FOCO Girls Gone Derby, Facebook

Let’s face it. We, as a society, love seeing people beat the living crap out of each other. Boxing, MMA fighting, hockey, football, rugby, even the bench-clearing brawls at baseball games make for popular TV. It doesn’t even matter if the beatings are real or fake (IE, Professional wrestling, Jackass and Jean- Claude Van Damme movies).

The Roman Empire had gladiator fights to the death in giant coliseums; we have par-per-view fight nights that bring in millions of dollars. But there is a female-dominated smash-mouth sport that is gaining lots of popularity… roller derby!

YouTube

Roller derby actually had a run at fame in the 1980’s when it was popular enough to have its own TV show called ‘Rollergames‘. (I admit, I watched it…a lot. And I hated those do-gooding T-Birds!) It wasn’t ‘true’ roller derby as it followed Pro Wrestling’s format with mixing some drama in with the participants and predetermining the winners. It only lasted one season and the producers went bankrupt, but it was popular enough to spawn a pretty sweet Nintendo game.

Amazon.com

Recently, the movie ‘Whip-It’ put roller derby back on the forefront of pop culture. (It had a killer soundtrack and starred Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, and Jimmy Fallon). Now, the movie didn’t start the movement, but it certainly didn’t hurt in the popularity department. Now, there are tens of thousands of derby girls and even more derby aficionados across the country and the globe.

I’d be amazed if you said you’d never seen a flyer or a poster for a derby match around here, these girls are masters of self-promotion. But I bet you have no idea just how many roller derby teams/leagues there are within an hour drive or Fort Collins. (Colorado even has a good number of teams represented in the national Women’s Flat Track Derby Association rankings!)

Just to name a few of the teams/leagues around here:

• FOCO Girls Gone Derby: Fort Collins
• Choice City Rebels: Fort Collins
• Daughters of the Revolution Junior Roller Derby: Fort Collins
• Slaughterhouse Derby Girls: Greeley
• Cheyenne Capidolls: Cheyenne
• Prairie Fire Roller Girls: Cheyenne
• The Naughty Pines Derby Dames: Laramie
• Denver Roller Dolls: Denver
• Rocky Mountain Roller Girls: Denver
• D-Town Derby Crew: Denver
• Southside Derby Dames: Denver
• Wreckin Roller Rebels: Denver
• Colorado Junior Roller Derby: Arvada
• High City Derby Divas: Arvada
• Boulder County Bombers: Boulder
• Detour Derby: Brighton

And I’m sure there are plenty more that I don’t know about. You can see a world-wide list of Derby Teams out there and see just how ‘big’ the sport is getting here.

Tonight Derek and I are going to go meet up with the FOCO Girls Gone Derby and they are going to give us a little derby tutorial that we will of course share with you. I think I can say that the ‘Average-Joe’ has no idea how roller derby works or how points are scored. We’ll get it squared away in layman’s terms for everyone.

I also have a feeling the derby girls are going to put us through the ringer tonight, as long as I come back with all my teeth I’ll be happy. (And yes, there will be video to share.) I can’t remember the last time I was on skates so you can expect plenty of squeals and whimpers once you put me next to those ladies who can probably skates circles around me…literally. It should be embarrassingly awesome.

You can also check out the FOCO Girls Gone Derby match happening this Saturday at Rollerland Skate Center. The theme? “Heroes vs. Villains!” Derek and I got a little over excited about this one when we found out about it at Free Comic Book Day. Get tickets and more details about the derby match here.

I can’t decide if I am just really excited about taking the rink with these girls, or mortally terrified. Maybe it’s a little of both…

FOCO Girls Gone Derby, Facebook

The future leaders of America have certainly shone brighter than they did last week in Amherst, Massachusetts. A furious fire chief had to have his men rescue three students from a 30-foot rooftop on their college campus.

They go stuck on the roof by climbing a taller building and jumping on to the roof of this one with no plan of how to get down.

Oh, and did I mention it was raining? According to ABC 40 the fire chief said of the students,

They’re idiots.

They students’ reasoning for getting on the roof was that they, wanted to see what it looked like up there.”

Not the brightest kids in the world.

The chief wants the students to be punished and to pay restitution to the fire department for the rescue. Right now the students are awaiting the college’s disciplinary conduct process and I have a feeling they might get a little more than a slap on the wrist.

[ABC 40]

Click HERE to Read About More ‘Dumb Criminals Of The Day’

Jason Smith, Getty Images

TwitPic User: @TyCBS4

The Hewlett Fire northwest of Fort Collins continues to spread and more evacuations have been ordered this afternoon.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for 65 homes in the area of Bonner Springs Ranch Road, Deer Valley Road, Obenchain Road, Ingleside Road, and 15 homes on Highway 14 from the Greyrock Trailhead to the North Poudre diversion dam (approx. mile markers 113 to 115). All residents are asked to evacuate immediately.

An Evacuation Center has been established at Cache La Poudre Middle School, 3515 West County Road 54G in La Porte, Colo. A public meeting is tentatively scheduled for tonight at the evacuation center for 6:30 p.m. tonight.

If you have large animals, you may take them to The Ranch off of I-25. Highway 14 is closed from Stove Prairie to Ted’s Place until further notice. Residents can use the road to leave.

As of this afternoon the fire is estimated to be at 5,090 acres and growing.

Amy Maass, Facebook

I hope that we actually get some rain to help out the firefighters. The Hewlett fire has surpassed 5,000 acres and it is still burning. A mandatory evacuation order for the area of Bonner Springs Ranch Rd, Deer Valley Rd, Obenchain Rd and Ingleside Rd has been issued. All residents are asked to evacuate immediately.  Residents may evacuate to the Cache Le Poudre Elementary Gym in Laporte. If you have large animals, you may take them to The Ranch off of I-25.

Amy Maass, Facebook

road closures and updates:

Residents along Hwy 14 between MM 110 to 115 are being asked to get ready to evacuate.

In an update from the offices of Larimer county this morning officials have started pre-planning and coordination with the Livermore and Glacier View Fire Protection Districts in the event the fire moves in that direction.

Road closures are expected along hwy 14. Specifically hwy 14 will be closed this afternoon at the intersection of hwy 287/Ted’s Place. CDOT will also close SH 14 eastbound traffic to Stove Prairie Campground.

Health warning:

Children, Elderly, and People with Respiratory Conditions

If you can see or smell smoke, children, elderly, pregnant women, and people with pre-existing respiratory conditions should stay inside with the windows and doors closed. If it is hot outside, run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.

Complete information about this emergency can be found by clicking here.

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Disco diva Donna Summer has died at 63. The singer passed away this morning (May 17), after a battle with cancer.

TMZ reports that Summer passed away in Florida. The site also states that she had been trying to keep the extent of the condition private. A source who was with Summer just a few weeks ago said that she didn’t seem near-death and that she was even working on an album and attempting to finish it.

Summer was a disco icon, known for her string of ’70s dance hits such as ‘Last Dance,’ ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Bad Girls’ and her songs remained popular for decades afterwards, especially at wedding receptions.

Summer enjoyed pop-friendly hits after the disco decade, with her ’80s comeback tunes ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ and This Time I Know It’s Real.’

The singer nabbed five Grammys in her career. She won Best R&B Vocal Performance Female for ‘Last Dance’ in 1979 and Best Rock Vocal Performance Female for ‘Hot Stuff’ in 1980, which is interesting in and of itself because she crossed genres with the wins.

She was also the first artist to have three consecutive double (!) albums reach N0. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart and had four No. 1 charting singles within a 13-month period in the U.S. She also enjoyed 12 Gold-selling singles throughout her career.

Summer was the first African American female performer to receive an MTV VMA nomination for the video and choreography of ‘She Works Hard for the Money.’ She was nominated for two Golden Globes, winning one for ‘Last Dance.’

She was married to Brooklyn Dreams vocalist Bruce Sudano. They had two daughters. Summer also had four grandchildren.

R.I.P. Donna Summer.

Watch the Donna Summer ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ Video

Watch Donna Summer Perform ‘Last Dance’ Live

Source: PopCrush.com

Here is last weeks winner Posted by Frank Herrera

Slate PR

George Lopez, the multi-talented entertainer whose career encompasses television, film, standup comedy and late-night television, is bringing his ‘That’s The America I Live In’ Tour to the Budwesier Events Center in Loveland on Saturday, June 30th. Buy tickets now, and prepare to laugh out loud.

Tickets, priced at $35, $45 and $60, plus applicable fees, are on sale now at ComcastTIX.com, 877-544-TIXX (8499) and the Budweiser Events Center Box Office.

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer who was grandfathered in with an unlimited data plan after the company eliminated the option for new customers, enjoy it while it lasts — the company will be moving you to a tiered plan soon.

Speaking at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference on Wednesday, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said customers with unlimited 3G data access will be required to switch to a data-share plan after transitioning to the company’s 4G LTE service.

“LTE is our anchor point for data share. So, as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go on to the data share plan,” Shammo said. “Everyone will be on [it]. A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited… [and] when they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share.”

So when will that happen and how much will it cost? The data share plan is scheduled to launch in mid-summer, but pricing details have yet to be announced.

[Fierce Wireless]

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I haven’t shared any video game news lately, so why not start up again?  Unfortunately, this isn’t very good news.

If you were to ask what the best role-playing video game of all time is, many MANY people would respond with Final Fantasy VII for the original PlayStation. It’s just terrific.  I don’t have time to go into all the things that make it great; but just trust me, it is.

In 2005, as Sony was getting ready to unveil the Playstation 3 system, they teamed up with developer Square Enix and showed a demo of the console’s capabilities (see below) at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.  The demo showed the introduction to FFVII, redone with PS3 visuals.  As I remember it, all parties involved made it very clear that it was just a tech demo, and no plans for a remake of the game were being made.

Still, speculation that there will be a modern remake of the PlayStation classic has been swirling ever since.  However, this bit of news just came from Square Enix:

Just the latest bit of news to dash the hopes of gamers everywhere.  Oh, well.  I, for one, am still hopeful!

flikr/Dana Dean

Natural disasters such as tornadoes can bring out the best in people, as strangers reach out to help others in need. Unfortunately, crises also bring out those who choose to take advantage of the victims. According to the Better Business Bureau, one of the most common “after-disaster” scams involves roofs.

Whether your roof got hit hard by a natural disaster or just needs to be replaced due to time, take precautions when it comes to hiring a roofing contractor. In 2011, BBB received more than 3.3 million inquiries from consumers looking to find a roofer they could trust – making it the top inquired industry in the BBB system.

If you need a new roof or just a repair, your BBB advises:

Do your research. Check with your insurance company about policy coverage and specific filing requirements. Save all receipts if temporary roofing repairs are necessary.

Stay calm. Although you may be anxious to get things back to normal, avoid letting emotions get the better of you. Don’t be pressured into making an immediate decision with a long-term impact.

Shop around. Get three to four estimates based on the same specifications and materials. Check out references and verify that the contractor is required to be licensed and/or registered to do work in your area. Also, check with your local building inspector to see if a building permit is required.

Avoid high-pressure sales tactics. Be wary of door-to-door workers who claim to have leftover materials from a job “down the street” or who do not have a permanent place of business.

Get everything in writing. Clearly written proposals that are detailed and broken down into separate line items are a good sign that the contractor is thorough and has prepared an accurate estimate. Require a written contract that includes their name, address, license number and phone number. Read and understand the contract in its entirety, don’t sign a blank contract, and make sure you get a copy of the signed contract at the time of signature.  Some contracts include a clause where substantial cancellation fees or liquidation damages are required if the homeowner decides not to use the contractor after insurance approval of the claim. In some instances you may be required to pay the full agreed price if you cancel after the three-day cancellation period.

Start With Trust. For trustworthy consumer tips and information, visit wynco.bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 or 800-564-0371.

[BetterBusinessBureau.org]

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The National Forest Service announced this morning that the Hewlett Fire burning in the Poudre Canyon is expanding. Just under 1000 acres yesterday, the fire has expanded to 5000 acreas, and is only 5% contained. Approximately 200 firefighters were working the fire yesterday. That number is expected to nearly double today.

Several subdivisions in the area have been put on alert for possible evacuation, but no evacuations have been ordered at this time.

The fire, burning since Monday in the Roosevelt National Forest, is suspected to be human caused.

I’m happy to say that’s exactly what happens in this video, when Mr. Lamborghini-Driver thinks he can put the pedal to the metal through a lefthand turn.  I’m so glad this got caught on film!

Celebrate Breast Cancer Survivor ship and the 12th Anniversary of Hope Lives. ‘‘.

People who have misophonia are most commonly annoyed, or even enraged, by such ordinary sounds as other people eating, breathing, or coughing; certain consonants; or repetitive sounds…Though a few sufferers are bothered by sounds they make themselves, most are not. The reactions are completely involuntary.

[via Wikipedia.]

The Huffington Post reports that misophonia can make it difficult to stay in relationships, since over time sufferers can be triggered by the noises their partner makes.

Maybe it would help if sufferers visited the world’s quietest room for a few minutes!

Now for the rest of the day I’m going to be super-conscious of all the sounds around me!  As a radio DJ, that’s a lot of noise!

CLICK HERE for more “Doses of Weird!”

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The east side side of Fort Collins, Wellington, Ault, and all the other towns near the Hewlett Fire are well aware there is something burning just by breathing. Take a good whiff, and it smells as though there is a ham in the oven, or take a good look, and you can tell the air quality is poor. That is why Larimer County environmental health officials are warning area residents to be cautious about exercising in the smoke blanketing the area from the Hewlett Fire.

Smoke is already hanging over large portions of the city, which is about 20 miles southeast from the fire burning in the Poudre Canyon near the Hewlett Gulch trailhead. The nearly 1,000-acre wildfire has moved in several different directions in response to mountain winds. Officials say things are actually worse further east, due to the way the winds are carrying the smoke.

In an advisory, county officials said it’s hard to accurately predict air conditions in specific areas because the winds and weather are changing so much. County officials recommended that people avoid outdoor exercise if you can see or smell smoke. Of particular concern are children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.

County health officials say:

• If it is hot outside, run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.

• Children are more likely to be affected by health threats from smoke because their airways still are developing and because they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults. Children also are more likely to be active outdoors.

• Older adults are more likely to be affected by smoke, as they have higher levels of heart or lung diseases than younger people.

• Follow your doctor’s advice about medicines and about your respiratory management plan if you have asthma or another lung disease. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.

• When smoke levels are high, even healthy people may experience coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, stinging eyes and a runny nose. If you can see or smell smoke, you should limit outdoor physical activities and stay indoors if at all possible.

Air quality updates are available at www.colorado.gov/airquality/advisory.aspx. For more general information on air quality monitoring and the use of alerts, see www.airnow.gov.

Darren England, ALLSPORT/ThePartyWorks.com

A bet can be lots of fun, especially if you happen to come out on the wining side, but when you lose, the fun goes away awfully fast.

Perhaps that was what Russell Mark, an Australian Olympic gold medalist in shooting, was thinking when he made his particular wager.

Mark was so confident that the Australian rules football league team he roots for, Carlton, would beat St. Kilda, that if Carlton somehow lost promised to wear the one-piece ‘mankini’ made famous by Sacha Baron Cohen in the film ‘Borat’ to the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London this summer.

Mark is a world-class athlete who has won both gold and silver medals in previous Olympics for shooting. But he’s not a young and lithe runway model who would look good in such revealing garb. He’s a fairly stocky man, in his late 40s. Imagine him in a crowd of thousands of global athletes in nothing but a brightly colored mankini. What a sight that would be.

Mark has stated that he was probably drunk when he made the bet. The folks who run the Australian Olympic Committee are hoping, without a doubt, that this is one wager Mark has no intention of honoring. For our part, we really hope he does. It would surely be an Olympic first, and he would definitely go down in the history books.

[Reuters]