FROM January 1, 2012, the United Kingdom (UK) will begin processing visitor visas for those coming from outside the country to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Press Secretary, British High Commission, Abuja, Hooman Nouruzi, said in a statement yesterday that visas would be issued with a starting date that would cover the whole Olympic and the Paralympic Games period.
“The Games would be the biggest event that the UK has hosted and many extra visitors will arrive during the busy summer period in 2012,” he stated. “We will process your application and, if you meet the requirements, will issue your visa with a start date that will cover you for the whole Olympic and Paralympic Games period’.
“This means that you can start your preparations for travelling to the UK for the Games from the beginning of 2012.”
Applicants are advised to visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/do-you-need-a-visa/) for a questionnaire to find out if they need to apply for a visa, and if they are coming to watch the Games as visitors, they would be allowed to stay in the UK for up to six months in most cases.
They can also see the Olympic and Paralympic Games section (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/our-work/olympic-paralympic/) for more information.
Sabtu, 24 Desember 2011
Jumat, 23 Desember 2011
X Factor Host Steve Jones returning for Season 2, talks Melanie's ''Extraordinary'' Win
Steve, who has been accused of oddball on-camera behavior, defended himself, saying, “I was doing my job. That’s what I was told to do and nobody’s taken me offstage at the end of the show and gone, ‘What the hell are you doing? That’s not what we asked.’ They asked me to do something and I delivered.
“[If] you want to do what you do on the biggest stage possible, you’re going to get a lot of criticism — so it doesn’t really affect me.”
And he’s eager to come back for season two, “If they’ll have me. I mean, we don’t find out until sometime in the new year. I don’t know how it all works.” He shrugged, “If they’ll have me back, I’ll do it. If they don’t, I’ll go do something else.”
When asked if the judges were mean to him, Steve laughed to reporters, “Mean to me? No. Poking me with a stick? ‘Back to your room!’ No, they love me! They’re good people. I look forward to working with them
again.”
Many thought Steve was too stiff and didn’t show enough personality on The X Factor. But the hunky Welshman implied he was more effective not being slick. “I’m the host. I’m there to bind it all together and hopefully guide the ship that is X Factor along. It’s not about me. A lot of people have been asking me questions — am I coming back next year? But who cares? I’m the host of the show. It’s all about Melanie and the contestants, their moment. Someone just won five million dollars, that’s extraordinary.”
Steve told reporters after finishing the season that he felt, “A sense of euphoria. I’m proud about the entire season; I’m proud of the judges, our contestants. I’m a little bit proud of myself, too. I’m happy with it all, I really am.” And he’s “most happy with revealing to Melanie Amaro that she’s won five million dollars.”
The much-criticized host did admit, however, that it hasn’t been all roses: “It’s been a tough ride in the sense that I’ve told a lot of good people some really bad news like Rachel Crow and Drew and that was horrible. That affected me. I don’t know. Maybe I was a bit naïve going into it emotionally.
“I knew it was going to be tough but I just thought it would be professional, what’s happening, well, that’s the show but you connect with these people. I hung out with them for months on end so that was horrible but if you’ll excuse the conceit I think I deserved that little moment where I got to tell Melanie she’d won it. Her face — it was sublime.”
At the end of the show, Melanie was speechless after Steve declared her the winner. And the host said he struggled mightily to get her to open up: “I wanted to hear her say something. It’s wonderful to see her emotional and crying, but say something!”
Steve is hoping he’ll get to experience the special X Factor moments again next season—but likely won’t know his fate until after his American road trip vacation (which he starts on Jan. 8th).
[wetpaint]
Rabu, 21 Desember 2011
Racism: John Terry to be charged over Anton Ferdinand as suarez is hit with 8-match ban and huge fine
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Mr Terry was accused of a racially aggravated public order offence.
The 31-year-old vowed to clear his name and said he was "disappointed".
Alison Saunders, chief crown prosecutor for London, said: "I have today advised the Metropolitan Police that John Terry should be prosecuted for a racially aggravated public order offence following comments allegedly made during a football match between Queen's Park Rangers and Chelsea on 23 October.
"The decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and, after careful consideration of all the evidence, I am satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute this case."The FA had put its own investigation on hold until the CPS decision was made. An FA spokesman said the organisation was considering its statement.
Earlier in the morning and before the decision was announced, Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said: "The only thing I know is that I will be fully supportive of John Terry, whatever the outcome.
"He has my full support, he has the club's full support.
"We know exactly his human values and personality - they are never in doubt."
Mr Terry, who has always maintained his innocence, is due before West London Magistrates' Court on 1 February.
The maximum sentence for the offence is a fine of £2,500.
As a summary offence under the Crime and Disorder Act, it will be fully heard in a magistrates' court.
......... Luis Suarez banned
Luis Suarez was given an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, sparking a furious response by Liverpool to the FA’s ruling.
An FA statement said the 24-year-old Uruguay striker had used words that ‘included a reference to Mr Evra’s colour’ when United and Liverpool met at Anfield on October 15, which amounts to a serious breach of the governing body’s rules.
His charges:
Liverpool supports the racistHis charges:
- Explaining the decision of the commission, it added: ‘(1) Mr Suarez used insulting words towards Mr Evra during the match contrary to FA Rule E3(1); (2) the insulting words used by Mr Suarez included a reference to Mr Evra’s colour within the meaning of Rule E3(2); (3) Mr Suarez shall be warned as to his future conduct, be suspended for 8 matches covering all first team competitive matches and fined the sum of £40,000; (4) the (penalty) is suspended pending the outcome of any appeal lodged by Mr Suarez against this decision.’
Liverpool were quick to condemn the verdict, attacking the FA’s process and suggesting they had decided Suarez was guilty before hearing his side of the story.
The club issued a statement shortly after the ruling was made public on the FA’s website.
It read: ‘It appears to us that the FA were determined to bring charges against Luis Suarez, even before interviewing him.’
The statement went on to call for Evra to be investigated for abusive comments directed at Suarez.
[Dailymail]
United Kingdom blacklists Nigerian universities
The GMC, a body of independent regulators which registers medical doctors to practise in the UK, took the decision to bar graduates from the nine universities from writing PLAB.
PLAB is the UK exam that enables non-UK Medical graduates to undertake post-graduate medical training in the country.
The affected graduates are those who graduated after December 10, 2010 from Ambrose Ali University, Ebonyi State University, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, University of Jos, University of Nigeria and the University of Port Harcourt.
It also applies to those who graduated on or after April 1, 2010 from Igbinedion University College of Health Sciences and the University of Benin.
According to Jason Day of the GMC's press office, the schools were axed because they no longer meet the required standards for practise in the UK.
He added that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) had also advised that they suspend accreditation of some medical schools in the country.
“The decision only applies to students who graduated from those medical schools after the MDCN suspended their accreditation,” Day said The Educational Sector needs to be given more attention otherwise the decaying infrastructures will be a major catalyst for more brain drain in the country.
SMFH: Arik Air hostess nabbed with cocaine
The 30 year-old hostess, who arrived at the Heathrow Terminal 4 on an Arik Air flight from Lagos, was arrested on Sunday following the discovery of the drugs in an item of luggage, a spokesman for the agency disclosed.
She was charged with attempting to import a Class A substance, and was expected to appear before Uxbridge Magistrates.
"UK Border Agency officers are on constant alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to keep Class A drugs and other banned substances out of the UK," Marc Owen, director of UKBA operations at Heathrow, said. "We are determined to prevent this terrible trade which can have such a destructive impact on the lives of so many."
[Dailytimes]
Senin, 19 Desember 2011
Arab Mega rich family (owners of Manchester City FC) Splashes $3Million each on Jay Z and Kanye West to perform at daughters party
Mediatakeout reports that both Jay Z and Kanye West were each paid $3 Million to perform at Arab Billionaire daughter's 16th birthday party this weekend. The Family in question are said to be worth over $150 Billion and own the refurbished Manchester City Football Club.
MediaTakeOut.com EXCLUSIVELY learned that Jay Z and Kanye West performed at an ARAB BILLIONAIRE daughter's sweet 16 this weekend. The two rappers were in DUBAI on Saturday, and performed a few sets - to the packed house.
So who's the chick??? Well the girl is the sister of Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (who owns the Manchester City soccer team), and the daughter of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the original founder of the United Arab Emirates. The Al Nahyan family is estimated to be worth more than $150 BILLION.
Dang!!!!!!!! Now that's getting paid.
Jumat, 16 Desember 2011
Suspected Boko Haram Gunmen Storm Airforce School in Kano...Kill Many
Details are still sketchy but sources said several military personnel were killed, and many others injured.
Armed soldiers and plain clothes security had sealed the area.
A doctor who had treated some of the injured said to his knowledge four soldiers are already feared killed.
The most telling aspect of this incident is that a neighbourhood group had began scouring the area after the incident and on a raid of a suspicious building had found audio tapes of Mohammed Yusuf the late founder of the Boko Haram sect a strong indicator of who was behind the attack.
Story developing...
[Naijapundit]
Kamis, 15 Desember 2011
Say What: Egyptian blogger bags two years jail term for criticizing military government
For criticizing the Egyptian armed forces and allegedly publishing false information, a political activist has bagged two years in prison.
Maikel Nabil Sanad was handed the sentence by an Egyptian military court after an appeal against a previous judgement of three years handed him by a lower court.
Sanad was arrested after posts on his blog (www.maikelnabil.com) made unfavourable comparisons between the military government and that of the former regime of President Hosni Mubarak, toppled in February by a popular uprising.
He is one of 12,000 civilians who have faced military trials this year; a practice critics say deprives the accused of their rights. Amnesty International claims Sanad is a ‘prisoner of conscience’, while the U.S. government has expressed concerns about his detention.
Over 40 die in Rivers boat mishap
No fewer than 40 persons were feared dead on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria when an overloaded passenger boat carrying 47 passengers capsized and emptied its human content into the Rumuolumeni River.
The unfortunate incident, according to reports happened around 9:30 pm while the boat was travelling from high-brow Eagle Island in the state capital.The Rumuolumeni River passes through the back of the expansive premises of the Italian oil giant, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to Iwofe, Port Harcourt. The wooden boat was traveling between Eagle Island and Mgbuodohia community, official Chima Amadi told AFP, the boat was the only reliable means of transport to Port Harcourt because of the bad condition of roads in the area. “More than 40 passengers were on the boat,” he said.
The unfortunate incident, according to reports happened around 9:30 pm while the boat was travelling from high-brow Eagle Island in the state capital.The Rumuolumeni River passes through the back of the expansive premises of the Italian oil giant, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to Iwofe, Port Harcourt. The wooden boat was traveling between Eagle Island and Mgbuodohia community, official Chima Amadi told AFP, the boat was the only reliable means of transport to Port Harcourt because of the bad condition of roads in the area. “More than 40 passengers were on the boat,” he said.
Seven of the passengers, including a two-year-old baby, had so far been rescued, while divers, as at press time, were still combing the river for corpses of the victims. The dead have already been given a mass burial beside the river.
Sabtu, 26 November 2011
The Internet Diet and Nutrition Classic, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: “The Bible of Fat Loss.”
Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle has been around a long time, at least in Internet years. It was released in 2003 and was one of the first diet and nutrition e-books ever published. Today there are e-books all over the web, not to mention more supplements, weight loss programs, ab machines, workout videos and “magic” diet pills than you can keep track of.
Even when your gut instincts tell you all these “fast and easy”, “just take a pill” weight loss claims are too good to be true, sometimes the advertisements press your emotional buttons so well that your curiosity gets the best of you.
But after getting burned enough times, you eventually smarten up. You swear off “quick fixes” and you finally figure out the long way (through your own experience), about what really works; a calorie deficit, proper nutrition, intelligent training, changing your lifestyle and replacing your old negative habits with positive new ones.
Through all the Internet diets that have come and gone in the last decade, this e-book is one that has stood the test of time. It has been an Internet best seller every year since 2003. Men and women of all ages in over 141 countries have lost anywhere from a few pounds to 253 pounds using Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. The program consistently gets positive reviews and has earned a reputation for being sensible, science-based, honest and effective.
The author, Tom Venuto, received his degree in exercise science and has held certifications as a strength and conditioning specialist and personal trainer, but more importantly, Tom walks the talk. He is a natural-for-life bodybuilder, which means that he’s never taken steroids or other body-enhancing drugs. Venuto has competed in bodybuilding 28 times and has 6-pack abs you have to see to believe (check out the picture at www.burnthefat.com of Tom at 3.7% body fat).
Although Tom admits that he was never obese, he says he always struggled with stomach fat and never saw his abs until he’d gone through many years of trial and error and a lot of hard work. Many people are encouraged when they hear that Tom is a lot like them and that he was not genetically predisposed to be lean. It gives them the hope that they can do it too.
Now that you know about the history and the author, here’s a quick overview of what you’ll find when you read Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.
Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle is published in Adobe PDF format so you can download the e-book. It’s on the long side at 300+ pages, so if you’re looking for a Cliff’s Notes type of read, this might not be the book you want. On the other hand, if you’re a detail person or if you want to know not just what to do, but also why you’re doing it, then Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle is exactly what you’re looking for.
For more than 20 years, the author has studied physique athletes (bodybuilders, female figure competitors and fitness models). That’s the whole premise of this book: If you want to get lean as quickly as possible, wouldn’t it make sense to find the leanest people in the world, find out how they did it and do what they do?
When you read more about this on the web page at www.BurnTheFat.com, the idea of a program based on bodybuilder and fitness model techniques makes perfect sense, although it does intimidate some people at first.
In the introduction of the book however, Venuto points out: “Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle was created BY a bodybuilder, but it’s not just FOR bodybuilders.” In fact, the book easily could have been titled, “What every man and woman can learn from bodybuilders about permanent fat loss.”
The nutrition techniques will work for anyone because they progress in stages from beginner to advanced. Unless you plan on competing in a fitness or bodybuilding competition, you’ll only need to use phase one, aka, the “baseline” diet. If you want to get “ripped”, with the six pack abs look – you can use phase two and phase three of the program, where you will find the more advanced techniques that many people have used to prepare for their first bodybuilding or figure competitions.
The main focus of the e-book is nutrition, because nutrition is arguably the most important key to getting lean. You could have the best training program in the world, but if you eat more calories than you burn, you’ll gain fat regardless of your well-designed training plan.
In the chapters on nutrition, you’ll learn how to set up a meal plan you can enjoy by using Tom’s menu “template” system: You just choose the foods you like (pick from the recommended food lists), plug them into the meal plan template, and your menus virtually create themselves. Sample menus are also provided for ideas.
You also learn the truth about six pack abs: Body fat tissue lies on TOP of the abdominal muscles, so you’ll NEVER see your abs unless your body fat gets low enough. You can’t burn fat off your abs with abdominal exercises like crunches or sit ups. You must get the nutrition right to achieve very low body fat levels.
In Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, you learn everything you need to know about calories, protein, carbs and fat to get low levels of body fat. You’ll learn the facts about low carb and high protein diets. You’ll get the inside scoop on fat burning foods – including lists of what to eat and when to eat them.
You also learn how to set up a training program. These are the same workout routines used by top natural bodybuilding and fitness champions. However, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle nutrition works in combination with any training program (so you can use your own workout if you choose).
The 2 components are weight training and cardiovascular training. You’ll need access to basic equipment at home like dumbbells and barbells or you can train in a gym. One caveat: This e-book doesn’t give you photos or detailed instructions on how to perform each exercise. There’s more attention given to nutrition than training in this e-book, and if you use the training programs, it assumes you know how to perform basic weight training exercises.
Customizing your program is a major theme in chapter 5, which explains metabolic individuality and how to figure out your unique body type. The major lesson is: There’s no one-size-fits-all nutrition program. If you have special needs, for example, if you’re lactose intolerant, allergic to gluten or if you’re just a picky eater, you can easily modify the menus to work for you.
In addition to the nutrition and training plan, chapter one contains what is probably the best explanation of goal setting, mental training and the psychology of motivation that you will ever read in any book. If you know what to do but you have a hard time doing it (ie, if old bad habits keep haunting you or if you’re inconsistent with your diet or nutrition), you’ll find the solution in the mental training, not the physical training.
In summary, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is no quick fix. You don’t get six pack abs or a body like a fitness model by training a few minutes a day and eating haphazardly or cheating frequently. This program calls for structure and requires effort. In fact, many Burn The Fat customers have said that the main reason they bought the program was because it openly admits that fat loss is hard work. However, it’s worth it because if you follow the program, there’s no question that you will get very, very lean.
After all these years, Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is a classic in the diet and nutrition e-book genre. There are many imitators and copycats, but if you want the original, this is it. Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is literally the “bible of fat loss.”
You can get more information and download the e-book at the official site here
Judge challenges inmate to lose weight
Miller, who sentenced McCovery, 37, earlier this month for driving with a suspended license, promised the 345-pound hypertensive man that she would shrink his stay at the Lake County Jail by one day for every pound he lost while in custody.
After 20 days in the slammer, where he limited his intake mostly to vegetables on his dinner tray, he weighed in Monday at 320 pounds, and Miller cut him loose early — in time for turkey-day sweet-potato pie at home in West Palm Beach.
"It's not easy to lose weight. I thought he'd lose 5, maybe, 6 pounds — not 25," said Miller, 64, who has often dished out creative sentences during her 17 years as a county judge. "It's like [sentencing] someone in a drug case. I'd much rather have them stop doing drugs than send them to jail. I hope I can help."
Miller, the judge on "Lake Courts," a TV program on a community-access channel that replays criminal proceedings in her courtroom, has ordered defendants to take up jogging, enroll in dance class and tutor math. She often assigns misdemeanor offenders to pull weeds or turn dirt in a community vegetable garden that benefits food pantries.
"I don't do any Jerry Springer stuff where people have to parade outside Walmart with a sign that says, 'I'm a thief,' '' Miller said, referring to punishment that includes public humiliation. "I do what I do to try to change the person in front of me. But I know I can't help everyone. If the person needs jail, they get jail."
Bobby Azcano, an attorney with The Ticket Clinic law firm, said Miller's approach on the bench is unusual in the Central Florida courts where he practices, which also includes Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties.
"Very unique to say the least," said Azcano, a lawyer since 2000. "I think she's a counselor on the bench is how I would describe it. … She's interested in the rehabilitation process. She's not as punitive as other judges are."
A former teacher who has worked as a public defender and once served as the Lake County sheriff's attorney, Miller admitted some peers have cautioned her to act more judicial and less like a social worker. She shrugs off the criticism.
"I'm the Tim Tebow of the courtroom," Miller said, half-joking in her reference to the former University of Florida football star widely criticized by NFL pundits for unconventional but successful quarterbacking skills.
Miller usually gives defendants a choice between her specially tailored sentence or jail and fines.
In October, Gwendolyn Wages, 50, appeared in Miller's court on a probation violation that accused her of failing to complete a community-service requirement for causing a wreck while impaired by pain medicine. The Ocala woman, limited by back and hip ailments, said she was not healthy enough for physical work.
Prosecutors offered to forgive the violation and five days in jail if Wages just paid her fine and costs.
Miller instead directed Wages to complete 60 holiday-greeting cards, enough for every patient at LifeStream Behavioral Center, a mental-health and addiction facility in Leesburg.
Said Miller: "Come Christmastime, we'll pass them out to whoever is in LifeStream and away from their family during the holiday season."
Wages said she made not 60 but 90 cards: "I hope it brightens up somebody else's day."
Not everyone embraces the judge's sentences.
An Orlando woman turned down Miller's proposal Wednesday to fulfill a sentence for driving with a suspended license by decorating small brown bags that will hold holiday goodies for LifeStream patients. She chose instead to pay a $200 fine.
But Natasha Wells, 30, a divorced mother with three kids, leapt at the same deal for the same offense.
"Pay $200 or have an arts-and-craft day with my kids? Are you kidding?" she asked.
McCovery, cited for the criminal traffic offense while visiting his sister in Leesburg, also was surprised by the judge's proposal. He had discussed his desire to lose weight with Miller in court while asking her to delay his jail stay for a week so he could retrieve his prescription medicine for high blood pressure.
She imposed a 29-day sentence and offered to assess his weight-loss commitment after 20 days behind bars. He credited his weight loss and nine-day reprieve to encouragement from detention deputies, bland jail food and Miller.
"She gave me a chance to prove myself, and I didn't want to let her down," he said.
Miller added a personal note to his release order. It read, "Good job, Mr. McCovery!"
[latimes]
Damn: British women are the fattest in Europe
Figures released by the European Commission showed that nearly a quarter (23.9%) of women in the UK were obese in 2008/09, when the data was recorded.
The statistics showed British men are not far behind, with 22.1% being classed as overweight, coming second only to Malta.
They found the share of overweight and obese people increases with age in all of the 19 member states that data was available for. The figures also show the proportion of women who are obese or overweight falls as the educational level rises.
The high levels of obesity in the UK are in stark contrast to those in countries such as Romania, where just 8% of women were classed as obese along with 7.6% of men.
Separate statistics show that around a third (32%) of English children aged 11 to 15 are overweight or obese.
Last month Health Secretary Andrew Lansley launched a new "ambition" to bring down England's obesity levels by 2020 and said people need to be honest with themselves about how much they eat and drink.
Overall, Britons should be eating five billion fewer calories a day than at present, he said.
And earlier this year, the issue's toll on health services became apparent when it emerged that the number of hospital admissions for obesity has risen by more than 30%. There were 10,571 NHS hospital admissions in 2009/10 where the main reason for treatment was that the person was obese. The figure is more than 10 times the number in 1999/00 (979) and more than 30% higher than in 2008/09 (7,988).
A man or woman is defined as obese if their body mass index (BMI) is 30 or above and overweight if is between 25 and 30. The BMI is a measure of a person's weight relative to their height that correlates fairly well with body fat and is calculated by their dividing body weight by body height squared.
Igbo Leader, Ikemba Nnewi, Odumegwu-Ojukwu is dead
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu born on 4 November 1933 at Zungeru in northern Nigeria to Sir Louis Phillippe Odumegwu Ojukwu, a businessman from Nnewi, Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria died in London in the early hours after a long illness at Royal Berkshire Hospital in the UK.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also known as Ikemba Nnewi was said to have died in the UK after months in hospital for the treatment of a serious stroke he had suffered late last year.
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu born on 4 November 1933 at Zungeru in northern Nigeria was imprisoned for assaulting a white British colonial teacher, who was humiliating a black woman, at King’s College in Lagos began his educational career in Lagos.
At 13, his father sent him overseas to study in Britain, first at Epsom College, in Surrey and later earned a Masters degree in history at Lincoln College, Oxford University and returned to colonial Nigeria in 1956.
In 1957 the Ikemba Nnewi joined the Nigerian Army as one of the first and few university graduates. Ojukwu was among the 15 Nigerians officers out of the 250 officers the Nigerian Military Forces had then.
After serving in the UN peacekeeping force in the then Congo under Maj.-Gen. Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, Ojuwkwu was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1964 and was posted to Kano, where he was in charge of the 5 Battalion of the Nigerian Army.
Aguiyi-Ironsi appointed Odumegwu-Ojukwu military governor of the defunct Easter Region on Jan. 17, 1966.
After the first military coup of 1966 and the counter coup that followed, Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared the defunct Eastern Region a sovereign state to be known as Biafra.
In the declaration and during his public address to the people of Biafra, he said: “Having mandated me to proclaim on your behalf, and in your name, that Eastern Nigeria be a sovereign independent republic, now, therefore I, Lt.-Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, by virtue of the authority, and pursuant to the principles recited above, do hereby solemnly proclaim that the territory and region known as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental shelf and territorial waters, shall, henceforth, be an independent sovereign state of the name and title of The Republic of Biafra.’’
On July 6, 1967, the then military Head of State, Col. Yakubu Gowon declared war and attacked Biafra in a bid to stop Ojukwu’s secessionist attempt.
The war lasted 30 months and ended on Jan. 15, 1970.
As the war was wearing out, Ojukwu went on exile and stayed away for 13 years. He was granted state pardon by President Shehu Shagari, a decision which was trailed by the deceased’s triumphant return in 1982.
He is survived to Miss Intercontinental 1989 Bianca Onoh and children.
RIP to the Ex- Biafra Warlord!
story developing...................
Jumat, 11 November 2011
We can be friends: Super Eagles Sacked Coach Samson Siasia welcomes the new Stephen Keshi
 |
| President Nigerian Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari applauding as the immediate past Super Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia presents a commemorative jersey to the new National Coach for the National Football Team, Captain Stephen Keshi. |
Kamis, 27 Oktober 2011
Obama's student loan forgiveness plan... the debate begins
Conservative bloggers took President Barack Obama to school Thursday for his new student loan program, criticizing him for circumventing Congress to push an ill-conceived plan, while liberals online accused the right of driving students into “debt bondage.”
The plan that Obama announced on Wednesday caps student loan payments at 10 percent of discretionary income and forgives debt after 20 years, compared to the previous program, in which the cap stood at 15 percent and debt forgiveness was granted after 25 years.
This led to an aggressive response from the progressive group ThinkProgress’ blog.
“If those on the right were to have their way, Americans would be forced into even further debt bondage, unable to make ends meet and lead productive and prosperous lives under the weight of student loan debt,” writes Zaid Jilani. “Without subsidized federal loans and grants that many on the far-right seek to undermine, students would be pushed into the arms of private lenders, whose rates tend to be far more suffocating.”
Conservatives argued, on the other hand, that the practice of allowing debt forgiveness allows irresponsible students to choose degrees in fields that allow no prospect of paying back the debt.
“One of the failings of our public school systems is the lack of basic economic literacy of so many of our students,” writes RedState’s Kevin Holtsberry. “If you are a bright student who wants to go into engineering or science education or nursing (or some other field with a clear need and a career path) but can’t afford it, I am open to scholarships and incentives. But if you want to get an advanced degree with no plan or idea on what type of career you want and no plan to ever be able to pay back your gargantuan debt, then no, you can’t borrow money.”
Another concern was that Obama was acting on the issue of student loans without consulting Congress.“This time, the Emperor — excuse me, President — has focused on student loans to ease our economic suffering, relaxing repayment regulations,” wrote HotAir’s Ed Morrissey.
“Looking at these awful youth [polling] numbers, it is not at all surprising that the Obama administration has decided to unveil a new initiative to help young people with student loans,” writes Jon Walker at FireDogLake.
“Overall, it’s a small but relatively sensible program to reduce student loan debt. And given that student loan debt is one of the signature laments of the 99% movement, it’s probably decent politics,” added the blog’s David Dayden.
To be sure, much of the 99 percent movement involved concerns about student debt. The 99 percent website, a collection of stories from those with unfortunate circumstances, references student debt frequently.
Meanwhile, at the University of Colorado - Denver, where the president made his announcement Wednesday, at least one columnist praised the changes to the student loans program.
“With the job market as tough as it is today, it is nice to see that someone has students’ best interests in mind. This could be an important step in making it easier for more Americans to get their college degrees, and ease the stress about how to repay their student loans. Thanks for looking out for us, Mr. President,” writes Daniel Alvarez of the university’s newspaper,
[Politico]
The plan that Obama announced on Wednesday caps student loan payments at 10 percent of discretionary income and forgives debt after 20 years, compared to the previous program, in which the cap stood at 15 percent and debt forgiveness was granted after 25 years.
In terms of the policy itself, Lindsey Burke at the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Foundry blog wrote that the costs of forgiving student loans would be unfairly shouldered by those who pay taxes but never had the chance to go to college.
“It is unfair to forgive student loans on the backs of waitresses and construction workers and the nearly three-quarters of Americans who didn’t graduate college. Increases in federal subsidies or student loan bailouts shift the burden of paying for college from the student—the person directly benefiting from college—to the millions of Americans who did not graduate from college,” writes Burke.This led to an aggressive response from the progressive group ThinkProgress’ blog.
“If those on the right were to have their way, Americans would be forced into even further debt bondage, unable to make ends meet and lead productive and prosperous lives under the weight of student loan debt,” writes Zaid Jilani. “Without subsidized federal loans and grants that many on the far-right seek to undermine, students would be pushed into the arms of private lenders, whose rates tend to be far more suffocating.”
Conservatives argued, on the other hand, that the practice of allowing debt forgiveness allows irresponsible students to choose degrees in fields that allow no prospect of paying back the debt.
“One of the failings of our public school systems is the lack of basic economic literacy of so many of our students,” writes RedState’s Kevin Holtsberry. “If you are a bright student who wants to go into engineering or science education or nursing (or some other field with a clear need and a career path) but can’t afford it, I am open to scholarships and incentives. But if you want to get an advanced degree with no plan or idea on what type of career you want and no plan to ever be able to pay back your gargantuan debt, then no, you can’t borrow money.”
Another concern was that Obama was acting on the issue of student loans without consulting Congress.“This time, the Emperor — excuse me, President — has focused on student loans to ease our economic suffering, relaxing repayment regulations,” wrote HotAir’s Ed Morrissey.
“Overall, it’s a small but relatively sensible program to reduce student loan debt. And given that student loan debt is one of the signature laments of the 99% movement, it’s probably decent politics,” added the blog’s David Dayden.
To be sure, much of the 99 percent movement involved concerns about student debt. The 99 percent website, a collection of stories from those with unfortunate circumstances, references student debt frequently.
Meanwhile, at the University of Colorado - Denver, where the president made his announcement Wednesday, at least one columnist praised the changes to the student loans program.
“With the job market as tough as it is today, it is nice to see that someone has students’ best interests in mind. This could be an important step in making it easier for more Americans to get their college degrees, and ease the stress about how to repay their student loans. Thanks for looking out for us, Mr. President,” writes Daniel Alvarez of the university’s newspaper,
[Politico]
why you should never go to Premier Fitness
In the past, if you had a bad experience with a company, you had to basically keep it with yourself. Sure, you could tell your friends and neighbors to avoid it, but unless you felt like organizing a massive boycott, your influence was limited.
But with the spread of social media, it's getting easier and easier to complain when a business screws you over -- a sad lesson gym chain Premier Fitness is learning this morning. A few hours ago, Reddit user Peripheryy shared his experience with Premier on the popular message board site:
Related:
The Premier Fitness down the road from my work has ALL kinds of boxes for people to sign up to win gift cards to different stores around the mall, the movies, etc. I signed up for one for a $50 gift card to Pac Sun, and received a call saying I'd won, and to meet them the next day to pick it up.
When I got there, he began showing me around, and told me I'd won a free month at the gym. I signed a small form for my membership, and asked about the gift card. Of course, he tells me that it's a different drawing for the gift card that I had to sign up for. I said no and left.
About 2 weeks later, I receive a bill for $1300. I immediately call the company, and they say I signed up for a non-cancelable 3 year contract with the gym. I told them, no. I didn't. So the man I was speaking to began screaming at me, calling me a dickf**k (among other things), and hung up on me.
The next night, I went there to get a copy of the contract. Long story short, I politely asked for the contract and the manager (huge, bodybuilder type) got in my face, threatened me, and told me to get out or he was calling the cops. I immediately left, called the cops, and they accompanied me there while I got a copy of the contract. Here's where it gets interesting.
The man that signed me up had signed me up for 3 years on the contract, AFTER I LEFT THE GYM. I was furious. I called the local news, reported them to the attorney general, and reported them to the Better Business Bureau.
Thankfully, after a few weeks, I got a response from the attorney general saying he'd taken care of it, and had a fax from Premier's office manager saying she'd cancel the contract.
Before the story could be dismissed this as the work of one disgruntled troll, other users began commenting, sharing their tales of similarly unpleasant experiences with Premier, and linking to news coverage calling Premier one of the worst gyms out there.
We don't consider ourselves consumer reporters. But if you're looking to get thin, you might want to avoid Premiere -- there, the only thing that shrinks will be your wallet.
[MetroUS]
But with the spread of social media, it's getting easier and easier to complain when a business screws you over -- a sad lesson gym chain Premier Fitness is learning this morning. A few hours ago, Reddit user Peripheryy shared his experience with Premier on the popular message board site:
Related:
 |
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The Premier Fitness down the road from my work has ALL kinds of boxes for people to sign up to win gift cards to different stores around the mall, the movies, etc. I signed up for one for a $50 gift card to Pac Sun, and received a call saying I'd won, and to meet them the next day to pick it up.
When I got there, he began showing me around, and told me I'd won a free month at the gym. I signed a small form for my membership, and asked about the gift card. Of course, he tells me that it's a different drawing for the gift card that I had to sign up for. I said no and left.
About 2 weeks later, I receive a bill for $1300. I immediately call the company, and they say I signed up for a non-cancelable 3 year contract with the gym. I told them, no. I didn't. So the man I was speaking to began screaming at me, calling me a dickf**k (among other things), and hung up on me.
The next night, I went there to get a copy of the contract. Long story short, I politely asked for the contract and the manager (huge, bodybuilder type) got in my face, threatened me, and told me to get out or he was calling the cops. I immediately left, called the cops, and they accompanied me there while I got a copy of the contract. Here's where it gets interesting.
The man that signed me up had signed me up for 3 years on the contract, AFTER I LEFT THE GYM. I was furious. I called the local news, reported them to the attorney general, and reported them to the Better Business Bureau.
Thankfully, after a few weeks, I got a response from the attorney general saying he'd taken care of it, and had a fax from Premier's office manager saying she'd cancel the contract.
Before the story could be dismissed this as the work of one disgruntled troll, other users began commenting, sharing their tales of similarly unpleasant experiences with Premier, and linking to news coverage calling Premier one of the worst gyms out there.
We don't consider ourselves consumer reporters. But if you're looking to get thin, you might want to avoid Premiere -- there, the only thing that shrinks will be your wallet.
[MetroUS]
Jumat, 21 Oktober 2011
Nails by Nicki: Nicki Minaj Launches Nail Polish Collection
Best Abs Workout for Belly Fat Loss?
Many people are always asking the question "What is the best ab workout for losing stomach fat?" or generally wants to know how to get a flat stomach. Of course, everyone wants to burn that disgusting stomach fat and feel sexy for themselves so it is quite expected for misconceptions on getting a flatter stomach to arise. Almost everyone has varying degrees of excess body fat in the abdominal region, and the best way to burn off that extra stomach fat continues to cause some anxiety in individuals.
Manchester United v Manchester City Derby Match Analysis
The city of Manchester will be the point of attraction on the 23rd of October 2011 as English Premiership League Leaders Manchester United and Manchester City trade horns in one the season's most anticipated derby. Our friends at Soccer Anchor are providing a before match preview of what to expect: also join in the prediction game below:
Match Details
Manchester United v Manchester City
Date: Sunday, October 23 2011
Kick-off time: 13:30pm BST
Venue: Old Trafford
You can watch Manchester United Vs Manchester City derby live on you computer here.
Match Overview
The highly anticipated Manchester derby will see Manchester City arrive at Old Trafford as league leaders, but Manchester United can reclaim top spot with victory over their bitter rivals.
The most recent match between these two sides saw United come from two goals down to win the Community Shield 3-2, but this will be a match with an entirely different complexion to the season curtain raiser.
United haven’t lost to City in the league since the Sky Blues did the double on them in the 2007/08 Premier League season, with the Red Devils emerging victorious in five of the last six league fixtures.
Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Nani all started on the bench last weekend for United’s clash with Liverpool, but it is expected that Sir Alex Ferguson will restore the trio to his starting eleven. Roberto Mancini is expected to give Sergio Aguero a start, after the Argentine striker missed City’s 4-1 thumping of Aston Villa with injury last weekend.
Key Factors in the Match
Experience of United
While City have stolen all the headlines in the past few seasons with their extraordinary actions in the transfer marker, there is no doubt United are still the ‘big boys’ when it comes to the on field action.
Arguably City have a stronger squad now than United on paper, but one thing that Sir Alex Ferguson has been phenomenal at is transferring that winning culture into every player who arrives at Old Trafford. This attitude is demonstrated by the fact that United are currently on a club record 19 consecutive wins at Old Tafford in the league.
United may not have played fantastic football in all 19 matches, indeed their 19thwin against Norwich could have easily been a defeat two weeks ago, but it is the ability of Sir Alex’s side to win no matter the circumstance that is so impressive.
City’s Creative Playmakers
If City do surge to a five point lead on the Premier League table, it will no doubt be in part because of their creative playmakers. David Silva is in career best form, with his dribbling and passing abilities embarrassing defences consistently this season. The Spaniard has five assists along with two goals to his name so far this season, and the only player in the Premier League with more assists is teammate Samir Nasri who has six.
Nasri and Silva have been at the heart of everything creatively about City so far this term, and it showed recently when they were both poor against Villarreal in the Champions League. City looked devoid of spark and intuition in their midweek fixture with the creative duo off their game, and Sir Alex will certainly be concocting a plan to keep them quiet again.
Defensive Concerns
Both teams are suffering defensive concerns, although statistically both United and City, along with Newcastle, have the best defences in the league, the trio only conceding six goals apiece.
But injuries at Old Trafford mean there has been constant upheaval in the United back four, Rio Ferdinand played last weekend but then missed the Champions League midweek fixture. Captain Nemanja Vidic made his return for United in the midweek, having not played since coming off with injury in the opening match of the season against West Brom. Whether Ferguson finally goes with his first choice central defensive partnership is uncertain, though Ferdinand is likely to start given he was rested from the midweek fixure.
City meanwhile have enjoyed a far more settled back four, however question marks still remain over the quality of the unit. Micah Richards looks to be back on track to becoming an England star, and captain Vincent Kompany has been superb. Joleon Lescott though is still unconvincing, just last weekend he was too easily bustled off the ball by Gabriel Agbonlahor and lucky not to pay the price. On the far left Mancini still appears undecided between Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov, both offer plenty in attack, but critically they are still susceptible in their primary defensive duties.
Anomaly
For all the tactics, planning and preparation that goes in ahead of this match, Wayne Rooney’s stunning bicycle kick to win this fixture last season cannot be planned for. Just last round Mario Balotelli pulled a similar stunt with a bicycle kick from close range, creating a goal from a chance that seemingly did not exist.
Several players on both sides have an elite quality on the pitch, so that no matter what Sir Alex or Mancini do, they simply cannot control what happens. Sergio Aguero has demonstrated he has that quality with his eight strikes in the Premier League thus far, only Rooney has more with nine. David Silva must now be recognised as one of the best midfielders in the world, and he is ably supported by Yaya Toure and Nasri.
For United of course there is Rooney, but Ashley Young and Nani are also both close to unplayable on their day, despite the continuous question marks over their consistency. Javier Hernandez is quickly developing into hero status at Old Trafford, with his goal against Liverpool continuing to push him along that route.
Match Prediction
Sir Alex Ferguson surprised much of the football world with his team selection at Anfield last round, but he won’t do so again for the Manchester derby. The more interesting choice in selection rests with his counterpart Mancini, does he opt for two strikers or play a holding midfielder?
Given the relatively poor form of Edin Dzeko in the last few fixtures, Mancini may well go with Nigel de Jong in midfield alongside Gareth Barry. This will leave Sergio Aguero upfront alone in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but with David Silva, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri supporting Aguero, there is still plenty of attacking flair in the side.
The emphasis on both sides will be not to lose, City are ahead of United on the table and won’t want to give that up, while United will not want to drop five points behind City, so you suspect both sides would take a draw if offered it. That said, this is the Manchester derby, tackles will fly in, heads will lose their cool, and the spectacular might just happen again.
Catch all match day action live on your computer
Soccer Anchor Match Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City
Chigotoday Match Prediction: Manchester United 1- 0 Manchester City
Match Details
Manchester United v Manchester City
Date: Sunday, October 23 2011
Kick-off time: 13:30pm BST
Venue: Old Trafford
You can watch Manchester United Vs Manchester City derby live on you computer here.
Match Overview
The highly anticipated Manchester derby will see Manchester City arrive at Old Trafford as league leaders, but Manchester United can reclaim top spot with victory over their bitter rivals.
The most recent match between these two sides saw United come from two goals down to win the Community Shield 3-2, but this will be a match with an entirely different complexion to the season curtain raiser.
United haven’t lost to City in the league since the Sky Blues did the double on them in the 2007/08 Premier League season, with the Red Devils emerging victorious in five of the last six league fixtures.
Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Nani all started on the bench last weekend for United’s clash with Liverpool, but it is expected that Sir Alex Ferguson will restore the trio to his starting eleven. Roberto Mancini is expected to give Sergio Aguero a start, after the Argentine striker missed City’s 4-1 thumping of Aston Villa with injury last weekend.
Key Factors in the Match
Experience of United
While City have stolen all the headlines in the past few seasons with their extraordinary actions in the transfer marker, there is no doubt United are still the ‘big boys’ when it comes to the on field action.
Arguably City have a stronger squad now than United on paper, but one thing that Sir Alex Ferguson has been phenomenal at is transferring that winning culture into every player who arrives at Old Trafford. This attitude is demonstrated by the fact that United are currently on a club record 19 consecutive wins at Old Tafford in the league.
United may not have played fantastic football in all 19 matches, indeed their 19thwin against Norwich could have easily been a defeat two weeks ago, but it is the ability of Sir Alex’s side to win no matter the circumstance that is so impressive.
City’s Creative Playmakers
If City do surge to a five point lead on the Premier League table, it will no doubt be in part because of their creative playmakers. David Silva is in career best form, with his dribbling and passing abilities embarrassing defences consistently this season. The Spaniard has five assists along with two goals to his name so far this season, and the only player in the Premier League with more assists is teammate Samir Nasri who has six.
Nasri and Silva have been at the heart of everything creatively about City so far this term, and it showed recently when they were both poor against Villarreal in the Champions League. City looked devoid of spark and intuition in their midweek fixture with the creative duo off their game, and Sir Alex will certainly be concocting a plan to keep them quiet again.
Defensive Concerns
Both teams are suffering defensive concerns, although statistically both United and City, along with Newcastle, have the best defences in the league, the trio only conceding six goals apiece.
But injuries at Old Trafford mean there has been constant upheaval in the United back four, Rio Ferdinand played last weekend but then missed the Champions League midweek fixture. Captain Nemanja Vidic made his return for United in the midweek, having not played since coming off with injury in the opening match of the season against West Brom. Whether Ferguson finally goes with his first choice central defensive partnership is uncertain, though Ferdinand is likely to start given he was rested from the midweek fixure.
City meanwhile have enjoyed a far more settled back four, however question marks still remain over the quality of the unit. Micah Richards looks to be back on track to becoming an England star, and captain Vincent Kompany has been superb. Joleon Lescott though is still unconvincing, just last weekend he was too easily bustled off the ball by Gabriel Agbonlahor and lucky not to pay the price. On the far left Mancini still appears undecided between Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov, both offer plenty in attack, but critically they are still susceptible in their primary defensive duties.
Anomaly
For all the tactics, planning and preparation that goes in ahead of this match, Wayne Rooney’s stunning bicycle kick to win this fixture last season cannot be planned for. Just last round Mario Balotelli pulled a similar stunt with a bicycle kick from close range, creating a goal from a chance that seemingly did not exist.
Several players on both sides have an elite quality on the pitch, so that no matter what Sir Alex or Mancini do, they simply cannot control what happens. Sergio Aguero has demonstrated he has that quality with his eight strikes in the Premier League thus far, only Rooney has more with nine. David Silva must now be recognised as one of the best midfielders in the world, and he is ably supported by Yaya Toure and Nasri.
For United of course there is Rooney, but Ashley Young and Nani are also both close to unplayable on their day, despite the continuous question marks over their consistency. Javier Hernandez is quickly developing into hero status at Old Trafford, with his goal against Liverpool continuing to push him along that route.
Match Prediction
Sir Alex Ferguson surprised much of the football world with his team selection at Anfield last round, but he won’t do so again for the Manchester derby. The more interesting choice in selection rests with his counterpart Mancini, does he opt for two strikers or play a holding midfielder?
Given the relatively poor form of Edin Dzeko in the last few fixtures, Mancini may well go with Nigel de Jong in midfield alongside Gareth Barry. This will leave Sergio Aguero upfront alone in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but with David Silva, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri supporting Aguero, there is still plenty of attacking flair in the side.
The emphasis on both sides will be not to lose, City are ahead of United on the table and won’t want to give that up, while United will not want to drop five points behind City, so you suspect both sides would take a draw if offered it. That said, this is the Manchester derby, tackles will fly in, heads will lose their cool, and the spectacular might just happen again.
Catch all match day action live on your computer
Soccer Anchor Match Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City
Chigotoday Match Prediction: Manchester United 1- 0 Manchester City
UCLA Football Midseason Grade Comparison
Here is a wonderful roundup of the UCLA Football I came across and thought y"all will want to see, it's from the people over at Bruinsnation :
During the past summer, we layed out "The Eye Test", a set of 6 objectives that we hoped to see the Bruin football team to meet on a game in and game out basis. After every game of this season, we have graded the team on an A-F basis on how they have met each of the 6 objectives, leading to a GPA for the game, and for the season to date.
While I will break down the Eye Test grading in a moment, I'll start by listing the overall GPA for each game. Houston: 2.05; San Jose State: 0.67; Texas: 0.22; Oregon State: 2.12: Stanford: 1.97; Washington State: 1.95. The overall Bruins Nation Eye Test GPA: 1.50. In comparison, the beat writer GPA's are: Gold/Daily News: 1.89. Yoon/ESPN LA: 1.90.
While Bruins Nation may look like a hard grader, giving the team low, but not failing grades, the reporters following the team have not been much more impressed than the frontpagers with how the Bruins have started out the season. With half a year down, a student with any of these grades would find themselves on Academic Probation - with time and opportunity to turn things around, but with the prospect of significant changes if the status quo continues.
To start things off, here is a breakdown of the Eye Test GPA, by category.
1) Is our defense prepared for each and every team we play? GPA: High: 1.7 - Oregon State, Washington State. Low: 0.0 - San Jose State, Texas
After the opening game at Houston, Tony Dye noted that the defense had not been prepared for Houston's offensive game plan, which basically called for Case Keenum to throw a bunch of short passes to take advantage of the 5-7 yards that UCLA DB's routinely give to opposing WR's. Against San Jose State, a team that runs a similar offense to our own, the UCLA defense was dominated through the first 3 quarters, seemingly unready for an offense that it sees in practice every week. Further down the line, the lack of fundamentals shown by the defense has been all too glaring. Not to mention the question of whether we really have our best personnel on the field for the majority of the game. Really, you can say that the Bruin defense is prepared to bend but not break, but is that really the way to succeed?
2) Do we call offensive plays to catch our opponents off guard? GPA: High: 3.3 - Houston. Low: 0.0 - Texas
The season started out with a well-balanced attack against what looks to be a solid team. After catching 3 passes in 2010, Joseph Fauria caught 6 against Houston in emerging as another weapon for Mike Johnson's offense to take advantage of. Of course, his appearances have been few and far between since then, though making his rare catches count. The lack of Fauria for long stretches of the season is just one symptom of the conservatism that has infected Coach Neuheisel's mindset.
3) Do our players look like they know what they should be doing at all times? GPA: High: 2.3 - Stanford. Low: 0.0 - Texas
There is some linkage with the first criteria for the team, though this one goes beyond game planning and basic preparation. A couple of all-too common faults that we have noted in this criteria have been penalties and a lack of communication, particularly coming from the sideline.
4) Do our players play for 60 G-D minutes every game? GPA: High: 2.7 - Oregon State, Stanford. Low: 0.0 - San Jose State, Texas
Something that we can take away from the first 6 games is that the team has never quit. Whether or not they look to have played at their maximum for the whole 60 minutes, they have not laid down. After watching Bruin teams of the recent past allow opponents to gather steam and roll over them in the later minutes of blowout losses, the 2011 edition has fought to the end, even in games against Stanford and Texas where the game was decided long before the final whistle. With that said, there has been a bit of sleepwalking in the last few weeks, particularly in that San Jose State game, where it seemed like a local high school team - not Poly or Mater Dei - put on some blue and gold uniforms and took the Rose Bowl field.
5) Do our players execute? GPA: High: 2.3 - Stanford, Washington State. Low: 1.3 - San Jose State, Texas
Execution has been a weak point for the Bruins this season, though sadly this season's deficiency is not a unique occurrence. The Defense and Special Teams have been battling it out for
6) Do we have leaders on the field? GPA: High: 2.3 - Houston. Low: 0.0 - Texas
This has been a mixed bag - at time we have seen guys like Richard Brehaut and Johnathan Franklin step up and rally the troops, while Joseph Fauria has not shied away from making his feelings known, but not so much from the defensive side of the ball. At times like the Texas game, there has been little spark from the supposed leaders - from players as well as from the coaching staff. And while I realize that this is an epidemic infecting college football, and really too much of college and pro sports, but seeing players celebrating routine plays as if they just won the Super Bowl just looks tacky. Particularly when it is happening against teams that UCLA should be beating down - but is not - it just does not seem right.
While Gold and Yoon came to a similar conclusion in their view of the Bruins performance to date, they did differ in a few points, in terms of the basic grade as well as their analysis. Here is how they graded the various units and the coaching, with their reasoning mixed with a few of my thoughts on how the eye test fits into some of the units.
Quarterbacks: Gold - 2.3, Yoon - 2.0.
The passing game is certainly improved from last year, though the early uncertainty at the position hindered the progression of both Brehaut and Kevin Prince. While Prince has experience leading the team through tight spots, I still need to see him really lead this year's team before figuring out just how the position is going to shake out - the view from my seat at the Texas game of Prince's reaction to getting benched, and the team's (very positive) reaction to Brehaut taking over still sticks.
Running Backs: Gold - 3.0, Yoon - 3.0.
Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman are very good runners that have been significant parts of the offense. For anyone that has been on this site on game days and in the days following, the idea that the runners have been a bit too central to the Bruin offense is not a new one. Both of these guys - as well as Jordon James and Malcolm Jones - are talented enough to get the ball often, but the share of run calls - and the exclusive use of the Pistol formation - points to the conservatism at the top of the UCLA football program.
Wide Receivers: Gold - 2.3, Yoon - 2.0.
Problems with effort and consistency were key parts of both report cards, as well as a focus of our analysis in the Eye Test. Nelson Rosario has accrued plenty of yards, and when he is on, has made several outstanding catches - his one-handed pin against Houston is ESPN's #1 play in College Football this season to date. When he has been made part of the game plan, Fauria has proven to be a key weapon in the passing attach. But Rosario's focus and Fauria's presence have not a constant in the Bruin offense.
Offensive Line: Gold - 2.7. Yoon - 3.0.
The story is of a unit whose talent does not match those of the skill players around them, but finding a way to play up to and above their level of talent. The Bruins are running the ball well behind these guys, and pass protection has improved since last fall. With that said, injuries have taken their toll on the group, while Gold writes that a remaining deficiency in protecting the quarterback might be one factor in the offensive conservatism. Whatever their flaws, these guys look to have done the most with the least on this team, something that has been true for the past couple of years.
Defensive Line: Gold - 0.7, Yoon - 1.0
After talking about the O-line doing the most with the least, we come to their opposite number, on the field as well as in the rankings. After a series of preseason reports advertising the strength of the defense, and of the D-line in particular, the unit has been a massive dissapointment. As Yoon wrote in his report card entry, the Bruin D ranks in the bottom-10 nationally in Sacks and Tackles-for-Loss, while allowing more than 180 rushing yards/game, and being physically dominated by smaller and less talented opposing O-lines. With that said, the line took a step forward against Washington State. Hopefully, they build upon that performance tonight and into the second half of the season.
Linebackers: Gold - 1.3, Yoon - 2.0.
Another unit where the overall talent at the position has not come through in its production. Again, Lapses - particularly in pass coverage - have hindered the linebackers. The overall lack of fundamental play, whether it be in tackling or the aforementioned lapses have hurt, and is not unique to the 'Backers. While there has been some discussion on how useful Sean Westgate is to this defense, seeing guys like Eric Kendricks and Jordan Zumwalt out of the starting lineup, and less development than hoped from Patrick Larimore since last fall raises questions.
Defensive Backs: Gold - 2.7, Yoon - 2.0
This comes down to strong play - particularly from Aaron Hester and Sheldon Price - balanced against a conservative bend-but don't-break scheme that exposes the DB's to giving up short-yardage plays all game long, helping quarterbacks opposing the Bruins rank in the top quartile in passing efficiency nationally. Our corners are certainly not a weakness of this team, and it would be nice to see them able to become more aggressive in their play later in this season. Injuries are taking a toll on the depth of the unit, as well as taking Tony Dye out of the defensive backfield, possible for the remainder of the season.
Special Teams: Gold - 1.0, Yoon - 1.0
Aside from the Defensive line, the lowest rated part of the team in the first half of the season. The placekicking woes may be the most obvious problem - with a temporary solution coming via UCLA Soccer - but the coverage and return teams have been woeful, as well as the decision to go ultra conservative in the choice of a punt returner. As Peter Yoon wrote:
Particularly when applied to the defense, I could easily say that the beat writers were being generous to the coaches, where a passive conservatism, along with a shortage on in-game adjustments to the opponent's game plan has combined with the lack of fundamentals taught during training camp to find a defense playing far below its talent, and too often playing down to the opposition (or below it). On the plus side, the passing game has been more effective than it was last season, and Coach Palic seems to be holding the O-line together as well as one can.
Head over to Bruinsnation for the complete rating...
During the past summer, we layed out "The Eye Test", a set of 6 objectives that we hoped to see the Bruin football team to meet on a game in and game out basis. After every game of this season, we have graded the team on an A-F basis on how they have met each of the 6 objectives, leading to a GPA for the game, and for the season to date.
1) Is our defense prepared for each and every team we play?The point of this is not to show whether UCLA is having a Championship season, but to ask - as KnudsenRockne did when presenting this idea - whether the Bruins are playing like Champions, regardless of what the win-loss record happens to show. Meanwhile, as freesia noted in yesterday's Spaulding Roundup, some of the various UCLA beat writers have published midseason report cards for the Bruin Football team, using more traditional divisions of grading, dividing the team into its various offensive and defensive units, as well as special teams and coaching. With tonight being the start of the second half of the Bruins season, this looks like a good time to take a look at our Eye Test GPA, and how it compares to the Grades and GPA assigned by Jon Gold for the Daily News and Peter Yoon for ESPN LA.
2) Do we call offensive plays to catch our opponents off guard?
3) Do our players look like they know what they should be doing at all times?
4) Do our players play for 60 G-D minutes every game?
5) Do our players execute?
6) Do we have leaders on the field?
While I will break down the Eye Test grading in a moment, I'll start by listing the overall GPA for each game. Houston: 2.05; San Jose State: 0.67; Texas: 0.22; Oregon State: 2.12: Stanford: 1.97; Washington State: 1.95. The overall Bruins Nation Eye Test GPA: 1.50. In comparison, the beat writer GPA's are: Gold/Daily News: 1.89. Yoon/ESPN LA: 1.90.
While Bruins Nation may look like a hard grader, giving the team low, but not failing grades, the reporters following the team have not been much more impressed than the frontpagers with how the Bruins have started out the season. With half a year down, a student with any of these grades would find themselves on Academic Probation - with time and opportunity to turn things around, but with the prospect of significant changes if the status quo continues.
To start things off, here is a breakdown of the Eye Test GPA, by category.
1) Is our defense prepared for each and every team we play? GPA: High: 1.7 - Oregon State, Washington State. Low: 0.0 - San Jose State, Texas
After the opening game at Houston, Tony Dye noted that the defense had not been prepared for Houston's offensive game plan, which basically called for Case Keenum to throw a bunch of short passes to take advantage of the 5-7 yards that UCLA DB's routinely give to opposing WR's. Against San Jose State, a team that runs a similar offense to our own, the UCLA defense was dominated through the first 3 quarters, seemingly unready for an offense that it sees in practice every week. Further down the line, the lack of fundamentals shown by the defense has been all too glaring. Not to mention the question of whether we really have our best personnel on the field for the majority of the game. Really, you can say that the Bruin defense is prepared to bend but not break, but is that really the way to succeed?
2) Do we call offensive plays to catch our opponents off guard? GPA: High: 3.3 - Houston. Low: 0.0 - Texas
The season started out with a well-balanced attack against what looks to be a solid team. After catching 3 passes in 2010, Joseph Fauria caught 6 against Houston in emerging as another weapon for Mike Johnson's offense to take advantage of. Of course, his appearances have been few and far between since then, though making his rare catches count. The lack of Fauria for long stretches of the season is just one symptom of the conservatism that has infected Coach Neuheisel's mindset.
3) Do our players look like they know what they should be doing at all times? GPA: High: 2.3 - Stanford. Low: 0.0 - Texas
There is some linkage with the first criteria for the team, though this one goes beyond game planning and basic preparation. A couple of all-too common faults that we have noted in this criteria have been penalties and a lack of communication, particularly coming from the sideline.
4) Do our players play for 60 G-D minutes every game? GPA: High: 2.7 - Oregon State, Stanford. Low: 0.0 - San Jose State, Texas
Something that we can take away from the first 6 games is that the team has never quit. Whether or not they look to have played at their maximum for the whole 60 minutes, they have not laid down. After watching Bruin teams of the recent past allow opponents to gather steam and roll over them in the later minutes of blowout losses, the 2011 edition has fought to the end, even in games against Stanford and Texas where the game was decided long before the final whistle. With that said, there has been a bit of sleepwalking in the last few weeks, particularly in that San Jose State game, where it seemed like a local high school team - not Poly or Mater Dei - put on some blue and gold uniforms and took the Rose Bowl field.
5) Do our players execute? GPA: High: 2.3 - Stanford, Washington State. Low: 1.3 - San Jose State, Texas
Execution has been a weak point for the Bruins this season, though sadly this season's deficiency is not a unique occurrence. The Defense and Special Teams have been battling it out for
6) Do we have leaders on the field? GPA: High: 2.3 - Houston. Low: 0.0 - Texas
This has been a mixed bag - at time we have seen guys like Richard Brehaut and Johnathan Franklin step up and rally the troops, while Joseph Fauria has not shied away from making his feelings known, but not so much from the defensive side of the ball. At times like the Texas game, there has been little spark from the supposed leaders - from players as well as from the coaching staff. And while I realize that this is an epidemic infecting college football, and really too much of college and pro sports, but seeing players celebrating routine plays as if they just won the Super Bowl just looks tacky. Particularly when it is happening against teams that UCLA should be beating down - but is not - it just does not seem right.
While Gold and Yoon came to a similar conclusion in their view of the Bruins performance to date, they did differ in a few points, in terms of the basic grade as well as their analysis. Here is how they graded the various units and the coaching, with their reasoning mixed with a few of my thoughts on how the eye test fits into some of the units.
Quarterbacks: Gold - 2.3, Yoon - 2.0.
The passing game is certainly improved from last year, though the early uncertainty at the position hindered the progression of both Brehaut and Kevin Prince. While Prince has experience leading the team through tight spots, I still need to see him really lead this year's team before figuring out just how the position is going to shake out - the view from my seat at the Texas game of Prince's reaction to getting benched, and the team's (very positive) reaction to Brehaut taking over still sticks.
Running Backs: Gold - 3.0, Yoon - 3.0.
Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman are very good runners that have been significant parts of the offense. For anyone that has been on this site on game days and in the days following, the idea that the runners have been a bit too central to the Bruin offense is not a new one. Both of these guys - as well as Jordon James and Malcolm Jones - are talented enough to get the ball often, but the share of run calls - and the exclusive use of the Pistol formation - points to the conservatism at the top of the UCLA football program.
Wide Receivers: Gold - 2.3, Yoon - 2.0.
Problems with effort and consistency were key parts of both report cards, as well as a focus of our analysis in the Eye Test. Nelson Rosario has accrued plenty of yards, and when he is on, has made several outstanding catches - his one-handed pin against Houston is ESPN's #1 play in College Football this season to date. When he has been made part of the game plan, Fauria has proven to be a key weapon in the passing attach. But Rosario's focus and Fauria's presence have not a constant in the Bruin offense.
Offensive Line: Gold - 2.7. Yoon - 3.0.
The story is of a unit whose talent does not match those of the skill players around them, but finding a way to play up to and above their level of talent. The Bruins are running the ball well behind these guys, and pass protection has improved since last fall. With that said, injuries have taken their toll on the group, while Gold writes that a remaining deficiency in protecting the quarterback might be one factor in the offensive conservatism. Whatever their flaws, these guys look to have done the most with the least on this team, something that has been true for the past couple of years.
Defensive Line: Gold - 0.7, Yoon - 1.0
After talking about the O-line doing the most with the least, we come to their opposite number, on the field as well as in the rankings. After a series of preseason reports advertising the strength of the defense, and of the D-line in particular, the unit has been a massive dissapointment. As Yoon wrote in his report card entry, the Bruin D ranks in the bottom-10 nationally in Sacks and Tackles-for-Loss, while allowing more than 180 rushing yards/game, and being physically dominated by smaller and less talented opposing O-lines. With that said, the line took a step forward against Washington State. Hopefully, they build upon that performance tonight and into the second half of the season.
Linebackers: Gold - 1.3, Yoon - 2.0.
Another unit where the overall talent at the position has not come through in its production. Again, Lapses - particularly in pass coverage - have hindered the linebackers. The overall lack of fundamental play, whether it be in tackling or the aforementioned lapses have hurt, and is not unique to the 'Backers. While there has been some discussion on how useful Sean Westgate is to this defense, seeing guys like Eric Kendricks and Jordan Zumwalt out of the starting lineup, and less development than hoped from Patrick Larimore since last fall raises questions.
Defensive Backs: Gold - 2.7, Yoon - 2.0
This comes down to strong play - particularly from Aaron Hester and Sheldon Price - balanced against a conservative bend-but don't-break scheme that exposes the DB's to giving up short-yardage plays all game long, helping quarterbacks opposing the Bruins rank in the top quartile in passing efficiency nationally. Our corners are certainly not a weakness of this team, and it would be nice to see them able to become more aggressive in their play later in this season. Injuries are taking a toll on the depth of the unit, as well as taking Tony Dye out of the defensive backfield, possible for the remainder of the season.
Special Teams: Gold - 1.0, Yoon - 1.0
Aside from the Defensive line, the lowest rated part of the team in the first half of the season. The placekicking woes may be the most obvious problem - with a temporary solution coming via UCLA Soccer - but the coverage and return teams have been woeful, as well as the decision to go ultra conservative in the choice of a punt returner. As Peter Yoon wrote:
The Bruins rank 102nd or lower in punt returns, kickoff returns, punt return defense and kickoff return defense. Some of UCLA's most memorable gaffes this season -- Oregon State's punt return for a touchdown and Taylor Embree's fumble against Stanford -- have come on special teams.Coaching: Gold - 1.0, Yoon - 1.5 (Offense - 2.0, Defense - 1.0).
Particularly when applied to the defense, I could easily say that the beat writers were being generous to the coaches, where a passive conservatism, along with a shortage on in-game adjustments to the opponent's game plan has combined with the lack of fundamentals taught during training camp to find a defense playing far below its talent, and too often playing down to the opposition (or below it). On the plus side, the passing game has been more effective than it was last season, and Coach Palic seems to be holding the O-line together as well as one can.
Head over to Bruinsnation for the complete rating...
Kim Kardashian's wedding in the rocks: Agent Drops Kris Humphries
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| Kris Moving out |
Uh oh. Have Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries fallen victim to "the curse of 'Hello!' magazine" already? It seemed like a marriage made in reality TV heaven, but reports this week suggest that if you haven't already picked out a gift from Kim's spectacular wedding list, then don't bother.
Before the ink's even had time to dry on the thank-you notes comes news that the newlyweds' relationship may have hit the rocks. There have been numerous "Splitsville!" reports in various publications, with allegations ranging from serial flirting to visits to a divorce lawyer through missing wedding rings, ex-girlfriends reappearing and -- gasp -- no reality TV future for Kris.
Now comes a report that Kim's agent has dropped Kris as a client. And, that the Kardashian reality TV behemoth allegedly has no plans to feature the couple together on a reality show. Not even a road-to-divorce one. And we had so many plans for them ...
According to 'The MailOnline', not only has Kim's agent at William Morris dumped Kris, but it could be game over for the fledgling marriage. The website quotes a source close to the pair as saying "I don't know when they'll announce the split or why they got married in the first place but they are done."
The source then spelled it out: "They are divorcing. They haven't been together for a month and while Kim has been staying in New York she has been staying in a hotel room which Kris has failed to visit."
And there we were thinking that Kim's only wedding regret was that she wished she'd stood on a box to kiss her new husband ...
'Life & Style' says the couple -- who, let's face it, seem to barely even know each other -- are living separate lives. A producer on 'Kourtney & Kim Take New York' told the magazine that "Kim's mapping out 2012, including holidays, and Kris isn't a part of it. Any itineraries for the future don't include Kris very much. That's not a good sign."
But it is a good sign for fans of the show, who presumably can now be rest assured that they'll be following the sisters' antics through next year. Sans Kris getting in the way or making Kim look short.
'Page Six' examined reports that Kim was seen in a New York City office building recently, on the same floor where a hot-shot New York divorce lawyer has his office, and discovered that the lawyer denies meeting with her. Robert M. Wallack said "I didn't meet with her and I am not representing her. I wish Kim and Kris a long, healthy and happy marriage."
Although Kris told Jay Leno about how he was initially hesitant about dating Kim, her sister Khloe expressed skepticism about his change of heart. Voicing her concerns about the marriage -- on 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians,' natch -- Khloe said he was only in on the deal so he could raise his media profile.
However, despite the rumors Kim is still flashing that ginormous rock on her left hand, so perhaps the relationship can still be salvaged. Stay tuned for updates.
[AOLTV]
World Series Game 2: Rangers Coasting All The Way
Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus delivered back-to-back singles in the ninth inning Thursday night before Hamilton and Michael Young brought them in with a pair of sacrifice flies, allowing Texas to tie the World Series with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2.
Baffled most of the night by Jaime Garcia and the Cardinals' stingy bullpen, the Rangers were three outs from heading back to Texas in another two-game hole. Instead, they mustered just enough offense on a night when runs were at a premium, and they suddenly seem to have the upper hand.
The Rangers were 52-29 at home this season; they went 44-37 on the road.
"It was calm in our dugout the whole night," manager Ron Washington said. "You've got to keep fighting. We needed to get one here. And I think tonight was one of those great ballgames that you'll continue to see between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals."
Texas powered its way into the World Series by launching balls out of the park.
Nelson Cruz was the MVP of the AL championship series mostly because he had six homers and 13 RBIs against the Detroit Tigers – both major league records for a postseason series. Kinsler and Adrian Beltre each bopped 32 homers during the season, Hamilton wasn't far behind with 25, and Mike Napoli's homer drove in Texas' only runs in a 3-2 loss to St. Louis in Game 1.
But with the big bats fizzling, the Rangers used daring baserunning to finally get some runs.
Kinsler singled off previously untouchable closer Jason Motte to start the ninth, and Washington sent him in an effort to put the tying run in scoring position. It wound up being a bang-bang play at second, but Kinsler slid in safely with a stolen base just ahead of the strong throw by catcher Yadier Molina.
That was critical. Hamilton hit the first pitch from Arthur Rhodes to right field for a tying sacrifice fly. Andrus was aggressive again in moving up to third base on the play, and he came home moments later when Young hit his sacrifice fly to center.
"It wasn't a series-saving rally," Kinsler said, "but it was huge."
More than an hour after the game, the official scorers charged Pujols with an error.
The Rangers had been in jeopardy of heading home in the same predicament they faced last year.
After dropping the first two World Series games in franchise history in San Francisco, Texas managed to win Game 3 behind the stellar pitching of Colby Lewis. But the Rangers lost the next two games and wound up watching the Giants celebrate on their home field.
That's the fate they'll try to avoid when this year's Series resumes Saturday night.
"It's just our attitude, up and down our lineup. Our guys want to win ballgames," Hamilton said, "and it doesn't matter if we're down five runs or up five runs. We have that attitude that until the last out's made, we're going to keep fighting."
Hamilton's clutch sacrifice fly may have been the extent of what he could do.
The ailing slugger said before the game that a sore groin that's been bothering him for months would probably have put him on the disabled list if this was the regular season. Instead, he's been forced to play through pain on baseball's biggest stage.
Hamilton remains hitless in seven at-bats against St. Louis, and is 2 for 27 going back to last year's World Series. But he had enough power in his stride to launch a sacrifice fly to the outfield when it mattered the most.
One that helped send the Rangers back home with all the momentum.
"It would have been hard," Hamilton said of the prospects of a two-game hole. "We would have been comfortable going back to our place, having three games. They're just like we are, never say die, 'til the last out is made. It makes it fun."
[HuffingtonPost]
Rabu, 19 Oktober 2011
Siasia to resign this week
This is coming on the heels of a revelation by a top official of the federation that Siasia, whose team failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup, could throw in the towel this week. The NFF board will meet next week to deliberate on issues bordering on the country’s failure to make the 16-team 2012 Nations Cup.
The agenda also has the recommendation of the NFF Technical Committee, which the source said included sacking the coach for failing to fulfill the terms of his contract. Siasia, who was at the NFF secretariat yesterday, met with met with top shots of the football federation who advised him to resign to in order to give him the opportunity of a soft landing.
However, the acting Secretary of the Nigerian football body Amadu Musa told reporters that the board had not thought of forcing the coach to resign, adding that Siasia only visited the NFF secretariat in his capacity as the national team coach. He disclosed that the NFF board has received the technical committee’s recommendation, adding that the board would soon meet to deliberate on it.
“There is nothing like mounting pressure on the coach to resign,” Amadu said. “All I know is that the technical committee, which met to discuss the future of the coach following Super Eagles’ inability to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, has submitted its recommendations to the board and the board will meet soon to deliberate on them.
However indications has shown that Siasia was considering bowing to the pressure to quit before the NFF board meets next week. Before leaving the NFF secretariat, Siasia told journalists that he was considering resigning or accepting to work under a technical adviser as recommended by the technical committee.
“I am still weighing the options,” he added.
Samson Siasia is the most successful indigenous Soccer Coach of Nigeria. He has both played and coached in different age grades in the nation's soccer winning many laurels for the country more than any other player (both as a coach and player). His inability to qualify the Senior National Soccer Team to the upcoming African Cup of Nations Tournament has cost him the favor of the Nigerian soccer loving populace who take winning soccer events in the country as a 'do or die' affair. Unfortunately, it has mostly turned to them a die affair.
World's Best Universities
For the second year in a row, the United Kingdom's University of Cambridge topped Harvard in the U.S. News World's Best Universities rankings, released today and based on data from the 2011 QS World University Rankings. Developed by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, a leading global career and education network, the World's Best rankings showcase the top international universities, from North and South America to Europe and Asia and beyond.
Six distinct indicators were evaluated to rank the top 400 universities worldwide: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, proportion of international faculty, proportion of international students, and citations per faculty. The gap between Cambridge and Harvard was incredibly small--a difference of about 0.7 points in their overall scores--and can be attributed to Cambridge's more impressive faculty-student ratio.
Despite Harvard falling slightly behind a U.K. university, U.S. schools dominated the top 400 list, with six American institutions appearing in the top 10 (Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University). The highest showing by a non-American or non-British university was Canada's McGill University, at No. 17. Asia's highest ranking came via University of Hong Kong (HKU), at No. 22.
A separate ranking of the top 100 Asian universities highlights the dynamism of the Asian region, where countries such as China, South Korea, and India are investing heavily in higher education to cater to both domestic and international students. This year, to better reflect the region's unique character, a distinct methodology from the top 400 global rankings was used, with indicators such as Asian academic reputation and Asian employer review.
The leaders of the pack came from Hong Kong, with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and HKU taking the first and second spots, respectively. The gap between the two was very narrow--a difference of 0.2 points in their overall scores--with HKUST's research productivity giving it the edge. Japan, whose economy is slowly recovering from the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, was nonetheless dominant in the Asian rankings, with five Japanese schools in the top 10.
Meanwhile, China, the world's largest source for international students at U.S. universities, made strides with its own schools. Peking University and Tsinghua University were both among the top 20 best Asian universities, performing very well in the academic and employer reputation indicators. India didn't fare as well, due to low citations scores; its highest entries were three Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT Kanpur, Delhi, and Bombay) at No. 36, No. 37, and No. 38, respectively.
Like Asia, Latin America is undergoing significant development, propelled by rising economic powerhouse Brazil. The country's Universidad de São Paulo took the No. 1 spot in the top 100 Latin American universities rankings, beating Chile's Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile by 0.4 points in its overall score. The new Latin rankings use a distinct methodology, evaluating indicators such as Latin American academic reputation, Latin American employer review, and proportion of staff with Ph.D.'s.
Brazil was the clear leader, fielding three institutions in the top 10 and eight in the top 20. The country's huge investments in higher education to fuel economic growth, and its prioritization of research, have paid off: Brazilian universities performed particularly well in measures such as papers per faculty and proportion of academics with Ph.D.'s.
Meanwhile, Mexico--with two institutions in the top 10 of the Latin rankings--showcased strong reputations across the region, despite lower performance in research measures for most of its universities. The fifth-ranked Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) had the highest academic reputation, while seventh-ranked Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) had the second-highest employer reputation.
Going beyond global and regional comparisons, the new World's Best Universities subject rankings examine the top schools worldwide in 24 subjects (top 30 for chemical engineering and top 50 for all other subjects). Divided into five broad categories--arts and humanities; engineering and technology; life sciences; natural sciences; and social sciences--the individual subject rankings are based on academic reputation, employer reputation, and citations per paper.
MIT dominated all engineering and technology rankings, taking the top spot in the computer science; civil engineering; chemical engineering; electrical engineering; and mechanical, aeronautical, and manufacturing engineering fields. Other American institutions that had strong showings in that category include Stanford University, University of California--Berkeley, and California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
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U.S. universities similarly led the pack in two other broad categories: life sciences and social sciences. In the former, Harvard took the lead in biological sciences and psychology; in the latter, while Harvard took the No. 1 spot atop the accounting and finance; economics and econometrics; politics and international studies; and sociology rankings, Stanford topped the statistics and operational research rankings.
Only the arts and humanities and natural sciences categories showed some variety at the top. Although Harvard once again took the top spots in the majority of the specific subject disciplines, the U.K.'s University of Oxford was ranked No. 1 for geography and area studies, and Cambridge dominated both the linguistics and physics and astronomy subject rankings.
1. University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)
2. Harvard University (United States)
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States)
4. Yale University (United States)
5. University of Oxford (United Kingdom)
6. Imperial College London (United Kingdom)
7. UCL (University College London) (United Kingdom)
8. University of Chicago (United States)
9. University of Pennsylvania (United States)
10. Columbia University (United States)
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