Computer Dealer News: Praying to the Web Gods: the vicar delivers his sermon at the last minute and

Those readers who get a sense of deja vu when they attend church might be on to something. Busy vicars are being offered a helping hand with their Sunday services through a Web site. that provides a selection of ready-to-use sermons.

Lastminutesermon.com describes itself as "a fast-response service designed to help busy Christian ministers and teachers with sound, readymade sermons."

Vicars can browse the site and buy a sermon of their choice for around $18. Each piece is written to last between 10 and 12 minutes. Selections cover such topics as The Good Samaritan, The Baptism of Jesus and Remembrance Sunday. The site even offers a free Palm Sunday sermon that visitors can download.

According to site owner Bob Austin, a professional writer and preacher in the Church of England, the site aims to help vicars feel confident about their sermons.

"To be honest, how many of us have secretly wished that we could come up with something different to say about Palm Sunday, Easter, Harvest, the Good Samaritan et al this year?" he writes on the site.

Now, if only there was a similar site for missed birthday or anniversary excuses--because let's face it, those can be priceless.

The big bet

Moving from preachers to punters, a truck driver from Scotland recently won a record payout on a "virtual" horse race.

Stuart Johnstone, 59, scooped up about $200,000 after placing a bet on a race at his local bookie.

According to Ladbrokes, the firm that owns the shop, Johnstone landed the huge prize after betting around $20 on four computerized nags,. each of which romped to victory.

Launched in May 2002, Virtual Horse Racing broadcasts 10 live races a day across 10,000 Ladbrokes betting shops. According to the company, around 250,000 people a week watch computerized horses race around computerized courses. The result is determined by a random number generator within a central computer.

To enhance the authenticity, horses and even courses are given suitably racy names--Portman Park and Steeple Down are the virtual world's two leading race venues. And as for horse names, perhaps "Get a Life," "Gambling Problem" or "Don't bet the farm" should be considered.

The company is looking into it and will get back us on an unspecified date.