Smoking A Health Risk? Humbug!

Every day a story straight from the headlines catches my attention. Be it a crime, a miracle or a politician caught with his hand in the cookie jar, stories light up my imagination.

That being said, the story that "lit up" my imaginative juices this morning is about a Centurian celebrating her 100th birthday. Nothing too miraculous about turning 100 these days, but add to this story the fact that our little whippersnapper has been puffing cigarettes since 1914, Now That's A Story!

Her name is Winnie Langley, and isn't she just a peach? Cigarette Smoking Haters, eat your heart out, Winnie's living proof that smoking helps you live a fuller, longer, stress reduced life. So put that in your "Green Pipes" and smoke it.

She's been through two world wars and all the shit between and afterwards, 1918 influenza epidemic (Spanish Flu), economic hardships, drought and ten years of Britain's version of George Bush; Tony Blair. In other words, she's one tough bitch. When Satin approached her in 1957 with a soul-selling contract she blew rings around his horns and told him what he could do with his flaming pitchfork.

Winnie says her secret is smoking in moderation (five cigarettes a day).

U GO GURL!

Its A Fan Thing!

Blood Red Lunar Eclipse Illuminates SF TransAmerica Building

Rumor has it that this same moon appeared over the Bay Area a few nights before the 1906 earthquake. Old-time Sailors always heeded the warning of a Blood Red Moon by seeking land.

Maybe we in the Bay Area should seek water for the next few days. Wasn't Vegas once a huge lake?

Chronicle photo by Frederic Larson

Little League World Series 2007

The slugger, hitting .769 entering Sunday's game, was 0-for-2 with a walk when he came up in the eighth.

He said a little prayer before settling himself in the batter's box.
"God, please give me the strength to get a hit and help my team out," Carriker said in recounting his prayer.

There was no doubt about his opposite-field shot off Kiuchi, which easily cleared the right-field fence 225 feet away from the plate.

And this is what makes Baseball so special. Its a game where both big and small kids prayers are answered.

Congratulations Little League World Series Champions of Warner Robins, Georgia.

Dalton Carriker's game-winning homer broke the hearts of Japan and powered the U.S. to its third straight LLWS championship.

Georgia 3
Tokoyo 2

Atlas Shrugged

Death Toll Hits 450 in Peru Earthquake

Just how devastating was the magnitude-8 earthquake that hit Peru?

Death Toll Has Hit 450

More Than 1,500 Injured

Dust-covered Dead Laid Out in City Streets

Damaged Hospitals and Morgues have Injured Lying on Cots in City Streets w/Dead

Huge Aftershocks, at Least 14 of Magnitude 5.0 or Higher

At Least 200 People Buried Alive in San Clemente Church in the Port of Pisco

The shaking lasted for an agonizing two minutes, burying at least 200 people, according to the town's mayor. On Thursday, only two stone columns rose from a giant pile of stone, bricks, wood and dust.

Rescuers pulled out bodies all day and lined them up on the plaza - at least 60 by late afternoon. Civil defense workers then arrived and zipped them into body bags. But relatives searching desperately for the missing opened the zippers, crying hysterically each time they recognized a familiar face.

Few in the traumatized crowds would talk with journalists. One man shouted at the bodies of his wife and two small daughters as they were pulled from the rubble: "Why did you go? Why?"

No Lights, No Water, No Communications, Most Houses Have Fallen

Prison Wall Toppled Allowing 600 Prisoners To Flee, Only 29 Recaptured So Far

Took Red Cross 7.5 hours to arrive in one city, three times the normal travel time, due to Damaged Roads

Scientists Define Quake as a Megathrust, the Largest Type of Quake on The Planet


If Nothing Else, Just Send A Prayer!

Original Story by JEANNETH VALDIVIESO

Why I Like YouTube

Considered by many to be the Most Beautiful Woman in The World, Aishwarya Rai's stunning beauty has mesmerized me from the moment I first laid eyes on her. She has that femininely angelic quality that lifts her beauty above sexual desire and onto a level of deity. Wow, that's deep. Me, a Red Blooded American Male deifying a beautiful woman who's not a Raiderette? Football season couldn't come soon enough.
The former Miss World has fantastic skin, long silky hair, and intoxicating eyes. Damn, Intoxicating.

Are You Kidding Me? Jake Brown Pulls A 720

Jake "SkyWalker X" Crashes The X-Games.

I can't do the man justice by writing about it. After all, he survived a 50ft fall onto a hardwood x-games roller ramp. This, after successfully pulling off a narly 720 skateboard jump. You just gotta see it to believe it. Watch the Video to the end for full commentary effect. The cameramen also deserve praise for catching every angle. Simply Thrilling!




Jake......U DA Man Bro!

Monday Night Football - 49ers vs Broncos

FEATURING THE SF GOLD TRIGGERS!





Final Score

Broncos 17
$49.ers 13

Preseason Win: Exhibition Game 1

The Oakland Raiders opened up the 2007 preseason with a 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals. As preseason goes, both teams were a bit rusty with dropped passes and missed tackles. But surprisingly the starting units didn't commit many if any penalties and only one turnover by Arizona.

The Raiders played with a passion, a smart passion. The obvious improvement from last year is the offensive line play. We now actually have a running game and are giving the quarterback time to do his thing. Also, the play calling, though vanilla for the preseason, fits the personnel on the field. The coaches are putting the right players in the right schemes to come up with productive plays.

There were more positives than negatives tonight for the Raiders. Its a new season and it looks promising. A great way to start the season, be it preseason or not.

Just Win Baby!
"Im In" (training camp theme)

PRAYER REQUEST

I went searching the web for a prayer site that takes prayer requests with no conditions attached. After doing a 30 minute search I realized that such a site just doesn't exist.


Every Prayer site wants a verifiable email address and other personal information. Maybe I'm just naive to the workings of internet faith, but I didn't feel like being sold an item later for a prayer today. I get enough spam already and I felt the sites were just gathering user information under the guise of faithful prayer.

So instead I decided to just post my prayer here on my blog. Who knows, maybe a faithful servant of God is a sports fan who randomly reads blogger news and events. This prayer request is for a relative, may she receive God's blessings!

I'm submitting this prayer request for a relative who's suffering from many illnesses, one being loss of hope. I believe that God will guide her through, but I fear she's lost her way and is following her own will. In following her own will it seems her life is becoming more diseased instead of healed. The effects of her illness has her believing that her will is God's will. I kindly request a prayer that helps her discern the path of God from all others and that she find the guiding light that leads one out of darkness and restores a broken soul.

Home Run King Barry Bonds - 756

Tonight Barry Bonds became the lone Home Run King in surpassing Hank Aaron's record with his 756th Career Home Run.

AND I WAS THERE; VIEW BOX SECTION 310 - ROW 7 - SEAT 5

A truly historic moment to be a part of in Baseball. The lightening bug-like camera flashes, the crowd noise, the fireworks, the orange and gold streamers, Hank Aaron's congratulatory comments on the big HD Jumbotron and Barry thanking baseball, family and the fans. His final thanks being that to his dad (Bobby Bonds) brought out emotions that it seemed Barry had been holding back all this time. It was only fitting that the game was halted a good seven minutes, which actually seemed like an hour. I just realized that Willie Mays was there. The Giants are planning a full pre-game celebration for Bonds in the near future.

Barry Bonds tonight was as stunned by his accomplishment as everyone watching. As they say with NFL Hall of Fame Induction speeches, you can try preparing for the emotional overload but once the moment is upon you there's no holding back the flood of emotions. Barry was flooded with emotions. Maybe thats why at the top of the 6th inning he went out to his left field position followed by a camera crew and surprisingly left the field to an ovation moments later. Young Speedster Rajai Davis replaced Bonds in left field as Roberts came in to play center field.

The emotions probably trickled over into the stands where San Franbcisco Giants fans were hugging, high-fiving and actually crying with joy. I believe only a World Series Win could bring on as much emotion and comraderie that was flowing through AT&T Park tonight.

So what if a Mets fan from Queens, NY came out of the pile bloodied and bruised with ownership of the HR treasure. We Giants fans were way to busy taking in the true treasure that was the Historic Crowning of A New Home Run King, Our Home Run King, #25 Barry Bonds.

Congratulations Barry for climbing a mountain and reaching its peak. A Truly Historic Achievement.

And as Hank Aaron said, "the achievement of this record, will inspire others to chase their own dreams."

Giants vs Nationals Game Ticket $26
Ghiradelli Ice Cream Sunday $8.50
Souvenir Beer Cup $8.00
Bootleg Bonds 756 T-Shirt $10.00
Home Run 756 Live Experience

PRICELESS!

Kung Fu Sunday

After watching the A's lose to the Anaheim/L.A. Angels, I made it home from the Coliseum to watch a Kung Fu Classic Movie; "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin."

Made in 1978 by Shaw Brothers and considered by many to be the best Martial Arts movie ever made, I kicked back and enjoyed every morsel of it. Its not so much a fighting movie as it is a training and philosophy movie on martial arts. If your a person with even the slightest interest in martial arts, then you'll be mesmerized by this timeless classic.

I'd seen it once many years ago and somehow found myself enjoying it more this time. The story, the acting and the martial arts were all top quality and the cinematography puts you right there inside the Shaolin Temple. You are actually transported back to when you might have been a child watching martial arts films and chopping everything in sight. I know that I replayed a few scenes while mimiciking the hung gar style kung fu moves myself.

I even watched the feature commentary with The RZA of Wu-Tang Clan who was influenced at a young age by the movie back in 1981, when he saw it for the first time in New York City.

I highly endorse a viewing of this movie to anyone interested in the outer training and inner discipline of a true martial artist and/or the Hung Gar kung fu style.

A beautiful peace of work by Shaw Brothers and director Liu Chia-Liang. You'll find it listed on almost any top ten martial arts film list. As for one of my favorites, check out this youtube fight scene between Jet Li and Billy Chow in Fist of Legend (a remake of Chinese Connection). Classic!