Gust of wind downs jet


December 06, 2006 Edition 2


An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger lit matches to disguise the smell of flatulence.

The Dallas-bound flight had been diverted to Nashville after several passengers reported smelling burning sulphur.

All 99 passengers and five crew were taken off and screened while the jet was searched and luggage was screened.

The FBI had questioned a woman who admitted that she had struck the matches in an attempt to conceal a body odour. - Sapa-AP

Wonder if he would have all that money if Victoria wasn't at his side... :innocent:

:am:

It is a beautiful day today! All unny: and bright!

Busy day for me - flying to Belfast tomorrow. Will be taken around to some beautiful spots and on Friday teaching in a Seminar. Will meet other friends on Saturday and back again. Can't wait to see those beautiful spots.

Have a great day everyone!

:jive: :daisy: :jive:

December 05, 2006 Edition 2


LONDON: He is one of a handful of people who could challenge Roman Abramovich in a bidding war and he just happens to be heading for one of Chelsea's fiercest rivals.

Horse racing may be the abiding passion of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, but his sporting horizons are about to broaden following confirmation from Liverpool yesterday that they are in the throes of a takeover by his investment group, Dubai International Capital.

While the Sheik's lawyers and accountants began scrutinising Anfield's finances in preparation for a boardroom coup that will cost around £450 million, those looking on from the sidelines could not help wondering about the implications of another Premiership club falling into foreign hands. Not just any club, either, but one of the bastions of the English game.

Traditions die hard, particularly on Merseyside, but any sceptics will surely be swept along by the obvious benefits of Rafael Benitez being able to dip into even a modest chunk of Sheik Mohammed's estimated £7 billion fortune.

The would-be new owners are renowned for launching ventures with the aim of leaving rivals in their wake and the Sheik will be committed to making sure Liverpool are first past the Premiership post.

It all points to Liverpool being ready to compete on an equal footing with Abram-ovich's Chelsea as the ruler of Dubai prepares to underwrite a £200m move to a new 60,000-seater stadium in Stanley Park, pay £170m for a controlling stake and devote £80m to debts.

If that does not state his intent clearly enough, he will follow up with a promise of transfer funds that Benitez sees as essential for taking his side to the next level. The Liverpool manager feels he is fighting Chelsea and Manchester United with one hand tied behind his back but has never been one to complain in public.

He hardly needs to, ahead of tonight's return to the Ataturk Stadium, scene of Liverpool's Champions' League triumph over AC Milan in May 2005. Events in the intervening 18 months do the job for him.

While Benitez can recall looking round Istanbul's Olympic venue and feeling every bit as elated as any Liverpool player or fan, he can also remember the bigger picture being nothing like as cheering.

Players needed replacing, even as they clutched their winners' medals, but the Anfield budget was never likely to stretch to the candidates he had in mind to step in for Jerzy Dudek, Vladimir Smicer, Didi Hamann and Milan Baros.

Dudek, Liverpool's penalty shoot-our hero that night, has been granted a rare appearance tonight but knows it is merely for sentimental reasons.

He said: "After this game I will be speaking to Rafa about my future because I don't think I can remain in this situation much longer. I want to be a professional player, not a professional supporter."

For Dudek and the club, the European Cup proved a false dawn and, though it yielded £20m, it did little to correct the financial imbalance between Liverpool and their rivals.

At last, the tide may be about to turn and those who may be alarmed at seeing the Moores dynasty ended after decades of Liverpool being a family-owned club will surely end up embracing 21st Century methods to make their team a major power once more.

Outgoing majority shareholder David Moores may stay on as life-president, with Dubai International Corporation chief executive Sameer Al Ansari, a Liverpool fan and regular Anfield visitor of late, tipped to be chairman.

Whatever the boardroom machinations, Benitez could allow himself a quiet smile as he supervised training at the Ataturk and prepared to send out a weakened side against Galatasaray, having already ensured first place in Group C.

He is finally ready to join Mourinho as a transfer big hitter and, after two-and-a-half years of spending £6m here and £7m there on the likes of Jermaine Pennant and Peter Crouch, he fully intends to make it count.

Is this one for the Idiot of the Week category



Forgets to Blow out the flame on the shot before he drinks it

pring: Hospitality means giving that which mankind needs above all: friendship and understanding, security in the reassuring knowledge that someone cares for them, likes them sincerely, will never disappoint their trust and is spontaneously intrested in their everyday living simple and sincere. - R. Boudens -

pring: He who cannot be friendly towards a fine guest, will never have one. - Chinese Proverb -

pring: Hospitality doesn't imply that we would like to change other people, it implies that we would like to give other people space in which change can take place. it doesn't include tat we want to persuade men and woman to our side, but it does mean that we provide a freedom thatcannot be crossed by borders. - Henry Nouwen -

pring: To receive doesn't firstly mean throwing the doors fo your house wide open, but to throw the doors of your heart wide open, and by doing so becoming vulnerable yourself. It is a disposition, an inner attitude. It implies receiving the other person into yourself, even when it becomes bothersome or unsafe; to be concerned about the other person, to pay attention and to help him to find his place in the local community or somewhere else. - J Vanier -

A father passing by his son's bedroom, was astonished to see the bed
was
nicely made, and everything was picked up. Then, he saw an envelope,
propped up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed, "Dad." With the
worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter, with
trembling hands.

Dear, Dad. It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I
had to elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene
with Mom and you. I've been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is
so nice, but I knew you would not approve of her, because of all her
piercing, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes, and because she is so
much older than I am. But it's not only the passion, Dad. She's
pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in
the woods, and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a
dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the
fact
that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for
ourselves, and trading it with the other people in the commune, for all
the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that
science will find a cure for AIDS, so Stacy can get better. She sure
deserves it!! Don't worry Dad, I'm 15, and I know how to take care of
myself. Someday, I'm sure we'll be back to visit, so you can get to
know
your many grandchildren. Love, your son, John. ..........

P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I just
wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the
school
report that's on my desk. I love you! Please call when it is safe for
me to
come home.................. :cheeky:

Unbelievably, having declared the first innnings with a total of 551, England were skittled out for 129 last night, leaving Australia a total of 168 with 36 overs left in the day.

The commentary on the BBC website would be funny if it wasn't so tragic...

1509: Colly squirts McGrath into the on-side but refuses the single. Colly's been out there for more than two hours now for 16! I'm just off to smash my privates in a car door to divert me from this pain. 120-9

1842: Jones drops an inside edge off Anderson. I'm not bothered, I don't even like cricket. Hussey then swings Anderson away for four before pushing one into the covers to complete a crushing six-wicket victory. 168-4

:duh: ad: :curse:

what a miserable day ..

Have a nice day then

[BUZZ="4"]Top of the Morning[/BUZZ]

For my son's school's Christmas Fair this year I was roped into knitting some pretty scarves with that ribbon wool that is the rage at the moment, and in the process I re-discovered how much I enjoy knitting! My kids saw me knitting like crazy and each put in an order, so after about 15 scarves, I found myself buying a knitting magazine, and wow, I'm still keen! There is such a wide range of wools these days, and the articles to knit are so varied too! I'd love to knit some Christmas decorations for our tree, and am now looking for interesting ideas...

Anyone else bitten by the knitting bug?