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ACRES and PharmaTrain Announce Strategic Alliance

Cambridge, Massachusetts (PRWEB) September 30, 2013

The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) and PharmaTrain Federation, an international not-for-profit organisation for improving education and training of professionals in medicines development, today announced their creation of a Strategic Alliance to promote the adoption of new and reliable global standards for high-quality postgraduate education and training for individuals pursuing careers in the process of discovery, development, regulation and marketing of new medicines.

According to Dr. Greg Koski, President of ACRES and Dr. Ingrid Klingmann, Coordinator of PharmaTrain, the goal of the partnership is to develop and implement a systems approach to addressing the many challenges currently facing the global drug development and health-related research endeavor. Proposed projects include the development and dissemination of curriculum standards for educational programs and the implementation of a global quality assessment and recognition process for educational programmes and training courses as part of the shared infrastructure necessary for the multi-stakeholder integration of education in medicines development.

"There is nothing comparable to PharmaTrain," noted ACRES President and CEO, Dr. Greg Koski. "Since its inception, PharmaTrain has defined 180 content topics in its comprehensive Syllabus of Medicines Development and mapped them to 60 critical learning outcomes, which are aligned with the core competencies for scientists involved in medicines development. This rigorous approach to standards-based education and training has been missing in preparing professionals in medicines development. Our strategic alliance with PharmaTrain will facilitate the adoption and implementation of these standards worldwide with significant beneficial impact for the industry and for patients."

"PharmaTrain emerged as an education and training project within the
European Innovative Medicines Initiative --it is now ready to undertake the next step for globalisation," said PharmaTrain’s founding father, Fritz Bühler, Professor of Pharmaceutical Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Basel and former Head of Global Clinical Research and Development at Roche.

"To train a new generation of professionals in medicines development, a rigorous standardized but flexible curriculum is essential," said Dr. Ingrid Klingmann, who in addition to her leadership role at PharmaTrain is also Chairman of the Board of the European Forum for Good Clinical Practice (EFGCP). "Currently over 30 leading universities in Europe and North America have implemented the PharmaTrain curriculum-- with ACRES, our new strategic partner, we intend to offer PharmaTrain to the world."

Dr. Honorio Silva, ACRES Vice-President for System Integration and Professionalism, a long time proponent of outcome-based education for both academia and pharmaceuticals added, "This alliance is a major step toward achieving true professionalism in medicines development and clinical research. The strategic alliance between PharmaTrain and ACRES will catalyze the education and training of competent professionals according to uniform standards worldwide."

About ACRES

ACRES, a global non-profit organization working in the public interest and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is building a comprehensive, sustainable and shareable system for clinical research worldwide. By bringing together experts, stakeholders, and like-minded organizations, ACRES’s goal is to collaboratively create and implement systems solutions that enhance safety, data quality and integrity, and operational excellence in an efficient and cost effective manner to improve the health and lives of people everywhere.

About PharmaTrain

PharmaTrain Federation is the successor organization of the PharmaTrain project, which was developed within the European Innovative Medicines Initiative, a collaboration between the European Commission and European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) companies and the largest ever public-private partnership in biomedicine. PharmaTrain standardises and grows job-defined and competence-based training products in medicines development from a nucleus of 45 accredited University Centres of Excellence around the world in partnership with universities, pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies and standard setting societies.

Read the full story at

Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved

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(Date:12/22/2016)... 2016  As part of its longstanding mission to improve ... company, recently released its latest children,s book, titled ... on the topics of inheritance and variation of traits that ... in elementary school classrooms in the US. ... Ariana Killoran , whose previous book with 23andMe, ...
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Genomatica Produces Pure BDO From Natural Sugars

With downstream processing techniques proven cost-effective, Genomatica looks to develop demonstration plant

SAN DIEGO, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Genomatica, a sustainable chemicals company, announced today that the company's engineering team has achieved an important milestone toward the production of commercial grade 1,4-butanediol (BDO) from renewable feedstocks using Genomatica's novel bioprocess. The company has demonstrated that it can process BDO produced from sugar to greater than 99 percent purity using a proprietary and cost-effective recovery process. The achievement clears the way for development of a demonstration facility to begin operating next year.

The new process begins with producing BDO in fermentation broths generated by microbes engineered to directly produce BDO from sugars, and uses process designs and equipment compatible with large-scale chemical production. The purification achievement proves the feasibility of critical downstream process engineering elements of Genomatica's manufacturing method for renewable BDO. Fully integrated, the process will offer Genomatica's partners a competitive advantage relative to producers that today generate BDO entirely from fossil fuels.

"The first 100-percent renewably sourced and purified BDO - it's a powerful sight that symbolizes the transformation that is possible for our industry," said Christophe Schilling, chief executive officer of Genomatica. "With a cost advantage over traditional manufacturing processes, our bio-manufacturing method for BDO will release chemical producers from the fluctuations of the hydrocarbon markets and lower their overall carbon footprint, while meeting the growing demand for sustainably manufactured products."

When Genomatica began development of this breakthrough bio-manufacturing process, the company set three key laboratory-scale development milestones to commercialize the process: first, to show that its organisms can directly produce BDO in a fermentation broth from sugars; next, to show that the yield and rate of BDO production and concentration can reach levels consistent with commercial goals; and finally, to show that BDO can be purified from the fermentation broth using a cost-effective and scalable process. Since the successful production of BDO was first announced last September, the company has been consistently executing against all three milestones.

Genomatica first produced BDO from glucose in February 2008, and has since demonstrated the ability to produce BDO at high levels from sucrose as well as from xylose, a five-carbon sugar. Development is primarily focused on sucrose because it is a readily available feedstock with a tradable forward market and with less pricing volatility compared to hydrocarbon feedstocks currently in use to make BDO. The ability to produce BDO from both six- and five- carbon sugars now opens the way to possible second-generation BDO processes that use carbohydrates derived from lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood residue, municipal paper waste, agricultural waste or energy crops like switchgrass.

At the same time, company researchers have demonstrated 20,000-fold increases in the concentrations of BDO that microbes can produce, approaching the commercial levels needed to manufacture large volumes of BDO at reduced cost. Concurrently, the company created strains of the bacteria that are tolerant of the commercial target concentrations.

With today's announcement, the company has shown the ability to produce purified BDO from various sugars, now validating the feasibility of all of the major unit operations in the lab, and setting the stage for a demonstration plant facility. The company will now focus on scaling up to begin operations at a demonstration plant in 2010.

"By proving the process engineering operations, Genomatica now offers the complete package," said Matt Tirrell, dean of engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a member of Genomatica's Engineering Advisory Council. "The integration of fermentation and purification processes is vital to chemical manufacturers and an important step in Genomatica's development."

The generation of purified BDO will allow Genomatica's bio-manufacturing process to compete against petroleum-based equivalents and offer a cost advantage to producers. Many chemical producers are facing unprecedented business challenges as the global economic slowdown depresses demand, and the credit crisis hampers their ability to finance large-scale projects. Fluctuating natural gas prices and possible changes in environmental and climate regulation have added to the uncertainty for petrochemical producers.

The Genomatica Technology Advantage

Genomatica researchers were able to delicately refine the design of the process because of the integrated components that the company has developed. Genomatica's technology portfolio consists of proprietary best-in-class computational modeling, "wet lab" microbe modification and specialized chemical process engineering. The unique combination of all three elements allows for the creation of breakthrough bioprocesses to produce chemicals through faster and more integrated product development.

With proprietary computational modeling, Genomatica's researchers examine all possible biological pathways to create target chemicals from various low-cost, renewable feedstocks. In this case, they also used modeling and simulation to examine the by-products produced in earlier versions of the BDO manufacturing process, and determined exactly how to eliminate those by-products. This channels more sugar to make BDO. Armed with the "blueprint," Genomatica researchers then updated the microorganisms using a range of different state-of-the-art genetic techniques to increase titers and reduce by-products. With significantly reduced by-products and using expertise from the traditional chemical industry, Genomatica's process engineers designed a novel combination of steps to separate and purify the BDO, obtaining high-purity samples. With this, Genomatica now has validated the entire sustainable BDO process from start to finish.

Genomatica is now refining the complete process to improve the cost-efficiency of every step of the process, from raw material preparation and fermentation to separation and purification. When the demonstration plant validation is complete, Genomatica will then commercialize the process with partners through licensing or other means. This allows the company to advance other sustainable chemical products in its growing pipeline.

About Genomatica

Genomatica is a sustainable chemicals company enabling transformation of the chemical industry together with its commercial partners. The company develops groundbreaking bio-manufacturing processes to sustainably produce a variety of industrial chemicals that impact all major industries and provide the materials that comprise the world we live in. The company enables the production of sustainable chemicals through a compelling proprietary platform that fundamentally transforms the way in which natural processes can be used to convert low cost, renewable feedstocks into higher-value chemicals. Founded in 2000 by research scientists and engineers from the University of California, San Diego, Genomatica develops a broad range of biologically produced industrial chemicals from a variety of renewable feedstocks at a fraction of the cost.

A privately held company, Genomatica is backed by top Silicon Valley venture capital firms Mohr Davidow Ventures, Alloy Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Genomatica is based in San Diego.

SOURCE Genomatica
Copyright©2009 PR Newswire.
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Category Archives: Bio7

Improved ImageJ plugin

Finally I had the time to improve the ImageJ plugin structure of the ‘Plugins’ view menu. Now the SWT menu structure of the plugin completely matches the AWT menu structure of  ImageJ (see screenshots below with some installed plugins).
Installed plugins, scripts and macros will be added to their defined menu path. Before this (current version) it was only possible to extend the SWT ‘Plugins’ menu and installed scripts and macros were only available if installed in the Bio7 main menu or by means of the ImageJ ‘Control Panel’.

In addition I improved the image ‘Type’ menu to show checked menu items according to the opened image (see screenshot below).

Finally the ImageJ shortcuts will be mapped to the SWT menu if not used by the platform with a higher priority (see screenshot below).

Some minor improvements will follow, too for the next update of the plugin which can be updated for Bio7 2.4 or any Eclipse environment soon.

Useful Eclipse Plugins for Bio7

Here are some great Eclipse plugins useful in a scientific context which can be installed directly into Bio7 with the Eclipse Update-Manager of Bio7 (Help->Install New Software…).

Please note that you can also install the Eclipse Marketplace Client into Bio7 to install some of these plugins (a fancy interface to search for plugins):

The powerful Git plugin to connect Bio7 with a Git repository.

A true native terminal with SSH,Telnet and Serial line support.

Eclipse CDT
C/C++ editor and development tooling.

Arduino C++ IDE:
A great Arduino extension of the C++ editor of Eclipse.

An integrated development environment to support the development of parallel applications written in C, C++, and Fortran.

An Integrated Development Environment and Refactoring Tool for Fortran

JavaScript editor and development tools

PyDev Editor:
A very powerful Python editor which can be used to execute Bio7 Jython and Python scripts instead of the Bio7 default editor. In addition Bio7 can use the PyDev editor to execute scripts running on the Bio7 Java classpath. If you open Jython/Python scripts with the PyDev editor the default Bio7 action will be visible to execute the scripts on the Bio7 classpath.

Groovy Editor:
A more powerful Groovy editor. Can also be used with the Bio7 classpath if scripts are opened with this editor instead of the default.

Jeeeyul’s Eclipse Themes
To install new styling themes into Bio7.

Eclipse Color Theme
If you need, e.g., a dark colored editor at night to rest your eyes.

Julia Editor
A Julia editor in an early stage. But very promising.

Remote System Explorer
A plugin to connect Bio7 with SSH, Telnet, FTP and DStore protocols.

This is a selection of a huge amount of available Eclipse plugins which can be installed into Bio7 to complement the default tools.

Full JDT Support For The Next Release

It was always a goal to integrate a powerful Java editor in Bio7. The current default Java editor of Bio7 is a custom editor with a set of tools to ease the creation of valid Java files and enables the compilation of Java classbodies and regular Java classes dynamically.

However the editor lacks many advanced Java editing capabilities which would be very hard to implement bottom up. So instead of trying to improve the current editor i evaluated the use of JDT  (Java development tools) inside of Bio7.

After some research and time i was finally able to embed JDT in Bio7 in a decent and easy to use way. As the result in next release you can create a Bio7 Java project with JDT support using several project creation wizards of Bio7 which create e.g. Bio7 Java templates ready for dynamic compilation (see below).

The file(s) for compilation are created in the base src folder (the bin folder contains compiled *.class files which we don’t need for dynamic compilation – the built process can be disabled in the preferences).
As in previous releases the dynamic compilation action is available in the toolbar of Bio7 (you don’t need the Run configuration of JDT) to compile the files instantly
into the current Java process.

The process of creation also configures the project Build Path automatically to include all necessary Bio7 runtime libraries, binaries and source folders which are needed more or less for the dynamic compilation process (see screenshot below) so that no further adjustments are needed to interact with the Bio7 environment.

The JDT  Java editor drastically improves the creation of Java simulation models, etc. You definitely profit from the fantastic editing support of the editor with code completion, refactoring and error analysis, Quick fixes, etc. (below a screenshot shows the code completion for the available Bio7 API).

However if the Java editor is not active the usual Bio7 GUI is not cluttered by JDT elements.

At all JDT support for Bio7 is a huge improvement for the creation of e.g. simulation models avoiding many errors with Java classes. The Java file creation and the dynamic compilation process will be as easy as in previous releases of Bio7.

First Screenshot With Eclipse 4.4

Today i tried Bio7 1.7.1 with the new Eclipse 4.4M3 platform and it didn’t look bad. There are some minor UI bugs/defects and missing implementations (detached views, e.g.) but i’m quite confident that these bugs will be resolved soon by the Eclipse team. At all this is huge improvement to 4.3 which was not usable with my RCP application. Here a first screenshot:

As you can see some controls and menus are not in the right place. But at all 4.4 will be a huge UI improvement.

New Bio7 1.7.1 Release with Improved R Plot Image Display

I released a new Windows version of Bio7. This release improves the general R plot functionality of Bio7. The default image plots are now displayed in a Image stack if more than one plot command is executed. In this way all plots are automatically openend and not only the last image plot. Multiple plots (e.g. an animation or simulation) can then be saved as an animated *.gif file (see example below) or an *.avi file, etc. with the available default ImageJ methods.

Furthermore i added some templates in the preferences to switch e.g. to a *.pdf (displaying multiple plots) or *.svg plot (displaying a single plot) which will be opened with the default registered software if available – for *.svg i recommend Inkscape).
For antialiased image plots i added an “Image Cairo” option.

 Click on the image below to open an overview video!

Animated *.gif exported with ImageJ

  • Updated ImageJ to version 1.48b.
  • Improved the custom R plot display.
  • Synchronized the “Plot Data” actions  in the “R-Shell” view with the settings in the Bio7 Rserve preferences.
  • Added more R plot options (with templates) in the Bio7 Rserve preferences (see screenshot below).
  • Synchronized the “Plot Data” actions with the settings of the plot preferences.
  • Updated Rserve to version 1.7-3
  • Updated some useful links to R resources and documents (Menu Help->Bio7 Internet).

Bug Fixes:

  • Fixed a bug which occured when opening the 3d panels of Bio7 while a resized! ImageJ image was displayed.
  • Fixed a bug of the embedded ImageJ.

A Linux and Mac version is planned after the next Java Runtime release.

The new Bio7 release can be downloaded here!


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El Capote, Spain

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El Capote, Spain is a town where Susan Abbott was residing prior to the events of Operation Firefly. After finding Abbot in a local bar, Steve Austin engendered her trust by playing a guitar at bionic speed. Later, in her apartment, Abbot used her psychic abilities to determine that the hunt for her father would have to continue in the Florida Everglades.

  • El Capote seems to be fictional, as there is no town in Spain with that exact name. However, it could be a reference to the real Spanish village, Masia de Capote, located about 50 km due north of Valencia, along the same latitude as Madrid.

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Re: That pet shop still gets a thumbs up.

Posted by Jo-Ann on 1/12/07
(7) Comments

    On 1/11/07, Kelsi wrote:
    > I went to check out that pet shop that took over the
    > nasty one and it really is nice. The new owner has really
    > done alot of work and cleaning. When I was there I found
    > out that she has a website with pictures of the store.
    > Take a look, it's a really cute little store and a clean
    > one. She is very nice and knowledgeable, but there is one
    > thing I don't understand. I know that the place is always
    > busy and she is always getting in huge orders to restock
    > the supplies with, but I don't really understand why she
    > gave so many birds away for free? She gave away a
    > macaw, an umbrella cockatoo, lots of cockatiels, some
    > finches and a couple other birds I heard about. All those
    > birds were friendly and beautiful and had been given a
    > clean bill of health from the vets. She should be selling
    > them and making money on them but she doesn't seem to care
    > about losing money like that. I didn't ask her but I
    > probably should have because she is such a friendly person
    > I think she would have told me. Why would a pet shop give
    > away friendly healthy beautiful birds that could bring in
    > so much money? Well anyway, if you are in that area you
    > should definitely check it out because it's one of the
    > cleanest pet stores I have ever been in. The prices are
    > really good on bird food too.

    Most likely she is trying to build good will with a customer
    base. If the store was as bad as you described, people were
    probably afraid to buy a live animal kept in those
    conditions for fear it would die shortly after purchase.
    Along the same lines as a food company giving out samples.

    Let's face it, everyone she gave a bird to and those who
    found out about it will talk about it to everyone they
    know. Great marketing strategy to shed the bad reputation
    of the previous owner.

    Good will go alot further than hanging notices on the front
    doors of homes in the community. I hope she succeeds.


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Does your lab have a closet full of white elephants; once expensive instruments that are no longer fit for purpose, or have broken down? In many cases, all of that wasted money and resource could have been saved if the buyers had made smart choices about matching the instrument more closely to their needs.

A real-time PCR cycler is one of those potential white elephants. Many factors go into the decision on which real-time PCR instrument to purchase. It’s a very expensive machine that will play a critical part of reaching your research goals so getting the right machine for your lab is essential.

This very topic was the subject of a discussion in the BioTechniques Molecular Biology Forum in 2008. Experienced users gave their input into what they considered most important in a real-time PCR cycler and I have collated the information to produce this essential buyers guide.  Although this discussion took place over 8 years ago, it is still relevant today.

So here are the most important features to consider in a real-time PCR instrument

1. Fast Run Times

The most commonly stated requirement was fast run times. This allows more work to be done in a day. This is especially important if the instrument is shared or you have big projects and need high throughput.

2. Multiplexing Capability

Many commented that the ability to multiplex is a plus point. You may not be doing it now, but its good to have the option in the future. Plus, if it’s a shared instrument, the machine will need to have the flexibility to work in everyone’s project.

To this end, asking the manufacturer about the type of optics becomes important. Lasers are expensive, lamps are cheaper. Some lamps have broader excitation than others (eg. xenon) than the more typical tungsten. LEDs are cheaper still and have a long life-span – but single LED instruments have lower numbers of channels

3. Flexibility of the Plate Format

You may have different projects / groups using the same unit. Some may have a 96 or 384 plate or even 0.2 ml tubes. A system that can use different plates will be a plus.

4. Ease of Use

The user interface should be clear and intuitive.

5. Well-to-well Variability

Some companies claim their machine is more accurate than their rival’s. When testing the instrument in house, try out some of your most difficult primer sets and make sure to use some of the outside and corner wells. A 0.5 degree well-to-well temp variation could have a major effect on PCR efficiency.

6. Customer Support

What is the current expertise of the people involved in real-time PCR? If you have a lot of new people, they will be calling technical support frequently. How is the company’s support? If it’s a shared instrument, will there be a designated expert to oversee the operation and help people internally?

6. Warranty

Most come with one year, some with two years. It is especially important for those systems with lasers to ask about the warranty options and figure that information into the cost.

7. Ongoing Service Contract

As with any major piece of instrumentation, you should consider taking up an ongoing service contract. This may be with the manufacturer or an independent company. Not taking up a service contract is a false economy – within a few years of heavy use your shiny new machine is likely to have died and gone to white elephant heaven.

So next time you are involved in buying a real-time PCR cycler, put these items on your tick-list. Ask the company reps about the features of their machines, then narrow it down – take a few demos machines and test them out rigorously.

Don’t be responsible for yet another white elephant!

This post is the result of a discussion in the BioTechniques Molecular Biology Forum.
Thanks to forum members WISBiomed, Nonrad, Mchlbrmn, WeirdOmen for their valuable input.

Originally published on January 15, 2008.  Revised and updated on May 31, 2016.


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New Orleans Saints - - Blogs - neugey en Tue, 24 Jan 2017 17:40:55 GMT vBulletin 1 New Orleans Saints - - Blogs - neugey How to really handle Ray Rice and AP Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:50:05 GMT I'm getting sick of the judgmental media and all the holier-than-thou hoopla. Let the judicial system and law enforcement sort these things out. It's all about the drama and the ratings, which is sad because people usually tune into sports to get away from all this BS.

I actually hope AP gets to play every Sunday unless he actually goes to jail. Let Ray Rice come back soon too if a team wants him. Let the chips fall where they may. Getting suspended is the easy way out. When Kobe had his trial and all of the legal matters going on, he stepped up his game and dominated. With limited sleep and practice time and tons of media scrutiny, Kobe had some of the best games of his career. His life was in shambles and people booed the living hell out of him, yet he made his mark. He showed resolve and determination and completely sent a message that they'd have to put him behind bars to take him off the court. Love him or hate him, Kobe has balls. So did the late Jerry Buss. Jerry Buss was a smart and determined business man and he wasn't about to let off-the-court issues affect his team unless their was no other choice. And as much as I usually can't stand David Stern, Stern had the common sense to let the legal stuff play out and let the basketball be basketball and not to let one affect the other. Stern wisely stayed out of the way and didn't grandstand. Buss and Stern didn't let the media grapevine or TMZ make their business decisions for them.

What does all of this say to our kids, to our society?! That at the first sign of a PR conflict, you've got to distance yourself from it as fast as possible?! Avoid distractions at all costs?! Sever ties quickly and try to keep everyone happy?! Run like hell at the first sign of controversy?! Yeah that's some swell advice *sarcasm*. How about having the resolve to function and the discipline to work despite the distractions present? One hair in a soup bowl shouldn't close an entire restaurant or force them to stop selling that soup. That's a far-fetched metaphor, but you get the idea.

Life goes on. Life isn't always ideal. This isn't mamby-pamby land. I live in the real world and sometimes people have crazy personal stuff happen and guess what, as a professional, you still gotta man up and go to work. It's a goddamn business. Here's what I would do with Ray Rice or AP - "You screwed up big time and you're lucky you're still a free man. But you made this mess and I expect you to take care of it. You don't get to hurt this team and our goals just because YOU screwed up. Here's how we're gonna handle it, or we're gonna cut you. You're gonna donate your game check to charity. You're going to have a press conference to apologize and answer questions, just you and our GM, no agents, no lawyers. Then you're going to play your ass off. I don't care if you get booed. I don't care if your teammates are mad at you. That's on you."

Let Ray Rice and AP face the music. I want to see what they're really made of. I want to see what their teammates and the other players are really made of. Let the team and the league take a PR hit and let's see how they respond too. Sitting at home suspended, hiding behind their lawyers because some special interest groups or talking heads feel butt hurt by their playing, tells us nothing. Absolutely nothing. Would their playing be a huge distraction? Of course it will. Perhaps we should just grow a pair and get over it. At some point PROFESSIONAL sports turned into "we gotta please everybody and try to maintain this unattainable spotless reputation and kowtow to public opinion and strive for political correctness at all times" sports. PROFESSIONAL sports used to be "It's a messed up world but we're here to make money and entertain the hell out of you while doing so and if you've got an issue just get the hell out of our way" sports. I'm hoping we rediscover the latter definition of PROFESSIONAL sports again. ]]>
Immigration Reform and USCIS delays of legal immigration Fri, 19 Apr 2013 02:10:07 GMT I made this Youtube video myself and I think it speaks for itself. Immigration Reform, The Truth... I made this Youtube video myself and I think it speaks for itself.

I would also urge you all to consider the ramifications of Amnesty bill being discussed in the White House and what can be done to kill it. We are already knee debt in bureacracy and entitlements without this kind of legislation. ]]>
Gun debates aside, Connecticut tragedy shows a cultural problem Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:22:42 GMT With the tragic school shooting in Connecticut on Friday, the hot-button issue is gun control or... With the tragic school shooting in Connecticut on Friday, the hot-button issue is gun control or the lack thereof, but it's an issue I could care less about. In fact, this is the last time I'm going to use the word "gun" or mention firearms in this blog.

Also, I am not pointing to a lack of moral or compassionate populace in America. There are many, many thoughtful and compassionate people in America of all ages and all demographics. We live with them, work with them, worship with them and come into contact with them on a daily basis. The kindness of the person who bagged your groceries or cashed your check is still evident today and it has not gone away. Strangers may be quiet, but they are very rarely hostile or inconsiderate.

The pre-meditated killings we are seeing are partially a byproduct of the degrading American culture that has widened its profits and marginalized its people. There is a wide disconnect between the actual citizens of society and the culture here in America today. We have lost healthy American culture and are depriving current and future generations of critical thought. Over the last twenty years American culture has been deprecated and replaced by a mock culture that is both arrogant and ignorant.

I first point to the sad state of the popular music industry. Our popular music has no compassion or social thought any longer. The problem is actually not the artists as much as it is the industry and corporate machine. As a result, all my pre-teen daughters are going to hear on the radio and when they go roller skating is this kind of fare ...

- Ke$ha singing "Party like we're going to die young-young-young-young-young"
- the flavor-of-the-month pop-rap duo ditty
- Gangnam Style or the latest dance craze
- another Adele or Taylor Swift breakup song
- the latest LMFAO song (after all, who hears a cry for help, when party rockers are in the house tonight?!)

The new world order of music is that all pop songs propagated by the music industry must deal with party anthems, romantic endeavors or other superficial subject matter to serve up to our children and keep them in the dark about real issues. I'm sure that Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Beyonce would be more than willing to collaborate on a poignant song about the tragedy in Connecticut, but the message today by record execs is loud and clear that there is no tolerance for those types of songs in the Top 40 anymore. The days of Marvin Gaye releasing "What's Going On?" and causing many an American to think and cry? Gone. The days of a run-of-the-mill hair band White Lion stunning everyone with their thoughtful lyrics and musicianship on "When the Children Cry"? Gone. The days of Pearl Jam giving an unflinching and long hard look at the aftermath of bullying and child neglect in the music video Jeremy? Long gone, and in today's America, banned due to political incorrectness.

From a news media perspective, everything took a sharp turn downhill the day after news networks showed live footage of the slow-speed chase of OJ's white Bronco. The news industry discovered a sick pleasure and a new trigger within society. The new marching orders became "Exploit tragedy and glorify serial crime and watch the ratings climb". The TV industry followed suit and learned from the news industry's new discovery and decided to show the dregs in society something miserable, cheap and monotonous that captivates them (kind of like that slow white Bronco) - and profit. Thus reality TV was born - and is now running amok, even on cable channels that once would never be caught dead showing reality programs. And when the news or reality TV just isn't edgy enough, then it's time to author the darker shows like CSI, Law and Order, Cold Case and all the derivative programs to make everyone worry a bit that their next door neighbor is a serial killer or rapist.

Since Friday, CNN has turned into Sandy Hook News Network because "by golly, this thing has legs politically so let's milk this to the bitter end to push a political agenda and widen the already-massive divide between the hardcore Democrats and Republicans." They happened upon (presuming Connecticut isn't a false flag) a haunting crime and a real doozy of a wedge issue to keep Americans arguing amongst each other ... when they aren't watching reality TV or jamming out to the latest mindless auto-tuned hit or playing with their iPhone. Massive public dissent becomes less attainable as the American populace becomes more fractured and "A house divided against itself cannot stand". The elites are loving every minute of it.

Since the 60's and the full implementation of mass media, TV, music and news media are the primary barometer of our social and collective conscious. Whether we like this or not, it's the truth. And it therefore shows us that today we're in quite the death spiral. Having such an unhealthy collective conscious is only going to intensify the problems in society. When you consider someone who is mentally unstable and desperately alone that could be on the verge of doing something horrible, a sick and narcisstic culture like ours (where Snooki and Charlie Sheen are quasi-heroes), along with a corrupt government, can become the tipping point. Then, very sadly, the innocent blood spilled fuels the machine anew. This depraved and mindless cultural machine, which cares a thousand times more about Kate Middleton than all the young Sandy Hook victims combined, is the thing that really needs to be stopped.

"There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part! You can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!" - Mario Savio ]]>
Respect for Ryan Braun Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:54:03 GMT I'd like to get on my soapbox for a bit about the Ryan Braun situation. What you are about to read will probably go against the common public opinion - which is already labeling Braun as a cheat and a fraud and ready to jettison Braun with an endless and unrelenting supply of taunts this coming season.

But I, for one, have been impressed with the professionalism and maturity that Braun has shown during this process. Let's give this man credit. Given the gravity of the allegations against him and the fact that litigation is currently ongoing, he had the bravery and well-spoken demeanor to hold his own TV press conference after the arbitrator struck down the suspension. Braun didn't hide behind his lawyer - or even stand beside his lawyer with cameras rolling, for that matter. How many other athletes could have handled the situation in this most risky, touchy and public manner and field journalist questions afterard while flying solo?! How many would show much more class than the MLB PR people and the other drug-testing cronies had shown in their press comments?! Not many, I'd bet.

The main fact in this situation is that the sample collector took Braun's sample and stored it in his personal residence for 44 hours before submitting the sample for delivery to the clinic in Montreal. In these days of HIPPA and medical confidentiality, this is a major problem. Those samples belong in a clinic or in a secure location, period. And they certainly have NO place in a collector or physician's personal residence, who will be personally doing absolutely nothing to analyze that specimen. Why in the world could the collector not utilize a safety deposit box or some sort of a secured office location to store the sample in the interim before it can be shipped? There has to be a thousand better options than taking this confidential lab work home with them for the weekend.

Let's think about the people in the public that are screaming that Braun got off on a "technicality". Many of them, including myself, have fulfilled a drug screen for their employer at a third party clinic. Many more of them have had their bloodwork or samples collected with their primary care physician to run tests for checkups and diagnosis. So how would they feel if they found out their personal doctor or trusted clinic collecting these samples, took this lab work home with them?! I think they'd be steamed or at the very least alarmed as to what is going on. Especially if they lost their job or had compensation reduced due to a positive test. A man with any common sense would retain a lawyer under these circumstances.

I think that Mr. Braun and his legal counsel should be commended for their investigative work and exposing some serious flaws in chain of custody in the drug collection process. As much as we might hate lawyers, sometimes they do their job well and expose problems that need to be brought to light.

The drug testing process, in my eyes, has now lost a great deal of credibility. I have always disagreed with how the anti-doping, MLB and other testing advocates simply place the utmost belief in the medical evidence, conducting no further analysis, inquiry or investigation to find out whether the alleged violator is a steroids user, with intent of enhancing his performance. What if there is some medical outlier that caused the bad reading? Could it be that difficult to take additional samples or conduct further investigation? Is it not absolutely heartless and narrow-minded to take one facet of the truth, the medical sample, and automatically place 100% trust in the scientific results and assign automatic and full punishment, regardless of any circumstances? Also, if Braun had to take a steroid for some medical condition which needed to be treated, we'll probably never know because it's a private matter. But perhaps we should. Because then you all might learn something.

The same steroids you condemn can also save lives and treat illnesses. Ten years ago a steroid saved my baby daughter's life. Under doctor's orders, her mother and I gave her albuterol to treat her RSV condition, administering the steroid using a nebulizer every four hours around the clock. Some years ago, a Saints player utilized this same drug to treat his asthma condition, under advice from his physician and with concern for his own health. The Saints player got punished 100% for this - just the same as if he had shot up with a performance-enhancing steroid in plain sight at a Gold's Gym. Just how crazy is that?

In conclusion, I call such behavior by the drug testing czars and fanatics a witch hunt, I call it lazy, I call it a total disregard for due process and consideration of other facts and circumstances. Lab results should not be our new American gospel. I certainly see a window of possibility that the drug testing process has gotten this wrong, as Braun and his team attest.

Go Ryan Braun. ]]>
Sympathy for the Vikings Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:45:34 GMT After we won Sunday, I felt bad for the Vikings. But not about the beating we gave them on the... After we won Sunday, I felt bad for the Vikings. But not about the beating we gave them on the field ... I liked that part.

The Saints can come in and smoke the Vikings like we did and I would expect the post-game radio in this market to sound angry, upset, disappointed. Instead I only hear hurt, pain, demoralization. For many Vikings fans, broadcasters and supporters, the games in a 2-12 season at this point are merely a diversion. The 10k ton elephant is that the Vikings only have 2 more games before their lease runs out.

There are some jerk Viking fans no doubt, but there are also a lot of loyal and respectful Vikings fans. Some are my family and friends. People can't imagine the Twin Cities without the Vikings, even if they do choke big games and can't get their pick in time to the draft podium. Tragedy is still entertainment and fans still have a hope that their team's self-destructive days will soon come to an end. Sound familiar, Saints fans?

An article in the Star Tribune on Sunday highlights the stadium situation and how close NOLA came to losing the Saints. It would be cool if the Saints could provide some encouragement/assistance for the Vikings to remain in Minnesota. It's a fun rivalry and most NO vs MIN games (unlike this last one) are really closely fought. ]]>


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admin 05-02-2013 07:30 PM

Gambit TV: 3-Day Weekend A&E picks
Noah Bonaparte Pais made his regular Thursday stop on the WWL Eyewitness Morning News and brought Eric Paulsen a music-heavy selection of Gambit weekend picks for the second weekend of Jazz Fest. (Bonus: they talk Mud ? the Matthew McConaughey movie, not the kind currently pooling on the track at the Fair Grounds.)

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New Orleans Saints -

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-   -   Ok lets see what yall think (

hagan714 02-24-2013 03:45 PM

Ok lets see what yall think
If we move anywhere on the board or if his stock climbs i can Sean having the Reggie Bush reaction. Kid in the candy store with a play book he is just itching to use again.

Tavon Austin worries me lol

How would react if the saints did move down took him?

papz 02-24-2013 03:51 PM

Re: Ok lets see what yall think
He's a favorite of mines. We've always had trouble with YAC and he would be a perfect fit in our offense. That said, we need that rush OLB for our defense. So unless we can magically make a 2nd rounder appear and he's there for the taking, pass. Plenty of quality receivers in the draft also... we can wait if we feel we need to address the position.

Rugby Saint II 02-24-2013 05:02 PM

Re: Ok lets see what yall think
I'm with Papz.
I just feel like we really need to go defense all the way.

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EPL Transfer Rumours: One Position Each Side Will Look to Improve in the Summer

Peter WebsterContributor IIIOctober 12, 2016

EPL Transfer Rumours: One Position Each Side Will Look to Improve in the Summer

1 of 22

    You might think that your team doesn't need any new faces in the summer, but football is always evolving.

    Strength in depth has become essential for any top club to maintain their league and cup hopes combined, and even goes a way into just keeping some sides in the league.

    Whilst all teams have their weaknesses, here we'll look at where each Premier League side could look to improve in the summer.

2 of 22

    Arsenal have a solid team when all of their players are fit, and whilst they have lacked defensive cover this season, they could probably put that down to being unfortunate rather than underprepared.

    One position Arsene Wenger will likely look to strengthen is the attack.

    Robin Van Persie has been phenomenal this season, but he needs help when it comes to weighing in with goals.

    Gervinho and Walcott play as widemen rather than central strikers and Marouane Chamakh just isn't up to the task.

    As I go to submit this article I have noticed that an agreement has been reached with Cologne for Lukas Podolski to sign next season.

    Seems Arsene Wenger thought the same as I did.

Aston Villa

3 of 22

    Aston Villa's midfield really needs some upgrading if they are to return to the top seven team they used to be.

    Having lost Stewart Downing and Ashley Young in the summer, quality midfielders need to be brought in to feed the goal hungry Darren Bent.

    Charles N'Zogbia hasn't had the impact that Alex McCleish had hoped for.

Blackburn Rovers

4 of 22

    Unfortunately Blackburn Rovers have issues all over the pitch but the losses of Ryan Nelson to Spurs and Christopher Samba to Anzhi Makhachkala means that the defence has to be given priority in the summer.

    Blackburn have some money to spend but their problem is attracting a good enough standard of player.

Bolton Wanderers

5 of 22

    On paper, Bolton Wanderers have a solid team, but their difficult opening fixtures this season have shattered their confidence and they've never shaken it off.

    Bolton look devoid of quality in the midfield with loanee Ryo Miyaichi as their only bright spark.

    Owen Coyle will likely look to Bolster across the middle come summer—assuming he still has a job.

6 of 22

    This summer could see a Chelsea squad overhaul.

    Ageing players such as Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda may seek football elsewhere, whilst the younger Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Torres should try to establish a long term partnership.

    The key area likely to be strengthened for Chelsea is probably midfield—bearing in mind two central defenders have been purchased fairly recently in David Luiz and Gary Cahill.

    Raul Meireles has looked too lightweight at times this season and Chelsea don't appear to have any cutting pace throughout their midfield anymore.

7 of 22

    Everton have always been reasonably solid in defence and midfield, but they've lacked a top striker for a while now.

    Louis Saha was too consistently injured for the Merseyside club to get the best out of him, and midfielder-cum-forward Tim Cahill has forgotten where the goal is.

    It remains to be seen whether Nikica Jelavic will solve that problem, but I'm guessing he probably won't.

8 of 22

    If new striker Pavel Pogrebnyak continues scoring goals like he has in his first three games for Fulham—five—then Martin Jol will surely be renewing the Russian's contract in the summer.

    Scoring goals has often been Fulhams problem this season but perhaps that issue has already been resolved.

9 of 22

    Ah, Liverpool.

    Carling Cup winners and serial Premier League misfits for another season.

    Kenny Dalglish has to realise his squad lacks real firepower despite the emergence of the exciting forward Luis Suarez.

    Andy Carroll is fine for a backup striker right now, but he's not going to get you 20 goals a season in his current form.

    Fans may argue that an attacking midfielder or right winger should take priority, but they will likely be content with any of the above as long as they are of a great standard.

Manchester City

10 of 22

    It's hard to see where Manchester City need strengthening with the current squad they can boast.

    With four top strikers on their books it certainly isn't the attack.

    If you can pick fault with an impressive team such as this, it may be the lack of defensive cover they have at right back.

    If Michah Richards goes out injured, Pablo Zabaleta is their only realistic option.

    The likely departure of Carlos Tevez in the summer may mean they also look for another forward.

Manchester United

11 of 22

    Despite having a lack of depth in many positions this season, the re-signing of Paul Scholes has clearly highlighted the need for Manchester United to find a new central midfielder.

    The fact that manager Alex Ferguson didn't have the faith in anyone else to fill the position speaks volumes.

    What are the odds that Wesley Sneijder gets a phone call this summer?

Newcastle United

12 of 22

    Newcastle have an interesting strike force going on right now, and their midfield isn't too shabby either.

    Defensive frailties have meant their impressive early start has curtailed as the season has gone on.

    Seven defenders—Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor, Simpson, Williamson, Santon and Perch—don't give enough depth to cover four positions throughout a season, particularly when a couple of them are relatively sub-standard for the Premier League.

Norwich City

13 of 22

    As a newly promoted club this season, Norwich City are currently exceeding expectations.

    The first thing they may look to do in the summer is to try and keep the players they have before the larger teams come poaching.

    Clean sheets have been a struggle all season long for Paul Lamberts men, that has to be addressed.

Queens Park Rangers

14 of 22

    Queens Park Rangers are currently in the midst of a relegation fight despite making strong moves to strengthen in the winter window.

    Having signed strikers Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora in January, Mark Hughes will be trying to add some more steel to a seemingly lightweight midfield.

Stoke City

15 of 22

    Stoke's top league goalscorer this season so far is Peter Crouch with seven goals.

    That's not good enough for a team trying to push themselves up the table one place at a time.

    Stoke's method of aerial balls to Crouch and Kenwyne Jones is very one dimensional, and manager Tony Pulis may look to find someone with better ball playing abilities on the ground come summer.

    Cameron Jerome has proven to be an insignificant addition thus far.

16 of 22

    Martin O'Neil has certainly got his Sunderland team playing better than Steve Bruce could, but they still lack a little something.

    That little something is a striker.

    When your top goalscorer is a midfielder playing as a striker there's something wrong.

    Stephane Sessegnon has been a superb signing, but his six league goals aren't enough for the club to progress.

    Nicholas Bendtner is yet to get firing for the Black Cats.

Swansea City

17 of 22

    Swansea have had a thoroughly successful home campaign largely due to the tight defence they have been keeping.

    Nathan Dyer and Scott Sinclair are perhaps their shining lights in midfield, but Danny Graham is the man whose goals they are depending on.

    Swansea will be looking to find him a worthy strike partner.

Tottenham Hotspur

18 of 22

    Tottenham Hotspur may want to improve their midfield in the summer, but the strikeforce needs tending to first.

    Emmanuel Adebayor is only at the club on loan and Louis Saha has always been injury prone.

    If those two are taken out of the equation, it leaves want-away striker Jermain Defoe as their sole recognised striker.

    I say want-away in reference to Defoe, but in fact all he wants is pitch time.

    I think he may move on if Redknapp looks to improve his attacking options.

West Bromwich Albion

19 of 22

    Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie have looked like a decent partnership when they have played together and West Brom fans will be hoping they will be seeing more of them next season.

    Roy Hodgson has got his team playing well and if they could tighten up defensively they should garner more success.

Wigan Athletic

20 of 22

    Since the departure of Charles N'Zogbia and the fall from grace of Hugo Rodellega, Wigan have looked every bit the relegation candidate.

    Roberto Martinez' defence lacks the real steel that was evident over the previous few season's and may find himself shopping for defenders in the summer.

    Wigan also looked devoid of any attacking threat.

    There's a lot of work to be done at Wigan and Martinez needs to address all the problems—if he still has a job.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

21 of 22

    Wolverhampton Wanderers first port of call in the summer is to find a new manager.

    Mick McCarthy didn't do a bad job for the club, but his buys never seemed to gel.

    Caretaker manager Terry Connor has been thrown in at the deep end and already looks to be sinking following a five-nil defeat to Fulham last time out.

22 of 22

    Obviously, three of the clubs mentioned on this slideshow will be departing the England's top flight this season, but you only get what you deserve in the Premier League.

    In reality, most clubs will be attempting to strengthen their squads in all positions as opposed to highlighting just one area.

    Just when you think you've got your team set up how you want it, a rival team comes and poaches your star man so it's impossible to say who will be needing what at the end of the season.

    In the meantime, I think my analysis of problem areas is pretty accurate, but I'd be interested in hearing from the relegation candidate's fans on their views.

    Thanks for reading and be sure to check out 10 of the most hilarious names in football—you might just have a laugh!

    On Twitter? Follow me @petercwebster where I post all my B/R content.

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College Football: 124 Teams, 124 Thoughts, Opinions and One-Liners

David HedlindAnalyst IIAugust 31, 2012

College Football: 124 Teams, 124 Thoughts, Opinions and One-Liners

1 of 13

    For the last few years I have compiled a list of random thoughts, opinions, questions and quips about all 120 teams in the FBS level of college football.

    This year, I got to add in four new teams to the ranks.  I also got to rearrange things thanks to restructuring and realignment.

2 of 13

    Boston College—A lot returns for the Eagles. Still probably going to finish in the middle.

    Clemson—West Virginia just scored again.  Not sure if that joke will ever get old.

    Duke—You still have a football team?

    Florida State—Seems to be the band wagon team of the year.

    Georgia Tech—Play the conference runner-up in Game 1 on a Monday night.

    Maryland—More new uniforms.  Still not sure what is going on at Under Armour.

    Miami—I still find it odd to not consider Miami a top team, but that’s how it is.

    North Carolina—Ineligible for the postseason. Could have been a contender.

    North Carolina State—Why is almost no one giving them a chance with Tennessee? I don’t see that big of a difference.

    Virginia—Only four starters back on defense? Yikes.

    Virginia Tech—Favored to win the division and play the other favorite in first game of the season on a Monday night.

    Wake Forest—Price is back as third-year starter at QB. What more could you ask for? Oh other skill players and a line would have been nice.

3 of 13

    Baylor—Welcome to the big time Baylor, oh no more RGIII, so never mind.

    Iowa State—I really bought Rhoads as the guy to turn the program around, but now it’s just hit a plateau.

    Kansas—Charlie Weis could not win at Notre Dame.  You think it will be easier at Kansas?

    Kansas State—New project for Kansas State science department, clone Bill Snyder.

    Oklahoma—Since 2008, Oklahoma has finished first, third, first and third in the conference.  I’m going with the trend and say that it finishes first this year.

    Oklahoma State—One big season and gone, or will it have staying power?

    TCU—Time to put up or shut up.  Significant upgrade in competition.

    Texas—Anyone else feel like this will be Brown’s last year at the helm of the Longhorns?

    Texas Tech—First losing season in over a decade.  Another and seats could start warming up.

    West Virginia—Done dominating the Big East, let’s try the Big XII.

Big East

4 of 13

    Cincinnati—QB Munchie Legaux.  That’s all I have to say.

    Connecticut—I could see UConn going 8-5 like in 2010 but without the BCS bowl.

    Louisville—Charlie Strong has the Cardinals on the rise.  Maybe his last year here.

    Pitt—ACC called, it said do well so the decision to bring you in looks good.

    Rutgers—No Schiano. Still a conference favorite.  Not that the Big East is going to be tough.

    South Florida—I keep picking its team to win the conference, and it keeps letting me down, and yet I pick it again anyway.

    Syracuse—You do know it was your basketball team that the ACC wanted, right?

    Temple—The Owls are in the Big East. What is this 2004?

Big Ten

5 of 13

    Illinois—New head coach Tim Beckman, I like that hire.

    Indiana—On the bright side, I don’t think it can get worse than the 1-11 from last year.

    Iowa—Seems weird not hearing much about Iowa this offseason.  Iowa went 7-6 last year and only still starters will do that.

    Michigan—No Denard, you could not beat Bolt.

    Michigan State—I hope the defense is ready to carry you; so much is gone from the offense.

    Minnesota—Maybe you should go back to the dome.  The new stadium is not really working for you.

    Nebraska—Solid first year in the Big Ten.  Should be another.  Tough division though.

    Northwestern—I guess Northwestern is happy with an average team.  Keeping Fitzgerald another year. Another seven-win season?

    Ohio State—Not eligible for postseason. Welcome Urban.

    Penn State—New era, that’s all I am going to say about that.

    Purdue—Lucked out not playing Michigan State or Nebraska from the other division.

    Wisconsin—Nation's top running back for yard returns.  I’m guessing Wisconsin will run the ball a lot.

Conference USA

6 of 13

    East Carolina—Despite having a record that was worse in year two than year one, I feel like McNeill should have a great year three now that his system and players are in place.

    Houston—A move to the Big East could have been good a few years ago.  Now maybe, not so much.

    Memphis—Moving to the Big East in 2013: not a football move but a good basketball one.

    Marshall—I kinda hate the fact that I can no longer hear the name Marshall without my head going “We are Marshall!!”

    Rice—One winning season in five years.  If it becomes six, Bailiff might be out.

    SMU—Jumping to the Big East in 2013; it has come a long way since its death penalty.

    Southern Miss—Larry Fedora out, Ellis Johnson in.  I don’t like it. I don’t think Southern Miss fans will either.

    Tulane—I feel like it is reaching by naming a WR coach as the head coach with no past head coach experience.  Seems like a gamble for a team that is not that good anyway.

    Tulsa—It always seems favored.  Wonder if it will live up to this year.

    UAB—I miss Joe Webb.  I’m sure it does too.

    UCF—Postseason ban. Not even the little guy is safe.  Final year in CUSA.

    UTEP—Mike Price needs to do something this year or else his seat is going to be heating up.

7 of 13

    Army—Run, run,run.  That was the game plan last year and should be this year too.  Multiple 1,000-yard rushers aren't out of the question.

    BYU—The move to independence was a good one in year one.  Should be in year two as well.

    Navy—A couple more years as an Independent then a jump to the Big East.

    Notre Dame—Not an Irish fan. Less so that it wants me to get up for a 6am kickoff from Ireland.

8 of 13

    Akron—1-11 last year was not good.  New head coach Terry Bowden is a good hire though.

    Ball State—No defense last year. The good news is, it really can’t get worse.

    Bowling Green—If it could improve the run defense, it would be pretty good.  Pass defense will still be the strength.

    Buffalo—Brandon Oliver could be one of the top backs in the nation this season.

    Central Michigan—CM has had a good run of coaches. Enos has not been one of them.  Could be out.

    Eastern Michigan—You can’t just put that W next to Eastern Michigan anymore in the MAC.

    Kent State—The team almost returns intact.  Improvement should be obvious right away.

    Massachusetts—Stepping up to the MAC from the FCS level.

    Miami OH—Roller coaster time. Win it all in 2010, go 4-8 in 2011.  Now should contend in 2012.

    Northern Illinois—I’m calling for a back-to-back MAC titles.  Losing Harnish will hurt though.

    Ohio—How does it still not have a MAC title under Solich.  Seems like Ohio is always contending for it.

    Toledo—Points for everyone.  Top 10 scoring offense last season.  Should do it again.

    Western Michigan—Cubit has been up and down at Western Michigan but solid.  Could be his year to win the conference.

Moutntain West

9 of 13

    Air Force—The picture of the fire and smoke over the stadium was one of the craziest things that I saw this offseason.

    Boise State—Lost 15 starters but still favored to win the conference.

    Colorado State—Jim McElwain is the new head coach.  Good hire but it’s Colorado State.

    Fresno State—New conference, new coach—could make for an interesting year.

    Hawaii—The Chow era in Hawaii is here.

    Nevada—New conference and already a contender.  Not sure if it will get to 10 wins though.

    New Mexico—It will be different seeing Davie as a coach again and not an analyst.

    San Diego State—Oh you are joining the Big East? Because San Diego screams east coast.

    UNLV—I wonder what odds Vegas is giving for Hauck to still be the head coach next year.

    Wyoming—Could have the best QB in the conference, right behind Carr of Fresno State, that is.

10 of 13

    Arizona—Rich Rod should find more success in Arizona than at Michigan.  Maybe not as much as in WV though.

    Arizona State—Because it’s Graham’s dream job, again.

    Cal—Back in Memorial Stadium, still hard to predict.

    Colorado—First year in the PAC was not great.  Can’t get much worse, can it?

    Oregon—Three-time defending conference champs and top five team but not the favorite to win again?

    Oregon State—Steady decline over the years.  Never underestimate Riley, though.

    Stanford—No more Luck.  Survived losing Heisman finalist RB, then head coach. Will do it again.

    UCLA—New coach, new attitude.  Mora has never coached college though.

    USC—Eligible for the postseason again. Already No. 1 in the country.

    Utah—First live game on the Pac-12 network. Could be a big year for Utah.

    Washington—Offense was fine. I hope the defense improves.

    Washington State—Enter Mike Leach. It was ninth in passing last year and could be higher this year.

11 of 13

    Alabama—Defending national champions. Beat a conference opponent to win it all and still not No 1.

    Arkansas—All the pieces in place for a good season, and the coach pulls one of the biggest bonehead moves of all time.

    Auburn—It’s been a big dropoff since the national championship; I don’t see it getting better.

    Florida—If the offense does not improve on last season, it could be a long season.  Good thing that the D is strong.

    Georgia—Could be Georgia’s year.  Remember when people had Richt on the hot seat?

    Kentucky—I wonder when the last time Vanderbilt was picked ahead of them.

    LSU—No Honey Badger, no problem. Still a top team.

    Mississippi—Hugh Freeze was a solid hire, but SEC is a big step up from the Sun Belt.

    Mississippi State—Investigated by the NCAA? But, you are not even very good.

    Missouri—Yeah, because I think of Missouri when I think of the Southeast.

    Tennessee—Mixed signals on this one.  Is Dooley on the hot seat or is Tennessee a surprise team?

    Texas A&M—Who’s idea was it that a 7-6 Big XII would have better luck in the SEC?

    South Carolina—First game of the season, and it’s a divisional game in the conference.  Way to start it.

    Vanderbilt—Kick off the season with a divisional favorite—no big deal.

Sun Belt

12 of 13

    Arkansas State—Nice hire of Gus Malzahn.  Who scheduled Oregon and Nebraska in the same year?

    Florida Atlantic—New head coach.  Only the second coach in team history.

    FIU—Could win the Sun Belt this season before heading to Conference USA in 2013.

    Louisiana Lafayette—Blaine Gautier, Alonzo Harris and Javone Lawson all back is a good thing for the Cajuns.

    Louisiana Monroe—Offense will be solid but the defense is rebuilding.

    Middle Tennessee—Rick Stockstill has had a solid run. If it has another bad year, will it keep him?

    North Texas—Last year in Sun Belt, headed to Conference USA.

    South Alabama—Welcome to the Sun Belt.  Have fun being a sacrifice for the SEC. It’s what we do here.

    Troy—Oh remember the days when Troy would just win the conference by showing up? And then last year happened.

    Western Kentucky—Did not it just move up to the Sun Belt? And it is already one of the better teams?

13 of 13

    Idaho—So Independence huh? Cool, see ya later.

    Louisiana Tech—Could be the last WAC football champion before conference dissolves and LT goes to CUSA.

    New Mexico State—Left out in the cold with no where to go next season.  Independence it is.

    San Jose State—With all the better teams leaving, SJS has a chance at the WAC.  Joining the teams that beat up on them in the MW in 2013.  Makes sense.

    Utah State—Mountain West lost BYU and Utah? Ok, I’ll be right over.

    Texas San Antonio—Welcome to the WAC. Oh what’s that? You’re gonna leave in 2013 for Conference USA? Thanks for stopping by.

    Texas State San Marcos—Welcome to the WAC. Wait you’re leaving too?  For the Sun Belt?

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Tottenham HotspurDownload App

Tottenham Hotspur: Is Gareth Bale Better Than Ryan Giggs?

A WriterContributor IIIJanuary 15, 2017

Tottenham Hotspur: Is Gareth Bale Better Than Ryan Giggs?

1 of 9

    There will already be Manchester United fanatics ready to crucify me for even suggesting such a thing, but after Gareth Bale single-handedly turned the Welsh fortunes around vs. Scotland on Friday, and has proved to be the best player on the Tottenham team for the past few seasons, there is a case for my argument.

    With comparisons between the two being made since Bale first pulled on a football shirt, is he now ready to step out of Ryan Giggs's shadow and prove himself the better player? Read on to find out.

International Teenage Sensation

2 of 9

    Ryan Giggs was 17 years and 321 days old when he first played for Wales, becoming the youngest player ever to do so—a record he held for over seven years. However, he didn't score for Wales until two years after that game, and wasn't an instant hit.

    In 2006 Gareth Bale set his own record—aged just 16 years and 315 days, when he was called up to play for Wales in a friendly. Bale then became the youngest player ever to score for the full national team in a Euro 2008 qualifier that very same year.

    An immediate impact from the boy from Spurs, whereas it took the Manchester United legend longer to prove his Welsh worth.

    Gareth Bale 1, Ryan Giggs 0.

Club Impact

3 of 9

    Ryan Giggs broke into the Manchester United first team at the age of just 17. Since then, he has been one of the first names on the team sheet for Sir Alex Ferguson, and has scored many crucial, and spectacular goals for the Red Devils.

    Images of the 1999 FA Cup Replay vs. Arsenal and Giggs' stoppage-time goal still resonate with many fans.

    Gareth Bale led the charge into the top four for Tottenham Hotspur in 2009-10, allowing them to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history. However there is no denying that Giggs has been a lynchpin for United, and his skill—along with his leadership quality—is second to none.

    Gareth Bale 1, Ryan Giggs 1.

National Impact

4 of 9

    Gareth Bale has already scored nine goals for Wales, in half the appearances of Ryan Giggs, who only scored 12.

    There is an argument that because Ryan Giggs didn't play in an international friendly until March 2000, despite his career beginning in 1991 (via Independent), he therefore didn't get a chance to score more. However of Bale's international goals, only one of these came in a friendly match.

    Bale still has years left of his career, and will no doubt end with a better record for Wales than Ryan Giggs.

    Gareth Bale 2, Ryan Giggs 1.

Premier League Impact

5 of 9

    Ryan Giggs has won 12 Premier League Titles; Gareth Bale has won 0.

    But Giggs has a 16-year career advantage on his countryman, and so it would be unfair to count all 12 of Giggs's medals. However Giggs had already won three Premier League titles by the time he was Bale's age, and Bale hasn't managed one—yet.

    Manchester United were untouchable in the late 1990s and early 2000s, something which Tottenham Hotspur couldn't even begin to emulate. And Ryan Giggs was a key component to United's League domination.

    Gareth Bale 2, Ryan Giggs 2.

Champions League Impact

6 of 9

    Ryan Giggs has taken his team to two Champions League victories, whereas Gareth Bale has led his team to the Champions League for the first time in their history.

    Both players have been fundamental to the European success of their clubs, and both achievements are highly regarded as some of the best moments in their history. Although trophy hands down beats qualification, Manchester United and Tottenham are in two different classes, so it is tough to decide which event is bigger for either club.

    However Giggs's assist for Teddy Sheringham in the 1998-99 Champions League final is enough to give him the victory on this one, all by itself.

    Gareth Bale 2, Ryan Giggs 3.

7 of 9

    Gareth Bale began his career as a left-back, and still returns to that position when required. He can play down the left, down the right, in the middle and off the front-man. He's a player who ex-manager Harry Redknapp admits "has everything." Redknapp said "he can head the ball, he's as strong as an ox, he can run, dribble and shoot. Most important of all, he's a smashing lad."

    Ryan Giggs can play anywhere across the midfield but is most effective down the left wing. Giggs has been moved into the center in recent years due to becoming slower as he nears the end of his career.

    However even Giggs in his prime couldn't play in defense, whereas Bale can play almost all over the park, and just edges this one.

    Gareth Bale 3, Ryan Giggs 3.

8 of 9

    This category is a walk in the park for Ryan Giggs. Aged 38, he is still playing for arguably the best club in England, at the highest level.

    Giggs has scored in every single Premier League season since it began, and also holds Manchester United's all-time appearances record. This is a feat that will never be matched, and a record that Giggs can be proud of.

    Gareth Bale started his career at 17, but there is only a tiny chance that he will still be playing in the Premier League 20 years after that day.

    Ryan Giggs is a machine and wipes the floor with anyone and everyone in the sustainability section. Except for maybe Paul Scholes.

    Gareth Bale 3, Ryan Giggs 4.

Victory... but for How Long?

9 of 9

    Let's face it, the Premier League's all-time greatest player could never be outclassed by anyone thanks to his superb (and seemingly never-ending) career, but Bale does have the potential to outclass him in the future.

    Bale's international career is thriving, and if Tottenham begin making a real challenge to the title, or if Bale moves elsewhere, he will soon have a league winner's medal around his neck.

    Giggs is the most decorated player in British footballing history, but in terms of talent, Gareth Bale is beginning to match him.

    So is Bale better than Giggs? No.

    Well, not yet.

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UFC 100Download App

Most Ironic Ending In UFC History: The Winner Is...

The MMA Daily ScrapCorrespondent IOctober 21, 2016

With UFC 100 just days away, the MMA blogosphere is getting nostalgic.

From Bleacher Report to CagePotato, lists are all the rage: Greatest Fights. Greatest Comebacks. Greatest Submissions. Greatest Events.

Prepare yourselves, fight fans! The Daily Scrap is ready to throw our hat into the ring, with “The Most Ironic Ending in the History of the UFC“.

Now, before I describe the fight, I’m gonna preemptively strike all of you linguist fascists out there. I mean, why not? We are all still basking in a post-July 4th weekend in America.

Hipster cult author Dave Eggers, who recently penned the film, Away We Go, now playing nation wide, wrote a famous riff on abusers of the word “irony” in his seminal memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. After reading this piece, you might think I chose the wrong title and I’d probably agree with you, OK?

But before you talk shit, read Dave Eggers, or watch Reality Bites, or listen to any popular grunge band from the '90s. Everyone abuses the word “irony,” so there’s no reason to single me out if you think my usage is inappropriate.

That said: The most ironic ending to a fight in the history of the UFC is...drum roll please...Paul Varelans vs. Cal Worsham at UFC 6!

Take a look a the video clip, folks. The fight ends four separate times in a matter of seconds! First, Varelans appears to knock out Worsham with a series of vicious elbows. Worsham goes limp, falls, hits the canvas and wakes up, then immediately taps the canvas! There’s two for you! But wait, there’s more.

A second later, referee Big John McCarthy, who was pretty laissez-faire back in the day, rushes in to stop the fight, while at the same time Worsham’s corner throws in the towel! YES! Remember the days of towel throwing? Anyway, that’s either four separate endings, or just one big, ironic cluster-[sic]!

Or maybe it’s just unfortunate for Cal Worsham.

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Download App

Today (1891): Naismith's First “Basket Ball” Game is Played

JoeSportsFanSenior Analyst IDecember 22, 2016

December 15, 1891

On this day, James Naismith is credited as organizing the first “official” basketball game in 1891.  He was Canadian and is also often credited with introducing the first football helmet – which means, of course, Canadians denounce him and Americans claim him as one of their own.

Naismith’s basketball featured nine versus nine players, a soccer ball instead of a basketball, and a pair of peach baskets as “baskets”.  Above all else, without Naismith’s innovation, we would sorely miss the following banner moments from the game of basketball.

Impress your co-workers: Naismith’s original rules for basketball did not include standard “dribbling”.  The ball was moved up the court via a pass.  Following each “basket,” a jump ball was taken in the middle of the court.  And perhaps the finest rule of them all; when balls traveled out of bounds, the first player to retrieve the ball received possession.

(Subscribe to our daily insights of sports yesteryear right here.  Do it.  You know you want to.)

Subscribe (for free!!) to our weekly sports podcast, deemed "incredible" by two out of three of our moms.

©, 2009. | Permalink | Tweet This

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Los Angeles DodgersDownload App

Gagne admits to HGH use

Micah WarrenContributor INovember 5, 2016

Shocking news from Yorba Linda today, former and current Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Eric Gagne told the LA Times that he used HGH in the past. This is a stunning development for anyone who didn’t see the Mitchell Report, doesn’t look at baseball stats, and/or doesn’t watch baseball.

“I did,” Gagne answered to columnist T.J Simer’s question about whether he used HGH.

“I hate to talk about it. It just doesn’t do anyone any good. But I thought it would help me get better when I hurt my knee. I just don’t want that to sound as an excuse.

“I’m so ashamed. It wasn’t smart. If I knew what I know now. . . . I didn’t need it. I regret it so much, just now maybe getting over the guilt. It was stupid.”

More shocking than this is that he says he’d be willing to take a Minor League assignment if he didn’t make the MLB club. He has a clause in his contract that makes him a free agent if he doesn’t make the Dodgers.

“I was in the Can-Am League,” said Gagne of his whereabouts last season. “Triple A will be like the big leagues.”

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LiverpoolDownload App

Serbian Jovanovic Signs with Liverpool as Summer's First Signing

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 18:  Goalscorer Milan Jovanovic of Serbia celebrates victory in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group D match between Germany and Serbia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on June 18, 2010 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Michael Steele/Getty Images
Saura BhattacharjeeAnalyst IMay 31, 2016

It is official now—Liverpool have signed Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic on a free transfer after much controversy and speculations regarding his move to Anfield.

The arrival of Jovanovic signals the start of Liverpool's summer transfer moves. The impressive Serbian has signed a three-year deal with the Merseyside outfit as the Reds' new manager, Roy Hodgson, completed the move started by his predecessor, Rafa Benitez.

The official signing put to rest doubts regarding the completion of the transfer after  Benitez's exit sparked speculations that Jovanovic could go cold on his pre-contract.

The 29-year-old Serbian ran down his contract at Standard Liege after four successful seasons at the Belgium club, where he won the Footballer of the Year in 2008 and Golden Shoe in 2009.

The Serbian national team regular expressed his excitement and is looking forward to his new adventure in the Premier League as the Reds' prepare for life under new manager Roy Hodgson.

"It is an honour for me to sign for one of the biggest clubs in football," Jovanovic said, speaking to the club's official website.

"I cannot wait to start working with the manager, and I'm looking forward to joining up with my new teammates on our Swiss training camp."

The 28-year-old Jovanovic operates mainly as a striker, but is also comfortable playing out on the left or in an attacking midfield position. The Serbian has a prolific goal scoring record for his former club, Standard Liege.

With Fernando Torres' future at Anfield still uncertain, Jovanovic's transfer will be a boost for the demoralised Reds', who endured a pathetic EPL season which saw them miss out on Champions' League football next season.

Combined with electrifying speed, a great football brain, and an attacking instinct, Jovanovic has the ability to tear up opposition defenses in the blink of an eye. He is also a known free-kick specialist, which will be an added benefit for the Merseyside outfit. His tough physical features will also help him adapt better in the physically demanding Premier League.

But he is somewhat short-tempered and is known for his angry outbursts on the field, which has seen him face numerous bookings previously. Hodgson has to work hard on calming down his new striker's flared temper or Milan could be in trouble.

His arrival will also help reduce the pressure on Liverpool's first choice striker, Torres (if he indeed stays), as the cash-strapped Reds' look to find new buyers and prepare to regain their place in the English Premier League's top slot.

But only the new season will prove whether ex-Liverpool manager Benitez's transfer prospect can live up to the expectations that arise with his arrival at Anfield.

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Sleeping With Sirens covers "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls

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The Folklore of Sanna Annukka

Art & Design

If you have not already seen, Sanna Annukka is one of the most brilliant Finnish designers to step onto the world stage this year (well 2009). She is inspired by Finnish "forests, lakes and wildlife" especially of Lapland (the area in northern Finland, Sweden & Norway).  Sanna Annukka also takes inspiration from the folklore stories of Finland called The Kalevala.

Check out these beautiful designs:

The special edition coffee tin for the Finnish coffee brand Paulig. Gorgeous reds!

A maiden motif that appears in many of her creations. You can buy Sanna Annukka's silk screen prints at mydeco, the online furniture store. The prints are a little pricy but well worth it.

Designing for Marimekko (find Marimekko shops to buy the 2009 collection). Oh the beautiful blues!

With bright colors and block print styles, her designs can turn any place into something magical, yet Nordic chic.

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