I am all for free markets - that's one of the reasons I love soccer compared to the closed professional leagues in the US. I also oppose oligopoly, which Pay As You Play showed has been happening since Abramovich took over at Chelsea. I will be interested to see how rigorously UEFA applies the Fair Play rules - are they really going to tell a club like Chelsea or Manchester City that they cannot participate in Champions League? I hope so, or things are going to continue to get worse.
According to the LIVERPOOL FC Web news the English Club has agreed to the CHELSEA FC transfer price & offer of 58M€ for Spanish International Football player FERNANDO TORRES. This makes Fernando Torres the highest ever transfered player in monetary terms in the history for a Spanish born Football player & between two English Clubs. Overall, Fernando Torres is now the 6th highest ever transfer in
AnyToISO Converter Professional 3.1 Build 402 Multilingual | 5.8 Mb
AnyToISO is a simple application which allows users to convert their files into ISO images. The ultimate ISO Creator for Windows: can create ISO from almost everything including all CD/DVD images formats popular in Internet (NRG, MDF, UIF, DMG, ISZ, BIN, DAA, PDI, CDI, IMG, etc), CD/DVD/Blue-ray disks or simply from a local folder.
Quick Facts - AnyToISO supports all CD/DVD formats popular in Internet. - AnyToISO works on Windows and Mac OS X. - Most CD/DVD burning software works with ISO images and its native images only. Use AnyToISO for conversion before burning. - With AnyToISO you can mount any CD/DVD image found in Internet to your Parallels/VMWare virtual machine. * the program is free to convert CD images, Professional license allows to convert DVD images. AnyToISO supports the following CD/DVD image formats popular in Internet. - Convert - convert the image to the ISO format - Extract - extract the image to a local drive
Changes - Windows Explorer shell integration - New main icon - German and Swedish translations - Mac: user interface is improved - Many small fixes and improvements
Plot: Two Passengers and the conductor discover that a person has passed away on their Night Train cabin. They come across valuable diamonds on his person...
Air India said 76 flights, including 14 on international routes, were cancelled on Wednesday because of the strike
An Air India special flight today evacuated 380 Indian citizens from Cairo and brought them safely to Mumbai in the face of the the worsening situation and increasing chaos in Egypt , where the people are demanding the resignation of President Hosni .
The Anchor of RT news reported from Cairo today that voilence was likely to increase in the days to come as people had raided Police stations and took away arms and ammunition . There were reports of theft and robberies in Cairo .
The Indian Defence Minister today said that the Indian External Affairs Ministery and the Civil Aviation Ministry had chalked out a plan to evacuate all the stranded Indian Citizens from Egypt . Air India which had sent a special plane from Dubai to evacuate its citizens from Cairo and the passanger were happy to return to India . India is sppeding up its evacuation operations .It was reported that of the 3600 Indian citizens in Egypt , 2200 were out of Cairo . The Indian Embassy in Cairo is co-ordinating the evacuation work . and ammuni
BlackBerry maker Research I Two industry officials confirmed that the regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), had asked them to stop all Blackberry services to foreign missions.
“I can confirm that PTA has asked us to stop all BlackBerry services to foreign embassies and high commissions,” a senior official at a mobile company, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.
Another industry official at another mobile company also confirmed receiving the instructions.
“There are some other issues as well, mostly relating to BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server), which we are trying to resolve in consultation with the PTA,” he said.
A PTA spokesman was not available for comment.
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has been buffeted by demands for access to its encrypted data from several countries, including India and United Arab Emirates, worried by security and social mores.
Pakistani industry and government officials say that the government had never allowed BlackBerry services to foreign missions and inbound roamers when the services were launched in Pakistan in 2005.
The government also initially banned the more secure BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) services in Pakistan.
BES allows users to send and receive secure email and messages, which is difficult for governments to intercept and read.
However, the instructions have since been flouted by all five Pakistani mobile operators. It was not clear why the government allowed them to do so or why it was acting now to enforce the restrictions.
An industry source said that the government had asked all operators in the country to enforce the restrictions.
“The most critical issue is the provision of BlackBerry services to the foreign embassies, missions and high commissions,” said the source.
“Therefore, all the operators have agreed to close all BlackBerry connections provided to them by January 31,” he said, adding discussions would be held with the PTA to gain more time on the provision of BES to local customers as well as BlackBerry services to incoming roamers.
If fully enforced, the restrictions would mean no BlackBerry services for many of the multinational companies and aid groups, who use the BES service rather than the Blackberry Internet Service, or BIS, which is much less secure.
Last year, India demanded access to all BlackBerry services as part of efforts to fight militancy and security threats over the Internet and through telephone communications.
Last week, RIM said there was no possibility of providing India access to corporate emails on BlackBerry devices.
n Motion has been buffeted by demands for access to its encrypted data from several countries, including India and United Arab Emirates, worried by security and social mores.
Pakistani industry and government officials say that the government had never allowed BlackBerry services to foreign missions and inbound roamers when the services were launched in Pakistan in 2005.
The government also initially banned the more secure BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) services in Pakistan.
BES allows users to send and receive secure email and messages, which is difficult for governments to intercept and read.
However, the instructions have since been flouted by all five Pakistani mobile operators. It was not clear why the government allowed them to do so or why it was acting now to enforce the restrictions.
An industry source said that the government had asked all operators in the country to enforce the restrictions.
“The most critical issue is the provision of BlackBerry services to the foreign embassies, missions and high commissions,” said the source.
“Therefore, all the operators have agreed to close all BlackBerry connections provided to them by January 31,” he said, adding discussions would be held with the PTA to gain more time on the provision of BES to local customers as well as BlackBerry services to incoming roamers.
If fully enforced, the restrictions would mean no BlackBerry services for many of the multinational companies and aid groups, who use the BES service rather than the Blackberry Internet Service, or BIS, which is much less secure.
Last year, India demanded access to all BlackBerry services as part of efforts to fight militancy and security threats over the Internet and through telephone communications.
Last week, RIM said there was no possibility of providing India access to corporate emails on BlackBerry devices.
As Egyptian unrest continues to escalate latest figures show that at least 89 people have died, 10 of which were police officers. Yesterday hundreds of people denied the 8am curfew and remained on the streets. Despite the numbers dwindling as night drew on many still remained outdoors.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday that “violent repression of peaceful protest was wrong and counterproductive." Barack Obhama is said to have told Mubarek that "Violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people, and suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.”
That said western leaders are jumpy to say the least about what the future holds for Egypt. They may be expressing concerns for a peaceful transition of power but are mindful of extremist Muslim groups waiting in the wings.
As ever there is oil at the centre of western concerns. What western leaders must remember though is that ultimately it is the Egyptian people who must decide. Having endured a 30 year dictatorial rule they need to choose well.
Tuesday will see a march of millions aimed at forcing Mubarek to resign. If good sense prevails he may already have left office.
he monk is under scanner by Indian Police after hundreds of thousands of dollars were found in his monastery.
Officers quizzed the Karmapa over $600,000 in dollar bills and currencies from another 25 countries discovered at his residence in Dharamshala, the hill station in northern India where many Tibetan exiles are based.
Five other people were arrested, including a hotelier, according to Indian media reports that said the money at monastery was linked to a land purchase deal.
Tibetan exiles dismissed suggestions that the cash showed the Karmapa was bankrolled by China, which cracks down strongly on any move backing the Tibet region becoming autonomous or independent.
On Sunday the Karmapa's aides told reporters that the money could all be accounted for and that it came from donations to the Gyuto monastery where he lives.
The Karmapa fled Tibet in 1999 as a 14-year-old because he said he was concerned that Beijing would force him to turn against the Dalai Lama, who has acted as a father figure for him in Dharamshala.
China regards the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist, and has sought to groom monks who would accept Tibet as an integral part of China and drop all claims for an independent state.
The existence in India of the Tibetan movement, which lobbies openly against Beijing and denounces the human rights situation in Tibet, is a constant thorn in the side of relations between the two Asian giants.
The Karmapa is one of the most revered religious figures in his homeland and could be one of a handful of candidates who steps forward to lead the community once the charismatic Dalai Lama dies.
police on Sunday questioned one of Tibetan Buddhism's most senior leaders after hundreds of thousands of dollars were found in his monastery.
The Latest News Update About: West Bengal School Service Commission Results 2011: BSSC 11th been regional level selection test 2010, Teacher Assistant exam results “AT ” to 05.00 clock reports from the source. Students who have passed the exam to verify their results www.westbengalssc.com.
West Bengal School Service Commission came into force for the recruitment of teacher aide
Indian Navy marine commandos perform their skills during the Navy Day celebrations in Mumbai
On return to Coast after completing the ‘Annual Day At Sea’ celebrations yesterday on Arabian sea with 400 Navy personnel and their family members in INS Vindhyagiri the Indian war ship at Mumbai Coast, it collided with an American based merchant ship ‘Nord Lake’ which was leaving the Mumbai Harbor, near Sunk Clock resulting in raise of blazes in both ships, which was doused after five hours effort by Fire Service personnel. But no casualties or injuries oil spill were reported. Inquiry is ordered into the accident by Higher authorities
top 10 people out of the '100 Most Powerful Indians' list in the Annual Survey Report released by the Indian Express National News Paper yesterday, includes Rank wise 1) Justice S.H.Kapadia, Chief Justice of Supreme Coure of India, 2) Mrs.Sonia GandhiSonia Gandhi, President of Indian National Congress Party, 3) Dr.Manmohan SinghManmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, 4) Mrs.Sushma SwarajSushma Swaraj, The Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Lok Sabha in Indian Parliament, 5) Mr.Rahul GandhiRahul Gandhi S/o Mrs.Sonia Gandhi and Congress Party General Secretary, 6) Mr.Nitish KumarNitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar State, 7) Mrs.Mamata Benarjee, Minister for Railways and Leader of Trinamul Congress Party, 8) Mr.P.Chidambaram, Minister for Internal Security Affair of Govt.of India, 9) Mr.Mukesh Ambani, the Head of Reliance Group of Industries, 10) Mr.Pranab Mukharjee Finance Minister of India.
Football is unpredictable, so much so that one has to be very careful on what they say & how they act because the future & the results are totally unknown. With this Soccer philosophical note Barcelona paper "Sport" via its cartoon section "Futbolitis" has captured well the REAL MADRID situation after losing yesterday in La Liga & falling behind 7 points in the Spanish League in reference to FC
Note: This the third and final post in a several part series that I have written about MLS's playoff structure and how it penalizes successful teams.
In my first two posts in this series I highlighted the effects of letting too many teams into the MLS playoffs and the resultant penalty good teams pay in the playoffs by playing a greater number of games during the regular season via domestic and international competitions. In this post I will focus on solutions to these problems. I use the byline "Making the Best of a Bad Situation" in this blog post's title because we all know that Don Garber and MLSwill not ditch a playoff format - they are (mistakenly) wedded to the idea that US soccer fans want a league that is eventually the size of the NFL and requires a playoff format to determine its champion. So, after listing my ideal solution, I will spend time exploring how the 2011 playoffs could be formatted to make the best of the already announced 10 team playoff field. I will then move on to how future seasons might benefit from a reduced number of playoff teams and modified formats.
The Ideal Solution
Before I delve into making the best of the poor hand dealt to us by MLS, I would like to lay out what I envision would be the ideal format for determining MLS championships.
Limit MLS to 20 teams: This preserves the ability to run a balanced schedule. Perhaps I am writing from a bit of personal interest, but a balanced home-and-away schedule is the most fair to the teams and is great at providing statistical insight. Each team gets to play every other one twice, and home pitch advantage is effectively wiped out. Such a format is critical in delivering my second recommendation.
Play a top-of-the-table championship format: After 38 matches, we would truly understand who was the best overall team throughout the season. No upsets allowing eighth seeded teams to knock out the number one seed. No poor form for half to two-thirds of season that is bailed out by a hot run at the end of the season. There's a reason the rest of the world runs such a format - it provides stability to the teams and supporters and justly rewards good long term performance.
Reform CCL qualification: If (2) is realized, the US Open Cup then becomes the major domestic knock-out tournament just like most other national tournaments. Make the US Open Cup championship worth something - make it the automatically qualifier for CCL group play along with the MLS top-of-the-table champions. To add drama and competition to the MLS single table format, make the second place team the play-in for CCL. Overall, this would provide greater incentive for winning the US Open Cup and ensure our CCL teams truly are the best MLS has to offer.
Implement promotion and relegation: This system works in nearly every other soccer nation. For those who worry about the health of MLS and soccer in the US, they should realize that attendance at matches in the US rival those found in top leagues outside of England, Germany, and Spain. What is holding back growth in the US is MLS's obscene franchise system and associated fees. Such high barriers to entry stifle the development of the lower tiers of the US soccer pyramid, and are not found in other parts of the world. When soccer rich cities like St. Louis can't field a second tier professional team and the entire second tier is at risk of losing its sanction because of financial difficulties, it's clear something has to change. Simply put, the closed market, single entity concept is holding back the development of the professional game and our national team. It's a hurdle not found in other countries, where teams who work their butts off at lower levels earn the just reward of promotion without having to pay the cartel and extra entry fee.
I am not delusional. As I said at the outset, I think this proposal would never be implemented. The main reason is that it runs counter to every fiber of American professional sports, which are all about the league and guaranteed revenue and not the team. Team success (both on the field and financially) is only allowed in so much as it builds the league's product. The league redistributes the earnings from team merchandise, stadium revenue, and TV revenue - more so than they do in soccer leagues in places like Europe. If the league doesn't like the deal one of its owners is getting in a town, they support uprooting the team and moving them to another state or a completely different section of the country - we're talking a much bigger relocation than Tottenham's potential move to the Olympic Stadium (and resultant supporter resistance). In the United Stats it's about moving a basketball team from Seattle to Oklahoma City or a soccer team from San Jose to Houston. As is often the case, such moves are condoned by the league because local tax payers are unwilling to be held hostage to build a new stadium that the teams are unwilling to finance themselves (precisely because the stadium is more expensive than the team can justify paying for themselves). Moving towards a promotion/relegation single table format that rewarded consistent performance would encourage reasonable growth at multiple levels of the professional game, improve the quality of our national team by developing more talent, and avoid the boom bust cycles of the original NASL and first decade of MLS's
So if the ideal solution is not a realistic one, how can we make the best of a bad single entity playoff solution? How can a full season's effort be rewarded come playoff time? The answer is two fold - one solution for the 2011 season that will see 10 playoff teams, and another for subsequent seasons where the number of playoff teams is still undetermined.
Recommendations for 2011
Given that MLS has indicated they will break 10 of the 19 teams to the playoffs for the 2011 season, how can the as-yet-undefined format be defined so as to reward regular season play and not make it an afterthought as it currently is regarded? Here are a few suggestions.
Give the top six finishers a bye: If we want to encourage teams to compete for playoff position from top to bottom, we need to give them a just reward for their successful efforts. Currently, there is no real advantage to being a top seed. Giving seeds 1 through 6 a bye, which would effectively give them two weeks between their final regular season match and their first playoff match, would give them much needed rest after a grueling regular season, US Open Cup, and CCL group play.
Make seeds 7 through 10 play a two-leg first round: Making the lower seeds play two extra games will help level the playing field when it comes to game differential. Such an approach would have moved 5 of the 12 series from 2003-2010 that had a game differential of four or more to series with a game differential of three or less - crossing to the right side of the magical four game differential I highlighted in my last post in this series. I'd also make them play it on a weekend/weekday swing, which would essentially make the winner of the series play three games in seven days when the second round match was factored in. Meanwhile, the team they faced would be coming off two weeks rest.
Make away goals count for more than home goals in the first round: Nearly every other two-leg knockout round competition uses this rule. For some unexplainable reason, MLS does not. Such a change would reward risk taking by away sides, and recognize the inherent difficulty in scoring goals away from home. It would also likely help minimize the number of opening round matches that went to overtime and PK's in the second match.
Re-seed after every round: Implicit in this suggestion is the request to forget about conferences once the playoffs start. The reward for finishing with the best overall point total (or tie breaker) should be that that the highest seeded team host the "weakest" team each round. Higher seeded teams shouldn't be forced to travel or endure any hardships come playoff time if they've worked their rears off for 34+ matches. This will also help to eliminate MLS's current crossover system that has the propensity to hurt top performers. Case in point: in 2010 the Western Conference took six of the available eight playoff spots, yet the bottom two teams crossed over to play the two Eastern Conference teams, both of which had lower point totals than the top two teams in the Western Conference
Take advantage of MLS's superior home field advantage: As Scorecasting has shown, MLS teams have the greatest home field advantage of any US sports league or major soccer league world wide. Let's put that to good use and provide greater rewards to superior regular season performance. MLS should not only re-seed the matchups every round, but they should also have the higher of the two MLS Cup participants host the championship match. Therefore, there truly is a benefit to winning the Supporters' Shield - controlling one's own destiny as to where matches are played all the way through the playoffs.
Announcement of the 2011 playoff format is expected any day now. We'll see if any of the changes conform to the suggestions above.
A New Playoff Format for 2012 and Beyond
By 2012 MLS will have its 19th franchise (Montreal), unbalanced conferences, and possibly an unbalanced schedule again. Everyone fully expects the league to expand further, not stopping at the 20 teams found in most other domestic leagues. How should their playoff format change to match these changes and improve the quality of the playoffs?
Run a single table, and break only the top six teams to the playoffs: With Montreal in the league, there will be no way to balance the conferences. This would be a perfect opportunity for the league to convert to a single table. Limiting the playoffs to the top six will also greatly improve the quality of teams that make it in. The regression equations developed in the first post in this series indicate a team in the top six would need to earn 51.5% of the available points and have a goal differential of nearly 8 - both are massive improvements over the numbers required since 2005. It would also lower the percentage of teams that make the playoffs to 31%, making it the second lowest percentage of the US professional leagues profiled in my first post.
Use the same suggested play-in format from 2011 for seeds 3 through 6: Again, it will cut down on game differential in the second round, provide greater incentive for finishing in the top two via an extra week of rest, and will ensure away goals count for more.
Re-seed for the semifinals just like 2011, and have the higher seed host MLS Cup: Give good teams every advantage they deserve for sustained quality throughout the regular season.
Reform CCL qualification along the lines of (3) in the "Ideal Solution" section of this post.
We're at least a year away from Commissioner Garber announcing anything about the 2012 playoff format. I suspect he will resist any attempt to go to a single table, especially when such a format becomes difficult to maintain given the geographic reality of the league and his continued desire to expand beyond twenty teams. Nonetheless, following the rest of my suggestions would greatly improve the quality of teams that make the playoffs.
Conclusions
It's clear that MLS is intent on keeping a playoff format to determine their champion, as they mistakenly believe that US soccer fans and fans of other sports that they are trying to attract want an Americanized version of the world's game. If this is the case, there is a right way and a wrong way to implement a playoff system. Right now, MLS is going about it the wrong way. They are letting way too many teams into the playoffs, and the resultant chaos turns fans off as there seems to be absolutely zero reward for an entire season of hard work. The wide open playoff format, combined with commitments outside of MLS, has produced little predictability from one season to the next. If MLS is to insist on having a playoff format, it is my hope that they adopt a number of the proposals made above. Restricting the number of overall participants, and forcing lower seeds to play more games in the playoffs, will improve the chances of higher seeds making it through to the MLS Cup and hopefully provide some predictability to the current chaos that is the MLS Playoffs.
Big SPANISH FOOTBALL surprises in today's three Round 21 Spanish League - La Liga scheduled games. Both Madrid teams lost & Real Madrid now follows behind Spanish League Table leaders FC Barcelona by 7 points. Here is a summary of events, results & the scorers.
Toquero scores for At. Bilbao
ATLETICO DE MADRID has entered into a free fall downward turn after today's 0 - 2 defeat to ATHLETIC DE
President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today led the nation in paying homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 63rd death anniversary.
Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj paid floral tributes at Gandhi''s memorial in Rajghat.
Defence Minister A K Antony, former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath,DelhiChief Minister Sheila Dikshit, chiefs of three services, central ministers, leaders of various political parties and people from different walks of life also paid tribute to the apostle of peace at his memorial.
A multi-faith prayer service was also organised with religious leaders of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Bahai, Christianity, Jainism, Jewish, Parsi and Sikhism participating in the programme.
The Serbian world number three, Novak Djokovic, is favourite to win his second Grand Slam title
30, 2011
In Tennis, Men's Single: Finalists Novak Djokovic versus Andy Murray in Rod LaverRod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Australia for the Grand Slam Championship 2011, Title match, finals.
The young man from Serbia, rank No.3 in the world has beaten Roger FedererRoger Federer, rank No. 2 in the world, to reach the Grand Slam final at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Australia. Today he is facing Andy Murray, from Great Britain who has beaten David Ferrer, into the finals.
Federer's defeat in the semi-finals handed down the hope to Novak while Andy Murray, British, got over David Ferrer from Spain in the semi-finals of the Men's Single, Tennis. Both, greatest players of the season, stands tallest amongst the top contenders of the Australian Open 2011 tournament, battles to grab the Grand Slam Championship's 2011 Title and trophy.
Will Novak able to repeat his historical record in the 2008 tournament? This LIVE performance shall enlighten the truth of his heroism or will it be Andy Murray to become the Champion of the season? The last episode of the tournament is held today, 'Live' , Sunday, 30 January, 2011 in Melbourne Park, Australia, unveils that mystery.
Hold your breath and ... the winner of Australian Open: Grand Slam Championship 2011 is, Novak Djokovic. Congratulations!
Joy and success goes to Novak Djokovic, his victorious performance in the match 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 in straight sets against Andy Murray.
In women's Single: Kim ClijstersKim Clijsters wins the Grand Slam Championships and Li Na from China, the runner-up.
With heartfelt thanks to Australia, the host and Rolex, the sponsor for another great success in Tennis' Sport.
Proud day for SPANISH SPORT & SPANISH HANDBALL with SPAIN winning the home team Sweden 23 - 24 in the Handball World Championships 3rd place game to take the Bronze Medal.
Spain have had a wonderful tournament only being defeated by the mighty Danish team by 4 points in their semi - final clash. An excellent match with an extraordinary defensive effort that kept out Sweden & allowed the Spanish
showed has been happening since Abramovich took over at Chelsea. I will be interested to see how rigorously UEFA applies the Fair Play rules - are they really going to tell a club like Chelsea or Manchester City that they cannot participate in Champions League? I hope so, or things are going to continue to get worse.
. What is holding back growth in the US is MLS's obscene franchise system and 
has shown, 
