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Benghazi-disciplined diplomat a prolific poet

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:56:06 +0000

Raymond Maxwell — one of the four State Department officials disciplined over security lapses that led to the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last year — is also a prolific poet. And he’s been publishing provocative verses since he was put on administrative leave December 18.

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Maghreb Region Raymond Maxwell during a visit to Algiers, in a photo taken sometime between November 2-5, 2011.

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U.S. Embassy Algiers

Some of the poetry represents scathing commentary on the post-Benghazi fallout and implies that he feels like he’s been made a scapegoat. In “Trapped in a purgatory of their own deceit,” Maxwell writes in part: “The web of lies they weave / gets tighter and tighter / in its deceit / until it bottoms out – / at a very low frequency – / and implodes…Yet all the while, / the more they talk, / the more they lie, / and the deeper down the hole they go… Just wait…/ just wait and feed them the rope.”

It’s a bold and almost shocking verse from the 20-year foreign-service worker who was the well-respected deputy assistant secretary for Maghreb Affairs in the Near East Bureau and former Chief of Staff to the Ambassador in Baghdad. Fluent in Portuguese, Maxwell is also an ex-Navy “mustanger,” which means he leapt from enlisted ranks to commissioned officer.

An African-American, Maxwell makes use of lynching imagery in his poem entitled “Invitation,” a commentary about being put on administrative leave December 18th after the State Department’s Accountability Review Board (ARB) criticized pre-attack security in Libya.

Full coverage of the U.S. Consulate attack in Benghazi

The poem reads, in part: “The Queen’s Henchmen / request the pleasure of your company / at a Lynching – / to be held / at 23rd and C Streets NW [State Dept. building] / on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 / just past sunset. / Dress: Formal, Masks and Hoods- / the four being lynched / must never know the identities/ of their executioners, or what/ whose sin required their sacrifice./ A blood sacrifice- / to divert the hounds- / to appease the gods- / to cleanse our filth and /satisfy our guilty consciences…”

U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in terrorist attacks at U.S. missions in Benghazi. Poor security was faulted by the ARB review board. Former U.S. ambassador Thomas Pickering, who led the review, was quoted in the final, unclassified report as saying blame was fixed “at the assistant secretary level…where the decision-making in fact takes place, where…the rubber hits the road.” The ARB, in essence, was seen to have cleared higher-ranking State Department officials, including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, of direct fault on the issue of inadequate security.

It’s unclear as to exactly what Maxwell and the other disciplined managers allegedly did wrong or how they were chosen for discipline. Three are on paid administrative leave. When asked for more details, the State Department did not respond prior to publication of this report.

Maxwell declined an interview, saying his poetry best expresses what he has to say.

Breaking News: CBS News

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Canada PM aide quits in expenses row

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:49:23 +0000

Nigel Wright said he had not informed the prime minister about the cheque at the time

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s top aide has resigned over his role in a growing expenses scandal.

Nigel Wright quit after revelations he had secretly given a senator a C$ 90,000 (£58,000; $ 87,000) cheque to help repay improperly claimed housing expenses.

The conservative prime minister said he had accepted the resignation of his chief of staff “with great regret”.

Mr Wright is now expected to be replaced by Ray Novak, media reports in Canada say.

Sen Mike Duffy, a former journalist, resigned from the Conservative caucus on Thursday two days after revelations about the cheque emerged.

Nigel Wright is a managing director of a major Canadian private equity firm who has been on secondment to the prime minister’s office since 2011.

Opposition lawmakers say his cheque broke ethics rules barring senators from taking presents.

On Sunday, Mr Wright said in a statement that he had decided to step down “in light of the controversy surrounding my handling of matters involving Senator Duffy”.

“I regret the impact of this matter on the government, our caucus, and all of my colleagues,” he added.

He stressed that he had not informed the prime minister about the cheque.

The federal ethics commissioner is now examining the matter.

The prime minister thanked his chief of staff for his work since 2011, accepting that he believed he had acted in the public interest.

Ray Novak, who is reportedly replacing Nigel Wright, has acted as Mr Harper’s principal secretary for several years.

BBC News – US & Canada

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British skier dies in Alps fall

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:48:01 +0000

A British skier has fallen to his death while tackling an off-piste glacier in the French Alps.

Two British skiers were unable to descend the Vallee Blanche near Chamonix on Saturday evening after being caught in a heavy storm.

They alerted emergency services who tried to guide them to shelter by phone, but one skier fell to his death as they walked along a narrow ridge.

The Foreign Office said it was aware of reports of a British national’s death.

The body of the man, whose name has not been released, was recovered by helicopter.

BBC News – Europe

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Supercell of thunderstorms threaten Midwest

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:45:01 +0000

Heavily damaged homes Line a cul de sac in Granbury, Texas, on Thursday May 16, 2013. (AP Photo)

(CBS News) GRANBURY, Texas – From Oklahoma City to Minneapolis, severe weather is threatening the nation’s midsection on Sunday night.

There are tornado warnings up in Kansas and Iowa. Oklahoma and Missouri could also be hard hit.

Forecasters say a supercell of thunderstorms packing baseball-sized hail, heavy rain, and tornadoes could do a lot of damage.

Already a tornado has touched down this afternoon in Edmond, Oklahoma, and another on the southwest side of Wichita that police are calling “large and violent”.

National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center

CBS News meteorologist Jeff Berardelli reports the greatest risk is across Oklahoma, Kansas and into parts of Missouri. Watches and warnings are ongoing.

There is a strong and cold upper level low destabilizing the atmosphere across the Rockies and Plain States. At the same time, there is a strong jet stream on the eastern side of that meeting up with moist Gulf air.

Some of the tornadoes could be on the strong side through Monday, and the severe weather threat could continue through the middle of the upcoming week.

One Texas family is still digging out from a tornado that touched down near their Granbury home last week.

Bobi Parsons spent Sunday picking through the pile of debris that used to be her family’s home. Wednesday night, as the tornado swirled around the house, she huddled in a bathtub with her 16-year-old son and her husband Eddie, as an older son took cover with a friend in the bathroom next door.

Bobi: “I grabbed him and held on, holding my son on the other side and we were ducking and it was really scary.”

Eddie Parsons, her husband, said: “She reached through the blanket, I was holding mattress down, she reached through and grabbed my arm and probably biggest hardest grip I ever felt in my life — it was amazing.”

When they emerged, the only thing left standing was the two bathrooms. The rest of the house was gone.

“I broke down because you know, I looked around and it was just amazing that, you know, all of this, this wiring and no electricity fell and hit my kids,” Eddie said. “They were okay, you know. It was amazing. Just to see that god put his arms around these two walls, you know, and saved — I mean He kept us safe.”

The only possessions Bobi Parsons wanted to find today were her grandparents’ wedding rings. And on the floor next to the bathroom, there they were.

“They were just sitting in the box, just like that on the ground in the box,” Bobi said.

Sunday afternoon, friends of Eddie and Bobi Parsons put up an American flag in the tree next to their demolished home — a sign of hope and survival.

All five members of the family turned out fine. They’re all well but there are 110 homes in that subdivision and nearly all of them were damaged by the tornado. For many residents it will be months before they can get back to living in the area.

Robin Thicke — Sure, I’ll Hang With You On Prom Night

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:43:41 +0000

Exclusive

Robin Thicke wasn’t really dressed for it, but … a bunch of high schoolers let him stand in for a photo anyway … ON PROM NIGHT!

It went down last Saturday … the 20 or so students from Eagle Rock High in northeast L.A. were waiting for a party bus to take them to prom when one recognized Alan Thicke‘s hunky pop-singer spawn shooting a music video across the street.

They called the “Blurred Lines” (No. 1 on iTunes this week!) singer over … and he was more than happy to chill and take photos.

“He made our night!,” said a student named Jesse. “When my other friends told me about their party buses, they really had nothing to say… I mean, we had Robin Thicke!”

The teens say Thicke asked if anyone wanted to appear in his video the following day … we’re told some of them took him up on it.

But probably just the goood giiiiiiiiiirls …

See More: Robin Thicke , Party All The Time , TMZ Black , 2 More Kids , Music Hide these

TMZ.com

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2 FBI agents die in hostage rescue training exercise

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:43:38 +0000

Two special agents died Friday in an incident during training, the FBI says
An official says they were killed during a hostage rescue training exercise

Washington (CNN) — Two FBI special agents were killed Friday during a training exercise off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the bureau said in a statement released Sunday.

“Special Agent Christopher Lorek and Special Agent Stephen Shaw were assigned to the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group. The cause of the incident is under review.”

An official who asked not to be identified told CNN that the two agents were killed in a hostage rescue training exercise.

The official gave no further details.

CNN.com Recently Published/Updated

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Video: Obama raps “shortage of common sense” in Washington

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:39:18 +0000

May 19, 2013 2:42 PM

During remarks at a Democratic fundraiser, President Obama avoiding mentioning recent controversies but criticized the “tendency in Washington to put politics ahead of policy, to put the next election ahead of the next generation,” saying, “that mindset is what we need to change” if we hope to move America forward.

Justin Bieber And Selena Gomez Embrace Their LOVE In Sin City Before Billboard Music Awards!

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:32:16 +0000

We expect them to be sitting next to each other at tonight’s 2013 Billboard Music Awards, but the day before, there is no question that Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were once again very used to being up close and personal with their seating arrangements!

The notoriously on-again/off-again couple, who are expected to appear together at tonight’s ceremony – held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, got a head start on their Sin City trip a night early on Saturday, when they took in the LOVE by Cirque du Soleil performance at the Mirage!

According to eyewitnesses:

“The pair got close and comfortable in their seats while snacking on peanut M&Ms and Mike and Ikes candy. Bieber was sporting a low hat and sunglasses during the show.”

We hope that was to hide the tears he was crying for his monkey OG Mally, who as we all know, officially became a citizen of Germany yesterday!

We kid! We kid!

But we think if this is any indication of the current status of their relationship, we should all be in for a VERY interesting awards show this evening!

Hope you two had fun!

[Image via WENN.]

Tags: 2013 billboard music awards, back together, cirque du soliel, date night, germany, justin bieber, las vegas, love, monkey, og mally, pet, selena gomez, the mirage

PerezHilton

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WH adviser: “Partisan fishing expeditions” won’t distract Obama

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:31:29 +0000

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play May 19: Pfeiffer, Cornyn, Chaffetz & Pruitt
play Cornyn condemns “culture of cover-ups and intimidation” at WH
play Open: This is Face the Nation, May 19
play Have recent controversies “paralyzed” Washington?
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play Pruitt: Justice Department’s seizure of AP phone records “unconstitutional”
play White House not living up to promises of transparency, Chaffetz …
play Watergate: “A scandal that brought down the president”
play FTN Page 2: May 19
play Maya Angelou recalls her childhood on Mother’s Day
play May 12: Gates, Pickering, Ayotte, Durbin & Angelou

(CBS News) “Partisan fishing expeditions” – like the amplifying clamor around news that the Internal Revenue Service targeted for excessive review conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status – White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday on “Face the Nation,” won’t “distract” President Obama from doing his job. Pfieffer did admit, however, the the IRS’ conduct was wrong and should be fixed.

“It’s inexcusable conduct that needs to be fixed,” Pfeiffer said. “It was an incredible breach of the public’s trust, and we have to repair that breach; no question about that.”

But “this is a Republican playbook,” Pfeiffer continued. “When they don’t have a positive agenda, try to drag Washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions, trumped up hearings and false allegations. We’re not gonna let that distract us and the president.”

A timeline released in a Treasury inspector general’s report last week revealed that the IRS in the spring of 2010 began singling out groups with keywords like “Tea Party,” “Patriot” and “9/12 Project” in their names to flag for heightened, often burdensome, scrutiny. The agency insisted last week that no high-level employees were aware of the practice, but the IG report alleges that Lois Lerner – an IRS official in charge of oversight of tax-exempt groups – knew about it as early as June 2011.

Full coverage of the IRS targeting controversy

Pfeiffer said the White House had no knowledge of the practice.

“The first that the White House was made aware of it was from the Treasury Department a few weeks ago,” he said. “And not the details of what happened, not the results of the investigation, but that an independent investigation was about to conclude.

“And here’s how we handle this – and this is how I think every administration tries to handle this,” he continued. “You have a cardinal rule, which is you do nothing to interfere with an independent investigation and you do nothing to offer the appearance of interfering in an investigation. So we, I feel like we handled this the appropriate way.”

The real scandal, Pfeiffer argued, would have been “if the president had been involved or interfered in an IRS investigation or what’s happening at the Department of Justice.”

In the past week President Obama has been dogged by questions about not only the IRS controversy, but ongoing disputes about how the administration handled a Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya, as well as news that the Justice Department seized two months of phone records from the Associated Press.

Pfeiffer tried to dispel any notion of “cover-up” in Benghazi. When U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sept. 16 – five days after the attack on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya – echoing the theory that the strike began “spontaneously” like the protests in Egypt over an anti-Muslim film and was not a premeditated terrorist act, Pfeiffer said, she was merely relaying “what the CIA believed at the time.”

Benghazi timeline: How the probe unfolded
Benghazi timeline: How the attack unfolded
Full coverage of the U.S. Consulate attack in Benghazi

“We tried to get it as right as we could, and as we got new information we shared it with the American people,” he continued.

White House chief of staff Denis R. McDonough has recommended his staff members not spend more than 10 percent of their time dealing with the scandals.

“What’s important here is that as problems happen, the president takes responsibility for them, and tries to fix them,” Pfeiffer said.

Breaking News: CBS News

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Could cop have avoided accidentally killing Hofstra student?

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:30:01 +0000

Andrea Rebello / WCBS-TV

NEW YORK The police officer who accidentally killed a Long Island college student along with an armed intruder faced the most harrowing decision of a law enforcement career: choosing the split-second moment when the risk is so high that you must act to save a life, says an expert in the field.

“The big question is, how do you know, when someone’s pointing a gun at you, whether you should keep talking to them, or shoot?” said Michele Galietta, a professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice who helps train police officers. “That’s what makes the job of an officer amazingly difficult.”

She spoke Sunday as Hofstra University students honored 21-year-old Andrea Rebello by wearing white ribbons at their graduation ceremony.

Long Island police defend Hofstra student killing

Rebello was killed two days earlier when a masked man walked through the unlocked door of her off-campus home. A police officer aiming at the would-be robber opened fire, hitting the Hofstra junior as well as the ex-convict holding her in a headlock.

On Saturday evening, flags on the Mineola campus were at half-staff and students held a silent outdoor vigil in front of a photo of the young woman. Surrounded by candles and flowers, they sang “Ave Maria.”

Chloe Sweeten, who knew the Rebello family, told 1010 WINS’Glenn Schuck it was a very bittersweet day.

“I think it’s really important for us to all come together and wear this [white ribbon], to unify that we’re there for her and there for her family.

Rebello’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Sleepy Hollow, in Westchester County, north of New York City.

Her life ended in split seconds that forced the veteran police officer to make a fatal decision, but the questions surrounding the student’s death are just beginning, along with an internal investigation by the Nassau County Police Department.

The bare facts are simple. Rebello and the intruder, Dalton Smith, died early Friday when the officer fired eight shots, hitting him seven times, with the eighth bullet striking Rebello once in the head, according to county homicide squad Lt. John Azzata.

With a gun pointed at her, Smith “kept saying, `I’m going to kill her,’ and then he pointed the gun at the police officer,” according to Azzata.

The would-be robber then made a motion indicating he was about to fire, according to authorities.

Dalton Smith of Hempstead, N.Y

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AP Photo/Nassau County Police Department

The officer acted quickly, saying later that he believed his and Rebello’s life were in danger, according to authorities.

No doubt, he was acting to try to save lives his own and that of the young woman, Galietta said.

But the fallout was tragic.

“What we’re asking the cop to anticipate is, `What is going on in the suspect’s mind at the moment?”‘ she says. “We’re always trying to de-escalate, to contain a situation, but the issue of safety comes in first, and that’s the evaluation the officer has to make.”

In collaboration with the New York City Police Department, Galietta is part of a John Jay program that prepares young officers to react to life-threatening situations. Actors are used to replicate scenarios reflecting reality.

Police tactical manuals are meant to assist officers in making the best decision possible, but in the end, “they’re not 100 percent foolproof,” Galietta said. “In a situation like that, you can follow procedure, and it doesn’t mean it comes out perfectly.”

The officer who fired the shots is an eight-year NYPD veteran and has been with Nassau County police for 12 years.

He is now out on sick leave, Azzata said.

Obama mourns “shortage of common sense in Washington”

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:06:36 +0000

President Obama lamented a “shortage of common sense in Washington” during a speech at a Democratic fundraiser on Sunday afternoon, telling the group of donors in attendance that the “sky is the limit” for America – if only Washington could get its act in order.

Mr. Obama arrived at the fundraiser after delivering a commencement speech at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he addressed hundreds of “remarkable” graduates, some of whom “have overcome the biggest odds” to obtain their degree.

“It makes you so optimistic about the future of America. There is a spirit of innovation, and a spirit of determination…and you see it in these young people and it just makes you ready to go out there and fight the good fight,” he said. “The challenge is that, all too often, that same spirit isn’t as evident as it needs to be in Washington. Sometimes you feel as if Washington is impeding rather than advancing the possibilities that these young people represent.”

Adviser on White House scandals: “Partisan fishing expeditions” won’t distract Obama
For GOP, scandals could be an electoral plus or minus

The president said he has been “fairly busy” over the last four years, reciting a list of accomplishments that includes winding down the wars overseas, reforming the healthcare system, pursuing energy independence, and stopping the economic free-fall after a 2008 crisis, among others.

“But what I think we’re all aware of is that our job is not finished,” the president said, “and because of some policies in Washington like the sequester, growth may end up slowing, and we may see once again the job market stall.”

The president also stressed there is more work to be done on education, healthcare reform implementation, and infrastructure. He said that, in light of recent bipartisan progress in both houses of Congress, he is “optimistic about our capacity to get immigration reform done.”

In his remarks, the president paid particular attention to energy independence and climate change, saying we need to embrace the clean energy sources of the future to ensure that we pass along to our descendants “a planet that isn’t in chaos.”

“The good news is, every single item that I just mentioned, we’ve got good common sense solutions that we can implement right now,” Mr. Obama said. “The bad news is that there’s a shortage of common sense in Washington.”

Play Video

Cornyn condemns “culture of cover-ups and intimidation” at WH

We remain the envy of other nations, the president said, and we could do better still.

But “what’s holding us back is a tendency in Washington to put politics ahead of policy, to put the next election ahead of the next generation,” he added, “and that mindset is what we need to change.” He made no mention of the recent controversies ensnaring his administration that have made so much political hay in recent weeks.

If the nation’s leaders can come together around a “non-ideological,” fact-based approach to governance, Mr. Obama said, “The sky is the limit. Nothing can stop us.”

“Despite sometimes the doom and gloom of what you hear emanating out of Washington,” he said, “you should be optimistic about this country. I sure am.”

Daily Discussion – May 20, 2013

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:06:06 +0000

Use these questions to help students understand today’s featured news stories
Today’s Daily Discussion includes the Media Literacy Question of the Day

(CNN Student News) — May 20, 2013

Media Literacy Question of the Day

How accurately do reality TV shows reflect real life? Are some reality shows more “real” than others? Explain.

Daily Discussion Questions

According to the program: Where did North Korea recently launch four short-range missiles? What perspective on the launches was given by a journalist in the region? Why do you think that global leaders are concerned about North Korea’s missile launches?

What are some severe weather events that occurred around the U.S. this weekend? What kinds of information might be important before, during, and immediately after severe weather strikes? Where can you find this information?

What do some Texans whose town was affected by last week’s tornadoes say about the importance of a recent baseball game? What was your reaction to this story? How do you think your community might come together in the wake of severe weather?

What is the focus of the Palestinian reality show covered on CNN Student News? What do the show’s creators say is the purpose of their program? What do you think can be learned from the popularity of this show? Do you think you would be interested in watching a political reality TV show? Explain.

In your view, what should people tip for good service? How might this perspective differ between people who’ve worked in restaurants and people who haven’t?

CNN.com Recently Published/Updated

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Star Trek Into Darkness Does NOT Meet $100 Million Box Office Expectations, But Still Beats Iron Man 3!

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:43:43 +0000

Star Trek Into Darkness may have tried to boldly go where no blockbuster had gone before, but unfortunately, it appears to have fallen a few million dollars short of that!

Although the J.J. Abrams-directed sequel was expected to rack in between $ 90-$ 100 million during its opening box office weekend, the numbers are now in….and apparently, audiences were not as thrilled to see Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto battle it out with Benedict Cumberbatch, as it only secured about $ 70.6 million!

But don’t fret, Trekkies!

The flick STILL beat out all of the competition for the weekend’s number one spot domestically, and in the process crushed both Iron Man 3, which came in second with $ 35.2 million, and The Great Gatsby, which made a cool $ 23.4 and rounded out the top three!

Ch-ch-check out the rest of the weekend’s box office top ten…AFTER THE JUMP!!!

1. Star Trek Into Darkness, $ 70.6 million

2. Iron Man 3, $ 35.2 million

3. The Great Gatsby, $ 23.4 million

4. Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain, $ 3.1 million

5. The Croods, $ 2.8 million

6. 42, $ 2.7 million

7. Oblivion, $ 2.2 million

8. Mud, $ 2.2 million

9. Tyler Perry Presents Peeples, $ 2.2 million

10. The Big Wedding, $ 1.1 million

Tags: box office, chris pine, disappointment, expectations, iron man 3, j.j. abrams, projections, star trek into darkness, the great gatsby, top ten, zachary quinto

PerezHilton

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Garth Crooks’s team of the season

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:42:56 +0000

By Garth Crooks
BBC Sport football analyst

With Manchester United

winning the Premier League title,

it is perhaps unsurprising that four players from Old Trafford are included in my team of the season.

In addition to those who did eventually make my final XI, honourable mentions must go to
Romelu Lukaku

– who has had a tremendous season on loan at West Bromwich Albion from Chelsea – and Chelsea duo
Eden Hazard

and
David Luiz,

who both finished the season in fine style and each collected a European medal.

Norwich and Aston Villa avoided relegation largely thanks to the presence of defenders
Sebastien Bassong

and
Ron Vlaar,

respectively.

Wigan suffered mixed fortunes. Having

won the FA Cup

the Latics were relegated despite some impressive individual displays from
Arouna Kone,

Shaun Maloney

and
Callum McManaman.

There are three managers who stood out this season.
Rafael Benitez

deserves praise for retaining Chelsea’s Champions League status and adding the

Europa League

trophy to the Stamford Bridge cabinet.

Credit also goes to Everton boss
David Moyes

who, after 11 years, leaves Goodison Park for Old Trafford.

But for me the season belonged to Manchester United’s
Sir Alex Ferguson,

who

retired on Sunday after 26 years and 13 Premier League titles.

GOALKEEPER – BRAD GUZAN (Aston Villa)

Despite Villa’s struggles, the 28-year-old had an outstanding season and the fact he was selected in my Team of the Week on more occasions than Chelsea’s Petr Cech and Manchester City’s Joe Hart says a great deal about his level of consistency. He hardly got a look-in last season but the American has established himself ahead of Shay Given this campaign, an achievement in itself.

Did you know?

Guzan claimed more catches (97) than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League in 2012-13.

DEFENDER – PABLO ZABALETA (Manchester City)

The Argentine will look back on the season with disappointment. But while City did not win any trophies, it certainly was not down to Zabaleta, who had an excellent campaign. He can play on either the right or the left and enjoys venturing forward in the search for goals. I love full-backs who do that.

Did you know?

Zabaleta attempted more tackles (113) than any other defender in the top flight in 2012-13.

DEFENDER – RIO FERDINAND (Manchester United)

A lot of people wrote Ferdinand off this season. The only person who really had any faith in the 34-year-old centre-half, apart from himself, was Sir Alex Ferguson, who insisted that he played in all the big games. I do not think you can get a better endorsement than that.

Did you know?

Ferdinand made more clearances (222) than any other player from any of the top four sides in the division.

DEFENDER – BRANISLAV IVANOVIC (Chelsea)

Arguably one of the most versatile defenders in the world. Full-back or centre-half, Ivanovic was solid as a rock for Chelsea this season. He is phenomenal on set-pieces as his winning goal against Benfica in the Europa League final proved.

Did you know?

No defender scored more goals than Ivanovic (five) during 2012-13.

DEFENDER – PATRICE EVRA (Manchester United)

It is a special full-back who can attack and defend in equal measure. An almost permanent fixture for Manchester United this season, at one point the 32-year-old seemed to be conducting his own goalscoring competition with Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta. The Frenchman ended up edging out his Argentine rival from across town.

Did you know?

Evra netted four league goals for United during 2012-13, twice as many as he had managed in his seven previous seasons at the club.

MIDFIELDER – YAYA TOURE (Manchester City)

He did not have the greatest FA Cup final but it was still another season full of commitment and endeavour for the midfielder. He might lack the touch of David Silva and the skill of Samir Nasri, but sadly for City both were missing for much of the campaign. Yaya hardly ever misses a game through injury, rarely gets suspended, and is the most competitive player in the team.

Did you know?

Only two players, Mikel Arteta and Michael Carrick, attempted more passes than Toure – 2,526 – this season.

MIDFIELDER – MICHAEL CARRICK (Manchester United)

Much to the annoyance of some, I have compared the 31-year-old to Paul Scholes. However the ‘quiet assassin’ has proved that he is capable of filling Scholes’s boots and that’s the reason why Sir Alex Ferguson decided against spending a fortune on Wesley Sneijder. Carrick is the perfect player to guide David Moyes and Manchester United into the post-Ferguson era.

Did you know?

Carrick is one of only four players to make more than 3,000 touches in the 2012-13 league campaign. Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Steven Gerrard are the others.

MIDFIELDER – JUAN MATA (Chelsea)

What a service Mata has done us by coming to the Premier League. Despite being half the size of most of his opponents he not only survives but dominates players with skill and technique. I spent a lot of time at Stamford Bridge during the 2012-13 campaign and Mata was a pleasure to watch.

Did you know?

Mata has provided a league-high 12 assists this season.

FORWARD – ROBIN VAN PERSIE (Manchester United)

I had the pleasure of interviewing Gianfranco Zola, the Watford manager, recently and we ended up spending all our time talking about the gifts of Van Persie. I don’t recall ever hearing a footballer talk about another with so much admiration – and Zola was a great player. Van Persie’s goals were crucial as United reclaimed the Premier League title but his debut season at Old Trafford proved he was just as good at turning provider as he was at finding the net.

Did you know?

Van Persie is not only the top scorer this season (26) but has also hit the woodwork a joint-high seven times.

FORWARD – GARETH BALE (Tottenham Hotspur)

The Football Writers’ Player of the Year, the PFA Player of the Year and the players’ Young Player of the Year. That says it all. A phenomenal season by Bale, who lit up the Premier League stage with some brilliant performances.

Did you know?

Bale scored nine goals from outside the box in 2012-13, four more than any other player.

FORWARD – CHRISTIAN BENTEKE (Aston Villa)

When Paul Lambert sits down and reflects on his first season in charge at Villa Park, he will look back at the signing of Benteke as a crucial factor. Quite simply, he is the most exciting striker I’ve seen since a young Michael Owen emerged. The question is, can the young Belgian do it again next season? And can Villa keep him?

Did you know?

Benteke scored or assisted 49% of Villa’s goals over the course of the season, the highest proportion for any player at any club in the Premier League during 2012-13.

Also related to this story

Benteke is a ‘monster’, says Delph

01 May 2013

Aston Villa
Bale a worthy winner of PFA awards

28 Apr 2013

Premier League
Carrick’s key role in title triumph

23 Apr 2013

Man Utd
Van Persie: Title worth the wait

22 Apr 2013

Man Utd
Man Utd 3 – 0 Aston Villa

22 Apr 2013

Premier League
Man Utd doubters drive Ferdinand

10 Apr 2013

Man Utd
Toure to stay at Man City until 2017

04 Apr 2013

Man City
Villa offer new contract to Guzan

01 Mar 2012

Aston Villa
Mata an astute signing

24 Aug 2011

Chelsea

BBC News – Home

The post Garth Crooks’s team of the season appeared first on TotallyWP.

Adobe unplugs Creative Cloud sync tool during transition

Aron Prins — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:42:05 +0000

Adobe argues that customers get more than just software with Creative Cloud subscriptions, but some Creative Suite customers object to what they see as a price increase.

(Credit:
Adobe Systems)

Unexpected instabilities forced Adobe Systems to hasten a planned outage for its Creative Cloud Connection, a service that keeps files made on mobile devices or uploaded to the Web in sync with customers’ PCs.

Adobe launched it a half year ago in a preview version, and had planned to take it offline this week to update the interfaces the software uses to communicate with Adobe’s servers. However, the company said in a blog post on Friday, ” some updates…have caused instability in the service. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you.”

As a result, Adobe took the PC sync part of the service offline earlier than planned:

To facilitate the transition from the preview, we are suspending the file sync desktop preview for the next couple of weeks while we finalize the updates for the initial full release. We plan to bring it back online prior to release, in order to allow additional testing. This does not affect mobile applications which use file sync.

You can, of course, continue to access and work with your files on your local system as well as via the Creative Cloud Web site. However, changes to local files will not be automatically synced to the Creative Cloud while the file sync preview is offline. You can continue to manually upload and download files to and from the Creative Cloud website.

Adobe is in the midst of a transition to a subscription business model and away from selling its
Creative Suite software through a perpetual license. It still sells perpetual licenses of new versions of CS6 and upgrades to it, but new features only arrive in the Creative Cloud versions.

The Creative Cloud subscription, which costs $ 50 per month for a full-year commitment or $ 75 for a single month, grants access to the full suite of Adobe software and some online services such as file synchronization, Web publishing, and Web fonts. Individual software programs also are available for $ 20 per month.

Perpetual-license fans, though, greeted the Creative Cloud subscriptions with a storm of criticism. Many who upgraded less frequently are worried about an effective price increase, and others don’t like the idea of losing the ability to edit their files at some point in the future unless they pay Adobe.

Adobe, though, promises faster updates to software and a gradually expanding array of online services.

To check whether those services are working, people can view Adobe’s Creative Cloud status dashboard.

CNET

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