South Carolina beats Liberty 6-4 to win regional

Posted on by

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- First-year South Carolina coach Chad Holbrook felt an increased energy in the Gamecocks dugout at the NCAA tournament's Columbia Regional that he hadn't seen all year.

''I got kind of mad, to be honest with you,'' Holbrook said. ''We played a lot of important games before this. Why now?''

Because it's the NCAA tournament. And few teams are better at home in the postseason the past decade than the Gamecocks, who won their 27th straight on their home field Monday in defeating Liberty 6-4 and reaching the best-of-3 super regional round for the fourth straight season.

The streak began in 2002 at defunct Sarge Frye Field with a five-run rally in the ninth to oust baseball power Miami. After 10 additional victories at ''The Sarge,'' the success moved over to $36.5 million Carolina Stadium the past four seasons with 16 more victories.

''They're near impossible to beat here,'' Liberty second baseman Bryan Aanderud said.

The Gamecocks (42-18) hope they get a chance to keep that going in the supers. The Columbia Regional champion was matched with the Chapel Hill Regional winner hosted by the tournament's No. 1 overall seed in North Carolina.

The Tar Heels, though, have a deciding game Monday evening against Florida Atlantic. A win by the Owls would mean more baseball where the Gamecocks like it best - at home. Holbrook saw that up close in 2003 as a North Carolina assistant when the Gamecocks beat the Tar Heels two straight to advance to the College World Series. He got an even better look since leaving his alma mater to join Ray Tanner's staff in 2009. As the Gamecocks head coach, Holbrook's glad he's on the right side of whatever mojo the program has going here.

''That's ridiculous,'' he said. ''We've put ourselves in the position to play at home and sometimes it seems like our fans won't let us lose.''

Designated hitter LB Dantzler drove in two runs Sunday as South Carolina built a 4-2 lead before the suspension.

Liberty (36-29) did what it could to end the streak when the game, which had been suspended because of rain Sunday night, resumed in the middle of the fifth. After the Gamecocks moved in front 6-2 on RBI hits by Graham Saiko and Tanner English, the Flames rallied with runs in the eighth and ninth. They had two on and two out when reliever Tyler Webb struck out Justin Sizemore to end things.

View original post here:

South Carolina beats Liberty 6-4 to win regional

Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island security plan reversed over concerns

Posted on by

By Alcione Gonzalez, CNN

updated 10:34 AM EDT, Tue June 4, 2013

Both islands were hard hit by Superstorm Sandy in October and have been closed since then.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Days after a senator and a police official raised security concerns, the Interior Department has reversed a National Parks Service plan to screen visitors only after they arrived by ferry at two of New York's landmarks -- Ellis and Liberty islands.

In a letter written to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel announced the change and requested that a security screening facility be built in Manhattan's Battery Park so visitors will be screened before embarking for the historic islands.

Jewell requested that the city immediately begin getting the permits to build a temporary security screening facility in Manhattan before the July 4th opening weekend for Liberty Island, which is home to the Statue of Liberty.

Both islands were hard hit by Superstorm Sandy in October and have been closed since then. Ellis Island will remain closed as it undergoes extensive repairs.

A National Parks Service spokesman said in a statement that the agency remains committed to implementing a plan that does not compromise the safety of their visitors.

"Safety will continue to be our number one priority as we re-establish a temporary screening facility at Battery Park," said park service spokesman John Warren. "We are prepared to begin work immediately and appreciate the partnership with the City of New York that we will need to allow for a reopening of the Statue on July 4."

Read this article:

Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island security plan reversed over concerns

Virtual Currency: Too Much Liberty?

Posted on by

If Al Capone were alive today, this is how he would be hiding his money," said U.S. prosecutors about Liberty Reserve, the popular digital currency site.

Liberty Reserve described itself as the oldest, safest and most popular payment processor... serving millions all around a world." However, the users in the mushrooming world of digital currencies were in for a rude shock on May 28 when Liberty was held up by U.S. regulators on charges of money-laundering operations amounting to $6 billion.

The regulators labeled Liberty as "the bank of choice for the criminals." The Costa Rica-based digital currency provider allowed users to convert euros or US dollars into Liberty Reserve Dollars or Liberty Reserve Euros simply by providing an email address. Moreover, these funds could be transferred to other real and digital financial institutions by being either anonymous or untraced.

Liberty: A Playground for Criminals

Liberty did not process cash payments made by clients directly. Rather, third party exchangers were employed to credit or debit the accounts of its clientele so that no sign remained of their banking and other personal information. This provided the leeway for criminal proceeds from frauds, including credit card scams, narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and child pornography, to name but a few.

Regulators charged Liberty for laundering billions of dollars from about 55 million transactions involving millions of clients all over the world, 200,000 from the U.S.

Seven people, including founder Arthur Budovsky, were charged by the U.S. regulatory body. Budovsky is no stranger to illegal money laundering activities. In 2006, he was found guilty of breaching money transmission guidelines associated with E-Gold. In 2011, he surrendered his U.S. citizenship and built a new financial network in Costa Rica.

Budovsky ran out of luck in that country, as well. His company was charged for violating money laundering rules in 2011. However, Costa Rican regulators were duped by a false computer portal which provided fake data. Meanwhile, Liberty continued to run its operations through subsidiary companies in Malaysia, Russia, Nigeria, Cyprus, Hong Kong and Australia.

No Liberty, No Crime?

Bitcoin, Litecoin and Namecoin are the main virtual currencies that accept real currency and convert it to electronic currency.

See the rest here:

Virtual Currency: Too Much Liberty?

Christopher Hitchens on Chechnya, Corporate Welfare, Smoking, and Libertarianism (1996) – Video

Posted on by


Christopher Hitchens on Chechnya, Corporate Welfare, Smoking, and Libertarianism (1996)
The Chechen Republic (Russian: #1063; #1077; #1095; #1077; #769; #1085; #1089; #1082; #1072; #1103; #1056; #1077; #1089; #1087; #1091; #769; #1073; #1083; #1080; #1082; #1072;, Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: #1053; #1086; #1093; #1095; #1080; #1081; #1085; #1056; #1077; #1089; #1087; #1091; #1073; #1083; #1080; #1082; #1072;, Noxiyn Respublika), commonly referred to...

By: thefilmarchived

Follow this link:

Christopher Hitchens on Chechnya, Corporate Welfare, Smoking, and Libertarianism (1996) - Video

Penn Jillette has DOUBTS about Libertarianism (but not atheism) – Video

Posted on by


Penn Jillette has DOUBTS about Libertarianism (but not atheism)
Penn talks about his questions and doubts about Libertarianism. I enjoyed reading the comments on the Bill Nye/Penn debate over Libertarianism. While I find Libertarian arguments to sound...

By: BackfirePictures

Read the original post:

Penn Jillette has DOUBTS about Libertarianism (but not atheism) - Video

Libertarian's Derby second place is highest ever finish by female-trained horse (Elaine Burke)

Posted on by

PUBLISHED: 16:49 EST, 1 June 2013 | UPDATED: 18:36 EST, 1 June 2013

With a wide-brimmed black hat and a conservative monochrome dress, Elaine Burke did not consider herself as an overt campaigner for women when she pulled up at Epsom trailing a horsebox on Saturday morning.

Not in the way tragic suffragette Emily Davison did when she arrived exactly 100 years ago.

But when Libertarian the horse Burke trains in Yorkshire crossed the line in second and still quickening to achieve the best ever finish for a female-trained horse in the Derby, she acknowledged the significance.

Close: Libertarian (left) finished second in the Derby on Saturday behind Ruler of the World

Achievement: Trainer Elaine Burke

Its nice to do it for the ladies, said Burke. Its the closest any woman has come to winning the Derby.

It is a century since Davison was fatally injured when she ran on to the course at Tattenham Corner and was pulled under a horse owned by King George V.

The monarchs granddaughter, The Queen, was at Epsom on Sunday, clad in pale blue and peering from her balcony as the big screen played a montage of Davison photographs.

It was a nod to the 100th anniversary of her death, but there was no finer tribute to the sacrifices made by the suffragettes than Burkes runner-up place.

See original here:

Libertarian's Derby second place is highest ever finish by female-trained horse (Elaine Burke)

Derby runner-up Libertarian out for revenge on Ruler Of The World in Irish Derby at the Curragh

Posted on by

Libertarian, who did not quite have the initial acceleration to match the winner at the top of the straight, passed four horses inside the last 100 yards to get up for second on the line when he did eventually hit his stride.

Dont be surprised if he steps up on what he did on Saturday, Burke said. If theyd gone a true gallop Im not saying hed have beaten Ruler Of The World but hed have been a bit closer.

"I think it would have enabled William [Buick] to have him in a slightly better position. As it was they were quite stacked up.

We were very pleased with him. We never normally feed them before they come home but they were late leaving the course after the race and the lads gave him a feed at Epsom, he polished off his haynet on the way home and had another feed when he got home at 11.30. Hes got a fantastic constitution.

The fallout from the Derby continued around Europe with Andr Fabre nominating the Grand Prix De Paris for Ocavango, fifth on Saturday.

He could have finished closer, Fabre said, but he met two bits of trouble its only what happens at Epsom all the time.

Fabre also plans to drop Sundays impressive French Derby winner, Intello, back to a mile for the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in August.

I think he will stay 12 furlongs if we want to run him in the Arc, he said. It is an unorthodox route to Longchamp in October and the obvious implication is to hold your bets for the Arc.

Andreas Wohler will drop Chopin, the first German horse in the Derby, back in trip. He didnt stay, he said of the colt, who finished seventh.

Frankie Dettoris search for a first winner since his ban moves on to Yarmouth, where he has four rides on Tuesday night. He was out of luck on his only mount at Windsor on Monday night but Movementneverlies was more competitive than his three previous domestic rides when finishing fourth behind Haley Turners mount, Harry Bosch, in the mile handicap.

Original post:

Derby runner-up Libertarian out for revenge on Ruler Of The World in Irish Derby at the Curragh