US port protest ends with dozens arrested

US port protest ends with dozens arrested

A PROTEST that shut down the US Port of Oakland to show the broadening reach of the Occupy Wall Street movement ended in violence when police in riot gear arrested dozens of protesters who broke into a vacant building, shattered downtown windows and set blazes.

At least four protesters were in hospital yesterday with various injuries. Several officers were also injured.

Protester Monique Agnew, 40, said: "We go from having a peaceful movement to just chaos."

Protesters also threw pieces of concrete and metal pipes, and lit roman candles and molotov cocktails.

The protesters, challenging the world's economic systems and distribution of wealth, have gained momentum in recent weeks, capturing the world's attention by shutting down one of the nation's busiest shipping ports toward the end of a daylong "general strike" that prompted solidarity rallies across the US.

Several thousand people converged on the Port of Oakland, the nation's fifth-busiest harbor, in a nearly five-hour protest on Wednesday.

Port spokesman Isaac Kos-Read said evening operations had been "effectively shut down."

Port officials hoped to resume maritime operations yesterday "and port workers will be allowed to get to their jobs without incident."

Kos-Read said: "Continued missed shifts represent economic hardship for maritime workers,,hair weave, truckers and their families, as well as lost jobs and lost tax revenue for our region."

Supporters in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and elsewhere staged smaller-scale demonstrations. Each group said its protest was a show of support for the Oakland movement,,Nike shox shoes, which became a rallying point when an Iraq War veteran was seriously injured in a clash with police last week.

The larger Occupy movement has yet to coalesce into an organized association and until the port shutdown had largely been limited to marches, rallies and tent encampments since it began in September.

Organizers in Oakland viewed the strike and port shutdown as a significant victory.Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys Police said about 7,000 people participated in demonstrations throughout the day that were peaceful except for a few incidents of vandalism.

In Philadelphia, protesters were arrested earlier on Wednesday as they held a sit-in at the headquarters of cable giant Comcast.

In New York, about 100 military veterans marched in uniform and stopped in front of the New York Stock Exchange, standing in loose formation as police officers on scooters separated them from the entrance. On the other side was a lineup of New York Police Department horses carrying officers with nightsticks.

Jerry Bordeleau, a former Army specialist who served in Iraq until 2009, said: "We are marching to express support for our brother (Iraq war veteran) Scott Olsen, who was injured in Oakland."

"Wall Street corporations have played a big role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Bordeleau,discount fashion jewelry now a college student. He said private contractors have reaped big profits in those countries.

Ailing Idol singer strikes a chord

Ailing Idol singer strikes a chord

LIM Yoon-taek sings in a quartet battling for the crown in the third season of the South Korean equivalent of "American Idol," with the semifinals looming tomorrow.

But the slight, bespectacled Lim is also fighting stage four stomach cancer, and his plight has captured the attention and sympathy of the nation.

The 32-year-old leader of the group Ulala Session shocked viewers and judges alike in September by revealing his illness when asked why his hair was so short. He said he had had his stomach and duodenum removed in June, during the preliminary rounds of the hit Superstar K program. "I think that how one lives is more important than how long one lives. So I don't feel too bad," he said.

Lim's group is one of three remaining since the final, on-air rounds began in August. If they make it through tomorrow's show they'll be headed for the finals next week.

Their song last week, "Western Sky", was the soundtrack of ,Ronaldo soccer jersey,a film starring an actress who later died of stomach cancer. It subsequently became the single most downloaded song on Naver, the Korean equivalent of Google.

Signs have emerged that Lim is struggling. He has lost 7 kilograms since July, along with his hair and eyebrows, and missed the rehearsal for last week's show. But his determination has drawn the admiration of many across the nation, where celebrities tend to conceal their illness if they have cancer.

PDGA: Results of Disc Golf’s Oklahoma Open in Tulsa

PDGA: Results of Disc Golf’s Oklahoma Open in Tulsa

The Oklahoma Open was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma the weekend of October 29-30, 2011 at several disc golf courses, including Mohawk Park's Red Hawk and Black Hawk Disc Golf Course as well as McClure Park and Centennial Park in Owasso.

It was one of disc golf's top professionals in the world, Nikko Locastro from Winfield, Missouri, who was crowned champion in the event with a final score of 16-under par.

Locastro is currently rated the number one disc golf player in the world, and has had numerous victories in 2011, including the Stockholm Open in Sweden held this summer. Locastro placed fourth in the PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships and was second at the Vibram Open in Massachusetts last month.

Following Locastro in second place, there was a tie between local Paul Dorries and Coda Hatfield of Warr Acres, Oklahoma, both scoring 15-under par. In fourth place was another local, Adam Hunt, who scored 14-under par.,Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys, Hunt was the winner in last month's Four States Open.

Devan Owens from Owasso was in fifth place with a score of 13-under, and another well-known disc golfer, Ricky Wysocki of Fort Mill, South Carolina finished in sixth place. Wysocki was crowned champion in the recent PDGA Championship at the International Disc Golf Center in Appling, Georgia.

Another of disc golf's great players, Paul Ulibarri of Phoenix,,Dolphins Jerseys sellers, Arizona was in seventh,,cheap Chargers Jerseys, scoring 11-under par, and the exceptional Will Schusterick was in eighth place with a score of 9-under par.

The Women's Open division winner was Paige Pierce, the 2011 Women's World Champion from Plano, Texas. Pierce scored 6-over par, while the second place finisher, Liz Lopez, from San Antonio, Texas scored 12-over par. Catrina Allen from Phoenix scored 16-over par and finished in third place.

The Masters division win went to Phil Arthur of Canton, Georgia, who scored 9-under par, and it was Mark Martin of Freeman, Missouri who won the Grandmasters division scoring at even par.,authentic Atlanta Falcons Jerseys, Local Gary Harrison was the winner in the Advanced division, with a score of 1-under par.

Other winners included Britney Ozment, Lee Joshua, and Charles Chung.

Congratulations to all the winners and all of the participants on another great weekend of disc golf.

Ed Clancy could give up omnium to favour team pursuit

Ed Clancy could give up omnium to favour team pursuit

The 26-year-old, part of the team pursuit quartet in Beijing and a former omnium world champion, won the European title in the Netherlands last weekend.

"The omnium is more an endurance-man's game now and that doesn't suit me too well," Clancy told BBC Sport.

"I'm all for the team pursuit, whatever it takes - I'll scrap this omnium, I'll leave it alone."

The omnium is a two-day event, spanning six separate races designed to equally test sprint and endurance capabilities, and is new to the Olympic programme for London 2012.,Miami Hurricanes Jerseys,

Clancy won the world title in the event in 2010 and he is currently British Cycling's preferred candidate to ride in the event at the Games.

But he was surprised to take European gold in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn, as he believes alterations to the format have removed some of his advantage.

"The omnium's changed a little since 2010. The elimination race has managed to find its way in there, and the distances in the points race and scratch race are quite different,,Florida Gators Jerseys," he said.

"I tend to be better in the shorter, punchier races and it's taken me a while to get used to the new format.

"I don't think I am the best omnium rider in the world - I'm not going to win all the time. Team pursuit's where it's at in my mind; I really want to get hold of that and there's nothing like it when a team pursuit goes well, so I'm making a push for that."

Clancy rode in the pursuit team which won European gold in Apeldoorn on Friday, but the British quartet missed their target time and performance director Dave Brailsford has admitted there is "work to be done" ahead of February's World Cup in London.

Australia, the world champions in men's team pursuit, set a time of three minutes, 57.,Milwaukee Bucks Jerseys,832 seconds on the same track at the World Championships.

Britain had been looking to challenge that mark last week, but produced a ride of 4:00.008 in their final.

"We weren't a million miles from [our target] - we've got work to do there, but we've got time as well and a good plan," said Clancy.

"I want to be the best team pursuiter I can be, and being good at team pursuit will give me the form I need to ride a good omnium.

"I'm not going to spend the next nine months specifically training for the omnium because, physically, the team pursuit training takes care of that.

"If I get a ride in the omnium because of the team pursuit, great. If not, hopefully I'll go on to do good things in the team pursuit and I'll be happy with that."

Cundiff FG gives Ravens 30-27 win over Cardinals

Cundiff FG gives Ravens 30-27 win over Cardinals

Before launching the biggest comeback victory in the history of the Baltimore Ravens,,custom Browns jerseys, Joe Flacco(notes) first had to withstand the indignity of being booed by his usually supportive hometown fans.

Flacco didn’t care for the treatment, although he could appreciate the sentiment. And it didn’t prevent him from carrying the Ravens past the Arizona Cardinals 30-27 Sunday.

Billy Cundiff(notes) kicked a 25-yard field goal as time expired, Ray Rice(notes) scored a career-high three touchdowns,,custom Jets jerseys, and Flacco fueled the comeback with a gritty display of leadership and precise passing.

“You can take a few boos every now and then,” Flacco said, “especially when you come back and win the game.”

Using a fumble by Flacco and an 82-yard punt return by Patrick Peterson(notes), Arizona scored three touchdowns during a five-minute span of the second quarter to take a 24-3 lead.

That’s when many in the sellout crowd of 71,022 voiced their displeasure.

“I don’t go to a lot of football games, but I probably would have wanted to boo if I was in the stands, too,” Flacco said. “We weren’t looking too good. We weren’t playing too well.”

Baltimore (5-2) answered with a 24-point run and moved in front 27-24 when Rice scored his third touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

Arizona (1-6) pulled even with a 45-yard field goal by Jay Feely(notes) with 8:55 left, but the Ravens won it with a 37-yard, beat-the-clock drive in the final minute.

After the Cardinals were forced to punt from deep in their own territory, Baltimore took over at the Arizona 44 with 52 seconds left. A 36-yard completion from Flacco to rookie Torrey Smith(notes) moved the ball to the 5, setting the stage for Cundiff’s game-winner.

The Ravens’ previous biggest comeback was from 19 points down against Tennessee in 2006.

“We woke up, plain and simple,” said former Arizona star Anquan Boldin(notes), who caught seven passes for 145 yards and was a key contributor in the rally.

Flacco went 31 for 51 for 336 yards, and Rice ran for 63 yards on 18 carries.,custom Cowboys jerseys, In a 12-7 loss to Jacksonville on Monday night, the 5-foot-8 running back was limited to 28 yards on eight carries.

Arizona has lost six straight. Four of those defeats have been by four points or fewer.

“It’s hard right now. Our guys are very disappointed after today’s game because it was an opportunity to do something nobody thought we could do,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “But our guys believe in what we’re doing. If you look at what we did the first half, it shows that if we do it the right way, we can be a good football team.”

Kevin Kolb(notes) threw for 153 yards and a touchdown, and Peterson became the eighth player in Cardinals history to have at least two punt returns for touchdowns in a single season. The last one to do it was Vai Sikahema in 1986.

The Ravens began the second half with an 80-yard drive in which Flacco went 5 for 5, including a 37-yarder to Boldin that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Rice to make it 24-13.

“I felt like the way we came out at halftime is what turned it around,” Baltimore linebacker Jameel McClain(notes).

Late in the third quarter, Boldin caught passes 21, 23, 27 and 9 yards during an 88-yard march that ended with another 1-yard TD run by Rice.

The momentum turned even further in Baltimore’s direction immediately after the ensuing kickoff. On first down, Kolb was hit by Terrell Suggs(notes) while throwing a pass that was intercepted by McClain and taken 8 yards to the Arizona 22. Three plays later, Rice ran in from the 3.

Two holding penalties against the Ravens extended the Cardinals’ bounce-back drive that ended with a field goal.

Mistakes by Baltimore also played a big part in Arizona’s big second quarter.

With the game tied at 3, the Ravens’ five-minute misadventure began when Flacco fumbled upon being sacked by O’Brien Schofield(notes). Darnell Dockett(notes) recovered at the Baltimore 2, setting up a 1-yard scoring run by Beanie Wells(notes).

The jeers increased when Peterson broke six tackles on his punt return. Thirteen seconds later, Richard Marshall(notes) picked off a pass that bounced off Smith’s chest. That led to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kolb to Early Doucet(notes) for a 24-3 lead with 3:46 remaining in the second quarter.

At that point, some fans were stunned into silence. Others felt compelled to voice their displeasure.

“When you hear the boos you know where it’s coming from,” Rice said. “It’s not like they don’t want us to do well. It was tough. At the same time, we held our head high and the boos turned into cheers in the second half.”

A field goal by Cundiff cut the gap to 18 points at halftime.

Q & A: Pau Gasol on his confidence, team chemistry, positivity, and more

Q & A: Pau Gasol on his confidence, team chemistry, positivity, and more

As a group, the Lakers have taken plenty of criticism following their rather unceremonious dumping from the 2011 NBA playoffs. Individually, no single player has absorbed more heat than Pau Gasol. While nobody, Pau included, would defend the quality of his play, the big questions around El Spaniard now point to the 2011-12 season, assuming for the time being we actually get one.

Personally, I find the hand-wringing over Gasol's future kind of silly. He's a four-time All-Star, a two-time champion, and arguably the most skilled post player the NBA has to offer. These things don't disappear after one bad spring. It's worth noting, too, how well he responded to the public flogging following L.A.'s loss to Boston in the '08 Finals. Then as well, no Laker took more criticism individually. A few months later, though, Gasol outplayed Dwight Howard in the Finals and helped lead the Lakers to a title.

I expect Gasol will return to form, but others believe he's damaged goods. This is just one of the many subjects we covered in a phone conversation Friday afternoon.

Q: What was your reaction to Friday's labor news?

Gasol: "Obviously it's not good news for anyone. We want the lockout to come to an end, and want to get to a [solution] that's fair and positive to all of us. So it's not a great day. Not happy.”

Q: How are you following the talks? Are you someone taking a hard line, or are you leaving the leadership to do what they do? Some guys are more aggressive than others.,cheap LV handbags,

Gasol: "The guys that are already in the meetings, they’re obviously a lot more aware of the negotiations, and do the talking. Obviously I have faith in the guys that are representing us. If I was at the meetings, I'd have all the information and might be a little more vocal, but I think that players are supporting [them] being involved. It just tells people and our fans how committed they are to make this work, and that we want to play and have a season as bad as anybody. But aside from that, I don't think it's a good idea to talk too much about it if you don't know all the details."

Q: Looking at your summer, and reflecting on the end of last season, what did playing for the national team do for you?

Gasol: "It's always positive for me to play with my national team, as far as that atmosphere, competing, defending my country and trying to get championships and medals for Spain, and ourselves, too. It's always positive to be part of that. The downside of it is obviously you add up a little more load on your body, But this year worked out because of the lockout,,adidas lover series shoes, and how we've been able to get rest, and a break for us to recover from the championships. So we have a great team, and it's always exciting and encouraging for us, and that we continue to make history for [Spanish] basketball."

Q: Physically, were you healthy going in, were you healthy coming out?

Gasol: "Yeah.,fashion juicy handbags, I twisted my ankle during the championship, and had to miss a game because of it. But I was totally healthy going into it, not as healthy coming out of it. That's the price you sometimes pay to compete. Obviously you're exposed to risks when you're out there."

Q: Are you healthy now?

Gasol: “Yeah, absolutely. After a month and a week, more or less now, I think our bodies have had the chance to heal and recover."

Q: How important was it to get on the floor and play well, given how the season ended for you personally? Was that important to you?

Gasol: "That's kind of my need regardless. I love to play. I love to play well, and obviously last year didn't finish well for me personally, and for us as a team. I have a great desire to get on the floor and perform at my highest level."

Q: Have you reflected at all on the Dallas series?

Gasol: "I didn't dwell into it too much, but obviously I analyzed. It wasn't so much about the Dallas series. They played a great playoffs, not just against us. They won a championship, and became champions for a reason. Unfortunately, we weren’t at our best at our particular time. We self-analyzed things, but that’s about it. Hopefully it was a needed experience for us in order for us to continue to work, and continue to try and be the best [team] again."

Q: When you say it wasn’t the Dallas series specifically, are you saying the problems with last year’s team wasn’t simply a matter of those four games, but things happening all year long?

Gasol: "I wouldn’t say all year long, but I think the end was just the end. You go back to the series before against the Hornets, it was also not a very good series on our part. We just played well enough to move on to the next round. Obviously the next round it was tougher because we lost, and we got eliminated from the playoffs. And [in] the way we lost, too. That doesn't mean that it was just that period of time that we didn't play well. Obviously it was something that I guess -- how can I say it -- it wasn't like, I would say, a coincidence. There were things that weren't working out at the time, and things we have to work on for next season."