at 9, the team looks into claims about Predjama Castle, built during the Renaissance era in Slovenia, and Cachtice Castle, one-time home of 16th-century serial killer Countess Elizabeth Bath-ory. It was built in the 13th century.


Also on television is a double dose of the cheerleading franchise “Bring It On” with movies airing at 7 and 9.

First is “Bring It On: All or No-thing,” the third film in the franch-ise starring Hayden Panettiere, Sol-ange Knowles-Smith and Rhianna. The plot is about a girl who moves from a wealthy enclave to a rough neighborhood. She tries to to fit into her new world through cheerleading.

Later is “Bring It On: In It to Win It,” the series' fourth film. It's East Coast versus West Coast at a cheerleading camp in this installment starring Ashley Benson and Jennifer Tisdale. Like its predecessors, rival squads are vying for supremacy.

Has Bigfoot Been Found?

Wednesday, 13 August 2008

Two Bigfoot hunters claim they have the body of one and plan to release a photo and what they claim is DNA evidence at a news conference in Palo Alto on Friday.

The Bigfoot is claimed to have been found in the woods of northern Georgia by Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, and the claim is being supported by a Bay Area Bigfoot researcher Tom Biscardi, a multiple local Democratic candidate.

The press release as follows. A site claiming to have the first pics is down, but here’s the link in case it comes back up, although the pic top right is said to be one of the shots currently available. Other sites are suggesting this could be the “real deal;” who knows, we’ll have to wait for the press conference and the proof.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2008
BIGFOOT BODY FOUND
DNA evidence and photo evidence to be presented at a
PRESS CONFERENCE
to be held on
Date: Friday, August 15, 2008
Time: From 12Noon-1:00pm
Place: Cabana Hotel-Palo Alto (A Crown Plaza Resort) 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California 94306

Searching for Bigfoot, Inc. Menlo Park, California
Tom Biscardi, CEO

BIGFOOT BODY FOUND - EVIDENCE AND DNA DETAILS TO BE PRESENTED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 15th

FROM 12 N00N TO 1:00PM AT THE CABANA HOTEL-PALO ALTO IN PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA

A body that may very well be the body of the creature commonly known as “Bigfoot” has been found in the woods in northern Georgia.

DNA evidence and photo evidence of the creature will be presented in a press conference on Friday, August 15th from 12 Noon to 1:00pm at the Cabana Hotel-Palo Alto at 4290 El Camino Real in Palo Alto, California, 94306. The press conference will not be open to the public. It will only be open to credentialed members of the press.
Here are some of the vital statistics on the “Bigfoot” body:
*The creature is seven feet seven inches tall.
*It weighs over five hundred pounds.
*The creature looks like it is part human and part ape-like.
*It is male.
*It has reddish hair and blackish-grey eyes.
*It has two arms and two legs, and five fingers on each hand and
five toes on each foot.
*The feet are flat and similar to human feet.
*Its footprint is sixteen and three-quarters inches long and five and three-quarters inches wide at the heel.
*From the palm of the hand to the tip of the middle finger, its hands are
eleven and three-quarters inches long and six and one-quarter inches wide.
*The creatures walk upright. (Several of them were sighted on the same day that the body was found.)
*The teeth are more human-like than ape-like.
*DNA tests are currently being done and the current DNA and photo evidence will be presented at the press conference on Friday, August 15th.

Zane's World

Barely a soul in Santa Fe failed to have a post-apocalyptic moment when driving past the Santa Fe Indian School in the last couple of weeks. Sovereignty apparently trumps respect and, depending on one’s view, responsibility
We’ve suddenly had to come to terms with something much of the rest of the world reckons with regularly—the blithe demolition of relatively precious architecture. If Iraqis or Afghans could see the tizzy Santa Fe was thrown in by the downing of a half-dozen buildings, they would surely share a dark chuckle.

If not for the determined reporting of Raam Wong of the Albuquerque Journal, little would be known at this point about the status of destructive goings-on at the Santa Fe Indian School. The All Indian Pueblo Council, which holds ultimate responsibility for the central Santa Fe property, has been tight-lipped about its motivations for razing historically significant buildings on the school’s Cerrillos Road frontage. It’s been equally coy about the plans for the property and the remediation, or briefly suspected lack thereof, of asbestos in the bulldozed structures.

When territory is seized—as the land that is now the United States was seized—by colonial powers that appear to have less respect for the balance of resources than its native inhabitants did, it’s an uphill battle to gain a reputation for good stewardship. So, when Native Americans disrespect the preservation laws or conventions of a city, a state, or possibly a federal government, through poor stewardship of their own, it can be tough to get too ornery with them. Add in that for many the school’s buildings represent oppression more than architectural significance, and it is easy, but terribly white guilt-ish, to hypothesize and sentimentalize an act of defiant courage in the school’s unexplained devastation of some of the most beautiful buildings west of St. Francis Drive.

I also can understand not wanting to engage the city or seek its opinion on a matter of preservation. Opening the door, even out of politeness, to discussions of preservation issues would be like inviting a bunch of nosey parkers with a shallow grasp of the true benefits and nuance of preservation to endlessly scold your every decision. If I were the Pueblo Council, I wouldn’t have much to say to the city either, and I wouldn’t offer more than an eye roll to City Councilor Miguel Chavez and former Councilor Karen Heldmeyer, hanging around the outskirts of the demolition like the two kids not picked for the kickball game.

Likewise, it has been hilarious to watch so-called preservationists pick over photos of the demolition in search of evidence of mural work, executed under Dorothy Dunn’s tenure, (now elevated from relatively benevolent to absolutely beatific without regard for the patronizing manner in which she codified “Indian” art). They breathe collective sighs of relief each time they are unable to find evidence of the precious murals, even as other, obviously more recent work on the walls, is destroyed. Hey, who cares who did that stuff, so long as it wasn’t dear Dorothy Dunn and her well-behaved, rock-art emulating, English-speaking, “good” Native students?

All told, however, it is a bold but ultimately cruel maneuver to simply plow down cherished buildings without any apparent contact with any historic agency or authority whatsoever. George Johnson, the science writer and prolific blogger at santafereview.com, has most closely followed the story, bringing together the threads of various news organizations and the proclamations of local, state and federal authorities. Johnson cites some reasons to believe the demolition could actually prove illegal under federal law and the possibility that intervention by a federal judge could save the three remaining buildings.

I doubt it. The reason the Bureau of Indian Affairs says it’s beyond its control is because this is sovereignty in action. It’s like free speech—if you tell people they can say what they want so long as you find it palatable, it ain’t free. Sovereignty by someone else’s judgement ain’t sovereignty. Let’s just be glad the act that puts the property in the control of the Pueblo Council contains an agreement barring casinos. Also, at this point, it appears as though asbestos abatement was handled on the up-and-up or about as responsibly as law, if not reason, dictates.

But just because an entity may act with legal impunity doesn’t mean it should. It’s a shame the Pueblo Council has been non-responsive to historians for some time and then took this irreversible action without a few simple actions that translate to being a good neighbor.

As of press time, no revelations about what will replace the demolished buildings has been disclosed, although there have been allusions to a museum and a commercial development. Previous rumors have included movie-production facilities and a temporary location for the new High School for the Arts. The Indian School’s master plan for its new campus—otherwise elegant and comprehensive—indicates no particular use for the historic buildings or the land they sit upon.

Throwing federal judges at this situation will improve nothing. But the Pueblo Council engaging the community in its plans for any new construction at the Indian School could be the start of a good, neighborly rapport.

It’s understandable the Pueblo Council chose to disrespect our culture’s traditions and cherished notions, just as we have so often disrespected those of Native cultures, but it’s unfortunate. This was an opportunity to turn the other cheek and lead by example.

Rad Girls are the female version of Jackass



Introducing Ramona Ca$h, Munchie, and Darling Clementine, collectively known as the Rad Girls, said to be the female version of Jackass.

The show appears on the little watched Fuse.tv, and the girls undertake stupid stunts for fun. If you like Jackass, you’ll love this. Otherwise….well, just don’t watch the video above.