text:
Nice to see you so dominant at the halfway point,hopefully injuries and suspensions won't affect you too much in the second half of the season.
Nice to see you so dominant at the halfway point,hopefully injuries and suspensions won't affect you too much in the second half of the season.
Montenegro in the Semi Finals of the World Cup.
Solid work in the league so far. Keep it up.
And well done Montenegro.
2015 AFC Champions League
Group Stage
Alright, the preliminary rounds are all completed, so time to draw some names!
Group A
- Al Hilal (KSA) - Saudi Arabia
- Al Sadd Sports Club - Qatar
- Al Sharjah Sports Club - United Arab Emirates
- Persepolis Tehran - Iran
Group B
- Al Ain Sports & Cultural Club - United Arab Emirates
- Al-Ittihad (KSA) - Saudi Arabia
- Nasaf Qarshi - Uzbekistan
- Sepahan Esfahan - Iran
Group C
- Al-Ahli (KSA) - Saudi Arabia
- Al-Gharrafa Sports Club - Qatar
- Al-Wahda Sports Cultural Club - United Arab Emirates
- Teraktor-Sazi Tabriz - Iran
Group D
- Al-Jazira Sports & Cultural Club (UAE) - United Arab Emirates
- Al-Shabab (KSA) - Saudi Arabia
- Bunyodkor Toshkent - Uzbekistan
- Esteghial Tehran - Iran
Group E
- Chonburi FC - Thailand
- Guangzhou Hengda - China
- Jeju United - South Korea
- Gamba Osaka - Japan
Group F
- Busan I'PARK - South Korea
- Gold Coast United FC - Australia
- Nagoya Grampus - Japan
- Shandong Luneng - China
Group G
- Brisbane Roar FC - Australia
- Guangzhou Fuli - China
- Yokohama F Marinos - Japan
- Suwon Samsung Blue Wings - South Korea
Group H
- Gwangju FC - South Korea
- Hangzhou Nabel Greentown - China
- Kashima Antlers - Japan
- Persipura Jayapura - Indonesia
I know nothing about the teams in my group. Hopefully, we have a good showing!
Last edited by cerud; 07-04-2012 at 17:28.
Go Guangzhou clubs in ACL!
2014-2015 Youth Candidate Intake
Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League
Youth Candidates
Ugh...I normally have bad youth intakes, but this has to be teh worst so far. MY assistant manager feels that Ivan Radenovic is the best of the crop. I could care less...
Ivan Radenovic - D/WB R - He needs a lot of improvement if he's going to have a shot.
2015 AFC Champions League
Group Stage
Nagoya Grampus 1 - 0 Gold Coast United FC
A fairly even match that we were expected to lose. However, our level of play give me hope that we will have a good chance against Grampus when next at home.
A great match in which we dominated. I was hoping for a better score, but the win is our first in continental football so we'll take it!
So after the first two matches, all team are tied at 3 points. We sit in second with a goal difference of zero.
Last edited by cerud; 13-04-2012 at 23:19.
Probably will be a close and exciting group.
2015 AFC Champions League
Group Stage
Gold Coast United FC 1 - 0 Busan I'PARK
Another well played match for us. However, it did take a penalty in the 88th minute to finally put this one away. Still, can't argue with a win.
Between the match against Busan and this one, we had two league matches. Apparently, the rules changed and opposition players were allowed to use knives, bats, and other implements of war, because I was left with 6 starters with injuries. Still, the depth of our squad won out and we dominated Grampus for the rematch.
So, after 4 matches, the standings of the groups stages for Group F look as follows:
- 9 pts - Gold Coast United FC
- 5 pts - Shandong Luneng
- 4 pts - Busan I'PARK
- 4 pts - Nagoya Grampus
Our goalscoring hasn't been what I'd have hoped, but I know this is due to injuries. Hopefully, once players are refreshed an better, we'll be able to put a few more into the net. Until then, we'll rely on our defensive play.
Last edited by cerud; 13-04-2012 at 23:18.
Three 1-0 wins... Boring, Boring Gold Coast United
Solid Asian results.
I just woke up...so you won that game in the end cerud? Oh you did.
Why are there only three teams in Group B?
2014-2015 Season in Review
Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League
1st Place - Qualified for Playoffs
Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Another great season for us. We actually won one more game this year, so I guess I can call it an improvement. However, I was hoping to go the season undefeated, but it was not meant to be.
A-League Finals Major Semi Final Leg 1
Central Coast Mariners 2 - 2 Gold Coast United FC
A decent away match, but we should have won. We let the Mariners get back into this match in the added time. Still, a tie away is a good position to come home to.
A-League Finals Major Semi Final Leg 2
Gold Coast United FC 1 - 0 Coentral Coast Mariners
A dominate match and we got our win.
A-League Finals Grand Final
Gold Coast United FC 1 - 2 Brisbane Roar FC
Never have I wanted to cause physical, emotional, and psychological pain to one of my own players...and my star player at that. Rozic did an ugly tackle in the 10th minute, earning himself a straight red card. We had a one goal lead by this time, but that was the turning point. By the last 10 minutes, we were actually down to 9 men as Pírez reinjured his calf, tearing it again and putting himself out for another 5 months. I won't have my best striker again...this marks about 10 months of injury in a year. Still, I blame Rozic.
Players of Note - Many great players agian this year as they continue to improve. However, here are the standouts.
Nathan Coe - GK - Coe is still improving even through he's already 30 years old. He's also our main goalkeeper for the AFC Champions League as foreign player restrictions mean I can't register Borges just yet.
Ante Rozic - D C - Even though he's in my bad books, I can't deny Rozic is a top quality player. Our most dominant player offensively and defensively this year. He connected on the end of corners, free kicks, and has a quality long shot.
Jonathan Wilmet - M/AM R, ST - Broke the record for most assists. Our new foreign Marquee player is definitely making his mark in the league.
Jhon Pírez - AM L, ST - Pírez barely played a third of the season and was still in the top five for scoring in the league. Just wish I had him the whole season.
Tahj Minniecon - ST - Pírez's replacement, Minniecon, was a great surprize. I've had him since I took over Gold Coast but never really used him. He definitely proved his worth this year, scoring the second most goals in the league.
Finances - We're making money this year, but the majority is from a chairman cash injection at the beginning of the season. Still, this month's profits are encouraging that making money is possible
Facilities - No changes.
- Player of the Year - A. Rozic - 1st Place
- Golden Boot - A. Rozic - 1st Place, T. Minniecon - 2nd Place
- Foreign Player of the Year - J. Wilmet - 1st Place
- Goalkeeper of the Year - N. Coe - 1st Place
- Manager of the Year - Cerud - 1st Place
- A-League All-Star XI - A. Rozic (D C), J. McKain (D C), J. Brown (M C), J. Wilmet (ST)
- PFA A-League Team of the Year - A. Rozic (D C), J. McKain (D C), J. Brown (M C), J. Wilmet (ST), M. Marrone (Alt), J. Spagnuolo (Alt)
- Fans' Player of the Year - A. Rozic
Goals Revisited
- Win the A-League - Achieved. Won the A-League for the second year in a row!
- Make the Grand Finals - Achieved. Still, disappointing not to win...
- Make the 2nd Round of the AFC Champions League - Achieved! And we're still in!
- Lose less money - Achieved...with reservations. Our chairman helps us out with this one.
Next Year
I signed another 1 year, $300 000 extension to my contract, mainly because I just want to finish out the AFC Champions League. I'll probably start looking for a new club once that's done as I feel that my time in Australia is coming to an end. I can look back proud in taking Gold Coast to champion status.
Last edited by cerud; 09-04-2012 at 05:23.
2015 AFC Champions League
Group Stage
Shandong Luneng 2 - 2 Gold Coast United FC
Shandong tied this match in the 89th minute... Annoying...
Busan outplayed us pretty heavily in the match. We have already qualified for the second round, so the team kind of quit. We're also severly hurting with injuries.
Well with the group stages now finished, our group ended up like this:
- 10 pts - Busan I'PARK
- 10 pts - Gold Coast United FC
- 9 pts - Shandong Luneng
- 4 pts - Nagoya Grampus
So, we qualified and will play the Suwon Samsung Blue Wings from South Korea.
Very close in the end.
How frustrating is that! Your best player costing you the trophy!!
You were looking so good as well,god damn Rozic
Congrats on getting through the group stage of the Asian CL
2015 AFC Champions League
Group Stage
Suwon Samsung Blue Wings 0 - 4 Gold Coast United FC
Domineering. Overpowering. No contest. This was a winner-take-all single match round away game. The Blue Wings were never given a chance
The draw for the Quarter Finals are not until August, so we will take out holidays and look to build up in the off-season.
Last edited by cerud; 08-04-2012 at 18:03.
Wow, I was a little worried after the Busan result. Not sure it's still the group stage though.
Great result there .
2015-2016 Pre-season
Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League
Hyundai A-League: Achieve a respectable position in the League
Media Prediction: 1st of 10
A-League Title Odds: 7-4
Wage Budget: $4 356 102, an increase of $511 763 (currently spending $4 033 869)
Transfer Budget: $1.86M
Kit Sponsorship: $434 574 (a new, better deal, expires 2018)
General Sponsorship: $48 746 (new deal, expires 2016)
General Sponsorship: $54 467 (new deal, expires 2019)
A-League TV Rights Deal: $1.11M
The salary cap has been lowered to $3.05M. Highest it's been so far.
Here are the goals for this year.
Goals for the Season
- Win the League.
- Win the Grand Final.
- Make the semi final of the AFC Champions League.
- Look for a new job...possibly??
Last edited by cerud; 09-04-2012 at 05:35.
CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015
Group A: Honduras, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago
Group B: Mexico, Guatemala, Canada, Panama
Group C: United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Curaçao
Canada wins the Gold Cup twice in a row!!! And to top it off...
Then, to top it off, they offer me the job without even having to apply.
So...am I going to take it?
Definitely go for it
Of Course!
Take it!!!!
Go for it now otherwise it may be a long wait till it comes round again.
28 June 2015
Canadian National Soccer Team
79th FIFA Ranked Nation
Well, I had hoped that I would be offered jobs somtime in my career. However, I never expected this job to be the first one! Accepting was a no-brainer. Anytime you can represent you country, you do it. I have big shoes to fill. Stephen Hart, the outgoing manager has won the last two Gold Cups in a row and got Canada into the playoffs for World Cup Qualifiers only to lose out to New Zealand. The only thing on the horizon are the World Cup Qualifiers for 2018, but we have time to prepare.
FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Qualifying Section: Reach the 4th Phase
Capital City: Ottawa
National Population: 34.18M
Rival Nations: The United States of America, Honduras
National Stadium: BMO Field, Toronto
Stadium Capacity:23 000 all-seater
Here is BMO Field. It's also the home of Toronto FC in MLS.
FIFA World Ranking: 79th
Top Players...
Stefan Frei - GK - Frei has been with Toronto FC since 2009. Recently named to the Gold Cup All-Star Team as top goalkeeper.
Andre Hainaut - D RLC - Hainault has spent most of his career in the MLS with Houston Dynamo and DC United; however, for the past two years, he has played in England with Championship side, Peterborough.
Junior Hoilett - M R, AM RL - Hoileet has played in many top leagues - Blackburn and West Brom in the BPL, and currently with Lyon in France's Ligue 1.
Simeon Jackson - ST - Most will know Jackson as a striker for Norwich, but he's spent the last two years with Novara in Italy's Serie A.
Canada, wooo!!!!
Rancer will be happy...a well as a bit envious
Hoillett looks really good.. and Jackson is plenty good enough for most opposition you'll face.
2015 AFC Champions League
Quarter Final
Gold Coast United FC 4 - 2 Al-Gharrafa
I figured playing Al-Gharrafa, the defending champions of the AFC Champions League, would be difficult. They are a stacked team with many great players. However, we matched up to them perfectly. The highlight was Spagnuolo, who came off the bench in the 70th minute and scored two goals, the second being a blistering free kick from about 35 yards out top corner in the 93rd minute.
The away match was always going to be difficult. However, nearing the halfway mark, I was getting slightly optimistic until they scored just before the whistle. I tried to boost up the squad's morale and it seemed to work only to have Al-Gharrafa score immediately after the break. Luckily, we got one back and held on to win.
So, we qualify for the semi finals! Next up is Busan I'PARK, a team that we've both won and lost to. I'm expecting a good showing as our loss to them was simply a poorly played match in which I know we can do better.
Great result, hope you can go all the way
2015-2016 Off-Season Transfers
Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League
Transfers - Only one new player, but got rid of a few who have fallen by the wayside.
Players of Note...
Antony Golec - D LC - I brought Golec in for cover on the left back. He subsequently ran into another player of mine during training and separated his shoulder...out for 3 months. Awesome.
Promotion Watch...
Nathan Konstandopoulos - M C - I brought up Konstandopoulos from our youth squad. He's been developing very well and is rated at 2 1/2 stars for the 1st squad already.
Previous Promotion Watch...
Daniel Bowles - D C - Bowles still surprises me. He was never supposed to make the top squad. Yet, he keeps on playing well when needed. Averages about 7-10 matches in a 27 game season.
Jake Barker-Daish - M C - Barker-Daish is still backup, but he's the top pick in the midfield when back up is needed. His development has stagnated slightly, so hoping he picks it up a bit.
2015-2016 Pre-season Matches
Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League
A great pre-season. I had three matches with A-League teams, two good, one lacklustre.
Australia - Spearwood Dalmatinacs - won 6-0
Australia - Rochedale Rovers - won 6-0
Australia - Brisbane Roar FC - won 3-2
Australia - Newcastle United Jets - won 2-0
Australia - Eastern Suburbs Brisbane - won 9-0
Australia - Brisbane Strikers - won 3-1
A bit of a shorter pre-season, but we've had the AFC Champions League to contend with as well, so roughly the same games.
2015 AFC Champions League
Semi Final
Gold Coast United FC 3 - 1 Busan I'PARK
A match in which we dominated. I got worried after Baker-Daish took a straight red card in the 23rd minute, but it never seemed to slow up down. Very happy with this home win.
Busan came out hard, but we were able to hold on for the nil draw.
We have made the Finals!!! We will play against Al-Sadd Sports CLub out of Qatar for the Champions League title.
Congrats on reaching the Asian Champions League and good luck for both the final and the new season.
Good luck in the final. How are the finances now?
Finances are...better. Still in the red, but prize money has helped a bit. Unfortunately, the prize money for the AFC Champions League is a pittance when compared to UEFA's similar league.
2015 AFC Champions League
Gold Coast United FC 1 - 2 Al-Sadd Sports Club
Alas, the dream is finished. Al-Sadd absolutely dominated us in the first half, but we were able to score off a free kick just before the whistle. This tied halfway through the second. As we were approaching the end, I was already thinking ahead to extra time until Al-Sadd had a beautiful goal in the 91st minute....91st...shot to the gut.
All in all, it was a brilliant run and I can't complain. Silverware would have been nice, but maybe next year for Gold Coast.
Oh so close!
From the News Ticker...
7 November 2015
In a press conference at Skilled Park today, long time manager Cerud stated his end with Gold Coast United. In recounting his career with the club, Cerud stated, "Gold Coast gave me an opportunity where no one else would and I am forever greatful for that. Together, we have made Gold Coast the top club in Australia and a contender in Asia. While I have enjoyed my time here, I feel that it is time to let another take the club to the next level. I appreciate the fans look forward to watching the future successes of the club." Cerud is still the current manager of Canada's national team. It is yet to be known if he has any club prospects lined up, but he is sure to be attached to a few before long.
2011-2015 Review
Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League
Well, my time with Gold Coast is done. I was able to improve the club statue ever year and am proud of what we were able to achieve. However, this is a journeyman save!!! Seems like I forgot that.
Here is my stats with Gold Coast...
Awards with Gold Coast
- 2014 - Hyundai A-League Title Winners
- 2015 - Hyundai A-League Title Winners
- 2014 - Hyundai A-League Grand Finals Playoff Winners
- 2014 - Manager of the Year
- 2015 - Manager of the Year
Next Up...
I've seen my name immediately attached to possible jobs with Antalyaspor in Turkey and FC Midtjylland in Denmark, but not as the main contender. I have a couple Canadian national friendlies this week, so I'll worry about those first and finding a domestic club second.
So close to going out on a high! Injury time goals are rubbish!
Good luck with the job hunt!
So close,conceding a injury time goal is the worse but overall you did fantastically well.
In other news, I have a new job on the domestic club front! Should be posting later on tonight about it. A hint...It starts with a G...
Good luck with your new club and hope you can do well with Canada too! World Cup and beyond.
24 November 2015
From the News Ticker...
In just over two weeks since leaving Australian club Gold Coast United, the Canadian manager Cerd has landed the top job with Genk. While not considered the top choice, it is undoubtable that his recent run in the AFC Champions League helped his cause. In speaking to the media in front of Cristal Arena, Cerud stated, "I'm absolutely thrilled to join a club with a rich pedigree. Genk has a unique history, both in Belgium and Europe. I hope to work with players and staff to reignite the club and reclaim the top spot that fans are expecting." Cerud has already got right to work. He has been interviewing assistant managers after the previous left when Frank Vercauteren was sacked just three days ago.
K Racing Club Genk - Jupiler Pro League
Well, I've signed a 2 year, $500 000 per year contract with Genk. I had been hoping that the Vancouver job may finally come open as they seemed to be annoyed with their manager; however, it looks like they're going to keep him on as he has a contract until 2018. I saw my name associated with the Genk job and thought it might be time to try my hand in Europe. I also had interest from clubs in Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece as well as the Championship League in England. However, I wanted to be sure to join a team with good finances and Genk was the only one listed as Secure.
About the Club
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk was founded in 1988 through a merger with KFC Winterslag whose history actually goes back to 1923. In joining the top flight of Belgian football in 1996-1997 season, hey have quickly established themselves as one of the best. This have come with three Jupiler Pro League titles and three Belgium Cups among other awards. While they do have experience in European competition, they have never made it out of the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
The Stadium - Cristal Arena
Name: Cristal Arena
Location: Genk
Capacity: 25 000 (22 000 seated)
Owner/Rent: Genk (We own it!!)
Corporate: Top
Training: Top
Youth: Excellent
Junior Coaching: Good
Youth Recruitment: Well Established
Right now, the team is struggling. They are 13 matches into a 30 game season and are one rung about relegation.
The squad is definitely underperforming, so that's my immediate goal.
Last edited by cerud; 14-04-2012 at 02:36.
2015-2016 Pre-season and Mid-season Update
K Racing Club Genk - Jupiler Pro League
Since I'm joining only 2 matches away from the mid-season, I thought I'd combine these two updates just to show where the club is now as I begin my tenure.
Jupiler Pro League: Will not be judging
Cofidis Cup: Will not be judging
UEFA Europa League: Will not be judging
Media Prediction: 5th of 16
Wage Budget: $18 433 543 (currently spending $18 559 712 so will need to address this)
Transfer Budget: $3 454 163
Kit Sponsorship: $1 392 003 (expires in 2016)
General Sponsorship: $122 000 (expires in 2017)
General Sponsorship: $133 000 (expire in 2019)
Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Only 3 wins in 13 matches. Pretty much sums up why the previous manager got fired.
Cofidis Cup - We are still in the Belgium domestic cup competition, there is still a possibility of some silverware this season.
UEFA Europa League - Remarkably, Genk made the Group Stages of the Europa League. With 2 matches still left to play, there is every possibility of going on.
Players of Note...
Benjamin Mokulu - ST - Mokulu is the only player really standing out. He's currently tied for 9th in scoring in the league in a very tight race.
Goals for the Season (Remainder)
- Stay in the Jupiler Pro League
- Hire decent backroom staff
- Bring the current wages under budget.
I know a few girls who could fit the description of a KFC WinterslagKoninklijke Racing Club Genk was founded in 1988 through a merger with KFC Winterslag
Good luck with Genk, should be a nice job.
Good luck with Genk,hope you can get through the Group Stages.
Not the toughest survival battle in the world.
Seems to be a decent ground.
2018 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Qualifying
The group stage draw has come out for the 2nd round of the CONCACAF Qualifiers for the next World Cup. The groups are:
Group A
- Haita
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- United States
Group B
- El Salvador
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Suriname
Group C
- Canada
- Costa Rica
- Curaçao
- Honduras
In our group, the nation FIFA rankings are:
- Canada - 53rd
- Costa Rica - 77th
- Curaçao - 113th
- Honduras - 70th
Honduras' rank doesn't reflect how good this team can be, but we should still qualify out of this group.
2015-2016 UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
Swansea City 2 - 2 K Racing Club Genk
The Swans took an early 2 goal league, but they got tied out in taking a red card in the 4th minute. We were able to come back and tie it up, keeping European dreams alive.
Going into this match, we had started to finally turn things around. Winning this makes it 3 in a row. We controlled the pace of the match for the most part until the final 10 minutes when Randers tried to push back. However, it was too little, too late. The win secured out spot in the later stages.
So the standings for Group K end as such:
- 9 pts - K Racing Club Genk
- 9 pts - Swansea City
- 8 pts - Randers FC
- 4 pts - Fussballclub Red Bull Salzburg
I thought we had a chance, but never thought we'd finish top of the group (albiet by goal difference). We'll take it as we move on to play Panathinaikos AO from Greece in the 1st Knockout Round.
Last edited by cerud; 14-04-2012 at 02:37.
Nice work cerud topping that Europa League group. Good luck with the league (and the playoff system ).
Good luck with Genk! Shame that the likes of Kevin de Bruyne are not still there.
Good European start at least.
Thanks, deltablue. So far, so good.
2015 International Year in Review
Canadian National Soccer Team
FIFA World Ranking - 58th
World Rankings | Past Positions - I expected us to drop in ranking from where I joined the team. They had just won the Gold Cup, which elevated them into the low 40s, but 58 is still a good position for Canada at this stage.
Friendlies - These are the friendlies that I have managed over since the Gold Cup. We've done well; I'm particularily happy for the win against Tunisia.
2016 Preview
FIFA World Cup CONCACAF 2018 Qualifiers - Reach the 4th Phase of the Qualifiers.
I was looking around at various other leagues to see how they're doing and just noticed this...
They are currently playing in the Blue Square South. I don't think I have ever seen a team crash like this. And I don't think I've ever seen a team listed as bankrupt and in receivership. Crazy indeed...
All aboard the Genk bus!
A good couple of results in Europe. At least that shows the teams got the talent to haul themselves up the league table.
Wow, probably the biggest decline of a club I've ever seen!
Good results in Europe with Genk.Impressive victory over Tunisia with Canada and good luck in the qualifiers,it could be a bit tricky.
As for Portsmouth,that is quite shocking that they have fallen that quickly.
2015-2016 UEFA Europa League
1st Knockout Round
Panathinaikos AO 0 - 0 K Racing Club Genk
Very happy to take a draw away in Greece. We were outplayed pretty heavily so I was hoping that a goal either on set piece of counter attack at home would seal the deal.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Panathinaikos is the top team in Greece currently and they showed us why. It was a better match from us, but we just weren't able to capitalize on our chances. THis does it for us in the Europa League for this year, but I expect to be back soon!
Wow, that's shocking what's happened to Portsmouth. It would be fun bringing them back up to the Premier League
Tough luck in Europe, especially drawing away to come home for a loss.
Poor Pompey... (and Canucks ).
Unlucky with the loss though, who knows though, just get back up the standings to midtable and maybe you can win in the playoffs.
2015-2016 Playoff Update
K Racing Club Genk - Jupiler Pro League
Alright, well since Belgium football has a rather...unique playoff structure, I thought I'd add in a new update at the end of the regular season in order to show the playoff run. I'm also going to take this initial time to try and explain the playoff structure as best I can, so here it goes...
"Each of the 16 competitors in the Pro League plays each of its 15 opponents twice in the regular season, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. The regular season thus comprises 30 matchdays of 8 matches each, played between July and March. A win earns three points since the 1995-96 season and a draw earns one point (no points are awarded for a loss). Teams are ranked by total points, then by total wins and finally by goal difference, number of scored goals, number of away goals and number of away wins. If teams are still level, a test-match is played in two legs to determine the final order in the standings.
A playoff phase is then played from March to May. The top 6 teams from the regular season enter the playoffs 1, with each team playing their opponents twice. The point system in the playoffs 1 is the same as during the regular season, except that each team starts with half of the points they won in the regular season. Points are rounded up to the nearest integer. At the end of the playoffs 1, the first-placed team becomes the champion of Belgium. If some teams are level in the ranking, any points added due to rounding are first withdrawn from their total points if applicable, before other criteria are taken into account. Teams ranked 7 to 14 after the regular season enter the playoffs 2, with teams ranked 7th, 9th, 12th and 14th entering the group A and teams ranked 8th, 10th, 11th and 13th entering the group B. In each group, each team plays each of its 3 opponents twice. The winner of each group plays the final game in two legs, to determine the winner of the playoffs 2. The winner of the playoffs 2 then plays a home and away game against either the fourth-placed or fifth-placed team from the playoffs 1 for the final Europa League ticket, with the opponent depending on the fact if the Belgian Cup winner ended in the top four of the playoff 1 or not.
Teams ranked 15th and 16th after the regular season enter the relegation playoff. It consists of 5 games between the 2 teams. The 15th-placed team starts the playoffs with 3 points whereas the 16th-placed team starts from zero. The loser of the relegation playoff is relegated to the second division. The winner of that playoff enters the Belgian Second Division Final Round with 3 teams from the second division. The winner of this Final Round plays in the First Division the season thereafter." (Wikipegia, 2012).
Wikipedia seem pretty self-explanatory. So, here is the update...
We made it back up to 4th in the league standings! (More will follow in the end of year update). So we get to compete for the chance to be in European football next season. Still we are 10 points behind leaders, Standard, even after the halving of points. A 3rd place finish is definitely possible, but with 10 matches now and a few lucky scorelines....who knows?
Portsmouth dropping like a elephant jumping out of an aeroplane.
2015-2016 Youth Candidate Intake
K Racing Club Genk - Jupiler Pro League
Youth Candidates
Stil, not great youth intakes, even though my Junior Coaching is listed as Good. May need to improve that some. Still my assistant manager is happy with Juan José Sicardo.
Juan José Sicardo - D C - My assistant manager's pick will need to improve quite a lot to have a change for the first squad. His PA star rating is 3.5 stars, so hopefully he has it in him.
Fabrice Peeters - M/AM C, ST - Peeters has a 3 star PA. Better physical stats that Sicardo, but still needs improvement as well.
2015-2016 Season in Review
K Racing Club Genk - Jupiler Pro League
3rd Place - Qualified for UEFA Europa League
Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Genk has proven to be a very productive move for me. It took about 3 matches to gel with the squad, but gel we did. I have had to deal with several issues throughout the year, most notably prima dona players. The manager before me bought pretty much any player he could, outspending the 2nd highest spending team by almost quadruple. This has put a huge strain on finances in regards to wages and playing time for players. About every week, I had a new player complaining about not getting any playing time, but I'll talk about this later on. Suffice it to say, we climbed ot of relegation and into the Championship Stage of the Playoff where we could play for a spot in Europe.
The Playoffs - Championship Group
Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Our finish in the top 6 of the league meant we qualified for the Championship Group for the end of the year in Belgian football. After the halving of points, we were still 10 points behind leaders, Standard. However, after a couple of ties, we started to climb and we actually within a singe point of top spot. Unfortunately, the squad got anxious and lost 2 of the final 3 matches. We did finish in 3rd Place, improving from our league position by one. It was what I wanted in the beginning; however, to come that close to winning outright after being so low when I started...so close...
Cofidis Cup - Champions!
Fixtures - Silverware in my first year! I took over for the first Standard match in the Quarter Final. This was probably going to be our toughest competition as they were leading the league. We held on and ended up with my first trophy in Belgium.
UEFA Europa League
Fixtures - I took over for the final two matches in the Group Stage. I was good to qualify out of the Group Stages, but Panathinaikos proved to be too much to go further.
Transfers - The only two players I brought in were the bottom two, Mohamed Salhi, a young midfielder, and James Brown, my top midfielder from Gold Coast. He had wanted to move to a higher level when I was still at Gold Coast and now I've been able to help him out. He's the best centre midfielder I have here now. I have also been removing players where I can. So far, I have moved 10 players out of the club and this is only the beginning.
Players of Note...
Benjamin Mokulu - ST - Mokulu is the only player I can really mention this year. He was already the team leader in goals and he continued when I showed up. He's a player that wants to move to a higher level, but I'm hoping I can hold onto him for a while yet.
Finances - Finances have taken a hit due to the spending ways of the previous manager. I'm going to need to continue chopping at the wages this team pays out as we're in the top 3 highest in the league by far.
Facilities - Love my facilities! So much better than Skilled Park at Gold Coast!
- Belgian Pro League Top Goalscorer - Benjamin Mokulu - 3rd Place
Goals Revisited
- Remain in Jupiler Pro League - Achieved. Not only did we stay in the league, we excelled!
- Hire decent backroom staff - Achieved. Wasn't a problem but needed to be done.
- Bring current wages under budget - Achieved. We are under the wage budget; however, I'd like them even lower.
Next Year
Still have a year on my contract with Genk and I'm not looking to move yet. I've had the media actively ask me about positions in Russia and Turkey lately, including with Zenit in St. Petersburg. Would have been interesting but I've barely started work here. I'd like to win the Jupiler Pro League at least once first.
Last edited by cerud; 17-04-2012 at 21:19.
Very promising signs.
Very good season with Genk and congrats on the cup win.Always good news to hear the facilities and coaching get upgraded.
2018 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Qualifying
Third Phase - Group
Canada 0 - 0 Curaçao
We had one goal disallowed, but that should never have been a problem. We absolutely dominated the match, but didn`t take advantage of the situation.
I knew this would be a difficult mathc; however, having yet another goal disallowed is not really helping. Just can`t get these guys scoring...
Annnnnnnnd it happens....
As I go to save, the file corrupts. Guess my computer wasn't too happy with how I was doing with Team Canada either.....
I will starting anew...with a few changes, I think.
Last edited by cerud; 18-04-2012 at 05:58.
That's a bugger Cerud.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Two Otoe County residents are among 16 candidates applying for appointment to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
Janet Palmtag of Nebraska City and Mike Powers of Palmyra have applied.
From Cass County are Sara York Kenney of Eagle, Roger Wehrbein of Plattsmouth, Craig Buescher of South Bend and Susan Wurtele of Plattsmouth.
Also applying are Janice Bostelman of Brainard, Leon Deunk of Cortland, Steve Glenn of Pawnee City, Michael Jones of David City, George Pinkerton of Beatrice, Barton Dean Ruth of Rising City, Robert M. Schafer of Beatrice, Ben Steffen of Humboldt, Bradley Worman of Nelson and Susan Meyerly of Lincoln.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Fantastic discovery....
Main Content
Amazing underwater shooting!
fantastic shot
Wow, I lived in that area for five years, visiting as many cenotes and ruins as possible and I'd never heard of this one. How spooky-cool. I wish I'd known about it!
Nice picture for halloween
different thinking..............
hmmm nice photo
Well timed. Getting the shot as the swimmer is in the ray of light and in a position that looks like she's dancing. Great contrast with death in the foreground and life in the background.
the remains and the souls
This might just be the best picture I have ever seen. I mean....just....like....WOW.
Kanonbra bilde :-)
Looks like from a fiction movie great shot!
Amazing image.
I can only say that it is beautiful
Love it. Awesome photo!
Eerie !!!
Amazing photograph!
death is between us every where even in the deep sea!!
the only true thing in the world ,,,,,death !!!
@ahmad ahmad
To REINCARNATION as another consciousness?
(Mother Universe IS the BIGGEST recycler of all, and WHY we should be kind to ALL living things.........)
Awesome i like the lighting and the compasion good job!
Perfect for Halloween! Wonderful picture of the snorkeler amid the remains.
lovely pic
I can't help but wonder how all the skulls got there. Apt for Halloween, but spooky!
Muy bella toma,hay muchisimas cosas por descubrir,aqui en México y en todo el mundo,National Geographic,siempre nos regála documentos y bellas tomas.
muy bella imagen y valioso descubrimiento,hay muchas zonas por explorar en México.
All I can say is WOW… just WOW
amazing one
I love the picture! I don't suppose you have it in 1920x1080 do you?
Every Dentists DREAM to study!!
Really scary...
@Luis Combellas No,so amazing!!
fit for all souls day...
There must be a Shakespeare reference in here somewhere, but I just can't find any about snorkeling.
I really like the lighting in this, but find it hard to believe that the skulls were not put there deliberately by the photographer - Paul Nicken. This removes the serendipity and spontaneity of the photo - which is a shame.
Technicality / Composition / Content / X factor / originality = 7/10 zoom lenses
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Victorinox Swiss Champ Multitool


text:
I am looking for a web application that can backup, sync my mobile phone contacts.
[Nokia, Symbian OS, S60]
I am looking for a web application that can backup, sync my mobile phone contacts.
[Nokia, Symbian OS, S60]
closed as not constructive by phwd♦ May 29 '12 at 19:37
As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, visit the help center for guidance.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
For Nokia phone, just use Ovi Contacts. It has a web and a Symbian client (comes pre-installed on S60v5 and higher). And best of all, it's free. I
t integrates well with my phone (I have an X6), for example allowing me to call someone either from my phone's memory, my SIM card, or my Ovi collection.
For my iPhone, I use Google Sync, which works flawlessly. If you go to the Google Sync homepage, you'll see that they also have Contacts sync for Nokia S60. I would recommend trying Google Sync out.
This will sync your contacts with Gmail's contacts, so you can even access them through any web browser.
I use a backup service called http://www.forgotyourphone.com/
It backed up all of my contacts, BBM Pins and appointments.
I use this for my Nokia n93 (s60v3).


text:
Kristal S. Horton, 33, Carmi, was arrested around 11:27 p.m. Tuesday on a preliminary charge of DUI.
A White County Sheriff's Office incident report said Deputy Scott Cantrell conducted a routine traffic stop on a pickup near Seventh and Stewart streets in Carmi and identified the driver as Horton.
The report alleged Horton displayed signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety tests. She was taken to the City-County Jail where she submitted to a breath analysis that disclosed a blood alcohol concentration of .159.
She later posted her driver's license and $100 cash as bail and was released from custody.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Morocco Junior Women's Country T-Shirt (White)
$14.99Support your country of choice in this comfy tee! Graphic printed across the front. Classic and clean. 100% cotton. Tagless fit. Fit advice: These tees are actually junior sizing (girls ages 12-18) and run small. For women, we recommend ordering two siz > more
COUNTRY: Morocco TEAM: Morocco National Soccer Team
- 4.3 oz, 100% deluxe combed ring-spun cotton t-shirt.
- Tee features a slight stretch, side seams, slightly longer length, and fashionably shorter sleeves. Pre-shrunk to minimize shrinkage.
- Product size specs - Body Width - XXS=12 �", XS=13 �", S=14 �", M=15 �", L=16 �", XL=17 �", 2XL=18 �", 3XL=19 �
- Orders shipping outside the U.S. are subject to customs fees.
- BigSoccer Shop stands behind everything we sell. View our guarantees for more information.


text:
The first night of the Russellville EPB/City Council hearing lived up to argumentative expectations. Bowling Green attorney David Broderick, representing the city council in this matter, began his case by calling local accountant Mike Smith to testify about receipts and documentation he had received during an series of open records requests made during the past year and a half.
Over repeated objections from EPB attorney Fred Greene, Mr. Smith gave his analysis of the EPB's travel policy, reimbursement procedures, and analyzed several receipts for travel, food, and drink turned in by various members of the EPB's board over the past three years during business trips.
Mr. Smith's testimony took 3.5 hours, and the hearing was adjourned for the night, with Mr. Greene set to begin his cross-examination of Mr. Smith on Tuesday night when the hearing resumes at 5:30 p.m.
The Russellville city Council, in a 4-2 vote, passed an ordinance removing three Electric Plant Board members in June. The three members, Brown, Fuqua, and Carrico, asked for a formal hearing.
The three ousted members have also filed a civil lawsuit alleging that the city council has exceeded its authority, and did not have legal grounds to remove the board members in their June vote.
The hearing this week is not directly related to the civil trial, but is expected to provide a document record and preview of the civil suit to come.


text:
I need to mail a bike from Portland, Oregon to Austin, Texas. I know that you can get free bike boxes from many bike stores, but how do you pack a bike to ship by mail or to check as baggage on a plane?
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I've never shipped a bike, but I moved from Canada to Europe with my Surly Cross-check in a box last year. When the box came off the plane it looked like it had been run over by a truck and left out in the rain, but the contents of the box were 100% undamaged.
Hold on to your pants, this is gonna be long!
Shipping a bike is cheap and easy, but make sure to do it right.
As I'm sure you have found out airlines require you to have your bike in a box or a case. Cases are expensive. Most bikes are shipped to bike stores in a cardboard box in various stages of assembly from just a frame to a full bike with some parts removed for transport. When they unpack new bikes they have to get rid of the boxes so hopefully you can find a nice store that will give you one for free or sell you one really cheap, like 10 bucks or less.
If bike stores are no luck then furniture and appliance stores and bed stores like Sleep Country are great sources of large, strong, and free cardboard boxes and large strong plastic mattress bags, both of which you'll need. These stores are also usually overflowing with bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, little air filled plastic bags, and all sorts of other packing materials and are usually willing to give the stuff away if you want to root through the dumpster. Also recycling depots are always overloaded with cardboard, all free. Just think creatively and you should be able to find all the materials you will need for free in our mega-packaged and plasticized world.
So here's how (I think) you should pack your bike:
Materials List
Bike preparation:
You have three options: a) leave the wheels on the frame and make a box big enough for the whole bike, or b) remove the wheels and package them in a separate box, or c) a combo of the two, which is what I did (remove front wheel, leave rear wheel on and pack it all in one box).
Check with the airline for fees per box and weight restrictions on the boxes to decide.
I am going to assume you are using one box but if you decide to ship the wheels separately then just don't put them back on the frame.
After this your bike should be pretty well padded, time to put it in a box or build a box around it.
Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, stick and jab... oh right, cycling. This kind of depends on whether you have a bike or mattress box that is already close to the right size and whether you are leaving your wheels on or not. I will assume you are building a custom box and leaving the wheels on.
IF YOU ARE TAKING YOUR WHEELS OFF, PUT A SPACER of some kind between your forks and stays where the axle would be to keep them from getting squished together if the box is compressed for some reason.
ALSO - MAKE SURE YOU EITHER REMOVE AND/OR PUT A BLOCK, SPACER, OR SOME KIND OF PADDING around your rear derailleur (if you have one, fixie riders can ignore this bit), otherwise you risk having it broken or damaged by careless airline tossers.
A block of wood like a piece of broomstick taped in place works fine, or perhaps you have (buy or scrounge from an old bike) a couple of solid axles that you can just pop into the dropouts, with one set of nuts inside the fork screwed out gently against the fork and the other on the outside screwed in gently against the fork, sandwiching the forks/stays in place.
Scenario 1 - you have a mattress box or bike box that is the right height and length and just need to drop the bike into it.
Styro peanuts, those air filled spacer bags, and bubble wrap are great for this. Loosely balled newspaper is excellent padding too. If your bike is in a clean(ish) plastic bag then extra clothing is good padding and space filler, and might cut down on the size of your checked luggage or carry on. Bulky items like jackets and pants for example. Or put your clothes in bags as well perhaps.
When the box is full of packing to the top, close the top flaps and tape every single edge and seam closed. More on this later
Scenario 2 - you have a large box like a fridge box or mattress box that is way too big and you need to custom make a box.
Creasing and folding these large strong boxes can be difficult to do in a straight line. One way is to pick the box up on edge and use the corner of one of your walls as a straight edge. Stand the box up flat against one wall with the line against the corner and fold the box around the corner. This should give you a good fold and not take too much effort. If you have a big table or long counter top you could use that too.
I recommend making all of your top flaps and end flaps the full width of the box. This makes each end a double layer of cardboard and also makes taping the edges together much easier because you can just butt the folds together and tape tightly. True, the sides and bottom are still a single layer but... meh.
So now you have made a box just the right size for your bike with the top flaps still open. Proceed as above under Scenario 1.
A Note on Taping
Here's how I tape closed a box that I want to be strong and secure for shipping.
Check with the airline again regarding any restrictions (or requirements) on labeling but I put my name on the box in big black sharpie as well a safe 'return' address. At least if the bike got lost it would get back to my folks place and I could have it shipped again. If you know your destination address then put it on there too, kind of like you would address an envelope.
Add labels like 'This End Up' with arrows or 'Do Not Lay Flat' to keep the box upright so they won't lay it flat and pile stuff on top of it.
'Do Not Squish' 'Do Not Bend' 'Fragile'
may also be useful.
Well, that's all I can think of. If your bike gets damaged after packing it this securely then I think you will have a pretty good insurance case against the airline.
Oh and on that note get insurance on the bike for the trip, possibly through the airline, and take pictures of the bike during various stages of packing to prove your efforts and show that it's really yours.
Paranoid enough?
Good luck and Bon Voyage!
ps. If you're traveling with the bike, remember to pack the tools needed to put your bike back together.
I have had great success with my local bike shop shipping to another bike shop. You can call around your destination and see what options there are, but this allows you to rebuild the bike easily at your destination without your whole workshop of tools. In addition, your local bike shop will often have the proper packing materials.
While I like to tinker on my bike myself, I simply don't have the proper shipping equipment, and my local shop does.
Three ideas:
I checked with YouTube and found this really great video:
I followed the instructions in the video and shipped my bike from Vancouver to Frankfurt and it was flawless.
I just shipped my bike via REI -- they're willing to ship between any two REI stores if you're a member there. The cost breakdown was:
for a total of $111. In addition, I wasn't a member, so I had to pay a 1-time membership fee; with tax, it came out to $133.10.
It sounds like I'll have to pay another $30 or so for reassembly on the other end; I'll update this post after that happens.
Greyhound freight also will ship bikes. You'll also need to box the bike for this approach. You'll have to pick-up at the destination bus station.
I recently shipped an older beater mtn bike from Atlanta to NY state using ShipMyBike. Used a cardboard shipping box I got for free from my LBS, paid for the FedEx label online and dropped it off at nearby FedEx center. Couldn't have been easier and the bike arrived in fine shape in 3 days for only $50. If I had been shipping a better bike I would have packed it more carefully but still no damage despite the fact that I used no stuffing/packing material and did not put a spacer in the forks or protect the rear derailler. Again these things I would have done for a bike I wanted to be sure was properly protected.


text:
Will I notice much difference beside just having a slightly longer cockpit between my seat and fork if I upgrade from a 50mm to a 65 mm stem? is this 15mm a significant enough adjustment to make my climbing or downhill riding feel any different? In what ways?
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Changing from 50 to 65 (or the opposite) is definitely noticeable. And depending on your needs, switching may improve your riding.
Switching from 50 to 65 will mean more pressure on the front end. That means better cornering (the front end will not wash out easily) and more stability on the downhill. Some people also mention that it'll improve climbing on difficult terrain.
Switching from 65 to 50 will improve the agility of the bike. You'll be able to bunnyhop, manual and trick your bike easier and with less effort. You'll also have a slight advantage at very very steep technical downhill trails. It'll also make your cornering snapier but be careful of wash outs. A switch of this type is also paired with an increase in bar width.


text:
I've got a small network and want to isolate one of the computers from the whole network.
My Network:
<----> Trusted PC 1
ADSL Router --> Netgear dg834g <----> Trusted PC 2
<----> Untrusted PC
I want to isolate this untrusted PC in the network.
That means the network should be secure against : * ARP Poisoning * Sniffing * Untrusted PC should not see / reach any other computers within the network but can go out the internet.
- Static DHCP and switch usage solves the problem of sniffing/ARP poisoning.
I can enable IPSec between computers but the real problem is sniffing the traffic between the router and one of the trusted computers.
Against getting a new IP address (second IP address from the same computer) I need a firewall with port security (I think) or I don't think my ADSL router supports that.
To summarise I'm looking for a hardware firewall/router which can isolate one port from the rest of the network. Could you recommend such a hardware or can I easily accomplish that with my current network?


text:
Professor of Medicine
Academic office: 412-864-2615
Dr. Wenzel completed her MD degree at the University of Florida. Following her residency in internal medicine at Wake Forest University and her fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, she spent 19 yrs at National Jewish and the University of Colorado where she rose to the rank of Professor of Medicine. During her years at National Jewish, she served on the Pulmonary–Allergy Advisory Committee to the FDA, was Assembly Chair for the American Thoracic Society (ATS) section on Allergy, Immunology and Inflammation and chaired the ATS International Conference Committee. She received the Elizabeth Rich Award for her role in promoting women in science. Dr. Wenzel served as Deputy Editor for the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and served on the LCMI Study Section for NIH grant reviews. She moved to the University of Pittsburgh in 2006 to take a position as director of the Asthma Institute.
Dr. Wenzel has had a passion for understanding and improving the treatment of asthma, in particular severe asthma. She served as Chair of the ATS workshop on severe asthma which developed the international consensus definition of severe asthma. Dr. Wenzel has been listed as one of Castle Connelly's top doctors in America for over 10 years. She has worked to promote severe asthma as a disease whose pathogenesis goes beyond issues of non-compliance/adherence. Her studies of asthma phenotypes have led the field in understanding the complexities of asthma and she is internationally recognized for her efforts in this area. To this end, she and her colleagues recently described a new asthmatic disease, called "Asthmatic Granulomatosis". This severe asthma-like disease responds to alternative medications, beyond steroids.
In relation to her clinical interest in asthma, Dr. Wenzel has developed a strong translational program to study the pathobiology and mechanisms of the human disease. She is one of seven NHLBI funded investigators in the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) network. Through SARP and her own efforts, Dr. Wenzel has accumulated a clinical database of nearly 500 subjects with asthma and normal controls, most of whom have matching airway tissue, cells and sputum/lavage. Her lab is one of the very few which is able to match an extensive clinical phenotype of a subject with responses at a cellular/molecular level. Her current bench-lab interests include the role of epithelial cells in controlling airway inflammatory responses, oxidative and nitrative stress, as well as their interactions with mast cells and Th1 immune responses.
The below image shows the theoretical range of factors that may be involved in the development of non-TH2 asthma.
Reprinted with permission of Nature Medicine. Copyright © 2012 Nature America, Inc.
The below image shows asthmatic granulomatosis. A granuloma is seen within the Interstitium (hematoxylin and eosin, X400).
Reprinted with permission of the American Thoracic Society. Copyright © 2012 American Thoracic Society.
Epithelial cells play an important role in asthma pathogenesis from mucus production, to iNOS/exhaled nitric oxide, to control of cellular trafficking. Dr. Wenzel's lab compares the ex vivo differences in epithelial cells from asthmatics compared to controls and then models these differences in air-liquid interface cell cultures from the same subjects.
Wenzel SE, Vitari CA, Shende M, Strollo DC, Larkin A, Yousem SA. Asthmatic Granulomatosis: A Novel Disease with Asthmatic and Granulomatous Features. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012 Jul;186 501-507PMID: 22773731
Yamamoto M, Tochino Y, Chibana K, Trudeau JB, Holguin F, Wenzel SE. Nitric oxide and related enzymes in asthma: relation to severity, enzyme function and inflammation. Clin Exp Allergy. 2012 May;42(5):760-8. PMID: 22092728
Wenzel SE. Asthma phenotypes: Evolution from clinical to molecular approaches. Nat Med. 2012 May 4; 18(5):716-25. PMID: 22561835
Zhao J, O'Donnell VB, Balzar S, St Croix CM, Trudeau JB, Wenzel SE. 15-Lipoxygenase 1 interacts with phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein to regulate MAPK signaling in human airway epithelial cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. E-pub 2011 Aug. PMID: 21831839
Gamble C, Talbott E, Youk A, Holguin F, Pitt B, Silveira L, Bleecker E, Busse W, Calhoun W, Castro M, Chung KF, Erzurum S, Israel E, Wenzel SE. Racial differences in biologic predictors of severe asthma: data from the Severe Asthma Research Program. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Nov 2. PMID: 21051082
Balzar S, Fajt M, Comhair S, Erzurum S, Bleecker E, Busse W, Castro M, Gaston B, Israel E, Schwartz LB, Curran-Everett D, Moore C, Wenzel SE. Phenotype, location and activation of mast cells in severe asthma. Data from the Severe Asthma Research Program. E-Pub Sept 2, 2010 Am J Resp Crit Care Med. PMID: 20813890
Busacker A, Newell J Jr., Keefe T, Hoffman E, Granroth J, Castro M, Fain S, Wenzel SE. A multivariate analysis of risk factors for the air-trapping asthmatic phenotype as measured by quantitative CT analysis. Chest. 2009 Jan; 135(1):48-56. Epub.
Wenzel SE, Wilbraham D, Fuller R, Getz EB, Longphre M. Effect of an interleukin-4 variant on late phase asthmatic response to allergen challenge in asthmatic patients: results of two phase 2a studies. Lancet. 2007 Oct 20; 370(9596):1396-8. PMID: 17950857
Wenzel SE, Balzar S, Ampleford E, Hawkins GA, Busse WW, Calhoun WJ, Castro M, Chung KF, Erzurum S, Gaston B, Israel E, Teague WG, Curran-Everett D, Meyers DA, Bleecker ER. IL-4R(alpha) Mutations are Associated with Asthma Exacerbations and Mast Cells/IgE Expression. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007; 175: 570-576. PMID: 17170387
Moore WC, Bleecker ER, Curran-Everett D, Erzurum SC, Ameredes BT, Bacharier L, Calhoun WJ, Castro M, Chung KF, Clark MP, Dweik RA, Fitzpatrick AM, Gaston B, Hew M, Hussain I, Jarjour NN, Israel E, Levy BD, Murphy JR, Peters SP, Teague WG, Meyers DA, Busse WW, Wenzel SE; for the NHLBI's Severe Asthma Research Program. Characterization of the severe asthma phenotype by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Severe Asthma Research Program J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007; Feb;119(2):405-413
Dr. Wenzel recently received the American Thoracic Society 2010 Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishment.


text:
I have got this problem in my exam: Check for compactness and connectedness of subspace P = $\{(x, y, z)\in \mathbb{R}^3 : z = x^2+y^2+1\}$
I think given subspace P is closed and bounded subset of $\mathbb{R}^3$ so it shoould be compact. But I am not sure with this.
How to check for connectedness?
I am stucked on this problem. I need help to understand how to solve such kind of problems?
Edit: I am not that much good in topology. I have started studying this subject. I need answer with little more explanation. Please take this pain.
Thanks for helping me


text:
Drama students at Bennington gain experience in all aspects of theater production, and the facilities—housed primarily in the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA)—reflect that. Among VAPA's drama spaces are two theaters fully equipped for professional productions, a scene shop for constructing sets, and the always-colorful costume shop. Consider yourself invited to come see these spaces for yourself. But in the meantime, here's a preview.
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Faculty, students, and alumni collaborate to support freedom of expression in Belarus.
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The drama faculty is composed of award-winning performers, directors, designers, and playwrights, who use their experience as professionals to inform their work in the classroom, on the stage, and behind the curtain.
Central to a Bennington education is the showing or performing of one's work. In drama, there are one to two faculty-directed plays each term, and two to three productions directed by students with structured faculty guidance and technical support. The opportunities to work on independent projects are endless—anything from staged readings to full student-directed productions.
Courses | Faculty
As a Bennington student, you are encouraged to take a broad range of courses within the larger drama discipline, including acting, directing, playwriting, theatre history, dramatic literature, design, and stage management, and classes often come together to create collaborative work. Collaboration is essential to the study of drama at Bennington.
For each term that you take a class in drama, you also complete a technical lab, working in the scene shop, costume shop, or technical crew—learning the nuts and bolts of what it takes to produce theatre. Between labs, Drama Forum, and your classes, you engage immediately and directly in the drama community at Bennington. Through Field Work Term you may choose to apply your skills in professional theater settings, or in internships that complement your studies in other ways.
During the weekly Drama Forum, students and faculty present work in progress, and guest speakers lead workshops and lectures. Several productions are staged each term.
The Princeton Review ranks Bennington College in the top five for Best College Theater.


text:
News and Events Archives
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Columbia College-St. Louis will confer 59 associate and bachelor's degrees upon graduates at a commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Machinists Hall in St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Gerald Brouder, president of Columbia College, will confer the degrees and give the commencement speech.
"For Columbia College graduates, the commencement ceremony is the culmination of their hard work and dedication to improve their lives," Dr. Brouder said. "We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of each graduate on this special day."
Columbia College, founded in Missouri in 1851 as Christian Female College, was the first women's college west of the Mississippi River to be chartered by a state legislature. The college changed its name to Columbia College in 1970 when it became coeducational.
Established in 1973 at the Army Reserve Personnel Center, Columbia College�St. Louis shortly thereafter moved to its present location on Woodson Road. The campus has served adult learners in the St. Louis area for more than 30 years.
Columbia College provides accredited, affordable degrees for military students and other working adults, serving nearly 25,000 students through its Nationwide Campuses, Online Campus, Graduate Studies Program and Day Campus.


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I would like to always have my own culture of yeast (sourdough starter) in my fridge at home. Does anyone know how to grow yeast and keep it alive?
Most bakers refer to this as a starter and it is extremely easy to keep up. You will need a plastic bag or a jar to keep it in, a cup of warm water, and some flour. You can either grow some wild yeast or add a particular strain to the growth solution depending what you are trying to do with the yeast. Once you do that, just leave it someplace warm but not over 100 degree F. Then once a day, you feed the yeast by removing half and adding back a half cup of flour and a half cup of water. Once it starts foaming remove to the fridge and remember to feed once a week. It will be with you for the rest of the your time on earth.
Also, that half you take out when you feed it? Makes a great gift to other baking or cooking friends. Also, if you devolop a dark smelly liquid, just stir it back in, it is normal and nothing to worry about.


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We have some new SQL 2008 SSIS jobs that were recently developed, mostly to do some simple flat-file loading and targeting a set of tables on a 2008 server.
As it turns out, they may have to run on a SQL 2005 server for both the SSIS and target tables.
Is it possible to downgrade the packages somehow, instead of redeveloping them from scratch?
Obviously any 2008 specific SSIS features would disappear; but it would be nice to not start with a blank designer screen.


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Scott BlumScott Blum is an author and the co-founder of the popular inspirational website DailyOM (dailyom.com). He is also a successful multimedia artist who has collaborated with several popular authors, musicians, and visual artists and has produced many critically acclaimed works, including a series featuring ancient meditation music from around the world. Scott lives in the mountains of Ashland, Oregon, with Madisyn Taylor—his wife, business partner, and soul mate. For more about Scott Blum and his projects, visit: www.scottblum.net
|Winter Moon Rises - Scott Blum | eBooks
|Waiting for Autumn - Scott Blum | eBooks
|Walk-In Online Video - Scott Blum | Online Video


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View Comment
Posted at 5:49 PM on July 9, 2016
Connie Wright
Posted at 11:31 AM on July 5, 2016
Posted at 9:12 AM on May 30, 2016
Deena Samra
Posted at 1:52 AM on June 16, 2016
Matty rose
Posted at 10:30 PM on May 1, 2016
Posted at 6:34 AM on April 30, 2016
Posted at 1:20 PM on April 28, 2016
Posted at 11:03 AM on April 10, 2016
Posted at 9:47 PM on March 12, 2016
Posted at 1:03 AM on March 10, 2016
D. Henderson
Posted at 6:42 PM on March 7, 2016
Jay Farwell
Posted at 10:11 AM on March 7, 2016
Most new mom's are taking photos of their babies, not of themselves. What a selfish woman. If she photo shopped those black bars in I can guarantee she photo shopped the post baby waistline into the photo too. She has people to rework these photos, believe me. Also her waist has no choice but to look smaller with such a gigantic bottom and hips. Women who make this look seem acceptable encourage non celebrities to let themselves go. It is not normal or healthy.
Posted at 6:09 AM on February 11, 2016
Posted at 10:55 AM on February 10, 2016
Posted at 8:33 AM on February 10, 2016
K Wilhelm
Posted at 4:39 PM on March 12, 2016
Posted at 8:38 AM on December 19, 2015
Posted at 6:18 PM on November 6, 2015
Posted at 7:48 PM on October 5, 2015
Kimkow, your pregnant, and your legs are huge, and your feet are gross, I skeeve you, you need to lose the heels, and tight clothes!!! your ALL DONE, your old, fat, fake, and a has been besides being a pornwhore! give it up, you will NEVER be first lady and your uneducated, loser, bad rap husband will NEVER be president of this country!!!!
Really ur stoopid
Posted at 6:19 PM on November 6, 2015
Posted at 4:56 PM on August 27, 2015
Posted at 1:16 AM on August 11, 2015
Um not only does she absolutely have makeup on you can see it on her eyes but she has plastic surgery so even if she did take off the makeup( and you can see she didn't) it's not natural beauty she's plastic. She was beautiful before she started messing with her face. Now she just has trout mouth
Posted at 12:05 AM on July 13, 2015
I may sound like a broken record but I like to remind all those starry-eyed Kardashian puppies that what they see in these Kardashian girls are all fakery at the highest level. The big boobs and butts are the works of well paid skillful Plastic Surgeons. The beautiful faces and pouty lips?……see former comment.
Posted at 5:58 PM on April 2, 2015
Posted at 2:48 PM on March 23, 2016
Posted at 2:52 PM on March 23, 2016


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Registration and Summer Orientation for new students entering Gustavus as the class of 2021! For details see First Year Student Registration information on the Academic Support Center webpage. Jackson Campus Center…
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When camping in bad weather I'm always asking myself if it is a good idea to cook in my tent with a gas cooker. Obviously there is the danger of fire. But how dangerous is this really? Can you easily burn down the tent? And are there any other dangers? Maybe carbon monoxide poising?
Absolutely not! Fire is the obvious risk, but carbon monoxide poisoning should be taken seriously as well. If the weather is bad, at the very least cook under the vestibule with maximum ventilation.
Others have brought up a great point about bear country. It's recommended to cook and eat at least 100 yards away from your camp site when there may be bears around.
The answers regarding flammability (and the ensuing death trap) and carbon monoxide poisoning are correct. Even in foul weather, cook outside your tent. If you do lots of camping in bad weather (New Zealand's West Coast?) get a tent with a vestibule.
There is one additional problem: In bear country, you never want to cook too close to your tent, because if you and your tent and everything inside it smells of food, guess who'll be coming to visit you at night?
In addition to the fire hazard, cooking food in your tent in bear country is a good recipe for waking up to find a bear trashing your campsite, and/or you.
We quite often cook on a small gas stove in the porch (vestibule) of the tent - as long as you are careful and don't leave it unattended, just be sensible.
I have seen a tent go up in flames, and they burn extremely quickly so I'm aware of the danger, but I've never felt at risk.
Thankfully in the UK we don't have to worry about Bears...
If you are in bear country, I agree 100% with everyone - cook somewhere else. 100m away minimum.
In winter, not in bear country, getting out of your tent to cook sucks. Fortunately, many mountaineers have discovered that some stoves do not produce excessive carbon monoxide. And there's a handy table in this article at Backpacking Light that describes some canister stoves that produce a reasonably low amount of carbon monoxide. Read the whole article series for the details.
Edit: That being said, cook in your vestibule (with the vestibule open if possible), it's much, much safer.
It really depends on the type of tent. You should not cook in a standard outdoor tent. However there are tents like the "Kohte" and the "Yurt" of (mainly German) scouts that are designed to have a fire burning inside. These tents are made of cotton and have no floor. Also they are heavier than typical expedition tents. As always you have to weigh the pros and cons yourself.
Most tents these days claim to have a "fireproof" coating - but I'd never really want to put this to the test! I have heard one horror story in particular (admittedly with a much older tent) that's made me wary enough to recommend never cooking inside.
The likelihood may be low (and that's not to say it is) but if it does go up in flames and you're inside it then you've lost all escape routes and you're surrounded by smoke and burning material - IMHO it's just not a risk worth taking. And yes, other dangers like carbon monoxide poisoning are definitely possible, even likely if it's in an enclosed space.


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this wiki
"Hawky, welcome to Team Avatar. My name's Sokka, and I'm your new owner, and as such I should warn you that there's already a lemur in our group, so I don't wanna see any fighting."
|Biographical information
|Physical description
|Personal information
|Chronological and political information
|Image gallery (3)
Sokka bought Hawky in Fire Fountain City with the money Toph had obtained through her scams. He had hoped to send messages to his Gran Gran, as well as other far-off friends and relatives;[3] however, the bird refused, indicating this by shaking his head at the suggestion of flying to the South Pole.[1]
When Katara and Toph were not talking to each other after a spat about Toph's scams and Katara's motherly nature, Sokka came up with an idea that involved smoothing over things between the two girls and testing out his messenger hawk. He used Hawky to send an apology letter "from Toph" to Katara; however, she immediately realized it was fake, as Toph, being blind, would not have been able to write a letter. Aang suggested using the messenger bird again, this time sending a letter to Toph saying it was "from Katara", but Sokka immediately rejected the idea, saying that they would "run into a similar problem" before apologizing to Hawky for not including him in his next plan.
After Team Avatar left Fire Fountain City and Toph and Katara mended their friendship, Toph asked Katara for help with sending a letter to her parents; Katara wrote down what Toph dictated and the girls sent Hawky on his way, apparently without Sokka's consent, as he inquired about Hawky's whereabouts as the bird left for Gaoling.[1]
Hawky never returned to the group after delivering Toph's letter, and it is assumed that he found a new home at the Beifong Estate.[3]
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Book Three: Fire (火)
- 307. "The Runaway"
- Hawky and Momo's enmity was similar to the rivalry between Momo and Zuko's hawk in the unaired pilot.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (November 2, 2007). "The Runaway". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 7. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Art of the Animated Series.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 From older Avatar: The Last Airbender official site, originally on Nick.com (link). No longer updated.


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Vintage Books
Vintage Books
NEW YORK � They�re young and old, doctors and churchgoers, gay and straight � and those are just the men who have devoured oh-so-naughty Fifty Shades of Grey, an erotic trilogy that has earned millions of women fans in a matter of weeks.
Reading on iPads and Kindles or hurriedly picking up the books in stores, some didn�t know about the romance part, thinking the surprise best-sellers by newcomer E L James would be more �American Psycho� than steamy Harlequin.
Others knew exactly what they were getting into, buying into the buzz since Vintage Books bought the rights, shoring up a story that began as Twilight fan fiction and putting it out in handy trade paperback on April 3.
There�s flogging and bondage and sex toys. And a steely control freak of a gazillionaire Christian Grey, a damaged sexual �dominant� who enlists the virginal (not for long) college coed Anastasia Steele for rough-but-consensual role play.
Jeremiah Wirth, a grad student and Iraqi war vet in Maine, said the opening book was nothing short of a life-changer. He read it on a business trip to �magical� Hawaii, returning home to Bangor a better man.
�I was away from my girlfriend. I was lonely, and I was reading this book in this beautiful place, and I thought it would be something fun and easy,� said the 26-year-old Kurt Vonnegut and Star Wars fan, just a year younger than the fictional Grey.
�People hear about flogging and stuff like that in this book, and they don�t get it. I became emotionally invested in the love story, especially from the female�s perspective. That was important to me, to put myself in Ana�s shoes. It was overwhelming, and I�ll never forget it,� Wirth said.
He was moved to send James an email, �apologizing for assuming that your book was anything less than it is: wonderful.� And she responded, his deep interest surprising even her, �given that you don�t fit the demographic of the readership (women 17 to 100 years) but I am delighted that you enjoyed it.�
The book didn�t shatter 66-year-old David Shobin in Smithtown, N.Y. The semi-retired gynecologist and newbie romance reader who writes medical thrillers on the side picked up the first Fifty Shades to see for himself �what all the hullabaloo was about.�
He liked it well enough and received hundreds of responses to a funny review he wrote on Amazon.com.
�At my age, my arthritis flared up just reading about Ana�s sexual gymnastics,� Shobin wrote, adding that her �pyrotechnic climaxes resembled repetitively watching porn: after a while, it leaves me bored and yawning.�
He conceded a �definite infectiousness to the plot� but found it hard to believe Ana had absolutely no sexual experience before literally stumbling into Grey�s office to interview him for her college newspaper.
�I had an intellectual curiosity,� Shobin said in an interview. �I don�t quite know what to make of this sort of sexual activity but as a love story, it did succeed.�
Will his wife be reading?
�Probably not,� Shobin said. �I told her a little bit about the bondage part, and she showed very little interest in that, so it was a short conversation. She mainly reads memoirs.�
John Puckett, who is gay, spared no superlative from San Dimas, Calif., where he works as a theatrical manager about 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Usually preferring autobiography and true crime stories, he�s now reading all three Fifty Shades books for a second time.
�I was pretty much hooked from the beginning,� said Puckett, 45. �It grabs a hold of you, and it doesn�t let go.�
Most appealing, he said, is Grey�s slowly unpeeled vulnerability, that �lost, hurt little boy who craves nothing more than to be deserving of unconditional love.�
The books are flying off the shelves at the Books & Books stores in south Florida. James opens her first U.S. tour in Miami on Sunday. Movie rights have already been sold, and the guessing game is on for who will play the lusty lead characters.
�I first found out about the books back in December, from men who wanted to buy them for their wives,� said Mitchell Kaplan, who owns the Florida stores. �You really got the sense that these books are helping relationships in some way.�
Dr. Mehmet Oz sees that potential, dedicating a recent show to exploring the books with an audience of women and, yes, men who have read them.
�This woman has gotten people talking about sex in a way that no one else could get them to talk about it,� he said Tuesday night from the red carpet of a gala honoring Time magazine�s 100 most influential people in the world � James included with the likes of President Barack Obama and Rihanna.
Are sex lives changing, marriages evolving?
�They�re not tying up their women. It�s not about sadism,� Oz said of men drawn to the books. �What it is about is people having an honest conversation about what sex should be like, what makes it feel better, what are the timing issues, how do we make it an important issue in our life rather than an afterthought. When the guys get into it, I know we�ve got something going.�
James, a Londoner and former TV producer with two teenager sons, didn�t attend the event but has called the books her �mid-life crisis.� She replaced her original Twi-names as her story jumped from free downloads promoted on fan sites to not-free e-books and hard copy from an Australian publisher, then finally Vintage, the paperback home to Toni Morrison and Albert Camus.
Bob James, an ex-Marine and dad of four grown children, has heard of those two, but he�s also a regular romance reader and a Twilight fan. He first read Fifty Shades when it was still fan fiction, coming across it on Facebook and a site for �Twi-moms.�
�Most people who criticize it haven�t read it,� said the 50-year-old James, who is not related to the author. �They take things out of context and just pick the sex scenes out. I liked the romance. Ana is drawing him away from all the bondage stuff.�
His wife, a regular volunteer at their church, rolled her eyes when he read her excerpts, �but not the sex parts,� he said. Has he picked up any marital pointers from the attentive yet troubled Grey?
�I learned that I do need to show more of a protective nature toward her in public,� said James, in Manassas, Va. �There�s something that�s drawing women to read it, and it would behoove a man to know what that is.�
Associated Press Writer Nicole Evatt in New York contributed to this report.


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I was thinking the other day about what sort of exotic materials one would find in the depths of a planet. I have heard theories about how an enormous diamond might be found in the centre of gas giants.
Current theories have a ball of iron at Earth's core - would that be like the iron up here on the surface or does the pressure change its structure?
So here's the question: Aside from a carbon becoming diamond, what materials change structure under intense pressure?


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I have a late 2011 15" MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt/mini DisplayPort. What cable do I need which will transmit both audio AND video?
Dr. Bott have HDMI adapters that can transmit audio as well as video, assuming your MacBook supports it (yours does): http://www.drbott.net/product/5499-MDHD/
Then, get a Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter by Apple which transmits both video and audio. Note that Thunderbolt is backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort as far as these cables/adapters are concerned.
Monoprice has this adapter. They say it's Thunderbolt compatible, and for $7, I'd give it a try!
As @Asmus mentioned, you have to have a CEC channel or else it messes up your home theater setup. I am experiencing the same problem where I have a Samsung TV, an Onkyo 7.1 Surround Sound system, a 3D Blu-Ray player and then I have XBMC installed on my iMac as an HTPC. However, if I have my iMac plugged in using a Griffin Thunderbolt to HDMI, It causes my whole CEC system to fail.
The only solution I have found (and it isn't cheap) is a USB-CEC adapter. It's pricey at $47 without shipping, but it completely solved my problem - as well as made it so I can use my TV remote to control my XBMC on iMac.
In another, more cheap way to fix the HDMI-CEC to interrupt is to remove pin 13 from the HDMI connector.
I did this on a cheap mini-Displayport adapter for my macbook as i didnt want to spend much cash getting a HDMI-CEC-USB kit. I already had raspberry connected with XBMC on it so I didnt need the TV to control anything on my mac. Just wanted to keep mac not making trouble with the other units.
Fixing this makes the CEC dont send any data on the pin 13 that is making this trouble from keeping the TV not to turn off CEC when dont getting any answer.
Pinout scheme:
Another thread describing the same problem:


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Posts Tagged 'shrove tuesday'
Coconut-stuffed crepes for Shrove Tuesday
My grandmother would freak out if she saw what I made on Pancake Tuesday earlier this week.
I'm not sure how it started, but traditionally my grandmother (who still lives in India), and then her daughters (including my mum), would make these delicious crepes stuffed with a sweetened coconut filling on Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday/Mardi Gras. I've never come across this concoction anywhere else in the world; neither in stores or home-made by other people. So it is something special for me and over the last couple of years, I've continued the custom.
Since I didn't have a recipe, I went by taste. The secret ingredient (I suppose not so secret anymore) is cardamom infused into a mixture of coconut, sugar, milk and almonds. The aroma is heavenly – exotic and somehow evocative. I had made a little bundle of cardamom pods in a square of muslin and let it simmer in a saucepan with the other ingredients.
The way my mum and grandmother used to make it, the coconut was delicately coloured a pretty pastel pink. So this year I did make half a batch of pink coconut as a tribute to them. But the little bottle of blue food colour was much too tempting. Honestly, why would they make blue food colour if you weren't supposed to use it? I made blue coconut mix. My aunt practically screamed when she saw it on Skype, and I definitely heard my mum mutter, "Good Lord, that child!!" (yes, she still refers to me as "that child" despite the fact that I'm 28), but they were every bit as delicious as the pink ones.
See the full recipe here.


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5 Movie Martial Artists That Lost a Deathmatch to Dignity
Nothing in the known universe is more badass than a kung fu movie star.
Yet, when a superstar battles his way to the top of Badass Mountain, something happens--something terrible and difficult to watch. These are the men who fell from awesome to ridiculous with horrifying speed:
#5. Steven Seagal
With all of the embarrassment Seagal has brought upon himself in the last 10 years, it's tempting to forget that he is a bad, bad man.
Steven Seagal is an aikido master--a martial art less concerned with form than inflicting ridiculous amounts of damage to people's load-bearing joints. Seagal began his martial arts career in Japan, where he was one of the first foreigners to open a dojo there. The Japanese taught Seagal aikido, at which point we assume he said something along the lines of "I've got some lessons of my own to teach," then promptly flew to Japan to teach it back to them the right way. If you are pregnant or nursing, have a history of heart condition or stomach problems, please consult a doctor before reading the following list of facts about Seagal, all 100 percent true and each more badass than the last:
1: Steven Seagal is a recognized Tulku--a Buddhist holy man who reincarnates repeatedly by choice; presumably if you kill him, he can choose to come back as a grizzly bear that hungers only for vengeance.
2: Steven Seagal is not only a deputy sheriff in his hometown of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; he's also on the SWAT Team and is responsible for their training.
3: Steven Seagal adopts homeless animals. Not so badass? His two dogs are named Chaos and Fist. Holy shit! Here's your ass, by the way, you might want it back after Seagal's life knocked it off of you.
Steven Seagal was not an elegant man. His action scenes, unlike their Hong Kong counterparts, were not about elaborate or flashy moves. They were about breaking your arms mostly, in the quickest and easiest ways possible. Seagal showed up dressed in black leather, greased-back hair and gold chains, resembling nothing more than a New York Guido out for kicks on a Saturday night. Then, to everybody's amazement, you watched as he flipped men around his head by the dozens to a soundtrack of bones snapping so fast and in such numbers, it was like setting off Chinese firecrackers in a bowl of Rice Krispies. Seagal took the sometimes condescending sophistication out of martial arts movies. He was there to do business, and may God have mercy on your elbows if you took issue with it.Most Epic Moment Caught on Film:
This clip from Out for Justice hearkens back to his early days of rapid fire limb-breaking and terrifying, albeit somewhat confusing threats, such as: "Whose hot dog is this, eh? That yours?!" Seagal casually, almost absent-mindedly beats the shit out of most of New Jersey in this video, using a billiard ball wrapped in a bar towel. This clip is six-minutes long and there are six arms broken in those minutes. Take a minute and count 'em. Did you only come up with five? That's because the sixth arm is yours. Go ahead. Check. Then get yourself to a hospital. Tell them Seagal sent you--they've got a special ward all ready to go.The Sad Decline:
Seagal's martial arts and film career went downhill pretty fast, but even more disappointing than that was his personal descent into the foul and dank valleys of Douchebag County. Early Seagal characters were all about the everyman, they were inner-city cops by and large; unsophisticated and unconcerned with anything but justice, preferably street justice, if you have it. By contrast, Seagal himself became more and more of an unapproachable bottle of dick with every year that passed. He was an early adopter of such douchebag traits as: Fascination with a cheap, cursory sort of Asian spirituality, the sensitive pony-tail, pseudo-environmentalism and of course, the frat boy guitar.
Seagal soon decided to incorporate his newfound love of everything asshole into his movies, and the blue collar cop characters that made him famous gradually morphed into EPA agents protecting rivers and fighting big business. After the repeated failure of his box office releases, Seagal decided to focus on music and cut a blues album called The Crystal Cave, a title which could not spell out 'hippie dickhead' any clearer if you wrote it out on a Hacky Sack and hung it from a puka shell necklace.Most Pathetic Moment Caught on Film:
This is Seagal's music video, "Girl, it's alright," from the album "Mojo Priest," which manages to one up "Crystal Cave" as the single phrase most likely to cause spontaneous rage-vomiting. Watch carefully for a prime example of douchebaggery as Seagal romances what appears to be a 14-year-old Asian girl in a Buddhist temple while crooning platitudes you usually only hear right before you're date-raped in a Lifetime Network movie of the week. Also watch for Seagal's bloated bulk squeezed into a shimmering gold and red foil two-piece, inadvertently causing him to resemble a 7-11 hot dog.


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Baseball's Big Day of Deep Weirdness
There are days when baseball reminds people why it has captivated them for so many years. And there are days when baseball embarrasses itself. This wasn't either one of those kinds of days. This was just weird, awkward, at once uncomfortable and entertaining in a rubbernecking sort of way.
For the first time, Hall of Fame voters had to consider the candidacies of some of the biggest names from an era marked by performance-enhancing drug use—but no testing. It was a star-studded ballot, loaded with players who allegedly, maybe did, maybe didn't, we think might have taken steroids.
The result was comical. Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson went on live national television Wednesday afternoon and, like a presenter at the Oscars, held up a sealed envelope. Finally, he pulled out a piece of paper and revealed that the honor goes to…no one!
Not Barry Bonds. Not Roger Clemens. Not even candidates with strong resumes and less PED suspicion surrounding them, like Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling. Adding to the spectacle of it all, one ballot included pitcher Aaron Sele, whose 4.61 earned-run average during a 15-year career paints the picture of mediocrity.
"It is what it is," commissioner Bud Selig said, perfectly summing up an ambivalent day for the sport.
Was justice done here? Plenty of people, both inside and outside the game, believe it was. Marlon Anderson, a marginal major-league player from 1998 to 2009, praised voters for their "bold statement" and for standing up for the players who were clean. Many voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America righteously declared they would never vote for a known steroids user.
And yet, there was just as much shouting from the other side about what an injustice this was. How could voters keep out two all-time greats in the absence of definitive, incontrovertible proof that they cheated? And should PED use really disqualify a player from induction, given the long list of cheaters and scoundrels already in the Hall?
"Those empowered to help the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum document the history of the game failed to recognize the contributions of several Hall of Fame-worthy players," players' union chief Michael Weiner said. "To penalize players exonerated in legal proceedings—and others never even implicated—is simply unfair."
At the root of the debate is the question of what, exactly, Hall of Fame voters are empowered to do. By extension, what is the Hall supposed to be? And what makes a Hall of Famer?
By its literal definition, the Hall would simply be a room filled with famous people, like a wing of the Museum of American History dedicated to the Kardashians. The most sensible purpose would be to make it a pure history museum, not about fame or morality but about historical significance.
To act as if an entire era didn't happen, or to mark its stars with some kind of asterisk while the bronzes of known racists, drunks and the like remain untouched, threatens the credibility of the institution. But the Hall instructs voters to consider the "character" and "integrity" of candidates, traits that are both irrelevant and impossible to fairly judge. And neither MLB nor the Hall has taken a hard stance on how to evaluate steroid-era players.
That leaves a group of more than 500 journalists—some of whom no longer cover the sport regularly—to decide what to do with known or suspected PED users. And for all the hand-wringing, nothing was decided Wednesday.
The issue was just tabled for future years, when players like Bonds and Clemens will be back on the ballot, reigniting the debate anew. More players from their era will join them on the ballot in the years ahead. And someday, voters will need to decide whether to induct iconic players who either admitted using banned drugs or tested positive, most notably Alex Rodriguez.
For baseball, awkward is the new normal.