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Initech
Initech's Journal
Initech's Journal
May 1, 2014
Baseball's Bizarre Opening Month Recap
Some of the stranger things that happened:
Strange But True Hall Of Fame:
Prince Fielder, David Wright, Paul Konerko, Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Robinson Cano, Adrian Gonzalez, Adrian Beltre and Ryan Braun have never had a 10-homer, 32-RBI month in any month of their careers. Jose Abreu just did that -- in his first month in the big leagues.
And, finally, what could possibly have been stranger but truer than this: When the Tigers threw a seven-run inning at the Twins on April 25, all three outs in the inning came off the bat of the same hitter -- some guy named Miguel Cabrera.
Strange But True Pitching:
No pitcher in nearly three years had found a way to give up four earned runs in a game in which he forgot to allow a hit. So what were the odds that the Blue Jays' Brandon Morrow (2.2-0-4-4-8-1) and the Tigers' Jose Ortega (1.1-0-4-4-4-1) would manage to do that ON THE SAME DAY last Saturday? Morrow will be happy to hear that Edward Mujica has walked eight of the past 293 hitters he's faced.
And I don't know if this qualifies as a "pitching" feat. But Red Sox utility dynamo Mike Carp made his historic pitching debut last Thursday against the Yankees and became the first pitcher in the past 90 years to walk five hitters in one inning. Meanwhile, in the other dugout, was a fellow named Hiroki Kuroda, who has made 184 starts over the past seven seasons -- and never unintentionally walked five hitters in any of them.
Strange But True Hitting:
Victor Martinez stole a base this season before Billy Hamilton. ... Hamilton hit a homer before Billy Butler, Adrian Beltre or Nick Markakis. ... Justin Verlander (0-for-his previous 26) had a multihit game before Allen Craig. ... Madison Bumgarner thumped a homer in AT&T Park before Pablo Sandoval or Hunter Pence. ... And Gio Gonzalez hit a home run before the Yankees -- all of them.
Jhonny Peralta really did commit an error April 16 -- on a ball hit by Wily Peralta.
And, finally, the strangest but truest "injury" of the month: Carlos Gonzalez had to leave a game early April 2 -- after swallowing his chewing tobacco ... and, um, not feeling so hot. Just one more reason not to chew, kids.
The rest: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10862828/strange-true-mlb-feats-april
Prince Fielder, David Wright, Paul Konerko, Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Robinson Cano, Adrian Gonzalez, Adrian Beltre and Ryan Braun have never had a 10-homer, 32-RBI month in any month of their careers. Jose Abreu just did that -- in his first month in the big leagues.
And, finally, what could possibly have been stranger but truer than this: When the Tigers threw a seven-run inning at the Twins on April 25, all three outs in the inning came off the bat of the same hitter -- some guy named Miguel Cabrera.
Strange But True Pitching:
No pitcher in nearly three years had found a way to give up four earned runs in a game in which he forgot to allow a hit. So what were the odds that the Blue Jays' Brandon Morrow (2.2-0-4-4-8-1) and the Tigers' Jose Ortega (1.1-0-4-4-4-1) would manage to do that ON THE SAME DAY last Saturday? Morrow will be happy to hear that Edward Mujica has walked eight of the past 293 hitters he's faced.
And I don't know if this qualifies as a "pitching" feat. But Red Sox utility dynamo Mike Carp made his historic pitching debut last Thursday against the Yankees and became the first pitcher in the past 90 years to walk five hitters in one inning. Meanwhile, in the other dugout, was a fellow named Hiroki Kuroda, who has made 184 starts over the past seven seasons -- and never unintentionally walked five hitters in any of them.
Strange But True Hitting:
Victor Martinez stole a base this season before Billy Hamilton. ... Hamilton hit a homer before Billy Butler, Adrian Beltre or Nick Markakis. ... Justin Verlander (0-for-his previous 26) had a multihit game before Allen Craig. ... Madison Bumgarner thumped a homer in AT&T Park before Pablo Sandoval or Hunter Pence. ... And Gio Gonzalez hit a home run before the Yankees -- all of them.
Jhonny Peralta really did commit an error April 16 -- on a ball hit by Wily Peralta.
And, finally, the strangest but truest "injury" of the month: Carlos Gonzalez had to leave a game early April 2 -- after swallowing his chewing tobacco ... and, um, not feeling so hot. Just one more reason not to chew, kids.
The rest: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10862828/strange-true-mlb-feats-april
May 1, 2014
Nevada Brothel Becomes Latest Place To Ban Donald Sterling For Life
Donald Sterling is not only banned for life from the Los Angeles Clippers and the NBA, a Nevada brothel owner also wants nothing to do with him.
Dennis Hof has banned Sterling for life from ever entering the doors of the Bunny Ranch near Carson City, Nevada, and any of his six other brothels in the state.
"A lot of NBA players come here to party," Hof told The Huffington Post. "Out of respect to them, we have banned Sterling from coming here."
Hof says his sense of confidentiality prohibits him from confirming or denying if Sterling has ever visited his brothels.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/donald-sterling-banned-bunny-ranch_n_5235320.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news
Dennis Hof has banned Sterling for life from ever entering the doors of the Bunny Ranch near Carson City, Nevada, and any of his six other brothels in the state.
"A lot of NBA players come here to party," Hof told The Huffington Post. "Out of respect to them, we have banned Sterling from coming here."
Hof says his sense of confidentiality prohibits him from confirming or denying if Sterling has ever visited his brothels.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/donald-sterling-banned-bunny-ranch_n_5235320.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

May 1, 2014
Dumb Criminals: Guy With Ironic Last Name Of "Popadick" Busted For Indecent Exposure
(Ottawa) The Ottawa Police Service Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section have charged a 62 year old Ottawa man following an incident at Mooneys Bay Park situated on Riverside Drive.
Ottawa Police had received several complaints of an adult male exposing himself in this park since April 14th, 2014.
On April 29, 2014 around 9:00 am, an adult male exposed himself to a person near a pathway in the park. Police were in the area and were alerted. The suspect was arrested at the scene.
On April 29th, 2014, the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit charged Donald POPADICK, 62 years old, of Ottawa, with Indecent Act and Mischief. He is to appear in court on Wednesday.
http://ottawapolice.ca/en/mediaroom/newsreleases/14-04-29/8f13e582-b9aa-4d70-b7b9-d9d054d5e659.aspx
Ottawa Police had received several complaints of an adult male exposing himself in this park since April 14th, 2014.
On April 29, 2014 around 9:00 am, an adult male exposed himself to a person near a pathway in the park. Police were in the area and were alerted. The suspect was arrested at the scene.
On April 29th, 2014, the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit charged Donald POPADICK, 62 years old, of Ottawa, with Indecent Act and Mischief. He is to appear in court on Wednesday.
http://ottawapolice.ca/en/mediaroom/newsreleases/14-04-29/8f13e582-b9aa-4d70-b7b9-d9d054d5e659.aspx

April 30, 2014
Dumb Criminals: Wisconsin Mom's Rage Induced Dodgeball Game Gets Her Slapped With Criminal Charges
WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. A 27-year-old Milwaukee woman faces criminal charges accused of scrapping with a 12-year-old boy after she was hit in the face while playing dodgeball, but, she told WISN 12 News it was all a big misunderstanding.
Dodgeball is a popular activity at Sky Zone indoor trampoline park in Waukesha, but at a late-winter birthday party, according to a criminal complaint, the dodgeball turned ugly.
Dominique Jude, a Milwaukee mom, was hit in the face with a ball, and when her son was also hit in the face, she admits she got angry.
A witness told deputies Jude, grabbed a 12-year-old boy, shouted profanities and "was yelling for the other people in the dodgeball area to hit the child with dodgeballs in the face."
Jude told WISN 12 News she did grab the boy but said she was only asking him how he'd like it if someone hit him in the face.
Read more: http://www.wisn.com/news/woman-charged-after-case-of-dodgeball-rage/25668504#ixzz30KzZ4UjG
Dodgeball is a popular activity at Sky Zone indoor trampoline park in Waukesha, but at a late-winter birthday party, according to a criminal complaint, the dodgeball turned ugly.
Dominique Jude, a Milwaukee mom, was hit in the face with a ball, and when her son was also hit in the face, she admits she got angry.
A witness told deputies Jude, grabbed a 12-year-old boy, shouted profanities and "was yelling for the other people in the dodgeball area to hit the child with dodgeballs in the face."
Jude told WISN 12 News she did grab the boy but said she was only asking him how he'd like it if someone hit him in the face.
Read more: http://www.wisn.com/news/woman-charged-after-case-of-dodgeball-rage/25668504#ixzz30KzZ4UjG

April 29, 2014
The sooner Sterling gets out of the NBA the better.
And I definitely support Doc and his decision - he's one of the best coaches in the NBA by far and definitely should not be working for a racist POS like Sterling.
Doc Rivers Won't Return To Work Under Donald Sterling
And the hits just keep on coming:
I can understand whatever Rivers decides.
From a basketball standpoint, this is a great job. Rivers makes $7 million per year, coaches a championship-caliber team and has front-office control. Why should he throw that away because a boss he doesnt necessarily interact with frequently allegedly said racist things?
On the other hand, why should Rivers help make money for that man? The proud Rivers doesnt need to align himself with people like Sterling.
There is no easy answer here, and Im sure Rivers grappled with his choice. I cant imagine the difficulty of facing the dilemma.
As a curiosity, how would Rivers judge working for a Sterling-owned Clippers franchise if Sterling is suspended? If Sterling still owns the team but states an intention to sell? There are gray areas coming, and Rivers deciding not to work for Sterling is only a step before the coach must address other contingencies.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/29/report-doc-rivers-wont-work-for-donald-sterling-anymore/
From a basketball standpoint, this is a great job. Rivers makes $7 million per year, coaches a championship-caliber team and has front-office control. Why should he throw that away because a boss he doesnt necessarily interact with frequently allegedly said racist things?
On the other hand, why should Rivers help make money for that man? The proud Rivers doesnt need to align himself with people like Sterling.
There is no easy answer here, and Im sure Rivers grappled with his choice. I cant imagine the difficulty of facing the dilemma.
As a curiosity, how would Rivers judge working for a Sterling-owned Clippers franchise if Sterling is suspended? If Sterling still owns the team but states an intention to sell? There are gray areas coming, and Rivers deciding not to work for Sterling is only a step before the coach must address other contingencies.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/29/report-doc-rivers-wont-work-for-donald-sterling-anymore/
The sooner Sterling gets out of the NBA the better.

And I definitely support Doc and his decision - he's one of the best coaches in the NBA by far and definitely should not be working for a racist POS like Sterling.
April 27, 2014
Here's the video that made him famous in case you were wondering:
These laws are so insane that they're actually starting to accuse the people who were spreading the propaganda in the first place, ironically, of spreading propaganda.
Famous Anti-Gay Ugandan Minister Martin Ssempra Accused Of Promoting Homosexuality
Anti-homosexuality Pastor Martin Ssempa, perhaps best known for his so-called "eat the poo-poo" lecture, is now being accused of promoting homosexual behavior in his home country of Uganda.
In an article for Uganda's First Class Magazine, writer Paul Kaliisa, of Mbarara University of Science and Technology, claims Ssempa spreads "gayism" through his lectures and gay porn screenings at churches. Under the African nation's Anti-Homosexuality Act, which was signed into law February 2014, Ssempa could potentially get jail time for allegedly encouraging homosexual behavior -- precisely what he claims to advocate against.
Kaliisa's harshly worded article reads, in part:
[Ssempa] has on a number of occasions showed gay porn to members of the congregation on a projector. He explains to the Church what the homosexuals do step by step baring all and hiding nothing. Pastor Ssempa has homosexual porn on his laptop and all his gadgets. He almost seems obsessed with it. ... Pastor Ssempa easily comes off as Ugandas number one and strongest fighter homosexuality but in truth, he is Ugandas number one promoter of the vice. He is promoting the things of these monsters and destroyers of man-kind [all sic].
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/uganda-anti-gay-martin-ssempa_n_5213571.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News
In an article for Uganda's First Class Magazine, writer Paul Kaliisa, of Mbarara University of Science and Technology, claims Ssempa spreads "gayism" through his lectures and gay porn screenings at churches. Under the African nation's Anti-Homosexuality Act, which was signed into law February 2014, Ssempa could potentially get jail time for allegedly encouraging homosexual behavior -- precisely what he claims to advocate against.
Kaliisa's harshly worded article reads, in part:
[Ssempa] has on a number of occasions showed gay porn to members of the congregation on a projector. He explains to the Church what the homosexuals do step by step baring all and hiding nothing. Pastor Ssempa has homosexual porn on his laptop and all his gadgets. He almost seems obsessed with it. ... Pastor Ssempa easily comes off as Ugandas number one and strongest fighter homosexuality but in truth, he is Ugandas number one promoter of the vice. He is promoting the things of these monsters and destroyers of man-kind [all sic].
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/uganda-anti-gay-martin-ssempa_n_5213571.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News
Here's the video that made him famous in case you were wondering:
These laws are so insane that they're actually starting to accuse the people who were spreading the propaganda in the first place, ironically, of spreading propaganda.

April 26, 2014
Three Words: Nudist Beer Festival
We may have found the only festival where it's actually acceptable (and encouraged) to get your drink on and get naked. The only catch? You have to take your clothes off before you start drinking. Welcome to the Sunny Rest Beer Festival, a "Bare Beach Beer Fest."
The festival, which takes place Saturday, June 28th at the Sunny Rest Resort in the Pocono Mountains, is an event that offers unlimited craft beer samples and requires nudity, according to its flyer. Oh -- and if you bring said event flyer with you, it's also free to get into the resort. Is this better than college?
beer festival
It's at least better than your average beer festival, where taking clothes off isn't something normally encouraged, but occasionally ends up happening anyways. And while it might be more fun and more free, it also adds just a little more worry to "bathing suit season." As one website said, "pack light and dont forget the high SPF sunscreen." Totally.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/nude-beer-festival_n_5205399.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News
The festival, which takes place Saturday, June 28th at the Sunny Rest Resort in the Pocono Mountains, is an event that offers unlimited craft beer samples and requires nudity, according to its flyer. Oh -- and if you bring said event flyer with you, it's also free to get into the resort. Is this better than college?
beer festival
It's at least better than your average beer festival, where taking clothes off isn't something normally encouraged, but occasionally ends up happening anyways. And while it might be more fun and more free, it also adds just a little more worry to "bathing suit season." As one website said, "pack light and dont forget the high SPF sunscreen." Totally.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/nude-beer-festival_n_5205399.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

April 24, 2014
Washington Man Trying To Collect Every VHS Copy Of Speed Ever Made
Ryan Beitz, of Pullman, Wash., is trying to collect every single copy of the movie "Speed" ever made on VHS.
He's calling his efforts "The World Speed Project," and already owns more than 550 copies of the 1994 movie starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock trying to save a bus from exploding.
Beitz bought the first few copies in a pawn shop as prank Christmas gifts, and now, just like the bus in the movie, can't stop.
"I realized it was really fascinating to have that many, like, same copies of a thing," Beitz told Vice.com of his unusual endeavor. "What really cemented it was when I went to another pawn shop, and they had, like, 30 copies. I said, 'I'll take them all.' They sold them to me for 11 cents a copy."
http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/man-serious-speed-161431656--abc-news-movies.html
He's calling his efforts "The World Speed Project," and already owns more than 550 copies of the 1994 movie starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock trying to save a bus from exploding.
Beitz bought the first few copies in a pawn shop as prank Christmas gifts, and now, just like the bus in the movie, can't stop.
"I realized it was really fascinating to have that many, like, same copies of a thing," Beitz told Vice.com of his unusual endeavor. "What really cemented it was when I went to another pawn shop, and they had, like, 30 copies. I said, 'I'll take them all.' They sold them to me for 11 cents a copy."
http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/man-serious-speed-161431656--abc-news-movies.html

April 24, 2014
Cubs Blow 5 - 2 Lead On Wrigley Field's 100th Anniversary
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first game at Wrigley Field in the most appropriate way: with a gut-wrenching loss.
They entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead.
They were one out from victory.
And then they collapsed.
After an error by shortstop Starlin Castro, the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for five runs in the ninth to beat the Cubs 7-5 Wednesday.
"That one finished not like we would have wanted, obviously," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "It seemed like the inning kept opening up, and we weren't able to end up in the end putting a stop to it."
http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=340423116
They entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead.
They were one out from victory.
And then they collapsed.
After an error by shortstop Starlin Castro, the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for five runs in the ninth to beat the Cubs 7-5 Wednesday.
"That one finished not like we would have wanted, obviously," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "It seemed like the inning kept opening up, and we weren't able to end up in the end putting a stop to it."
http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=340423116
April 23, 2014
Knoxville Man Fakes Own Kidnapping, It Backfires When Mom Won't Pay Ransom
KNOX COUNTY, TN (WAVE) - A man said he was being held hostage to get ransom money
from his mom!
According to the Knox County Sheriff's Office, Zachery Logsdon, 25, sent his mother text messages claiming his dealer was going to kill him if he didn't get $200. Mom was suspicious though and said her son pulled a similar stunt in the past to get money for drugs.
She called 911 and police arranged a drop-off spot for the money. When Logsdon showed up, police chased him and arrested him.
http://www.wave3.com/story/25305114/man-fakes-kidnapping-holds-himself-for-ransom
According to the Knox County Sheriff's Office, Zachery Logsdon, 25, sent his mother text messages claiming his dealer was going to kill him if he didn't get $200. Mom was suspicious though and said her son pulled a similar stunt in the past to get money for drugs.
She called 911 and police arranged a drop-off spot for the money. When Logsdon showed up, police chased him and arrested him.
http://www.wave3.com/story/25305114/man-fakes-kidnapping-holds-himself-for-ransom
