The latest on Diving Fishers

Source: Telegraph.co.uk ()

Sir Fred’s bonus scuppered by RBS fall
By Iain Dey
Last Updated: 11:29pm GMT 22/12/2007

Sir Fred Goodwin, the chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, looks set to miss out on a bonus worth almost £1m, as a result of the bank’s diving share price.

Details buried in the bank’s last annual report reveal that Goodwin is in line for a £1.7m bonus from his medium-term bonus plan - in addition to his salary and other bonuses.

But RBS’s dismal returns to shareholders over the past three years will ensure most of the bonus does not pay out.

The lost bonus comes in a year that saw Goodwin lead the consortium that secured the £50bn acquisition of ABN Amro in the teeth of the credit crunch - a deal which has seen him earn the title Banker of the Year from some industry bodies.

RBS has generated a total shareholder return of minus 11 per cent over the three-year period linked to the bonus, according to analysts. The European banking sector has generated total returns of 54 per cent over the same period, leaving RBS’ performance well below many peers.

The same bonus scheme paid nothing to any RBS executives last year. But a change in the performance terms could see up to half the projected total payout.

Johnny Cameron, the head of RBS’s investment banking business, was in line for up to £800,000 from the same scheme. Gordon Pell, the bank’s head of retail operations, was in line for up to £700,000. Mark Fisher, the most senior former NatWest executive on the RBS board, could have made as much as £600,000 from the scheme.

Even Larry Fish, head of the Bank’s US division, was in line for a payout from the scheme - even though he has a separate scheme of his own.

The scheme operates on a three-year rolling performance basis. Cash allocated as a bonus for the bank’s performance in a given is set aside in an escrow account and only pays out to the executives in question …

Source: Independent Online ()

Marine rangers have retrieved almost 500kg of perlemoen that poachers had dumped on the ocean floor off Robben Island.

Marine rangers from the Table Mountain National Park collected the four large bags which were lying about 800m from the Robben Island shoreline, after a tip off from a commercial perlemoen fisher.

Table Mountain National Park operations manager Robin Adams said: “Several commercial divers diving at Robben Island called to tell us that they found the bags lying on the bottom of the ocean, about 800m from the shore.”

His said the poachers might have been scared off by a patrol, or that the poachers thought it was too risky to bring the collection ashore.

“The guys that dived this suffered a loss because they had to pay divers, fuel, and accommodation.

But the reward would have been very big if they had got away with it.”

He said most large perlemoen ended up leaving the country.

The perlemoen, would have retailed for up to R200 000 locally and could sell for up to R1million internationally, depending on who it was sold to.

Analysing the perlemoen after retrieval the rangers noted that the beaks were still pink and the guts were still there, which indicated that it was still fresh and that the poach may have taken place as recently as Wednesday night.

The retrieval follows several other busts in recent weeks.

In Kommetjie on Thursday, marine rangers in conjunction with the water wing of the police arrested two suspected crayfish poachers and recovered 160 undersized crayfish. A boat was also confiscated.

And in Ocean View police and rangers arrested a Grassy Park man and confiscated 100 crayfish tails that he had allegedly bought for R600.

Earlier this week five men were arrested more than 35 000 poached perlemoen seized when officials raided an illegal perlemoen processing warehouse near …

Source: Sports Network ()

Young and Titans remain in playoff hunt by outlasting Chiefs

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Vince Young threw for 191 yards and a pair
of touchdowns, and Rob Bironas booted four field goals as Tennessee downed
Kansas City, 26-17, to keep its playoff hopes alive at Arrowhead Stadium.

Young added another 32 yards on the ground for the Titans (8-6), who won for
the second time in three games but remained one game back in the AFC
wild card race. LenDale White ran for 93 yards on 24 carries and Roydell
Williams caught four passes for 94 yards and both Young touchdowns.

“It was the type of game that favored the defense because of the footing,”
Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “We are lucky we did enough to win.”

Brodie Croyle completed 25-of-43 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and
two interceptions for the reeling Chiefs (4-10), who have lost seven straight
games for the first time since 1987.

“We got in a good rhythm in the first half but we couldn’t sustain it,” said
Croyle. “We just couldn’t get anything going. I got better in one half. I am
improving but I just didn’t make enough plays.”

Kolby Smith ran for 82 yards on 18 carries and Dwayne Bowe had five receptions
for 64 yards.

Down 17-13, Tennessee went back on top late in the third quarter when Young
finished a quick three-play, 60-yard march by finding Williams for a 41-yard
score. Young used the pump-fake to freeze the corner and Williams raced down
the left sideline to give the Titans a 20-17 edge with 2:24 remaining in the
frame.

After the ensuing kickoff, Croyle went over the middle for Tony Gonzalez but
Michael Griffin was there to pick the ball off at the Chiefs 28. Moments later
Young found Bo Scaife inside the five and the tight end used a brilliant spin
move to slip in the end zone for an TD. But, the Titans were flagged
for holding, nullifying the play, and the team was forced …

Source: Indianapolis Star ()

Close competition and high intensity are anticipated today in the Hendricks County swimming meet at Brownsburg.

The host Bulldogs are the defending boys and girls champions, but they expect heat from last year’s runner-up Plainfield.

“I expect high intensity all day in both meets because of the rivalries,” said second-year Brownsburg coach Josh Saylor. “Our girls team is very deep, but our boys team is in transition because of graduation losses.”

The boys meet could be decided in the 400-yard freestyle relay, the 12th and final event. Last year, Brownsburg’s 1-2-4 finish in the backstroke propelled the boys to a 39-point win over Plainfield. The margin in the girls meet was 54 points over the Quakers.

In the boys meet, Brownsburg senior Aric Franzman is a returning double champion (individual medley and breaststroke). Matt Minkner is the defending 50 free champ.

“Every team has strong players and knows they need every point they can get,” Saylor said. “We will need break-out swims to defend our championship (because) Plainfield is strong, Avon can’t be overlooked and Danville has guys who can really swim.”

Plainfield has defending champions in four events: sophomore Michael Mohler (200 free, 500 free), senior Tyler Clingerman (diving) and senior Eron Cavanaugh (100 free).

Tri-West sophomore John Van Dyke is favored in the butterfly and will challenge Mohler in the 500 free. Avon sophomore Josh Miller is Franzman’s No. 1 competition. Cascade’s Joel Fisher is a threat in the 50 free and 100 free.

Danville is looking for top finishes from juniors Nathan Laforney (butterfly) and Richie Lefler (breaststroke, individual medley) plus freshman Cody Buchanan (backstroke).

Cascade is led by senior Joe Macri (butterfly, backstroke) and junior Teddy Clunie (individual medley).

In the girls meet, Claire Partlow (200 free, 500 free) and senior Valerie Jones (breaststroke) are among five Brownsburg girls …

Source: Independent Online ()

By Caryn Dolley

As frustrations among divers and fishing communities spread, outraged recreational fishers are now also rallying against a series of “unfair and crazy” limits and bans the department of environmental affairs has proposed.

And the rage escalated on Wednesday when Cape Town perlemoen divers heard the department had “welcomed” the failure of an urgent interdict they had brought against it.

But the divers said the interdict, over the department’s decision to allow perlemoen divers access to all turfs along the coast, had been struck off the court roll and would be heard at a later stage.

“I don’t understand how the department has said the interdict has failed when it was not dismissed and is expected to continue (in the Cape High Court) at a later date. The divers that brought the interdict against the department are dissatisfied,” Scott Russel, spokesperson of the SA Abalone Industry Association, said on behalf of the divers.

He said the Cape Town divers were losing out because Hawston divers were now allowed to operate in Cape Town.

“The department of environmental affairs said it would consult with the divers before changing this turf policy, but they did not. Cape Town abalone divers are not happy about this at all.”

Scott said he also opposed a possible scuba diving ban, which he called “ridiculous”.

Last week, Environmental Affairs Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who is currently in Bali, proposed a ban on scuba diving along most of the Cape of Good Hope Reserve at Cape Point, angering diving and snorkelling enthusiasts.

Since Tuesday 450 divers and others against the proposed ban had signed an Internet petition.

And in the latest proposal on Tuesday, Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) upset recreational representatives when it discussed reducing their bag limit of tuna nationally.

The MCM had told …

Source: 411mania.com ()

Feel free to send in your thoughts on the show! If you do, please include your BEST and WORST fight, and score the PPV from 0-10!

As usual here are my PICKS for the forum contest, same as I used in the news column this past Friday. If I do badly, I do badly, no big deal. Just remember that I have picked a ton of upsets this year, and I take pride in that.

Akihiro Gono vs. Tamden McCrory
Gono, Decision

Luke Caudillo vs. Marcus Aurelio
Aurelio, Decision

Jason Reinhardt vs. Joe Lauzon
Lauzon, Submission, RD1

Chris Lytle vs. Thiago Alves
Alves, Strikes, RD2

Frank Edgar vs. Spencer Fisher
Fisher, Strikes, RD2

Ryo Chonan vs. Karo Parisyan
Parisyan, Decision

Joe Doerksen vs. Ed Herman
Herman, Submission, RD1

Thiago Silva vs. Houston Alexander
Alexander, Strikes, RD2

Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans
Evans, Decision

UFC 78 – Validation~!:
-LIVE from Newark, New Jersey!

-Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan are our announce team.

-Goldberg puts over the Ultimate Fighter Series and the fact that this is the first main event based off of the show. Rogan discusses how important the fight is for both men.

-They run down the card.

-We get a video package for Frank Edgar vs. Spencer Fisher.

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT - Frank Edgar (7-0) vs. Spencer Fisher (21-3):

-The Fight: ROUND ONE: Dan Miragliotta is the official. They circle, jabs by Fisher. Good combo by Edgar, who is pushing. Edgar shoots and gets a great takedown. He looks to have a guillotine, Fisher escapes and Edgar into the guard. Edgar stands, up kicks by Fisher but Edgar back into the guard. Against the cage, and to their feet. A left and knee by Fisher, but Edgar sweeps the leg and takes him again. Fisher pulls guard, they both stay busy, no clear advantage here. Fisher tries to control …

Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle ()

Jeff DiVeronica
Staff writer

November 18, 2007 4:05 pm —

ONEONTA — One Section V boys soccer team left the National Soccer Hall of Fame this afternoon with a state championship, but the other did not.

Red Creek scored twice in the second half to beat Section IV’s Marathon, 3-1, and capture the Class C state crown, but despite leading by a goal with 15 minutes remaining, Webster Thomas lost the Class AA state title match, 4-2, to Vestal of Section IV.

The Titans (17-3-3), who lost in last year semifinals, were hampered by an early ankle injury to reigning All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year Matt Schuber, which slowed him down and kept him on the bench much of the time.

But Thomas took a 2-1 lead on Matt Krautwurst’s header off a pass from Pete DeJong 2½ minutes into the second half and protected it until Vestal (21-1-2) scored three times in a span of seven minutes, 22 seconds.

That started with a goal with 14:36 left on the clock on a rebound in front after a good diving save by goalie Bryan Deuel. Vestal took the lead with 9:54 to go on a well-placed 18-yard shot by top scorer Matt Kristek that hit the left post and bounced in.

The score went to 4-2 with 7:15 remaining when Kristek scored the last of his 37 goals this season, hammering a 17-yard shot inside the right post to stun Thomas, which was outshot 16-12.

The Titans fell behind 1-0 just 3:49 into the match, but answered four minutes later when Kraustwurst passed ahead to Schuber and he found DeJong in front. DeJong scored on a second-effort chance inside the six-yard box after the Vestal goalie made the initial save.

Red Creek seniors Colton Gregg and Anthony Roden scored the go-ahead goals midway through the second half to give the school its fifth state title overall. Ryan Fisher’s first-half goal had the Mules (18-4-2) to a 1-0 lead, but they allowed the tying goal just before intermission.

JDIVERON@DemocratandChronicle.com
…

Source: San Diego Union Tribune ()

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Chargers will be playing an indefinite amount of time without their oldest and most experienced player.

Fullback Lorenzo Neal, a 15-year veteran, suffered a fractured fibula on the third play of the fourth quarter of yesterday's 23-17 overtime victory at Tennessee. No other details were available, including the length of time Neal might be sidelined.

Reporters are not permitted to speak with the club's medical staff, but Chargers spokesman Bill Johnston said athletic trainer James Collins did not rule out Neal returning this season.

Neal, 36, was unavailable for comment, but LaDainian Tomlinson, who has relied on his friend's blocks for the past five seasons, said the Chargers would be losing “a great leader” and more.

“We're losing a physical aspect to our team, a guy that's very dominant at what he does, loves to go in there and just stick his head into the linebackers and D-linemen and whatever else that may get in front of him,” he said.

“I know he's a little bit older,” Tomlinson added with a smile, “but hopefully he can recover like a young man.”
Record-tying pick
Antonio Cromartie made his league-leading ninth interception in the first quarter, at the same time tying the 47-year-old team record of Charlie McNeil.

McNeil set the record in 14 games. It took Cromartie until six minutes into the season's 13th game. More remarkable, yesterday was just Cromartie's fifth start.

“What means a lot to me is the victory,” Cromartie said. “The record doesn't matter to me. I'm just going out and playing football and having fun.”
Had it all the way
Not surprisingly, the Chargers and Titans disagreed on whether Chris Chambers actually caught a fourth-down pass with 1:36 to play in the Referee Bill Carollo reviewed the play but said there was “not indisputable evidence to overturn the …

Source: Seattle Times ()

And off we go … it’s the holiday movie season, and as usual it’s a mixed bag of comedies, dramas, documentaries, musicals, and, well, Alvin and the Chipmunks. Among the season’s biggest questions: Can Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter sing well enough to bring the musical “Sweeney Todd” to vengeful life? Will “The Golden Compass” find the same vast young audience that “The Chronicles of Narnia” did? Does Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance in “There Will Be Blood” deserve all the hype it’s already getting? And will the teaming of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in “Charlie Wilson’s War” cause a movie-star implosion, or just a lot of drawling?

All these will be answered in the coming weeks, when the following movies (and more) arrive in theaters. Note that release dates are tentative, and can change faster than a snowflake melts on a windowsill.

Nov. 30

“Awake.” Hayden Christensen plays a man who wakes up during heart surgery (yikes); newcomer Joby Harold wrote/directed.

“Holly.” Like “Trade” earlier this year, “Holly” examines the global issue of sexual exploitation of children. Ron Livingston stars; Guy Moshe directs.

“How to Cook Your Life.” Life advice from a Zen Buddhist priest fills this documentary from Doris Dörrie (”Naked”).

“Redacted.” Brian De Palma, whose last outing was the very uneven noir “The Black Dahlia,” here tries something different: a fictional story based on real Iraq War events.

“War/Dance.” A prizewinner at the Sundance Film Festival, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine’s documentary focuses on three Northern Ugandan children competing in a music and dance festival.

“What Would Jesus Buy?” Well, he wouldn’t go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, at least according to activists Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Choir. Rob VanAlkemade directs; Morgan (”Super Size Me̶ produces.

Dec. 3

“Still Lives: The Films of Pedro Costa.” Northwest Film Forum presents a …

Source: The Ledger ()

LAKE BUENA VISTA
Scottie Reynolds scored 19 points and Corey Fisher added 18 to lead No. 20 Villanova to a 76-68 victory over Central Florida in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic on Thursday night. Reynolds made five free throws in the final 1:42, and Fisher and Reggie Redding also delivered clutch second-half performances for the Wildcats (3-0), who led by 12 in the first half and were up 10 in the second half before UCF (2-1) rallied to keep the outcome in doubt until the closing seconds.

O’Donnell led UCF with 24 points, 15 of them in the second half when he made four of his six 3-pointers. Dave Noel added 16 for the Knights, who fell to 1-17 all-time against ranked opponents - the lone victory coming against the College of Charleston in 2002.VILLANOVA (3-0) - Clark 3-6 0-0 6, Cunningham 2-6 0-0 4, Drummond 2-3 3-5 7, Reynolds 4-14 7-8 19, Redding 5-8 2-2 14, Pena 1-1 0-3 2, Grant 0-1 1-2 1, Fisher 6-13 2-2 18, Stokes 2-6 0-0 5. Totals 25-58 15-22 76.UCF (2-1) - Zondervan 2-3 5-6 9, Billings 2-4 1-2 5, Taylor 2-6 4-4 9, Noel 5-11 4-5 16, O’Donnell 7-15 4-6 24, Davis 0-0 0-1 0, Cartwright 1-4 3-4 5, Thornton 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-44 21-28 68.Halftime-Villanova 33-28. 3-Point Goals-Villanova 11-30 (Fisher 4-8, Reynolds 4-11, Redding 2-3, Stokes 1-5, Grant 0-1, Clark 0-2), UCF 9-18 (O’Donnell 6-12, Noel 2-3, Taylor 1-2, Cartwright 0-1). Fouled Out-Cartwright, Clark, Cunningham. Rebounds-Villanova 34 (Cunningham 6), UCF 30 (Cartwright 7). Assists-Villanova 17 (Reynolds 5), UCF 12 (Cartwright 4). Total Fouls-Villanova 24, UCF 21. A-3,457.No. 19 Southern Illinois 63, Chattanooga 41

ANAHEIM, Calif. | Randal Falker scored 21 points and Southern Illinois dominated the second half in a victory over Chattanooga in the opening round of the inaugural Anaheim Classic.

Bryan Mullins added 10 points for the who reached the final 16 of the NCAA tournament last season. Falker and Mullins are among …