Lost Kangaroo Roams German Countryside

Locals of small towns in western Germany have been surprised to see a kangaroo on the outskirts of their hamlets and even crossing their roads. Nobody knows where the exotic escapee came from -- but they hope that, when they eventually catch it, they can give it a new home in a local zoo.

Drivers traveling in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate are keeping a look out for a stray kangaroo. For around three weeks now, the kangaroo has been seen at various sites between the towns of Gerolsheim, Ebertsheim and Maxdorf near the western German city Mannheim.

Locals have seen the kangaroo lingering on the outskirts of the various towns several times. One policeman even saw it hanging out in a local sports ground, but nobody has been quick enough to catch the marsupial, the likes of which are indigenous almost exclusively in Australia. On Monday, it became clear the exotic escapee was on the move, as it crossed the A61 highway in the early evening. Surprised drivers spotted the kangaroo, including one woman who says she almost ran over the animal. Witnesses reported the sighting to the police, but by the time they had arrived it was too dark to track the elusive creature.

Hmmmm. Gobama, Gobama!

The Obama administration will continue the Bush administration’s practice of sending terror suspects to third countries for detention and interrogation, but will monitor their treatment to ensure they are not tortured, administration officials said on Monday.

The administration officials, who announced the changes on condition that they not be identified, said that unlike the Bush administration, they would give the State Department a larger role in assuring that transferred detainees would not be abused.

“The emphasis will be on insuring that individuals will not face torture if they are sent over overseas,” said one administration official, adding that no detainees will be sent to countries that are known to conduct abusive interrogations.

Hu Yu kidding man?

Green Bombers

This creature is one of at least five new "green bombers" - deep-sea, swimming worm species armed with "bombs" (indicated by arrow) that glow a brilliant green when dropped. The glowing bombs are thought to distract predators such as fish, allowing the worms to escape.Very cool! Just like chaff and decoys on a fighter jet.

Stupid Scotland Release Lockerbie Bomber

The only man convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has returned home to Libya to die after Scotland released him from prison Thursday, a decision that outraged some relatives of the 270 people killed when the jetliner blew up over a Scottish town.

US President Barack Obama said the decision to free terminally ill Abdel Baset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds was a mistake and warned Libya not to give him a hero's welcome.

But thousands were on hand to greet him warmly when his plane from Scotland touched down at a military airport in Tripoli. There was a festive atmosphere with some wearing t-shirts with Megrahi's picture. Others waved Libyan and Scottish flags while Libyan songs blared. Many here see Megrahi as an innocent scapegoat of the West. Of course they do, they are sucked in by Qaddafi.

This was not compassionate by Scotland, but insensitive and unjust. It borders on legal lunacy. To top it off there was no possible 'second chance' for this man, only a hero's welcome home for a terrorist murderer!

Porsche unveils wild-looking 911

New variants of Porsche’s 911 sports car are turning up as quickly as they go on the road. The racing-inspired GT3 RS has been unveiled just days after the new 911 Turbo and is being billed by Porsche as “the most sporting road-going 911 of them all”. It also looks the wildest of them all, courtesy of some outrageously bright red wheels and decals.

The new RS, which will reach Australia in April 2010 with a pricetag in excess of $300,000, matches the look with more muscle under the bonnet, employing a more powerful version of the ‘regular’ GT3’s 3.8-litre naturally aspirated flat six-cylinder – rising by 11kW to 331kW. Porsche has mated the engine to a shorter-shifting, shorter-geared six-speed manual gearbox to further help the RS outperform the standard GT3. Rooowwwwrrrrrrrrrr! "Wild thing, you make my heat sing".

Why Andy Reid Signed Michael Vick

Now, about Reid's motivation to import Vick. It's logical to wonder whether the agonizing drug problems of Reid's two sons played a role in him acting as a Father Flanagan figure to Vick. Even Reid isn't sure how much of a role the drug problems of sons Britt and Garrett played in this story. But he learned one very important lesson from Britt's jail term; Britt Reid was in prison for drugs and weapons charges and is now out of jail. There are three phases that inmates who are successful in avoiding a return trip to jail go through. Phase one is blaming everyone else. Phase two is admitting that it's your own fault. Phase three is the vow to yourself that you hate jail, that you're going to avoid the behavior that got you in jail the first place, and you make a vow never to return.

So when Reid met with Vick as he was trying to determine whether to offer him a contract, the most important factor to him was whether Vick was in that third phase. Could he look in Vick's eyes during a couple of long meetings and be convinced that Vick would never go back to his dogfighting days. Reid knows that no one sells insurance for this, but after extensive talks with Vick and his mentor, Tony Dungy, Reid was sold.

Michael Vick Transforms From Turkey To Eagle

People may wonder why there are so many sports stories on my blog. Not that many people of course, because it is only my blog, and not from some celebrity. But sports is my passion and always has been. So many lessons for life can be learn on the sports field. Some good and some bad, bu many times if we wait long enough, even some of the bad ones have a happy ending.

This brings me to the rehabilitation and repatriation of the disgraced Michael Dwayne Vick former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and convicted criminal. He was signed the Philadelphia Eagles by coach Andy Reid amidst much soul-searching and public outcry, on both sides. Let me state from the beginning that what Michael Vick and his associates did to dogs was appalling, inhuman and cruel. I cannot imagine treating any living thing that way, so I am mystified why a man such as he could fall into such depravity.

But I do believe in redemption, in second chances. I have been given many in my life and I would be a total hypocrite not wanting another chance for someone else. The jury is out that Vick is sincere and has learned his lesson, that much is self-evident. However, everybody, in matters of trivia or significance will at some time ask for forgiveness. My God tells me I must do so, and frankly I want to.

So Michael, with some reservations about the depth of your character, play well for my beloved Eagles. Do Andy, Donovan, Tony, your teammates, your family and yourself proud. The others deserve it and you need it. Prove yourself as the man you could have always been. Redemption is truly sweet!

Yang Upsets Woods for PGA Title

For years, Asian countries could only boast about growth and potential in men's golf. Success was measured by a half-dozen players who had cracked the top 50 in the world rankings over the last decade. It took Y.E. Yang and his stunning victory over Tiger Woods to make them a major part of the conversation.

"We've been waiting for quite a number of years for this," said Peter Dawson, chief executive of the hallowed Royal & Ancient Golf Club in Scotland. "Perhaps the PGA Championship was not the one we were expecting. But it's great for golf. It's great for Korea. It's great for Asia. And it's very timely for getting back into the Olympics. It's a fantastic day for golf."

While the bonfire from the greatest upset of the Woods era will burn for some time — as it should, in fitting celebration of Y.E. Yang's Goliath slaying at Hazeltine National — from those ashes will emerge a better Tiger Woods.

Leaving his prodigious talent aside altogether, if he were a man of less courage or resolution, losing the PGA might cause long-term damage, as a similar failure did to an undisciplined bully like Mike Tyson. But Woods' success has been built on a strong foundation — he prides himself as much on his work ethic and discipline as he does on his talent — and that's not about to crumble.

He's still only 33 with a rebuilt knee and as much as a decade of good years left to shatter all the records that matter to him. Sunday's loss will burn for a while, make no mistake. A Tiger confidant told me that Woods won't pick up the phone for a week, not that anyone would brave calling. But once he returns to the fairways, probably at the Deutsche Bank event in Boston in two weeks, expect him to still be the best golfer in the field, that he'll still be the only man with five wins this year and that he'll go on to wrap up the FedEx Cup and win Player of the Year.

World Record Sprint from Usain 'Lightning' Bolt

Jamaica's Usain Bolt ran to another world record Sunday, winning the 100-meter race in 9.58 seconds at the world championships.

Bolt shaved .11 seconds off the record he set at the Beijing Olympics, beating defending champion Tyson Gay, who set a US record of 9.71 seconds.

That kind of run is a staggering effort considering the runners are on the track for less than ten seconds. Not only that, he was daylight ahead of the second place athlete, making the win all the more impressive.

We Wish You Well Ambassador

A man who has become one of the state's most popular political figures ever, Jon Huntsman Jr., officially ended his 4 1/2 years as Utah's chief executive Tuesday morning, signing his resignation during a brief ceremony held in the Capitol's Gold Room. Huntsman thanked family, friends and the host of current and past state political figures gathered for the moment, making special note of his relationship with his father.

The signing came just minutes before the start of the inauguration of former Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert as the 17th governor of Utah. Immediately after affixing his signature to his exit document, Huntsman was sworn in as the new U.S. Ambassador to China by his formal general counsel and current Utah District Court Judge Michele Christiansen.

The ceremony concludes a months long waiting game following the announcement of Huntsman's appointment to the position by President Barack Obama in May. Huntsman appeared before the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in July, part of the normal vetting process for incoming ambassadors, and was approved by the full Senate on a unanimous consent vote last week. Governor Huntsman will be missed as he is not just popular but extremely able. China will have a remarkable ambassador who will, I am sure, get many necessary things done.

Hillary Clinton Shows Her True Colours!

KINSHASA, Congo -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's temper flared on Monday when a Congolese university student asked her for her husband's thinking on an international financial matter.

A week after former President Bill Clinton traveled to North Korea to secure the release of two detained American journalists and stole the limelight from the start of his wife's first trip to Africa, Clinton was clearly displeased by the question at town hall forum in Kinshasa.

"You want me to tell you what my husband thinks?" she replied incredulously when the male student asked her what "Mr. Clinton" thought of World Bank concerns about a multi-billion-dollar Chinese loan offer to the Congo.

"My husband is not secretary of state, I am," an obviously annoyed Clinton said sharply. "If you want my opinion, I will tell you my opinion. I am not going to be channeling my husband." What a class act she isn't!

Well done Mr Ambrose!

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Tony Stewart has won the rain-delayed Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International.

Stewart held off Australian Marcos Ambrose over the final 25 laps for his record fifth victory at the famed road course. It was his third win in his first season as an owner/driver and seventh road course win of his career, second to Jeff Gordon's nine.

Ambrose was second, a career best, and Carl Edwards third. Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Juan Montoya, Kurt Busch, Max Papis, Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top 10.

Aussies Whip The Poms!

Australia completed a crushing victory over England in the fourth Test on Sunday to level the Ashes series at 1-1 with one match to play.

The touring side ended England's entertaining lower-order resistance 20 minutes after lunch on the third day, Mitchell Johnson bowling Graham Onions to dismiss the hosts for 263 and seal victory by an innings and 80 runs.

"We've played some good cricket here and I am very proud of the guys for bouncing back and playing so well," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said.

"All credit to our bowlers. They bowled brilliantly on the first day and that set it up for us. We dominated the match from the first ball."

Ronnie Biggs, the English Great Train Robber, freed on compasionate grounds

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs has been granted release from his prison sentence on compassionate grounds, Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said. Biggs, 79, is severely ill in hospital with pneumonia and doctors have said there is "not much hope" for him.

Mr Straw said the decision had been based on medical evidence that Biggs's condition had deteriorated and he was not expected to recover. Biggs's son Michael told the BBC he was "absolutely delighted" by the news.

I remember the story of the Great Train Robbery from my childhood. The memories are quite vivid. He became a cult hero of sorts, but eventually served his time in order to return home.