Baker County, Florida residents were recently asked what they would like the local parks and recreation department to look into developing in the future.

Planning Director, Ed Preston released the results to the study today and it was determined that the most common response from those who took part in the voting was a desire for shooting ranges, followed by golf facilities, then water playgrounds, fishing docks, ATV trails and canoe and kayak launches.

It's great to see that shooting ranges are still up at the top because that will help keep Florida residents in good shape...

Wikipedia estimates on average there is one shooting range per 15,000 - 25,000 people. With the population of Florida sitting at 18,000,000 people (2006), what would mean there are almost 725 available ranges in Florida alone.

Are more needed? The people have spoken. Yes!

More info: The Baker County Press

Things have been getting exciting in the wild west world of competitive canoeing in Manitoba, Canada.

This past weekend, sometime during the night, the clubhouse of the Manitoba Paddling Association was used for target practice.

Somebody used a 9mm handgun to blast holes in the wall, the heavy front door and an innocent pop machine.

"Thank God they didn't shoot our boats," said Jeff Dzikowicz, executive director of the Manitoba Paddling Association.

"It's actually kind of amazing. We have a bunch of boats in there, and all this equipment and cross-country skis and things everywhere. And none of that seems to have been hit, at least that we could see right off the bat," he said.

"Nothing was damaged too badly. There are holes in the walls, but nothing that can't be fixed."

More info: winnipegsun.com, Manitoba Paddling Association
Photo viadissonanceanddisrespect.blogspot.com

Calling all internet sleuths, I need your help.

I am trying to find a full version of the released coroners report for Andrew McAuley that was released today. I did a quick search but couldn't it. If anybody with better detective skills wants to give it a try, it would be greatly appreciated.

Everything I can find seems to just be news articles.

If you find anything, shoot me the URL of the document to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Good luck young detectives!

I am very please to present a guest blogger for the first time! Richard Alexander, President of Paddle Canada has graciously allowed me to reprint his letter to members that was printed in the latest issue of KANAWA magazine.

You might remember Richard as we did a profile on him in our series, "Better Know and Instructor".

This will help shed some light from Paddle Canada's perspective on some of the major changes that have been taking place here in Canada over the past 4-6 months.

I saw this in the Daily Mail yesterday and it brought out two emotions at first I thought, "How cute! Hats on whales!" then I thought, "Hats on whales! What the heck?"

A Japanese aquarium on Yokohama Island has discovered that the two beluga whales they have in captivity were not festive enough on their own so they decided to mount Santa Hats on them.

According to the article, the hats are bringing laughter and cheers from visitors while environmentalists are saddened by the sight of what they say is the final humiliation for the whale in a country that hunts them down with harpoons.

The article doesn't mention how they got them to stay on their heads in the first place but I am going to imagine lasers were used somewhere in the process.

Yeah, don't get me started...