$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 5, 2007 13:42:38 GMT -5
Starting a new thread for all those cut and paste news stories that usually end up in Useless Facts, which is packed as it is. For example, that girl disemboweled in the pool story I just threw in there would have been in here instead, if this had been around.
Feel free to discuss the news of the day, especially the oddballian stories out there, in this thread. Leave Useless Facts to useless facts, and Random Tales to your own random tales.
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Post by jwmcc on Jul 5, 2007 13:43:53 GMT -5
Another Useless Thread, woo hoo!
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 5, 2007 13:45:56 GMT -5
Actually, its not. People not interested in reading the sort of fare that would end up in here dont have to go to this thread. Better those stories are in here, than bringing Useless Facts back to the top of the page for no good reason, where sometimes there are actually interesting discussions.
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Post by Chris on Jul 5, 2007 14:35:10 GMT -5
Yeah, because in baseball threads when player A and player B are compared and Jw... actually comes in and shows us that player A had a lifetime avg of .300 while player B had a lifetime average of .29999999998329874857999 is NEVER useless.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 5, 2007 14:44:22 GMT -5
Its on!  |
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Post by Chris on Jul 5, 2007 14:55:28 GMT -5
Not that I'm not impressed with his knowledge and/or rapid access to stats, no matter how obscure...but the attempt to come off as some sort of definitive authority on baseball debates on this board, as if no argument is "officially" settled until he rubber-stamps it with his post ... well, it comes off as a bit pretentious at times....like we're supposed to feel stupid if his stat doesn't match our argument to the Nth decimal point, even off by the most minuscule of margins (which is usually the case).
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Post by elliejay21 on Jul 5, 2007 18:08:58 GMT -5
Numbers don't lie. If you do not wish to have debates settled quickly by someone with rapid access to the real stats from the stat professionals database, go to a bar and talk to random Joe Average Fan and take his opinion about x player as the gospel. He'll tell you how he started watching the Yankees in 1997, and Derek Jeter is the greatest ballplayer, ever.
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Post by Chris on Jul 5, 2007 19:26:05 GMT -5
"Numbers don't lie"
Agreed. But when the numbers differ only by the most negligible of amounts, then what's the point...just to show how much you know, or how much access you have to stats that the "Average Joe" doesn't?
And by the way, I understand you point...but if sport is so black and white that anything and everything can be explained definitively by a number, then what the hell are we all doing here? What's the fun of being a die-hard sports fan if you can't debate or even argue over it with like-minded people? If that's the case then why don't Tom and Balls simply shut down this forum and replace it with a "JWMCC Stat Of The Day" email distribution?
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Post by kingdzbws on Jul 5, 2007 20:26:58 GMT -5
To be fair, it is his line of work. Its not as if he works at a hardware store and spends his days looking up baseball stats and spouting them to impress people.
It's like, when I want to know something about cell phones, Krokus, or medievil Mead brewing, Tom knows best. If I wanna know about slacker, Lower East Side hipsters, I call Domi. If I need to know what Hasslehoff or Shatner are doing at the moment, Balls is the expert. And when people need long-winded stoned, rantings that says little or nothing, I'm the man.
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Post by Chris on Jul 5, 2007 20:39:13 GMT -5
Yeah, that is fair. It's entirely fair. And just reading through threads, I pretty much deduced that he was entrenched in baseball stats to an extent much more than the casual fan - wasn't sure if it was part of his profession or just a passion of his. Hey that's fine. I don't dislike the guy, I've never had any real blowouts with him on the board, and I certainly don't dispute his baseball IQ.
I just, sometimes, get the sense that he sometimes fancies himself as the definitive judge and jury on all baseball debates, and he'll swoop on in to a debate and throw down his stat that's supposed to just stop the participants in their tracks...as if Moses just presented the 10 commandments....and we're all supposed to say, "well, that's it...I'd like to debate more but jwmcc has spoken." And that's the kind of attitude that came off with his dismissal of this thread as "useless." As if to say, this thread does NOT get the jwmcc seal of approval, so it's unworthy of participating in it. My feeling has always been, if a thread doesn't interest you don't participate. I'm not in the fantasy baseball league, therefore you see exactly zero participation from me in that segment of the board. What if went in there and posted, "Oh boy this is a useless thread" .... I'd have 30 people all over my ass for it.
Question - are "jwmcc" and "Walkman John" one in the same?
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Post by kingdzbws on Jul 5, 2007 21:02:30 GMT -5
The two are one and the same. Funny you mention 'swooping in' - True Story - Long before Johnny worked in statistics, he was a very accomplished trapeze artist with amazing leaping skillz - comes from a circus family in fact - and he used to swing from the 4 train tressle ala Peter Parker, all the way uptown to his house. People would be chilling in the park, and here come John swooping in on his ropes. You never knew where he'd swing in from. Here's an old old one of Jw leaping down from the upper-deck to the bleachers.  |
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Post by crazilyz on Jul 6, 2007 17:47:36 GMT -5
According to Crains New York Business, WCBS-FM will go back to an oldies format. The Jack thing wasn't too successful in terms of market share and advertising revenue.
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Post by 9 on Jul 7, 2007 9:57:43 GMT -5
JW does tend to provide a much-needed voice of reason at times.
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Post by cactusjames on Jul 7, 2007 16:20:43 GMT -5
I wanna jump in. Numbers don't lie, but they don't tell the enitre story sometimes too. Anyone should know Mickey Mantle was better than a .300 hitter but becuase of X facotrs, the number, while accurate is(barely) under .300. It doesn't tell the whole story of how good Mantle was.
And for the record, I'm not bashing Walkman John, just the general veiw of stats in sports.
And btw, this thread stinks.
How do you like dem apples?
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Post by 9 on Jul 7, 2007 16:55:10 GMT -5
What James said.
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Post by baldvinny on Jul 9, 2007 9:06:29 GMT -5
there are about a billion jokes that could go along with this story.....
MELBOURNE (AFP) - A boy called Hell has been barred from enrolling in a Catholic school in Australia because his surname jarred with its religious teachings, the child's father said Monday.
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The youngster's dad, 45-year-old Alex Hell, has expressed outrage after the primary school in the southern city of Melbourne allegedly refused to admit his son, Max.
"We are victims of our name," said Hell, whose name is of Austrian origin.
"We're quite devastated by the whole thing," the Catholic father of three told the Australian Associated Press.
"It's 2007, not 1407 -- it's not the Dark Ages."
Hell said that at one point he offered to change his son's name to his wife's maiden name of Wembridge, a suggestion that he said was welcomed by the principal of St Peter the Apostle primary school, Michael McGrath.
But he changed his mind, and was then told that Max would not be able to attend the school, Hell said.
School officials later had a change of heart, but Hell now says there is no way he will ever enrol his son there.
"The school has turned around and said Max can go there, but why would you want to go there after being victimised?" he said.
"I'd rather go to another school -- we had no problem with the public school but we just wanted to further Max's education," Hell said, adding that he would move his family to the nearby city of Geelong and put Max in another school.
St Peter the Apostle School said it had offered Max a place and confirmed that Hell had offered to change his child's name.
"The issue of a change of surname of the child was an initiative of the parents which they believed would assist the child in the transition of schools," the school said in a statement.
"The school is working with the family in the best interests of the child," the statement added
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MSBNYY
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Post by MSBNYY on Jul 9, 2007 9:12:26 GMT -5
So basically, the school wanted to get the Hell out of there.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 9, 2007 13:01:47 GMT -5
So this Miss New Jersey character got yet ANOTHER blackmailing package. I say where there is smoke, there is fire....time to strip her of her title and give this the kibosh.
Its a black mark on all pageantry, and quite frankly, I am tired of hearing about it.
Miss New Jersey has received a second threatening package from someone trying to blackmail her into relinquishing her crown, her attorney says.
Anthony Caruso, an attorney for Amy Polumbo, said that he was notified about the package Saturday and that it contained a threatening letter and possibly new photographs of the 22-year-old woman.
Caruso would not comment Sunday on the exact contents of the package or say who received it, but said he had given it to state investigators.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 10, 2007 6:51:56 GMT -5
LOL @ "the runaway wrecking ball." Story from foxnews.com MEADVILLE, Pa. — A 1,500-pound wrecking ball broke loose from a crane cable and raced downhill, smashing into several cars and injuring three people before coming to rest in the trunk of a car at an intersection Monday.
The wrecking ball, about 3 feet across, was being used to demolish part of a library at Allegheny College when the cable snapped, police said. The crane operator tried to stop it, but it rolled nearly three-quarters of a mile downhill, damaging more than a dozen vehicles as it bounced from curb to curb, police said.
Most of the damaged vehicles were parked, but the ball slammed into the rear of Alex Habay's car stopped at an intersection, causing a chain reaction accident with two other cars at the traffic light, police said.
All of a sudden, the back windshield exploded and I hit the car in front of me," said Habay, 20, a junior at Allegheny College.
The ball lodged in the trunk of a car, pushing the vehicle about 20 feet.
"I got out of my car and couldn't believe it when I walked back and saw this giant wrecking ball sitting in the trunk of the last car," said Meadville police Officer Brian Joseph. |
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 12, 2007 11:50:04 GMT -5
WEDDING GUEST ONE YEAR TOO EARLY
London - Teacher Dave Barclay flew thousands of miles across the Atlantic to Wales to attend his friends wedding - only to discover he was a year early. It was only when Barclay had flown to Cardiff from Toronto, Canada and called the bridegroom seeking details to the venue that he discovered the wedding was in 2008.
Barclay quipped, "At least its assured me a mention in the speech next year."
out of the POST
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 13, 2007 13:49:52 GMT -5
Mom Arrested for Allegedly Treating Son's Fatal Head Injury With Popsicle
Friday, July 13, 2007
ARLINGTON, Texas — A 24-year-old Texas mother is in jail after she treated her 2-year-old son's head injury with a Popsicle instead of calling 9-1-1.
Ebony Thorne's son Joshua later died of the injury.
Arlington police said the boy fell eight feet down a U-shaped stairwell in Thorne's apartment Wednesday morning. Investigators said instead of calling for an ambulance, Thorne placed a Popsicle on her son's head and put him to bed.
When the boy's father arrived later, he found Joshua unresponsive. Police said he called Thorne's mother, who drove to the apartment from Fort Worth and called 911.
Officers found bruises and marks around the toddler's head and dried blood on his nose and mouth.
Thorne's charged with injury to a child by omission/criminal negligence. Her 3-year-old son and 10-month-old girl were returned to their grandmother, who had custody of all three children.
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Post by BigAl115 on Jul 13, 2007 13:53:33 GMT -5
NEW YORK -- The Gwinnett County mother kicked off an airplane with her 19-month old son tried to tell her side of the story Friday morning, but her son's crying and whining drowned out the interview. Garren Penland, 19-months old, got so unruly during his mom's chat with 'Good Morning America' anchor Diane Sawyer, co-anchor Chris Cuomo had to take the toddler off the set. While Kate Penland explained her child was well-behaved on the Continental Express flight, little Garren kicked, wiggled and squirmed out of his mother's arms. At one point he climbed up on a coffee table and rifled through Sawyer's scripts. When Sawyer handed him a model Space Shuttle to distract him, Garren rolled it off the table and onto the floor. Kate Penland said she and Garren were booted from the flight last month by a flight attendant who suggested she use benadryl to calm her son down. www.wsbtv.com/news/13675836/detail.html |
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Post by Chrissy on Jul 13, 2007 13:57:14 GMT -5
WEDDING GUEST ONE YEAR TOO EARLY London - Teacher Dave Barclay flew thousands of miles across the Atlantic to Wales to attend his friends wedding - only to discover he was a year early. It was only when Barclay had flown to Cardiff from Toronto, Canada and called the bridegroom seeking details to the venue that he discovered the wedding was in 2008. Barclay quipped, "At least its assured me a mention in the speech next year." out of the POST I read this, too. I just don't understand how this could happen. |
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 17, 2007 11:16:20 GMT -5
Report: 500-Pound Man Rescued From Wisconsin River, 12 Hours After Tubing Accident
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
A 500-pound man stuck in the St. Croix River in Wisconsin after a tubing accident was rescued Tuesday morning, 12 hours after he fell into the water.
The 39-year-old, whose identity hasn’t been released, was recovering in an area hospital after a nearly 12-hour rescue effort by the Coast Guard and sheriffs.
The man wound up lodged in a rocky, shallow patch of the St. Croix, in Grantsburg, Wis., after his tube apparently deflated during an expedition, according to local TV and newspaper reports.
While he was trying to get out of the water and walk along the shore, he apparently suffered chest pains and a possible heart attack and fell into the river, the local media reported.
The river conditions and the man’s weight complicated the effort to get him out.
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Post by Chrissy on Jul 17, 2007 12:18:45 GMT -5
I thought this was pretty funny: Man Calls 911 to Save Him From the Police LARGO, Fla. - A 38-year-old man was arrested after he called 911 and told a dispatcher he was surrounded by police officers and needed help, authorities said. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19795748/?GT1=10150 |
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Post by 9 on Jul 17, 2007 13:09:35 GMT -5
BRISBANE, Australia -- Rugby player Ben Czislowski kept competing for more than three months despite the headaches that started after a clash with an opponent.
Czislowski was playing for Brisbane team Wynnum during the April 1 incident involving Tweed Heads forward Matt Austin. He had a head wound stitched up afterward, the Australian Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Czislowski later suffered an eye infection and complained of lethargy and shooting pains in his head.
Then last week, his doctor found a tooth embedded in Czislowski's head.
"I can laugh about it now, but the doctor told me it could have been serious, with teeth carrying germs," Czislowski said.
"I've got the tooth at home, sitting on the bedside table," he said. "If he [Austin] wants it back he can have it. I'm keeping it at the moment as proof that it actually happened."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
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Post by baldvinny on Jul 18, 2007 8:55:26 GMT -5
not sure which is more surprising; shows being cancelled or that there was a tour to begin with
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Hootie & the Blowfish are again delaying the start of their summer tour as lead singer Darius Rucker recovers from a staph infection in his left knee.
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Rucker, 41, has undergone three surgeries to clear the infection and is still trying to rehabilitate the knee, the band said in a statement Tuesday.
They canceled four shows and postponed eight more. The band already postponed the first 13 shows of the tour that was set to begin June 29.
The tour will now start Aug. 10 on Hilton Head Island.
Hootie & the Blowfish will keep a date to play three songs Friday in their hometown of Charleston on CBS' "The Early Show."
The canceled shows are in Roslyn, Wash.; Jacksonville, Ore.; Ventura, Calif.; and Turlock, Calif.
The postponed shows are in Kelseyville, Calif.; Temecula, Calif.; Anaheim, Calif.; San Diego; Livermore, Calif.; Glendale, Ariz.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Albuquerque, N.M.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jul 19, 2007 15:11:59 GMT -5
Police Say California Mother Drove Son, Fellow Gang Members to Kill 13-Year-Old Boy
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Mothers have lied, spun elaborate alibis and hidden evidence for their gang-member sons. But investigators say Eva Daley went to murderous lengths.
Daley, 30, drove her 14-year-old son and six other members of the Latin Marijuana Smokers gang to a skate park to kill a 13-year-old boy they had a grudge against, police say. The boy, Jose "Bobby" Cano, was stabbed to death.
"I'm shaking my head at this because I thought I had heard of everything," said Gary Hearnsberger, head of the Hardcore Gang Division at the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
Daley and the seven teenagers were charged with murder in the June 26 slaying near the squalid skate park in this port city of 462,000 about 25 miles south of Los Angeles.
Daley was jailed on $1 million bail and pleaded not guilty Tuesday. The teens, ages 14 to 17, face hearings to determine whether they will be tried as adults. Police said at least three more juveniles are being sought.
Police refused to say where the mother was during the attack itself or immediately afterward. And they would not say what led to the arrests, or what the killers had against Cano.
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Post by baldvinny on Jul 21, 2007 21:10:03 GMT -5
ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/white_st ripes_play_shortest_show_ever.html The White Stripes wrapped up their quirky Canadian tour July 16 with a single note in St. John's. Following shows on boats, buses, bridges and classrooms, Jack and Meg White took to the stage on George Street in St. John's and played a single note - reportedly a C-sharp - before announcing they have "now officially played in every province and territory in Canada" and leaving the stage. Hundreds of fans showed up for the last minute event, but were pre-warned that the show would be just one-note long. Later that evening, the band played a full-length set at Mile One Stadium in the city. The final show on their Canadian tour proper. Credits for the info to NME.com.
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Post by baldvinny on Jul 23, 2007 7:43:34 GMT -5
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a game.
The Texas League game was suspended in the ninth inning Sunday after the 35-year-old former major leaguer was hit by a foul ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez of the Arkansas Travelers. Coolbaugh was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead.
"It's a tragedy for all of baseball," Drillers president Chuck Lamson told the Tulsa World in a story posted on the newspaper's Web site early Monday. "He just joined the staff and was a former Driller player. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
Travelers spokesman Phil Elson said Coolbaugh was hit on the right side of his head or on the forehead -- "I'm getting conflicting reports," he said -- and fell to the ground immediately.
According to a report on the Drillers' Web site late Sunday, Coolbaugh was knocked unconscious and CPR was administered to him on the field.
Sgt. Terry Kuykendall, spokesman for North Little Rock police, said Coolbaugh was still alive when he was put in an ambulance, but stopped breathing as the ambulance arrived at the hospital.
"They tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m.," Kuykendall said.
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