(pic HLN)
PARIS (AFP) - America's Ashley Harkleroad was knocked out of the French Open by Serena Williams on Sunday but stole the headlines from her publicity-conscious compatriot by announcing she has posed for Playboy.
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The blonde 22-year-old, who has endured a mediocre career on the women's tour and sits at 61 in the world, revealed she had agreed to the photoshoot while she lay in a hospital bed recovering from surgery to remove a cyst on her ovaries.
Harkleroad, who lost her first round match 6-2, 6-1, believes she is the first tennis player to pose for the magazine and follows American swimmer Amanda Beard in baring all for the cameras.
"I was just lying there in hospital for three weeks, and an offer came to me. I thought about it and it was something that I did. I'm proud of my body," said the Florida native whose pictures will appear in the August edition.
"I stay in shape and try to stay fit. I'm just trying to represent a female athlete and her body. That can be sexy too. It's no big deal."
Williams said she backed Harkleroad's decision to pose for the magazine.
"I do appreciate that magazine. I think Hugh Hefner is a great businessman, and he has a niche that he just did really amazing in," said Williams.
"I'm happy for her if that's what she wanted to do. It takes a lot of courage. And whether I'm courageous enough, I don't know, but it's great for someone to be so courageous and tough."
(Yahoo news)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Harkleroad in Playboy !
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Chouffke was right! Why didn't he place a bet.... :-)
(pic Belga)
SHAUN CUSTIS
(aet: 1-1, United win 6-5 on pens)
Published: 21 May 2008
CRISTIANO RONALDO knows he could have been the man in pieces this morning.
Instead, he is waking up a Champions League winner and it is Chelsea skipper John Terry left in bits.
When Ronaldo’s nervy third penalty for Manchester United in a dramatic sudden-death shootout was saved by Petr Cech, the double Footballer of the Year seemed to have destroyed a brilliant season.
Questions had been asked about whether he could do it on the biggest stage and he had apparently blown it when it really mattered.
With Chelsea hammering in their first four penalties, lionheart defender Terry was one kick away from the greatest moment of his career as he stepped up to take his team’s fifth spot-kick with the clock ticking past 1.30am in the Luzhniki Stadium.
All Terry had to do was put the ball in the net from 12 yards and the cup with the big ears would be the Londoners’ for the first time in their history.
It is a chance players dream about. But few ever get the opportunity to make that dream come true.
With rain pelting down, Terry stepped up to the ball and, just before he connected, his left foot gave way on the uneven pitch.
His shot skewed off the outside of United keeper Edwin Van der Sar’s left post and agonisingly wide.
It was reminiscent of David Beckham’s miss when England lost on penalties to host nation Portugal at Euro 2004. Just as it was for Becks, it turned out a nightmare for Terry.
The kicks then went to sudden death and, after Anderson and Salomon Kalou had scored, Ryan Giggs coolly slotted home on his record-breaking 759th United appearance to make it 6-5.
Nicolas Anelka had to score to keep the Blues alive but his kick was superbly saved by the veteran Van der Sar diving to his right. Cue mayhem in the United end where the penalties were taken, as the players raced to engulf their Dutch hero.
They were minus only a mightily relieved Ronaldo, who was lying face down on the halfway line with his emotions having got the better of him.
Manager Alex Ferguson danced a jig as he celebrated a second Champions League success to go with that of 1999 and another magnificent Double.
Maybe it was always meant to be that United should succeed 50 years after the Munich air disaster.
Meanwhile, emotions of a different kind were overwhelming the Chelsea players. Terry was inconsolable. No player should have to go through the pain he suffered.
He did not deserve such a fate after a superb performance at the back which had taken his team to the brink of that first-ever triumph in a Champions League final.
United’s young team are now looking forward to years of success, as they grow into maturity. It will be carnage at Chelsea, though, with manager Avram Grant probably losing his job and the likes of striker Didier Drogba leaving the club.Drogba was not even around to take a penalty in the shootout, having been sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic with six minutes left.
In fact, Terry would not have stepped up for that decisive kick had Drogba still been on the field.
This final never looked like it would go to penalties, because United so dominated the first half they should have been out of sight by half-time.
But Chelsea were on top from then on and were desperately unlucky to hit the woodwork twice.
United took the lead on 26 minutes. Wes Brown, an unsung hero at Old Trafford, combined with Paul Scholes, who missed out on the triumph in Barcelona nine years ago through suspension.
Scholes’ genius unlocked the space for Brown on the right and his deep cross found Ronaldo, who climbed high above a static Michael Essien to head into the corner for his 42nd goal of the season.
Chelsea almost equalised seven minutes later. Drogba nodded down Frank Lampard’s pass and Rio Ferdinand, under fierce pressure from Michael Ballack, headed at his own keeper Van der Sar. The Dutchman just managed to paw the ball away.
It then took the brilliance of Cech to stop Chelsea going two down.
Ronaldo crossed for Carlos Tevez, whose diving header was saved by Cech low down.
FRANK YOU ... Chelsea ace Frank Lampard levels
As the ball ran loose, Michael Carrick smashed in a shot and Cech recovered to thrust out his right hand and turn it round his right post. Holes were opening up all over the Blues’ defence and Tevez, sliding in, could not get a proper contact on Wayne Rooney’s skidding cross from seven yards.
Right on half-time, Chelsea were back in it. Essien’s drive hit Vidic and Ferdinand before bouncing obligingly across to Lampard, who clipped a left-foot effort past Van der Sar.
Lampard raced away and raised both arms to the heavens, where his mum Pat, who died so tragically only a month ago, was looking down and willing her boy on.
Chelsea could have been out of it, yet now it felt like the psychological edge was with them.
Grant’s men came within a coat of paint of grabbing the lead with 12 minutes remaining after great work by Drogba.
He shrugged off three challenges before whipping a 25-yard, right-foot drive beyond Van der Sar and away off a post.
Chelsea also hit the bar in extra-time. Lampard turned beautifully, clipped his shot over Van der Sar and put his head in his hands as the ball bounced to safety.
Then Terry headed away a Giggs strike which was going in, only for his night to end in misery soon after.
But United have been England’s best team this season. They thoroughly deserve their reward.
(The Sun)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Manchester United wins the CL .....
At least, if you ask Chouffke. He thinks the game will end with a: 2 - 1
Just wait and see !!!!
(pic Belga)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Justine Henin quitting tennis?
The shock move will bring the Belgian ace's career to an end at the age of just 25.
On Friday, Henin withdrew from a tournament in Italy complaining of fatigue.
That decision came a day after she was beaten by Dinara Safina in third round of the German Open.
Henin won 10 of the 14 events she entered last season, losing just four matches and winning a record £2.5million.
But in 20 matches this season, Henin has already equalled last year's loss total and has won just two of her six events played.
She cited a right knee injury as the reason for a recent lay-off.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Police chief's breach over sex e-mails!
Police chief broke rules to access lover's explicit e-mails
(File photo dated 01/03/2002 of Terry Grange, former chief constable of Dyfed-Powys Police.)
Terry Grange, former chief constable of Dyfed-Powys Police
A chief constable risked a serious security breach by insisting that sexually explicit e-mails from his mistress be allowed to pass through his force’s computer firewall.
Terry Grange retired abruptly last year as Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police a week after the Independent Police Complaints Commission began an investigation into allegations of misconduct and abuse of expenses.
The commission's report was published today and upholds a number of allegations against Mr Grange – finding that he pressed a junior employee to change computer security settings to admit his lover’s messages.
The report said: “The implications for allowing such access is clearly a breach of security and could have allowed force systems to be contaminated by computer viruses with serious consequences.”
Mr Grange had an affair with a woman identified in the report as Ms A between November 2006 and August 2007.
Two months after the relationship ended she sent a written complaint to an IPCC commissioner alleging that she went with Mr Grange to official meetings, that he claimed for romantic dinners on police expenses and that they exchanged “sexually explicit” and “politically sensitive” e-mails.
A trawl of the force’s e-mail archive found 102 messages from Mr Grange to Ms A. The content of the messages was not retained, they had subject headings ranging from “visits to Wales” to “Irish sausages” and “Hindu cows”.
Investigators obtained print-outs of some of the e-mails from Ms A and confirmed that they “contain inappropriate comments and sexual innuendo”.
The report added: “The e-mails in possession of the IPCC are inappropriate and could be extremely damaging to Mr Grange and the police service if they found their way into the public domain. Mr Grange has clearly breached force policy by use of the force computer system to send inappropriate e-mails and his actions and content of the e-mails would clearly bring the force into disrepute.”
The commission also concluded that Mr Grange had misused his corporate Barclaycard to claim for hotels, meals and drinks with Ms A. He argued that he submitted personal cheques to cover those elements of expenditure but had made “a right pigs” of filling out the claim form.
Investigators reported: “The explanations provided by Mr Grange for these anomalies are unconvincing and lack credibility. Whatever the truth of the matter, Mr Grange has made a financial benefit from double-claiming expenses. He has also misused his corporate Barclaycard.”
The inquiry also found that there were no records of how much annual leave Mr Grange took and called on Dyfed-Powys police authority to tighten up procedures on senior officers’ expenses, duty commitments and holiday entitlement.
Mr Grange was interviewed under caution during the inquiry but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to press criminal charges against him.
Because he has resigned from the police he is not subject to police misconduct procedures.
Tom Davies, the IPCC Commissioner for Wales, said: “This is a sad end to a long and distinguished career of a senior police officer.” (timesonline)
Monday, May 5, 2008
Teacher Tiffany Shepherd Fired for Bikini Work
Teacher Tiffany Shepherd Fired for Bikini Work
(St. Lucie County, Florida) A 30-year-old science teacher, Tiffany Shepherd, has been fired from her position at Port St. Lucie High School. Shepherd claims that she was booted because of her second job as a bikini-clad mate for a charter fishing boat operation.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Old Trafford dances into the night!!
United beat Barcelona, thanks to a rocket from Scholesy, who missed his side’s famous 1999 final victory over Bayern Munich through suspension.
Now boss Alex Ferguson said: “Paul is going to be my first name on the team-sheet in Moscow. He is one of our great players.
"He’s come through the ranks and I’m so pleased for him.
“It was fantastic goal. He’s 33 and I do not expect him to score 10 to 15 like when he was younger but he got one tonight for us. It was a marvellous moment for him.
“It’s a great feeling. We’re all delighted. We needed a fantastic performance and got one. And the fans helped us over the line.
Fergie: We deserve it
“We played a club with great philosophy and a good team. They play fantastic football but our concentration at the back was good.”
United will face either Liverpool or Chelsea in the Russian capital on May 21.
The Reds and Blues go head to head in tonight’s other semi at Stamford Bridge.
Fergie added: “We are there. It does not matter who we play.
“Us against Liverpool would be nice — but I don’t mind.”
United have reached the final 50 years after the Munich air disaster.
Fergie said: “Fate is fate and, hopefully, it is right. We deserve to be there.”
Defender Rio Ferdinand said: “I can’t put into words how I feel.
“Discipline got us through, along with resilience and a great strike from Scholes.
“It’s only his second of the season — but what a perfect time to get one. We were under pressure but the fans backed us the whole way.
“Paul Scholes is a fantastic player — and what a goal he scored.
“It doesn’t matter who we meet in the final we are just happy we’re there.”
Midfielder Michael Carrick said: “The feeling is one of relief. We put so much pressure on ourselves to achieve things.
“We knew it would be tough but we’ve done it. That was an awesome strike from Paul Scholes. It has to be one of his best.”
Barca boss Frank Rijkaard was left crestfallen after this semi-final second leg.
He said: “We did everything but score.”
Champions League: Manchester United lead Moscow march
Manchester United lead Moscow march
Paul Scholes cracks home the Manchester United winner
Golden shot: Scholes, who missed the Manchester United triumph in 1999 because of suspension, scores the goal against Barcelona that put his side through to the first all English Cahmpions League final
Oliver Kay
Amid joyous scenes at Old Trafford, Manchester United last night guaranteed the first all-English Champions League final, with Sir Alex Ferguson and his players declaring that they do not care whether it is Chelsea or Liverpool who await them in Moscow on May 21.
A spectacular goal from Paul Scholes in the fourteenth minute, a superb swerving shot from 25 yards that beat VÍctor Valdés, earned United a 1-0 aggregate win over Barcelona and their first appearance in the final since they lifted the European Cup in 1999, when Scholes was forced to sit out the moment of triumph against Bayern Munich because of suspension.
Ferguson believes that his team have a “fantastic chance” against the winners of this evening’s tie at Stamford Bridge and added that he hoped reaching the final 50 years after the Munich air disaster, in which eight United players died, was evidence that fate may be on the club’s side.
“Fate is fate,” the United manager said, “but I think the important thing is that we’re in the final. We have a fantastic chance, whoever we play.” He will travel to London to watch the second semi-final unfold and joked that a Liverpool victory would mean more tickets for both sets of supporters, suggesting that Chelsea’s Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, would take an enormous allocation if his team got through, given that the final is in Moscow.
“I’ve no chance of predicting who will win, I’ve no idea. I don’t care who we play,” Ferguson said. “This club deserves to be in the final. Our fans saw us over the line tonight.”
A
n all-English showpiece will provide a serious challenge for the Russian authorities and for Uefa, European football’s governing body, which was widely criticised for the security and ticketing arrangements at last season’s final between Liverpool and AC Milan in Athens. The clubs and Uefa will hope to prevent any fans travelling without tickets – at least on their official trips – but the prospect of thousands of ticketless supporters roaming around Moscow on the day of the match seems inevitable.
United will expect to travel to Russia as champions of England, having claimed the two wins they need to retain the Barclays Premier League title. Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney should be available to face West Ham United on Saturday despite missing last night’s game with facial and hip injuries respectively. Patrice Evra should also be fit after he received a kick in the face from Deco, the Barcelona mid-field player, during a nervous finale Only when the final whistle sounded could United party like it was 1999.
(timesonline)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Beer and Global Warming...
Looming Worldwide Beer Shortage Another Effect of Global Warming
Photo credit: dyobmit
According to Jim Salinger, a climate scientist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, the warming globe will likely cause a decline in the production of malting barley, which, when combined with the scarcity of hops right now, stands to have a profound and negative impact on the world's beer supply starting now, and for decades to come.
"It will mean either there will be pubs without beer or the cost of beer will go up," Salinger told the Institute of Brewing and Distilling convention. Though Salinger spoke only of the direct effects on Australia and New Zealand, similar effects could be expected worldwide. He said climate change could cause a drop in beer production within 30 years, especially in parts of Australia, as dry areas become drier and water shortages worsen.
"It will provide a lot of challenges for the brewing industry," even forcing breweries to look at new varieties of malt barley as a direct result of climate change, Salinger said.
Yikes. Beer drinkers are already paying for it, in places like Portland, Oregon, and beer brewers like the Boston Beer Company are changing their brewing practices and even selling off some of their hops to other small breweries.
Though there's been at least one case of global warming helping beer production in a small (and kind of silly) way, the warming globe is also negatively affecting whiskey production and could yield explosive results elsewhere; in short, as Salinger said, “It’s already happening and will get worse." So savor your next pint and read more at ::Beverage World and the ::Daily Star
(www.treehugger.com)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Michael Schumacher...
Michael Schumacher finds life after racing
The seven-time World Champion F1 driver talks about his love of motorcycles and his new campaign to help reduce drunk driving
In 2008, Formula One seems to have found its conscience. A raft of environmental engineering developments will be introduced over the next decade with the goal of F1 cars no longer being powered by fossil fuels. Racist taunts of Lewis Hamilton were swiftly and effectively dealt with in testing at Barcelona. And in the light of allegations about Max Mosley’s reported Nazi sex sessions, manufacturers, former drivers and automobile clubs have distanced themselves from the FIA President to protect F1’s image.
Out front though, in the charge of the F1 Caring Sharing Brigade, is Michael Schumacher.
“I think Formula 1 should take a leading role because we have role models there and they can transmit the message. It is broadcast all over the world. We have huge viewers so Formula 1 knows about its responsibilities and is active about it.”
For years Schumacher has worked with the FIA and Bridgestone on global road safety campaigns. Now he is tackling the worldwide problem of drink driving as a (paid) ambassador for Bacardi Ltd.
In the next seven years one in six people on the planet (more than one billion) will have been killed, injured, bereaved or left to care for a victim of road accidents. Drink driving plays contributes enormously to those statistics and a large percentage of the population know, directly or indirectly, victims of drink driving.
“I am fortunate. I do not know anyone who has been victim of drink driving,” says Schumacher. “But the number is increasing, whether it’s because of the economic situation that’s maybe better than in the past or whether it’s easier to access (alcohol). I don’t know. It’s sometimes very difficult to talk about this, but I think what is important is to discuss and try and find strategies to prevent it happening.”
Schumacher is clear on what should be done. Zero tolerance, as in many Scandinavian countries, is the only option he says:
“If you start to say yes… a little bit, what is a little bit for somebody and another person? It’s very different. Human bodies… react very differently to the amount of alcohol you drink.”
Despite strength in numbers (fellow F1 racer Mika Hakkinen performs a similar role for another drinks company) Schumacher’s crusade will be tough. At the recent Brits music awards in London many of the acts staggered drunkenly to the stage to receive their awards. And for many youngsters those role models are highly influential. Even fellow F1 drivers like Kimi Raikkonen have been portrayed as hard partiers.
“I’m pretty sure there are a lot of people around that like to listen and follow what I’m doing rather than what the bad examples are doing,” says Schumacher.
As for hard partying fellow F1 drivers, he is sure that none have ever get behind the wheel while still intoxicated.
“I’ve been around more than 16 years now, and I’ve never seen somebody taking alcohol in the amount that would influence or show any alcohol the next day,” he says. “Sure, you drink a beer or a glass of wine the night before and the next day you are completely OK.”
As you would expect for the most accomplished F1 driver of all time, he has never felt out of control in a car “No. I have not but I know the problem exists.” And so he struggles to imagine what it must feel like. I suggest an experiment, with complete safety cover, with him trying increasing amounts of alcohol to find out how much it takes to make the best driver in the world lose control. Schumacher does not find the suggestion appealing.
“I don’t really think it makes any sense because you should probably do it on the worst drivers in the world, because it’s these guys who drive around the roads.”
Retirement from F1 has given Schumacher more time with his family at home in Switzerland. They have just come back from a skiing holiday, just as the F1 season gets into its stride. “A ski week when I would normally have been testing or racing is a luxury,” he says.
But there are signs that home life is starting to make him twitchy. For years a Harley aficionado, he has taken up sports motorcycle racing and has finished in the points. But doing a Valentino Rossi and swapping codes full time is out of the question. “Why should I? What could I gain?” he says. “But I love bikes and I enjoy using them on the track.”
Already a rock climber, Schumacher has found another gravity-defying sport to keep his adrenal gland pumping; parachuting. He has already jumped in America and Spain. “I enjoy excitement,” he says with a grin. “Certainly jumping out of an extremely perfectly running plane somehow is exciting.”
Burning fossil fuels has always been a necessary aspect of Schumacher’s job. But he is keen to see F1 and road car manufacturers accelerate their environmental programmes.
“We all live within this globe, we all want to live as long as possible, we all have kids, we all want them to continue to have kids. So we have to take care and we cannot be reckless.
“In Formula One we start next year with an energy saving braking system. In this respect Formula One can be very important because the development time you have in Formula One is so short. (Ferrari’s) road car department and other road car companies will benefit hugely from it, and the environment will as well. People say F1 should do more but you cannot change the world in one day. It’s not possible. You have to do it in steps that are achievable and you have to understand the problem. I think that it has been understood, this issue, and Formula One is reacting to it.” (timesonline)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Eto'o the day after....
Cristiano Ronaldo's second-minute penalty miss meant United left the Nou Camp without a vital away goal.
And Cameroon hitman Eto'o believes Barca are now the clear favourites to progress.
He said: "I really think that if we go to Manchester and play like this then there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't go through.
"It's not an easy task to be the home side when you have drawn 0-0 away from home in the first leg of a knockout tie.
"There's no real problem with our goalscoring and I say that because we continue to create chances.
"I'd predict that we are capable of scoring in any away match no matter who it's against.
"When you have a team like ours which plays such good football and has so many different guys capable of scoring then the ball will eventually go in.
"If we play at our true level then there are very few sides in the world who are capable of living with us.
"Although I'm not disappointed that we didn't score because there are goals in this team, right throughout the side."
Midfielder Xavi reckons Barca deserved to win last night's semi-final first-leg.
The Spanish ace said: "The only thing missing was the goal and that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
"We dominated the 90 minutes. We are happy with the image we gave, but not the result.
"This team is capable of going to any ground and winning, so I have no doubt we can make the final."
Argentine defender Gabriel Milito added: "The result is unfair because we deserved to win.
"But it is not a bad result and there are still 90 minutes left in the tie.
"We have had some bad luck. We have created some very good chances in the last few games, so I don't think we should worry.
"The important thing is that we are creating chances and hopefully our luck will change soon.
"There is still a long way to go in this tie.
"We will play next week's game as if it were a final and I think we have a great chance of getting through."
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
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|
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Bottle size : 75 cl bottles
20 L kegs
Description : Dark Beer, strong, fruity,lightly hoppy, with an evoluting taste. Natural Beer, bottle refermented,
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Alcohol level : 10% alc./vol.
Original gravity : 20 °Plato
Storage : Store the bottles vertically in a cold place,
sheltered from light. The yeast deposit can
either be drunk or left according to taste
Serve at : 8 to12°C (bottle)
