Blog Archives

Darrell Hair seeks $500,000 to quit

Posted on August 25, 2006
by

Oh dear, Darrell Hair just can’t keep out of the headlines can he. Following his controversial decision last week to award the Oval Test to England after he accused Pakistan of cheating (ball tampering) it has emerged that he offered to resign from Test cricket. Ok nothing wrong with that I hear you say, but it’s not as simple as that! He offered to hang up his white coat for a price, $500,000 in fact or £266,000.

Many will see this as a sordid attempt to extract the urine/money but he insists that he was looking for a way out that would re balance the cricketing world following the decision last Sunday. Darrell Hair now 53 sent an email to the ICC, Malcom Speed, its Chairman has confirmed the Australian umpire has been under an enormous amount of stress but following legal advice had no option but to make this matter public.

And he said he was satisfied Hair had not made the offer with any “dishonest, underhand or malicious intent”.

“He was seeking to find a solution that was in the interests of the game.”

The ICC’s lawyers advised the organisation to disclose the contents of Hair’s message to the Pakistan Cricket Board as they were relevant to the disciplinary case brought against captain Inzamam-ul-Haq. Having informed the PCB, Speed then felt compelled to make the documents public in case they were leaked anyway.

Darrell Hair has since revoked the email citing it was sent after a stressful time in the spotlight. Hair doesn’t strike me as someone who bows to either pressure or stress and is certainly no stranger to controversy in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe or India. Hair knew exactly what he was doing on Sunday and in his email to the ICC. It’s about time …

[ 2 Replies ]

Schapelle Corby Still Fighting

Posted on August 23, 2006
by

I’ve been meaning to write something about Schapelle Corby for some time now, long before I started this blog a few weeks ago,born out of frustration for her predicament, unable to help in any way, it infuriated me to the nth degree.

Schapelle was born in Australia in 1977 and has recently turned 29 while serving a 20 year jail sentence for importing/smuggling 4.1Kg of cannabis to Bali in October 2004. She was sentenced in May 2005 and the sentencing was carried live by satellite to both Australia and New Zealand, the guilty verdict greeted in utter disbelief.

There was immediate condemnation of the result from fellow Australian citizens and once the news had reached the other side of the world in the UK, it was met with a similar feelings. Public and political outcry followed but despite letters from leading politicians and celebrities including Russell Crowe, the Bali Government were unmoved and the 20 years sentencing stood.

I strongly believe that Schapelle is innocent and is the victim of a drug smuggling operation gone wrong, as far as she was concerned that is. Popular opinions suggest that the drugs, found in her boogie board on arrival in Bali, were never meant to leave Australia and were bound for Sydney. The drugs were planted in her unlocked boogie board in Brisbane and upon arrival in Sydney Airport were supposed to be removed and collected by an unknown drug ring.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald Corby flew out of Sydney on the same day (8 October 2004) as a large shipment of cocaine was shipped out of the airport by a drug ring involving corrupt baggage handlers. During the week of 9 May 2005 in Australia several arrests occurred related to cocaine smuggling through Sydney airport. Her defence claimed that the …

[ 2 Replies ]

Joe Rosenthal Dies Aged 94

Posted on August 22, 2006
by

Joe Rosenthal, the photographer who took the soul-stirring picture of the World War II flag-raising on Iwo Jima, died Sunday at the age of 94. The committee who awarded him the Pulitzer Prize for that photo in 1945 described it as “depicting one of the war’s great moments,” a “frozen flash of history.” Some consider it to be one of the most famous photos ever taken.

On February 23, 1945, during the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Division caputred the strategic crest of Mount Suribachi and raised the U.S. flag – the image captured in the famous photo. Unfortunately, by the end of the battle of Iwo Jima just over a month later, three of the six men seen raising the flag in the famous Rosenthal photo had died in combat.

…
[ 1 Reply ]

Suspected Terrorists Delay Monarch Flight

Posted on August 21, 2006
by

I’ve heard it all now ! In an ever changing world due to the numerous terrorist plots and threats, passenger power has won the day in Malaga following concerns by passengers flying back to Manchester. Two men were removed from the plane because other travellers thought they were speaking Arabic. Surely freedom of speech allows us to speak in our own language, we don’t all have to speak English. I can see that due to recent events over the last few years that people are wary of middle eastern people but surely everyone has the right to travel without suspicion.

Basically, because a couple of passengers overheard the two men talking in Arabic and had an Asian/Middle Eastern type appearance it set alarm bells ringing. Those passengers complained to Monarch that they would not board the flight until the pair were removed from the plane. This set of a chain reaction similar to Chinese Whispers and the rest of the passengers joined suit. The two men were taken from Wednesday’s flight ZB 613 and questioned but were allowed to fly back to the UK later in the week. There has been wide condemnation on this and as yet Monarch Airlines have refused to apologise for any inconvenience caused to the two men who missed the flight.

Does this mean now that if I don’t like the look of someone I can demand that they not board the same flight? Just because someone is of a certain religion or ethnicity doesn’t mean they are on the flight to cause harm. On the other hand it is a delicate situation and the media more often than not do not help paranoia in the general population. Who knows what the right thing to do is but if they were known terrorists I’d like …

Comments Off

Play Suspended following cheating allegations

Posted on August 20, 2006
by

Oh Dear, Oh Dear, it just isn’t cricket ! No, really it isn’t ! The Oval Test has been turned on its head following ball-tampering allegations by Australian umpire Darrell Hair. England were awarded five runs and the ball was replaced after the umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove decided the ball had been altered artificially.

Hair is no stranger to controversy and Pakistan have publicly complained to the ICC that he is not the right umpire to officiate between the two countries. As it stands right now, the umpires have awarded the game to England and as far as they are concerned the game is over !

This is really crazy and all I hope is that Hair has seen ball-tampering and has proof because if he hasn’t and all he has done is suspect that something wrong has happened then we could be in for some serious ramifications. We probably are anyway but this is very interesting. No further play will happen today, only time will tell if it resumes tomorrow morning.

…
[ 1 Reply ]

Marion Jones Tests Positive

Posted on August 19, 2006
by

Another drugs scandal is set to rock Athletics with 30 year old sprint star Marion Jones testing positive for EPO in June. Jones was tested at the US Championships in Indianapolis and her test gave a positive reading for erythropoietin. Rumours are also circulating that there are a number of American athletes from the June Championships who have failed a drugs test in one way or another, if this does prove correct then the athletics world will be turned upside down.

Although the numerous “possible” positive drug results would hurt athletics in the short term, there is no doubt that the sport will bounce back stronger and hopefully cleaner than before. I still don’t understand why an athlete of any description would risk not only their career but health taking the banned substances. Ok, so monetary gain is a given, as is being known throughout the world if you are good but surely it’s not worth it, is it?

Ben Johnson was the first main positive drug test that I can remember (1988 testing positive for steroids) and I do know that it rocked the sporting world. He cheated his way to the top, sold his soul and the devil came to collect. Stripped of his title there was no going back for Johnson. I hope the same thing doesn’t happen to Marion Jones and she can clear her name but it’s looking doubtful and at 30, a ban of any length would mean the end of her career. Only Jones’s A sample has been tested, and if her B sample also tests positive for drugs, Jones would face a two-year suspension

The other thing that I can’t quite put my finger on is after all these years of people related to her testing positive for drugs, Jones has …

[ 8 Replies ]

Tamara Hoover Quits Over Nude Pics

Posted on August 19, 2006
by

Tamara Hoover, a high school teacher from Austin Texas has quit her position following nude photo’s of the teacher appearing on the internet. It was a decision made in consultation with the Austin school district.

The Dallas News posted an article with Hoover defending herself a month after the pictures came to light.

She won’t leave empty handed however, receiving just under $15,000 in wages. The pictures came to light on May 22nd when she had a feud with another art teacher. Students who came across the pictures complained and the rest as they say is history.

The photos, which were posted on Flickr.com by her partner, depict Hoover in the shower, lifting weights, getting dressed, in bed and doing other routine activities. Hoover said the district was focusing on eight pictures among hundreds that were posted on the Web site.

By all accounts, before the photo’s came to light she was an award winning teacher, infact I guess she still is unless they take her awards away from her. Tamara is/was an art teach and as such will always explore various areas of art and if these pictures were taken with her partner (also an art teacher) then surely these are deemed as private. The sticking point of course is that these are no longer private but as you can see from one example here, the pictures are artistic.

Time will heal and people will forget. tamara will move on and carve out a career no doubt, just where she goes in the immediate future is anyone’s guess.

…
[ 6 Replies ]

Blackberry used for Espionage !

Posted on August 15, 2006
by

As a fellow Blackberry user I was intrigued by the following story of noughts and crosses and how Blackberry could be hijacked to seal confidential data. In true James Bond stylee, once the user has been duped into downloading the game possibilities are endless and the world of espionage opens up!

All they have to do is trick the user into downloading a game of noughts and crosses and the programmes goes to town, hacking in to retrieve vital information.

“A malicious person could potentially use this back channel to move around inside of an organization unabated and remove confidential information undetected or use the back channel to install malware on the network,” said Paul Henry of Secure Computing in a statement.

Research In Motion (RIM) played down the threat from Mr D’Aguanno’s work and said he made “several reaching assumptions” about how corporates use the Blackberry.

A booby-trapped game of noughts and crosses has been used to show how a Blackberry can be hijacked to steal confidential data.

…
Comments Off

Mel Gibson Arrested DUI

Posted on July 31, 2006
by

Someone once said that you learn something new every day and today is no exception for me. I don’t know if I can be accused of being blinkered, out of touch or blind but I can honestly say I never knew anything about Mel Gibson’s problems with alcohol, the devil’s drink, the … you can go on! I don’t know how I could have missed this news but following his public arrest on Friday in Malibu it has now become apparent, the Oscar winning director and actor has a huge problem.

I know he had received a lot of criticism for his anti-semitic views especially following his film “The Passion of the Christ” and his alleged distorted view of the Bible etc etc. He has since released a statement on his drunken behaviour with many people especially showbiz reporters claiming he had received preferential treatment due to his fund-raising efforts for the police. Hollywood Split over Gibson’s future

The police did not charge him with driving under the influence because it’s the district attorney’s duty to decide if the arrest merits charges. After being taken into custody, Gibson posted $5,000 bond for his release, said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Will this have any affect on his future box office draw or will it increase his profile ? we all know he won’t be the last actor to resort to drinking but i for one do not condone any drinking and driving – I don’t care who you are. If you drink; you don’t drive, simple as that.

The statement reads as follows:-

After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed.

I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the LA County …

Comments Off

I was the Queen’s chauffeur!

Posted on July 30, 2006
by

Found an interesting story (of sorts) in the Daily Mail Online today, not that I’m a Royal follower! Russell Town a local shopkeeper in Ardminish on the Hebridean island of Gigha had spotted Princess Anne on a push bike. She walked into his shop and asked if he knew of a village taxi which could take the Queen from Eilean Garbh beach three miles away to the island’s Achamore Gardens.

Twenty minutes later he found himself collecting the Queen, who is on a cruise of the Western Isles, and ferrying her to the local gardens in his Peugeot people carrier.

He said: ‘It was just so bizarre. One minute I was serving in the shop and the next I was sitting next to the most famous woman in the world. She is very down to earth. I’ve never been an ardent royalist but I have always quite liked the Queen and now I have real respect for her. I didn’t realise just how nice a person she is.’

Now that doesn’t happen every day does it !!! I expect he’ll be dining out on that story for years to come!

…
Comments Off

Bush and Blair meet …. Israel

Posted on July 28, 2006
by

Tony Blair has set off for Washington for his meeting with President Bush at The White House. It’ll be the first meeting since they left a microphone open and were complimenting each other, Bush thanking Blair for his sweater and Blair remarking that “I made it !”. Just goes to show what two of the biggest leaders of the free world talk about, knitting patterns !!!

I’m not sure where the conflict in Lebanon will go but I hope it ends soon, Israel’s reaction has been to say the least “too strong” and “disproportional”. Neither side is helping matters but anything other than a call for an immediate ceasefire would be unacceptable. Why hasn’t this been called for before now ? Who knows what Blair will ask Bush, only time will tell.

Earlier in the week it was revealed that America used Prestwick airport to transfer bombs to Israel, the same bombs used to attack Lebanon killing and maiming dozens of innocent civilians. The latest number of Lebanese killed has now been confirmed at 425 after 17 days of conflict.

After the White House, the PM will fly on to California to address executives at Rupert Murdoch’s News International, for the first time since 1995 when he was in the opposition party.

Backbench Labour MPs are increasingly urging Mr Blair to put aside his refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire and there has also been private criticism from inside the Cabinet.

One other subject that will surely be on the agenda is the notorious “special relationship” the two countries have where the US have taken for granted that the UK will back whatever the US decide. The time has come for us to question this and for the first time in many a year, both public and ministers …

Comments Off
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: