a wedge or 9-iron?.....

Tiger Woods has cancelled plans to attend his own golf tournament in southern California because of injuries he suffered near his Florida home early Friday, the pro golfer said in a statement today.

"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there." He also canceled a Tuesday news conference for the start of the tournament, which helps raise money for Tiger Woods Foundation programs.

As Tiger Wreck Watch 2009 lurches into its fourth day with little new information, fans and media are combing over every element of this case. There's brick wall after brick wall in this story, but one of the largest and most well-fortified is this: just who is Elin Nordegren Woods, anyway?

If you were to design the perfect wife for a privacy-hungry superstar like Tiger Woods, she'd look a whole lot like Elin -- low-key, accustomed to celebrity, and, from all appearances on the golf course, totally devoted to her husband's career. But does that change behind closed doors?

Which is what makes the current questions about her recent behavior -- why did she smash a window in Tiger's Escalade? Is she responsible for his injuries? Did she beat his ass with a wedge or 9-iron?

"The only person responsible for the accident is me," Woods said. "My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false." (As he flinched when she walked into the room).

Tiger Woods has shot down rumours his wife Elin was trying to attack him before the car crash outside their house, saying she "acted courageously" and "was the first person to help me". (OK Tiger...we get it, she was there first...but did she hit you?)

Who is Elin Nordegren Woods?  The facts about her: She grew up in Stockholm, and while she did some modeling in her teens, the idea that she was a "Swedish supermodel" is one of those urban legends. But she was around the world of golf long before she met Woods, serving as the nanny to golfer Jesper Parnevik. She met Tiger at the 2001 British Open, and it wasn't exactly a romantic introduction for the ages.

According to SI, Tiger was so nervous about asking her out that he had a friend do it for him. Initially, she declined. But Woods persisted, she relented, and they married in a lavish $1.5 million ceremony in Barbados. That wedding was the stuff of tabloid heaven, with Hootie and the Blowfish as the house band and Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley in attendance.

Being married to the world's richest athlete (now one billion dollars) apparently has done little to change Elin's public persona. We don't see her doing reality shows, we don't see her on the covers of magazines every month, and aside from releasing some photos, she doesn't parade around her children seeking publicity. It's refreshing, really, to see someone in the limelight apparently unconcerned with the fame-hungry world of modern celebrity.

What's certain is that the Woods camp would love a mulligan on many elements of this case, and the image that's been created -- or, more accurately, not created -- of Elin up until Nov. 27 may very well be at the top of that list.

Have we finally found someone that can beat Tiger?

Turning green ....

Sustainable design, also referred to as green design, eco-design, or design for the environment, is the art of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. It ranges from the microcosm of designing small objects for everyday use, to designing buildings, cities, and the earth's physical surface. It is a growing trend within the fields of architecture, construction, and landscape design.

Interior design is usually associated with aesthetics. It is the final construction step that carries out the personality of the business owners and senior management. It even makes it easier for people to decipher what function the structure serves. Hospitals are for white-painted walls. Wide see-through windows are for museums. A lot of interior design features make what a building is. And what makes this profession a further appealing endeavor is the new approach it currently performs the green design.

Green interior design is a post-construction step that is most likely similar to other ecological construction tasks. The materials used are eco-friendly. The techniques and principles used are inclined to answer to sustainable business practices. However, green interior designing is much keener in details as it involves specified furniture and fixtures, wall paint and paper, door and window treatments and other space features, complete with the entire finishes and textures.

Turning green does not deprive you of stylish ways to design. Currently, natural material furniture, energy-saving and cost-effective appliances, non-toxic paint and other green products are actually more elegant looking. Designing green does not compromise style.

Interior designers are beginning to address environmental issues as they acknowledge the importance of sustainable interior design. While some interior designers are using environmentally sustainable design criteria in their design solutions, research that investigates how they apply it as a component for design problems has not been done. Knowing the state of practice will provide a base to develop education strategies for sustainable interior design. Interior design educators can identify less frequently applied components of sustainable design and develop teaching methods to improve the understanding of specific components.

Governments, communities and industry are all working to prevent pollution and overconsumption from ruining the planet and the natural resources we all rely on like oceans and forests. To support this, there is an urgent need to make all industrial products and processes 'sustainable' good for people, profits and the planet....think about it next time.

"I hate to lose more than I love to win."

Face it!...I am a Denver Bronco fan....I cannot help myself. We just lost number four-in-a-row. "I hate to lose more than I love to win."

I've been having a raging internal debate (with myself) lately about what's more important for a Bronco fan -- the love/passion for winning or the "never say die" mentality of a comeback artist. I've asked some good friends who are true competitors which is more important to them, and the margin is definitely tilted towards the "hate to lose" end of the spectrum. And, for those that know me, I daresay I'd be considered one who hates to lose.

In the world of ‘The Broncos’ and our new coach, I think I've reduced it to this: if you're born with unbelievable talent and grace, you have the luxury of loving to win. Things kind of fall into place, you have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and winning is expected. Don't misunderstand -- those that love to win work as hard as anyone, and make their luck. But there is a subtle distinction between expecting to win and refusing to lose. I'll get back to that in a second.

If you don't have the talent and grace of those chosen few, you must have a mentality of hating to lose in order to win. You have to overcome soooooo many obstacles, so many naysayers, so much negative and contradictory feedback, so many gatekeepers that keep you from decision-makers that it is only through sleepless nights, torn and crumpled piles of paper, 99 misses for every 100 swings, and screaming in the mirror that you will find the path. It requires undying passion and relentless head-against-the-wall sessions that only those that hate to lose more than anything can make it through.

But in a pinch, I'd rather have those that hate to lose on my side. Watch any movie, any sporting event; read any book on the history of warfare; ask any CEO. Those that hate to lose have a grimace, a grunt, an expression on their face (with sweat flying no doubt) that says it all: "I'm not done yet! This isn't over!" Those that love to win are pleasant to be around; they're gracious, wonderful people. And I've never met anyone who loved to win who didn't work as hard as the other guy (or even harder).

But, when push comes to shove, I've ultimately concluded that those who love to win are not as hungry as those who hate to lose. And hunger, my friends, is what ‘being a Bronco fan’ is all about.

I am a Bronco fan: "I'm not done yet! This isn't over!"

"The nature of terrorism is changing"

Let's be honest (even though the media and our President cannot be), the idiot that killed "our" soldiers, on "our" land is a terrorist! What was going through the mind of Army Major Nidal Makek Hasan as he fired hundreds of rounds into innocent soldiers and civilians at Ft. Hood, TX?

If you read most of the reports circulating through various media sources, Hasan was “stressed” and harassed” by his fellow soldiers. He was having “anxiety attacks” out of fear he would be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan (Allahu Akbar doesn't like it when Muslims harm Muslims). But that didn't stop him from taking tax money..."our" money to go to school.

So how is it that Americans are getting most of the real reporting on this tragedy from the British media rather than our own? It is the British that discovered his ties to Anwar-al-Awake, a radical Yemeni-American cleric with al-Qaeda ties! Please don’t tell me Interpol knew all this and the CIA didn’t!

Many American media services “dismiss” this dialog between the two as studies Major Hasan was conducting on U.S. Muslim soldiers and their emotions serving with the army.

If one is to believe the version being presented by most news sources at this time, Hasan was a lonely soldier who had a personal “meltdown” because of his fear of deployment to a war zone. He was a Palestinian immigrant with just a healthy conscious. The media must think I am an idiot.

Nowhere other than a very few American experts and the British media is it being told about eye witness accounts to his bizarre behavior for many months before the massacre.

And why is that? Could it be that those who favor “political correctness” are reaching for the “victim card” rather than the very possible answer of organized terrorism within our own military? General George Casey, the Army chief of staff, was on the Sunday talk shows warning against “jumping to conclusions.”

Yet, here is a man in a responsible position, a Muslim and a track record for religious radicalism, proclaimed “Allahu Akbar” – “God is great” as he opened fire on scores of innocent and unarmed people.Remember... it was Osama Ben-Laden who referred to Americans after the “Black Hawk Down” incident in Somalia as “the soft part of our struggle.”

Will we as Americans dismiss this act of terrorism as just another criminal act? Will Hasan be judged by the media and have an “O.J. trial”? How long will this country stand by and allow this to happen?

Is there even one “apologizer” for this murderer who doesn’t think that people who want nothing more than to disrupt American lives and kill us are smiling? The reaction thus far can only ignite their efforts to pursue even more outrageous behavior elsewhere.

And if you were them and you’ve already penetrated and destroyed our landmarks and the military in their beds, what’s there to stop them more outrageous targets with more “experts” begging us to forgive their troubled souls. Give me a break! Those people laying dead on the floor were the victims...not this idiot with a gun. It is almost as if it is "trendy" to root for the Muslims...no matter what they do (shhhh! yelling “Allahu Akbar” – “God is great” before you fire-off a few hundred rounds does not mean you are a terrorist).

After another deadly attack on American citizens on U.S. soil, authorities are busy reassuring Muslims that they have nothing to fear – from Americans!

--Some Muslims fear backlash after rampage: In the wake of Fort Hood tragedy, U.S. authorities try to assure that faithful steps are being taken to keep Muslim followers safe.--

I’m just waiting for some PhD to come on a talk show and call critics of Major Nidal Malik Hasan racists....because isn't that what we do when we "don't like the way we are being addressed?"

No wonder Muslims are so confused and torn. Referencing the Koran:

1. If you don't believe, "you are condemned to hell" (Koran 9:49, 9:68, 9:73)

2. If you don't believe, "your head is cut off" (Koran 8:12, 47:4)

3. If you don't believe, "you're set on fire" (Koran 33:64, 48:13, 76:4)

4. If you don't believe, "burning oil is burned down your throat." (Koran 18:29, 44:43-46)

They are not sure if this is scripture or a horror movie...this sounds like something Clive Barker wrote. This is what Hasan read outloud at a medical conference (and was then promoted to Major).

"The nature of terrorism is changing"

Why is Sandy such a bitch?

The Sandy River originates high on the slopes of Mt. Hood, located about 50 miles east of Portland, Oregon. The headwaters are beneath Reid and Sandy Glaciers at 6000 feet in elevation. (Hint: The water NEVER warms-up). 

From there the river flows due west through the Hoodland Corridor. It cascades past the communities of Welches, Brightwood, and Sandy, then turns north to enter the Columbia River near Troutdale, which is 10 miles east of Portland, Oregon.

The Sandy River is a geological product of the same dramatic forces that shaped the rest of the West Coast of North America. The river drops swiftly through rugged canyons. It has deep boulder-studded pools with clean, gray gravel bars often shaded by tall, wet green trees.

The character of the river is unpredictable. A few inches of water can change the holds. Twenty feet of water can change the whole river bed to the point that your favorite drift is now on the other side of the canyon.

The river bottom experiences terrific bed load shifts. Because of this, the aggregate never has a chance to compress and remains soft and very permeable.

Now that we have a history lesson about the river....why doesn't everyone know the history before they try to "walk or swim" across it? 

ANOTHER man is missing in the Sandy! This weekend claimed a 55-year-old man on a fishing trip (trying to walk on logs across the river...to get to a better spot). He slipped and was swept under the current...never to be seen again.  The Sandy River can be deceptively tranquil at first glance. A closer look, however, shows these currents are moving fast.

The missing man was wearing waders in the 48-degree water. Though waders keep an angler dry, the rubberized pants also quickly fill-up and drag someone down - like an anchor.

While its waters seem calm and gentle, there's a violent current that lies below the water's surface of the Sandy. We see it early in the Spring when the temperature first reaches 80-degrees...someone drowns. Later (every Summer) when the water reaches 54-degress...someone drowns.

Please people! Learn from history.