Thursday, July 15, 2010
The best and worst of South Africa 2010
From the highs of hospitable South Africans, the inconspicuous but much-hyped violent crime and the on-pitch artistry of Germany and Spain, to the lows of vuvuzela noise, lack of video technology and abysmal showings by heavyweights such as France and England, this tournament had it all...
British Open title really is up for grabs
There is pretty much only one thing you can guarantee ahead of the Open Championship at St. Andrews: it is going to be windy and cold, and will rain at times.
As for who is going to win from the field of 156, it’s been a while since I have covered a British Open and thought that no-one really stands out.
Tiger Woods goes in as favorite, because he always does, and he won in 2000 and 2005 by multiple shots on the Old Course , but that's about it for reasons why he should take the $1.3 million first prize this year.
Okay, I’ll accept he is world number one and bagged 14 majors already, but that was back before the meltdown in his personal life.
He’s changed his putter for the first time in 11 years, which was the headline-making announcement by Tiger in relation to his approach to the third major of the year. He has been nowhere near as meticulous in studying the course layout. Maybe he thinks he knows enough about it, we shall see.
The Europeans are in hot form, but there are so many of them who have been impressive since the first major of the year that it really is a lottery.
World No. 2 Phil Mickelson, who is yet to fully grasp links golf despite his love of the style, is a chance of course. The American played a practice round with Nick Faldo, who won The Open at St Andrews in 1990, to learn more about the right angles from which to approach the undulating greens.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, whose home is at the home of golf, has added only 45 yards to the course. The infamous road hole, the par-four 17th, has been marginally stretched and that is about it.
The R&A prefers to let the wind that zips off St Andrews Bay keep the players on their frozen little toes.
I think age and experience will come to the fore with the tricky conditions. By that I mean I can see an Englishman like world No. 3 Lee Westwood, despite his calf injury, taking the title.
I remember when Padraig Harrington complained of his wrist injury at Birkdale in 2008 and nearly pulled out. He went on to win it for the second time after surviving treacherous playing conditions.
Maybe I am grasping at straws looking for a winner, but I have to because it’s so wide open, and that means it should be a great week of golf with many twists and turns.
New York Red Bulls sign Thierry Henry
France striker Thierry Henry has signed for the New York Red Bulls, the Major League Soccer club have announced.
Henry joins from Barcelona, where he spent three seasons and won two Spanish league titles as well as the European Champions League.
The 32-year-old is France's leading goalscorer having netted 51 times for his country and will be introduced to the press on July 15.
His signing on a "multi-year contract" represents a major coup for the Red Bulls and for the MLS. Henry will become one of the most high-profile names in the league, alongside England international David Beckham.
"This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life," Henry told the club's official website. "It is an honor to play for the New York Red Bulls.
"I am fully aware of the team's history and my sole goal during my time here is to help win the club its first championship.
"Knowing Red Bull's significant commitment to soccer locally and internationally, I am confident that my teammates and I will succeed."
Henry was part of France's World Cup squad who were knocked out in the first round in South Africa and caused uproar among their fans by refusing to train two days before a match.
He also caused controversy when his blatant handball led to a vital goal in France's winning qualification playoff with Ireland that secured their place at the tournament.
Before joining Barcelona Henry spent eight seasons with English Premier League Arsenal, becoming their all-time record goalscorer and winning two league titles and three FA Cups.
Ironically, Henry's first game for the Red Bulls could be against Arsenal's bitter north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on July 22.
"It is without question that Thierry Henry is one of the most successful and recognizable soccer players over the past 15 years," said Dietmar Beiersdorfer, Head of Red Bull Global Soccer.
"We are thrilled that Thierry has decided to come to New York to help the Red Bulls compete for championships this year and for years to come. His international pedigree is second to none and he is a proven winner."
Erik Soler, Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director, added: "Thierry is not only a world class player who will undoubtedly improve our squad, but he has shown most importantly throughout his career that he is a winner.
"He has made it clear to us that he is committed in the short and long term to help in our vision of making our organization the premium franchise in Major League Soccer."
U.S. moves to block new BP oil leases
BP faces more problems on Capitol Hill this week after lawmakers pushed ahead with a plan that would bar the UK oil group from obtaining new offshore oil leases because of its poor safety record.
The amendment, added to a broader oil rig safety bill that was expected to pass through the House natural resources committee this morning, underscored the threat to BP's long-term future in the U.S. However, the proposal faces several hurdles before it becomes law.
BP is already under intense scrutiny in Congress, where legislators view the company as having an especially lax record on safety as shown by the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
New leak delays well test
It is also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and environmental regulators, which could fine the company billions of dollars and seek to bar it from future drilling because of its safety failures.
The move came as BP began critical tests to measure the pressure in its leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico, following a delay requested by Stephen Chu, U.S. energy secretary.
The pressure tests will pave the way for valves newly placed on top of the well to be shut off, stemming the oil flow.
If it became law, the bill would not affect BP's current leases. It would first have to be passed by the entire House and the Senate, where Democrats could face resistance to some measures.
Lawmakers are under pressure to be tough on the company, but would also hesitate to pass a law that was viewed as hurting jobs or the ability of the U.S. to take full advantage of domestic energy resources.
The company declined to comment on the development.
Separately, four Democratic senators scrutinizing BP's activities in Libya called for the British oil company to suspend its oil drilling plans in the north African state until its role in the freeing of Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, is fully known.
BP has said it raised concerns with the British government about the slow progress in securing a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya in 2007, but that no specific reference was made to Mr al-Megrahi or any other individual prisoner.
Secretary of state Hillary Clinton said she would look into the issue.
Mr al-Megrahi, who was said to have three months to live, was granted compassionate release from a Scottish prison last year, but a doctor has since said he could live for 10 years.
Landon Donovan: There's no love child
During the World Cup, U.S. soccer star Landon Donovan said he was "informed of the possibility" that a British woman was pregnant with his child.
Now, he knows the truth.
"I will not be a dad any time soon, which is good news for me," Donovan told E! Online at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Donovan, 28, who is separated from his wife, actress Bianca Kajlich, initially did not deny a U.K. report that a woman was carrying his baby. He said that if it were true, "I will provide the appropriate support."
Donovan has spent most of his pro career in the U.S., but played on loan for Liverpool club Everton for several months last winter.
Security Brief: Pakistan bans bin Laden comedy
Pakistan has banned the theatrical release of a comedy about Osama bin Laden due to hit cinema screens in South Asia on Friday. Local movie distributors say they are appealing the ban, issued by the Pakistan Film Censor Board.
The film, "Tere bin Laden," [Your bin Laden] stars Pakistani pop singer Ali Zafar as an ambitious young journalist trying to land the scoop of a lifetime as a way to win a visa to live in the United States. Made in the India's Bollywood "movie factory", it's a departure from the melodramas and musicals which dominate Indian cinematic fare. It’s also unusual in that it has a Pakistani in the starring role.
The trailer for "Tere bin Laden" suggests a movie of fast-paced slapstick comedy, and shows Zafar trying to coax an anxious and utterly inept bin Laden look-alike to impersonate the al Qaeda leader,"You have a million-dollar face, he pleads" But the whole scheme spirals out of control when a video they make is taken seriously by the US government. The movie is the directorial debut of Abhishek Sharma, who calls it a “mad comedy.”
Pakistani officials expressed concern that the characterization of bin Laden could incite terrorism in a country that already has more than its share of political violence. Masood Elahi, vice chairman of the Censor Board, is quoted by local media as saying: "There was no justification to release the film in Pakistan under the present circumstances.” Film distributor Khalid Pervez told CNN that the distributors’ appeal will be heard Friday.
Zafar told the Pakistani news network Geo TV that he was disappointed by the ban. "I wanted that people should go to the cinema and enjoy this movie," he said.
Many cinemas in Pakistan have been driven out of business by a thriving black market in pirated DVDs, so the impact of the ban may not be that great. Pakistanis who really want to see “Tere bin Laden” will be able to pick it up within days.
The film, "Tere bin Laden," [Your bin Laden] stars Pakistani pop singer Ali Zafar as an ambitious young journalist trying to land the scoop of a lifetime as a way to win a visa to live in the United States. Made in the India's Bollywood "movie factory", it's a departure from the melodramas and musicals which dominate Indian cinematic fare. It’s also unusual in that it has a Pakistani in the starring role.
The trailer for "Tere bin Laden" suggests a movie of fast-paced slapstick comedy, and shows Zafar trying to coax an anxious and utterly inept bin Laden look-alike to impersonate the al Qaeda leader,"You have a million-dollar face, he pleads" But the whole scheme spirals out of control when a video they make is taken seriously by the US government. The movie is the directorial debut of Abhishek Sharma, who calls it a “mad comedy.”
Pakistani officials expressed concern that the characterization of bin Laden could incite terrorism in a country that already has more than its share of political violence. Masood Elahi, vice chairman of the Censor Board, is quoted by local media as saying: "There was no justification to release the film in Pakistan under the present circumstances.” Film distributor Khalid Pervez told CNN that the distributors’ appeal will be heard Friday.
Zafar told the Pakistani news network Geo TV that he was disappointed by the ban. "I wanted that people should go to the cinema and enjoy this movie," he said.
Many cinemas in Pakistan have been driven out of business by a thriving black market in pirated DVDs, so the impact of the ban may not be that great. Pakistanis who really want to see “Tere bin Laden” will be able to pick it up within days.
Argentina legalizes same-sex marriage
Argentina became the first Latin American country on Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage. Lawmakers in the Senate passed the bill after 14 hours of debate that began Wednesday and carried well into early Thursday morning, the state-run Telam news agency reported.
The bill had already passed the lower chamber of Congress.
It gives same-sex couples equal marriage rights, including the ability to adopt children.
The law was backed by the center-left government of President Cristina Kirchner, who has said she will sign it.
The majority Roman Catholic country follows a few others around the world where same-sex marriage is legal. Among them are the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Last month's congressional vote and Wednesday's Senate vote are the latest moves in a pro-gay marriage trend in Argentine politics.
Last year, a judge in Buenos Aires ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was illegal, paving the way for such marriages in the capital of Argentina.
An injunction by another judge stopped what would have been the first same-sex marriage there.
The bill had already passed the lower chamber of Congress.
It gives same-sex couples equal marriage rights, including the ability to adopt children.
The law was backed by the center-left government of President Cristina Kirchner, who has said she will sign it.
The majority Roman Catholic country follows a few others around the world where same-sex marriage is legal. Among them are the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Last month's congressional vote and Wednesday's Senate vote are the latest moves in a pro-gay marriage trend in Argentine politics.
Last year, a judge in Buenos Aires ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was illegal, paving the way for such marriages in the capital of Argentina.
An injunction by another judge stopped what would have been the first same-sex marriage there.
Ultimately, Latin America's first same-sex marriage happened in Argentina in a southern state with a pro-gay marriage governor.
Samsung Core i5 NP-R580-JSB1US Laptop is Impressive
I recently searched, reviewed and compared the best laptops available today because I was looking to buy a new laptop. I was even thinking of getting a netbook but in the end, I decided to get a more powerful laptop. I got the Sony Viao VPCCW21FX which is pretty good and slick. But the Samsung NP-R580-JSB1US 15.6 inch Laptop has impressed me so much! I highly recommend this laptop.
Imagine having the processor Intel Core i5, 4Gig RAM, 500GB SATA Hard disk, 15.6 inch widescreen LED screen with 1366 x 768 resolution and it doesn’t stop there. Aside from the already impressive specs and powerful computing power, it sports an NVIDIA GeForce GT 310M graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory. This is great for gaming and for video editing.
But it doesn’t stop there. The specs are powerful for gaming and computing but for entertainment, it gives you Blue-Ray player. These things doesn’t come cheap but Samsung made sure that this can also be used for multimedia entertainment. And by the looks of it, it is.
The jackpot and final factor for this great and awesome machine is the price. It’s only $829.99. Judging from the specs, if you buy this from HP, Sony or Lenovo, this might cost you around $1,000 bucks.
Here’s the full specs and review for the Samsung NP-R580-JSB1US Laptop. It comes in both black or red.
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5
Processor Speed: 2.26GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz )
Battery Type: 6-cell lithium-ion
Display Type: High-definition LED-backlit (1366 x 768)
Screen Size (Measured Diagonally): 15.6″
System Bus: 1066MHz
System Memory (RAM): 4GB
Type of Memory (RAM): DDR3
Hard Drive Type: SATA (5400 rpm)
Computer Hard Drive Size: 500GB
Optical Drive: DVD±RW/Blu-ray Disc/CD-RW
Optical Drive Speeds: Drive speeds not specified
Direct-Disc Labeling: No
Digital Media Reader or Slots: Yes, digital media card reader
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 310M
Video Memory: 512MB GDDR3
I highly recommend this laptop and I think it is well worth the price Samsung is asking for. The only concern I see in this is that it only has a standard 6-cell battery so it’s roughly around 3 hours. Not bad.
Also, if you are brand conscious, Samsung is a new player in the laptop market so it can be awhile before they start gaining brand recognition in this market.
What do you think?
Imagine having the processor Intel Core i5, 4Gig RAM, 500GB SATA Hard disk, 15.6 inch widescreen LED screen with 1366 x 768 resolution and it doesn’t stop there. Aside from the already impressive specs and powerful computing power, it sports an NVIDIA GeForce GT 310M graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory. This is great for gaming and for video editing.
But it doesn’t stop there. The specs are powerful for gaming and computing but for entertainment, it gives you Blue-Ray player. These things doesn’t come cheap but Samsung made sure that this can also be used for multimedia entertainment. And by the looks of it, it is.
The jackpot and final factor for this great and awesome machine is the price. It’s only $829.99. Judging from the specs, if you buy this from HP, Sony or Lenovo, this might cost you around $1,000 bucks.
Here’s the full specs and review for the Samsung NP-R580-JSB1US Laptop. It comes in both black or red.
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5
Processor Speed: 2.26GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz )
Battery Type: 6-cell lithium-ion
Display Type: High-definition LED-backlit (1366 x 768)
Screen Size (Measured Diagonally): 15.6″
System Bus: 1066MHz
System Memory (RAM): 4GB
Type of Memory (RAM): DDR3
Hard Drive Type: SATA (5400 rpm)
Computer Hard Drive Size: 500GB
Optical Drive: DVD±RW/Blu-ray Disc/CD-RW
Optical Drive Speeds: Drive speeds not specified
Direct-Disc Labeling: No
Digital Media Reader or Slots: Yes, digital media card reader
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 310M
Video Memory: 512MB GDDR3
I highly recommend this laptop and I think it is well worth the price Samsung is asking for. The only concern I see in this is that it only has a standard 6-cell battery so it’s roughly around 3 hours. Not bad.
Also, if you are brand conscious, Samsung is a new player in the laptop market so it can be awhile before they start gaining brand recognition in this market.
What do you think?
Portable Firefox and Firefox Tips
If you are using the Firefox browser, now you can add more your browser collection with new Firefox 3 Portable. The portable one means that this version will really suitable and more flexible for any use while you are browsing. Good point again, you don’t have to have the previous version to install this version, because it is independent version. Having this new version will help you in while you are using Firefox, you won’t loose your old bookmark from your Firefox 2, because you can move it here and you can use multiple Firefox also.
You might ever heard about Firefox 4 that some people claim to be the newest version of Firefox browser. But, rather than the newest version, that one is just the alpha version. For more information about this Firefox alpha information, you can see ghacks.net that show you what are the difference between them. We can see that this company will really make more innovation that can attract more users. You can see in that website that this site will talk about Firefox products and its new innovation, actually not only Firefox. You can read several review about its products and also find several Firefox Tips that make your browsing time with Firefox can be really fun.
You might ever heard about Firefox 4 that some people claim to be the newest version of Firefox browser. But, rather than the newest version, that one is just the alpha version. For more information about this Firefox alpha information, you can see ghacks.net that show you what are the difference between them. We can see that this company will really make more innovation that can attract more users. You can see in that website that this site will talk about Firefox products and its new innovation, actually not only Firefox. You can read several review about its products and also find several Firefox Tips that make your browsing time with Firefox can be really fun.
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