Monday, September 3, 2012

Anfield owners sorry for botched dealings





3 September 2012 13:05



Liverpool owner John W. Henry has written an open letter to the club's fans apologising for their lack of success in the transfer market.


Brendan Rodgers admitted after Liverpool's 2-0 loss to Arsenal he would not have sanctioned Andy Carroll's departure on loan to West Ham United had he known attempts to bring in a replacement would prove unsuccessful.

Liverpool had been heavily linked with attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey, who ultimately joined Tottenham Hotspur from Fulham on transfer deadline day.

"I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool football club that we were unable to add further to our strike force in this summer transfer window, but that was not through any lack of desire or effort on the part of all of those involved," Henry said in the letter.

"They pushed hard in the final days of the transfer window on a number of forward targets and it is unfortunate that on this occasion we were unable to conclude acceptable deals to bring those targets in.

"No one should doubt our commitment to the club. This is a work in progress.

"It will take time for Brendan (Rodgers) to instil his philosophy into the squad and build exactly what he needs for the long term."

Henry blamed the failure of previous owners for the position the club finds itself in, but also acknowledged the present administration must bear some responsibility.

"We are still in the process of reversing the errors of previous regimes," he said.

"It will not happen overnight. It has been compounded by our own mistakes in a difficult first two years of ownership. It has been a harsh education, but make no mistake, the club is healthier today than when we took over.

"We will never place this club in the precarious position that we found it in when we took over at Anfield. This club should never again run up debts that threaten its existence.

"We have only one driving ambition at Liverpool and that is the quest to win the Premier League playing the kind of football our supporters want to see."



Soccerway.com

Orignal From: Anfield owners sorry for botched dealings

WEDDING JOY! Katie Melua marries Superbike champion James Toseland


Katie Melua got engaged to James Toseland in February



MusicianKatie Melua married former World Superbike champion James Toseland in a ceremony at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London on Saturday.

The pair, who got engaged in February after meeting in April 2011, shared their joy on Twitter following their secretive nuptials.


'Sorry I couldn't say much before trying to keep things secret but yesterday I got married to my beautiful wife Katie!' Tweeted James, 31.


'Mr and Mrs T & M!!!!!!'


Beaming bride Katie, 27, added: 'Big thank you for all your message! I'm hitched!!'


The happy couple married in front of 200 guests and Katie wore an off-white embroidered gown by designer Claire Pettibone.


James has become a pianist since an accident in which he broke his wrists ended his racing career.


Yet The Closest Thing To Crazy singer Katie didn't know who the biking star was when they met at a concert in Sheffield.



'Katie has been great. She had no interest in me whatsoever because I was a motorcycle racer,' James tells Mail Online.


'She hadn't heard of me. She wouldn't even know what Valentino Rossi looked like.


'It was only because her piano player was such a fan that he kept talking about it on the tour bus after he'd met me.


'It was nice and a relief for someone so established to be attracted to me because of my personality.'


Anna Francis




Now Celebrity News

Orignal From: WEDDING JOY! Katie Melua marries Superbike champion James Toseland

Warwick mourns death of Hal David





Dionne Warwick has compared the death of lyricist Hal David was to losing "another family member".


The soul singer, who had several hits with songs by David and his co-writer Burt Bacaharch, issued a statement after the 91-year-old died on Saturday.


She said she would "always have him with me, each time I sing the lyrics" to songs such as Walk On By.


Motown star Smokey Robinson also paid tribute, calling David "one of the greatest composers ever".


David and Bacharach partnered on a succession of timeless hits for Warwick and many other top acts of the time, including Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones.


Their discography included the likes of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, I Say A Little Prayer, What's New Pussycat? and Do You Know the Way to San Jose?


Bacharach said in a statement that David's lyrics for A House Is Not A Home and Alfie were "as good as you can get."


"A shining star"

Other stars in the music business have paid tribute to the David, including Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, who tweeted: "RIP Hal David. Superb American lyricist... He composed some of the greatest ever songs. A shining star".


Grammy award-winning songwriter Barry Mann called David a "brilliant lyricist and elegant gentleman who knew how to write for women", while the band Massive Attack said he was a "songwriting genius".


In 1974, David joined the board of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and served as president from 1980 to 1986. He was head of the Songwriters Hall of Fame from 2001 to 2011, and was Chairman Emeritus at the time of his death.


The society's current president, Paul Williams, said in a statement: "As a lyric writer, Hal was simple, concise and poetic - conveying volumes of meaning in fewest possible words and always in service to the music.


"It is no wonder that so many of his lyrics have become part of our everyday vocabulary and his songs [form] the backdrop of our lives," he added.



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Orignal From: Warwick mourns death of Hal David

Instant Geodesic Dome




by Edwin - on September 2nd, 2012


Do you think that children these days tend to rely too much on modern day technology to keep them entertained? If you have answered in the affirmative, then surely you are part of the adult group who have asked your kids (or your nephews and nieces) to actually turn off the TV and console, and head towards the great outdoors to play, get some sunshine on their skin and basically explore what the natural world has to offer. Of course, it would help if your garden or backyard had some sort of kiddy props to begin with, and if you do not have any idea at where to begin, the $ 199.95 Instant Geodesic Dome does seem to shape up to be a decent place to start.


To put it in a nutshell, this geodesic dome gains the "instant" tag since it can be assembled within 15 minutes (or less, depending on your engineering proficiency), making it ideal for indoor or outdoor play. Assuming you fix it up good and proper, it offers a durable, safe structure for children to scramble over, under, and through, helping them gain +1 to their agility as they climb and monkey around. Each of the 52 bars are capable of supporting up to 150 lbs. in weight when secured with the included snap-in connectors, meaning small sized moms can join in the fun as well. Thanks to the sturdy PVC plastic construction, the Instant Geodesic Dome is lightweight, and it will not rust, peel, or become too hot or cold to the touch as seasons make their mark.






Coolest Gadgets

Orignal From: Instant Geodesic Dome

Sunday, September 2, 2012

India demand to scrap coal sale




A truck full of coal at an open-cast coal mine in eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.India is one of the largest producers of coal in the world


India's main opposition party has set out conditions to break the deadlock in the ongoing session of the parliament over the controversial sale of coalfields by the government.


The BJP said the government should cancel the sale and order an independent probe into the matter.


It has been insisting that PM Manmohan Singh should resign over a recent report that the country lost $ 33bn (£20bn) by selling coalfields cheaply.


Mr Singh denies the charges.


A report by government auditors said the coalfields were allotted without auction from 2005 to 2009.


Although the report exonerated Mr Singh, BJP leaders say he must resign as he was heading the coal ministry at the time of the sale.


The parliament has been deadlocked since 21 August over the issue.


However, on Sunday, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that if the government agreed to cancelled coal licenses and ordered an "independent and fair probe" into the matter, then "we can start the discussion and parliament can function".


The ongoing monsoon session is due to end on 8 September.


There are some 30 pending bills for consideration and passing into laws during the session.


The sale of coalfields has been dubbed "Coalgate" by the opposition.


India is one of the largest producers of coal in the world.


The auditors' report on the sale of coal is the latest in a series of financial scandals to hit the Congress-led government, and the revelations have caused public anger.



BBC News - Latest Published Content

Orignal From: India demand to scrap coal sale

Funding fight in free school bid




One In A Million Free School, BradfordParents had expected the school to open its doors to pupils on 3 September


Parents whose children were destined to go to a free school in Bradford have vowed to fight a government decision to withdraw funding for the scheme.


The One in a Million Free School lost funding after it failed to attract enough pupils.


Government cash for the institution was withdrawn a week before the doors were due to open on 3 September.


Parents want Education Secretary Michael Gove to look again at the decision.


Janet East, whose son James was due to attend the school, said she and others were not giving up the fight to get the school opened.


'No answers'

She said: "We're still emailing the Department for Education but we've had no answers.


"I've not heard from any school, and I don't have a school for James.


"But we parents are still campaigning. One In A Million did everything they were asked. My heart is here - for my son's education.


"Families are devastated, there is a white paper saying 'every child matters' - I'd like Michael Gove to read it."



The head teacher designate of the One In A Million school, Jez Stockill, said: "At the minute we're waiting to be involved with a meeting with the Department for Education.


"We're deeply touched by the response parents have shown.


"We have 30 sets of parents willing to go with us on our journey and we are very moved and humbled by their commitment to us."


Councillor Ralph Berry, responsible for education in the Bradford area, said: "If it was my child I would be absolutely furious.


"Somebody needs to identify what happened here, the school was told the project was on track and then suddenly somebody threw the points.


"We've got the [school] places but the children have to be introduced to those schools and some parents are not well off and have to try and turn that around in three days.


"Only a bunch of public schoolboys could make such a foul-up as this."


Previously, the Department for Education said: "Before any new schools open their doors, we have to be sure that all the conditions we set have been met.


"Setting up a free school is a difficult task and we thank One In A Million for all their hard work. We still hope that One in a Million will open in 2013."


Free schools are run by groups including faith organisations, parents' groups or charities. They are independent of local authority control and funded by central government.



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Orignal From: Funding fight in free school bid

Nigeria’s First Lady Hospitalized In Germany


Mrs. Patience Jonathan



By SaharaReporters, New York


Nigeria's First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has been in a hospital in Germany in the last four days, Abuja State House sources have told SaharaReporters, undergoing treatment for food poisoning.


The sources say Mrs. Jonathan, who is also a Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State civil service, was airlifted to the hospital by an air ambulance in midweek under emergency medical conditions.


Presidency sources stated that the emergency airlift departed for Wisbanden, Germany, but it is not clear if her treatment was being undertaken in that city.  They said she was only able to speak earlier today, four days after her arrival, because the illness had been so severe that she lost her voice.


Our sources could not say when she will return to the country.  Nigeria's political leaders and their families routinely seek expensive medical attention abroad, an irony occasioned by their failure to develop the same facilities at home.  In the past few years, two former First Ladies have died on foreign hospital beds.



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Orignal From: Nigeria's First Lady Hospitalized In Germany