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| − | == 2. Ben Johnson ==
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| − | <div id="blogArticleContent"><p>However you view the events at Oscar Pistorius’s Pretoria home yesterday, it’s a tragedy.? For those who’ve been living on Mars, Pistorius’s girlfriend – model Reeva Steenkamp – was shot dead.? Police initially refused to confirm that the suspect they were questioning was Pistorius (standard practice in South Africa,ray ban aviators, apparently), although they did make the baffling decision to tell us that they’d been called to incidents ‘of a domestic nature’ at the address in the past.</p><p>It’ll be months before we know whether or not he’s guilty.? But,louboutin sale, whatever happens,christian louboutin uk, it’s hard to see anything other than the ruination of the man who’s arguably been the single-most important sportsperson in the world over the last five years.</p><p>As such, his is likely to be the most spectacular plunge from grace by a sporting figure in history.? Here are some other fallen idols, whose descents I’ve attempted to rank.</p><p><strong>2. Ben Johnson</strong></p><p>From the holder of the most prestigious title in sport to ultimate villain in 72 hours.? In the famous words of Des Lynam, “I’ve just been handed a piece of paper here that if it’s right, it’,burberry sito ufficiale;ll be the most dramatic story out of these Olympics or perhaps any others.”</p><p>I probably shouldn’t say this but, in my book, that 1988 final remains the greatest race in the history of the 100m.? The look on Carl Lewis’s face!? And four men under 10 seconds for the first time.? It’s been branded ‘the dirtiest race in history’ but at the time it was pure adrenaline-filled theatre.</p><p>The saddest part of the whole tawdry business, as I recall it,chanel uk, was that ‘Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’ became ‘Jamaican-born sprinter Ben Johnson’ in many sections of the media.? Talk about institutional racism.</p><p><strong>3. Lance Armstrong</strong></p><p>It must be nigh-on impossible for the few journalists who continued to throw awkward questions at Lance Armstrong at the height of his fame, such as the admirable Paul Kimmage, not to be smug now.? Kimmage was once roundly bullied by Armstrong at a press conference for using the phrase ‘the cancer of cycling’.? It’s not certain whether he was referring to drugs in the sport or Armstrong specifically,ray ban uk.? Armstrong, who had overcome testicular cancer in the 1990s, chose to interpret it as the latter and lashed out.</p><p>Perhaps the most distasteful aspect of the entire affair was Armstrong’s likening of his current situation to the challenge he faced when he found out he had cancer,tory burch outlet online.</p><p>It might help the public’s perception of him if he sounded even a little apologetic.</p><p><strong>4. Hansie Cronje</strong></p><p>A second erstwhile favourite son of South Africa on the list.</p><p>I walked past Cronje at Centurion in Pretoria during the rain-affected fifth Test of England’s 1999-2000 tour,burberry outlet.? We’d already lost the series but on the final day, news filtered through that he and England captain Nasser Hussain had agreed to forfeit an innings each to ‘make a game of it.’? For us spectators, it felt like a bit of recompense for what had been a frustrating few days; the sun had shone almost constantly since a deluge on the first day but the wet outfield had prevented any play until day five.</p><p>The enterprising agreement by the captains produced a brilliant, one-day-style run chase, England reaching their target of 249 for the loss of eight wickets when Darren Gough pulled Nantie Hayward for four through midwicket with just five balls to spare.? Only in subsequent years did the game look suspicious and, sure enough, it emerged that Cronje had accepted money and a gift from a bookmaker in return for the early declaration,borsa louis vuitton.</p><p>Cronje’s death at the age of 32 in a plane crash meant South African cricket was able to move on rather more swiftly than would’ve been possible if he’d stayed alive.? One of the reasons that current captain Graeme Smith was ushered into the captaincy at the tender age of 22 – apart from being an admirable character – was that he had no links to Cronje.</p><p><strong>5,tory burch sale. Tiger Woods</strong></p><p>Tiger’s last on this list as his fall from grace has not broken him.? Sure, in the words of The Smiths, ‘at the time it was terrible’, and his carefully-staged apology press conference made for cringe-worthy viewing.? However, he’s emerged from the scandal if not unscathed then at least intact.? He even retained his lucrative association with Nike – unlike Armstrong, who was summarily dumped – although who knows how much money he forfeited from the dozens of other sponsors who walked?</p><p>I suppose that in the public consciousness, serial adultery is more forgivable than making a mockery of an entire sport.? Even though the base crime is essentially the same: lying.? People haven’t forgotten Tiger’s exposure as a prolific philanderer but at least he’s back doing what he’s most famous for.? Next question.? Is he good enough these days to add to his 14 majors?</p>Tagged in: , , <br /></div>
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| − | <div class="body "><p>True,ray ban sunglasses, the Loughborough European Athletics Permit Meeting may not prove to have been quite the pressure-cooker atmosphere Ennis will be plunged into in London next month. On the other hand, the City of Sheffield athlete's preference for the local and low-key when it comes to preparation evidently works for her, as she proved by competing in a county meet at Barnsley a fortnight before beating the world's best in Austria.</p><p>There were perhaps 300 spectators in the Paula Radcliffe Stadium to see Ennis bookend an afternoon's sport by taking part in the long jump at the start and the javelin at the end. This was all about polishing technique and confidence in events in which she has sometimes wobbled, and Ennis was happy enough with her efforts in both.</p><p>In the long jump, she produced a relatively solid series by the standard of her two previous appearances in this country. In the UK Olympic trials in Birmingham last month she had fouled three times and run through twice, with her only clean jump of 6.27m good enough for sixth. Her previous outing, in Bedford a couple of weeks earlier, had seen her foul four times, so it can justifiably be described as progress for her to have produced five clean jumps out of six yesterday.</p><p>None could have been described as spectacular �C the best,gucci sale, her last,chanel uk, was 6.21m, some 30cm below the personal best she equalled in Gotzis �C and it was apparent she was thinking more about her run-up than the actual jump.</p><p>The same applied in the javelin, the event that let her down so badly when she finished second in last September's World Championships, when her best effort was 39.95m.</p><p>A winter working with the former world championship bronze medallist Mick Hill has produced a more grooved and rhythmic throwing action, with the result that Ennis has consistently thrown over 45m this season, culminating in a personal-best 47.11m in Gotzis.</p><p>If she throws that sort of distance in London she will almost certainly become Olympic champion, but after opening with 44.73m, wind and rain prevented her from throwing beyond that mark. Not that it worried her. "The rain didn't bother me �C most likely it's going to be raining in London too," she said. "But while it's always nice to throw a 'pb' I'm happy with where I am. I don't want to be getting in my big throws too early,ray ban aviators.</p><p>"In the long jump I'm obviously not pleased with the distance, but after the trials I had to go away and make some changes to my run-up to make sure I hit the board and didn't foul, and in that respect I'm happy." It was, she said, "a little weird" to think that her next competition would be the Games.</p><p>",ray ban aviators;I'm just glad I'm, touch wood, in one piece and happy. I've done all the hard work, now it's a case of?going away to the GB holding camp [in Portugal] and just sharpen up a bit. I know everyone is going to be in great shape but I feel in good shape too, so I'm looking forward to it now,gucci outlet. It's nice to be in this position, because you never really know what's going to happen.",ray ban 3025;</p><p>Smilingly signing autographs and posing for pictures, Ennis looked like an athlete who knows she is as well prepared as she can be, and while the rest of the Great Britain team will have something of a final send-off at the London Grand Prix next week, she will �C as so often �C be doing her own thing,tory burch uk.</p><p>"It's going to be very different with the massive crowds, but I'm used to meets like this and I'm happy to do my last bits of preparation here, and now I'm just ready to go off and get ready in Portugal," she said.</p><p>Having coached Ennis since she was 11,tory burch outlet, Toni Minichiello is the perfect person to pass judgement on his prot��g��'s preparations. And he is pleased too.</p><p>",chanel sito ufficiale;Yeah, I'm happy enough," he said. "We've still got two weeks training and two weeks of tapering, though it's interesting to think that in four weeks' time we'll be waiting for the 800m [the last event in the heptathlon] to start." By which time, of course, a nation hopes the gold medal will be pretty much secure.</p></div>
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| − | <div class="body "><p>The news came out of the blue on (appropriately) Sunday night, posted on Twitter at 7pm GMT: “Trying to learn transcendental meditation. Everyone recommends,gucci outlet, not that easy to get started, but said to improve everything!”?</p><p>I love that “not that easy to get started”, as if meditation were a tricky technical exercise or skill, like baking tarts or water-skiing. Has someone been giving Rupert a meditation manual and assuring him he must learn the contents,chanel handbags, as one learns the Highway Code,ray ban wayfarer? Perhaps it was the only way to keep his attention,borse burberry. It’s hard to imagine Murdoch responding eagerly to classic TM requirements that you clear your mind of intrusive thoughts about success and failure,burberry, riches and poverty,tory burch shoes, and concentrate on small things,chanel, like the colours of birds or the time ticking away on a clock.</p><p>I’m sure Rupert is as capable of transcendence as anyone, but I suspect his meditation on birds would quickly inspire a 12-part Fox docu-series called Fine Feathers introduced by Bill Bailey and his inspection of time engender a new Robert Zemeckis movie called Back From the Past….</p><p>If he keeps up his interest,borsa louis vuitton, Rupert will join a long line of worldly materialists (John Lennon,chanel uk, Clint Eastwood,chanel bags, Oprah Winfrey, David Lynch) who have looked to transcendental meditation to release them from being overwhelmed by the material world. But how dull life would be if Murdoch’s bracing tweets were suddenly all about his “inner calm”, the “stillness” and “balance” of his “inner vision”. It would be a significant rip in the fabric of 21st-century certainty if he found any use for a mantra except as an advertising jingle.</p></div>
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| − | == and will run with a Mac or PC. ==
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| − | <div class="body "><p>This has been designed to work with your PC or Mac, which is pretty standard – but it also works with mobile devices via Bluetooth. Just hook it up to your Android or iPhone and bam, proper gaming on the go,chanel bags. Fully charged,louis vuitton borsa, it gives you 10 hours of non-stop playing time.</p><p><em>?59.99, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>The Destructor 2 is only 2.2mm thick and is pretty much the perfect mouse pad for gamers. Its surface is micro-textured for easy sliding and works with both laser and optical mice.</p><p><em>?34.99, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>Avoid the PC gamer's dilemma and get this two-terabyte external hard drive and you'll never need to worry about those Steam games filling up your hard drive. It's USB powered (2,ray ban.0 and 3.0 compliant) and will run with a Mac or PC.</p><p><em>?149.95, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>The new keyboard from Logitech features a customisable display that allows you to track your gaming stats even if you aren't currently in game. There are also 12 programmable keys, with 36 different functions. Its two USB ports mean you don't have to worry about not having enough slots for other kit,christian louboutin, either. Out in three weeks.</p><p><em>?179.99, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>An affordable joystick that doesn't compromise on features. It has 10 buttons,gucci sale, a dual-throttle lever and an adjustable handle height. There's no need for batteries either; it runs off your USB port.</p><p><em>?39.99, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>The R.A,tory burch uk.T. 9 looks like something out of a sci-fi movie and has the features to match. Incredibly, you can adjust the size of the mouse to match your grip. It's wireless, but comes with a recharging dock and next-gen wireless technology for lightning-fast responses.</p><p><em>?89.99, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>The official wheel of ultimate driving game Gran Turismo – and still the best in its class. The vibrating wheel lets you experience shifts in weight and even the surface of the road and the 900-degree rotation lets you drive as you would in a real car on the track. And that's to say nothing of the sensitive throttle and brake pedals.</p><p><em>?102.97,christian louboutin uk, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>When games created for consoles make their way on to PC there can be some problems using a mouse. That's where the Xbox 360 controller for Windows comes in,louis vuitton sito ufficiale. Try it with the latest Tomb Raider on PC – you'll find it much improved.</p><p><em>?22.99, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>Probably the ultimate gaming mouse around, this one has 20 buttons, which can be programmed for use during MMO (Massive Multiplier Online) games including World of Warcraft,louboutin sale. If you get bored and want to swap to another game,this will store your profile.</p><p><em>?69.99, </em></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>Big developers put a lot of effort (and cash) into in-game audio,chanel uk, especially when for first-person shooter games, so make the most of it with this headset.</p><p><em>?279, </em></p></div>
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| − | == in its annual review of UK ==
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| − | <div class="body "><p>Olivier Blanchard,ray ban sunglasses, in an interview on the <em>Today</em> programme this morning, said that the continued weakness of the UK economy merited a change of fiscal course.</p><p>“Slower fiscal consolidation in some form may well be appropriate” he said.</p><p>Last May, the IMF, in its annual review of UK,christian louboutin uk, recommended that the Coalition should ease up on its austerity measures to support growth if the economy continued to underperform. The Office for National Statistics is widely expected to report on Friday that the UK economy returned to contraction in the final three months of 2012, raising the prospect of a triple dip recession.</p><p>“Out early advice is still there” said Mr Blanchard,borse chanel. “If things look bad at the beginning of 2013, which they do,chanel outlet, there should be a reassessment of fiscal policy”.</p><p>The recommendation will come as a blow to the Chancellor because he has always placed great emphasis on the IMF's support for his austerity policies.</p><p>Mr Blanchard added that March’s Budget would be an ideal time for the Chancellor � who has long resisted any deviation from the deficit reduction schedule he laid out in June 2010 � to enact a change in policy,louboutin.</p><p>“You have a Budget coming in March. We think this is a good time to take stock and see whether some adjustment could be made” he said. “Budget time seems like the right time to do these things”.</p><p>Last year Mr Blanchard conducted some research which analysed why the economic growth in many countries in recent years had underperformed the Fund’s forecasts,gucci sito ufficiale. He concluded that the impact of the spending cuts on growth had been two to three times greater than the IMF’s standard forecasting model assumed.</p><p>Yesterday the IMF cut its growth forecasts for the UK for 2013 from 1.1 per cent to 1 per cent and for 2014 from 2.2 per cent to 1.9 per cent. These were the biggest downgrades for any advanced economy other than Japan.</p><p>Last May the IMF recommended that the Coalition should consider a temporary cut in VAT and more state infrastructure spending if the economy failed to respond to further monetary stimulus.</p><p>George Osborne, asked about Mr Blanchard’s call for a?Plan B?at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said that he would stick with his existing spending cutting schedule,chanel uk.</p><p>“I don’t think it’s right to abandon a credible deficit reduction plan” he said. “That credibility is very hard won and very easily lost. It would be a huge mistake to put that at risk”,gucci bags.</p><p>Treasury sources suggested that Mr Blanchard did not speak for the IMF as an institution.</p><p>“It’s no surprise coming from Blanchard” said one senior source,christian louboutin uk. “Everyone knows there’s a debate in the IMF about this and he’s at one end of it”.</p><p>The source also pointed out that the IMF called for the policy to be reappraised at the beginning of 2013, but there has been no hard economic data yet showing how this economy has been performing this year.</p><p>The Chancellor received a pre-release today of the official figures showing how the economy performed in the final quarter of 2013,chanel borse. Asked in Davos about how he would describe the present condition of the UK economy Mr Osborne said: “We are walking a difficult road, but we are heading in the right direction”.</p></div>
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