Skewed
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truck
terça-feira, 31 de maio de 2011
Meredith Truax
Meredith Truax
angry :-@
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segunda-feira, 30 de maio de 2011
This does not look like a fun time. In the Vatican Museum.
Bridge to the sea
Bridge to the sea
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Madang Resort View
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domingo, 29 de maio de 2011
113473464SXmwAO_ph
113473464SXmwAO_ph
Markets of PNG
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25MAY11: Lock 15
25MAY11: Lock 15
This is the scene as we approached Lock 15 at Fort Plain NY. The structure to the right of the lock is not a bridge, but a removable dam. The gates can be lifted and folded up into the superstructure when the lock system is not in use. This protects the dam from ice damage in winter.
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sábado, 28 de maio de 2011
Manchester United and Barcelona need to restore football's battered image with Champions League epic
Manchester United and Barcelona need to restore football's battered image with Champions League epic
In the overwrought, over-hyped sport of football, where even the injunctions are super, where referees are not the only whistle-blowers, there comes a time when the sport clambers from the darkness and into the light.
Date with destiny: could Wembley 2011 be known as the Lionel Messi final? Photo: REUTERS
By Henry Winter 9:20AM BST 28 May 2011
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That time comes at 19.45 tonight. The best team in England versus the best team in the world. Manchester United versus Barcelona in the Champions League final. A troubled sport receives a welcome adrenalin shot.
For this is the game that promises everything. This is the game that boasts the muscular dexterity of Wayne Rooney versus the darting elegance of Lionel Messi. It offers two of the finest centre-halves, Rio Ferdinand and Gerard Piqué, and two of the toughest, Nemanja Vidic and Carles Puyol. It has two managers in Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola who respect each other, whose enlightened footballing credos should be the mantra for all.
A glance at the squads highlights a commitment to nurturing talent. The final is steeped in emotional story-lines, from Edwin van der Sar's farewell to Eric Abidal's presence after his tumour operation via the state of Ryan Giggs's mind amid the headlines from hell. The spotlight will inevitably be on Messi, striving at the eighth attempt for his first goal on English soil as a Barca player.
History is all around. Sergio Busquets's father was the Barcelona keeper beaten by that angled Cup-Winners' Cup strike from Mark Hughes in Rotterdam 20 years ago. As Busquets and Rooney collide, Sir Bobby Charlton looks down from the smart seats at the scene of his two goals in the 1968 final. Paddy Crerand wills United forward from the commentary gantry.
Down at pitch-level, Guardiola will gaze out across the much-improved greensward where he prevailed in 1992. One of the stars of that Barcelona team, Hristo Stoichkov, strolled into the ground yesterday with Bulgarian TV, his gunslinger's gait unchanged from his goal-plundering pomp.
As well as the world's media, Wembley will also host two of the greatest, most passionate supports in Europe. So, to rewrite Barcelona's motto, this is More Than A Final. After weeks of on-field theatricals and off-field shenanigans, football needs a 90-minute carnival, a game where respect is a guiding principle, not simply a label on players' shirts.
A chance meeting with the cricketer Freddie Flintoff this week brought immediately to mind the image of a victorious sportsman consoling the vanquished, the triumphant Englishman sparing a thought for the Australian Brett Lee during the 2005 Ashes. Football could do with a touch of the Flintoff ethos.
Today's special occasion underneath the arch could deteriorate into a slanging match and diving fest, yet the hope is strong that sportsmanship will define relations between United and Barcelona. This is no cynical Clasico. So a word to Busquets and Dani Alves: don't fall over, don't stay down, don't hound Victor Kassai and his assistants. The world is watching.
Football is the king of sports but too often the knave. It needs today to be a celebration of the game's positives, the metronome passing of Xavi, the intelligent runs of Javier Hernández and the breathless breaks of Patrice Evra. Inevitably, all eyes will be transfixed by the movement of Messi, the embodiment of the Beautiful Game.
Even those who have graced World Cups, who have set scoring records and been European Footballers of the Year cannot wait. "I couldn't imagine a more perfect final,'' says Michael Owen. "Sometimes teams will get to the Champions League final but you know it's not the best team because it's a knockout competition. This year it is the best two teams in Europe, the best venue in Europe, the Champions League final. It doesn't get any bigger. It is set up for a cracker.
"Everyone's saying Barcelona are the greatest team of all time and I wouldn't really argue with that. In my time I have not seen a team play as good and attractive football as that. That's not to say they are unbeatable. It's a one-off game, in our country, and we are used to playing at Wembley. We have a lot of things in our favour.''
So let the good times roll, even if only for 90 minutes. Let's forget for one night that the final is at Wembley, the Theatre of Debts, at the home of a national association seeking to cut itself off from world football. Let's hope for a spectacle in keeping with the competition's grand traditions, that began with Alfredo di Stéfano's masterclass in the first final, way back in 1956.
Let's have a classic of the quality of Real Madrid 7, Eintracht Frankfurt 3 at Hampden Park, the meeting and scoreline that quickened Ferguson's love affair with the game. Let us cherish the game that makes legends. As Bob Paisley remarked to Jock Stein after Celtic's astonishing 1967 victory over Inter Milan: "John, you're immortal".
A year on, Charlton, George Best and Brian Kidd were striding towards glory at Wembley. Turn the pages of history and revel in the good guys, Johan Cruyff taking Inter apart in '72, Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish combining to defeat Bruges in '78, Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit shredding Steaua Bucharest's defence in 1989. Major episodes in the long-running epic.
This is the heritage that Rooney and Messi, Ferdinand and Piqué must live up to. So many moments leap from the pages of the history books. Fabio Capello masterminded Milan's 1994 destruction of Barcelona that even the Uefa annals described as "as one-sided as a firing squad". And the "name on the trophy" marvel of Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 1999, Zinedine Zidane's volleyed response to Roberto Carlos's cross in 2002. So many chapters in the history books.
Some finals have been torturous, and anybody who watched the 2003 Milan-Juventus bore at Old Trafford probably needed counselling, but many memorable moments have arisen. Steven Gerrard refused to countenance defeat against Milan in 2005 and United keeping their nerve – and footing – against John Terry's Chelsea in the 2008 shoot-out.
United deservedly lost to Barcelona in 2009, a dispiriting evening that remains painfully embedded in the memories of Ferguson and his players.
Those involved in Rome talked this week of a desire to do themselves justice this time, to give Guardiola's side more of a game.
And they will. There is a quiet determination in the United camp, a feeling that they have prepared well this time. Ferguson's players were working on their pressing tactics for Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Messi even before they had completed their Premier League campaign on Sunday.
They face the Everest of all challenges. If United are to lift a fourth European Cup then all of their players must be at the very top of their game. The Catalans are likely to enjoy the ball's company for as much as 70 per cent of the game.
That means every Michael Carrick pass must find a man in white, every Antonio Valencia run at Abidal must count and every Fabio tackle be clean. Any cheap surrender of possession, and Barcelona will fly through United towards Van der Sar.
For all United's lengthy preparation, for all the quality of Rooney and Hernández and not least their ingrained mental toughness, Barcelona possess more aces. They have Xavi. They have Iniesta. They have a certain magical Argentine. This could be the Messi Final. Barcelona to win.
Telegraph.feedsportal.com
sexta-feira, 27 de maio de 2011
Zen
Zen
I forgot which park this exactly was.
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Markets of PNG
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quinta-feira, 26 de maio de 2011
26/5/11 146/364
photo" width="478" height="640">quarta-feira, 25 de maio de 2011
Typography : Interstate, Black @ MoMA, NYC
Boys having fun at the beach
Boys having fun at the beach
Boys playing at the copacabana's beach
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terça-feira, 24 de maio de 2011
Fiestas de San Isidro 2011
segunda-feira, 23 de maio de 2011
Fiji threaten to withdraw from New Zealand and Australian legs of IRB World Sevens in 2012
Fiji threaten to withdraw from New Zealand and Australian legs of IRB World Sevens in 2012
Fiji, still the biggest draw card in sevens, is threatening to withdraw from the New Zealand and Australian legs of next year's competition unless those nations lift their travel ban on Fijian players linked with the existing military regime.
No pushovers: Fiji's Watisoni Votu in action at Twickenham Photo: PA
By Brendan Gallagher 9:59AM BST 23 May 2011
Comments
The Fijian military is traditionally a big source of the player talent in Fiji but both New Zealand and Australia are insisting that following the Military coup by Voreque Bainimarama in 2006 members of the the Fiji Armed Forces are no longer welcome in thier countries.
That ban extends to this year's World Cup in New Zealand and although Fiji insists it will not withdraw from the fifteens World Cup, they have a much stronger hand to play in the Sevens game in which no tournament is really complete without their presence.
Just to underline the point they absolutely hammered New Zealand, the current IRB world series champions, 42-19 at Twickenham in the semi-finals of the London Emirates Sevens, the London leg of the IRB World series.
FRU chairman colonel Mosese Tikoitoga said he had written to the International Rugby Board (IRB) telling it Fiji may pull out of the tournaments if it could not send its best team.
"Next year, we may have to forego the New Zealand and Australian legs," Tikoitoga told the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation confirming that he had emailed the letter to the ITB offices in Dublin.
The current ban prevents all players and officials with ties to Fiji's military from travelling to Australia and New Zealand, meaning Tikoitoga would also be unable to attend the events in Brisbane and Wellington.
He said he had told the IRB that barring players from military backgrounds amounted to interference in team selection. The World Sevens Series is due to open in Australia's Gold Coast in late November this year, with the Wellington leg in February 2012.
world sevens series, world series champions, fiji broadcasting corporation, international rugby board, events in brisbane, brendan gallagher, sevens game, bainimarama, travelling to australia, military regime, military backgrounds, military coup, australia and new zealand, travel ban, late november, team selection, gold coast, semi finals, colonel, world series
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez will stick to his principles in relegation decider
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez will stick to his principles in relegation decider
A rugby town, an empty stadium, a patchwork pitch. The Premier League, the theory goes, would not miss Wigan.
Calming influence: Roberto Martinez believes Wigan can stave off relegation playing attractive football Photo: PA
By Rory Smith 11:00PM BST 20 May 2011
Follow Rory Smith on Twitter
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It is easy to think nobody would. They do not have Wolverhampton's proud history, Blackpool’s romance, Birmingham’s fan base. It is easy to think Wigan do not matter. As Roberto Martinez would observe: try telling that to George Owen.
The 83 year-old, who has followed the club through thick and thin for half a century, suffered a heart attack during Wigan’s game against West Ham last Sunday. Only the prompt action of the attending paramedics saved him. He is currently in intensive care. Forget history or value or reputation or attendances. To this rugby league town and its rugby league people, Wigan matter.
“I know what it means to the town because I have been here since 1995,” says the Spaniard, of his curious bond with the Premier League’s most curious club. “But that was the moment when it really impressed me. You just feel how important it is, that it affects your life and your family’s life.”
George’s story would be an obvious anecdote for Martinez to cite to his players as they travel to Stoke on Sunday, but it is not the 37 year-old’s style to parrot Bill Shankly’s aphorism. He will not tell his players their Premier League is more important than life and death.
“I do not believe in managing like that,” he explains. “I do not believe in managing by fear. I believe in doing it by aspiration. When you manage by fear, the moment you turn [your back], the players do what they want.
“This group do not need extra responsibility or extra pressure. If you have a group that do not care, this is the moment to make them care, but for our group it is time to get away from that responsibility and make them enjoy their football.”
It is typical Martinez. Everything received wisdom states he should do, he eschews. He attempts to play attractive football when fighting for survival. He tries to build a squad while reducing the wage bill, so that now only Blackpool pay out less than Wigan. At the most stressful point of his managerial career, he laughs off the idea he might feel the pressure.
“If I have not shaved,” he smiles, when asked if he has occasionally looked like a man who has endured sleepless nights, “it is because I get sensitive skin.”
That is the last thing a manager needs in his position. There, too, Martinez is different. Dave Whelan, Wigan’s benefactor and chairman, has promised the Spaniard a job at the club for as long as he desires; Martinez is under no pressure from above. It is from Whelan the manager takes his cue, spreads his calm.
“I have not looked at the league table since December,” he admits.
“There has been a lot said about teams needing to win to stay up. We have been in that position since November. I have learned not to lose energy about things you cannot control.”
He will keep track of goings on at White Hart Lane, Old Trafford and Molineux, he admits, but he has not engaged in pondering all manner of permutations. Instead, he will stick to what he always does: being different.
“For many people, it will be an exciting part of the day,” he believes. “Can you get out of a relegation scrap playing football? At the beginning it was all too easy to see Wigan with empty seats and ask why they are in the Premier League. But now I feel we have a lot of good wishes, because of the way we have played, which is not normal in a team fighting relegation. People want to see that way of playing being successful.”
None more so than in this rugby town with its empty stadium and its patchwork pitch. None more so than George. “I do not know if he will be watching,” said Martinez. “But we want to invite him for the start of next season.” It matters, to Martinez, that he can extend a Premier League invitation.
bill shankly, roberto martinez, george owen, extra pressure, proud history, west ham, fan base, half a century, anecdote, paramedics, spaniard, heart attack, last sunday, wolverhampton, aspiration, premier league, rugby league, intensive care, rory, life and death
domingo, 22 de maio de 2011
Beach Flowers
Beach Flowers
There wasn't much colour on the beach today, but these lovely blooms certainly made up for it.
Apart form the framing, this image is straight out of the camera. (SOOC)
Exif data auto added by theGOOD Uploadr
File Size : 3.3 mb
Camera Make : nikon CORPORATION
Camera Model : NIKON D7000
Software : Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
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sábado, 21 de maio de 2011
sexta-feira, 20 de maio de 2011
quinta-feira, 19 de maio de 2011
Field scratcher
H.M.A.S. Yarra (I)
H.M.A.S. Yarra (I)
River class destroyer H.M.A.S. Yarra at Port Adelaide, South Australia. HMAS Yarra and HMAS Parramatta were on their delivery voyage from the U.K. They arrived from Albany, Western Australia, on 5 December 1910 and departed for Melbourne, Victoria, on 8 December 1910. PRG280_1_44_63
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hmas parramatta, adelaide south australia, adelaidesouth australia online, class destroyer, delivery voyage, melbourne victoria, port adelaide, western australia
quarta-feira, 18 de maio de 2011
terça-feira, 17 de maio de 2011
Turbulent
Turbulent
Summer time (clearly!)... about 2mins after this we got soaked! Ah the Scottish weather.. .makes us the nation we are... ie crabbit :-)
Thank you very much for the comments, feedback and crit on my last few shots.
Shot info
Canon 5dMkII, EF17-40mm f/4L USM lens @ 17mm, 10 secs, f18, ISO 100, circular polariser.
RAW file processed in acr, and TIFF edited in Photoshop.
Hit L to view larger on black (seems lighter too?)
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© Stuart Stevenson
thanks for viewing
scottish weather, raw file, acr, secs, tiff
segunda-feira, 16 de maio de 2011
The Planets align 01
The Planets align 01
Jupiter, Venus and Mercury
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domingo, 15 de maio de 2011
IMG_6991
IMG_6991
Megve, Haute-Savoie, France
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England captain Andrew Strauss prospers at crease for Middlesex as Sri Lankans toil
England captain Andrew Strauss prospers at crease for Middlesex as Sri Lankans toil
Middlesex (321-5) v Sri Lanka
By Scyld Berry, Uxbridge 10:22PM BST 14 May 2011
Comments
Under a cold grey sky, at 11am in west London, the Sri Lankans’ tour of England began inauspiciously to the chants of Tamil demonstrators outside the ground protesting about genocide. By close of play the tourists’ prospects looked a little brighter, but not immensely.
Uxbridge’s pitch was flat, as usual, so Andrew Strauss helped himself to a century and shared a stand of 214 with Dan Housego, Middlesex’s highest for the second wicket against any touring team. The tourists’ attack was flat too.
Five of their best cricketers are yet to arrive from India and its Premier League, yet even at the outset of their tour Sri Lanka must be considered unlikely winners of any of the forthcoming three Tests.
Three of the five players who arrive this week are bowlers – along with the two very fine batsmen, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene – but none of them has been pulling up trees in India, or even been selected much.
Post-Vaas and post-Murali, Sri Lanka’s bowling is on the bland side, and Dilhara Fernando, Suraj Randiv and Thisara Perera will have to peak in the four-day game against the Lions in Derby if they are to do much about it.
For Tillekeratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka’s new captain, it was a trying day as his opposite number so comfortably took the first round.
Dilshan rotated his bowlers alright, but he did not appear to guide them a lot, even though most of them are on their first tour of England; and while the pitch was all too like those back home, the overhead conditions offered something to swing bowlers.
Strauss, meanwhile, rebuffed those of his Middlesex team-mates who jest that his OBE stands for 'Only Bats for England’. He has not made many runs for Middlesex when an England player because his few games have come in early season, and against the Tiflex ball that is used in the second division, the county’s recent home.
Now he gave the Middlesex bowlers a long rest by batting with measured assurance.
Off the fifth ball of his season Strauss glanced to fine-leg, then he squirrelled a single to wide mid-on. As soon as the fast-medium left-armer Chanaka Welegedara offered width, he was cut for four, and as soon as he dropped short he was pulled.
An early close shave with a leg-before appeal was the one piece of luck in Strauss’s 151 from 223 balls, which ended with a pull to deep square after he had seen Housego through to his own hundred.
The England management were on the case, sending an analyst to film the tourists and especially their mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who began with the slope aiding his leg-break before switching ends to little effect. But he was something of a busted flush after his two games with Somerset.
Mendis gets side-spin but not overspin, so his flight has no loop or deceiving dip. And if the batsman can read which way Mendis is turning – a big if for batsmen facing him for the first time – there is no need for him to force the pace by going down the pitch, for in England so far this season he has been frequently dropping short.
Mendis had a hold over England in the World Cup quarter-final but his mystique is vanishing so fast it is possible the left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath, or the conventional off-spinner Randiv, will be the sole specialist.
Herath was more economical than Mendis but not much more threatening: both of his wickets came from mis-sweeps, with Housego scooping to short fine-leg.
By then Housego, neat and methodical, had reached the second century of his first-class career, the first having come against Oxford. “I bet they had a better attack,” was a sardonic comment in the press tent.
An asset the Sri Lankans have – to set against their lack of tall fast bowlers – is the wicketkeeping of Prasanna Jayawardena, who dived low to his right to take the first wicket.
He can bat capably too at No 7, but that still leaves Sri Lanka in need of a number six batsman: Dinish Chandimal, a 21 year-old, will do them a favour if he stands up today after Middlesex resume on 321 for five.
After tea the group of 50-odd demonstrators fell silent. 'Stop Genocide’ and 'Boycott Sri Lanka’ they had chanted in protest at the treatment of Tamils during the civil war.
Whether any politician was listening is doubtful, given the minerals in Sri Lanka and the oil offshore.
andrew strauss, tour sri lanka, scyld berry, dilshan, dilhara fernando, grey sky, rsquo, england player, team mates, close of play, england captain, touring team, day game, sri lankans, sangakkara, opposite number, vaas, west london, suraj, perera
33272 Midland Railway Butterley 22nd June 2002
33272 Midland Railway Butterley 22nd June 2002
33272 Midland Railway Butterley 22nd June 2002
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sábado, 14 de maio de 2011
Sudden Fiction
photo" width="640" height="427">
Sudden Fiction
I am going away to a sunny land for a week. Hopefully I'll take at least one good photo. This is definitely the photo I want haunting my flickr page anytime anyone looks at it for the next week.
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quinta-feira, 12 de maio de 2011
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur: live
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur: live
Follow Thom Gibbs' minute-by-minute commentary of the Premier League game between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Eastlands on Tuesday May 10, 2011, kick-off 19.45 BST.
LIVE
REPORT
MANCHESTER CITY
1 - 0
FT
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Tuesday, May 10 19:45
Premier League
City of Manchester Stadium
Crouch (OG) (30)
(HT 1-0)
ATT: 47,029
Image 1 of 2
Wrong end: Peter Crouch (left) scores the first Premier League own-goal of his career to give Man City the lead Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Image 1 of 2
Tussle: Tottenham Hotspur's Vedran Corluka (right) and Raniere Sandro (left) battle for the ball Photo: PA
By Thom Gibbs 7:00PM BST 10 May 2011
COMMENTARY
KEY MOMENTS
60000
2011-05-10 21:57:43.0
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/7944227/Manchester-City-v-Tottenham-Hotspur-live.html?service=artBody
This page will automatically update every 60 secondsOn Off
Email Thom Gibbs with speculation, predictions and other things ending in -ion.
-----------------------------------
21:45: Mission very much accomplished for City. Would anyone care to predict the next year in which City will fail to qualify for the Champions League? Let's hope with this increase in status they can shake off some of the horribly negative football which has got them there. That second half was appalling. Spurs looked tired, without a cutting edge and outclassed. A final word from Tony Wood: "Champ-IONs league for City." Very good. Over and out from me, thanks for your company.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY TAKE THE FINAL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLACE!
90+4 min: Pienaar's cross is headed away by Lescott, but only as far as Sandro. He passes to Pienaar, who finds Van der Vaart, who is tackled. That is surely that.
90+1 min: Modric's wicked low cross is attacked dangerously by Vieira. He comes at it at an angle where it seems most likely he'll Crouch himselft and gift Spurs the equaliser. Instead its guided expertly away from the danger area.
90 min: Spurs corner. Van der Vaart's header is well cleared. We're going to have five minutes of added time.
89 min: Dzeko fights ferociously for the ball before drawing a foul from Kaboul. City have a free kick 40 yards from goal. We are approaching party time at the former Commenwealth Games stadium.
87 min: Fantastic header off the line from Gallas, who has collapsed in a heap after deflecting Vieira's shot over. Kaboul is ready to come on for the injured centre back.
84 min: Tevez is back. On the pitch, this time, not warming up. Silva is off.
81 min: The ball comes to Van der Vaart on the edge of the box, his volley is pathetically wide.
80 min: Warm-up shenanigans are taking place on the sidelines. Carlos Tevez returns to the bench and takes off his vest, looking poised to come on. Then Mancini sends him back out again, forcing him to put his bib back on. It's like he's mocking his fellow sub Mario Balotelli. Meanwhile Spurs have a free kick out wide after Rose is challenged by Milner. Milner is booked, the free kick bounces out to Rose, whose volley is defected behind for a corner.
78 min: Defoe is on for the really-quite-angry-looking Peter Crouch.
77 min: Silva nods the ball on cleverly to put Dzeko through. His unconfident shot is defected away for a throw by Dawson.
75 min: Spurs have faded since Vieira came on, it's City now dominating possession. Milner gets behind Rose and tries to pick out Toure in the middle, but Dawson is on hand to intercept the weak pass.
72 min: Silva's low cross is cut out easily by the recovered Gallas.
70 min: Big Willy Gallas is in a heap on the floor again, having landed uncomfortably after winning a header.
69 min: Silva miskicks from Vieira's through ball into the boc. That was City's first attack of the half, defending fans.
67 min: Vieira's on for Johnson for City.
65 min: City have genuinely barely left their half since they kicked off. Mancini looks to be urging them to get up the pitch, but it wouldn't be hugely surprising if this was a double bluff and his side's massively defensive setup is all part of his devious plan.
63 min: Spurs free kick 10 yards from the box. Van der Vaart puts it straight into the wall.
60 min: Spurs still knocking on the door, but in the half-hearted manner of a nervous child trick or treating for the first time. Paul Szabo is obviously not very interested in this state of affairs, and writes: "Off topic, but as to Triesman’s latest FIFA bribery allegations, nothing surprising there. Many years ago my mother taught me her two rules for voting. (1) “Vote No” (do you really want to go along with what the politicians are proposing?) and (2) “They’re All Crooks”. Yeah, she was right." Voting "no" must be an awful waste come general election time, Paul.
58 min: Kolarov is on for bloody Zabaleta. That's not an insult, just an adjective.
57 min: Pienaar appears to be tripped in the box by Kompany, Mike Dean waves it away. Replays show the contact was minimal, and Pienaar got straight to his feet.
55 min: It's all Spurs at the moment, but they're being expertly held at bay by City outside the box. Zabaleta is still bleeding, poor dear.
53 min: Zabaleta has a bloody nose following a patented Crouch arm-in-face during an aerial challenge for the ball. He's having it tended to on the sidelines.
49 min: Tottenham faff about for ages on the right, exchanging fancy passes but resolutely ignoring Peter Crouch's frantic pointing towards the space in front of him in the box. In the end Corluka disappointingly plays a ball straight to a City defender, who clears.
47 min: Absolutely stunning save from Hart! Lennon stands the ball up for Pienaar beyond the far post, who powers a downward header towards goal. Hart instantly shifts his weight onto his left foot after moving right to track the cross and gets a firm palm onto to the ball to scoop it away from danger. Marvellous work.
46 min: We are back! And in some style, as City execute their famously beautiful kick-off routine, which is immortalised in the City megastore with a series of memorabilia including tea towels, egg cups and gardending equipment.
HALF TIME
That's your lot from this half. It's a decent game that could do with a little more openess. Let's hope Harry Redknapp goes for the jugular and leaves gigantic spaces at the back. And Roberto Mancini has a personality transplant and does the same thing. See you in 15.
45+3 min: Van der Vaart volleys at goal after a sustained period of Tottenham pressure and unassertive City defending. It's straight down Hart's throat. Not literally, obviously. That would be horrendous.
45+1 min: Four added minutes will be played, mainly because of the injury to Wilson Palacios. Thanks a lot, Wilson Palacios. But, you know, get well soon.
43 min: Lennon gets past Zabaleta again but Lescott stretches to take the cross away from Pienaar. I think Lescott's been quite impressive since coming in for (dieting) drug cheat Kolo Toure. Is that fair comment, or have I not watched City closely enough?
42 min: Gallas is now off and receiving treatment, but looks like he's quite up for carrying on. What a noble man.
39 min: Danny Rose has looked shaky at best at left back. Jonathan Liew picks up the harsh but fair thread on Twitter: "I'm increasingly beginning to think that Danny Rose's goal against Arsenal was meant as a cross."
37 min: Silva's shot from just outside the "D" is just over. City are flying at the moment, the goal came at a cruel time for an improving Spurs.
36 min: A man whose name I'm guessing is Paul has this to say about Peter Crouch: "Crouch is useful for comedy. And comedy adds great entertainment to the game. He plays so that people can see him clumsily give the ball away with those long spider legs." Harsh, but being borne out this evening. Tony Wood contributes this: "Crouch didn’t have his ion where the net was." That's called a callback, folks.
34 min: Pienaar's on for Palacios.
33 min: Palacios is off receiving treatment, Spurs temporarily down to 10. One assumes it's temporary, unless Harry Redknapp really wants to avoid Europa League qualification.
32 min: "City have this unique celebration," says Martin Tyler as City's fans do the Poznan, the celebration inspired by fans of Lech Poznan. So not that unique, then.
30 min: GOAL! Manchester City 1 Tottenham 0 (Crouch OG)
City's short corner produces a devilish low cross by Johnson. Crouch, defending the near post from about five yards out, sticks out his leg and steers the ball into his own net.
28 min: Wow, Modric so very close. Lennon steams past City's midfield before picking out an entirely unmarked Modric who's just arriving into the box. His first time shot looks perfect and beats Hart, so it's difficult to process why the net isn't flapping moments later. It's gone just wide, somehow.
27 min: Peter Crouch has just done a backheel and an extremely adventurous volley from 30 yards out! Neither were very good. Goal kick to City.
25 min: Lennon's decent cross from a well-executed short corner routine is nodded away by Richards. Tottenham are in the process of finding their stride.
23 min: GH Mitchell has a question for you to mull over: "Is Crouch useful for anything other than standing up top waiting for a long ball? And why does 'Arry think he has a chance of getting by Richards and Kompany?"
22 min: City's defence head it away comfortably.
21 min: First real attack for Spurs, and they produce two decent shots from it. Lennon's shot from Crouch's knock down is well blocked by Kompany. Modric's shot is deflected behind for a corner.
20 min: Palacios gives the ball away with criminal casualness just outside the box, Silva is on to it, but tackled. Spurs are able to clear for a throw in, but they're looking extremely listless so far.
18 min: Extremely large shout for a City penalty. Rose gives the ball away and Milner rattles into the box at speed. He looks to be nudged over by Dawson, but Mike Dean (a man who has "a penchant for awarding penalties" according to Martin Tyler) isn't interested.
14 min: City are knocking it about beautifully, looking every inch the Champions League team here.
11 min: Incredible save from Cudicini! Silva gets behind the back line from a Dzeko flick-on after Lescott's high ball. Silva brings the ball down with typical aplomb before setting up Dzeko who blasts at goal. Cudicini makes himeslf big and keeps it out. Alan Smith criticises Dzeko's finishing, but that was more 'good save' than 'poor shot' for me.
9 min: Toure screws a poorly-executed shot wide as Dawson controls lazilly on the edge of the box. Spurs look jaded.
7 min: Due to a box-ticking error on my part, the comments section under these words was left open. This is not how a liveblog should operate, so these comments are now closed. Thanks for your contributions, if you'd like to carry on talking about sport why not email me here? The best, as ever, will be published right here.
6 min: The corner comes to nothing.
5 min: Richards is picked out with an excellent pass from Johnson, and gets into a great position by the byline. Spurs clear for a coner somewhat desperately.
4 min: Sedate start to the game. City have had a couple of potentially killer balls cut out by Spurs' defence. Tottenham look set for a night spent mainly inside their own half.
3 min: Henry Winter comes over all Opta on Twitter with this statistical nugget: "Stat corner....a third goal between #mcfc and #thfc tonight will be the 1,000th of the Premier League season."
1 min: Tottenham do what's known in some circles as a "kick off".
19:44: The teams are out, we are about three adverts away from kick off.
19:42: Michael points out that my line-ups below only featured 10 players starting for City. "that's confidence for you...." he muses. The line-ups have been amended, Yaya Toure was the missing man. I can only apologise for my over-enthusiastic use of the backspace button.
19:37: Harry Redknapp outlines exactly what I did in the update below. "We need to win our games Geoff," he tells Sky's Geoff Shreeves. He's not especially convincing, I get the feeling he's writing this season off and has one eye on a luxurious beach holiday, ideally at mates' rates given his son's endorsment of a popular high street travel agents.
19:30: It's win or bust for both sides tonight. Spurs need a win if they're to have any hope of re-qualifying for the Champions League. City can clinch it with three points. But there's the minor distraction of an FA Cup final this weekend for the home side, which does make it something of a tough one to call. I shall travel the well-trodden fate-tempting route and go for a tiresome 0-0. You? Send me an electronic mail message.
19:20: If you search Twitter for replies to Henry Winter you will notice a large group of people not buying Tottenham's "injured in training" line regarding hapless goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. Spurs are sticking to their story, but tell that to the Twittersphere. Those guys love a conspiracy.
19:18: Here are the teams in full:
Man City: Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Zabaleta; De Jong, Milner; Yaya Toure, A Johnson, Silva; Dzeko.
Subs: Given, Kolarov, Boyata, Wright-Phillips, Vieira, Tevez, Balotelli
Spurs: Cudicini; Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Rose; Lennon, Palacios, Sandro, Modric; Van der Vaart; Crouch.
Subs: Pletikosa, Bassong, Kaboul, Kranjcar, Pienaar, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko
19:12: Some piecemeal early team news: Carlos Tevez makes his return for City, but only with a place on the bench. Gomes is missing for Spurs, so Harry Redknapp calls on able deputy Carlo Cudicini.
19:00: It's perhaps the saddest indictment of the modern English top-flight that the phrase "the race for fourth" has entered the public lexicon.
Fourth! Imagine! Being worse than three other teams! Gaining entry to the Champions League's glittering play-off stage! I can barely type I'm so excited.
Nevertheless, I shall attempt to keep you up to date with events at the City of Manchester stadium tonight as an out-of-form and injury-ravaged Tottenham side that looks to have given up on this season attempts to delay the inevitable ascension of financially comfortable Manchester City to Europe's elite tier.
Stay tuned, and try to control yourself.
Telegraph.feedsportal.com
MPs accuse energy companies of incentivising salesmen to lie
MPs accuse energy companies of incentivising salesmen to lie
Energy companies should be subject to a major investigation for doorstep mis-selling and forced to pay back money they have wrongly taken from consumers, according to a panel of MPs.
The doorstep mis-selling of energy is a problem, MPs warned
By Rowena Mason, Energy Correspondent 6:15AM BST 12 May 2011
Follow Rowena Mason on Twitter
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The Energy Committee said the problem could be as "serious" as the banks' mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI), which may cost Lloyds Banking Group £3.2bn in compensation for consumers.
It comes after Scottish and Southern was convicted on Wednesday by a Surrey court of mis-selling to customers. It is one of four companies, alongside EDF, ScottishPower and RWE, being scrutinised by Ofgem over allegations that doorstep salesmen are not straight with customers when encouraging them to switch tariffs.
Tim Yeo, chairman of the committee, told bosses from the big six - RWE npower, EDF, E,ON, Scottish & Southern, Scottish Power and British Gas - that he is considering whether to refer them for a fuller inquiry.
"Do you think we should be recommending to the Government that they should be investigating the energy companise for the same sort of thing [as PPI]?" Mr Yeo asked. "Because it sounds a bit like that to us. You've got guys out there incentivised to lie to consumers to sell them products that are more expensive than the alternatives. It looks to me like quite a serious issue.
"We've got a responsibility to put a stop to this rather soon and pay back that money which you've taken from them which they shouldn't have paid."
Barry Gardiner, a Labour MP, challenged bosses to stop trying to persuade customers to switch tariffs on the doorstep and accused them of targeting the "poorest and most ignorant" members of society.
"Why are you even on the doorstep?" he said, in a heated exchange. "Not one of you have or would recommend that your children should buy any of these products on the doostep. Think about that and then think about disbanding your sales forces."
Alistair Phillips-Davies, energy supply director at SSE, admitted that some of the companies doorstep salesman make more than 50pc of their salaries through commission. However, he said the company may appeal Wednesday's court ruling, adding: "We do not set out to lie to customers."
The other companies vigorously denied any mis-selling, although David Mannering, director of economic regulation at RWE npower, admitted that there may be the odd "rogue agent".
Earlier in the hearing, the energy bosses hit back at claims that they have been profiteering from rising gas prices, warning that there are genuine economic reasons why higher bills may be on the way.
Ofgem, the regulator, has accused the suppliers of raising prices for consumers quicker than they lower them when wholesale energy costs change.
However, six bosses said criticisms of their profitability are "flawed", adding that "continuous inflation" might be a reason for Ofgem's findings.
mr yeo, tim yeo, payment protection insurance, labour mp, ofgem, scottishpower, energy committee, scottish power, big six, banking group, energy companies, salesmen, ppi, doorstep, lloyds, gardiner, bst, tariffs, allegations, correspondent
quarta-feira, 11 de maio de 2011
Studying the fast waterfall, Shiraito, Japan
Studying the fast waterfall, Shiraito, Japan
Shiraito Waterfall, Shizuoka, Japan
Shiraito Falls is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. These falls were regarded as sacred under the Fuji cult.
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LowersPro2011-142
LowersPro2011-142
Nikon D90 using a Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6G lens.
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