Making Hobson's Choice

New Site

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 03:47:00 +0000

I have a new site at www.aeroggio.com Please take a look.

The View From my Cube

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Fri, 05 May 2006 01:58:00 +0000

Ross is moving. He used to be about four rows over in our fourth floor cube farm. But he is moving. Dan is getting a new direct report (this should make his complaints about the weather fresh again) and he needed the space. So now Ross is just across from me.

I wanted to welcome Ross to the neighborhood, you know, sort of like when you used to move into a neighborhood and some thoughtful folks would bring you a baked good. I remember once when I was a kid we moved into a new house in Ohio. This lady came over with some kind of baked brick which she was trying to pass off as a cake. While I could never prove it, I suspected that she had plans to kill everyone in the neighborhood and turn the place into a strip mall.

Anyway, I want to welcome Ross to the neighborhood so I make a sign for him. It read, "New Home of the Civil War-era Guy."

Porn for all?

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 00:58:00 +0000

Pornography is as addictive as any drug. Just ask anyone who sneaks to the computer at midnight to view nude pictures or sex acts. This is all the worse when children are involved.

Citizen Link had this report.

U.S. Attorney General Proposes Changes in Child-Porn Laws
by Pete Winn, associate editor

Alberto Gonzales wants Internet service providers to report violations.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is proposing major changes in child-exploitation laws -- changes that family advocates say are long overdue.

At a speech Thursday at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the attorney general said Internet service providers (ISPs) are not doing enough to help the government fight child pornography. They must take the issue seriously.

"For starters, let's be clear," Gonzales said, "it is not a victimless crime. Most images of child pornography depict actual sexual abuse of real children. Each image literally documents a crime scene."

Pat Trueman, who headed the Justice Department's war against pornography in the early 1990s, when President Bush's father was in office, said it's a step in the right direction.

"The most important thing the attorney general did," Trueman said, "was to offer legislation that will correct a previous law that will require Internet service providers -- like Google and Yahoo -- to report incidences of child pornography or child sex abuse that they know of online."

If Gonzales' suggestion becomes law, ISPs would be required to provide that information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which would pass it on to the Justice Department.

The attorney general also wants a law which would require pornographic Web sites to include warning statements and ratings.

"A mandatory rating system would prevent people from inadvertently stumbling across pornographic images on the Internet," Gonzales said.

Daniel Weiss, senior analyst, media and sexuality at Focus on the Family Action, applauded Gonzales for highlighting the dangers.

"He's definitely right to alert parents and the community on how to go about protecting kids," Weiss said. "But on the other hand, the attorney general is talking tough on this issue, just like he talked tough on the issue of obscenity.

"Unfortunately, he's done nothing about obscenity. He said prosecuting obscenity was a chief goal of his term. But we've not seen vigorous obscenity prosecution. Instead, we might call the effort anemic or even pathetic. I wonder if he's proposing new laws that he has no intention of enforcing."

Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, agreed the Justice Department has long needed to crack down on hardcore pornography.

"I was very disappointed with what he didn't say," he said. "The fact still remains that hardcore, so-called 'adult' pornography, is the leading problem in this country. More children are harmed from hardcore adult pornography than from child pornography. You cannot separate the two. You can't talk about child pornography without talking about hardcore pornography, which is available at many of our hotels. It's available on cable. It's available in video stores. It's running rampant and the Department of Justice is doing nothing about it."

Burress said addiction to pornography generally doesn't start with child pornography.

"They start off with hardcore, sexually explicit adult pornography and they grow into it," he told CitizenLink.

Burress said there are five stages: exposure, addiction, desensitization, escalation and acting out.

"What they do is, they start out with hardcore adult pornography and then their fetish turns to children, and then they start using and producing child pornography, so you cannot separate the two."

Burress said the reason the Justice Department has not engaged in a major crackdown is because of the man who heads the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department, Drew Oosterbaan.

"We met with him five years ago. He's a hold-over from the Clinton administration," Burress said. "There lies the problem. We, meaning the pro-family movement, complained about this inaction all the way up to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft. We've objected to it every year, because nothing is going to be done by a man who, even under the Clinton administration, refused to enforce the laws against hardcore pornography."

Burress has called for Oosterbaan's replacement with someone who would prosecute obscenity.

Mortgage a Bikini

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 04:25:00 +0000

I just saw this interesting ad on a Yahoo news page. I am trying to figure out what the gal in the bikini top has to do with mortgages.

Building the Tower of Babel or Working in Corporate America

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 04:03:00 +0000

In Genesis' 11th chapter the Bible records what might have been humanities most ambishious construction project ever. I will let the Bible set the stage.

As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, Let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." they used the brink instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." (New International Version)

Wow. Impressive. Imaging trying to build a tower all the way to heaven. Now imaging doing it with out a crane or any other piece of modern heavey equipment. Okay, so that has the Tower of Babel got to do with anything? Well two things this week made me think about this famed tower. I will start with the second one first.

Nantucket Votes to Ban Chain Stores

I saw this great article from the AP on Yahoo.

Nantucket joined several other historic tourist towns across the country in approving a measure that would ban chain stores from the island's downtown, a move endorsed by more than 480 residents at a town meeting.

The rule would bar any new chains with more than 14 outlets that have standardized menus, trademarks, uniforms or other homogeneous decor from opening downtown. The ban would not affect gas stations, grocery stores, banks and other service providers.

"I'm extremely gratified," said independent book seller Wendy Hudson, who proposed the ban. "I guess it feels validating ... people saw the balance and need to protect our character rather than this amendment just being another new regulation."

The other thing that made me think of Babel was my new job. I am not working for a very large corportation and what is more I am working at the headquarters. I was walking through one of the company's many large rooms surrounded by co-workers.

I will let you draw your own conclusions, but that was what I was thinking.

I am working like a crazy guy.

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 01:37:00 +0000

I miss my blog. Do you miss me? I took a new job last month and the pace has been crazy. So I am going to try and get in here about once per week. I just wanted to let my readers (yes both of you) know that I am still alive and I will be blogging when I can.

In the meantime, have you had a chance to check out the latest issue of Make?

2006 Olympics Turin:Results in the Olympic biathlon women's 15km race

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:58:00 +0000

Results in the Olympic biathlon women's 15km race On February 13, 2006 via Olympic.org

Final classification:

1. Svetlana Ishmouratova (RUS) 49:24.1 (1 minute penalty) (9:53.1 + 19:33.4 + 30:31.1 + 40:28.4), 2. Olga Pyleva (RUS) 50:09.6 (1) (10:48.6 + 20:47.1 + 30:48.8 + 41:06.2), 3. Martina Glagow (GER) 50:34.9 (2) (9:58.5 + 21:00.7 + 31:00.8 + 42:03.2), 4. Albina Akhatova (RUS) 50:55.0 (2) (11:04.6 + 20:47.4 + 30:54.6 + 41:54.6), 5. Andrea Henkel (GER) 51:46.3 (2) (10:07.8 + 20:05.5 + 30:22.0 + 42:42.1), 6. Krystyna Palka (POL) 51:50.7 (0) (10:25.7 + 20:52.4 + 31:46.1 + 42:25.9), 7. Sandrine Bailly (FRA) 51:58.2 (3) (10:52.0 + 21:35.5 + 31:42.3 + 42:48.4), 8. Olga Nazarova (BLR) 51:59.6 (2) (12:15.2 + 22:17.3 + 32:25.1 + 42:39.8), 9. Natalia Levtchenkova (MDA) 52:11.7 (2) (10:20.5 + 22:30.0 + 32:42.1 + 43:01.9), 10. Liv Grete Poiree-Skjelbreid (NOR) 52:22.0 (3) (9:44.6 + 19:32.0 + 29:40.6 + 42:59.9),

11. Madara Liduma (LAT) 52:27.2 (4) (10:54.3 + 21:40.0 + 32:50.1 + 43:44.0), 12. Ekaterina Dafovska (BUL) 52:45.1 (3) (9:58.5 + 20:50.0 + 32:05.5 + 43:27.3), 13. Uschi Disl (GER) 52:49.7 (5) (9:50.1 + 21:35.2 + 31:27.2 + 44:14.5), 14. Tora Berger (NOR) 52:53.4 (2) (11:22.3 + 22:22.5 + 32:55.8 + 43:27.9), 15. Olena Zubrilova (BLR) 52:55.6 (1) (10:10.6 + 20:15.7 + 31:02.9 + 43:01.1), 16. Anna-Carin Olofsson (SWE) 52:55.8 (5) (10:48.3 + 23:31.7 + 33:21.1 + 44:18.1), 17. Kati Wilhelm (GER) 52:59.0 (5) (9:40.4 + 19:16.1 + 32:09.5 + 44:17.0), 18. Michela Ponza (ITA) 53:01.4 (2) (10:27.2 + 20:41.7 + 32:14.0 + 43:53.5), 19. Teja Gregorin (SLO) 53:03.7 (3) (10:18.1 + 22:32.5 + 32:41.5 + 44:04.1), 20. Eva Tofalvi (ROM) 53:04.3 (2) (10:14.0 + 21:27.6 + 32:02.0 + 43:36.3),

21. Oksana Khvostenko (UKR) 53:22.5 (1) (10:30.2 + 21:06.1 + 31:54.5 + 43:39.8), 22. Andreja Mali (SLO) 53:46.0 (1) (11:44.4 + 22:08.6 + 33:18.1 + 44:11.9), 23. Marcela Pavkovcekova (SVK) 53:52.8 (3) (10:23.7 + 20:38.1 + 32:08.2 + 44:40.5), 24. Xianying Liu (CHN) 53:55.6 (5) (11:16.4 + 24:16.3 + 34:30.3 + 45:33.8), 25. Sylvie Becaert (FRA) 53:59.0 (2) (10:27.1 + 21:53.7 + 33:37.5 + 44:24.8), 26. Yingchao Kong (CHN) 54:03.5 (3) (10:09.3 + 21:18.9 + 32:49.6 + 44:30.3), 27. Florence Baverel-Robert (FRA) 54:14.1 (5) (14:11.7 + 24:08.2 + 35:03.1 + 45:05.8), 28. Zina Kocher (CAN) 54:18.8 (3) (10:24.5 + 22:54.6 + 33:20.8 + 45:09.8), 29. Irina Nikoultchina (BUL) 54:29.3 (6) (10:58.1 + 22:41.4 + 34:40.0 + 45:38.6), 30. Olena Petrova (UKR) 54:35.6 (3) (10:09.7 + 22:26.5 + 32:59.1 + 44:43.2),

31. Dijana Grudicek (SLO) 55:01.3 (4) (10:30.0 + 21:39.2 + 33:04.9 + 45:41.1), 32. Qiao Yin (CHN) 55:06.2 (4) (12:37.2 + 23:58.0 + 34:31.6 + 46:03.9), 33. Tamami Tanaka (JPN) 55:10.5 (4) (12:18.3 + 22:30.0 + 34:04.3 + 45:37.1), 34. Magdalena Gwizdon (POL) 55:17.5 (4) (11:13.4 + 22:26.8 + 34:10.9 + 45:45.5), 35. Martina Halinarova (SVK) 55:17.7 (4) (12:21.9 + 23:33.3 + 34:04.8 + 45:43.7), 36. Anna Bogaliy (RUS) 55:18.4 (5) (9:52.4 + 21:51.8 + 33:21.3 + 45:49.9), 37. Lilia Efremova (UKR) 55:28.0 (5) (12:11.4 + 24:16.9 + 34:36.9 + 46:31.2), 38. Kanae Meguro (JPN) 55:28.4 (5) (10:25.4 + 23:35.6 + 34:59.8 + 46:22.4), 39. Barbara Ertl (ITA) 55:30.0 (2) (11:47.0 + 22:26.8 + 33:26.3 + 45:36.8), 40. Tadeja Brankovic (SLO) 55:38.9 (6) (10:03.5 + 22:00.3 + 33:13.9 + 46:25.3),

41. Delphyne Peretto (FRA) 55:40.5 (3) (11:28.2 + 22:58.6 + 34:54.4 + 45:53.9), 42. Rachel Steer (USA) 55:48.3 (3) (11:43.0 + 23:14.4 + 35:05.7 + 46:02.0), 43. Sandra Keith (CAN) 55:56.3 (2) (12:04.8 + 22:53.0 + 33:55.4 + 45:55.9), 44. Pavlina Filipova (BUL) 56:07.7 (5) (11:18.8 + 21:23.6 + 32:51.7 + 46:30.7), 45. Ekaterina Ivanova (BLR) 56:09.7 (6) (13:14.8 + 23:24.7 + 35:48.7 + 47:05.8), 46. Katerina Holubcova (CZE) 56:17.9 (4) (10:31.3 + 20:55.6 + 34:48.2 + 46:32.5), 47. Valj Semerenko (UKR) 56:22.6 (3) (10:40.3 + 22:22.8 + 34:17.0 + 46:18.6), 48. Sona Mihokova (SVK) 56:29.5 (5) (11:23.2 + 21:37.5 + 35:02.4 + 46:50.1), 49. Anzela Brice (LAT) 56:30.5 (2) (11:18.5 + 22:12.5 + 33:35.8 + 46:43.7), 50. Anna Lebedeva (KAZ) 56:46.5 (4) (11:41.5 + 23:08.1 + 35:00.9 + 46:57.4),

51. Linda Tjorhom (NOR) 56:47.8 (6) (12:12.8 + 24:18.6 + 34:40.6 + 47:11.9), 52. Saskia Santer (ITA) 56:52.1 (6) (11:31.1 + 23:40.1 + 35:02.0 + 47:28.6), 53. Nathalie Santer (ITA) 57:08.4 (6) (10:34.4 + 22:51.6 + 34:19.4 + 47:58.8), 54. Zdenka Vejnarova (CZE) 57:14.3 (6) (14:35.0 + 25:50.6 + 37:16.1 + 47:49.0), 55. Nina Kadeva (BUL) 57:15.0 (5) (12:30.1 + 23:59.5 + 34:44.7 + 47:30.5), 56. Ikuyo Tsukidate (JPN) 57:20.4 (4) (11:44.7 + 24:32.4 + 35:31.7 + 47:33.4), 57. Katarzyna Ponikwia (POL) 57:32.7 (4) (12:45.1 + 24:26.5 + 36:29.6 + 47:35.2), 58. Tracy Barnes (USA) 57:58.0 (1) (12:07.2 + 23:33.5 + 35:26.6 + 47:13.8), 59. Yuxia Hou (CHN) 58:35.7 (9) (11:09.2 + 23:17.5 + 35:28.3 + 49:36.7), 60. Jana Gerekova (SVK) 58:37.2 (5) (11:33.5 + 24:16.8 + 36:24.5 + 48:32.4),

61. Gunn Margit Andreassen (NOR) 59:04.3 (6) (10:47.6 + 21:23.0 + 33:22.7 + 49:24.0), 62. Magda Rezlerova (CZE) 59:18.0 (6) (11:30.9 + 23:52.2 + 37:51.3 + 49:03.1), 63. Sarah Konrad (USA) 59:33.1 (10) (12:16.0 + 24:09.4 + 38:15.2 + 50:34.6), 64. Linda Savlaka (LAT) 59:44.3 (3) (14:04.1 + 25:44.2 + 37:29.6 + 49:08.5), 65. Lanny Barnes (USA) 59:46.2 (4) (12:10.0 + 25:20.0 + 36:48.9 + 49:22.7), 66. Martine Albert (CAN) 59:52.1 (5) (13:06.0 + 24:03.5 + 35:10.0 + 49:38.7), 67. Diana Rasimoviciute (LTU) 1h00:04.4 (8) (13:31.4 + 26:05.7 + 37:50.7 + 50:30.0), 68. Irena Cesnekova (CZE) 1h00:08.0 (7) (13:44.7 + 24:02.0 + 37:13.4 + 50:17.0), 69. Alexandra Rusu (ROM) 1h00:13.7 (5) (12:02.5 + 26:08.7 + 37:40.0 + 50:05.9), 70. Tomomi Otaka (JPN) 1h00:22.2 (6) (12:00.0 + 24:44.8 + 38:09.0 + 50:24.0),

71. Gerda Krumina (LAT) 1h00:26.1 (4) (10:59.2 + 23:32.2 + 36:18.4 + 50:01.4), 72. Magdalena Grzywa (POL) 1h00:41.3 (7) (12:37.2 + 23:34.0 + 37:49.0 + 50:48.7), 73. Dana Elena Plotogea (ROM) 1h00:45.5 (7) (12:43.7 + 24:34.8 + 37:36.8 + 50:43.1), 74. Eveli Saue (EST) 1h00:53.6 (5) (13:57.3 + 26:21.1 + 37:53.8 + 50:31.8), 75. Aleksandra Vasiljevic (BIH) 1h01:11.8 (1) (13:07.6 + 25:05.4 + 37:30.1 + 49:57.0), 76. Mihaela Purdea (ROM) 1h02:11.5 (7) (14:11.7 + 27:10.3 + 40:38.4 + 51:52.1), 77. Ksenia Zikounkova (BLR) 1h02:17.5 (8) (11:55.3 + 24:30.4 + 37:35.5 + 51:56.9), 78. Marie-Pierre Parent (CAN) 1h02:57.1 (4) (11:25.3 + 26:14.1 + 38:27.8 + 51:44.0), 79. Emma Fowler (GBR) 1h03:38.9 (7) (11:22.0 + 25:39.2 + 38:16.8 + 52:57.0), 80. Petra Starcevic (CRO) 1h06:49.6 (8) (15:28.5 + 28:22.0 + 41:29.7 + 55:44.9),

81. Zsofia Gottschall (HUN) 1h08:17.3 (8) (13:18.0 + 28:27.3 + 41:58.5 + 57:18.7), 82. Veronica Isbej (CHI) 1h14:55.3 (7) (15:35.9 + 30:59.1 + 46:07.0 + 1h02:06.9)

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Sudoku News Coverage

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 20:50:00 +0000

My sudoku venture, Operation su-Do-ku, got some positive press coverage in the Idaho Falls Post Register newspaper. I was very pleased to say the least. I know that some of my readers (yes you) may be thinking that I am off on a wild new venture that is well, stupid, but my plan is to offer free daily, weekly, or monthly sudoku puzzles to magazines and newspapers (there is also a free sudoku newsletter which will be featuring unique puzzles not found on the site or in print). I just want to give these sudoku puzzles away free, folks can have fun with them, and then click back to my website for the solutions.

Anyway, here is a link to Operation su-DO-ku.

Of Frying Ants and Olympic Torches.

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 22:26:00 +0000

I recently published an Olympics related article. Since I have been giving some pretty extensive attention to the Olympics of late, I thought I would share part of that article here. I hope you like it.

I have a rather politically incorrect confession to make. As a boy in the 1970’s, I fried ants. Not fried like you would make French fries. No, I used a magnifying glass and the power of the sun to incinerate thousands of the little buggers on sidewalks and roadways throughout my youth.

I am sure that somewhere in the subterranean world of ants there is a wanted poster with my boyhood picture on it and a description of a heat ray.

I make this confession only after learning that the ancient Greeks probably fried ants too. This is of course not an historical fact, but rather a deduction, since it seems that those crafty Greeks used a similar method (sun + glass) to light the first Olympic flame. In fact, the current Olympic flame which is bound for Torino, Italy was also ignited with light.

Here is the story. The tradition of the Olympic flame and its associated Olympic torch developed from Greek polytheism. In ancient Greece, a permanent flame burned in the sanctuary of Olympia, venue for the ancient Olympic Games. Since the flame was part of the worship of the gods, it need to be pure and it would seem the Greeks thought that just whipping out a Zippo would be beneath the dignity of the gods. Instead, these Greeks used a skaphia, which according to people way smarter than I am, is the ancestor of the modern parabolic mirror. The skaphia concentrated the sun’s energy and then reflected it outward, creating an intense heat ray which would have made Flash Gordon jealous. This heat ray was concentrated on the center of a torch and voila, the torch burst into flame.

Read the rest of this article on Associated Content.

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roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:34:00 +0000

via Olympic.org.
Men's World Cup slalom

1. Kalle Palander (FIN) 1:42.34 (53.51 + 48.83)

2. Akira Sasaki (JAP) 1:43.13 (54.07 + 49.06)

3. Benjamin Raich (AUT) 1:43.15 (54.38 + 48.77)

4. Andre Myhrer (SWE) 1:43.39 (54.07 + 49.32)

5. Stephane Tissot (FRA) 1:43.75 (54.29 + 49.46)

6. Kentaro Minagawa (JPN) 1:43.81 (53.96 + 49.85)

7. Patrick Thaler (ITA) 1:43.84 (54.68 + 49.16)

8. Martin Hansson (SWE) 1:44.22 (54.45 + 49.77)

9. Manfred Pranger (AUT) 1:44.40 (54.55 + 49.85)

10. Hannes Paul Schmid (ITA) 1:44.46 (54.58 + 49.88)

11. Rainer Schonfelder (AUT) 1:44.58 (53.88 + 50.70)

12. Hans-Petter Buraas (NOR) 1:44.62 (55.13 + 49.49)

13. Michael Janyk (CAN) 1:44.63 (54.35 + 50.28)

14. Thomas Grandi (CAN) 1:44.83 (54.27 + 50.56)

15. Pierrick Bourgeat (FRA) 1:44.84 (54.98 + 49.96)

16. Andreas Omminger (AUT) 1:45.11 (55.47 + 49.64)

17. Daniel Albrecht (SUI) 1:45.13 (55.42 + 49.71)

18. Mario Matt (AUT) 1:45.31 (55.36 + 49.95)

19. Chip Knight (USA) 1:45.51 (55.83 + 49.68)

20. Marc Berthod (SUI) 1:45:58 (55.82 + 49.76)

21. Cristian Deville (ITA) 1:45.67 (55.72 + 49.95)

22. Edoardo Zardini (ITA) 1:45.78 (55.48 + 50.30)

22. Alexander Koll (AUT) 1:45.78 (55.29 + 50.49)

24. Manfred Moelgg (ITA) 1:45.89 (55.57 + 50.32)

25. Lars Myhre (NOR) 1:45.90 (55.51 + 50.39)

26. Johan Brolenius (SWE) 1:46.31 (55.28 + 51.03)

27. Jean-Baptiste Grange (FRA) 1:46.83 (55.48 + 51.35)

28. James Cochran (USA) 1:47.07 (55.41 + 51.66)

Did not finish

1st run: Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR), Bode Miller (USA), Alois Vogl (GER), Ted Ligety (USA)

2nd run: Bernard Vajdic (SLO), Giorgio Rocca (ITA)

Eliminated after 1st run

Jean-Pierre Vidal (FRA), Ivica Kostelic (CRO)

World Cup slalom standings after seven events

1. Giorgio Rocca (ITA) 500 pts

2. Kalle Palander (FIN) 366

3. Ted Ligety (USA) 325

4. Benjamin Raich (AUT) 260

5. Jean-Pierre Vidal (FRA) 253

6. Stephane Tissot (FRA) 205

7. Reinfried Herbst (AUT) 204

8. Akira Sasaki (JPN) 184

9. Thomas Grandi (CAN) 180

10. Andre Myhrer (SWE) 162

World Cup overall standings

1. Benjamin Raich (AUT) 952 pts

2. Michael Walchhofer (AUT) 704

3. Daron Rahlves (USA) 689

4. Bode Miller (USA) 688

5. Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR) 612

6. Hermann Maier (AUT) 585

7. Kalle Palander (FIN) 566

8. Giorgio Rocca (ITA) 536

9. Fritz Strobl (AUT) 509

10. Kjetil-Andre Aamodt (NOR) 498

11. Marco Buchel (LIE) 492

12. Erik Guay (CAN) 435

13. Ted Ligety (USA) 403

14. Peter Fill (ITA) 364

15. Rainer Schonfelder (AUT) 363

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Sometimes it is Good to be Poor

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:22:00 +0000

Mark 10:17 to 27 tells us the story of a rich man that fell on his knees before Christ and asked what he must do to have eternal life. After questioning this rich fellow, Christ told him to give all he had to the poor. "At this," Mark wrote, "the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth."

Christ then told his disciples, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Or to give a more modern example, it is easier to drive a Ford Expedition through a key hole than for a person in love with the things of this world to enter God's kingdom.

The problem this rich fellow had was that he was too comfortable in this world. He was too much in love with the things he had. This world with all of its pleasures and treasures is not a Christian's home. Our real home is in the kingdom to come, so we cannot allow ourselves to be weighted down with the cares or the pleasures of this place. We have to remember that our X-Box, our snow board, our new car, our cool clothes, our favorite television show, or even our favorite music must all take a back seat to our worship.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" and answers, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever."

Cap Rifle, is awesome toy

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:15:00 +0000

Today's toy is the Grizzly Cap Rifle from Cowboy Toys & More. The Grizzly Cap Rifle is a well crafted plastic and metal toy cap rifle which fires strip caps. The Grizzly is one of the best cap rifles currently available and is sure to generate hours of imagination driven play for your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. You can get more information about this cap gun at Cowboy Toys & More.

Help me overcome my unbelief.

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 19:17:00 +0000

As I was reading the Bible this morning, I happened on a passage in Mark, which I have read several times. The verse is Mark 9:24. In the New International Version its reads "Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelif.'"

The quote was just perfect for where I am in my life right now, so much so that I needed to share it. In this story Christ has just come down from the mountain of transfiguration to find that his disciples had been unable to drive a demon out of a young boy. The child had been prone to convulsions, foaming at the mouth, and could not speak.

Christ ask the boy's father how long the child had suffered.

"'From Childhood,' He answered. 'It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anthing, take pity on us and help us.'" (verse 22).

"'If I can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.'" (verse 23)

And then the father says what is probably true for a lot of Christians from time to time, I believe, but help me overcome my unbelief. Often times belief is really a mixture of belief and, well, a measure of doubt. We know with our heads what God wants for our lives. We know how we should live, But doubt and temptation still sneak in. In is in these moments that we should do what this father does: state our faith and asked God to sure it up for us.

Contemplation Jigsaw Puzzle

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 19:10:00 +0000

Today's Toy is not a toy, it is a jigsaw puzzle, but since both toys and jigsaw puzzles are fun, I figured you would not mind.

This particular jigsaw puzzle is called Contemplation and features an older, white haired women gazing over a western plain. The jigsaw puzzle invokes a sense of peace and yet has a bit of an emotional hard edge. You can find the Contemplation Jigsaw Puzzle and dozens of other western-themed jigsaw puzzles at Cowboy Toys & More, www.cowboy-toys.com.

2006 Olympics Torino: Paving the Way to Victory In Torino

roggio@aeroggio.com (Armando) — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:08:00 +0000

Slutskaya wins record seventh Euro title

Russian Irina Slutskaya earned her record breaking seventh Womens European Championships in figure skating, inspite of a near fall in the free skate, paving the way for a good showing at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino.

Here are the official results for the event from the International Skating Union along with some facts about the skaters and several articles about the event.

Irina Slutskaya, according to the International Skating Union, in 1996 "became the first Russian lady to win the European title (and defended it in 1997). She is also the first Russian lady skater to win a silver medal at the Olympic Winter Games. Slutskaya invented the double Biellmann-spin with foot change. At the 2000 Grand Prix Final in Lyon she became the first woman to land a triple Lutz-triple loop combination in competition and was awarded a 6.0 for technical merit. At Worlds 2001 she became the first woman to land a triple Lutz-triple loop-double toeloop combination. Slutskaya married Sergei Mikheev in August 1999. She was left off the National team for Europeans and Worlds in 1999 but came back strong the following year. Slutskaya missed the 2003 World Championships due to the severe illness of her mother. She was sidelined by illness (vasculitis) the whole 2003/2004 season except for Worlds. Slutskaya withdrew from the 2006 Nationals."

"Elena Sokolova," the ISU said, "went back to train with former coach Viktor Kudriavtsev in fall 2002 after training under Alexei Mishin in St. Petersburg. When Sokolova suffered a concussion in summer 2002, she considered quitting skating, but her mother convinced her to stay in. Sokolova competed in the 1998 Olympic Winter Games, placing 7th."

"Carolina Kostner," the ISU said, "is the first Italian lady to medal at World Championschips (bronze in 2005) since Susanna Driano took the bronze medal at the 1978 World Championships. Kostner is also the first Italian single skater to win a medal at Junior Worlds (bronze in 2003). She is a cousin and godchild of famous Italian skier Isolde Kostner and says she feels inspired by her. Kostner's mother Patrizia was a nationally ranked figure skater in the 1970s and her father Erwin played ice hockey on the National Italian team at World Championships and Olympic Games. Kostner has two brothers, Martin (one year older) and Simon (three years younger). Simon plays ice hockey."

Here are several press reports.

SALVATORE ZANCA, Associated Press Writer via Yahoo Sport.
Slutskaya wins record seventh Euro title

LYON, France (AP) -- Irina Slutskaya would rather not think too much about the Olympics just yet. She knows a lot of things can go wrong.

"You never know what can happen," Slutskaya said. "It's ice. It's slippery. It's life."

Regardless, she will head into Turin in a less than a month with a record seventh European figure skating title -- one more than Katarina Witt and Sonja Henie. Henie and Witt still have something Slutskaya doesn't -- an Olympic gold medal.

Henie dominated Europe in the 1930s, and added 10 world titles and three Olympic golds. Witt won her six Europeans in the 1980s, along with four worlds, and two Olympics.

"Katarina Witt, for me, was the best skater in the world. I never, never thought I could beat her," said Slutskaya, who has won world titles in 2002 and 2005.

Now she could be the one whose record will be broken.

"Maybe in 10 or 20 years, somebody will beat the record and they will say, `Oh! You know you beat the record of Irina Slutskaya."'

Read the rest of this article.

AFP News via Yahoo News.
Slutskaya in seventh heaven with record European win

World champion Irina Slutskaya won a record seventh women's title at the European figure skating championships.

She took gold ahead of fellow Russian Elena Sokolova, the 2003 world and European silver medallist, with Carolina Kostner of Italy taking bronze after the free skating final.

Olympic silver-medallist Slutskaya overtakes the legendary Sonja Henie of Norway, who won six titles in a row between 1931-1936 and Germany's Katarina Witt, winner from 1983-1988.

"Katarina Witt was for me the best skater in the world," said Slutskaya.

Read the rest of this article.