Marshall sets record for most sixes


Xavier Marshall set a new world record for the most number of sixes in a one-day international innings against Canada.

The batsman blasted 12 in an unbeaten 157 to help West Indies defeat Canada in a Triangular Tournament encounter in King City.

Marshall put Canada's bowlers to the sword, belting his highest limited overs score from just 118 balls and which also included 11 fours.

The 22-year-old's onslaught bettered the previous mark of 11 that had stood for 12 years after being set by Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya in 1996 and equalled by Pakistani Shahid Afridi six months later.

Marshall's effort and 51 from Leon Johnson helped West Indies post a total of 303 for four off 50 overs.

Brendan Nash then followed up an unbeaten 39 with three for 56 as Canada were bowled out for 254, opener Rizwan Cheema top-scoring for the hosts with 89.

Cuban Athlete Is Barred for Kicking Referee in the Face


A Cuban tae kwon do athlete committed one of the biggest breaches of sportsmanship at an Olympics, kicking a referee in the face in anger after he was disqualified from his match Saturday.
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Ángel Valodia Matos, 31, charged at the referee, Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, after Chelbat disqualified him for taking too long in an injury timeout. Matos angrily pushed another judge, ran at Chelbat and kicked him, and spit on the mat as he was grabbed and ushered out of the arena by security.

The World Taekwondo Federation said after the match that Matos, along with his coach, Leodis González, would be banned from all its future sanctioned events and his records at the Beijing Games would be erased.

The stadium announcer read a statement from the W.T.F., saying, “This is a strong violation of the spirit of tae kwon do and the Olympic Games. The sanctions are the following and are effective immediately: Lifetime ban of the coach and athlete in all championships sanctioned by the World Taekwondo Federation and at the same time, all records of this athlete at the Beijing Games will immediately be erased.”

However, W.T.F. officials later said their ban of Matos was not official, and they would discuss the situation with the International Olympic Committee.

Matos was winning his over-80 kilogram (176 pounds) match against Arman Chilmanov of Kazakhstan, 3-2, in the second round when Chilmanov struck Matos, who fell to the ground. More than a minute passed as he awaited medical attention, and he was disqualified by Chelbat because tae kwon do rules allow just a minute for an injury timeout.

“To me it was obvious he was unable to continue,” said Chilmanov, the bronze medal winner. “His toe on his left foot was broken.”

Matos won the gold medal in this division in the 2000 Olympics and finished 11th in 2004. After Matos’s disqualification, González angrily declared that Chelbat had fixed the match.

That was not the only controversy Saturday: a women’s quarterfinal victory was overturned on appeal. China’s Chen Zhong won her match over Britain’s Sarah Stevenson, 1-0. But Stevenson protested that she was not given 2 points for a kick to Chen’s head late in the match. Officials decided in Stevenson’s favor and she was awarded the victory.

Champions Trophy postponed until October 2009


The ICC has postponed the Champions Trophy, which was due to begin in Pakistan in 19 days' time, to October 2009, after five of the eight participating nations confirmed during a teleconference on Sunday that they would not send their teams for the event due to security concerns.

South Africa had on Saturday pulled out of the tournament, which was originally scheduled to be held from Sept 12-28 in Karachi and Lahore, and the ICC was informed on Sunday that Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies, too, would not be participating.

The ICC will now meet in September to finalise a window for the tournament in 2009 and, while Pakistan will be given "first preference" to host it, a decision on the venue may be taken only after a security assessment of the country is done around February, after the India tour.

Sources who attended the ICC's teleconference said there was the option of the tournament being relocated to Sri Lanka, the official alternate venue, but India and Pakistan remained adamant against a change.

India, the sources said, were not willing to sacrifice Pakistan. The Sri Lankans too didn't press their case, as they supported the Pakistan view that a venue change could not be made on security grounds. The meeting was held in an amicable atmosphere because most of the issues had been thrashed out among the members beforehand, rendering the final discussions a mere formality.

"There was unanimity in the decision to postpone the event until October next year," David Morgan, the ICC president, told Sky Sports. "India is very influential but so is Giles Clarke (ECB chief executive), Australia, New Zealand - they all bring their influence to bear.

"The vote was totally in favour of the postponement until October next year. And India were quite influential in persuading some other nations that that was the right course of action."

The ICC have appeased Pakistan, at least for the time being, in choosing not to cancel the competition entirely but postponing it until October next year. Morgan, though, was insistent that "appeasement was not part of the meeting at all".

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have been extremely reasonable about the whole subject, (it has been very clear) they have worked jolly hard to try to give comfort to the member boards, and the eight teams that are touring, that it would be safe and secure," Morgan said. "Unfortunately, five of the participating nations found it impossible to send their team to Pakistan because of safety concerns."

Though the postponement means there will be a rare 33 days without international cricket this year, the schedule for 2009 promises to be every bit as packed - besides, the next edition of the Champions Trophy is coming up in 2010. "Every cricketing year is a busy one," Morgan said. "We're more aware of it in the UK because of the Ashes, the World Twenty20 and the one-day series against Australia, but it is no busier a year than any other.

"There will certainly be more security assessments. We're going to meet around the table in 3 or 4 weeks in Dubai to discuss the mechanisms of the postponement. There are numerous things to be discussed and we're planning on meeting in the middle of September to discuss the consequences of the decision."

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, added: "Every one of our members wishes to ensure the ICC Champions Trophy is a world-class event and the prospect of relocating it at short notice in order to make sure it was played this year would not allow that criterion to be fulfilled."

Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, said that postponing the tournament was the only option in light of boycott threats. "Cricket is not going to die here, it's just that we are going through a difficult phase," Naghmi told AP. "We would have lost the hosting rights had the Champions Trophy been relocated [to Sri Lanka].

"With four of the eight teams threatening to pull out, "it made little sense to organize a four-team competition," he said.

Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said his board supported the ICC decision and had last week "explained their reservations and security concerns about staging the tournament in the aftermath of the resignation of the Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf last Monday."

Timeline:
* May 1, 2006 - The ICC awards the 2008 Champions Trophy to Pakistan
* March 11, 2008 - Australia postpone their tour to Pakistan over security fears
* March 19 - ICC says Sri Lanka will be the alternate venue
* June 18 - Official launch of Champions Trophy
* June 19 - Ricky Ponting says Australian players are uneasy with touring Pakistan
* July 6 - Pakistan successfully stages six-nation Asia Cup
* July 24 - ICC keeps Champions Trophy in Pakistan after board meeting, high-level task force appointed
* July 24 to 26 - Players lobbies step up pressure to pull out; Kevin Pietersen urges ECB to make Champions Trophy decision; Graeme Smith has 'major concerns'
* Aug 10 - ICC task team travels to Pakistan to assess security
* Aug 12 - ICC drops Rawalpindi as one of the venues
* Aug 14 to 17 - Geoff Lawson deployed by ICC to convince Australia and New Zealand; the task force, along with Lawson, meet Australian officials; New Zealand and Australian players' associations remain unconvinced; ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat briefs England team
* Aug 19 - Top ICC officials meet in Dubai, announce teleconference for August 24 Aug 22 - South Africa withdraw from tournament
* Aug 24 - ICC postpones trophy until next year, Pakistan keep hosting rights

Farewell to Beijing 2008 Olympic Games



BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a Qing-Dynasty style hat, Russian sportscaster Igor Shvetsov had a big smile on his face when he walked out of the National Stadium after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on Sunday.

He felt relaxed, partly for finishing his work, and partly because of the carnival-like ceremony.

Asked which part he liked most, the answer was "the entire one".

"It's so well-arranged that you cannot divide it up," said Shvetsov.

However, Marcela Saxlumd from Uruguay had her favorite part. She was deeply impressed by the "Memory Tower", on which the performers simulated the flame with their bodies after the Olympic flame went out.

"It's original, and I like it very much," she said.

Saxlumd said it implicated that the Olympic flame and spirit would be kept in people's mind forever.

"The Beijing Olympics is a great memory for me," she added.

Bob Bassett, a businessman from San Francisco, felt the same way.

Bassett came to Beijing with his friends, watched the men's soccer final and track and fields events, visited famous Laoshe Teahouse, listened to Peking Opera and tasted traditional Beijing food during his five-day trip.

He said the word "exceptional", which International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge tagged to the Beijing Olympics, was quite appropriate.

"It's exceptional. It's awesome," he said.

He enjoyed the closing ceremony as well.

"I like the beginning, the fireworks and the performance," said the 55-year-old, joking that if there weren't a lot of flag-raisings, it would be more interesting.

The closing ceremony was totally different from the opening, Bassett said, "It's like a big party."

The organizers had revealed that compared with the opening ceremony, the closing was more like a carnival for athletes and spectators.

It's true.

When the athletes walked into the Bird's Nest, they kissed the camera lens, took pictures and walked around to talk with each other. Many of them were attracted by Chinese basketball player Yao Ming, who stood tallest. One Canadian athlete sat on his teammate's shoulder and shook hands with the 2.26m Houston Rockets center.

Inspired by the joyous atmosphere, a shop assistant in the stadium moved his body to the rhythm of the music.

"It's like a festival. I enjoyed it," he said

16 days, 204 countries, thousands of athletes, 43 world records and countless lasting memories. It is one of the most popular Olympic games ever happened in history of Olympic games. This Olympic was also memorable for India. For the first time Indian Olympic team is coming home with 3 medals. So Good Bye Beijing, Congrats for a great show.

By the way this is the final medals tally for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

SECRET CODES FOR ALL PHONES


Mobile Phone Secrets & Tricks

.:: NOKIA ::.

Nokia Universal Codes
Code Description :
These Nokia codes will work on most Nokia Mobile Phones

(1) *3370# Activate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) - Your phone uses the best sound quality but talk time is reduced my approx. 5%

(2) #3370# Deactivate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) OR *3370# ( Favourite )

(3) *#4720# Activate Half Rate Codec - Your phone uses a lower quality sound but you should gain approx 30% more Talk Time.

(4) *#4720# Deactivate Half Rate Codec.

(5) *#0000# Displays your phones software version, 1st Line : Software Version, 2nd Line : Software Release Date, 3rd Line : Compression Type. ( Favourite )

(6) *#9999# Phones software version if *#0000# does not work.

(7) *#06# For checking the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI Number). ( Favourite )

(8 ) #pw+1234567890+1# Provider Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(9) #pw+1234567890+2# Network Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(10 ) #pw+1234567890+3# Country Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(11) #pw+1234567890+4# SIM Card Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(12) *#147# (vodafone) this lets you know who called you last.

(13) *#1471# Last call (Only vodofone).

(14) *#21# Allows you to check the number that "All Calls" are diverted to

(15) *#2640# Displays security code in use.

(16) *#30# Lets you see the private number.

(17) *#43# Allows you to check the "Call Waiting" status of your phone.

(1Cool *#61# Allows you to check the number that "On No Reply" calls are diverted to.

(19) *#62# Allows you to check the number that "Divert If Unreachable (no service)" calls
are diverted to.

(20 ) *#67# Allows you to check the number that "On Busy Calls" are diverted to.

(21) *#67705646# Removes operator logo on 3310 & 3330.

(22) *#73# Reset phone timers and game scores.

(23) *#746025625# Displays the SIM Clock status, if your phone supports this power saving feature "SIM Clock Stop Allowed", it means you will get the best standby time possible.

(24) *#7760# Manufactures code.

(25) *#7780# Restore factory settings.

(26) *#8110# Software version for the nokia 8110.

(27) *#92702689# Displays - 1.Serial Number, 2.Date Made, 3.Purchase Date, 4.Date of last repair (0000 for no repairs), 5.Transfer User Data. To exit this mode you need to switch your phone off then on again. ( Favourite )

(28 ) *#94870345123456789# Deactivate the PWM-Mem.

(29) **21*number# Turn on "All Calls" diverting to the phone number entered.

(30) **61*number# Turn on "No Reply" diverting to the phone number entered.

(31) **67*number# Turn on "On Busy" diverting to the phone number entered.

(32) 12345 This is the default security code.

press and hold # Lets you switch between lines
NOKIA 5110/5120/5130/5190
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 0 0 0 0 #
Simlock info: * # 9 2 7 0 2 6 8 9 #
Enhanced Full Rate: * 3 3 7 0 # [ # 3 3 7 0 # off]
Half Rate: * 4 7 2 0 #
Provider lock status: #pw+1234567890+1
Network lock status #pw+1234567890+2
Provider lock status: #pw+1234567890+3
SimCard lock status: #pw+1234567890+4
NOKIA 6110/6120/6130/6150/6190
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 0 0 0 0 #
Simlock info: * # 9 2 7 0 2 6 8 9 #
Enhanced Full Rate: * 3 3 7 0 # [ # 3 3 7 0 # off]
Half Rate: * 4 7 2 0 #
NOKIA 3110
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 0 0 0 0 # or * # 9 9 9 9 # or * # 3 1 1 0 #
Simlock info: * # 9 2 7 0 2 6 8 9 #
NOKIA 3330
*#06#
This will show your warranty details *#92702689#
*3370#
Basically increases the quality of calling sound, but decreases battery length.
#3370#
Deactivates the above
*#0000#
Shows your software version
*#746025625#This shows if your phone will allow sim clock stoppage
*4370#
Half Rate Codec activation. It will automatically restart
#4370#
Half Rate Codec deactivation. It will automatically restart
Restore Factory Settings
To do this simply use this code *#7780#
Manufacturer Info
Date of Manufacturing *#3283#
*3001#12345# (TDMA phones only)
This will put your phone into programming mode, and you'll be presented with the programming menu.
2) Select "NAM1"
3) Select "PSID/RSID"
4) Select "P/RSID 1"
Note: Any of the P/RSIDs will work
5) Select "System Type" and set it to Private
6) Select "PSID/RSID" and set it to 1
7) Select "Connected System ID"
Note: Enter your System ID for Cantel, which is 16401 or 16423. If you don't know yours,
ask your local dealer for it.
8 ) Select "Alpha Tag"
9) Enter a new tag, then press OK
10 ) Select "Operator Code (SOC)" and set it to 2050
11) Select "Country Code" and set it to 302 for Canada, and 310 for the US.
12) Power down the phone and power it back on again
ISDN Code
To check the ISDN number on your Nokia use this code *#92772689#
.:: Ericsson ::.
Ericson T65
*#05# Fake Insert puk screen Press no to exit
Ericsson T20

Ericsson T20

MENU tecnichal Info
[type] >*<<**<<***<<*
*<<**
*<<*<*
Options :
1) service Info
info Software
Simlock
Configuration
2) Service Test
Display
Led/Illumination
Keyboard
ringer
Vibration
Headset
Microphone
Clock
3)Text's name List
Info personal : >*<<**<
SIM Locking ( 8 digits' code ) ( it could harm your phone )
1) Network
2) Subnetwork
3) SP
4) Corporate
.:: Siemens ::.
Siemens C25
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: put off sim card and enter: : * # 0 6 # and press LONG KEY
Bonus screen: in phone booke: + 1 2 0 2 2 2 4 3 1 2 1
.:: Bosch ::.
IMEI Number: * # 0 6 #
Dafault Language: * # 0 0 0 0 #
Net Monitor: * # 3 2 6 2 2 5 5 * 8 3 7 8 #
.::Alcatel ::.
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 0 6 #
Net Monitor: 0 0 0 0 0 0 *
.:: Samsung ::.
Samsung SGH600/2100DB
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 9 9 9 9 # albo * # 0 8 3 7 #
Net Monitor: * # 0 3 2 4 #
Chaning LCD contrast: * # 0 5 2 3 #
Memory info: * # 0 3 7 7 # albo * # 0 2 4 6 #
Reset pamieci (SIMLOCK`a removing!!!): *2767*3855#
Reset pamieci CUSTOM: *2767*2878#
Battery state: * # 9 9 9 8 * 2 2 8 #
Alarm beeper: *#9998*289#
Vibra test: *#9998*842#
.:: Dancall ::.
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 9 9 9 9 #
.:: Philips ::.
*#3333*# Displays the blocking list.
*#7489*# Displays the security code.
*#06# Displays the IMEI number.
*#8377*# Displays the SW info.
.:: Panasonic ::.
Panasonic gd90 gd93
*#9999# SW - Type the code on switch on , during network seek
-Vers. SW and production code
Enable ringing and vibration contemporarily
Enable vibration with # then increase volume with "tone menu "
Panasonic gd70
*#9999# SW - Type the code on switch on , during network seek
-Vers. SW and production code
Enable ringing and vibration contemporarily
Enable vibration with # then increase volume with "tone menu "
.:: Acer ::.
Acer V 750
*#400# Display Adc/ Set Cal-Value -
*#402# Set LCD Contrast
*#403# Display Errors Info
*#300# Display Info Hw & Sw
*#301# Menu Test
*#302# Menu Acoustics
*#303# (Settings saved) Set English language?
*#307# Menu Engineering
*#311# Reset Phone Code - [ Also reset Security Codes ! ]
*#330# (Execute not success) [ unknown ]
*#331# (Service deactivated) [ unknown ]
*#332# (Service unavailable)[ unknown ]
*#333# (Execute not success)[ unknown ]
*#351# (Service unavailable) [ unknown ]
*#360# (Invalid input)[ unknown ]
*#361# (Invalid input) [ unknown ]
*#362# (Invalid input) [ unknown ]
*#363# (Invalid input) [ unknown ]
.:: Genie ::.
Genie DB
*#06# IMEI.
*#2254*# Near Cell Mode.
For every received BTS will be displayed :
Current channel and 2 channel levels
*#06# IMEI
*#2558# time of network connection ( D/H/M )
*#2562# Fores reconnection to network
!!!*#7489# Dispalys and modify phones' security code!!!
!!!*#3377# SIM lock information !!!
*#7378# SIM card Informations : supported phase name and tipe
*#7693# Enable/disable "Sleep Mode"
*#8463# State of "Sleep Mode"
*#2255# Debug Call Mode enable/disable
*#3333*# Displays the blocking list.
*#7489*# Displays the security code
*#06# Displays the IMEI number
*#8377*# Displays the SW info.
.:: NEC ::.
NEC db2000
*#2820# software vers.
IMEI *#06#
Reset *73738# (send?)
SP Lock info:
* # 3210 # (send?)
Network barring info : *#8140# (send?)
( it could harm your phone )
SIM lock it could harm your phone )
*#4960 # (send?) -Inquiry * 4960 * password * password # (send?) lock
#4960* password # (send?) unlock
[password] [8 digits]
Net Lock
*#7320# (send?) -Inquiry * 7320 * password * password # (send?) lock
#7320* password # (send?) unlock
[password] [ 8 digits]
Net Lock 2:
*#2220# (invio) - Inquiry * 2220 * password * password # (send?) lock
#2220* password # (invio?)unlock
[password] [8 digits]
Unlock subnetwork
*#1110# (send?) - inquiry * 1110 * password * password # (send?) lock
#1110* password # (send?) unlock
[password] [n� 8 cifre]
( it could harm your phone )
.:: Trium ::.
Trium Geo/Geo @ - Astral - Cosmo -Aria
Enter the menu and type *
A new menu will be displayed :
Application : SW version and battery's voltage

Trium Galaxy
Push * and type 5806: Production date and SW version
.:: Telit ::.
Telit GM 810
MONITOR - technical menu - : type ++++ and push OK.
Adiacent cells list : # and *
Now if you push OK the phone displays battery ' s voltage and temperature
.:: Sagem ::.
Sagem MC959/940
Select commands' menu and push *
Displays a new menu' :
Appli : software vers. and battery's voltage
Eprom
Sim Lock
Test LCD: display test , green/red and vibration
Sagem MC920
Select commands' menu and push *
Displays 5 new menus :
1 APPLI
VERSION ( SW)
BATTERY (voltage )
2 PROM (IMEI)
3!!! SIM LOCK (10 digits code requested ) !!!
4- NETWORK (returns : OPTION NOT AVAILABLE)
5- TEST LCD
SYMBOL 1 (LCD)
SYMBOL 2 (test2 LCD)
BLACK (all icons and carachters displayed )
FOR PHOTO (welcome message and time )
VIBRATOR (vibration test )

Sir Don's 'missing' 4 runs found


A cricket statistician claims that he has found the "missing" four runs that would take Sir Don's batting average to 100.

"Don Bradman's Test average - 99.94 runs per dismissal - is entrenched in Australian folklore, and the story of the Don's final innings, out for a duck when just four runs would have taken his average to 100, has been told countless times.

"Just four runs, spread over a career of almost 20 years and more than 197 hours at the crease. It is worth asking: just how sure can we be that the number is correct?" statistician Charles Davis wrote in 'The Sydney Morning Herald'.

"As it happens, my recent research has shown that it could be wrong: a tantalising clue to four missing runs has been found," he claimed.

Davis said he has found the "missing four runs" of Sir Don, who passed away in 2001, in some previously undiscovered Test statistics after extensive research.

"In the scorebook of the epic eight-day fifth Test of 1928-29 against England in Melbourne, won by Australia by five wickets, there is a "problem" boundary in the final stages, when Bradman was batting with Jack Ryder," he elaborates.

"The relevant sections of Bill Ferguson's original score are illustrated: there are four runs attributed to Ryder that are in the wrong place in both the batting section of the score and in the bowling section (Maurice Tate's 35th over). There is no doubt that a recording error of some kind has occurred. So where do these runs belong?," he asked.

"Perhaps Ryder scored them at some other point of the innings. Perhaps they were not scored at all (in which case Australia, technically, did not win the match). More importantly, perhaps they were scored by Bradman. Just perhaps," Davis says.

He reasons that score-recording is a tedious process and discrepancies cannot be ruled out and such small errors perhaps hold the key to those four runs that would make the most astonishing Test statistic of all time.

"You will not find a scorebook that says Bradman scored x when the accepted score is y. It is more subtle: a batsman's strokes may not add up to his score or, more commonly, there are mismatches between strokes attributed to batsmen and the strokes marked against bowlers," he pointed out.

"There are surviving scorebooks for many Tests of the past. All but seven of Bradman's Tests are represented, preserved in libraries at Lord's, Cricket NSW, and elsewhere." Davis said most of "these anomalies are inconclusive."

"There are a number of possible resolutions to the question over Ryder's four runs in that Melbourne Test of 1928-29. They are complicated by the presence of an unmarked leg bye.

"At least one resolution involves transferring the boundary to Bradman. If so, a "Holy Grail" of statisticians, four more runs to Bradman, has been found, and the "perfect" average of 100.00 achieved," he said.

Davis claims that scorebooks involving Bradman have not been scrutinised properly.

"Most of Bradman's scorebooks have not been checked at this level of detail. It is painstaking work. However, the chances of finding other anomalies, based on experience with many other scores, seem high," he said.

How to buy personalized t shirts on internet?


Have you ever thought of making your own T Shirt on internet ? Sounds Amazing ! Today I have found a website where you can customize your T Shirts. You can select your text, fonts, upload photos, use the image gallery and even change your design. SonicShack.com offers state of the art digital printing on apparel, which helps you to make personalized t shirts. It is full color printing directly to the garment. Here, customers can order online just one custom shirt and get discounts the more shirts they order. It is very easy to create your design.You can choose from all types of t-shirts or sweatshirts, or even tote bag and then choose one of the images available or upload your own image to print onto the item. If you are a webmaster then these customized t shirts can help you to make money online. With the Sonic Plug-in you can offer custom shirts for sale on your site. For this, you need to sign up and login on their website and use their Plug-in in your website.

You can design custom t shirts and so much more with your own style and colors. You can even set up a shop on SonicShack.com. Building a Shack is easy and fun. Once you make your t shirts or other items you can automatically email to your friend to check out your t-shirts. Making custom tee shirts has never been so fun and easy. They also give money back guarantee. For what you are waiting for, visit SonicShack.com and start designing right away.

Varanam Aayiram Songs - MP3 free download


Vaaranam Aayiram is a forthcoming Tamil feature film currently being directed by Gautham Menon, who with Vaaranam Aayiram will direct his sixth feature film. Surya Sivakumar acts in dual lead roles, whilst Sameera Reddy, Divya Spandana and Simran Bagga also play roles in the film. The film, which has been under production since late 2006, has Harris Jayaraj as the music composer. The film, announced with a budget of 14 crore Indian rupees, is set to be released in the summer of 2008.

Click the name of the song below to download ...

* Adiyae Kolluthey
* Meela Mudiyaamal
* Ragasiyam

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL 3 SONGS

Middle order has performed well for over a decade - Kumble


Anil Kumble, India's Test captain, has backed his senior middle-order batsmen against criticisms on their poor performance on the Sri Lanka tour. Kumble said it was harsh since they had been performing over the last decade. "This was the first series they could not perform," Kumble said of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

Kumble said it was unfair to include Laxman in the list since he had performed well. In the three Tests, Laxman scored 215 at 43, with two half-centuries while the other three combined to score 339 at 18.83, with one half-century between them.

"Sourav and Rahul were having it tough, but you cannot write them off," Kumble said. "They have done so much for Indian cricket in the last 15 years. Agreed they failed in this Test series but it happens in cricket. We should not forget their past contribution."

Kumble also praised Sri Lankan bowler Ajantha Mendis' accuracy, variety and trajectory. He said he had told Mendis to add variations to his bowling so he would not become predictable. "I knew that if I kept improving and added several variations, I would be able to dominate batsmen. Mendis will also go through such a stage when he would have to add a few tricks and variations so that he does not become predictable."

"From the moment I started, I did not spin the ball much, but I had variations and one needs to capture wickets to remain in the team. I bowl according to my strength."

Kumble looked ahead to India's upcoming series against Australia. "There is a month left now before Australia comes in and we need to have match practice and gain some confidence."

Masterpiece from Nokia!!!


NOKIA 6639 cell phone? Computer? Camera?
Frequency: GSM/GPRS/EDGE network, CDMA, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, CDMA2000.
Israel set arbitrary color options :
Size : 109 48 quenching
Weight : 100 grams
Battery : Lithium Ion Battery BM12P, Convergence 9800
Standby time : 100 hours
16 million color TFT color screen parameters : ;1024 768 pixels, 3.2 inches;
* For the system : Symbian 12.0 v16.6z simplified Chinese version
Processor : Pentium M-Dothan binuclear 2.0GHMz
Memory : Dual Channel DDR2 512M, the biggest can be expanded to 2GB
Display : nVIDIA Geforce Go 7800GT
WAP support fly along :
Nowhere 256 Chord :
Embedded speakers : 7.1-channel surround sound output
Photo identification of the caller calls Animation :
160 GB internal hard disk :
Support memory expansion : Mixed-CF, Microdrive miniature hard disk
compatibility, RS-MMC, miniSD , maximum support 160 GB
Adapter Type : USB2.0/IEEE1394
: Support WAV music format, MP3, conjecture, Ogg Vorbis, RAW, VOX,
CCIUT u-Law, PCM, MPC (MPEG plus/MusePack) , MP2 (MPEG 1 Layer 2),
ADPCM, CCUIT A-LAW, AIFC, DSP, GSM, CCUIT G721, CCUIT G723, G726
format CCUIT
Video Format : All support
20 EQ sound effects sound effect modes : Mode
: DAB radios can receive digital broadcasting / FM stereo radio
broadcasting group memory ;DAB/FM 50;
: 12.8 million effective pixel sensor, the APS size CCD, with Fangdou,
ultrasonic dust removal function.
Scene: the main revolutionary cell phone cards mouth open, compatible
CNMOP lens LEICA Lycra AF24-180mm/F2. 8 receptors produced in Germany
in support of a full-time manual focusing.
Deputy: German production Zeiss lens coating 50mm/F1.0 nematic Chase.
Autofocus mode : 11/7 zone TTL focusing, AF-1 to +19EV working environment :
Shutter speed : electromagnetic control longitudinal curtain shutter
doors B, 30-1/10000 seconds
Lianpai : 12 / sec, which can be taken 90 or 50 RAW format photos in
JPEG format photographs
Photometry : 3D matrix photometric II, the central focus point
photometric and photometric (3mm yen, about 2% of the area)
Exposure modes : automatic, procedural exposure aperture priority,
shutter priority, manual, users set up
Photo : RAW format, JPEG
Exposure compensation : +5EV half class, third-class or 1.0 grade
Sensitivity range : ISO 50-3200 (third stall incremental) , and 6400
can be expanded to 25
White Balance : Automatic, Manual, pre -
White balance preset : flash and shadow, overcast sky, sunlight,
fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps
Embedded camera flash :
Effective flash range : 20 m
Flash modes : 1005-pixel RGB TTL flash control sensor ;i-TTL balance
filled with flash flash flash or standard i-TTL
Video : audio video film shooting, 720 480-definition DVD RMVB
compression, support for real-time optical zoom.
Video broadcast : Windows Media Player, H.263 /MPEG4, WITH AMR-NB,
AMR-NB audio decoders, decoder
Other additional functions :
First, Swiss Plug procedures remotely Train (with the public wireless
transmission protocol), sparking Zippo;
Second, the LED beam, severe chemical devices, thermometer, filter and
needle guide function for wild camping.
Third, the exclusive beer and bottled champagne opening device
adapter, the adapter can be connected to a dedicated electric razor
(compatible with Brown shaving support);
Fourth, Micro Electric Drier (external hard drives need 12V power supply)
5, welcoming everyone to keep abreast added

Have you seen 500 million dollars note?


Do you know how much Zimbabwe Dollars you will get if you have 1 USD. The answer is 27301616030 Zimbabwe Dollar. This is one of the greatest disadvantages of high inflation rate which has completely ruined this country. The snap in this article shows a 500 million dollar note. Recently, Zimbabwe government has introduced $100 billion banknotes so as to ease the recurrent cash shortages in this inflation-ravaged economy. The official inflation rate in Zimbabwe is now 2.2 million percent. Gideon Gono, who is the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, said the new notes are for “the convenience of the banking public and corporate sector in light of price hikes. The RBZ has noted with concern the unjustifiable and incessant general increases in prices of goods and services. It is therefore appealing to the business community to follow ethical business practices as well as take an interest in the plight of the general public.”

No doubt, the economy of Zimbabwe is collapsing due to economic mismanagement of Robert Mugabe’s government, resulting in 85% unemployment and spiraling hyperinflation. This great country has been deteriorated from one of Africa’s strongest economies to one of the world’s worst. The country is facing problems like shortage of foreign exchange, soaring inflation, and supply shortages. Zimbabwe’s involvement from 1998 to 2002 in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy. The condition is so pathetic that if you buy 1 KG sugar then it will cost you 10 billion Zimbabwe dollars at the government’s fixed price, and 45 billion on the black market. What a horrible situation! One thing comes in my mind what international community is doing to help Zimbabwe. Where is USA?

'World's oldest man' dead at 138


An Indian reported to be the world's oldest man has died in the western city of Jaipur, his family said. Habib Miyan, who died Monday, claimed to be 138 years old and was listed as the country's oldest man in India's Limca Book of Records. But without a birth certificate giving formal proof of his age, Habib Miyan, who played clarinet in a maharaja's band before retiring 70 years ago, could not prove his longevity. However, his pension book showed his birth date as May 20, 1879 — which would make him 129. The oldest living person according to the Guinness World Records is 115-year-old Edna Parker, who lives in an Indiana nursing home. Japanese woman Yone Minagawa died last year at 114. Thousands of people thronged Habib Miyan's funeral on Tuesday in Jaipur, 340km from Jodhpur, following a bout of fever and dysentery, his niece Munni told AFP. "If you treat your body well, the body will treat you well," Habib Miyan would tell anyone who asked him the secret of his long life, another relative Mehmood Khan, told the Calcutta Telegraph. Habib Miyan made international headlines in 2004 when he fulfilled a long-cherished ambition of visiting the Muslim holy city of Mecca, becoming one of the oldest people to complete the pilgrimage. Habib Miyan, whose wife died around 70 years ago, lived in a Muslim quarter of Jaipur, a popular tourist hub in the western state of Rajasthan. He retired in 1938 from the court of then Jaipur king, Raja Man Singh, where he played clarinet in the royal orchestra.

He had been blind for more than half a century and his mobility was limited in recent years but he underwent hip replacement surgery last year, according to media reports. He spent most of his time in his house, praying and telling stories to his vast extended family of 140 people. On Monday, Habib Miyan called Rajesh Nagpal, a bank clerk who had made public his longevity, over to the house where generations of his family had lived and told him: "I am going to go now," the Telegraph reported

Number one Nadal gets easy draw


Rafael Nadal's path to a third straight Grand Slam final could be a relatively smooth journey after he got a favourable draw.

Nadal is the top seed for next week's tourmanet, and will not have to deal with either second seed Roger Federer or third seed Novak Djokovic prior to the final.

The Spaniard, who will open with an undetermined qualifier, is attempting to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the same season.

Nadal, who overtook Federer atop the world rankings Monday, would not have to face a top-10 player until the quarter-finals, where a clash with number seven David Nalbandian or ninth-seeded American James Blake is possible.

Should he reach the semi-finals, Nadal faces the potential of a match against either No. 4 David Ferrer - who upset him in the third round here a year ago - or sixth-seeded Andy Murray, a Scot who has lost all five of his previous encounters with the southpaw.

It has been a breakout year for Nadal, who won gold at the Olympics this month to claim his eighth title of the year. Yet, he will come into Flushing Meadows with something to prove as he has never advanced beyond the quarter-finals in five previous appearances.

Federer is the four-time defending champion of this hardcourt major, but the 12-time Grand Slam champion also comes in with something to prove, having won just two titles this season.

The 27-year-old, who had held the number one ranking for a record 237 weeks before Nadal took over the top spot, will open against Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez.

Federer also looks to have a favorable trek to the semi-finals, as the only other top-10 player in his quarter is fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko, who is 0-12 lifetime against the Swiss standout.

Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open champion, could face Federer in the semis, but he has plenty of work ahead before thinking about that.

The 21-year-old Serb may end up having to deal with number 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round - in what would be a re-match of the Australian Open final.

Should Djokovic forge his way into the quarter-finals, a potential match-up with number eight Andy Roddick or 11th seed Fernando Gonzalez is looming. The American number one, Roddick won this event in 2003 and Gonzalez is playing well of late, having lost to Nadal in the gold medal match at the Olympics.

The US Open begins on Monday.

India colts to tour Manchester


Following their successful trip to the US in July, the India under-16 team will now travel to Wayne Rooney's land.

The junior team has received an invitation from Manchester United to train and play two practice matches there next month.

The colts, who qualified for the main round of the AFC Under-16 Championship to be held in Uzbekistan in October, will make use of Manchester United's training facilities during their nine-day stay.

"We leave Mumbai on September 1 and return on September 11," said Colin Toal, the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) technical director and in charge of the under-16 squad.

During their stay, the team would avail the training facilities at Manchester University and meet the under-16 academy teams of Everton on September 4 and Manchester United five days later.

"This will be a continuation of the process we started 15 months back," Toal told PTI on Friday from Goa.

"Everton and Manchester United have some of the best academies and playing against their junior teams will only improve the boys' confidence," he added.

India, who are in Group B, begin their campaign in the AFC Under-16 Championship against South Korea on October 4. They meet Syria two days later and Indonesia on October 8.

Ranbir Kapoor And Deepika Padukone Confess Their Love


Ranbir has been associated with many women, while Deepika Padukone’s association with cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been making headlines. But according to the latest rumors, it’s Deepika And Ranbir Kapoor who are seeing each other. Deepika and Ranbir were reportedly seen confessing their love for eah other at Filmfare Awards 2008. The two of them who were jubliant on winning their first Filmfare Award as best debutante’s were seen confessing their love for each other backstage.

Deepika and Ranbir who were earlier in a torrid affair had parted ways as Ranbir’s parents were not fond of Deepika Padukone. But the two of them seem to have rekindled their love while shooting for Siddharth Anand’s coming film.


Here is what one eye-witness at the Filmfare Awards Night said:

“The couple came together backstage and stood huddled waiting for their entry. Probably to alleviate the tension, Ranbir looked deep into Deepika’s eyes and whispered, “I love you”. Deepika smiled shyly and whispered right back, “I love you too”.

Even in an interview given to a news daily, Deepika said

Within the next five years I hope to be Mrs Kapoor and the leading lady of Bollywood. It was love at first sight for the couple and they struck a chord even before their first films were released. We met through mutual friends and we fell for each other right away but we needed time for our love to grow before we made a serious commitment.

Happy MADRAS Day Chennaiites..!!


A city deserves to celebrate its birthday.
And Madras, that is Chennai certainly deserves it.

So a small group of people who love this city launched a unique celebration in 2004.
The 2007 Madras Day celebrations are on . . .

The founding day of Madras is considered to be August 22, 1639.
It was on that day, in that year, that a sliver of land, where Fort. St. George stands today, was transacted by the East India Company.
The deal was struck by Francis Day, his 'dubash' Beri Thimmappa, and their superior, Andrew Cogan, with the local Nayak rulers.
It is believed that this deal was made on August 22, 1639.

Out of the fort, grew settlements. Then the villages around it were brought together.
And then, the old and new townes linked up. And then we had the city.

Today, Chennai stands tall for a variety of reasons. Education, healthcare, IT, history, tourism, auto industries, movies, etc.
And yes, it also has its warts.

Madras Day celebrates the city.

Madras Day was an idea that three people put together - the city's famed historian, S. Muthiah, journalist Sashi Nair and publisher Vincent D' Souza.Today, they have been joined by three others - senior journalist and editor Sushila Ravindranath, entrepreneur and writer-historian V. Sriram and journalist and the themadrasday.in web site entrepreneur, Revathi R.

Madras Day focuses on the city, its history, its past and its present and the core team motivates communities, groups, companies and campuses in the city to host events that celebrate the city.
Heritage walks, school exchange programmes, talks and contests, poetry and music and quiz, food fests and rallies, photo exhibitions and bike tours . . . . these and more are the ways in which the city is celebrated.

In order to enlarge participation, the Madras Day has been expanded to create the Madras Week.

In 2008, MADRAS WEEK will be celebrated from August 17 to 24.
MADRAS DAY, as always, is August 22

Surya Jyothika Daughter Diya with Ajith Shalini Daughter Anouksha - together


Baby Diya, daughter of Surya and Jyotika and baby Anushka, daughter of Ajit and Shalini daughter had a chance to exchange wishes at Diya’s 1st Birthday party.

Nail Watch

The Timex Nail Watch: Get the Time on Your nails

We have seen many different types of futuristic watches with strange shapes and design but none so unique as this. Now lets welcome the Nail watch, that can be worn on the thumb. You may have never seen a watch that can be worn on the thumb but times are going to change thanks to Timex. Timex, in collaboration with Core77, held a global design competition called 2154: the future of time design. So what we are seeing here is the TX54 concept which was a runner up there.

Thanks to a translucent body, the design blends seamlessly with the nail while a selection of text color options and a glow feature activating on command make it supremely functional as well. Press the end of your thumbnail, and the watch will light up for you. A perfect blend of appearance, user interface, and technology, the nail watch passes most standards of modern design with flying colors thanks to its functional and minimalist appeal. The watch looks stylish and chic and has a touch of Geeky style as well. The downside of this watch is that it is disposable. So with so many stylish watched being available now, it will be hard for it to survive in the market. Though it is quite innovative with a minimalist design, but it won't last long on your finger.

No details about the availability or the price of this watch has been released by Timex. But since it is tiny and disposable, I don't expect the price to be high.

ICC decision likely on Sunday


The ICC board will have a telephone hook-up on Sunday, where a final decision on staging the Champions Trophy in Pakistan is expected. Top ICC officials, including president David Morgan, vice-president Sharad Pawar and chief executive Haroon Lorgat met in Dubai on Wednesday to discuss feedback from task force briefings with stakeholders from England, Australia and New Zealand, and decided to hold a teleconference of the task team on Friday, followed by the board meeting two days later. Sri Lanka, the official alternate venue, is on stand-by.

The task team has already met with officials and players' representatives in New Zealand, Australia and England in a bid to allay their security fears, but the feedback hasn't been encouraging. Players' associations from New Zealand and Australia have advised their members against visiting the tournament starting on September 12, and representatives in England are still engaged in meetings to assess the situation. The boards haven't yet taken their stance, with Cricket Australia non-committal over its team's participation, and they are expected to convey their final decision to the ICC on Sunday.

Prior to the telephone hook-ups is the task team's visit to South Africa, whose board have been supportive of Pakistan hosting the tournament. However, Lorgat, leading the delegation, might once again find it tough to convince the players.

Tony Irish, the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) chief executive, told Cricinfo the South African team had their doubts over their safety after going through a number of security assessment reports, including that of ICC's official security consultant. Irish said he would raise these concerns during the Friday meeting. "We remain concerned about the security situation in Pakistan," he said. "Our board is meeting with the ICC on Friday, and I will be present at that meeting to convey our concerns."

Explaining the South African situation, Irish said the security report submitted by Reg Dickason, an independent security consultant would not be considered as he was engaged only by the players' associations of Australia, New Zealand and England. But Irish suggested the South African players, who are currently touring England, remain unconvinced after evaluating separate assessments by the ICC, FICA and the South African government.

"We have taken note of various security assessment reports, including one from the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), Nicholls-Steyn, the ICC consultants, and another by our own government," he said. "I have also been in constant touch with our players (in England) over this and the mood among them is that the concerns remain."

Last week, the weekly Rapport newspaper had reported that DJ Mavimbela, the country's high commissioner in Pakistan, had sent a letter to Cricket South Africa warning it of a risk to players' safety in the country.

World's Fastest Man, Usain Bolt


It was a blowout, a trouncing, no contest, as the 21-year-old Jamaican took a huge lead halfway through the race and finished upright, looking to his right to find not a challenger but instead a bunch of photographers recording history.

Imagine if he had really tried. Pounding his chest, turning up the palms of his outstretched arms, mugging for the cameras before he even crossed the finish line, Usain Bolt rewrote the record books again and captured his first Olympic medal Saturday, toying with the field and running the 100-meter dash in a stunning 9.69 seconds.

His left shoe was untied when he crossed the finish line. Not that it mattered much. He could’ve walked across.

It wasn’t planned,” the newly crowned “World’s Fastest Man” said of his running celebration. “My aim was to come out and win. When I saw the time, I’m celebrating. I’m happy.” “I didn’t even know I’d broken the world record until I did my victory lap,” Bolt said.

"Incredible. He got an incredible start. Guys of 6-5 should not be able to start like that. It's that long, massive stride. He's eating up so much more track than others. He came in focused, knowing he would likely win the gold and he's got the record."

He beat Churandy Martina by 0.52 second — about four body length — the largest margin of victory in an Olympic 200 since the first race in 1900. The last man to hold both world records simultaneously was Donald Quarrie, also from Jamaica.

And the best thing about this? In a sport where record-breaking sprinters are always under suspicion for doping, Bolt has never failed a drug test, nor is he a suspiciously late bloomer. I say that his success is due to his carefully regimented diet.

India to launch maiden mission to moon this year: PM


India hopes to launch its maiden mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-I, this year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday.

"This year we hope to send an Indian spacecraft, Chandrayaan, to the moon," Singh said in his Independence Day address to the nation from the rampart of the majestic Red Fort.

Singh said the launch of Chandrayaan will be an important milestone in the development of the country's space programme.

The unmanned mission, which will orbit the moon for two years, is expected to be launched in October by indigenously developed Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

Space scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have completed the integration of the 11 instruments -- six indigenous and five under international cooperation -- onto the spacecraft.

The spacecraft, which is no bigger than a typical office cubicle, is currently undergoing tests for its ability to handle the extreme thermal and vacuum environment experienced in a lunar orbit. These assessments will be followed by vibration and acoustic tests.

Meanwhile, India has already begun work on the next lunar mission in which space scientists plan to land a rover on the surface on the moon to collect rock and dust samples.

Chandrayaan-II will be developed as a joint venture project with Russia and a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed in that regard.

iPhone price is too high in India


So the big time has come. Apple’s iPhone is going to be launched today. Now for the first time iPhone will be available in world’s fastest growing mobile market. But do you know why iPhone is so hot. Actually, it an Internet-enabled multimedia smart phone developed by Apple. It has a multi-touch screen with virtual keyboard and buttons, but a minimal amount of hardware input. The iPhone’s functions include those of a camera phone and portable media player (iPod) in addition to text messaging and visual voice mail. It also offers Internet services including e-mail, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity. Now from today, you can buy iPhone in India. It is now available in six cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Jaipur and Chennai.

In India, Airtel and Vodafone Essar will sell the phone for around 31,000 rupees (712 dollars) for the 8 GB memory model, and 36,100 for the 16 GB model. With limited stocks, to make sure that you get yours you need to pay an advance of Rs 10,000 to confirm your booking. What I think, this price is too much from the point of view of Indian market. Whereas In US, the iPhone users have to pay only 199 $ to AT&T for using iPhone. This is because of AT&T’s subsidy policy. This company subsidizes the phone and make profit by tying the mobile phone users to annual subscriptions.

Airtel and Vodafone should also try to implement this business plan. With prices more than 30,000 rupees, I don’t think the iPhone will be able to hit the middle class market of India. However Airtel and Vodafone are confident that they would find buyers in India despite the high price.

Indian Wrestler Sushil Kumar & Boxer Vijender Kumar Gets Second & Third Medals(Bronze)


Unheralded Sushil Kumar rose from obscurity to find a place in the history of Indian sport when he won a bronze medal in men's 66kg freestyle wrestling at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.
Vijender Kumar ensured India of its Third individual medal by entering the Semi final bout of the 75Kg Boxing event at the Beijing Olympics. He played against the Cuban boxer today in the Semifinals and lost 8-5 in the four rounds.

He has secured the bronze medal, the third medal so far for India. He played a very defensive game against the Cuban who was very aggressive and was attacking Vijender and getting points in every round. Vijender did his best to defend himself and played a good game, but lost the bout.

He has made all the Indians proud with his feat of reaching this far and getting the Bronze medal home. Whole of India was tuned into the television channels to watch the bout live, including Bhiwani, the place where he trained to be a boxer and where his parents stay.

Bradman's 'official' letters discovered


Private letters written by Don Bradman, mostly to former Australian board chairman Bob Parish, have been discovered by Cricket Australia just days before his birth centenary on August 27. The subjects of the letters range from the ban on tours to South Africa during the apartheid era, remuneration for players, and World Series Cricket.

Bradman was an administrator of the game for 35 years. In 1960 he was appointed the Australian board chairman - he served another term later that decade - and dealt with problems like chucking and apartheid during his tenure.

The letters, published in several Australian papers on Sunday, reveal Bradman favoured giving bowlers a fairer deal as he suggests the lbw law be tweaked so that batsmen are given out for deliveries that pitch outside off and leg stump, provided they don't offer a shot.

Bradman wrote against a move to get the Australian government to intervene in the television rights issue that cropped up during Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket (he described Packer's media promotions"propaganda"). He wrote to Parish: "I would not willingly support any move to have government interference in TV rights, which may control Packer because, as I have said many times before, it would inevitably bring control of the fees that may be paid."

The ban on touring South Africa, Bradman wrote, had moved cricket from the sporting basket and in to the political basket. "... not of our wish or doing, but by fate". In April 1978 he wrote to South African cricket chief Joe Pamensky: 'Unfortunately I am despondent in believing that although your cricketers have done everything you can in S.A., ... countries will now come out with the verdict, the political verdict, that they can't play in S.A. so long as Apartheid is government policy. Regrettable too, our Prime Minister, gives the impression he thinks the same way ...

"I think you will get a good and sympathetic hearing from the cricket fraternity in London but what use is that if the powers that be won't let tours take place ..."

Evidence of his foresight lies in a letter on the problem of throwing in cricket. Bradman writes that it would be crazy to return to an earlier situation where there was no definition for throwing. "Those who claim recent events may have rectified the trouble may well be right - IN THE SHORT TERM. But in 10-20 years it would certainly return and be a bogey once more, and I think our responsibility is to provide now against such a contingency." According to Bradman, the best way to test a bowler's action is during a match where he is bowling flat out and does not know he is being filmed.

The eight horsemen of 2012


The Mayans were an intelligent civilization that had advanced writing, knew mathematics and were well versed in astronomy. Most people think that perhaps the world will end in 2012, because this is the prophesy of the Mayans. The Mayans made this prediction 2000 years ago and the dire date of doom is December 21, 2012. Why is 2012 so significant? Should we be worried? Should we even care? Let's take the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and see what imminent threats lie ahead. Then let's add a few more horsemen. Let's really get this party started! After we are all done, let's add everything up and see if we truly have something dark in the forecast.

Horseman known as War: In the bible it's mentioned in Matthew 24:6..."you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars...." The threat of war is around us. We know of the war in Iraq. There is still a lot of unrest in the Middle East. Russia is starting to give us the cold shoulder again. Russia supports a nuclear program for Iran. Iran doesn't like Israel and it goes on and on and on. What if Iran declares to have nuclear capabilities. Our intelligence agents learn that they are planning to do a preemptive strike on their enemy Israel. Then America would step in, we most likely would lay out a preemptive strike first on Iran and somewhere Magog aka Russia would make their move. We must remember that in Ezekiel 38 through 39 tells of a future invasion of Israel by a vast coalition of nations that surround it. Laying down the foundation for Armageddon. So as you can see the threat of war will always be with us.

Horseman known as Famine: Not a problem, with global warming on the horizon, we should easily have all sort of droughts throughout the world. Drought equals mass starvation. There is chunk of ice the size of Connecticut breaking off from Antarctica. What is next a chunk of ice, the size of Texas? Then a chunk of ice the size of Alaska? That should bring on some rising waters, destroy a few cities. Everyone listen up to Al Gore. We are headed for disaster! The way global warming is headed, we will be seeing rising sea levels, glacial retreats, a shrunken Arctic, some extreme weather conditions, more forest fires, powerful hurricanes and tropical cyclones, agriculture disasters. When 2012 gets here, it should be getting worse. Does anyone see it getting better? I think it's a bit too late. Okay Mayans, what else do you have for us?

Horseman known as Pestilence: This one is easy. The Brazilian rain forest is practically gone. We keep on cutting down the trees and god knows what diseases are hiding in that luscious forest, waiting to creep up on mankind. We already have AIDS, flesh eating bacteria, some kind of super bug. We should all prepare for some major diseases in our near future. Maybe around 2012. You got to love those Mayans! Bring on the plagues!

Horseman known as Death: If global warming really gets a good kick start, there should be a lot of drought hitting one of our biggest land masses...Africa. If wars and the threat of terrorism continues, we should see more of death. If diseases and plagues sweep around the world easily through mass air transportation, that should wipe out a majority of the human race. Yep, death should be all around us. It's already all around us.


Before we talk about some other Horsemen. Let's talk about a white buffalo calf. The Apache, Blackfoot, Caddo, Hidatsa, Commanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Cherokee, Chippewa, Mandan and the Sioux all believed in a prophesy that would lead us towards end times. This would happen when a white buffalo came upon our world. Meet Miracle, a pure white buffalo born on August 20, 1994 on the Heider Farm in Janesville, Wisconsin. Hmmm...let me see, 1994 is pretty close to 2012. Coincidence? Maybe there is something to this prophesy. I guess, we will have to wait and see.

New Horseman known as Solar Dragon: Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) make claim that we will be hit by the heaviest solar flare that even overshadows the historic Solar Max of 1958. With all of the technology that we use, such as cell phones, computers and everything else, this solar flare could black out the whole world in one foul sweep! This solar flare can hit us either in the year, 2010, 2011 or 2012! There we go again mentioning 2012. Yep, we have a definite storm coming, a solar storm! What disaster will this solar storm produce for mankind?

Since the Mayans knew astronomy so well, they were able to predict a fantastic alignment. Our galaxy has a center. In this center, in which billions of stars take millions of years to revolve around, is located in the thickest star cluster that is part of the milky way, as seen from Earth. On December 21, 2012, guess what happens? During the Winter Solstice, this center will align with our own sun. This alignment was seen as significant to the Mayans. Is this alignment as significant as the Star of Bethlehem was to the birth of Jesus?

Let's meet a few more Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

New Horseman Known as Axis. Yep, there is another threat on the horizon. A little bit of global cooling and perhaps the Earth will shift by a mere 33.5 degrees. That would cause some major damage. How many of us can survive an axis shift?
New Horseman Known as Quake: Sounds like a WWE wrestler, but this Horsemen will shake you up! The ring of fire around the Pacific rim is getting more and more active. Earthquakes are increasing and more are predicted around the year...yeah...you know...2012.

New Horsemen Known as Comet: Some people who dabble with the bible code, think that Earth will be impacted by a comet. This one I don't buy, now if they were talking about asteroid 99942 Apophis impacting us in 2029 or 2036, that one I could swallow. But, the way NASA recently shot down a satellite, we most like would be prepared for a threat from an engaging asteroid or comet.

With all of the Horsemen looming down upon us, I hope Zecharia Sitchin is correct that he says that Planet X aka Nibiru is nearing a close orbit towards Earth.

Perhaps Anu and his two sons Enki (Ea) and Enlil, if they ever stop feuding for a while, will gather the rest of the Anunnakis to save us from a futuristic doomscape. The only reason why I mention Planet X, is because there are many believers who believe in the second coming and that we will all be saved. For those who believe the words of the Summerian clay tablets, they believe Planet X will return to close proximity to Earth and a new age will be brought forth, as the Anunnakis reveal themselves once again to mankind. We will learn that our myths and religions were actually centered on the gods from Nibiru. Stories of Poseidon and Neptune are in reality the story of Anu as he returned to Nibiru to dominate the seas and waters. Perhaps the Mayans received their astronomy know-how from the gods. The gods of Nibiru.

Perhaps a great disaster will unfold around the year 2012, but I also believe that if we face grave disasters, we somehow will overcome and a new world will be brought forth. A new age and perhaps during this new age, we will also learn that we are not alone in the universe.

Portal to mythical Mayan underworld found


Mexican archeologists have discovered a maze of stone temples in underground caves, some submerged in water and containing human bones, which ancient Mayans believed was a portal where dead souls entered the underworld. Clad in scuba gear and edging through narrow tunnels, researchers discovered the stone ruins of eleven sacred temples and what could be the remains of human sacrifices at the site in the Yucatan Peninsula. Archeologists say Mayans believed the underground complex of water-filled caves leading into dry chambers — including an underground road stretching some 330 feet — was the path to a mythical underworld, known as Xibalba. According to an ancient Mayan scripture, the Popol Vuh, the route was filled with obstacles, including rivers filled with scorpions, blood and pus and houses shrouded in darkness or swarming with shrieking bats, Guillermo de Anda, one of the lead investigators at the site, said on Thursday. The souls of the dead followed a mythical dog who could see at night, de Anda said. Excavations over the past five months in the Yucatan caves revealed stone carvings and pottery left for the dead. "They believed that this place was the entrance to Xibalba. That is why we have found the offerings there," de Anda said. The Mayans built soaring pyramids and elaborate palaces in Central America and southern Mexico before mysteriously abandoning their cities around 900 A.D. They described the torturous journey to Xibalba in the Popul Vuh sacred text, originally written in hieroglyphic script on long scrolls and later transcribed by Spanish conquerors.

"It is very likely this area was protected as a sacred depository for the dead or for the passage of their souls," said de Anda, whose team has found ceramic offerings along with bones in some temples. Different Mayan groups who inhabited southern Mexico and northern Guatemala and Belize had their own entrances to the underworld which archeologists have discovered at other sites, almost always in cave systems buried deep in the jungle.

Federer, Rafa wins first Olympic medal, taking gold in men's doubles and singles respectively


Roger Federer extended his arms in triumph and began to hop. Then he embraced his doubles partner and they hopped together.

Federer had waited awhile for a big victory to celebrate, and when the chance came he was ready. He added a gold medal to his extensive trophy collection by teaming with Stanislas Wawrinka to win the Olympic doubles Saturday.

The Swiss duo beat Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson of Sweden 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

Rafael Nadal has won a gold medal in Olympic tennis by beating Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in the final of men’s singles.
Nadal overcame two set points in the second set, held every service game and won 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3 Sunday.

The gold medal was the first ever for Spain in Olympic tennis.

Nadal was already assured of taking over the No. 1 ranking Monday for the first time, ending Roger Federer’s reign after 41/2 years. Nadal has won 38 of his past 39 matches, including victories over Federer in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Men’s singles has traditionally been an upset-filled event at the Olympics, and Nadal is the first player ranked in the top five to win the gold.

For Federer the victory was a moment to savor in a frustrating year. He lost in the quarterfinals of Olympic singles, his Grand Slam total has been stalled at 12 since last September, and his 41/2-year reign atop the rankings will end Monday when Rafael Nadal becomes No. 1.

But he’s now a medalist for the first time in his three Olympics.

Venus and Serena Williams advanced to the doubles final by beating another sibling pair, Ukraine’s Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Venus and Serena improved to 9-0 lifetime in Olympic doubles. They didn’t play doubles in Athens four years ago because Serena was hurt, but they won a gold medal in Sydney.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to show people a new one,” Serena said.

Both were beaten in the quarterfinals of singles, but they’re assured of at least a silver medal in doubles.

“Obviously we would have loved to have brought home more medals for the U.S.,” Venus said. “We did the best we could. We’re not asking for more at this point. Next time we’ll ask for a little more.”

And there will be a next time, the sisters said. Both plan to play at the London Olympics in 2012.

“I’ll be in London,” Serena said.

“I definitely will be in London,” Venus said.”You know, we’ll still be pretty young.”

Venus will be 32 and Serena 30 in four years.

As for Sunday, the No. 2-seeded Williamses will play No. 4 Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain, who beat Yan Zi and Zheng Jie of China 6-4, 7-6 (5).

Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva will play for a gold medal in an all-Russian singles final Sunday. Dementieva beat a third Russian semifinalist, Vera Zvonareva, 6-3, 7-6 (3), and five minutes later on an adjacent court, Safina defeated Li Na of China 7-6 (3), 7-5.

“It’s a huge moment for Russia,” Dementieva said. “I’m sure all the fans in Russia will be very happy about it.”

Mike and Bob Bryan won a bronze for the United States in doubles by beating Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The medal is the first for the Bryan twins, who have won all four Grand Slam championships.

“We’re leaving China on a high,” Mike Bryan said. “We were obviously disappointed that we couldn’t make the gold medal match, but it’s going to be something really special to us to have that medal back at home.”

Novak Djokovic of Serbia won a bronze in singles by beating American James Blake 6-3, 7-6 (4). A jubilant Djokovic ripped off his shirt and threw it to the cheering crowd, along with two rackets, and waved a Serbian flag as he jogged around the court.

“To win any medal in the Olympics is a huge achievement,” Djokovic said. “Not many of the athletes get a chance to win a medal.”

Blake lost back-to-back matches after upsetting Federer and failed to medal.

I’m going to take a lot of positives from this experience—the whole team atmosphere, being a part of Team USA,” Blake said.

Safina won her 15th match in a row, playing barely 12 hours after losing a doubles match that ended at 3:35 a.m. She struggled with her serve, double-faulting four times in one game, but otherwise looked fresh in the frequent long rallies.

“It wasn’t easy,” Safina said. “I didn’t sleep enough. I’m just really happy that I could put all my energy into the match and pull out the match.”

The partisan, near-capacity crowd appeared to have Safina rattled several times, especially when fans cheered her double-faults. But they gave her a warm ovation at the finish.

“I knew that the crowd would be against me,” Safina said. “But I also accepted it because for me doesn’t matter.”

Safina’s five wins at Beijing include an upset of top-ranked Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals. Jankovic, who climbed to No. 1 this week for the first time, is projected to slip back to No. 2 next week, with Ana Ivanovic reclaiming the top spot.

Dementieva built on the momentum of her quarterfinal victory over Serena Williams, closing out the victory by winning the final three points in the tiebreaker.

“I just want to enjoy this moment, because it’s a huge moment in my career,” Dementieva said.

She was a silver medalist at Sydney in 2000, while Safina is a first-time Olympian.

Beaten Blake "loses faith"



Fernando Gonzalez faced accusations of foul play from the beaten James Blake after progressing to the Olympic tennis final.
Chilean Gonzalez saved three match points before prevailing 4-6 7-5 11-9 in a three-set marathon.


A pulsating encounter was tarnished afterwards, however, when Blake, who beat Roger Federer in the previous round, accused Gonzalez of gamesmanship.

With Gonzalez serving to stay in the match at 8-9 Blake hit a backhand pass on the opening point which went long but the American was adamant the ball clipped his opponent's racket before landing.

Television replays confirmed Blake was right, leaving him less than impressed in the post-match press conference.

He said: "Playing in the Olympics, in what's supposed to be considered a gentleman's sport, that's a time to call it yourself.

"Fernando looked me square in the eye and didn't call it.

"I've spoken all week about how much I've enjoyed the Olympic experience, how much I love the spirit of it.

"That's a disappointing way to exit the tournament, when you not only lose the match, but you lose a little faith in your fellow competitor."

Gonzalez insisted he was not sure whether the ball touched his racket or not.

"I didn't feel anything," he said.

"It's just one point. There is an umpire. If I'm 100% sure about it, I will give it. But I'm not sure."

Gonzalez will now meet the second seed Rafael Nadal in final for the Ultimate Gold.

Egyptian woman gives birth to septuplets



Four boys, three girls delivered by Caesarian section; mom OK

An Egyptian woman gave birth to septuplets early Saturday in the coastal city of Alexandria, a hospital director said.

Ghazala Khamis, 27, was in good condition at the hospital after having a blood transfusion during her Caesarean section due to bleeding, said Emad Darwish, director of the El-Shatbi Hospital where she gave birth.

The newborns, four boys and three girls, weigh between 3.2 pounds and 6.17 pounds and are in stable condition, Darwish said. They have been placed in incubators in four different hospitals that have special premature baby units, he said.

"This is a very rare pregnancy — something I have never witnessed over my past 33 years in this profession," Darwish said.

Darwish decided to carry out the Caesarean section at the end of Khamis' eighth month of pregnancy due to the pressure on her kidneys.

Khamis, the wife of a farmer in the northern Egyptian province of Beheira, already has three daughters. She was admitted to the hospital two months ago.

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