Sports are good for you!

Some sports are seeing historic events today.

First, the US side won against the Algerian side scoring a single goal in the 91st minute. American Landon Donovan scored on rebound off the Algerian keeper during the four minutes of stoppage time.

Early in the match, there was a US goal that was not counted due to a call of offsides. The Algerians played rough and made the US really work for their single goal.

The US not only won their match but also won the Group. England also scored a single goal in its match against Slovenia. It was enough to put both through to the Knockout round. The Us will play the runner up for Group D. At the moment, Germany and Ghana are leading Group D and they are playing each other currently - as in RIGHT NOW!

Secondly, Wimbledon.

Two men: an American named John Isner and a Frenchman named Nicolas Mahut have been locked in an epic battle at Wimbledon, one stretching over two days. In a match that began Tuesday night and was suspended because of darkness after four sets, Isner and Mahut have now played the longest tennis match in history.

As I type this, they are still locked in this contest with their fifth set approaching the 50's!

It's amazing how methodical this match has been. No controversy, no close calls. Just rhythmic, incessant tennis. Not unlike Chinese Water Torture!

Cobra Commander (D-Undisclosed)

A reaction to Fox News and its onscreen "typo" misidentifying McCain's political party. On the Huffintgon Post, there was this comment from someone called Randomizer.

Yeah, man. Drew Pederson is identified as Democrat as is Bin Laden, Kim Il Jong, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. All of them with the (D) underneath their names. Here's some others:
Satan (D-Hell) Hitler (D-Germany) Stalin (D-USSR) Skeletor (D-Eternia) Megatron (D-Chaar)
Pretty much all Democrats.

Love it!

Remember Dru

Its a Friday and therefore, don't give me a lot of news to ponder over the weekend. However, having said that, I know I will ponder away and listen to NPR because I cannot get my XM to work at my job (deep in the bowels of a pool hall kitchen) so I'm without my beloved CNN. One could do with worse things...

First off, the major international shakeup in diplomacy. Ya gotta love "he said, he said, denial" moments even if they aren't on a sitcom or soap. The President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, remarked to CBS that a US official (Richard Armitage, who was Deputy Secretary of State to Colin Powell) told Musharraf that he had to cooperate with the US or Pakistan would be bombed "back to the stone age". Whether this can be done is not a question. Look at what a hurricane did here! The question is did he? Armitage may have made the comment but everyone is deying it in a scramble to cover their own ass...ets. Armitage would never have had the authorization to implement force of any kind and so making a comment like this would have been foolhardy. Food for thought: If one makes threats he can't fullfil, he's a jackass. If one believes them, he's an idiot. Regardless, this will play out as the current administration takes criticsm from foreign leaders visiting the US and from even our allies. There isn't a lot of room for latitude and this only adds to the melee.


Like they say on NPR: Science Friday. In many ways it was the newsmaker today. One of the astronauts who returned from their 12 day mission aboard Atlantis collapsed not once but twice today during a ceremony to welcome the crew home. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper collapsed once after beginning to appear confused. After being revived she attempted to continue speaking only to collapse again in a similar manner less than a minute later. She was then escorted through the side door at Ellington Air Base. NASA officials are citing fatigue and adjustment from the Cosmic Electricians 2 grueling spacewalks and her time in zero gravity.

The First Iraninan into space is a woman. She's also the first woman who is a space tourist. Iranian-born US citizen Anousheh Ansari has been enjoying herself aboard the International Space Station after arriving on a Soyuz spacecraft witha cosmonaut and astronaut. She is taking photos, listening to amateur radio and staying out of the way of those trying to actually work. She is a 40-year-old telecoms entrepreneur by day.

Twenty-three people died in a accident involving a maglev train in Germany. The train wsa only warrying 15 passengers since it was testing the track. Reportedly, the accident was caused by human error after the train struck a mainenance vehicle on the track. In addition to the 23 fatalities, 10 others are also listed as injured. These numbers may change. This is the first such incident in the life of the Magnetic Levitation trains. The train was estimated to be travelling at 125mph at the test track in northwestern Germany. Currently, the only commercially operated train is in Shanghai and the trains may reach up to 270mph. That being said, the Japanese have clocked one going as fast as 361mph. At thi time, German officials are laying blame on Human Error. It seems there may have been a series of failures leading to the vehicle being on the track.

And finally, in legal (and local news), Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. was given the Death Penalty for his kidnapping, beating, raping and later stabbing of University of North Dakota student, Dru Sjodin. This story has been huge around here. Almost as big as the psycho hmong hunter last fall. The case, though tried in North Dakota, was a federal case. The man is from Crookston, MN and crossed state lines. Since the case was federal, a death penalty was always possible. In North Dakota, the death penalty is not legal. It has been nearly a century since such a fate has been handed out by a jury in North Dakota.

Please remember the bright, wonderful person that was Dru Sjodin. She had her whole life in front of her and had it ended so mercilessly.

Its a Slow News Day.

That is, if you don't count the developments in the JonBenet Ramsey case. The DNA results have come back and they do not match. I'm so glad I didn't get hyped over this. Some others on the other hand. The Media interviewed family and friends and they were all overjoyed that the perpetrator was found. A scrawny little fraction of a man confesses to a crime with little evidence even placing him in the state and they're happy. It was not open and shut and there was still procedures to follow not to mention a TRIAL! So, I blame the media for causing a lot of ballyhoo over something that turned out to be nothing. Keep waiting, Patsy. They haven't found him yet.

World's oldest person died today at 116. Maria Esther de Capovilla, of Equador, passed away on Sunday and leaves Tennesee woman Elizabeth Bolden as the oldest living person. Capovilla was born the same year as Hitler, Charlie Chaplin and Jean Cocteau.

Bush toured the Gulf States today to jabber on about a "sense of renewal". Who wants a sense of it? Just do it! He travelled to Biloxi where he spoke aobut continued progress. Does he know that poll released earlier this month found that 2/3 of the American people still dissapprove of his handling of the catastrophe. Guess he uses the showman's advice after all: Never read your own press (or quote it). Later I watched a report on Fox News (I know, I know...) about the place where Hurricane Katrina made landfall. You'd think from all the focus that is was New Orleans but it wasn't. Plaquemines parish saw the brunt of the storm and then saw it levees fail. But its getting nothing to help rebuild its levees. It has been forgotten. Kudos to Fox News, normally the lap dog of the Republican Party and President Bush, for reporting on this terrible "oversight".

Neat Link: New Oleans, before and after the Hurricane.

In Canada, a man was told he couldn't throw candy from his float in a parade. It might injure the miniature adults, aka children. He bought $8 worth of penny candy to throw. Kids might get hurt by the flying candy or by stepping into the road to get said candy. Oh Good God.

Three people are reported dead after bombs rock the Turkish seaside town of Antalya. Twenty-one are reported injured as well. Earlier there were explosions in Marmaris and Istanbul. Twenty-one people were also injured in Marmaris while 6 people were killed in Istanbul. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a militate group, has claimed responsibility for the Marmaris and Istanbul bombings.

There was a small plane that went down in a lake in Indianapolis. All 5 passengers survived. Question: Why was this Breaking News on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, the Today Show, etc.? It was so minor as to be laughbale.

Update: The pilot died.

On this day back in 1916, Germany declared war on Romania whilst Italy declared war on Germany.

On this day in 1850, Wagner's Lohengrin opera premiered in Weimar, Germany (My middle name is the French version of that name so its kind of meaningful to me.)

Also on this day 10 years ago, Prince Charles and Princess Diana were formally divorced after 15 years together.

A year ago: New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. If only he knew then what he knows now.