These photos make the spectral sport of synchronized swimming look awesome, exciting, titillating and full of death defying, aerial madness. And then the video quickly disposes of that whole load of untruth.

Photo gallery c/o The Telegraph

On the Stairway to Heaven song pick – bold move, considering that most teams go with selections a la this (hint: in the world of synchronized swimming, Enya wins championships). The Spanish lady rockers of the chlorinated deep will inevitably open the door for other countries to choose tunes from the likes of AC/DC, Rod Stewart, Maiden, and anything off The Police album Syncronicity.

Some cool hell on wheels news of the International persuasion, women’s flat-track squads from Birmingham (UK) and Stuttgart (Deutschland) will face off at the end of the month in Germany. The teams met in the first ever European cross-border battle in November ’08, with Birmingham giving Stuttgart the business, edging out a victory 81-75. They’ll rematch on Jan. 31 in the New Year’s Massacre.

Check out the Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames and Stuttgart Valley Roller Girlz team sites for more info

…Now, on to a plethora of what’s happening…

Border Wars: College Football Recruiting Battles (MoonDog Sports)
BAR IS SOMEWHAT ATTRACTIVE (What Would Tyler Durden Do)
UK Rugger Gets His License Suspended for Three Years for Drunk Driving (Telegraph)
Will Yankees Luxury Suite Controversy Topple Bloomberg Administration? (Deadspin)
Aziz Ansari, Comedian (Gothamist)
Top 10: Music Blogs to Read in 2009!… Including one of my personal favorites Earfarm (via Pop Candy)
Danny Granger’s Three at the Buzzer: ‘You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me’ (Fanhouse)
Lil Wayne on ESPN’s 1st and 10… The Whole 22 Minutes! (Phil Knows Best)
Unlike Josh Hamilton, Chris Andersen Is Comfortable In His Inky Skin (Tirico Suave)
Who will score down under? Australian Open women’s odds (Cuzoogle)
Jon Stewart on Gaza (NY Hoosier)
NFL Year In Review (Intentional Foul)
Bored? Let Diamond Dave get you through the day (9 to Fried)
Noelia’s got some serious backside (on205th)
CHEERLEADER CAPTION CONTEST: WIN A OKLAHOMA SOONERS GREATEST GAMES DVD (The World of Isaac)

Some local high dam kayakers hit the Llyn Brianne Reservoir in Carmarthenshire, UK recently, so they could load themselves into their canoes and plunge 300 ft. down a dam, landing softly in a tranquil pool below (of what looks like level-3 rapids, maybe?)

The BBC cut out all the talky-talk, and just gave us the report on this foolishness in pictures.

Stick the landing! Stick it….ooohh

Caption on that one reads, One of the kayakers has a rough landing at the valley floor.

Welsh Water, the owner of the reservoir site, of course neither recommends nor condones this.

“Reservoirs can be dangerous for various reasons and those involved in water sports in inappropriate locations, such as at Llyn Brianne, put themselves and others at unnecessary risk,” said a spokesman for Welsh.

Damn extremists. (Ho! See what I did there?)

The BBC has the video for you here.