Topics

31

General Discussion / No Help From Firefighters

« on: January 31, 2014, 10:55:14 PM »

Lieutenant whose D.C. firefighters didn't leave to help dying man seeks retirement




(CNN) -- The lieutenant whose firefighters refused to leave their Washington fire station to help a 77-year-old man who had collapsed outside has filed for retirement, a city official said Friday.
Lt. Kellene Davis -- who commanded the station at the center of the incident -- filed papers on Thursday to retire from the District of Columbia's Fire and EMS Department, said Keith St. Clair, a spokesman for Washington's deputy mayor for public safety.


"It typically takes 45-50 days for such paperwork to be processed through channels," St. Clair explained.
Davis did not respond immediately to an e-mail Thursday from CNN, and a call to a phone number listed for her was not answered. She took the step toward retirement five days after Marie Mills held her elderly father in the street and screamed for help.

A passerby rushed across the street to bang on the door of a fire station, knowing that firefighters are trained to provide emergency medical help.

But they wouldn't leave the station.

The same thing happened when two more people tried to summon the firefighters for assistance, according to Mills. "We looked across the street at the fire station. There was a firefighter that was actually standing against the fire apparatus," she told CNN affiliate WJLA. "Everybody started trying to wave him over." But the firefighter said he had to be dispatched first. "I even ran to the curb and said, 'Are you going to help me or let my dad die?'" said Mills.

Later, after an ambulance finally arrived, Cecil Mills died at a hospital. He had suffered an apparent heart attack. Authorities subsequently opened an investigation into the incident, though none challenged Mills' version of events. "It's an outrage," Washington Mayor Vincent Gray said at a news conference, who DC news station WTTG reports has apologized to Marie Mills. "I was absolutely furious."

According to the Mills family, those who asked for help at the fire station were told to call 911.
Calls to 911 were placed, but a mix-up with the address delayed an ambulance, said Washington Council member Tommy Wells. "Two things happened," he said. "One was that no one came out of the fire house to help this gentleman. The other is the ambulance that was dispatched was dispatched to the wrong place. This was a number of fiascos."

McClair said Thursday that two employees of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department were suspended with pay in the wake of the incident. The firefighters' union said the incident simply should never have happened. "We need to find out why it did occur and make sure it never happens again," said Ed Smith, president of the DC Fire Fighters Association, in a statement reported by WTTG.

The city's deputy mayor for public safety, Paul Quander, has said according to WTTG that authorities will look at the communications and whether "protocols and procedures" were properly followed.
There are no protocols that would prevent fire personnel from helping those in need, he told CNN Thursday. "These are people who run into burning buildings. They work in the most hazardous conditions imaginable. "They cross the streets, they cross highways to get to people. It is understood. It is common. This is why it is so troubling that we did not take the appropriate action in this case. It's right across the street."

32

Football / Compare and Contrast

« on: January 30, 2014, 04:04:50 PM »

Why aren't American players taken seriously in Europe?




At risk of crudely paraphrasing Charles Dickens, is this "the best of times [and] the worst of times" for American soccer?

While 2013 was the most successful year in United States men's national team history, the impression American players are making on the elite European game seems to be in reverse gear. After seasons of giddy promise in which Clint Dempsey plundered 23 goals in a Fulham jersey and the hard-charging Michael Bradley initially thrived in Serie A, a sensational reverse migration means we live a reality in which Stoke City's Geoff Cameron is the most successful U.S.-born outfield player in the elite leagues of Europe.

While the amount of money Major League Soccer has invested in repatriating Dempsey and Bradley is a symbol of the domestic league's ambition and growth, it clashes with the mantra of national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who has repeatedly urged his best players to sharpen their skills in Europe.

In a World Cup year, should the fact that the leading American talents have been centripetally propelled into MLS's loving arms be a cause for concern? Or, rather, inspire rational appreciation that the tectonic plates of the world's game are changing, transforming definitions of footballing opportunity, success and failure along with them?

I floated the question over Twitter when news of Bradley's astonishing return to MLS broke. Herculez Gomez, the vivacious U.S. international striker returning from a knee injury with Liga MX's Tijuana, was among the first to respond. Even with Twitter's 140-character limitation, his insight was intriguing:

@rogbennett people get caught up with Europe, not as enticing for most as it once was. Still ahead competition wise though.

A couple of days later during a conversation at the U.S. team's January Camp, Klinsmann told me it was a "sign of reality" that European teams were not sniffing around his players -– particularly for loan deals -– because "the demand is not there." A stark appraisal that made me eager to circle back to the straight-shooting Gomez so he could elaborate on his initial tweet.


USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann said it’s a “sign of reality” that European teams were not sniffing around his players because “the demand is not there."
The California-born striker gave me his insight based on the offers he has received himself, reinforced by first-hand experiences of fellow U.S. international teammates, to reveal how European football is viewed from a player's perspective.

"From a competitive point of view, Europe is still the ultimate goal for American players, but that dream is neither as enticing as it once was, nor as attractive as American fans think it is," he began. "Unless you are [a] top-four player in a top team in a big league, it is very 'take what you can get' joining a team in Europe. [It] always feels like a risk. You are constantly trying to open doors for yourself but you have a very limited window to make money in Europe."

"And the truth is, there are other places that are more lucrative from a financial perspective," Gomez added with a chuckle. "As they say about the Premier League, it is glitz, glamour and 50 percent tax."

Gomez candidly explained how players view the career decisions they make. "[Fans] have an illusion it is important to compete at the highest level, but there comes a time in everyone's life -– whether you are a professional footballer or not –- when you ask yourself who you are, what you want and how you can take advantage of what you have while you can," he said.

In that regard, football players are no different to everyday personnel. "We only have one life," Gomez patiently said. "There comes a point in where, even if you are making money, you want to live comfortably, especially if you have kids and you start to weigh up your quality of life with how you will be remembered post-career, which is part of the allure of the return to MLS," he says. "You can come back, still be competitive, and have marketing value. It is [a] pretty good combination."

The Liga MX striker wrapped up our conversation by offering a dose of reality. "There are young guys going off to smaller teams in Europe, and I respect that," he said. "But as many American guys who have tried, there has only been one Clint Dempsey in recent years. Americans are respected but they are seen as hardworking bargains. Not a lot of teams will break the piggy bank on an American."


[Fans] “have an illusion it is important to compete at the highest level but there comes … when you ask yourself who you are,” said Herculez Gomez.
Gomez's closing comments made me wonder how American talent is perceived from a European perspective. I reached out to New York Red Bulls general manager Jerome de Bontin, a Parisian by birth, who was formerly president of AS Monaco. In his mind, U.S. players do not lack ability. Rather, they fall victim to the dislocation between development systems in Europe and America.

"European scouts simply don't track Americans aggressively because there is no financial incentive to work in this market," he said. "When they are aged 15 to 17, American players want to keep their college eligibility and will only give it up if they can be guaranteed a European club [which most agents cannot offer]. Compare that to Eastern Europe, where agents scour the land. Or Africa, where some Belgian clubs have made a business out of importing young talent en masse."

American players are further handicapped by the fact they mature later. "Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna all became European successes later in their twenties," de Bontin said. "None fit the European mold where you shine at 16 or 17 and excel in first team aged 21 or 22 -- or become discarded."

The net effect, in de Bontin's experience, is both stigmatizing and debilitating. "European clubs remain condescending when it comes to U.S. soccer," he said. "I saw that first hand at Monaco when I tried to help young American players join clubs in France or Austria. Any president who brought one in would face a fight with a coach who won't give an American the time of day, not because he is lacking skill-wise or physically, but because U.S. players are not taken seriously."

De Bontin reinforced his point with a depressing hypothetical. "If I took two identically skilled players in the same position, one from Chicago and one from Ivory Coast, I guarantee the African will get a spot and the American won't, just because of the condescension of the European coach."


Red Bulls GM Jerome de Bontin said “U.S. players are not taken seriously,” adding that “European clubs remain condescending when it comes to U.S. soccer.”
De Bontin's disquieting analysis dovetails with much of Klinsmann's thinking. The U.S. coach has just added the title "technical director" to his job description, and when I challenged him to suggest one change he would make to MLS, he didn't hesitate.

"I would build an under-21 MLS developmental system," he said, calling the current strategy a "wild west." It is "the biggest problem we have in this country. We don't have solutions yet for our best players between the ages of 17 and 22. While it is good for MLS to have our big shots come back to play, we have to work out how we develop the next big shots going forward."

De Bontin and Klinsmann also agreed on the one step that U.S. players could employ to shatter the low esteem with which they are held in Europe: conjure a daring World Cup campaign. "If a team wins, everyone falls in love with its players,” de Bontin said. “When Senegal beat France at the 2002 World Cup, their squad became coveted."

His words reinforced those Klinsmann had used just days before. "For our players I see [the World Cup] as a huge, huge opportunity," he said. "The biggest of their lifetime. To show the world just how good they are in Brazil."

33

Football / Sports Facilities

« on: December 20, 2013, 01:44:48 PM »

$495m bond to fund community sports facilities
Friday, December 20, 2013
 
 

Announcing details of the fixed rate bond are, from left, Gregory Hill, managing director,
Ansa Merchant Bank, Sports Minister Anil Roberts, Ashwin Creed,
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport and John Mollenthiel, CEO of Sportt.



Ansa Merchant Bank will arrange and fully underwrite a 17-year fixed rate bond for $495,937,500 to be issued by the Sports Company of T&T (Sportt) to partially finance development of nine regional recreational facilities. At 2.30 pm yesterday, at the law offices of Hamel Smith M & Company, Sportt and Ansa Merchant Bank signed off on the historic bond. The signing was witnessed by Sports Minister Anil Roberts and Ashwin Creed, Permanent Secretary.
 
The facilities will be customised to fit the geographic space and needs of each community and wide range of amenities are planned. These will include pavilions or bleachers, multi-purpose hall, entertainment area, swimming pool, play park and practice nets.
 
The nine recreational facilities to benefit from the bond are Irwin Park, Siparia; Penal Recreation Ground; Eddie Hart Sporting Facility; Brian Lara Recreation Ground; Dass Trace Recreation Ground, Cunupia; Carapo, Arima; India Trace, Malabar; Northern Recreation Ground, Diego Martin;

34

General Discussion / Affluenza

« on: December 19, 2013, 04:30:41 PM »

af·flu·en·za
aflo͞oˈenzə
noun
noun: affluenza
1.
a psychological malaise supposedly affecting wealthy young people, symptoms of which include a lack of motivation, feelings of guilt, and a sense of isolation.




Teen Charged For Burleson Crash That Killed Four People
September 11, 2013 4:16 PM

TARRANT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – A teenager is now charged in a deadly Burleson crash that killed a youth pastor and three others.
Ethan Couch, 16, has been charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault.

Police believe Couch was drunk and hit a driver stranded on the side of the road in Southern Tarrant County back in June. Three good Samaritans who were trying to help her also died in the crash. Two other people were severely injured.

In July, Tarrant County Sherriff Dee Anderson said Couch had a blood alcohol level of .24 at the time of the crash, three times the legal limit for an adult.
Couch appeared in court for a detention hearing on Wednesday afternoon, where a judge released him to his parents with an ankle monitor.

A trial date for Couch has not been set. He could face up to 20 years in prison if he’s convicted.

35

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Behind the Candelabra

« on: April 10, 2013, 11:36:05 AM »

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/QqAC1yiIROw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/QqAC1yiIROw</a>

36

General Discussion / Voting Rights: Section 5

« on: February 27, 2013, 12:31:09 PM »

Will the Voting Rights Act survive the Supreme Court?


For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has served as one of the government's most effective tools for rooting out discrimination against minority voters. Today, the Supreme Court will consider whether the law's methods are still constitutional.

The court today will hear arguments in the case of Shelby County v. Holder, which calls into question one of the law's key provisions: Section 5. That section of the Voting Rights Act requires states with a history of racial discrimination to have any changes to their voting laws pre-approved by the Justice Department's civil rights division or the D.C. federal court.

Voting Rights Act Section 5 not the only tool to protect rights, Obama says
Proposed changes to Voting Rights Act stir controversy in Alabama
There's no question voting rights have improved dramatically since the law was passed -- gone are the days of literacy tests and poll taxes, designed to keep minority voters from the polls. Given the significant improvements, Alabama's Shelby County argues that the Section 5 "pre-clearance" requirement "exacts a heavy, unprecedented" cost on the rights that states and local jurisdictions have to craft their own laws. Nine states are required to get pre-clearance under Section 5, as are certain jurisdictions in seven other states.

As recently as 2009, the Supreme Court expressed its skepticism of the continued need for Section 5. That year, when the court considered one Texas jurisdiction's right to "bail out" of Section 5 pre-clearance, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority that "these federalism costs have caused Members of this Court to express serious misgivings about the constitutionality of [Section 5]."

Since then, however, the landscape of voting laws nationwide has changed dramatically. Defenders of Section 5 argue the dozens of controversial measures, such as voter ID laws, passed in states across the country prove Section 5's continued relevancy. Furthermore, its proponents argue, striking down Section 5 would violate the deference the court should show to the legislative branch -- Congress renewed the Voting Rights Act in 2006, with overwhelming support from both parties, for another 25 years.

"The 15th Amendment to the Constitution makes quite clear this is in the province of Congress," Myrna Perez, a voting rights expert with the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan institute at the NYU School of Law, told CBSNews.com. "Given the clarity of constitutional authority, I think ultimately the court is going to be deferential."

If the court strikes Section 5 down, she said, "I think it would be an extraordinary interference with a constitutionally determined province of Congress."

Who to watch
To determine which way the court leans today, most interested parties will keep a close eye on Justice Anthony Kennedy.

"He's a justice who's expressed considerable concern about the use of race in public policy making in general, and yet he's somebody who also understands the Voting Rights Act and its significance fairly deeply," New York University School of Law Professor Richard Pildes, editor of "The Future of the Voting Rights Act," explained to CBSNews.com.

Constitutional experts like Elizabeth Wydra, chief counsel of the Constitutional Accountability Center, will also be watching Roberts. The Constitutional Accountability Center filed an amicus brief in Shelby v. Holder in defense of Section 5.

As noted earlier, Roberts conveyed his skepticism of Section 5 when he wrote for the majority in the 2009 case Northwest Austin Municipal Utilities District v. Holder. That said, Wydra told CBSNews.com, it's noteworthy that Roberts and the court did not strike down Section 5 when given the opportunity in that 2009 case.

"He has at least professed himself to be a devotee of judicial restraint," Wydra said. Given that the 15th Amendment calls on the court to defer to Congress' judgment on this issue, "then Roberts should, despite his earlier comments, uphold the pre-clearance requirement."


Read more....

37

General Discussion / Darryl Heeralal

« on: February 24, 2013, 06:32:17 PM »

What he said




His reply to people

38

General Discussion / Drones Thread

« on: February 08, 2013, 10:48:32 PM »

Don't know if there is a thread for this topic did not search.


What's y'all take on this technique/tactic/strategy?

With the new focus on targeting "Americans" who are Al Qaeda leaders and many saying that this is wrong, how do you think the government should proceed? Is there merit in apprehending "American" terrorists in foreign land and bringing them to justice in a court of law is it feasible of even probable?

Should such people not be treated as other terrorists? If they are considered "Americans" and are still granted protection under the law, how should the government react to a another country who may target and kills these "American" terrorists?




Drone Strikes Under Scrutiny

In more than a decade at war since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States has relied increasingly on drones to kill people away from the battlefield. It has faced few constraints. Now an overdue push for greater accountability and transparency is gathering steam, propelled by growing unease that America’s drones hit targets in countries with whom it is not formally at war, that there are no publicly understood rules for picking targets, and that the strikes may kill innocent civilians and harm, not help, American interests.
Related

Stanley McChrystal, the retired general, has warned that drone strikes are so resented abroad that their overuse could jeopardize America’s broader objectives. The secretary of state, John Kerry, spoke at his confirmation hearing of the need to make sure that “American foreign policy is not defined by drones and deployments alone.”

Read More...

39

Football / MLS to EPL?

« on: December 21, 2012, 06:18:19 PM »

MLS Powers San Jose and Los Angeles Just Maybe Could Hang in the EPL
By Paul Miller(Featured Columnist) on December 19, 2012


Could San Jose and Los Angeles, the last two MLS Supporters' Shield winners, avoid EPL relegation? It would be close, but just maybe they could.

The annual MLS Cup has led to another round of annual questions about what this soccer league means and its place in the larger football world.

American soccer fans tend to fall into one of two groups. One refuses to acknowledge MLS exists, because the cool kids only talk about England and Europe. The other continues to believe MLS is improving and sees the American league (prematurely) knocking on the door of premier status.

Neither view is wholly defensible. Proving MLS exists, however, is a little easier than comparing the American league to its overseas counterparts.

The Supporters' Shield was the selection vehicle for MLS teams. English clubs place greater emphasis on league tables than FA Cup runs, and tables dictate promotion and relegation.

The Supporters’ Shield is awarded to the team with the most points in the MLS regular season. The last two teams to win the Supporters’ Shield are the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy (the latter of which also has won the last two MLS Cups).

Americans love championship games. And Americans especially love underdogs who can make that magical Cinderella run to get to the championship game. That’s just part of the national character. Being the better team on paper is less important than winning in the end, head to head.

Fans of the “beautiful game” elsewhere tend to see it differently. They, too, want results on the field over analytical team strength. But they are more apt to view results over an entire season as having greater importance than tournament performance.


San Jose and Los Angeles clearly are not comparable to Manchester United. No argument there. But neither are most teams in the EPL.

If we are going to pursue the relegation question, then we need to look at the teams currently straddling that line in EPL standings. At the moment, those teams are Southampton and Wigan Athletic. However Southampton is only a point behind Sunderland and has a game in hand.

It’s a coin toss, but let's use Sunderland and Wigan Athletic for comparisons.

We will “baseline” on San Jose and Los Angeles rosters for the end of the 2012 season (postseason moves don't count) and compare those to the current rosters for these two EPL teams that are striving to avoid relegation in the ongoing 2012-13 season.

 

Minding the Nets

The English teams open a lead in this comparison with their keepers.

Wigan Athletic’s frame is protected by Omani keeper Ali Al-Habsi. He’s not just the class of this four-team group. While a dark horse, he could be in the running for best of the two leagues, at least in terms of shot-stopping ability.


Al-Habsi is on loan from Bolton. How Bolton could let this guy wander away from them like that is truly baffling from outside the situation. Whether it’s recording clean sheets or stopping penalty kicks, Al-Habsi nearly single-handedly kept Wigan out of relegation last season.

Sunderland’s dynamic duo, Simon Mignolet and Keiren Westwood, are both solid keepers. Though MLS has some fine keepers of its own, most American clubs would be happy to have either of them.

Mignolet has 12 caps with the Begium senior team, and Westwood has 14 with Ireland.

Jon Busch is the 36-year-old starter for San Jose. Busch’s best season was 2008, when he was named MLS keeper of the year and part of the league’s Best XI. He had a single appearance with the USMNT during a 2005 friendly.

The Galaxy’s Josh Saunders is sound but has never been seen as more than serviceable in MLS. He made a single appearance with the U-23 U.S. team, but since then he has appeared twice for Puerto Rico’s senior team.

 

Defense

Sunderland widens the gap with defense.

With backs like Wes Brown, Phil Bardsley and John O’Shea, and a bunch of English and Irish caps between them, neither of these two MLS teams nor anyone in the American league can compare on paper.

Add in a young Danny Rose and fan-favorite Carlos Cuellar, and you have the defensive foundation for a team that arguably should be higher on the EPL table.

The Galaxy, in comparison, have Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant and Sean Franklin, with seven USMNT caps between them.

Gonzalez in only four seasons with the Galaxy has been named Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, MLS Cup MVP and one of the league’s Best XI twice. He is a rising star, potentially both in club and international terms.

But as impressive as those accomplishments are, for context place them next to the resume of Sunderland’s Brown, with 23 caps for England, and 232 appearances with Manchester United.

Wigan Athletic’s back line features Honduran international Maynor Figueroa and Scottish international Gary Caldwell. Add in Ivan Ramis, who played on Spanish national youth teams, and Paraguayan international Antolin Alcaraz, and you have a respectable club defensive unit in general.

By EPL standards, however, Wigan Athletic’s defense is suspect.

If you still have that coin handy, toss it to determine whether Los Angeles or Wigan Athletic have stronger defenders on paper.

The San Jose Earthquakes this year lived by the defensive mantra of just making sure they scored more than the other team. That approach amazingly won them the Supporters’ Shield, but it doesn’t work often and San Jose had their share of lucky results along the way.

The Earthquakes have a handful of serviceable MLS defenders, like Victor Bernardez and Jason Hernandez. But San Jose’s immediate postseason moves tell the story. That club signed three veteran defenders from the re-entry draft.

 

Midfield

Los Angeles strikes back with midfielders.

Two of the Galaxy-designated players are Landon Donovan and David Beckham, even if Beckham has announced he's leaving the team. However, L.A. is deeper than that, with under-recognized contributions from Juninho and Mike Magee.


Beckham, though older and less mobile, brings game experience from Manchester United and Real Madrid. And even his strongest detractors acknowledge the former England captain remains lethal on free kicks.

Donovan impressed while on loan to Bayern Munich and even more so at Everton. But fans who understand his importance to MLS knew a transfer wasn’t likely so long as Donovan was on contract stateside.

San Jose led MLS in scoring. The Earthquakes are more than Golden Boot Chris Wondolowski. Statistics say they were a team of playmakers in 2012.

While the focus was on Wondo and his chase of the league scoring record, the Earthquakes fielded a balanced and unpredictable attack. A full 12 players recorded multiple assists this year. Midfielder Marvin Chavez, a mainstay for the Honduras national team, led the pack with 13.

San Jose’s midfield does not get the respect it deserves, at least in attack phase.

Another point of direct comparison between the leagues can be found here as well. Center attacking mid Simon Dawkins is on loan to the Earthquakes from Tottenham.


The Jamaican has never made an appearance with the Spurs (after being loaned to Leyton Orient and San Jose), but has 53 appearances in two seasons with the Earthquakes. Tottenham, however, is not living in fear of relegation.

Sunderland’s midfield does not have the same on-paper pedigree as its defensive unit.

Sebastian Larsson is Sunderland’s answer to Beckham as his side’s free-kick specialist. He is considered one of the more dangerous on set kicks in the EPL.

At wing, Sunderland will play defender Rose, who like Dawkins is on loan from Tottenham. And James McLean is a 22-year-old Irish international who also shows a ton of promise at winger.

Wigan Athletic has quality but not standout middies.

Jordi Gomez, a Spaniard who played on his country’s U-17 team, adds some scoring punch with 10 goals over the last three and a half years. Irish international James McCarthy, a native of Scotland but with Irish family ties, could be a rising star. And fellow midfielder Jean Beausejour, a Chilean international, is another playmaker.

 

Attackers

The edge here goes to Los Angeles. It might be more than an edge.


Robbie Keane has played and, for the most part, excelled at a wide collection of clubs: Wolverhampton, Coventry City, Inter, Leeds United, Tottenham, Liverpool, Celtic, West Ham and Aston Villa.

Keane, who is still only 32, has found the net an amazing 189 times in senior club play. He also is the leading scorer for Ireland with 54 international goals.

Edson Buddle joined Keane up top for the Galaxy in 2012. Buddle has been an MLS journeyman as well as a U.S. international. An earlier history of unfortunately timed injuries limited his role on the national team.

Up the coast from Los Angeles, attack is synonymous with San Jose’s Wondolowski. Wondo tied the MLS scoring record with 27 goals in 2012. However, Earthquake forwards Steven Lenhart and Alan Gordon also are solid.

Wondo has won two Golden Boots, lost a tiebreaker for a third, was named to the league’s Best XI twice, and this year added MVP honors.


His performance in the 2012 MLS All-Star Game offers another point of EPL comparison. Chelsea’s John Terry chased him down at halftime to tell Wondo he was a nightmare to cover.

Sunderland’s big gun is Scottish international Steven Fletcher. Fletcher was a standout at Burnley before coming to Sunderland.

Frazier Campbell adds speed as well as versatility, playing up top for Sunderland or on either wing.

Leading Wigan Athletic in scoring this season is Arouna Kone, a quality striker from the Ivory Coast. Latics fans also look for production from 23-year-old Franco di Santo. Di Santo this year had a first appearance with Argentina’s senior team.

 

Other Considerations

Comparing MLS and EPL teams is a bit like comparing apples and carburetors. The situations in which they exist are as different as the time of year in which they play.


An English football club enjoys the type of fan support that is more akin to American NFL franchises. Because of that support, and the revenue that comes with it, EPL teams operate on a different financial plane.

Consider the following data on team average salaries, as reported in May 2012.

Sunderland pays its players an average (converted from pounds) of $2.4 million. Wigan Athletic’s average player salary is $1.8 million.

The MLS clubs have more modest average salaries of $500,000 (Los Angeles) and $100,000 (San Jose).

If an MLS team had EPL-like support, obviously it could compensate its players better, which would allow bolstering the roster with stronger players.

Much is made of the grueling nature of an EPL season. Whether it is any more grueling than other leagues is a subjective matter.

Los Angeles in 2012 competed in 49 games, between league play, domestic and confederation tournaments, and then finally with the MLS Playoffs. Sunderland, in comparison, only played in 45 matches during the 2011-12 football year.

But consider that MLS teams are playing for a spot in the playoffs. A team like San Jose in 2012 had a pretty good idea for much of the season it would qualify. Los Angeles, in contrast, had to struggle down the stretch.

One result of this playoff approach may be differing levels of play intensity. In hockey, conventional wisdom holds that playoff defense is far more intense than regular season defense. Perhaps this happens in all playoff-structured leagues.

As an aside, another piece of NHL conventional wisdom is that wide open and high scoring teams from the regular season tend not to survive long in the playoffs, once they hit the higher intensity defensive play. Now think back on what happened to San Jose in MLS this year.

EPL teams fight for every notch on the table. The top notch of course has its honors. Above a certain level, and it’s off to the UEFA Champions League the next year. Below a certain level, there’s relegation to the less-celebrated English League Championship ranks.

(For those who don’t speak British, Championship is the second level, followed by a third level, which is called League One. Would you expect anything different from the land of Monty Python?)

There may be something more grueling in this English and European approach to regular season games. But the first point stands that if Los Angeles and San Jose were in the EPL, both would have resources to bolster their rosters accordingly.

 

Bottom Line

The MLS teams, even with their lesser budgets, are comparable to these EPL teams. Los Angeles on paper appears fairly even with Sunderland, as does San Jose to Wigan Athletic.

The above points suggest that Los Angeles or San Jose, and especially San Jose with its 2012 defense, would struggle to avoid EPL relegation, as Wigan has for several years.


At best, either could be seen as having lower-level EPL qualities, but a more sober view might conclude a wing and a prayer would be required for Los Angeles and San Jose to avoid relegation from the EPL to the Championship ranks.

Presumably, this would also be the case in the handful of Europe's other truly “premier” leagues.

Maybe the truly amazing aspect of this is we are talking about an American league that is only 16 years old, and built on a fraction of the financial resources some older leagues enjoy, yet attempting to make this comparison at all.

That alone sounds like a win for MLS.

40

General Discussion / Be ah Racist nah

« on: December 12, 2012, 04:20:46 PM »

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DzfJf4y0SG4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/DzfJf4y0SG4</a>

41

General Discussion / How do you deal with this?

« on: November 29, 2012, 02:48:34 PM »

Parents say they learned of daughter’s death on Facebook
By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout – Wed, Nov 28, 2012.. .




 
The parents of a college freshman who was found dead on campus say they found out about her death on Facebook.
 
Jasmine Benjamin, a 17-year-old nursing student at Valdosta State University from Lawrenceville, Ga., was found dead in a study area in her dorm on Nov. 18. According to CBS Atlanta, police are treating the death as a homicide, pending the results of an autopsy.
 
Jasmine's parents say the school did not inform them of her death, learning about it instead through a friend's Facebook post.
 
"For someone to be so insensitive not to reach out to the family, it's very, very hurtful to say the least," James Jackson, Jasmine's stepfather, told the network.
 
School officials say campus police notified Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department, which then notified her parents.
 
Jackson said police told him that Jasmine "had been dead for at least 12 hours before she was found, because passers-by thought she was simply sleeping on the study room couch," adding to the family's frustration.
 
"That's the most disturbing part," Jackson said. "What kind of school is this that they know someone's laying on the couch to go check on them after a certain amount of hours?"
 
The parents told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution late last week that they were initially told their daughter died of natural causes. "To find out it was a homicide and that somebody actually murdered our daughter changed everything," Jackson said. "It was like hearing the news all over again."
 
In a statement released Monday, the university said it is "continuing to work with law enforcement agencies in their ongoing investigation."

42

General Discussion / Neanderthals Sex Life

« on: November 01, 2012, 01:23:27 PM »

The Real Question: Who Didn't Have Sex with Neanderthals?
By Charles Choi, LiveScience Contributor





The only modern humans whose ancestors did not interbreed with Neanderthals are apparently sub-Saharan Africans, researchers say.
 
New findings suggest modern North Africans carry genetic traces from Neanderthals, modern humanity's closest known extinct relatives.
 
Although modern humans are the only surviving members of the human lineage, others once roamed the Earth, including the Neanderthals. Genetic analysis of these extinct lineages’ fossils has revealed they once interbred with our ancestors, with recent estimates suggesting that Neanderthal DNA made up 1 percent to 4 percent of modern Eurasian genomes. Although this sex apparently only rarely produced offspring, this mixing was enough to endow some people with the robust immune systems they enjoy today.
 
The Neanderthal genome revealed that people outside Africa share more genetic mutations with Neanderthalsthan Africans do. One possible explanation is that modern humans interbred with Neanderthals mostly after the modern lineage began appearing outside Africa at least 100,000 years ago. Another, more complex scenario is that an African group ancestral to both Neanderthals and certain modern human populations genetically split from other Africans beginning about 230,000 years ago. This group then stayed genetically distinct until it eventually left Africa.
 
To shed light on why Neanderthals appear most closely related to people outside Africa, scientists analyzed North Africans. Some researchers had suggested these groups were the sources of the out-of-Africa migrations that ultimately spread humans around the globe.
 
The researchers focused on 780,000 genetic variants in 125 people representing seven different North African locations. They found North Africans had dramatically more genetic variants linked with Neanderthals than sub-Saharan Africans did. The level of genetic variants that North Africans share with Neanderthals is on par with that seen in modern Eurasians.
 
The scientists also found this Neanderthal genetic signal was higher in North African populations whose ancestors had relatively little recent interbreeding with modern Near Eastern or European peoples. That suggests the signal came directly from ancient mixing with Neanderthals, and not recent interbreeding with other modern humans whose ancestors might have interbred with Neanderthals. [10 Mysteries of the First Humans]
 
"The only modern populations without Neanderthal admixture are the sub-Saharan groups," said researcher Carles Lalueza-Fox, a paleogeneticist at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at Barcelona, Spain.
 
The researchers say their findings do not suggest that Neanderthals entered Africa and made intimate contact with ancient North Africans. Rather, "what we are saying is that the contact took place outside Africa, likely in the Near East, and that there was a back migration into Africa of some groups that peopled North Africa, likely replacing or assimilating some ancestral populations," Lalueza-Fox told LiveScience.

 
This research also suggests that North African groups were not the source of the out-of-Africa migrations. Rather, other groups, perhaps out of East Africa, might have led this diaspora

43

Football / Coaching Abroad

« on: October 25, 2012, 12:57:22 PM »

Frank Dell'Apa: American coaches lag behind on the global stage

Though Americans have made their mark at the highest levels on the field, the United States fails to export coaches outside North America.

By Frank Dell’Apa

Unless Bob Bradley can take Egypt to Brazil 2014, there will be no teams led by a U.S.-born coach at the World Cup for the first time since 1994.

Tactical planning and preparation have improved in MLS, and domestic coaches have certainly made progress in recent years. But U.S. coaches still have a way to go.

One way to get to a higher coaching level would be to export U.S. coaches, but this is a rare occurrence. Bradley going to Egypt and Gregg Berhalter to Hammarby IF in Sweden have been exceptions – how they fare could go far in opening doors for others.

The United States has been successfully sending players overseas for many years. So, why not coaches?

It is interesting to note that, of the 15 Western Hemisphere countries still in contention for World Cup qualifying, nine are guided by either an Argentinian, Colombian, or Uruguayan. In the CONCACAF region, two Colombians – Jorge Luis Pinto (Costa Rica) and Luis Fernando Suarez (Honduras) – have taken teams to the Hexagonal.

In South America, Colombian Reinaldo Rueda appears on the way to advancing with Ecuador. Curiously, the Colombian national team is led by Jose Pekerman, an Argentinian. Alejandro Sabella has Argentina in first place in qualifying and Claudio Borghi has Chile tied for fifth, though he is under pressure following three successive defeats.

Latin American coaches seem to travel well. They are often adaptable, multilingual. Brazilians are scattered all over the world, and it is curious there are not more of them guiding national teams in contention for a World Cup which will be played in their country in two years.

Probably the most obvious reason U.S. coaches do not travel well is because of the collegiate system. There are plenty of good tactical minds at that level, but the colleges’ refusal to adhere to international rules of the game, plus the limited schedule of matches, hurts coaches’ development. Also, there is a tendency to become comfortable within the collegiate system, so ambition is thwarted.

Egypt is off to a 2-0-0 start in qualifying. But the domestic league has halted play while attempting to resolve issues related to February’s Port Said stadium tragedy. Egypt failed to qualify for the African Nations Cup, so Bradley’s players are lacking competitive games both at the club and country level.

The African Nations Cup draw was held this week in Johannesburg, and it was odd not to have the Egyptians participate for the second straight tournament, since they had won three successive titles from 2006-10.

Bradley showed he could win at the club level with the Chicago Fire and Chivas USA. And there is a suspicion Bradley is at his best working with players on a daily basis – he will probably get another chance to do that. But, first, Bradley has to prove himself with Egypt. Sociopolitical unrest in the country is working against the national team, not the type of problem Bradley would have ever encountered had he remained in the collegiate ranks.

By dealing with the complications of the situation, Bradley is paving the way for the next U.S. coach seeking greater horizons. Egypt’s next qualifier is scheduled at home against Zimbabwe March 22. If Bradley can get the Pharoahs through, a lot of doors could open.

44

General Discussion / Affirmative Action

« on: October 10, 2012, 08:16:15 PM »

Justices Weigh Race as Factor at Universities

Luke Sharrett for The New York Times
Published: October 11, 2012



WASHINGTON - With the future of affirmative action in higher education hanging in the balance, the Supreme Court on Wednesday grappled with two basic questions, repeated by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in various forms at least a dozen times.

He wanted to know how much diversity was enough. And he wanted to know when colleges would be able to achieve an acceptable level of diversity without using racial preferences.
"What is the critical mass of African-Americans and Hispanics at the university that you are working toward?" Chief Justice Roberts asked a lawyer for the University of Texas at Austin. The chief justice never received a specific answer from the university's lawyer or from one representing the federal government.

Their reluctance to answer illuminated a tension in the court's precedents, which reject quotas but allow public universities to use race in admissions decisions as but one unquantifiable factor among many.
Had the lawyers responded to the chief justice by proposing a percentage goal, they would have run headlong into cases prohibiting quotas. In failing to offer a number, though, they left the court with very little to do in the face of precedents requiring judges to look closely whenever the government draws distinctions among people based on race.

"You won't tell me what the critical mass is," Chief Justice Roberts told the university's lawyer, Gregory G. Garre. "How am I supposed to do the job that our precedents say I should do?"
The questioning on Wednesday from the chief justice and his colleagues was by turns caustic, exasperated and despairing.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who retired in 2006, attended the argument and listened attentively as her former colleagues debated whether to reaffirm, limit or overturn one of her legacies, her majority opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger, the 5-to-4 decision in 2003 that allowed public universities to take account of race as part of a "holistic review."

Her replacement by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who has been hostile to affirmative action programs, may have altered the balance on the court on whether such admissions programs are constitutional.
The member of the court who now probably holds the decisive vote, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, tipped his hand only a little, asking a few questions that indicated discomfort with at least some race-conscious admissions programs.

Those questions, along with his voting record, suggested that Justice Kennedy may be prepared to limit the Grutter decision. He told Mr. Garre that he was uncomfortable with the university's efforts to attract minority students from privileged backgrounds.

"What you're saying," Justice Kennedy said, "is that what counts is race above all."
He asked a lawyer for Abigail Fisher, a white woman who was denied admission to the university and who filed the lawsuit before the justices, whether the modest racial preferences used by the university crossed a constitutional line. Then he proposed an answer to his own question.

"Are you saying that you shouldn't impose this hurt or this injury, generally, for so little benefit?" he asked.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor summarized the central question in the case, echoing Chief Justice Roberts. "At what point - when - do we stop deferring to the university's judgment that race is still necessary?" she asked. "That's the bottom line of this case."

In the 2003 decision, Justice O'Connor wrote that she expected it to stand for 25 years. "I know that time flies," Justice Stephen G. Breyer said on Wednesday, "but I think only nine of those years have passed."

By the conclusion of the argument, it seemed tolerably clear that the four members of the court's conservative wing were ready to act now to revise the Grutter decision.

The court's more liberal members said there was no reason to abandon the earlier framework. "What is it we're going to say here that wasn't already said in Grutter?" Justice Breyer asked.
Justice Elena Kagan disqualified herself from the case, Fisher v. Texas No. 11-345, presumably because she had worked on the case as solicitor general. That leaves open the possibility of a 4-to-4 tie, which would have the effect of affirming a lower-court decision upholding the Texas program.

Ms. Fisher, 22, recently graduated from Louisiana State University and works as a financial analyst in Austin, Tex. Her lawyer, Bert W. Rein, was questioned closely by the more liberal justices about whether she suffered the sort of injury that gives her standing to sue.
They also pressed the point that the Texas program should pass muster under the 2003 decision. "It seems to me that this program is no more aggressive than the one in Grutter," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said. "In fact, it's more modest."


Three-quarters of applicants from Texas are admitted to the university under a program that guarantees admission to the top students in every high school in the state. That program, which has produced substantial diversity, is not directly at issue in the case.

Students from Texas who missed the cutoff, like Ms. Fisher, and those from elsewhere are considered under standards that take account of academic achievement and other factors, including race and ethnicity.

Mr. Garre said the percentage program worked to create diversity only because "by and large, the minorities who are admitted tend to come from segregated racially-identifiable schools." Justice Alito responded by questioning a passage in Mr. Garre's brief, in which he told the justices that the university should be free to supplement that pool with more privileged minority students, thus "increasing diversity within diversity."

"I thought that the whole purpose of affirmative action was to help students who come from underprivileged backgrounds," Justice Alito said.

Justice Kennedy also seemed taken aback by the approach. "You want underprivileged of a certain race and privileged of a certain race," Justice Kennedy told Mr. Garre. "So that's race."

A decision forbidding the use of race at public universities would almost certainly mean that it would be barred at most private ones as well under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids racial discrimination in programs that receive federal money.

Justice Sotomayor told Mr. Rein, the lawyer representing Ms. Fisher, that she sensed an agenda. "You don't want to overrule Grutter," she said. "You just want to gut it."

45

Football / Gloazzoooo

« on: September 27, 2012, 08:14:00 PM »

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/k2FzJVAHtSI&amp;feature=player_embedded" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/k2FzJVAHtSI&amp;feature=player_embedded</a>

46

Other Sports / NFL 2012-2013

« on: September 10, 2012, 08:43:47 PM »

Some serious beat down in the opening games this past week.

Scores

47

Football / T&T U-16 Girls Football Thread.

« on: August 31, 2012, 01:04:21 PM »

Just saw this on TTWoLF page on FB.

TTFF Girls U 16 TEAM IN FT. LAUDERDALE...THEY WILL BE PLAYING SOME MATCHES AGAINST CLUB TEAMS IN THE AREA...TOMORROW FIRST GAME VS CORAL SPRINGS UNITED...GAME TIME 4:00PM...

48

Other Sports / Lance Armstrong

« on: August 24, 2012, 09:00:14 PM »

Lance Armstrong subject to lifetime ban and fan fallout



(CBS News) In a statement released late Thursday night, celebrated cyclist Lance Armstrong announced he would no longer fight charges that he used performance enhancing drugs throughout his esteemed career.


"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, enough is enough," Armstrong's statement read. "For me, that time is now."


Also on Thursday night, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said it will strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and Travis Tygart, USADA's chief executive, said Armstrong would be subject to a lifetime ban from the sport.


Friday on "CBS This Morning," CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian said the original charges brought against Armstrong in June were based on "non-analytical evidence" that he used performance enhancing drugs. This evidence reportedly included testimony from several former teammates, including Tyler Hamilton who told "60 Minutes" that he frequently saw Armstrong inject "EPO," a banned naturally occurring hormone known as a blood booster.

   
On Monday, a judge dismissed Armstrong's suit to dismiss the charges. Armstrong has vehemently denied the charges and cites the fact that he has passed over 500 drug tests throughout his esteemed cycling career.


Nike, one of the athlete's biggest sponsors, released a statement of support for Armstrong this week. "Nike plans to continue to support Lance and the Lance Armstrong Foundation," the statement read.


For his part, Armstrong who retired last year, said the USADA does not have the authority to strip him of his titles but in a phone call with "CBS This Morning," Tygart reiterated, "given that he's chosen not to contest, it's a legal fact that he's now disqualified and has a permanent ban from sport competition."


Peter Flax, the editor in chief of Bicycling Magazine, joined "CTM" on Friday to reflect on the fallout. Flax contends that Armstrong is "choosing the least worst option...it's a damage control move" and believes Armstrong is unequivocally guilty of the charges. "I'm absolutely convinced that he did, but I'm also convinced that he is the victim of a witch hunt," Flax said.


Still, Flax said he has seen many messages of support for Armstrong on Bicycling Magazine forums, "95 percent of them are pro-Lance people, communicating their support for him," he said. "He is guilty but in a lot of people's eyes, he's still an inspiration."

49

Football / Cricket

« on: July 31, 2012, 07:31:15 PM »

Fire in Babylon is on on ESPN2 now, talking about the WI Cricket team from the 70s.

Mods, I posted here cause I know most people will see it quicker. You can move it when you want.

50

Jokes / Apple Users

« on: June 04, 2012, 09:24:49 PM »

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/UhhwqbabxYY&amp;feature=player_embedded" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/UhhwqbabxYY&amp;feature=player_embedded</a>

51

Football / Radamel Falcao

« on: May 23, 2012, 12:45:20 PM »

Can't find the goals thread and did not see this anywhere.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/OUvDTuD1nLg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/OUvDTuD1nLg</a>

52

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / TuPac is Alive!!!!!!

« on: April 16, 2012, 02:42:30 PM »

Coachella 2012


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ajVGIRsKXdo&amp;feature=player_embedded" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ajVGIRsKXdo&amp;feature=player_embedded</a>

53

General Discussion / Denver 911 Apologizes for Deadly Instructions

« on: April 04, 2012, 04:13:44 PM »

Denver 911 Apologizes for Deadly Instructions
By COLLEEN CURRY | ABC News – Tue, Apr 3,


A Denver man who called 911 to report a threatening road-rage encounter reluctantly followed a 911 dispatcher's order to return to the scene of the crime, where he was fatally shot while waiting for police.

Jimma Reat, a 26-year-old immigrant from Sudan, was traveling with his brother, cousin, and other passengers early Sunday morning, when a road-rage incident occurred at around 4 a.m., according to ABC affiliate KMGH.

Reat's cousin, Ran Pal, called 911 and reported that the occupants of a red Jeep had thrown bottles at their car, breaking the windows and threatening the people in the car, according to the report. Denver police confirmed the report but have not publicly released the name of the caller.

Reat, Pal and the others in the car had left Denver and were traveling home when they were instructed by the 911 dispatcher to return to within Denver's borders in order to receive police assistance, according to Denver police.

The group traveled back to Denver to wait for police assistance, but were fired upon by the occupants of the Jeep, which had arrived at the same part of the city, police said.

According to the Denver Post, the 911 dispatcher and Reat argued about the instruction to return to the scene of the altercation, with the dispatcher threatening to withhold police assistance unless Reat drove back to Denver.

"The call transpired very quickly," Carl Simpson, executive director of Denver 911, told ABC affiliate KMGH. "It got sideways very quickly. I am deeply saddened by the events that transpired. This call left me very saddened for the family."

Of the dispatcher, Simpson said, "I do know he didn't follow procedures."

Simpson told the Post that the dispatcher followed "lower level policies," in which he would typically advise a motorist to return to the scene of a minor accident for police assistance. But, he said, the dispatcher should have been aware that this was a "higher-level" event.

The dispatcher has been placed on leave while authorities investigate the 911 call.

The Jeep was found abandoned in Denver Sunday, and was later reported stolen by its owner, according to ABC affiliate KMGH. Police are still searching for suspects in the shooting.

The victim was not believed to have been involved in any gang activity, police told KMGH.

Ernie Franssen, the Denver 911 operations manager, apologized for the incident during a news conference Monday.

"We're absolutely apologetic for the circumstances of the call," Franssen told KMGH. "We want to give due diligence to the employee and make sure that we did or didn't follow the policies as they are written, and we want to take a look and listen to it ourselves and be able to speak to the employee."

Franssen told ABC News today that the department would be looking at its own policies for 911 calls like Pal's.

"We have policies that say we could have responded outside of Denver or could have involved another jurisdiction," Franssen said."Some policies were not followed. There were a number of policies that were followed."

"But we are deeply saddened by events," he said, "and sorry for family and community and sorry for the outcome, absolutely."

54

General Discussion / Which Part of T&T yuh from?

« on: February 15, 2012, 06:14:56 PM »

I see this on FB and thought it was funny................so where yuh from?

55

General Discussion / T&T drops in press freedom rankings

« on: January 25, 2012, 01:30:55 PM »

T&T drops in press freedom rankings
Wednesday 25th January, 2012

 

Trinidad and Tobago's ranking in freedom of the press has dropped 20 places in the latest report put out by international media watchdog group, Reporters without Borders.

The country now ranks at 50 out of 179 countries in the 2011-2012 Index. This ranking is shared with Latvia.

Reporters without Borders said: "There was a surprise of a different kind in Trinidad and Tobago (50th, down 20 places) as a result of a scandal involving spying on journalists, as well as moves to boycott radio and television stations and procedural abuses.”

Reporters without Borders also said Jamaica is the Caribbean country which is leading in press freedom. Suriname is ranked at 22, and the seven-member Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States moved up by 32 places to sit at 25.

It said Jamaica has a very honourable record in freedom of expression and media safety. However, it noted that this is slightly diminished by the occasional physical assault.

56

General Discussion / Paging Capo, Paging Capo

« on: January 14, 2012, 01:02:52 PM »

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ARxfNM3vBrI&amp;feature=g-logo&amp;context=G2c16c48FOAAAAAAACAA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ARxfNM3vBrI&amp;feature=g-logo&amp;context=G2c16c48FOAAAAAAACAA</a>

57

General Discussion / Police Raid CCN TV6

« on: December 31, 2011, 12:28:20 AM »

TTPS defends TV6 raid
Friday 30th December, 2011

 

Police officers followed rules and protocols in executing a search warrant at CCN TV6 on Thursday.

That's the statement from Sergeant Wayne Mystar, the Public Information Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

Speaking at Friday's Police Press Briefing, Sergeant Mystar noted that officers operated within the law as they conducted the search for a video tape of the rape of a teenager. He also said that the officers conducted themselves in a professional, courteous and respectful manner in discharging their duties.

"The activity and behaviour which took place outside of the office of CCN and aired on the news media was a far cry from what took place inside the building. During the execution of the warrant, officers held discussions with officials from CCN and there was compliance and cooperation. At no time did the TTPS contact the media as was reported in the press."

Sergeant Mystar said when the officers emerged from the building, they were surprised at the crowd outside, given that they were inside the building for over an hour.

"The media also reported that more than 25 officers descended upon the office of CCN. On the contrary, 18 officers were detailed to be part of that exercise. They were drawn from specialist areas within the Police Service to facilitate the proper execution of the warrant. The units from which officers operated out were from the Fraud Squad, the Criminal Investigation Department, the Audio Visual Unit and the Inter Agency Task Force. Each unit had a specific task to perform in the execution of the warrant."

58

Football / Rock vs. Football

« on: December 22, 2011, 10:42:58 AM »

Rock drummers 'are top athletes'

22 July 08 08:07 GMT



Playing the drums for a rock band requires the stamina of a Premiership footballer, research suggests.

Tests on Clem Burke, the veteran Blondie drummer, revealed that 90 minutes of drumming could raise his heart rate to 190 beats a minute.

Despite rock's reputation for unhealthy living, Dr Marcus Smith, from Chichester University, said drummers needed "extraordinary stamina".

A hour in concert could burn between 400 and 600 calories, he said.

Clem Burke, who provided the beat for hits such as "Heart of Glass", "Atomic" and "Call Me" was invited to take part in the eight-year project by Blondie fan Dr Smith.

It is hoped that the results could help develop outreach programmes for overweight children who are not interested in sport.

Burke was connected to equipment to measure his heart rate and oxygen uptake, and the levels of lactic acid in his blood.

He found that during a performance, his heart averaged between 140 and 150 beats a minute, peaking at 190, levels comparable to other top athletes.

However, Dr Smith said that while top footballers were expected to perform once or twice a week, drummers on tour would be doing it every night at a different venue.

He said: "Footballers can normally expect to play 40 to 50 games a year - but in one 12 month period, Clem played 90-minute sets at 100 concerts.

"Footballer find playing a Champions League game once every two weeks a drain, but these guys are doing it every day when they are on tour.

"It is clear that their fitness levels need to be outstanding - through monitoring Clem's performance in controlled conditions, we have been able to map the extraordinary stamina required by professional drummers."

The project was conducted jointly by the University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chichester.

A dedicated "drumming laboratory" is now being built at the Gloucester campus and it is hoped that other professional drummers will be tested.

Dr Steve Draper, from Gloucestershire University, said: "This is the first facility of its kind in the world."

Professor Edward Winter, a specialist in the physiology of exercise at Sheffield University, said that the challenge of playing the drums should not be underestimated.

He said that at 190 beats per minute Clem Burke was probably exceeding the maximum heart rate predicted for a man of his age.

"Rock drumming in particular is very energetic, and to add to this, these guys are playing in a hot environment - you'll see them literally dripping with sweat."

 

59

Football / English FA Bias

« on: December 08, 2011, 12:16:16 PM »

Rooney wins appeal against ban
By ESPNsoccernet staff

Wayne Rooney's ban has been reduced to two games on appeal, with the third game suspended for four years.

UEFA's Disciplinary and Control Body handed Rooney a three-match ban after his petulant kick at Montenegro's Miodrag Dzudovic in England's final Euro 2012 qualifier in October. England had appealed against the severity of the ban.

With no more competitive games for England before next summer's finals in Ukraine and Poland, Rooney would have missed the group stage of the tournament. Now he will miss the opening games against France and Sweden and will be available for the final group game against Ukraine in Donetsk.

The third game of the suspension will still kick in if Rooney is guilty of violent conduct in the next four years. He will also undertake football in the community work as part of the ban reduction.

UEFA said in a statement: "The UEFA Appeals Body has reduced a suspension imposed on England striker Wayne Rooney at a hearing in Nyon.

"The Appeals Body today decided that the player's red card during the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier in Montenegro on Friday 7 October should incur a two-match suspension, with a further one-game ban for UEFA European Championship football only suspended for four years, instead of the three-match ban handed down by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body on 13 October.

"Rooney, who will also spend a day supporting a UEFA project as part of the sentence, was sent off in the 74th minute of the 2-2 Group G draw in Podgorica. He will be banned for England's opening two UEFA EURO 2012 matches against France and Sweden but will be eligible for the final Group D fixture against Ukraine."

The third game of the suspension will only be activated if Rooney is sent off for violent conduct in a European Championships match over the next four years. That will only encompass next summer's finals and qualifying for Euro 2016.

Club England managing director Adrian Bevington told reporters in Nyon: "It is a positive outcome, Wayne and Fabio are both very pleased. Wayne will now head back to Manchester, they are both very satisfied that they have had a fair hearing.

"Wayne always made it clear he accepted it was a red card offence and we are very pleased with the outcome. We arrived with the possibility of Wayne Rooney missing the entire group phase so to have him available for the final group game against Ukraine is a positive result for us and Wayne Rooney as well.''

UEFA originally deemed Rooney's challenge an assault, and the rules state that carries a "suspension for three competition matches or for a specified period for assaulting another player or other person present at the match".

The Football Association is thought to have used Andrei Arshavin's two-match ban for an almost identical offence in Russia's last qualifier for Euro 2008 as part of its evidence. It also also argued that Rooney's offence was not comparable to that of Maccabi Tel-Aviv's Yoav Ziv, who was given a three-match ban for kicking his boot at a linesman against Stoke City in the Europa League.

The FA is also thought to have pointed out that a three-match ban that affects games in the finals of a major tournament is a harsher sanction than a suspension of a similar length which would just affect matches in a qualifying tournament.

The Manchester United striker was joined by England coach Fabio Capello and four lawyers as part of an attempt to reduce his punishment.

The team included Adam Lewis QC, who has previous experience of chairing Rugby Football Union appeal hearings, a Swiss sports lawyer, plus the FA's own internal solicitor James Bonnington and a representative from their external lawyers Charles Russell.

60

Football / Soccer Lost Boys

« on: October 31, 2011, 04:28:47 PM »

Has anyone seen this Documentary? I saw a bit of it. Been searching for a link online to watch the full show, can't find it though.

Clip Here