A moment of concentration early one morning at Pinecrest Lake
Tags
Pinecrest lake
Pincrest
California
USA
photographer
photography
geoff
geoffrey
quinn
photo
workshop
May
2011
Pinecrest
31 Mayıs 2011 Salı
30 Mayıs 2011 Pazartesi
ETWAS HOEHERES by Wolfgang Wildner
ETWAS HOEHERES by wolfgang Wildner
ETWAS HOEHERES by Wolfgang Wildner.
(SOMETHING HIGHER by Wolfgang Wildner),
Self Portrait,
Istanbul, Turkey.
Tags
Istanbul
Trkei
Trkiye
Turkey
Trkiye Cumhuriyeti
Islam
Moschee
Konstantinopel
Byzanz
Mosque
Bosporus
Goldenes Horn
Stadt
City
Metropole
Megacity
Asien
Europa
Asia
Europe
Konglomerat
Schmelztiegel
Osmanen
Osmanisches Reich
Osman Empire
Moslems
Muslime
Kunst
Art
Architektur
Architecture
Umwelt
Weltkulturerbe
Cultural Heritage
Halic
Meer
Etwas Hheres
Mann
Man
Gesicht
Face
Head
Kopf
Gedanke
Think
Philosophy
Religion
Philosophie
Testimonial
Background
Augen
Eyes
Blick
Himmel
Sky
Brille
Reise
Tourist
Thought
Zeichen
Sign
Klima
Climate
Erde
Earth
istanbul turkey, self portrait, wolfgang
National Theatre & London Eye
photo" width="640" height="201">
National Theatre & London Eye
Thanks for all the comments and awards! All comments are welcome; if you like, or not.
London, United Kingdom.
January, 2011.
View on Black: www.flickriver.com/photos/_nahikari_/
Don't use my pictures without my written permission, these images are under copyright. Contact me if you want to use them. © Nahikari & Sergio All rights reserved.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Photo: Nahikari & Sergio
Processing work: Nahikari
Tags
eye
theatre
panoramic
white
we
water
uk
tmesis
thames
tamesis
sueo
street
space
skyscrapers
skyscraper
sky
rascacielos
place
photo
peace
noria
noche
nikon
night
negro
nahikarisergio
monument
moment
love
londres
london
live
light
idea
hope
history
freedom
flickr
espacio
dream
d50
cute
creative
ciudad
cityscape
city
cielo
calle
bw
building
bridge
boat
bn
blackandwhite
black
big
arte
art
arquitectura
architecture
air
amp, london ebook download, united kingdom, images, photos, photo, national theatre
Monaco Grand Prix 2011: shadows encroach on sunny Monte Carlo as Bahrain GP ethics debate heats up
Monaco Grand Prix 2011: shadows encroach on sunny Monte Carlo as Bahrain GP ethics debate heats up
Rarely has Somerset Maugham’s description of Monaco as “a sunny place for shady people” seemed more apt.
Sunny spectacle: Monaco is the jewel in the Formula One crown Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Tom Cary, F1 Correspondent in Monaco 7:03PM BST 27 May 2011
Follow Tom Cary on Twitter
Comments
Already this week we have had the unedifying sight of Flavio Briatore, a man shamed for ordering a young driver to crash his car when he was at Renault, padding around the paddock dispensing his wisdom.
We have had team bosses weighing up the commercial and logistical complications of racing in Bahrain, a country still under martial law where human rights abuses are allegedly being carried out daily.
Meanwhile, in London on Friday, Justice Peter Smith handed down his judgment in the long-running Lotus v Lotus naming row.
After months of arguing and legal bills which surely amount to more than Hispania Racing’s entire annual budget, both teams will continue to use the Lotus name.
Neither had to change their livery. Both claimed victory.
Their lawyers were rubbing their hands at the prospect of an appeal from Group Lotus. The Monaco Grand Prix is the highlight of any season. The good, the bad and the ugly of Formula One distilled into one tax haven.
And this year, for once, we have the prospect of some racing.
Monaco is usually famed for producing processions, with limited overtaking opportunities. But the new regulations, including fast-wearing tyres and a movable rear wing which gives the cars a boost of speed, may make it a race.
Lewis Hamilton certainly hopes so. The only man to have beaten Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in five races this year, he knows how important this weekend is to halting the German’s title charge.
Monaco has no high-speed corners of the type which favour Red Bull. The next race, in Montreal in a fortnight, is similarly packed with low to medium-speed corners. Hamilton has targeted maximum points in both.
“We want to score as many points as we can and if we can take a step ahead of the Red Bulls then fantastic,” he said. “If we have the pace that we had in the last race then we should be pretty good here.”
Ferrari and Mercedes were similarly encouraged by Thursday practice, setting up the prospect of a fascinating qualifying session this afternoon.
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali revealed on Friday that the inaugural Indian Grand Prix could be pushed back to Dec 11, two weeks after the season is scheduled to finish, to accommodate Bahrain.
A final decision on Bahrain is due next Friday and Human Rights Watch on Friday asked the governing body, the FIA, to consider very carefully whether it wishes to send the sport to “an environment characterised by large-scale arbitrary arrests, prolonged incommunicado detentions, credible allegations of torture, and mass dismissals of workers”.
sebastian vettel, flavio briatore, somerset maugham, monaco grand prix, bahrain gp, human rights abuses, getty images, team bosses, rsquo, sunny place, legal bills, peter smith, medium speed, tax haven, martial law, lewis hamilton, livery, red bull, paddock, fortnight
29 Mayıs 2011 Pazar
2011.04.16-23.28.24-1.jpg
2011.04.16-23.28.24-1.jpg
Tags
Concert
Live Music
Nick Scropos
RCPM
Rock
Roger Clyne
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
Scottsdale
Arizona
28 Mayıs 2011 Cumartesi
Classic Pepsi-Cola logo 2
Classic glass bottle of Pepsi-Cola
Tags
Pepsi-Cola
pepsi
cola
beverage
drink
bottle
collector
old
antique
unique
rare
interesting
vintage
glass
whitewall
Vespa
photograph
photo
image
picture
artistic
retro
tire
cross
processing
empty
deposit
return
spokes
washington
state
tacoma
United
States
America
Americana
american
square
vignette
close
shot
macro
pepsi cola, glass bottle, pepsi
27 Mayıs 2011 Cuma
Sunset at Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
voiture des frres Lumire
voiture des frres Lumire
Tags
Lyon
europe
photography
France
wallpaper
rhne
fond d'cran
pictures
photos
wow
Rhne-Alpes
francia
frankreich
lights
photo
photographie
shot
geotagged
europa
muse
museum
rochetaille
cars
classic
oldtimer
automobile
car
auto
canon
reflets
reflections
color
colours
couleur
vintage
vehicle
vhicule
metal
chrome
chromium
close-up
black
noirl
frres lumire
cinema
beauty
style
exbr
26 Mayıs 2011 Perşembe
0003 RAAF Hercules At Richmond RAAF Base, Richmond 22-2-2010
Manchester City FA Cup Winning Parade
Manchester City FA Cup Winning Parade
Manchester City FA Cup Winning Parade
| My Website | My blog | My Twitter | My Facebook |
Tags
Manchester
City
FA
Cup
Winning
Parade
canon
550
d
flickr
eos
images.goole.com
picturesq
yahoo.com
google.com
search
best
thebest
perfect
images
image
goldstaraward
photoshop
cartepostale
com
www
photo
photos
view
flickaward
topic
shot
shots
postcard
architecture
art
dolwolfianphotography.com
dolwolfian
photography
ville
ciudad
stadt
uk
united
kingdom
royaume
unis
reino
unido
comgoogle, facebook, twitter, fa cup, manchester city, blog, yahoo
25 Mayıs 2011 Çarşamba
Huguette Clark, reclusive heiress, dies at 104
When Huguette Clark was a teenager, her father acquired a Santa Barbara estate called Bellosguardo, an elegant home perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean. (Associated Press; Los Angeles Times)
Huguette Clark, a copper tycoon's daughter with a taste for exquisite French dolls, baronial homes and solitude, has died. She was 104.
Clark, who preferred to be known as Madame Clark, died Tuesday at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. She had resided at the hospital for more than 20 years, leaving vacant but meticulously tended her grand homes in Santa Barbara, New Canaan, Conn., and New York City.
Related
Did Huguette Clark remember her California seaside jewel?
Photos: Notable deaths of 2011
Richard Steinheimer dies at 81; pre-eminent railroad photographer
Increasingly reclusive as she grew older, she would summon an antiques dealer to her palatial Fifth Avenue apartment and bargain with him only through a closed door. As her long life drew to an end, her cherished dolls are reported to have been her constant companions.
Her New York attorney, Wallace Bock, is one of the few people with whom she is known to have had regular contact. However, New York prosecutors are investigating whether he and accountant Irving H. Kamsler exploited the frail Clark, whose estate is valued at $500 million.
Bock's spokesman issued a brief comment on her death: "Madame Clark's passing is a sad event for everyone who loved and respected her over the years. She died as she wanted, with dignity and privacy. We intend to continue to respect her wishes for privacy."
Born into opulence in Paris on June 9, 1906, Huguette Marcelle Clark was the daughter of William Andrews Clark, a mine owner and railroad baron whose fortune rivaled John D. Rockefeller's. Huguette's mother, Anna LaChappelle, was 17 and portraying Lady Liberty in a Fourth of July pageant when the 56-year-old Clark, later a U.S. senator from Montana, saw her and was smitten.
Clark's father — who built a whistle-stop called Las Vegas in what is now Clark County, Nev. — was unashamed to display his wealth. Huguette grew up in a 121-room Manhattan mansion so over-the-top that New Yorkers called it "Clark's Folly." It included Turkish baths, galleries for an extensive art collection and a railroad spur for coal cars.
Huguette Clark was educated at Miss Spence's School for Girls in New York and took extended vacations in France.
When she was a teenager, her father acquired a Santa Barbara estate called Bellosguardo, an elegant home perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean. A private rail car would deposit the family at Bellosguardo every winter and Huguette would return there over the years. By all accounts, she had not set foot on her 23-acre property for at least half a century before her death.
Barbara Hoelscher Doran, the manager of a Montecito interior design business, grew up at Bellosguardo, where her father supervised the staff. When invited from her family's cottage to the estate's main house, she would don surgical-style slippers to avoid marring the parquet floors. As a young girl she was fond of Huguette, who would ask her to tea and give her children's books in French.
"She was a wonderful, kind, giving lady," Doran said. "I feel really saddened that it's the end of an era."
While William Andrews Clark was open to a fault, bragging that as a politician he "never bought a man who wasn't for sale," Huguette shunned the spotlight. In Santa Barbara, she was little known. She donated land and money for a 42-acre bird refuge near her estate and named it after Andree Clark, a sister who died of meningitis in 1919.
In her younger days, Huguette Clark was mentioned in society columns but soon faded from public view. She became a public figure — unwillingly — at the age of 103.
It was then that reports by MSNBC.com raised questions about the handling of her estate.
Prompted by the news stories, three distant relatives told a New York judge that Clark's advisors had exerted "improper influence" over her. They pointed to a $1.5-million donation she made to an Israeli settlement in the disputed West Bank, where her attorney's daughter lived with her family. They also expressed concern over her accountant's guilty plea to charges that he had emailed pornography to teenage girls.
The judge denied their request for a guardian. Bock and Kamsler, who have not been charged with any crimes, denied any wrongdoing, including accusations that they tried to get themselves named in her will. In court papers, Bock cast the family members as opportunists.
None of the relatives, he said, had any contact with Huguette Clark until she was 95 — and that was only to seek funds for upkeep of a family mausoleum.
They were "officious interlopers," he wrote, "virtual strangers … with whom Ms. Clark has knowingly and assiduously avoided contact for decades."
Clark was married in 1928 to William MacDonald Gower, a son of one of her father's business associates. They divorced in 1930. She had no children and outlived her six brothers and sisters.
No funeral plans have been disclosed.
steve.chawkins@latimes.com
beth israel hospital, beth israel hospital in new york, beth israel hospital in new york city, jewel photos, york prosecutors, notable deaths, john d rockefeller, event for everyone, new canaan, antiques dealer, french dolls, railroad baron, lachappelle, huguette, los angeles times, sad event, lady liberty, whistle stop, york attorney, marcelle
Flager County, FL Fire Rescue
Flager County, FL Fire Rescue
Tags
flager
county
emergency
services
fire. rescue
florida
sterling
water
tender
24 Mayıs 2011 Salı
Pier Support: Scan Clash, The Vault.
Pier Support: Scan clash, The Vault.
Lomo LCA+
Lomography X-Pro Chrome 100ISO
Crossprocessed
Re-scanned at The Vault
Tags
waves
water
xpro
vignetting
vignette
toycamera
thevault
texture
sea
shadow
crossprocessed
pole
milf
manualfocus
manilovefilm
lomolca
lomographyxprochrome10035mm
lomographyfilm
lomography
lomofi
lomo
lofi
light
lca
film
decay
brightonpier
brightonandhove
brighton
beach
analogue
35mm
vault, clash
Breakers Mono
Breakers Mono
Today was VERY windy yet beautifully sunny. I had to hold the tripod steady and was more than a little worried about salt spray hitting the lens. it was sadly too bright for long exposures, even with a ND filter in place.
Exif data auto added by theGOOD Uploadr
File Size : 2.8 mb
Camera Make : NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model : NIKON D7000
Software : Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
Exposure : 0.016 seconds
Aperture : f/5.6
ISO Speed : 100
Focal Length : 116 mm
Subject Distance : 256.0 meters
Tags
rough
sea
water
storm
gale
shoreham
west
sussex
england
uk
coast
coastal
nikon
D7000
nikkor
55-300
black
white
mono
monochrome
beach
britain
british
nd filter, cs5, salt spray, adobe photoshop, breakers, nikon, exposures, tripod
23 Mayıs 2011 Pazartesi
Guus Hiddink in the running for Chelsea comeback as his agent says he may consider return to club management
Guus hiddink in the running for Chelsea comeback as his agent says he may consider return to club management
Guus Hiddink's agent has refused to rule out the Dutchman returning to club management amid reports he is the number one target to succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge.
Back in the frame: Guus Hiddink is currently in charge of the Turkish national team, but he is believed to be Abramovic's ideal candidate Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Telegraph staff and agencies 1:10PM BST 23 May 2011
Comments
However, Cees van Nieuwenhuizen warned the earliest Hiddink would currently be available would be October as he would not break his contract with Turkey.
There have been suggestions Hiddink was opposed to resuming a career in club management, with the 64 year-old more interested in becoming a sporting director.
But pressed today over whether that was definitely the case, Van Nieuwenhuizen said: "I don't know that you can say that. He is focusing on his job and he likes what he is doing.
"He said also in his column on Saturday in De Telegraaf, the Dutch newspaper, that as long as he is in the race for the European Championship with Turkey, he would continue to focus on that.
"Once that is finished, he will start thinking about his future."
Hiddink saved Chelsea's season, winning the FA Cup as caretaker boss two years ago having taken over from the ousted Luis Felipe Scolari. Chelsea only lost one game in 23 under Hiddink, who boasts the best wins-to-games ratio of any Chelsea manager.
The Dutchman is contracted to Turkey until the end of Euro 2012 but will leave his position immediately if they fail to qualify.
They currently lie third in Group A and face a crucial match with second-placed Belgium on June 3, when defeat would leave them four points adrift of a play-off spot with four games remaining.
The Turkish Football Federation recently said they would not look favourably on an approach for Hiddink, meaning Chelsea could be faced with the dilemma of waiting for him to become available - and appointing an interim manager - or looking elsewhere.
Van Nieuwenhuizen said: "I think that Chelsea has to make a decision in the shorter term rather than waiting until November."
Chelsea would also need to establish for certain whether the Dutchman would prefer to move into a sporting director role.
If so, they would face competition from Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, with the former club having already approached Hiddink about taking a place on their board.
Van Nieuwenhuizen said: "Johan Cruyff has also already spoken to him a couple of times in the last couple of months, because Johan is right now restructuring at Ajax.
"He has been saying, 'Maybe we can do this together'.
Hiddink revealed in his column on Saturday that he was still acting as an adviser to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who holds him in high regard.
"Sometimes I act as a sounding board [for Chelsea]," he wrote. "It costs me very little time and it's fine to combine it with my position with Turkey."
Van Nieuwenhuizen said: "I know that he has a very good relationship with some people at Chelsea and that he is every now and then talking to Roman Abramovich - but more out of a friendship that was based on the months that they spent together."
Van Nieuwenhuizen insisted he knew nothing of reports Hiddink had recommended Marco van Basten to Abramovich as an alternative to himself as manager but confirmed the fellow Dutchmen were in touch.
"They meet each other every now and then," he said.
That was backed up by Van Basten's agent Perry van Overeem, who said: "They know each other well."
Van Overeem confirmed there had been no approach from Chelsea for former Holland player and manager Van Basten - currently the bookmakers' favourite to be named Carlo Ancelotti's successor - who has been out of work since leaving Ajax two years ago and is currently mulling over more than one offer to return to the game.
The other name heavily touted as successor to Ancelotti - who was sacked barely an hour after yesterday's final game of the season at Everton - is Porto sensation Andre Villas-Boas.
The 33 year-old distanced himself from the job after winning the Europa League on Wednesday night and he reportedly has a €15 million (£13 million) release clause in his contract.
luis felipe scolari, caretaker boss, carlo ancelotti, de telegraaf, telegraph staff, hiddink, stamford bridge, euro 2012, nieuwenhuizen ebook download, abramovic, turkish football, club management, football federation, target, dutchman, four games, lost one, fa cup, four points, june 3
22 Mayıs 2011 Pazar
Tree on shore
Tree on shore
This tree by the shore in Lauttasaari, helsinki, is busily sprouting leaves in the springtime. There's still some way to go though.
Tags
panasonic lumix gh2
meyer trioplan 100mm f2.8
lauttasaari
helsinki
tree
silhouette
sea
baltic sea
evening
lauttasaari, 100mm, springtime, lumix, helsinki, leaves
21 Mayıs 2011 Cumartesi
20 Mayıs 2011 Cuma
Henry Winter: D-day looms large for the Fearful Five as Premier League relegation scrap reaches its climax
Henry Winter: D-day looms large for the Fearful Five as Premier League relegation scrap reaches its climax
The grim reaper called relegation hits the doomed like a slap in the face, seeps through the pores as the fixtures are published midsummer and chills the bones when next season’s Match of the Day opening montage commences without the famous footage of Bobby Moore tossing the coin.
Emotional trauma: for fans, the final day of the season brings agony and ecstasy Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Henry Winter 10:54PM BST 20 May 2011
Follow Henry Winter on Twitter
Comments
West Ham's iconic image gets unstitched from the BBC’s Bayeux Tapestry of English footballing history. Who is next for the cutting-room floor?
A Fearful Five shuffle nervously past the editing suite, scared of being written out of sport’s most compelling soap opera. Most at risk is the footage of Trevor Francis in his Birmingham pomp and Ian Holloway seized by St Vitus’ Dance on the Blackpool touchline. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic complete the cast of the condemned, craving a last-minute reprieve.
So radios at the ready, calculators at the fingertips, and welcome to the pressure dome. So many issues clamour for attention like unruly schoolchildren. An odd Premier League season, encouragingly long on storylines but disappointingly short on star quality, climaxes today and will inevitably end with a bang rather than a whimper, particularly if Holloway is centre stage.
So many significant questions remain to be answered. Who will win the race for the Golden Boot – Dimitar Berbatov or Carlos Tévez? Will the 30 goals be found to set a 20-club record of 1,061? Who will gain the final Europa League spot? Will Arsenal have to sidle off for the embarrassment of pre-qualifying for the Champions League? These are major concerns for the elite but nothing when compared to the tension gripping the lower orders.
Not since 2005 has there been a final-day relegation scrap like it. Never has there been one denouement involving so many clubs, five of them covered by a point. Life begins at 40? Not this season. That 40-point mark is no guarantee of safety. Indeed, a team could go down with 42. It’s brutal at the bottom and the cost is devastating, beyond price.
The cost is emotional, shredding fans’ dreams, throwing summers into turmoil, and removing the right for fans to sing the reassuring chant of “we are Premier League”. The loss of prestige hurts. It’s like Jerry from The Good Life being sacked and Margo being forced to downsize. What will the neighbours think?
The cost is professional, too. “There are no nerves,’’ says Wolves winger Matt Jarvis. Really? Jarvis’s words are outwardly brave but inside his nerves must be twisting tighter and tighter. Good players know that falling through the trap door into the Championship does not automatically mean a painful landing. A safety net of another club’s embrace cushions their fall.
But the drop damages pride and reputation. The colour drained from Kevin Phillips’s face when he reflected on his relegations with Sunderland and Southampton. All the bad memories flooded back. Footballers are competitive creatures and that is why they will fight into twilight’s last gleaming tomorrow.
Even the Wags are chewing those famous nails. After Birmingham players’ boozy night out, keeper Colin Doyle received a sharp reprimand from his wife on Twitter.
The cost is financial, too. The figures range depending on clubs’ contingency plans but relegation would deprive a club of upwards of £40 million.
Nobody wants to be thrown off the Premier League gravy train. Look at Leeds United and Southampton, only now beginning to recover from the distress of the drop.
The financial ramifications of relegation sweep through local communities. Molineux is at the heart of Wolverhampton emotionally and geographically, and an important provider of employment to the local workforce. “It’s not just about the club, it’s about the city, everyone’s involved, every business, every company can get knocked back,’’ says Steve Bull, Wolves’ vice-president.
The unsparing post-mortem on West Ham, who seem to have lost the grace they exuded in Moore’s era, is a reminder to all. “West Ham are going to suffer now for the next year and find it hard to get back up,’’ adds Bull. West Ham should eventually find their way back but it could be a tortuous journey.
Desperate to avoid West Ham’s fate, the Fearful Five call on all forms of assistance, willing physios to get key players fit, hoping for help from other clubs, even for divine intervention. “Maybe the Main Man up there has written a story that would probably beat Cinderella,’’ said Holloway.
Crammed with marvellous monologues and daily drama, Holloway’s story is pure Broadway. He has even had an octopus named after him. Not even Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of the year, can boast that.
Holloway visits Ferguson’s lair tomorrow with the odds stacked against survival. The piece of paper that emerges from the United dressing room at 3pm will be scrutinised with all the intensity of historians studying the Magna Carta for the first time. Even if it is the march of the understudies, United should have too much class for Blackpool, even with Charlie Adam fired up for probably his last game.
Away from Preston and those who survive, the nation should mourn Blackpool’s demise. In a season without a star, Blackpool have shone brightly, always full of fight, invention and entertainment. And that’s just Holloway’s press conferences.
Some of his conspiracy claims against the Premier League are laughable, and these were privately pointed out to him by the organisation yesterday, but Holloway would be greatly missed. Blackpool have scored 53 league goals, beaten Liverpool home and away and given United a real scare at Bloomfield Road. The Premier League would be the poorer for their departure.
Birmingham look equally vulnerable. Since vanquishing Arsenal in the Carling Cup, their season has collapsed almost as spectacularly as Arsenal’s. Injuries have been brutal, to key defenders like Scott Dann, and attackers like Nikola Zigic and Obafemi Martins, whose Blues career can effectively be paraphrased as one touch, one goal, one medal, one injury.
Alexander Hleb was a strange recruitment, deemed too much of a butterfly even for Arsenal.
Birmingham, having managed only one point in five, visit Europe-chasing Spurs and defeat would be no surprise for the visitors. Alex McLeish needs to stir his players. They must raise their game after weeks of woe. So much is at stake. This is sport at its most raw, a test of character in adversity.
Birmingham and Blackpool look the likeliest to be erased from the Match of the Day picture. Wigan travel to an exhausted-looking Stoke while Wolves have found form at the right time. Even if Wolves defeat Blackburn, the vanquished should just survive as the Fearful Five become the Tearful Two.
Telegraph.feedsportal.com
18 Mayıs 2011 Çarşamba
Allan McGregor is an 'absolute diamond', says Scotland manager Craig Levein
Allan McGregor is an 'absolute diamond', says Scotland manager Craig Levein
The reconciliation between Allan McGregor and Scotland was celebrated on Tuesday when Craig Levein described the Rangers goalkeeper – who was banned from international selection two years ago after his part in the Boozegate affair – as “an absolute diamond”.
Diamond from the rough: Craig Levein was full of praise for Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor Photo: REUTERS
By Roddy Forsyth 11:00PM BST 17 May 2011
Comments
McGregor’s second chance came when Levein succeeded George Burley as Scotland manager in December 2009 and seven of his 11 international appearances have come this season, partly as a consequence of injury to the former first choice goalkeeper, Craig Gordon.
After two of those games – the European Championship qualifiers against the Czech Republic in Prague and Spain at Hampden Park, he was named man of the match, accolades that seemed entirely improbable after he and his then Rangers colleague, Barry Ferguson, made headlines after an all-night drinking session at Scotland’s training base on Loch Lomond, after the Scots had lost to the Dutch in a World Cup qualifier.
“I'd never worked with Allan before and you form an impression of what you see and what people's perceptions are,” said Levein. “From the moment I met him - I went down to Murray Park to speak to him about this Boozegate stuff and all the rest of it - and right away he was desperate to get back involved with the squad. From that moment he's been no different.
“I left a lot of the Rangers lads out of the Faroes game in November and Craig Gordon got a little problem with his thigh - I think it was the day before the match and we were toiling for goalkeepers. Allan was desperate to come up.
“He only got the phone call at 10 o'clock at night that Craig was struggling but he said 'I'll get in the car and come up just now' - brilliant. He has been a delight to deal with - his training is fantastic and his attitude has been great around the rest of the players.
“He's now at an age where I think he understands that football is everything for him, because he's at this stage in his career where he should be concentrating on maintaining or improving on that for as long as he can. I think he has got a new-found maturity.
“I’m trying to explain that, when I looked at Allan from outside, I didn’t understand him because I didn’t know him. Since I’ve been involved in the squad, he’s been an absolute diamond.
“Allan deserves all of the recognition for his performances this year and I think his getting into the international squad has been good for him and good for Rangers. He’s been for Scotland and he’s been great for Craig Gordon, too.
“When it comes to starting games at international level, you are looking at talent and you are looking at consistency. When you are playing at the same level every week and Allan is an eight out of 10 every week, that is the level I look for.
“Allan is achieving that and somebody at some point will come in and make an offer. I’m sure that Craig will be determined to oust Allan and it’s brilliant for me.
“I wish I had two players in every position who are of that quality.”
On the subject of another player whose services have not been available to Scotland – Steven Fletcher of Wolves, who in November informed the Scottish Football Association by text that he no longer wished to be considered for selection – Levein was cautiously positive.
“As soon as he indicates he does want to be selected, I’ll consider him,” said the manager. “He’s the one who shut the door - if he wants to open the door, then fair enough.”
The absence of Fletcher is all the more noticeable because the number of players in Levein’s squad actually exceeds the total of goals they have scored – 24 to 23 – and 13 of the goals have been scored by one player, Kenny Miller.
The Bursaspor forward will lead the line again in Dublin, but Levein may be deprived of Peterborough’s Craig Mackail-Smith, depending on the progress of the League One playoffs in England.
“One of the important things is being able to score goals and, yes, Kenny is the main man, the guy we would be looking for more than anybody to be involved in that part of it, but Mackail-Smith's record is fantastic.
“On the one hand it would be good for him if he’s unavailable because his team would be doing well. On the other hand, if we have him it lets him get more game time at this level.”
Russell Martin of Norwich City and James Forrest are the newcomers to the squad. Martin, whose father is from Kilmarnock, has yet to have his papers finalised but Levein said: “He was over in the States with Norwich and I doubt he’s been training hard – what would you be doing? – but he’s flown back and shortened his holiday.”
Scotland squad:
Gilks (Blackpool), McGregor (Rangers), Turner (Everton); Bardsley (Sunderland), Berra (Wolves), G Caldwell (Wigan), Crainey (Blackpool), Hanley (Blackburn), R Martin (Norwich), Whittaker (Rangers), Wilson (Liverpool); Adam (Blackpool), Bannan (Aston Villa), Brown (Celtic), Forrest (Celtic), McArthur (Wigan), Morrison (West Brom), Robson (Middlesbrough); Commons (Celtic), Mackail-Smith (Peterborough), Maguire (Aberdeen), McCormack (Leeds), Miller (Bursaspor), Naismith (Rangers).
george burley, craig levein, craig gordon, barry ferguson, hampden park, loch lomond, murray park, international appearances, o clock, international selection, drinking session, rsquo, goalkeepers, european championship qualifiers, mcgregor, second chance, reuters, lads, first choice, trai
purple blubb
purple blubb
Photographing some dripping water fro a group assingnment.
Done with the 60D on a Tripod pointed to a beige water bowl, 430 strobe sitting on a cup pointing toi a backdrop (lovely colored by my daughter) and a 500ml ater bottle with a hole in the lid handheld over the bowl...
88mm@F/8.0-1/250 ISO 400
check the EXIF for more details...
Tags
24-105 f/4 L IS USM
60D
Canada
Canon
flash
fun
manitoba
north point douglas
water
water drop
winnipeg
EOS
Owners
Assignment
4
Canon EOS 60D Owners Assignment 4
eos 60d, dripping water, water bowl, strobe, backdrop, tripod
17 Mayıs 2011 Salı
16 Mayıs 2011 Pazartesi
Chris Huhne faces police investigation over allegations wife Vicky Pryce agreed to take speeding points
Chris Huhne faces police investigation over allegations wife Vicky Pryce agreed to take speeding points
Chris Huhne, the Energy Secretary, is to be investigated by police over allegations that he allowed his wife Vicky Pryce to take speeding points on his behalf.
Chris Huhne, who allegedly evaded a driving ban by getting his wife Vicky Price to accept the points Photo: CHRISTOPHER PLEDGER/BEN CAWTHRA
By Mark Hughes, Rosa Prince and Caroline Gammell 10:20PM BST 15 May 2011
Follow Mark Hughes on Twitter
Essex police have assigned an officer to investigate the claims that would almost certainly result in the end of Mr Huhne's ministerial career and a jail sentence if proven.
The suggestion that the former Liberal democrat leadership contender persuaded someone else to accept his speeding points, so he could avoid a driving ban, was first raised publicly by his estranged wife Vicky Pryce last week.
The Daily Telegraph has learnt that the person alleged to have taken the points is Miss Pryce herself.
Last night, Labour MPs urged Mr Huhne to stand down from the Cabinet while the allegations are investigated. His resignation would be a significant political blow to the Coalition, which has already had to cope with the loss of the Lib Dem treasury secretary David Laws over an expenses scandal.
Sources close to Mr Huhne, 56, maintain that the allegations against him are false.
Mr Huhne left Miss Pryce, his wife of 26 years, in June last year after beginning an affair with Carina Trimingham, a bisexual public relations officer.
Essex police began an investigation yesterday as excerpts emerged of a telephone call Mr Huhne, 56, made to Miss Pryce.
The conversation included Mr Huhne telling her: "There is no evidence for this story unless you give it some legs by saying something."
He adds: "The story they are trying to stand up is 'Cabinet Minister persuaded XXX to take points'. The only way they can stand that up is by getting you to talk to them.
"There is simply no other person who could tell them whether it is true or not."
The other person in the conversation refuses to lie for Mr Huhne, saying: "It's one of the things that worried me when you made me take the points."
The Daily Telegraph has established that the other person in the recording is Miss Pryce, 57. A source close to Mr Huhne said: "The person Vicky is talking about when she says someone took points on behalf of Chris is herself.
"There is no one else involved. The phone call was with Vicky. There is no one but Vicky. However, what Vicky does not seem to be prepared to do is come out and say it. She needs to make an allegation."
Yesterday The Daily Telegraph asked Miss Pryce whether she was the person who took Mr Huhne's speeding points and whether she was the other person in the recorded phone call. She refused to comment, saying only: "I am not talking to anyone."
The Energy Secretary is known to have confided in Mr Clegg about his ex-wife's claims, explaining that she was "out for revenge" as a result of the bitter end to their marriage.
Simon Danczuk, the Labour MP for Rochdale, whose written complaint formally triggered the police investigation, said last night: "I thought the allegations were of such a serious nature that they warranted further attention.
"The sooner they clear it up either way the better.
"I think it right that if the police launch an investigation then Chris Huhne stands aside as a minister until that investigation has taken place."
Labour sources pointed out that Peter Hain, the former work and pensions secretary, voluntarily stood down after the last Labour deputy leadership contest, while police investigated claims that he had improperly accepted a donation from a third party. He was later cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.
Until this weekend, police had been unable to act on the claims, which date back to March 12, 2003, because their electronic records do not go further back than 2006.
The alleged speeding offence is reported to have happened in Chelmsford, Essex, when Mr Huhne, then an MEP, was returning from the European Parliament.
It would have attracted a three point penalty and a driving ban for Mr Huhne. It is understood that Miss Pryce, whose divorce from Mr Huhne is to be finalised this week, told a reporter some time ago she agreed to accept the points on behalf of her husband.
When she repeated the claims in two newspapers last weekend, she only said she was “aware that he pressurised people to take his driving licence penalty points”.
To avoid incriminating herself, it is understood the newspapers agreed to imply that the points had been taken by an aide for her husband.
However, the allegations were given fresh impetus yesterday with the emergence of the tape recording and the complaint by Mr Danczuk.
The Daily Telegraph understands that a police officer was assigned to the case yesterday to discover whether any speeding ticket was issued against Mr Huhne’s car on the day of the alleged offence. If it was, a full investigation is likely to be launched into whether Mr Huhne and his wife conspired to pervert the course of justice, an offence which carries a maximum life sentence.
A police source said this would involve interviewing Mr Huhne and Miss Pryce.
A decision will be made on the evidence whether to launch an investigation.
Even if officers establish that Miss Pryce does have points on her licence from that time they will not automatically be able to prove she had taken them for Mr Huhne.
Mr Danczuk said he had not received a formal response to his complaint, but added: “I have been given the impression that they are minded to launch an investigation.”
No 10 sources said Mr Huhne could remain in the Cabinet even if an investigation were launched. The source added: “He is innocent until proven guilty.”
wife vicky, labour mps, democrat leadership, speeding points, essex police, chris huhne, driving ban, liberal democrat, political blow, treasury secretary, mark hughes, daily telegraph, pryce, pledger, energy secretary, secretary david, police investigation, jail sentence, cabinet minister, carina
15 Mayıs 2011 Pazar
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Tags
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
wren
bird
animal
wildlife
wings
feathers
bill
nature
flora
fauna
rock
Peachland
Okanagan
Okanagan Valley
BC
British Columbia
Canada
Tania Simpson
Photographer
photography
photograph
photo
image
Nikon D90
nikon
marsh wren ebook download, cistothorus palustris, peachland, wren
Match fixing: alleged Qatar match-fixer worked for Fifa for six years
Man accused of facilitating bribes for Qatar in 2022 World Cup bid worked for Fifa for six years
The man accused in Parliament of facilitating bribes on behalf of Qatar’s successful 2022 World Cup bid worked for Fifa for at least six years as an advisor to Mohamed Bin Hammam, the governing body confirmed today.
In the spotlight: Fifa president Sepp Blatter (right) and Mohamed Bin Hammam the delegate for Qatar Photo: REUTERS
By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter 11:31AM BST 13 May 2011
Follow Paul Kelso on Twitter
Comments
Amadou Diallo was named in allegations published by the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee as having arranged bribes of $1.5m allegedly paid to Fifa executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma. Both men deny the allegation.
Bin Hammam confirmed to the Telegraph Sport on Wednesday that Diallo is a close friend of his, and the Guniean is a member of Bin Hammam’s campaign team in the run-up to next month’s Fifa presidential election.
A Guniean based in Paris, Diallo regularly travels with Bin Hammam as part of his entourage.
Fifa confirmed this morning that Diallo was an employee from at least 2001 to April 2007 working in the Goal Bureau, of which Bin Hammam the chairman.
Diallo was not on a Fifa central contract but was paid out of a Goal budget under the control of Bin Hammam. In an email to the Telegraph Sport this morning Fifa said: "We can confirm that Amadou Diallo was working until April 2007 paid by Fifa on a Goal Bureau chairman budget with the task of monitoring Goal projects." A Fifa source said that payments to Diallo ceased in April 2007 and that the
discretionary budget made available to Bin Hammam also ceased at that time. The source said the decision was made by Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke.
The Goal Bureau is the Fifa department that distributes development funding to national associations. President Sepp Blatter established the department as a means of distributing World Cup revenues to associations and put Bin Hammam, his one-time ally, in charge of the organisation.
On Wednesday Bin Hammam said he was certain Diallo has done nothing wrong: "I will not deny this friendship, he is a close friend of mine, but I am sure that he has done nothing wrong," he told Telegraph Sport.
"I will meet up with him from time to time and he will travel with me here and there, but he is not playing any part in the decisions I take.
"If you know the role he plays you will laugh at these allegations. He's simply a friend of mine and he has nothing to do with Qatar or anyone."
The bribery allegations were contained in a letter passed to the select committee by the Sunday Times and are based on a conversation with former Fifa general secretary Michel Zen Ruffinen, and an anonymous whistleblower.
Zen Ruffinen told the paper that Diallo worked for Qatar "to arrange financial deals with African members in exchange for World Cup votes".
amadou diallo, paul kelso, executive committee members, 2022 world cup, telegraph sport, rsquo, campaign team, sports reporter, national associations, culture media, bribes, general secretary, select committee, reuters, fifa, allegation, governing body, entourage, mohamed, bst
FA Cup final: Manchester City v Stoke City player ratings
FA Cup final: Manchester City v Stoke City player ratings
Read Jeremy Wilson's review on how the players from both sides did as Manchester City ended their 35-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup against Stoke.
Unbeatable: joe hart was able to repel everything Stoke threw at him Photo: AFP
By Jeremy Wilson 5:41PM BST 14 May 2011
Follow Jeremy Wilson on Twitter
Comments
MANCHESTER CITY
Joe Hart 7
Limited in his involvement as Manchester City dominated possession, but was still alert to smother a second-half shot when Kenwyne Jones got behind the defence.
Micah Richards 6
Missed an early headed chance and, with Matthew Etherington offering only a very limited threat down the left, was able to frequently push forward in support of David Silva.
Vincent Kompany 7
Made an important first-half block to deny Jones and, such was City’s initial dominance, he also offered an attacking threat. Weakly side-footed one good chance into Thomas Sorensen's arms.
Joleon Lescott 6
Initially a spectator but looked defensively suspect when Stoke did impart some pressure. Was easily shaken off the ball as Jones muscled his way into a goalscoring position during the second-half.
Aleksandar Kolarov 6
Pushing forward at every opportunity and produced one first-half cross which was almost deflected in by Ryan Shawcross. Got into good positions, but often wasteful with his delivery.
Nigel de Jong 7
Helped Manchester City generally control the midfield and also produced several defence-splitting passes. Only occasionally got forward and skewed one good chance wide.
Gareth Barry 6
Quietly kept possession and rarely wasted a pass, although unable to inject any pace or incision into City’s play. Substituted mid-way through the second-half.
David Silva 6
Wasted one especially inviting chance when he volleyed into the ground and over with the goal at his mercy, but played an important part in the winning goal.
Yaya Toure 7
Almost scored one of the great FA Cup final goals with 30-yard shot that fizzed inches wide and was then clinical in blasting the winner past Sorensen.
Mario Balotelli 8
Excellent in both his link-up play and final ball. Forced an outstanding save from Sorensen with curling first-half shot and began the move for Manchester City’s winning goal.
Carlos Tevez 7
Quickly eased any doubts about his fitness by cutting inside and forcing an early Sorensen save. Frequently dropped deep and was the catalyst for much of City’s best attacking play.
SUBSTITUTES
Adam Johnson provided a far more direct threat when he replaced Garry Barry, while Pablo Zabaleta and Patrick Vieira were also introduced as City showed poise and experience in effectively protecting their lead.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STOKE CITY
Thomas Sorensen 7
Made an exceptional first-half save to deny Mario Balotelli and was also alert to deny both Carlos Tevez and Aleksandar Kolarov. Could do little to prevent Yaya Toure’s powerful finish.
Andy Wilkinson 5
Had an especially difficult afternoon against the movement and quality down City’s left, although did briefly lift Stoke with a full-blooded tackle on Kolorav.
Robert Huth 6
Extremely fortunate not to attract more severe punishment for a stray first-half elbow on Balotelli. Was later deservedly cautioned for a challenge on Micah Richards.
Ryan Shawcross 7
Almost sliced one attempted first-half clearance into his own goal but held the Stoke defence together admirably for long periods of sustained Manchester City pressure.
Marc Wilson 6
Largely got the better of Silva down Manchester City’s right, but was partially culpable for the decisive goal after missing a half-chance to clear the danger.
Jermaine Pennant 7
The only Stoke player who offered a genuine first-half threat. Took several knocks to his foot and ankle but lasted the full 90 minutes and offered continual threat.
Rory Delap 5
Stoke were initially camped inside their own half, leaving little opportunity for Rory Delap to unleash the trademark long-throw. Was eventually sacrificed as Tony Pulis searched in vain for an equaliser.
Glenn Whelan 6
Stoke were completely overrun in midfield throughout the first-half, although Glenn Whelan’s resistance and impact did increase as the match wore on.
Matthew Etherington 4
Pulis gambled on Etherington's selection to offer some added creativity down the left but he was clearly not match fit following a hamstring injury and his impact was minimal.
Kenwyne Jones 6
With Pennant, he was the only Stoke player who really threatened the City goal. Forced crucial blocks either side of half-time from Vincent Kompany and then Joe Hart.
Jonathan Walters 5
Worked hard, but saw precious little of the ball as City out-manoeuvred Stoke in midfield. Created a half-chance for Jones but was otherwise anonymous.
SUBSTITUTES
Dean Whitehead came on for Etherington and John Carew replaced Delap, but Stoke lacked sufficient creative quality from the bench to alter the pattern of the match and knock Manchester City out of their stride.
matthew etherington, vincent kompany, thomas sorensen, nigel de jong, david silva, fa cup final, jeremy wilson, joe hart, rsquo online, shawcross, half block, kenwyne jones, manchester city, incision, good chance, midfield, drought, spectator, dominance, afp
Large Numbers of Flowers
Tags
Flower
California
USA
Sacramento
Capitol State Park
large numbers, flower, state park
14 Mayıs 2011 Cumartesi
Ampuriabrava (II)
- Se ve mejor en la caja de luz haciendo click en la foto -
Llus Sanmiguel © Todos los derechos reservados
Mi Web: www.luissanmiguel.com
Gracias por las visitas.
Thanks for the visits.
Tags
mar
mediterraneo
barcas
agua
catalua
vacaciones
sanmi
canon
Mediterranean
sea
water
boats
rental
catalonia
caja de luz, ampuriabrava
12 Mayıs 2011 Perşembe
ENRC output up, warns on costs
ENRC output up, warns on costs
Output at Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation grew substantially in the first quarter, but the FTSE 100 Kazakh company warned that costs are rising.
ENRC's ferrochrome production was ahead by 4.2pc.
By Rowena Mason 6:32PM BST 12 May 2011
Follow Rowena Mason on Twitter
Comments
Aluminium production rose 38pc, ferrochrome was ahead by 4.2pc and iron ore pellet rose by 2.6pc, while copper and cobalt also grew.
The company said it benefited from "strong production and sales volumes and a positive pricing environment, partially offset by higher costs".
It has secured a new $500m credit facility, and has cash of $2.1bn and total debt of $1.6bn. ENRC predicted revenue growth in line with expectations and production to be maintained at full capacity.
In spite of this, Felix Vulis, the outgoing chief executive, cautioned that costs are rising. He said: "ENRC had a strong start to the year. Production was at effectively full capacity across all of our principal commodities. However, cost pressures continue to represent a key challenge for the business."
It emerged last month a boardroom split had divided the Kazakh miner, with directors called to their third emergency meeting in two weeks. Sources said there were a number of "fiery" rows between the British non-executives, management and Kazakh state representatives.
ferrochrome production, natural resources corporation, principal commodities, ftse 100, vulis, 6pc, kazakh, state representatives, rowena, iron ore, 500m, boardroom, cobalt, first quarter, spite, felix, mason, nbsp, chief executive, copper
Rangers 2 Dundee United 0: match report
Rangers 2 Dundee United 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Rangers and Dundee United at Ibrox on Tuesday May 10 2011.
First blood: Nikica Jelavic sets Rangers on their way to victory at Ibrox Photo: LIVEPIC
By Roddy Forsyth, at Ibrox 9:50PM BST 10 May 2011
He was named man of the match to a cacophony of applause from the home support, but far more satisfying for Walter Smith was that in his last home game as Rangers manager, he delivered a win that keeps the side on course for a third successive title in his second spell in charge at Ibrox.
First half goals from Nikica Jelavic and Kyle Lafferty mean that Celtic must leave Tynecastle on Wednesday night with a win or draw against Hearts to take the championship race to the final matches on Sunday.
Before kick off, Rangers’ new owner, Craig Whyte, sat in the otherwise deserted main stand, with four of his close associates grouped around him and Donald Muir, the non-executive director placed on the Ibrox board by the Lloyds Banking Group.
There were no spectators in the stadium and very few stewards or journalists but the photographers, having been tipped off beforehand, assembled trackside with tripods and telephoto lenses to capture the artful image.
Carefully designed flags were draped over the front tier of the Govan Stand in celebration of the outgoing manager’s final appearance on home ground, enumerating the team’s successes under his guidance.
Meanwhile, the match programme revealed a world that might have been with an interview with Sir Alex Ferguson, who disclosed that he had been offered the opportunity to manage Arsenal after Don Howe’s departure in 1986 and had wanted to take Smith with him to Highbury as his assistant.
Smith, though, had already agreed privately with Graeme Souness to move from Dundee United to Rangers.
When matters finally got under way on the field it was clear that Rangers were supercharged with adrenalin as they annexed swathes of United territory and pushed the Tannadice side back on to their own lines throughout the first half. By the interval they were two goals to the good, courtesy of their front pair.
Jelavic, as usual, provided the main threat, assisted by the fact that – aside from the towering Garry Kenneth – the United defence were short of height.
Such was the relentless encroachment of Rangers attacks that Kenneth frequently seemed the rock on which United’s survival would depend but the captain could not be everywhere at once and when Steven Whittaker spied Jelavic drifting free on the
six-yard line, there was no insurance against the Croatian striker looping a powerful header over Dusan Pernis for the breakthrough goal.
The home support – which numbered all but a forlorn few dozen tangerine bedecked followers in a crowd of 49,267 – bayed for a swift second and were granted their wish when Steven Naismith fed the galloping Lafferty for a low angled drive beyond Pernis and into the far corner of the net.
Rangers were rampaging and a third goal at any time before the break would have left United with no straws at which to clutch. Lafferty, however, saw a snaking effort smack back off the post and the second half saw the contest shift, first subtly and then markedly as a procession of chances for Rangers yielded no reward.
There was peril when Stuart Armstrong unleashed a 25-yard drive that caromed off the post with Allan McGregor for once helpless.
The moment passed, though, and Rangers had heaped pressure on Celtic once more in this most singular of championship campaigns.
Match details
Rangers (4-4-2): McGregor; Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac; Naismith, David, Edu, Wylde; Lafferty, Jelavic (Diouf 85). Subs: Alexander (g), McCulloch, Fleck, Foster, Healy, Hutton.
Dundee United (4-4-2): Pernis; Watson, Kenneth, Severin, Dixon; D Robertson (Armstrong 74), Gomis, S Robertson (Buaben 70), Conway; Goodwillie, Russell.
Subs: Banks (g), Dillon, Daly, Douglas, Shala
Referee: Callum Murray
sir alex ferguson, graeme souness, alex ferguson, dundee united, livepic, don howe, donald muir, walter smith, close associates, telephoto lenses, league game, banking group, first blood, home game, cacophony, trackside, lloyds, adrenalin, stewards, spectators
11 Mayıs 2011 Çarşamba
10 Mayıs 2011 Salı
National Express agrees year-long truce with hedge fund
National Express agrees year-long truce with hedge fund
National Express has agreed a 12-month truce with the US hedge fund Elliott Advisors, which was agitating for a boardroom shake up, and will appoint Elliott-backed candidate Chris Muntwyler as a non-executive director.
By Alistair Osborne, Business Editor 8:51AM BST 10 May 2011
Comments
The transport group's board is due to ratify the appointment of Mr Muntwyler, the former head of DHL UK, at a meeting prior to the company's 11am AGM in London.
National Express Group
Mr Muntwyler was one of three non-executive director candidates put forward by the American hedge fund. In return, Elliott has agreed to withdraw its three AGM resolutions and undertaken not to agitate publicly for change for a year.
While the deal was being hammered out last night, Elliott asked to cut that to seven months if National Express shares underperform similar transport companies.
National Express is still looking for another two new non-execs, one with experience of the transport market in North America and the other in continental Europe.
The deal amounts to a face-saving outcome for Elliott, which was heading for its second AGM defeat in six days – after its reversal at Swiss biotech group Actelion.
The hedge fund welcomed Mr Muntwyler's appointment today:
"Mr. Muntwyler has over thirty years of experience in the transport and logistics industries, including experience across international markets that we believe is critically important for the next phase of the Company's development," Elliott said.
Dean Finch, National Express chief executive, said: "The company has offered them a road out and why shouldn't we? They are a major shareholder. We have got to listen to what they say. I like challenging questions. I just don't want to do it in the public eye."
The AGM may still have fireworks, with Gina Beck, a member of the US Teamsters union, due to complain about her treatment by National Express's Durham yellow school bus subsidiary.
Having taken a job as a driver, she claims promises about pay and benefits fell short, while her working hours were cut. The consequence, the union said, is that she now "lives in a partitioned section of a room in a back office, living off food stamps and unable to pay for healthcare".
Mr Finch said: "If Teamsters have evidence we are in any way abusing or manipulating our employees we will treat that with the utmost seriousness." But he would not bow to its "lobbying" for a "collective bargaining agreement".
yellow school bus, logistics industries, teamsters union, biotech group, national express, director candidates, transport market, challenging questions, continental europe, s board, dhl, transport companies, agm, international markets, business editor, alistair, public eye, boardroom, seven months, execs
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Tags
Europe
UK
England
Great Britain
United Kingdom
GMT
DST
Thomas Peter
thpeter
Salisbury Cathedral
architecture
church
building
2011
9 Mayıs 2011 Pazartesi
North Shore Looking North
8 Mayıs 2011 Pazar
Newhaven Sunset
I had plans yesterday to go a drive along the east coast to catch the sunset, but due to the rapidly changing weather decided on Newhaven as a safer bet.
For this shot I used a 0.6 hitech ND soft grad, Kood ND8,ND4 and a cpl, which resulted in a 66 second exposure.
Tags
edinburgh
sunset
harbour
sea
firth
lighthouse
scotland
leith
newhaven
long exposure
cpl, east coast, bet, weather, sunset
To exit, follow the light
To exit, follow the light
Exiting Fish Rock Cave
Tags
South West Rocks
Australia
diving
dive
plonger
plongee
water
eau
underwater
scuba
Fish Rock cave
New South Wales
Claire Choquet
quiet
diver
7 Mayıs 2011 Cumartesi
Seve Ballesteros dies: golf legend loses long fight with cancer aged 54
seve ballesteros dies: golf legend loses long fight with cancer aged 54
The Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros has died following a long battle with cancer after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008.
Image 1 of 3
Seve Ballesteros at the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama, Spain.
Image 1 of 3
Seve Ballesteros was regarded by many as golf's greatest shot-maker Photo: PA
Image 1 of 3
In the sand: Seve Ballesteros plays out of a bunker during the 1987 Ryder Cup at Muirfield Village in Dublin Photo: GETTY IMAGES
< >
Blog
Ballesteros brought dance and music to golf
Article
Tributes flood in for 'King of European golf'
Video
Seve Ballesteros in action
Pictures
The Seve Ballesteros story
Article
Seve Ballesteros: Obituary
Seve Ballesteros: the last in-depth interview
1 2
7:18AM BST 07 May 2011
Comments
Ballesteros, 54, a five-times major winner, had been recuperating at his home in northern Spain after four operations on the tumour and a course of chemotherapy.
A statement on the Spanish golfer’s website, seveballesteros.com read: “Today, at 2.10 a.m. Spanish time, Seve Ballesteros passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at his home in Pedreña.
“The Ballesteros family is very grateful for all the support and gestures of love that have been received since Seve was diagnosed with a brain tumour on 5th October 2008 at Madrid Hospital la Paz.
“At this time the family asks for respect and privacy at such a painful time. Thank you very much.”
Regarded by many as golf's greatest shot-maker, Ballesteros won 87 titles worldwide, 50 of them on the European Tour.
A winner of three British Opens and two Masters titles, he also helped revive Europe's fortunes in the biennial Ryder Cup team competition.
European Tour chief executive George O'Grady said: "This is such a very sad day for all who love golf.
"Seve's unique legacy must be the inspiration he has given to so many to watch, support, and play golf, and finally to fight a cruel illness with equal flair, passion, and fierce determination.
"We have all been so blessed to live in his era. He was the inspiration behind The European Tour."
On Friday the world of golf held its breath after Ballesteros's family reported a “severe deterioration” in his neurological condition.
At the Spanish Open in Barcelona fellow Spaniards José-María Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jiménez played together in sombre mood. Twenty-four hours earlier, Olazabal, who last visited the wheelchair-bound Ballesteros a fortnight ago, learnt from Ballesteros’s daughter, Carmen, that his mentor’s condition had taken a grave turn. The European Tour press officer in Barcelona reported that Olazabal and Jiménez were in tears after completing yesterday’s round.
Ballesteros had been battling brain cancer since collapsing at the airport in Madrid in October 2008. He underwent four operations to remove a brain tumour and was in hospital for two months. Though Ballesteros’s health improved in 2009 as a result of chemotherapy, his treatment was not a cure, only a means to prolong life.
Ballesteros had hoped to be well enough to contest the four-hole Champions Trophy at the Open at St Andrews last year but was unable to travel. When he failed to attend a charity dinner in London in honour of his Seve Ballesteros Foundation towards the end of last year, concern over his wellbeing increased.
The emergence of Ballesteros in the Seventies lifted golf to an unprecedented level of popularity in his country and across Europe, sowing the seeds for an unrecognisable expansion of the European Tour. Ballesteros won an incredible 50 times on the European Tour, a record that might never been breached.
His performance at Birkdale in the 1976 Open Championship tying for second with Jack Nicklaus behind winner Johnny Miller while only 19, alerted the world to his genius.
Three years later he won his first major, the Open at Royal Lytham, carding a birdie at the 16th after driving into a car park. Later that year he made his debut in the Ryder Cup, the central figure in the first European selection.
On his appointment as Ryder Cup captain this year Olazabal said his dearest wish was that Ballesteros would accompany the European team in defence of the trophy in Chicago next year. In 15 games together Ballesteros and Olazabal lost only twice. At Celtic Manor last October Ballesteros communicated by phone while his picture hung on the wall in Europe’s dressing room.
ryder cup team, seve ballesteros, brain tumour, hospital la paz ebook download, getty images, valderrama spain, ryder cup, northern spain, golf legend, painful time, european golf, dance and music, team competition, sad day, play golf, gestures, chemotherapy, fortunes, chief executive, flood
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)