Steph Houghton salutes Olympic effect as Arsenal Ladies seek double - Metro

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Steph Houghton is hoping to make it a double by winning the FA Women’s Super League Continental Cup (Picture: Action Images)

Houghton scored in all three of Team GB’s group games at London 2012, including one against Brazil in front of more than 70,000 fans at Wembley.

Now her focus is on helping the Gunners win the double by beating Birmingham in the FA Women’s Super League Continental Cup final at Barnet’s Underhill after already winning the WSL.

‘We are getting a lot more attention and recognition,’ she said.

‘Attendances are improving. The image of women’s football has changed for the better and we have to make sure it keeps getting better as more and more girls take it up.’

Meanwhile the Football Association has confirmed Team GB will not be sending a men’s football team to the 2016 Olympics, but it has not ruled out fielding a women’s side.

Tickets – £10 for adults, £5 for children – are available by calling 020 8449 6325, from ticket office or at www.barnetfc.com

Frieze London 2012: the speed-dating approach to art fairs - The Guardian

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Murder In Three Acts by Asli Cavusoglu. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

I bought a pint of milk at the farm shop at Frieze art fair. Big spender, me. I toyed with the rhubarb, and the spuds looked good, but it's all a pain to carry when you're cruising the commercial stands and the artists' projects, diving into talks and watching the film programme. The milk actually comes from Tesco, but is being resold for a pound a pint in protest against the squeeze big retailers put on dairy farmers, many of whom are going out of business. Is the milk for sale, I ask at the shop, part of Spanish artist and farmer Fernando García-Dory's contribution to the Grizedale Arts Project, based in the Lake District. Grizedale are here as one of Frieze's invited projects. "It is a shop," the assistant tells me. "Like all other stands here."

Lugging the milk around all day, up and down the aisles, from one gallery to the next, is a bore. I keep looking for something to pour it into, an urn or a vase, but these all seem to be on display over at Frieze Masters, the newly inaugurated and excellent fair of old and new art, on the other side of London's Regent's Park.

All art fairs are much the same. Frieze is a bit more fun, and better organised than most. But there is the same sense that, apart from schmoozing, a critic's only role here is to witness the collisions of taste, and to stare appalled at things no serious adult ought to want to own (a pink baby seal, stranded on the floor of the Gagosian stand; a searing fluorescent pink floor, by Korean artist Koo Jeong-A; a life-like and very hairy naked humanoid mannequin at some gallery or other. A lot of the stands, let alone the art, quickly homogenise. Meanwhile, my milk has started to curdle.

I have no idea how collectors cope, but fairs provide a context they seem comfortable in. Most dealers sell more at fairs than they do in their galleries. This week it is Frieze London; next week they will all move to the big fair in Paris, FIAC. Finding a quiet moment to actually look at art is extremely difficult. Some galleries, like London's MOT International, who are screening a film by Turner prize contender Elizabeth Price, do it with dignity – in a little cinema, away from the main drag. An entire show of work by Canadian artist Geoffrey Farmer fills Casey Kaplan's booth. Farmer was a hit at the recent Documenta exhibition in Kassel, with his field of cut-out images from the entire run of Life magazine; here, his works retreat in all the surrounding roar and razzmatazz. Setting out in search of some hot young star, I find myself looking at some funny, modest photographs of furry little guinea pigs, by Josephine Pryde, at Reena Spaulings' stand. You ask yourself not why Pryde took them, but why you're looking.

Often, it is the free panel discussions and talks, the commissioned artists' projects and the film screenings that provide a bit of mental heft. Of the commissions, the filming of a murder mystery within the fair looks the most fun. Who did what and to whom, you ask, of Turkish artist Asli Çavusoglu's Murder in Three Acts. I nearly tried to inveigle myself into being pelted with over-ripe tomatoes back at the Grizedale project, but ran away at the last moment. On Saturday I shall eat a vermin dinner there, with Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and squirrel on the menu. Please note: I like my squirrel red.

The project that excites me most is by British artist Ed Fornieles, at Carlos/Ishikawa gallery. Fornieles has set up Characterdate, in which you can sign up and get a date at the fair. The trick is that you have to adopt a fake identity, which you have to make up and improvise when you create your profile. I am Reiner. I am German. I am powerful, rich and self-aware. I am a polymorphously perverse international jewel thief (well, I had to think of something). My date is in half an hour. Apparently, a "team of scenario prototyping experts" will begin expanding my new reality. If I'm lucky, my whole way of life might get tweaked, and I could begin to see things – even Frieze – with fresh eyes. Just call me Reiner.

London 2012 was an unforgettable experience which I hope to ... - Metro (blog)

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The public really made the London Paralympics one of the best experiences of my life, and I am pretty sure it was the same for most athletes from GB and other nations. The cheering and support alone brought home a few more medals.

London 2012 was unreal, every part just felt amazing. I remember the day we arrived, I walked around the village to get a feel for the place. I specifically remember saying to my coach: ‘I think this will be the best 14 days of my life’.

The village was its own little world, nothing I have been to before compares with it. It was shut off from the world and had everything you could ever need and more.

It was all such an amazing experience, and one I hope to repeat in 2016.

The best part for me had to be the games room; once competition time started we didn’t get to use it much but leading up to competition in our downtime space we spent a lot of time there relaxing and playing pool.

The dining hall felt like heaven after living in Sheffield with team-mates where, every day, after long hard sessions you have to come home and cook, which is the last thing you want to do.

But it was the Games Makers who were the icing on the cake for me. They were so happy and excited to be there and help you.

They stopped you from getting lost but also reminded us that we are not just playing for ourselves but the whole nation and made the experience for me that much better.

For me the best part of the whole Games was of course the competition at the ExCel. It was special walking out to your table and being introduced to the crowd.

Sadly for me, I didn’t do that great in the singles. I was happy with the draw and went in confident. I didn’t play poor but didn’t play to my best. I lost 3-0 to a Chinese player ranked No.6 in the world and then 3-2 to a Belgian former Paralympic champion and reigning world champion.

But the glory was awaiting me in the team event as we won bronze. I love singles but the team event always holds something special. The team was Ross Wilson, Will Bayley and me, nicknamed Dream Team RAW.

We went through every emotion – joy, sadness, tension, pressure, excitement and spirit. Ross won the final point and we went mental.

We had planned a celebration like Paul Gascoigne’s from Euro 96 – but with Powerade as the drink of choice! However, I decided that would ruin the court so we literally bottled it.

It was all such an amazing experience, and one I hope to repeat in 2016. If you would like to help support me in any way, do tweet me @kibsta91 or contact me via email at aaron_mckibbin@hotmail.co.uk

Metro Blogs is a place for opinions. These opinions belong to the author and are not necessarily shared by Metro.

London Film Festival 2012: Top 5 films to watch - Metro

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Frankenweenie

For once this Tim Burton film doesn't star long-term collaborator Johnny Depp or real-life girlfriend Helena Bonham Carter.

Originally developed as a short film when Burton once worked at Disney, Frankenweenie follows young inventor Victor who finds a novel way of bringing his beloved pup Sparky back from the dead.

This wonderfully crafted stop motion 3D animation promises to be a return to form for Burton after the disappointing Dark Shadows - quirky, funny and dark, all the things we've come to expect from the director.

Amour deals with aging and death (Picture: AP Photo/Sony Pictures Classics)

Amour

The winner of this year's Palme D'Or at Cannes Film Festival, Amour is a brave and unsettling look at love, relationships, aging and death.

Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant play an old married couple, who find their relationship pushed to the very brink when one of them suffers from a stroke.

This being a Michael Haneke film, he doesn't flinch from portraying the slow and agonising process of dying showing just how tedious, humiliating and frustrating it can be.

It's utterly heartbreaking but deeply compassionate and powerfully gripping.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Benh Zeitlin's debut film has already been touted as the next Slumdog Millionaire.

Far grittier and just as inspiring as Danny Boyle's offering, Beasts of the Southern Wild is an imaginative and lyrical piece of film-making brimming with style, poetry and beauty.

Quvenzhané Wallis gives a jaw-dropping performance as six-year-old Hushpuppy, who must weather the highs and lows of her alcoholic father's moods and also a huge storm which hits their community Bathtub.

Come Oscar time, Wallis could find herself in with a strong chance of taking home a gong for Best Actress.

Ben Affleck directs and stars in Argo (Picture: AP/Warner Bros)

Argo

Argo is one of those 'if it weren't true, you wouldn't believe it' stories.

Based on real-life events, Argo revolves around a CIA agent's (Ben Affleck) audacious attempt to save some US hostages from Tehran - by pretending to be the producer of a new sci-fi movie.

Affleck once again proves his skills as a director in this tense and gripping drama, which promises to have you on the edge of your seat.

Rust and Bone

Rust and Bone is a beautiful and unusual love story from French director Jacques Audiard, who won an Oscar nod for Best Foreign Film for A Prophet in 2010.

Marion Cotillard takes of one of her most challenging roles yet as a whale trainer who loses her legs in a horrific accident while rising star Matthias Schoenaerts plays the brutish bouncer she finds herself falling for.

She's struggling to leave the house while he's struggling to control his temper and his fists. It's hardly a match made in heaven but both leads are completely mesmerising in this touching portrayal of two people learning to feel complete again.

Five IT Lesson from the London 2012 Olympics - Forbes

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The London 2012 Olympics were generally thought to be extremely well executed.  As a casual or even an obsessive observer of the

Image credit: AFP/Getty Images via @daylife

Games, it is easy to overlook how much technology has changed the Games, largely for the better.  Among other things, Gerry Pennell, the CIO of London 2012, was responsible for ensuring that the core mission of measuring athletic performance and providing data to the media and ultimately to spectators around the world was achieved.

Gerry Pennell, CIO of the London 2012 Olympics

At first glance, running IT for the Olympics would seem very different from doing so at a typical company, but I recently spoke with Pennell, and he brought up a variety of lessons that are universally applicable.

Lesson 1: People – Hire Technologists who can run at sprint and marathon speeds

Pennell had an advantage in that eight years earlier, prior to beginning preparation for the London Games, there was an Olympics in an English speaking country (Australia) with people who have some cultural similarities to the Brits, and he was able to recruit some of them to join his efforts. That said, prior experience only goes so far.  “New blood is essential so that people are not tempted to simply replay what was done in the past,” says Pennell.  It is important to have fresh thinking for each Olympics, but it is also important that there be a preponderance of people from the host country in IT so that the IT plan reflect the unique aspects of the technology landscape in that country.

In terms of characteristics to look for, finding people who are comfortable operating with a high degree of uncertainty, and who will not be frustrated by changes, even at the last minute, is essential.  At the beginning of Pennell’s journey with his colleagues, it was important to think of their jobs as a marathoner might, but at the end, there were a series of sprints.  Balancing the strategy of the marathon (a topic covered below) with the tactics of the sprints is essential.

Increasingly, this is a lesson that CIOs in most companies must contemplate.  The pace of change in IT is growing, and there are no signs of slowing down.  Hiring people who are comfortable with change, and bring an R&D mentality to new technology is essential.  As in many conventional business situations, it is also the case that projects move swiftly through different phases; its important to find people who are versatile enough to deal with strategy at one end of the process, and deployment or operations at the other.  The more versatile the team the easier it is to respond correctly to changing situations.

Lesson 2: Strategy – In the absence of solid plans from others, understand where the finish line is, and work backwards

Among the Olympic Organizing Committee functions, IT had the longest lead time.  Typically, IT strategy is best formulated following the IT leader’s having participated in Corporate and Divisional or Functional-level strategies –and through studying the activities and processes operated by users, but Pennell did not have that luxury.  Clearly it was important to understand as far as possible the emerging plan from the various departments, but the IT strategy needed to be fleshed out with assumptions derived from previous Games and expectations about how technology was being used. From these assumptions, Pennell’s team developed a scope, budget, and IT strategy.   They also clearly articulated the assumptions and hypotheses behind his plan so that if any changes occurred (and there would be many), there is broad agreement on the implications, and a change management plan could be forged more easily.

Pennell’s stories bring to mind World War I German field marshal, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, who said, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.”  Likewise, as the Games approached, many plans needed to be changed substantially, and having people who could change with them and execute under uncertain circumstances proved to be critically important.

Pistorius talks London 2012 on Tonight With Jay Leno - Insidethegames.biz

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By Tom Degun

October 10 - South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has discussed his involvement at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on NBC's Tonight With Jay Leno show, one of the biggest television chat shows in the United States.

The 25-year-old from Johannesburg became the first double leg amputee to compete in athletics at the Olympics, reaching the 400 metres semi-final, before winning two gold medals and a silver at the Paralympics a month later.

Pistorius, who appeared alongside US actor Tyler Perry and the music band Plain White T's, discussed the Games with Leno, claiming that it was his team that had helped him make both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in top condition.

"When you get to the top of competition, you realise it is the whole team around you that gets you to that position," he said.

"It is not just you.

"I've got a phenomenal team behind me and it is great.

"I needed all their support because London 2012 was so crazy.

"You walk out into that stadium and you can hear a wall of noise.

"You try and stay calm but it is so loud; it was just amazing."

Oscar Pistorius won two gold medals and a silver at the London 2012 Paralympics

The appearance comes just days after Pistorius appeared with Ryder Cup hero and vice-captain Paul McGinley at the Dunhill Links golf Championships in Scotland.

He will be remaining in the US for the rest of the week, where his next appearance will be on the Piers Morgan Tonight show on CNN on October 12, followed by the Larry King Now show on HULU.com, to be broadcast at a later date.

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London 2012 lingers long in the memory - Metro (blog)

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So that’s it – the nights are drawing in, it’s not long until the clocks go back, and London 2012 seems a distant memory… Winter’s coming.

Goodness me, how long ago the Olympics and Paralympics seem now, even though it is only four weeks today both teams paraded through the streets of the capital basking in the glory of a golden summer.

The things I’ve seen this summer will stick with me forever – from ‘Super Saturday’ in the Olympic Stadium to the living legend (his words, not mine) that is Usain Bolt to Michael Phelps to David Weir, it was a truly remarkable summer.

There is life after London 2012 and a night covering the Capital One Cup or the Europa League is more than enough to convince you that the world has moved on

And then, blink, and it’s all gone. Life returns to normal. Having lived in an Olympic bubble for 12 months, and planned for it for a lot longer, the greatest show on earth hits the road for its next stop-off in Rio (via a winter foray to Sochi in 2014, of course).

But nowadays, in this all-year-round, 24/7 sporting world where nothing and no one ever sleeps, it is at least easy to move on.

My first football match post-London was a little surreal, having simply ignored the first month of the season (I may do the same with the rest of the campaign unless looking at the Championship table becomes decidedly easier).

I just sat there and realised: ‘That’s it, it’s all over.’ Half of me was sad after such a wonderful year as Olympics Correspondent – a period in which I was privileged enough to meet Usain Bolt, David Beckham, the list goes on…

But part of me was also relieved that there is life after London 2012 and a night covering the Capital One Cup or the Europa League is more than enough to convince you that the world has moved on.

Sport continues, it always does, and although the nation united for a fantastic summer of British success, it is back to business. Winter’s coming. And maybe that’s reassuring.

Metro Blogs is a place for opinions. These opinions belong to the author and are not necessarily shared by Metro.

RSA London 2012: Governments will fail in bid to control internet ... - V3.co.uk

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LONDON: The world's governments are destined to fail in their attempts to control the internet, according to BT security expert Bruce Schneier.

Schneier claimed that the internet is currently going through a dark period, with legislators creating ill-conceived cyber policies that are damaging rather than helping online developments.

"Governments are starting to use it [the internet] for power," said Schneier at a press conference in London.

"We're hitting a period in internet history where governments are seizing more control; one where governments that don't understand the internet are trying to interfere with it."

Schneier touted the recent US proposal to create a "killswitch" for the internet as a prime example of policymaker's lack of understanding.

The cryptography expert warned that such policies will cause short term damage by increasing the political separation between the pre- and post-internet generations.

"The internet is biggest generation since rock and roll," said Schneier.

"The line is people on Twitter: those that can't figure it out and those that can't live without it."

As a result Schneier predicted that governments' bid for online power would fail.

"I don't think they [governments] will succeed but there'll be a lot of damage in the process [...] In battles between generation gaps the younger generation always wins as in the end the older dies," said Schneier.

"In the long term, I do believe in humanities never-ending quest for justice and morality."

Earlier this autumn, Schneier told V3's Security Summit 2012, that online anonymity was a significant challenge for governments as he issued a similar call for government to end their attempts to control the web

Long and Martin named US Paralympic Sportspeople of the Year ... - Insidethegames.biz

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By David Gold

September 20 - The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has announced its Paralympic athletes and teams of the year following the London 2012 Games.

Swimmer Jessica Long (pictured top) was awarded the Paralympic Sportswoman of the Year title after she won eight medals, five of them gold, in London.

Equalling the haul of fellow swimmer Jacqueline Freney of Australia, Long took home the most medals won by any athlete in London, and brought her total to 17 medals won over three Paralympic Games.

The award adds to the Disabled Swimmer of the Year accolade Long received in 2011 from Swimming World Magazine, and the ESPY Award for the Best Female Athlete with a Disability she won earlier this year.

The Paralympic Sportsman of the Year was Raymond Martin, the wheelchair racer who won every event he entered on his Paralympic Games debut at London 2012.

Raymond Martin won every event he entered on his Paralympic debut at London 2012

The 18-year-old won the United States' first track and field gold of London 2012 in the T52 100 metres, before winning the 200m, 400m and 800m.

The Paralympic Team of the Year award was given to the United States' men's quad doubles wheelchair tennis pair of David Wagner and Nick Taylor, who won their third consecutive gold medal in London.

They stunned British favourites Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne in the final at Eton Manor earlier this month to defend their title.

The Americans have now won the event at each Paralympic Games since it was introduced at Athens 2004.

David Wagner and Nick Taylor celebrate their London 2012 wheelchair tennis gold

In addition, Wagner claimed silver in the men's singles competition, with Taylor taking bronze.

"We are so proud to honour these young men and women who represent the finest ambassadors of sport," said USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun.

"Through their commitment to excellence on and off the field, these athletes represent our country with incredible grace and composure, and their outstanding achievements are an inspiration to all Americans."

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London 2012 Olympics: Tom Daley greeted by fans in Plymouth - Daily Mail

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By Sportsmail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 08:47 GMT, 20 September 2012 | UPDATED: 10:24 GMT, 20 September 2012

Hordes of homemade banners, joyous crowds and lashings of Olympic and Paralympic spirit greeted athletes as Tom Daley and his colleagues lapped up the euphoria surrounding the London 2012 Games as Plymouth paid tribute to its young sporting stars.

The teenage diving sensation was among those joining in the open-top bus parade through the Devon city this evening, as thousands of well-wishers packed the streets to pay tribute to the 18-year-old bronze medallist.

The 15-year-old swimmer Ruta Meilutyte, who won gold in the 100m women’s breaststroke for her home country of Lithuania, was also among the athletes taking part in the event.

All aboard: The Plymouth based Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including Tom Daley take to the streets on an open top bus

Welcome back: The people of Plymouth turn out to greet the Olympians

The pair waved from the balcony of Plymouth College, where Daley and Meilutyte are studying for their A-Levels and GCSEs respectively, before boarding the bus as it made its hour-long route through the city streets.

Others in the parade included divers Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow, swimmers Antony James, Jamila Lunkuse and Jade Howard, fencer Corinna Lawrence, wheelchair basketball player Judith Hamer and Paralympic table tennis player David Wetherill.

Daley’s diving coach Andy Banks and Meilutyte’s swimming coach Jon Rudd also took part in the celebration, which included a stop at the new multimillion-pound Plymouth Life Centre, where many of the city’s athletes train.

Medal winner: Daley holds his Bronze medal and as he points to the crowds

Stella Goodman, who was watching the parade with three generations of her family, said: “we are proud, proud to be Plymothians and see them today.'

Swimmer Cerys Moore, 11, added: 'they (athletes) are inspiring me to be like them. I have been to the Life Centre (where the athletes train) and it is fantastic.'

Each athlete was given a rousing reception as they were presented to the crowd which had gathered near the city plaza to welcome them off the bus.

But the biggest cheer was reserved for Daley, wearing his TeamGB tracksuit and bronze medal.

Back to school: Daley, gold medallist Ruta Meilutyte, Olympic swimmer Jamila Lunkuse and Olympic swimmer Jade Howard walk through college grounds on the first day back after the London 2012

Addressing the crowd - several members of which tried to catch his attention with shouts of 'I love you, Tom” - the diver said: 'Today has been crazy. The number of people who have lined the streets and the foot bridges - thank you for coming.

'It has been pretty crazy since the Olympic Games. Going through town or going out it is literally mental all the time. But it is back to school now, back to reality.'

Daley also thanked staff at Plymouth College, where the teenager is studying for his A-Levels.

He said: 'They have been incredible supporting us, adapting timetables, making sure we can train.'

Back to reality: Daley and the fellow Olympians return to the class room

Speaking between screams from younger members of the audience, Daley added: 'I would just like to say thank you from all of us.'

The athletes’ bus was followed for a short distance by a procession of the city’s Games Makers, many of whom later attended a civic reception at the Council House, hosted by the Lord Mayor, Michael Wright. Lithuanian Ambassador Dr Oskaras Jusys was also among guests at the reception.

Move over Games Makers it's time for the Sport Makers - Metro (blog)

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This week I signed up to become a Sport Maker and went to my local launch to find out more about the role.

The programme was developed as part of the London 2012 legacy strategy and is funded by Sport England and The Lottery. The aim is to recruit 40,000 Sports Makers across England to take forward the Olympic and Paralympic legacies.

In my opinion this is an excellent initiative and is a way of recognising the volunteering that people are already doing as well as recruiting new volunteers who may be enthused after the Olympics and will be incentivised by being part of a national scheme that rewards hours.

Sport Makers are charged with making sport happen at their local level. This can simply be encouraging a group of friends to take part in a local sporting event to getting involved in volunteering for a local sports club.

My local launch was organised by Hereford and Worcester Sports Partnership who will support the local group of Sport Makers in their efforts to grow grassroots sports. There were a range of people present from sixth form students who want to organise football games with their friends to members of the local bowls club who want to offer bowls classes to young disabled people. We learnt in a light hearted manner how we could contribute to the legacy and given the initial target of volunteering for 10 hours. In return there are a number of rewards depending on the hours we give.

In my opinion this is an excellent initiative and is a way of recognising the volunteering that people are already doing as well as recruiting new volunteers who may be enthused after the Olympics and will be incentivised by being part of a national scheme that rewards hours.

As a sports person I have received lots of support and encouragement from my local community – from local businesses sponsoring me, to people stopping me in the supermarket to give me words of encouragement. In return I feel that it is my responsibility to motivate people to take part in sport and improve access to sport for those people who face barriers to participation.

To that end I have already signed up to marshal and present the prizes at a local multi-terrain running race this weekend and will continue to use my profile in my community to make sport happen locally.

Anyone over the age of 16 can become a Sport Maker so if you were inspired by London 2012 why not become part of the legacy.

Metro Blogs is a place for opinions. These opinions belong to the author and are not necessarily shared by Metro.

Ryder Cup 2012: After immortal summer of Wiggins, Murray and ... - Telegraph.co.uk

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This was the greatest of all Ryder Cup comebacks. The US team who overturned a 10-6 European lead at Brookline 13 years ago were on home turf. Ian Poulter and company flipped the odds on foreign soil.

Though it was Martin Kaymer who nailed the final putt, on the 18th green, Poulter was the leader and the star, ending the weekend with the best percentage record of any Ryder Cup player.

Olazábal, who was like a brother to Ballesteros, wept, saying: “This is for the whole of Europe. Seve will always be present with this team.

"He was a big factor for this event, for the European side, and last night when we were having our meeting I told the boys that believing was the most important thing – and they did.”

Never in Ryder Cup history has a home crowd been left so shocked, so deflated. Maybe this was karma for the lone idiot who shouted, “F––– you, Seve,” at the 16th on Saturday night.

Luke Donald, Poulter, McIlroy, ­Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie were Europe’s hit squad, rattling up five victories. Lawrie, the veteran, struck a 50-foot birdie and then an eagle to crush Brandt Snedeker 5&3. In the second half, Sergio García, Lee Westwood and Kaymer finished the job.

A day of searing tension picked out four of the also-rans of this cup to decide its fate. Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods, Kaymer and Franceso Molinari had not won a single point from nine outings and yet here they were with the eyes of the world boring into them, with the score tied and both their matches all square.

We had no right to ask for this, much less to expect Europe to match the feats of the US team at Brookline in 1999. The Americans lost the first five matches and seven of the first 10.

A European onslaught neutralised the partisan home crowd and dumped intolerable pressure on the bottom half of America’s 12.

A suspicion is that leading 10-6 on the final morning is harder than it looks. The assumption is that victory is already in the bag.

With a few early setbacks there is a whiplash effect. The sense of a big lead slipping away inflicts terrible stress on the brain, in all sports. In a Ryder Cup, it must feel like a vortex that cannot be escaped.

Jim Furyk is no fresh-faced lad. But by the end of his defeat by García he looked like a stricken geriatric.

In match eight he led by one with two holes to play. On the 17th green a putt from the edge seemed to paralyse him. He backed off it twice, dropping to his knees to make the read. You could see his sinews tightening, his face turning grey.

Then he did it again on 18, missing an easier one and losing the hole to García, and with it the match. In his face was scored a terrible despair.

Guilt, you would call it. The Ryder Cup’s special cruelty is that it can make one man responsible for the suffering of another 11.

Imagine the ghosts and demons that haunt the psyche when an apparently safe victory is tossed away. America will turn on Furyk, Woods and Stricker, who contributed almost nothing.

“We just knew we had a chance, and do you know what? This is history, right here,” Poulter said.

So, to recap: this summer, a British rider has won the Tour de France for the first time, Britain has turned in its best Olympic performance and a Briton has won a major tennis title for the first time since Fred Perry in 1936.

In this Ryder Cup, seven UK citizens contributed to the greatest of all fightbacks in this most compelling of golfing tournaments.

The leaves turned golden and red in a single week at Medinah, so surely now the summer cycle is over.

Even the farce of McIlroy’s late arrival looked like part of the fun after Bubba Watson. Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Phil Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker were blown away in the first five matches.

Chicago: Europe’s kind of town.

Soothsayers – The Streets Of London - Reggae.es

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London´s Soothsayers son una banda muy reconocida dentro de la escena reggae contemporáneo por su mezcla contagiosa de reggae, afrobeat, jazz y afro dub. Como precursor de su nuevo álbum próximo “Human Nature” que estará disponible exclusivamente en digital el 1 de octubre.

En abril de 2012 se les presentó una lista de canciones clásicas sobre Londres y le pide que elija una y para grabarla en su propio estilo para un álbum recopilatorio llamado “London´s  Calling”, con grupos de la flor y nata de la escena musical multicultural de Londres. Eligieron “The Streets Of London” de Ralph McTell porque ellos estaban familiarizados con él y les gustó el mensaje en las letras. También lo eligieron porque se vio inmediatamente el potencial para recrear una pista en un contexto reggae, utilizando el estilo de tres partes de armonía vocal que es un aspecto fundamental para su nuevo álbum próximo.

El resultado es un inesperado pero muy interesante, una conmovedora melodía reggae groove, con burburbujeantes guitarras  y pianos, bocinas estridentes, y las bellas armonías vocales de Idris Rahman, Hopcraft Robin y Julia Biel.

El tema ya ha sonado en BBC Radio 2, BBC de Londres y 6Music BBC.

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Olympian Farah and Boris back activity move - ITV News

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10:51am, Mon 1 Oct 2012 Mo and Boris's kids' fitness drive - last updated Mon 1 Oct 2012 London Mayor Boris Johnson (left) with gold medallist Mo Farah. Photo: London Tonight

Olympic star Mo Farah and London mayor Boris Johnson have visited a school in the capital to demand major changes in policy to help tackle the UK's increasing physical inactivity.

The pair met children at Lilian Baylis School in Kennington, south London, to give their backing to a report that warns England faces an "epidemic of physical inactivity" unless the Government changes the nation's sporting infrastructure.

The Move It report, written by the Young Foundation, found that while London 2012 provided a fantastic showcase for elite British sport, fewer people are taking part in physical activity.

Move It says that just 5% - one in 20 - of adults are exercising for the government-recommended level of two and a half hours a week.

A separate study, Designed To Move, found that today's children are the first generation to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents, and that a nine-year-old today in the UK will be 50% less active by the time they turn 15.

The Young Foundation says that more people getting involved in sport and exercise will improve healthy outlooks and mental health, reduce crime and create more cohesive communities, and increase educational results.

It is calling on the Government to:

Recognise grassroots sport as well as elite and competitive sports, putting young people at the heart of policy-making;Reprioritise sport at school by creating a strategy that incorporates its health, education and culture, media and sport departments;Improve funding and encourage corporate investment in grassroots sport;Be more consistent in the way it measures physical activity in schools, to create greater accountability to make sport count.

Dr Will Norman, director of research at The Young Foundation, said:

Our enthusiasm for watching sport seems to know no bounds. The problem is that we sit at home watching it, rather than participating ourselves.

This report outlines the steps we feel need to be taken, in order to prevent an epidemic of inactivity that is costing a fortune and threatens the health and wellbeing of millions.

Lilian Baylis is among nine schools taking part in a three-year programme to demonstrate some of the recommendations of the Move It and Designed To Move reports.

1,200 children between seven and 12 will take part in 12 hours of physical activity a week, including PE, after-school clubs and community sports sessions.

PhD students at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital will carry out a three-year project to assess the health outcomes.

Coke recycles 10.5m bottles from London 2012 - packagingnews.co.uk

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Paul Ryan Laments 'Media Bias' In 2012 Election: I'm 'Used' To It ... - Huffington Post

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Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan lamented that media bias pervades the 2012 presidential election coverage.

During an interview on "Fox New Sunday" with host Chris Wallace, Ryan said that he was "used to media bias" because he's a "conservative first."

Wallace, who was stern with the vice presidential candidate throughout the interview, asked if Ryan though the mainstream media was "carrying water for Barack Obama."

"I think it goes without saying that there's definitely media bias," Ryan said. "We expected media bias going into this."

When asked to provide specific examples of biased coverage, Ryan said that he was not going "to go tit for tat or litigate" the issue.

"As a conservative, I've long believed and long felt that there's an inherent media bias. And I think anybody with objectivity would believe that that's the case," Ryan said.

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London 2012 was largest contribution from churches to Olympics - ChristianToday

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London 2012 saw the largest outreach by churches during an Olympic and Paralympic Games, new figures show.

More Than Gold, which coordinated church outreach during the Games, revealed that churches had provided over 13,000 hours of voluntary service to travellers through Games Pastors.

The pastors were out and about at rail stations, airports, and major tourist hubs over the Olympics.

Churchgoers also provided over 2,000 nights of free accommodation to the families of athletes. In total, 280 guests from more than 20 countries received hospitality from 160 hosts living close to Olympic sites.

Church events also proved a huge success, with an estimated half a million people turning up to community Olympics events run by churches. These included big screen festivals for the opening and closing ceremonies, family fun days and free sports activities.

With many events, the turnout far exceeded expectations. Churches in the Isle of Dogs in London planned a festival for 500 people but 4,000 turned up on the day.

In South Buckinghamshire, churches had expected 2,500 people for their Run the Race festival, but in the end welcomed 6,500 people.

Churches in Purley, Surrey, catered for 400 and had to rush out for more supplies when almost double the number came.

David Willson, chief executive of More Than Gold said: "This is by far the largest contribution from churches to any Olympics.

"Thousands of Christians stepped up to the mark, working together to engage with their communities and welcome visitors to a level never seen at any previous Games."

An international team of musicians and creative artists gave 440 hours of free live performances and 233 hours of street art.

In addition to events, Christians also volunteered to hand out half a million bottles of water to visitors, with over 9,000 cups of water given out during the marathons.

The UK churches were assisted in their efforts by more than 2,100 mission and service volunteers who came from 40 countries to help out during the Games.

"This has been more than great news for the Olympics, travellers, athlete family members," said Willson.

"It has also been a very positive experience for the churches themselves. Many have been seen in a new light by their communities, now have a new sense of confidence, and are experiencing more people taking an interest in what they offer."

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