The media here mourned the 'crumbling of an empire' with Australia on the verge of losing the second Test against South Africa here and their first home series loss since 1992-93. The media asked the selectors to make wholesale changes in the team for the third and final Test starting in Sydney on January 3 and said if they don't do that they should also be sacked. Headlined 'Day that shook the world champs as Ricky Ponting's empire crumbles', 'The Australian' wrote, "Not even Ricky Ponting's tragic heroics can avoid the reality that if the selectors do not make wholesale changes for the last Test in Sydney then they, too, should be sacked."

The 'Sydney Morning Herald' echoed the sad reality of Australia's decline but sympathised with Ponting.

"An empire is crumbling around Ricky Ponting, who in agonising circumstances stands 153 runs away from becoming the first Australian captain in 16 years to preside over a series defeat on home soil," it said.

"The handover, when it came, was almost poetic. Captain Ricky Ponting had played an innings that amounted to a lone last stand against the usurpers from South Africa and the march of time," 'The Age' wrote under headline 'Winds of change at MCG'.

"All good things come to an end, but the end nonetheless often still comes as a shock. This was true of Ponting's innings and Australia's, metaphorically a long and good one, both suddenly over. Now Australia faces the quandaries of mere mortals. Who will replace Lee? What to do about Symonds, even Hussey and, of course, Hayden?" it added.

The 'Daily Telegraph' felt that signs of bickering have emerged in the Australian team with the imminent passing of the baton to other contenders. "One of the untold stories of this amazing Test series is that Australian players may be starting to turn against themselves. It is easy to be best mates when your side is so dominant that it destroys every opposition it confronts for almost two decades.

"What is much harder is to cling to the deck of the Titanic when the big ship is sinking and some of your mates are jumping into lifeboats," the newspaper said referring to questions raised by Clarke on some of Ponting's tactics.

"There have been some signs that all is not well between Australian teammates and there is no doubt that there are plenty of superstar egos out of joint." it said. 'Herald Sun', however, felt Ponting should be persisted with. Citing example of Allan Border's early reign as captain, it said Ponting too is a grafter who doesn't like losing.

Merry Christmas and a Very Very Happy New year to you! Love and Happiness From Namm

At the recent premiere of Sex and The City: The Movie, the audience was asked: Which one are you? Meaning, are you a Carrie (quirky, label-loving fashionista), a Charlotte (preppy Upper East Sider), a Miranda (minimalist, yet polished and professional), or a Samantha (bold, brash and oozing sex appeal)?

As the great Coco Chanel once said: “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different”.

Courtesy- Sarah Casselman, Fashion Magazine 

Oscar and the Sexiest Man Alive -- sharing the stage. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has confirmed that Hugh Jackman will host the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

The Academy Awards is getting a makeover with new producers, a new set director and even a new music director for the coming Oscars telecast on Feb. 22.

Jackman is no stranger to the stage; he was awarded the 2004 Best Actor Tony Award for The Boy From Oz. And in 2005, he won an Emmy for hosting 2004's Tony Awards. He currently stars in the romantic adventure film Australia and has never been nominated for an Academy Award.

The long-awaited new U2 album No Line on the Horizon finally has a release date; March 3. Bono and the gang (The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.) pushed back the launch from November to March because they weren’t satisfied with the project according to the Irish Independent.

The band recorded tracks around the globe including Dublin, New York, London and Morocco for their 12th studio album and follow up to their Grammy winning record How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

US light crude for January delivery were down 51 cents at $35.71 a barrel by 1100 GMT. It earlier touched $35.62, the lowest since June 2004.

London Brent crude was trading 59 cents up at $43.95.

Oil prices have fallen by more than $110 from their peak above $147 in July. They look set for their second biggest weekly decline since 2003.

"Until traders see a sustained drop-off in the rate of demand destruction, the market will have a hard time establishing a floor," Jonathan Kornafel, Asia Director of Hudson Capital Energy, said.

"From a credibility standpoint, OPEC has no choice but to bite the bullet for the next few months."

Oil has continued to drop despite pledges by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) this week to remove 2.2 million barrels per day from its supply, which will be the largest ever reduction by the producer group.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, speaking in London, said on Friday the kingdom would be pumping less oil in January and would be at its new output target in line with the group's latest cut.

Other key markets were also falling on Friday. The dollar looked set for its biggest weekly decline since 1985 and world stocks fell as concerns about the US economy worried investors in the last full trading week of 2008.

OUTLOOK

Because of the worldwide credit squeeze, many analysts now expect a drop in oil use this year, the first demand contraction since 1980.

Some doubt OPEC, whose third production cut since September has brought its total reduction to over 4 million bpd or 5 per cent of world supply, will fully implement the agreed cuts, further weighing on prices.

"We believe that full implementation of the cuts is unlikely," said Goldman Sachs analysts in a note to clients.

Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said on Thursday oil prices were responding to the global economic recession and investors would have to see how much actual supply cuts OPEC would deliver to the market.

But OPEC President Chakib Khelil said on Friday he believed oil prices had found a floor around current levels.

"I don't believe there is any reason for it to fall...

Courtesy-Financial Express  

Scotch is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages of all time, after all it has been around for hundred of years however, little thought is usually given to the actual origin of this popular drink. As the name suggests, Scotch was originally produced in Scotland by Friar John Cor. After distillation was introduced by Scottish monks in 1494, fine scotch became a popular drink.

To the dismay of Scotch and other whiskey drinkers, whiskey was first taxed in 1644. This caused a rise in the number of what we would today call “bootleggers” who made and sold Scotch whiskey illegally. Later in 1823, the Scottish Parliament made it easier for one to own a licensed distillery and harder for illegal whiskey stills to stay in business. This began the modern production of Scotch whiskey.

Today, fine scotch whiskey production is much more technologically advanced: It has to be in order to keep up with the demand for this popular drink. However, you won’t find fine Scotch made here in the U.S, in order to adorn the name "Scotch" the whiskey must be distilled and matured in Scotland.