Santa Claus Takes Down Mafia Suspect in Sicily

Santa Claus can do it all: deliver presents, climb down chimneys, fly through the Christmas sky in his sleigh. And, as it happens, he can also make arrests. On Thursday, he busted a suspected member of the Sicilian mafia. Santa Claus, as every child is aware, knows if you've been naughty or nice. In Italy, apparently, Santa also knows if you are a member of the mafia. And he might arrest you if you're not careful. That, at least, would appear to be the lesson of a rather unusual arrest in the Sicilian town of Catania. A policeman dressed in a Santa Claus outfit was part of a Thursday sting operation to apprehend a suspected member of the appropriately named Santapaola mafia clan.

The 37-year-old suspect was nabbed as he came out of a store where he was thought to have collected monthly protection money. The store's owner had allegedly been forced to pay €260 per month for the past 10 years. The suspected mafioso had been under observation for several weeks. The undercover Santa was waiting in the parking lot carrying a basket full of sweets -- which he carefully placed on the roof of the suspect's car as he made the arrest. According to media accounts of the arrest, the shopkeeper gave Santa a big hug following the arrest.

Good on you for giving back

Another 17 of America's richest people, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, junk bond pioneer Michael Milken and AOL co-founder Steve Case, have promised to give away most of their wealth. At 26, Zuckerberg has put himself on the map not only as one of the world's youngest billionaires, but also as a prominent newcomer to the world of philanthropy. Earlier this year, he pledged $100 million over five years to the Newark, N.J. school system.I wish there were more like him.

Different continent, same cop, same ticket

Man caught speeding by same policeman at opposite ends of the globe. A man living in New Zealand has been caught speeding by the same policeman who booked him when he was living in England. The speeding driver was nabbed in London two years ago, then moved to New Zealand only to be caught by the same police officer for the same offence. The New Zealand Herald reports the unidentified man was caught speeding near Leithfield in New Zealand’s South Island in September by Constable Andy Flitton – but it wasn’t the first time the two had met under such circumstances. The former London policeman had booked the man two years earlier before migrating to New Zealand – only to repeat the process. The NZ Herald reports that Flitton was writing out the speeding ticket when the man started asking him questions. "He asked if I had worked in London, I said 'yes'. He asked if I used to operate the laser gun on the A5 in North London, I said 'yes'," Flitton was quoted as telling the newspaper. "And he said 'I thought it was you, you gave me my last speeding ticket there two years ago'." The speeding driver had apparently only been living in New Zealand for two weeks before he was booked.

Julian Assange feels abandoned by Australia

Seriously Julian... what did you expect? A welcome home party and a couple of fat shrimp on the barby? The WikiLeaks founder says he's been all but "abandoned" by his home country. Assange spoke out during an online Q&A with the Guardian, the British newspaper, this weekend. "I am an Australian citizen and I miss my country a great deal," he wrote. Comparing his plight to that of David Hicks, a fellow Australian who was detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on terror charges, Assange accused Aussie officials of pandering to the United States. "Are we all to be treated like David Hicks at the first possible opportunity merely so that Australian politicians and diplomats can be invited to the best US embassy cocktail parties," he wrote. The government hit back saying Assange is entitled to return home whenever he pleases. If he doesn't, he will be offered the same consular support available to all Australian citizens abroad, they said. But that's hardly a welcome mat. Australia's prime minister, Julia Gillard, has called WikiLeaks' latest document dump "an illegal thing to do" and vowed to cooperate with America's investigation. Don't snivel man, you released the stuff, so now pay the piper.

Man Kills Girlfriend and Hides the Body, All While Still in Prison

This is one of the most bizarre stories from crime news in a while. Jackson Conquet was serving time in a Peruvian prison when his 22-year-old girlfriend, Leslie Paredes, came to visit him. While in his cell, Paredes tried to end their relationship and then an enraged Conquet grabbed her and strangled her. He then hid her body beneath a cement bench he'd fashioned. What's so utterly bizarre about the crime (apart from the fact that it took place from one of the last places you'd think a woman would be hurt by her partner) is that her body remained undiscovered for months. It wasn't until guards noticed a "strong smell" coming from Conquet's cell that they investigated and discovered Paredes' remains. Police have no explanation for how no one could have noticed that Paredes did not emerge from Conquet's room after their visit. Things that make you go... hmmmmmm!

Gordon Gee, Ohio State, and the BCS Joke

Even if TCU and Boise State run the table, they still don't deserve to be in the Bowl Championship Series title game, Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee said Wednesday. In an interview with The Associated Press, the president at the university with the largest athletic program in the country said that TCU and Boise State do not face a difficult enough schedule to play in the national championship game.

Mr. Gee, you are simply another (education-based) politician, with an agenda, whohas no credibility to say anything on the BCS. You have a vested interest in keeping things the way they are, not because they are right or moral, but because they benefit YOU and your SCHOOL. The BCS system is reprehensible and morally bankrupt. It is not fair, and favors, the rich established, so-called elite universities. Please zip it, you have nothing meaningful to add to the debate. You are simply afraid of Boise States and TCU, because they would kick your butts!

The only way to make the national championship for real, is to have it open to everyone. Period. This can only be accomplished by doing away with the Bowl Championship Series, which is a joke, and replace it with a zone based championship such as NCAA basketball has with the Sweet 16, Top 8 and Final 4 series. Until this is done, BCS remains a biased and unfair system.

Unearthing the Past

If I was in my current occupation, one which I truly enjoy, I would have been an archaeologist. Nothing to do with Indiana Jones because I was interested in the subject from High School, almost a decade before the fedora-wearing and whip-toting, Jones was around. Archaeology or paleontology, I probably couldn't make up my mind, and similar. They go with my love of history but seem more hands-on and 'in the field' types of studies.

For example, I was totally mesmerized by the finds of Dr. Louis Leakey in Kenya and Tanzania. I could imagine myself out on the African grasslands or mountains digging into my own history. I thought it was cool. Two days ago British archaeologists announced they had uncovered an ancient Roman landscape beneath a park in west London, with a Roman road evidence of a settlement, and unusual burials among the finds. My family comes from England, so this too fires my imagination. I wonder how good I might have been with a trowel and a little whisk broom in the trenches, if I had chosen a different path.

'American empire' will disappear, infamous British double agent forecasts

George Blake, a British double agent, has forecast that the "American empire" will crumble, and predicted that every country in the world will one day embrace communism. In a rare interview given on his 88th birthday, the former Soviet agent said he had no regrets and expressed no remorse for betraying Britain or its intelligence service. Blake, who calls himself Georgy Ivanovich in Moscow, said he still had no time for American foreign policy. "The American empire will disappear because everyone who lives by the sword dies from the sword," he told the daily Izvestia newspaper.

Blake was a member of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, from 1944. In 1951, he became an agent for the Soviet Union -- and in the following decade is thought to have betrayed up to 400 of his colleagues. He was arrested in 1960 and jailed for 42 years -- only to escape from Wormwood Scrubs in 1966 before fleeing to Russia. In the interview, Blake admitted that the Soviet Union in which he arrived in the 1960s did not live up to his high-minded communist ideals. But he made it clear he had not lost the faith.

"I understand now that the Soviet project was doomed. The problem was not the Russians but human nature. Humankind was not sufficiently moral to build such a society," he said. He was confident that time was on communism's side. "One day, I believe that the majority of governments will voluntarily choose the communist model. Without violence, revolution or terror. Maybe it sounds like a Utopia, but I believe in it." Sounds like Utopia does it George... it sounds like a traitors' pipedream and maybe that you need to say something nice so the Russians keep paying your pension.

No attempt at rescue for trapped NZ miners tonight

There will be no attempt to rescue 29 miners trapped in the West Coast's Pike River Coal Mine tonight. Tasman District police area commander Superintendent Gary Knowles told One News the last sampling of mine quality air was taken at 4pm, with no further samplings until tomorrow morning. It means a second night underground for the miners. Mr Knowles said the mine air quality was still unsuitable for a rescue attempt.

Meanwhile, police have confirmed the nationalities of the 29 trapped workers. There are 24 New Zealanders, two Australians, two British citizens and one South African. The identities of three of the New Zealanders are known - Greymouth District councillor Milton Osborne, promising rugby league player Blair Sims and Ben Rockhouse, whose brother, Daniel, escaped after the blast. No word has been heard from the miners since the blast so our thoughts and prayers are for their safety, families and rescuers.

How Bizarre, How Bizarre!

Now this is what I call community policing. A man foiled his own kidnapping by crashing his pickup truck into a Unified Police Department precinct building in Salt Lake City Tuesday night, and officers soon after rescued his hostage wife at their home. The woman, who had been bound, was shaken but otherwise unharmed, UPD Lt. Don Hutson said Wednesday. Two suspects — one in the crashed truck and another arrested after he fled the victim’s home and allegedly hit in a car — were being held in Salt Lake County Jail on multiple felony counts. “This was just downright bizarre,” Hutson said. “It really was like something out of a movie.”

The drama began when two men, armed with handguns, burst into the Millcreek home of the owner of Monarch Coin in South Salt Lake and took the couple captive. One man, identified as Dashawn Hinton, 19, of Salt Lake City, allegedly took the husband at gunpoint in his truck and ordered him to drive west on 3900 South. Hutson said Wednesday that the husband allegedly was believed to have been ordered to drive first to an ATM and then to his shop at 211 E. 3900 South. However, as the victim drove near the UPD precinct at 1580 E. 3900 South, he veered the truck toward the building and rammed into it to get the officers’ attention.

Anwar Al-Awlaki Sounds Off Again

A US-born cleric linked to attacks by Al-Qaeda in Yemen on US targets called for Muslims around the world to kill Americans in a new video posted on extremist websites Monday. Anwar Al-Awlaki, 39, is one of the most prominent English-language radical clerics and his sermons advocating jihad, or holy war, against the United States have influenced militants involved in several attacks or attempted attacks on US soil. Yemeni officials say he may have blessed the recent mail bomb plot, though he may not have taken an active part in it. In his 23-minute message in Arabic, Al-Awlaki said because all Americans are the enemy, clerics don’t need to issue any special fatwas or religious rulings allowing them to be killed. He was dressed in a traditional Yemeni white robe and a turban and wore round spectacles and a dagger while he sat behind a desk. "Don’t consult with anybody in killing the Americans,” he said. “Fighting the devil doesn’t require consultation or prayers seeking divine guidance. They are the party of the devils,” he added. It is “either us or them.”

Four genuine responses to his rant from readers of the Arab World newspaper however, are very interesting:
Waseem - "Foolish man, who made him a cleric. An ignoramus with deviant beliefs."
Tariq - "If this idiot wants Americans killed then why doesn't he come out of hiding and do it himself? Does he think we Muslims are his puppets? It is he and the likes of him that should be killed so the rest of us could live in peace."
Almir - "Wake up people, he is a C.I.A agent. two months after September 11, 2001 he had a meeting at the Pentagon,. do your research?? turn to Allah and you will be safe, this is the reason the whole world is playing with Arabs."
Musso - "Another US Product !!! What an idiot ! So many of us must be cursing him..."

The Iran Pot Calling the French Kettle, Black!

Iran has warned its citizens against travelling to France, because of what it says is a "serious level" of unrest in the country. The Iranian foreign ministry said France was a country in crisis following recent protests against the government's pensions reforms. Official news agency IRNA quoted an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman yesterday as saying: "We think the crisis in France has reached a serious level, and we advise all our nationals who plan to travel to this country to take necessary precautions. Not that many can travel anyway.

"Our compatriots have been informed of the travel warning via the Foreign Ministry website and the Iranian Embassy in Paris." The warning came hours after France and the UK called on all countries to follow the EU's lead by implementing "stringent, targeted sanctions" against Iran. The warning came hours after France and the UK called on all countries to follow the EU's lead by implementing "stringent, targeted sanctions" against Iran. Seriously! Iran just shoots you instead.

Well done Weston, Missouri!

Members of a small Missouri town banded together Saturday to block a controversial pastor and members of his Westboro Baptist Church from protesting the funeral of a fallen U.S. soldier, Fox4kc.com reports. Hundreds of residents in Weston, Mo. -- as well as people as far away as California and Australia -- rallied in support of Sgt. First Class C.J. Sadell, who died from injuries suffered during a surprise attack in Afghanistan. The residents sought to block Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., and his followers from picketing Sadell’s funeral, according to the station.

Phelps' church has been the subject of intense criticism for holding more than 44,000 pickets at funerals and other events – including the services of fallen service members. Citing their First Amendment right to protest, Phelps' followers say they use funerals as an “available public platform” to “deliver the message that there is a consequence for sin.” Phelps is openly opposed to homosexuality and all government policies they he says supports homosexuals. Military funerals are no place for this kind of protest whether or not the constitution allows it; and Weston residents have sent a loud, clear message to the most un-christianlike Westboro Baptists.

Child survives eight-floor fall onto Awning

French police say an 18-month-old boy has survived a fall from an eighth-floor window of a Paris apartment by bouncing off an awning and into someone's arms, apparently uninjured. Police say they have detained the parents of the baby boy for questioning. According to police, the parents had gone for a stroll on Monday, a French holiday, and left the 18-month-old with his three-year-old sister in the family apartment in eastern Paris. Police said on Tuesday the little boy somehow had access to an open window and fell out. He hit an awning of a ground-floor restaurant then bounced into the arms of a passer-by. They said no injuries were uncovered by initial medical exams.

Cops face it all!

A 300-pound chimpanzee that broke free from its chains has been captured after briefly wandering around a Kansas City neighborhood and smashing out the window of a police car. Police Captain Rich Lockhart said the department got a call about noon Tuesday that a primate was on the loose a few miles from the Kansas City Zoo. Lockhart says the ape was actually a pet that escaped from its chains. Lockhart says efforts to shoot the animal, named Sueko, with a tranquilizer dart failed. The chimp climbed on a patrol car and struck the passenger-side window with its fist before running off. Its owner was eventually able to coax it into a cage. Lockhart says the owner has been cited for having a dangerous animal within city limits. True story, the photo is fake though!

Push to kill mobile phone 'bill shock'

Mobile carriers would be forced to notify customers before slugging them with excess usage fees and other extra charges under tough new rules being considered by the Australian government and regulators. The US communications regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has proposed new laws aimed at dramatically reducing "bill shock". These have been supported by Australian regulators but the mobile industry is already fighting back against any extra regulations. The changes, expected to come into force within months, will require carriers to alert consumers when they near their monthly quota for voice, text and data services. The alerts, sent by text or voice message, would also apply to other extra charges such as international roaming fees. About time government acted for the people that elect them instead of their big business buddies!

An ex-NFL linesman who sings a mean aria

The music was always there for him. Even when Ta’u Pupu’a spent almost every waking hour lifting weights, studying game film and playing his way into the National Football League, the music was there. It had soared into his heart when he was a boy, cascading down from his brother’s bedroom, and never left. So once football decided it was done with him, spitting him out in the cruel and unforgiving way it often does, Pupu’a turned back to the music.

Embraced it, and chased it. Now, after all these years, the music is just about the only thing that concerns him. The bel canto is his Belichick, the aria his snap count. Now, the one-time defensive lineman who defied astounding odds to reach the NFL from a small Utah college is a heralded opera tenor on the verge of an equally improbable and wondrous international career — touched by some of the biggest names in the business — and he does not have much use for shoulder pads anymore. “I just want to sing,” he says. “That will make me happy.”

War on Capitol Hill?

A Republican majority in Congress would mean "hand-to-hand combat" on Capitol Hill for the next two years, threatening policies Democrats have enacted to stabilize the economy, President Obama warned Wednesday.

"The reason we won in 2008 is because young people, African Americans, Latinos -- people who traditionally don't vote in high numbers -- voted in record numbers. We've got to have that same kind of turnout in this election," he said. "If we think that we can just vote one time, then we have a nice party at Obama's inauguration, and then we can kind of sit back and suddenly everything's going to change – that's just not how it works."

The real problem with the assertion is that it's just as likely to be the opposite of the truth. Both parties and sadly most politicians are completely untrustworthy. They are more interested in lining their own pockets and staying in power than helping the people. Where are the Washingtons and the Lincolns today?

Sickening, and we are so self-righteous!

Picking through musty files in a Pennsylvania archive, a Wellesley College professor made a heart-stopping discovery: US government scientists in the 1940s deliberately infected hundreds of Guatemalans with syphilis and gonorrhea in experiments conducted without the subjects’ permission. Medical historian Susan M. Reverby happened upon the documents four or five years ago while researching the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study and later shared her findings with US government officials.

The unethical research was not publicly disclosed until yesterday, when President Obama and two Cabinet secretaries apologized to Guatemala’s government and people and pledged to never repeat the mistakes of the past — an era when it was not uncommon for doctors to experiment on patients without their consent. Even so, Reverby found in the files a story of almost singular exploitation and deception, conducted in a foreign land because, the nation’s surgeon general at the time acknowledged, it could not have been done in the United States.

Stephen Hawking's Big Clang-er

One of my modern day heroes, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, has finally said something that I disagree with. He said that God did not create the Universe. Ok Dr. Hawking is not perfect, nor is he prescient, but he tripped over a BIG boulder with that statement. Hawking says in his new book Grand Design that God is irrelevant and our universe followed inevitably from the laws of nature. The only problem with this argument is that God created the laws of the Universe and governs the universe. God is real and always will be. No matter how intelligent Hawking is, he can't do away with God by the stroke of a pen.

Some moron wants to burn the Koran

I haven't written here since March simply because I didn't have the time and so many other things seemed to have priority. But I have to say something about Dove World Outreach Center church pastor Terry Jones and his intention to set alight the holy book of the Muslim church on 9/11/2010. Now there's a Christian act if I have ever heard of one, Mr. Jones. Oh yes, I was definitely being sarcastic.

No doubt the ninth anniversary of 9/11 will be emotional. It will bring back many terrible memories. But please thinking that burning the Koran will something be a cathartic release of all out pent up dislike of those despicable acts and their consequences. It simply won't do and it is absolutely stupid to think it will. To burn the Koran is a terrible thing to do.

If Christ himself stood before us, do you think for a minute that he would condone such an act? Not in any way! Not in this life or the next. 9/11 was committed by a bunch of murdering thugs who happened to be from one specific religion. And MOST people in that religion think the acts they committed were despicable just like we do. So why don't we just alieneate very other one and burn their holy book. Pastor Jones and those that follow his lead are no more Christian than a Genghis Khan.

'Fatwa’ condemns al-Qaeda terrorism

A leading Muslim scholar with a large following in Britain on Tuesday issued a fatwa — or Islamic religious ruling — condemning global terrorism and suicide bombings in a “direct challenge to al-Qaeda’s violent ideology.” Pakistan-born Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, the founder of the global Minhaj-ul-Quran movement, made his formal proclamation of a fatwa, or religious edict, at a news conference in London.

The 600-page fatwa says that “suicide bombings and attacks against civilian targets are not only condemned by Islam, but render the perpetrators totally out of the fold of Islam, in other words, to be unbelievers.” Mr. Qadri described the al-Qaeda movement as an “old evil with a new name” and said he believed that the overwhelming majority of young Muslims in Britain had not yet been radicalized and would “think again” on reading his proclamation.

Haiti With 'Earthquake Weapon'

The United States apparently possesses an "earthquake weapon" that set off the catastrophic quake in Haiti and killed 200,000 innocents. Don't believe it's true? Just ask Hugo Chavez. Citing an alleged report from Russia's Northern Fleet, the Venezuelan strongman's state mouthpiece ViVe TV shot out a press release saying the 7.0 magnitude Haiti quake was caused by a U.S. test of an experimental shockwave system that can also create "weather anomalies to cause floods, droughts and hurricanes." He's a megalomanic psychopath, what more would you expect!

Publicans furious over Good Friday rugby match

Furious publicans will be hit in the pocket after a high-profile clash between Ireland's biggest rugby rivals was scheduled to take place on Good Friday. The Magners' league rugby clash between Munster and Leinster will be held in Thomond Park stadium in Limerick on April 2, it was confirmed last night. Those attending the game will be able to buy alcohol at the new stadium. But publicans in the city will not be in a position to garner any business from the 26,000 people expected to attend the match. The fixture is a sell-out. Heaven forbid that the rugby union has to get permission of the local pubs to hold provincial match. What next??? What a joke!!!

The Germans are at it again, this time snorting...

German police detained a nightclub reveller they caught trying to snort amphetamines off the top of their unmarked patrol car. The 26-year-old began lining up the powdered drugs on the roof of the car in a disco car park, when the two police officers surprised him, a Nuremberg police spokesman said on Tuesday. The man had no idea the normal looking vehicle belonged to the police, and it was coincidence that the officers – who were walking by their parked car – discovered him just as he was about to take the drugs. “He's got horrible luck,” said Bert Rauenbusch, police spokesman in the southern German city.

German man caught robbing same bank twice in 24 hours

A German robber held up the same bank in Hamburg twice within 24 hours just a week after being released from jail -- for the same crime. A police spokesperson said on Friday the 50-year-old man went into a savings bank in the centre of the northern port city and flashed a pistol, saying: "I was here yesterday, and I want money again today!" The repeat offender made off with €450 ($600) but with the help of video surveillance cameras, police were able to detain him three hours later. They said he had been in jail for robbing banks in Hamburg in 2002 and 2004. Look we all know about recidivism, repeat offenders and lightning striking in the same place, but this is ridiculous!

Marie Osmond's Son Dies

There is tragedy all around the world. Not only are we reeling from devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile but I heard on the radio this morning that Marie Osmond's adopted son Michael died over the weekend and appears to have committed suicide. I also read that this young man suffered badly from depression. Depression is so debilitating and so hard to cure. I have family and friends who suffer from it so this and have a small number of people that I love who have wanted to commit suicide and took steps to do so. A good friend who was once my supervisor took his life in Auckland, New Zealand about 15 years ago and this has always left a sadness in me. I wish I could have done more to help him, he was such a good man. My heart goes out to all those who suffer from this terrible illness and my thoughts are especially with the Osmond family at this time.

Chile Battles Lawlessness, Desperation After Massive Earthquake

Chilean authorities are struggling to maintain order, distribute supplies, and rescue survivors after Saturday's powerful earthquake that killed more than 700 people and damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings. President Michelle Bachelet is attempting to rally her nation in the face of tragedy and devastation, while appealing to the international community for assistance. Shock and grief have given way to desperation and lawlessness in some areas hardest-hit by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake. Many looters made off with food and basic supplies. Others saw an opportunity for large-scale theft, carrying away home appliances on their backs. My heart goes out to the Chilean people as I had a very fine friend from Santiago that I used to flat with in Sydney. I hope he and his family is well. This quake became even more personal as my daughter, who lives on a Pacific island atoll with her husband and children, were evacuated from their home at 6a.m. due to a possible tsunami bearing down on them. I am am truly thankful that nothing happened.

Chelsea wuz robbed!

I am sitting on my couch at my home watching a repeat of the Chelsea versus Inter Milan right now. The first half has just ended and right before it, Kalou was denied a perfectly obvious penalty, that happened right in front of the referee. I can't believe it myself, and before you jump on your soapbox I am not a Chelsea fan! I am a Tottenham Hotspur fan from across the other side of London, so back off! Chelsea ended up losing 2-1 on the day, and they are still ok because the match was at the San Siro and Chelsea scored an away goal. But they should not be in a position where they can lose because of a terrible call from the ref.

Pompey goes into financial administration

Portsmouth will become the first English Premier League club to go into financial administration in an embarrassing landmark for the world's richest league. Four undisclosed groups reported to be interested in the club failed to prove they had the funds to buy it from Balram Chainrai by a deadline set by insolvency specialist As a result of entering financial administration, a form of bankruptcy protection, Portsmouth will be docked nine points, leaving the club bottom of the league with just seven - 16 points behind the team above it. Accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young will issue a detailed statement outlining how the club will be restructured to prevent it going into liquidation and made attractive for a potential buyer.By going into administration, a winding up order from the government's Revenue and Customs authority over unpaid tax will be suspended. Portsmouth, an 112-year-old club that has already had four separate owners this season, reportedly has debts of 70 million pounds ($A120.72 million). Another sad day, as this was the club that my later father followed and I was so happy when they made into the Premier League. To go out tlike this is atrocious.

Lydia Lassila wins Australia's second gold

Diminutive Lydia Lassila emerged from the Cypress Mountain mist to land two mighty spinning, twisting jumps, and with them Australia's second gold medal of these Winter Games, now the country's most successful. What a great follow-on from Alisa Camplin in Salt Lake City. Lassila's gold was like her mid-air somersaults, triply destined. It was the medal she had always believed would be hers one day, first as a gymnast, for the past 10 years as aerialist who at first was too gung-ho for own wellbeing, but is now complete. Go girls!

Cricket Star Breaks an 'Impossible' Record

India's Sachin Tendulkar scored a double-hundred against South Africa in a one-day match on Feb. 24, 2010. For the 1.5 billion people who follow cricket — making it, by some reckoning, the world's second most popular sport after soccer — it was a moment to match Roger Bannister's 4-min. mile in 1954. It was entirely appropriate that the record should fall to Tendulkar, 36, the greatest run scorer of all time, as he roars into the autumn of a storied career. Cricketers very rarely play into their 40s, and most are long past their record-breaking age at 35. But the Little Master, as his fans know him, is as bright at twilight as he was at noon: he's ratcheted up a string of recent big scores in both the five-day "Test" and one-day versions of the sport, giving a new generation of bowlers the privilege of a Tendulkar thrashing. I have had the privilege of seeing this wonderful cricket player, and he's as good a man off the field as he is on it, and that is rare.

Sad day as Eagles release Brian Westbrook

The Philadelphia Eagles announced they will release one of my favourite players, running back Brian Westbrook, less than 24 hours after LaDainian Tomlinson was cut by the Chargers. "Brian is one of the greatest Eagles of all time and he is even a better person and leader," said head coach Andy Reid on the team's website. "In my mind, there has not been a more versatile running back that the NFL has seen. I had a conversation with Brian this morning to let him know. This is by far the most difficult part of this job. We wanted to make this move now in order to maximize Brian's chances of landing with another NFL team."

Westbrook will leave with more yards from scrimimage (9,785) than anyone in Eagles history. His best year came in 2007 when he rushed for a career-best 1,333 yards while catching 90 balls for 771 yards; his 2,104 yards from scrimmaged paced the league that year. But Westbrook suffered through the least productive season since his rookie year in 2009, a victim of recurring concussion problems. He played in just eight games and managed just 455 yards from scrimimage. I understand why it happened but that doesn't make it any easier to take. Brian was the heart and soul of the team. All the fans will miss you Brian.

Toyota Boasted Saving $100M on Recall

Toyota officials claimed they saved the company $100 million by successfully negotiating with the government on a limited recall of floor mats in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles, according to new documents shared with congressional investigators. The savings are listed under the title, "Wins for Toyota — Safety Group." The document cites millions of dollars in other savings by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements. I wonder what Congress should do about it, let's see... maybe, make them pay.

Eat you heart out... Kitt!

Whoah, check THIS out, the new Mercedes Carlsson C25... rooooooooowrrrr.

Piano Men Rock Salt Lake

Last Friday night I had the pleasure of working the Elton John - Billy Joel Face to Face Tour concert at Energy Solutions Arena. While my music tastes have changed over the years for the harder side, Sir Elton and Billy put on a truly great show. I absolutely enjoyed it even though I was actually working at the time. They played for well over three hours and the parts where they performed together were awesome. It was especially poignant for me as I was supposed to attend an Elton John concert Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand in 1986 but my father died the day before. So seeing him 24 years later was something that I had always wanted. It made me remember my Dad, whom I still miss very much all these years later. Good times. (Photo courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune)

Torah Birght wins Australia's first gold medal at Whistler

Under pressure after falling on her first run, Australian snowboarder Torah Bright strung five technically superior jumps together on her second attempt and landed them all, propelling her to a gold medal in the women's halfpipe tonight at the Vancouver Olympics. Bright, 23, scored 45 points to defeat defending champion Hannah Teter by 2.6. Way to go Aussie girl, you've done us proud.

Ex-NYC Police Commissioner Gets 4-Year Prison Sentence

Former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was hailed as a hero alongside former Mayor Rudy Giuliani after the Sept. 11 terror attacks and nearly became chief of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was sentenced to four years behind bars Thursday for eight felonies. Kerik admitted in November that he lied to the White House, filed false taxes and committed other crimes. "The fact that Mr. Kerik would use that event (9/11) for personal gain and aggrandizement is a dark place in the soul for me," said federal Judge Stephen Robinson. An apologetic Kerik said before the sentence was pronounced: "Allow me to return to my wife and two little girls as soon as possible." Kerik was "the chief law enforcement law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has," Robinson said. The crimes were committed "in the process of attempting to become a cabinet level position in the government of the United States."

Snow brings out the best in people

Lindsey Vonn gets downhill skiing gold despite a major shin injury

Lindsey Vonn lived up to expectations and won the Olympic downhill today. This is a totally amazing result considering she was badly injured only two weeks ago. It shows that despite pain and difficulty that a great attitude and hard work can get you through and ordeal. In a race characterized by several crashes - including one to Swede Anja Paerson — Vonn's bruised right shin proved to be no problem as she sped down Franz's Downhill in 1 minute, 44.19 seconds. "This is everything I've wanted and hoped for," Vonn said, her voice choked with emotion. Mancuso finished 0.56 seconds behind, and Elisabeth Goergl of Austria took the bronze medal, 1.46 seconds back. Maria Riesch of Germany, Vonn's best friend and usual rival of late, finished eighth. It's the third time two Americans have finished 1-2 in an Olympic Alpine race, and the first time in 26 years.

Tracking software leads to suspect in computer theft

A man accused of stealing computers was caught with the help of tracking software. Ultimately, his past mug shot led to a new round of charges. A customer stole two laptops from the EZ Rent-to-Own store at 2974 W. 3500 South in Salt Lake City on Dec. 10. However, tracking software was loaded on the computers. A store employee later noticed someone logging onto the Internet with the stolen computers. The thief apparently was searching the Salt Lake County jail website for a mug shot of 41-year-old Shane Ellis Caster. The employee recognized that mug shot as the customer who stole the computers. Caster was arrested and charged with retail theft.I love it when stupid criminals basically catch themselves. It makes my day!

Park bosses ban daredevil squirrel

A theme park has been forced to ban a daredevil squirrel from one of its rides as its antics posed a health and safety risk, it said. The rodent was said to be causing headaches for operators at Alton Towers by getting in the way of improvement work on an attraction at the resort. Workers noticed it riding the revamped Sonic Spinball roller coaster as it was tested in the mornings and joining visitors who were offered an early go on it before the official opening. The grey-haired animal was also caught stealing food from the workers. A spokeswoman for the Staffordshire theme park said: "It was getting in the way of builders who were painting. They couldn't carry on because they would end up with paw prints in the paint." He only wanted a fun ride, poor little guy.

Canada hails a new sporting hero, who dedicated his win to sick brother

Canada has acclaimed a new sporting hero in Alexandre Bilodeau after his gold medal in men's moguls ended the nation's victory drought at the third Olympic Games on Canadian soil. The victory was celebrated by Canadian media in early reaction, and was hailed by British Columbia's premier Gordon Campbell as "one of the greatest moments in Canadian sports history."Not long after his victory, 22-year-old Bilodeau appeared on Canada's host broadcaster CTV with his family, including older brother Frederic, 28, who suffers from cerebral palsy and was named by the freestyle skier as his inspiration. "This is what sport can offer at its very best, a glimpse of triumphs that are enormous and of national significance, intimate and tender at the same time, and so it was here," a CTV correspondent wrote in its online edition. The Toronto Star said Canada had "a new sports hero" who had "forever cemented his name in the Canadian sports hall of fame." Now this is the kind of competitor who deserves to be a hero, a man with a real heart.

Furious Melbourne plan get-square

Melbourne Victory aren't using the word ''revenge'' in public but the reigning champions are privately planning harsh retribution against Sydney FC on Thursday night after striker Robbie Kruse was left with a suspected broken leg following a horror tackle from Terry McFlynn at the weekend. McFlynn was last night cleared by the match review panel of any wrongdoing, although Ernie Merrick, the Melbourne coach, was enraged the incident wasn't dealt with immediately by the referee, Matthew Breeze, who deemed the offence worthy only of a yellow card.

Two comments here! One, I saw the tackle a number of times and all it deserved was a yellow card. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be from the reaction. The fact that Robbie got a broken leg out of it is tragic, something that NONE of us wanted to see. But let's face it, the tackle was run-of-the-mill, it just had a disastrous result. Second, a 'revenge' plan rarely works, and usually backfires badly on the team seeking it. Not good for anyone, team, country or football. Get well soon Robbie!

Dalai Lama in Washington

China has responded to the scheduling of this coming Thursday's meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama -- and they want it canceled. "We urge the U.S. side to fully understand the high sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, honor its commitment to recognizing Tibet as part of China and opposing 'Tibet independence,'" said China Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu. The Obama-Dalai Lama meeting is one of several sources of tension between the U.S. and China, a list that includes new arms sales to Taiwan, Chinese currency manipulation and evidence of Chinese hack attacks on Google. This kind of situation provides a difficult question for lovers of freedom and truth... on the one hand, one should always keep commitments, keep one's word. BUT, Tibet is NOT China, it is a not a province of a dictatorship, but a sovereign country in its own right, stolen from its people who have a right to govern themselves. Keep the meeting on President Obama, this is one of the things I agree with you about.

U.S. Takes Back America's Cup In 2-Race Showdown

Larry Ellison's space-age trimaran BMW Oracle won back the America's Cup for the United States by speeding across the Mediterranean and routing two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland in a two-race sweep. The 65-year-old software tycoon was on board his incredibly fast craft Sunday, after sitting out Race 1 due to a weight limit. His victory over rival Ernesto Bertarelli sends the oldest trophy in international sports to San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club. BMW Oracle Racing owner Larry Ellison raises the America's Cup trophy after sweeping rival Alinghi. The two billionaires have been locked in a tumultuous legal fight for two and a half years, and it looked for a while like the result of this race was going to be contested off the water. While I am happy that such a beautiful yacht, has won the Cup, and that it was chaired by a Kiwi, Sir Russell Coutts the CEO and skippered by an Aussie, James Spithill, this is a series that should have been contested by a multi-nation fleet in Valencia. That such a historic race can be hijacked by two spoiled billionaires in a deal cooked up in a court of law, instead of on the water, is a travesty.

Sydney FC win A-League Minor Premiership

THE minor premiership, a place in the Asian Champions League and the defeat of their biggest rivals on the biggest stage, all sealed with one of the best goals ever seen in the A-League. Truly, this was a day to savour for Sydney FC. The Sydney Football Stadium pulsated with passion, colour and tension, and while it wasn't a final, it certainly felt like it. Karol Kisel got Sydney going with an ambitious lob midway through the first half, and while Melbourne only needed a draw to retain top spot, John Aloisi sealed all three points with a breathtaking strike just after half-time.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sue over split claim

Celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have begun legal action against a British tabloid that reported they were going to split, a lawyer acting on their behalf confirmed on Monday. Keith Schillings, of London-based Schillings lawyers, said in a statement that the couple had begun legal proceedings against the News of The World, a Sunday tabloid and Britain’s highest selling newspaper. He said the newspaper had made ‘‘false and intrusive allegations’’ when it reported on January 24 that Pitt and Jolie had agreed to separate, to divide assets worth 205 million pounds ($US320 million, $A367.69 million) and had made arrangements regarding the custody of their six children. Good on you guys, the world sorely needs these rumour-mongering idiots to get a hefty financial smack upside the dead.

A rare faily-tale ending

When the New Orleans Saints won the NFL Superbowl last night they reached a number of milestones. Firstly, they won on their first trip to the big game, second, they overcame the equal largest come-from-behind deficit in Superbowl history, which was 10 points. They overcame a very inauspicious and tentative start to come alive in the second quarter and then turn the game with an on-side kick play to start the second half. But the big news, like in many feel good victories is that a devastated city and struggling state now has something real to cherish and some sustained momentum in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Like my colleague said on the drive to work this morning, Sean Payton, the head coach deserved the MVP even more than Drew Brees because of his astute coaching and gutsy calls. It was a great game and a wonderful result, and victory again for the underdog in adverse conditions.

Accused con man used Morse code to order murders

New details have emerged in federal court about the alleged plan by a Lindon, Utah man to have four of his former investors killed. Jeffrey Lane Mowen appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul M. Warner, seeking a release from custody pending his trial on charges of wire fraud, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, witness tampering and retaliating against a witness. But federal prosecutors told Warner that while Mowen was in the Davis County Jail, he attempted to have four former investors murdered by a white supremacist to prevent them from testifying against him.

Prosecutors claim that in one instance, Mowen used Morse code to dictate a letter to a fellow inmate ordering the slayings. The inmate taking the dictation was working with authorities. He was wearing a recording device that captured Mowen tapping out the hit list, prosecutors said. There are in fact TWO morals to this story; 1) be careful who you blab your innermost thoughts to, and 2) if you are going to be that stupid at least use a mechanism that can't be traced. So many DUMB criminals!!!

How good is Roger Federer? Australian Open Champion again, 16 majors down!

So it has come to this in the world of big-time tennis: You're 28 years old, absolutely in your prime, cherishing the game -- and you're some kind of mythical superhero, a miracle of longevity and commitment. Roger Federer's path to greatness is a throwback, a reminder of more sensible times in the sport, when players competed well into their 30s without losing their talent or motivation. "I'm flabbergasted to know what still motivates Federer," Pat Cash told reporters in Melbourne. "I certainly couldn't keep it up. There must be a real challenge there. He showed he still has stuff to prove to himself and to match up with the young guys."Make no mistake, Federer is special in ways few can comprehend. He'll own at least 20 majors by the time he's done, and some of his other accomplishments -- such as reaching 23 consecutive major semifinals -- border on the surreal. Let's just hope that Federer is remembered, as well, for allowing himself to reap the rich rewards of maturity.

Road crash turns into 238-pound pot bust

Tracks in the snow leading from a crashed car to the nearby bridge overpass on New Mexico's I-40 just didn't look right to officers. State police say that officers patrolling the stretch near Tucumcari Saturday found that 40-year-old Henry Alan Lowe of El Paso, Texas, had lost control of his sedan and crashed into a snow pile. Then they noticed tracks leading back and forth from the trunk to the bridge. They allege that partially hidden under the overpass were large plastic wrapped bundles and inside was about 238 pounds of raw marijuana with an estimated street value of more than $642,000. Police say Lowe was arrested after treated for a gash to his head. Moral of the story: Don't smoke your own dope while driving on the highway!!!

Egypt win Africa Cup of Nations

Substitute Mohamed ‘Gedo’ Nagui scored in the 85th minute at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations final to defeat Ghana 1-0 on Sunday in Luanda. It is the Pharaohs’ seventh continental trophy and third on the trot, which is a new Cup of Nations record. Well done Pharoahs and congratulations to my mates from Egypt, that I had many years of soccer fun with.

Serena Williams wins Australian Open

Steely-eyed Serena Williams stared down Justin Henin to spoil the Belgian’s fairytale comeback and claim a modern-day record fifth Australian Open crown on Saturday night. In the first-ever grand slam final featuring the two most successful women’s players of their generation, Williams’s awesome power won over Henin’s grace and style as the world No.1 carved out a gutsy 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory at Rod Laver Arena. The two-hour, seven-minute triumph gave Williams a perfect five-from-five record in finals at Melbourne Park and eclipsed the four Open titles that Margaret Smith Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles each won in the professional era.

Australia defeat Pakistan by 25 runs in under-19 World Cup final

Australia have heaped more cricketing misery on Pakistan, this time at the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, Mitchell Marsh's men winning the final by 25 runs. The star for Australia was pace bowler Josh Hazelwood who took 4-30, including the final scalp of Raza Hasan, in a man-of-the-match performance after his side were forced to defend a lowly 207. Luke Doran contributed 3-32 as Pakistan were dismissed for 182 with 20 balls remaining. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... Oi, Oi, Oi!

Kurt Warner calls an end to NFL career

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has announced his retirement from a fairytale NFL career. Warner, 38, announced his retirement after a dozen years in the NFL - a league in which he rose from gridiron obscurity to become a potential Hall of Famer. Warner took the lowly St Louis Rams to the Super Bowl twice - winning the NFL's championship spectacular in the 1999/2000 season. He surprised again in leading Arizona to the Super Bowl a year ago, where the Cardinals fell to Pittsburgh. Kurt, you are a legend, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you are elected to the NFL Hall of Fame (which of course is nothing, but it's the thought that counts).

Vikes and Favre lose a heartbreaker

Battered and beaten, Brett Favre(notes) limped off the field for perhaps the final time. His head down, the pained look on his face was brought on as much by a head-scratching turnover as it was by a bone-crunching hit from Bobby McCray. With the NFC championship game tied, the Minnesota Vikings close to field goal range and mere seconds left, Favre made the kind of mistake he had avoided all season. He committed the No. 1 no-no for an NFL quarterback when he threw the ball late and back over the middle toward Sidney Rice(notes), and Tracy Porter(notes) stepped in front to intercept the pass Sunday. New Orleans won the coin toss in overtime, and before Favre could take the field, Drew Brees(notes) drove them into position for Garrett Hartley’s(notes) winning field goal that gave the Saints a 31-28 victory and their first Super Bowl berth. So close and yet so far!

Celebrate Australians 'of substance', not celebrity, Adam Gilchrist urges

Australia Day Council chairman Adam Gilchrist has urged the nation to abandon its obsession with celebrity culture in favour of "Australians of substance". More than 30 former Australians of the Year last night gathered for a commemorative dinner at Parliament House in Canberra with Governor-General Quentin Bryce to mark the 50th anniversary of the awards. Personally I could not agree more, what a great message.

Racing driver Jack Brabham, one of the earliest winners of the title, mixed with Aboriginal advocates Mick Dodson and Lowitja O'Donoghue in the black-tie clad, bemedalled throng; entrepreneur and adventurer Dick Smith with Nobel laureate Peter Doherty. Soldiers, sportsmen and scientists were there -- and everyone in between. "How important these men and women are to us in imagining who we are and we might be," Ms Bryce said, "in giving us picture, never a prescription, of what it means to be Australian. Gilchrist praised the winners as "role models of substance" and a bulwark against the culture of celebrity.

Togo Soccer Team Leaves Tournament After Gun Attack

Hosting the African Cup of Nations was Angola's chance to show it is recovering from decades of war, but tragedy struck as gunmen sprayed bullets at Togo's national team, killing three people and forcing its withdrawal from the soccer tournament. Africa's main soccer tournament was expected to open as planned on Sunday, even though players from other countries expressed shock at the ambush on the Togo team bus as it traveled through Angola's restive oil-rich Cabinda province. Man, it's tough playing soccer in Africa!

Mexico Cartel Stitches Rival's Face on Soccer Ball

The body of 36-year-old Hugo Hernandez was left on the streets of Los Mochis in seven pieces as a chilling threat to members of the Juarez drus cartel. A note read: ''Happy New Year, because this will be your last.'' To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez's face and stitched it onto a soccer ball. It's tough working in Mexico!

Aussies do it to Pakistan again

Australia pulled off a stunning second Test victory over Pakistan at the SCG, bowling the tourists out for 139 to win by 36 runs and clinch the series. Chasing a modest 176 to secure their first win over Australia in 14 years, the tourists collapsed badly under intense pressure from the ever-improving Australia attack.

Spinner Nathan Hauritz took five for 53, including an astonishing caught and bowled to claim captain Mohammad Yousuf, with Mitchell Johnson claiming three for 27. Doug Bollinger chipped in with two wickets while Peter Siddle bowled his heart out without reward after his earlier heroics with the bat had helped bring Australia back from the dead.

The hosts trailed by 206 runs on the first innings but revived their hopes with 381 second-innings runs, largely thanks to 97 from Shane Watson and an unlikely 123-run ninth-wicket partnership between Mike Hussey (134 not out) and Siddle (38). Only twice in 132 years has Australia come back from a bigger deficit to snatch victory.