The electors have made a bet that we can return to that happy capering playground at the Summit of the Americas where all the great questions have been settled and indulgent governments can subsidize their own anarchists. If 9/11 ultimately revealed America’s self-imposed constraints, November 4th [2008] is already understood as a comprehensive repudiation even of that qualified resolve. Like I said: for America's enemies, that’s useful to know.
Mark Steyn 12-30-08
Rabu, 31 Desember 2008
Dying man ignored for 6 hours in UK socialized medicine hospital
For those who may be in a hurry to see 2008 end, keep in mind that 2008 might be the last year that we ever enjoyed some semblance of a free health care system. The future is described in this article in the UK Sun about a 37 year old UK man that died while waiting in line to be seen by Great Britain's famous socialized health care system:
He did not simply die - he died after tremendous, prolonged suffering:
He was not admitted until six hours after arriving at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, Kent, by which time it was too late.
An infection had taken hold of his heart, liver and kidneys and specialists were unable to treat the disease.
He did not simply die - he died after tremendous, prolonged suffering:
The Democrats have been trying to make this nightmare a reality in the U.S. for decades. They will now finally get their chance.But the railway signalman, 37, was left to die as a deadly virus ravaged his body and one by one his organs collapsed.
Selasa, 30 Desember 2008
2008 - Top 10 Players Hot List
softball JennieFinch, america
Tennis Maria Sharapova,Russia
Volleyball Piccinini Francesca,Italy
Synchronized swimming twin sisters wenwen Jiang and qinqin Jiang, China
Swimming Amanda Beard, USA
Diving Jinjin GUO, China
Volleyball Logan Tom, USA
Pole vault Yelena ISINBAYEVA,Russia 
Table Tennis Ai Fukuhara, JAPAN
Senin, 29 Desember 2008
Minggu, 28 Desember 2008
Lionel Messi Photos, Bio
Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, and Maradona himself named Messi his "successor"
At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness that cost $1500 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messi's talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play, offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain. His family moved to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams
In June 2004, he got his first chance in Argentina colours, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In 2005 he was part of the team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. Here, he won the prize for best player of the tournament and became top-scorer.
On 4 August 2005, José Pekerman called Messi up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his debut on 17 August against Hungary, but it was a forgettable occasion. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt. The decision was contentious. Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated. Messi then had his first international start on 3 September in Argentina's 0-1 World Cup qualifier away loss against Paraguay. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-début. The first one was a bit short."
On 4 August 2005, José Pekerman called Messi up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his debut on 17 August against Hungary, but it was a forgettable occasion. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt. The decision was contentious. Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated. Messi then had his first international start on 3 September in Argentina's 0-1 World Cup qualifier away loss against Paraguay. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-début. The first one was a bit short."
With Ronaldinhos departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey. On October 1, 2008 during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn the score from 0-1 to a victory for FC Barcelona 2-1. The next league game was versus Atletico Madrid, a match billed as a friendly battle between Lionel and good friend Sergio Aguero. Messi scored a goal from a free kick and assisted another as FC Barcelona went on to win the match 6-1. Messi netted another impressive brace against Sevilla scoring a spectacular dipping volley after being played through by Xavi and then rounding the keeper and slotting home from a tight angle to double his tally. On December 13, 2008, during the first Clásico of the season, Messi scored the second goal in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Real Madrid.
Sabtu, 27 Desember 2008
FACE HUNTING ROUND THE WORLD
Besides being able to check my photos chronologically through the "archives" section, from now on, you can as well explore the 40+ cities I've been to from Paris to Reykjavik via Melbourne, etc... by using the section "Face Hunting Round the World" (the link is on the right side).
London, December 2008
London, December 2008
Jumat, 26 Desember 2008
Tiger woods Photos, Bio, Profile
Tiger woodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods(born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No. 1, he was the highest-paid professional athlete in 2007, having earned an estimated $122 million from winnings and endorsements.
Woods has won fourteen professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 65 PGA Tour events, third all time. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour.
Woods has held the number one position in the world rankings for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record nine times, the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has tied Jack Nicklaus' record of leading the money list in eight different seasons. He has been named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying four times, and is the only person to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year more than once.
Woods was the first African American to win the Masters in 1997 at Augusta National; a tournament where no black player competed until 1975 and a club that didn't admit black members until six years previously.
After winning the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods missed the rest of the 2008 PGA Tour, missing two major championships and the 2008 Ryder Cup, in order to rehabilitate his injured left knee.
Woods has won fourteen professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 65 PGA Tour events, third all time. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour.
Woods has held the number one position in the world rankings for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record nine times, the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has tied Jack Nicklaus' record of leading the money list in eight different seasons. He has been named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying four times, and is the only person to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year more than once.
Woods was the first African American to win the Masters in 1997 at Augusta National; a tournament where no black player competed until 1975 and a club that didn't admit black members until six years previously.
After winning the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods missed the rest of the 2008 PGA Tour, missing two major championships and the 2008 Ryder Cup, in order to rehabilitate his injured left knee.
Tiger woods with his wife Elin Nordegren image
Tiger wood with his babyIn November 2003, Woods became engaged to Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model. They were introduced during The Open Championship in 2001 by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, who had employed her as an au pair. They married on October 5, 2004 at the Sandy Lane resort on the Caribbean island of Barbados and live at Isleworth, a community in Windermere, a suburb of Orlando, Florida. They also have homes in Jackson, Wyoming, California, and Sweden. In January 2006, they purchased a $39 million residential property in Jupiter Island, Florida, which they intend to make their primary residence.[11] Their Jupiter Island neighbors will include fellow golfers Gary Player, Greg Norman and Nick Price, as well as singers Celine Dion and Alan Jackson. In 2007, a guest house on the Jupiter Island estate was destroyed in a fire caused by lightning.
Early in the morning of June 18, 2007, Elin gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, Sam Alexis Woods, in Orlando. The birth occurred just one day after Woods finished tied for second in the 2007 U.S. Open. Tiger chose to name his daughter Sam because his father said that Tiger looked more like a Sam. On September 2, 2008, Woods announced on his website that he and his wife are expecting their second child.
Early in the morning of June 18, 2007, Elin gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, Sam Alexis Woods, in Orlando. The birth occurred just one day after Woods finished tied for second in the 2007 U.S. Open. Tiger chose to name his daughter Sam because his father said that Tiger looked more like a Sam. On September 2, 2008, Woods announced on his website that he and his wife are expecting their second child.
Tiger wood winning shot joy photoTHE FACEHUNTER SHOW IS BACK!
I'm thrilled. After a few months of interruption, The Facehunter Show is coming back in 2009! We already shot a new episode in Sao Paulo that we hope to show you in February on a new website and from then a new city every month.
Street-hunting-wise, here's my Old Continent schedule for the next weeks:
Dec. 27- Jan. 1.: Copenhagen
Jan. 2-15 : London
Jan. 16-19 : Stockholm (ELLE Galan)
Jan. 20-21 : Barcelone (Bread & Butter)
Jan. 22-25 : Paris (Men's Fashion Week)
Sydney, November 2008
Street-hunting-wise, here's my Old Continent schedule for the next weeks:
Dec. 27- Jan. 1.: Copenhagen
Jan. 2-15 : London
Jan. 16-19 : Stockholm (ELLE Galan)
Jan. 20-21 : Barcelone (Bread & Butter)
Jan. 22-25 : Paris (Men's Fashion Week)
Sydney, November 2008
Kamis, 25 Desember 2008
Rabu, 24 Desember 2008
Selasa, 23 Desember 2008
Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand Photos Biography
Viswanathan Anand and his wife Aruna 
Viswanathan Anand
GrandMaster Viswanathan Anand 
World Champion Viswanathan AnandViswanathan Anand (born 11 December 1969) is an Indian chess grandmaster and the current World Chess Champion.
Anand won the FIDE World Chess Championship in 2000, at a time when the world title was split. He became the undisputed World Champion in 2007 and defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008. With this win, he became the first player in chess history to have won the World Championship in three different formats: Knockout, Tournament, and Match. He will next defend his title in the World Chess Championship 2009 against the winner of the challenger match between Veselin Topalov and Gata Kamsky.
Anand is one of four players in history to break the 2800 mark on the FIDE rating list. He was at the top of the world rankings five out of six times, from April 2007 to July 2008. In October 2008, he dropped out of the world top three ranking for the first time since July 1996.
In 2007 he was awarded India's second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan. He is also the first recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991-92, India's highest sporting honour.
Chess titles
* 1983 National Sub-Junior Chess Champion - age 14
* 1984 International Master - age 15
* 1985 Indian National Champion - age 16
* 1987 World Junior Chess Champion
* 1988 Grandmaster
* 2000 FIDE World Chess Champion
* 2000 FIDE World Bitz Chess Champion
* 2003 FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion
* 2007 FIDE World Chess Champion (Undisputed)
* 2008 FIDE World Chess Champion (Undisputed)
Awards
Anand has received many national and international awards.
* Arjuna award for Outstanding Indian Sportsman in Chess in 1985
* Padma Shri, National Citizens Award and Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1987
* The inaugural Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour in the year 1991-1992.
* British Chess Federation 'Book of the Year' Award in 1998 for his book My Best Games of Chess
* Padma Bhushan in 2000
* Jameo de Oro the highest honour given by the Government of Lanzarote in Spain on 25 April 2001. The award is given to illustrious personalities with extraordinary achievements.
* Chess Oscar (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2007)
* Sportstar Millennium Award in 1998, from India's premier Sports magazine for being the sportperson of the millennium
* Padma Vibhushan in 2007
Anand won the FIDE World Chess Championship in 2000, at a time when the world title was split. He became the undisputed World Champion in 2007 and defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008. With this win, he became the first player in chess history to have won the World Championship in three different formats: Knockout, Tournament, and Match. He will next defend his title in the World Chess Championship 2009 against the winner of the challenger match between Veselin Topalov and Gata Kamsky.
Anand is one of four players in history to break the 2800 mark on the FIDE rating list. He was at the top of the world rankings five out of six times, from April 2007 to July 2008. In October 2008, he dropped out of the world top three ranking for the first time since July 1996.
In 2007 he was awarded India's second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan. He is also the first recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991-92, India's highest sporting honour.
Chess titles
* 1983 National Sub-Junior Chess Champion - age 14
* 1984 International Master - age 15
* 1985 Indian National Champion - age 16
* 1987 World Junior Chess Champion
* 1988 Grandmaster
* 2000 FIDE World Chess Champion
* 2000 FIDE World Bitz Chess Champion
* 2003 FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion
* 2007 FIDE World Chess Champion (Undisputed)
* 2008 FIDE World Chess Champion (Undisputed)
Awards
Anand has received many national and international awards.
* Arjuna award for Outstanding Indian Sportsman in Chess in 1985
* Padma Shri, National Citizens Award and Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1987
* The inaugural Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour in the year 1991-1992.
* British Chess Federation 'Book of the Year' Award in 1998 for his book My Best Games of Chess
* Padma Bhushan in 2000
* Jameo de Oro the highest honour given by the Government of Lanzarote in Spain on 25 April 2001. The award is given to illustrious personalities with extraordinary achievements.
* Chess Oscar (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2007)
* Sportstar Millennium Award in 1998, from India's premier Sports magazine for being the sportperson of the millennium
* Padma Vibhushan in 2007
Senin, 22 Desember 2008
Minggu, 21 Desember 2008
Kevin Pietersen Photo Gallery Bio
Kevin Pietersen Pictures
Kevin Pietersen playing in groundWhat is his hands symbol?
Kevin Pietersen and Monty Panesar
Kevin Pietersen sweeps
Kevin Pietersen batsman
Jessica Taylor and Kevin PietersenFull name Kevin Peter Pietersen
Born June 27, 1980, Pietermaritzburg, Natal
Current age 28 years 178 days
Major teams England, Hampshire, ICC World XI, KwaZulu-Natal, Natal, Nottinghamshire
Nickname KP, Kelves, Kapes, Kev
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Height 6 ft 4 in
Education Maritzburg College, University of SA
Expansive with the bat and explosive with the bombast, the South African-born Kevin Pietersen is not one for the quiet life. Pietersen, an enthusiastic, bold-minded and big-hitting No 5, first ruffled feathers by shunning South Africa - he was disenchanted with the quota system - in favour of England; his eligibility coming courtesy of an English mother. He never doubted he would play for England: he has self-confidence in spades but, fortunately, he has sackfuls of talent too. Sure enough, as soon as he qualified in September 2004, he was invited to tour Zimbabwe for that winter's one-dayers, where he averaged 104 in three innings. Success here earned him a late call into England's team against none other than South Africa in early 2005.
Undeterred by hostile receptions from the home crowds, he announced his arrival - loudly, of course - with three centuries in five innings, and in doing so demonstrated his peerless eye for the ball and for making headlines, too. On reaching his maiden ton in the second ODI at Bloemfontein, he kissed his badge with unreserved fervour and afterwards announced his next ambition: getting a tattoo of three lions and his England number. Playing at Test level was next on the Pietersen to-do list, and, as a man who puts his money, if not always his mind, where his mouth is, it was only a matter of time. Overlooked for two Tests against Bangladesh, he made his debut against Australia at Lord's of all places, and responded with a pair of hard-hitting fifties in a losing cause. Six dropped catches in the series appeared to have dented his brash confidence, but with the series at stake, he once again showed his unswerving eye for the limelight by clubbing a phenomenal 158 on the final day at The Oval, to secure the draw that England needed for a first Ashes triumph in 18 years. First to congratulate him on his feat was Shane Warne, his good friend and captain at Hampshire, whom Pietersen had joined at the start of the season after three eventful and fractious years at Nottinghamshire.
Unsurprisingly, that innings proved hard to live up to, but astonishingly Pietersen managed it, clubbing two more big hundreds in his next two Test innings in England, the second of which - against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston - included a remarkable reverse-sweep for six off Muttiah Muralitharan. In Australia the following winter, he once again lived up to his reputation with hard-earned runs, but his tour ended in disappointment when he flew home with a fractured rib, courtesy of Glenn McGrath after the first match of the CB Series. While England's World Cup was a miserable failure for the team it was a personal success for Pietersen who hit two centuries - including his first ODI ton in a winning cause against West Indies - and confirmed his role as England's leading batsman. His dominance continued against West Indies with a majestic 226 at Headingley - finally beating his previous 158, a score he had made three times previously. It was the highest score by an England batsman since Graham Gooch's 333, and his march towards greatness continued.
But then followed the inevitable dip - 10 innings without so much as a fifty - before he bounced back with an uncharacteristically backs-to-wall 129 in England's third Test against New Zealand in Napier. Another tough century followed in the return rubber at Trent Bridge, but that was just the prelude to the innings that he had most craved - a hundred at Lord's in his first appearance against his native South Africa, a performance which quashed once and for all the lingering doubts about his switch of allegiance. After a rapturous reception from the Lord's crowd, he later declared he had never felt "so loved". Just a few weeks later and he had completed his extraordinary journey from naturalised Englishman to England's captain when he took over from Michael Vaughan who announced his retirement just after the third Test against South Africa. As he prepared to lead them in all three forms of the game, Pietersen declared: "I'm going to give it a go like I give everything a go." He was true to his word: a century and a victory in his maiden Test in charge at The Oval, followed by a thumping 4-0 victory in the subsequent ODI series.
Undeterred by hostile receptions from the home crowds, he announced his arrival - loudly, of course - with three centuries in five innings, and in doing so demonstrated his peerless eye for the ball and for making headlines, too. On reaching his maiden ton in the second ODI at Bloemfontein, he kissed his badge with unreserved fervour and afterwards announced his next ambition: getting a tattoo of three lions and his England number. Playing at Test level was next on the Pietersen to-do list, and, as a man who puts his money, if not always his mind, where his mouth is, it was only a matter of time. Overlooked for two Tests against Bangladesh, he made his debut against Australia at Lord's of all places, and responded with a pair of hard-hitting fifties in a losing cause. Six dropped catches in the series appeared to have dented his brash confidence, but with the series at stake, he once again showed his unswerving eye for the limelight by clubbing a phenomenal 158 on the final day at The Oval, to secure the draw that England needed for a first Ashes triumph in 18 years. First to congratulate him on his feat was Shane Warne, his good friend and captain at Hampshire, whom Pietersen had joined at the start of the season after three eventful and fractious years at Nottinghamshire.
Unsurprisingly, that innings proved hard to live up to, but astonishingly Pietersen managed it, clubbing two more big hundreds in his next two Test innings in England, the second of which - against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston - included a remarkable reverse-sweep for six off Muttiah Muralitharan. In Australia the following winter, he once again lived up to his reputation with hard-earned runs, but his tour ended in disappointment when he flew home with a fractured rib, courtesy of Glenn McGrath after the first match of the CB Series. While England's World Cup was a miserable failure for the team it was a personal success for Pietersen who hit two centuries - including his first ODI ton in a winning cause against West Indies - and confirmed his role as England's leading batsman. His dominance continued against West Indies with a majestic 226 at Headingley - finally beating his previous 158, a score he had made three times previously. It was the highest score by an England batsman since Graham Gooch's 333, and his march towards greatness continued.
But then followed the inevitable dip - 10 innings without so much as a fifty - before he bounced back with an uncharacteristically backs-to-wall 129 in England's third Test against New Zealand in Napier. Another tough century followed in the return rubber at Trent Bridge, but that was just the prelude to the innings that he had most craved - a hundred at Lord's in his first appearance against his native South Africa, a performance which quashed once and for all the lingering doubts about his switch of allegiance. After a rapturous reception from the Lord's crowd, he later declared he had never felt "so loved". Just a few weeks later and he had completed his extraordinary journey from naturalised Englishman to England's captain when he took over from Michael Vaughan who announced his retirement just after the third Test against South Africa. As he prepared to lead them in all three forms of the game, Pietersen declared: "I'm going to give it a go like I give everything a go." He was true to his word: a century and a victory in his maiden Test in charge at The Oval, followed by a thumping 4-0 victory in the subsequent ODI series.
Sabtu, 20 Desember 2008
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)