Beauty and The Beads

From Ainul Huda Mohamed Saaid

PALEMBANG, Nov 15 (Bernama) — Malaysian hurdle queen Noraseela Mohd Khalid kept her promise and won the gold in her pet event, the womens 400m hurdles at the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia at the Jakabaring Athletics Stadium here Tuesday.

She recorded a time of 57.41s to snatch the gold. Wassana Winatho of Thailand who recorded 58.97s came in second while Indonesias Hetari Viera clocked 59.64s for the bronze.

I was amazed at the pace of my run today. It was very good. I am Happy to contribute a gold medal for athletics, she told the media after the race.

However,despite her joy, Noraseela, 32, who has won four gold medals in the SEA Games, voiced her disappointment with the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU).

According to her, the athletics squad faced numerous problems because of the negative attitudes of some parties in the MAAU.

There are many problems in athletics and I hope there are parties who can do something, especially the president, so that the national athletes can rise up again, she said.

She said she was disappointed with the attitude of MAAU in taking lightly the participation of the 4x400m men quartet who arrived in Palembang at the last minute to compete on their own expenses.

In fact, our athletes with potential hoped to come here but were ignored by MAAU, she said.

The 4x400m men quartet yesterday created an upset by taking gold in the event.

Noraseela also said she hoped there were parties who could help her and other athletes with potential as such woman pole vault Roslinda Samsu and high jumper Lee Hup Wei towards qualifying for the Olympics.

She alleged this was because MAAU was not doing anything to help them.

I only have two more years to run and I hope before I retire I can qualify for the Olympics, she added.

– BERNAMA

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CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks have the most points (25) in the NHL as they embark on their annual circus trip to western Canada and California. Who would have thought they would be in such a fine position?

To be fair to the rest of the league, there are some mitigating circumstances. The Hawks are tied for most games played in the NHL, so they should have a few more points than others, and they havent played all the elite teams in both conferences just yet. But thats splitting hairs.

The bottom line is the Hawks have transformed themselves in just a matter of days. A formerly struggling power play has suddenly been productive and the Hawks defense has been as well. Steve Montador, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Nick Leddy have come alive on the offensive end. Its made the biggest of differences.

Leddy has been doing it from day one, but the other three — as well as seemingly the rest of the team — found something in losing three straight games, especially the final two.

Sometimes losses teach more than wins. Wins can mask issues but losses expose them. No one thought the Hawks were playing great hockey, including themselves, while they achieved some decent first-month success. But walking that fine line caught up with them in losses against Vancouver and St. Louis.

Some teams, maybe most, go a lot longer before finding the bottom of a losing skid. The Hawks did it quickly and recovered. New lines and renewed emphasis in the transition from defense to offense has made the difference.

Syrian athletes may show up at the upcoming Arab Games despite their country’s boycott if the Arab League reverses its decision to suspend Damascus over its lethal crackdown on protesters, the secretary-general of the Syrian Olympic Committee told The Media Line.

“If the Arab League …stands besides Syria as a land and as a people and respects our feeling that we want our country to be more stable and more secure, then of course we would change our mind and may take part,” Feras Mouala told The Media Line in a telephone interview.

RELATED:
Syria: Arab League suspension very dangerous
Arab League suspends Syria, pledges sanctions

Mouala spoke shortly after a joint statement issued by the Syrian Olympic Committee and the General Sports Federation announced that Syrian athletes would not be participating in the high profile Arab Games next month in Qatar.

The boycott was issued as a gesture of protest against the Arab League’s move, but some analysts said it was also likely prompted by the turmoil in the country that is likely complicating efforts to over field a full complement of athletes. The eight-month-old rebellion has caused the deaths of over 3,500 people and has paralyzed day-to-day life in some cities

“We assure you that this decision is not the decision of the leadership or any authority in Syria, but of the athletes and the Syrian Olympic Committee itself,” Mouala said. “The sportsmen in Syria requested this, saying they cannot respect those who are conspiring against us and that they didn’t feel comfortable competing with people who might be conspiring against them.”

OMG! After what felt like forever, The Hunger Games trailer finally hit the net yesterday.

And now that weve had time to watch the clip on repeat 659 billion times and to read all your comments lovin or hatin about the futuristic flick, weve decided to be tregrave;s positive and tell you the five things the trailer had that have us most pumped.

Find out if you agree with us, and, as they say, let the games begin…

WATCH: New Hunger Games Trailer Is HereCheck It Out!

For common sense to prevail when it comes to how the New York Yankees deal with starting pitcher AJ Burnett(notes), hed have to be pulled from their rotation.

Burnett is costing the Yankees dearly in the standings, not giving them a chance to move ahead of or keep pace with the first-place Boston Red Sox in games he starts.

In the opener of what Hurricane Irene has now reduced to a four-game series at Camden Yards Friday night, the Baltimore Orioles pounded the troubled right-hander, compiling nine hits and scoring nine runs (all earned) against Burnett (L, 9-11) in five innings.

On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed suit to stop the acquisition of T-Mobile by ATT, because of concerns over the deal being anti-competitive and reducing consumer choice.

This may indeed be the case. But underlying this fight is one that will become a major pain point for everyone who depends on wireless connections to the Internet: the spectrum crunch.

Mobile devices are quickly becoming the platform of choice for connecting to the Internet. And as demand for mobile wireless access has skyrocketed, the available chunks of Federal Communications Commission-licensed spectrum have become a snug fit for wireless networks. At an event I covered in Washington back in May, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said demand for spectrum has been increasing at an annual rate of 3,500 percent, while the supply has been held flat by the laws of physics. And the ceiling is closing in fast.

When we feel the crunch, it will be very frustrating to consumers, and it will affect the pricing of spectrum, he said. And if we wait until the real crunch hits to fix the problem, well be in a mess, because you cant fix it in a week.

Genachowski has proposed new ways of redistributing spectrum, like using two-sided auctions, in which we can attract existing license holders who could supply spectrum into auction for a share of the proceeds. In the meantime, the scramble for spectrum has started to look like a dystopian teen novel — The Bandwidth Hunger Games, if you will.

LightSquared , a company trying to create a nationwide combination satellite and 4G wireless network for which it would sell access wholesale, is perhaps the first tribute thrown into the spectrum death match. The company has run afoul of GPS device makers
that use spectrum that interferes with LightSquareds phones. (The GPS manufacturers see it as the other way around.) The spectrum LightSquared owns and is trying to use for 4G wireless services is adjacent to the frequency used to transmit GPS signals.

The Federal Aviation Administration has let its voice be heard in this, as well. It claims LightSquareds networks, if deployed, would kill 794 people over a 10-year period. Talk about a killer app.

ATT, on the other hand, is sucking the spectrum out of the air to keep competitors from breathing.

T-Mobiles data network coverage doesnt have any areas not currently served by ATTs data network, so the deal wouldnt give it a broader reach. Instead, the combined networks would be essentially doubling up on spectrum licenses in much of ATTs current coverage area. ATT chief technology officer John Donovan has said his company needs the additional spectrum to complete the rollout of its 4G LTE network, because it is facing exhaustion of its currently licensed spectrum.

While trying to gobble up T-Mobile, ATT is also trying to get the FCC to sign off on a transfer of spectrum licenses
from Qualcomms failed FloTV venture. The FCC has put the transfer under 180-day review. If both its deals went through, ATT would hold nearly twice as much licensed spectrum as Verizon.

And all that spectrum wont necessarily translate to good service for customers. As Senator Al Franken wrote in a letter to the FCC
in late July, ATT owns more spectrum than any other company, yet ATT has been plagued with delays in rolling out infrastructure to support spectrum it has been allocated.

Thats not a recipe for the most efficient use of a limited resource. With so much potential economic growth tied to a mobile Internet, an ATT acquisition of T-Mobile cant be a good thing for anybody other than ATT.

Sean Gallagher is an award-winning IT journalist and the former head of InformationWeek Labs. Gallagher is now an independent journalist and technology consultant based in Baltimore. He can be reached at: gallagher.sean.m@gmail.com.

6. St. Johns at Kentucky, Dec. 1, 7:30 pm, ESPN2 (Big East/SEC Challenge): The Red Storm continue a solid schedule that will, at the very least, raise their power rating (St. Johns plays at Detroit on Dec. 5, a game in which the Titans will honor Dick Vitale). Dont expect the Red Storm to win at Kentucky, but the game will certainly test Steve Lavins young crew.

7. Georgetown at Alabama, Dec. 1, 9:30 pm, ESPN2 (Big East/SEC Challenge): Alabama is a legit top-5 SEC team and desperately needs quality nonconference wins. Georgetown has continued to challenge itself in the nonconference under John Thompson III. The Hoyas will need a number of quality nonconference victories because their conference slate will be rugged for a middling team.

8. Florida at Syracuse, Dec. 2, 6:30 pm, ESPN (Big East/SEC Challenge): The Gators are one of the top three teams in the SEC. Syracuse is one of the top three in the Big East. This is a big-time game in early December that will certainly test Floridas young frontcourt. The guard play in this game, especially with the return of Rutgers transfer/current Gator Mike Rosario, should be stellar.

9. Vanderbilt at Louisville, Dec. 2, 8:30 pm, ESPN (Big East/SEC Challenge): Vandy is my trendy pick as a possible Final Four team. The Cardinals are in line with Syracuse and Connecticut for a potential Big East title. Louisville did get challenged early at the KFC Yum! Center a year ago, losing to Drexel last December. Vandy comes in with a ton of experience. This has the look of a last-possession affair that, like the game above, will clearly benefit both teams come March.

10. West Virginia at Mississippi State, Dec. 3, 9 pm, ESPNU (Big East/SEC Challenge): The Mountaineers arent as experienced this season, but a win in Starkville will go a long way toward determining what kind of toughness this team has in 2011-12. Mississippi State will have one of the nations toughest frontcourts to play against in Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney.

11. Pitt at Tennessee, Dec. 3, 5:15 pm, ESPN (Big East/SEC Challenge): The Panthers have one of their weakest nonconference schedules under Jamie Dixon. Thats why this road game against the rebuilding Volunteers is critical to the overall power rating for Pitt. Lose this game and it will hurt Pitt a bit. Win and the Panthers will only enhance their overall position going into Big East play.

12. Villanova vs. Missouri, Dec. 6, 7 pm, ESPN (Jimmy V Classic), MSG, NYC: The Wildcats are rebuilding on the perimeter, but they have plenty of experience up front. Mizzou will be one of the teams to beat in the Big 12. This is more of a home game for Villanova, unlike the Irishs test with the Tigers in Kansas City. A Wildcats win would do wonders for their confidence going into conference play.

13. Marquette vs. Washington, Dec. 6, 9 pm, ESPN (Jimmy V Classic), MSG, NYC: The Huskies will be able to run as well as any team out West and can push Cal, Arizona and UCLA for the Pac-12 title. The Golden Eagles should be considered as a team that could sneak into the top three in the Big East, much like Notre Dame did a season ago. This will be a contrast in styles.

14. Harvard at Connecticut, Dec. 8, 7 pm, ESPN2: The Crimson are the pick in the Ivy and have a legit shot to be a top-30 team this season. UConn is one of the top four teams in the country. The Huskies should win this game. But it could go down as tougher than advertised and will likely help Connecticuts overall nonconference strength of schedule.

15. Cincinnati at Xavier, Dec. 10, noon, ESPN2: This has been, and will continue to be, one of the best rivalries in college basketball. Both programs are NCAA tournament worthy again. The Bearcats are a top-six potential Big East team. Xavier is the favorite in the A-10 and a sleeper Final Four team.

16. Memphis at Louisville, Dec. 17, 4 pm, CBS: The Tigers are the pick in C-USA. Louisville, as previously mentioned, is one of the best in the Big East. This is an old C-USA rivalry and one that Memphis needs to keep renewing. The Tigers will need plenty of quality nonconference wins, especially with a watered-down bottom of C-USA.

17. Notre Dame vs. Indiana, Dec. 17, 4:30 pm, ESPN2 (Conseco Fieldhouse), Indianapolis: This is a critical game for both schools. Indiana is desperately trying to reassert itself in the mainstream of college basketball. For Notre Dame, it might be a must-win contest before the heart of its Big East schedule begins.

18. Syracuse at NC State, Dec. 17, 6:30 pm, ESPN2: NC State is expected to be somewhere in the middle to lower half of the ACC, while Syracuse is a Big East title challenger. But this is still a true road game and will give the Orange a good test to see where theyre at before the Big East season starts.

19. Memphis at Georgetown, Dec. 22, 7 pm, ESPN2: Once again the Hoyas are showing the difference in nonconference scheduling philosophy. A win at home here would be a great get for the Hoyas. Memphis will prove to be one of the countrys best teams outside a power-six conference.

20. West Virginia vs. Baylor, Dec. 23, 9 pm, ESPN2 (IBN Sports Las Vegas Classic): The Mountaineers arent expected to challenge for the Big East title, but it would be a mistake to count them out of the NCAA tournament discussion prior to the season. Bob Huggins crew always finds a way into the mix and picking off one of the Big 12 favorites on a neutral court could prove vital to differentiating the Mountaineers from the rest of the field.

21. Florida at Rutgers, Dec. 29, 7 pm, ESPN2: Doesnt it always work out like this? Rosario comes back to Rutgers during the season after hes eligible to play again? Rutgers isnt likely going to be an NCAA tournament team. But a road win in what should be a hostile environment certainly helps the Gators. Expect this to be a tough test.

22. Vanderbilt at Marquette, Dec. 29, 9 pm, ESPN2: The Commodores and Golden Eagles put together a high-quality home-and-home series. This will turn out to be one of the better games for Marquette. Vandy has the experience to weather a road contest and will have already played at Louisville.

23. Louisville at Kentucky, Dec. 31, noon, CBS: The Cardinals and Wildcats always provide one of the best environments in college basketball. This shouldnt be any different. Both teams are expected to challenge for their respective conference championships. The game will have the usual venom spewed on both sides. On the court, expect this game to be testy, maybe not as much as two seasons ago in Lexington, but it will still have high intensity.

24. St. Johns at Duke, Jan. 28, noon, ESPN: The annual series returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium. St. Johns humbled the Blue Devils last season. The Red Storm will be a much improved team to handle this type of game at this point in the season. Duke will be even stronger by late January, too. Playing Duke is always a plus for your power rating.

25. UCLA at St. Johns, Feb. 18, 1 pm, CBS: The Bruins return the home-and-home series after Lavin and the Red Storm went to Los Angeles last season. This is a perfect time to play the game. UCLA will likely be clicking at a high level after the Wear twins become comfortable playing next to Josh Smith. Sneaking in a road test like this toward the end of the Pac-12 season will only make the Bruins stronger. And this could turn out to be a quality W for whomever can grab it.

Back-to-back road games will be a test for Storms Lauren Jackson

Storm plays at Tulsa and San Antonio on back-to-back nights. The games will be the sixth and seventh for Lauren Jackson since her return from hip surgery.

By Jayda Evans

Seattle Times staff reporter

Major league baseball teams with parks in the path of Hurricane Irene decided to postpone games scheduled to be played Saturday.

The Philadelphia Phillies put off a home doubleheader with the Florida Marlins and will make the games up on Sept. 15 at a time to later be determined.

A contest to be played in New York between the Mets and Braves has also been postponed because of the approaching hurricane. No makeup date has been disclosed.

Dodgers beat Padres, 4-2, for eighth win in nine games

Their record improves to 65-70, the first time the team has been within five games of .500 mark since June 12. Rod Barajas leads offense with a two-run homer; starter Ted Lilly struggles but gets win.