…
The lilting 'Coo' of a Cuckoo, a sudden whiff of 'Mogra' from joss-sticks somewhere, the golden sunlight of the late afternoon …
So beautiful.
…
]]>What lovely new layouts the wintry themes are !
I've put on Aurora !
Thank you, Vox - people !
:)
]]>...
Year - end.
Interesting year. Yes. Definitely.
First --- Thank You – s in chronological order : -
Here goes …
Thanks so very much and Cuddles and GlompZ to each one of those wonderful people who I consider my friends, just for Being.
sugarplumkitten Can't be thanked enough *ClingZ* for the innumerable AR - fixes, the vox-invite, the pictures she sent over on my request … *Squeezieeeeeee*
A huge thanks to beren_writes for running adventdrabbles. I'm going to ask permission to friend her. *Smirk* She scores as slytherin. *Smirk Smirk* 'm partial to slytherin – scorers.
regressami, Thank You for those piccies. And you should have a good year coming up. Go you !
arrmaitee, Thank you for that 'Pint of Special Brew' ! Really, really enjoyed that. *Grin* All I can offer in return is this, which might, or might not, be to your liking …
ceboholic, Thanks so much for the confirmation that voting age in UK is 18. Add to that your strange resemblance to the young Dark Lord, and well, I feel you're rather … Special ! … inspite of some of your rather Odd ideas about education … HaHaHa !!!
And in the Stocking !
lilian_cho, What a lovely gift ! Thank you so much ! *CuddleZ CuddleZ*
foudebassan, AWWWWWWWW ! *Jumps and cuddles blushing gift*
syntaxia, A marvellous pair of gifts from you. Hee ! Thank you verrra much ! *Huggles*
mensabuttercup, WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ! *SwoonZ*
dolorous_ett, AWWWWWWWW ! *Jumps and cuddles blushing giftZ*
wellinghall, Hee ! Got it ! YAY !!!!! *SqueezieeeeeeeE*
psychostace, Great ! I have a girl-named-Biffy to keep her company. Should be good. Tresco was pretty peaceful when Biffy was at Somerset. *Snort* … Girl-named-Biffy … *Snorfle*
Eddie, baby, you're quite fascinating.
;D
lowlands_girl, A wonderfully thoughtful and kind gift ! *Cuddles*
si51, Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh ! *Cuddles*
However, I fear that the two of us in close juxtaposition on the same mass of land is a very, very bad idea ! *Snorfle*
deepa_binga, Thanks for the tasty gift ! Here's hoping you have a wonderful year. *Huggles*
ninamalfoy, OMG WHEEEEEEE ! *Jumps and cuddles blushing giftZ*
bia22, Thanks *Cuddle* Thanks !!!!!! Oooooh, Ashy ! Oooooh, Bouchie ! Oooooh, Herschie ! Oooooh, Georgie ! Oooooh, Polly ! Oooooh, Kempie ! *Tosses dice for first choice* *Doesn't look at dice* *Kidnaps Ashy*
reedpipe, Yum ! Stephen ! I mean Billy darling ! Yummmmmmmm ! The handsomest man ever born, that one. Yum !
dementordelta, Thank you so much ! *iZ all Loopy* Hee !
pervert_bitch, Aha ! Yum ! *Slurp* *Gets ready to be as voyeuristic as possible*
cill_ros, Yum ! And Thank You ! *Huggles* Wonderful gifts !
vampyreangel, Aah ! Thanks so much ! *Feels all warm and Dumbledorish* *Gives you same gift in whatever colour you like*
Let's get on, then …
A net count of 1 personal lj-acc, 1 rp one, 3 comms – of which 2 are currently mostly asleep (I fear they might have to be closed if things go on as they are going on …), a vox acc, a gj acc.
Many of the essential emails done. If these don't yield proper results within a fortnight, then they will be re-sent, to harsher places …
An icon I made just now for lj olivegreengarb :-
On the plus side, I feel I shall soon be able to remove at least one filter from this account. I do so hate filtering posts.
I had to create this particular filter because I was attacked by multiple people in certain lj-comms (and behind my back in their own lj-s) because I asked a few questions --- questions that were not to the liking of the attackers, but which were (and still are) extremely pertinent to the running of said lj-communities. A great pity that they attacked me. I really feel that before one attacks someone else, one really should have a fair estimate of the intended victim's response to the intended attacks. It would be utterly moronic if one expected to go up against a martyr or a wimp and ended up against someone like Havelock Vetinari, or Noor-Jehan, or Aurangzeb, or Chanakya …
So, a great pity.
Incidentally, and not really unrelatedly, a thought comes to mind --- since I am rarely given to either diatribes or gloating (with the deeply ingrained idea that these are an utter waste of time and energy), then it is perhaps odd that I score 100% in this quiz ? I wonder …
On the other hand, it's definitely in keeping that I score well as Havelock Vetinari …
Also, I am still totally confused about how being a PhD can possibly impress people …
===
*Note :-
Sign of the Summoning Dark
'[Summoning Dark] … a quasi-demonic entity that is untold millions of years old … an invisible and very powerful quasi-demonic thing of pure vengeance …'
[- Havelock Vetinari]
When I read PTerry's 'Thud', I thought this was a figment of PTerry's magnificent imagination. But it might just be possible that this is not so. There could be a basis for this in reality.
===
And then …
I have one fic and another set of fics to finish, and will be able to restart on them next month.
Of late, I have been unable to frequent quite a number of the comms I've joined for personal reasons which are leaving me without sufficient time. I'm hoping that will change towards a little more time for me to go into these comms.
And ofcourse, all those pending comments and stuff --- yes, I have time to answer them all now.
From tomorrow, then.
LJ not coming up.
No matter which url I try.
What the hell's going on, then ?!?
GAH !!!!!!
]]>http://www.cricket.co.za/default.asp?aId=193549&sportCategory=csa/sateam
... Cricket South Africa spokesperson Tshepo Tsotsotso ...
**********
http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/262170.html
Digicel sponsorship may need to be reviewed
West Indies board forced into contract climbdown
Cricinfo staff
October 10, 2006
Celebration time for Dwayne Bravo
The West Indies Cricket Board has backed down over its decision to remove Dwayne Bravo from its list of players offered retainer contracts after pressure from the ICC and FICA, the international players' association.
The website caribbeancricket.com quotes sources close to the board as saying that Bravo, Daren Ganga and Runako Morton had been added to the list published in July.
Bravo was not offered a retainer contract because of his deal with bMobile, a direct competitor of Digicel, the board's official sponsor. But representatives from the ICC and FICA informed the board that the existing contract could not be a factor as an agreement signed by the board stated that "a player may have and shall be entitled to fulfil obligations under pre-existing Player Endorsement Contracts". Ganga also has a private endorsement deal with bMobile that will remain in effect while he is contracted to the WICB.
WIPA, the West Indies players' association, had been deeply unhappy that an agreement it had with the board stating that at least 10 retainer contracts would be issued was ignored when only seven - plus Bravo - were unveiled. As a result of pressure, the board had little choice but to add the three named today.
The WICB has repeatedly tried to find a way round the agreement regarding pre-existing contracts and has been hauled back into line every time. It might well be that the board now has no choice but to go back and renegotiate its multi-million dollar deal with Digicel as it may have given undertakings it can now not adhere to. Given its financial predicament, the board is in no position to lose any more income, but there have been deep reservations about the terms of the contract from the off.
Contracted players Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, Runako Morton, Dinesh Ramdin, Ramnaresh Sarwan.
]]>
1 - I don't know to run from a fight.
2 - I don't like cowards.
:D
]]>…
Disclaimer : Surely not true …
...
]]>It's truly truly wonderful to ask deadwood to remove themselves.
*SNIGGER*
And then to sit back and watch them remove themselves ... Oh yes, a lovely feeling indeed.
:D
]]>
Angry South Africans deny rumours of split
Dileep Premachandran in Colombo, August 17, 2006
Mark Boucher was incensed by the local media coverage of South Africa's pull out
Click here to send us your feedback on this issue.
South Africa's cricketers reacted angrily to suggestions that senior players had bullied the younger ones into going along with the decision to return home from the tour of Sri Lanka. They were also fuming about the local media coverage of the withdrawal, with one prominent local daily carrying the back-page headline 'South African cricketers chicken out'.
Another, the Daily Mirror published out of Colombo alleged that Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andrew Hall, Andre Nel and Mickey Arthur, the coach, were instrumental in the South Africans deciding to go home. The article also suggested that the decision had less to do with security, and more to do with their 2-0 loss in the Test series, and a fear of similar disappointments in the one-day games.
"It was a decision taken by everyone," said AB de Villiers, one of the younger players that had a lot to gain by playing here. "It was an opportunity for the young guys to play a few games in subcontinent conditions [with the Champions Trophy just two months away], and it's unfortunate that it won't happen. I'm prepared to give everything while playing for South Africa, but not my life."
de Villiers also said that those who criticised the team weren't aware of the facts of the matter. "It's nonsense to judge someone without being here in their situation. We're foreigners here, not knowing what's going on, and with bombs going off near us. The security guys are telling us to go home, and that's good enough for me."
Boucher, who was expected to captain the side during the one-day series, was incensed by the coverage, not least because it was his face that was prominently displayed beneath the chicken headline. "It's disappointing," he said, "and there's not much that you can do once such stuff is published."
Loots Bosman, the 29-year-old opening bat who was expected to get his chance here in Graeme Smith's absence, was probably the man with most to gain had South Africa stayed on. But he insisted that there was going to be only one decision after the team's security advisors told them the risk was untenable.
"Obviously, the whole situation is about safety," he told Cricinfo. "It's not a junior-senior issue. On the cricketing front, it's unfortunate, but I can't do much about it or have any control over such situations. Maybe I'll get an opportunity to represent South Africa again."
Having fielded calls all day regarding the alleged split within the ranks, Gordon Templeton, the team's media manager, also didn't mince words when asked his opinion about the stories called by the Daily News and the Daily Mirror. "Those with anything between their ears, and who understand cricket, would find such stories utterly laughable."
The team leaves Colombo on Friday morning, flying to Johannesburg via Hong Kong, but the ill-feeling that they leave behind may linger for some time.
......
Mendis criticises South Africa's pull-out
Cricinfo staff, August 17, 2006
Mendis : 'The government put in place presidential-level security for the team, yet they [South Africa] were not convinced'
Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka Cricket's chief executive, has criticised South Africa's decision to pull out of the Unitech Cup following a bomb blast in Colombo on Monday. South Africa's withdrawal came after an independent security assessment by a Dubai-based firm said that "the current risk to the team is at an unacceptable level".
"I am amazed at their decision to return home," Mendis told AFP. "The government put in place presidential-level security for the team, yet they were not convinced. They took advice from a Dubai firm which is even more surprising. I did not see anyone from this firm in Colombo, yet they prepared a security report within 24 hours sitting in Dubai."
The South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) issued a statement fully supporting the decision while saying that it was an extremely difficult one to make. "This has been a very tense last three days" said Tony Irish, the Chief Executive Officer of SACA. "Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and I have been in constant contact with the team in Colombo while the process necessary for making the decision has taken place. It has been a very difficult time for the players, especially having to deal with the uncertainty of the situation."
"At the end of the day, you have to rely on what the security experts say and base the decisions on that. The team's security consultants, Nicholls, Steyn and Associates, have been very thorough and the independent ICC security consultants concurred with their security assessment. One cannot underestimate the difficulty of this decision, but it does show that Cricket South Africa places the emphasis on where it should be, namely the safety of the players and the national team."
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