| Cruel defeat snuffs out European dream
IN THE end, the emotions were not so much mixed as scrambled to the four corners of Hampden. We had seen Italy score in 70 seconds, we had seen them dominate the early minutes with some chilling football that not only took the fire out of the home support but also shocked Alex McLeish's team to the core. But in the final stages of the game it was the world champions who had the heat coming on them, their lead wiped-out by a scrambled Barry Ferguson goal just after the hour, their assurance of before in danger of being stripped away. With ten minutes remaining, Scotland drove forward once again, the substitute Kenny Miller linking with James McFadden and sending the most delicious ball across the Italian penalty area. The Azzurri were at sixes and sevens, Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluca Zambrotta, two of the game's pre-eminent defenders from two of the world's most glamorous clubs, were over-run.
Jermaine Jenas keeps it simple to make life complicated for Lampard
When you try to do too much, you sometimes do too little. That has been Jermaine Jenas’s problem in the past few years: he has seemed under pressure to be a tough tackler, a visionary passer, a goalscorer, the brains of Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield and also the legs. No wonder he has looked lost. Now, though, he is in superb form and much of the credit must go to Juande Ramos. It sounds odd, but the new Tottenham head coach has freed Jenas by giving him a more limited role. Less worried about tackling, or crossing, or gluing the team together, he’s driving forward with purpose and using his natural abilities to become a direct attacking midfield player, not the all-rounder he has tried and failed to be. He has not deserved a place in past England squads, but this time he should be on the pitch.
France to penalise gas-guzzlers and pay a bonus for green cars
France set itself on collision course with Brussels yesterday as it announced green taxes on gas-guzzling cars and a state-funded discount for vehicles that emit small quantities of carbon dioxide. Under the scheme, which may fall foul of European Union competition law, a tax of up to €2,600 (£1,900) will be slapped on 4x4s and high-powered sports cars, from next month. Purchasers of small cars will receive a government payment of up to €1,000 under the plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions in France. "We are the first Western country to give a bonus to virtuous products," Jean-Louis Borloo, the Ecology Minister, said. The move, dubbed the ecological no-claims bonus, was welcomed by environmentalists but is certain to anger German manufacturers, such as Mercedes and BMW, which will be hit by the new taxes.
Storm clouds gather as Clinton's campaign approaches D-Day
But there is bad news on that front too. According to MSNBC and Associated Press, which have been surveying the super-delegates on a regularly, about 25 undecided super-delegates have plumped for Obama in the past week and there have also been defections from the Clinton camp to the Obama camp. The third problem is her continuing money woes. Clinton was spending most of Monday in Washington holding "low dollar" fund-raising rallies, which are designed to get her rank-and-file supporters to part with a bit more cash. Meanwhile, Obama is raking in record amounts from donors online, enabling him to outspend her on advertising in this crucial week. The dilemma for Clinton now is how to wage this last stand. She must choose her words against Obama carefully or risk having them appear in Republican TV ads later.
Lost-Cauze Gaming Headphones
Headphones with active noise-canceling circuitry are nothing new; Bose's QuietComfort line have been the stock and trade of frequent airline passengers (typically the well-heeled folks in business and first class) for years. Now the technology is making its way into more consumer-oriented products, like Able Planet's LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones, which retail for $150. I guess that as a gamer I'm supposed to be impressed with the fact that Rafik “LoSt-CaUzE" Bryant, a pro gamer who's won Quake 4 championships, and who I'd never heard of before getting these cans, endorses them. Frankly, I couldn't care less, and if anything, I find his shift key-challenged name to be an irritation to type. The bottom line is that the technology stands or falls on its own merits. The proof of the pudding, as it is said, is in the eating.
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