Thursday, 28 October 2010

Mother pleads Guilty.

Disturbing stuff!

Amplify’d from mashable.com

A 22-year-old mother from Jacksonville, Florida, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shaking her 3-month-old son to death after his crying interrupted her FarmVille game.

The mother, Alexandra V. Tobias, was arrested in January and declared her plea on Wednesday before Circuit Judge Adrian G. Soud, The Florida Times-Union reports.

She told investigators that she shook the baby, smoked a cigarette “to compose herself,” and proceeded to shake him again. The baby may have hit his head during one of the two shakings, she said.

FarmVille, named one of the “worst inventions” in recent decades by Time magazine, has more than 60 million members, most of whom access the game through Facebook. Some players have found it so addicting that they’ve lost their jobs and racked up debts north of $1,000.

Needless to say, it is Ms. Tobias — and not the game itself — that is responsible for the death of her 3-month-old son. This is not the first time that a virtual game has led to murder; in 2009, 28-year-old Joseph Johnson of Chicago was charged with first-degree murder after allegedly shooting his companion in the head while playing an Xbox game.

Read more at mashable.com
 

Tuesday, 26 October 2010

BBC Sport - Cricket - Allan Lamb dismisses Lillee's 'nonsense' Ashes call

By Sam Sheringham

Allan Lamb
Allan Lamb played 20 Tests against Australia between 1982 and 1991

Former England captain Allan Lamb has rubbished Dennis Lillee's claim that Australia have the better bowling attack and will win back the Ashes.

Ex-Aussie paceman Lillee has questioned England's ability to take 20 wickets.

But Lamb told BBC Sport: "I think Dennis Lillee has lost it. He's talking absolute nonsense. He must be drinking that Bundaberg rum or something.

"I think on paper the England side is a far better all-round team and they should win pretty comfortably 3-1."

The mudslinging between two veterans of Ashes past has added extra spice to the build-up to a five-Test series that begins in Brisbane on 25 November.

England fly out on Friday for the start of a tour in which they will hope to win the Ashes on Australian soil for the first time since 1987.

606: DEBATE

Since then, England have mustered only three victories in 25 Tests in Australia, but a recent slump by Ricky Ponting's side has raised hopes that Andrew Strauss's men can hold on to the famous urn they captured in England in 2009.

However Lillee, whose new ball partnership with Jeff Thompson tore England apart in the 1974/75 series, said Australia's attack is better-equipped than England's to bowl the opposition out twice.

"If I look at both attacks I think Australia - even without [Shane] Warne and [Glenn] McGrath - have a better attack than England," he said.

"England's spinning attack - they may use spin twins [Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar] - may be better than ours because Nathan Hauritz is still evolving, but overall our attack is better and that's where games are won."

Lamb, a member of Mike Gatting's triumphant 1986-87 side, expressed a different opinion.

The former middle order batsman is confident that England seamers James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett can be a handful in Australian conditions, and believes off-spinner Swann could prove the difference between the sides.

"Swann will be a huge trump card," he said. "He's got better figures than Warne at the same stage of their careers.

"I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over their spinners."

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Friday, 22 October 2010

BBC Sport - Football - Wayne Rooney signs five-year Manchester United deal

Wayne Rooney and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson
Rooney's new deal is set to keep him at Old Trafford until at least June 2015

Wayne Rooney has made a shock U-turn and agreed a new five-year contract at Manchester United just days after announcing his intention to leave.

On Wednesday the 24-year-old striker said concerns over the club's squad strength were behind his original decision not to sign a new deal.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "I'm delighted Wayne's agreed to stay."

Rooney stated: "I said on Wednesday the manager's a genius and it's his belief and support that convinced me to stay."

He added: "I'm delighted to sign another deal at United. I've spoken to the manager and the owners and they've convinced me this where I belong.

"I am signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history - which is the reason I joined the club in the first place.

606: DEBATE
come again?

"I am sure the fans over the last week have felt let down by what they have read and seen.

"But my position was from concern over the future.

"The fans have been brilliant with me since I arrived and it's up to me through my performances to win them over again."

The agreement ends a period of intensive discussions at Old Trafford after Rooney issued a statement in which he revealed that United chief David Gill had not given him the assurance he was seeking about the future squad.

"It's been a difficult week but the intensity of the coverage is what we expect at Manchester United," Ferguson told the club's website.

"Sometimes, when you're in a club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand.

"I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is.

"I'm pleased he has accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of United's great players.

"It shows character and belief in what we stand for.

"I'm sure everyone involved with the Club will now get behind Wayne and show him the support he needs to produce the performances we know he is capable of."

United supporter Liam Bradford, who is the assistant editor of the Red News fanzine told Radio 5 live: "I'm completely flabbergasted.

"It's been one of those weeks. It's been completely mad.

"I don't know whether this has been planned all along and this was just some elaborate mind game that Sir Alex Ferguson was playing with Wayne Rooney on board or whether it has just been completely surreal for the last seven days.

"At the end of the day, he is a world-class footballer and I really wouldn't want to see him anywhere else. I think I'm more relieved that anything he is not going across the city to the team that plays in blue."

Rooney moved to Old Trafford from Everton in 2004 for £25.6m and helped the club win three successive Premier League titles from 2007-09.

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Saturday, 16 October 2010

Murray v Federer in Shanghai Masters.

Will he flatter to deceive again?

Amplify’d from news.bbc.co.uk

Andy Murray powered into the Shanghai Masters final with an impressive 6-4 6-1 win over Argentine Juan Monaco.

Andy Murray

The Briton, 23, will now face Roger Federer in Sunday's final after the Swiss beat Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 in the second semi-final.

Murray is chasing his second Masters title this season

Murray, seeking only his second title of the season, came through a tight first set against the unseeded Monaco.

But the fourth seed stepped up his play in the second and quickly wrapped up victory after 85 minutes on court.

Read more at news.bbc.co.uk
 

BBC - Billy Bragg opens doors in Armley Jail

Billy Bragg
Bragg makes a point on the Andrew Marr show

Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg will be visiting Armley Jail launching his Jail Guitar Doors charity.

Bragg's visit to the Victorian building on Monday 18 October hopes to rehabilitate prisoners through music.

The charity was formed in 2007, since then Bragg's unusual charity has donated guitars to more than 20 prisons.

Armley will be the 23rd prison to take up the musical programme.

In 2007 Bragg was looking to do something positive to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of the Clash's Joe Strummer when he received a request from a local jail.

Malcolm Dudley, a drug and alcohol counsellor, was setting up a guitar class as a way of engaging prisoners. He was running short of instruments and asked Bragg to help, that was the catalyst.

Jail Guitar Doors is titled after a Clash single 'B' side of that name.

Inside Armley Jail
Billy Bragg will be inside Armley with his guitars

Billy Bragg has said: "Prison has to be about much more than just locking people up. We want people to be able to move on from their situation and reconnect with the outside world, and my hunch was that playing an instrument - particularly a guitar - could help that."

Bragg has just returned from Scotland visiting a series of prisons for his charity.

Breaking Rocks

In July Breaking Rocks, the documentary film about the work of the charity, was shown in Leeds with Bragg in attendance at the Hyde Park Picture House.

It was after watching the film at that event that Leeds-based musician Gary Kaye volunteered to help. He will organise Jail Guitar Doors at Armley and will be at the launch along with Bragg.

Gary Kaye
Gary hasn't worked in prison before this scheme

Kaye, 40, the former poet in residence for Leeds United said: "I was inspired by the film and Billy said, 'I'll provide the guitars, you set it up'."

"I understand prison is about punishment and rehabilitation. What Jail Guitar Doors is trying to do is to give the prisoners another way of communicating, to voice how they feel.

"Billy always stresses, 'The guitars are not a gift, they are an opportunity. If you use the opportunity you can benefit'."

Two former inmates that were helped by the charity have used their opportunity well, even featuring on the Leftfield stage (curated by Bragg) at this year's Glastonbury festival.

Kaye is a full-time teacher and will be helping the charity at Armley during the evenings. He is looking forward to the challenge.

Positive experience

"I have been seeking a lot of advice and it says it's a positive experience. I just think the prisoners deserve a chance."

Bragg, 52, claims that his life was dramatically changed after seeing the Clash play live in 1978 at Victoria Park, London at a huge Anti Nazi League concert. And his first album Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy was released in 1983.

In 1985 his song A New England became a Top 10 hit in the UK for Kirsty MacColl.

Bragg is now almost as well known for his work with grass root political movements and commentating on the issues of the day.

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Wednesday, 6 October 2010

ST.Gemma's theft!

Oh dear.

Amplify’d from www.bbc.co.uk

A Leeds hospice is losing hundreds of pounds a week in charity donations as thieves steal doorstep collection bags.

St Gemma's Hospice, Leeds
The hospice said the thefts could equate to an annual loss of £20,000

St Gemma's Hospice in Moortown has seen a big increase in thefts since July and estimated it could lose £20,000 this year alone if the trend continued.

Police are also investigating break-ins at the charity's shop in Alwoodley.

Vicky Burnett, the charity's retail manager, said: "They are taking money directly away from our patients and their families, which is just awful."

Read more at www.bbc.co.uk