Do you really think ZZ's absence was a make-or-break thing? I'm not sure. He is(or was...I believe he's retiring now) an amazing player, but it's a TEAM sport and I don't think we can base the whole game on any one player. Sadly, the head-butt is the defining moment of the 2006 World Cup. Check out any sports site and you'll find it's the Main Event. Not that I think ZZ didn't deserve the call: it was clearly deliberate and it was a cardable offense. But let's face it: the WC is as much about theatrics as anything else. I'm not saying a hard head-butt to the chest doesn't hurt - and probably a LOT - but Materazzi rolling around like a shot hog, wailing in agony....oh come ON now! As much as I love my country and "my" team, I would have been quite happy to see Matt. sent off with at least a yellow card. That was just plain childish. "Oh, mom, he pushed me and I fell down and HURRRRRT myself!" Marco, will you please grow UP! This is what you get in a game that does not show instant replays to the fans. I've always seen this as a mixed blessing. Yes, we don't get the endless prattling that goes on in hockey and football, and it keeps the game "current", but there aren't enough pairs of official eyes on the field. It wasn't until Buffon directed the ref's attention to the "floored" Materazzi that anything was done. And even THEN it took several assistant refs, plus inspection of the recorded play, before he did anything. I can't blame France for being stunned and angry at this. In their view, ZZ didn't do anything. The game was stopped, the refs conferred, and OUT he went. What the heck?!! No, there are no excuses for either of them. Matterazzi was probably being a mouthy jerk. ZZ lost it. Matt made the best of it. Neither one gets my vote for Sportsman Of The Year. The real tragedy is the way ZZ ended up OFF the field for good, a stupid final move in a brilliant career. And, to the man's credit, he knows how dumb it was. If I've read correctly, he WAS given the option of coming out and getting his silver medal with his teammates, but he declined. Imagine how horrible he must have felt. (And that's another thing: this whole red-card bit. OFF FOREVER! In hockey - what little I see of it - it's "off for a while, sorry, your team has gotta play without you, but you can come back in a bit." But that's another rant.) Given a bit of time, I think ZZ will best be remembered for his amazing skill: he quite rightly received the Player Of The Year award. But I gotta tell you.....this may well be the last WC I'll ever get involved with. Generally speaking, the game degenerates into a playground brawl far too often. The '82 win was 3 to 1 in regular play, and that was a truly honourable and magnificent game. This year's.... You can't compare the two. Bravi, Azzurri, I'm very happy for the win. Now, in the coming years, can we please grow UP? Sigh.

I just found my way back a couple of weeks ago! My guys Cooper and Bailey crossed the Rainbow Bridge 5 years ago. And now we have our 4th beloved Golden Retriever, Griffin! loved rereading this thread too. ah The memories!

Other causes of backache at the sink (the depth of the sink is easy-blame for all, but there are other causes): - The undermount sink is set back several inches from the edge of the counter, causing the user to bend forward at the sink, regardless of the depth of the sink. This is mentioned a couple times above. It explains why not just tall people can feel backache at the sink. Some sinks we have seen on this forum are 6" set back, so it's really hard on the back. But even the standard 3-4" strip in front of the sink can be hard for people with back problems. An apron front sink - one that does not have a thick curved front but instead has a thin straight front (the Elkay Crosstown is an example) - is helpful to alleviate this issue. - the kitchen faucet does not have a long enough spout reach causing the user to have to stretch more to rinse things. Even an inch or two on the reach makes a difference. This is particularly seen in high-arch faucets that have short reaches so that the water stream is practically at the back of the sink. Many websites that sell faucets allow you to sort for spout reach length - you want about 9" reach or more. - a tile or stone floor can make the back ache when standing for longer periods at the sink. This is easily solved by an anti-fatigue mat like the Gelpro.

Love this thread, thanks for bringing it back. My kitchen was done 8 years ago and I SOOO wish that Semihandmade had been around then (from DIY2's link). They would have saved me a lot of money and frustration with contractors. Anyway, my cabs are white and awhile ago, I saw a brilliant dark royal blue kitchen in a magazine. I thought maybe I'll do that some day, but don't think that's very realistic of me. However, it is time to repaint the walls, so I appreciate this discussion of color. They've been a cheerful cantaloupe and am thinking about a pale creamy yellow. The more dramatic option of the deep blue is also attractive. What to do...