MikeLigalig.com

(L-R) Samuel Trego and Ben Spiri read to "Stewart," a cat up for adoption, during "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, PA on February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

Kaitlyn Karkoska reads to "Jingles," a cat up for adoption, during "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

As a promotion for cat adoption, the Animal Rescue League of Berks County allows adopted cats, such as "Brad Pitt," to be named for Academy Award nominees, as part of "The Book Buddies Program" in Birdsboro, PA on February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

Kaitlyn Karkoska cuddles with "Brad Pitt," a black cat up for adoption, during "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

Walk of Fame stars are arranged in honor of cats up for adoption on the floor at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County as part of "The Book Buddies Program" in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

"Kochi," a cat up for adoption, remains in the enclosure following "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, PA on February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

"Zane," a tabby cat up for adoption listens to books read by Trey Douglas and Cassandra Kraus during "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

Colby Procyk reads to "Nicky," "Zane," and "kochi," (L-R) cats up for adoption, during "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

Kaitlyn Karkoska reads to "Jingles" a cat up for adoption, as part of "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

A humorous sign hangs in an enclosure for cats up for adoption, at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, as children arrive for the "The Book Buddies Program" in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014.  (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

Kaitlyn Karkoska, Seth Wiggins, and Ethan Wiggins (L-R) read to "Stewart" and "Tyler," cats up for adoption, as part of "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014. (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

Desmond Allen reads to "Ginger," a cat up for adoption, during "The Book Buddies Program" at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania February 11, 2014. Children in grades 1-8 read to the cats as a way to improve their reading skills and gain confidence. The shelter animals can be a non-evaluative presence that can provide support and comfort to participants without judging them. Students showed sustained focus and maintained a higher state of awareness, as well as improved attitudes toward school, according to researchers at Tufts University. (REUTERS/Mark Makela)

hehe, he managed to get in, so shall he get out.

Today

Having qualified for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but lacking funding, the cryptocurrency Dogecoin community raised on the team's behalf $30,000 of the approximately $40,000 required within two days. An additional $80,000 was raised in online donations through Crowdtilt before 21 January. As of 15:50, 21 January 2014 (UTC), the campaign had raised $121,160 far surpassing the target of only $80,000. (wikipedia)

After the 2002 Winter Olympics, Lascelles Brown moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he married his Canadian girlfriend and became a Canadian resident. In 2004, Brown joined the Canadian bobsled team. In 2006, at the Turin Winter Olympics, with his Canadian driver Pierre Lueders, Brown won the Olympic Silver Medal (second place) for the 2-man bobsled event. At the Vancouver Games in 2010, Brown again raced for Canada, and received an Olympic Bronze Medal, when his Canadian 4-man team finished in third place. (wikipedia)

In 2000, the Jamaican bobsleigh team won the gold medal at the World Push Championships in Monaco. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, the 2-man team of Winston Watts (pilot) and Lascelles Brown (brakeman), set the Park City bobsled track record and the Olympic record for the push-start segment of the 2-man race at 4.78 seconds. Jamaica failed to qualify for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, or the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. (wikipedia)

Evolution

The team returned to the Olympics in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, but finished poorly. They qualified again for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. There, the Jamaican four sled stunned many of their critics by finishing in 14th place, ahead of the United States, Russia, Australia, France, and two sleds from Canada.(wikipedia)

This team was the inspiration for a major motion picture, Cool Runnings. The characters in the film are fictional, although the original footage of the crash is used during the film. The film's depiction of the post-crash rescue was changed to show the bobsledders carrying the sled over the line on their shoulders for dramatic effect. (wikipedia)


1993

The team (consisting of Devon Harris, Dudley Stokes, Michael White, and last minute replacement Nelson Stokes) debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. There they quickly became a fan favorite largely because of their status position as the ultimate 'underdog' story of the games.


the original jamaica bobsleigh team, 1988 winter olympics, calgary

Not only was there the novelty of having a tropical country compete in a cold-weather sport, but they had very little practice going down a bobsled track before, and they borrowed spare sleds from other countries to compete. In a show of worldly brotherhood, other bobsledders were quick to give them guidance and support.


Jamaican bobsleigh team crash out in 1988

They did not officially finish after losing control of the sled and crashing during one of their four runs. However, they showed significant improvement throughout the games and impressed observers with some fast starts. (wikipedia)

bobsled (or bobsleigh) - a mechanically steered and braked sled, typically manned by crews of two or four, used for racing down a steep ice-covered run with banked curves




a bobsleigh run

The Jamaican national bobsleigh team represents Jamaica in international bobsledding competitions. The team first gained fame during their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where they were seen as underdogs inasmuch as they represented a tropical nation in a winter sport.

The team returned to the Winter Olympics again in 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2002. The team failed to qualify for the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. Led by driver Winston Watts, Jamaica qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the two-man. (wikipedia)

what happened here?  i look forward to a happy ending to this...

Gus Kenworthy        âœ" @guskenworthy
Follow

puppy love is real to puppies.

11:12 AM - 11 Feb 2014
5,743 Retweets 8,179 favorites

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

 Gus Kenworthy        âœ" @guskenworthy
Follow

Also, for the people wondering, I've lined up kennels 4 the pups & made vaccination appointments. Doing all I can to bring them home w/ me!

10:50 AM - 12 Feb 2014
1,765 Retweets 4,212 favorites

U.S. Skier Gus Kenworthy Saves Puppies In Sochi, Becomes Our Favorite Olympian

The Huffington Post
by Ron Dicker
02/13/2014

Gus Kenworthy's tweets showing photos of him with adorable stray puppies in Sochi are eliciting awwws around the world. Even better, the images are more than just a photo op.

Kenworthy, a freeskier from Telluride, Colo., competing in slopestyle at the Olympics, apparently came across a bunch of strays and pledged to save the little cuties and bring them home with him. Given Sochi's mandate to exterminate street dogs, this makes Kenworthy's gesture double doggone awesome.

Check out the tweets below. How can you not help but root for this guy now?


Gus Kenworthy        âœ" @guskenworthy
Follow

Oh my glob, look who I just found! #sochistrays

7:12 AM - 11 Feb 2014
3,262 Retweets 6,727 favorites

The video says children who have been abducted are often too scared to ask for help outright, so adults need to be proactive.

Nathan, who is an actor from Garden Grove, Calif., said that's why he agreed to participate in the experiment.

He said his motivation was "to change the world and stop people from abducting other people's children."

His mother, Claire Flores, said she cried when she saw how people protected her son.

"We all need to keep our eyes out, be more aware of our surroundings and take care of our children," she said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmOCKFigME#ws

http://news.yahoo.com/

"I think I was more scared than the little boy at that point in time," he said.

One man who overheard the abductor promising the boy candy if he got into his car initially challenged the abductor but accepted his explanation of being the boy's father.

Another man didn't try to help at all. After Nathan approached him and said "this man in a jacket, he tried to get me," the man accepted the abductor's explanation that the boy was his son. He even shook the abductor's hand before he walked away from them.

Erakat, a Los Angeles filmmaker and producer, said his biggest childhood fear was of being abducted. He added that the video allowed him to express that fear and raise awareness about how to spot the signs of a child who has been abducted.

In the video, most people are quick confront the alleged abductor and protect the boy, whose name is Nathan Flores.

One woman even pepper sprayed Nathan's purported abductor. At that point, the experiment is revealed to her.

Andre Jefferson, another good Samaritan who shoved the abductor and told the boy to call his mother, said his instinct kicked in.

"I felt one hundred percent responsible, because he came to me," Jefferson said.

After the hidden camera was revealed, Jefferson admitted that he was scared by the situation.

ABC News

Would You Help a Kidnapped Child? Hidden Camera Shows How People React to Abduction

By ABC News
14 February 2014

If you saw a child being kidnapped, what would you do?

Yousef Saleh Erakat set up a hidden camera experiment to find out. In a video posted to YouTube on Sunday, Erakat films strangers' reactions when a fifth-grader - who is in on the experiment - tells them that he has been kidnapped by a man who is nearby.

The alleged abductor is also part of the experiment.

The strangers are unaware the situation has been staged, and their reactions are startling.

i was hoping this is just a photoshopped image made by some sadistic humorist.  the police officer's eyes are focused on something else, but then the shadow of his right arm is believable...

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

An animal activist carries a stray dog to his car brought out of Sochi by fellow activist at a rendezvous point 120 kilometers away from the Olympic area in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, in Tuapse, Russia. Airapetian is one of a dozen people in the emerging movement of animal activists in Sochi alarmed by reports that the city has contracted the killing of thousands of stray dogs before and during the Olympic Games.

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

An animal activist pets a stray half-breed Labrador he just picked up as he waits to meet up with his wife, his accomplice on this rescue mission, Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, in Sochi, Russia, home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Alexei is one of a dozen people in the emerging movement of animal activists in Sochi alarmed by reports that the city has contracted the killing of thousands of stray dogs before and during the Olympic Games.

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

Stray dogs brought out of Sochi by an animal activist wait to be transferred to the car of a fellow activist at a rendezvous point 120 kilometers away from the Olympic area in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, in Tuapse, Russia. Krasova is one of a dozen people in the emerging movement of animal activists in Sochi alarmed by reports that the city has contracted the killing of thousands of stray dogs before and during the Olympic Games.

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

An animal activist checks on a stray dog before picking it up and carrying it to his car, Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, in central Sochi, Russia, home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Alexei is one of a dozen people in the emerging movement of animal activists in Sochi alarmed by reports that the city has contracted the killing of thousands of stray dogs before and during the Olympic Games.

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

An animal activist carries a stray half-breed Labrador to his car after finding it at a cafe's back door, Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, in central Sochi, Russia, home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Alexei is one of a dozen people in the emerging movement of animal activists in Sochi alarmed by reports that the city has contracted the killing of thousands of stray dogs before and during the Olympic Games.

The Associated Press Photo By David Goldman

An animal activist carries a stray dog to his car brought out of Sochi by fellow activist at a rendezvous point 120 kilometers away from the Olympic area in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, in Tuapse, Russia. Airapetian is one of a dozen people in the emerging movement of animal activists in Sochi alarmed by reports that the city has contracted the killing of thousands of stray dogs before and during the Olympic Games.

Volunteers smuggle stray dogs out of Sochi - Window to the Winter Games

There is an emerging movement of animal activists in Sochi alarmed by reports that the city has contracted the killing of thousands of stray dogs before and during the Olympic Games. Volunteers are collecting dogs from the Olympic area and taking them to find homes.

Stray dogs are a common sight on the streets of Russian cities, but with massive construction in the area the street dog population in Sochi and the Olympic park has soared. Useful as noisy, guard dogs, workers feed them to keep them nearby and protect buildings. They soon lose their value and become strays. Tonight, a few dogs will be taken on their way to a new life in Moscow. (Reuters)

It was 64.81, his best ever. But Martinez would have to wait again to find out whether it would be good enough to be one of the top 24 skaters who make it to the free skate.

"I think so, maybe half and half," he said. "I'm a little confident, but then I'm not."

Nearby, though, some of the other early skaters were struggling. Some fell trying jumps, others made mistakes that lowered their scores.

Plushenko himself fell on a triple axel in warm-ups, hurting his back and ending his bid to add another medal on home ice to the four he already won.

Suddenly, the math was starting to look good. It wasn't official yet, but Martinez had made it in.

"I feel like a real champion," he said.

For one night at the Olympics, that's exactly what the kid from the mall was.



http://sports.yahoo.com/

But his spins were good, the rest of the program nicely skated. Most importantly, he didn't look like a 17-year-old making his Olympic debut.

In 2 minutes and 39 seconds, Martinez showed he belonged. And now all there was to do was to wait.

"I'm very happy and proud," he said. "I missed just one jump but the rest of the program was good."



Michael Christian Martinez of the Philippines holds up a jacket after the men's short program figure skating competition at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

In the kiss-and-cry area, Martinez waved his jacket with "Philippines" on the back to the crowd, drawing cheers. He sat with the Russian coach his mother â€" who learned skating along with her son so she could save money by coaching him herself â€" had hired for him, flashing a thumbs-up sign as his score was posted.

He fell on his behind that day, but that didn't stop him from coming back the next. Neither did the asthma that put him in the hospital many times and kept him from playing sports outdoors.

"I WILL make the free skate," he declared after practice the night before. "Because I am prepared."

Preparation, though, only counts so much. So on his Facebook page, Martinez asked his friends to "Please pray for me."

He began his skate by hitting a nice triple axel, drawing applause from the crowd. But on his second jump he didn't finish the rotation on a triple lutz and triple toe loop, lowering his marks from the judges.

In a sequined and braided black and white outfit donated by a designer in New York who saw his Facebook plea for proper Olympic attire, Martinez took the biggest stage of his life, skating just two spots before the great Evgeni Plushenko was supposed to go in front of a capacity crowd at the Olympic arena.

He acknowledged the polite applause, gliding to the center of the ice. He paused, struck a pose, and then began the most important skate of his career.

"I was so nervous," he said. "This was such a big event."

He had reason to be. At 17, he is the youngest skater in the program and the only Filipino figure skater ever in the Olympics.

Still, Martinez was sure he would prevail. The gangly kid with the mop of black hair had to, because this has been his life ever since he walked by the rink in the Manila mall at the age of 9, saw the skaters, and declared to his mother that this was something he wanted to do.

He had less than three minutes to prove himself in the short program and make it to the men's free skate final.

If he didn't, he might have to be thinking about the next step, perhaps working for his family raising vegetables to sell to Japan.

The expenses had become too much. The mall had contributed some money, but in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan there wasn't much the government could do for a figure skater, the nation's only competitor in Sochi.

The family home had already been mortgaged to pay for his skating. There was no more to give.

"We're hoping he makes it and some companies support him," his mother, Maria Teresa Martinez, said. "Otherwise he will just have to stop. We cannot afford it anymore. It's just so expensive and we can't do another four years."

Filipino skater makes it from mall to Olympics

Associated Press
By TIM DAHLBERG
14 February 2014

SOCHI, Russia (AP) â€" Michael Martinez nailed the bow at the end.

Four bows, to be exact, though no one could blame him. He didn't seem to want to leave the ice Thursday night, and no one was going to blame him for that, either.

This wasn't the shopping mall in the Philippines, where he learned his jumps and spins while trying to avoid parents and their kids skating by on family outings. This was the Iceberg Skating Palace and this was the Olympics, where the teenager was desperate for the skate of his young life.

10. The woman who buried five husbands

It's a record to startle anyone but Henry VIII. In the dying days of the Victorian era, a woman in France was widowed five times over.

Each of her husbands came to an unpleasant end. Her first husband hanged himself. The second died in a fire. The third drowned himself. The fourth went the way of the first.

And so she turned to husband number five, who must have signed the marriage certificate with a certain amount of trepidation. Rightly so, as it turned out. At the start of 1901, he too hanged himself.

Why did they all decide to die? The report in the Western Gazette never got round to saying. But one thing's for sure, though. Whatever she paid for her mourning dress, she got good value for money.

Jeremy Clay is the author of The Burglar Caught by a Skeleton.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

9. A ludicrous romance

There's a thin line between tragedy and farce, and in 1888, it was crossed by two love-struck teenagers with racing hearts but sluggish wits.

He was 17, she was four years younger. With the itchy impatience of youth, they couldn't face the wait to marry, and decided death would be preferable.

Behind the custom house in Budapest they embraced and kissed their goodbyes, then headed for the Danube for the wretched last act in their passionate tale. Steeling themselves to act, she threw herself in and he pulled out a revolver.

But after plunging into the river, the girl remembered she could swim. Just as she reached the shore, her heartbroken lover turned the gun on himself, pulled the trigger three times and managed to miss with each shot.

A quarter of an hour later, the Tamworth Herald reported, the hapless pair were handed over to their (presumably thin-lipped) parents.

8. Popping the question: Marry or be burned

Monsieur Hamelin wasn't looking for romance, he only had eyes for orchids. That's what had brought him to Madagascar in 1893, and that's how, by and by, he ended up with the brother of a local chief as his guide.

Off they went into the rainforest but only Hamelin returned, reported the Liverpool Echo, as his aide was mauled to death by a wild beast.

It's fair to say the chief was less than impressed with this turn of events, and gave our horticultural hero two options - marry his brother's grieving widow, or be greased and burnt.

Hamelin didn't need long to choose life, but added a canny clause to the deal - that his new brother-in-law closed off his kingdom to all other European orchid-seekers.

7. The newlyweds pelted with rotten eggs

It's the old, old story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love and marry. They're harried home from the church by a baying mob.

The groom was a coal-hawker, whose previous wife had died just weeks before. "The new alliance did not meet with the approval of his children," said the Manchester Courier in 1890. That was something of an understatement.

The pair had sneaked off to marry in a church well away from his home in St Helens.

On their return, they were met by a jeering crowd who threw litter and rotten eggs as a substitute for confetti.

As the newlyweds were jostled by their tormentors, the groom was punched in the face. A woman seized the bride's bonnet and tore it up. Sensing there was no time to carry the bride over the threshold, the pair bolted inside as quickly as they could.

"The uproar in the street continued until a late hour," concluded the Courier.

6. For sale, by auction: One wife



Sometimes, it just doesn't work out. The spark goes, the flame flickers, the fire dies - whichever combustible cliche you favour, love has a regrettable habit of fizzling out.

But for everyone bar the wealthiest men in Victorian Britain, divorce was out of the question. That may explain, if not excuse, why a navvy in Stacksteads, Lancashire who'd grown tired of married life, reverted to an old English custom.

He offered up his wife for auction to the highest bidder, staging the sale - as an additional insult - at the home they'd shared together.

"Despite Solomon's testimony as to a woman being more precious than rubies, and notwithstanding that the spectators were numerous, the highest offer was only 4d. [4p]," said the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent in 1879.

"The seller wanted to 'throw in' three children, but the buyer objected, and the bairns were left on hand. The wife, however, went joyfully to the home of her new owner, and seemed to be quite glad to get away from her late liege lord as he was to part with her."

And the buyer? His next-door neighbour.

5. Opposites attract

Size doesn't matter. Newlyweds Mr and Mrs Hedley could have told you that. He was more than 6ft tall. She was 32 inches high.

They married in South Shields in 1891, in a scene that could have been plucked from the sweat-drenched dream of a malarial vicar. The bridesmaids were a 44-stone American and a performing "fire queen" called Satanella. The best man was 7ft 10in. One of the guests was 29 inches tall. All the wedding party were from a "menagerie circus" which was travelling the country.

4. The man who married a corpse



There was no kiss for the bride. No honeymoon away. And no chance of a happy-ever-after. Just a woe-heavy wedding service that segued neatly into a funeral.

In Florida in 1881, a love-struck man by the name of Bradley married a corpse.

He was a salesman from Utah, who had met the woman of his dreams on his travels. Alas, she was dying of consumption.

Undeterred, he proposed and she accepted. Plans were made for a speedy union. But the poor bride-to-be died before the date they had set.

"Now comes the most remarkable, and what has been, with justice, termed the most unpleasant and discreditable part of the tale," sniffed the Illustrated Police News.

Bradley had solemnly promised he wouldn't let his sweetheart go to the grave unmarried.

And so her coffin was taken into the church - bridesmaids rubbing shoulders with pallbearers - where a clergyman pronounced them husband and wife, before burying the bride.

3. A duel with tarantulas

In Las Vegas in 1892 when a Mexican and an American fell in love with the same woman, they promptly fell out with each other.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Mexican taunted his rival by saying he was from a nation of cowards. A duel was declared to put an end to their growing animosity once and for all, and to decide who got the girl.

It was no ordinary shootout, though. The American challenged the Mexican to join him in a darkened room where a dozen tarantulas would be turned loose, along with a couple of scorpions, as an extra test of mettle.

"The Mexican was disposed to refuse," reported the Western Mail, "but the fear of being looked upon as a coward caused him to accept".

And so the battle of wills began. "The doors had been closed but a short time when the Mexican was heard to scream out that he was bitten and was dying," continued the Mail. "The doors were opened and he staggered out and fell to the floor."

His opponent walked out unhurt and triumphant, to find the Mexican hadn't actually been bitten, but had merely scratched his hand on a nail in the wall.

2. A cloak-and-dagger wedding



They married at midnight, the prisoner and his bride, hands clasped tight through the bars of his cell window.

She'd sneaked up to the walls of the jail under the cover of darkness, clambering on to her brother's shoulders to reach out to her sweetheart inside.

As the minister who conducted this covert ceremony concluded the service, "some little inconvenience occurred", reported the North-Eastern Daily Gazette in 1885. The bride persisting in kissing and crying over the groom's hand, "until her brother reminded her that she weighed 135lbs, and that he was beginning to feel exhausted".

And so 18-year-old Mollie Downes became the wife of James Fauntleroy, the man accused of attempting to kill his rival for her affections.

The lovers believed the unfortunate victim lay dying of his wounds. Mollie was the only witness to the attack. By marrying, she wouldn't be able to testify against him in court.

The following day, the town constable in Marion, Virginia, got wind of the secret wedding ceremony. He was so disgusted at being outwitted, he took to his bed, "where by latest account he remains in a state bordering on coma".

14 February 2014
BBC

10 bizarre Victorian love stories

Romance for the Victorians could be a dramatic and dangerous affair according to sensational newspaper reports of the time, writes Jeremy Clay.

1. A cautionary tale of going back to an old love



Life hadn't been kind to Jack McKenna. His wife ran off with his best friend and left for America. His daughter was dying of influenza. He, too, was struck down with the flu. Only a few shillings stood between him and starvation.

Even when fate finally smiled on him, it was more of a mischievous grin.

In January 1892, a well-dressed woman breezed up to the workhouse in Deptford, London and asked for Jack by name. When shown to his room, the Leeds Mercury reported, she fell to her knees and begged his forgiveness. It was his estranged wife, back from California, where his ex-best friend had made a fortune in the gold-fields. He was now dead, and his wife wanted to pick up where they'd left off.

But in a plot twist worthy of Thomas Hardy, she, herself, caught influenza while nursing her husband back to health. She died of pneumonia, leaving him £62,000 in her will.

This image of Saturn, taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Nov. 23, 2013 and released Monday, was taken using a spectral filter that preferentially admits wavelengths of near-infrared light centered at 752 nanometers. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1.6 million miles (2.5 million kilometers) from Saturn.  (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

Village headman Jo Kyu-sang, 92, takes video during Lunar New Year celebration at Gangneung, South Korea.

http://www.voanews.com/

Olympic rings are displayed in Paris, France, with images against restriction of speech and freedom of information, repression of demonstrations, discrimination due to sexual orientation and migrant's exploitation, as part of a protest by human rights organizations a week before of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

http://www.voanews.com/

A villager runs as Mount Sinabung erupts at Sigarang-Garang village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

http://www.voanews.com/

An Israeli soldier shouts as he holds his weapon in front of Palestinians during clashes in Jalazoun refugee camp near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Clashes broke between stone-throwing protesters and Israeli soldiers, two days after Muhammad Mubarak, 21, a resident of the refugee camp was killed by Israeli soldiers who said he had opened fire on their position near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.

http://www.voanews.com/

Indian Bohra Muslims take part in a gathering to endorse their solidarity to their new spiritual leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin in Mumbai. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin now leads the community following the death of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, who passed away in Mumbai on January 17 at the age of 102.

http://www.voanews.com/

Emergency service personnel rescue local residents from the village of Muchelney on the Somerset Levels, near Langport in south west England. Surrounded by flood water, Muchelney has only been accessible by boat for several weeks.

http://www.voanews.com/

happy st valentine, fr chic!  (mahimo pod balihon-- happy fr valentine, st chic!)

no reply to message, no prob.  that was human interest news feature, hehe.  hinaot mabasa nimo tanan one day soon.

AFP

AFP

AFP

Skating to Romeo and Juliet by Arthur Fiedler, Martinez scored 64.81 in his routine in the short program.

That was enough to push him into the top 24 of the field, qualifying him to skate in the free program on Friday.

Martinez is the first Filipino figure skater to compete in the Olympic Games.

(InterAksyon.com is the news website of TV5, which is chaired by Pangilinan.)

‘What a brave kid!’ MVP all praises for Michael Christian Martinez after historic skate

InterAksyon.com
Friday, February 14, 2014


AFP

No less than Manuel V. Pangilinan expressed his support for Filipino figure skater Michael Christian Martinez who made his historic debut in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on Thursday night.

“What a brave kid, gave it all tonight. Thank you to him and his parents. Let’s continue supporting him,” said the telecommunications mogul, who supported Martinez’ journey to the Games through his MVP Sports Foundation. MVPSF executive director Chot Reyes shared the contents of Pangilinan’s message on Twitter.

hahaha, kana ba.  way giliatan.

Quote from: hubag bohol on February 14, 2014, 12:52:08 PM
Kini kay si Islander sa gamay pa...

cute islander and her cute pup.

Quote from: hubag bohol on February 14, 2014, 01:10:13 PM

Just plain serious...

looks seriously abused by her spouse?

Quote from: Lorenzo on February 14, 2014, 11:49:48 AM

yeah, the bag is beautiful, the girl is serious.

aguuuyyy, naminhod akong tuhod.  nganong di na man lang na sila mamalit ug pako?

hadlok ra pod nang nakalusong kah.  ano ba yan?  tinagalog sa moa skating rink?

one thing with figure skaters (as with ballet dancers, great violinists, etc.) is that if ever they make it look like it's the easiest thing to do, it's because they've spent grueling hours practicing.  they sacrifice a lot.  and that alone is already something.

of course, he's had his falls.  luckily these were during practice.

ay do nat bilib yu.  siyaro na man gyod pod, gawas kun ikaw ang iyahang coach.

and all he aimed for was to get into this first round of 24.  whew!  i'm rooting for him, what else.  great guy, great spirit.

MANILA, Philippines â€" The Philippines’ sole bet in the 2014 Winter Olympics put the country on the figure skating map after making it to the medal round of the men’s figure skating event late Thursday.

Michael Christian Martinez, 17, made the most of the unique opportunity as he scored 64.81 in the qualifying round, which is enough for a ticket to the round of 24.

The meek-looking Martinez wowed the crowd as he stepped on the ice and performed to Arthur Fiedler’s "Romeo and Juliet" at the Iceberg Skating Palace. The routine took a total of two minutes and 50 seconds.



He performed fifth in a pool of 30 skaters in the qualifier, drawing applause from the crowd afterwards.

Martinez, who will go down as the first Filipino and Southeast Asian skater to see action at the Winter Olympic, now seeks to sustain the momentum in the medal round scheduled at around 11pm Friday.

more at http://www.philstar.com/sports/2014/02/14/1290308/photos-martinez-shines-sochi-winter-olympics

Michael Christian Martinez of the Philippines competes in the men's short program figure skating competition at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Michael Christian Martinez (left) poses with the Philippine Skating Union delegation to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, (second from left) Gina Calaguas of Philippine Olympic Committee, Manuel Veguillas, president of Philippine Skating Union, and figure skating coach Victor Kudryavtsev.

one for the mailman, dad!

hahaha!  great daughter there.

i expected a little girl; ay, it's lorenz's post man diay...

Quote from: Lorenzo on February 14, 2014, 11:54:34 AM
2. ??

you may open your eyes now, barry.  you may watch the movie now... freddy krueger had left.

2002: Evgeni Plushenko of Russia competes in the men's short program during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the Salt Lake Ice Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

http://sports.yahoo.com/

2001: Evgeni Plushenko of Russia during the Gala at the European Figure Skating.

2003: Evgeni Plushenko from Russia skates in the Exhibition Program after winning the gold medal at World Figure Skating Championships on March 30, 2003 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.

2004: Evgeni Plushenko of Russia performing. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

5 Epic Outfits of Evgeni Plushenko

presented by Carnival Cruise Lines


2001: World Champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia skates during the exhibition gala program at the 2001 World Figure Skating Championships at the GM Place in Vancouver, Canada.

None of the Russian media doubted the injuries or discounted how phenomenal it was that a guy his age made it this far. There was just skepticism of everything else: the timing, the ego, the act.

Plushenko declared himself retired â€" no Paralympics, apparently â€" and took time to note what a champion he was and finally said he's already working on a future plan "that will surprise the public."

You couldn't have scripted it better.



Soon, he was walking away, gone but certainly not forgotten after one, last, great dramatic performance, the kind that made him so compelling in figure skating in the first place. This time, he didn't even need to skate.

http://sports.yahoo.com/

It's why, though, almost no one could believe he just turned up lame in the minutes before his performance, that the final bit on the ice was just a coincidence and there was ever a chance he was going to skate.

Plushenko, his coach and his agent all said he was fine last night only to have his back spasm while landing during some off-ice practice earlier in the day. He took some pain meds, tried to fight through the day and just wanted to give it a final chance.

"Of course I'm disappointed," Plushenko said. "I tried my best and I wanted to skate. It is sad."