Friday, September 28, 2012
JUMPING THE GUN ?
Transcript of Kick It Out campaign Chairman Lord Herman Ouseley interview on the BBC
Richard Bacon: Are you pleased with this verdict?
Herman Ouseley: This is not about being pleased or not pleased. Its not about recriminations. Its about how football actually moves forward from here. Its spent 11 months going through the ringer in which people are hearing all sorts of things. Its created divisiveness amongst different people who are campaigning to make football a better spectacle, a better place to be for all who play and watch the game. There are 7 million people who play football on a regular basis and we want them to be playing football in an atmosphere in which there is little or no abuse.
RB: Is there an argument though Gordon was explaining there that the bar you have to clear is different in the court of law and as we said the context was important and the FA have a lower bar and perhaps John Terry was anticipating this guilty verdict when he made his decision to quit international football on Sunday. But is it right that the bar is lower? Shouldn't the FA take into account context?
HO: This isn't about bars, this is about the disciplinary rules of the regulatory that governs football in this country. It has its rules set out. It has a responsibility to administer those rules. If young people playing football this week on the pitch use abusive language the FA has a responsibility to bring them under its rules and deal with them.
RB: But are the rules right?
HO: The rules apply to young people, they apply to amateur football, they apply to all professionals. Why should people at the top of football be exonerated?
RB: No one is saying that.
HO: You're implying that. You're going on about a bar. Its the same for everyone. Every professional body has its professional rules.
RB: A bar can be in place
HO: A criminal offence is quite different from professional conduct.
RB: A bar can be in the same place for everyone. It doesn't mean necessarily that the bar is in the right place.
HO: Every professional body sets its rules for that profession as it applies to that profession.
RB: So say somebody said something really abusive to me and I said back to them did you just say that word to me? That wouldn't be me abusing that person.
HO: I wasn't there. That is something that has already been tried and John Terry has been cleared of that. My position is that I'm interested in how we help the next generation of young people playing football to know what is required of them in terms of their conduct and the implications if they behave badly. That's what were trying to do every day and a lot of people have been working to try to instill that in the next generation of footballers and we've got to have role models and exemplars who can help us do that. Its what you want in a sport. We've just had the Olympics and the Paralympics and we've seen what the morality of sport means for people in setting that bar in which you shake hands be proud to be competing and not abusing each other. That's what we want to see in football.
RB: My final point would be, if you look at it from John Terry's point of view, if lets just say that what hes said is completely accurate and take him at his word, from his point of view, this judgement, he will think that people will hear this judgement and they will think that he is a racist. And his argument is that he is not a racist.
HO: And I would absolutely understand that. This isn't about John Terry being a racist, and clearly no one should be accusing, and no one has accused John Terry of that. But I cant speak for John Terry and John Terry clearly can speak for himself or indeed for Anton Ferdinand. But a lot of people have been hurt by what has gone on - on all sides - and this issue has created divisiveness and this is not a criticism of everyone, its saying we have to pull together collectively to move forward in a way that makes football a better place where the sort of language that is used every day on the field of play has to stop.
I think you'll find, Lord Ouseley that word has gotten out, even if it's inaccurate.
Richard Bacon: Are you pleased with this verdict?
Herman Ouseley: This is not about being pleased or not pleased. Its not about recriminations. Its about how football actually moves forward from here. Its spent 11 months going through the ringer in which people are hearing all sorts of things. Its created divisiveness amongst different people who are campaigning to make football a better spectacle, a better place to be for all who play and watch the game. There are 7 million people who play football on a regular basis and we want them to be playing football in an atmosphere in which there is little or no abuse.
RB: Is there an argument though Gordon was explaining there that the bar you have to clear is different in the court of law and as we said the context was important and the FA have a lower bar and perhaps John Terry was anticipating this guilty verdict when he made his decision to quit international football on Sunday. But is it right that the bar is lower? Shouldn't the FA take into account context?
HO: This isn't about bars, this is about the disciplinary rules of the regulatory that governs football in this country. It has its rules set out. It has a responsibility to administer those rules. If young people playing football this week on the pitch use abusive language the FA has a responsibility to bring them under its rules and deal with them.
RB: But are the rules right?
HO: The rules apply to young people, they apply to amateur football, they apply to all professionals. Why should people at the top of football be exonerated?
RB: No one is saying that.
HO: You're implying that. You're going on about a bar. Its the same for everyone. Every professional body has its professional rules.
RB: A bar can be in place
HO: A criminal offence is quite different from professional conduct.
RB: A bar can be in the same place for everyone. It doesn't mean necessarily that the bar is in the right place.
HO: Every professional body sets its rules for that profession as it applies to that profession.
RB: So say somebody said something really abusive to me and I said back to them did you just say that word to me? That wouldn't be me abusing that person.
HO: I wasn't there. That is something that has already been tried and John Terry has been cleared of that. My position is that I'm interested in how we help the next generation of young people playing football to know what is required of them in terms of their conduct and the implications if they behave badly. That's what were trying to do every day and a lot of people have been working to try to instill that in the next generation of footballers and we've got to have role models and exemplars who can help us do that. Its what you want in a sport. We've just had the Olympics and the Paralympics and we've seen what the morality of sport means for people in setting that bar in which you shake hands be proud to be competing and not abusing each other. That's what we want to see in football.
RB: My final point would be, if you look at it from John Terry's point of view, if lets just say that what hes said is completely accurate and take him at his word, from his point of view, this judgement, he will think that people will hear this judgement and they will think that he is a racist. And his argument is that he is not a racist.
HO: And I would absolutely understand that. This isn't about John Terry being a racist, and clearly no one should be accusing, and no one has accused John Terry of that. But I cant speak for John Terry and John Terry clearly can speak for himself or indeed for Anton Ferdinand. But a lot of people have been hurt by what has gone on - on all sides - and this issue has created divisiveness and this is not a criticism of everyone, its saying we have to pull together collectively to move forward in a way that makes football a better place where the sort of language that is used every day on the field of play has to stop.
I think you'll find, Lord Ouseley that word has gotten out, even if it's inaccurate.
TODAY'S JOKE
Abu Hamza's lawyer has just confirmed he is going to appeal his High Court defeat against deportation to America on terrorism charges to the highest court in the land.
He's just waiting on the Football Association to set a date for the hearing.
I'll get me dishadasha !
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Liverpool v Man Utd - Chant Reports
Report created by sky sports news describing the scenes of disgusting disrespect between the 2 sets of supporters. Sorry for poor sound and picture quality.
Mark Halsey has made a complaint to Greater Manchester Police after he was the subject of malicious tweets.
Two tweets were sent by supporters who claimed to be Liverpool fans, both of which were met with outrage from other users
. One, from an account named @johnwareing1, read: ‘I hope Mark Halsey gets cancer again and dies’ while one from @lfcjohn259 read: ‘Mark Halsey should’ve died of cancer.’ The post from @lfcjohn259 was deleted and the @johnwareing1 account was removed completely.
Mark Halsey has made a complaint to Greater Manchester Police after he was the subject of malicious tweets.
Two tweets were sent by supporters who claimed to be Liverpool fans, both of which were met with outrage from other users
. One, from an account named @johnwareing1, read: ‘I hope Mark Halsey gets cancer again and dies’ while one from @lfcjohn259 read: ‘Mark Halsey should’ve died of cancer.’ The post from @lfcjohn259 was deleted and the @johnwareing1 account was removed completely.
LYME DISEASE: THE GREAT IMITATOR
The symptomology of Lyme disease is varied and diverse, resulting in significant difficulty in diagnosis. Known as “the great imitator,” Lyme disease can mimic the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MS, ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, as well as more than some 350 other diseases. When patients do present with a number of infections and co-infections, including other tick-Born infections, it is this complicated presentation that we call Lyme Disease Complex.
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WHAT HAPPENED TO LYMES CLASSIC BULLS EYE RASH ? An initial bite from a tick can cause a rash that will appear in three months to a year. While the characteristic “bull’s eye” rash (erythema migrans) is associated with Lyme disease, the rash only appears in an estimated 50% of infected individuals, or it may appear in a different form. If this rash does appear, it will generally wane over a two to a four-week period. 70 percent of all patients who do present with Lyme disease complex never recall such a rash.
A REVIEW OF LYME DISEASE COMPLEX SYMPTOMS In the first month to six weeks following a bite from an infected tick, the initial symptoms that appear may include flu-like symptoms such as malaise, chills, fever, sore throat, achiness, and swollen lymph nodes. After these symptoms pass, infected persons will generally develop muscle and joint pain, which can be severe, temporary, and manifest in different areas. Shooting, burning, and prickling sensations, as well as numbness, may also be experienced. Neurological problems, such as facial paralysis may also occur, in addition to encephalitis and cognitive dysfunction, such as short-term memory loss. Panic, anxiety, or depression can also be caused by the infection.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER Importantly, Lyme disease does not follow the same course in all individuals. It is also worthy to note from our experienced LLMD (Lyme Literate Doctors) that clinically the patient may have multi-autoimmune disease diagnosis in addition to memory problems, word, name and other memory recall issues along with neurological and digestive symptoms as well.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and Europe, and one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the United States and the United Kingdom.
.
WHAT HAPPENED TO LYMES CLASSIC BULLS EYE RASH ? An initial bite from a tick can cause a rash that will appear in three months to a year. While the characteristic “bull’s eye” rash (erythema migrans) is associated with Lyme disease, the rash only appears in an estimated 50% of infected individuals, or it may appear in a different form. If this rash does appear, it will generally wane over a two to a four-week period. 70 percent of all patients who do present with Lyme disease complex never recall such a rash.
A REVIEW OF LYME DISEASE COMPLEX SYMPTOMS In the first month to six weeks following a bite from an infected tick, the initial symptoms that appear may include flu-like symptoms such as malaise, chills, fever, sore throat, achiness, and swollen lymph nodes. After these symptoms pass, infected persons will generally develop muscle and joint pain, which can be severe, temporary, and manifest in different areas. Shooting, burning, and prickling sensations, as well as numbness, may also be experienced. Neurological problems, such as facial paralysis may also occur, in addition to encephalitis and cognitive dysfunction, such as short-term memory loss. Panic, anxiety, or depression can also be caused by the infection.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER Importantly, Lyme disease does not follow the same course in all individuals. It is also worthy to note from our experienced LLMD (Lyme Literate Doctors) that clinically the patient may have multi-autoimmune disease diagnosis in addition to memory problems, word, name and other memory recall issues along with neurological and digestive symptoms as well.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and Europe, and one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
AN EXPLOSIVE SITUATION
"During a local club match in Isfahan,Iran some spectators threw a hand grenade on field,a player found it and thought it was some other object and threw it on sidelines just in time,if he had done this a few seconds later his hand would have been blasted.The game was called off and police have started investigating this case."
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
BRIAN WOOLNOUGH: 'AN ABSOLUTE GENT
BRIAN WOOLNOUGH was the leading sports writer of his generation. But more than that Wooly - as he was known to millions - was an absolute gentleman and a true lover of sport.
He treated everyone he met, from rookie reporter to football superstar, the same.
You knew exactly what you would get from Brian: Never moody, always bright, cheerful and ready to tackle his workload - no matter how heavy.
He may have had strong views, as a top columnist it would have been unthinkable not to, but he was happy to listen and respect those of others.
It was impossible to tell if Brian was feeling the pressure because whatever was asked of him he took on without complaint.
That made him immensely popular with the office. Ask Brian for a thousand words on any sporting topic and you could bank on him replying: “How long have I got?”.
Wooly adored his job and never lost his passion for sport, particularly football and cricket.
He did not go to college or university, having left school at 16. But Brian had raw talent and knew throughout his glittering career what made a story.
Even when he was very ill he watched an England against South Africa cricket match as if he was going to write about it.
He was as passionate about sport in his 60s as he was as a rookie reporter aged 16.
And Brian never shied away from asking the toughest questions, being both feared and admired by football’s elite.
He started his career at the Esher News in Surrey after his mum saw an advert in the paper for a cub reporter.
After the Evening Post in Hemel Hempstead and United Newspapers he was head-hunted by The Sun, where he worked his way up to became chief football writer.
He stayed there for 27 years.
It would have been longer if he hadn’t been snapped up by the Daily Star in 2001, where he was handed the job of chief sportswriter and columnist on The Daily Star, covering all the major sporting events around the world.
The man who succeeded him at The Sun, his pal Shaun Custis, said: “It felt like trying to replace Alan Shearer.
“Like Shearer, Wooly was renowned for hitting the target and hitting it hard.”
Brian also worked at Sky, starting on Hold the Back Page in 1994. He was co-host of Jimmy HIll’s Sunday Supplement from its start in August 2001, becoming full-time presenter of Sunday Supplement in 2007.
Sky’s The Footballers Football Show, TalkSport, Radio Five Live and Breakfast TV also valued greatly his expertise.
Not many sports writers are asked for their autographs but Brian was, often.
Fans would also seek him out for a chat at stadiums and he always obliged.
He spoke to them like they were a friend - and you could often be mistaken for thinking they were. That was typical of Wooly.
He wrote 14 books but the last, his autobiography, will sadly never be completed - although that will be a relief to many!
On a personal level, he started playing cricket for Claygate Cricket Club at 11 and football for Claygate Royals in Surrey, reaching county level at both. A knee injury foiled a potential top level-cricket career.
With his colleagues, he always joined in the fun - “red wine and pasta boys!” was his cry once the work was done.
But he never lost his composure or became rowdy.
We may live in an age where swearing is commonplace, not Brian.
If things got out of hand as the wine flowed, you could guarantee it would be Wooly calming things down.
“I never saw him take a drink too many,” said his great friend and colleague Nigel Clarke, who travelled the world with him.
“He was just too affable to be anything other than a nice man.”
Glenn Goodey, a friend for over 40 years and a former colleague on The Sun, said: “I’ll remember Brian as a warm and generous person and as the most hardworking journalist I have ever known. A truly lovely man.”
In a First XI of all-time greats of sports reporting Brian would have to be selected, maybe as skipper.
In short, Wooly was the star of the Daily Star’s sports department.
But he never acted the star. Gentlemen never do.
A devoted family man, Brian married his childhood sweetheart, Linda after they met as trainee reporters on the Esher News.
Linda retrained as a teacher to fit in with life with three young children and a travelling sports reporter husband.
Brian leaves a wife, three children, Emma, Benjamin and Jack and three grandchildren, Max, Joe and Poppy.
He treated everyone he met, from rookie reporter to football superstar, the same.
You knew exactly what you would get from Brian: Never moody, always bright, cheerful and ready to tackle his workload - no matter how heavy.
He may have had strong views, as a top columnist it would have been unthinkable not to, but he was happy to listen and respect those of others.
It was impossible to tell if Brian was feeling the pressure because whatever was asked of him he took on without complaint.
That made him immensely popular with the office. Ask Brian for a thousand words on any sporting topic and you could bank on him replying: “How long have I got?”.
Wooly adored his job and never lost his passion for sport, particularly football and cricket.
He did not go to college or university, having left school at 16. But Brian had raw talent and knew throughout his glittering career what made a story.
Even when he was very ill he watched an England against South Africa cricket match as if he was going to write about it.
He was as passionate about sport in his 60s as he was as a rookie reporter aged 16.
And Brian never shied away from asking the toughest questions, being both feared and admired by football’s elite.
He started his career at the Esher News in Surrey after his mum saw an advert in the paper for a cub reporter.
After the Evening Post in Hemel Hempstead and United Newspapers he was head-hunted by The Sun, where he worked his way up to became chief football writer.
He stayed there for 27 years.
It would have been longer if he hadn’t been snapped up by the Daily Star in 2001, where he was handed the job of chief sportswriter and columnist on The Daily Star, covering all the major sporting events around the world.
The man who succeeded him at The Sun, his pal Shaun Custis, said: “It felt like trying to replace Alan Shearer.
“Like Shearer, Wooly was renowned for hitting the target and hitting it hard.”
Brian also worked at Sky, starting on Hold the Back Page in 1994. He was co-host of Jimmy HIll’s Sunday Supplement from its start in August 2001, becoming full-time presenter of Sunday Supplement in 2007.
Sky’s The Footballers Football Show, TalkSport, Radio Five Live and Breakfast TV also valued greatly his expertise.
Not many sports writers are asked for their autographs but Brian was, often.
Fans would also seek him out for a chat at stadiums and he always obliged.
He spoke to them like they were a friend - and you could often be mistaken for thinking they were. That was typical of Wooly.
He wrote 14 books but the last, his autobiography, will sadly never be completed - although that will be a relief to many!
On a personal level, he started playing cricket for Claygate Cricket Club at 11 and football for Claygate Royals in Surrey, reaching county level at both. A knee injury foiled a potential top level-cricket career.
With his colleagues, he always joined in the fun - “red wine and pasta boys!” was his cry once the work was done.
But he never lost his composure or became rowdy.
We may live in an age where swearing is commonplace, not Brian.
If things got out of hand as the wine flowed, you could guarantee it would be Wooly calming things down.
“I never saw him take a drink too many,” said his great friend and colleague Nigel Clarke, who travelled the world with him.
“He was just too affable to be anything other than a nice man.”
Glenn Goodey, a friend for over 40 years and a former colleague on The Sun, said: “I’ll remember Brian as a warm and generous person and as the most hardworking journalist I have ever known. A truly lovely man.”
In a First XI of all-time greats of sports reporting Brian would have to be selected, maybe as skipper.
In short, Wooly was the star of the Daily Star’s sports department.
But he never acted the star. Gentlemen never do.
A devoted family man, Brian married his childhood sweetheart, Linda after they met as trainee reporters on the Esher News.
Linda retrained as a teacher to fit in with life with three young children and a travelling sports reporter husband.
Brian leaves a wife, three children, Emma, Benjamin and Jack and three grandchildren, Max, Joe and Poppy.
LOL
Apple claim the iPhone 5 is perfect for Liverpool fans. As you can see, the larger screen has its benefits.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
THE RYNO
If you love turning heads when you take a ride around town, then the Ryno electric unicycle is probably for you. Designer Chris Hoffmann had his eyes set on the Segway crowd when he started work on the Ryno, and he has come up with quite the interesting looking one-wheeled auto. The cost for a pre-production Ryno is a whopping $25,000 and Hoffmann already has five orders, but he expects the market model to cost about $3,500. The production model will have a top speed of 25 mph, a range of up to 30 miles and an impressive 25-inch thick tire.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
TODAY'S JOKE
Just back from the hospital...
They reckon I might have Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoscoliosis.
But at the moment it's difficult to say.
I'll get me Hospital gown !
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
THE MANOPAUSE
A mental condition typically found in men in their mid to late 50's brought on by the realization that old age is just around the corner. Symptoms include: frequent reminiscing about the "good ol days", cranky judgmental attitude and a closed minded approach to anything new. Usually punctuated by the chronic need to play a lot of golf and vote conservative. The condition is difficult to cure and almost always progresses into oldtimers disease.
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| IS THIS THE CURE ? |
Sunday, September 9, 2012
RONALDO HAS GROWN UNHAPPY BECAUSE HE'S NOT UNIVERSALLY LOVED.
Yet while he is said to be peeved that his name is not greeted with thunderous acclaim pre-game at the Bernabeu — and has even been jeered by a voluble minority — it does not square with claims that his unrest is because he has no social life as he cannot get respite from adoring fans.
Ronaldo had been portrayed as a lonely figure whose daily routine of driving across Madrid, from his home at the exclusive La Finca in Pozuelo de Alarcón to the club’s Valdebebas training complex, was only occasionally broken by an ill-fated attempt at enjoying life in the city.
Insiders told newspaper El Mundo that Ronaldo had taken Russian girlfriend Irina Shayk to the theatre to see The Lion King, entering wearing sunglasses when the lights had been dimmed, only to leave before the interval because he had been swamped by fans demanding photos and autographs despite his requests to be left in peace.
Real Madrid are preparing a joint statement with Cristiano Ronaldo that should put an end, at least temporarily, to the uncertainty over his future.
The declaration being compiled by the club, but expected to be signed by the player as well, will affirm Real’s commitment to eventually extending Ronaldo’s contract beyond 2015 and will also give the club’s full support to his candidacy for the Balon D’Or prize awarded at the end of the year.
The reaction addresses the two main reasons behind Ronaldo’s current unhappiness — the failure of the club to extend his current deal and a perceived lack of institutional support towards him in his battle to beat the likes of Leo Messi and Andres Iniesta to football’s top individual prizes.
His unhappiness was also said to extend to the Real dressing room, where he was once part of a band of Portuguese-speaking players. He has fallen out with Brazil full-back Marcelo who, allegedly, said Iker Casillas would be a worthy Balon D’Or winner. And while Ronaldo’s Portugal team-mate, Pepe, made a point of congratulating his Madrid clubmates in the Spain team after their European Championship semi-final win, the former Manchester United hero did not.
Ronaldo feels his relationship with many of the Madrid fans is not what it should be. After scoring 150 goals in his first 150 games for the club (151, according to Ronaldo, after a referee awarded a deflected effort to Pepe) one might expect unwavering adulation. But while the £80m attacker’s name is still sung by his former United supporters at Old Trafford, at the Bernabeu there is no special treatment.
Not just that, in Madrid he is constantly reminded that he earns around £21,800 a day — 1.5 times what the average Spaniard (if he is not one of the five million unemployed) gets in a year.
‘If he wants a pay rise he should at least ask less publicly,’ has been the common sentiment.
A major problem for Real is the abolition of the so-called ‘Beckham Law’, under which they agreed to pay Ronaldo £8m a year net, with the club meeting his 24 per cent tax obligation. Ronaldo’s current contract still benefits from the ‘Beckham Law’. But any new contract would, from 2015, be subject to a 52 per cent tax.
Paying Ronaldo his £8m a year has been costing the club just under £10m a season. Now, by giving in to his 30 per cent pay increase demands, his new £10.35m take home pay would see them shelling out more than £20m a season.
Ronaldo had been portrayed as a lonely figure whose daily routine of driving across Madrid, from his home at the exclusive La Finca in Pozuelo de Alarcón to the club’s Valdebebas training complex, was only occasionally broken by an ill-fated attempt at enjoying life in the city.
Insiders told newspaper El Mundo that Ronaldo had taken Russian girlfriend Irina Shayk to the theatre to see The Lion King, entering wearing sunglasses when the lights had been dimmed, only to leave before the interval because he had been swamped by fans demanding photos and autographs despite his requests to be left in peace.
Real Madrid are preparing a joint statement with Cristiano Ronaldo that should put an end, at least temporarily, to the uncertainty over his future.
The declaration being compiled by the club, but expected to be signed by the player as well, will affirm Real’s commitment to eventually extending Ronaldo’s contract beyond 2015 and will also give the club’s full support to his candidacy for the Balon D’Or prize awarded at the end of the year.The reaction addresses the two main reasons behind Ronaldo’s current unhappiness — the failure of the club to extend his current deal and a perceived lack of institutional support towards him in his battle to beat the likes of Leo Messi and Andres Iniesta to football’s top individual prizes.
His unhappiness was also said to extend to the Real dressing room, where he was once part of a band of Portuguese-speaking players. He has fallen out with Brazil full-back Marcelo who, allegedly, said Iker Casillas would be a worthy Balon D’Or winner. And while Ronaldo’s Portugal team-mate, Pepe, made a point of congratulating his Madrid clubmates in the Spain team after their European Championship semi-final win, the former Manchester United hero did not.
Ronaldo feels his relationship with many of the Madrid fans is not what it should be. After scoring 150 goals in his first 150 games for the club (151, according to Ronaldo, after a referee awarded a deflected effort to Pepe) one might expect unwavering adulation. But while the £80m attacker’s name is still sung by his former United supporters at Old Trafford, at the Bernabeu there is no special treatment.
Not just that, in Madrid he is constantly reminded that he earns around £21,800 a day — 1.5 times what the average Spaniard (if he is not one of the five million unemployed) gets in a year.
‘If he wants a pay rise he should at least ask less publicly,’ has been the common sentiment.
A major problem for Real is the abolition of the so-called ‘Beckham Law’, under which they agreed to pay Ronaldo £8m a year net, with the club meeting his 24 per cent tax obligation. Ronaldo’s current contract still benefits from the ‘Beckham Law’. But any new contract would, from 2015, be subject to a 52 per cent tax.
Paying Ronaldo his £8m a year has been costing the club just under £10m a season. Now, by giving in to his 30 per cent pay increase demands, his new £10.35m take home pay would see them shelling out more than £20m a season.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
HANTAVIRUS
As if anyone needed another reason to dislike rats. One of this summer’s most alarming outbreaks is the Hantavirus, which plagued hikers and campers who stayed in a certain area of California’s Yosemite National Park. The rodent-borne disease is transmitted (disgustingly) through urine and droppings; carriers can become infected by merely sweeping or kicking up dust that contains virus-laden particles. The illness begins with flu-like symptoms, but after six weeks of incubation can cause rapid acute respiratory and organ failure. Not scary enough? There’s no specific treatment, vaccine, or effective antiviral drug, and more than 36 percent of those who contract the disease die. In the Yosemite outbreak, six people have contracted the disease, and two have died.
About 10,000 people who stayed in the area may have been exposed to the virus, including people from 39 countries. The hypothesis was criticised because sweating sickness was recorded as being transmitted human-to-human whereas hantaviruses were not known to spread in this way. In late Medieval England a mysterious sweating sickness swept through the country in 1485 just before the Battle of Bosworth Field. Noting the similar symptoms which overlap with Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, several scientists have theorised that the virus may have been the cause of the disease., infection via human-to-human contact has since been proven in Hantavirus outbreaks in Argentina.
About 10,000 people who stayed in the area may have been exposed to the virus, including people from 39 countries. The hypothesis was criticised because sweating sickness was recorded as being transmitted human-to-human whereas hantaviruses were not known to spread in this way. In late Medieval England a mysterious sweating sickness swept through the country in 1485 just before the Battle of Bosworth Field. Noting the similar symptoms which overlap with Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, several scientists have theorised that the virus may have been the cause of the disease., infection via human-to-human contact has since been proven in Hantavirus outbreaks in Argentina.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
COAL MINERS FORCED TO ATTEND ROMNEY EVENT AND DONATE TO HIS CAMPAIGN !
A group of coal miners in Ohio feel they would have been fired if they did not attend an Aug. 14 event with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and contribute to his campaign — and to make matters worse, they lost of day of pay for their trouble.
In phone calls and emails to WWVA radio host David Blomquist, employees at the Century Mine in Ohio said they feared retaliation if they did not attend the Romney event.
“Yes, we were in fact told that the Romney event was mandatory and would be without pay, that the hours spent there would need to be made up my non-salaried employees outside of regular working hours, with the only other option being to take a pay cut for the equivalent time,” the employees told Blomquist. “Yes, letters have gone around with lists of names of employees who have not attended or donated to political events.”
“I realize that many people in this area and elsewhere would love to have my job or my benefits,” one worker explained. “And our bosses do not hesitate in reminding us of this. However, I can not agree with these callers and my supervisors, who are saying that just because you have a good job, that you should have to work any day for free on almost no notice without your consent.”
“We do not appreciate being intimidated into exchanging our time for nothing. I heard one of your callers saying that Murray employees are well aware of what they are getting into upon hire, or that they are informed that a percentage of their income will go to political donations. I can not speak for that caller, but this is news for me. We merely find out how things work by experience.”
Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob Moore told Blomquist that the charges were untrue.
“There were no workers that were forced to attend the event,” Moore said. “We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event. We had a pre-registration list. And employees were asked to put their names on a pre-registration list because they could not get into the event unless they were pre-registered and had a name tag to enter the premises.”
“What about not getting paid for an eight-hour day?” Blomquist wondered. “If the mine was shut down for the visit, I understand, but wouldn’t it be fair — let’s use the word ‘fair’ — to still pay these individuals for that day? I mean, it wasn’t their fault they weren’t working.”
“Our management people wanted to attend the event and we could not have people underground during Romney’s visit,” Moore insisted.
“But why not still pay then their wage for that day?” Blomquist pressed.
“By federal election law, we could not pay people to attend the event,” Moore replied. “And we did not want anyone to come back and see where anyone had been paid for that day.”
“I’m not saying pay then to attend the event, I’m saying, ‘Hey look, we have to close down the mine, if you want to attend this event, that’s fine, but you’re still going to get a day’s pay for the work that you would have done,’” Blomquist pointed out. “Why not do that?”
“As a private employer, it was our decision and we made the decision not to pay the people,” the Murray chief financial officer said.
The Center for Responsive Politics show that Murray Energy has contributed nearly one million dollars to Republican candidates in the past two years.
In phone calls and emails to WWVA radio host David Blomquist, employees at the Century Mine in Ohio said they feared retaliation if they did not attend the Romney event.
“Yes, we were in fact told that the Romney event was mandatory and would be without pay, that the hours spent there would need to be made up my non-salaried employees outside of regular working hours, with the only other option being to take a pay cut for the equivalent time,” the employees told Blomquist. “Yes, letters have gone around with lists of names of employees who have not attended or donated to political events.”
“I realize that many people in this area and elsewhere would love to have my job or my benefits,” one worker explained. “And our bosses do not hesitate in reminding us of this. However, I can not agree with these callers and my supervisors, who are saying that just because you have a good job, that you should have to work any day for free on almost no notice without your consent.”
“We do not appreciate being intimidated into exchanging our time for nothing. I heard one of your callers saying that Murray employees are well aware of what they are getting into upon hire, or that they are informed that a percentage of their income will go to political donations. I can not speak for that caller, but this is news for me. We merely find out how things work by experience.”
Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob Moore told Blomquist that the charges were untrue.
“There were no workers that were forced to attend the event,” Moore said. “We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event. We had a pre-registration list. And employees were asked to put their names on a pre-registration list because they could not get into the event unless they were pre-registered and had a name tag to enter the premises.”
“What about not getting paid for an eight-hour day?” Blomquist wondered. “If the mine was shut down for the visit, I understand, but wouldn’t it be fair — let’s use the word ‘fair’ — to still pay these individuals for that day? I mean, it wasn’t their fault they weren’t working.”
“Our management people wanted to attend the event and we could not have people underground during Romney’s visit,” Moore insisted.
“But why not still pay then their wage for that day?” Blomquist pressed.
“By federal election law, we could not pay people to attend the event,” Moore replied. “And we did not want anyone to come back and see where anyone had been paid for that day.”
“I’m not saying pay then to attend the event, I’m saying, ‘Hey look, we have to close down the mine, if you want to attend this event, that’s fine, but you’re still going to get a day’s pay for the work that you would have done,’” Blomquist pointed out. “Why not do that?”
“As a private employer, it was our decision and we made the decision not to pay the people,” the Murray chief financial officer said.
The Center for Responsive Politics show that Murray Energy has contributed nearly one million dollars to Republican candidates in the past two years.
EMBARRASSED MUCH ?
Clint Eastwood Gets Cut From Romney RNC Video
A video mash-up of speakers from last week's Republican National Convention does not include an appearance from the " mystery RNC speaker," Clint Eastwood.
The two-and-a-half minute video posted today to the Romney campaign's YouTube account features former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, VP nominee Paul Ryan and of course, Romney himself, but it leaves out Eastwood's controversial speech.
Eastwood caused a stir at the convention and on Twitter with a rambling speech Thursday night, in which he interviewed an invisible President Obama in a wooden prop chair.
{ Hey Clint ... did you know that Mitt Romney is an attorney ? ... as was Abe Lincoln [Rep], in fact Clint ... 25 out of the 44 Ex Presidents were lawyers including John Adams [Founding Father], Thomas Jefferson [Founding Father], James Madison [Father of the Constitution], James Monroe [Founding Father] ..... the list goes on}
And as for Romney's business acumen ..... Did you know ..... In 1993, Bain Capital bought GST Steel, a maker of steel-wire rods, and later more than doubled its $24 million investment. The company borrowed heavily to modernize plants in Kansas City and North Carolina—and to pay out dividends to Bain. But foreign competition increased and steel prices fell. GST Steel filed for bankruptcy and shut down its money-losing Kansas City plant, throwing some 750 employees out of work. Union workers there blamed Bain, then and now, for ruining the company, upending their lives, and devastating the community.
Then, in 1994, Bain invested $27 million as part of a deal with other firms to acquire Dade International, a medical-diagnostics-equipment firm, from its parent company, Baxter International. Bain ultimately made nearly 10 times its money, getting back $230 million. But Dade wound up laying off more than 1,600 people and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002, amid crushing debt and rising interest rates. The company, with Bain in charge, had borrowed heavily to do acquisitions, accumulating $1.6 billion in debt by 2000. The company cut benefits for some workers at the acquired firms and laid off others. When it merged with Behring Diagnostics, a German company, Dade shut down three U.S. plants. At the same time, Dade paid out $421 million to Bain Capital’s investors and investing partners.
That's the sort of businessman Romney is .... his bottom line is not the working man, it's the investor, I'm not saying that is wrong ..... but it is wrong for him to suggest that it's the working man that he wants to help.
The speech launched a trend called " Eastwooding ," and prompted one supporter to tell Vice President Joe Biden , "You gotta keep the chair."
"You got that? The invisible chair," Bev Kalmer of Poland, Ohio said.
White House senior adviser David Plouffe called Eastwood "an American treasure," on ABC's " This Week " Sunday.
"We're all Clint Eastwood fans here in the Obama campaign," Plouffe said.
HERE'S SOME MORE REPUBLICAN HYPERBOLE BY ANOTHER HAS BEEN IN ADULT DIAPERS
Let me give you a quote Chuck, from a Republican President ..... “The divorce between Church and State ought to be absolute. It ought to be so absolute that no Church property anywhere, in any state or in the nation, should be exempt from equal taxation; for if you exempt the property of any church organization, to that extent you impose a tax upon the whole community.” James A. Garfield.
Would you trust a man who dye's his beard ... and his wig ?
A Romney adviser said the presidential candidate found Eastwood's routine funny, but other Republicans worried it disrupted the flow of the final night at the national convention.
"I personally think Clint Eastwood was a mistake before he came out," former California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina said today on "Meet the Press."
Speaking on the same show, former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich called the performance "a distraction."
"I think in the long run it's almost irrelevant. But it's the sort of bump that gives everything something to tweet about, and it provides lots of fodder," Gingrich said. "On the other hand, if you're Mitt Romney and your choice is to have Saturday Night Live decide to pick on Clint Eastwood or pick on you, I think- I think I'd give them Clint Eastwood for every night for the rest of the campaign."
A video mash-up of speakers from last week's Republican National Convention does not include an appearance from the " mystery RNC speaker," Clint Eastwood.
The two-and-a-half minute video posted today to the Romney campaign's YouTube account features former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, VP nominee Paul Ryan and of course, Romney himself, but it leaves out Eastwood's controversial speech.
Eastwood caused a stir at the convention and on Twitter with a rambling speech Thursday night, in which he interviewed an invisible President Obama in a wooden prop chair.
{ Hey Clint ... did you know that Mitt Romney is an attorney ? ... as was Abe Lincoln [Rep], in fact Clint ... 25 out of the 44 Ex Presidents were lawyers including John Adams [Founding Father], Thomas Jefferson [Founding Father], James Madison [Father of the Constitution], James Monroe [Founding Father] ..... the list goes on}
And as for Romney's business acumen ..... Did you know ..... In 1993, Bain Capital bought GST Steel, a maker of steel-wire rods, and later more than doubled its $24 million investment. The company borrowed heavily to modernize plants in Kansas City and North Carolina—and to pay out dividends to Bain. But foreign competition increased and steel prices fell. GST Steel filed for bankruptcy and shut down its money-losing Kansas City plant, throwing some 750 employees out of work. Union workers there blamed Bain, then and now, for ruining the company, upending their lives, and devastating the community.
Then, in 1994, Bain invested $27 million as part of a deal with other firms to acquire Dade International, a medical-diagnostics-equipment firm, from its parent company, Baxter International. Bain ultimately made nearly 10 times its money, getting back $230 million. But Dade wound up laying off more than 1,600 people and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002, amid crushing debt and rising interest rates. The company, with Bain in charge, had borrowed heavily to do acquisitions, accumulating $1.6 billion in debt by 2000. The company cut benefits for some workers at the acquired firms and laid off others. When it merged with Behring Diagnostics, a German company, Dade shut down three U.S. plants. At the same time, Dade paid out $421 million to Bain Capital’s investors and investing partners.
That's the sort of businessman Romney is .... his bottom line is not the working man, it's the investor, I'm not saying that is wrong ..... but it is wrong for him to suggest that it's the working man that he wants to help.
The speech launched a trend called " Eastwooding ," and prompted one supporter to tell Vice President Joe Biden , "You gotta keep the chair."
"You got that? The invisible chair," Bev Kalmer of Poland, Ohio said.
White House senior adviser David Plouffe called Eastwood "an American treasure," on ABC's " This Week " Sunday.
"We're all Clint Eastwood fans here in the Obama campaign," Plouffe said.
HERE'S SOME MORE REPUBLICAN HYPERBOLE BY ANOTHER HAS BEEN IN ADULT DIAPERS
Let me give you a quote Chuck, from a Republican President ..... “The divorce between Church and State ought to be absolute. It ought to be so absolute that no Church property anywhere, in any state or in the nation, should be exempt from equal taxation; for if you exempt the property of any church organization, to that extent you impose a tax upon the whole community.” James A. Garfield.
Would you trust a man who dye's his beard ... and his wig ?
A Romney adviser said the presidential candidate found Eastwood's routine funny, but other Republicans worried it disrupted the flow of the final night at the national convention.
"I personally think Clint Eastwood was a mistake before he came out," former California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina said today on "Meet the Press."
Speaking on the same show, former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich called the performance "a distraction."
"I think in the long run it's almost irrelevant. But it's the sort of bump that gives everything something to tweet about, and it provides lots of fodder," Gingrich said. "On the other hand, if you're Mitt Romney and your choice is to have Saturday Night Live decide to pick on Clint Eastwood or pick on you, I think- I think I'd give them Clint Eastwood for every night for the rest of the campaign."
Premier League to benefit as Spain announces 56 per cent tax band for top earners
Fans of Barclays Premier League clubs could receive a huge boost from an unlikely source as it has been revealed the Spanish government plans to introduce a whopping 56 per cent tax band for top earners. The new rate of income tax would hit foreign football stars hard, leading them to look elsewhere for their next megabucks deal, directing them to the richest league in the world.
La Liga had been living a charmed life under the old ‘Beckham Law’, introduced just before the former Manchester United midfielder joined Real Madrid in 2003.
Under that system foreign players only paid 24 per cent tax - which was lifted in 2010 - and this has now been replaced with the new system, clearing the way for English clubs to compete on an even footing with their Spanish counterparts.
Jose Maria Gay, economics professor at the University of Catalunya, told The Sun: 'Now foreign players will be more expensive.
'Before, thanks to the cushy Beckham Law, we were among those who paid the least in that area and now we are among those who pay the most.
'It is 54 per cent — 56 per cent in Catalunya. The repeal of the Beckham Law along with the rise in income tax is a bad joke.'
The rise in the top income tax band to 54 per cent - or 56 per cent in Catalunya - could pave the way for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo to return to the English top flight.
While fans across the country will be licking their lips in anticipation of the arrival of some of Spain’s top talent in this country.
Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit out at suggestions his recent declaration that he was unhappy at Real Madrid was part of a ploy to earn a lucrative new contract.
Time will tell if what he says is true, Real Madrid have more foreign players than Spanish.
La Liga had been living a charmed life under the old ‘Beckham Law’, introduced just before the former Manchester United midfielder joined Real Madrid in 2003.
Under that system foreign players only paid 24 per cent tax - which was lifted in 2010 - and this has now been replaced with the new system, clearing the way for English clubs to compete on an even footing with their Spanish counterparts.
Jose Maria Gay, economics professor at the University of Catalunya, told The Sun: 'Now foreign players will be more expensive.
'Before, thanks to the cushy Beckham Law, we were among those who paid the least in that area and now we are among those who pay the most.
'It is 54 per cent — 56 per cent in Catalunya. The repeal of the Beckham Law along with the rise in income tax is a bad joke.'
The rise in the top income tax band to 54 per cent - or 56 per cent in Catalunya - could pave the way for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo to return to the English top flight.
While fans across the country will be licking their lips in anticipation of the arrival of some of Spain’s top talent in this country.
Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit out at suggestions his recent declaration that he was unhappy at Real Madrid was part of a ploy to earn a lucrative new contract.
Time will tell if what he says is true, Real Madrid have more foreign players than Spanish.
HISTORY OF THE HAMBURGER
The iconic hamburger that we know and love today is very much an American invention, according to "The Hamburger: A History" by Josh Ozersky. However, the true identity of its inventor is still open for debate. Here is a brief history of the early hamburger.
Hamburg steak
Minced or chopped beef was a popular dish in Hamburg, Germany in the nineteenth century. This so-called Hamburg steak was a familiar dish for the German immigrants that left Hamburg for the United States. It was also perfect for New York City because it was filling and could be easily eaten while standing up or on the go. Hamburg steak can be found on a menu from New York's Delmonico's that was printed back in 1837.
Who is the father of the hamburger ?
It is not clear who is responsible for the first hamburger. It may be "Hamburger Charlie" Nagreen, who is said to have sold meatballs between two pieces of bread at a fair in Seymour, Wis. in 1885. He is said to have called this sandwich the "hamburger." However, others believe that Frank and Charles Menches, two brothers from Ohio, sold their ground beef sandwich in Hamburg, N.Y. in 1885, making them the supposedly fathers of the hamburger.
Yet another claim comes from New Haven, Conn. Louis Lassen reportedly served some ground beef trimmings between two slices of toast in 1900. And then there was "Uncle" Fletcher David, a Texan who is said to have created the hamburger in the late 1880s. Legend has it that Uncle Fletcher brought his sandwich to St. Louis for the 1904 World's Fair, where it was dubbed the "hamburger." Critics argue that this ground beef sandwich was served on simple slices of bread rather than a bun, so it cannot claim to be the first hamburger.
In April 1995, the governor of Oklahoma proclaimed that Tulsa is, in fact, the real birthplace of the hamburger. Oscar Weber Bilby is said to have served the first hamburger, bun and all, in 1891 at a Fourth of July part just west of what is now Tulsa.
Hamburger becomes a fast food favorite
So, we know that the hamburger was around by the turn of the twentieth century, but Alan Rocke, a history professor at Case Western Reserve University, says that doesn't mean it was respected back then.
"It was considered questionable food except for workingmen's lunches, as hamburgers were commonly 'mystery meat' served in small greasy-spoon short-order diners, often set up near factories," Rocke says.
With the arrival of the automobile and the public desire for on-the-go meals came a reputation makeover for the hamburger. White Castle -- yes, the same one that Harold and Kumar embark on a journey to find -- became the first fast food burger chain. It was founded in Wichita, Kan. in 1921.
"'White' was chosen to escape the public perception that hamburgers were unsanitary," Rocke explains, "[and] 'Castle' to evoke a higher-class product."
The cheeseburger and the golden arches
Lionel Sternberger is said to have added cheese to the burger in the mid-1920s while working as a short-order cook in Pasadena, Calif.
Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise restaurant in Des Plaines, Ill. in 1955, establishing the McDonald's that we know today. As Tom Robbins wrote in Esquire in 1983, "Columbus discovered America, Jefferson invented it, Lincoln unified it, Goldwyn mythologized it, and Kroc Big Mac'd it."
Today, McDonald's restaurants serve 68 million people every day and can be found in 119 countries. Wendy's and Burger King round out the top three biggest hamburger chain by volume.
Hamburg steak
Minced or chopped beef was a popular dish in Hamburg, Germany in the nineteenth century. This so-called Hamburg steak was a familiar dish for the German immigrants that left Hamburg for the United States. It was also perfect for New York City because it was filling and could be easily eaten while standing up or on the go. Hamburg steak can be found on a menu from New York's Delmonico's that was printed back in 1837.
 |
| McDonalds store in San Bernadino |
It is not clear who is responsible for the first hamburger. It may be "Hamburger Charlie" Nagreen, who is said to have sold meatballs between two pieces of bread at a fair in Seymour, Wis. in 1885. He is said to have called this sandwich the "hamburger." However, others believe that Frank and Charles Menches, two brothers from Ohio, sold their ground beef sandwich in Hamburg, N.Y. in 1885, making them the supposedly fathers of the hamburger.
Yet another claim comes from New Haven, Conn. Louis Lassen reportedly served some ground beef trimmings between two slices of toast in 1900. And then there was "Uncle" Fletcher David, a Texan who is said to have created the hamburger in the late 1880s. Legend has it that Uncle Fletcher brought his sandwich to St. Louis for the 1904 World's Fair, where it was dubbed the "hamburger." Critics argue that this ground beef sandwich was served on simple slices of bread rather than a bun, so it cannot claim to be the first hamburger.
In April 1995, the governor of Oklahoma proclaimed that Tulsa is, in fact, the real birthplace of the hamburger. Oscar Weber Bilby is said to have served the first hamburger, bun and all, in 1891 at a Fourth of July part just west of what is now Tulsa.
Hamburger becomes a fast food favorite
So, we know that the hamburger was around by the turn of the twentieth century, but Alan Rocke, a history professor at Case Western Reserve University, says that doesn't mean it was respected back then.
"It was considered questionable food except for workingmen's lunches, as hamburgers were commonly 'mystery meat' served in small greasy-spoon short-order diners, often set up near factories," Rocke says.
With the arrival of the automobile and the public desire for on-the-go meals came a reputation makeover for the hamburger. White Castle -- yes, the same one that Harold and Kumar embark on a journey to find -- became the first fast food burger chain. It was founded in Wichita, Kan. in 1921.
"'White' was chosen to escape the public perception that hamburgers were unsanitary," Rocke explains, "[and] 'Castle' to evoke a higher-class product."
The cheeseburger and the golden arches
Lionel Sternberger is said to have added cheese to the burger in the mid-1920s while working as a short-order cook in Pasadena, Calif.
Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise restaurant in Des Plaines, Ill. in 1955, establishing the McDonald's that we know today. As Tom Robbins wrote in Esquire in 1983, "Columbus discovered America, Jefferson invented it, Lincoln unified it, Goldwyn mythologized it, and Kroc Big Mac'd it."
Today, McDonald's restaurants serve 68 million people every day and can be found in 119 countries. Wendy's and Burger King round out the top three biggest hamburger chain by volume.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Michael Clarke Duncan, Academy Award nominee for 'Green Mile,' dead at 54
Duncan "suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered," a written statement from Joy Fehily said.
Clarke died at a Los Angeles hospital where he had been since having the heart attack more than seven weeks ago.
According to TMZ, it was Duncan's girlfriend Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, a reality star and former contestant on "The Apprentice," who had acted quickly and provided lifesaving efforts when he had the heart attack.
Most recently he was on the TV series, "The Finder," on the Fox network.
A towering and hulking figure, the 6-foot-5-inch Duncan also was known for his deep voice.
A Chicago native, Duncan went to college at Alcorn State University in Mississippi with plans to major in communications, but he dropped out and moved home.
In his 20s, he worked digging ditches for Peoples Gas during the day and as a bouncer at night. He told CNN in 1999 that his coworkers at the gas company called him "Hollywood" because he'd often talk about becoming a movie star.
"I'd be digging a ditch and they'd say, 'Hey, man, Bruce Willis wants to talk to you about a movie.' And they'd just crack up laughing," he said while doing press for 'The Green Mile.'
"Those coworkers had no way of knowing how that joke would turn on them."
In 1990, he decided to measure up his nickname and he moved to Los Angeles. He worked as a bodyguard then got a part in a commercial as a drill sergeant.
More roles followed -- often ones that depended more on his 315-pound frame than his acting ability. He was a guard in "Back in Business," a bouncer in "A Night at the Roxbury," a bouncer for 2 Live Crew in "The Players Club," and a bouncer at a bar in the Warren Beatty film "Bulworth."
In 1998, he landed his first significant movie part, playing Bear in the film "Armageddon," where a crew of drillers from an oil rig save the Earth from an asteroid.
"Armageddon" was the beginning of his friendship with Bruce Willis. They appeared in four films together. And it was Willis who called 'The Green Mile' director Frank Darabont to put in a good word for Duncan.
In the Oscar-nominated film, Duncan played John Coffey, the huge black man wrongly convicted in a Louisiana town for the rapes and murders of two white girls. Coffey has supernatural powers, though; his hands can heal, even bring back the dead.
A microcosm of faith, Coffey is a messenger of hope and lost hope who develops a relationship with Tom Hanks' character, a guard named Paul Edgecomb.
Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that Duncan's performance "is both acting and being." Ebert tweeted Monday that Duncan was "A striking screen presence."
Duncan was nominated for an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor, which was won that year by Michael Caine for "The Cider House Rules."
Clarke died at a Los Angeles hospital where he had been since having the heart attack more than seven weeks ago.
According to TMZ, it was Duncan's girlfriend Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, a reality star and former contestant on "The Apprentice," who had acted quickly and provided lifesaving efforts when he had the heart attack.
Most recently he was on the TV series, "The Finder," on the Fox network.
A towering and hulking figure, the 6-foot-5-inch Duncan also was known for his deep voice.
A Chicago native, Duncan went to college at Alcorn State University in Mississippi with plans to major in communications, but he dropped out and moved home.
In his 20s, he worked digging ditches for Peoples Gas during the day and as a bouncer at night. He told CNN in 1999 that his coworkers at the gas company called him "Hollywood" because he'd often talk about becoming a movie star.
"I'd be digging a ditch and they'd say, 'Hey, man, Bruce Willis wants to talk to you about a movie.' And they'd just crack up laughing," he said while doing press for 'The Green Mile.'
"Those coworkers had no way of knowing how that joke would turn on them."
In 1990, he decided to measure up his nickname and he moved to Los Angeles. He worked as a bodyguard then got a part in a commercial as a drill sergeant.
More roles followed -- often ones that depended more on his 315-pound frame than his acting ability. He was a guard in "Back in Business," a bouncer in "A Night at the Roxbury," a bouncer for 2 Live Crew in "The Players Club," and a bouncer at a bar in the Warren Beatty film "Bulworth."
In 1998, he landed his first significant movie part, playing Bear in the film "Armageddon," where a crew of drillers from an oil rig save the Earth from an asteroid.
"Armageddon" was the beginning of his friendship with Bruce Willis. They appeared in four films together. And it was Willis who called 'The Green Mile' director Frank Darabont to put in a good word for Duncan.
In the Oscar-nominated film, Duncan played John Coffey, the huge black man wrongly convicted in a Louisiana town for the rapes and murders of two white girls. Coffey has supernatural powers, though; his hands can heal, even bring back the dead.
A microcosm of faith, Coffey is a messenger of hope and lost hope who develops a relationship with Tom Hanks' character, a guard named Paul Edgecomb.
Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that Duncan's performance "is both acting and being." Ebert tweeted Monday that Duncan was "A striking screen presence."
Duncan was nominated for an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor, which was won that year by Michael Caine for "The Cider House Rules."
Monday, September 3, 2012
IT WON'T BE THE ONLY RACE RYAN NEVER WON
Paul Ryan has been forced into a humiliating U-turn over claims he was an unusually fast long-distance runner.
A red-faced Ryan admitted on Saturday he didn't run a marathon in under three hours, as he boasted last month on a nationally broadcast radio interview.
The conservative congressman acknowledged he misstated [LOL] his time by more than an hour.
It turns out the GOP V.P. hopeful conveniently rounded his time down - to three hours - instead of up - to four hours.
The only problem is someone was, indeed, keeping track of this track feat.
The Wisconsinite only corrected the record after Runner's World magazine unearthed evidence he had completed a single marathon in 1990, and finished in just over four hours.
That time stands in stark contrast to what Ryan had previously said, when he proudly bragged to radio host Hugh Hewitt that he had run a 'two hour and fifty-something' marathon.
That would make for a pace of less than 7 minutes per mile for the 26.2 mile course - a blazing speed for recreational runners.
ABC News asked Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck why Ryan made it sound as if he had run more than one marathon, but Buck only responded to confirm it was just a single race.
It turns out Ryan is slower than Sarah Palin, but faster than Al Gore.
Palin reportedly has a best time of 3:59; John Edwards has run 3:30 and George W. Bush has run 3:44, while Al Gore trails the vice presidential bunch with a 4:58.
Here's a list of things that Paul Ryan hasn't done ........ just in case he says he has .....
He has NOT landed on the moon
He has NOT won X Factor
He has NOT played in a Superbowl Final
He has NOT killed a Grizzly Bear with his bare hands
He did NOT march with Dr Martin Luther King in the 60's
He did NOT invent the Lightbulb
He has NOT helped a woman deliver a baby in the back seat of a cab
He did NOT free the slaves
He does however make his own bratwurst and Polish sausage ... according to him anyway ... I wonder if he makes it with a pinch of salt.
A red-faced Ryan admitted on Saturday he didn't run a marathon in under three hours, as he boasted last month on a nationally broadcast radio interview.
The conservative congressman acknowledged he misstated [LOL] his time by more than an hour.
It turns out the GOP V.P. hopeful conveniently rounded his time down - to three hours - instead of up - to four hours.
The only problem is someone was, indeed, keeping track of this track feat.
The Wisconsinite only corrected the record after Runner's World magazine unearthed evidence he had completed a single marathon in 1990, and finished in just over four hours.
That time stands in stark contrast to what Ryan had previously said, when he proudly bragged to radio host Hugh Hewitt that he had run a 'two hour and fifty-something' marathon.
That would make for a pace of less than 7 minutes per mile for the 26.2 mile course - a blazing speed for recreational runners.
ABC News asked Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck why Ryan made it sound as if he had run more than one marathon, but Buck only responded to confirm it was just a single race.
It turns out Ryan is slower than Sarah Palin, but faster than Al Gore.
Palin reportedly has a best time of 3:59; John Edwards has run 3:30 and George W. Bush has run 3:44, while Al Gore trails the vice presidential bunch with a 4:58.
Here's a list of things that Paul Ryan hasn't done ........ just in case he says he has .....
He has NOT landed on the moon
He has NOT won X Factor
He has NOT played in a Superbowl Final
He has NOT killed a Grizzly Bear with his bare hands
He did NOT march with Dr Martin Luther King in the 60's
He did NOT invent the Lightbulb
He has NOT helped a woman deliver a baby in the back seat of a cab
He did NOT free the slaves
He does however make his own bratwurst and Polish sausage ... according to him anyway ... I wonder if he makes it with a pinch of salt.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
FOOTBALL CHANTS OF THE SEASON
THE ARSENAL FANS AT ANFIELD
'HE CHEATS, HE DIVES ... HE HATES THE JACKSON FIVE .. LUIS SUAREZ, LUIS SUAREZ'
'HE CHEATS, HE DIVES ... HE HATES THE JACKSON FIVE .. LUIS SUAREZ, LUIS SUAREZ'
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka Heading Home?
They were supposed to signal a change in the fortunes of Chinese football but if reports are to be believed – and we’ll come to that later – Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka may be back in Europe before they even had chance to visit the Great Wall.
Both strikers came from Chelsea, the European champions, and are world stars and their pay reflects their stature in the world of football.
Anelka, formerly of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal, was signed in December in a deal that made international headlines.
He was joined in July by an even bigger star in the shape of Drogba. That deal really did lift the profile of the Chinese Super League.
The season has been something of a difficult one with Shanghai Shenhua Football Club languishing near the bottom for the first four months but the arrival of Drogba has seen a change in atmosphere and performances. Slowly but surely, the Blues have started to climb the table.
Both strikers came from Chelsea, the European champions, and are world stars and their pay reflects their stature in the world of football.
Anelka, formerly of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal, was signed in December in a deal that made international headlines.
He was joined in July by an even bigger star in the shape of Drogba. That deal really did lift the profile of the Chinese Super League.
The season has been something of a difficult one with Shanghai Shenhua Football Club languishing near the bottom for the first four months but the arrival of Drogba has seen a change in atmosphere and performances. Slowly but surely, the Blues have started to climb the table.
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