Having heard about this first-thing yesterday morning, I wanted to post something about the accident here, but decided to take the day-off from the computer because this story really bummed me out.
Yesterday, Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt, 26, died following a collision with a wall during a high-speed downhill section of the course in Rapallo, Northern Italy.
The Leopard-Trek rider struck a wall travelling at approximately 70km/h and was treated immediately by Giro doctors who were following the pack. He was immediately diagnosed with skull and facial fractures. Doctors administered CPR and adrenaline shots to no avail, as Weylandt was pronounced dead 40 minutes later.
It was the first death in 25 years at the Giro, one of the big three races, all of which feature mountainous climbs and descents that often put the athletes in peril.
Weylandt's team, Leopard-Trek plan on meeting to discuss whether they'd like to continue the Giro, which finishes May 29th in Milan. In a sadly coincidental twist, a year ago today, Weylandt won the 3rd stage of the Giro as one of two career stage victories.
He is survived by family and his girlfriend who was expecting their first born this September.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Where Amazing Happens Sometimes: Lose Like A Winner
By virtue of the fact that as a child, I was obsessed with the Chicago Bulls, I have long been an admirer of Lakers coach Phil Jackson and the calm demeanour with which he encounters issues from men who often behave like children.
Last night's game 4 blow-out at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks was difficult to watch as a Kobe guy, Phil fan and otherwise neutral observer.
Something has to be said about a franchise of perennial winners that loses with such immaturity and lack of class as the Lakers did last night. In what was Phil Jackson's final game as a coach, the Lakers disgusted fans and rivals alike with a display of antics that epitomize the concept of being a 'sore loser'.
First there was Lamar Odom's unnecessary foul against Dirk that rightly merited an ejection;
Then there was this absolutely unacceptable display from centre Andrew Bynum that was rightly called 'Bush League' by ESPN analyst Mike Tirico. Both J.J. Barea, and Bynum for that matter, are fortunate that he wasn't seriously injured on the play;
And to pout an exclamation point on the whole fiasco, Barea scored on the play. If there has ever been a moment to scream-out "AND 1" in a player's grill, that was it.
Kudos to the Mavs for their non-reaction and for the players who did not leave the bench causing an automatic 1 games suspension a la Amare Stoudemire following Robert Horry's tackling of Steve Nash a few years past.
In the end, I'm pleases the Mavs won and that this year's installment of the NBA playoffs features a few clubs that typically have not made it to this stage. I'm wholeheartedly behind Dirk in hopes he can win a ring before his time is done, as well as the likes of Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and my cousin Tyson Chandler.
It's just sad that a coach and star player like Phil and Kobe will forever have a blotch on their legacies as some of the game's greats because of the actions of two teammates.
Disgusting.
Here's hoping Kobe ripped into those two in the dressing room and that dog Odom married has him on the couch for a few nights.
Bye Phil - you were the best.
Last night's game 4 blow-out at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks was difficult to watch as a Kobe guy, Phil fan and otherwise neutral observer.
Something has to be said about a franchise of perennial winners that loses with such immaturity and lack of class as the Lakers did last night. In what was Phil Jackson's final game as a coach, the Lakers disgusted fans and rivals alike with a display of antics that epitomize the concept of being a 'sore loser'.
First there was Lamar Odom's unnecessary foul against Dirk that rightly merited an ejection;
Then there was this absolutely unacceptable display from centre Andrew Bynum that was rightly called 'Bush League' by ESPN analyst Mike Tirico. Both J.J. Barea, and Bynum for that matter, are fortunate that he wasn't seriously injured on the play;
And to pout an exclamation point on the whole fiasco, Barea scored on the play. If there has ever been a moment to scream-out "AND 1" in a player's grill, that was it.
Kudos to the Mavs for their non-reaction and for the players who did not leave the bench causing an automatic 1 games suspension a la Amare Stoudemire following Robert Horry's tackling of Steve Nash a few years past.
In the end, I'm pleases the Mavs won and that this year's installment of the NBA playoffs features a few clubs that typically have not made it to this stage. I'm wholeheartedly behind Dirk in hopes he can win a ring before his time is done, as well as the likes of Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and my cousin Tyson Chandler.
It's just sad that a coach and star player like Phil and Kobe will forever have a blotch on their legacies as some of the game's greats because of the actions of two teammates.
Disgusting.
Here's hoping Kobe ripped into those two in the dressing room and that dog Odom married has him on the couch for a few nights.
Bye Phil - you were the best.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
More Bad News/The Apocalypse Is Upon Us/Fuck The World
The purpose of this blog is to cover various topics in hopes of educating my readers and sharing with them the perspective that make my brain swell.
The following story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is a real Debbie Downer, reaffirming fears that mankind is on a steep decline. Much like last week's bit about the Nigeria boy murdered in South Chicago, this one will also leave you wondering what the purpose of optimism is.
Teen robbed PNC usher having heart attack, left him to die
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Police said today that a 17-year-old boy came across a PNC Park usher who was having a heart attack in his car, pulled the man out and onto the ground, went through his pockets and stole his wallet, then drove away in the vehicle, leaving the usher to die in the street.
The teen is not charged with homicide in the death of 58-year-old Michael Schacht, who was headed home after a 14-inning game at PNC Park on April 9. The suspect is chaged with car theft and robbery as a juvenile, and police did not name him.
Police said Mr. Schacht was found unresponsive on Brighton Road on the North Side and was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The car was found a day later in Perry Hilltop.
"Investigators learned that Mr. Schacht was driving north on Brighton Road near Brighton Place and he was suffering from an apparent heart attack," according to a news release.
"He pulled to the intersection and stopped his vehicle near the curb. It is believed that he was in distress and slumped over the console of his vehicle when a 17-year-old male approached his vehicle. The male actor proceeded to pull Mr. Schacht out of the driver's seat of the car and pull him to the ground. The actor then went through Mr. Schacht's pockets and stole his wallet. He then got behind the wheel of Mr. Schacht's vehicle and drove off, leaving Mr. Schacht on the ground."
The suspect was taken to Shuman Center for juveniles.
The following story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is a real Debbie Downer, reaffirming fears that mankind is on a steep decline. Much like last week's bit about the Nigeria boy murdered in South Chicago, this one will also leave you wondering what the purpose of optimism is.
Teen robbed PNC usher having heart attack, left him to die
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Police said today that a 17-year-old boy came across a PNC Park usher who was having a heart attack in his car, pulled the man out and onto the ground, went through his pockets and stole his wallet, then drove away in the vehicle, leaving the usher to die in the street.
The teen is not charged with homicide in the death of 58-year-old Michael Schacht, who was headed home after a 14-inning game at PNC Park on April 9. The suspect is chaged with car theft and robbery as a juvenile, and police did not name him.
Police said Mr. Schacht was found unresponsive on Brighton Road on the North Side and was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The car was found a day later in Perry Hilltop.
"Investigators learned that Mr. Schacht was driving north on Brighton Road near Brighton Place and he was suffering from an apparent heart attack," according to a news release.
"He pulled to the intersection and stopped his vehicle near the curb. It is believed that he was in distress and slumped over the console of his vehicle when a 17-year-old male approached his vehicle. The male actor proceeded to pull Mr. Schacht out of the driver's seat of the car and pull him to the ground. The actor then went through Mr. Schacht's pockets and stole his wallet. He then got behind the wheel of Mr. Schacht's vehicle and drove off, leaving Mr. Schacht on the ground."
The suspect was taken to Shuman Center for juveniles.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
AU REVOIR LES ROIS DU SACRAMENTO - Sacramento Gets 1 More Shot
As it turns out, contrary to initial statements found on both this site and legitimate news outlets, the Sacramento Kings will not be moving to Anaheim next year.
They will play next season in Sacramento, with expectations being that the Maloof Ownership group will finalize the move to Anaheim sometime next year, depending on the state of the projected lockout as a result of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
There are two primary reasons for the development;
Sacramento Mayor and former Phoenix Sun Kevin Johnson tirelessly canvassed local businesses and confirmed pledges of increased funding for the team. Now it is up to Johnson and local businesses to develop a means of funding the construction and maintenance of a new stadium.
"If we want to be a major league city, you have to have major league facilities" said Mayor Johnson following the news that the franchise would have another year in California's capital city.
Also, with the Lakers and Clippers already claiming Los Angeles as home, the proposed move to suburban Anaheim was met with opposition not only by their ownership groups, but by other owners who were opposed to the Maloofs sudden change of heart.
"We spent 13 years and millions of dollars to try to get an arena built," Maloof said. "We don't have the answer. The mayor has the answers and we're willing and able to listen. He's got to have a plan. We never want to be untruthful to the fans of Sacramento. There is a sense of urgency, and that's up to Mayor Johnson and his political team."
Regardless, the move will likely take place next year and be sure to check bad news blog for a scathing review of the franchise.
Before I go, I want to briefly mention an idea and allow you guys to think about it. Should taxpayers really be responsible for the partial funding of an arena used for professional sports? Are these teams not owned by anglo fat cats in Italian suits who solely profit from the team? What is the difference between an NBA franchise and any other form of private business? If we don't pay for a new IBM factory or GM plant, regardless of the jobs it creates and the beneficial impact on the economy, why should be fund an arena.
This is the problem that faced the people of Seattle. A municipal referendum concluded that the city would not increase taxes to fund a replacement for the dated Key Arena. Instead, Starbucks owner and Seattle SuperSonics frontman Howard Schultz decided a move to Oklahoma and the nation's 48th largest television market would be a more promising fiscal venture, and with that, OKC got the Thunder and Seattle lost a franchise they wholeheartedly supported for years through winning seasons and hardship.
They will play next season in Sacramento, with expectations being that the Maloof Ownership group will finalize the move to Anaheim sometime next year, depending on the state of the projected lockout as a result of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
There are two primary reasons for the development;
Sacramento Mayor and former Phoenix Sun Kevin Johnson tirelessly canvassed local businesses and confirmed pledges of increased funding for the team. Now it is up to Johnson and local businesses to develop a means of funding the construction and maintenance of a new stadium.
"If we want to be a major league city, you have to have major league facilities" said Mayor Johnson following the news that the franchise would have another year in California's capital city.
Also, with the Lakers and Clippers already claiming Los Angeles as home, the proposed move to suburban Anaheim was met with opposition not only by their ownership groups, but by other owners who were opposed to the Maloofs sudden change of heart.
"We spent 13 years and millions of dollars to try to get an arena built," Maloof said. "We don't have the answer. The mayor has the answers and we're willing and able to listen. He's got to have a plan. We never want to be untruthful to the fans of Sacramento. There is a sense of urgency, and that's up to Mayor Johnson and his political team."
Regardless, the move will likely take place next year and be sure to check bad news blog for a scathing review of the franchise.
Before I go, I want to briefly mention an idea and allow you guys to think about it. Should taxpayers really be responsible for the partial funding of an arena used for professional sports? Are these teams not owned by anglo fat cats in Italian suits who solely profit from the team? What is the difference between an NBA franchise and any other form of private business? If we don't pay for a new IBM factory or GM plant, regardless of the jobs it creates and the beneficial impact on the economy, why should be fund an arena.
This is the problem that faced the people of Seattle. A municipal referendum concluded that the city would not increase taxes to fund a replacement for the dated Key Arena. Instead, Starbucks owner and Seattle SuperSonics frontman Howard Schultz decided a move to Oklahoma and the nation's 48th largest television market would be a more promising fiscal venture, and with that, OKC got the Thunder and Seattle lost a franchise they wholeheartedly supported for years through winning seasons and hardship.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Ruminations 18.0
As I sit here on a Monday night flipping between the Federal election and the Lakers game, I thought I'd put together a few irreverent thoughts before ripping my eyes out of my skull and forever inhibiting my ability to write poignant remarks on this here gem of the internet.
First, some observations;
Why aren't there any bald bums? Homeless people always have full, lustrous heads of oily hair tucked under ragged sweat-soaked caps. This has me wondering just how beneficial the usage of shampoos and conditioners are for those who have the resources. Think of all the undocumented images we have of cavemen. Do they not all have hair as thick Brian Wilson's beard? (Not the Beach Boys Brian Wilson, I'm referring to the Giants closer who colours his with shoe polish and enjoys the company of a leather-clad gagged friend.)
Isn't he just a barrel of monkeys? If you have 8 minutes, his interview on the Jim Rome Show below is worth the time.
This guy's got more quotables than Thomas Pynchon, C.S. Lewis, Willy Shakespeare and Charles Barkley rolled into one.
Gotta love me some B Wilson - anyways, moving right along. My point is, it would seem that those who did not have access to the salt of fatty acids, also known as soap, have been fortunate enough to keep the mops on their dome pieces.
The first recorded proof of soaps was documented in 2800 BC, when Babylonians used a combination of ashes, sesame seed oil and cypress oil for the purposes of cleaning fluids from animal rendering from stones. 600 hundred years later, a recipe for soap was inscribed on a tablet listing water, alkali and cassia oil as a means of creating a soap-like substance.
Is this conundrum that much different than the car manufacturer that produces an automobile that dates itself the moment it leaves the lot, shortly encountering the inevitability of a short shelf life, only to require the owner to purchase another car. Or maybe like that douche Steve Jobs, who releases the first IPad without a USB port, only to release another one a year later with small updates, but still without a USB port? What's wrong Stevie? Afraid the IPad will minimize the necessity of those computers you've built your empire on.
Holy fucking tangent.
What's the deal with air travel?
When I was in France, awaiting a connection flight to London, I tried to sneak a nice bottle of Beaujolais I was given as a gift into my carry-on luggage. Regardless of how ignorant this may have been on my part, what is the possible harm of having a bottle of wine stowed above my head. Post 9/11 rules mandated that liquids stashed away in carry-on luggage could not exceed a volume of 50 ml's, giving purpose to tubes of toothpaste roughly the size ChapStick. The wine was clearly not an explosive, though I completely understand the importance of taking precautionary steps against potential travel hazards, but what is the difference between having this fine bottle above my head as oppose to in the belly of the plane. If the bottle should be laced with explosive materials, will it not tear through the fuselage in the same degree regardless of where it is situated?
As a sidebar, I must say passing around a nice bottle of red with strangers waiting in customs was an experience of a lifetime, as was discovering that an elderly Romanian man waiting for the same flight had a wine opener in the breast pocket of his sport coat.
In hindsight, I wonder if he managed to get on the plane with the opener.
Thanks for reading the fractured nature of my writing today and enjoy the rest of the Lakers game/federal election/Storage Wars episode.
First, some observations;
Why aren't there any bald bums? Homeless people always have full, lustrous heads of oily hair tucked under ragged sweat-soaked caps. This has me wondering just how beneficial the usage of shampoos and conditioners are for those who have the resources. Think of all the undocumented images we have of cavemen. Do they not all have hair as thick Brian Wilson's beard? (Not the Beach Boys Brian Wilson, I'm referring to the Giants closer who colours his with shoe polish and enjoys the company of a leather-clad gagged friend.)
Isn't he just a barrel of monkeys? If you have 8 minutes, his interview on the Jim Rome Show below is worth the time.
This guy's got more quotables than Thomas Pynchon, C.S. Lewis, Willy Shakespeare and Charles Barkley rolled into one.
Gotta love me some B Wilson - anyways, moving right along. My point is, it would seem that those who did not have access to the salt of fatty acids, also known as soap, have been fortunate enough to keep the mops on their dome pieces.
The first recorded proof of soaps was documented in 2800 BC, when Babylonians used a combination of ashes, sesame seed oil and cypress oil for the purposes of cleaning fluids from animal rendering from stones. 600 hundred years later, a recipe for soap was inscribed on a tablet listing water, alkali and cassia oil as a means of creating a soap-like substance.
Is this conundrum that much different than the car manufacturer that produces an automobile that dates itself the moment it leaves the lot, shortly encountering the inevitability of a short shelf life, only to require the owner to purchase another car. Or maybe like that douche Steve Jobs, who releases the first IPad without a USB port, only to release another one a year later with small updates, but still without a USB port? What's wrong Stevie? Afraid the IPad will minimize the necessity of those computers you've built your empire on.
Holy fucking tangent.
What's the deal with air travel?
When I was in France, awaiting a connection flight to London, I tried to sneak a nice bottle of Beaujolais I was given as a gift into my carry-on luggage. Regardless of how ignorant this may have been on my part, what is the possible harm of having a bottle of wine stowed above my head. Post 9/11 rules mandated that liquids stashed away in carry-on luggage could not exceed a volume of 50 ml's, giving purpose to tubes of toothpaste roughly the size ChapStick. The wine was clearly not an explosive, though I completely understand the importance of taking precautionary steps against potential travel hazards, but what is the difference between having this fine bottle above my head as oppose to in the belly of the plane. If the bottle should be laced with explosive materials, will it not tear through the fuselage in the same degree regardless of where it is situated?
As a sidebar, I must say passing around a nice bottle of red with strangers waiting in customs was an experience of a lifetime, as was discovering that an elderly Romanian man waiting for the same flight had a wine opener in the breast pocket of his sport coat.
In hindsight, I wonder if he managed to get on the plane with the opener.
Thanks for reading the fractured nature of my writing today and enjoy the rest of the Lakers game/federal election/Storage Wars episode.
Friday, April 29, 2011
South Chicago Robs Another Life
This story is a real Debbie Downer. If you're still riding the wave of elation from Will and Kate's nuptials this morning and don't want to be bothered with some bad news from the bad news blog, then I suggest turning a blind eye to the following story.
South Chicago is a rough place. I was in the city a month ago, and despite the fact my only interaction with the city's lower-half was venturing south for a Blackhawks game, I've read the horror stories and heard some first-hand from residents of the area.
Southie is littered with gangs and violence, metal detectors in schools and police up to their knees in shit.
A cab driver really brought me back-down to earth on a drunken night in Chi-town when he pointed out 8 police officers had lost there lives since the new year. It was mid March. That statistic is horrifying. Remember a few months back when that Toronto policemen was killed by a snowplow and every paper, periodical and news outlet did a story on officers killed in the line of duty?
Well there have been as many in 3 months in south Chicago as there has been in 3 decades in the Greater Toronto Area.
Hopefully this adds a little context to the following story, which features a young soccer prodigy and a life taken too early.
Two nights ago, Kabiru Adenwunmi and friends were walking to a local convenience store in the 800 block of East 82nd Street while celebrating the Bulls game 5 victory against the Pacers. Kabiru, 16, a high school sophomore who had been living in Chicago for a year, was gunned-down as his friends watched in a likely case of mistaken identities. Adenwunmi died from his injuries.
Kabiru moved to south Chicago a year ago from Nigeria to follow his dream of being a professional footballer. He played for a youth development academy run by the MLS's Chicago Fire and was on the radar of dozens of Division 1 NCAA programs.
By all accounts he was a nice, timid individual who had absolutely no allegiances to any gangs. He and his friends were simply going to the store to buy some candy following a series win by his adopted team.
My apologies if this story has more or less ruined your morning in the same fashion that it has mine, but the point is to remind everybody of just how safe Toronto is and how lucky many of us are. If you're a fellow Torontonian like myself, or a European I met on my travels, I encourage you to make the most of your day in realization of just how precious life is.
Thanks for reading - enjoy your days.
Here's more in depth coverage from the Chicago Tribune.
South Chicago is a rough place. I was in the city a month ago, and despite the fact my only interaction with the city's lower-half was venturing south for a Blackhawks game, I've read the horror stories and heard some first-hand from residents of the area.
Southie is littered with gangs and violence, metal detectors in schools and police up to their knees in shit.
A cab driver really brought me back-down to earth on a drunken night in Chi-town when he pointed out 8 police officers had lost there lives since the new year. It was mid March. That statistic is horrifying. Remember a few months back when that Toronto policemen was killed by a snowplow and every paper, periodical and news outlet did a story on officers killed in the line of duty?
Well there have been as many in 3 months in south Chicago as there has been in 3 decades in the Greater Toronto Area.
Hopefully this adds a little context to the following story, which features a young soccer prodigy and a life taken too early.
Two nights ago, Kabiru Adenwunmi and friends were walking to a local convenience store in the 800 block of East 82nd Street while celebrating the Bulls game 5 victory against the Pacers. Kabiru, 16, a high school sophomore who had been living in Chicago for a year, was gunned-down as his friends watched in a likely case of mistaken identities. Adenwunmi died from his injuries.
Kabiru moved to south Chicago a year ago from Nigeria to follow his dream of being a professional footballer. He played for a youth development academy run by the MLS's Chicago Fire and was on the radar of dozens of Division 1 NCAA programs.
By all accounts he was a nice, timid individual who had absolutely no allegiances to any gangs. He and his friends were simply going to the store to buy some candy following a series win by his adopted team.
My apologies if this story has more or less ruined your morning in the same fashion that it has mine, but the point is to remind everybody of just how safe Toronto is and how lucky many of us are. If you're a fellow Torontonian like myself, or a European I met on my travels, I encourage you to make the most of your day in realization of just how precious life is.
Thanks for reading - enjoy your days.
Here's more in depth coverage from the Chicago Tribune.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
El Clasico Animated
This is absolutely brilliant. My favourite thing in the world right now besides myself.
Congrats to Richard Swarbrick for making this - you are a talented man.
Congrats to Richard Swarbrick for making this - you are a talented man.
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