The News Tracker

Is it time to free Willy the whale, or Shamu, or whatever else we want to call those beautiful, large black and white mammals known as killer whales that have entertained millions of spectators at aquarium type shows over the past decades? Animal rights activists are undoubtedly renewing the call to return as many of those animals to the wild as possible following the death of a trainer at Sea World in Orlando caused by Shamu, the killer whale, or Tilikum, his real name. Forty-year-old trainer Dawn Brancheau reportedly was rubbing the killer whale follow a show on Thursday when it grabbed her and drug her to her death in the water. The killer whale has been involved in two other incidents involving the deaths of people in the past in 1991 and 1999. Killer whales weigh upwards of six tons and obviously would fare better in the deep blue sea than in tiny aquariums where they are kept captive all their lives. Sea World officials have said hey will investigate the killer whale incident and compile a full report. Read more »

Did you really expect anything less from Tiger Woods? There are reasons that Tiger Woods is the No.1 golfer in the world and that is because of his talent, grit and determination. Two of those qualities were on display at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra, Fla., on Friday when Tiger Woods addressed what probably was a world-wide audience to talk about the the transgressions he has engaged in during the past few years. Tiger Woods directly addressed the world with eyes wide open and issued what seemed like a very heart-felt, emotional apology to practically everyone who has ever heard his name: from his family, friends, business partners, fellow golfers and all the moms, dads and children who have held him in high esteem since his unprecedented rise in the golfing world. Tiger Woods was contrite, embarrassed and deeply sorry for the people he has let down during the past few years and he seemed determined to recapture the respect of his fans. While Tiger Woods didn’t allow any questions following his speech, that really doesn’t matter at this time. The issues between he and his wife are private and he said he was determined to keep it there. Let’s hope the rest of the media respect that. Read more »

Even though the Super Bowl is but a dim memory now, the sports world is abuzz with plenty of excitement, especially with the Winter Olympics in full swing and Tiger Woods about to issue an apology for what he described as an “infidelity.” Tiger Woods has scheduled an announcement for 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, 2010, in Ponte Vedra, Fla., in what is billed as his apology to the sports world. Although both live television and perhaps radio will be in attendance, only a select few journalists will be on hand and the world’s best golfer will not answer any questions. Advance polls are showing that the public won’t be swayed by any kind of apology from Tiger Woods, but that remains to be seen. Once Tiger Woods gets back on the golf course and starts winning tournaments, his fans will return in full force, that’s for sure. Now on to the Olympics. For all of those who wonder why certain athletes seem to stand out from others in popularity, the events on Wednesday, Feb., 17, at the Winter Olympics should answer those questions. The bottom line – talent rules, especially if you have a little charisma to go along with it. Take Shaun White, Apolo Ohno and Lindsay Vonn for example. All three are supreme in their chosen sports and all three came through in dramatic fashion at the Winter Olympics. White soared over all the other snowboarders in the half-pipe event; Ohno qualified for the finals in speed skating and Vonn dominated the course in the women’s downhill event in claiming the gold. Rock on, USA! Read more »

Could it be? Could all 50 states actually have snow on the ground? That has been the expectation for for Friday, Feb. 12, 2010, two days before Valentine’s Day. Florida could be the lone holdout for snow on the ground but forecasts are for up to 2 inches of snow in the extreme northwestern part of the state. With the temperatures that have been prevalent in the Sunshine State for the past week, if it snows anywhere, some of that white stuff known as snow should stay on the ground in some spots around the state. A University of Oklahoma student is going to attempt to record evidence of snow on the ground in all 50 states. Patrick Marsh is asking residents of every state to send him photos of the snow on the ground. If it does snow in Florida on Friday, Marsh would like for you to send photos of it and a description to snow@forwarn.org. Read more »

People who suffer from Sleeping Beauty Syndrome need to be awakened by subtle suggestion rather then forcefully awakened. Sometimes the person’s eyes may roll before falling into this Sleeping Beauty state and the actual act of eye rolling sometimes warns the individual before the actual fainting takes place. Sleeping Beauty Syndrome is typically caused by psychological troubles. People who have the Sleeping Beauty Syndome can be men or women and these people can end up sleeping for days to weeks at a time. Read more »