MANY of the institutions that underpin our democracy are failing. But,
much more worryingly, the checks and balances that are supposed to hold
these institutions to account are failing.
The NHS is a patchwork
quilt. Where it is good, it is very good but where it is bad it is
awful. Yet the various agencies and management boards that are supposed
to monitor the NHS and hold it to account are failing to do their job.
The
same applies to the police force. Whether it be Hillsborough or the
Stephen Lawrence murder, or many other such examples, bad practice has
been rife in parts of the force. Yet much of this has not been picked up
and/or overlooked.
I can remember being harrassed by the police
in the 1980s for supporting such wild, fringe groups as the
Anti-Apartheid movement. On the surface we were harassed and asked to
move on whenever and wherever we were picketing or leafletting or
whatever. The Thatcher Government of the time, the one who considered
Mandela a terrorist and Pinochet a friend, brought in a new law to
prevent more than ten people congregating in one place at one time, to
hamper peaceful protest.
It was also relatively common for plain
clothes police officers to infiltrate our meetings, no doubt to
ascertain our intentions to overthrow the state.
It was
considered par for the course, as the police had been politicised to be
less the upholders of law and order but more the defenders of a slightly
dodgy capitalist system. And it seems for some, the world has not moved
on and Life on Mars is still the reality in some parts of the force.
And there is no proper accountability.
It has been suggested that
in future any covert action, of the kind apparently taken against the
family of Stephen Lawrence, should first gain court approval.
That
bastion of working people’s sense of justice will hardly ease our
minds. In Parliament the expenses scandal is accepted, if at all, very
grudgingly by most MPs. Still attempts are being made to circumvent the
new rules, as though they hardly matter. And, of course, the press has
not been immune. Parts of the press behaved very badly and broke
standards, rules, and laws.
Yet the upholders and defenders of
these standards and rules did little or nothing to prevent or expose
these failings and crimes. So we have an inquiry, led by a judge, which,
despite months of hearing, seems to be going nowhere. What is lacking
in this society is the belief that when an organ of the state, or an
institution there to uphold democracy, fails, redress can be sought by
the countless watchdogs there to do just that.
Part of the
problem is that ordinary people were, in the main, removed form any such
watchdogs, boards, committees etc, to be replaced by professionals.
Professionals have a different view: they are paid and are part of the system, not outside it.
At
a local level, people still come to us for help, and if we can we will
support those treated badly and unjustly by the organs of the state. But
that is not the whole solution, as people should expect, and receive,
proper resolution to their complaints and should expect to be treated
decently by those allegedly helping them.
The only alternatives
become protesting on the street and whistleblowers. If we have to uphold
our rights in this way, what’s the point of democracy?
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Preferring to keep its U.S. focus on the Triple Crown
Earlier this month, when horses gathered in the paddock at Belmont Park
before heading to the track for the Belmont Stakes, they walked around
an iconic white pine tree, thought to be a part of the estate on which
the racetrack was constructed in 1905.
Estimated to be nearly 200 years old, the tree was joined in 2012 by a younger, more contemporary neighbor, a Longines clock, a symbol of the partnership between the New York Racing Association, which runs Belmont, and the venerable timepiece company established in 1867.
In 2012, Longines became the presenting partner of the Longines Just A Game Stakes on the Belmont undercard, continuing that partnership this year while becoming the official timekeeper and watch of the Belmont Stakes. Following Palace Malice’s Belmont win, Longines presented watches to the horse’s winning connections: jockey Mike Smith, trainer Todd Pletcher, and owner Cot Campbell, president of Dogwood Stable.
The event marked the beginning of a busy month of racing for Longines, whose relationship with the sport began in 1878, when it designed a chronograph (stopwatch) decorated with an image of a jockey and his mount. According to the company, the model became popular at the racetrack for use in timing equine performances.
Following the Belmont, Longines was a prominent presence at both Chantilly Racecourse and Royal Ascot, as the official partner and timekeeper for the Prix de Diane Longines and the official timekeeper, partner, and watch of Royal Ascot.
Longines has been presenting watches to racetrack winners since as far back as 1938. An article that year in the Daily Racing Form notes that the company would give wristwatches to the leading jockey and trainer at the Louisiana Jockey Club. It did the same that year at Fairmount Park in Illinois.
Partnerships and sponsorships between racetracks and non-racing entities are few and far between, except at the highest levels of the sport (The Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum!, for instance, or the Breeders’ Cup Classic, at one time Powered By Dodge, but unsponsored since 2006). Branding opportunities by breeding farms or other racing businesses offer revenue streams for the tracks and exposure to the sponsoring companies, but they do little to expand the sport’s reach beyond its niche market. Longines is one of the few non-industry companies with a long-standing and wide-ranging financial commitment to equestrian sports, and particularly horse racing.
For the first time in 2013, Longines was the official timekeeper and official watch of all three Triple Crown races; it was also a title sponsor of the Kentucky Oaks. Other title sponsorships include the Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup and the Longines Jockey Club Cup in Hong Kong.
Molly Brindle, sponsorship sales manager of the New York Racing Association, worked on the Belmont Park partnership with Longines and has traveled to other venues, in the U.S. and abroad, to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
“One of the appealing things about the partnership with Longines,” she said, “is that they do so much to partner with racetracks to promote them as fashionable venues. They’re emblematic of the elegance of the sport of the kings.”
“Part of the entertainment of coming to the racetrack is seeing people elegantly dressed,” she went on, “and I’ve seen first-hand how Longines links their brand with elegance. It was evident at the Preakness and at Chantilly.”
“Racing has always been a sport close to the brand’s heart,” said a representative of the company. “Our brand is all about elegance and history, and racing is kind of a natural fit.”
In its role as an arbiter of elegance, Longines sponsored a contest at Chantilly for “the most elegant lady at the racecourse” and served as a judge for the best turned out horse at Ascot. At this year’s Kentucky Derby, Longines offered a “most elegant woman” contest, complete with on-site registration requirements, a stage, and celebrity judges. Not all its fashion events are quite so formal; at some racetracks, a photographer will move among the crowd, nominating people throughout the day, with contestants or noteworthy participants shown on a big infield screen.
If presentations at major races in three countries weren’t enough to keep the Longines representatives busy in June, the company also announced a long-term partnership with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, in which Longines became the official sponsor of the World’s Best Racehorses Rankings.
The retired, undefeated Australian mare Black Caviar ranks #1 through June 9, followed by three horses based in the United States for their racing careers: Wise Dan, Animal Kingdom, and Game On Dude. Animal Kingdom was recently retired and will begin his stud career in Australia.
Preferring to keep its U.S. focus on the Triple Crown, Longines will have a less visible presence here during summer racing and the road to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park in November. Its international profile will be higher, at equestrian events beyond the racetrack, as the company has a 10-year, multi-million dollar agreement with the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the international governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines.
Despite that absence in the second half of the racing year, Longines expects to continue its participation in horse racing for the foreseeable future.
“As early as 1886,” said Juan-Carlos Capelli, Longines’ vice president and head of international marketing, via e-mail, “Longines was able to boast that its products were being used by the majority of judges at sports events. Furthermore, the world of horseracing has much to do with tradition, performance and elegance, the core values of Longines.”
Estimated to be nearly 200 years old, the tree was joined in 2012 by a younger, more contemporary neighbor, a Longines clock, a symbol of the partnership between the New York Racing Association, which runs Belmont, and the venerable timepiece company established in 1867.
In 2012, Longines became the presenting partner of the Longines Just A Game Stakes on the Belmont undercard, continuing that partnership this year while becoming the official timekeeper and watch of the Belmont Stakes. Following Palace Malice’s Belmont win, Longines presented watches to the horse’s winning connections: jockey Mike Smith, trainer Todd Pletcher, and owner Cot Campbell, president of Dogwood Stable.
The event marked the beginning of a busy month of racing for Longines, whose relationship with the sport began in 1878, when it designed a chronograph (stopwatch) decorated with an image of a jockey and his mount. According to the company, the model became popular at the racetrack for use in timing equine performances.
Following the Belmont, Longines was a prominent presence at both Chantilly Racecourse and Royal Ascot, as the official partner and timekeeper for the Prix de Diane Longines and the official timekeeper, partner, and watch of Royal Ascot.
Longines has been presenting watches to racetrack winners since as far back as 1938. An article that year in the Daily Racing Form notes that the company would give wristwatches to the leading jockey and trainer at the Louisiana Jockey Club. It did the same that year at Fairmount Park in Illinois.
Partnerships and sponsorships between racetracks and non-racing entities are few and far between, except at the highest levels of the sport (The Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum!, for instance, or the Breeders’ Cup Classic, at one time Powered By Dodge, but unsponsored since 2006). Branding opportunities by breeding farms or other racing businesses offer revenue streams for the tracks and exposure to the sponsoring companies, but they do little to expand the sport’s reach beyond its niche market. Longines is one of the few non-industry companies with a long-standing and wide-ranging financial commitment to equestrian sports, and particularly horse racing.
For the first time in 2013, Longines was the official timekeeper and official watch of all three Triple Crown races; it was also a title sponsor of the Kentucky Oaks. Other title sponsorships include the Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup and the Longines Jockey Club Cup in Hong Kong.
Molly Brindle, sponsorship sales manager of the New York Racing Association, worked on the Belmont Park partnership with Longines and has traveled to other venues, in the U.S. and abroad, to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
“One of the appealing things about the partnership with Longines,” she said, “is that they do so much to partner with racetracks to promote them as fashionable venues. They’re emblematic of the elegance of the sport of the kings.”
“Part of the entertainment of coming to the racetrack is seeing people elegantly dressed,” she went on, “and I’ve seen first-hand how Longines links their brand with elegance. It was evident at the Preakness and at Chantilly.”
“Racing has always been a sport close to the brand’s heart,” said a representative of the company. “Our brand is all about elegance and history, and racing is kind of a natural fit.”
In its role as an arbiter of elegance, Longines sponsored a contest at Chantilly for “the most elegant lady at the racecourse” and served as a judge for the best turned out horse at Ascot. At this year’s Kentucky Derby, Longines offered a “most elegant woman” contest, complete with on-site registration requirements, a stage, and celebrity judges. Not all its fashion events are quite so formal; at some racetracks, a photographer will move among the crowd, nominating people throughout the day, with contestants or noteworthy participants shown on a big infield screen.
If presentations at major races in three countries weren’t enough to keep the Longines representatives busy in June, the company also announced a long-term partnership with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, in which Longines became the official sponsor of the World’s Best Racehorses Rankings.
The retired, undefeated Australian mare Black Caviar ranks #1 through June 9, followed by three horses based in the United States for their racing careers: Wise Dan, Animal Kingdom, and Game On Dude. Animal Kingdom was recently retired and will begin his stud career in Australia.
Preferring to keep its U.S. focus on the Triple Crown, Longines will have a less visible presence here during summer racing and the road to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park in November. Its international profile will be higher, at equestrian events beyond the racetrack, as the company has a 10-year, multi-million dollar agreement with the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the international governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines.
Despite that absence in the second half of the racing year, Longines expects to continue its participation in horse racing for the foreseeable future.
“As early as 1886,” said Juan-Carlos Capelli, Longines’ vice president and head of international marketing, via e-mail, “Longines was able to boast that its products were being used by the majority of judges at sports events. Furthermore, the world of horseracing has much to do with tradition, performance and elegance, the core values of Longines.”
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney
Wristwatches are a vital piece of any gentleman’s wardrobe; however,
over the past fifty years, traditional timepieces have evolved from
simple and functionally-sound devices into unflinching symbols of
affluence. Few wristwatches successfully project these bold sentiments
as well as the exceptional diamond Breitling watches designed and
distributed by the master craftsmen at Avianne Jewelers. Refining their
craft for two decades in New York City’s legendary Diamond District, the
team has become known for their consistently evolving selection of
exquisite diamond jewelry and also for their creative and loyal
clientele worldwide.
While their gallery of Mens Diamond Watches is filled with an assortment of sensational luxury brands along with a variety of customizable options, the Custom Breitling Super Avenger Mens Diamond Watch is among the finest in the jeweler's collection. This one of a kind timepiece is fully flooded with a 3.5 carat case featuring three mother-of-pearl sub dials and a handcrafted bezel measuring 54mm in diameter micro-set with 13.50 carat diamonds. Among the jeweler’s finest Diamond Breitling watches, the Super Avenger is detailed with a single crown and two buttons and its 6.58 carat diamond case is secured with a variety of interchangeable wristbands, the standard and most elegant being the black leather band which locks with a fully flooded 1.75 carat buckle clasp closure.
Made exclusively for hip-hop record producer and world-renowned MPC aficionado Araabmuzik with an assortment of customizable bands and faces, the Super Avenger commands the attention of those occupying every room the wearer enters. Among his favorite pieces, the custom Breitling has been worn by the artist during a number of his live performances. A powerful gesture for those bold enough to wear it, the Iced-Out Breitling Super Avenger Diamond Watch by Avianne & Co. is specially priced at $18,500.00. For more information regarding their collection of Mens Diamond Watches, call 888-243-4344 to speak with a dedicated sales representative.
With his father and coach John courtside for the second straight event, Tomic gave his Wimbledon preparation a badly-needed boost with a professional 6-3 6-4 win.
Despite pulling out of the doubles at Queen's Club last week, Tomic showed no signs of the hamstring injury suffered during a first-round French Open loss last month.
He'll face either South African fifth seed Kevin Anderson or Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the next round.
It was Tomic's first win since his father was charged with allegedly assaulting Bernard's former training partner, Frenchman Thomas Drouet, during the Madrid Masters in May.
John Tomic was present for his son's first-round singles loss at Queen's Club last week, despite his ATP coaching credentials remaining suspended, and he was again on site to see his son play in the seaside town on England's south coast.
Major League Baseball is dragging its feet on having team owners vote on the Oakland Athletics' proposed move to a new ballpark 40 miles south in San Jose, San Jose city officials said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The lawsuit -- filed in federal court in San Jose -- is disputing MLB's exemption to federal antitrust law, which MLB has used as a "guise" to control the location of teams, according to the suit.
"It's time for someone to take on this supposed baseball exemption from antitrust laws," said attorney Phil Gregory of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the law firm representing the city. "The City of San Jose is a perfect candidate to make that challenge."
The San Francisco Giants have objected to the A's potential move on grounds they relied on territorial rights to the San Jose-area market when they built their ballpark, AT&T Park.
The A's say those rights were only meant to support the Giants' failed efforts in the early 1990s to build a San Jose-area ballpark themselves.
MLB commissioner Bud Selig appointed a committee more than four years ago to study the potential move.
He rejected a proposal earlier this year from San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed to sit down and talk about the A's plans and said Reed's reference to additional litigation at the time was "neither productive nor consistent with process that the Athletics have initiated under our rules."
Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney declined to comment. A's owner Lew Wolff released a brief statement.
"I have no details," Wolff said. "However, I am not in favor of legal action or legal threats to solve business issues."
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
While their gallery of Mens Diamond Watches is filled with an assortment of sensational luxury brands along with a variety of customizable options, the Custom Breitling Super Avenger Mens Diamond Watch is among the finest in the jeweler's collection. This one of a kind timepiece is fully flooded with a 3.5 carat case featuring three mother-of-pearl sub dials and a handcrafted bezel measuring 54mm in diameter micro-set with 13.50 carat diamonds. Among the jeweler’s finest Diamond Breitling watches, the Super Avenger is detailed with a single crown and two buttons and its 6.58 carat diamond case is secured with a variety of interchangeable wristbands, the standard and most elegant being the black leather band which locks with a fully flooded 1.75 carat buckle clasp closure.
Made exclusively for hip-hop record producer and world-renowned MPC aficionado Araabmuzik with an assortment of customizable bands and faces, the Super Avenger commands the attention of those occupying every room the wearer enters. Among his favorite pieces, the custom Breitling has been worn by the artist during a number of his live performances. A powerful gesture for those bold enough to wear it, the Iced-Out Breitling Super Avenger Diamond Watch by Avianne & Co. is specially priced at $18,500.00. For more information regarding their collection of Mens Diamond Watches, call 888-243-4344 to speak with a dedicated sales representative.
With his father and coach John courtside for the second straight event, Tomic gave his Wimbledon preparation a badly-needed boost with a professional 6-3 6-4 win.
Despite pulling out of the doubles at Queen's Club last week, Tomic showed no signs of the hamstring injury suffered during a first-round French Open loss last month.
He'll face either South African fifth seed Kevin Anderson or Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the next round.
It was Tomic's first win since his father was charged with allegedly assaulting Bernard's former training partner, Frenchman Thomas Drouet, during the Madrid Masters in May.
John Tomic was present for his son's first-round singles loss at Queen's Club last week, despite his ATP coaching credentials remaining suspended, and he was again on site to see his son play in the seaside town on England's south coast.
Major League Baseball is dragging its feet on having team owners vote on the Oakland Athletics' proposed move to a new ballpark 40 miles south in San Jose, San Jose city officials said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The lawsuit -- filed in federal court in San Jose -- is disputing MLB's exemption to federal antitrust law, which MLB has used as a "guise" to control the location of teams, according to the suit.
"It's time for someone to take on this supposed baseball exemption from antitrust laws," said attorney Phil Gregory of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the law firm representing the city. "The City of San Jose is a perfect candidate to make that challenge."
The San Francisco Giants have objected to the A's potential move on grounds they relied on territorial rights to the San Jose-area market when they built their ballpark, AT&T Park.
The A's say those rights were only meant to support the Giants' failed efforts in the early 1990s to build a San Jose-area ballpark themselves.
MLB commissioner Bud Selig appointed a committee more than four years ago to study the potential move.
He rejected a proposal earlier this year from San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed to sit down and talk about the A's plans and said Reed's reference to additional litigation at the time was "neither productive nor consistent with process that the Athletics have initiated under our rules."
Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney declined to comment. A's owner Lew Wolff released a brief statement.
"I have no details," Wolff said. "However, I am not in favor of legal action or legal threats to solve business issues."
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
The company’s chief technology officer Justin Rattner
A Cumnock golfer has received a limited-edition BOSS watch after scoring a hole-in-one during a recent competition at his club.
Kevin Nisbet, 40, scored his ace on the 181-yard, par-three sixth at his club, New Cumnock, and the six-handicapper was rewarded with membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1 Club and a specially-commissioned, commemorative timepiece.
The luxury German brand has pledged to reward club golfers with an exclusive watch for every hole-in-one recorded during a club competition between April 15 and October 31 this year. And, with nearly 4,000 holes-in-one recorded annually, BOSS Watches could feasibly be giving away $1m-worth in 2013.
The scheme is open to any golfer whose club uses HowDidiDo - a free-to-use, web-based social network for golfers - and anybody playing in official club competitions will be eligible. Currently, more than 1,800 clubs use the website.
Stephen Brydon, commercial director for MGS Distribution, the official licenced UK distributor for BOSS Watches, said: "Congratulations to Kevin on what, to most of us, is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.
"To the majority of amateur golfers, recording a hole-in-one will be the most memorable thing they achieve in golf - yet all many have to show for it is a dent in their bank balance after buying a round of drinks in the clubhouse.
"We aim to make it a lot more memorable for them by presenting them with an exclusive BOSS watch, only available to golfers who record a hole-in-one, so they are truly exclusive and will provide a constant reminder of the sight of their ball popping into the hole and the emotions attached to that very moment.
"It also adds a frisson of extra excitement to club competitions for golfers who may not be in with a chance of winning the event, for they know that every time they stand on the tee on a par-three, they are just one shot away from winning a stunning timepiece."
In addition to the limited-edition watch, Nisbet is also awarded membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1 Club which offers its members access to exclusive benefits and merchandise.
No extra registration is required to participate in the BOSS Watches promotion as all official club competitions are recorded on the HowDidiDo system, so holes-in-one will be noted and automatically ratified by the golfer's club.
Smart watches aren’t really part of mainstream consumer tech just yet, but that could all change very soon. Within the past year major tech companies such as Apple, Google, LG, Microsoft and Samsung have been rumored to be working on wearable tech, and now Intel can be added to that lineup.
The company’s chief technology officer Justin Rattner said that Intel is testing several “experimental devices in the lab,” one of which happens to be a smart watch.
“Actually, we’re looking at novel display devices,” Rattner said at Bloomberg’s Next Big Thing conference this week. “The watch is kind of—if you want to put the time on it, that’s fine. But if you’re talking about texting today, wouldn’t it be nice if you could just look at your wrist?”
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Kevin Nisbet, 40, scored his ace on the 181-yard, par-three sixth at his club, New Cumnock, and the six-handicapper was rewarded with membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1 Club and a specially-commissioned, commemorative timepiece.
The luxury German brand has pledged to reward club golfers with an exclusive watch for every hole-in-one recorded during a club competition between April 15 and October 31 this year. And, with nearly 4,000 holes-in-one recorded annually, BOSS Watches could feasibly be giving away $1m-worth in 2013.
The scheme is open to any golfer whose club uses HowDidiDo - a free-to-use, web-based social network for golfers - and anybody playing in official club competitions will be eligible. Currently, more than 1,800 clubs use the website.
Stephen Brydon, commercial director for MGS Distribution, the official licenced UK distributor for BOSS Watches, said: "Congratulations to Kevin on what, to most of us, is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.
"To the majority of amateur golfers, recording a hole-in-one will be the most memorable thing they achieve in golf - yet all many have to show for it is a dent in their bank balance after buying a round of drinks in the clubhouse.
"We aim to make it a lot more memorable for them by presenting them with an exclusive BOSS watch, only available to golfers who record a hole-in-one, so they are truly exclusive and will provide a constant reminder of the sight of their ball popping into the hole and the emotions attached to that very moment.
"It also adds a frisson of extra excitement to club competitions for golfers who may not be in with a chance of winning the event, for they know that every time they stand on the tee on a par-three, they are just one shot away from winning a stunning timepiece."
In addition to the limited-edition watch, Nisbet is also awarded membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1 Club which offers its members access to exclusive benefits and merchandise.
No extra registration is required to participate in the BOSS Watches promotion as all official club competitions are recorded on the HowDidiDo system, so holes-in-one will be noted and automatically ratified by the golfer's club.
Smart watches aren’t really part of mainstream consumer tech just yet, but that could all change very soon. Within the past year major tech companies such as Apple, Google, LG, Microsoft and Samsung have been rumored to be working on wearable tech, and now Intel can be added to that lineup.
The company’s chief technology officer Justin Rattner said that Intel is testing several “experimental devices in the lab,” one of which happens to be a smart watch.
“Actually, we’re looking at novel display devices,” Rattner said at Bloomberg’s Next Big Thing conference this week. “The watch is kind of—if you want to put the time on it, that’s fine. But if you’re talking about texting today, wouldn’t it be nice if you could just look at your wrist?”
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Monday, 17 June 2013
Police seal off Istanbul square after clearing out protesters with tear gas, water cannons
Protesters set up barricades and plumes of tear gas rose in Istanbul's
streets into the early hours after Turkish riot police rousted a group
who had vowed to stay in Gezi Park despite Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's warnings to leave.
As dusk fell Saturday, hundreds of white-helmeted riot police swept through the park and adjacent Taksim Square, firing canisters of the acrid, stinging gas. Thousands of peaceful protesters, choking on the fumes and stumbling among the tents, put up little physical resistance.
The protests began as an environmental sit-in to prevent a development project at Gezi Park, but have quickly spread to dozens of cities and spiraled into a broader expression of discontent about what many say is Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian decision-making. He vehemently denies the charge, pointing to the strong support base that helped him win third consecutive term with 50 percent of the vote in 2011.
As police cleared the square, many ran into nearby hotels for shelter. A stand-off developed at a luxury hotel on the edge of the park, where police opened up with water cannons against protesters and journalists outside before throwing tear gas at the entrance, filling the lobby with white smoke. At other hotels, plain-clothes policemen turned up outside, demanding the protesters come out.
Some protesters ran off into nearby streets, setting up makeshift barricades and running from water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets.
As news of the raid broke, thousands of people from other parts of Istanbul gathered and were attempting to reach Taksim. Television showed footage of riot police firing tear gas on a highway and bridge across the Bosphorus to prevent protesters from heading to the area.
As the tear gas settled, bulldozers moved into the park, scooping up debris and loading it into trucks. Crews of workmen in fluorescent yellow vests and plain-clothes police went through the abandoned belongings, opening bags and searching their contents before tearing down the tents, food centers and library the protesters had set up in what had become a bustling tent city.
Demonstrations also erupted in other cities. In Ankara, at least 3,000 people swarmed into John F. Kennedy street, where opposition party legislators sat down at the front of the crowd facing the riot police _ not far from Parliament. In Izmir, thousands converged at a seafront square.
Near Gezi, ambulances ferried the injured to hospitals as police set up cordons and roadblocks around the park, preventing anyone from getting close.
Tayfun Kahraman, a member of Taksim Solidarity, an umbrella group of protest movements, said an untold number of people in the park had been injured _ some from rubber bullets.
"Let them keep the park, we don't care anymore. Let it all be theirs. This crackdown has to stop. The people are in a terrible state," he told The Associated Press by phone.
Taksim Solidarity, on its Web site, called the incursion "atrocious" and counted hundreds of injured _ which it called a provisional estimate _ as well as an undetermined number of arrests. Istanbul governor's office said at least 44 people were taken to hospitals for treatment. None of them were in serious condition, it said in a statement.
Huseyin Celik, the spokesman for Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, told NTV that the sit-in had to end.
"They had made their voice heard ... Our government could not have allowed such an occupation to go on until the end," he said.
It was a violent police raid on May 31 against a small sit-in in Gezi Park that sparked the initial outrage and spiraled into a much broader protest. While those in the park have now fled, it was unclear whether they would take their movement to other places, or try to return to the park at a later time.
The protests, which left at least four people dead and more than 5,000 injured, have dented Erdogan's international reputation and infuriated him with a previously unseen defiance to his rule.
Saturday's raid came less than two hours after Erdogan threatened protesters in a boisterous speech in Sincan, an Ankara suburb that is a stronghold of his party.
"I say this very clearly: either Taksim Square is cleared, or if it isn't cleared then the security forces of this country will know how to clear it," he told tens of thousands of supporters at a political rally.
A second pro-government rally is planned in Istanbul on Sunday.
According to the government's redevelopment plan for Taksim Square that caused the sit-in, the park would be replaced with a replica Ottoman-era barracks. Under initial plans, the construction would have housed a shopping mall, though that has since been amended to the possibility of an opera house, a theater and a museum with cafes.
On Friday, Erdogan offered to defer to a court ruling on the legality of the government's contested park redevelopment plan, and floated the possibility of a referendum on it.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
As dusk fell Saturday, hundreds of white-helmeted riot police swept through the park and adjacent Taksim Square, firing canisters of the acrid, stinging gas. Thousands of peaceful protesters, choking on the fumes and stumbling among the tents, put up little physical resistance.
The protests began as an environmental sit-in to prevent a development project at Gezi Park, but have quickly spread to dozens of cities and spiraled into a broader expression of discontent about what many say is Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian decision-making. He vehemently denies the charge, pointing to the strong support base that helped him win third consecutive term with 50 percent of the vote in 2011.
As police cleared the square, many ran into nearby hotels for shelter. A stand-off developed at a luxury hotel on the edge of the park, where police opened up with water cannons against protesters and journalists outside before throwing tear gas at the entrance, filling the lobby with white smoke. At other hotels, plain-clothes policemen turned up outside, demanding the protesters come out.
Some protesters ran off into nearby streets, setting up makeshift barricades and running from water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets.
As news of the raid broke, thousands of people from other parts of Istanbul gathered and were attempting to reach Taksim. Television showed footage of riot police firing tear gas on a highway and bridge across the Bosphorus to prevent protesters from heading to the area.
As the tear gas settled, bulldozers moved into the park, scooping up debris and loading it into trucks. Crews of workmen in fluorescent yellow vests and plain-clothes police went through the abandoned belongings, opening bags and searching their contents before tearing down the tents, food centers and library the protesters had set up in what had become a bustling tent city.
Demonstrations also erupted in other cities. In Ankara, at least 3,000 people swarmed into John F. Kennedy street, where opposition party legislators sat down at the front of the crowd facing the riot police _ not far from Parliament. In Izmir, thousands converged at a seafront square.
Near Gezi, ambulances ferried the injured to hospitals as police set up cordons and roadblocks around the park, preventing anyone from getting close.
Tayfun Kahraman, a member of Taksim Solidarity, an umbrella group of protest movements, said an untold number of people in the park had been injured _ some from rubber bullets.
"Let them keep the park, we don't care anymore. Let it all be theirs. This crackdown has to stop. The people are in a terrible state," he told The Associated Press by phone.
Taksim Solidarity, on its Web site, called the incursion "atrocious" and counted hundreds of injured _ which it called a provisional estimate _ as well as an undetermined number of arrests. Istanbul governor's office said at least 44 people were taken to hospitals for treatment. None of them were in serious condition, it said in a statement.
Huseyin Celik, the spokesman for Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, told NTV that the sit-in had to end.
"They had made their voice heard ... Our government could not have allowed such an occupation to go on until the end," he said.
It was a violent police raid on May 31 against a small sit-in in Gezi Park that sparked the initial outrage and spiraled into a much broader protest. While those in the park have now fled, it was unclear whether they would take their movement to other places, or try to return to the park at a later time.
The protests, which left at least four people dead and more than 5,000 injured, have dented Erdogan's international reputation and infuriated him with a previously unseen defiance to his rule.
Saturday's raid came less than two hours after Erdogan threatened protesters in a boisterous speech in Sincan, an Ankara suburb that is a stronghold of his party.
"I say this very clearly: either Taksim Square is cleared, or if it isn't cleared then the security forces of this country will know how to clear it," he told tens of thousands of supporters at a political rally.
A second pro-government rally is planned in Istanbul on Sunday.
According to the government's redevelopment plan for Taksim Square that caused the sit-in, the park would be replaced with a replica Ottoman-era barracks. Under initial plans, the construction would have housed a shopping mall, though that has since been amended to the possibility of an opera house, a theater and a museum with cafes.
On Friday, Erdogan offered to defer to a court ruling on the legality of the government's contested park redevelopment plan, and floated the possibility of a referendum on it.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Residents enjoy first annual Anniston Heritage Festival
Anniston officials hope a new festival that debuted this weekend will become a new city tradition.
The Anniston Parks and Recreation Department hosted the first annual Anniston Heritage Festival Saturday at Zinn Park. The all-day celebration included live music, vendors and children’s games.
Steve Folks, Anniston’s Parks and Recreation director, said he’d been planning a new event for summer in Zinn Park since the former Juneteenth celebration, which recognized the announcement of abolition of slavery in the state of Texas, went away a few years ago.
“We’re kind of starting all over from scratch,” Folks said. “We got to build it back up again.”
Folks said he had heard that while some residents missed the former Juneteenth festival, the idea for the Heritage Festival was to be inclusive to the whole city.
“We just want to give families a chance to get out and enjoy the park,” Folks said.
Charles Barclay, one of the event’s coordinators, said while the Heritage Festival is a replacement for the former Juneteenth celebration the city used to host at Zinn Park, it’s not meant as an exact replica.
“We want this to be for everyone,” Barclay said. “It’s for all of Anniston’s heritages, Hispanic, European, everybody.”
Anniston Mayor Vaughn Stewart said Saturday’s event was part of a larger year-long celebration of the city’s 130th anniversary of incorporation. Stewart said events like the Heritage Festival highlight the connection all residents of Anniston have with one another.
“Events like this add to the livability and quality of life for the city,” Stewart said. “You get to see residents from all of Anniston’s wards get together.”
Stewart said Zinn Park is Anniston’s central park, and a lot of residents on hand Saturday said they had just come out to see what was going on. Laura Jones said she comes to Zinn Park frequently with her daughter and had no idea until she showed up Saturday afternoon that the festival was going on.
“We were supposed to go to Chick-fil-A for lunch,” Jones said while trying to keep an eye on her daughter and two friends. “But they don’t want to leave, so I guess we’ll just stay here all day.”
Jessie Bush said he had come out with his family to watch his daughter participate in a dance team performing during the day, but had decided to stick around for most of the afternoon.
“I’m really enjoying myself,” Bush said. “It’s great that the city is doing stuff like this.”
Kahraman, the member of the Taksim Solidarity group who met with Erdogan in last-ditch talks that lasted until the pre-dawn hours Friday, said earlier that the protesters had agreed to continue their sit-in at Gezi Park, insisting that four key demands laid out by protesters in the talks had not been met.
The group has demanded that the park be left intact, anyone responsible for excessive police force resign or be fired, all activists detained in the protests be released, and the police use of tear gas and other non-lethal weapons be banned.
According to the government's redevelopment plan for Taksim Square that caused the sit-in, the park would be replaced with a replica Ottoman-era barracks. Under initial plans, the construction would have housed a shopping mall, though that has since been amended to the possibility of an opera house, a theater and a museum with cafes.
Earlier Saturday, President Abdullah Gul wrote on Twitter that "everyone should now return home," insisting that "the channels for discussion and dialogue" have opened - an apparent reference to the talks between Erdogan and a small group of delegates from the protest.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
The Anniston Parks and Recreation Department hosted the first annual Anniston Heritage Festival Saturday at Zinn Park. The all-day celebration included live music, vendors and children’s games.
Steve Folks, Anniston’s Parks and Recreation director, said he’d been planning a new event for summer in Zinn Park since the former Juneteenth celebration, which recognized the announcement of abolition of slavery in the state of Texas, went away a few years ago.
“We’re kind of starting all over from scratch,” Folks said. “We got to build it back up again.”
Folks said he had heard that while some residents missed the former Juneteenth festival, the idea for the Heritage Festival was to be inclusive to the whole city.
“We just want to give families a chance to get out and enjoy the park,” Folks said.
Charles Barclay, one of the event’s coordinators, said while the Heritage Festival is a replacement for the former Juneteenth celebration the city used to host at Zinn Park, it’s not meant as an exact replica.
“We want this to be for everyone,” Barclay said. “It’s for all of Anniston’s heritages, Hispanic, European, everybody.”
Anniston Mayor Vaughn Stewart said Saturday’s event was part of a larger year-long celebration of the city’s 130th anniversary of incorporation. Stewart said events like the Heritage Festival highlight the connection all residents of Anniston have with one another.
“Events like this add to the livability and quality of life for the city,” Stewart said. “You get to see residents from all of Anniston’s wards get together.”
Stewart said Zinn Park is Anniston’s central park, and a lot of residents on hand Saturday said they had just come out to see what was going on. Laura Jones said she comes to Zinn Park frequently with her daughter and had no idea until she showed up Saturday afternoon that the festival was going on.
“We were supposed to go to Chick-fil-A for lunch,” Jones said while trying to keep an eye on her daughter and two friends. “But they don’t want to leave, so I guess we’ll just stay here all day.”
Jessie Bush said he had come out with his family to watch his daughter participate in a dance team performing during the day, but had decided to stick around for most of the afternoon.
“I’m really enjoying myself,” Bush said. “It’s great that the city is doing stuff like this.”
Kahraman, the member of the Taksim Solidarity group who met with Erdogan in last-ditch talks that lasted until the pre-dawn hours Friday, said earlier that the protesters had agreed to continue their sit-in at Gezi Park, insisting that four key demands laid out by protesters in the talks had not been met.
The group has demanded that the park be left intact, anyone responsible for excessive police force resign or be fired, all activists detained in the protests be released, and the police use of tear gas and other non-lethal weapons be banned.
According to the government's redevelopment plan for Taksim Square that caused the sit-in, the park would be replaced with a replica Ottoman-era barracks. Under initial plans, the construction would have housed a shopping mall, though that has since been amended to the possibility of an opera house, a theater and a museum with cafes.
Earlier Saturday, President Abdullah Gul wrote on Twitter that "everyone should now return home," insisting that "the channels for discussion and dialogue" have opened - an apparent reference to the talks between Erdogan and a small group of delegates from the protest.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Thursday, 13 June 2013
A Silver Breeze Now Offers New Line of Watches from Bering
Traveling to the Arctic, Danish adventurer and businessman Rene Kaerskov
was inspired to create a watch brand that would be as pure, clear and
breathtakingly beautiful as the Arctic itself. A Silver Breeze is proud
to offer Bering’s new line of watches. The brand is named after the
Danish sailor Vitus Bering, who is known for being the first European to
discover Alaska and have one of the four main American time zones named
after him – Bering-Time.
Bering watches are made of extraordinarily hard materials, like ceramic, titanium and stainless steel and feature an extremely flat and seamless design. The Ceramic collection is made with High-Tech Ceramic which is highly scratch resistant, very light, smooth, heat resistant and hypo-allergenic. These luxuriously designed watches come in fashionable colors and bold styles for both men and women.
The Classic collection features watches made of Ultra-Light Titanium and Stainless steel. Titanium is an extremely light matte metal that is scratch resistant and hypo-allergenic. Stainless steel is a common stylish metal that has a highly polished surface, adding an elegance and seamless finish to the watches. The elegant watches from the classic collection feature casual and dress watches for both men and women.
A Silver Breeze was founded with a philosophy in mind: give women the freedom to be themselves and embrace a sense of style that’s unique to each woman. A Silver Breeze offers women quality sterling silver jewelry that is interchangeable, from collections like the Kameleon, Chamilia, WeWOOD, Gorjana and Griffin, Bella Ryann, Bering and more!
At Couture’s recent show, I was honored to be—for the third year running—a Couture Time judge along with fellow jurors including watch collectors Sam Yukon and celebrity chef Nick Stellino, journalist Keith Strandberg, author John Reardon, and Daryn Schnipper of Sotheby’s.
The National Weather Service in State College has issued a flood watch and a severe thunderstorm watch for the midstate as heavy rains with some reports of lightning begin moving through the area at about 4 a.m.
The thunderstorm watch is in effect for Franklin, Adams, Perry, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, York, Lancaster, Schuylkill, Juniata, Mifflin and Centre until 11 a.m., according to the weather service.
The flood watch is in effect for the same counties until 8 p.m., forecasters said.
Parts of eastern Perry and northern Dauphin counties have already received a quarter to half inch of rain as of 4:45 a.m., according to the weather service.
A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding along small creeks and streams as well as low-lying areas and urban areas with poor drainage, according to the weather service.
The high temperature today is expected to be near 80. Rainfall amounts of between three quarters and one inch are possible through the afternoon.
There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms this evening with a low around 57. Additional rainfall amounts of between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Bering watches are made of extraordinarily hard materials, like ceramic, titanium and stainless steel and feature an extremely flat and seamless design. The Ceramic collection is made with High-Tech Ceramic which is highly scratch resistant, very light, smooth, heat resistant and hypo-allergenic. These luxuriously designed watches come in fashionable colors and bold styles for both men and women.
The Classic collection features watches made of Ultra-Light Titanium and Stainless steel. Titanium is an extremely light matte metal that is scratch resistant and hypo-allergenic. Stainless steel is a common stylish metal that has a highly polished surface, adding an elegance and seamless finish to the watches. The elegant watches from the classic collection feature casual and dress watches for both men and women.
A Silver Breeze was founded with a philosophy in mind: give women the freedom to be themselves and embrace a sense of style that’s unique to each woman. A Silver Breeze offers women quality sterling silver jewelry that is interchangeable, from collections like the Kameleon, Chamilia, WeWOOD, Gorjana and Griffin, Bella Ryann, Bering and more!
At Couture’s recent show, I was honored to be—for the third year running—a Couture Time judge along with fellow jurors including watch collectors Sam Yukon and celebrity chef Nick Stellino, journalist Keith Strandberg, author John Reardon, and Daryn Schnipper of Sotheby’s.
The National Weather Service in State College has issued a flood watch and a severe thunderstorm watch for the midstate as heavy rains with some reports of lightning begin moving through the area at about 4 a.m.
The thunderstorm watch is in effect for Franklin, Adams, Perry, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, York, Lancaster, Schuylkill, Juniata, Mifflin and Centre until 11 a.m., according to the weather service.
The flood watch is in effect for the same counties until 8 p.m., forecasters said.
Parts of eastern Perry and northern Dauphin counties have already received a quarter to half inch of rain as of 4:45 a.m., according to the weather service.
A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding along small creeks and streams as well as low-lying areas and urban areas with poor drainage, according to the weather service.
The high temperature today is expected to be near 80. Rainfall amounts of between three quarters and one inch are possible through the afternoon.
There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms this evening with a low around 57. Additional rainfall amounts of between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Man kills self as fiancee watches on webcam
A law student hung himself to death and apparently ‘web cast’ the entire process for the benefit of his girl friend, who was, allegedly, less than responsive to his affections.
Harsh Narain Prasad, 28, an LLB part-III of a Gaya-based college, took the extreme step at his house in Kadamkuan locality of central Patna around midnight Monday, in course of an internet chat with the girl.
“Computer data shows they chatted till 11.47pm. His last message was: ‘Ab tum na meri awaz sunogi, aur na dekh paogi’ (Now, you’ll neither hear me nor see me”, said the victim’s father Satyendra Narayan Prasad alias Mukul.
Thereafter, there were 20 missed calls on Harsh’s cellphone from the girl, claimed Mukul, a Patna businessman. He insisted that the girl had witnessed the suicide as the web cameras were on when Harsh hung himself.
The police have seized Harsh’s laptop and started an investigation into the incident. Mukul said the girl’s family had gone into
hiding after his son’s suicide came to light.
He blamed the suicide on the girl, a resident of Jagat Narain Road under Pirbahore police station in central Patna, with whom, he said, his son was in love.
An FIR has been registered at the Kadamkuan police station, under which the suicide took place, on the basis of a statement from the victim’s father. But the victim’s father said he intended to name the girl in another FIR.
Mukul said his son was friends with the girl since their school days. “She used to visit our house sometimes, but we did not suspect anything. Harsh was Magadh University topper in LLB part-2,” he added.
Kadamkuan police station SHO Sanjay Kumar said the cause of the suicide could not be ascertained. “No suicide note was recovered from the spot. The police are looking into the matter”, he added.
The victim’s father found his body hanging from a ceiling fan in his room on Tuesday. But the full details of how Harsh had web cast his death emerged only late Wednesday.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesman Cory Angell said a standby worker was added at the emergency operations center in Harrisburg and officials had ensured two National Guard helicopters were ready if needed for water rescues.
Last year, a derecho caused at least $1 billion in damage from Chicago to Washington, killing 13 people and leaving more than 4 million people without power, according to the weather service. Winds reached nearly 100 mph in some places. In addition to the people who killed in the storm, 34 more people died from the heat wave that followed in areas without power.
For Washington, Philadelphia and parts of the Mid-Atlantic the big storm risk continues and even increases a bit Thursday, according to the weather service.
The term derecho was coined in 1888, said Ken Pryor, a research meteorologist at the Center for Satellite Applications and Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in College Park, Md. The word is Spanish for “straight ahead” or “direct,” Pryor said.
The structure of a derecho-producing storm looks distinctive in radar and satellite imagery, Pryor said. “The systems are very large and have signatures that are very extreme,” he said. “You get large areas of very cold cloud tops that you typically wouldn’t see with an ordinary thunderstorm complex. The storms take on a comma or a bow shape that’s very distinctive.”
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Harsh Narain Prasad, 28, an LLB part-III of a Gaya-based college, took the extreme step at his house in Kadamkuan locality of central Patna around midnight Monday, in course of an internet chat with the girl.
“Computer data shows they chatted till 11.47pm. His last message was: ‘Ab tum na meri awaz sunogi, aur na dekh paogi’ (Now, you’ll neither hear me nor see me”, said the victim’s father Satyendra Narayan Prasad alias Mukul.
Thereafter, there were 20 missed calls on Harsh’s cellphone from the girl, claimed Mukul, a Patna businessman. He insisted that the girl had witnessed the suicide as the web cameras were on when Harsh hung himself.
The police have seized Harsh’s laptop and started an investigation into the incident. Mukul said the girl’s family had gone into
hiding after his son’s suicide came to light.
He blamed the suicide on the girl, a resident of Jagat Narain Road under Pirbahore police station in central Patna, with whom, he said, his son was in love.
An FIR has been registered at the Kadamkuan police station, under which the suicide took place, on the basis of a statement from the victim’s father. But the victim’s father said he intended to name the girl in another FIR.
Mukul said his son was friends with the girl since their school days. “She used to visit our house sometimes, but we did not suspect anything. Harsh was Magadh University topper in LLB part-2,” he added.
Kadamkuan police station SHO Sanjay Kumar said the cause of the suicide could not be ascertained. “No suicide note was recovered from the spot. The police are looking into the matter”, he added.
The victim’s father found his body hanging from a ceiling fan in his room on Tuesday. But the full details of how Harsh had web cast his death emerged only late Wednesday.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesman Cory Angell said a standby worker was added at the emergency operations center in Harrisburg and officials had ensured two National Guard helicopters were ready if needed for water rescues.
Last year, a derecho caused at least $1 billion in damage from Chicago to Washington, killing 13 people and leaving more than 4 million people without power, according to the weather service. Winds reached nearly 100 mph in some places. In addition to the people who killed in the storm, 34 more people died from the heat wave that followed in areas without power.
For Washington, Philadelphia and parts of the Mid-Atlantic the big storm risk continues and even increases a bit Thursday, according to the weather service.
The term derecho was coined in 1888, said Ken Pryor, a research meteorologist at the Center for Satellite Applications and Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in College Park, Md. The word is Spanish for “straight ahead” or “direct,” Pryor said.
The structure of a derecho-producing storm looks distinctive in radar and satellite imagery, Pryor said. “The systems are very large and have signatures that are very extreme,” he said. “You get large areas of very cold cloud tops that you typically wouldn’t see with an ordinary thunderstorm complex. The storms take on a comma or a bow shape that’s very distinctive.”
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Friday, 7 June 2013
Who watches Obama’s watchers?
In any free society, governments should strike a careful balance when it comes to national security. While it must always be their first duty to do what they can to protect the public from terrorists, they should also strive to ensure that liberty and democracy are not ignored in the process.
This week’s revelations that the US federal authorities routinely trawled through phone call records and data communications is troubling precisely for what is says about the absence of such balance.
The US government has in recent years acquired a formidable arsenal of surveillance powers. The Patriot Act, passed immediately after the 9/11 attacks, gave Washington sweeping rights to look over people’s shoulders at their telephone records.
This was extended to the internet by the Protect America Act, passed in 2007, giving the government the ability to access the data communications of Americans and foreigners from the servers of nine leading companies through a programme known as “Prism”.
These legal powers may be necessary to deal with the continuing threat from terrorism that the US faces – one graphically underlined by the bombing attacks in Boston. But to retain public confidence, they should always be proportionately exercised and subject to some effective checks.
There has been congressional oversight of these programmes and no one as yet has suggested anything illegal has occurred. But the scale and scope of the surveillance is startling. The judicial checks appear to have been little more than rubber stamps. Under the provisions of the Patriot Act, the National Security Agency was able to obtain warrants allowing it to access the records of all telephone customers – excepting only the actual contents of the call.
The special body issuing them – the Orwellian-sounding Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court – sat in secret. In effect, that put its decisions – and the reasoning that underlay them – beyond any objective scrutiny.
While most Americans would rightly scoff at the notion that they live in some sort of police state, they should be vigilant about the steady encrustation of clandestine executive powers that has accompanied the so-called “war on terror”, and the administration’s evident willingness to exercise them.
Before he was elected, President Barack Obama attacked the extension of special powers that had occurred under his predecessor, George W Bush. In office, however, his administration has not only retained them but shown an unexpected relish for wielding clandestine authority, whether in seeking secret warrants to go through a news agency’s phone records or pursuing the drone strike programme in Pakistan.
The administration has responded to the revelations about data-gathering by defending its actions, claiming that they are vital in protecting America from a wide variety of threats.
Necessity alone is not sufficient justification, however. Given the scale of the intrusions involved, there are legitimate questions about the scope and permanence of the state’s data-trawling “dragnets” of American and foreign citizens. These do not simply involve the nature of the data extracted. They concern who has access to it, how long it is retained and the uses to which it is put.
Extraordinarily little is even known about how the Prism programme operates. So much so that the technology companies whose servers are allegedly accessed claim to know nothing about it.
The administration has promised to declassify some aspects of its secret intelligence-gathering programme to dispel public concerns. This is welcome but it should go further.
While it would be comforting to think otherwise, both the terrorist threat and the era of big data are here to stay. It would be unrealistic, therefore, to wish away the need for some sort of surveillance capability that will inevitably have the power to intrude into people’s everyday digital communications.
The answer must be to establish a more robust mechanism capable of adjudicating with a view to retaining public confidence in the exercise of these extraordinary powers. Perhaps the best option would be to create an independent government oversight body, empowered by statute to evaluate all state surveillance.
As Mr Obama rightly said on Friday, it is impossible to have 100 per cent security and 100 per cent privacy. But given the powers acquired by his administration, he should strive to strike a more convincing balance.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
This week’s revelations that the US federal authorities routinely trawled through phone call records and data communications is troubling precisely for what is says about the absence of such balance.
The US government has in recent years acquired a formidable arsenal of surveillance powers. The Patriot Act, passed immediately after the 9/11 attacks, gave Washington sweeping rights to look over people’s shoulders at their telephone records.
This was extended to the internet by the Protect America Act, passed in 2007, giving the government the ability to access the data communications of Americans and foreigners from the servers of nine leading companies through a programme known as “Prism”.
These legal powers may be necessary to deal with the continuing threat from terrorism that the US faces – one graphically underlined by the bombing attacks in Boston. But to retain public confidence, they should always be proportionately exercised and subject to some effective checks.
There has been congressional oversight of these programmes and no one as yet has suggested anything illegal has occurred. But the scale and scope of the surveillance is startling. The judicial checks appear to have been little more than rubber stamps. Under the provisions of the Patriot Act, the National Security Agency was able to obtain warrants allowing it to access the records of all telephone customers – excepting only the actual contents of the call.
The special body issuing them – the Orwellian-sounding Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court – sat in secret. In effect, that put its decisions – and the reasoning that underlay them – beyond any objective scrutiny.
While most Americans would rightly scoff at the notion that they live in some sort of police state, they should be vigilant about the steady encrustation of clandestine executive powers that has accompanied the so-called “war on terror”, and the administration’s evident willingness to exercise them.
Before he was elected, President Barack Obama attacked the extension of special powers that had occurred under his predecessor, George W Bush. In office, however, his administration has not only retained them but shown an unexpected relish for wielding clandestine authority, whether in seeking secret warrants to go through a news agency’s phone records or pursuing the drone strike programme in Pakistan.
The administration has responded to the revelations about data-gathering by defending its actions, claiming that they are vital in protecting America from a wide variety of threats.
Necessity alone is not sufficient justification, however. Given the scale of the intrusions involved, there are legitimate questions about the scope and permanence of the state’s data-trawling “dragnets” of American and foreign citizens. These do not simply involve the nature of the data extracted. They concern who has access to it, how long it is retained and the uses to which it is put.
Extraordinarily little is even known about how the Prism programme operates. So much so that the technology companies whose servers are allegedly accessed claim to know nothing about it.
The administration has promised to declassify some aspects of its secret intelligence-gathering programme to dispel public concerns. This is welcome but it should go further.
While it would be comforting to think otherwise, both the terrorist threat and the era of big data are here to stay. It would be unrealistic, therefore, to wish away the need for some sort of surveillance capability that will inevitably have the power to intrude into people’s everyday digital communications.
The answer must be to establish a more robust mechanism capable of adjudicating with a view to retaining public confidence in the exercise of these extraordinary powers. Perhaps the best option would be to create an independent government oversight body, empowered by statute to evaluate all state surveillance.
As Mr Obama rightly said on Friday, it is impossible to have 100 per cent security and 100 per cent privacy. But given the powers acquired by his administration, he should strive to strike a more convincing balance.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Watches and Wonders: Show gets on the road east
It had to happen. After all, Art Basel launched itself in Hong Kong. Now it is the turn of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the watch fair that takes place every January in Geneva, to make the journey to the other side of the world.
At this year’s SIHH, there was already much conversation about the upcoming Hong Kong event, called Watches and Wonders.
While not as big as Geneva, it will nevertheless occupy 10,000 sq m at the Hong Kong exhibition centre. Earlier this year, the organising committee – like the SIHH, Watches and Wonders is run by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) – went on a multi-stop media tour of the region.
This fair is an important acknowledgment of the significance of Asia for the health of the watch industry.The event was first discussed three years ago, when the financial state of Europe and the US was even less healthy than it is now.It was also before the new government of China brought with it a climate of, if not austerity, then certainly restraint that has led to some luxury brands experiencing steep drops in sales there.
That said, the Chinese customer is still buying outside China. A reported reduction in tariffs on watches imported into the country will close the price gap that is also a barrier to purchase there.
It is perhaps with the uncertainty on the mainland in mind that the FHH is positioning Watches and Wonders as an event targeted at the wider region.
“All the region is included, they are all invited – greater China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea and Australia,” explains Fabienne Lupo, managing director of FHH.
“The target is the Asian region. It’s not focused on China.”
Although Ms Lupo is also the organiser of the SIHH, she is at pains to emphasise the difference between the two events and insists that the Hong Kong event will not cannibalise the Geneva fair.
“The SIHH is a trade fair, a professional fair and it will remain in January in Geneva because it’s the cradle of fine watchmaking. But the exhibitor committee of the SIHH believed that the time was right to organise an additional fair, or event, with a different focus, especially on customers, collectors and connoisseurs.
“It’s really much more like an educational platform for fine watchmaking,” she says.“The objective of Watches and Wonders is not to weaken the SIHH, but to reinforce the fact that we have to raise more and more awareness and to educate the Asian customers.”Unlike the BaselWorld fair, the SIHH does not have a public day; access is strictly limited to press, distributors and retailers.
Ms Lupo emphasises the role of the Hong Kong event in closing the knowledge gap in Asia. Fewer than 200 Chinese press attend the SIHH. This is only a fraction of the number expected to visit Watches and Wonders in Hong Kong.
The SIHH fair appears to run at near capacity when it comes to general members of the press, Ms Lupo indicates. “We cannot handle crowds of journalists. We cannot have all these people who are not retailers and specialised press come to Geneva in January,” she says.
That said, “The SIHH remains the central place where the key people from all over the world get first-hand information and get access to these products that they can talk about and also order,” Ms Lupo adds.
The programme of seminars, workshops and skill demonstrations in Hong Kong, she continues, will aim to inform those wanting to learn more about the culture and craft of watchmaking.
The fair will include all the important Richemont brands but there are other participants, too, among them Richard Mille, who is on the event’s steering committee.
“We very seldom have the possibility or occasion to explain to the public what we are doing and to spread high-end watch culture and this is one of the rare occasions we have to do that. This is why I was keen to participate,” says Mr Mille, who is at pains to emphasise the difference between the SIHH and Watches and Wonders.
“It is not a replica or duplication, but something that has very different objectives” and different visitors.
“As well as retailers bringing clients, banks will bring their clients, auction houses will bring their clients and we will spread a little bit of the culture of high watchmaking,” says Mr Mille.
His sentiments are echoed by Bernard Fornas, Richemont co-chief executive, who described Watches and Wonders as “an invitation to celebrate a renewed and embellished tie linking Europe to Asia: the very particular passion of time”.
It is to be hoped that, as well as sharing the culture, some good business will be done. The timing of the event at the end of September is significant in that it means that the brands will have had time to manufacture and deliver to the markets the models that were launched in Geneva at the beginning of the year.
As Mr Mille puts it: “My task for Watches & Wonders is to have the real products; at SIHH they are more prototypes.
“But this will be the first time that these products will be shown to the public.”
Provided he and the other exhibitors get their production schedules in order, the watches on show at Watches & Wonders will be on sale in the shops as well.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
At this year’s SIHH, there was already much conversation about the upcoming Hong Kong event, called Watches and Wonders.
While not as big as Geneva, it will nevertheless occupy 10,000 sq m at the Hong Kong exhibition centre. Earlier this year, the organising committee – like the SIHH, Watches and Wonders is run by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) – went on a multi-stop media tour of the region.
This fair is an important acknowledgment of the significance of Asia for the health of the watch industry.The event was first discussed three years ago, when the financial state of Europe and the US was even less healthy than it is now.It was also before the new government of China brought with it a climate of, if not austerity, then certainly restraint that has led to some luxury brands experiencing steep drops in sales there.
That said, the Chinese customer is still buying outside China. A reported reduction in tariffs on watches imported into the country will close the price gap that is also a barrier to purchase there.
It is perhaps with the uncertainty on the mainland in mind that the FHH is positioning Watches and Wonders as an event targeted at the wider region.
“All the region is included, they are all invited – greater China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea and Australia,” explains Fabienne Lupo, managing director of FHH.
“The target is the Asian region. It’s not focused on China.”
Although Ms Lupo is also the organiser of the SIHH, she is at pains to emphasise the difference between the two events and insists that the Hong Kong event will not cannibalise the Geneva fair.
“The SIHH is a trade fair, a professional fair and it will remain in January in Geneva because it’s the cradle of fine watchmaking. But the exhibitor committee of the SIHH believed that the time was right to organise an additional fair, or event, with a different focus, especially on customers, collectors and connoisseurs.
“It’s really much more like an educational platform for fine watchmaking,” she says.“The objective of Watches and Wonders is not to weaken the SIHH, but to reinforce the fact that we have to raise more and more awareness and to educate the Asian customers.”Unlike the BaselWorld fair, the SIHH does not have a public day; access is strictly limited to press, distributors and retailers.
Ms Lupo emphasises the role of the Hong Kong event in closing the knowledge gap in Asia. Fewer than 200 Chinese press attend the SIHH. This is only a fraction of the number expected to visit Watches and Wonders in Hong Kong.
The SIHH fair appears to run at near capacity when it comes to general members of the press, Ms Lupo indicates. “We cannot handle crowds of journalists. We cannot have all these people who are not retailers and specialised press come to Geneva in January,” she says.
That said, “The SIHH remains the central place where the key people from all over the world get first-hand information and get access to these products that they can talk about and also order,” Ms Lupo adds.
The programme of seminars, workshops and skill demonstrations in Hong Kong, she continues, will aim to inform those wanting to learn more about the culture and craft of watchmaking.
The fair will include all the important Richemont brands but there are other participants, too, among them Richard Mille, who is on the event’s steering committee.
“We very seldom have the possibility or occasion to explain to the public what we are doing and to spread high-end watch culture and this is one of the rare occasions we have to do that. This is why I was keen to participate,” says Mr Mille, who is at pains to emphasise the difference between the SIHH and Watches and Wonders.
“It is not a replica or duplication, but something that has very different objectives” and different visitors.
“As well as retailers bringing clients, banks will bring their clients, auction houses will bring their clients and we will spread a little bit of the culture of high watchmaking,” says Mr Mille.
His sentiments are echoed by Bernard Fornas, Richemont co-chief executive, who described Watches and Wonders as “an invitation to celebrate a renewed and embellished tie linking Europe to Asia: the very particular passion of time”.
It is to be hoped that, as well as sharing the culture, some good business will be done. The timing of the event at the end of September is significant in that it means that the brands will have had time to manufacture and deliver to the markets the models that were launched in Geneva at the beginning of the year.
As Mr Mille puts it: “My task for Watches & Wonders is to have the real products; at SIHH they are more prototypes.
“But this will be the first time that these products will be shown to the public.”
Provided he and the other exhibitors get their production schedules in order, the watches on show at Watches & Wonders will be on sale in the shops as well.
Read the full story at www.class9999.com!
Monday, 3 June 2013
FITNESS SOURCE: Proper shoes a must before running
Running as a fitness tool or for enjoyment has hit its stride in the past decade. More people, of all ages, have realized the benefits that come from lacing up a pair of shoes and hitting the pavement.
But, it’s not that simple.
Before starting a running regimen, there are several factors you must consider in order to avoid injury and to make the experience more enjoyable. The most important first step is to be fitted in a pair of running shoes.
While choosing a shoe may not seem difficult, it’s important to be fitted properly by professionals in order to avoid injuries, according to Pacers & Racers owner Mike Stallings.
He said while a specific brand of shoe may work for one person, it could be totally wrong for another. While your buddy may wear Asics, New Balance may be the best shoe for you.
“Not one size fits all,” said Stallings, who opened his running store in New Albany in 1998.
Choosing the right shoe is a must in order to fully enjoy the 92 benefits a person receives from running, Stallings said, but he added nothing good can be gained from wearing the wrong shoe.
“You are just setting yourself up for injury,” he said.
Stallings and his staff take each customer out in front of their store and have them walk or run a few yards under their supervision. From there, they work on finding the right shoe for that person.
“If you have a flat foot, we have a shoe for that,” he said. “Some runners hit the pavement on the outside of the heel, some on the inside. Some people strike the pavement with the ball of their foot while others we fit in what we call neutral shoes. You need to be fitted properly before starting a running regimen.”
And running styles change, which means a shoe that worked for someone five years ago may be totally wrong now which is why Stallings said you always need to be fitted.
“Even in families people have different styles, different makeup,” he said. “When you don’t get fitted properly you are just asking for trouble. That is why we don’t sell on the Internet. You can’t buy anything from us on our site. You can’t just assume you know what kind of shoe you need because body mechanics can change.”
He also said it’s important to know when a shoe is worn out. He says a running shoe starts breaking down around 400 miles. Stallings also said you can tell if it’s time for new shoes if the tread starts to wear or when your body starts telling you in the way of knee and hip pain.
And he said never run in walking shoes.
“You can walk in running shoes but you can only walk in walking shoes,” Stallings said.
Fred Geswein, a longtime runner and coach, said it’s important for new runners “not to do too much too fast.”
“You have to give yourself plenty of time to adjust mentally and physically,” he said. “The older you are and the more out of shape you are, it will take you longer to adjust. When you look at the elite runners, they are built for running. Most runners today are not. You have to adjust to that.”In comparison with other high heels,christian louboutin sandals,louboutin shoes,christian louboutin men,cheap christian louboutin will bring unique feeling to you.
Geswein said more people are running today to stay fit, which he said is a good thing. However, he tells runners to ease into a regimen.
“I see a lot of people who have been running for about six months who want to do a half-marathon or a full marathon. You should give yourself a year,” he said. “Ease into it. Don’t follow a friend who has been running longer. Listen to your body. There is nothing wrong with 5ks. You’ve got to enjoy it or you won’t stick with it. Some people run a half or full marathon and never run again or have a bad experience and quit.”
Geswein also said you have to have the right equipment to enjoy running, which includes shoes, and to dress appropriately. He said it’s important if you run in the dark to wear something reflective.
“People can see now that they can do it and achieve their goal,” he said of running. “You don’t have to be a four minute miler to run. When I was younger, you ran to be competitive. Now you run to be fit.”
Click on their website www.myshoe123.com for more information.
But, it’s not that simple.
Before starting a running regimen, there are several factors you must consider in order to avoid injury and to make the experience more enjoyable. The most important first step is to be fitted in a pair of running shoes.
While choosing a shoe may not seem difficult, it’s important to be fitted properly by professionals in order to avoid injuries, according to Pacers & Racers owner Mike Stallings.
He said while a specific brand of shoe may work for one person, it could be totally wrong for another. While your buddy may wear Asics, New Balance may be the best shoe for you.
“Not one size fits all,” said Stallings, who opened his running store in New Albany in 1998.
Choosing the right shoe is a must in order to fully enjoy the 92 benefits a person receives from running, Stallings said, but he added nothing good can be gained from wearing the wrong shoe.
“You are just setting yourself up for injury,” he said.
Stallings and his staff take each customer out in front of their store and have them walk or run a few yards under their supervision. From there, they work on finding the right shoe for that person.
“If you have a flat foot, we have a shoe for that,” he said. “Some runners hit the pavement on the outside of the heel, some on the inside. Some people strike the pavement with the ball of their foot while others we fit in what we call neutral shoes. You need to be fitted properly before starting a running regimen.”
And running styles change, which means a shoe that worked for someone five years ago may be totally wrong now which is why Stallings said you always need to be fitted.
“Even in families people have different styles, different makeup,” he said. “When you don’t get fitted properly you are just asking for trouble. That is why we don’t sell on the Internet. You can’t buy anything from us on our site. You can’t just assume you know what kind of shoe you need because body mechanics can change.”
He also said it’s important to know when a shoe is worn out. He says a running shoe starts breaking down around 400 miles. Stallings also said you can tell if it’s time for new shoes if the tread starts to wear or when your body starts telling you in the way of knee and hip pain.
And he said never run in walking shoes.
“You can walk in running shoes but you can only walk in walking shoes,” Stallings said.
Fred Geswein, a longtime runner and coach, said it’s important for new runners “not to do too much too fast.”
“You have to give yourself plenty of time to adjust mentally and physically,” he said. “The older you are and the more out of shape you are, it will take you longer to adjust. When you look at the elite runners, they are built for running. Most runners today are not. You have to adjust to that.”In comparison with other high heels,christian louboutin sandals,louboutin shoes,christian louboutin men,cheap christian louboutin will bring unique feeling to you.
Geswein said more people are running today to stay fit, which he said is a good thing. However, he tells runners to ease into a regimen.
“I see a lot of people who have been running for about six months who want to do a half-marathon or a full marathon. You should give yourself a year,” he said. “Ease into it. Don’t follow a friend who has been running longer. Listen to your body. There is nothing wrong with 5ks. You’ve got to enjoy it or you won’t stick with it. Some people run a half or full marathon and never run again or have a bad experience and quit.”
Geswein also said you have to have the right equipment to enjoy running, which includes shoes, and to dress appropriately. He said it’s important if you run in the dark to wear something reflective.
“People can see now that they can do it and achieve their goal,” he said of running. “You don’t have to be a four minute miler to run. When I was younger, you ran to be competitive. Now you run to be fit.”
Click on their website www.myshoe123.com for more information.
Shoes take third in win over Eureka
A more relaxed Teutopolis team took O'Brien field Saturday afternoon, playing in the Class 2A third-place game against the Hornets of Eureka. Without the immense pressure of trying to bring home another state title, the Wooden Shoes' bats started strong, and this time stayed that way, capping off a 30-win season with a 7-0 shutout of Eureka (25-12-1) to take home the third-place trophy."It's nice to end the season on a win," Teutopolis coach Justin Fleener said. "Just a couple teams in the state get to do that."Similar to their state semifinal game one day earlier against Lisle, Teutopolis (30-4) opened with a run in the first inning to grab an early lead. Against the Lions, the offense went scoreless for the following six, but taking on a tired and mentally drained Hornets club, who lost their semifinal game earlier in the morning due to Friday night's rain delay, the offense kept its foot on the gas.
The Wooden Shoes scoring another run in the second and five in the fourth, generating 11 total hits in just 4.5 innings. IHSA officials made the decision to shorten the Class 1A and 2A third-place games to five frames with the impending weather, but the Teutopolis lineup did its damage in the shortened game."It was nice to see that ball falling in the outfield grass, it just didn't fall yesterday," Fleener said. "The guys didn't let that bother them. In comparison with other high heels,christian louboutin sandals,louboutin shoes,christian louboutin men,cheap christian louboutin will bring unique feeling to you.
They were swinging the bats with aggressiveness."Jared Waldhoff pitched another shutout, and ran his record to a perfect 9-0 on the season with the win. Waldhoff surrendered a hit in the opening inning when Jared McCunn singled to center field, and another in the fourth when J.D. Andrews singled to right, but that would be it for the Eureka offense. The Teutopolis senior finished with six strikeouts and one walk in five innings of action."Another great pitching performance from him," Fleener said. " He keeps the ball down, induces ground balls, and he lets his defense work a little bit behind him. The defense made some good plays, he's appreciate of that."Chase Wendling, Bobby Wenthe and Kyle Pruemer each singled to open the game after a Waldhoff groundout. Pruemer's shot to left field scored Wendling to give Teutopolis its second 1-0 lead in as many days.The Wooden Shoes were able to put Friday's offensive woes in the past during the second, when they doubled their offensive output from the semifinals. Reed Hardiek doubled to left center and reached third on an error, coasting home off a wild pitch from Eureka's Konnor Dunham for the 2-0 edge."We were just hoping to get a few innings out of Konnor," Eureka coach Dane ware said. "We got a little greedy, should have went to a different pitcher, give them a different look. Teutopolis is a good ballclub, they how to swing the bats."Teutopolis put an emphatic stamp on the win in the fourth. Derek Smith opened the inning with a double, the first of six hits in the five-run frame. Smith would score on a wild pitch, and Wendling would knock in a pair on his single up the gut for a 5-0 lead.
"I felt a little more calm out there," Wendling said. "The last game together as a team, we wanted to go out there and have fun, and that's what we did."Tim Probst got in the action with a double, Ryan Ruholl knocked in a run on his sacrifice hit, and Justin Kenter squared off on the Wooden Shoes' third extra-base hit of the inning with his RBI double. "I wanted to get some of those other seniors in, "Fleener said. "I was trying to look for right opportunity. They came up and they produced."The senior class had produce time and again during the past four years, accumulating a four-year record of 125-16. Wendling, in his final game, finished 3-of-3 at the plate with two singles, a double and two RBIs.
"Chase has been doing that right there all year," Fleener said. "It's nice to see that of him, just like I've been seeing."The third-place game gave the Wooden Shoes a chance to exit Peoria with a win, and Teutopolis didn't disappoint, overcoming Friday's disappointment to close the season in style."Obviously we wanted to be in that state championship game," Waldhoff said. "But we wanted to go out (today) on a win, that's what I was trying to get the team motivated for."
Read the full story at www.myshoe123.com!
The Wooden Shoes scoring another run in the second and five in the fourth, generating 11 total hits in just 4.5 innings. IHSA officials made the decision to shorten the Class 1A and 2A third-place games to five frames with the impending weather, but the Teutopolis lineup did its damage in the shortened game."It was nice to see that ball falling in the outfield grass, it just didn't fall yesterday," Fleener said. "The guys didn't let that bother them. In comparison with other high heels,christian louboutin sandals,louboutin shoes,christian louboutin men,cheap christian louboutin will bring unique feeling to you.
They were swinging the bats with aggressiveness."Jared Waldhoff pitched another shutout, and ran his record to a perfect 9-0 on the season with the win. Waldhoff surrendered a hit in the opening inning when Jared McCunn singled to center field, and another in the fourth when J.D. Andrews singled to right, but that would be it for the Eureka offense. The Teutopolis senior finished with six strikeouts and one walk in five innings of action."Another great pitching performance from him," Fleener said. " He keeps the ball down, induces ground balls, and he lets his defense work a little bit behind him. The defense made some good plays, he's appreciate of that."Chase Wendling, Bobby Wenthe and Kyle Pruemer each singled to open the game after a Waldhoff groundout. Pruemer's shot to left field scored Wendling to give Teutopolis its second 1-0 lead in as many days.The Wooden Shoes were able to put Friday's offensive woes in the past during the second, when they doubled their offensive output from the semifinals. Reed Hardiek doubled to left center and reached third on an error, coasting home off a wild pitch from Eureka's Konnor Dunham for the 2-0 edge."We were just hoping to get a few innings out of Konnor," Eureka coach Dane ware said. "We got a little greedy, should have went to a different pitcher, give them a different look. Teutopolis is a good ballclub, they how to swing the bats."Teutopolis put an emphatic stamp on the win in the fourth. Derek Smith opened the inning with a double, the first of six hits in the five-run frame. Smith would score on a wild pitch, and Wendling would knock in a pair on his single up the gut for a 5-0 lead.
"I felt a little more calm out there," Wendling said. "The last game together as a team, we wanted to go out there and have fun, and that's what we did."Tim Probst got in the action with a double, Ryan Ruholl knocked in a run on his sacrifice hit, and Justin Kenter squared off on the Wooden Shoes' third extra-base hit of the inning with his RBI double. "I wanted to get some of those other seniors in, "Fleener said. "I was trying to look for right opportunity. They came up and they produced."The senior class had produce time and again during the past four years, accumulating a four-year record of 125-16. Wendling, in his final game, finished 3-of-3 at the plate with two singles, a double and two RBIs.
"Chase has been doing that right there all year," Fleener said. "It's nice to see that of him, just like I've been seeing."The third-place game gave the Wooden Shoes a chance to exit Peoria with a win, and Teutopolis didn't disappoint, overcoming Friday's disappointment to close the season in style."Obviously we wanted to be in that state championship game," Waldhoff said. "But we wanted to go out (today) on a win, that's what I was trying to get the team motivated for."
Read the full story at www.myshoe123.com!
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