Raikkonen signs two year deal with Lotus Renault

The Lotus Renault GP F1 team announced earlier today that Kimi Raikkonen will race for them in the 2012 season. The 2007 World Champion, who left Formula 1 at the end of 2009 to pursue a career in rallying, has decided to make a comeback at the pinnacle of single-seater racing. He has now signed a two-year agreement with the Enstone based team.

Raikkonen’s F1 roll of honour includes 18 wins, 62 podiums and 16 pole positions. This experience and success is sure to help Lotus Renault make a step forward next year. The 32-year-old Finn’s commitment indeed makes for a vote of confidence in Lotus Renault GP, demonstrating the team’s determination and new philosophy for the seasons ahead.

“I’m delighted to be coming back to Formula 1 after a two-year break, and I’m grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity,” said Raikkonen. “My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver, but I can’t deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming. It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP as I have been impressed by the scope of the team’s ambition. Now I’m looking forward to playing an important role in pushing the team to the very front of the grid.”

“All year long, we kept saying that our team was at the start of a brand new cycle. Backstage we’ve been working hard to build the foundations of a successful structure and to ensure that we would soon be able to fight at the highest level”, added Genii Capital Chairman Gerard Lopez. “Kimi’s decision to come back to Formula 1 with us is the first step of several announcements which should turn us into an even more serious contender in the future. Of course, we are all looking forward to working with a world champion. On behalf of our staff, I’d like to welcome Kimi to Enstone, a setting that has always been known for its human approach to Formula 1.”

Lotus Renault

Lotus Renault GP and Heidfeld announce separation

The Lotus Renault GP team along with Nick Heidfeld have reached an amicable settlement today and have chosen to part company with immediate effect.

“Our disagreement with Nick has been the subject of much media coverage lately, and we are pleased to have reached a swift and reasonable solution,” said Lotus Renault GP Team Principal Eric Boullier.

“Our separation process was already a painful one, and neither of us wanted to go through another legal hearing. We’re very grateful to Nick for the highly valuable contribution he’s made to the team. We certainly had good times together, in particular remembering our podium finish in Malaysia,” he continued.

“He is a very strong and determined racer and we wish him every success in the future,” he added.

“Obviously I’m disappointed to be leaving Lotus Renault GP in the middle of the season,” said Heidfeld.

“I thought I could still make a big contribution to the team, but I have to see things as they are and I want to turn my attention to the future. We have taken the right decision by choosing to end our collaboration today.”

“I would like to wish all the friends I made at Enstone a successful end to the season. One thing is for sure – I’ll be back racing at the highest level soon,” added the German.

Lotus Renault GP

Teen Author Takes on High School Mean Girls

Remember the good old days, when teenagers were mainly concerned about how to get through the school year without spending too much time on exams and homework, while still getting acceptable grades or trying to figure out how to fix a broken heart?

These days, things have become much more complicated (and dramatic) as today’s youth feel peer pressure to keep up with the latest trends. For boys, this mainly means gadgets, but for girls, it is fashion. Not wearing the right pair of shoes for the first day of school, for example, can mean disaster.

That, at least, is the impression one gets when reading the novel “Brandsetters: An Inner Circle Novel,” written by 16-year-old Indonesian student Natasha Alessandra and published by Buah Hati. But even at her young age, this is not Natasha’s first foray into the world of literature. When she was only 8, she had her first book, “The Adventure of Molly,” published.

“Brandsetters” is set in New York City at West Pacific Preparatory School and follows the lives of the wealthy children of the city’s elite.

Sound familiar? Natasha’s novel is less-than-subtly inspired by “Gossip Girl,” both the books by Cecily von Ziegesar and the TV series that is now in its fifth season and has enjoyed tremendous success, especially among younger audiences.

One of the main characters in “Brandsetters,” Alexandria Blair Masen, or Lexi, has a striking resemblance to Blair Waldorf, the queen bee of “Gossip Girl,” and it is not only a name they share: just like “Gossip Girl’s” Blair, Lexi is described as the leader of her group of friends, and, from time to time, reveals a rather nasty side.

Natasha even lets Lexi wear headbands every day — anyone familiar with “Gossip Girl” knows that headbands are one of Blair’s trademarks.

The plot is simple. Lexi and her best friends Keira, Roxy and Meg are the most popular girls in school; rich, beautiful and fashionable. They call their clique “The Inner Circle,” and it is these four girls, led by Lexi, who decide which of the other students are cool, and which ones are losers and outcasts.

When Taryn, a new girl, comes into the picture, the status quo slowly falls apart. Things become even worse when an anonymous blog, “Gossipgurlxox729,” (go figure) spreads rumors about the four friends that turn them against one another.

The novel is a light and easy read, though predictable, and plays with the new technology that teenagers these days can’t seem to live without: some passages of the book consist entirely of BlackBerry conversations, blog entries and multiple person chats.

In that regard, “Brandsetters” paints a vivid and accurate picture of how the younger generation has embraced the digital and high-tech world, and more than that, how they manipulate it.

Natasha takes a lot of time describing the clothes that the girls — and boys — wear, from their Roberto Cavalli dresses and Alexander McQueen high heels to mounds of accessories and flashy jewelry.

Unfortunately, that is precisely the wrong kind of message to send to young readers, that what you wear determines your happiness in high school. Honesty, kindness or reliability are thrown out the window and even the story’s villain learns that revenge comes in the form of a publicly ruined dress.

Natasha said during the March 30 release of the book at the Times bookstore in Pacific Place mall in Jakarta that she prefers to write in English. She has certainly accomplished a lot for someone her age, and “Brandsetters” shows her potential as an author. Publishing such an accomplished novel at such a young age should serve as an inspiration to other young Indonesians to follow their dreams, regardless of their age.

The story, however, lacks the same inspiration. Natasha has explained that many of the occurrences and characters in her book are based on real-life people and her own experiences. And that, to be frank, is quite a scary thought.

Of course there is no harm in teenagers developing an interest in fashion. But to have their entire lives revolve around it, and to judge others based only on that, is definitely not a character trait that we would like to see young Indonesians grow up with.

First Arab Sumo Wrestler Chases Glory in Japan

Tokyo. With legs resembling tree trunks and packing the body weight of two average-sized men, sumo wrestling’s “Great Sandstorm” would seem a good fit for the wildly popular Japanese sport.

But Egypt’s Abdelrahman Ahmed Shaalan, the first professional sumo wrestler from both the African continent and Arab world, faces some mighty challenges as he embarks on a quest to become a yokozuna, or grand champion.

The man known by the ring name Osunaarashi, which translates as Great Sandstorm, prays five times a day as a devout Muslim, a tough routine given the intense daily training schedule required for sumo’s highly ritualized contests.

Small in number, foreigners are vital members of tradition-bound sumo as more Japanese youngsters with high athletic abilities tend to choose baseball, football and other lucrative or more high-profile sports with less rigid conventions.

Mongolians have been a dominant force in the top ranks for years, although Shaalan is among the sport’s first Muslim competitors.

As such, the 20-year-old does not touch the deep-fried pork cutlets loved by millions of Japanese or drink vast quantities of beer and rice wine sake, staples of a diet that sumo wrestlers rely on to bulk up.

Muslims avoid pork and alcohol.

But Shaalan, who quit his university accounting degree to enter sumo’s professional ranks, is undeterred, even brushing aside the challenges presented by the holy month of Ramadan when he cannot eat or drink during daylight hours.

Regular sumo tournaments are held in the afternoon.

“I am confident that I can overcome my challenges,” the burly wrestler told Japanese media last month after winning his first two professional-level matches at a tournament in the western city of Osaka.

Shaalan, a native of Giza, which is home to Egypt’s pyramids, insisted he was able to train for at least four hours in the daytime during the Islamic celebration.

“I want to become a wrestler who represents Arab and African nations.... My dream is to become a yokozuna,” said the Egyptian, who stands at 189 centimeters (6 ft 2 ins) and weighs 145 kilograms (320 pounds).

He did, however, concede: “I am a little bit worried. But no problem.”

Japan’s sumo association could not say whether the Great Sandstorm is the sport’s first Muslim competitor. There have been unconfirmed reports of Muslim sumo wrestlers in the past.

His coach, a former wrestler known as Otake, has promised he’ll keep his new recruit in top shape, even changing the recipe for a meat, vegetable and fish stew known as Chankonabe which wrestlers devour on a daily basis.

“When we serve pork cutlet, we prepare chicken cutlet for him. When we use pork for Chankonabe, we let him eat something else,” the coach said.

“But I want him to get used to the customs and traditions of the sumo world otherwise.”

Shaalan’s coach is most concerned about keeping his young apprentice focused amid the media storm sparked by the newcomer’s spectacular debut, which included dumping his Japanese opponent with a powerful arm throw.

“It was very exciting,” declared the novice, who was not allowed to do a one-on-one interview under sumo association guidelines for new recruits.

Otake was less enthusiastic about the victories that earned Shaalan a coveted spot in the sport’s bi-monthly tournaments, although he will start at the bottom of the rankings at the next meeting in May.

“He needed to crouch lower in exchanging thrusts,” the sumo master said, adding that his apprentice was not flexible enough to do the splits.

“I will teach him to become more humble as his ranking rises.”

Shaalan’s arrival in the pro ranks came after he won an open-class bronze medal at the 2008 world junior sumo championships and an over-100 kilogram bronze at the 2010 edition.

Despite its popularity, the sport has suffered in recent years with a hugely damaging bout-fixing scandal that infuriated the public and forced the resignations of about two dozen wrestlers and a stablemaster.

Sometimes brutal training methods and allegations of illegal drug use have also come under the microscope.

None of that is likely to turn off the determined Shaalan, whose love affair with sumo began at the age of 15 when he was invited by a friend to a practice session.

“I was impressed by the strength of sumo wrestlers who behaved as if nothing had happened even after they lost or got tired,” he said.

“I want the world to understand sumo.”

Agence France-Presse

Manchester City Cannot Win English Premier League, Coach Mancini Says

Manchester, England. Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, insisted on Wednesday his team cannot win the Premier League title because of Manchester United’s superior team spirit.

In a bizarre post-match press conference, following City’s emphatic 4-0 victory over West Brom at Eastlands which brought his team to within five points of the leaders with five games remaining, Mancini refused to accept his club can overhaul the defending champions.

“United is a fantastic team and I don’t think they can lose five points,” said Mancini. “For us it’s important we finish this season well. For us, it has been the best season since 1968, for us that’s important.

“Always I will fight, every day. Also my team but now I think it’s too late. It’s not mind games. United have a fantastic spirit, we don’t have the same spirit. For this reason, it’s very difficult.

“I spoke with my players before the game and said it’s important we finish this season well because it is the best season since ‘68 when Manchester City won the championship. We need to do our best until the end.

“It’s important we play very well like we did for 28 games.”

Mancini challenged his side to complete home and away victories over United when the two Manchester rivals collide at Eastlands on April 30.

“For us it’s also important to beat United here so we have beaten them two times this season. The guys will do their best because we are professional. We had a good season, we want to finish well,” he said.

City won easily against Albion with two goals from Sergio Aguero, one from David Silva and a first goal of the campaign from Carlos Tevez, who started his first game for the club since September.

The Blues also looked vastly improved without the distraction provided by Mario Balotelli, who was serving the first of a three-match suspension following his red card at Arsenal on Sunday, although Mancini insisted that he will throw him straight back into the fray when his ban is complete.

“I’m pleased with all the players,” he said. “It was important to come back to play like one month ago, to score four goals. I’m happy for Carlos because he scored one but he is not ready maybe for 90 minutes. It’s difficult. He scored, I’m happy for Aguero who scored another two goals.

“And it’s important Mario got only three games. I thought he would get six or seven games. And if Carlo continues to play, he can improve his performances for us.

“I thought in the dressing room (on Sunday) Mario would take a six or seven game ban so yes, he will play when he is available. He will be ready for Man United!”

Tevez’s performance was so impressive that he was even afforded a standing ovation by supporters when he was substituted in the second half - a far cry from earlier in the season when Mancini insisted his City career was over.

“It’s normal,” said Mancini. “Carlos made a mistake like Mario. I think once a guy apologises, everything is finished. When one player like Carlo scores, it’s important for the supporters. They understand the situation.”

City now face Norwich on Saturday while United host Aston Villa on Sunday with the title race seemingly destined for a few more twists - not that Mancini claims to know too much of what is going on currently.

“I thought United played tomorrow,” said Mancini. “I didn’t know. Only when they finished the game I knew they played tonight. I didn’t know why our fans were cheering during the game.

“We play Norwich in another three days, it will be very tough. We can put pressure back on United but only for 30 minutes, two hours. I would be surprised. For me, United are a really top team and I don’t feel they can lose five points.”

At least West Brom manager Roy Hodgson believes that the title race is now wide open.

“Making up five points in five games is better than eight points in five games,” he said. “Sir Alex (Ferguson) will be disappointed not to have got something from the Wigan game.

“But City stil have to reel in those five points. The title race is more interesting now than it was before tonight but there is still an awful long way to go. I think both teams are playing well.”

Agence France-Presse

Lenovo LePad S2010

Specifications
Lenovo LePad S2010
Network2G
3G

HSDPA 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
265.9 x 183.4 x 9.9 mm (10.47 x 7.22 x 0.39 in)
670 gram
IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
800 x 1280 pixels, 10.1 inches (~149 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot


16 GB, 1 GB RAM
microSD, up to 32 GB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB


EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps, HSPA
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
v2.1 with A2DP, EDR

microUSB v2.0
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java
Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread), planned upgrade to v4.0 (ICS)
Dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion
Email, Push Email, IM
Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
HTML, Adobe Flash

Yes
Yes
8 MP, autofocus, LED flash
Yes
Black/orange
via Java MIDP emulator
- Loudspeaker
- Multitouch
- 3.5mm jack
- Geo-tagging
- Accelerometer, compass (sensors)
- HDMI port
- MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC player
- MP4/H.264 player
- Document viewer
- Organizer
- Predictive text input
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Non-removable Li-Ion 7560 mAh battery (28 Wh)
Up to
Up to 11 h

Image: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_lepad_s2010-pictures-4441.php

Titanic`s last lunch menu sells for $122,000

A menu for the last luncheon served to first class passengers on the doomed Titanic sold for £76,000 ($122,000, 91,000 euros) at a British auction on Sunday (April 1).

The menu, dated April 14, 1912 -- the night the biggest, most ambitious ship of the age hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank, killing 1,514 people -- was the star lot in an auction of Titanic memorabilia.

A Britain-based collector bought the menu, which had been on the table of American banker Washington Dodge, at the Henry Aldridge and Son saleroom in Devizes, southwest England.

The dishes on offer to the ship`s wealthiest passengers included chicken a la Maryland -- otherwise known as fried chicken with creamy gravy -- and eggs Argenteuil, a plate of poached eggs with asparagus.

"The menu carries the all-important date of April 14 and gives the reader a fascinating insight into the culinary life of Titanic`s elite passengers," said auctioneer Andrew Aldridge.

Other dishes on the menu, which included over 40 options in total over several courses, included galatine of chicken and grilled mutton chops.

Dodge`s wife Ruth had slipped the paper into her handbag after lunch, unaware that she would be carrying it onto a lifeboat that evening.

The couple and their son Washington Junior survived the tragedy, and the menu had stayed in the family ever since. (U.C003)

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