- Great news from the world of international soccer, where a
large group of people is angry, but no one rioted or attempted to turn their
city into a pile of smoldering ruins. This time, the uprising was relatively
peaceful and it took place in Spain, where Racing Santander players boycotted their
Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Real Sociedad to protest unpaid wages. What
was supposed to be a Racing Santander-Real Sociedad Copa del Rey second-leg
match was suspended on Thursday after Racing players appeared on the pitch for
their match, but instead of playing they formed a semicircle after kick-off and
refused to play in protest over alleged non-payment of their salaries. The
result left Real Sociedad to play Barcelona on Wednesday in Copa del Rey
semifinals and while a third-tier club's players staging an on-field boycott
isn't exactly the stuff of sporting legends, the fact that anger and soccer
were in the same place and the stadium is still standing qualifies as a win.
Before their display, the players released a joint statement on Monday
announcing they would boycott the quarterfinal second-leg unless president
Angel Lavin and his board stepped down. Lavin and the board remained in power,
so the players completed their warm-up and between the time the first whistle
blew and Sociedad kicked off, the Racing players moved in and stood arm in arm
around the center circle, starters, coaches, reserves all together. Sociedad
passed the ball between themselves in their own half for a while before kicking
it out for a throw-in, leaving the referee to signal that the match was
suspended. Racing captain Mario Fernandez claimed in the players’ statement
that they had not been paid for a number of months despite promises they would
be. Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) chief Luis Rubiales expressed
support for the protest, saying that "there are rules and their decision
not to play could have consequences, but they are strong and united and we have
to be together with them." Thanks for the entertainment, soccer…….
- There is money to be made and PayPal wants in. The digital
payment company is seeking a piece of Apple’s new initiative to allow customers
to make purchases via their devices in physical stores. PayPal, which is owned
by eBay, is reportedly lobbying Apply heavily to get in on the computer maker’s
plan to bring its long-rumored payments initiative to fruition. PayPal reportedly
wants its payment service to be used in an Apple mobile payments system,
believing it could be used in a variety of ways, including fraud detection, back-end
infrastructure and event the processing of payments. PayPal seems to be positioning
itself in a background role, not a prominent place where it will be front and
center. So far, Apple has been lukewarm to PayPal’s advances in much the same
way a dude is skeptical of a desperate, clingy chick who throws herself at him
and forms a forced emotional attachment in her twisted mind even though they’ve
known each other for less than a week. Industry experts believe that a recent Apple
filing of a patent application for a payment service to be used in an Apple
mobile payments system is a key step in the process of allowing consumers to
make purchases using their iPhones while in its stores. It’s all mildly
confusing and given the disappointing sales numbers for the newest iPhone model
that caused investors to sour on the company a bit earlier this week, maybe
PayPal needs to temper its desperation a bit and realize how bad it’s making
itself look by dressing up all slutty and throwing itself at the best-looking
company in the room……
- Way to man up, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. With his country
ripping apart at the seams and his people rioting on a daily basis, Yanukovych
has done what all courageous leaders do in times of adversity – he called in
sick. Nearly two months into the increasingly violent stalemate between
pro-west protesters and his government, Yanukovych announced Thursday he was
taking sick leave because he’s not enough of a man to handle the situation, er,
he’s suffering from acute respiratory illness and high fever, a statement on
his website said. Yes, announcing sick leave through an Internet statement is a
gutsy, bold move. Doing so when facing financial sanctions threatened by both
the U.S. and Russia is even manlier and that’s before you factor in the indefinite
nature of Yanukovych’s leave. He gave no indication of how long he might be on
leave or whether he would be able to do any work. This decision miraculously
surfaced just hours after White House officials refused to rule out financial
sanctions against the country if the violence escalates. With plans reportedly
being drawn up and international concern growing over violence that has seen
six people killed in Ukraine’s capital Kiev and other cities since the protests
erupted two months ago, Yanukovych and his crew aren’t exactly operating from a
position of power. Even Russian dictator Vladimir “Walking Photo Op” Putin took
time out from battling the evil gays ahead of the upcoming Winter Olympics in
Sochi to say that Russia will conveniently wait until Ukraine forms a new
government before fully implementing $15 billion bailout deal that Kiev
urgently needs. Protesters continue to hunker down in Kiev’s Independence
Square, braving bitterly cold temperatures to keep their fight alive………
- Is the next “Baba O’Riley” in the works? Probably not, but
that doesn’t mean The Who won't head to the studio again. The iconic British
rockers are indeed preparing for their next album, something Roger Daltrey
announced while laying out the line-up for this March's annual series of Teenage Cancer Trust
gigs that he organizes. Daltrey said he will reunite with Pete Townshend this
year to make a new album. Townshend has already been working on new material,
Daltrey noted. "Pete's got hundreds of songs," he said. "So the
only question is whether we get around to it, but he wants to make an album and
I'm always ready and raring to go. We'll see. I never know what I'm doing next,
it's about what comes through my letterbox tomorrow, but I don't see why we
wouldn't. My voice is still in good shape. The hearing isn't so great, but the
voice is fine." Any such album would be the band’s 12th studio release and
its first since 2006’s “Endless Wire.” In preparation for potential recording,
Daltrey said he and Townshend won't be performing at the gigs this year as they
have done during the past 14 years. The iconic frontman already has a project
in the works with former Dr. Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson. The pair’s album
“Going Back Home” drops March 10 and Daltrey is promoting its release as well. "We’ve
been trying to make this album for about four years and it kept not happening
for one reason or another, but when he was diagnosed, I said, 'Wilko, whatever
you want me to sing, let's do it,’” Daltrey said. “It's going back to what I
did in the early '60s with fast, three-minute R&B songs. No bullsh*t, just
good songs." This year also just happens to contain the 50th anniversary
of The Who, so there are plenty of reasons a new album is a good bet………..
- The southeastern United States has gotten its collective
ass kicked by the sort of winter storm that residents of the northern part of
the country laugh at while they shovel it aside and now, someone has to pay.
Specifically, the people of Leeds, Ala. are going to pay – at least for towing expenses for those among them who
were towed in the area during this week's winter storm. Mayor David Miller
announced that abandoned vehicles blocking roadways in Leeds would be towed and
that drivers would have to pay the towing charges. That seemed unfair, given
that these people were merely trying to go about their daily lives and were
stranded un-driveable roads that the city lacked the proper resources to keep
usable. Dozens of angry Leeds residents emailed, tweeted and posted comments on
Facebook expressing their outrage and in the face of public pressure, Miller stood
his ground. He decided that sticking it to people whose vehicles had been towed
after they left them to seek shelter was good form. As many had already paid
the $125 to get their ride back, Miller told the world through a local
television station that the city contracted with two different services to tow
vehicles and that the fees were charged by the company and therefore, the city
had no control over them. He went on to say that Highway 78 entrance into Leeds
was impassable and a secondary route had to be opened through Coosa Avenue.
Vehicles blocking the roadway were towed and those vehicles were towed to the
storage yards of the companies that moved them. "If a car has to be towed,
obviously, the wrecker company has to be paid," Miller explained.
"It's illegal for a municipality to do that for free. The person whose car
is towed, blocking the roadway, has to pay that fee." Oh, so it’s a matter
of legality? Well then, that totally settles it………
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