121
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122
Cricket Anyone / WI vs. Australia 4th One Day, Arnos Vale, St. Lucia
« on: March 23, 2012, 07:57:47 AM »
Australia won the toss and elected to field
West Indies 29/0 (6.0 ov)
Johnson Charles(rhb) 4
Adrian Barath(rhb) 22
West Indies 29/0 (6.0 ov)
Johnson Charles(rhb) 4
Adrian Barath(rhb) 22
123
Football / Fabrice Muamba - Spurs vs Bolton
« on: March 17, 2012, 12:24:17 PM »
Went down in the Bolton-Spurs game with some sort of serious problem.
You can tell how bad it is b/c no replays or close-ups are being shown. The looks on the faces of the players and people in the stands says a lot.
We can only hope and pray that Muamba recovers.
You can tell how bad it is b/c no replays or close-ups are being shown. The looks on the faces of the players and people in the stands says a lot.
We can only hope and pray that Muamba recovers.
124
General Discussion / Nigerian company launches new tablet, the Inye
« on: March 16, 2012, 06:49:11 AM »
Bournemouth Uni student launches ‘African iPad’
1:30pm Tuesday 6th March 2012 in News
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9571769.Bournemouth_Uni_student_launches____African_iPad___/
A Bournemouth University student has launched the ‘African iPad’.
Nigerian Saheed Adepoju studied the Advanced Computing Masters Degree at Bournemouth University.
He is the founder of the Encipher Group, a technology company that launched the ‘Inye’, the first Tablet computer aimed at the African market.
“I think like the African Steve Jobs!” the 28-year-old told a national newspaper, for an article on the African business boom.
The Inye uses Google’s Android system, costs only £130 and upwards, and the second generation is under production.
The specialist apps feature Nigerian music and HIV-prevention advice in local dialects. Mr Adepoju started Enciper in the UK before returning to Nigeria in 2008.
Bournemouth University specialises in computing and is home to the award-winning National Centre for Computer Animation.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/uNKjLee2PqA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/uNKjLee2PqA</a>
1:30pm Tuesday 6th March 2012 in News
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9571769.Bournemouth_Uni_student_launches____African_iPad___/
A Bournemouth University student has launched the ‘African iPad’.
Nigerian Saheed Adepoju studied the Advanced Computing Masters Degree at Bournemouth University.
He is the founder of the Encipher Group, a technology company that launched the ‘Inye’, the first Tablet computer aimed at the African market.
“I think like the African Steve Jobs!” the 28-year-old told a national newspaper, for an article on the African business boom.
The Inye uses Google’s Android system, costs only £130 and upwards, and the second generation is under production.
The specialist apps feature Nigerian music and HIV-prevention advice in local dialects. Mr Adepoju started Enciper in the UK before returning to Nigeria in 2008.
Bournemouth University specialises in computing and is home to the award-winning National Centre for Computer Animation.
125
Trinbago, NBA & World Basketball / March Madness 2012
« on: March 08, 2012, 10:07:31 AM »
Madness done start already. Championship Week!
Mid Majors done do they thing, now is the big boys:
ACC
Big 12
Big East
Big Ten
SEC
PAc-12
Mid Majors done do they thing, now is the big boys:
ACC
Big 12
Big East
Big Ten
SEC
PAc-12
126
General Discussion / UWI scores big with heart surgery simulator
« on: February 27, 2012, 10:27:07 AM »
UWI scores big with heart surgery simulator
Top US hospitals request prototype, says Prof Shirley
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer senior reporter douglasl@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, February 27, 2012
THE cardiac surgery simulator (CSS), a device developed at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and used to train students in doing heart surgery, has generated interest from some of the leading hospitals in the United States.
The revelation was made last Friday by UWI Mona principal Professor Gordon Shirley who said that the CSS has the potential to change how heart disease is managed in the developing world.
According to Professor Shirley, the University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, the University of Washington, Stanford University and the University of Southern California, have all requested prototypes of the CSS, which was developed by UWI-trained surgeon Dr Paul Ramphal and computer scientist Dr Daniel Coore.
"All of a sudden, all of the top schools have asked us for a prototype," Prof Shirley said of the invention. He was speaking at the first quarterly luncheon of the year of the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.
Prof Shirley explained that the CSS uses a computer to pump synthetic blood around an artificial heart. The heart can be altered to simulate certain cardiac conditions.
The CSS allows medical students to practice on artificial hearts instead of real cardiac patients.
"This is a fabulous way to get students to train and become experts before they actually do the surgery," Prof Shirley noted.
The UWI principal indicated that the CSS had the potential to train cardiac surgeons initially in North America and later all over the world.
"There are no cardiac surgeons in most of the developing world, yet the truth is that cardiac failure occurs just as frequently in the developing world as in the developed world. We think that this is going to be a very important device in ensuring that cardiovascular disease is managed just as efficiently and effectively all across the developing world," he said.
Prof Shirley, whose first degree was in mechanical engineering from the UWI's St Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago, also told his audience that the Mona campus was expanding its offerings in engineering.
He said this was important as there is a strong correlation between the training of engineers and the growth of a country's economy.
The principal called for greater collaboration between the UWI and the JIE in training and mentoring of engineers graduating from the university
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/UWI-scores-big-with-heart-surgery-simulator_10883828#ixzz1nbHBU48J
Top US hospitals request prototype, says Prof Shirley
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer senior reporter douglasl@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, February 27, 2012
THE cardiac surgery simulator (CSS), a device developed at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and used to train students in doing heart surgery, has generated interest from some of the leading hospitals in the United States.
The revelation was made last Friday by UWI Mona principal Professor Gordon Shirley who said that the CSS has the potential to change how heart disease is managed in the developing world.
According to Professor Shirley, the University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, the University of Washington, Stanford University and the University of Southern California, have all requested prototypes of the CSS, which was developed by UWI-trained surgeon Dr Paul Ramphal and computer scientist Dr Daniel Coore.
"All of a sudden, all of the top schools have asked us for a prototype," Prof Shirley said of the invention. He was speaking at the first quarterly luncheon of the year of the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.
Prof Shirley explained that the CSS uses a computer to pump synthetic blood around an artificial heart. The heart can be altered to simulate certain cardiac conditions.
The CSS allows medical students to practice on artificial hearts instead of real cardiac patients.
"This is a fabulous way to get students to train and become experts before they actually do the surgery," Prof Shirley noted.
The UWI principal indicated that the CSS had the potential to train cardiac surgeons initially in North America and later all over the world.
"There are no cardiac surgeons in most of the developing world, yet the truth is that cardiac failure occurs just as frequently in the developing world as in the developed world. We think that this is going to be a very important device in ensuring that cardiovascular disease is managed just as efficiently and effectively all across the developing world," he said.
Prof Shirley, whose first degree was in mechanical engineering from the UWI's St Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago, also told his audience that the Mona campus was expanding its offerings in engineering.
He said this was important as there is a strong correlation between the training of engineers and the growth of a country's economy.
The principal called for greater collaboration between the UWI and the JIE in training and mentoring of engineers graduating from the university
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/UWI-scores-big-with-heart-surgery-simulator_10883828#ixzz1nbHBU48J
127
Trinidad and Tobago History / Swing and Sway Trinidad Way, 1960s
« on: February 23, 2012, 04:45:33 PM »
Swing and Sway Trinidad Way, 1960s
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cAd-_wGsbpA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/cAd-_wGsbpA</a>
128
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / 2012 Soca Monarch
« on: February 16, 2012, 03:42:38 PM »
I now watching the semi-final videos on youtube. I eh sure nah...
But then I realize Hard Knoxx in the final. This should be interesting...
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/RDBZ5_ifbC4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/RDBZ5_ifbC4</a>
But then I realize Hard Knoxx in the final. This should be interesting...
129
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / 2012 Kaiso
« on: January 24, 2012, 06:03:00 AM »
We'll start it off with Kurt Allen
Kurt Allen - Long Live Calypso
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/UttBSF84iU4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/UttBSF84iU4</a>
Kurt Allen - Long Live Calypso
130
Cricket Anyone / T&T vs Jamaica
« on: January 22, 2012, 05:58:52 PM »
Trinidad & Tobago have won the toss and they have chosen to bat
131
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / 2012 Chutney
« on: January 14, 2012, 01:30:29 AM »
Ravi B : DONT WANT MEH GO
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DWLnRpPmWRw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/DWLnRpPmWRw</a>
Chutney real weak this year.
Chutney real weak this year.
133
Football / A Compilation of the worst fouls: Argentina 2011
« on: January 05, 2012, 10:41:00 PM »
Somebody send a motobike!
9 minutes 13 seconds of agricultural footage. Be forewarned, the last one is gruesome.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/-cXJykE34uk#!" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/-cXJykE34uk#!</a>
9 minutes 13 seconds of agricultural footage. Be forewarned, the last one is gruesome.
134
General Discussion / Police Arrest Man in Burning Death of Woman
« on: December 18, 2011, 10:02:58 PM »
Police Arrest Man in Burning Death of Woman
By PATRICK McGEEHAN and TIM STELLOH
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/nyregion/woman-burned-alive-in-brooklyn-elevator-police-question-man.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all
By the time Deloris Gillespie saw him, waiting on the other side of an elevator door, it was too late to escape.
With her shopping bags in hand, she pushed open the door. There stood a man she knew, Jerome Isaac, the authorities said. He set upon her immediately, armed with a tank of fuel and a barbecue lighter, wearing white gloves and a surgical mask. He was angry, he would tell the police on Sunday, because he believed she owed him about $2,000 for odd jobs.
But there was no way Ms. Gillespie, 73, could have been prepared for what happened.
Mr. Isaac, 47, methodically set the woman aflame, burning her alive in the elevator of her building in Brooklyn on Saturday, only a few feet from her apartment door, the police said. He sprayed the flammable liquid in the woman’s face and over her cowering body, and then lit a Molotov cocktail to ignite the fire.
Within minutes, Ms. Gillespie was burning to death in the narrow cab, and her assailant had fled down the stairs. The attack lasted only a few minutes, all of it captured by surveillance cameras; the sheer, calculated brutality stunned even the most hardened of homicide detectives.
After several hours and “reeking of gasoline,” Mr. Isaac turned himself in Sunday morning at a transit police station, and by the afternoon, the police said, he had confessed to the gruesome attack. He faces charges of first-degree and second-degree murder and arson.
Ms. Gillespie and Mr. Isaac lived less than two blocks apart in the Prospect Heights neighborhood. She had a reputation for trying to help people who were down on their luck. She gave food and shelter to the homeless and welcomed strangers into her apartment, sometimes hiring them for small tasks and chores, according to friends and relatives. That was how she came to know Mr. Isaac, they said.
Mr. Isaac was less known to neighbors. Some described him as being intelligent, well-dressed and well-spoken. But Mr. Isaac was mostly known for his penchant for collecting cans and bottles in the neighborhood; they called him “the recyclist.”
He hails from a large family from Trinidad, with seven siblings, according to his sister Janet Isaac, who lives in Maryland.
Ms. Isaac had not heard about her brother’s arrest when contacted by a reporter on Sunday evening. “My Lord,” she exclaimed. She said that she had not been in touch with him lately and did not know how he supported himself.
To those who knew him, Mr. Isaac did not seem like a troublemaker; the police said he had no criminal record in New York.
Rickey Causey, a nephew of Ms. Gillespie’s who had been living with her since he arrived in June from Louisiana, where he said his home burned down, said that Mr. Isaac had posted a typewritten bill on her door for his work clearing clutter from her apartment months before. Total due: more than $300.
Despite Mr. Gillespie’s insistense on the money, Mr. Causey said that his aunt had not feared Mr. Isaac. “She wasn’t scared of no one,” Mr. Causey said.
He said Ms. Gillespie, whose apartment was filled with items she had collected over the years, had caught Mr. Isaac stealing things, including a VCR and a cake pan. “He was taking the good stuff,” Mr. Causey said. So, he said, she dismissed him.
Whatever transpired between Ms. Gillespie and Mr. Isaac, the detached way in which he carried out the attack was extraordinary, according to police officials who watched the surveillance footage.
While Ms. Gillespie was out buying groceries, he rode the elevator to her floor and, outfitted like an amateur exterminator, waited for her to return, the police said. As soon as the elevator delivered her, Mr. Isaac was blocking her exit.
He sprayed her face with liquid from the hose that snaked around his torso. As she turned and shrank back into a corner of the narrow cab, he doused her with it. Then he went through with his plan: He lit the fuse on the bottle bomb in his other hand and set Ms. Gillespie aflame. She dropped to the floor, engulfed and screaming.
But Mr. Isaac was not finished yet, the police said. To ensure that Ms. Gillespie did not survive, he tossed the long-necked bottle into the elevator with her. He sprayed more of the fuel on her. Only then did he run away.
Mr. Isaac told the police that he hid out on a rooftop near his apartment and fell asleep. After he woke and wandered the streets, he learned that he was wanted, so he went to a transit police station about two and a half miles from the apartment building where Ms. Gillespie lived and died.
Paul J. Browne, the chief spokesman for the New York Police Department, said that Mr. Isaac initially admitted to having set a fire, but later confessed to the immolation of Ms. Gillespie. They found some of the equipment he had used on the roof of 571 Lincoln Place, where he said he had hidden, Mr. Browne said.
He said that Mr. Isaac had also set a fire at his own apartment a few blocks away, at 315 Lincoln Place, on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Isaac suggested to the police that he may have suffered burn wounds to his face, hands and neck in that fire, which left the top and bottom of the door to Mr. Isaac’s second-floor apartment scorched and the hall smelling of gasoline.
A next-door neighbor, Eric Charles, 42, said Mr. Isaac had lived in the building for several years and often rode a bicycle around the neighborhood collecting cans and bottles. Mr. Charles said he was shocked when he learned his neighbor had been charged with brutally murdering Ms. Gillespie.
“I would never think he was capable of that,” Mr. Charles said.
Vernon J. Geberth, a retired commander of the Bronx Homicide Task Force, said that the way Ms. Gillespie was killed was “extremely rare” and especially torturous.
“The worst way of dying is by fire, because every nerve ending is assaulted simultaneously in the most horrific way,” Mr. Geberth said. “You have someone with pent-up anger and rage that’s so intense they don’t only want to kill, they want to see the victim suffer.”
Al Baker and Sarah Maslin Nir contributed reporting.
By PATRICK McGEEHAN and TIM STELLOH
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/nyregion/woman-burned-alive-in-brooklyn-elevator-police-question-man.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all
By the time Deloris Gillespie saw him, waiting on the other side of an elevator door, it was too late to escape.
With her shopping bags in hand, she pushed open the door. There stood a man she knew, Jerome Isaac, the authorities said. He set upon her immediately, armed with a tank of fuel and a barbecue lighter, wearing white gloves and a surgical mask. He was angry, he would tell the police on Sunday, because he believed she owed him about $2,000 for odd jobs.
But there was no way Ms. Gillespie, 73, could have been prepared for what happened.
Mr. Isaac, 47, methodically set the woman aflame, burning her alive in the elevator of her building in Brooklyn on Saturday, only a few feet from her apartment door, the police said. He sprayed the flammable liquid in the woman’s face and over her cowering body, and then lit a Molotov cocktail to ignite the fire.
Within minutes, Ms. Gillespie was burning to death in the narrow cab, and her assailant had fled down the stairs. The attack lasted only a few minutes, all of it captured by surveillance cameras; the sheer, calculated brutality stunned even the most hardened of homicide detectives.
After several hours and “reeking of gasoline,” Mr. Isaac turned himself in Sunday morning at a transit police station, and by the afternoon, the police said, he had confessed to the gruesome attack. He faces charges of first-degree and second-degree murder and arson.
Ms. Gillespie and Mr. Isaac lived less than two blocks apart in the Prospect Heights neighborhood. She had a reputation for trying to help people who were down on their luck. She gave food and shelter to the homeless and welcomed strangers into her apartment, sometimes hiring them for small tasks and chores, according to friends and relatives. That was how she came to know Mr. Isaac, they said.
Mr. Isaac was less known to neighbors. Some described him as being intelligent, well-dressed and well-spoken. But Mr. Isaac was mostly known for his penchant for collecting cans and bottles in the neighborhood; they called him “the recyclist.”
He hails from a large family from Trinidad, with seven siblings, according to his sister Janet Isaac, who lives in Maryland.
Ms. Isaac had not heard about her brother’s arrest when contacted by a reporter on Sunday evening. “My Lord,” she exclaimed. She said that she had not been in touch with him lately and did not know how he supported himself.
To those who knew him, Mr. Isaac did not seem like a troublemaker; the police said he had no criminal record in New York.
Rickey Causey, a nephew of Ms. Gillespie’s who had been living with her since he arrived in June from Louisiana, where he said his home burned down, said that Mr. Isaac had posted a typewritten bill on her door for his work clearing clutter from her apartment months before. Total due: more than $300.
Despite Mr. Gillespie’s insistense on the money, Mr. Causey said that his aunt had not feared Mr. Isaac. “She wasn’t scared of no one,” Mr. Causey said.
He said Ms. Gillespie, whose apartment was filled with items she had collected over the years, had caught Mr. Isaac stealing things, including a VCR and a cake pan. “He was taking the good stuff,” Mr. Causey said. So, he said, she dismissed him.
Whatever transpired between Ms. Gillespie and Mr. Isaac, the detached way in which he carried out the attack was extraordinary, according to police officials who watched the surveillance footage.
While Ms. Gillespie was out buying groceries, he rode the elevator to her floor and, outfitted like an amateur exterminator, waited for her to return, the police said. As soon as the elevator delivered her, Mr. Isaac was blocking her exit.
He sprayed her face with liquid from the hose that snaked around his torso. As she turned and shrank back into a corner of the narrow cab, he doused her with it. Then he went through with his plan: He lit the fuse on the bottle bomb in his other hand and set Ms. Gillespie aflame. She dropped to the floor, engulfed and screaming.
But Mr. Isaac was not finished yet, the police said. To ensure that Ms. Gillespie did not survive, he tossed the long-necked bottle into the elevator with her. He sprayed more of the fuel on her. Only then did he run away.
Mr. Isaac told the police that he hid out on a rooftop near his apartment and fell asleep. After he woke and wandered the streets, he learned that he was wanted, so he went to a transit police station about two and a half miles from the apartment building where Ms. Gillespie lived and died.
Paul J. Browne, the chief spokesman for the New York Police Department, said that Mr. Isaac initially admitted to having set a fire, but later confessed to the immolation of Ms. Gillespie. They found some of the equipment he had used on the roof of 571 Lincoln Place, where he said he had hidden, Mr. Browne said.
He said that Mr. Isaac had also set a fire at his own apartment a few blocks away, at 315 Lincoln Place, on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Isaac suggested to the police that he may have suffered burn wounds to his face, hands and neck in that fire, which left the top and bottom of the door to Mr. Isaac’s second-floor apartment scorched and the hall smelling of gasoline.
A next-door neighbor, Eric Charles, 42, said Mr. Isaac had lived in the building for several years and often rode a bicycle around the neighborhood collecting cans and bottles. Mr. Charles said he was shocked when he learned his neighbor had been charged with brutally murdering Ms. Gillespie.
“I would never think he was capable of that,” Mr. Charles said.
Vernon J. Geberth, a retired commander of the Bronx Homicide Task Force, said that the way Ms. Gillespie was killed was “extremely rare” and especially torturous.
“The worst way of dying is by fire, because every nerve ending is assaulted simultaneously in the most horrific way,” Mr. Geberth said. “You have someone with pent-up anger and rage that’s so intense they don’t only want to kill, they want to see the victim suffer.”
Al Baker and Sarah Maslin Nir contributed reporting.
135
General Discussion / North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, 69, Has Died
« on: December 18, 2011, 09:28:17 PM »
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, 69, Has Died
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 18, 2011 at 10:12 PM ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/12/18/world/asia/AP-AS-Korea-Kim-Jong-Il.html?_r=1
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic leader, has died. He was 69.
Kim's death was announced Monday by state television from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008 but appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media.
The leader, reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine, was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.
The news came as North Korea prepared for a hereditary succession. Kim Jong Il inherited power after his father, revered North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, died in 1994.
In September 2010, Kim Jong Il unveiled his third son, the twenty-something Kim Jong Un, as his successor, putting him in high-ranking posts.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 18, 2011 at 10:12 PM ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/12/18/world/asia/AP-AS-Korea-Kim-Jong-Il.html?_r=1
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic leader, has died. He was 69.
Kim's death was announced Monday by state television from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008 but appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media.
The leader, reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine, was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.
The news came as North Korea prepared for a hereditary succession. Kim Jong Il inherited power after his father, revered North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, died in 1994.
In September 2010, Kim Jong Il unveiled his third son, the twenty-something Kim Jong Un, as his successor, putting him in high-ranking posts.
136
General Discussion / Anonymous donors pay off Kmart layaway accounts
« on: December 15, 2011, 05:20:35 PM »
Anonymous donors pay off Kmart layaway accounts
Updated 19m ago
By Dave Weaver, AP
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-15/layaway-santa/51980922/1
OMAHA (AP) – The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.
He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.
"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."
At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.
Before she left the store Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis woman in her mid-40s had paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. On the way out, she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts of toys for a woman in line at the cash register.
"She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died, and she said she wasn't going to be able to spend it and wanted to make people happy with it," Deppe said. The woman did not identify herself and only asked people to "remember Ben," an apparent reference to her husband.
Deepe, who said she's worked in retail for 40 years, had never seen anything like it.
"It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store," she said.
Most of the donors have done their giving secretly.
Dona Bremser, an Omaha nurse, was at work when a Kmart employee called to tell her that someone had paid off the $70 balance of her layaway account, which held nearly $200 in toys for her 4-year-old son.
"I was speechless," Bremser said. "It made me believe in Christmas again."
Dozens of other customers have received similar calls in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Montana.
The benefactors generally ask to help families who are squirreling away items for young children. They often pay a portion of the balance, usually all but a few dollars or cents so the layaway order stays in the store's system.
The phenomenon seems to have begun in Michigan before spreading, Kmart executives said.
"It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of the year," said Salima Yala, Kmart's division vice president for layaway.
The good Samaritans seem to be visiting mainly Kmart stores, though a Wal-Mart spokesman said a few of his stores in Joplin, Mo., and Chicago have also seen some layaway accounts paid off.
Kmart representatives say they did nothing to instigate the secret Santas or spread word of the generosity. But it's happening as the company struggles to compete with chains such as Wal-Mart and Target.
Kmart may be the focus of layaway generosity, Yala said, because it is one of the few large discount stores that has offered layaway year-found for about four decades.
The sad memories of layaways lost prompted at least one good Samaritan to pay off the accounts of five people at an Omaha Kmart, said Karl Graff, the store's assistant manager.
"She told me that when she was younger, her mom used to set up things on layaway at Kmart, but they rarely were able to pay them off because they just didn't have the money for it," Graff said.
He called a woman who had been helped, "and she broke down in tears on the phone with me. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to pay off their layaway and was afraid their kids weren't going to have anything for Christmas."
"You know, 50 bucks may not sound like a lot, but I tell you what, at the right time, it may as well be a million dollars for some people," Graff said.
Graff's store alone has seen about a dozen layaway accounts paid off in the last 10 days, with the donors paying $50 to $250 on each account.
"To be honest, in retail, it's easy to get cynical about the holidays, because you're kind of grinding it out when everybody else is having family time," Graff said. "It's really encouraging to see this side of Christmas again."
Lori Stearnes of Omaha also benefited from the generosity of a stranger who paid all but $58 of her $250 layaway bill for toys for her four youngest grandchildren.
Stearns said she and her husband live paycheck to paycheck, but she plans to use the money she was saving for the toys to help pay for someone else's layaway.
In Missoula, Mont., a man spent more than $1,200 to pay down the balances of six customers whose layaway orders were about to be returned to a Kmart store's inventory because of late payments.
Store employees reached one beneficiary on her cellphone at Seattle Children's Hospital, where her son was being treated for an undisclosed illness.
"She was yelling at the nurses, 'We're going to have Christmas after all!'" store manager Josine Murrin said.
A Kmart in Plainfield Township, Mich., called Roberta Carter last week to let her know a man had paid all but 40 cents of her $60 layaway.
Carter, a mother of eight from Grand Rapids, Mich., said she cried upon hearing the news. She and her family have been struggling as she seeks a full-time job.
"My kids will have clothes for Christmas," she said.
Angie Torres, a stay-at-home mother of four children under the age of 8, was in the Indianapolis Kmart on Tuesday to make a payment on her layaway bill when she learned the woman next to her was paying off her account.
"I started to cry. I couldn't believe it," said Torres, who doubted she would have been able to pay off the balance. "I was in disbelief. I hugged her and gave her a kiss."
Updated 19m ago
By Dave Weaver, AP
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-15/layaway-santa/51980922/1
OMAHA (AP) – The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.
He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.
"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."
At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.
Before she left the store Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis woman in her mid-40s had paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. On the way out, she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts of toys for a woman in line at the cash register.
"She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died, and she said she wasn't going to be able to spend it and wanted to make people happy with it," Deppe said. The woman did not identify herself and only asked people to "remember Ben," an apparent reference to her husband.
Deepe, who said she's worked in retail for 40 years, had never seen anything like it.
"It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store," she said.
Most of the donors have done their giving secretly.
Dona Bremser, an Omaha nurse, was at work when a Kmart employee called to tell her that someone had paid off the $70 balance of her layaway account, which held nearly $200 in toys for her 4-year-old son.
"I was speechless," Bremser said. "It made me believe in Christmas again."
Dozens of other customers have received similar calls in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Montana.
The benefactors generally ask to help families who are squirreling away items for young children. They often pay a portion of the balance, usually all but a few dollars or cents so the layaway order stays in the store's system.
The phenomenon seems to have begun in Michigan before spreading, Kmart executives said.
"It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of the year," said Salima Yala, Kmart's division vice president for layaway.
The good Samaritans seem to be visiting mainly Kmart stores, though a Wal-Mart spokesman said a few of his stores in Joplin, Mo., and Chicago have also seen some layaway accounts paid off.
Kmart representatives say they did nothing to instigate the secret Santas or spread word of the generosity. But it's happening as the company struggles to compete with chains such as Wal-Mart and Target.
Kmart may be the focus of layaway generosity, Yala said, because it is one of the few large discount stores that has offered layaway year-found for about four decades.
The sad memories of layaways lost prompted at least one good Samaritan to pay off the accounts of five people at an Omaha Kmart, said Karl Graff, the store's assistant manager.
"She told me that when she was younger, her mom used to set up things on layaway at Kmart, but they rarely were able to pay them off because they just didn't have the money for it," Graff said.
He called a woman who had been helped, "and she broke down in tears on the phone with me. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to pay off their layaway and was afraid their kids weren't going to have anything for Christmas."
"You know, 50 bucks may not sound like a lot, but I tell you what, at the right time, it may as well be a million dollars for some people," Graff said.
Graff's store alone has seen about a dozen layaway accounts paid off in the last 10 days, with the donors paying $50 to $250 on each account.
"To be honest, in retail, it's easy to get cynical about the holidays, because you're kind of grinding it out when everybody else is having family time," Graff said. "It's really encouraging to see this side of Christmas again."
Lori Stearnes of Omaha also benefited from the generosity of a stranger who paid all but $58 of her $250 layaway bill for toys for her four youngest grandchildren.
Stearns said she and her husband live paycheck to paycheck, but she plans to use the money she was saving for the toys to help pay for someone else's layaway.
In Missoula, Mont., a man spent more than $1,200 to pay down the balances of six customers whose layaway orders were about to be returned to a Kmart store's inventory because of late payments.
Store employees reached one beneficiary on her cellphone at Seattle Children's Hospital, where her son was being treated for an undisclosed illness.
"She was yelling at the nurses, 'We're going to have Christmas after all!'" store manager Josine Murrin said.
A Kmart in Plainfield Township, Mich., called Roberta Carter last week to let her know a man had paid all but 40 cents of her $60 layaway.
Carter, a mother of eight from Grand Rapids, Mich., said she cried upon hearing the news. She and her family have been struggling as she seeks a full-time job.
"My kids will have clothes for Christmas," she said.
Angie Torres, a stay-at-home mother of four children under the age of 8, was in the Indianapolis Kmart on Tuesday to make a payment on her layaway bill when she learned the woman next to her was paying off her account.
"I started to cry. I couldn't believe it," said Torres, who doubted she would have been able to pay off the balance. "I was in disbelief. I hugged her and gave her a kiss."
137
Football / Gold Cup match-fixing allegations highlight serious global problem Read more: h
« on: December 12, 2011, 12:27:41 PM »
Gold Cup match-fixing allegations highlight serious global problem
Grant Wahl>PLANET FÚTBOL
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/grant_wahl/12/08/concacaf.matchfixing/index.html#ixzz1gLXArvVP
Held in 13 U.S. cities last summer, the CONCACAF Gold Cup drew a record attendance of 601,702, including 93,420 at the Rose Bowl for Mexico's 4-2 victory over the U.S. in the final. But the region's most important soccer tournament attracted something else too: Allegations of match-fixing. "There has been information that some matches in the Gold Cup were manipulated," FIFA head of security Chris Eaton confirmed to SI.com. "We worked with CONCACAF at the time, and CONCACAF have been very interested in following up any information that can be revealed in the future on that."
While Eaton said FIFA had no investigative confirmation of Gold Cup match-fixing, he cited irregular betting patterns during the tournament. A leading betting-industry insider told SI he was highly suspicious of every Gold Cup game involving Cuba and Grenada and also had questions about El Salvador's 5-0 loss to Mexico. The games involving Grenada (which lost three matches by a combined 15-1) and Cuba (which was outscored 16-1), the insider said, stood out: "It was the sort of thing where we sat around and said, 'Yeah, this looks like it's a 99 percent chance that it's bent.'"
The betting-industry insider explained that the irregularities were in what is called "in-running betting" (in which bets are placed during a game on what will happen from that point on) as opposed to "dead-ball betting" that takes place before the game. In-game betting on world soccer is dominated by the Asian market, which he said was producing belief-defying odds swings during several Gold Cup games. The suspicious games weren't just the result of Cuba and Grenada being poor teams, he said.
"With Cuba and Grenada, yes, they're terrible, but there's lots of other teams that are also terrible, and generally those of us in soccer betting are used to pricing out these sorts of games, where you have very good against very bad," he said. "We see them a lot in the World Cup and European Championship qualifying. What I would say is that the odds movements for in-running betting [in Cuba and Grenada's Gold Cup games] were just incredibly, incredibly unusual and extreme. We're talking about five to 10 times what you would typically see. And these extreme odds movements would be subsequently vindicated by what was happening on the field." The industry expert provided several graphs depicting the differences in the Asian market swings in the suspicious Gold Cup games, as well as those in Gold Cup games that weren't suspicious to him. (The federations of Cuba, Grenada and El Salvador have yet to respond to SI.com's request for comments.)
The Gold Cup is just one example of alleged match fixing in an illegal global sports betting economy that's worth in excess of $1 trillion -- with soccer providing the vast majority of the action. Eaton, a former Australian federal police official, worked for 12 years at Interpol before becoming FIFA's head of security in 2010. "At least 24 countries today have active national investigations on [soccer] match-fixing, the majority of which have international connections," Eaton says. "Our investigations have revealed a significant international criminal input into match-fixing in football." In the last year there have been major soccer-related cases in South Korea, Turkey, China, Finland, Nigeria and Malaysia, as well as a host of other nations.
Eaton has visited nearly 40 countries in the past year, and FIFA has allocated $20 million toward working with Interpol while starting full-time investigative offices in Kuala Lumpur (for Asia), Jordan (for the Middle East) and Colombia (for the Americas). Nor is the U.S. excluded from Eaton's purview. "We are very interested in the Central American diaspora in North America," he says, "and the way in which various international friendly matches are often played, taking advantage of the high numbers of their nationals who live in the USA." Eaton adds that inquiries are continuing into figures in the region who are suspected of manipulating FIFA events, "and the same people we think might have been involved also in some matches in the Gold Cup."
While critics argue FIFA needs to do more to combat match-fixing by associating itself with national police forces that have jurisdiction (and not just Interpol), Eaton thinks the rash of recent cases shows that the problem is being addressed -- and that FIFA is on its way toward an achievable goal. "It's absolutely possible to stop it, provided we can have the integrated cooperative mechanisms that involve a combination of police, prosecutors and international sporting bodies willing to combine resources and skills," Eaton says. "We can defeat match-fixing." If that happens, expect more cases to come to light, in our own region and around the world.
Grant Wahl>PLANET FÚTBOL
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/grant_wahl/12/08/concacaf.matchfixing/index.html#ixzz1gLXArvVP
Held in 13 U.S. cities last summer, the CONCACAF Gold Cup drew a record attendance of 601,702, including 93,420 at the Rose Bowl for Mexico's 4-2 victory over the U.S. in the final. But the region's most important soccer tournament attracted something else too: Allegations of match-fixing. "There has been information that some matches in the Gold Cup were manipulated," FIFA head of security Chris Eaton confirmed to SI.com. "We worked with CONCACAF at the time, and CONCACAF have been very interested in following up any information that can be revealed in the future on that."
While Eaton said FIFA had no investigative confirmation of Gold Cup match-fixing, he cited irregular betting patterns during the tournament. A leading betting-industry insider told SI he was highly suspicious of every Gold Cup game involving Cuba and Grenada and also had questions about El Salvador's 5-0 loss to Mexico. The games involving Grenada (which lost three matches by a combined 15-1) and Cuba (which was outscored 16-1), the insider said, stood out: "It was the sort of thing where we sat around and said, 'Yeah, this looks like it's a 99 percent chance that it's bent.'"
The betting-industry insider explained that the irregularities were in what is called "in-running betting" (in which bets are placed during a game on what will happen from that point on) as opposed to "dead-ball betting" that takes place before the game. In-game betting on world soccer is dominated by the Asian market, which he said was producing belief-defying odds swings during several Gold Cup games. The suspicious games weren't just the result of Cuba and Grenada being poor teams, he said.
"With Cuba and Grenada, yes, they're terrible, but there's lots of other teams that are also terrible, and generally those of us in soccer betting are used to pricing out these sorts of games, where you have very good against very bad," he said. "We see them a lot in the World Cup and European Championship qualifying. What I would say is that the odds movements for in-running betting [in Cuba and Grenada's Gold Cup games] were just incredibly, incredibly unusual and extreme. We're talking about five to 10 times what you would typically see. And these extreme odds movements would be subsequently vindicated by what was happening on the field." The industry expert provided several graphs depicting the differences in the Asian market swings in the suspicious Gold Cup games, as well as those in Gold Cup games that weren't suspicious to him. (The federations of Cuba, Grenada and El Salvador have yet to respond to SI.com's request for comments.)
The Gold Cup is just one example of alleged match fixing in an illegal global sports betting economy that's worth in excess of $1 trillion -- with soccer providing the vast majority of the action. Eaton, a former Australian federal police official, worked for 12 years at Interpol before becoming FIFA's head of security in 2010. "At least 24 countries today have active national investigations on [soccer] match-fixing, the majority of which have international connections," Eaton says. "Our investigations have revealed a significant international criminal input into match-fixing in football." In the last year there have been major soccer-related cases in South Korea, Turkey, China, Finland, Nigeria and Malaysia, as well as a host of other nations.
Eaton has visited nearly 40 countries in the past year, and FIFA has allocated $20 million toward working with Interpol while starting full-time investigative offices in Kuala Lumpur (for Asia), Jordan (for the Middle East) and Colombia (for the Americas). Nor is the U.S. excluded from Eaton's purview. "We are very interested in the Central American diaspora in North America," he says, "and the way in which various international friendly matches are often played, taking advantage of the high numbers of their nationals who live in the USA." Eaton adds that inquiries are continuing into figures in the region who are suspected of manipulating FIFA events, "and the same people we think might have been involved also in some matches in the Gold Cup."
While critics argue FIFA needs to do more to combat match-fixing by associating itself with national police forces that have jurisdiction (and not just Interpol), Eaton thinks the rash of recent cases shows that the problem is being addressed -- and that FIFA is on its way toward an achievable goal. "It's absolutely possible to stop it, provided we can have the integrated cooperative mechanisms that involve a combination of police, prosecutors and international sporting bodies willing to combine resources and skills," Eaton says. "We can defeat match-fixing." If that happens, expect more cases to come to light, in our own region and around the world.
138
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Affion Crocket
« on: December 09, 2011, 10:16:39 AM »I don't think his show is making it back for another season though...
139
Cricket Anyone / West Indies must learn to win again
« on: December 04, 2011, 07:00:35 AM »
West Indies must learn to win again
In every single match in India so far, West Indies have built up their supporters only to let them down by converting surprisingly strong positions into four defeats and one tie-draw
Tony Cozier
December 4, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-west-indies-2011/content/current/story/543703.html
As popular and appropriate as it was at the time, David Rudder's converted anthem Rally Round the West Indies is wearing a little thin for cricket supporters despairing over whether there will ever be a revival.
Perhaps the more apt chorus would now come from The Foundations' hit of the late 1960s, Buttercup. Why do you build me up … just to let me down and mess around.
It has certainly been, once again, the theme in the current Tests and ODIs in India where, in every single match, the inexperienced West Indies have built us up only to let us down by converting surprisingly strong positions into four defeats and one tie-draw.
It is not a new phenomenon, although more pronounced, and thus more frustrating, over the past month or so. There have been several individual "positives", to use the favourite noun of all captains and coaches, but they are diminished by the results and the manner of them.
Darren Bravo confirmed his promise as a star of the future. Kirk Edwards' consistency at No.3 proved that his debut Test hundred in Dominica in July was no one-innings wonder. Marlon Samuels' now sanctioned off-spin has given the bowling a new dimension.
Ravi Rampaul maintained the form that made him the outstanding bowler in the Caribbean earlier in the year and there are gradual signs that Kemar Roach is regaining the confidence and penetration that made him such an effective leader of the attack on his entry into the team.
Without piling up big runs, Kraigg Brathwaite, 18, and Kieran Pollard, 21, showed they were more than just boys in a big man's world, showed their potential as batsmen with the potential for long and productive futures.
So why did West Indies repeatedly squander winning positions? Why did first-innings leads of 95 in the first Test and 108 in the third end in defeat in the first instance, a scrambled tie-draw in the second when a first innings total 590 was followed by a second innings 134?
The same questions could be repeated for the two ODIs to date.
In the first one-dayer, the pace of Roach and Andre Russell left India lurching at 59 for five in reply to a seemingly inadequate 211, only for them to recover and, finally, for the last pair to squeeze out the last 11 runs for victory by one wicket. West Indies helped them along with 16 wides and four no balls (each worth a free hit) in 23 extras, crippling statistics in a low-scoring match.
In the second, Rampaul's extraordinary record 66-ball, unbeaten 86 at No.10 and his last wicket partnership of 99 with the unruffled Roach was followed by India faltering at 84 for three in the 17th over. West Indies had reason to be bouyant but the balloon soon burst. They missed four catches, and flawed tactics subsequently allowed Virat Kohli (the same batsman whose dislike of bodyline bowling had been exposed in the Caribbean) and Rohit Sharma to comfortably gather singles to the deep-set fields. Inevitable victory was achieved with five wickets and 11 balls to spare.
West Indies "seemed to be trapped in a mindset that dooms them to failure". It is not a condition easily resolved.
So why does it all go so wrong so often?
To be sure, the failures with the bat of the wicketkeepers, Carlton Baugh and Denesh Ramdin, at No. 7 and captain Darren Sammy at No. 8, repeatedly opened the door to late order collapses. The bowling often went flat once the ball lost its shine and hardness.
To state that Chris Gayle's hypothetical inclusion would have been a boost of experience and proven record is to state the obvious, but it wasn't much different when he was in the XI.
The reasons for such stunning reversals go beyond cricket alone. As Harsha Bhogle, the writer and commentator, put it after the first Test, West Indies "seemed to be trapped in a mindset that dooms them to failure".
It is not a condition easily resolved. It is a truism applicable to all team sports that losing becomes a habit as much as winning, perhaps even more so.
Floyd Reifer, who is coach of the Barbados champions, University of the West Indies (UWI), and the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) at the regional level, and thus close to young charges, has identified one of his priorities. "Winning is part of development as well," he said recently, recognising that batting, bowling and fielding are not the be all and end all of his remit. "We have to create guys who, when they get into positions to win matches, know how to win them."
It is easier said than done but it must be an urgent priority for all West Indies' coaches, especially at the age-group levels.
Tony Cozier has written about and commentated on cricket in the Caribbean for nearly 50 years
Feeds: Tony Cozier
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
In every single match in India so far, West Indies have built up their supporters only to let them down by converting surprisingly strong positions into four defeats and one tie-draw
Tony Cozier
December 4, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-west-indies-2011/content/current/story/543703.html
As popular and appropriate as it was at the time, David Rudder's converted anthem Rally Round the West Indies is wearing a little thin for cricket supporters despairing over whether there will ever be a revival.
Perhaps the more apt chorus would now come from The Foundations' hit of the late 1960s, Buttercup. Why do you build me up … just to let me down and mess around.
It has certainly been, once again, the theme in the current Tests and ODIs in India where, in every single match, the inexperienced West Indies have built us up only to let us down by converting surprisingly strong positions into four defeats and one tie-draw.
It is not a new phenomenon, although more pronounced, and thus more frustrating, over the past month or so. There have been several individual "positives", to use the favourite noun of all captains and coaches, but they are diminished by the results and the manner of them.
Darren Bravo confirmed his promise as a star of the future. Kirk Edwards' consistency at No.3 proved that his debut Test hundred in Dominica in July was no one-innings wonder. Marlon Samuels' now sanctioned off-spin has given the bowling a new dimension.
Ravi Rampaul maintained the form that made him the outstanding bowler in the Caribbean earlier in the year and there are gradual signs that Kemar Roach is regaining the confidence and penetration that made him such an effective leader of the attack on his entry into the team.
Without piling up big runs, Kraigg Brathwaite, 18, and Kieran Pollard, 21, showed they were more than just boys in a big man's world, showed their potential as batsmen with the potential for long and productive futures.
So why did West Indies repeatedly squander winning positions? Why did first-innings leads of 95 in the first Test and 108 in the third end in defeat in the first instance, a scrambled tie-draw in the second when a first innings total 590 was followed by a second innings 134?
The same questions could be repeated for the two ODIs to date.
In the first one-dayer, the pace of Roach and Andre Russell left India lurching at 59 for five in reply to a seemingly inadequate 211, only for them to recover and, finally, for the last pair to squeeze out the last 11 runs for victory by one wicket. West Indies helped them along with 16 wides and four no balls (each worth a free hit) in 23 extras, crippling statistics in a low-scoring match.
In the second, Rampaul's extraordinary record 66-ball, unbeaten 86 at No.10 and his last wicket partnership of 99 with the unruffled Roach was followed by India faltering at 84 for three in the 17th over. West Indies had reason to be bouyant but the balloon soon burst. They missed four catches, and flawed tactics subsequently allowed Virat Kohli (the same batsman whose dislike of bodyline bowling had been exposed in the Caribbean) and Rohit Sharma to comfortably gather singles to the deep-set fields. Inevitable victory was achieved with five wickets and 11 balls to spare.
West Indies "seemed to be trapped in a mindset that dooms them to failure". It is not a condition easily resolved.
So why does it all go so wrong so often?
To be sure, the failures with the bat of the wicketkeepers, Carlton Baugh and Denesh Ramdin, at No. 7 and captain Darren Sammy at No. 8, repeatedly opened the door to late order collapses. The bowling often went flat once the ball lost its shine and hardness.
To state that Chris Gayle's hypothetical inclusion would have been a boost of experience and proven record is to state the obvious, but it wasn't much different when he was in the XI.
The reasons for such stunning reversals go beyond cricket alone. As Harsha Bhogle, the writer and commentator, put it after the first Test, West Indies "seemed to be trapped in a mindset that dooms them to failure".
It is not a condition easily resolved. It is a truism applicable to all team sports that losing becomes a habit as much as winning, perhaps even more so.
Floyd Reifer, who is coach of the Barbados champions, University of the West Indies (UWI), and the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) at the regional level, and thus close to young charges, has identified one of his priorities. "Winning is part of development as well," he said recently, recognising that batting, bowling and fielding are not the be all and end all of his remit. "We have to create guys who, when they get into positions to win matches, know how to win them."
It is easier said than done but it must be an urgent priority for all West Indies' coaches, especially at the age-group levels.
Tony Cozier has written about and commentated on cricket in the Caribbean for nearly 50 years
Feeds: Tony Cozier
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
140
Cricket Anyone / West Indies v India, ODIs
« on: November 29, 2011, 11:30:33 AM »
loss the first one...
West Indies 211/9 (50 ov)
India 213/9 (48.5 ov)
India won by 1 wicket (with 7 balls remaining)
West Indies 211/9 (50 ov)
India 213/9 (48.5 ov)
India won by 1 wicket (with 7 balls remaining)
141
Cricket Anyone / West Indies vs India 1st Test
« on: November 07, 2011, 05:08:23 AM »
West Indies 304 & 4/1 (5.2 ov)
India 209
West Indies lead by 99 runs with 9 wickets remaining
India 209
West Indies lead by 99 runs with 9 wickets remaining
142
A young blond girl in her late teens, wanting to earn some extra money for the summer, decided to hire herself out as a "handy woman" and started canvassing a nearby well-to-do neighborhood. She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any odd jobs for her to do.
"Well, I guess I could use somebody to paint the porch" he said. "How much will you charge me?"
Delighted, the girl quickly responded, "How about $50?"
The man agreed and told her that the paint and brushes and everything she would need were in the garage.
The man's wife, hearing the conversation, said to her husband, "Does she realize that our porch goes ALL the way around the house?"
"That's a bit cynical, isn't it?" he responded.
The wife replied, "You're right. I guess I'm starting to believe all those dumb blonde jokes."
A few hours later the blonde came to the door to collect her money.
"You're finished already??" the startled husband asked.
"Yes," the blonde replied, "and I even had paint left over so I gave it a second coat."
Impressed, the man reached into his pocket for the $50 and handed it to her along with a $10 tip.
"Thank you," the blonde said, "And, by the way, it's not a Porch, it's a Lexus."
"Well, I guess I could use somebody to paint the porch" he said. "How much will you charge me?"
Delighted, the girl quickly responded, "How about $50?"
The man agreed and told her that the paint and brushes and everything she would need were in the garage.
The man's wife, hearing the conversation, said to her husband, "Does she realize that our porch goes ALL the way around the house?"
"That's a bit cynical, isn't it?" he responded.
The wife replied, "You're right. I guess I'm starting to believe all those dumb blonde jokes."
A few hours later the blonde came to the door to collect her money.
"You're finished already??" the startled husband asked.
"Yes," the blonde replied, "and I even had paint left over so I gave it a second coat."
Impressed, the man reached into his pocket for the $50 and handed it to her along with a $10 tip.
"Thank you," the blonde said, "And, by the way, it's not a Porch, it's a Lexus."
143
Trinbago, NBA & World Basketball / Pan Am Games
« on: October 29, 2011, 01:53:23 PM »
I know the USA doh take these games seriously, but they loss to Mexico in the Semi-Final? 
And big too, 55-71
And big too, 55-71
144
Football / Manchester Derby Thread.
« on: October 23, 2011, 06:44:28 AM »
Mods, merge this after the game please.
City playing timid.
Is Mancini retreating into his shell, like the Arsenal game last season?
City playing timid.
Is Mancini retreating into his shell, like the Arsenal game last season?
145
Cricket Anyone / CLT20: T&T vs Cape Cobras
« on: October 04, 2011, 05:53:48 AM »
Cobras aim to seal semi-final spot
The Preview by Abhishek Purohit
October 3, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/story/534736.html
Match facts
Cape Cobras v Trinidad & Tobago, October 4, Chennai
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)
Big Picture
After the last-ball and one-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians, and the Super Over defeat to New South Wales, one wondered what Trinidad & Tobago would come up with next. Along with MI, T&T did their best to infuse excitement into a tournament that has struggled to pull in crowds. They finally managed to get it right against Chennai Super Kings to give themselves an outside chance of making the semi-finals. T&T have one last opportunity, against Cape Cobras, to add more thrills to the Champions League. It is a must-win game for both sides.
While T&T's spinners will look to use the slowness of the Chennai pitch to their advantage, they would have also noted that the Cobras batsmen struggled more against the Super Kings' seamers in their only loss so far.
A win tomorrow will put Cobras at the top of Group A and ensure their qualification for the semi-finals. Victory alone will not be enough for T&T, though, as they will need the Super Kings to beat New South Wales to force a three-way tie for the second place.
Watch out for …
Unlike the T&T spinners, there is nothing mysterious about medium-pacer Kevon Cooper but he has gone for just over five runs an over in the tournament. Even fellow Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo could not go after him in the death. Cooper's 28 at a strike-rate of 280 was the difference against the Super Kings. T&T's next best strike-rate was 121. Cobras will have to be wary on both fronts.
You either get Herschelle Gibbs early or else he gets you. New South Wales didn't, and suffered. Super Kings did, and got a target that could be chased. Gibbs will go after all the sliders, wrong 'uns and flicked legbreaks that the T&T spinners try against him. Who will get whom?
Team news
Barring last-minute injuries, neither side has reason to change their XIs.
Stats and trivia
Not surprisingly, slow and low Chennai is where batsmen have struggled the most. It has the lowest average per wicket, 21.22, and the lowest economy-rate, 6.80, of the three venues used in the tournament
T&T's loss to MI was only the 11th instance of a Twenty20 being decided by the smallest margin of one wicket off the last ball.
Quotes
"There is still a remote chance of us qualifying. God only knows what will happen in the last game but we still hold faith that we will qualify for the semi-finals."
Daren Ganga knows a win tomorrow might not be enough for T&T
"We are playing T&T at the end, so their spinners are not complete unknowns to us. We have done a little bit of work on how to face them."
Dane Vilas says the T&T spinners are not a mystery for Cobras
The Preview by Abhishek Purohit
October 3, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/story/534736.html
Match facts
Cape Cobras v Trinidad & Tobago, October 4, Chennai
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)
Big Picture
After the last-ball and one-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians, and the Super Over defeat to New South Wales, one wondered what Trinidad & Tobago would come up with next. Along with MI, T&T did their best to infuse excitement into a tournament that has struggled to pull in crowds. They finally managed to get it right against Chennai Super Kings to give themselves an outside chance of making the semi-finals. T&T have one last opportunity, against Cape Cobras, to add more thrills to the Champions League. It is a must-win game for both sides.
While T&T's spinners will look to use the slowness of the Chennai pitch to their advantage, they would have also noted that the Cobras batsmen struggled more against the Super Kings' seamers in their only loss so far.
A win tomorrow will put Cobras at the top of Group A and ensure their qualification for the semi-finals. Victory alone will not be enough for T&T, though, as they will need the Super Kings to beat New South Wales to force a three-way tie for the second place.
Watch out for …
Unlike the T&T spinners, there is nothing mysterious about medium-pacer Kevon Cooper but he has gone for just over five runs an over in the tournament. Even fellow Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo could not go after him in the death. Cooper's 28 at a strike-rate of 280 was the difference against the Super Kings. T&T's next best strike-rate was 121. Cobras will have to be wary on both fronts.
You either get Herschelle Gibbs early or else he gets you. New South Wales didn't, and suffered. Super Kings did, and got a target that could be chased. Gibbs will go after all the sliders, wrong 'uns and flicked legbreaks that the T&T spinners try against him. Who will get whom?
Team news
Barring last-minute injuries, neither side has reason to change their XIs.
Stats and trivia
Not surprisingly, slow and low Chennai is where batsmen have struggled the most. It has the lowest average per wicket, 21.22, and the lowest economy-rate, 6.80, of the three venues used in the tournament
T&T's loss to MI was only the 11th instance of a Twenty20 being decided by the smallest margin of one wicket off the last ball.
Quotes
"There is still a remote chance of us qualifying. God only knows what will happen in the last game but we still hold faith that we will qualify for the semi-finals."
Daren Ganga knows a win tomorrow might not be enough for T&T
"We are playing T&T at the end, so their spinners are not complete unknowns to us. We have done a little bit of work on how to face them."
Dane Vilas says the T&T spinners are not a mystery for Cobras
146
Cricket Anyone / CLT20: T&T vs Chennai Super Kings
« on: October 02, 2011, 07:45:29 AM »
T&T look for first win, CSK to stay in contention
The Preview by Nikita Bastian
October 1, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/current/story/534550.html
Chennai Super Kings v Trinidad & Tobago, October 2, Chennai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
10:30 AM Trinidad & Tobago
Ravi Rampaul picked up a five-for the last time he played an Indian team at Chepauk
© Associated Press
Big Picture
Chennai Super Kings got the win they needed to stay alive in the Champions League Twenty20 against Cape Cobras on Wednesday. Now, they must win against Trinidad & Tobago to sustain their chance of making the semi-finals. T&T have lost one match off the last ball and one in a Super Over; both were matches which they could and should have won. Like the Super Kings, they now need to win two out of two, but they will also have to bank on other results going their way. The forecast in Chennai is for thunder showers during the day and a cloudy night. A wash-out will knock T&T out and leave the Super Kings precariously placed.
The Super Kings' win against the Cobras should boost their confidence - they chased (something they prefer to avoid) on a sluggish track and won despite scoreboard pressure. They've been in must-win situations before and seem to thrive on the extra pressure. If the visitors are to get past them they will have to shed their tardiness in the field.
T&T, so far, have seemed heavily dependent on their top three - Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo - for runs, something that the Super Kings would look to exploit. Ravi Rampaul, T&T's bowling spearhead, had a nightmarish last two overs in the game against New South Wales, but the memories of his five-for against India in the World Cup at this ground should be enough to dispel any negativity. A contest to watch out for is Dwayne Bravo taking on his State side that includes his brother Darren.
Watch out for …
Suresh Raina has never missed a match for the Super Kings. He has scored over 2000 runs for the team in 70 games, and has invariably delivered - with bat and ball - in tough situations. So far in this tournament though, he hasn't found his rhythm, with scores of 18 off 17 balls and 20 of 23. Will he manage to pull off a typical, boundary-studded innings in this crunch match?
Legspinner Samuel Badree has been miserly in T&T's four matches (qualifiers included), conceding only 4.75 runs an over - the best economy-rate among bowlers who have delivered a minimum of 15 overs in the tournament. It will be interesting to see how he fares on the Chennai pitch, which has traditionally allowed the hosts' slow bowlers to apply the squeeze on the opposition in the second-half of an innings.
Team news
Both sides have fielded the same XI in all their games in the tournament, and are unlikely to experiment.
Stats and trivia
Four of the six bowlers T&T have used in the tournament - Badree, Sunil Narine, Kevon Cooper and Rampaul - have economy rates below 6.00
Only 15 of the Super Kings' 43 wins (IPL and CLT20 combined) have come while chasing
Quotes
"I try to use some skidders, some wrong 'uns, try to get some turn off the legbreak as well … the main thing is to keep your eyes on the batsmen as long as possible, see what they are doing and try to out-think them."
Samuel Badree, on his formula for success in Twenty20s
"MS [Dhoni] really showed the way to go about it on this [Chennai] wicket, placing the ball in the gaps, and running a lot of singles and twos."
Dwayne Bravo credits his captain MS Dhoni for pointing him in the right direction against the Cobras
The Preview by Nikita Bastian
October 1, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/current/story/534550.html
Chennai Super Kings v Trinidad & Tobago, October 2, Chennai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
10:30 AM Trinidad & Tobago
Ravi Rampaul picked up a five-for the last time he played an Indian team at Chepauk
© Associated Press
Big Picture
Chennai Super Kings got the win they needed to stay alive in the Champions League Twenty20 against Cape Cobras on Wednesday. Now, they must win against Trinidad & Tobago to sustain their chance of making the semi-finals. T&T have lost one match off the last ball and one in a Super Over; both were matches which they could and should have won. Like the Super Kings, they now need to win two out of two, but they will also have to bank on other results going their way. The forecast in Chennai is for thunder showers during the day and a cloudy night. A wash-out will knock T&T out and leave the Super Kings precariously placed.
The Super Kings' win against the Cobras should boost their confidence - they chased (something they prefer to avoid) on a sluggish track and won despite scoreboard pressure. They've been in must-win situations before and seem to thrive on the extra pressure. If the visitors are to get past them they will have to shed their tardiness in the field.
T&T, so far, have seemed heavily dependent on their top three - Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo - for runs, something that the Super Kings would look to exploit. Ravi Rampaul, T&T's bowling spearhead, had a nightmarish last two overs in the game against New South Wales, but the memories of his five-for against India in the World Cup at this ground should be enough to dispel any negativity. A contest to watch out for is Dwayne Bravo taking on his State side that includes his brother Darren.
Watch out for …
Suresh Raina has never missed a match for the Super Kings. He has scored over 2000 runs for the team in 70 games, and has invariably delivered - with bat and ball - in tough situations. So far in this tournament though, he hasn't found his rhythm, with scores of 18 off 17 balls and 20 of 23. Will he manage to pull off a typical, boundary-studded innings in this crunch match?
Legspinner Samuel Badree has been miserly in T&T's four matches (qualifiers included), conceding only 4.75 runs an over - the best economy-rate among bowlers who have delivered a minimum of 15 overs in the tournament. It will be interesting to see how he fares on the Chennai pitch, which has traditionally allowed the hosts' slow bowlers to apply the squeeze on the opposition in the second-half of an innings.
Team news
Both sides have fielded the same XI in all their games in the tournament, and are unlikely to experiment.
Stats and trivia
Four of the six bowlers T&T have used in the tournament - Badree, Sunil Narine, Kevon Cooper and Rampaul - have economy rates below 6.00
Only 15 of the Super Kings' 43 wins (IPL and CLT20 combined) have come while chasing
Quotes
"I try to use some skidders, some wrong 'uns, try to get some turn off the legbreak as well … the main thing is to keep your eyes on the batsmen as long as possible, see what they are doing and try to out-think them."
Samuel Badree, on his formula for success in Twenty20s
"MS [Dhoni] really showed the way to go about it on this [Chennai] wicket, placing the ball in the gaps, and running a lot of singles and twos."
Dwayne Bravo credits his captain MS Dhoni for pointing him in the right direction against the Cobras
147
Cricket Anyone / CLT20: T&T vs New South Wales
« on: September 27, 2011, 09:58:38 PM »
New South Wales meet familiar rivals
The Preview by Siddhartha Talya
September 27, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/story/534121.html
Match facts
New South Wales v Trinidad & Tobago, September 28
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)
6:30 AM Trinidad & Tobago
Daren Ganga's captaincy has won praise, but he needs to do more with the bat in Twenty20s
© Global Cricket Ventures-BCCI
Big Picture
These two teams have a history. They met twice in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20, splitting two exciting games. Kieron Pollard first announced himself with an unbeaten, blistering 54 off 18 balls in Hyderabad that won Trinidad and Tobago the match and him a bumper IPL contract with Mumbai Indians. In the other game, the final, Brett Lee played a decisive cameo, grabbed two wickets and caught Pollard, who had begun to look threatening, in the deep to seal the title for New South Wales. Both those matchwinners, however, will be absent from tomorrow's encounter due to their commitments with their IPL franchises but in a tournament that has provided much entertainment thus far, we can expect the teams to deliver another close one.
T&T, despite the absence of Pollard, have won plenty of respect. They've earned their place in the main leg by coming through the qualifiers and gave the high profile Mumbai Indians a serious scare. In a chase where fortunes fluctuated wildly, Mumbai just about held their nerve in the final over to win off the final ball, but T&T had no business keeping the game so close after being bowled out for 98. While they bowled determinedly, their batsmen didn't press on after getting starts. Likewise with NSW, who were soundly beaten by Cape Cobras in their first game. Nor could NSW's bowlers make much of a fight in the wake of an onslaught from the Cobras openers. With little margin for a slip-up, the team will aim for a quick climb from the bottom of the points table.
Watch out for …
Daren Ganga is a man of strong words and an impressive captain. In fact, Ian Chappell thought he should lead West Indies after the way they performed in this tournament's inaugural edition. But, of late, Ganga's own form with the bat has been poor. He had a good first-class season in the Caribbean but in his last six Twenty20 innings he has scores of 0, 7, 1, 17 and 5.
Steven Smith is a player of immense value in the shorter versions, especially Twenty20, with his all-round ability. He was left out of Australia's Test series in Sri Lanka which would have been a setback, given his spirited batting, outstanding fielding and leg-spin are known to have the makings of a regular in the national side.
Team news
T&T underperformed big time with the bat, several of their players had an off day but it was an especially bad one for Denesh Ramdin. The former West Indies vice-captain is back in the national reckoning - he's been picked for the Bangladesh tour and is a senior member of the T&T side - but will feel a bit of pressure after his duck and that missed run-out in the previous game. William Perkins is an attacking opener and a wicketkeeping option. T&T may not make any changes but their batsmen need to recover, and quickly.
NSW went in with three spinners in their previous game, though Steve O'Keefe didn't do much. If at all, they might make a change in their attack depending on the conditions.
Stats and trivia
Kieron Pollard has struck the most sixes for T&T in Twenty20 matches, but next in line is opener Lendl Simmons with 22. The most fours, however, have been struck by William Perkins - 60.
David Warner is the highest run-getter for NSW in Twenty20 cricket - 924 in 30 matches. The next best is 397 runs behind, but he has played 17 games less at a better average - Phil Hughes.
Quotes
"We have capable batsmen who can come up tomorrow and mean business. We are coming up against a different attack on a different surface. Hopefully when the opportunity presents itself, our batters can come up trumps."
Denesh Ramdin is determined to fight back.
The Preview by Siddhartha Talya
September 27, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/story/534121.html
Match facts
New South Wales v Trinidad & Tobago, September 28
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)
6:30 AM Trinidad & Tobago
Daren Ganga's captaincy has won praise, but he needs to do more with the bat in Twenty20s
© Global Cricket Ventures-BCCI
Big Picture
These two teams have a history. They met twice in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20, splitting two exciting games. Kieron Pollard first announced himself with an unbeaten, blistering 54 off 18 balls in Hyderabad that won Trinidad and Tobago the match and him a bumper IPL contract with Mumbai Indians. In the other game, the final, Brett Lee played a decisive cameo, grabbed two wickets and caught Pollard, who had begun to look threatening, in the deep to seal the title for New South Wales. Both those matchwinners, however, will be absent from tomorrow's encounter due to their commitments with their IPL franchises but in a tournament that has provided much entertainment thus far, we can expect the teams to deliver another close one.
T&T, despite the absence of Pollard, have won plenty of respect. They've earned their place in the main leg by coming through the qualifiers and gave the high profile Mumbai Indians a serious scare. In a chase where fortunes fluctuated wildly, Mumbai just about held their nerve in the final over to win off the final ball, but T&T had no business keeping the game so close after being bowled out for 98. While they bowled determinedly, their batsmen didn't press on after getting starts. Likewise with NSW, who were soundly beaten by Cape Cobras in their first game. Nor could NSW's bowlers make much of a fight in the wake of an onslaught from the Cobras openers. With little margin for a slip-up, the team will aim for a quick climb from the bottom of the points table.
Watch out for …
Daren Ganga is a man of strong words and an impressive captain. In fact, Ian Chappell thought he should lead West Indies after the way they performed in this tournament's inaugural edition. But, of late, Ganga's own form with the bat has been poor. He had a good first-class season in the Caribbean but in his last six Twenty20 innings he has scores of 0, 7, 1, 17 and 5.
Steven Smith is a player of immense value in the shorter versions, especially Twenty20, with his all-round ability. He was left out of Australia's Test series in Sri Lanka which would have been a setback, given his spirited batting, outstanding fielding and leg-spin are known to have the makings of a regular in the national side.
Team news
T&T underperformed big time with the bat, several of their players had an off day but it was an especially bad one for Denesh Ramdin. The former West Indies vice-captain is back in the national reckoning - he's been picked for the Bangladesh tour and is a senior member of the T&T side - but will feel a bit of pressure after his duck and that missed run-out in the previous game. William Perkins is an attacking opener and a wicketkeeping option. T&T may not make any changes but their batsmen need to recover, and quickly.
NSW went in with three spinners in their previous game, though Steve O'Keefe didn't do much. If at all, they might make a change in their attack depending on the conditions.
Stats and trivia
Kieron Pollard has struck the most sixes for T&T in Twenty20 matches, but next in line is opener Lendl Simmons with 22. The most fours, however, have been struck by William Perkins - 60.
David Warner is the highest run-getter for NSW in Twenty20 cricket - 924 in 30 matches. The next best is 397 runs behind, but he has played 17 games less at a better average - Phil Hughes.
Quotes
"We have capable batsmen who can come up tomorrow and mean business. We are coming up against a different attack on a different surface. Hopefully when the opportunity presents itself, our batters can come up trumps."
Denesh Ramdin is determined to fight back.
148
Cricket Anyone / CLT20: T&T vs Mumbai Indians
« on: September 26, 2011, 05:40:20 AM »
T&T come up against old homeboy
The Preview by Sidharth Monga
September 25, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/current/story/533754.html
Match facts
Mumbai Indians v Trinidad & Tobago, September 26
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
10:30 AM Trinidad & Tobago
It must have been love: when Pollard and T&T first charmed the world
© Global Cricket Ventures-BCCI
Champions League Twenty20
Teams: Mumbai Indians | Trinidad & Tobago
Big Picture
Two years ago a regional team from the Caribbean Islands entertained and captured the imagination of - at least - the Indian crowds. They played merry cricket, and their celebrations included national flags, something no other team in the Champions League had. They were almost the home team, and one man in particular, marauding runs, diving to pull off incredible catches and saves, became the darling of the crowds.
Two years on, that man Kieron Pollard is the ultimate freelance cricketer. He plays Twenty20 cricket in India, Australia and England, sometimes even when West Indies are playing international cricket. When the said team, Trinidad & Tobago, were winning the Caribbean T20 this year - qualification for the Champions League qualifiers a by-product of that - Pollard was playing the Big Bash in Australia.
Pollard and T&T raise the classical money-league questions. Was Pollard because of T&T or T&T because of Pollard? How much does Pollard owe T&T, his first team? Has he outgrown T&T? The two parties have followed the classical money-league solution too. They have both moved on seamlessly. Pollard plies his trade all around the world, and makes more money that he can imagine making with T&T. There is the general practical acceptance - at least on the surface - that making money through playing cricket is no sin.
T&T too have got used to life without Pollard. They have put together another steady team playing merry and effective cricket, they have won the Caribbean T20 again, they were the best team in the Champions League qualifiers, and who should they face in their first match in the main draw? Pollard's IPL side that is philosophically the exact opposite of T&T. Mumbai Indians have bought the finest players money could buy and auction would allow, they have bought the finest coaches the facilities, they have looked after their talent well, and when they were faced with a deluge of injuries they managed to even get the playing conditions twisted to accommodate five foreign players.
Watch out for …
Ravi Rampaul made it a habit to strike early during the past international season at home. The definition of "early" changes with Twenty20, but he has been doing it in the qualifiers, and will be crucial again, especially in Bangalore, a track not tailor-made for T&T's slower bowlers.
Lasith Malinga won Mumbai a game off his bat on Saturday; he bowled a few trademark yorkers too, but he will surely want to make bigger impact with the ball than 4-0-29-1, and T20 cricket knows he can.
Team news
T&T preferred the same XI in the qualifying leg, but given the better pace of the Bangalore pitch and the small boundaries they might want to add to the only specialist fast bowler, Rampaul.
Mumbai don't have too many choices with team selection, and are likely to retain their winning combination. The one concern for them is their South African opening batsman, Davy Jacobs, who is a doubtful starter after being stretchered off the field
Stats and trivia
Quotes
"We are looking forward to meeting the Mumbai Indians with Kieron Pollard on board, and also the Chennai Super Kings with Dwayne Bravo on board, and we will be coming hard at them. We are hoping to pull off a victory over both teams, and the boys are looking forward to playing against players who were part of our set-up. I think getting victory over those guys in this tournament will be feathers in our caps."
Darren Ganga suggests T&T haven't moved on that well after all
"I think this win will set the tone for us to go forward. We have won this game and this will definitely boost our confidence. We would like to stay very humble in the remaining matches, and do what we can do at our best."
Harbhajan Singh, the Mumbai Indians captain, stays, well, humble after one Twenty20 win
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
The Preview by Sidharth Monga
September 25, 2011
http://www.espncricinfo.com/champions-league-twenty20-2011/content/current/story/533754.html
Match facts
Mumbai Indians v Trinidad & Tobago, September 26
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
10:30 AM Trinidad & Tobago
It must have been love: when Pollard and T&T first charmed the world
© Global Cricket Ventures-BCCI
Champions League Twenty20
Teams: Mumbai Indians | Trinidad & Tobago
Big Picture
Two years ago a regional team from the Caribbean Islands entertained and captured the imagination of - at least - the Indian crowds. They played merry cricket, and their celebrations included national flags, something no other team in the Champions League had. They were almost the home team, and one man in particular, marauding runs, diving to pull off incredible catches and saves, became the darling of the crowds.
Two years on, that man Kieron Pollard is the ultimate freelance cricketer. He plays Twenty20 cricket in India, Australia and England, sometimes even when West Indies are playing international cricket. When the said team, Trinidad & Tobago, were winning the Caribbean T20 this year - qualification for the Champions League qualifiers a by-product of that - Pollard was playing the Big Bash in Australia.
Pollard and T&T raise the classical money-league questions. Was Pollard because of T&T or T&T because of Pollard? How much does Pollard owe T&T, his first team? Has he outgrown T&T? The two parties have followed the classical money-league solution too. They have both moved on seamlessly. Pollard plies his trade all around the world, and makes more money that he can imagine making with T&T. There is the general practical acceptance - at least on the surface - that making money through playing cricket is no sin.
T&T too have got used to life without Pollard. They have put together another steady team playing merry and effective cricket, they have won the Caribbean T20 again, they were the best team in the Champions League qualifiers, and who should they face in their first match in the main draw? Pollard's IPL side that is philosophically the exact opposite of T&T. Mumbai Indians have bought the finest players money could buy and auction would allow, they have bought the finest coaches the facilities, they have looked after their talent well, and when they were faced with a deluge of injuries they managed to even get the playing conditions twisted to accommodate five foreign players.
Watch out for …
Ravi Rampaul made it a habit to strike early during the past international season at home. The definition of "early" changes with Twenty20, but he has been doing it in the qualifiers, and will be crucial again, especially in Bangalore, a track not tailor-made for T&T's slower bowlers.
Lasith Malinga won Mumbai a game off his bat on Saturday; he bowled a few trademark yorkers too, but he will surely want to make bigger impact with the ball than 4-0-29-1, and T20 cricket knows he can.
Team news
T&T preferred the same XI in the qualifying leg, but given the better pace of the Bangalore pitch and the small boundaries they might want to add to the only specialist fast bowler, Rampaul.
Mumbai don't have too many choices with team selection, and are likely to retain their winning combination. The one concern for them is their South African opening batsman, Davy Jacobs, who is a doubtful starter after being stretchered off the field
Stats and trivia
- T&T have won nine of their last 10 completed T20 games.
- Malinga scored a third of his career runs, 37 out of 113, in his match-winning effort against Chennai Super Kings.
Quotes
"We are looking forward to meeting the Mumbai Indians with Kieron Pollard on board, and also the Chennai Super Kings with Dwayne Bravo on board, and we will be coming hard at them. We are hoping to pull off a victory over both teams, and the boys are looking forward to playing against players who were part of our set-up. I think getting victory over those guys in this tournament will be feathers in our caps."
Darren Ganga suggests T&T haven't moved on that well after all
"I think this win will set the tone for us to go forward. We have won this game and this will definitely boost our confidence. We would like to stay very humble in the remaining matches, and do what we can do at our best."
Harbhajan Singh, the Mumbai Indians captain, stays, well, humble after one Twenty20 win
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
149
General Discussion / Earthquake rattles Washington, East Coast
« on: August 23, 2011, 12:13:28 PM »
Reports are coming in that an earthquake just hit Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland. The U.S. Geological Survey said an earthquake of a 5.8 magnitude hit Virginia near the town of Mineral.
In Washington, people spilled out onto the streets and reports came in that the earthquake was strong enough in Virginia to break glass and shake products off store shelves.
In Washington, people spilled out onto the streets and reports came in that the earthquake was strong enough in Virginia to break glass and shake products off store shelves.
150
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Two great American songwriters die
« on: August 23, 2011, 07:46:37 AM »
Two great American songwriters die
Tributes pour in for Jerry Leiber, the man who wrote Hound Dog, and Motown songwriter Nick Ashford.
By Martin Chilton, Digital Culture Editor10:51AM BST 23 Aug 2011
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8717601/Two-great-American-songwriters-die.html
It's a day to remember and mourn two greats in the art of popular songwriting.
Jerry Leiber, who co-wrote such memorable hits as Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock and Stand By Me, died at the age of 78.
Tributes were pouring in to Leiber but also to Motown composer Nick Ashford, who was part of a superb songwriting duo with his wife Valerie Simpson. They created such songs such as Ain't No Mountain High Enough, You're All I Need to Get By and the Ray Charles classic Let's Go Get Stoned.
Leiber, who died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles of cardiopulmonary failure at the age of 78, was the better known, having partnered with composer Mike Stoller to write iconic hits made famous by Elvis Presley.
Leiber, the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland born and raised in Baltimore, should be remembered for more than just Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock. He wrote more than 200 songs which were covered by such recording stars as Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, B.B. King, the Drifters and Peggy Lee. Presley alone recorded over 20 Leiber and Stoller songs.
Leiber jokingly referred to their six-decade partnership as "the longest-running argument in show business."
Stoller, 78, said: "He was my friend, my buddy, my writing partner for 61 years. He had a way with words. There was nobody better. I'm going to miss him."
Among their other brilliant songs were Poison Ivy and an especially fine and enduring song called Stand By Me, which they co-wrote with singer Ben E. King.
Their big breakthrough, Hound Dog, originally topped the "race" music charts as a rhythm and blues single by Willie Mae 'Big Mamma' Thornton in 1953, three years before Presley turned a somewhat sanitised version into a rock 'n' roll classic.
They were also instrumental in the success of the Coasters by writing and producing playful hits for the doo-wop act, including Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown and Along Came Jones.
They certainly didn't suffer from writer's block. In a single day, the pair composed four songs that ended up on the soundtrack to the 1957 Presley movie Jailhouse Rock – the title track, its B-side single Treat Me Nice, I Want to be Free and (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care. Leiber once said: "Irving Berlin was the greatest songwriter of all time . . I was in awe of him. But his music wasn't my music. My music was the blues."
Leiber grew up in an era when songwriters had to protect themselves from sharp practises in the music industry. He once told an anecdote about dealing with Presley's manager Colonel Parker, recalling in an interview with Inside Tracks:
"I received a special delivery letter from Colonel Parker (Elvis' manager) with a note saying, 'Dear Jerry, we expect you here by the weekend. Enclosed you'll find your contract for the new movie score and the recording sessions that are to follow.'
However, behind the cover letter was this blank page with just the space outlined for Parker and I to sign and date. There was no contract!
So, I spoke with him on the phone and when I pointed out to him that there had been a mistake he said, 'What mistake?' I said, 'Well there's a page for the signatures but I don't see any contract.' He said, 'That's the contract!' I said, 'Tom, there's nothing written on the page.'
He said, 'Well, boy, you just sign it. We'll fill it in later!'
Leiber's genius should be remembered. We should also mourn the loss of someone as talented as Ashford, who died from throat cancer at the age of 70 in New York. He co-wrote some of Motown's biggest hits.
Ashford, who met his wife in church, wrote with his wife the hits Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand (made famous by Diana Ross) and I'm Every Woman, which was a hit for Chaka Khan and later for Whitney Houston.
Ashford and Simpson are also credited as co-writers on Amy Winehouse's track, Tears Dry On Their Own, which contains a sample from Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
Leiber and Ashford should rightly be honoured, in their own different ways, as two greats of American popular songwriting.
Tributes pour in for Jerry Leiber, the man who wrote Hound Dog, and Motown songwriter Nick Ashford.
By Martin Chilton, Digital Culture Editor10:51AM BST 23 Aug 2011
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8717601/Two-great-American-songwriters-die.html
It's a day to remember and mourn two greats in the art of popular songwriting.
Jerry Leiber, who co-wrote such memorable hits as Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock and Stand By Me, died at the age of 78.
Tributes were pouring in to Leiber but also to Motown composer Nick Ashford, who was part of a superb songwriting duo with his wife Valerie Simpson. They created such songs such as Ain't No Mountain High Enough, You're All I Need to Get By and the Ray Charles classic Let's Go Get Stoned.
Leiber, who died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles of cardiopulmonary failure at the age of 78, was the better known, having partnered with composer Mike Stoller to write iconic hits made famous by Elvis Presley.
Leiber, the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland born and raised in Baltimore, should be remembered for more than just Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock. He wrote more than 200 songs which were covered by such recording stars as Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, B.B. King, the Drifters and Peggy Lee. Presley alone recorded over 20 Leiber and Stoller songs.
Leiber jokingly referred to their six-decade partnership as "the longest-running argument in show business."
Stoller, 78, said: "He was my friend, my buddy, my writing partner for 61 years. He had a way with words. There was nobody better. I'm going to miss him."
Among their other brilliant songs were Poison Ivy and an especially fine and enduring song called Stand By Me, which they co-wrote with singer Ben E. King.
Their big breakthrough, Hound Dog, originally topped the "race" music charts as a rhythm and blues single by Willie Mae 'Big Mamma' Thornton in 1953, three years before Presley turned a somewhat sanitised version into a rock 'n' roll classic.
They were also instrumental in the success of the Coasters by writing and producing playful hits for the doo-wop act, including Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown and Along Came Jones.
They certainly didn't suffer from writer's block. In a single day, the pair composed four songs that ended up on the soundtrack to the 1957 Presley movie Jailhouse Rock – the title track, its B-side single Treat Me Nice, I Want to be Free and (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care. Leiber once said: "Irving Berlin was the greatest songwriter of all time . . I was in awe of him. But his music wasn't my music. My music was the blues."
Leiber grew up in an era when songwriters had to protect themselves from sharp practises in the music industry. He once told an anecdote about dealing with Presley's manager Colonel Parker, recalling in an interview with Inside Tracks:
"I received a special delivery letter from Colonel Parker (Elvis' manager) with a note saying, 'Dear Jerry, we expect you here by the weekend. Enclosed you'll find your contract for the new movie score and the recording sessions that are to follow.'
However, behind the cover letter was this blank page with just the space outlined for Parker and I to sign and date. There was no contract!
So, I spoke with him on the phone and when I pointed out to him that there had been a mistake he said, 'What mistake?' I said, 'Well there's a page for the signatures but I don't see any contract.' He said, 'That's the contract!' I said, 'Tom, there's nothing written on the page.'
He said, 'Well, boy, you just sign it. We'll fill it in later!'
Leiber's genius should be remembered. We should also mourn the loss of someone as talented as Ashford, who died from throat cancer at the age of 70 in New York. He co-wrote some of Motown's biggest hits.
Ashford, who met his wife in church, wrote with his wife the hits Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand (made famous by Diana Ross) and I'm Every Woman, which was a hit for Chaka Khan and later for Whitney Houston.
Ashford and Simpson are also credited as co-writers on Amy Winehouse's track, Tears Dry On Their Own, which contains a sample from Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
Leiber and Ashford should rightly be honoured, in their own different ways, as two greats of American popular songwriting.