Clouds over the city of Brno
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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Skyray 2
Skyray 2
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Pima Air and Space Museum
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Chris Nash and Ed Joyce lead Sussex fightback against Lancashire at the County Ground
Chris Nash and Ed Joyce lead Sussex fightback against Lancashire at the County Ground
Sussex (290 & 147-0) trail Lancashire by 153 runs
By Kate Laven, County Ground 7:38PM BST 28 Apr 2011
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Until the final session on Thursday, Lancashire looked like they were heading for their third consecutive championship victory but despite spending three long days in the doldrums, Sussex refused to roll over.
Bloodied and ravaged when they were forced to follow on still 300 runs behind, openers Chris Nash and Ed Joyce pushed back their shoulders and got on with their attempt to salvage a draw.
By the close, they had closed the gap to 153 runs. Thinking about a draw remains ambitious but their endeavours certainly lifted the gloom with the captain Joyce leading from the front on 63 and Nash matching his stoicism with 57.
The start of the day had not been pretty. Resuming on 97-4 and needing a long show of resistance, Sussex took just three overs to surrender their nightwatchman Amjad Khan but all the time Murray Goodwin was at the crease, the clouds seemed fluffy rather than dank and dark.
He was at the crease for more than 23 overs with Luke Wright and together they put on 81 but Wright's departure shortly before lunch, caught at slip off Glen Chapple, came as another untimely nail in the coffin.
Goodwin reached the century, his 45th for Sussex and the 64th of his career, in 196 balls with nine fours but inevitably there was no real celebration. He added 90 with Andrew Hodd but in a swirl of dust and determination, drove Chapple hard to cover where he was caught by Mark Chilton for 113.
It was a fine innings that spared Sussex's blushes but there was little more to come apart from wickets for Chapple and spinner Gary Keedy who made best use of the rough patches. Both finished with four wickets a piece as Sussex were dismissed for 290 and neither were unable to add to their hauls when Sussex set off again for another 38 overs to the close.
andrew hodd, gary keedy, chris nash, rough patches, championship victory, ed joyce, amjad khan, murray goodwin, consecutive championship, nightwatchman, chapple, laven, final session, stoicism, fightback, four wickets, blushes, doldrums, crease, chilton online
Friday, April 29, 2011
Les platanes, seigneurs de nos routes
Les platanes, seigneurs de nos routes
.. et mme saigneurs hlas ! .. ici Poilhes (Hrault, France)
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
Gwyneth Paltrow wears yellow well, and you can too!
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow had the fashion world buzzing at a recent signing for her new cookbook, My Father's Daughter.
Mz. Thang showed up in a bright yellow dress that said, no, screamed, LOOK AT ME.
And you know what? I'm liking it!
Bright colors are a huge trend this season if you haven't noticed already, and a bright yellow dress is a great way to give a nod to the look.
More from The Stir: Khloe Kardashian Defends Her Bootie on "Law & Order" (VIDEO)
I'm sure Gwynny's dress cost a bundle, but you can easily find an affordable version of the look.
Want to see some of my favorite yellow dresses up for sale right now?
Keep reading!
Calvin Klein dresses are so well made, and this tiered shift dress is on sale for $89.99. Take that, Gwyneth!
Get Gwyneth's satin-like finish at a fraction of the cost with this Mia Strapless Dress (The Limited, $89.90).
For a more casual spring/summer look, this Eyelet Ruffle One-Shoulder Dress (Delia's, $44.50) is picnic-perfect.
More from The Stir: Noah Cyrus Wears Loads of Black Eyeliner: Would You Let Your 11-Year-Old Do the Same?
Go luxe on a budget with this $345 vanessa bruno Athe Dress, on sale for $103.50.
I'm crazy about this Daytime Jersey Sleeveless Wrap Dress (Victoria's Secret, $49.50). Keep the look casual with a cami underneath.
Keep all eyes on your yellow dress by pairing it with nude sandals. You can keep the look on the casual side with these Seychelles Purr Sandals (Zappos, $100).
More from The Stir: Eva Longoria & Her Makeup Malfunction Should Comfort Us All
Or glam it up with these Endo Sandals (Jessica Simpson, $79).
Would you dare to wear a yellow dress?
Written by Lindsay Ferrier for CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
More from The Stir:
5 Cool Ways to Wear Your New Maxi Skirt
Ugly Woman Turns Hot Before Your Eyes
Face Torture: The Non-Surgical Way to Get Beautiful!
Would You Pay $50 to Use the Dressing Room?
Images via Splash News, Calvin Klein, Nordstrom, Delia's, the OutNet, Victoria's Secret, Zappos, Jessica Simpson
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Schluchsee sunset
Schluchsee sunset
Schwarzwald / Blackforest
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
2011-04-23 at 14-54-43
Sub Zero Highland Trees
Monday, April 25, 2011
aerial surreality
Dragonfly, Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve , 70kms E of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
dragonfly, Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve , 70kms E of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
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Shorncliffe Sunrise
Shorncliffe Sunrise
First light at Shorncliffe
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Lounging in Style
Lounging in Style
Post-processing done with Capture NX2 (w/Color Efex Pro 3), and Photoshop CS5.
More of my work can be seen at BlueCityPhotography.com and www.facebook.com/bluecityphotography
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
lunch break by the river
lunch break by the river
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Mixed reception for Towcester's plan to ban whips in their races
Mixed reception for Towcester's plan to ban whips in their races
The British Horseracing Racing Authority was non-committal in its response to Towcester Racecourse’s intention to have all 'hands and heels’ racing with extremely limited use of the whip from October onwards.
Sceptical: Trainer Nicky Henderson says he can't see the plan coming to fruition Photo: GETTY
By Marcus Armytage 7:12PM BST 22 Apr 2011
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However, it did stress that such a move could only happen with the authority’s permission and agreement.
News of Towcester’s plans, delivered in a letter to the BHA on Thursday, brought widely differing views within the sport.
On a rare day off with no racing on Good Friday, thousands of racing fans visited Lambourn Open Day where among the attractions was a schooling session in which John Francome, the former Champion Jockey and now Channel 4 Racing pundit, jumped a horse upsides AP McCoy who will, today, be crowned Champion for the 16th time at Sandown.
Great friends and in perfect unison on horseback, their views on the subject could not have been more contrasting. “It’s a shame,” said Francome, “that it has taken a racecourse to do what the BHA should be doing. I’m all for what Towcester are doing and if it doesn’t work out they can always revert. I’d be surprised if people don’t think you get a more exciting finish with no whips.”
McCoy, on the other hand, insists it is the BHA’s job to make the rules and this would not be a good one.
The BHA have been put in a difficult position by this surprising development in the debate and it is likely to be a case of damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
The BHA had begun a review of whip rules even before this year’s Grand National in which Jason Maguire’s use of the whip prompted a major public outcry. They are looking at what is acceptable and taking views from within the sport as well as from those who watch and bet on racing. They will also seek, through polling and surveys, to gauge public perception although they gave no timescale for the conclusion.
Paul Struthers, their spokesman, pointed out that the BHA are under no illusion as to the importance of their findings. “It’s a crucial issue for the sport,” he added, “to get to grips with and it is vital we get it right. Towcester’s request will be looked at as part of the wider review.”
Following in Towcester’s footsteps is certainly not on the agenda at Cheltenham, the home of British steeplechasing. Robert Waley-Cohen, who shortly takes over as chairman of Cheltenham and owns this year’s Gold Cup winner Long Run, said: “Whatever the changes it is essential that it [the Rule] is hard and fast. It’s not really fair to leave it to the discretion of the local stewards. If it is three hits with the stick or whatever, it needs to be so clear cut that people who have backed the 'winner’ know that it will be disqualified. The BHA have also got to come up with a punishment that fits the crime. We certainly have no intention of requesting hands and heels racing at Cheltenham.”
Nicky Henderson, whose Master Fiddle won a recent hands and heels hurdle at Newbury, doubted whether Towcester’s plan would ever come to fruition. “I can’t believe it’ll be a runner,” he said. “The 'hands and heels’ series for young riders has been a success, but I’ve watched a couple lately and it’s noticeable how difficult it is to ride a horse for a long way without that extra bit of persuasion.
“Obviously the welfare of the horse is paramount and no one wants to see horses abused, but I still think there’s room for responsible use of the whip within the sport.”
Finding a compromise to suit everyone, it seems, will not be easy. There appears to be very little middle ground.
champion jockey, public outcry, bha, racing fans, committal, grand national, great friends, fruition, whips, good friday, 12pm, pundit, mccoy, whip, unison, channel 4, intention, shame online, rsquo, stress
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Arsenal were not strong enough to challenge for title
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Arsenal were not strong enough to challenge for title
It's a long, hot Bank Holiday weekend and the pressure levels in the Premier League are rising like the mercury.
Claim: Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Arsenal were never going to be strong enough to challenge for the Premier League title Photo: PA
By Henry Winter 10:59PM BST 22 Apr 2011
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Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chelsea are Manchester United's main challengers for the title because they are "stronger" than Arsenal but his message to his players was simple: keep calm and carry on getting results.
His United side are not in the best of form, unlike Saturday's lunchtime visitors Everton, but Ferguson was certainly not feeling the heat. Ten points from five games will guarantee United a record 19th title.
He also argued there were more stressful occupations than management. "I'm sure there are,'' he said, adding that each individual reacted "differently" to life's vicissitudes. "It's about dealing with stress. Sometimes people feel pressure getting an electricity bill.'' Ferguson handles stress well, using it as fuel for his fire.
Touchline bans, refereeing decisions, disappointing results and the sight of late charges like Chelsea's are all kindling to Ferguson. Talking at Carrington with the papers full of Gerard Houllier's hospitalisation, Ferguson sounded more concerned about the ravages of age than the pressures of his profession.
"Some mornings I wake up with aches and pains and I worry what it is,'' said the 69 year-old. "I sometimes say to my doctor: 'I've got a pain here and a pain there.' He says: 'It's your age, you're growing old.' You have to pay attention to your health when you get older. It doesn't come without penalties.
"Modern nutrition and lifestyle mean people live longer but it doesn't guarantee complete health all your life. I had a pacemaker put in seven years ago. That was the first indication that your body is not working the same as 20 years ago.''
Even if the body is slowing, the mind and hunger remain sharp as he hunts trophies. Ferguson can hear the pounding hooves of Carlo Ancelotti's revitalised champions, who have overtaken Arsenal. "I said a few weeks ago that Chelsea would be our main challengers. Now they are above Arsenal.
"I have that slight preference for Chelsea because their fixture list is a wee bit easier but they have to come to Old Trafford and that's not going to be easy for them. Chelsea are far more experienced than Arsenal. Chelsea are a strong team with strong experience. That's the difference between the two teams. Arsenal are the better footballers but Chelsea are the better, stronger team."
Along with Everton, Chelsea are the form team in the Premier League and would have been ahead of United but for a brutal winter. "We all get blips in a season,'' reflected Ferguson. "Chelsea were odds-on at one point for the Premier League and then they hit that blip. But credit to us – we took advantage of that."
United really need to defeat David Moyes's team today to keep resisting Chelsea, who host West Ham early this evening. "Everton have done exceptionally well considering David has had a mountain of injuries in the last few weeks, being without Cahill, Arteta, Saha and Fellaini but still turning out the results," said Ferguson. "David keeps motivating them."
Ferguson himself is a master of the motivational arts. Before kick-off today, he will doubtless remind his players, who looked slightly leggy against Manchester City and Newcastle United, that they have been snubbed for the season's individual honours. So go out and prove a point. Or three.
Gareth Bale collected the PFA award last Sunday and yesterday Scott Parker was named the writers' Footballer of the Year, pipping Bale by two votes. Nemanja Vidic was third while Ryan Giggs, Edwin Van der Sar and Nani also received a few votes.
"Scott Parker has certainly done a good job at West Ham,'' said Ferguson. "He's probably the player who's driven them on, motivated them to be where they are and still with a chance of staying up.
"They've got a mountain to climb – they go to Chelsea. But he's been the driving force in that West Ham team. In a way it's a good thing to recognise the good pros in the game."
Ferguson, though, was building up to his annual mention of David Ginola, a controversial choice as Footballer of the Year in 1999. Even after 12 years, Ferguson has neither forgotten, nor really forgiven.
"I remember when we won the Treble, David Ginola got it. He was a nice player, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against David Ginola at all, but I thought it was an insult to Manchester United. How can we not have had one player who had a better season than David Ginola?"
In truth, they had. More than one. Peter Schmeichel and Roy Keane, among others.
"I suppose at the time you picked David Ginola, we still had four games to go, and may had won nothing,'' he added. But United won the Treble.
Ferguson's players have still been honoured in recent years, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo twice.
Ferguson actually described Parker's prize as "a good step forward". He added: "It's nice to recognise somebody outside of the celebrity clubs in the Premier League, the teams who are getting all the publicity like United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham."
Privately, the feeling within Old Trafford is to let others fight over the individual baubles while United chase the major honours. Their pursuit will be strengthened by Darren Fletcher's return from illness "in 10 days", according to Ferguson. That could mean he is back for United's May 1 trip to Arsenal, a fixture that tends to bring out the spikiest in the combative midfielder.
"In big games, important games, Darren has excelled over the years because he has the knowledge and discipline to carry out a job, whatever I want him to do,'' said Ferguson. "When he does come back, he will go straight into the team."
The pressure will ease slightly when key characters such as Fletcher are back. One pressure seems to be on Ferguson's time. Asked whether he had seen a preview of the BBC's Munich film, to be shown tomorrow, Ferguson countered: "How much time do you think I've got? Newcastle on Tuesday, youth team game on Wednesday and last night I was in my bed! Crikey!"
sir alex ferguson, bank holiday weekend, stressful occupations, gerard houllier, alex ferguson, bill ferguson, electricity bill, dealing with stress, henry winter, complete health, kindling, vicissitudes, manchester united, five games, hospitalisation, challengers, pacemaker, carrington, lunchtime, premier league
Music to Apple's ears
Apple has completed work on an online music storage service and is set to launch it ahead of Google, whose own music efforts have stalled, according to several people familiar with both companies' plans.
Apple's plans will allow iTunes customers to store their songs on a remote server, and then access them from wherever they have an Internet connection, said two of these people who asked not to be named as the talks are still confidential.
Apple and COO Tim Cook have yet to sign any new licenses for the service and major music labels are hoping to secure deals before the service is launched, three of the sources said. Apple has not told its music partners when it intends to introduce its music locker, they said.
TIM COOK
Creates new service.
An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Amazon.com Inc launched a music locker service earlier in April without new licensing agreements leading to threats of legal action from some music companies. At the time, Amazon argued that its so-called Cloud Drive service does not need licenses, and said uploaded music belongs to the users.
Last week, however, Amazon held talks with some labels to reach agreements for a new, more sophisticated locker service.
Apple, Amazon and Google are battling for control of new digital media platforms through which everyday users will access their music and videos.
While Amazon is the leading e-reader maker, Apple and Google are competing on mobile platforms like smartphones and tablet devices.
Google had been expected to launch a music service as a feature of its Android mobile operating system as far back as last Christmas.
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Friday, April 22, 2011
Electricity firms get 100m for nothing
Electricity firms get #100m for nothing
Major energy companies have been given free carbon allowances worth more than £100m this year for closed or mothballed power stations – despite the fact that the plants are producing little or no emissions.
Electricity firms get #100m for nothing Photo: Getty Images
By Rowena Mason, Energy Correspondent 5:26PM BST 22 Apr 2011
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Centrica, GDF Suez/International Power and Scottish & Southern Energy are among the UK companies to have reduced or switched off capacity at older plants.
And despite ceasing to produce electricity, the energy companies still receive the carbon credits which they can trade on international markets – giving substantial windfalls.
All the named companies announced temporary or permanent shut-downs in recent weeks – just after this year's carbon allowances were handed out by February 28.
Centrica has put four plants – Barry, Brigg, Peterborough and Kings Lynn – into "preservation mode", which means they are not producing but ready to be switched on.
Meanwhile, GDF Suez has reduced output at its Teesside plant to almost nothing – with the station expected to produce just 45 megawatts out of its 1875 megawatt capacity.
Scottish and Southern Energy stopped generating at its Fife plant on March 31.
A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "If an installation permanently closes then it will retain the full allocation for the year in which it closed down.
"It will receive no further allowances for future years of the European Union emissions trading scheme. For temporary and partial closure the installation carries on as normal.
"There are no adjustments to its allocation. It will be the decision of the regulator to decide if a closure is temporary or partial. However, installations can appeal a regulator decision."
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said if there is operating activity during the year, companies are entitled to retain their allocation of free allowances. "The rules do not allow us to take allocations away," he said.
It is understood that officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change are not happy about the situation and are trying to work out a way for them to be reclaimed.
Centrica declined to comment, while Scottish & Southern and International Power confirmed they had received its allowances for their non-producing stations.
A source close to one of the companies said: "We don't yet know the answer to [whether we'll be able to keep allowances]. The arbiter of this decision will be the European Union emissions trading group at the Environment Agency and we have been told that they will issue guidance on this later in the year."
It is not the first time that partial closure of plants has caused controversy in relation to unused carbon credits.
Last year, Ian Swales, now the Lib Dem MP for Redcar, called for clarification over what would happen to the 7m carbon allowances awarded for the year to Corus, before the plant was mothballed .
A Corus spokesman at the time insisted: "Any allegation that Corus has been motivated by the desire to profit from the mothballing via the emissions trading scheme is totally without foundation and insults the efforts of all those who have spent the past eight months desperately searching for a long-term viable future for the plant."
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
La pasin de Veru
La pasin de Veru
Hace tiempo que quera fotografiar el trabajo que suele hacer mi esposa. Madre de cuatro hijos, docente, dulce amante y hermosa mujer ha podido encontrar la forma de expresarse de esta manera y es un placer cotidiano ver cmo se va perfeccionando.
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13-04-11_1248
13-04-11_1248
She shoots...
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
DSC03316.jpg
DSC03316.jpg
La Jolla
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Twin-killing bumps Mets' skid to seven games
ATLANTA -- The commissioner's office should lodge a complaint against the Mets for impersonating a major league baseball team.
Nothing quite says "bush league" like Daniel Murphy getting nailed attempting to steal third base with nobody out and the Mets trailing by three runs in the sixth inning. It happened last night in the nightcap of a doubleheader the Mets were vehemently opposed to playing. But their complaint to the commissioner's office had about as much chance of succeeding as Murphy stealing third.
The Mets should have hoisted a Seven and Seven to celebrate. Their losing streak reached seven games -- the franchise's longest in seven years -- with defeats of 4-2 and 4-0 to the Braves at Turner Field.
straight defeat. " title="HOMER HELL: Mets starter D.J. Carrasco (above) wipes his face as Alex Gonzalez rounds the bases with one of the Braves' four solo home runs in a 4-2 loss in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday. Mike Pelfrey was smacked for four runs in five innings in a 4-0 loss in Game 2, the Mets' seventh straight defeat. " width="300" height="300" src="/rw/nypost/2011/04/17/sports/photos_stories/carrasco--300x300.jpg" />
AP
HOMER HELL: Mets starter D.J. Carrasco (above) wipes his face as Alex Gonzalez rounds the bases with one of the Braves' four solo home runs in a 4-2 loss in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday. Mike Pelfrey was smacked for four runs in five innings in a 4-0 loss in Game 2, the Mets' seventh straight defeat.
"We're not as bad as we're playing right now," David Wright said after the Mets lost for the ninth and 10th times in 11 games. "Hopefully this is an eye-opening little streak for us."
The losing streak is the Mets' longest since the Art Howe era. They dropped 11 straight games from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, 2004, sealing Howe's fate -- he was fired later in the month. Manager Terry Collins doesn't have to worry about an April firing, but needs to find something -- anything -- to reverse the club's fortunes.
The low point came when Murphy doubled leading off the sixth against Jair Jurrjens and then got thrown out trying to steal third.
"We used to call that an error of enthusiasm," said Collins, who scolded Murphy in the tunnel.
Murphy had a different explanation.
"It was an awful play," Murphy said. "There was nothing that could be going through my mind to justify that. Bad play. I put a good swing on a ball to start the inning off the right way with a guy who is throwing the rock pretty well, and I killed it. I've got to do better than that."
Murphy's double was one of just two hits by the Mets in the nightcap. Mike Pelfrey (0-2) had a fourth straight lethargic start by surrendering four earned runs on 11 hits over five innings.
"Another rough night," Pelfrey said. "I definitely have to be better."
The Mets' Game 1 loss wasn't quite as ugly. The Braves scored their four runs on solo homers and then clung to the lead as Wright (who went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts in the twinbill) and Brad Emaus, among others, squandered late scoring chances.
"I felt like I kept my team close enough, but today [Derek] Lowe was better," first-game starter D.J. Carrasco said after allowing three earned runs over 3 2/3 innings. "I felt like I pounded the zone and they beat me, what else can you do? I tip my cap to them."
Alex Gonzalez hit two solo homers against Carrasco and Chipper Jones had another. Freddie Freeman later homered against Pat Misch.
Jones' homer, with two outs in the first, was the 45th of his career against the Mets. Jones is tied with Hank Aaron for the fourth most homers against the Mets. Only Willie Stargell (60), Mike Schmidt (49) and Willie McCovey (48) have more.
Maybe the biggest wasted opportunity of Game 1 for the Mets came in the seventh, when Scott Linebrink retired Wright, after Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan drew two-out walks.
The Mets got an RBI fielder's choice from Reyes in the fifth, but Pagan hit into a double play to kill the rally. Willie Harris' RBI double an inning later pulled the Mets within 3-2, but Harris was left stranded at third when Lowe (2-2) retired Emaus.
mpuma@nypost.com
mike pelfrey, major league baseball team, major league baseball, alex gonzalez, straight defeat, art howe, daniel murphy, bush league, david wright, doubleheader, straight games, nightcap, seven games, sixth inning, turner field, first game, losing streak, mets, braves, fortunes
{cassy & ptol} pre-wedding | sneak peek-a-boo
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
In legend and story, in painting and photo, in poetry and prose, the Brooklyn Bridge has inspired and evoked more praise and comment than any other bridge in America. The first to span the East River, this beautiful suspension Bridge is even today the most picturesque of all the bridges spanning the rivers and harbors of New York. The majestic stone towers with their buttresses and pointed Gothic arches are a remarkably clear statement of structural design and stand in sharp contrast to the graceful sloping sweep of the cables.
It is a milestone in the history of American engineering. This great structure, with its arcaded stone approaches, was the longest suspension bridge in the world from the time of its completion in 1883 until 1903. It has an overall length of 6,016 feet, and the Bridge itself is 133 feet above mean high water. It was structural triumph attributable to the genius of John Roebling, the designer, and to the construction skill of his son, Washington Roebling.
One of the ingenious methods introduced by the Roeblings in the construction of the Bridge was the pulley-and-reel system which made possible the spinning of the great cables supporting the Bridge.
The great masonry pylons and the Gothic arched towers which carry the cables, arc a visual expression of the vital function they perform in carrying the four great cables from shore to shore. Due to the diminution of buttresses as they go up the towers, Ne notice the general pylon effect of sloping or battered walls, -, crowned by II cavetto type cornice, producing an almost Egyptian effect.
- From the 1967 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson blames Paul Scholes' 'red mist' for FA Cup semi sending off
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson blames Paul Scholes' 'red mist' for FA Cup semi sending off
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Paul Scholes had another of his "red-mist moments" after the midfielder was sent off in Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final defeat against Manchester City.
Costly errors: Alex Ferguson bemoaned individual mistakes for Manchester United's FA Cup semi final defeat Photo: REUTERS
By Telegraph staff and agencies 11:48AM BST 17 Apr 2011
Scholes was dismissed for a thigh-high lunge on Pablo Zabaleta as United tried to fight their way back into Saturday's clash at Wembley. The red card proved costly, with City holding on to win 1-0 to end their arch-rivals' treble bid and reach their first cup final for 30 years.
United manager Ferguson insisted Scholes' sending off "didn't kill the game" because the 10 men piled on the pressure in the closing stages.
The Scot said: "We've seen over his career Paul has had unbelievable moments – he's one of the greatest players this club has ever had. But he has his red-mist moments – he caught the boy on the thigh."
Ferguson blamed the defeat on the slack defending which led to Yaya Toure's winner, as well as two misses from Dimitar Berbatov.
"The first 15 minutes after half-time cost us the game," Ferguson said. "Slack moments. Edwin (van der Sar) had a bad kick out and Michael Carrick couldn't hold it and it was a goal.
"From then on, they were defending apart from a couple of counter-attacks. It's disappointing as we should've been ahead in the first half as we were the better team.
"The chances that Dimitar missed – there was a great save by the goalkeeper but the second chance, from under the bar, if he'd have scored there, I had a feeling whoever scored first would win the match."
Ferguson challenged his players, who had won their previous seven matches, to bounce back in Tuesday night's Premier League game at Newcastle.
"It's a major game on Tuesday up at Newcastle," he told MUTV. "We're getting recovered to get ready for the game on Tuesday. It doesn't matter when you play, you know you've got to recover and get on a winning streak again."
United defender Nemanja Vidic echoed his manager's sentiments that all focus must now turn to Tuesday's league match.
The Serbia defender said: "We lost a moment's concentration and conceded a goal in the process. Then when you go down to 10 men it difficult to get many chances against City.
"In the first half we played some good football. We had two or three chances but didn't take them. Then in the second half when we lost a goal, it was difficult to take. Obviously when you are playing with 10 men you are chasing the game.
"We have to think about the next game against Newcastle especially after losing the semi-final to City. It will be a very important game for us.
"We still have many games to play. Obviously the next one is the most important one. We have to play the best we can and win that game."
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Nicolas Cage arrested on domestic abuse charge
Nicolas Cage arrested on domestic violence charge
Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage was arrested on charges of domestic violence after a public argument with his wife.
The actor photographed after his arrest in New Orleans Photo: AP
6:35PM BST 16 Apr 2011
The 47-year-old was taken into custody after he was seen grabbing Alice Kim by the arm in New Orleans late on Friday night.
A police statement said onlookers flagged down a passing patrol car after seeing the pair rowing in the city’s lively French Quarter.
Cage has been charged with one count of domestic violence and one count of public drunkenness.
He was released from custody this afternoon, according to celebrity news website TMZ.com, after a judge set his bail at $11,000.
The actor, who has a house in the Louisiana city, has had financial troubles and is thought to owe up to $6.2m dollars in unpaid taxes.
He won an Oscar for his performance in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas in which he played a drunk.
The couple have a five-year-old son, Kal-El.
In December, he was caught on camera delivering an expletive-ridden rant outside a nightclub in Bucharest where he was shooting his latest film.
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Thursday, April 14, 2011
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Aberdeen 0 Rangers 1: match report
Aberdeen 0 Rangers 1: match report
Read a full match report of the SPL match between Aberdeen and Rangers at Pittodrie on Wednesday April 14, 2011, kick-off 1945BST.
Head over heels: Nikica Jelavic celebrates his brilliant overhead kick that sealed victory for Rangers Photo: PA
By Roddy Forsyth 10:21PM BST 13 Apr 2011
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Another timely goal from Nikica Jelavic – what an asset he has begun to prove for Rangers in the closing stages of the league campaign – saw them survive a trip to a ground where they have regularly suffered poor results. Back to within two points of Celtic, Rangers will leapfrog their opponents if they beat St Mirren at home on Saturday.
This, meanwhile, was the fourth successive 1-0 win for one or other of the Old Firm sides as they jostle towards the finishing line. Yet, had they been up against more ruthless opposition Rangers would have found the game – and their title prospects – drifting out of reach almost from the kick-off.
Twice within the space of a minute they allowed Josh Magennis to deliver tempting balls into their box and in both cases they reached Sone Aluko 12 yards out and with the target clearly in his sights.
On the first occasion he kicked air and on the second he swiped his attempt over the top. He might have made it third time lucky but the next opportunity fell to Magennis from a knockdown header by Scott Vernon and the Northern Irishman struck a strong angled drive on the bounce which Allan McGregor did well to beat away.
Maurice Edu was pulled back from his midfield beat to improvise at right-back and looked vulnerable to Aluko’s direct running from midfield, but these petered out as Rangers exerted a grip on that area of the field where Steven Davis and Steven Naismith continually probed and prodded to effect. The swing of pressure began when Chris Maguire carelessly played an in-field pass straight into the path of Sasa Papac close to the Aberdeen box.
The Bosnian immediately tried to draw blood but was thwarted when Jamie Langfield blocked the attempt and he struck the rebound straight at the goalkeeper. This scare for Aberdeen was promptly followed by another when Jelavic and Kyle Lafferty combined to force the first – and only – corner kick of the half.
A third warning was posted by Jelavic with a booming drive that swept wide before he adjusted his sights to spectacular effect exactly midway through the half. The prompt was a free-kick by McGregor, knocked on towards the Croatian striker who took the ball on his chest and struck a shot on the drop over his shoulder into the far corner of the net from the edge of the box.
It was a dramatic goal in style and implication and it lifted Rangers’ spirits visibly. They could not, however, fashion another to give them a margin of comfort and when the contest crept on into the second half with no change to the score, the champions became edgy.
In an attempt to put more fuel in the midfield tank Walter Smith replaced Jamie Ness with Kyle Hutton and Gregg Wylde with El Hadji Diouf at the three-quarter way mark but composure was at a premium in the Rangers back line.
They survived one major alarm when Whittaker was ambushed while pressing towards the halfway line and Maguire came close with a swirling effort that went just wide to the relief of the large travelling support in the crowd of 11,925.
Their brows were even more fevered when Whittaker was judged to have handled outside the box and Maguire played a clever free-kick past the edge of the Rangers wall for Robert Milsom to thrash back across the goal where Edu had to boot off the line after the ball came off McGregor and the post. While the Ibrox side continued to suffer from the jitters, Aberdeen could get no closer.
Match details
Aberdeen (4-4-2): Langfield; Young, Diamond, Considine, Smith (Robertson 56); Magennis (Blackman 80), Jack, Milsom, Aluko; Maguire, Vernon. Subs: Howard (g), Vujadinovic, Pawlett, Paton, Shaughnessy. Booked: Diamond.
Rangers (4-4-2): McGregor; Edu, Whittaker, Weir, Papac; Naismith, Davis, Ness (Hutton 66), Wylde (Diouf 65); Jelavic (Healy 88), Lafferty. Subs: Alexander (g), Fleck, Kerkar. Booked: Ness, Edu.
Referee: C Murray.
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Liverpool can still attract big-name players without Champions League football, says Andy Carroll
Liverpool can still attract big-name players without Champions League football, says Andy Carroll
Liverpool’s owners vision for the future of the club has earned the unequivocal backing of their record signing, with Andy Carroll confident big-name players can still be lured.
Jumping for joy: Andy Carroll celebrates his first goal for Liverpool against Manchester City Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Rory Smith 10:52PM BST 12 Apr 2011
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The club’s most recent debutant, John Flanagan, is also a keen advocate, insisting that more starlets are ready to follow his path from academy to first team.
John Henry and Tom Werner, the principal backers of the Fenway Sports Group consortium which bought the club for £300million in October, have consistently stated their intention to overhaul Kenny Dalglish’s squad in favour of a more streamlined, economically viable model balanced between big-money, high-profile stars and home-grown talent.
Liverpool supporters were offered a glimpse of that future on Monday night, as Carroll — ably supported by Luis Suarez — scored his first two goals since his £35million transfer to help Dalglish’s side to a 3-0 win against Manchester City and Flanagan, an 18-year-old right-back fresh from the club’s youth system, made an accomplished debut in defence.
Though Flanagan was involved on Monday night only because of injuries to Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly — another academy graduate who has come to prominence this season — his presence in Dalglish’s side highlighted that, more than a decade after the emergence of Steven Gerrard and Stephen Warnock, Liverpool’s Kirkby production line is cranking back into action.
Another youngster, Jack Robinson, spent Monday night on the bench, while the likes of Conor Coady and Raheem Sterling have both been called into senior squads in recent weeks. The credit for that, Flanagan believes, must be given to Dalglish. The Scot’s work at the academy before replacing Roy Hodgson means he has the faith required to hand young players a chance where others have not dared.
“Kenny has been a big help to me and the other young players,” said Flanagan, whose father, also John, used to clean the Scot’s boots as a YTS trainee at Anfield. “He has been working at the club for the last two years so he knows the youngsters well. It helps us just the fact that we already know him, because it means he knows us well too.
“It gives all of the young players a boost because we know that Kenny is looking at us and is willing to give us our chance, so that gives us confidence. The thing for us is that when we do get a chance we have to take it.”
Several of Flanagan’s peers from the club’s youth system are expected to be promoted to the first-team squad in the summer to replace the likes of Milan Jovanovic, Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Christian Poulsen, high-earning fringe players FSG is determined to jettison.
Under the Americans’ model, money saved on their salaries will be put towards wages for high-calibre first-team players — Sylvain Marveaux, of Rennes, and Newcastle’s Jose Enrique are expected to be just two among several signings this summer — and Carroll is confident the club, despite their continued absence from the Champions League, will have no trouble attracting major stars.
“There are massive names here,” said the striker. “It is a massive club. I do not see why we cannot attract big names. We are just putting a team together now. Me and Luis are new, [Flanagan] played his first game at the back and I thought he did great. It shows what we can do for next season.”
Dirk Kuyt, too, will be part of that future, with the former Feyenoord striker due to sign this week a contract that will keep him at Anfield until 2014. The Dutchman’s goal against City was his ninth in 10 games and his seventh since Dalglish took charge at Anfield.
Telegraph.feedsportal.com
Nottingham Forest 2 Burnley 0: report
Nottingham Forest 2 Burnley 0: report
Read a full match report of the npower Championship game between Nottingham Forest and Burnley on Tuesday, April 12.
Seeing red: Marvin Bartley was sent off for this foul on Nottingham Forest's Luke Chambers Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Sandy Macaskill 10:10PM BST 12 Apr 2011
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According to an excitable City Ground disc jockey, the boys are back in town. After nine matches of misery, Nottingham Forest, finally managed to stop themselves coming apart at the seams while stringing enough pretty passes together to score two goals.
True, their opposition was an out-of-form Burnley — reduced to 10 men after 32 minutes to boot — but this victory puts Forest back in contention for the play-offs.
Until they suffered three defeats in their last three games, Forest had seemed dead certs to finish in the top six, but a comprehensive collapse since February has left them without confidence and their manager Billy Davies in a combustible mood (even by his standards). He can count himself lucky to have only got a talking-to after giving Jon Moss some grief Glasgow-style.
This was one of those matches when both managers later claim their respective sides controlled proceedings. Neither did, until Marvin Bartley wiped out Luke Chambers with a poorly-timed sliding tackle.
After some push and shove involving practically everyone on the pitch — totally unnecessary — Moss dismissed the Burnley midfielder. “If you’re gonna get sent off for that, I’ll have to tell him not to make a tackle,” said an irritated Eddie Howe.
The contest needed the red meat: Chris Eagles had had a shot saved by one of Lee Camp’s flailing legs after Nathan Delfouneso had fooled everyone by controlling a high ball in the Forest area with his back, but there had been little else for the crowd — the lowest of the season here — to get excited about.
Matters improved in the second half. Tyrone Mears fouled Chambers and Lewis McGugan’s free-kick looked certain to go in until Jensen saved with an iron right fist. Rob Earnshaw, perfectly placed to profit, headed onto the bar.
It was another silly foul which did for Burnley, Duff grabbing a fistful of McGugan’s shirt. The midfielder lashed his free-kick into the thick of things and McGoldrick — introduced two minutes previously for Marcus Tudgay —put the loose ball in with his first touch.
His second came in injury time, leaving Forest one point outside the play-offs with five games to play, and the DJ spinning Thin Lizzy as the crowd headed happily into the night.
Telegraph.feedsportal.com
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Kids Make Clean Sweep at Olympics
VANCOUVER, British Columbia—Awaiting his gold-medal score last week, Olympic figure skater Evan Lysacek wiped away a tear and snatched a toy polar bear from the ice. He skated off leaving a mess behind: a shower of flowers, teddy bears and other tokens of appreciation.
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European Pressphoto Agency
Sweepers scoop up offerings tossed by skating fans in Vancouver.
That's when the pint-size ice cleaners of the Olympic Games sprang into action.
Rarely has there been so much competition for volunteer litter collection. Vancouver chose 30 local children from among 135 who applied to be "flower sweepers." They dart onto the ice between performances, gracefully plucking up the debris in under two minutes, and then placing it into bags to hand over to the athletes.
Skaters competing here have been pelted with hundreds of items—plush hearts, framed photographs of fans and even plastic toy potatoes. All that detritus creates a potential nightmare for Games officials, who are so obsessive about keeping the ice pristine for competition that they flood and refreeze it about every hour.
The flower sweepers are their first line of defense. Bev Viger, manager of figure-skating operations at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum, began holding Olympic sweeper auditions two years ago. She whittled down applicants on their ability to work as a team and take orders—not to mention skate like a mini-pro.
In the audition, the children had to prove they had sufficient speed, as well as the ability to stop on a dime. Sometimes, says Ms. Viger, the children have to retrieve plush projectiles almost as large as they are.
Ms. Viger ran the sweepers who made the cut through a boot camp at skating competitions last year, where they learned to be quick while portraying a certain refinement.
"They should look nice on the ice. They have to bend down while looking like they are graceful," says Ms. Viger. Like the skating stars, sweepers don sparkly outfits. In Vancouver, each of the girls' outfits features more than 8,000 sequins.
On Sunday night, 11-year-old Nam Nguyen from the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby got his first taste of the spotlight. Sitting on a bench across the ice from the judges in a uniform that features a blue and green Olympic tie, he waited to pounce.
"Go over there!" he was ordered, after a British ice-dancing performance. "If it is a really good performance, we send out three or more of us," he adds.
Nam's first catch was a plush toy, known in competitive skating as a stuffy. "It's like a videogame," he says. "You're the character moving around collecting stuff."
One challenge: "You're not allowed to stick your butt out," he says, to avoid insulting the audience. "It's not hard. You have to stick your toe pick in the ice, and then bend down as if you're doing a squat."
![[SWEEPERS]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tymTAU59PhvFPS7t7I5o29Kv6uSE3kW700GJ_HbbwN9mEsXahYhtFNVwFoUcwAJXiyR9Kt0YofL443wjUGqRyqdDKGQ4JPX_h3SRLbufwRfcZS-vhwA-YFNlDrrq-xSozlguKssB-c2xaqVki5-j__5Qw=s0-d)
Nam Nguyen
That's easy for him to say. The three-time Canadian youth champion skater admits he's tempted to show off his own triple-spin skills on the ice. "You feel all of this adrenaline out there, but you have to follow the rules," says Nam, who practices skating two hours a day. (He'll be back at an Olympics to do the spins some day, he predicts.)
The tradition of allowing fans to litter the ice is believed to have begun in Europe, perhaps borrowed from ballet theater. In the 1950s, it made its way to the U.S. thanks to enterprising vendors at rinks.
But the range of stuff that rains down on the ice has escalated far beyond flowers. The Vancouver Olympics, in fact, exhorts audiences in an announcement at the beginning of each competition to make sure that any flowers are wrapped, since fallen petals can leave a mess.
Katarina Witt, the two-time Olympic gold medalist from East Germany, remembers skating in exhibitions as a child when fans would throw candy onto the ice, sending the kids scrambling as if they'd just cracked a piñata.
And she's still puzzled why adult skaters like to receive stuffies. "It's something in figure skating that will never end," she shrugs. Not that she was above the practice: She says she kept the most amusing ones from her competition days in a box that she still has at home. Athletes donate most of the gifts to children's charities, since they can't fit all the loot in their luggage.
There's some competition for the weirdest projectiles. At a championship in 1987, American skater Doug Mattos threw a pizza box on the ice to celebrate his friend, skater Debi Thomas. In a recent interview, American skater Mirai Nagasu joked she wished her fans would throw purses and jewelry.
Day 12 of the Olympics
Bobsledding, speed-skating, and the final in the women's biathlon.
View Slideshow
![[SB10001424052748704188104575083960408685500]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_snxHh_qO9luF0ZcxR7G0c3SdhvWoyhqfJ8m6fALHcauE7EDXM_kmdd9gC7C_l1xIZpIRFEo3189I9JBKlnQAohVMxdIwWaILuK5hg9CTAayzOXQ23ZXZX769yK7Fw45MPMQQfDEq-uMHb74mt0hFo=s0-d)
European Pressphoto Agency
Her teammate Johnny Weir, who has a large following in Asia, was once given a nearly life-size doll of himself, with interchangeable wigs for his different hairstyles. He has also had underwear tossed his way. "I took a picture and put it back in the bag, because you don't know where it came from," he says.
In Olympic figure skating, tossing gifts on the ice is legal and even encouraged. However, if somebody threw an object that disrupted play or seriously damaged the ice, they could be thrown out by security. That hasn't happened recently. But before the start of the Vancouver Games, Mr. Weir said he feared animal-rights activists might throw blood on the ice in protest of his costume, which contained fur. He changed his wardrobe.
Some hockey audiences have even messier traditions. Detroit Red Wings fans start games by throwing octopuses onto the ice. Zamboni driver Al Sobotka, who has traditionally swung an octopus around his head to start games, had to shift that activity to the gate area after the National Hockey League worried about octopus bits on the ice.
In figure skating, where grace is part of the performance, stray tokens of appreciation, plus hairpins and errant bits of costume, can and do wreak havoc. During the 2006 U.S. championships, Emily Hughes lost an earring, sending a flock of sweepers on a wild hunt on the ice.
American pairs skater Randy Gardner, who won gold at the 1979 world championships, remembers an unfortunate incident at an Ice Capades performance where an audience member flung a light-up toy onto the ice as he was being introduced. "I saw it, but couldn't avoid it," he says. "Down I went."
In Vancouver, Nam Nguyen, the sweeper, says he's prepared to handle whatever's thrown his way. He's gotten lots of practice at his own junior competitions, where skaters are expected to pick up after themselves.
At one recent contest, someone threw Nam a beach ball larger than he is. "I had to use the other stuffies to whack it, but still it couldn't fit through the door," he says. "I had to throw my stuffies at my coach. And then throw the ball over the boards."
Write to Geoffrey A. Fowler at geoffrey.fowler@wsj.com
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