Adam Sandler, known as Sandman to his friends, didn’t always dream of working as an actor or a comedian. His father Stanley worked as an electrical engineer, and his mother Judy taught nursery school. Born on Sept. 9, 1966, in a Brooklyn hospital, the future actor only spent a few years in Brooklyn before his family decided to move. Manchester, NH, was a far cry from his former home, and the actor admits that he had trouble fitting in with his classmates.

While attending Manchester Central High School, he became the class clown. Sandler discovered that it was more fun making his classmates laugh with him instead of at him. After graduating high school, he attended New York University and started perfecting his craft at clubs around the city. In 1988, he finished classes at the Tisch School of the Arts and launched his career.

Unlike many other actors, who struggle in their early days, it didn’t take long for Sandler to find success. While still in college, he landed a major role on “The Cosby Show,” playing the best friend of one of the characters. After graduating college, he landed a role on “Remote Control.” The show, which aired on MTV, gave him the chance to perfect some of his humorous characters. Despite landing several roles, his big break came a few years later. Dennis Miller saw Sandler perform and recommended that Lorne Michaels watch his act.

Michaels was so impressed by his talent that he gave him a job writing for “Saturday Night Live.” Writers on the show have the chance to write themselves into sketches as well as write sketches for other actors. Sandler slowly began pitching a few ideas that made it onto the show, and he eventually started writing sketches that showcased his own talents. He wrote several memorable characters and created songs that charted in the United States, including “The Chanukah Song.”

While still on the show, he starred in a handful of films, including “Airheads” and “Mixed Nuts,” but it was “Billy Madison” that launched his film career. Starring as a man sent back to elementary school, he won over a legion of fans with his patented brand of raunchy humor. The same year that “Billy Madison” landed in theaters, Michaels fired Sandler and several other actors from “Saturday Night Live.”

Sandler didn’t let that slow him down. “Billy Madison” became a cult classic and more than earned back its budget at the box office, and studios took notice of the actor. He starred in seven more films leading up to 2000, and many of those films were box-office hits, including “The Wedding Singer” and “Happy Gilmore.” Sandler signed on for the dark comedy “Very Bad Things,” starring Christian Slater, but he later dropped out to work on “The Waterboy.” His next big film was “Big Daddy,” which featured Sandler playing a man forced to grow up. While working on the film, he met a young actress named Jackie Titone. The actress appeared in several of his films, and the two are now married with two children.

Despite a string of hit comedic films, Sandler wanted to venture into darker territory. His first chance came with the 2002 film “Punch-Drunk Love.” He received a Golden Globe nomination for his role, and many critics wondered if he would focus more on dramas. He auditioned for roles in “Collateral” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” but he lost those roles to Jamie Foxx and Johnny Depp. Though he appeared in “Reign Over Me” and a few other dramas, he decided to go back to his roots.

Sandler is close friends with actor Kevin James (“Grown Ups”), and the two worked together in 2007 on “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” The film starred the two men as firefighters who agree to marry for the benefits they get from their insurance company. The two also appeared together in “Grown Ups” and its sequel “Grown Ups 2,” and Sandler also appeared on James’ television show “The King of Queens.”

Sandler returned to comedy for “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” before starring in the dramedy “Funny People.” The actor played an older comedian who begins working with a younger comic, played by Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up”), after learning he’s dying. The role led to an invitation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

While still starring in hit films, Sandler decided to try working behind the camera. He launched Happy Madison Productions, which produced the films “The House Bunny” and “Here Comes the Boom,” among others. He also started the Scary Madison label to produce horror films such as “The Shortcut.” Sandler is starring in films that are in production for release in 2013 and 2014, showing that he loves working in front of the camera as much as he enjoys producing films and that fans can look forward to seeing more from him.

Stem Career Day at Manchester Elementary in Manchester, Maryland was a day that held excitement and anticipation. The idea was conceptualized in the early part of December. How do we find a variety of STEM Careers to show students the wave of the future? We surveyed parents about their jobs and their willingness to take a day off of work to share their careers’, education, day-to-day requirements, and successes and failures within their lives. We received an eclectic response which included: Hazardous Waste Management, Financial Analyst, Global Production Executive, Software Licensing Manager and IT Program Manager and Nurse to name a few. With these parents willing to come in for the day, the schedule for third, fourth and fifth graders was created and set in place for a February Date.

In December we wanted to get an idea how the students felt about Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics before the day of the event. We sent a pre-survey to all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers to be read aloud to the students, but completed with only the students’ prior knowledge regarding STEM Careers. We also sent a post-survey immediately after the day was completed. In some cases the teacher gave the post-survey the same day as the day of the event.

Our Day was a high-light on the county’s CETV Spotlight on Youth and there were positive comments from students, teachers and parents after the event.

Issues and Trends

The need for STEM careers in 2020 will increase from today’s needs by approximately 50% (Department, 2015). Issues, Trends and Need for community involvement in schools is an issue for today’s school agendas. There are numerous businesses, companies and associations in the areas surrounding schools that have an aspect of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in their day to day processes. But are the elementary schools benefiting from these community connections?

Early exposure to STEM careers does make a difference (Dejarnette, 2012). Many programs are provided at the middle school and high school level, but exposure at the elementary level is necessary to impact students’ perceptions and dispositions. In middle school there is a direct link between perceptions and career interest. By exposing students at an early age their positive perceptions increase (Buldu, 2006). Studies continue to show an increase in positive perception to STEM careers when students are introduced and exposed to 21st century careers. When students in sixth grade are exposed to STEM Professionals a measurable improvement was recorded towards these types of jobs. Pre and post surveys showed a 10% positive increased to the question, “When I grow up I want to be an engineer.” (Bouvier, 2001). Interest must increase in all students including students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM-students of color, women, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (National, 2011). The President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology assert that improving the interest and attitude toward these careers among young students is as important as increasing the overall level of academic proficiency and attitude in STEM academics. (PCAST, 2010).

Results

The survey was designed to be anonymous. We emphasized to students we wanted their unbiased answers to the questions. The survey began with, “When I grow up I would like to be:” Students wrote down their top 5 choices. Pre-STEM Career Day 24% of students wrote down Careers. (STEM Careers tallied were any job that had correlations to engineering, computer science (technology), or additional science careers.) Post-surveys revealed that percentage was at 33%. As trends and issues would suggest we need to make sure there is particular interest in educating girls at the elementary level in a variety of STEM Careers. The pre-survey showed that 24% of girls and boys listed these Careers. Post-survey results differed from overall results showing that girls listing STEM Careers increased to 33%, boys increased to 39%.

Pre-Survey Results:

“When I want to grow up… ” Overall – 24% Girls – 24% Boys – 24%

Post-Survey Results: Overall – 33% Girls – 33% Boys – 39%

• All percentages have been round to the nearest whole percentage.

Students were also given a rating scale for questions that would determine how they felt about these Careers.

1. I think I could have a STEM Career.

2. I see how STEM careers effect the world today.

3. I think I could be successful in my STEM education.

4. I see how technology is used in STEM careers and I think, “I could do that!”

5. I think I would like to be a Scientist / Engineer when I grow up.

6. I think I could create something important for the world.

The results of two of these question show an interesting result. Although only 24% of girls chose Disagree or Strongly Disagree to having a STEM Career, 49% chose Disagree or Strongly Disagree to becoming a Scientist or Engineer. The boys had a different result. Only 15% chose Disagree or Strongly Disagree to having a STEM Career, but a much larger portion, 52% chose Disagree or Strongly Disagree to becoming a Scientist or an Engineer. This may be due to specific choices for STEM Careers in technology fields exclusive of science or engineering. Part of the education we should be sharing in the classroom is how much technology there is in both science and engineering. Diversifying these careers so that students see the “big picture” in science and engineering is a next step in our educational process.

Conclusion

What can be done at Manchester Elementary School to increase STEM Career awareness? We will continue to provide a STEM Career Day for our school. Next year we will prepare to take on the entire school. The initial planning is to include primary classes with a half-day event with the theme being a “hands-on” day. Intermediate students would have the discussion groups delivered last year, but also include an additional hands-on aspect to the day. When the teachers were surveyed regarding STEM Career Connections they made with their curriculum lessons many teachers limited the number of careers discussed that very closely aligned to the lesson they were teaching. Ex. Teaching Weather – Career Connection, Meteorologist. When in truth teachers could explore Climatologist, Environmentalist, Hydrologist, Information Technology, and Electronic Maintenance. As teachers it is our job not only to teach the lesson, but provide real world connections. Real world connections lead us directly to the world around us and the careers that will be available to the graduates in the 21st century.

References:

Buldu, M. (2006). Young children’s perceptions of scientists: A preliminary study Educational Research, v48 n1, 121-132.

DeJarnette, N. (2012). America’s children: Providing early exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiatives. Education, 133(1), 77-84.

Department of Education. (2015). Science, technology, engineering and math: education for global leadership. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/STEM%20%20.

Hawkins, D. (2015, October 15). Biases and stereotypes at school sideline girls in stem. NEA Today, 60-61.

National Research Council. (2011). Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Board on Science Education and Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

PCAST, President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. (2010). Prepare and Inspire: K-12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for America’s Future. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President.

There may be no such concept as a "sure thing" when it comes to gambling but there are a few bets which com pretty close.

Before I explain what I mean above, I want to make sure you are aware of two things. Firstly, be aware that the vast majority of people who set foot in a betting shop do not really want to win money. Yes, they'd like to win money but they do not really, really want it. If they desired to win money with all their heart they would not be in a betting shop to start with, they'd be at home gaming online. Instead of mucking about with Lucky 15s and Yankees they'd be minimizing their risk as much as possible.

Secondly, people in the UK do not really understand odds. We look at the lottery and feel fine about flushing pounds down the toilet in the vain hope of hitting the jackpot but would never consider risking £ 100 to win £ 1 on Manchester United winning when they are already two-nil up against Sunderland at home in the Premiership – and it's in the 85th minute!

In the second situation here I hint towards the secret of my success in the world of gambling. Like the stock market, the first rule of gambling is "never lose". This means betting in-running on an almost certain situation. This is certainly not for everyone and takes a complete mindshift. Take Saturday 27th September 2008. I backed 5 goals or less between Manchester United and Bolton when it was nil-nil well into the second half, and the same for Chelsea against Stoke. There was really no point when my money was in danger whateverever. I made a 3% return on my money and it was only on risk for all of about 25 minutes. It would only take about 20 sessions such as this for me to double my money. In fact I've managed to take a £ 10 starting bank to over £ 1000 on three occasions now.

To conclude, if you want to make money through gambling it is necessary to pack in the seven horse accumulators and start thinking smartly.

If your Irish ancestors sailed to England in the mid nineteenth century to escape the ravages and aftermath of the famine, there is a strong possibility that they would have arrived at the port of Liverpool. Many of these immigrants stayed in Lancashire and found work in the cotton mills.

By 1830, there were nearly six hundred cotton mills in Lancashire employing a total of over 110,000 people. The towns and cities housing the mills were home to the largest concentration of Irish people to be found in England in the mid 19th century.

Some of the Irish population had settled here in the early 1800s, but the main influx arrived in the 1840s and 1850s as a direct result of the potato famine. They formed their own communities, united by their culture and Roman Catholicism. They suffered racial abuse, fuelled by the growing influence exerted by the Protestant anti- Catholic Orange Order. English people saw the Irish as the cause of their region’s poverty. This strong anti-Irish feeling led to riots in Oldham in 1861, with similar riots in Stockport, to the south of Manchester.

The impoverished migrants formed a large part of the workforce in the mills. For example, in Preston, a quarter of the Irish men accounted for in the 1871 census were employed in the mills, as were a high proportion of the women and children. Desperately poor, with ragged clothing and living in hovels, they were forced to accept the low wages and terrible working conditions in order to feed their large families.

By the middle of the century, when cotton was being mass-produced mechanically, the mill machinery was powered by coal, which was transported down the canals. Although coal was a cheap way to fuel the machinery, it polluted the atmosphere. As a result, the mill towns of Lancashire were very unhealthy places to live and work. A cloud of smoke from the tall chimneys of the factories permanently shrouded Manchester and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma were very common. In the factories themselves, the atmosphere was thick with cotton lint and dust and headaches and sickness were common.

The American Civil War interrupted the successful level of productivity of the cotton mills in the mid nineteenth century, when the Unionists from the Northern states blockaded the cotton from the Confederate Southern States. The depression that this caused in the early 1860s became known as the Cotton Famine and caused the downfall of some of the mills. The Lancashire cotton mill workers supported the Northern States, despite the possible effect this could have on their jobs and were praised by future president, Abraham Lincoln, who referred to their support as, “an act of sublime Christian heroism”.

One mill that survived the depression was the Redhill Street mill in Manchester, built in 1818. With its eight storeys, it was the tallest iron framed building in the world at the time and employed, ” some 1500 hundred workers, labouring 69 hours a week, with a wage of 11 shillings”, according to a contemporary writer. Over eleven hundred of these workers were women and children.

One of the largest mills was on Cambridge Street. The mill was driven by a beam engine and boasted its own gas lighting system, with the gas supplied through storage tanks kept in the basement. Cambridge Street employed six hundred workers in its loom shed and over three times this number to carry out the spinning and weaving.

In most of the cotton factories, a third of the workers were children, some as young as six years old. They were cheap to employ as they were paid just over two shillings a week. The adult workers were paid up to ten times this amount so it was economically sensible to employ as many children as possible.

The youngest children were employed as scavengers. They would crawl under the moving machinery to retrieve the pieces of loose cotton. Life expectancy was short, with many of the children dying in accidents with the machinery. Many of the survivors were permanently crippled from the long hours spent crouching. They worked an average of fourteen hours a day and were fed on oatmeal.

There were many different occupations within the cotton mills. As well as the more common occupations of spinner, weaver, carder and so on, you may encounter a variety of less obvious terms as you track down your ancestors in the Lancashire census returns of the nineteenth century.

The most usual occupations for the smaller children were scavenger, as described above, and piecer, or piecener. The latter was a term used to describe a child who watched for broken threads and deftly joined them together again.

A slubber was a term for a worker in the cotton spinning industry; beetlers and flax dressers prepared the flax prior to spinning. The main spinning machine was the Mule, invented by Samuel Compton. Hence you may come across a mule spinner or spinster among your ancestors. Someone described as a cloth picker, linter, or lugger worked as a cloth finisher.

Stokers, or stoakers, fuelled the boilers with the coal that produced the steam power to work the machines. The processes carried out on the fuel-driven machines were watched carefully by workers referred to as self-acting minders.

Lowpaid supervisors called tacklers, overseers or overlookers carried out the discipline and checking of the workforce. A cotton master also had a supervisory role. Other occupations included cotton room hand and twister. Tenters, also known as tenter hookers, hung out the cotton cloth for drying on a made by a tenter frame maker.

Finally, as well as being the home of the cotton mills themselves, many of the machinery parts for the mills were also produced in factories in the same area. In the mid-nineteenth century, Brownsfield Mill, for example, in the Ancoats district of Manchester, supplied surrounding towns with mill machinery, spindles, and so on, as well as producing parts for related trades such as dyeing and bleaching.

• The World’s Strongest Material- 200 times stronger than Steel!
• Yet Flexible
• Conducts Electricity Better than Copper

Graphene compares in significance with the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. We will call Graphene the Graphene Age. Graphene is an allotrope (form) of carbon which consists of a single layer of carbon atomes. They form a hexagonal lattice of 2D material. It is ultra-light but also extremely tough. It is 200 times stronger than steel yet flexible. It is the thinnest material possible and is transparent. It is a better conductor than copper and is a perfect barrier.

The University of Manchester is working with Graphene in the following applications:

• Energy
• Membranes
• Composites and Coatings
• Biomedical
• Sensors
• Electronics
• Wearable Technology

Unbrakeable Mobiles

Indium-tin oxide is the material used for touch screens now, but it is brittle. Graphene’s flexibility and durability together with its conductivity properties will transform everyday devices. You could wear your smartphone on your wrist. Your tablet could be so thin and flexible, you could roll it up and put it in your top pocket. You’d never have to worry about braking your phone again. It would be virtually indestructible.

Graphene in Batteries

Samsung have developed graphene batteries that can now charge mobile phones and car batteries faster. Much faster! With a conventional lithium battery, it takes about an hour to recharge a mobile. The new graphene battery could recharge it in 12 minutes. That is a 5 times faster.

Samsung also wants to improve electric car batteries. Imagine fully charging your electric car in only one hour. To do this, scientists at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology have synthesised graphene into a 3D form – using silicon dioxide. This 3D form (known as a graphene ball) is used to coat the electrodes of the battery. The result is a massive 45% increase in capacity, and has, as said earlier, 5 times the charging speed.

It’s difficult to get energy in and out of traditional batteries quickly. For example, if you take an Electric Ferrari, you can’t get from 0-60 in 3 seconds? Because graphene is such a good conductor, super capacity batteries could release the kick of energy needed to hit that 0-60 in 3 seconds.

Energy Storage

The 45% capacity increase has other uses. The University of Manchester is testing graphene battery storage with wind and solar power for the national grid.

Graphene Filtration

Graphene oxide membranes are able to form a perfect barrier for liquids and gasses. They can separate organic solvent from water and remove water from a gas mixture. They can even stop helium, the hardest gas to block. Manchester University are currently testing grahene membrane’s for water filtration, gas separation and desalination.

Graphene Semiconductores

Due to it’s unique properties of thinness and conductivity, researchers have seen graphene’s potential as a semiconductor. At only 1 atom thick, graphene can conduct electricity at room temperature. These two useful properties could mean an end to silicon computer chips for graphene chips. The research has already shown that graphene chips are much faster processors than silicon chips.

Graphene used for Biomedicine

Graphene displays a lot of useful properties. It has high electrical conductivity, thermal stability and is 200 times stronger than steel. All these properties can be applied to biomedics. It could be applied to healing skin wounds; drug delivery inside the body and potentially change the behaviour of cells inside the body. e.g. Cancer treatment.

Grahene-infused Packaging

Plastic packaging might seem impenetrable but water molecules can still pass through them. This can effect the lifespan of food, electronic goods and medicines.

With a single layer of graphene fused onto polymer packaging, the water absorption is reduced by a million times. Products are then protected from dust, bacteria and water.

For example, a moisture-sensitive device such as an organic light-emitting diode must have water restricting packaging. Graphene infused polymer have increased the diodes lifespan by more than a year compared to 30 minutes with a non-graphene polymer.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the potential use of graphene coatings as a water-repellant surface. It could find use on ship’s hulls, pot/pan liners, glass surfaces(mirrors, windows, windshields) and textiles.

The benefits of graphene in so many applications is mind-boggling. The commercial production on a large scale is the next challenge. We should see graphene-based products on the market this year (2018)

Full market penetration will come into effect in the next 5 to 10 years. A very exciting time for the advancement of science and technology.

1960’s – 2011 comparison (Pele)

There is no doubt that Brazilian striker Pele was the best player of the 1960’s. Pele and Maradona are the two players who are always mentioned when the common question is asked, ‘Who was the best player to have ever lived?’ Pele will often be the answer. So what was Pele like? Pele was a natural goal scorer, the Santos striker was incredibly athletic and his dribbling/balance combination was unstoppable for defenders. His ability to go past defenders at such speed and maintain such balance credited him with many goal scoring opportunities, which more likely than not Pele would score emphatically. Pele had technique, the passing ability of a central midfield maestro, the engine of a Marathon runner and the power of a steam train. His statistics are sensational, 1281 goals in 1363 games.

No one can live up to Pele’s name; Manchester United’s George Best in the 70’s was a similar type of player to Pele but was more a winger than a forward. In the modern era, few have been compared to Pele but none have lived up to the reputation that Brazilian Pele possessed. Alexandre Pato of AC Milan was tipped to be the Pele of this era, but he has to yet to show any phenomenal form to even label him the one of the best strikers today let alone ever lived. Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney is the closest of this decade that we have compared to Pele. Rooney possesses the same power and physique that Pele does, the same ability to pick out a 70 yard cross field ball and the same vision and technique. England striker Rooney just doesn’t have same amount of pace that Pele did which combines with the factor that Rooney doesn’t particularly go past players with skill and flair.

Wayne Rooney has scored goals that you wouldn’t think were possible with the stunning volley against Newcastle and the recent potential goal of the season overhead against rivals Manchester City. Pele scored stunning goals in the 60’s and 70’s for Santos and Brazil, one ‘nearly’ goal that would’ve been one of the greatest goals of all time. His dummy against Uruguay that left the keeper for dead when the ball went one way and Pele went around the other way, but his shot off balance and on a tight angle just went wide.

1970’s – 2011 comparison (Johann Cruyff)

Johann Cruyff was part of the Ajax side that inherited the ‘total football’ philosophy introduced by Dutch coach Rinul Michels. Former Barcelona and Ajax front man Johann Cruyff’s style of play was influenced by the total football approach he conducted to his game. His natural position was centre forward but because of the tactical way the Ajax side played the game, he roamed around and ended up playing on the wing and central midfield more often than not. The Holland striker spent half of the 1970’s at Barcelona for Rinus Michels, where he was crowned European Footballer of the Year at his time at Barcelona in consecutive years.

Cruyff was dubbed the ‘Pythagoras in boots’ because of his ability to pick out passes from angles that looked impossible. Not only did he have an eye for a pass but he had tremendous speed and his ability to accelerate away from defenders which was helped by the ‘Cruyff turn’ named after the Dutch maestro is still a turn associated with football 40 years later.

I don’t think any striker could grace Cruyff’s ability to play in multiple positions to maximum effect so I’ve chosen a playmaker and speed merchant who would grace Cruyff’s technical and physical attributes to his game, Ryan Giggs. Both players in their prime had the ability to go past players with flair and tremendous pace creating goal scoring opportunities. Giggs isn’t as prolific as Cruyff as a finisher but Giggs certainly lives up to the playmaking abilities that Cruyff possessed. Ryan Giggs in his prime was lightening over 5-10 yards and could maintain such frightening pace for 40-50 yards which he shared with Cruyff.

However as football has changed much over the years since Cruyff’s successful days at Ajax and Barcelona, the style of play has changed and there aren’t many similar type of players of Cruyff’s calibre that could play naturally upfront and drop back deeper and still be extremely effective.

1980’s – 2011 comparison (Diego Maradona)

Maradona or Messi? There is no doubt that of today’s game, Lionel Messi is the nearest if not potential candidate to surpass Maradona’s ability as a footballer. Former Barcelona striker Diego Maradona along with Pele is one of the best players to have ever graced this planet. He wasn’t as clinical as Pele but taking nothing away from Maradona he still had a very good goal scoring record for club and country. The style of play on the ball for Maradona and Messi is identical. They both dribble with extreme pace and a very low centre of gravity; they both possess extreme dribbling skills with the ability to have 5-10 touches in the space of seconds to make it impossible for defenders to tackle. Many have questioned whether Lionel Messi could do what Maradona did at Napoli. Maradona won what is now the Italian ‘serie A’ with Napoli with what was a very average squad, Maradona being the pivotal part of the Napoli side and no doubt wouldn’t have been title winners if Maradona wasn’t on their books. Could Messi do a similar fate at Blackburn of the English Premiership, Udinese of the Italian Serie A? Many doubt whether Messi could.

In contrast Messi has achieved a lot more than Maradona at this age having already won the Spanish La Liga 4 times and Champions League 2 times. Messi is only 23, Maradona at 23 won the treble with Barcelona in 1983 and an Argentine title with Boca Juniors in 1981 but that was it. So Messi so far has had a better career on silverware success but Maradona’s achievements at Napoli and on the international arena set him aside to Messi. Infamously, Maradona also has a World Cup to his name in 1986 which Maradona made his name.

There is no doubt that Barcelona winger Messi scores goals from all sorts of angles and all sorts of scintillating runs but Maradona’s second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup has been regarded as the goal of the century by many people. Maradona travelled with the ball 60 metres and took on six English players in the process, rounded England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and scored from a tight angle to beat England 2-1 in the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup which they went on to win. The ex-Napoli striker also scored the very controversial ‘hand of god’ goal in the same game which has been spoken about ever since. Messi hasn’t really shined on the international stage and if he does, it might be what takes him past his boyhood hero’s status.

1990’s – 2011 comparison (Ronaldo)

He was a natural goal scorer of his era and by far the best striker in his generation for simply scoring goal after goal. Ronaldo played at the highest level through the 90’s and early 00’s, he represented PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan in an illustrious career that was disrupted by serious knee injuries.

Brazilian striker Ronaldo was a born goal scorer, he had the ability to go past players with his skill and power but defiantly his threat was in the box. He scored 62 goals in just under 100 appearances for Brazil and has been voted Brazil’s best ever striker since Pele by numerous judging panels. Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo was indestructible, if he got in the box it was inevitable he was going to score.

As Ronaldo has still being playing till quite recent, there hasn’t been long for anyone to potentially replace Ronaldo’s prowess for being a known goal scorer. However, there a few players that this season in world Football has started to develop their reputation. Javier Hernandez of Manchester United is one striker that could have the potential to live up to Ronaldo’s abilities in front of goal. He already has 16 goals for Manchester United in his first season and is a predator in the box similarly to Ronaldo. It’s doubtful whether Mexican forward Hernandez will have the impact on world football that Ronaldo did, but the Mexican is a very similar striker to what Ronaldo was in his prime.

Barcelona’s David Villa is another striker who is known for his potential in the box. Spanish hit man David Villa has earned his trade at Valencia for several years and finally sealed a move to Barcelona where he already has 21 goals to his name. Villa has also lived up to Ronaldo’s international reputation, having already won the European Championships in 2008 and the World Cup in 2010 with Spain being a key member of the winning side in both tournaments with his contribution of goals.

2000’s – 2011 comparison (Zidane)

One of the most gifted players of this century was French midfielder and former Juventus/Bordeaux midfielder Zidane. One of the most natural players at playing the game, Zidane glided through the game in a nonchalant manner that saw him one of footballs most composed players ever to have graced the game. An out and out central midfielder, Zidane possessed a goal scoring ability from midfield and also the ability to craft out magic in midfield to launch attacks for his side.

Zidane joined Real Madrid from Juventus in 2001 for a world record fee at the time of around 50 million pounds. Zidane enjoyed success in Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and the Spanish La Liga in his 6 years at the club. Not to mention becoming a World cup winner with France in 1998 and a runner up in 2006. Zidane was a tall, strong midfielder at 6’1 he was no fool at defending and wasn’t afraid to challenge for an aerial battle but Zidane came alive in the attacking half and his deft touches on the ball and he seemed to have eyes in the back of his head at times with his awareness of space around him.

Not many footballers have composure as a skill to their game because of the extreme amounts of pressure footballers are put under and now with all the money at stake. However, Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov is one of very few footballers that possess superb composure on the ball which is a very gracious skill to have. Bulgarian striker Berbatov and French midfielder Zidane also share the same style of control and first touch, with Berbatov having one of the greatest techniques in the world today similarly to Zidane in his prime. Although ex-Tottenham striker Berbatov is an out and out forward and Zidane never played upfront, the abilities they both have are very similar. Even their mental approaches are very alike, both are very quiet and don’t particularly talk much when competing competitively. Both have tremendous control on the ball, both have the ability to go past players with the skill on the ball rather than speed or strength.

Great players are easy to come by; it’s the magical players that are hard to come by. Who’s going to replace Barcelona’s Messi’s or Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s of today’s game in a few years? Football has the ability to produce stars to show on the world stage which is what makes football such an amazing sport to watch.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s girlfriend Gemma Atkinson has been accused of lying about having a relationship with the Manchester United midfielder by his own mother.

The former Hollyoaks actress had been rumoured to be dating Cristiano Ronaldo for the past few months, although the couple have never actually been spotted together.

Ronaldo’s girlfriend Gemma has been very open about her relationship with Cristiano, stating to the British media that they were a couple on several occasions. Ronaldo’s girlfriend has also reportedly said that the couple are enjoying some great, hot sex together. Cristiano Ronaldo has been far less open about their relationship, and now his mother has stepped in to the argument by accusing Gemma Atkinson of lying.

Ronaldo’s mother lives in her son’s homeland, Portugal, and she hasn’t heard anything about her son dating Gemma Atkinson. This has led her to believe that Gemma has fabricated the whole story, and that she has never had any kind of relationship with the young, sexy actress.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun newspaper, Dolores Aveiro, Cristiano Ronaldo’s mum, was quoted as saying “Cristiano doesn’t have a girlfriend. I put my hands in the fire as he did not go with the girl people say is his girlfriend. I don’t know her and don’t care if she’s beautiful.” Ronaldo’s mum firmly believes that Gemma Atkinson is simply jealous that she can’t be with Cristiano, and is trying to raise her own profile and make a name for herself by pretending to be dating the Manchester united star midfielder.

It remains to be seen whether Cristiano is simply keeping their relationship a secret from his mother and from the worldwide media, and that his mum is simply being over-protective on behalf of her son by denying the claims that he is dating Gemma Atkinson. However according to Gemma’s closest friends Cristiano and Gemma are a couple, and that judging by the texts they send each other they are very much happy together.

The Spinningfields development is the largest single urban development in the North West, and one of the biggest in Europe. As well as the Leftbanks residential apartments, the Spinningfields area offers hotels, offices, restaurants, shops and bars. On top of that it is just a stone throw away from the city centre.

Leftbank is a development by Persimmon Homes, a developer established in 1972 that has a number of buildings across Manchester. Persimmon are a mid to high end developers, and the Leftbank apartments are noted as being well appointed. The building – despite some criticism – is an attractive addition to the staid surroundings of Spinningfields. Development of Leftbank has made Manchester an economic hub.

Leftbank boasts high standards and it is located in the middle of the city. It is located at the bank of the river Irwell. You would enjoy an excellent view along with the refreshing river breeze. Many consider it to be just the right tranquil setting.

The building is home to almost four hundred apartments, from one bedroom up to large penthouses, and it took them almost four years to complete it. At the base of the building are commercial units and they are now home to some worthwhile restaurants. Leftbank has ample car parking space and it is equipped with many elevators placed thoughtfully, throughout the complex.

Leftbank has all the basic facilities; electricity, telephone, natural gas, and Internet connectivity (dispensed by an efficient broadband connection). There are Wi-Fi facilities for each apartment. There is a twenty-four hour room service available. Maintenance support is extremely efficient in handling any problems related to sanitation and telephone lines..

The building has a well-designed lobby. There is an excellent fitness centre in the building so you do not need to go out for exercise. There is a clubroom in the basement that provides an ideal location for cocktail parties. Leftbank apartments are not expensive, despite there prime location and outstanding amenities.

Each apartment is spacious, contemporary and features a large lounge and dining area leading out to a balcony, a modern fully-fitted state-of-the-art kitchen, a double bedroom with fitted wardrobes, a stylish bathroom, 24 hour concierge service along with high-speed wireless Internet access. A secure and private car parking space is also available. Laundry and grocery services can be availed.

The great thing about Leftbank is its location in the city centre, as it is just a five minute walk to Deansgate – with its vibrant restaurants, trendy bars and clubs, featuring Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Kendall’s, the designer stores, boutiques of King Street along with the Arndale Centre. Very close to the MEN Arena, G-Mex, Granada Studios and museums.

Thus, the apartments offer a lot to the people wishing to have a comfortable, and high standard living.

Surely, at some point in your life, you have owned a car and hoped that it would come to life in an instant. There are some iconic cars from movies and TV that make us have car envy and hope that with a push of a button we could be in the Batmobile. Here are a few of the top iconic cars from the movies or TV and their features.

First off, Pixar’s film “Cars”. This movie follows Lightening McQueen (played by Owen Wilson) while he tries to make it back from the run down town of Radiator Spring in hopes to win the Piston Cup. There are many other characters that we meet during McQueen’s journey, Mater the loveable tow-truck (played by Larry the Cable Guy), Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt), and former Piston Cup winner Doc Hudson (played by Paul Newman). This race car is a new rookie for the races and can reach extreme high speeds. He has some interesting features that model actual race cars, like having stickers instead of headlights. However, this car talks, has eyes, and has a winning personality.

Next on our list is KITT from Knight Rider. KITT, Knight Industries Three Thousand, is a sporty 1982 Pontiac Trans Am and has an artificially intelligent computer installed that allows it to help Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) fight crime. KITT (William Daniels) has a special body armor that protects it from just about any type of firearm and can resist extreme heat. The super computer on wheels of course could talk, but not only that, he was fluent in Spanish and French, and even has a variety of different accents. This really was the best car ever for any human crime fighter since it could talk, smell, hear, could examine the area, had an array of weapons, had different modes like silent mode, and of course he could still function as a regular car. Pardon me, an awesome car.

Herbie is a very iconic car which lands it in the next slot on our list. This old school Volkswagon Beetle race car actually in habits the human soul who made him named Herbie. Herbie can function just fine on its own like any normal car: driving itself, reasoning, thinking, knowing the difference between good and evil. Ok, so normal cars don’t do that last one, or any of those. But, Herbie does race and help its owners survive different situations and helping good prevail over evil.

Some people can be obsessive about a car, but what about a car obsessed with it’s owner. That is the case with the car Chrstine. In the movie, Christine was portrayed as a 1958 Plymouth Fury who was obsessed with her owner Arnie (Keith Gordon). Christen takes it upon herself to find those who insult, hurt, or attempt to separate her and her love, Arnie. She can’t talk like some of the other cars like KITT of Lightening McQueen, but like Herbie, it’s as if her soul is trapped within the car. And, what a soul it is. Christen will wreak havoc to anyone who does her Arnie wrong, no matter how much it may hurt her. Hell hath no fury like a woman, um, car scorned.

Twice a year when the transfer window opens, the soccer world goes crazy with players changing clubs and newspapers and soccer websites all over the world speculating on the latest superstars playing the game of musical chairs.

While some big name transfers such as Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Manchester United to Real Madrid finally came to their expected conclusions, one transfer caught my eye this season. That of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s move from Italian champions Inter Milan to Spanish and Champions League winners Barcelona, with Samuel Eto’o going the opposite direction.

Now, Ibrahimovic is not a bad player and on his day can be one of the best players on the planet. But he has failed to live up to his massive hype in my opinion. Who can forget the 2 Champions League matches against Manchester United last season where he was virtually anonymous?

Samuel Eto’o on the other hand has proven himself to be one of the most lethal strikers in the world. Only 28, he has his best years ahead of him and unlike Ibrahimovic, doesn’t choke on the big stage. Don’t forget, it was his goal in last season’s Champions League final that started Barcelona on the road to victory.

On top of the player exchange, Inter Milan also received a transfer fee of 45 million Euros. I have no idea how it was done, but Inter manager Jose Mourinho must surely have negotiated the best deal of the season. Or does Barcelona know something that we don’t? Only time will tell.