Sigfried and Roy finish their run

The story about Sigfried and Roy's final show in Las Vegas caught my attention in today's newspaper. Apparently, the illusionists got together for a final Vegas show with Roy Horn appearing in a skeletal metal mask to hide his face, which had disfigured when it was gnawed upon like a rawhide by a Bengal tiger. The duo illusionists with the questionable sexuality took the stage for a final show -- and they brought the tiger that ate half of Roy.

I had read that during that fateful performance in Oct. 2003, that much of the audience stayed in their seats after the attack. Presumably, they either thought that the attack was schtick or that they had paid for a 90-minute show and were damn-well going to get another 45 minutes of entertainment -- mauling or not. I don't know if those 2003 attendees were given rain checks for this weekends performance but I hope not.

During an aftershow party, the duo had a rather interesting comment regarding their ill-fated previous show. Keep in mind that during the 2003 attack, the tiger sank its teeth into Horn's neck, dragging him offstage. Roy was partially paralyzed, suffered a damaged neck artery and crushed windpipe.

The pair said that they believe Montecore (the man-eating tiger) sensed that Horn was having a mini-stroke and was dragging him to safety, rather than attacking him.

Animal experts and the rest of the world have disputed that theory.

I guess if everyone is pissed off it must be good

A wise man once told me -- actually I'm pretty sure that it was a TV show that I was watching -- that if a deal makes both parties upset it must be a pretty good deal. Maybe that goes for the budget that President Obama is trying to pass. Well my friends who are above the $250K marker are going to be pissed (I'm not crying though) and now it appears that our rural neighbors are miffed as well.

I'm not anti-farmer, and I have nothing against the people who live in rural areas. In fact I sincerely realize that there is a need for people to grow vegetables and fruits without dangerous chemicals that grow cancer inside us. I also recognize that there are legitimate subsidies that the government (local and federal) provide to independent farmers so that they can be competitive financially. That said we're looking for a serious shift in the way things are done in Washington (and around the nation) for that matter. So, the elimination of rubber stamp subsidies for farmers to not grow certain crops and subsidizing insurance is going to come to an end.

Members of both parties are mad that the gravy train is coming to an end. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that farmers should be thinking about developing other sources of income (read green fuels like solar and wind power) rather than direct payments from the federal government.

"I have real concerns about this administration's position on eliminating direct payments to our producers, which would be detrimental to their livelihoods," said Rep. Frank Lucas, Oklahoma.

Lucas, for those who want to bash the dems as being the only party in favor of subsidies, was voted into office as a member of Lincoln's party.

The permanent sleeper

Famed pro wrestler Verne Gagne, the father of my beloved AWA, was apparently involved in a death by pile driver last week. A man, who was living in the same assisted living facility as Gagne, died of complications from one of Gagne’s wrestling moves.

According to local media sources, the geriatric grappler has been battling dementia and Alzheimer’s for the past couple years. While in this state, he’s been relegated to an assisted living community in Bloomington. At the facility, Gagne’s hallucinations have apparently involved titanic matches against The Mad Dog and The Crusher. He was removed from the facility for body slamming a patient and applying a choke hold on another, but despite this he somehow was able to return to the facility. The most recent Gagne outburst proved fatal, however.

He had a history with the patient. According to one account, he had applied the Gagne sleeper on this 97-year-old before workers were able to extract the former heavyweight champion. No one knows what provoked the most-recent incident, and Gagne is not expected to be charged with any crime.

After reading about Gagne’s dementia, I was thinking back to the time I was covering a football game from the Metrodome press box when then-Governor Ventura took an open seat next to me to watch the game. The former member of the East-West Connection had a bout of uncontrollable shaking while sitting there and I remember being unnerved by his behavior. I suppose that even though those turnbuckles are padded, the physical toll those guys took was considerable.

I’ll have to remember next time I saddle up next to Jumping Jimmy Brunzell at the counter of Al’s Breakfast to be polite when asking for the salt. I wouldn’t want a flying dropkick to the sternum.