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DLD 8/27/08 So you think AN has been weird?

Some have recently commented, that AN has been a little weird lately.  Well let's see if we are more or less weird than the rest of the world.  Let's see what the weirdest piece we can come up with today.  The weirdness of the world will bring out the best and brightest of AN, and bring the fun back, that we have been missing.

 

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - An elderly woman misunderstood instructions while checking in at Sweden's main airport and was whisked down a baggage shoot after she placed herself instead of her luggage on the belt, media reported Wednesday

 

Mid Life Crisis?

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Police in Wisconsin say a woman celebrated her birthday by helping her teenage son rob two gas stations. Officers in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield say the 37-year-old woman acted as the getaway driver while her 17-year-old son robbed the stations at gunpoint.

And from the Baseball world, the weird in the sense, that only Scott Boras could do this.

 

Pirates' deal with Pedro Alvarez in jeopardy

The Pirates' deal with first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez appeared to be in jeopardy today, with the Pirates issuing a statement saying that Alvarez's agent, Scott Boras, has said Alvarez will not sign the contract agreed to on Aug. 15.

 

Of course we can put other links, and A's related links, but they are quite boring right now.

 

 

 

 

 

2 recs | Comment 114 comments

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Olympic craziness:

Shawn’s on my plane?!?! Fanboy pilot gets a bit too excited about Shawn Johnson:

She was headed to David Letterman’s show Monday from Chicago when the airline reported a problem.

Apparently, the pilot had an incident when he heard Johnson was on his plane.

"I guess he just like freaked out and hit his head," Johnson said Tuesday to a crowd of thousands in her first appearance back to her hometown. "They had to take him to the hospital for stitches."

by whiteshoes40 on Aug 27, 2008 11:35 AM PDT   0 recs

I was at SFO a few days ago and ran into the

men’s volleyball team. They had their gold medals around their necks and were soaking up all the attention. I got a picture with my kid!

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Aug 27, 2008 11:51 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That was the best story of the Olympics for me

You have to feel good for them… most of them have toiled pretty much in obscurity for a decade or more, and on top of that, they had to go through a bunch of teams that were clearly more athletically talented to win it. They had to outsmart the opposition and play without a lot of margin for error, which is very tough.

They got their one shining moment— it doesn’t happen for everyone but it sure is nice when it does.

And that’s not even mentioning the whole coach/wife/random murder thing.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Aug 27, 2008 12:40 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If you want a good story,

see Matthias Steiner, winner of the Superheavyweights in weightlifting.

With the gold medal on the line, he had one chance to clean and jerk 258 kgs, 567.6 pounds, from floor to overhead, for all the marbles.

Oh, and his wife died in a car crash a year ago; he dedicated his gold to her.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Aug 27, 2008 1:00 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm chronically unable

to pay attention to uplifting (heh) stories in weightlifting…

Nothing against Steiner in particular, mind you… it’s just way too likely that any particular given athlete is doping.

Side note: why is the USA so bad at weightlifting? Do they have the wrong ‘roids or something? We won more medals in frigging judo than weightlifting… you’d think it would be a relatively easy place to pick up some results.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Aug 27, 2008 2:49 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

For the US, this has been an oft debated

issue among the weight lifting community, especially the US weightlifting community.

The US was once a power in weightlifting. Some of the greatest lifters of all time, Paul Anderson, Tommy Kono, are Americans. It’s just that that was many years ago.

Why? One suggested reason is that most of the prospective weightlifters, are off playing football in the NFL. The monetary rewards in weightlifting definitely cannot compare to that of the NFL, or any of the pro sports. Granted, weightlifting is a much safer sport than the NFL.

Another possible reason is that USA Weightlifting has done a pretty piss poor job of marketing the sport / they have done a pretty damn fine job in making it an elitist sport.There’s a pretty prevalent perception that weightlifting is a VERY difficult technical sport, that the lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk are VERY difficult to learn. This leads to many who might be interested in trying them being afraid to do so.

USAW tries to market weightlifting as being VERY distinct from the other strength sports like powerlifting; it tries to market weightlifting more in the soccer / gymnastics category, principally because it is afraid of the steroids association. The problem with this is that by doing so, it ignores very good prospective audience, and future lifters, among strength athletes. By strength athletes, I’m referring to powerlifters, bodybuilders, football players, wrestlers, Strongmen / Strongwomen. It’s probably easier, with the correct marketing, to get a powerlifter, a bodybuilder, a football player, interested in weightlifting, than a soccer player or a swimmer And some weightlifters are pretty elitist: they look down their noses on other strength athletes: powerlifters / bodybuilders, when they should be trying to get those people interested and involved.

As for the use of banned substances, that is a pretty common stereotype that the strength sports have to deal with. But it really isn’t anymore prevalent in them, than in track and field, or cycling. Note, I’m not saying that no one uses.

The roids etc aren’t why countries are good or not. In fact, if they do matter, the US should probably be a superpower in weightlifting.

Money / culture does. For example, back in Communist days, Bulgaria was a superpower in weightlifting, not just winning many medals, but also significantly influencing how weightlifters all over the world trained. Training regimens are still heavily influenced by the Bulgarian methodology. But, without the large amount of financial support that the used to get, the Bulgarians are no longer the dominant force that they were. They have had to resort to selling lifters to the rich gulf Arab countries to obtain money to ensure that their program survies. Similarly with the Russians. Much of the basic concepts in weightlifting training come from the Russians, from the research, and then the teaching of other countries coaches, that they did, back in Communist days. Granted, the Russians themselves were influenced by Paul Anderson. The Russians are still pretty good, but are no longer dominant.

Conversely, the Chinese have become a power, because nowadays, they are probably the closest there is to a communist style state supported system.

In some other countries, like Iran, Turkey, weightlifting is a hugely popular sport. In Germany, there’s a Bundesliga for weightlifting.

US lifters have none of these incentives / motivations.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Aug 27, 2008 3:47 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Compared to Russians?

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Aug 27, 2008 11:43 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

to the Russians who lift the weights

There is a fairly specific body type associated with Olympic weightlifting. It is not the western European long legs/long arms body. Weightlifting is about gravity and leverage. Short legs and short arms proportionally to strength is what you’re looking for.

by jdr on Aug 28, 2008 12:14 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm a weightlifter

I’m VERY WELL aware of the heights and weights of weightlifters. Of the average heights of weightlifters in each weight class.

Not the Western European long legs / long arms? So, Matthias Steiner, of Germany, is not Western European then? How about Ronny Weller, of Germany? Or Marc Huster, also of Germany?

Also, take a look at Evgeny Chigishev of Russia, and Velichko Cholakov of Bulgaria. They very much fit the long arms and long legs, dolicomorphic bodytype.

Making excuses based on some psedo scientific concepts of racial genetics is IDIOTIC in the extreme. Next thing, you’ll be saying that Kenyans are somehow genetically “special” for distance running.

I suggest that you study the history of weightlifting before making FOOLISH sweeping statements.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Aug 29, 2008 8:45 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I should say that what I posted

applies more to the men. The US women are better off, they last won gold in 2000, whereas the men haven’t won gold in decades, partly because the US is one of the pioneers in women’s weightlifting, they played a very major role in getting women’s weightlifting finally into the Olympics.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Aug 27, 2008 3:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Just to clarify, I'm not exonerating other sports of doping...

It just seems to me that in terms of actual stripped medals/destroyed careers, weightlifting is one of the worst off. You actually didn’t mention the other one that comes immediately to my mind, cross-country skiing… which I still find kind of weird, but I guess the drugs (especially EPO) are particularly effective and consistent for skiers.

Track seems to have cleaned up its act some since the BALCO affair… albeit under duress.

The “better performance in women’s” thing I attribute pretty much to a standard pattern, which is that Americans tend to do better when a sport is pretty much run by amateurs, but fall off once it becomes professionalized… unless you can either a. make a lot of money at something or b. win medals as a part-time player, Americans don’t tend to do very well, although there are some exceptions (swimming, eg) to this.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Aug 27, 2008 4:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

One thing,

in weightlifting, because of the steroids perception, the monitoring is actually very rigourous.

In track, sometimes people only pay attention when (major) American athletes get involved. Just before this Olympics, some of the top Russan middle and long distance runners, like Elena Soboleva were prevented from entering, due to “irregularities” with their urine samples. Of course, the Russans disagree, Soboleva went on a tirade attacking the IOC of bias. I’m not convinced that doping, in any sport, is an issue that is ever going to go away.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Aug 27, 2008 11:43 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm biased because I wrestled and coached wrestling, but Henry Cejudo should've gotten more play

I wish Olympic wrestling was featured in NBC’s network coverage. I mean, this is the world’s oldest sport and one that the ancient greeks actually did compete in (with some changes).

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on Aug 27, 2008 11:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Might have gotten more play if the USA had done better

Or maybe not.

FWIW, in some respects, I actually preferred having sports available on the web. I hate it when the only thing we get from an event is an absurdly abbreviated “digest” version. NBC’s coverage of the field events in athletics was nothing short of atrocious. Overall I thought they did a good job, but they should have made “summary coverage only” events watchable online.

So maybe it’s just as well that most of the wrestling coverage was online-only— at least you got to see the whole competition.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Aug 28, 2008 12:53 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I have to admit I fell in love with that cutie pie too.

Um, I mean the gymnast, not the shih tzu. She’s nice too, but I already liked her before the Olympics.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 11:56 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How could you not?

It was a great competition, and I was really rooting for her to get the gold. She’s got that All-American Girl thing. But maybe it was the setting I was in at the time…

I was visiting my grandparents in PA during the gymnastics portion of the Olympics. My grandmother, who does not drink alcohol, always gets bottles of booze from her friends on holidays for no other reason than because they can’t think of what else to get her. So I’m sitting there, watching our ladies try to overcome apparent bias from the international panel of judges, when grandma posits in her blue-collar-Pennsylvanian way:

“Joey, why don’tcha make yourself a screwdriver or somethin’ with that vodka? Gramma don’t drink, it’s just gonna sit there.”

“Aw, Grandma, I’m good. I don’t really need to drink toni—-”

“DRINK THE GODDAMN VODKA, WHAT, YOU WANT IT TA GO TA WASTE OR SOMETHIN’?”

So I drank that vodka, which was only part of the reason why it was the most thrilling gymnastics competition I’d ever seen. Just me drunkenly slurring, “c’mmmon, Shwn, yu c’n do it… Wha? What kina score was that? Thass bullshit. Thass bullshit, grmmmma,” and my grandmother silently nodding her approval.

Aaaaaaaand scene.

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 12:29 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Wait, since you were drinking vodka,

shouldn’t you have been cheering on Nastia Liukin?

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Aug 27, 2008 12:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Tell it to the proletariat, comrade

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 1:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

da

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 2:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

that's frickin' hilarious.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 1:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Shawn Johnson had me

when I found out her exhibit at the Iowa State Fair features her carved OUT OF BUTTER!!!! How awesome is that?

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on Aug 27, 2008 12:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Meh

Butterface

"However, at Elias, I think they keep track of the amount of sunflower seeds spit in a dugout each night." - Brad Ziegler, 8/7/08

by doctorK on Aug 27, 2008 1:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That looks nothing like her.

FIRE THE BUTTER ARTIST DUDE NOW!

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 1:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You could fire him

but he’d melt

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on Aug 27, 2008 11:33 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

At the Iowa State fair

… we carve everything out of butter. The butter cow was a top attraction for years.

A free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular.

by IowaA'sFan on Aug 27, 2008 2:36 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

so...

…what do they do with them after the fair?

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 2:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Eat a shitload of corn on the cob

"However, at Elias, I think they keep track of the amount of sunflower seeds spit in a dugout each night." - Brad Ziegler, 8/7/08

by doctorK on Aug 27, 2008 3:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

"shitload of corn"

probably something you shouldn’t eat

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on Aug 27, 2008 11:34 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

especially if it's still on the cob

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 28, 2008 9:42 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My crazy uncle...

… is obsessed with the fact that the “butter lamb” is rapidly growing in popularity as an Easter gift.

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 3:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

you're Nico's nephew?

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 27, 2008 3:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm not a name-dropper

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 3:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Thank God, though, the story had a happy ending

when the pilot stuck the landing.

Arte didn't get much Home Run Derby. He was dug in too deep or moving too fast. His idea of great R&R was cold rice and a little rat meat.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Aug 27, 2008 12:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

But did Bela Karolyi carry the plane off the tarmac?

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 27, 2008 1:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

AN is not weird.

Weird is this guy….51 snakes?!?!?! Ugh….

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Aug 27, 2008 11:36 AM PDT   0 recs

You think it's weird to keep 51 poisonous snakes in your apartment?

Loose, just slithering around? What are you, a mormon? Sheesh.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 11:54 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Blind Frenchman fined for drunk driving

"The Athletics at Fremont" is quite bad

by ArakSOT on Aug 27, 2008 11:37 AM PDT   0 recs

"I was very concentrated on the road."

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Aug 27, 2008 11:52 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The Blind Frenchman hit the ocean

and sunk the Flying Dutchman

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on Aug 27, 2008 11:36 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

MONTA ELLIS OUT 3-4 MONTHS

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3556108

"Do you know that the guy really doesn't like baseball all that much?" - J.P. Riccardi

by black beane on Aug 27, 2008 11:40 AM PDT   0 recs

boooo

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Aug 27, 2008 12:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That sucks

F1st I thought it’s Mark Ellis. But this sucks too.

by asfansince1989 on Aug 27, 2008 4:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Wait, what?

Will FBI agent Sandra Bullock have to infiltrate this beauty pagaent too? Italian priest organizes “Miss Sister 2008” — yes, a beauty contest for nuns.

Nuns will fill out a profile including information about their life and vocation as well as a photograph. It will be up to them to choose whether to pose with the traditional veil or with their heads uncovered.

“We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits,” Rungi said by telephone from his town of Mondragone. “But being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is gift from God, and we mustn’t hide it.”

by whiteshoes40 on Aug 27, 2008 11:43 AM PDT   0 recs

wait, what?

what other vocation can a nun have other than being a nun?

"The Athletics at Fremont" is quite bad

by ArakSOT on Aug 27, 2008 11:47 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Obviously now they can be models too.

New reality show: America’s Next Top Nun.

by whiteshoes40 on Aug 27, 2008 11:51 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

talk about flying into the danger zone ...

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 27, 2008 1:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Penguin bait?

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Aug 27, 2008 11:53 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I kinda like nuns.

Is that okay? To not be Catholic and like nuns?

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 11:54 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

We encourage it

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 12:30 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Especially

the hot naughty ones who get naked.

Is that so wrong?

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 1:47 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hey, I'd grant you absolution

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 2:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Catholic chemists, more like

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Aug 27, 2008 2:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

or drunken chemists.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 2:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I take offense to your implication that drunken chemists can't be Catholic

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 3:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

In the Venn diagram of drunks, chemists and Catholics,

there is very little overlap. Very little. I’m sorry, Joey. But that’s just reality, man. Learn to live with it.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 4:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It's only fitting

given your picture

"May a nit suck Cajun geese?" wonders Red. No, we see gnu Jack Cust in a yam.

by andeux on Aug 27, 2008 1:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I offered to help you.

You refused my help.
Then I said, “Well, I guess you’re really up shit creek.”

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 1:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You got to learn not to talk to nuns that way.

"May a nit suck Cajun geese?" wonders Red. No, we see gnu Jack Cust in a yam.

by andeux on Aug 27, 2008 1:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You fat effing penguin!

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Aug 27, 2008 1:48 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

soon a reality show...

America’s next top nun

by little A on Aug 27, 2008 12:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

America's next top*less* nun.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Aug 27, 2008 12:35 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

if they get the host of Project Runway, they could call it Nun 'n' Gunn

… or Gunn and Rosaries

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 27, 2008 1:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Can't wait to see the memorized psalm recitation competition

Hawt.

Ryan Sweeney: I probably irrationally embraced him before you did.

by Joey C. on Aug 27, 2008 12:31 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

lol

Every day is just a little worse than the previous, that means every day is the worst day of my life.

by shooting4life on Aug 27, 2008 12:53 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

wooooow

Ok, I know it’s probably NOT nice to laugh about an elderly woman getting whisked down a baggage shoot BUT it did kiiiiind of crack me up. Wow.

Umm..and YAY nuns?

by ilovegregsmith on Aug 27, 2008 11:50 AM PDT   0 recs

someone do me a favor

put a gun to Boras’s head.

If I were the Pirates, I’d just say, goodbye.

Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC

by closetasfan on Aug 27, 2008 11:53 AM PDT   0 recs