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Kara Menini

Shea Weber fine for playing dirty explained

Nashville’s defenseman is set to play in Game 2 tonight

Shea Weber, a defenseman for the Nashville Predators, has been fined $2500 for smashing Detroit Redwing’s Henrick Zetterberg’s face into the glass in Game 1. Shea Weber has not been suspended and is scheduled to play tonight in Game 2.

Shea Weber, during the last seconds of the game, was checked by Zetterberg and responded with a fist to the back of Zetterberg’s helmet. Shea Weber misses, punches the glass and apparently gets so angry that he grabs the back of Zetterberg’s helmet and smashes his face into the glass. Zetterberg immediately crumbles to the ground and afterwards said he felt “a little woozy.”

With recent concerns for the safety of NHL players, this extreme incident doesn’t seem to be being handled properly. A $2500 fine for someone who has a $7.5 million salary probably isn’t enough to keep street-fighting behavior off the ice. Suspending a player from any number of playoff games may, however, make them think twice before giving in to their impulses.

The actions of Shea Weber and his limited punishment are not sitting well with anyone, “In my view, it was pretty bad,” said Zetterberg. “I heard he got fined. I guess the bar is set. I thought it was dirty. I though it was a direct hit to my head. If we look at what happened the last few years with all the head injuries, I think that shouldn’t belong in the game.”

Brendan Shanahan was the disciplinarian for Shea Weber and explained the decision was based on the fact that his actions were reactionary. “This was a reckless and reactionary play on which Weber threw a glancing punch and then shoved Zetterberg’s head into the glass,” Shanahan said. “As is customary whenever Supplemental Discipline is being considered, we contacted Detroit following the game and were informed that Zetterberg did not suffer an apparent injury and should be in the lineup for Game 2.” However, Shanahan also pointed out that this incident would be considered should Shea Weber be involved in any other incidences this season.

Shea Weber was asked if the fine also came with a warning, to which he replied, “I think it’s pretty straightforward: Play to the edge and not over. It’s cut and dry.”

Lamar Odom and Dallas Mavericks part ways

Odom will be listed as inactive for the remainder of the season

Lamar Odom and the Dallas Mavericks have officially called it quits. Lamar Odom has released a statement saying he is stepping way from the team, effective immediately. Odom has not been cut from the team but instead has been listed as “inactive” and it seems he will still be traded after the season.

Lamar Odom, in his statement, said, “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out better for the both of us, but I wish the Mav’s organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship.”

Lamar Odom played one of his worst seasons this year, and the most rumored reason is because he let his emotions get the best of him. Last year he was traded from the Lakers for monetary reasons, his cousin was murdered and he was the passenger in a car that hit a motorcycle and killed a pedestrian. His move from L.A. to Dallas was also difficult for him and his wife, Khloé Kardashian, and their show Khloe and Lamar is chronicling their emotional move to Texas. It is reported that Lamar Odom did not practice during the lockout, which most likely contributed to his bad season.

ESPN reported that, “The Mavs badly wanted it to work, and that’s why they kept him around. At 6-foot-10 and believed to be as versatile as any forward in the game, the team kept hope that Odom’s effort level would spike and he could provide a spark, especially in the postseason.” The Mavericks hopes that Lamar Odom would snap out of his funk simply has not happened.

It seems Lamar Odoms future in basketball is very much up in the air, and his attitude makes us think he doesn’t want to put up with the business anymore. In a clip from his show Khloe and Lamar, Khloe asks him if hes adjusting any better after they first move to Dallas, and he responds with, “This is the first time basketball has felt like a job, you know what I mean?” It’s possible that Odom’s love for the game has simply burned out.

Albatross, rarest shot in golf, seen yesterday at the Masters

Louis Oosthuizen plays fourth albatross in Masters history

Albatross is the rarest golf shot, and even though South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen didn’t win the Masters, he certainly made history. On hole No. 2, a 575-yard par 5, Oosthuizen took a long tee shot. He “unleashed an iron from about 250 yards away. The ball hit about 50 yards from the pin, rolled and fell into the cup as the crowd cheered,” reported AOL News. Right before the ball rolled into the hole, an announcer excited blurted out, “Come to Poppa!”

So what exactly is an albatross? It’s simply a hole played three strokes under par; it’s also known as a double Eagle.  According to Dean Knuth, inventer of the USGA’s slope rating system for golf courses, in a 2004 article in Golf World, he put the odds of playing an albatross at a million-to-one- much higher than the odds of getting a hole-in-one, which are about 13,000-to-1 for the average golfer.

Oosthuizen’s albatross is the fourth in Master’s history. The most recent Master’s albatross was by Jeff Maggert on the thirteenth hole in 1994, preceding that albatross wasAustralia’s Bruce Devlin on the eighth hole in 1967. The first and most famous albatross was by Gene Sarazen on the fifteenth hole in 1935, a shot that AOL Sports says “put the Masters on the map.”

The Shroud of Turin continues to spark debates

Art Historian takes a stab at explaining resurrection of Jesus

The Shroud of Turin has been a source of controversy ever since its discovery, but especially since 1989 when an attempt at radiocarbon dating suggested the shroud was a forgery, dating the Shroud of Turin somewhere in the medieval ages, between the years of 1260 and 1390. Thomas de Wesselow, an art historian from Cambridge, begs to differ. He has come out with a 448-page book, The Sign: The Shroud of Turin and the Secret of the Resurrection, that is in agreement that the Shroud of Turin image was created by the decomposition of Jesus’ body and the book also argues that the Shroud of Turin inspired the stories of his resurrection.

The Shroud of Turin is believed to hold the image of Jesus Christ in its fibers, and de Wesselow believes this image was the explanation for Jesus’ resurrection. “I’ve studied images, what they mean and how they affect people,” de Wesselow said according to MSNBC’s Alan Boyle. “In the old days, people saw images as potentially alive. They had potentially a consciousness … That type of thinking was absolutely standard before the modern age. It has nothing to do with an optical illusion, and it has nothing to do with people being stupid.” De Wesselow believes the image is a “vaporograph” and was created by a chemical reaction between the gases given off by Jesus’ decomposing body and the carbohydrates deposits on the burial cloth that laid over him. With this information, de Wesselow believes that the shroud was taken from the body and Jesus’ disciples interpreted the ghostly image as a “spiritual manifestation of their leader,” reported Boyle. De Wesselow said, “The appearances of the risen Jesus were simply viewings of the shroud image.”

De Wesselow said, when questioned about the biblical references that the resurrected Son of God spoke with the apostles and ate fish to prove he was real, “In that time, there’s plenty of room for all the legends to be added to the story,” referring to the fact that the stories were written down decades after they occurred.

Though there have not been any tests to prove that a decomposing body can leave behind an imprint, believers of the Shroud of Turin can turn to the Jospice Imprint: a cancer patient died in 1981 at an England hospice and an imprint of his body and face were left on the mattress cover. De Wesselow believes it happened by a pooling of urine around the man’s body; though, he does not believe that is what happened with the Shroud of Turin.

Of course, there are many skeptics on de Wesselow’s theory, but he believes his theory is completely reasonable. “There are explanations involving a miracle or that Jesus was spiritually resurrected and appeared in visions to his disciples,” de Wesselow told Boyle. “Since the 18th century, scientists have tried to explain the resurrection, and they’ve basically given up. They’ve basically forgotten about the whole problem. What I think I can do is provide a fairly coherent explanation, which is completely naturalistic. It’s a better alternative to the traditional Christian view.”

C. difficile caused man to perform a fecal transplant on himself

Self poop-enema saved man from months of pain

C. Difficile, also known as Clostridium difficile (pronounced klos-TRID-e-uhm dif-uh-SEEL), is a bacteria that is most commonly found in hospitals and nursing homes. C. difficile is spread through feces and can cause mild symptoms like diarrhea or cause life-threatening colon inflammation. The Mayo Clinic wrote, “Without effective cleaning, its hardy spores can persist on surfaces for months…But simply coming into contact with the bacteria doesn’t always cause illness. Ironically, taking antibiotics can trigger C. difficile infection. Antibiotics destroy some of the protective bacteria in the gut, allowing the C. difficile to grow out of control.”

C. difficile caused a man from Nova Scotia to take extreme measures to cure himself of symptoms: a self-injected fecal transplant. The man had been suffering with C. difficile ever since he underwent a routine surgery a year and a half ago. The Huffington Post reported that the man “was so frustrated and ill that he decided to get rid of the infection once and for all by giving himself an enema last Friday using feces belonging to his cousin that had been tested for other infections and parasites.” He told the newspaper, “It’s a nasty topic to discuss, but fecal transplants work, and I was not ready to wait any longer.” Apparently, his doctor was supposed to do the transplant today. All he did was mixed his cousins fecal matter with water and used an enema to flush it into his colon.

According gastroenterologist Dr. Lawrence Brandt, the “poop enema” treatment is a last resort, “But it’s very efficient, with a cure rate of 90 percent for first-time users. Plus, it’s safe with no adverse effects, and its fast, sometimes solving the problem within hours.”

C. difficile is easily preventative; the Mayo Clinic recommends “vigorous hand washing with soap for 30 seconds” because “the friction of rubbing removes the spores” in order to reduce your risk of having to see for yourself the healing power of poop.

Stephan Hawking makes guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory

Hawking also appears in Martin Scorsese documentary “Surviving Progress”

Stephan Hawking made a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory and proved to have a knack for acting.

Stephan Hawking appeared on the show as a lecturer and Howard was selected as the engineer to make sure his wheelchair was kept up and running during his stay.  Sheldon, who idolizes the physicist and considers himself equal to Stephan Hawking, becomes increasingly jealous. Howard gives Sheldon’s paper to Stephan Hawking but doesn’t reveal this information to Sheldon until he makes Sheldon do humiliating stunts. Sheldon finally meets with Stephan Hawking, who commends him on his impressive paper. After telling Sheldon that his argument was fascinating and Sheldon tells him it just came to him one day in the shower. Stephan Hawking responds, “That’s nice. Too bad it’s wrong.” Of course, this sends Sheldon into a frantic dialogue about how it can’t be wrong and then ends up fainting.

What really makes this cameo even better is the fact that Stephan Hawking insisted on doing his own voice work. Produces originally planned to add his mechanical voice later but Hawking’s own voice work added comedic value to the episode.

Check out a clip here!

Stephan Hawking also made a big screen debut in a Martin Scorsese documentary, Surviving Progress, which opens today in New York. WebProneNews.com described the film as one that “explores one main topic, the question with perhaps an infinite amount of answers: Can humanity evolve in a way that truly gels with the progress of our technology?” Stephan Hawking is one of the brilliant minds who were interviewed for the documentary, “We’re entering an increasingly dangerous period of our history,” Hawking said. “But I’m optimistic.”

Hard boiled eggs: How to boil the perfect egg!

Easter Sunday is just around the corner

Hard boiled eggs seem like the easiest thing to cook, but, if you’re like me, you have to head to the computer every time you feel like an egg salad sandwich. This Sunday, eggs ‘round the globe will be boiled and painted and there are definitely tricks you should know to make easy-peel, non-green, hard boiled eggs.

The first step to making hard boiled egg is to boil them starting in cold water.  Place the eggs in a single layer and fill the pot with cold water one or two inches above the eggs. If you put your finger on an egg, the water should at least be halfway past your first knuckle. To insure the eggs don’t crack while cooking, add a bit of salt. For safe measure, add a teaspoon of vinegar; should an egg crack, the vinegar will keep the egg white from seeping past the shell. Put the burner on high until the water starts to boil, then remove the pot from the heat. 

The next step in making hard boiled eggs is to reduce the heat to low and return the pot to the burner. Let the eggs simmer for about a minute, then remove the pot, cover it and let it sit for 10-12 minutes. In order to make sure the hard boiled eggs are, well, hard boiled, you have to sacrifice one egg. Fish out the egg with a slotted spoon, run it under cold water for a minute and then cut it open. If it isn’t quiet done, let the eggs sit for another 2-5 minutes.

When the hard-boiled eggs are done cooking, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of ice water. I like to keep the sink running cold over the bowl to cool the eggs faster.  If you want to make sure the hard-boiled eggs are easy to shell, gently crack them before you place them in the cold water; the cold will shrink the egg just enough to pull itself away from the shell.

Hard boiled eggs will last in the refrigerator for about five days.

Marion Barry celebrated his primary election victory by insulting local Asian businesses

Washington D.C. councilman tries to clarify his rant

Marion Barry has had to apologize for insulting Asian-owned businesses in his ward, Ward 8, in Washington D.C. The Councilman was speaking at his primary election victory rally on Tuesday when he said, “We got to do something about these Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops.”

Marion Barry continued his ran about Asian-American businesses in his ward, “They ought to go. I’m going to say that right now. But we need African-American businesspeople to take their places, too.”

On Thursday, Marion Barry apologized about his comments. He told The Associated Press, “I want to express my deep apology for offending some members of the Asian community and the D.C. community. I have a solid record of relationships with the Asian community.”

Marion Barry continued, trying to explain what he had meant by his comments, “Ward 8 residents are spending their hard-earned dollars in these stores because they are the only stores in the immediate neighborhoods; my constituents want respect, too. It is to these less-than-stellar Asian American businessmen in Ward 8 that my remarks were directed.” Marion Barry added that he was referring to the businesses that didn’t sell healthy food or hire locally.

Mayor Vincent Gray and Council Chairman Kwame Brown were critical of Barry’s comments. Gray said, “I am deeply disappointed by Councilmember Barry’s comment. There is no room in this wonderfully diverse city of comments that disparage anyone on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation.”

Marion Barry, who has served four terms as Washington mayor, has been in the hot seat before. In 1990, he was videotaped smoking crack cocaine and served a six-month prison term for it.

Bobby Petrino put on paid leave after motorcycle accident

Head Razorback coach’s fate is put in the hands of athletic director Jeff Long

Bobby Petrino, head football coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks, was put on paid administrative leave on Thursday.  Bobby Petrino failed to disclose the information that he had a female passenger, 25-year-old former Arkansas volleyball player and current football program employee Jessica Dorrell, when his motorcycle skidded off the road over the weekend. 51-year-old Petrino claims he didn’t disclose this information in order to protect his family and keep an “inappropriate relationship from becoming public.”

Bobby Petrino, during a news conference on Tuesday, did not say he had a passenger and a school statement quoted the Petrino family as confirming that information. Bobby Petrino claims he had spent the night with his wife at a lake and had decided to go out on an evening ride.

Athletic director Jeff Long, Petrino’s boss, only heard about Dorrell minutes before the police report, which disclosed her presence, was released. Seven hours later, the decision to put Bobby Petrino on paid leave was made.

“I’m at the beginning of the review. I don’t know what I’m going to find,” Jeff Long said in response to questions of suspension. “I am disappointed that coach Petrino did not share with me, when he had the opportunity to, the full extent of the accident and who was involved.” Long continued, “I hope to have a resolution soon.”

Bobby Petrino, who is suffering from four broken ribs and a cracked neck vertebra, made a statement on Thursday, “I have been in constant pain, medicated and the circumstances involving the wreck have come out in bits and pieces. That said I certainly had a concern about Jessica Dorrell’s name being revealed,” Bobby Patrino said. “In hindsight, I showed a serious mistake in judgment when I chose not to be more specific about those details. Today, I’ve acknowledged this previous inappropriate relationship with my family and those within the athletic department administration.”

Bobby Patrino continued, “I will fully cooperate with the university throughout this process and my hope is to repair my relationship with my family, my athletic director, the Razorback Nation and remain the head coach of the Razorbacks.”

Baylor Lady Bears beat Notre Dame leaving them undefeated

Lady Bears win championship with 40-0 season

Baylor defeated Notre Dame on Tuesday night 80-61, which left them with the seventh undefeated women’s national basketball champions, behind Connecticut, Tennessee and Texas.

The Baylor Lady Bears are “the first team in NCAA Division I history to finish the season with 40 victories, doing it with the top R.P.I in the nation,” said the NY Times. Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, who had recently been diagnosed with Bells palsy said, “There is no significance in 40-0 right now because the only words coming out of our mouths today are ‘national champions.’” The Baylor coach continued, “I’m just so happy. That old saying, ‘You’re so happy you cry,’ I can’t quit crying.”

Baylor junior Destiny Williams said, “Its dedication that we put in. WE put in a lot of work in the summer. We’re just excited to finally get the championship. We’re just ready to celebrate it and enjoy it with our families and teammates.”

Baylor Lady Bear’s coach Mulkey put an emphasis on the teams’ defensive work, “We’re going to guard people. Everyone talked about it being Notre Dame’s offense versus our defense. We scored 94 on them last time, we scored 80 today. We can score with the best of them. Defense wins championships. Don’t ever forget that.”

NCAA president Mark Emmert spoke with USA Today about the Baylor Lady Bears after they won the women’s title, “I was at Connecticut for four years and LSU for five years and this is the best college basketball team I’ve ever seen.”