Annie Stensrud -- Mankato, Minnesota's favorite nationally-known newscaster -- is back in the news again. After her early-December slurred speech newscast, the KEYC-TV weekend anchor has been off the air. But this morning she made headlines again in Mankato by being arrested for a probable cause DWI near her North Mankato home by Nicollet County authorities.
When, just weeks after a newscast that went viral due to her apparent drunk performance, you land yourself in the pages of the local newspaper for doing something (drinking and driving) which you adamantly denied in a statement released by your employer (being drunk at work), there is the makings of a pattern.
Annie Stensrud obviously has a problem. Maybe she has had a relationship turn sour and is using alcohol as a coping mechanism. Maybe there has been a death in the family which has hit her particularly hard.
Whatever the case, her original excuse of a reaction to cold medication doesn't seem to hold up given today's DWI arrest.
Maybe there's something more to the story. Check out her reporting reel/resume below and witness just how strong of a reporter she was in her days working for KAAL-TV in Austin, MN
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Meat Nativity Scene - We Wish You a Meaty Christmas
Being that I'm a red-blooded American and that I fall into stereotypes easily, I'll just admit that I am a fan of both Christmas and meat. It was only a matter of time until some brilliant bastard combined the birth of Jesus and meat products so that's what makes this meat nativity scene both awesome and expected.
Personally, I'm hankering for a large slice, slab or square of this meat nativity scene. The manger -- made of tasty cured bacon -- looks particularly appetizing.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Annie Stensrud of KEYC-Mankato drunk on air 12/4/11
(KEYC's parent company -- United Communications -- has apparently scrubbed YouTube of the original newscast clips but this David Letterman clip showcases Annie Stensrud at her best.)
Wow. It boggles my mind how someone could show up to work obviously impaired and her co-workers let Annie Stensrud of KEYC-TV in Mankato go on the air. Whether she was drunk, on powerful cold medication or high as a kite from smoking a fat joint doesn't really matter.
This isn't the 1970s or even the 1980s. She isn't new at the job either as her bio details a series of TV stations she has been employed at. Don Shelby of WCCO-TV showed up for work very obviously drunk once early in his career in Minneapolis but went on to have a storied career. He made reparations and turned his life around and used his battle with alcohol to bring awareness to the subject. I highly doubt that Annie Stensrud -- anchoring weekends in Mankato -- is destined for greatness but I could be wrong. I do know that an impaired performance like this gets at least a few people talking and will be hard to explain down the road to future employers. I hope that this was a one-time deal and that she had simply taken too much cold medication but I have my doubts.
Since you're obviously interested in Minnesota happenings, check out MinnPics. It's the best of the best of photos from all over Minnesota! (even some from Mankato)
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Gone is November, one project is good enough to debut
This year has simply flown by and I'm not quite sure where the time has gone. Maybe it's because I've been off doing all sorts of time-consuming projects (three of which I'm almost finished with, only 33 to go!). Or maybe the time has flown because I'm getting older.
This isn't going to be me lamenting over tedious parts of my life that I have no business sharing with anyone outside of a doctor's examination room (don't worry, folks, no erectile dysfunction here...) but I'm starting to feel old.
Oh sure, most of the world's population (okay, maybe it's more like 65%) is older than me but the whole age thing comes creeping up. It's getting harder to hide the fact that I eat like shit and drink like a horse like a horse who had just galloped through the entirety of the Mojave Desert. (Busted, I don't even drink that much). Weight has never been an issue for me but now I find myself standing in front of the mirror jiggling my slowly expanding gut. Hell, I just ate 3/4 lb. of smoked pork while I've been writing this so maybe I need to begin with portion control. I totally blew off my burgeoning jogging routine this year because we were busy most night pitching in watching our four young nephews a few nights each week while their mother worked nights and their dad worked 12-15 hour days. A few nights of that left me wanting to do nothing more than relax. Couple that with the sweltering summer we had here in Minnesota and outdoor time wasn't exactly in the cards -- especially for extraneous physical activity.
See, I have an excuse for everything.
Once August rolled around, we began working on some pretty exciting online ventures. Those have sucked up more time than I ever thought possible. I spent early weekend mornings and plenty of nights getting three of the intended four ventures off the ground and, in the process, taught myself the basics of Wordpress, some rudimentary PHP skills and learned still more about CSS. Yep, pretty nerdy stuff and those projects are nowhere near perfect yet but like plenty of things I do they are a work in progress.
I took some vacation time (four days to be exact) to catch up on household work. My yard was totally clean as the first snow fell back before Thanksgiving. I manufactured and installed some new exterior trim which was terribly deteriorated after only 40-some years and built my old lady a walk-in closet. Sure, it doesn't have a door installed yet or any texture on the drywall but that son of a bitch is built!
And because our plan for a new two stall garage is a distant dream, I sprung instead for a garage door opener on Black Friday and, pending a missing part thanks to the monkeys who can't package shit at Chamberlain's Chinese manufacturing headquarters, I am stuck with an inoperable garage door opener for the time being. (See, that one is actually out of my control)
All told, the past few month's work is all leading up to a plan to supplement our income. It's all part of that American spirit. Entrepreneurship at its finest. We both rather enjoy what we do and are, for the most part, happy with our lot in life but we also want to restore our grand old home to its former glory and give it some much-needed curb appeal which all begins with a facelift to the old three-season porch spanning its width. It's the biggest project (even compared to the bathroom we gutted and rebuilt) we plan on tackling and it requires a lot of things to fall into place. But with some luck and a lot of extra effort it's going to happen. So help us to make it happen.
So spread the word about Minnesota Recipes. In short, it's an always growing collection of, for lack of a better word, heirloom recipes. They've been dug out of dusty drawers, book cases and out of print and decades old homemakers and church cookbooks. We've been busy typing recipes from old recipe cards tagged with the names of people I faintly recall from my years growing up on the family farm. We've also been busy trying some of these crazy sounding recipes for the sole purpose of photographing them and giving them our own stamp of approval in the process. It's all a lofty order when both are saddled with full-time day jobs and a now three year-old who is as loud and curious as she is cute.
Sure, Minnesota Recipes is far from perfect but I've learned a ton along the way. I learned the quirks of certain Wordpress plugins. I learned that SEO is a real bitch to crack sometimes. I learned that it's easy as hell to get frustrated when the results of your hard work are slow to turn in to something more substantial. Beware that when you visit Minnesota Recipes that I am scraping up bits of time here and there to fill out the missing bits of information. Descriptions of many of the recipes are missing when viewed in search engines due to my learning on the fly. Photos are slow to come because there's only so much food a family of three can afford to cook and eat.
All told, though, I'm becoming happier with the fruits of my labor. This is my first full Wordpress website. Creating it, though, has secured a future for myself at my job because I have that skillset ready to use at a moment's notice.
Hey, if anyone reading this knows more about CSS than I do, maybe you can lend a hand as you'll probably notice a couple elements still somewhat out of place on the main page of Minnesota Recipes. Feel free to drop me a line, I would greatly appreciate a few minutes of your amazing skills!
Thanks, though, for following my projects and to a certain extent my life. Hopefully Minnesota Recipes grows as quickly as MinnPics did -- or even faster! And don't think for a moment that I'll forget about MinnPics. That website is my little baby. I love photography and I love seeing and sharing what other photographers across Minnesota are up to. Curating MinnPics has taught me more than I could ever dream of and has spurred both me and my wife to become better photographers and find the hidden photographic gems in our own little corner of Minnesota.
This isn't going to be me lamenting over tedious parts of my life that I have no business sharing with anyone outside of a doctor's examination room (don't worry, folks, no erectile dysfunction here...) but I'm starting to feel old.
Oh sure, most of the world's population (okay, maybe it's more like 65%) is older than me but the whole age thing comes creeping up. It's getting harder to hide the fact that I eat like shit and drink like a horse like a horse who had just galloped through the entirety of the Mojave Desert. (Busted, I don't even drink that much). Weight has never been an issue for me but now I find myself standing in front of the mirror jiggling my slowly expanding gut. Hell, I just ate 3/4 lb. of smoked pork while I've been writing this so maybe I need to begin with portion control. I totally blew off my burgeoning jogging routine this year because we were busy most night pitching in watching our four young nephews a few nights each week while their mother worked nights and their dad worked 12-15 hour days. A few nights of that left me wanting to do nothing more than relax. Couple that with the sweltering summer we had here in Minnesota and outdoor time wasn't exactly in the cards -- especially for extraneous physical activity.
See, I have an excuse for everything.
Once August rolled around, we began working on some pretty exciting online ventures. Those have sucked up more time than I ever thought possible. I spent early weekend mornings and plenty of nights getting three of the intended four ventures off the ground and, in the process, taught myself the basics of Wordpress, some rudimentary PHP skills and learned still more about CSS. Yep, pretty nerdy stuff and those projects are nowhere near perfect yet but like plenty of things I do they are a work in progress.
I took some vacation time (four days to be exact) to catch up on household work. My yard was totally clean as the first snow fell back before Thanksgiving. I manufactured and installed some new exterior trim which was terribly deteriorated after only 40-some years and built my old lady a walk-in closet. Sure, it doesn't have a door installed yet or any texture on the drywall but that son of a bitch is built!
And because our plan for a new two stall garage is a distant dream, I sprung instead for a garage door opener on Black Friday and, pending a missing part thanks to the monkeys who can't package shit at Chamberlain's Chinese manufacturing headquarters, I am stuck with an inoperable garage door opener for the time being. (See, that one is actually out of my control)
All told, the past few month's work is all leading up to a plan to supplement our income. It's all part of that American spirit. Entrepreneurship at its finest. We both rather enjoy what we do and are, for the most part, happy with our lot in life but we also want to restore our grand old home to its former glory and give it some much-needed curb appeal which all begins with a facelift to the old three-season porch spanning its width. It's the biggest project (even compared to the bathroom we gutted and rebuilt) we plan on tackling and it requires a lot of things to fall into place. But with some luck and a lot of extra effort it's going to happen. So help us to make it happen.
So spread the word about Minnesota Recipes. In short, it's an always growing collection of, for lack of a better word, heirloom recipes. They've been dug out of dusty drawers, book cases and out of print and decades old homemakers and church cookbooks. We've been busy typing recipes from old recipe cards tagged with the names of people I faintly recall from my years growing up on the family farm. We've also been busy trying some of these crazy sounding recipes for the sole purpose of photographing them and giving them our own stamp of approval in the process. It's all a lofty order when both are saddled with full-time day jobs and a now three year-old who is as loud and curious as she is cute.
Sure, Minnesota Recipes is far from perfect but I've learned a ton along the way. I learned the quirks of certain Wordpress plugins. I learned that SEO is a real bitch to crack sometimes. I learned that it's easy as hell to get frustrated when the results of your hard work are slow to turn in to something more substantial. Beware that when you visit Minnesota Recipes that I am scraping up bits of time here and there to fill out the missing bits of information. Descriptions of many of the recipes are missing when viewed in search engines due to my learning on the fly. Photos are slow to come because there's only so much food a family of three can afford to cook and eat.
All told, though, I'm becoming happier with the fruits of my labor. This is my first full Wordpress website. Creating it, though, has secured a future for myself at my job because I have that skillset ready to use at a moment's notice.
Hey, if anyone reading this knows more about CSS than I do, maybe you can lend a hand as you'll probably notice a couple elements still somewhat out of place on the main page of Minnesota Recipes. Feel free to drop me a line, I would greatly appreciate a few minutes of your amazing skills!
Thanks, though, for following my projects and to a certain extent my life. Hopefully Minnesota Recipes grows as quickly as MinnPics did -- or even faster! And don't think for a moment that I'll forget about MinnPics. That website is my little baby. I love photography and I love seeing and sharing what other photographers across Minnesota are up to. Curating MinnPics has taught me more than I could ever dream of and has spurred both me and my wife to become better photographers and find the hidden photographic gems in our own little corner of Minnesota.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Now that's some hot chili
While I'm guessing that plenty of people around the world have had this e-mail forwarded to them, I though I'd share it with everyone. No, it's not the first time I've read this likely made-up account of a judge's report during a New Mexico chili cookoff but it's worth reading it again. Plus it gives me a goal for my own chili.
*******
New Mexico Chili Cookoff
If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there's no hope for you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in New Mexico .
For those of you who have lived in New Mexico , you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza . Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Smithton , Missouri . Frank: “Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off.. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge #3..”
-Here are the scorecard notes from the event:
CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI
Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy.
CHILI # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILI
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.
CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.
CHILI # 4=2 0- BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC
Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT ... Just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?
CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.
CHILI # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY
Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili.. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.
CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.
CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
Judge # 3 -- No report.
*******
New Mexico Chili Cookoff
If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there's no hope for you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in New Mexico .
For those of you who have lived in New Mexico , you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza . Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Smithton , Missouri . Frank: “Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off.. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge #3..”
-Here are the scorecard notes from the event:
CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI
Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy.
CHILI # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILI
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.
CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.
CHILI # 4=2 0- BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC
Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT ... Just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?
CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.
CHILI # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY
Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili.. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.
CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.
CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
Judge # 3 -- No report.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
It's time to fix our crumbling country
I don't have the skills to patch a street. I definitely don't have the equipment or money in my usually barren checking account to repair a street but with the steadily crumbling state of our country's infrastructure it isn't exactly a far off nightmare that soon residents will be responsible for maintaining and improving our roadways -- and that doesn't mean paying money to have a big time construction company to do the work. It means that we'll be dragging a shovel and a bucket out in front of our respective houses and fixing our roads, highways and streets the old school way.
But why is that?
It's mainly because states have less funding available to maintain and improve our infrastructure.
But why do the states have less money to pay for upkeep and improvements to our highways and other infrastructure items?
Because the states along with certain local governments are busy trying to scrape together funding for billion dollar stadiums used ten days per year (think Minnesota Vikings and billionaire owner Zygi Wilf) and they have been given less funding by the federal government.
But why doesn't the federal government have enough money to provide money to the states to distribute to individual cities to maintain local infrastructure?
Skyrocketing unemployment. A decade fighting two wars. Wasteful military spending. Money shipped overseas to save aspects of other countries who may not exactly deserve saving. Take your pick.
I'm not advocating that we cut off all foreign aide. Natural disasters happen and those people are merely victims of their surroundings. Nobody deserves to die after their country has deen decimated by a tsunami, earthquake or drought but, while it seems selfish to say, it may be time to take a second look at how we are spending money overseas. It is definitely time to examine military spending. Shut down top-secret programs because if I don't know what the money is being spent on it probably isn't necessary spending. Yeah, we still need to defend our country against real or perceived evils which may threaten our friends and neighbors either directly or indirectly. However, it needs to be done on a budget. Shit, I'd like to have new siding on my house but a coat of paint will give the exterior a nice facelift. I'm choosing that route because it saves money and I have to live within my means. I'd like a Mac Mini to set up as a home media center but, again, I have a budget. Money is not infinite. And the money that our country can spend is not infinite either.
It's time to look inward and start taking care of the country that took over 200 years to build up to its current point. It's either that or let it go to shit and sell it to China. There are ways to get these jobs done. There's always prison labor...
But why is that?
It's mainly because states have less funding available to maintain and improve our infrastructure.
But why do the states have less money to pay for upkeep and improvements to our highways and other infrastructure items?
Because the states along with certain local governments are busy trying to scrape together funding for billion dollar stadiums used ten days per year (think Minnesota Vikings and billionaire owner Zygi Wilf) and they have been given less funding by the federal government.
But why doesn't the federal government have enough money to provide money to the states to distribute to individual cities to maintain local infrastructure?
Skyrocketing unemployment. A decade fighting two wars. Wasteful military spending. Money shipped overseas to save aspects of other countries who may not exactly deserve saving. Take your pick.
I'm not advocating that we cut off all foreign aide. Natural disasters happen and those people are merely victims of their surroundings. Nobody deserves to die after their country has deen decimated by a tsunami, earthquake or drought but, while it seems selfish to say, it may be time to take a second look at how we are spending money overseas. It is definitely time to examine military spending. Shut down top-secret programs because if I don't know what the money is being spent on it probably isn't necessary spending. Yeah, we still need to defend our country against real or perceived evils which may threaten our friends and neighbors either directly or indirectly. However, it needs to be done on a budget. Shit, I'd like to have new siding on my house but a coat of paint will give the exterior a nice facelift. I'm choosing that route because it saves money and I have to live within my means. I'd like a Mac Mini to set up as a home media center but, again, I have a budget. Money is not infinite. And the money that our country can spend is not infinite either.
It's time to look inward and start taking care of the country that took over 200 years to build up to its current point. It's either that or let it go to shit and sell it to China. There are ways to get these jobs done. There's always prison labor...
Friday, October 14, 2011
How I justify my hatred for "Whitney"
Some thing are more frustrating than others. For instance, I have a love/hate relationship with television. I ponied up an additional $1.99/month for HD channels on my main TV but I hate the bulk of what is shown. There are entire blocks of channels which I would never consider watching. (Bravo and A&E, I'm looking at you) But yet I continue to pay an exorbitant rate per month to my cable company for this drivel. But then there's the Disney Channel, it helps me get ready for work in the morning because I can plop the little one down in front of The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and for the most part she stays entertained.
But there are certain nights when nothing is the least bit compelling. I catch up on the somewhat imposing stack of past issues of Rolling Stone, do some website design and pay some bills. It beats watching garbage but last night it all came to a head for me.
8:30 PM rolled around, bring with it the conclusion of that particular episode of The Office. With that came Whitney. The first thing that irritates me about that show is the obvious, excessive and annoying laughtrack. Nobody, even threatened with death, would laugh at the lines which are punctuated by far too much laughter. The second thing that grinds my gears is her mouth. Whitney Cummings has an excessively wide mouth. As we commented in the office yesterday, it's specially designed for placing certain objects in it (think large sandwiches, zuchinnis, multiple penises, etc.). The writing of the show is one gigantic stereotype. If I were the boyfriend in that particular relationship I'd probably just have one last vigorous roll in the hay with her and kick her to the curb because she is annoying, grating, coarse, vulgar and maybe a bit low on the intelligence scale.
The disappointing part is that due to this dreadful, lowest common denominator shitfest being on NBC (America's lowest-rated real network -- the CW doesn't count) it has already been given a full season pickup. That means that the few who still watch that particular portion of NBC's Thursday night schedule will be subjected to a full 22 episodes of Whitney, the worst sitcom to land on NBC in the past five years.
I know I'm not alone in loathing Whitney because it tends to lose about 40% of the ratings its lead-in, The Office. But I'm just one guy but I know I'm not alone in hoping for 30 Rock to make its triumphant return to its rightful Thursday night spot on the NBC schedule.
But there are certain nights when nothing is the least bit compelling. I catch up on the somewhat imposing stack of past issues of Rolling Stone, do some website design and pay some bills. It beats watching garbage but last night it all came to a head for me.
8:30 PM rolled around, bring with it the conclusion of that particular episode of The Office. With that came Whitney. The first thing that irritates me about that show is the obvious, excessive and annoying laughtrack. Nobody, even threatened with death, would laugh at the lines which are punctuated by far too much laughter. The second thing that grinds my gears is her mouth. Whitney Cummings has an excessively wide mouth. As we commented in the office yesterday, it's specially designed for placing certain objects in it (think large sandwiches, zuchinnis, multiple penises, etc.). The writing of the show is one gigantic stereotype. If I were the boyfriend in that particular relationship I'd probably just have one last vigorous roll in the hay with her and kick her to the curb because she is annoying, grating, coarse, vulgar and maybe a bit low on the intelligence scale.
The disappointing part is that due to this dreadful, lowest common denominator shitfest being on NBC (America's lowest-rated real network -- the CW doesn't count) it has already been given a full season pickup. That means that the few who still watch that particular portion of NBC's Thursday night schedule will be subjected to a full 22 episodes of Whitney, the worst sitcom to land on NBC in the past five years.
I know I'm not alone in loathing Whitney because it tends to lose about 40% of the ratings its lead-in, The Office. But I'm just one guy but I know I'm not alone in hoping for 30 Rock to make its triumphant return to its rightful Thursday night spot on the NBC schedule.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The pathetic state of pro/collegiate sports in Minnesota
Just how bad is the sports landscape in Minnesota right now? Our baseball team, the Minnesota Twins, just wrapped up a season in which more than a few people were rooting for the Twins to lose 100 games. Hey, I was rooting for that too because if you're going to have a wretched season, go big!
Then there's the Minnesota Vikings. They are an embarrassment to football teams. The 0-4 Vikings, though, think their shit doesn't stink and are still lobbying for a brand new nearly $1 billion stadium built in north bumfuck nowhere (Arden Hills). Clearly, owner Zygi Wilf needs to pony up the majority of the cash needed for his playground for millionaires because if this stadium would be put to a vote, my thinking is that it would fail. If the Vikings want to make something out of this year, either pull dreadful quarterback Donovan McNabb and replace him with Christian Ponder or shoot for a winless, 0-16 season. Once again, go big.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, probably the worst NBA team in the league, won't be missed when the NBA season, in its entirety, is canceled in a few weeks because the greedy players can't concede a few million dollars to the greedy owners. If time machines worked, I'd get in one and go back to 1992 or 1994 or whenever it was and applaud the team's impending sale to an owner in New Orleans. At least then the team would be Louisiana's problem.
The Minnesota Wild are, at best, a mediocre hockey team. They had that amazing playoff run in 2002 or 2003 but that was a fluke. Every other team simply fell apart at the perfect moment for the Wild and the team came together and won when they needed to. That doesn't happen any more. The Wild are perpetual cellar dwellers in the NHL's northwest division and no longer draw sellout crowds. They better improve or they could very well go the way of the Minnesota Northstars.
Then there's the Minnesota Gophers football team. They are the joke of the Big Ten conference. If the Big Ten had their way, maybe they would trade the U of M for North Dakota State University because the Fighting Sioux have shown that they are capable of beating the Golden Gophers. If I were a betting man I'd say that the Gophers football team wins a mere one more game - either beating Northwestern or Illinois - but coach Jerry Kill gets to keep his job because he's a legitimate coach and simply inherited a total mess of a team.
But the one bright spot in Minnesota sports are the Minnesota Lynx. They play tonight in the second game of the WNBA finals against Atlanta. The Lynx are for real and I have faith that they will provide the only national championship this year and definitely the only winning season in Minnesota sports this year. Go Lynx!
Then there's the Minnesota Vikings. They are an embarrassment to football teams. The 0-4 Vikings, though, think their shit doesn't stink and are still lobbying for a brand new nearly $1 billion stadium built in north bumfuck nowhere (Arden Hills). Clearly, owner Zygi Wilf needs to pony up the majority of the cash needed for his playground for millionaires because if this stadium would be put to a vote, my thinking is that it would fail. If the Vikings want to make something out of this year, either pull dreadful quarterback Donovan McNabb and replace him with Christian Ponder or shoot for a winless, 0-16 season. Once again, go big.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, probably the worst NBA team in the league, won't be missed when the NBA season, in its entirety, is canceled in a few weeks because the greedy players can't concede a few million dollars to the greedy owners. If time machines worked, I'd get in one and go back to 1992 or 1994 or whenever it was and applaud the team's impending sale to an owner in New Orleans. At least then the team would be Louisiana's problem.
The Minnesota Wild are, at best, a mediocre hockey team. They had that amazing playoff run in 2002 or 2003 but that was a fluke. Every other team simply fell apart at the perfect moment for the Wild and the team came together and won when they needed to. That doesn't happen any more. The Wild are perpetual cellar dwellers in the NHL's northwest division and no longer draw sellout crowds. They better improve or they could very well go the way of the Minnesota Northstars.
Then there's the Minnesota Gophers football team. They are the joke of the Big Ten conference. If the Big Ten had their way, maybe they would trade the U of M for North Dakota State University because the Fighting Sioux have shown that they are capable of beating the Golden Gophers. If I were a betting man I'd say that the Gophers football team wins a mere one more game - either beating Northwestern or Illinois - but coach Jerry Kill gets to keep his job because he's a legitimate coach and simply inherited a total mess of a team.
But the one bright spot in Minnesota sports are the Minnesota Lynx. They play tonight in the second game of the WNBA finals against Atlanta. The Lynx are for real and I have faith that they will provide the only national championship this year and definitely the only winning season in Minnesota sports this year. Go Lynx!
Monday, October 3, 2011
London Olympic Map - 2012 London Olympic Venues
Do you want to go to the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
 |
| Click here to see a map of all Olympic venues |
Location of venues
Most of the venues for the London 2012 Games are within London, but others are located the length of Great Britain, from Glasgow in Scotland to Weymouth and Portland on the south coast of England.
Click here to see a map of all Olympic venues.
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Paul McCartney is headlining the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony
Do you want to go to the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
BILLIONS of people will watch the ultimate showman kick off next year’s Olympic Games.
Viewers all over the planet will see music legend Sir Paul McCartney headline the opening ceremony in London.
The Beatle told bosses he’s “up for” playing at the spectacular on July 27 but song choices and detailed plans still need to be finalised. Bosses had hoped to reunite Macca, 69, with Beatle Ringo Starr but he will be touring the US.
There was further disappointment for organisers when The Rolling Stones ruled themselves out of the show.
Led Zeppelin were also approached and although guitarist Jimmy Page was keen, singer Robert Plant was said to be “not interested”. An industry source said: “The hope was to have the cream of British music all in the line-up but it now looks like Macca will be joined by some younger stars on stage. But of all the people you would want, McCartney is number one. He is the ultimate showman and guaranteed to get the Olympics off to a great start.”
Macca set tongues wagging this month when he told a US chat show: “I hear there’s a rumour that I might be involved.”
Daughter Stella McCartney is already involved, designing the British kit.
3 HITS Macca might play:
1 Hey Jude
2 Live And Let Die
3 Twist and Shout
4 A Hard Day’s Night
5 When I’m 64
6 Here Comes The Sun
7 Strawberry Field Forever.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
BILLIONS of people will watch the ultimate showman kick off next year’s Olympic Games.
 |
| Sir Paul McCartney set to opening London 2012 |
Viewers all over the planet will see music legend Sir Paul McCartney headline the opening ceremony in London.
The Beatle told bosses he’s “up for” playing at the spectacular on July 27 but song choices and detailed plans still need to be finalised. Bosses had hoped to reunite Macca, 69, with Beatle Ringo Starr but he will be touring the US.
There was further disappointment for organisers when The Rolling Stones ruled themselves out of the show.
Led Zeppelin were also approached and although guitarist Jimmy Page was keen, singer Robert Plant was said to be “not interested”. An industry source said: “The hope was to have the cream of British music all in the line-up but it now looks like Macca will be joined by some younger stars on stage. But of all the people you would want, McCartney is number one. He is the ultimate showman and guaranteed to get the Olympics off to a great start.”
Macca set tongues wagging this month when he told a US chat show: “I hear there’s a rumour that I might be involved.”
Daughter Stella McCartney is already involved, designing the British kit.
3 HITS Macca might play:
1 Hey Jude
2 Live And Let Die
3 Twist and Shout
4 A Hard Day’s Night
5 When I’m 64
6 Here Comes The Sun
7 Strawberry Field Forever.
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
London Olympics - Biggest 2012 promise 'has not been delivered'
Do you want to go to the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
We are not seeing a massive boom in participation. The 2012 campaign slogan is falling flat on its face.
This week, I have been in Newham, the poorest borough in London where the Olympic Park has been built.
Obesity is so bad in this part of London that doctors call in their patients as soon as they hit 40 for checks on their fat levels.
Despite having more young people living in the borough than most areas in the country, the level of sports partipation in Newham has been very low in Government surveys in recent years.
So the closure of a swimming centre at the heart of the area is causing real anger.
Locals say it's an astonishing decision when the Olympics are supposed to be encouraging people to take up sport.
So, when 2012 ramp up their celebrations on 31 December with fireworks in central London, the Atherton Leisure Centre at the heart of the Olympic borough will be shut down.
Newham Council says the pool has to be closed because of ceiling problems which will cost too much to repair.
The Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, has promised to replace it with a new centre.
But Michelle Turner, who is running the campaign to save the pool, is not convinced the borough has the money to deliver a new pool.
Although the Olympic Aquatic Centre has been built in Newham, residents says it is a 40-minute walk away and won't be open for some time.
I've also been talking to Trevor Blackman, who runs sports training programmes in Newham.
He says Government public spending cuts have meant he is only running one programme in the borough now.
All this in the place where the Games really need to make an impact.
So, who is taking responsibility for this lack of progress in participation?
Lord Coe, the 2012 chairman, takes some of the hits because he is the man who made the promise in his emotional speech to the International Olympic Committee in Singapore.
But it is also the Government, London Mayor Boris Johnson as well as local authorities and the national governing bodies of sport who need to step up to the mark here.
We've had the catalyst of the Olympics for six years now but Britain's sporting landscape isn't changing like we were promised it would.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
Now that the venues are on track to be ready and most of the tickets are sold, the biggest 2012 issue, for me, in the next few months is the failure of the Games to increase participation in sport.
 |
| www.london-olympaid.com |
This was the biggest promise of London's bidding campaign. And let's face it, it's not happening.
This week, I have been in Newham, the poorest borough in London where the Olympic Park has been built.
Obesity is so bad in this part of London that doctors call in their patients as soon as they hit 40 for checks on their fat levels.
Despite having more young people living in the borough than most areas in the country, the level of sports partipation in Newham has been very low in Government surveys in recent years.
So the closure of a swimming centre at the heart of the area is causing real anger.
Locals say it's an astonishing decision when the Olympics are supposed to be encouraging people to take up sport.
So, when 2012 ramp up their celebrations on 31 December with fireworks in central London, the Atherton Leisure Centre at the heart of the Olympic borough will be shut down.
Newham Council says the pool has to be closed because of ceiling problems which will cost too much to repair.
The Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, has promised to replace it with a new centre.
But Michelle Turner, who is running the campaign to save the pool, is not convinced the borough has the money to deliver a new pool.
Although the Olympic Aquatic Centre has been built in Newham, residents says it is a 40-minute walk away and won't be open for some time.
I've also been talking to Trevor Blackman, who runs sports training programmes in Newham.
He says Government public spending cuts have meant he is only running one programme in the borough now.
All this in the place where the Games really need to make an impact.
So, who is taking responsibility for this lack of progress in participation?
Lord Coe, the 2012 chairman, takes some of the hits because he is the man who made the promise in his emotional speech to the International Olympic Committee in Singapore.
But it is also the Government, London Mayor Boris Johnson as well as local authorities and the national governing bodies of sport who need to step up to the mark here.
We've had the catalyst of the Olympics for six years now but Britain's sporting landscape isn't changing like we were promised it would.
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
USA: Jordyn Wieber prepares to take on the world
Do you want to go to the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
The questions, mixed with congratulations, started in mid-August for Jordyn Wieber, her parents and three siblings. Neighbors and friends in their small town of DeWitt, Mich., located just outside of Lansing, saw Wieber dominate the competition en route to winning her first U.S. senior all-around national title. The proud clan figured their favorite gymnast was booked for bigger things to come.
"So you made it to the Olympics? You're going to London, right?"
The Wiebers smile back at the well-intentioned praise and politely tamp down the enthusiasm with some reality. She is not on the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games team -- yet.
First things first.
She's part of the American team for the world championships in Tokyo, one of the favorites to win the all-around title. Wieber's star is quickly rising, as she's becoming one of the gymnasts to beat heading into the 2012 London Olympics. Her life is changing rapidly: She's a high school junior, becoming more famous by the day with possible Olympic -- and maybe mainstream -- stardom looming. Fans email her asking for autographs, and the media requests for her time are starting to mount.
For Wieber, there is much more work and many days of practice to come before she can call herself an Olympian. The moments at hand, nationals and now her first worlds, are important milestone experiences in her young senior-level competitive career.
"I think it's really nice that everybody is so happy for me, that makes me smile," Wieber, 16, said. "I know they think I've really done something because of nationals, but I'm not where I want to be yet. I don't even think about London yet, I mean, it would be awesome to be in the Olympics, but I can't think about that. I want to stay focused on every day and what I need to do. And of course, how I am going to do at worlds. I want to really do my best there and that's what we've been working on."
Preparing for worlds has been a careful dance, with choreography being learned on the fly by Wieber and her coaches, John and Kathryn Geddert. It's her first trip to Tokyo and her first time as the favorite on the biggest stage short of the Olympics.
Wieber's mom, Rita, thinks the gravity of where things stand is starting to fully dawn on her daughter. Her daughter has gone from being the precious talent at the local gymnastics school to one of the best all-around gymnasts in the world.
"She never said the 'L word' [the London Olympics] at home until she came back from nationals," Rita said. "That was the first time I heard her mention it when we were talking about things. That tells me this is all starting to become real to her. I know she's always dreamed about these things, like going to worlds, going to the Olympics and winning. I think those things seemed off in the distance, almost like dreams you have but don't know if they can come true.
"They're not so in the distance anymore, and that's scary, exciting, stressful, wonderful, all of it. I still pray for the same things now as when she started competing: for her to do her very best, not get hurt and we let the chips fall where they may from there."
The Gedderts and Wieber have been working hard to strengthen and perfect everything for worlds, with an eye on sticking landings. Every tenth is important at worlds, where Wieber's scores, as usual in gymnastics, will hinge on the devilish, minute details. But the balance of doing enough practice to attain perfect "hard" landings, without causing injury, is difficult. They have been doing a mix of hard and soft landings, trying to be very efficient in practices and working on mental precision.
The question always lurks silently: How many reps are enough? Too few, and you're not prepared. Too many, and you're increasing the odds of injury or accident. Wieber has been fortunate enough to escape serious injury so far, only enduring non-career-threatening hamstring, ankle and back issues.
John Geddert wasn't happy with the length of the world team selection process, which brought the top gymnasts from nationals down to the Karolyi ranch outside of Houston, Texas, twice: first for a training camp, then for actual selection of the worlds team. Martha Karolyi, the coordinator of the U.S. team for worlds and the Olympics, likes to have the team bond and practice at her facility.
John didn't like the travel, the upheaval from mid-Michigan to Texas and all of it happening during the time Wieber was starting school again after Labor Day. He is understandably protective of the best student his gym has produced in its 15 years of existence.
"It's the process, so we have to do it, but is it the best way to do things? I don't think so, but check back with me after worlds," John said, with a Cheshire Cat–like smile and questioningly arched eyebrow. "It's Martha Karolyi's deal, so that's what we have to do. Martha knows best, I guess. I just worry about things, the wear and tear, things that we all want to avoid to have Jo at her best for worlds. It's hard to really build a good training schedule around this coming and going stuff."
And John is also forgiven for being a little bit stressed in another way, as the multi-use sports facility that houses Twistars is in foreclosure. The club rents 15,000 square feet of space in the 176,000 square-foot facility, which also houses two hockey rinks and fields for indoor soccer. The foreclosure process could come to a head while the Gedderts and Wieber are in Japan.
"I hope we can stay here, we're good tenants, we pay our rent," John said. "But if we have to move someplace else, we will. This has been such a great place for us to be, because we walked in here from the first days and made it exactly how we wanted it. It's all out of our hands right now."
Wieber, who is called "Jo" by everybody around the gym, understands John's pre-worlds angst about changes big and small. They're a matched set, two focused perfectionists who like following a groove in order to succeed. For 13 years, the Gedderts and Wieber have been in sync and steadily climbing the gymnastics levels together.
Kathryn Geddert wants to make sure Wieber is not putting too much pressure on herself at worlds because she is one of the favorites. She will be in the stands, fidgeting and stressing, while John will be on the floor coaching Wieber in Tokyo.
"I've never met anybody like Jo, she's always been so focused and known what she's wanted to be -- the best -- since she was so little," Kathryn said. "The Jo you see now was the same one you would have met 10 years ago. She's not going to take a break or stop until the task is accomplished. We're getting into some pretty big things now, where everything has to go right to have that storybook finish everybody wants. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't."
Wieber shows the classic American gymnastics star traits: a powerhouse tumbler, a showman's flair on floor exercise and a boldness to push the envelope on difficult skills. When Wieber is on, attacking her routines, she's in the rare air of sublime elites. But when she gets conservative and plays it safe, the steam starts to rise from John.
"That's the challenge we have, she can't play it safe and still win when you get to places like worlds or the Olympics," John said. "You have to go for it, be confident and really hit it when the pressure is on. Jo got away with relaxing a little at nationals because she had so big of a lead after the first day, but that didn't make me happy. We've got a lot to work on, and that's at the top of the list -- going for it every time, every single time."
Wieber's life could shift into overdrive shortly. If she goes to worlds and performs up to her capability, she could win and then the pre-Olympic hype and pressure will shoot to new levels. If she falls short in Tokyo, the pressure could warp into people and pundits wondering if she is strong enough to handle the off-the-charts stress of the Olympics.
In the meantime, Rita and Dave Wieber, the rest of the family and other components of Team Wieber try to keep things as normal as possible. Jordyn still goes to a public high school, attending modified days so she can train eight hours per day in the gym, split into two four-hour sessions.
She does chores at home, handles her own laundry and is expected to help drive younger sister Kyra when necessary. There are the usual sibling issues in a house with two teens and a tween, but in the end, everything gets solved through some healthy family dynamics.
Homework must often be done well in advance, so Wieber can spend time on the road for training camps and worlds without falling behind in her classes. Wieber is focused on competing in college someday, so she remains an amateur. College gymnastics is a proud tradition in Twistars, with the wall of the gym's entrance lined with pictures of the dozens of athletes who went on to compete in Division I.
"I'm really good with time management, so I've learned how to get everything done, with school and practice," Wieber said. "My life has been this way for a while with the training and school, but yeah, it does get more serious now as I'm getting older. This is what I want to do, so I know how to get everything done when I have the time to do it."
There isn't much time left over after school and gymnastics, but Wieber loves going to older brother Ryan's prep football games, where he is the star senior quarterback for DeWitt. The local paper recently declared "Wieber Fever," a take-off of (Justin) Bieber fever, when Ryan led his team to victory. Going to games with her family and friends, sitting in the stands cheering for Ryan, makes for a fun Friday night on a crisp fall evening in mid-Michigan.
Wieber's parents take Ryan's games seriously, too, trying to schedule their flights to make it to Tokyo to watch worlds without missing any snaps. Rita admits trying to keep everything in balance, and maintaining a regular family life is often elusive with two busy high schoolers and an active 12-year-old playing travel soccer. Oldest daughter Lindsay is in medical school at Michigan State University.
Rita added a small tattoo, saying "Faith" in flowing script, earlier this year as a way to maintain focus. She looks at it when she's stressed, using the tattoo as a reminder to say a quick prayer for calm and perspective.
"Our faith means a lot to us, and I pray all the time for Jordyn, all of my kids, because I really believe everything we're doing is in God's hands," Rita said. "No matter what happens, we're on a really special adventure and we have great kids. All you want as [a] mom is for your kids to chase their dreams and be happy and safe. That's the road we've been on with Jordyn all these years, and I know we're far from seeing the end of it. It's quite a ride and I just pray. I pray a lot."
Chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
 |
| www.london-olympiad.com |
"So you made it to the Olympics? You're going to London, right?"
The Wiebers smile back at the well-intentioned praise and politely tamp down the enthusiasm with some reality. She is not on the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games team -- yet.
First things first.
She's part of the American team for the world championships in Tokyo, one of the favorites to win the all-around title. Wieber's star is quickly rising, as she's becoming one of the gymnasts to beat heading into the 2012 London Olympics. Her life is changing rapidly: She's a high school junior, becoming more famous by the day with possible Olympic -- and maybe mainstream -- stardom looming. Fans email her asking for autographs, and the media requests for her time are starting to mount.
For Wieber, there is much more work and many days of practice to come before she can call herself an Olympian. The moments at hand, nationals and now her first worlds, are important milestone experiences in her young senior-level competitive career.
"I think it's really nice that everybody is so happy for me, that makes me smile," Wieber, 16, said. "I know they think I've really done something because of nationals, but I'm not where I want to be yet. I don't even think about London yet, I mean, it would be awesome to be in the Olympics, but I can't think about that. I want to stay focused on every day and what I need to do. And of course, how I am going to do at worlds. I want to really do my best there and that's what we've been working on."
Preparing for worlds has been a careful dance, with choreography being learned on the fly by Wieber and her coaches, John and Kathryn Geddert. It's her first trip to Tokyo and her first time as the favorite on the biggest stage short of the Olympics.
Wieber's mom, Rita, thinks the gravity of where things stand is starting to fully dawn on her daughter. Her daughter has gone from being the precious talent at the local gymnastics school to one of the best all-around gymnasts in the world.
"She never said the 'L word' [the London Olympics] at home until she came back from nationals," Rita said. "That was the first time I heard her mention it when we were talking about things. That tells me this is all starting to become real to her. I know she's always dreamed about these things, like going to worlds, going to the Olympics and winning. I think those things seemed off in the distance, almost like dreams you have but don't know if they can come true.
"They're not so in the distance anymore, and that's scary, exciting, stressful, wonderful, all of it. I still pray for the same things now as when she started competing: for her to do her very best, not get hurt and we let the chips fall where they may from there."
The Gedderts and Wieber have been working hard to strengthen and perfect everything for worlds, with an eye on sticking landings. Every tenth is important at worlds, where Wieber's scores, as usual in gymnastics, will hinge on the devilish, minute details. But the balance of doing enough practice to attain perfect "hard" landings, without causing injury, is difficult. They have been doing a mix of hard and soft landings, trying to be very efficient in practices and working on mental precision.
The question always lurks silently: How many reps are enough? Too few, and you're not prepared. Too many, and you're increasing the odds of injury or accident. Wieber has been fortunate enough to escape serious injury so far, only enduring non-career-threatening hamstring, ankle and back issues.
John Geddert wasn't happy with the length of the world team selection process, which brought the top gymnasts from nationals down to the Karolyi ranch outside of Houston, Texas, twice: first for a training camp, then for actual selection of the worlds team. Martha Karolyi, the coordinator of the U.S. team for worlds and the Olympics, likes to have the team bond and practice at her facility.
John didn't like the travel, the upheaval from mid-Michigan to Texas and all of it happening during the time Wieber was starting school again after Labor Day. He is understandably protective of the best student his gym has produced in its 15 years of existence.
"It's the process, so we have to do it, but is it the best way to do things? I don't think so, but check back with me after worlds," John said, with a Cheshire Cat–like smile and questioningly arched eyebrow. "It's Martha Karolyi's deal, so that's what we have to do. Martha knows best, I guess. I just worry about things, the wear and tear, things that we all want to avoid to have Jo at her best for worlds. It's hard to really build a good training schedule around this coming and going stuff."
And John is also forgiven for being a little bit stressed in another way, as the multi-use sports facility that houses Twistars is in foreclosure. The club rents 15,000 square feet of space in the 176,000 square-foot facility, which also houses two hockey rinks and fields for indoor soccer. The foreclosure process could come to a head while the Gedderts and Wieber are in Japan.
"I hope we can stay here, we're good tenants, we pay our rent," John said. "But if we have to move someplace else, we will. This has been such a great place for us to be, because we walked in here from the first days and made it exactly how we wanted it. It's all out of our hands right now."
Wieber, who is called "Jo" by everybody around the gym, understands John's pre-worlds angst about changes big and small. They're a matched set, two focused perfectionists who like following a groove in order to succeed. For 13 years, the Gedderts and Wieber have been in sync and steadily climbing the gymnastics levels together.
Kathryn Geddert wants to make sure Wieber is not putting too much pressure on herself at worlds because she is one of the favorites. She will be in the stands, fidgeting and stressing, while John will be on the floor coaching Wieber in Tokyo.
"I've never met anybody like Jo, she's always been so focused and known what she's wanted to be -- the best -- since she was so little," Kathryn said. "The Jo you see now was the same one you would have met 10 years ago. She's not going to take a break or stop until the task is accomplished. We're getting into some pretty big things now, where everything has to go right to have that storybook finish everybody wants. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't."
Wieber shows the classic American gymnastics star traits: a powerhouse tumbler, a showman's flair on floor exercise and a boldness to push the envelope on difficult skills. When Wieber is on, attacking her routines, she's in the rare air of sublime elites. But when she gets conservative and plays it safe, the steam starts to rise from John.
"That's the challenge we have, she can't play it safe and still win when you get to places like worlds or the Olympics," John said. "You have to go for it, be confident and really hit it when the pressure is on. Jo got away with relaxing a little at nationals because she had so big of a lead after the first day, but that didn't make me happy. We've got a lot to work on, and that's at the top of the list -- going for it every time, every single time."
Wieber's life could shift into overdrive shortly. If she goes to worlds and performs up to her capability, she could win and then the pre-Olympic hype and pressure will shoot to new levels. If she falls short in Tokyo, the pressure could warp into people and pundits wondering if she is strong enough to handle the off-the-charts stress of the Olympics.
In the meantime, Rita and Dave Wieber, the rest of the family and other components of Team Wieber try to keep things as normal as possible. Jordyn still goes to a public high school, attending modified days so she can train eight hours per day in the gym, split into two four-hour sessions.
She does chores at home, handles her own laundry and is expected to help drive younger sister Kyra when necessary. There are the usual sibling issues in a house with two teens and a tween, but in the end, everything gets solved through some healthy family dynamics.
Homework must often be done well in advance, so Wieber can spend time on the road for training camps and worlds without falling behind in her classes. Wieber is focused on competing in college someday, so she remains an amateur. College gymnastics is a proud tradition in Twistars, with the wall of the gym's entrance lined with pictures of the dozens of athletes who went on to compete in Division I.
"I'm really good with time management, so I've learned how to get everything done, with school and practice," Wieber said. "My life has been this way for a while with the training and school, but yeah, it does get more serious now as I'm getting older. This is what I want to do, so I know how to get everything done when I have the time to do it."
There isn't much time left over after school and gymnastics, but Wieber loves going to older brother Ryan's prep football games, where he is the star senior quarterback for DeWitt. The local paper recently declared "Wieber Fever," a take-off of (Justin) Bieber fever, when Ryan led his team to victory. Going to games with her family and friends, sitting in the stands cheering for Ryan, makes for a fun Friday night on a crisp fall evening in mid-Michigan.
Wieber's parents take Ryan's games seriously, too, trying to schedule their flights to make it to Tokyo to watch worlds without missing any snaps. Rita admits trying to keep everything in balance, and maintaining a regular family life is often elusive with two busy high schoolers and an active 12-year-old playing travel soccer. Oldest daughter Lindsay is in medical school at Michigan State University.
Rita added a small tattoo, saying "Faith" in flowing script, earlier this year as a way to maintain focus. She looks at it when she's stressed, using the tattoo as a reminder to say a quick prayer for calm and perspective.
"Our faith means a lot to us, and I pray all the time for Jordyn, all of my kids, because I really believe everything we're doing is in God's hands," Rita said. "No matter what happens, we're on a really special adventure and we have great kids. All you want as [a] mom is for your kids to chase their dreams and be happy and safe. That's the road we've been on with Jordyn all these years, and I know we're far from seeing the end of it. It's quite a ride and I just pray. I pray a lot."
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com / http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Olympic Closing Ceremony - All you need to know for August 12th, 2012
Do you want to go to the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
The Closing Ceremony is a far more informal process than the Opening Ceremony. It is a celebration of the world uniting and competing together to achieve greatness. Nations finest athletes have come together and shown their best. Friendships and bonds have been made. Whether an athlete has won a medal or not, they have come out stronger because of the grand competition that is the Olympic Games. When the athletes enter the stadium, it is under no nation flag or banner of their individual sport. They run in as a combined group who were strangers and rivals three weeks prior, but now have come together to dance and celebrate what they have all achieved.
Each hosting nation try’s to put on a performance to trump the previous Olympic host ceremony. This has created an ever increasing standard of dance, music, and cultural display that commemorate the artistic flare of the host nation.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
After what would have been a rollercoaster three weeks, Olympic Stadium in the heart for Olympic Park, will close the 2012 Summer Games with a BANG!!!
The Closing Ceremony is a far more informal process than the Opening Ceremony. It is a celebration of the world uniting and competing together to achieve greatness. Nations finest athletes have come together and shown their best. Friendships and bonds have been made. Whether an athlete has won a medal or not, they have come out stronger because of the grand competition that is the Olympic Games. When the athletes enter the stadium, it is under no nation flag or banner of their individual sport. They run in as a combined group who were strangers and rivals three weeks prior, but now have come together to dance and celebrate what they have all achieved.As always the Closing Ceremony starts with a massive fireworks display. The host nations Prime Minister and the President of the International Olympic Committee are introduced and the host nations flag is hoisted to their anthem. This starts the festivities and performances that celebrate the youth and legacy of the Olympic movement.
Each hosting nation try’s to put on a performance to trump the previous Olympic host ceremony. This has created an ever increasing standard of dance, music, and cultural display that commemorate the artistic flare of the host nation.As the spectacular performance draws to a close, the athletes enter the stadium and reminisce on the past twenty days that will have changed their lives and given them experiences that they will never forget.
The Ceremony concludes with a hand over of the Olympics to the new host nation, which for London 2012 Summer Games will be Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Friday, September 23, 2011
London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony - How it all happens
Do you want to be at the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
The Olympic torch is lit in Olympia, Greece, and will have travelled for 70 day, across all nations competing, and through 8,000 torchbearers to light the famous Olympic Flame. Once the Olympic Flame is lit, it ignites the fire in an Opening Ceremony watched by a third of the world population. With the ground rumbling and the air shaking, a multimillion dollar fireworks display will concludes the ceremony. It is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to see it in person and experience the real festivities of the Games.
The traditional phase of the ceremony is started with the “Parade of Nations” in which all the athletes are introduced into the stadium, country by country, holding their national flag. As originators of the Olympics, Greece has a special and place and leads the parade, with the host nation marching in last.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
With months of build up for organizers, years, hours, minutes and seconds of training for athletes, like all Olympic Games, London Olympic Park will put a show to let the world know IT HAS BEGUN!!!
The Olympic torch is lit in Olympia, Greece, and will have travelled for 70 day, across all nations competing, and through 8,000 torchbearers to light the famous Olympic Flame. Once the Olympic Flame is lit, it ignites the fire in an Opening Ceremony watched by a third of the world population. With the ground rumbling and the air shaking, a multimillion dollar fireworks display will concludes the ceremony. It is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to see it in person and experience the real festivities of the Games.The Opening Ceremony starts a celebration of not only the world’s top athletes, but of music, dance, and culture. The ceremony typically commences with the raising of the host country’s flag as the national anthem is performed. The act that follows is a display of the host countries history and culture, symbolized by dance, singing, and music.
The traditional phase of the ceremony is started with the “Parade of Nations” in which all the athletes are introduced into the stadium, country by country, holding their national flag. As originators of the Olympics, Greece has a special and place and leads the parade, with the host nation marching in last.Once countries have entered, the president of the Organizing Committee declares the games open.
The Olympic flag then enters the stadium horizontally and is hoisted to the sound of the Olympic Hymn. It is then circled by a flag bearer from every nation competing, embracing the unity and spirit of friendship of the Games.
It would not be a complete ceremony if the Olympic torch was not passed from athlete to athlete, country to country, where it is finally given to the host nation to light the Olympic Cauldron.
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Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
How to get Olympic Tickets in December 2011!!!!
Want to go to the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
Olympic Session Entry Tickets
If you are looking for Olympic Tickets, please note that we DO NOT offer Olympic Tickets but guided tours and hotels.
If you reside in the US,Canada or Australia I recommend contacting CoSport and registering with them as they will be having a second round of ticket sales before December 2012.
If you reside outside the US, Canada or Australia; click here, scroll down and find your local Authorized Ticket Seller. Recommend giving them a call and finding out about their second round of sale. For most countries, they will be having a second round sales before or during the European winter (December).
Free Events
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Olympic Venue Map - London 2012 Summer Games
Want to do the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
View London Olympic Venues Map in a larger map
Click here to chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
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| Olympic Park includes many of the 2012 London Olympic Venues, BUT NOT ALL |
With the Olympic’s less than a year off, the majority of the stadiums and venues have been completed. There are a wide range of Olympic venues in and around London. Click here to see a map of all the venues and the relevant sports being played there.
View London Olympic Venues Map in a larger map
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Avoid The X Factor at all costs
Yippee. Tonight is the debut of some singing show called The X Factor. I hear that it features some British guy named SImon Cowell. He apparently used to be at the front of some other singing show entitled American Idol. Apparently both of these singing shows are on some American television network named FOX and center around people's dreams coming true or being crushed when it comes to their vocal prowess.
Alright. I can't actually pretend not to know what either if these shows are but I can honestly say I only watched the very first season of American Idol which produced the only true pop star from the series (Kelly Clarkson) but The X Factor is different. Simon Cowell will let his dickish self shine through. He is free to be an utter prick to kids as young as twelve. He can sport his black tees from Baby Gap in front of the same fucking mindless drones who watch the incessant drivel that is American Idol except now people can get their weekly dose of public belittling of people who have no business singing for about nine straight months.
In short, I know that tens of millions of brain dead Americans will watch the lowest common denominator programming which The X Factor certainly is. It's a cruel program but it's also somewhat real. Sure, the producers are scouring the lines of potential contestants looking for those who are sure to embarrass themselves. They are desperate to find the person who is so oblivious to their own lack of talent that they will eagerly belt out two or three horrendously off-key lines to an already horrid pop song that Simon Cowell will be chomping at the bit to belittle this contestant who needs to be belittled but should probably be belittled in a more private setting.
Hey, I have no problem with cruel. I'm a rather cruel person but The X Factor is a semi-scripted attempt at reality competition television. If they have to show this drivel, show it uncut. That would be true reality. Show it without the producers coaching potential contestants. Show it unedited and unfiltered. It will always be edited in a way that's flattering to the judges -- particularly Simon Cowell who overflows with pretentiousness -- but I hope and pray that Americans will return to scripted television and this year is the year to do just that.
NBC actually has a solid hour of comedy tonight with Up All Night and Free Agents starting off the night and ABC has an hour both of The Middle and Modern Family tonight so ditch the shitty "reality" singing contests and appreciate the fact that creative and sharp writing teamed with legitimate actors is a superior alternative to a TV landscape littered with mindless drones looking for their fifteen minutes of fame.
Alright. I can't actually pretend not to know what either if these shows are but I can honestly say I only watched the very first season of American Idol which produced the only true pop star from the series (Kelly Clarkson) but The X Factor is different. Simon Cowell will let his dickish self shine through. He is free to be an utter prick to kids as young as twelve. He can sport his black tees from Baby Gap in front of the same fucking mindless drones who watch the incessant drivel that is American Idol except now people can get their weekly dose of public belittling of people who have no business singing for about nine straight months.
In short, I know that tens of millions of brain dead Americans will watch the lowest common denominator programming which The X Factor certainly is. It's a cruel program but it's also somewhat real. Sure, the producers are scouring the lines of potential contestants looking for those who are sure to embarrass themselves. They are desperate to find the person who is so oblivious to their own lack of talent that they will eagerly belt out two or three horrendously off-key lines to an already horrid pop song that Simon Cowell will be chomping at the bit to belittle this contestant who needs to be belittled but should probably be belittled in a more private setting.
Hey, I have no problem with cruel. I'm a rather cruel person but The X Factor is a semi-scripted attempt at reality competition television. If they have to show this drivel, show it uncut. That would be true reality. Show it without the producers coaching potential contestants. Show it unedited and unfiltered. It will always be edited in a way that's flattering to the judges -- particularly Simon Cowell who overflows with pretentiousness -- but I hope and pray that Americans will return to scripted television and this year is the year to do just that.
NBC actually has a solid hour of comedy tonight with Up All Night and Free Agents starting off the night and ABC has an hour both of The Middle and Modern Family tonight so ditch the shitty "reality" singing contests and appreciate the fact that creative and sharp writing teamed with legitimate actors is a superior alternative to a TV landscape littered with mindless drones looking for their fifteen minutes of fame.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
London 2012 Olympics: David Beckham and Gareth Bale could find themselves as room-mates in Olympic Village
Do you want to go to the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
The Football Associaiton is leading the controversial selection of united British teams for the men’s and women’s football competitions, and has decided that both squads will spend at least some time in the main athletes’ village in Stratford.
The decision means that players more used to luxuriating in five-star suites on club and international duty could have to share rooms in the more austere village environment.
The majority of athletes will be housed in shared rooms or apartments with more than one bed in each room. There are only a handful of single rooms and these will be reserved for special cases.
The 2012 organising committee has committed to having a bed for every competitor, however, and will welcome the presence of high-profile footballers. The squads are only likely to spend a few days in the Stratford village as the football competition will take them around the UK.
The women’s opening game, scheduled for Cardiff on July 25, will be the first event of the 2012 Games, coming two days before the opening ceremony.
They will play a second game in Cardiff before finishing their group matches at Wembley. The men’s team will begin at Old Trafford, then play at Wembley and Cardiff.
Beckham and Bale are both likely to feature on a long-list of possible players due to be selected in October. The English veteran is desperate to feature as one of the three players aged over 23 permitted in what will eventually be an 18-strong squad.
Beckham will also help sell tickets and replica shirts manufactured by his boot supplier, but the
FA and British Olympic Association insist that selection will be based on football rather than celebrity criteria.
Bale and his Wales international colleague Aaron Ramsey are seen as crucial to the success of the British team as their presence would deliver genuine British representation.
Players selected on the long-list who want to win a place in the final squads of 18 will then have to declare their availability. The issue is sensitive for Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish players, whose unions oppose their participation.
The managers of the two teams will be announced shortly, with England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce and England women’s manager Hope Powell expected to fill the roles.
Chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
David Beckham and Gareth Bale could find themselves sharing a room in the Olympic Village next summer following a decision by the Football Association to ensure that the Team GB footballers fully immerse themselves in the spirit of London 2012.
Burning ambition: David Beckham holds the Olympic torch, with Lord Coe
The Football Associaiton is leading the controversial selection of united British teams for the men’s and women’s football competitions, and has decided that both squads will spend at least some time in the main athletes’ village in Stratford.
The decision means that players more used to luxuriating in five-star suites on club and international duty could have to share rooms in the more austere village environment.
The majority of athletes will be housed in shared rooms or apartments with more than one bed in each room. There are only a handful of single rooms and these will be reserved for special cases.
The 2012 organising committee has committed to having a bed for every competitor, however, and will welcome the presence of high-profile footballers. The squads are only likely to spend a few days in the Stratford village as the football competition will take them around the UK.
The women’s opening game, scheduled for Cardiff on July 25, will be the first event of the 2012 Games, coming two days before the opening ceremony.
They will play a second game in Cardiff before finishing their group matches at Wembley. The men’s team will begin at Old Trafford, then play at Wembley and Cardiff.
Beckham and Bale are both likely to feature on a long-list of possible players due to be selected in October. The English veteran is desperate to feature as one of the three players aged over 23 permitted in what will eventually be an 18-strong squad.
Beckham will also help sell tickets and replica shirts manufactured by his boot supplier, but the
FA and British Olympic Association insist that selection will be based on football rather than celebrity criteria.
Bale and his Wales international colleague Aaron Ramsey are seen as crucial to the success of the British team as their presence would deliver genuine British representation.
Players selected on the long-list who want to win a place in the final squads of 18 will then have to declare their availability. The issue is sensitive for Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish players, whose unions oppose their participation.
The managers of the two teams will be announced shortly, with England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce and England women’s manager Hope Powell expected to fill the roles.
********************************************************************************************************* Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Olympic Music Deal for Universal - Coldplay to Play Opening Ceremony
Want to do the Olympics in London? Don’t have tickets? It doesn’t matter!! There are a range of free events and London is going to be alive as the XXX Olympiad starts off on July 27th next year.
Chat with us live online to find a tour that suits you best www.london-olympiad.com.If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our luxury 5, 7, and 10-Day tours feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com.
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| Coldplay www.london-olympiad.com |
Organizers of the 2012 London Olympics have signed a licensing deal with Universal Music Group.
Codyplay is set to be the main act for the Opening Ceremony.
Universal Music will have exclusive rights to release London 2012-branded music. The deal announced Monday includes compilation albums, composing, publishing, and recording of Olympic-related music between now and the games.
Universal will also advise London organizers on all aspects of music at the games.
London officials say it's the first time an Olympic organizing committee has signed such a deal with a music company.
The London organizing committee says "the diverse nature of Universal Music Group's labels and artists will provide a rich talent pool for the games in 2012."
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Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.
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