Now we all know what happened to the Dartszar's old dart team.
Hundreds Of Jumbo Squid Washing Up On California Shores

POSTED: 8:50 am EST January 20, 2005

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Hundreds of giant squid are washing up on
Orange County beaches, creating a scene more akin to "20,000 Leagues
Under the Sea" than "The O.C."

The bug-eyed sea creatures, believed to be Humboldt squid, normally
reside in deep water and only come to the surface at night. Why
approximately 500 of them began washing up on the sands of Laguna
Beach and Newport Beach on Tuesday isn't clear.

Authorities said the squid - the biggest weighing 17 pounds - might
have been pursuing bait fish and gotten too close to shore, or the
tides might simply have carried them in.

"I have heard of this happening before, but it's not a common
occurrence," lifeguard Capt. Eric Bauer of the Newport Beach Fire
Department said Wednesday.

Authorities plan to remove the squid in the next couple of days and
will give at least a couple to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History for research.

In the meantime, beachgoers were advised not to eat or even touch
them. "They probably have bacteria on them at this point," Bauer
said.

PURFLEET JOURNAL
Darts Hit the Big Time but Keep Their Beer-Soaked Roots
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ

Published: January 11, 2005


URFLEET, England, Jan. 7 - Phil (the Power) Taylor cocked his head
slightly, eyed the dart board and, ignoring the soused crowd and the
fog of cigarette smoke, sealed the match with a perfect flick of the
wrist. But this was no ordinary game of darts relegated to a quaint
local pub, where the stakes are more often measured in frothy pints
than in pounds sterling.

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Showcasing the game's newly acquired razzle-dazzle, tournament
players including Bob (the Limestone Cowboy) Anderson, Wayne (Hawaii
501) Mardle and Kevin (the Artist) Painter - tramped into the
spacious Circus Tavern here in this London suburb last week with all
the flourish and gusto of heavyweight boxers.

With buxom blondes on their arms, theme tunes pulsating from
loudspeakers ("I Got the Power") and colored spotlights swirling,
the players, clad in boxy, custom-made shirts, ambled to the stage
through the screeching crowd of 900 mostly drunken fans. The winner,
the legendary Mr. Taylor, who cornered his record 12th world title,
took home £60,000 ($112,000), a sliver of what he earns on the
circuit and from endorsements.

More important, the match was televised by Sky Sports, seen by at
least two million British viewers and was piped into 500 million
households worldwide. Darts even registered its first pay-per-view
head-to-head match last November, between Mr. Taylor and the much
loved Andy (the Viking) Fordham, with the promise of another not too
far off.

"Darts is a cross between a Springsteen concert and professional
wrestling now," said Sid Waddell, a longtime commentator,
embellishing just a smidge. "It's a sport that needs dramatic
lighting, and heavy rock music punctuated by the intensity of the
crowd."

While purists may tut-tut, there is little doubt that this new
formula - not so different from the repackaging of poker in America -
  has revitalized the ailing game of darts and captured international
attention. China and Japan, where fans enthusiastically mob British
dart players for their autographs, have embraced the sport with
particular vigor. China formed its first national dart organization
last September, and 250,000 members signed up right away.

Darts can even be seen regularly in America now, where it is most
popular on the East Coast, on Fox Sports Net, which has televised
marquee tournaments and the Vegas Desert Classic.

"What darts has become is a television phenomenon," said Barry
Hearn, a former boxing promoter and the chairman of the Professional
Darts Corporation, a breakaway group that formed in 1992 and
spearheaded the revitalization.

Groupies, too, are budding, most notably a set calling
themselves "Tarts for Darts."

The game's appeal is rooted in its working-class sensibilities and
lager-fueled ambiance, which helps explain why there are 100 million
dart players worldwide. There is no game that can be played as
easily in a pub by players - the weather is irrelevant, fees are
laughably low and obesity is hardly a disqualifier.

The game's success has now prompted efforts to try to sober up its
image, get it introduced as an Olympic sport or at least a sport
recognized by the Olympic committee. After all, synchronized
swimming, table tennis and badminton are Olympic sports, and no one
questions the skill and mental focus required to play darts at a top
level.

Some consider it unlikely the game will ever make it to the
Olympics, and point to its Cockney roots as the biggest obstacle.

"In my view, the exclusion of darts is down to class-based
prejudice," wrote Martin Kelner in The Guardian last year. "Because
the drug of choice among darts people tends to be lager, and true
Olympians like to go for something with a few more syllables in it,
other sportsmen get all sniffy about darts."

Mr. Taylor, the 12-time world champion, who practices six hours a
day, said the game's boozy pedigree is unshakeable and a big part of
its appeal.

"You can take darts out of the pub, but you can never take the pub
out of darts," he said the day after winning his latest title. "We
will always have that label. You can never change it. But I don't
think it's a bad thing. It's now a professional game and people are
realizing it."

"Plus, we've cleaned up the image a lot," he added, pointing to the
fact that drinking alcohol is not allowed during a match.

Even the players, particularly the older ones, are trying to get
trim. Mr. Taylor, 44, whose paunch hangs over his pants, has been
working out with a body-building expert.

It is Mr. Fordham, though, who is taking fitness the most seriously,
because whenever he stepped on his home scale, as he put it, "it
read 'error.' " At 420 pounds, Mr. Fordham - a pub owner whose theme
song is "I'm Too Sexy for My Shirt" - is the first to tell you he
enjoys the "relaxed" life.

To relax before a match, he used to drink 25 bottles of Holsten
Pils. When he broke his wrist last year, his physical therapy
consisted of lifting a beer bottle to his lips (the therapy worked
beautifully, he said).

When he nearly collapsed from heat exhaustion at the pay-per-view
showdown with Mr. Taylor in November, he went outside, took off his
shirt, iced himself down and reportedly sipped a beer to recuperate.
Too sick to continue playing, he was forced to concede.

The health scare was a wake-up call. He has joined the cast
of "Celebrity Fit Club," a reality television show airing now that
features celebrities trying to get in shape.

"Drinking goes part and parcel with darts," said Mr. Fordham, 42,
whose affable wife, Jenny, owns The Rose, a pub in Dartford. They
live upstairs. "But I'm cutting back to as much I can." His initial
goal is to reduce his daily intake of beer to 12 bottles.

The Straight Up Peas, with no expectation of many wins, played
steady, smart darts last night to go 1-1 for the new season.  This is
no small feat, considering that one of Markey's team members was
guarenteed a triple every three darts.  More often than not, a double
was scored as well.  The Omster came back in 301 from a ton 20 and a
ton 21 to take a suprising win.

Go Peas.

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT...!!!

lol, T

For any who may doubt, Jeff Simpson threw some great darts on tues
night. There were alot of sub-plots in the Grits v Grits match and
Jeff and Dave really showed that the Aces will again be a force to be
reckoned with. We appreciated the opportunity to measure where we are
as a team and your right Jeff we will be looking for a better
outcome. Keep up the great darts guys!

It was in 1993 I believe, at the Milan against Bobby Benitez in
Single Cricket on GNODA's Wednesday Cricket league.  He had me buried
in points and sure enough I hit the 6 B's, 4 of which went to
points.  He still had 15's and went back to them, but eventually I
prevailed and won the game plus the rare 6 bulls during a league
game.
    Of course, this was back when I could still shoot, but I guess
that goes without saying.
    Tom

It probably isn't a good idea to rehash dart night on the message
board, but Om broke the seal and I could hardly contain myself last
night as well as right now. I will never get a chance to ever shoot
for 6 Bulls, because every time I hit Double Bull-Double Bull, I need
the third dart to close some number so we can win the game. Last
Night was no exception and the third dart was a fruitful TRIP 20! So
now Om knows why some lunatic on Grit's front board was yelling. If
you ever see Jeff Simpson receive an award for 6 Bulls you will know
that my opponents must have been pointing me pretty good. Which I
don't mind at all, because the pointing just gives me more time to
come back and win the game anyways. So raise your glass and toast
good sportmanship, points and the unlikely opportunity to hit
something big like 6 Bulls. I enjoyed playing my coworkers/old team
more than they did because starting the season with a 15-4 win and 4
all stars is fun. But I know they have plans to return the favor
after Mardi Gras. So in closing I would like to thank everyone
including the Gold and Silver players that enjoyed themselves at
Grit's last night and I hope you arrived safely at home. The
bartender doesn't mind making waters for all who feel like that last
drink was maybe one too many. Cheers no matter what is in your glass
or bottle.

The Peas were seriously fearful of a near blowout last night, But we
were saved by 801.  We had a less than respectable 5 wins going in to
the final match when Mary Ann, Om and Kevin stepped up to the board
and proceeded to be schooled to the tune of 580 to 8.  Grits' team
was throwing all stars like Mardi Gras beads and we were beginning to
think that we would have to start telling Tom now to remember to put
us back in Silver next season.

Well low and behold, the Peas came back.  Not exactly storming
(especially not with me and Kevin shooting 22's and 28's)more like
limping and we took the match.

We'll still probably be giving Tom a hard time before the season is
over, especially if this gold season goes like our last gold.

Go Peas

What's the difference between Iraq and Vietnam?

Bush and Cheney figured out how to get out of Vietnam.

I'm gonna play some darts, YAY!
I love darts, YAY!

Yay, darts, YAY!

here are 2 improvements to the Rules, among a few other changes, that
you might want to take note of.

#1  During 301, once you bust (that is, when you throw the single
dart that causes your score to be 1 or less) YOUR TURN IS OVER.  You
may NOT throw any more darts.  That is practice, and you may not
practice while in the middle of a match, on the game board or any
board.  You only get 9 darts of practice BEFORE the game begins.
Offending teams will get TWO WARNINGS before the third offense
warrants a LOSS OF TURN.

#2  I added a new section in the Rules on Equipment, basically
defining equipment, and specifying lights, flooring, etc.  One of the
more important things to note is that SHINY WIRE BOARDS ARE NOW
BANNED FOR MATCH GAMES.  You may retain one for use as a practice
board ONLY.

PDC LAUNCHES HALL OF FAME

The PDC are delighted to announce that legendary players John Lowe
and Eric Bristow are the first inductees into their newly-created
Hall of Fame.

Both Lowe and Bristow have played a key role in the development of
darts during the past three decades, and have enjoyed great success
along the way.

At least one of the pair was involved in a World Championship final
every year during the 1980's, with three being played against each
other.

Bristow emerged with five world titles to his name, the first one
coming 25 years ago, while Lowe remains the only player to be World
Champion in three separate decades after successes in 1978, 1987 and
1993.

Lowe, who was unbeaten during his time as England captain, has just
entered his 30th year as a professional player, and will embark on a
celebration tour of the UK on the exhibition circuit.

Bristow, a five-time World Masters champion, is involved on both
sides of the camera in his role with Sky Sports, and he came close
to a return to action in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship
when he took part in the qualifiers in Hull last month.

The Crafty Cockney remains one of the great characters in the game's
history, and he played a vital role in the development of Phil
Taylor, who has since succeeded Bristow in dominating darts.



The PDC Hall of Fame was launched at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet,
ahead of the final of the 2005 Ladbrokes.com World Championship
final, with the duo each receiving a commemorative trophy.

PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: "It gives me great pleasure to
announce that John and Eric are the first players to enter the PDC
Hall of Fame.

"Their achievements throughout the past 30 years deserve such
recognition as they have been tremendous ambassadors for darts.

"They led the way in terms of taking the game forward with their
professionalism, will to win and talent, and remain involved at the
highest level to this day.

"For John still to be playing in the World Championship, as he has
done for 27 successive years, is a remarkable achievement and
unlikely ever to be matched.

"Eric, the Crafty Cockney, has also enjoyed great success, and who
is to say that he would not have added to his five World
Championship wins had he not done so well in bringing Phil Taylor
through!"

Eric Bristow MBE
DoB: 27 April 1957
Nickname: Crafty Cockney
Lives: Leek, Staffordshire
World Championship titles: 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986

John Lowe
DoB: 21 July 1945
Nickname: Old Stoneface
Lives: Chesterfield, Derbyshire
World Championship titles: 1978, 1987, 1993

TAYLOR'S TEN AT THE TAVERN

Phil Taylor moved a step closer to darting immortality as he won his
twelfth world title and tenth at the Circus Tavern by beating
Mark 'Flash' Dudbridge 7-4 in the final of the 2005 Ladbrokes.com
World Darts Championship.

Taylor won the match in style with two successive 100+ checkouts in
the final set just as it looked as if Dudbridge was going to force
the game in to a twelfth set.

To see highlights of the match, click here.

In a match that never quite lived up expectations, and certainly not
the height's of the last two finals, it was all about which player
took advantage of their opponents misfortune.

And more often than not it was The Power who punished the Bristolian
in key legs early on in the contest.

Dudbridge can not claim to have had no chances against Taylor and
Phil certainly wasn't at full power and the key dart seemed to come
in the fourth set when Mark had a dart for a 3-1 lead in sets but
Taylor duly stepped in to punish.

That moment seemed to play on Mark's mind but to his credit he
fought to the end and even equalled the record for the amount of
180's in a match at the Circus Tavern (14).

The first set was littered with missed doubles from Taylor but even
still he had enough scoring power behind him to take the set against
the throw. (Taylor won the bull but handed the throw to Dudbridge.)

The second set was also a case of what might have been for Taylor as
he missed darts in every leg of the set for the legs apart from the
one that mattered as Dudbridge took out 121 to draw level, a finish
he was to also take out later in the match.



One of the decisive factors of the match for Dudbridge was that
whenever he broke The Power's throw, he seemed to lose concentration
and Taylor would hit straight back, something that happened in the
fourth set just as Dudbridge was looking for a 3-1 lead.

He had won the third set despite Taylor taking out a massive 161 but
in the deciding leg of that fourth set he missed double top and
Taylor, as is his want, punished him.

As Bob Anderson had said after his semi-final defeat, any half
chance that you get against Taylor you have to take and
unfortunately for Mark, he was just falling short on the killer
doubles.

Taylor raced through the next set 3-0 as Dudbridge seemed to be
mulling over what had gone before but he did fight back to win the
following set against the throw.

Missed doubles again from Dudbridge allowed Taylor to take the
seventh set 3-0 and the eighth set went Taylor's way in the deciding
leg.

A plethora of maximum's and a 121 checkout followed by a 144 finish
was still not enough to take the ninth set for Dudbridge and we were
in the middle of one of those familiar Power Surges.

Dudbridge did manage to take the tenth set against the throw but
Taylor quashed any hopes of a Dudbridge comeback by breaking Mark's
throw in the very first leg of the next set and even though
Dudbridge broke back again, those two ton plus finishes finally
broke Dudbridge's brave fight.

Yet another title for Taylor, who much longer can this darting
phenomenon go on?

"It's getting harder every year," said Taylor afterwards, "I kept
breaking his throw but he just kept coming back at me.

"I cannot speak highly enough of this young man, he is the future of
darts and if he carries on improving at this rate he will be lucky
enough to win the world title, without a doubt.

"I'm over the moon though. Even though the scoreline doesn't suggest
it, this was harder to win than last year. I was lucky to get
through against Bob because he outplayed me and the only reason I
won tonight was because I hit my doubles a bit better than Mark."

For Dudbridge it was the end of a highly successful week, but just
as in Blackpool there was just one man that he couldn't pass.

"I'm absolutely shattered," said Dudbridge, "I've put a hell of a
lot into this week and I've practiced harder than I ever have done
for any other tournament before.

"I wasn't at my best tonight but the annoying thing is neither was
Phil. But what can I say. I came up against the greatest player to
ever walk the planet."

The current ODC Gold Grailholders, Treasure Isle Hitmen defended the
ODC's honor this past Tuesday against the St. Bernard challengers,
Treasure's Power Drinkers.  The Drinkers reeled off 2 quick wins in
301, but gave up the next 6 in a row to the Hitmen.  The first 501
went to the Drinkers by way of a 76 out, but the next and final 4
points quickly went to the HItmen, who finished the match 10-4.

    On the restaurant side, the Silver Challenge was on, with ODC's
Homedale Inn Honeys taking on the Doghouse Ruthless Villains.  This
match was a tight one, with points being won evenly until they
approached the final 801 game tied at 8-8.  We acquiesced to their
custom of playing a 4-person team for the final game, and it came
down to the wire.  The dastardly Villains had the final <evil> laugh
(Muahahaha), taking out a textbook 32 with the Honeys stranded on
84.

     Chef Chris Mathis did a great job providing great grub at the
event and a good time was had by all.  The SBDL players all showed a
lot of gumption and enthusiasm, coming out of their parish to bring
us some game.  Cheers to them and to all our participating players!

    This brings the total to ODC:2-1 in Gold and 1-1 in Silver so far
in these inter-parish challenges.  Not bad for the Little-Club-That-
Could.

It was the Circus Ringmasters, way the hell out on Chef Menteur.
They had Brian Chatagnier, Kevin Kendall, Joe Teoulot (sp) and I
think Scottie Posey.  They were the first team to give us a taste of
what a shutout feels like.  Oh those crazy days in the GONAD.

Phil Taylor moved a step closer to darting immortality as he beat
Mark Dudbridge 7-4 to claim an incredible twelfth world title and
tenth at the Circus Tavern.

zombie babies, gotta luv em.  I saw a guy shuffling down Camp st.
yesterday that easily could've been a real zombie.

by the way, this is going to be the largest ODC season yet.  36 teams
so far.  I'm doing the schedule tonite...if I don't drink too much.

The PDC are delighted to announce that legendary players John Lowe
and Eric Bristow are the first inductees into their newly-created
Hall of Fame.

Om, tell us when the funny jokes are coming!   hehehe

Morgus Bart

How bout' some PEAS jokes???

Knock, knock
Who's there?
Tremble mortal and despair – it is I, THE ANGEL OF DEATH!
Tremble mortal and despair – it is I, THE ANGEL OF DEATH who?
Actually, I'm here for Jones in #D1 but I need to take a monster crap
and I hate to kill and THEN use the bathroom, you know? Its rude and
the other way around, well it ruins my dramatic entrance. So…
You want to use my toilet?
Yeah?
Go right ahead.
Got anything to read?
Just the crossword.
You finished it.
Sorry?
Hold my scythe.
Hey! Don't forget to light a match.

What's silver and red and waddles into walls?
A hungry zombie baby with forks in its eyes.

What's bald, has big clacking teeth, and wobbles?
A zombie baby wearing the dentures of an elderly woman whose brains
it just ate.

have to buy him more than 2 rounds every Tuesday?

Just kidding, I'll send my Lear jet to pick him up every Tuesday
morning for the match and have my limo driver meet him at the airport
for the final stretch to Mick's.  But after that, he's buying his own
drinks!  And I'll want some British souvenirs (like a spare Embassy
Cup) to throw in the box full of 5 yrs. worth of plaque-buildup
behind the bar.

Seriously though, what do you think his ODC power rating would be?
Over 100, I think, even though that is statiscally the highest it
goes. I think our current highest is Randolph's 80 with only one
season under his belt.

Phil Taylor cruised in to the last 16 after crushing Alex Roy 4-0.
Roy must be cursing his luck after only drawing Taylor in the first
round at the World Matchplay in Blackpool, that day the score was 10-
1 to Taylor and today's score in legs was 12-1!

The first two sets from Taylor were electrifying. He hit three 180's
and a 177 in the first four legs. The first set was completed in 13
darts, 10 and 15 and the second set was 16 darts, 11 and 15 which
also included a 114 checkout.



In this form Taylor is surely unstopable. He averaged 119 in the
first set and 115 in the second, his overall average was 103 so lets
see if he can emulate his feat of a couple of years ago and go the
whole way through a tournament averaging over 100.

Roy at least won one leg in the fourth set but Taylor wrapped it up
in style matching Roy's one and only maximum and finishing in 11
darts. Awesome.

Negotiations are heating up for the third match-up between ODC
and SBDL.  It's been awhile since the last time (Mutineers lost to
The Bar at The Bar).  The Gold division will be playing for the
Southeast Regional Cup, while the Silver plays for something else I
suppose.  We hope to host two matches, a Gold and Silver, at Treasure
Isle next Tuesday, Jan 4th. SBDL's Gold champs are Treasure's Power
Drinkers led by Capt. Tommy Cook and the Silver champs are the
Ruthless Villains (*shiver*) helmed by Capt. Corey Ruiz.  Your ODC
Champions will be the Treasure Isle Hitmen and Homedale Inn Honeys.
We hope to get confirmations from everyone as soon as possible.

I'll keep youse posted as things develop.

When I notice that a score creature has rubber-neck-itis or
just can't look at the board because he can't trust his old lady and
turn his back on her for one second because his friends are all over
her like flies on silicon, I request a replacement immediately.
Whether or not they like it, it is perfectly legal
and "gamesmanship' sometimes can make a difference in a match. Easy
solution. REPLACE THE SCOREKEEPER.

All Om is saying,
is give peas a chance.

Om 'Lennon' Indest...


A very OM-inous prediction the peas have.....especially that
doobyone kinobi.

FACE THE BOARD.  It's pretty much that simple.  How many times have
I had scorers looking me in the face as I just wait for them to turn
around and face the board?  Sometimes I'll wink at them or blow them
a kiss, ask about their families, but they just don't get it.

I almost put in a rule about this where you could ask one (mouth-
breathing, goggle-eyed) person per team to desist from scoring for
the match so you could avoid dealing with their worst scorekeeper.
But whenever you put in a rule, people will try to find a way to
abuse it to their advantage.  Anyway, I think I will put something
in writing about allowing a captain to request a different
scorekeeper if they prove to be incompetent (2 mistakes) or unable
to FACE THE BOARD and be distracting.

The bottom line is that everyone shows up to try to throw their best
darts (mostly) and if you can't beat them on the board, do not stoop
to some kind of distraction tactics to win.  As a scorekeeper you
are like an usher, a roadie or a spotlight operator, assisting the
star players to complete their performance as efficiently as
possible.  You are NOT a circus clown on stage! Distractions by
spectators are one thing (they legally must be 2' behind the
shooter) but distractions by scorekeepers will not be tolerated.
Anytime a scorer does something against the 10 Commandments and it
bothers you, step off the line and ask them to discontinue the
activity or turn the chalk over to a less hyperactive team mate.
Whatever you do, don't penalize yourself by throwing bad darts if
they are distracting you and them complaining about it later.  Stop
the match, register your complaint in a civil and courteous manner,
and stand immobile on the oche holding your darts until the
situation is remedied.  I'd say 95% of our players understand that
scorekeeper distraction tactics are a mark of poor sportsmanship,
and don't stoop to such levels <anymore>.  More often than not you
will start a scorekeeper war with that kind of crap, with the antics
accelerating until the focus has left the dart game and descended to
name-calling and invitations to the parking lot.
     I thank you all for avoiding that poison word ("protest") so
far.  You only have to commingle with any of these ODC ruffians for
about 3 hours, two times a season.  This isn't a co-habitation.
Plus, if you really hate their bar so much, you are allowed ONE
forfeit each season.  Use it.  (except, of course,  the last 2 weeks
of the season!)

   PS:  SCOREKEEPERS, FACE THE BOARD!!!

The Straight Up Peas will show up every Tuesday and play hard.  We
will win some games.

The gauntlet is down, bitches.  Tis your duty to pick it up and run
with or crack back.

Bring it or it shall be brought.

I have a challenge for all those who participate in the ODC.

When keeping score, DO NOT TURN AND LOOK AT THE PLAYER!

When admonished for turning and looking at the thrower, do not get
huffy.  Do not talk back.  Read the rules and follow them.

I could get distracted when someone turns their giant moon head and
looks at me as I'm trying to take out a double 2, my hand could slip,
and the poor scorekeeper may end up with a new blow hole.

That is all.

Omus Supremus Maximus