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Driving ambition fuelled by a well of petro-dollars
TINY country, massive ambitions. If the World Cup is about knowing your enemy, then the Socceroos need to be careful when they open their campaign in Melbourne tomorrow night. Qatar are out to prove that size doesn't matter. Money, though, counts a lot. Five years ago, Qatar got serious about football. Very serious. The local Olympic committee gave 10 clubs $US10 million ($11.1m) each to set up the first fully professional league. Ageing superstars were recruited. One, Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta, was paid $US8m for two seasons. A string of fading foreigners followed. The Q-League doesn't draw big crowds, but it continues to draw big names. And that provides the foundation for the second, more significant part of the master plan. To build a competitive national team. Qatar's greatest moment on the football field, coincidentally, came on Australian soil.
Blog: Software Windows Vista: PC World's Biggest Tech Disappointment ...
Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. Vista Home Basic is the cheapest and has the least features, while Vista Ultimate is the most expensive and most feature-filled version. Many felt that Microsoft should simply take Apple's approach with OS X and just include a single SKU for everyone and charge everyone the same price. Many also championed Apple's 5-user license policy with OS X versus Microsoft's "reduced" pricing efforts with Windows Vista Family Discount -- a program that ended on June 30. In addition to pricing, licensing and marketing, many people consumers simply are disappointed with Vista's performance. Many users have claimed that Vista simply is slower than Windows XP for many operations with pesky trouble spots including networking and gaming.
Solidarity rises above a whisker in writers strike
Regular readers of my column might know that I'm a fan of the beard. A beard booster, some might say. To me, a beard carries with it a certain degree of dignity, or a noble grace and confidence. Grow you a beard, and you are telling the world that you don't care about social graces; scruffy is how you are, and scruffy is how you will stay.A man's beard can mean any number of things about him.1. His face easily gets cold, and this bothers him.2. His razor is broken and in the shop.3. He's secretly the Cookie Monster.4. His home looks more like a cave.5. He's a Hollywood writer, on strike.Yes, the Hollywood writers strike is in its third month, and the situation looks grayer and more desolate every day. Most television shows are using up their last episodes taped before the strike shut down production.
Bonds is indicted on five counts
Commissioner Bud Selig withheld judgment, saying, "I take this indictment very seriously and will follow its progress closely." Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who is investigating drug use in baseball, declined comment. So did Hall of Fame vice president Jeff Idelson. Bonds finished last season with 762 career home runs, seven more than Aaron. A seven-time NL MVP, he also holds the season record with 73 home runs in 2001. He is a free agent after being told late in the season that the Giants didn't want him back next year. Bonds was charged in the indictment with lying when he said he didn't knowingly take steroids given to him by Anderson. Bonds also is charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids. Prosecutors promised Bonds they wouldn't charge him with any drug-related counts if he testified truthfully.
Royals: Kauffman Stadium renovation is on time, budget
The Kansas City Royals said the $250 million renovation of Kauffman Stadium is on time and on budget. About 90 percent of the renovation project will be completed by the 2009 home opener, with the remainder completed by the 2009 All-Star break, the Royals said in a release late Friday. Bob Rice, Royals vice president of ball park operations and development, said in the release that the cost of the stadium overhaul will be very close to the $250 million budget. "We're extremely close and pleased the way things have been going," Rice said in the release. "I think the biggest thing this year is flexibility. Opening Day will possess a whole lot of challenges." Rice said five major projects are scheduled for completion before the 2008 home opener on April 8.
Ree-membering history
$75.00 (plus GST) for up to ten articles on any one topic. This is a research, information service offered to professionals, students, businesses, internet users.
Photo Reprints @ $46.00 (plus taxes) (8 by 10 colour glossy)
Full Page Reprints from Sun newspapers @ $100.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing.
Personalized Mock-Up Frontpages @ $130.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing.
Tearsheets or Back Editions of Sun Newspapers @ $15 each (plus taxes)
Orders from outside Canada must be paid in US funds.
.
Driving ambition fuelled by a well of petro-dollars
TINY country, massive ambitions. If the World Cup is about knowing your enemy, then the Socceroos need to be careful when they open their campaign in Melbourne tomorrow night. Qatar are out to prove that size doesn't matter. Money, though, counts a lot. Five years ago, Qatar got serious about football. Very serious. The local Olympic committee gave 10 clubs $US10 million ($11.1m) each to set up the first fully professional league. Ageing superstars were recruited. One, Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta, was paid $US8m for two seasons. A string of fading foreigners followed. The Q-League doesn't draw big crowds, but it continues to draw big names. And that provides the foundation for the second, more significant part of the master plan. To build a competitive national team. Qatar's greatest moment on the football field, coincidentally, came on Australian soil.
Blog: Software Windows Vista: PC World's Biggest Tech Disappointment ...
Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. Vista Home Basic is the cheapest and has the least features, while Vista Ultimate is the most expensive and most feature-filled version. Many felt that Microsoft should simply take Apple's approach with OS X and just include a single SKU for everyone and charge everyone the same price. Many also championed Apple's 5-user license policy with OS X versus Microsoft's "reduced" pricing efforts with Windows Vista Family Discount -- a program that ended on June 30. In addition to pricing, licensing and marketing, many people consumers simply are disappointed with Vista's performance. Many users have claimed that Vista simply is slower than Windows XP for many operations with pesky trouble spots including networking and gaming.
Solidarity rises above a whisker in writers strike
Regular readers of my column might know that I'm a fan of the beard. A beard booster, some might say. To me, a beard carries with it a certain degree of dignity, or a noble grace and confidence. Grow you a beard, and you are telling the world that you don't care about social graces; scruffy is how you are, and scruffy is how you will stay.A man's beard can mean any number of things about him.1. His face easily gets cold, and this bothers him.2. His razor is broken and in the shop.3. He's secretly the Cookie Monster.4. His home looks more like a cave.5. He's a Hollywood writer, on strike.Yes, the Hollywood writers strike is in its third month, and the situation looks grayer and more desolate every day. Most television shows are using up their last episodes taped before the strike shut down production.
Bonds is indicted on five counts
Commissioner Bud Selig withheld judgment, saying, "I take this indictment very seriously and will follow its progress closely." Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who is investigating drug use in baseball, declined comment. So did Hall of Fame vice president Jeff Idelson. Bonds finished last season with 762 career home runs, seven more than Aaron. A seven-time NL MVP, he also holds the season record with 73 home runs in 2001. He is a free agent after being told late in the season that the Giants didn't want him back next year. Bonds was charged in the indictment with lying when he said he didn't knowingly take steroids given to him by Anderson. Bonds also is charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids. Prosecutors promised Bonds they wouldn't charge him with any drug-related counts if he testified truthfully.
Royals: Kauffman Stadium renovation is on time, budget
The Kansas City Royals said the $250 million renovation of Kauffman Stadium is on time and on budget. About 90 percent of the renovation project will be completed by the 2009 home opener, with the remainder completed by the 2009 All-Star break, the Royals said in a release late Friday. Bob Rice, Royals vice president of ball park operations and development, said in the release that the cost of the stadium overhaul will be very close to the $250 million budget. "We're extremely close and pleased the way things have been going," Rice said in the release. "I think the biggest thing this year is flexibility. Opening Day will possess a whole lot of challenges." Rice said five major projects are scheduled for completion before the 2008 home opener on April 8.
Ree-membering history
$75.00 (plus GST) for up to ten articles on any one topic. This is a research, information service offered to professionals, students, businesses, internet users.
Photo Reprints @ $46.00 (plus taxes) (8 by 10 colour glossy)
Full Page Reprints from Sun newspapers @ $100.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing.
Personalized Mock-Up Frontpages @ $130.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing.
Tearsheets or Back Editions of Sun Newspapers @ $15 each (plus taxes)
Orders from outside Canada must be paid in US funds.
.
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