Subscribe

RSS Feed (xml)

Powered By

Design:
dollresed

Powered by Blogger

Friday, April 8, 2011

On The Bike Path With Kate Spade



Seems to us it’s a golden age of girls on bikes. Stylish ladies from Catherine Baba and Sally Singer down to everyday girls on the street (at least if the street-style photogs are to be believed) are zipping around—in skirts and heels, naturally—on their single speeds. Now Kate Spade New York is getting in on the action. The label has collaborated with Tribeca bicycle boutique Adeline Adeline on a limited-edition model, hand-crafted in Italy by Abici, with a signature Kate Spade New York grass green frame and a Brooks leather saddle ($1,100). “It’s about being able to just get on your bike and go,” Adeline Adeline owner Julie Hirschfeld said of its no-nonsense appeal at the launch party last night. “It doesn’t have to be overly geared out or complicated.”

Hirschfeld founded her shop to finally offer women chic accessories for their bikes, and here, too, Spade was ready to help. The label updated two of its classic handbags with cycle-friendly features: The Essex Scout satchel now has clips for handle bars, and the Bay Street Quinn tote gets hooks to attach to a rear bike rack. Alas, a solution to the ugly helmet problem has yet to be discovered.

READ MORE.. »»

Giants Fan Beaten At Dodger Game Likely Suffered Brain Damage

Bryan Stow (www.support4stow.blogspot.com)

Bryan Stow (www.support4stow.blogspot.com)
LOS ANGELES (CBS SF) ― A San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten and badly injured at Dodger Stadium showed “evidence of brain injury and dysfunction” and remained hospitalized in critical but guarded condition, doctors said Tuesday.
Dr. Gabriel Zada, a Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center neurosurgeon, indicated that Bryan Stow, 42, of Santa Cruz, likely suffered brain damage – that could affect memory, thinking ability and even personality – as a result of a severe skull fracture and bad bruising to his frontal lobe.
“He does remain in critical condition and over the next week or so, we’ll be able to make a better assessment,” said Zada. “At this time, the prognosis remains guarded. It’s going to be a long recovery process.”
At one point, doctors had to remove the entire left side of Stow’s skull to ease pressure on his brain. The pressure was now normal but Stow remained in a coma from his injuries and from sedation to reduce his brain activity, Zada said.
A website, www.support4stow.blogspot.com, was set up for people wishing to donate money to a fund to help Stow’s family pay his medical bills.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Police Det. Jose Carrillo said investigators had several leads and some evidence that was recovered at the scene, but he did not provide details.
Stow’s relatives said they did not blame Dodger fans for the attack.
“My family and I just want to express that we have no animosity towards the people of Los Angeles,” said Erin Collins, Stow’s sister. “We’ve been received with open arms and love.”
Of the attackers, she said, “They weren’t true Dodger fans.”
Added cousin John Stow: “Though this has been a terrible tragedy done by cowardly people, it is reassuring to know that good people are speaking out and are appalled.”
Stow, who is a father of two and works as a paramedic in Santa Clara County, was hospitalized after two attackers kicked him repeatedly in the stadium’s F2 parking lot following last Thursday’s season opener, which the Giants lost 2-1 to the Dodgers, the LAPD said.
A reward had now grown to $100,000 for information leading to the arrests of Stow’s attackers, who remained at-large Tuesday.
The L.A. City Council on Tuesday afternoon voted to add $50,000 to the reward pool that also included offerings from L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, $10,000; the Dodgers organization, $25,000; the Giants, $10,000; and American Medical Response – Stow’s employer – $5,000.
The LAPD previously released sketches of the two suspects, described as Hispanic men between 18 and 25 years old who were wearing Dodgers clothing. The police urged anyone with information about the attack to call them at (877) 527-3247.
The suspects approached Stow, who was wearing Giants gear, from behind and first taunted him before hitting him and knocking him to the ground, where he hit his head on the pavement and was then kicked repeatedly in the head and body.
They then fled in a four-door sedan driven by a woman who had a boy with her, the LAPD said.
Detectives estimated that out of some 40,000 people who streamed into the parking lot after the game, at least 100 probably were near enough to see the attack and he urged them to contact police. It was too dark for video surveillance camera to provide clear images, police said.
Investigators indicated they were also checking an unconfirmed report that three men in Giants gear were punched by the same attackers only minutes before Stow was attacked.
Stow, an enthusiastic Giants fan, was attending his first game at Dodgers Stadium and had looked forward to the game all year, his cousin said.
However, he may have had some worries after arriving.
“During the game, my wife received a text message from him … He basically said he was scared inside the stadium,” John Stow said, adding that his cousin did not usually make such comments lightly.
Stow’s parents, two sisters and other relatives attended a news conference at the hospital.
John Stow, who wore a Giants hat and jersey at a news conference with relatives at the hospital, called the attackers thugs who should give themselves up and “have the courage to face the facts and face the book for what you’ve done here.”
Back in San Francisco, the Giants and the San Francisco Police Department announced that extra security would be in place at AT&T Park next week when the Giants host the Dodgers.
“We want to make sure that everyone’s safe and there are officers there to deal with whatever should arise, if anything should arise,” said SFPD Lt. Troy Dangerfield.
San Francisco Giants spokesperson Staci Slaughter said the team would pay tribute to Stow at Friday’s home opener and hold a fundraiser for Stow’s family on Monday, the first game of the Dodgers series.
“The goal is to have about a hundred paramedics in uniform asking fans to make a donation at whatever level they can,” she said, adding that the team had been inundated with phone calls and e-mails from fans who wanted to help.

READ MORE.. »»

Nearly $300K Raised For Beaten SF Giants Fan, Suspects Still At Large

Nearly $300,000 has been raised from people stirred by a San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten into a coma outside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles after the team's season opener last week.
Bryan Stow, 42, remains comatose from injuries suffered when two suspects kicked him repeatedly in the stadium parking lot following a March 31 game that the Giants lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, police Officer Christopher No said.
Stow, an emergency medical technician in Santa Clara County, has garnered swift and generous support from Los Angeles and San Francisco public servants, and sports fans who have been fervently following the case.
A total of $150,000 has been offered as a reward for information leading to arrests of the two men suspected of beating Stow.
In the most recent donations, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved on Tuesday an offer of $50,000 for any tips related to an arrest in the case, said Monica Valencia, spokeswoman for Councilman Ed Reyes, who introduced the motion.
Los Angeles-based radio personality Tom Leykis said Thursday he was also pledging $50,000 to the reward.
suspectpicture2.jpg
Four others have donated money, including Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who on Saturday offered $10,000 for details leading to the suspects' arrest. The Dodgers have offered $25,000, and the Giants have offered $10,000. Stow's employer, American Medical Response, has offered $5,000.
In addition, a barbeque fundraiser hosted by AMR on Wednesday drew a crowd of between 3,000 and 4,000 people in San Jose, and raised more than $140,000 to aid in paying Stow's medical bills, according to the company.
A similar drive has been planned next week in Los Angeles to raise money for Stow's hospital care.
The Giants have also pledged to collect donations for the family and planned to pay tribute to Stow prior to today's home opener at AT&T Park.
Los Angeles police have been hosting news conferences throughout the week following Stow's attack to update the public on his condition.
A conference about Stow's condition, which was held at Los Angeles police headquarters on Thursday, was attended by two of Stow's sisters and a cousin.
Today, the city's mayor held a news conference at police headquarters to discuss new security measures at Dodger stadium.
The Dodgers will come to San Francisco on Monday to face off against the Giants, and security will be stepped up locally as well, San Francisco police Officer Albie Esparza said.
"If you're seen extremely intoxicated, we're going to put you in detox," Esparza said.
He said people at the ballpark would see a "significant visible increase" of officers at Monday's game.
"We want people to enjoy the game, but we want them to remain civilized," he said.
Although Stow is in a coma, his condition remains stable.
On the night of the attack, he was walking with friends, who were all wearing Giants clothing, near Dodger Stadium's F2 parking lot when a pair of men clad in Dodgers apparel approached him from behind, according to Los Angeles police Officer Rosario Herrera.
Police said the men taunted Stow for being a Giants fan, and then hit him from behind, causing him to fall to the ground.
When Stow's friends tried to intervene, they were also attacked by the men. They suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene and released, police said.
No arrests have been made in connection to the beating. Police have released sketches of the two men, believed to be Hispanic men between 18 and 25 years old who were wearing Dodgers clothing.
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call Los Angeles police at (877) 527-3247.
A website, www.support4stow.blogspot.com, has been set up for people wishing to donate to the fund set up to help the family pay the hospital bills.
Suspect sketches: LAPD
Saul Sugarman, Bay City News

READ MORE.. »»

* Prev * Previous Article Giants Brian Wilson raises San Francisco Giants’ first World Series flag Read more at the San Francisco Examiner

Giants closer Brian Wilson did the honors at Friday’s home opener by raising San Francisco’s first World Series championship flag over right field at AT&T Park.

Click the picture for a photo gallery of the flag-raising.

The flag was passed first by Willie Mays, and then to each player standing in a line. Wilson was last to get it, and he then ran from the dugout to right field, where he climbed into the bleachers and on to a platform where the flag was raised.

Before the raising, he had kind words for San Francisco for the opening day crowd, calling them 2010’s “last fans standing.”

“We won this as a team,” Wilson said. “We won this as a community.”

Wilson also gave the ball he threw in the last pitch of the 2010 World Series against the Texas Rangers to a fan who has been a season-ticket holder since 1958.

“Here’s the ball, thank you,” Wilson said, followed by a pregnant pause. “You’re welcome.”

READ MORE.. »»

Giants fan still in critical condition after attack

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A San Francisco Giants fan remained in critical condition Monday following an unprovoked attack on opening day at Dodgers stadium, hospital officials said.
Bryan Stow, 41, a paramedic, sustained severe head injuries and was placed in a medically induced coma at Los Angeles County Hospital, said spokeswoman Rosa Saca.
Authorities pleaded for the public's help after releasing composite sketches of two assailants who allegedly approached Stow in the parking lot Thursday and began kicking and punching him while yelling profanities about the Giants, said Los Angeles Police detective Jose Carrillo.
Police were still searching for the suspects, who they said were between the ages of 18 and 25.
Authorities are examining security camera video and conducting follow-up interviews with witnesses who treated the injured man. The assailants may have fled the scene in a vehicle with a young boy, Carrillo said.
Stow traveled to Los Angeles from Santa Cruz, California to attend the season opener.
"This attack is unconscionable behavior that will not be tolerated in either of our ballparks or in either of our cities," the team officials said in a Sunday statement, which was also signed by the mayors and police chiefs of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
A $10,000 reward has been issued for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Stow's parents and two sisters have been present at his bedside and plan to join trauma physicians Tuesday at a news conference to discuss his condition, said spokeswoman Saca.
The beating occurred when post-game heckling turned ugly, Stow's brother-in-law told CNN affiliate KPIX.
"Two guys came out of nowhere. Both of them pushed Bryan from behind. He never saw them coming," brother-in-law Dave Collins said.
Fellow paramedics at American Medical Response established a fund to help his family.

"As caregivers, we spend every day responding to patients in their time of need," said Gil Glass, manager of the company's Santa Clara County division. "Unfortunately, it is now one of our own who is fighting for his life from a senseless act of violence."

READ MORE.. »»

SportsFans.org Condemns Attack On SF Giants Fan

By Scott Weiss
In case you missed it, a senseless act of violence occurred following last weeks season opener between the Giants and Dodgers.  A San Francisco Giants fan lays in a medically induced coma as a result.  SportsFans.org sends its best wishes out to Bryan Stow and his family as he fights for his life.  The organization also condemns the two alleged attackers who committed this crime, we hope for their speedy apprehension.
Sports fans are a unique and passionate group of people, who should feel safe rooting for their team wherever they are playing.  It is important for all sports fans to stand up and voice their displeasure at this incident that has occurred.  The attack on Bryan Stow is an attack on all sports fans, and should never be allowed to occur again.

READ MORE.. »»

SF Giants Home Opener Today: Here's What You Need To Know

user-pic
giants_db017.jpgI'm really not sure how you could be unaware that the World Champion SF Giants' home season opening is today. But I suppose anything is possible. Here's what you need to know:


t's going to be a wild weekend at AT&T Park
At least, that's what CBS5 promises us. "The reigning
champions will raise the winning flag Friday in their first home game, receive their championship rings Saturday night with Commissioner Bud Selig in the house, and recognize Rookie of the Year catcher Buster Posey in a pregame ceremony on Sunday." WILD!
Security is being upped
In light of the beating of Giants fan Brian Stow at the Giants' season opener in LA, there's a "new focus" on security at AT&T Park.
"What we're going to do is we are going to be very proactive. We'll be in the stadium, in the parking lot, and around the exterior of the stadium. Any type of activities that are criminal is zero tolerance," SFPD spokesperson Officer Albie Esparza told ABC7.
See something fucked up going down? SFist reminds you that (presuming you can get a signal) you can text security at "'80899' followed by 'security' in the body of the text, then your seat number (or area of concern) and a detailed message about the problem."
And for pete's sake, be nice to each other!
Traffic and parking will be a mess
Better to take public transit or walk from, say, Market Street. If you must drive, Akit has tips.
You can ride the N-Judah, T-Third Street, 10-Townsend, 30-Stockton, 45-Union, and 47-Van Ness straight to the game. Parking in one of the 4000 spaces available in AT&T Park's A, C and D lots (as well as the one at Pier 48) is $30 for cars.
This is fun!
SFist brings you a Giants bingo card. The Ex has a neat story of Annie Lewis, who's been going to games since they moved here in 1958. SF Giants fans in NY have a place to go. And that weird looking boat? It's the Splash Craft.

Want more news, sent to your inbox every day? Then how about subscribing to our email newsletter? Here's why we think you should. Come on, give it a try.

READ MORE.. »»

Manny Ramirez retires: Hall of Famer?

My enduring images of Manny Ramirez aren’t just the tar-stained batting helmet with the long dreadlocks hanging over his uniform nameplate, the line drives and the home runs, the controversies about his hustle or his drug suspension.

[+] EnlargeManny Ramirez
Kim Klement/US PresswireSlugger Manny Ramirez played the game with a smile at evey one of his career stops.
They're also the smile of a guy who once took a bathroom break inside the Green Monster during a pitching change; the guy who ran on the field at Fenway Park carrying an American flag after becoming a U.S. citizen; the guy who once played with a water bottle in his back pocket and once put his grill up for sale on eBay, complete with personal photos. The guy who I once saw put dollar bills in his pocket after fans in Boston littered the field with money. (I’ve forgotten what caused them to throw money in the first place.) Years ago, when he was still with Cleveland, I was writing a story on the Indians, and in the clubhouse before a game in Seattle, the entire team (including manager Mike Hargrove) was watching one of the "Major League" movies on an overhanging television.

Except Manny. He sat back at his locker, huge headphones on, singing -- as always -- to his own beat.

Manny being Manny became a joke, but Manny the hitter was no joke. He worked pitchers, finessed at-bats, remembered what got him out earlier in games and was ready to deliver some big-time damage if the pitcher tried the same approach again. He’s one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time, one of baseball’s supreme RBI guys, a terrific playoff performer and -- yes -- perhaps the most iconoclastic player of the past quarter century.

I’m going to miss him. Baseball is a long, slow grind, full of players often indistinguishable from one another. Manny made the sport more entertaining, and I don’t think you’ll find too many Indians or Red Sox fans who will tell you they wouldn’t have wanted him on their teams.

SportsNation
Is he a Hall of Famer? In my book, absolutely. The steroids issue doesn't affect my reasoning, although it will certainly put a chokehold on his candidacy when he comes up for election. But I hope the smart voters won't ignore the numbers, since we can’t pretend they didn’t happen:
  • 555 home runs, 14th all time.
  • 1,831 RBIs, 18th all time, including 12 seasons of 100-plus. Only Alex Rodriguez, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig had more 100-RBI seasons.
  • His 165 RBIs with Cleveland in 1999 remain the most since 1938. He hit .333 and led the AL with a .663 slugging percentage. He hit .377 with a .743 slugging percentage with men on base.
  • His adjusted OPS (OPS+) from Baseball-Reference is 25th all time at 154, the same as Frank Robinson's, and just below the 155 of Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio and Willie Mays. That puts him 11th among all right-handed batters.
  • He won a home run title, an RBI title, a batting title and three times led his league in on-base percentage or slugging percentage.

READ MORE.. »»

Manny Ramirez Retires

Manny Ramirez has retired, Major League Baseball announced. MLB says it notified Ramirez of "an issue" under its drug program and that the longtime slugger decided to retire instead of continuing with the process.
Ramirez would have faced a 100-game suspension if he hadn't retired, because he tested positive for a banned substance, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter). The positive test occurred in Spring Training, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). It would have been Ramirez's second major drug-related suspension; he was suspended for 50 games after a positive drug test in 2009.
Five games into his one-year, $2MM contract with the Rays, Ramirez's brief tenure in Tampa is over. He went 1/17 with a single and an RBI, getting booed by his own fans in the process. The Rays did not anticipate this development.
"We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this news," the club said in a statement. "We will have no further comment on this matter."
Ramirez ends his 19-year big league career with 2574 hits, 1831 RBI, a .312 batting average, a .411 on-base percentage and a .585 slugging percentage. The 12-time All-Star ranks 14th all-time with 555 homers and 9th all-time with a .996 OPS. Ramirez played for the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, Rays and White Sox, winning nine Silver Sluggers, two Hank Aaron Awards and the 2004 World Series MVP. He earned over $200MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference, but won't earn the bulk of his agreed upon 2011 salary.

READ MORE.. »»

Manny Ramirez Retires After Reported Positive Drug Test

NEW YORK -- Tampa Bay Rays slugger Manny Ramirez told Major League Baseball on Friday that he is retiring after being notified of an issue that arose under MLB's drug policy.
The New York Times reported that Ramirez tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug during spring training.
The commissioner's office announced Ramirez's decision in a statement, but did not say whether he tested positive for a banned substance. Ramirez previously served a 50-game suspension for violating the drug policy while he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the statement said.
"Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed."
MLB said it would have no further comment. A second positive test under the program results in a 100-game suspension, and a third test results in a lifetime ban.
"The Tampa Bay Rays were informed today by the Commissioner's Office that Manny Ramirez has decided to retire after being informed of an issue under the Drug Program," the Rays said in a statement. "We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this news. We will have no further comment on this matter, and our fans and organization will carry on."

READ MORE.. »»

Manny Ramirez Quits Baseball


Manny Ramirez
Max Morse / Getty Images
Manny Ramirez is retiring from Major League Baseball due to “an issue” with drugs, the MLB said Friday. In a statement, the MLB said they had “recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.” Rather than “continue with the process under the Program,” Ramirez opted to retire, the statement read. According to The New York Times, Ramirez tested postive for steroid abuse, an infraction for which he would have faced a 100-game suspension. So far this season, he has batted 1 for 17 for the Devil Rays.

READ MORE.. »»

The video clip shows a naked Ganlulu in the shower.


Gan Lulu Scandal in Bathroom Ganlulu (or Lulu Gan), believed in a model and actress from Beijing, China, to the woman in a video scandal on the web.ganlulu, GaN clips Lulu Screen grave from video.

The video clip shows a naked Ganlulu in the shower.

READ MORE.. »»

military pay : Obama Will Shut Down the Government and Suspend Military Pay

Rather than accept a few billion in budget cuts (read rounding error), President Obama has signaled his willingness to shut down the federal government. (Yah!) For those keeping score at home, any government shutdown that happens is on Obama’s plate. He is the President. All on him.
The worst part of this whole debate is the Obama Administration’s decision to hold military pay hostage to the budget debate. For the last few decades, government shutdowns have been guided by an OMB directive issued during the Reagan Administration. Under this directive, military personnel would continue to receive the paychecks while politicians argued about the budget. The Clinton Administration, during the last government shutdown, kept the paychecks flowing.
But, not Obama.
The Obama Administration has overturned the old OMB directive and has decided to suspend military paychecks if there is a government shutdown. No reason to do it…but they have decided to. Reprehensible.

READ MORE.. »»

Gan Lulu photo hot sexy

Gan Lulu, cô gái nổi tiếng sau khi được mẹ tung clip trong nhà tắm để kén rể, vừa được mời làm nhân vật trong chương trình truyền hình có tên Lady Gua Gua của Trung Quốc. Lần lên hình đó, mẹ Lulu đã không ngại tấn công con gái ngay trên trường quay.
>>Lộ diện cô gái bị mẹ quay video trong nhà tắm
Cô gái tung clip đang tắm bị mẹ đánh trên sân khấu
Hai clip về mẹ con nữ diễn viên sexy ấy chia sẻ trên mạng Youku sau đó thu hút rất đông sự chú ý của độc giả. Video đầu tiên có tựa đề "Người mẹ tiết lộ Gan Lulu từng làm tình khi mới một tuổi". Trong đoạn phim mẹ Lulu kể một câu chuyện từ khi cô chưa đầy một tuổi. Lulu nói rằng cô ngủ cùng phòng với bố mẹ vì gia đình lúc đó nghèo tuy nhiên mẹ cô lại phủ nhận lý do ấy. Bà ta cho hay, Lulu nằm bên cạnh còn vợ chồng bà làm những việc người lớn thường làm. Mùa hè năm đó, bố mẹ Lulu phát hiện con gái đang có những hành động lạ trên giường. Nữ diễn viên này giải thích khi ấy cô đang bắt chước những động tác của bố mẹ. Từ sau đó, bố mẹ Lulu không còn dám gần gũi nhau trước mặt cô.


Câu chuyện khiến cả khán giả và các khách mời phá lên cười. "Vậy là người bạn trai đầu tiên của Lulu chính là chiếc giường", người dẫn chương trình hài hước nói. Video thứ hai có nhan đề còn ấn tượng hơn video trước. Theo ChinaSmack, chỉ trong vòng ba ngày, clip đã có tới 3,1 triệu người truy cập với hơn 3.500 comment.
Ở đoạn phim thứ hai, người mẹ đã tung chưởng đánh con gái ngay trên sân khấu. Bà ta vừa đánh vừa hét lên giận dữ: "Con nghĩ việc con đang làm là gì vậy?" và "khuyến mại" cả câu chửi thề. Các nhân viên trường quay buộc phải đứng ra hòa giải, can ngăn để người phụ nữ này không gây ra chuyện gì đáng tiếc.
Những hình ảnh, clip và lời tâm sự của một người mẹ gây choáng váng cho cư dân mạng khi bà tự bố trí quay cảnh con gái của mình đang tắm… chỉ với mục đích tuyển con rể.

“Tôi đã quay video này và đưa nó lên mạng để kiếm chồng cho con gái ruột của mình. Con tôi sinh năm 1985, tuổi Sửu, năm nay 26 tuổi. Tôi muốn kiếm cho nó một người bạn trai. Chỉ cần một người bình thường, và sẽ tiến tới hôn nhân”.

Cùng ngắm sự tươi trẻ đầy quyến rũ của cô nàng Gan LuLu – hotgirl của mấy ngày qua khi clip đang tắm của cô bị mẹ đưa lên mạng.
Gan Lulu sinh ngày 1.11.1985. Cô cao 1m65, tốt nghiệp Học viện Múa Bắc Kinh và Học viện Kịch nghệ Trung ương Trung Quốc. Cô hiện là người mẫu, diễn viên đang nổi.

READ MORE.. »»

amazing Gan Lulu scandal video

Ganlulu (or Gan Lulu), a model and actress from Beijing, China, is believed to be the woman on a video scandal available online.

ganlulu, gan lulu video clip
Screengrab from the video, courtesy of Ku6.com


The video clip shows a naked Ganlulu while having a shower.

What's quite interesting with this scandal is that, it's Gan Lulu's very own mother who took the video of her daughter, with the latter's consent.

And not only that, the mother was also the one who uploaded the video online, hoping to find a boyfriend or a potential marriage partner for her daughter, who turns 26 this year.

How desperate!

Both Ganlulu and her mother actually appear on video clip, telling the viewers (in Chinese language) that they're doing it to look for a boyfriend on the internet.

The video can be seen on Youtube, as well as on various Chinese video websites (such as tudou.com).

I don't understand why the mother has to do that, 'coz Gan Lulu is a gorgeous woman and lots of men would like her even without that naked video.

I think, PUBLICITY is what they want to achieve! And obviously, they've succeeded as the video makes headlines not only in China but also in other Asian countries.

READ MORE.. »»

gan lulu scandal video : Gan Lulu has a video scandal filmed by her own mom

Ganlulu (or Gan Lulu), a model and actress from Beijing, China, is believed to be the woman on a video scandal available online.
The video clip shows a naked Ganlulu while having a shower.
What’s quite interesting with this scandal is that, it’s Gan Lulu’s very own mother who took the video of her daughter, with the latter’s consent.
And not only that, the mother was also the one who uploaded the video online, hoping to find a boyfriend or a potential marriage partner for her daughter, who turns 26 this year.
How desperate!
Both Ganlulu and her mother actually appear on video clip, telling the viewers (in Chinese language) that they’re doing it to look for a boyfriend on the internet.
The video can be seen on Youtube, as well as on various Chinese video websites (such as tudou.com).
I don’t understand why the mother has to do that, ‘coz Gan Lulu is a gorgeous woman and lots of men would like her even without that naked video.
I think, PUBLICITY is what they want to achieve! And obviously, they’ve succeeded as the video makes headlines not only in China but also in other Asian countries.

READ MORE.. »»

Hero of Egypt’s Revolution, Military Now Faces Critics

CAIRO — A blogger was jailed recently for “insulting the military.” Human rights advocates say that thousands of people have been arrested and tried before military courts in the last two months. Protesters have been tortured and female activists subjected to so-called virginity tests.

Multimedia
Fed up and angry with Egypt’s military rulers, tens of thousands of demonstrators turned out on Friday in Tahrir Square here for one of the largest demonstrations since the former president, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down on Feb. 11. The protest was being called the “Friday of Warning.”
Since the military assumed direct control after Mr. Mubarak was forced from power, it has seen its standing as defender of the revolution called into question by actions that reflect the authoritarian tactics of the past rather than a blueprint for a democratic future, many here said.
“We don’t want a confrontation with the army but they have to understand that the people will not go quiet,” said Nevine Bakir, 42, as she entered the square. “This is a revolution.”
The military’s critics say that it is either unwilling or incapable of ushering in an era of true democratic reform, an end to corruption and the abolition of abusive police practices.
“The army and the people are not one hand,” the blogger, Michael Nabil, who is now facing a secret trial and a three-year prison sentence wrote in a posting. “The revolution has so far managed to get rid of the dictator, but the dictatorship still exists.”
But for all the shock, even despair, expressed by many Egyptians over the military’s actions, those who have served in and studied the military said they had not been surprised, given the military’s leadership and the responsibilities it has been asked to accept, which far exceed its traditional duties and current capabilities.
A military spokesman said that many of the charges were based on rumor, and that the military would investigate the accusations of abuse against women. He added that the military was dedicated to moving Egypt step by step toward democracy and that it was responding to the interest of the people.
However, about the best even the military’s supporters can say for its halting moves toward democracy, its efforts to protect the network of Mubarak-era officials and allies and its tolerance of the continuing practice of torturing prisoners, is that the generals are uncomfortable with their new role and slowly learning how to navigate the shoals of civilian life.
“They are well versed and knowledgeable individuals, but they were not prepared for what they are doing right now,” said Nabil Fouad, a retired general and professor of strategic studies. “The army was suddenly handed this mission, and it was complicated even more by the absence of the police.”
Demonstrators who gathered in Tahrir Square on Friday in one of the largest demonstrations in recent weeks, seemed to share the view of Mr. Nabil, the blogger, however, quite a change from the early days when the military was embraced by the crowds in the square.
“My opinion is that the military council is a supporter of the old regime,” said Sayyid Hozayen, 51, a businessman who attended the rally. “They were a part of it, so they are defending it in every way they can.”
The focus of the attention is a small council of military leaders unaccustomed to public accountability, let alone having their decisions questioned. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which is collectively serving in the role of the president — with final power over every decision — has provided little insight into its deliberations or an explanation of its decision-making process.
“I think they are incapable of understanding the extent to which the revolution wants to change things in the country,” said Mustapha Kamel el-Sayyid, a political science professor at The American University in Cairo. “To them, removing the president was enough.”
Its members, schooled in the old system of privilege, were not only appointed by Mr. Mubarak, but they worked alongside him for many years.
“You are talking about people who spent a lot of time working with the president, serving with him for a long time, developing a human relationship over the years,” said Dr. Khalid Sorur, a retired general who served for 30 years and was chief of staff of the medical corps. “They are not politicians, and now they have a lot of political tasks and they don’t know how to do this job.”

READ MORE.. »»

U.S. Clears Google Acquisition of Travel Software

In a victory with strings attached for Google, the Justice Department proposed a settlement on Friday under which it would approve the search giant’s $700 million acquisition of ITA Software, a maker of travel search software.
After an intensive, eight-month investigation, regulators decided that Google could complete the acquisition, but outlined conditions that will limit how the company uses the technology, licenses it to competitors and handles complaints. The department’s proposed settlement will now undergo judicial review.
The deal is Google’s latest antitrust battle as it faces growing scrutiny from regulators worldwide. It recently agreed to 20 years of privacy audits by the Federal Trade Commission in a settlement over deceptive privacy practices in its introduction of Buzz, the social networking tool. And a federal judge in New York rejected a settlement that would have allowed it to create a digital library, saying it would give too much control to Google’s search engine.
The settlement over the ITA acquisition would be in place for five years, after which Google can use ITA’s technology however it chooses. But because it allows the government to monitor how Google offers travel search, the settlement it would open the door for regulators to collect information that could be used in a broader antitrust case.
“This merger monitoring actually creates an ongoing investigation of sorts,” said Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus. “Anything related to search or travel, the government’s going to be permitted to get information, which looks very much like an investigation.” She compared it to early moves the government made in the antitrust case against Microsoft.
The Justice Department said the acquisition, without conditions, would have broken the law by lessening competition and reducing choice for consumers. Under the settlement, Google must continue to license the flight software to other companies and continue to develop ITA products and offer them to other companies. The settlement also said that Google must erect a firewall so it cannot see sensitive information from competitors, and develop a formal reporting mechanism for complaints that Google is acting unfairly.
“It’s important to us that ITA continue with business as usual, providing great service to its business partners,” Jeff Huber, Google’s senior vice president for commerce and local, wrote in a company blog post. “We indicated last July that we would honor ITA’s existing contracts. Today we’ve formally committed to let ITA’s customers extend their contracts into 2016.”
The department’s approving of an acquisition with restrictions is common, said Prof. Herbert Hovenkamp, an antitrust expert who teaches at the University of Iowa College of Law. “The Justice Department operates under what is sometimes called a ‘fix it first rule,’ which is that if you want us to approve your deal, we’re going to instruct you on some changes or terms you have to make.”
Professor Hovenkamp added, “It’s a victory for both sides because the parties get to go ahead with the merger and the Justice Department gets to go to the public and say, ‘We’ve protected you from the anti-competitive possibilities.’ “
Google announced its intention to buy ITA in July, and said at the time that it was bracing for close regulatory scrutiny.
ITA, which was started at M.I.T. in the 1990s, makes software to search for flights and compare prices. Many airlines and online travel agents license the software, including Orbitz, Kayak, American Airlines, United Airlines and Microsoft’s Bing Travel.
Google has said it does not plan to sell airline tickets itself. Instead, it will develop a flight search engine, similar to Microsoft’s Bing Travel, that sends shoppers to the airlines’ own Web sites or to online travel agencies.
It also wants to develop a more advanced kind of flight search. For instance, a traveler could tell Google to find someplace to go that was snowy and fewer than five hours away for less than $300 round-trip, and Google would present different itineraries.
Opponents of the acquisition, including Microsoft, Kayak and Expedia, said they worried that Google would not renew ITA’s licenses so their sites would no longer be able to use ITA’s software. Google could also show its travel results above links to other online travel sites, according to FairSearch, a group formed by companies opposing the deal. Ms. Arbogast said she expected the settlement to include government oversight of Google travel search results, which it did not. 
“The merger review did not impose any substantive search neutrality conditions on Google,” she said. “That remains to be decided another day.” 
FairSearch called the decision “a clear win” in a statement. “The department concluded Google’s unrestricted control over ITA’s key flight search technology would have violated the antitrust laws,” it said. “By putting in place strong, ongoing oversight and enforcement tools, the department has ensured that consumers will continue to benefit from vibrant competition and innovation in travel search.” 
Google has repeatedly said that it would renew the licenses and strike new deals, and that it would not poach traffic from other travel search sites because they get only a small percentage of their traffic from Google.
Christine A. Varney, head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, has been aggressive about pursuing antitrust cases. But these issues become trickier online, where competition is a click away, an argument that Google often makes.
Google is still fighting other antitrust battles. The Texas attorney general is investigating whether Google has skewed search results in favor of advertisers or its own products and the European Union is investigating Google’s domination in search. Microsoft filed an antitrust complaint against Google in the European Union last month.
Google’s biggest loss was in 2008, when the Justice Department prepared to file a lawsuit to block a search advertising partnership involving Google and Yahoo, prompting Google to walk away from the deal.
Google also suffered a defeat last month when a federal judge in New York rejected a $125 million legal settlement the company had made with groups representing authors and publishers so that it could pursue its ambition to digitize every book ever published and make them widely available. In rejecting the deal, the judge cited antitrust, copyright and other concerns.
But Google has also had its share of victories in antitrust matters. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission approved Google’s $750 million acquisition of AdMob, the mobile advertising company, only after Apple eased antitrust concerns by buying a similar start-up. In 2007, the F.T.C. approved Google’s $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, the display advertising firm, after Google executives were called to defend it in Congress.

READ MORE.. »»

British Tabloid Accepts Liability in Phone Hackings

News International, the British publishing division of Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper empire, publicly apologized on Friday for the illegal interception of celebrities’ voice mail by journalists at the company’s tabloid newspaper The News of the World.
After a series of celebrities, figures in professional soccer and other prominent people sued the company, News International said that it admitted liability in eight cases and that it was setting up a plan to pay compensation in others.
“Following an extensive internal investigation and disclosures through civil legal cases, News International has decided to approach some civil litigants with an unreserved apology and an admission of liability in cases meeting specific criteria,” it said in a statement.
The statement went on: “Past behavior at The News of the World in relation to voice-mail interception is a matter of genuine regret. It is now apparent that our previous inquiries failed to uncover important evidence and we acknowledge our actions then were not sufficiently robust.”
The admission was a stark reversal for News International in the growing scandal. Before Friday the company had insisted that the hacking that took place at The News of the World between 2004 and 2006 was limited to what it called a single “rogue” reporter and a private investigator who worked for the newspaper. Both men were jailed in 2007 for intercepting voice mail after complaints were lodged by members of the British royal household, including Prince William and Prince Harry.
But information seized by the police from the files of the personal investigator during the original investigation began to emerge in the discovery process in civil lawsuits, and pointed to a much wider array of victims and broader use of hacking methods at The News of the World.
Earlier this week, two other journalists were arrested, questioned and released on bail as part of a renewed criminal inquiry into the five-year-old case. At the same time, Scotland Yard investigators searched the paper’s newsroom.
News International would not say Friday why it had made the decision to apologize now, although the search of the newsroom is likely to have shaken the tabloid. In addition, two weeks ago a high court judge, Geoffrey Vos, ordered that hundreds of thousands of the paper’s e-mail messages be disclosed to litigants in the growing list of lawsuits.
News International said that it had acknowledged liability in eight civil cases and that it hoped to settle with these claimants soon. The plaintiffs include the actress Sienna Miller; the British politician Tessa Jowell; Ms. Jowell’s former husband, David Mills; Skylet Andrew, a sports agent; the sports commentator Andy Gray; Ms. Miller’s stepmother, the interior designer Kelly Hoppen; Nicola Phillips, a press agent; and Joan Hammell, who was an aide to former deputy prime minister John Prescott.
The company currently faces 16 other civil lawsuits concerning hacking between 2004 and 2006, and lawyers said that more suits could still be lodged against it. To deal with the outstanding cases, News International said it was establishing a compensation plan and proposing that claims be overseen by an independent adjudicator such as a retired judge. News International also proposed that in order to speed up the process, several of the claimants should join together to file group litigation.
The company said, however, that it was not admitting liability in all cases, and would continue to contest claims where it thought no phone hacking had taken place or where there was not enough evidence to support the claim.
Mark Lewis, the lawyer for some of those bringing suits against The News of the World, said that none of his clients had seen any offers yet, so he could not say for sure why News International had taken this latest step.
“I suspect they were forced into making this move as an effort to try and manage a situation that is going against them,” he said. “The publicity has probably been very damaging.”
Still, he said, “it is a good step in the right direction, and it indicates that there are some concessions, that they accept that the hacking was not limited to one or two people.” He added: “It’s early days. When offers are actually made and people can consider those offers, we will have more to go on.”Mr. Lewis noted that in addition to the threat of more civil litigation, “there is of course an ongoing criminal enquiry into the actions of some journalists, which is impossible to settle, and will continue regardless.”
The BBC reported that News International hoped to pay out less than £20 million ($33 million) to the victims, and that most claims would be settled for less than £100,000 ($163,800) each. The company, however, called the report speculative.
The phone hacking scandal was consuming increasing amounts of corporate time and attention, and as more lawsuits were filed, it threatened to become increasingly expensive and damaging for the reputation of the company, part of Mr. Murdoch’s News Corporation empire. The scandal has also engulfed Scotland Yard, which was criticized for what some critics called a lax original investigation in 2006 and for failing to inform all the victims of phone hacking by the News of the World. Scotland Yard, which reopened the investigation earlier this year, said on Friday that it had no comment on News International’s announcement. Prosecutors are formally investigating the police’s initial response to the case. The scandal also claimed the scalp of the newspaper’s editor, Andy Coulson, who left the newspaper after the hacking episode in 2007. He went on to become communications director for Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr. Coulson denied ever knowing of hacking under his editorship, but he was nonetheless forced to resign from his position in the Conservative government in January over the growing publicity for the scandal, saying that continued speculation about his possible role in the scandal was interfering with his job.
In 2007, News International carried out its own internal investigation and said that it had found nothing to suggest that the hacking was more widespread. But last month, executives acknowledged that the tabloid’s computers had retained an archive of millions of e-mail messages that it had previously claimed were lost in transit to storage in India. They said they would search the archive for any material relevant to the phone-hacking inquiry, and pass along any it found to the police.

READ MORE.. »»

Shutdown Near, No Sign of Compromise

Negotiations to avert a federal government shutdown went down to the wire Friday, as a sense of crisis engulfed Capitol Hill and leaders of the House and Senate traded angry accusations about what was holding up a budget deal to keep federal agencies open after financing expires at midnight.

Multimedia

Philip Scott Andrews/The New York Times
House Speaker John Boehner spoke on Capitol Hill in Washington on Friday.
Mike Theiler/Reuters
Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, center, joins fellow Democratic senators on Republican attempts to introduce women's health issues like Planned Parenthood and abortions into the budget negotiations on Friday.
Yet even as Republicans and Democrats went before banks of television cameras to blame one another for the first lapse in government services brought on by Congress in 15 years, senior aides continued to negotiate over the sticking points. Knowledgeable lawmakers and top aides, both publicly and privately, said there was still an opportunity to strike an 11th-hour compromise.
“Both sides are working hard to reach the kind of resolution Americans desire,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate Republican leader, who has consulted closely with House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio on strategy. “A resolution is actually within reach. The contours of a final agreement are coming into focus.”
Still, time was slipping away, and testy leaders of the two parties were pushing hard to shape public perceptions of who was responsible for an impasse that threatened to have serious political repercussions — and to presage even more consequential fiscal showdowns in the months ahead.
After the nightlong negotiations that ended before dawn on Friday yielded no agreement, Senator Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat and majority leader, went on the offensive. He told reporters and said on the Senate floor that Mr. Boehner, the Senate Democrats and President Obama had essentially settled on $38 billion in cuts from current spending. But he said that Republicans were refusing to abandon a policy provision that would withhold federal financing for family planning and other health services for poor women from Planned Parenthood and other providers.
“This is indefensible, and everyone should be outraged,” Mr. Reid said on the Senate floor. “The Republican House leadership have only a couple of hours to look in the mirror, snap out of it and realize how truly shameful they have been.”
In a terse statement of his own to reporters, Mr. Boehner said there was “only one reason we do not have an agreement yet, and that is spending.” He asked, “When will the White House and when will Senate Democrats get serious about cutting spending?”
The dueling characterizations of the negotiations added to the frustration, extending far beyond the capital city, among federal employees and the people who rely on their services, as they wait to find out whether serious disruptions are imminent, and how long they might last.
Despite the disagreement over what still divided the two parties, it was clear that the dollar difference had shrunk to only about $1 billion or $2 billion, and that lawmakers would have a difficult time explaining to voters how most of the federal government could come to be closed over such a relatively small sum.
Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, said he was embarrassed. “People across Virginia cannot understand why we can’t get this done,” Mr. Warner said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, meeting on Friday with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi after a trip to Baghdad, made a grim joke about the budget crisis in the capital. "You know how things are in Washington when you’d rather be in Iraq," he said.
Allies of Mr. Boehner said he seemed to be following a strategy of pushing the negotiations to the last possible tick of the clock to appease rank-and-file conservatives, who have been very reluctant to give an inch from the $61 billion in cuts approved by the House.
In a private party meeting Friday afternoon, Mr. Boehner told Republican lawmakers that he was continuing to fight for all the cuts he could get, and regaled them with reports of how angry President Obama was with him for the hard line he has taken in the talks.
Emerging from the meeting, Mr. Boehner called the negotiations “respectful,” but added: “We’re not going to roll over and sell out the American people like has been done time and time again in Washington.”
Mr. Boehner again urged the Senate to pass a temporary House budget resolution that would finance the military for the balance of the fiscal year, cut $12 billion in spending from the current year’s budget and keep the rest of the government operating for another week, as Republicans in the House have voted to do.
“This is the responsible thing to do,” he told reporters.
Senate Democrats have rejected that approach as a gimmick, and President Obama has said he would veto it. Mr. Reid told reporters at the Capitol on Friday morning that the Senate would explore the possibility of a stop-gap bill that would keep the government open for another week but it was unlikely to clear procedural barriers.
Senior Congressional officials said that the negotiations in the Capitol ended about 3 a.m. Mr. Obama late on Thursday had urged negotiators to reach a deal in the morning if possible so the government would not have to put into motion the machinery of a shutdown.
Officials said that Democrats had made concessions on both money and policy, moving toward the position of Mr. Boehner on the overall level of spending, with less of it coming from the Pentagon than Democrats had initially sought.
Democratic officials familiar with the negotiations said that attempts to resolve the disagreement through alternatives like allowing a separate floor vote on the Planned Parenthood issue had not been successful. Democrats said they were told by the Republicans that the votes of anti-abortion social conservatives would be needed to move any budget measure through the House.
Republicans said that no final agreement on money had been struck, and that both policy and spending issues were causing the impasse.
“The largest issue is still spending cuts,” Michael Steel, a spokesman for Mr. Boehner, said Friday morning.

READ MORE.. »»

Baseball's Greatest Players: Manny Ramirez

Height: 6′0″; Weight: 200; Bats: right; Throws: right
First game: September 2, 1993; Final game: still active
Team(s): Cleveland Indians (1993–2000); Boston Red Sox (2001–present)
MVP: never won; 2.75 career shares (through '06 voting)
Hall of Fame: imminent
162-game avg.: .313 batting, .409 on-base, .593 slugging, 41 home runs, 348 total bases, 111 runs scored, 133 runs batted in, 184 hits, 81 extra-base hits, 93 BB, 128 K, 3 SB
Career P/E: 1.234; Postseason P/E: 1.028

The Good. Manny Ramirez is an RBI machine, plain and simple. Beginning in 1995 Manny has topped the century mark for runs batted in every season except two. In 1998 and 1999 the Dominican outfielder drove home 310 runs in 297 combined games. He has knocked in more than 120 runs six times, and he averages 133 per 162 games for his career. His ability to bring runners around is largely responsible for his gaudy average of 1.26 net runs per game. That is a figure that tops every right fielder in this section not named Ruth. He's been one of the leading offensive players in the sport for many years and doesn't seem to be slowing down very much.

Ramirez combines amazing run production with great power and the ability to hit for high averages and reach base often. Five times he has hit more than 40 homers in a season, and he has hit more than 30 in 11 of the past 13. A .313 career batter, Ramirez has hit as high as .351, a mark he posted in 2000, his last season with the Indians.

In terms of P/E Average, Manny is superb. His 1.234 lifetime mark is better than those of Ty Cobb and Mickey Mantle. In 1999 and 2000 the slugger finished with P/Es above 1.400 in back-to-back seasons, a rare and significant accomplishment. The 252 net runs his bat produced in 1999 helped push his season P/E to 1.495, the highest mark of his Hall of Fame career.

Manny was named MVP of the 2004 World Series after his Boston squad swept the Cardinals. He hit .412, reached base safely in half of his plate appearances, and drove in four runs as the Red Sox finally broke the curse to win it all.

The Bad. Ramirez's World Series MVP notwithstanding, his postseason numbers pale in comparison with his regular-season stats. His 1.028 P/E in October is more than 200 points lower than his number from April through September, and he has driven in just 64 runs in 95 playoff games. Furthermore, Manny has been unable to win an MVP in the regular season, never having finished better than third on the American League ballot. Finally, Manny is not a very good fielder or base runner.

The Verdict. While he currently plays left field in front of the Green Monster at Fenway Park, Manny still has more career games played in right, so he's included here rather than . Forget about Ramirez's quirky personality or the fact that he isn't a model team-mate at all times. The guy can hit, driving in runs at a tremendous pace and owning a career slugging percentage of .593. His lethal bat qualifies him for Category 5 and a top-five spot. Cooperstown awaits him.


READ MORE.. »»

Manuel "Manny" Aristides Ramírez Onelcida

Manuel "Manny" Aristides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a retired[1][2] Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. A nine-time Silver Slugger, and one of 25 players to have hit over 500 career home runs, he was recognized for his strong offensive abilities. Ramirez's 21 career grand slams are the second-most all-time, behind Lou Gehrig's 23. His 28 career post-season home runs are the most by any player in major league baseball (MLB) history. Ramirez was a fixture in the All-Star Game, with 12 appearances over the span of his career.
Ramirez was allegedly among a group of 104 major league players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during 2003.[3] In 2009, Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's Performance Enhancing Drug policy by taking human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a women's fertility drug typically used by steroid users to restart their body's natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle.[4]



High school

Growing up in Washington Heights, New York City, New York, Ramirez attended George Washington High School, leaving at the age of 19 years old without graduating.[7] He was a 3-time All-City selection in baseball, and as a high school senior was named New York City Public School Player of the Year in 1991, after batting .615 with 14 home runs in 22 games. He was inducted into the New York City Public School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

Minor leagues

The Cleveland Indians selected Ramirez with the 13th pick of the 1991 draft and assigned to the Rookie-level Burlington Indians for his professional debut. He was named the Appalachian LeagueBaseball America as short-season Player of the Year while slugging 19 homers and driving in 63 runs in 59 games, while leading the league in slugging and total bases. MVP and was selected by

Cleveland Indians (1993–2000)

In his first full season in the majors, Ramirez finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting after batting .269 with 17 homers and 60 RBI in 91 games. He was selected to his first All-Star Game in 1995 and won his first career Silver Slugger Award following the season. In December 1995, Ramirez agreed to a $10.15 million, four-year contract.[8]
From 1993 to 2000, he had 236 home runs and 804 RBI in 967 games for the Cleveland Indians, including a career-high 45 home runs in 1998, and a career-high 165 RBI in 1999, when he hit .333 with 44 homers and scored a career-high 131 runs. On September 30, 1999 Ramirez set the Indians' single-season record for RBIs at 164, beating Hal Trosky's 1936 record of 162.[9] He finished the season with 165 RBI in 1999 were the highest total by any player since Jimmie Foxx (1938). During his time in Cleveland, he played in two World Series: 1995 and 1997.

Boston Red Sox (2001–2008)

2001–03

In the summer of 2003, Ramirez missed several games with pharyngitis. When it became public that he was spotted in a bar (in the same hotel where Ramirez lives) with a close friend, Yankees infielderEnrique Wilson when Ramirez was supposedly too ill to play in the Yankees series, Boston managerGrady Little benched him for one game. Despite his strong play in the 2003 postseason, the Red Sox lost to the Yankees in a seven game showdown in the ALCS. The new Red Sox ownership and management, trying to rid themselves of his massive contract, put Ramirez on irrevocable waivers, thus making him available to any team willing to assume the remainder of his contract. However, all 29 other teams passed on the opportunity to claim Ramirez.

2004

In 2004, Ramirez led the American League in home runs (43), slugging percentage (.613) and OPSon base percentage (.397), eighth in walks (82), tenth in runs (108), and posted a .308 batting average. (1.009); he finished third in RBI (130), sixth in
In the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Ramirez hit a two-run home run off Roger Clemens in the top of the first inning, giving his teammates a 3–0 lead. Ramirez, Derek Jeter (with a single), Ichiro Suzuki (with a double) and Iván Rodríguez (with a triple) became the first All-Star quartet to hit for the cycle during the same inning. His season was capped off by being named the MVP of the World Series as the Red Sox won their first title since 1918.

2005–06

On May 15, Ramirez hit his 400th home run off Gil Meche of the Seattle Mariners. Ramirez is one of only 45 MLB players in the 400 home run club. On July 5, Ramirez hit his 20th career grand slam — and his third of the season — off Chris Young of the Texas Rangers. Off the field, this season was one of much conflict for Ramirez. Persistent trade rumors (generally involving the New York Mets) dogged him all season. After the Red Sox were eliminated in the first round of that year's playoffs by the eventual World Series champion Chicago White Sox, Ramirez once again expressed a wish to be traded. This included a threat to not show up for spring training if his latest demand was not met by Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. Toward this end, in December 2005, Ramirez put his Ritz-Carlton condominium up for sale.
On June 10, Ramirez became the 31st player in history to hit 450 home runs, with a solo shot off Francisco Cordero of the Texas Rangers. Three weeks later, on July 1, he collected his 2000th hit. The remainder of the season was feast or famine for Ramirez: beginning in mid-July, he had a 28-game hitting streak, including 12 multi-hit games, 8 HR, and 28 RBI, but then missed 28 games from mid-August on with soreness in his right knee.

2007–08

On April 22, 2007, Ramirez was the first of four Red Sox batters to homer in consecutive at bats in a game against the New York Yankees, tying a league record. All of the home runs were against Chase Wright.[14] On April 29, Ramirez became the fifth player to hit 50 career home runs against the Yankees.
In the post-season, Ramirez hit a walk-off 3-run home run in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In the fourth inning of the series' final game, Ramirez combined with teammate David Ortiz to hit back-to-back home runs off pitcher Jered Weaver. The home run tied him with Bernie Williams for first place all-time in post-season home runs.[19] On October 13, Ramirez hit his 23rd post-season home run, passing Bernie Williams for the most all-time.
On May 31, 2008, Ramirez hit his 500th home run, against Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chad Bradford at Camden Yards in the 7th inning on the first pitch, becoming the 24th player in MLB history to do so. He joined two other Red Sox players, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams, in the exclusive home run club.
A heated altercation between Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis took place on June 5, during a game at Fenway against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was prompted either, as the Boston Globe speculated, by Youkilis complaining about Ramirez having been slow in joining his teammates in a bench-clearing brawl two innings earlier (lagging behind even the team's pitchers, who ran in from the bullpen), or by Ramirez objecting to what he believed was excessive complaining by Youkilis about the strike zone, as well as the first baseman's penchant for sometimes throwing his helmet in frustration after making an out.[20][21] Before the fifth inning, Ramirez was caught on NESN cameras taking a swing at Youkilis.[22] Ramirez and Youkilis yelled at each other, and had to be separated by teammates, coaches, and training staff. Youkilis headed out to the field still barking at Ramirez, while Ramirez was escorted into the tunnel leading to the clubhouse by bench coach Brad Mills and trainer Paul Lessard.[23][22]
Later in the season, during a series with the Houston Astros, Ramirez had a physical altercation with elderly Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick. The two were arguing over the traveling secretary' inability to fill Ramirez's large game-day request for 16 tickets to the game in Houston. Ramirez pushed the 64-year-old McCormick to the ground,[24][20] after telling him "Just do your job." The two were quickly separated, and Ramirez later apologized.[25][26] The matter was dealt with internally, and Ramirez was fined.
On July 25, after sitting out one game against the Seattle Mariners with a sore knee, Ramirez was slated to start against the Yankees. Several minutes before the game, however, he informed manager Terry Francona, through a bench coach, that he would not be playing. During the series Ramirez was directed to an area hospital for MRIs on both his knees; the results showed no damage.[27] When back in action, Ramirez frequently failed to run out ground balls. Assuming that this was due to his displeasure about his contract situation, many Red Sox fans and reporters, including Dan ShaughnessyBoston Globe, called for Ramirez to be traded. of the

Los Angeles Dodgers (2008–10)

On July 31, 2008, Manny was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way deal. The Boston Red Sox acquired outfielder Jason Bay and minor league infielder Josh Wilson,[28] and the Pittsburgh Pirates got infielder Andy LaRoche, and pitching prospect Bryan Morris from the Dodgers, and outfielder Brandon Moss and pitcher Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.[29]
Ramirez has always worn uniform number 24, but the Dodgers have retired that number in honor of Hall-of-Fame manager Walter Alston. Ramirez countered the Dodgers' suggestion of 28 by suggesting 34, but no Dodger has worn that number since Fernando Valenzuela. Ramirez finally accepted number 99, but the next day asked for 28, the Dodgers' original suggestion. However, the Dodgers' marketing department had already begun producing merchandise with number 99, so Ramirez stuck with that number.

2009

On May 7, 2009, Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's Performance Enhancing Drug policy.[33] In the announcement provided by Major League Baseball, Ramirez was suspended for an unspecified violation of section 8.G.2 of the joint drug agreement. Shortly after his suspension was announced, Ramirez stated that he had seen a physician who unknowingly prescribed medication that is banned under the MLB drug policy. After consulting with the MLBPA Players' Association, Ramirez waived his right to challenge the suspension.[33] According to an ESPN report, the drug used by Ramirez is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a women's fertility drug typically used by steroid users to restart their body's natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle. It is similar to Clomid, the drug Jason Giambi and others used as clients of BALCO.[34]

2010

Chicago White Sox (2010)

Tampa Bay Rays (2011)

Personal life

Personality

Many stories depicted Ramirez as a carefree individual, whose concentration was dedicated solely to playing baseball. One story took place in his early years with the Cleveland Indians in June 1994. As teammates were gathered in the Indians clubhouse watching news of the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase, Ramirez asked what was going on. A player responded, "they are chasing O.J.", to which Ramirez responded in disbelief, "What did Chad do?" (in reference to then-current teammate Chad Ogea).[53]

Off the field

Career statistical highlights

Sponsorship and endorsement deals


READ MORE.. »»