Annika Faces Big Challenge

Annika Sorenstam began a gradual slide from the top of women's golf at the major championship that brought her so much satisfaction. But she salvaged her worst season of this decade last year at the U.S. Women's Open, a week where everything went right. There was thick fog that wiped out the first round at Newport Country Club. This gave her an extra day to refine her swing. She was able to complete 36 holes on Sunday and a four shot victory in the 18 hole playoff, That was when she first felt stiffness and soreness in her neck. It was nothing more than a nuisance at first but it turned into much more. Nine months later, she realized she had a bulging disk in her back and a ruptured disk in her neck. This knocked her out of competition for two months, but she is looking forward to getting back and being 100% again.

My Brother

My brother surprised me when he took a real interest in posting for PayPerPost. He thinks it is the greatest. He has been doing very well for the short time he has been writing. He gets some humor into his writings too. Look into his blog sometime Neal's Blog. I think you will have a few laughs.

Cancer Gene

They have discovered that a deadly cancer gene may be coming from Dad rather than Mother. They have found that half of the genetic breast cancers are inherited from a woman's father, not her mother. But one thing about it is that unless Dad has female relatives with breast cancer, the faulty gene may have been passed down silently, without causing any cancer. Although it is unusual, men can get genetic cancer too. This deadly gene's path can hide in a family tree when a woman has few older sisters and aunts and her breast cancer appears to have appeared out of nowhere. The new study suggests that thousands of young women, as many as 8,000 a year in the U.S. aren't offered testing to identify the faulty genes and clarify medical decisions. Testing can cost more than $3,000 so insurance companies should change their guidelines to decide coverage for this genetic testing.

Iran Condemns Knighthood for Rushdie

Britain's decision to knight Salmon Rushdie was condemned Sunday by Iran. He was the author who was forced into hiding for a decade after the leader of the Iranian revolution ordered his assassination. "The Satanic Verses" sparked the death threat. He insulted the Muslim world, During a time of especially tense relations between the Islamic republic and the West, he made his comments, and it did not go over well at all. Hosseini, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that awarding a person who is among the most detested characters in the Islamic society is obvious proof of anti-Islamism by ranking British oficials.

BASH ON THE FARM

BASH ON THE FARM is going on now just about 3 miles south of us, They have over 50 bands playing till 2 am tonight and all day and night tomorrow. It is so hot - 90 degrees. They have 5 stages and lots of well-known christian bands playing everything from slow and easy gospel to quartettes to hard rock. There is something for everyone. Plenty of food vendors, games and air balloon stuff for the kids to play on. Some very big names are here this year. Lots of parking and a good time for everyone no matter what your choice of music is.

Mississippi Sues State Farm

Due to the Hurricane Katrina damage, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is suing State Farm Fire and Casualty CO, claiming the company failed to honor an agreement for a mass settlement of claims. He had agreed in January, to drop State Farm from a lawsuit his office filed against several insurance companies for refusing to cover damage in homes from Katrina's storm surge. He did that after State Farm settled with lawyers for homeowners on a $50 million payout to about 35,000 southern Mississippi policyholders who had not sued the company but could have their claims reopened.

Spurs Keep LeBron Under Wraps

The Spurs, defending their floor, kept Cleveland's star under control. They held James to just 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting in his highly anticipated NBA finals debut and rolled to an east victory 85-76 over the Cavaliers in Game 1. James, who averaged 25.7 points in the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit, was not able to get loose for any powerhouse dunks. Any time he managed to slither past Bowen, the Spurs were lined up waiting for him.

Ethiopia Seeks Prince's Remains

The President of Ethiopia has sent Queen elizabeth II a formal request for the remains of a prince who died in Britain more than a century ago. The request is said to be under consideration by the royal household at Windsor Castle where Prince Alemayehu was buried. President Girma hopes the prince's bones can be reburied for millennium celebrations in September. Ethiopia has been waging a lively campaign to get back historic treasures looted during the last two centuries.

Torre Hopes Clemens Can Return

Suffering from an ailing groin, Roger Clemens had tests on Monday. The New York Yankees really hope he can make his first start of the season next weekend. Roger was supposed to pitch Saturday against Pittsburg. that was five days after he was originally to return to the Yankees before being scratched because of a fatigued right groin. Once they get the information from Roger's MRI, they will know what he is dealing with and whether it is an old injury or new one.Roger is going to have to be the one to say he really feels ready. We want to make sure this gets well.

Williams and Heinin set Up Rematch

Serena Williams and Justine Heninhave set up a rematch at the French Open.The 2003 semifinals were as bitter a big match as this sport has produced lately. There was a pro-Henin crowd who cheered Williams's mistakes and then booed her off the court.Williams accused Henin of "Lying and fabricating" about whether she'd held up a hand to stop play. Now it seems like decades ago, said Williams on Sunday.They have set up a Roland Garros rematch in this year's quarter finals with several victories. Henin has won 29 consecutive sets and two straight titles at Roland Garros. Williams has won her past 11 Grand Slam matches. It will be interesting to see who wins as well as both are playing right now.

Grant and Gators

Anthony Grant was quickly contacted by the Florida Gators about a coaching vacancy. They had called him soon after Billy Donovan left for the NBA. But they still haven't offered him the job yet. Grand who is the current head coach at Virginia Commonwealth, released a statement that provided few answers and raised several questions. Donovan has signed a five year $27.5 million contract with the NBA's Orlando Magic on Thursday, leaving florida without a coach for the first time in more than 11 years. They should fill the spot as fast as they can to minimize the chance current players and recruits will see to play elsewhere. A meeting was scheduled between Grant and Foley on Saturday but that didn't happen. However, Foley may have met with Grant's agent. We'll see, I guess.

Wall Street Surges To A New Record

On Friday, June 1, 2007, the index rose 40.47 points to close at 13,668.11. This was influenced by figures showing the biggest jobs growth in the US in two months. The reassuring employment data helped the Dow Jones Industrial Index to end at a record for the 26th time this year. This good news also helped the Standard & Poor's 500 Index end 5.72 points higher at 1,536.34, breaking records set in the tech boom of 2000. Takeover activity also helped drive shares higher. This current rebound in economic activity continues to challenge arguments that the housing downturn is poised to overwhelm the expansion. Guess we will see, won't we?

Hirst Unveils Valuable Diamond Skull

Artist Damien Hirst has unveiled a diamond-encrusted human skull, said to be the most expensive piece of contemporary art. It is an l8th Century skull entirely covered in 8,601 jewels, while new teeth were made for the artwork at a great cost. The centerpiece of the 41 year old's creation is a pear shaped pink diamond set in the skull's forehead. His most famous work is a shark preserved in formaldehyde. The skull is believed to belong to a 35 year old European who lived between l720 and l810. It was bought from a shop in Islington, north London. The artist said he was inspired by an Aztec turquoise skull in the British Museum. He hopes that eventually his work will be displayed there too. This is a spectacular piece and undoubtedly the work with the highest intrinsic value in modern and contemporary art. But no matter, I would not have a skull in my house, no matter how valuable it was or is.