As you probably know, soccer is the most played, watched, and televised sport in human history. According to FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) there are currently 270 million people who actively participate in football. (That’s about 4% of the world’s population) So why has this sport become such a big interest to me and people alike? What is the story behind this long-awaited event?

Referred to as “association football” on Wikipedia, soccer is a sport that has roots dating back to the 2nd and 3rd century. The oldest form is said to have originated in China; a game called “cuju”. FIFA, soccer’s governing body, officially declared China the birthplace of its game in 2004.

In recent decades, many other forms of the sport have been seen in other regions of the world, such as “Harpastum” (Roman), “Kemari” (Japan) and “Knattleikr”. (Iceland) Of course, these games were very different from what modern football is. It was not until the 19th century that various forms of football became an organized event played mainly by prestigious public schools in England. There were many improvements in the course of the sport when Thomas Arnold (head of the ‘Rugby School’) helped establish the first standardized rules of Rugby.

In rugby, they allowed players to kick opponents’ legs below the knees (which was banned in later years), ball handling was also allowed. After this development, football and rugby separated in December 1863. Modern football was born in England with the formation of the FA (Football Association), which is the governing body of football in England. Ebenezer Cobb Morley was a founding member of the Football Association in which he stressed the importance of a governing body for football. After the FA was established, he established the “Laws of Soccer” which implemented the rules of the game played today. On January 9, 1864, the first exhibition game of football was played at Battersea Park. In just eight years, the FA had 50 member clubs and grew rapidly, allowing a competition to emerge in 1972. The FA Cup is the first football competition and is considered the most prestigious in England. The ‘Wanderers’ were the first team to win the cup, defeating the ‘Royal Engineers’ 1-0.

Soccer slowly caught on in other countries with the help of British influence. It was not until 1889 that other countries (the Netherlands and Denmark) would embrace this wonderful game. Soccer began to grow rapidly with the following countries; New Zealand (1891), Argentina (1893), Chile, Switzerland, Belgium (1895), Italy (1898), Germany, Uruguay (1900) and Hungary (1901) adopted their own football associations.

In 1904, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) was formed in Paris to regulate international matches and there were seven founding members (France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). The first international soccer competition was introduced at the 1908 London Summer Olympics with Great Britain winning gold, Denmark silver, and the Netherlands bronze. The rise of World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945) halted the growth of the sport, and it resumed years after the war. By 1950, FIFA had 51 member countries. Before the creation of the World Cup (the most prestigious soccer competition), FIFA organized a soccer competition within the Summer Olympic Games. In 1930, FIFA would administer its own tournament in Uruguay; the host nation to be the first football team to win the cup which would be the most watched of any professional tournament today.

Soccer today is a growing sport with 208 national teams recognized by FIFA, plus there are thousands of club teams competing against each other in various leagues and cups for world dominance. The sport has become an addiction for many people around the world, helping nations and individuals come together as they cheer on their team in the hope that one day their team will bring home a trophy. The future of soccer always has room for improvement and hopefully interest will pick up in the US as elsewhere. “Fair play” is the name of the game.

Many people today have the misconception that governments print, control, and distribute nations’ money and currencies. While it is true that the government prints money, it does not control or distribute it. They also have a limited role in creating a nation’s money. It is the banking system that creates and distributes about 99% of the world’s money, not the government. It may surprise most people to learn that there are multiple families that control money in the world today. These families have the ability to manipulate prices from the fuel you put in your vehicle to the clothes you wear. These families have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years and have mastered the concept of creating money out of thin air.

You may wonder how can this be true? Throughout history, anyone can do a little digging to discover that the families that control money have done so from the beginning. They have learned to create their flow and therefore can control everything else that goes along with it. They have been around for so long that it is almost inconceivable to believe that they do not exist. One of the richest and most powerful families that is always mentioned is that of the Rothschilds.

The Rothschilds were perhaps the first family, along with their allies, to realize that they could make a fortune using fractional reserve banking techniques. When they realized this, they began to take full control of the central banks in the UK, US and France. Knowing how to manipulate the system and amass vast amounts of wealth, they also began to gain control of things like the media and even entire governments. If you look at why the US Federal Reserve was created and who created it, you will soon realize that this earlier statement that families control money is completely true.

It has been said in the past that there may be between 500 and 1000 families that have control over the banking, government and monetary systems of the entire world. This is a very difficult concept for most people to grasp, but it’s also hard to argue with the facts that support it. When so much power is in the hands of so few, the balance is unbalanced. Napoleon may have best described this in a statement he made declaring; ‘When a government depends on bankers for money, the bankers, not the government leaders, are in control: the giving hand is above the taking hand. Money has no country; financiers lack patriotism and decency: their only object is profit”.

If you don’t believe families control money, you just need to look at how Nathan Rothschild took control of the entire British stock market. During the Battle of Waterloo, Rothschild had a courier positioned to the north of the battlefield, closer to the English side. Once the battle started and it was decided, this messenger conveyed the conclusion to Rothschild before Wellington’s messenger. If the British had been defeated, the entire state of their economy would be ruined, and everyone knew it. So, after Rothschild heard the news, he took his familiar spot on the trading floor. As soon as he started trading, he started selling everything. Others took note and determined that England had lost and therefore began selling as well. Once prices began to plummet, the Rothschilds began quietly buying up everything at rock-bottom prices. The news turned out that the English had not been defeated, and by this time the Rothschild had complete control of the entire British stock market.

Shelley Brady (2002)

ISBN 1-57731-203-1

Book Price: $9.00

Bill’s Story “Door to Door” TNT movie

Shelly Brady was a teenager when she first worked for Bill Porter (“Door to Door,” the TNT movie about Bill). After studying theater arts in college, she went back to work part-time for Bill. Now, she spends much of her time sharing Bill’s story with various organizations and corporations. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her family.

10 Things Learned From Bill Porter

In ten chapters, Shelly Brady shows ten things she learned from Bill Porter. She covers: Following Your Passion (Ch. 1), Persistence Pays Off (Ch. 4), Not Taking “No” for an Answer (Ch. 5), Knowing Your Limits and Going Beyond Them (Ch. 6 ), Being a Team Player (Ch. 7), Living Our Values ​​(Ch. 10), and more.

An incredible inspiration to all of us.

Shelly Brady paints a verbal picture of a man who wouldn’t quit. She does it with a positive and provocative style. Her focus is on instilling the lessons she learned from Bill Porter. Ella shelly says, “Bill has shown me that dreams have a way of coming true if we stay focused on the path, no matter what obstacles we face.”

The fact that a man with cerebral palsy could become a door-to-door salesperson and eventually have over 500 loyal customers is a powerful point of inspiration. Shelly goes further to discover the keys within the man that made him a winner. She quotes Bill: “It doesn’t stop me from achieving what I set my mind to…”

Bill’s mantra reflects his positive outlook. Shelly reveals: “…a mantra, Bill repeats over and over to himself: “The next customer will say yes, the next customer will say yes.” Eventually, Bill’s believers will all say “yes.”

“Eventually, he became the top-selling Watkins vendor in the entire Northwest, a position he continues to hold today.” Such comments echo the resilience and determination in the hearts of readers. That’s why Shelly tells Bill’s story.

“Sheer determination” could have been a subtitle for Shelly’s book. She describes Bill’s daily practices: “Every day, Bill would knock on doors for eight hours, walking seven to ten miles, rain or shine. He would knock on about a hundred houses a day, and if he was lucky, one in ten I would. buy something.” Amazing!

A compelling personality

Shelly Brady reveals a powerful story and a captivating personality. Readers will be triggered towards success.

In our 50th episode of Madness Chronicles, we’ll take a look at the madness in today’s military. Remember, insanity is a state of serious mental illness, extremely foolish behavior, and a form of frenzied or chaotic activity. Let’s take a look at some really maddening things in today’s military.

We’ll start with news close to home. I am a Vietnam Navy Veteran, and a local friend of mine is as well. He was a gunner in Nam. He had a successful life, raised three productive children and is a retired builder. He knows when he’s in trouble, which is why he registered with the VA State PTSD clinic. One day he is in group therapy with other vets when a boy our age walks in wearing a dress and a bag.

He quickly walks up to my friend, who said, “Touch me and I’ll knock you out!” They then selected my friend and within a day told him to leave the show or they were going to press ‘hate crime’ charges against him. He chose to never come back. Wokeness has won the VA.

In a recent headline, I read that my Marine Corps worked to develop a new, better-fitting, lightweight uniform for PT, fitness training. Is that news today? They have announced that the man who sold N-95 masks to the VA for $25 per mask has been arrested in more VA news. The charge, price gouging. I have an idea. How about firing the jerk buyer at the VA who approved the purchase?

The Navy has removed the Commander of the destroyer Forrest Sherman. He was relieved of command five days before the scheduled change of command ceremony. Her heinous act of him? A year ago, the Forrest Sherman intercepted and loaded weapons to the brim with AK-47s meant for bad guys. As his command was coming to an end, he thought it appropriate to make a plaque for his crew and the ship. The plate would feature an AK-47. Therefore, his career in the Navy is ruined and his life will not go well either.

The thousands of National Guard troops sent to DC so Biden can have someone at his inauguration are not having a great time. First, as most know, there were no housing plans and they slept in parking lots. Now food contractors have fallen short, so Guard troops are now ordering takeout from local restaurants. Which I guess is good for business during the fake pandemic lockdown.

In more ‘shoot me now’ news, the Army is under attack for not allowing soldiers to grow beards. An online petition was started and garnered 55,000 signatures to try to force the Army to comply. With Jihad Joe’s anointing, they might be forced to relent. Talk about madness; the military purpose has nothing to do with being a social experiment.

When the military first started with their ‘time out’ cards, where a recruit can give a card to DI and ask for space, the late and highly decorated Army Veteran David Hackworth said it best in an interview on Fox News. When asked about the new ‘timeouts’, he said: “I hope the Chinese recognize these jokes when they attack, or we’re in big trouble.” How right you are.

Let’s end with some good news. Beards may not yet be allowed under the Army’s new dress guidelines, but Army men can now wear clear nail polish and dye their hair. In honor of Mr. Hackworth, I bet the Chinese troops will be impressed.

May we wake up from this madness before it’s too late. I wish you good health and until next time, have fun, enjoy life and beware of the madness among us. it’s 2020; Look around; It is scandalous

One of the delicious prospects for football fans, when the Premier League returns after an international break, is a Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool.

Goodison Park will be the scene of a lunchtime kick-off on Sunday in what promises to be an explosive game between two teams looking to prove themselves, after an indifferent start to their Premiership campaigns.

Coincidentally, both teams, languishing near the bottom of the table, have six points apiece after seven games. With new ownership looming for the Reds, Roy Hodgson will be eager to underscore his managerial skills with a win. Especially after the fans chanted for his removal in the Reds’ 2-1 home loss to Blackpool.

In some bad news for Liverpool (aside from the off-pitch disputes at Anfield), Dirk Kuyt is sidelined ahead of Sunday’s game, due to an injury sustained by the striker in the Netherlands’ Euro qualifier with Sweden on Tuesday, a game that the Dutch won. convincingly. It could be a month before Kuyt is back in action.

But Hodgson will be encouraged by Torres’ return to the team after the Spanish striker showed signs of recovery from a groin strain.

Steven Gerrard, as always, will be the point man, and Hodgson will be looking for an inspired performance from the England midfielder in what is a must-win for the Anfield side.

Everton, for their part, also have injury concerns, with Victor Anichebe, Steven Pienaar, Louis Saha and Jack Rodwell missing. Manager David Moyes hopes that home field advantage will inspire the Blues to grab three points from the game and move up the points table.

The Toffees will be looking to Tim Cahill to provide the momentum, even as the Reds will miss the services of Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio and Paul Konchesky through injury.

The following players were in Everton’s starting XI for their 2-0 win against Birmingham on 2 October: Tim Howard, Phil Neville, Sylvain Distin, Philip Jagielka, Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, Marouane Fellaini, Mikel Arteta, Leon Osman, Tim Cahill, Yakubu.

Substitutes for the match were: Barkley, Jermaine Bedford, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, John Heitinga, Magaye Gueye, Tony Hibbert, Jan Mucha.

Liverpool included the following players in their last league match against Blackpool, which the Reds lost 2-1: Jose Manuel (Pepe) Reina, Glen Johnson, Sotiros Kyrgiakos, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Christian Poulsen, Raul Meireles , Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole, Fernando Torres.

Substitutes were: Milan Jovanovic, Lucas, David Ngog, Jay Spearing, Martin Kelly, Maxi Rodriguez, Brad Jones.

Radio Advertising Costs: How Much Should I Spend?

“How much should I spend on radio advertising?” “How do I know I’m getting the best radio advertising rates?” “Which radio stations should I advertise on?” “What are the good and bad prices of radio advertising?” “How many commercials should I broadcast on a radio station?”

Honestly, there is a lot of confusion about radio advertising. I can’t blame him for asking these questions. Why is radio advertising so mysterious? The answer is: radio advertising is not mysterious. It just helps to know how it works.

Effective radio advertising is based on two main components: the message (the radio ad itself) and the media (on which the radio ad is broadcast).

The message

Let’s first look at the radio commercial itself. Before you even think about which radio stations to broadcast, or how much to spend on radio advertising fees, you need to think about what you are going to say in your radio ad. For this article, I am assuming that all call centers, fulfillment, websites, etc. You, the advertiser, have put the lead generation and sales closing processes in place. Creating a radio commercial that helps drive traffic is extremely important to the advertising process.

The advertising industry is full of hosts, radio personalities, DJ’s and others who claim to create radio commercials. Be careful here. When entering the field of radio commercial production, look for a radio advertising agency that has experience and a track record of successful ad campaigns. Anyone can create a radio ad, but not everyone can create a radio ad that drives traffic. Some radio stations offer free radio commercials if you advertise on their station. Most of these free commercials are never based on strategy and are just one of several dozen commercials that an overworked radio production person must create in a five to fifteen minute time frame. Remember, you generally get what you pay for.

The most effective radio commercials are based on a solid and proven strategy. The copy is written using time-tested formulas that maximize potential response. Talent is carefully selected to best connect with the end user and the production is based on clear, quality and easily absorbed audio.

So… how much does the radio commercial production process cost? Most of the best performing radio commercials are usually in the $500 to $1000 price range. There are always exceptions to the rule (lots of revisions to the copy or audio, additional voice talent, celebrity endorsements, etc.). etc.), but this figure typically covers the development of a strong strategy, copy from experienced copywriters, performance from high-caliber voice talent, and the highest quality production services.

The media

For many with questions about radio advertising fees and radio station prices, this is where the mystery begins. I’ll try to simplify the mystery of buying radio media as much as we can in this little space.

A good radio ad buy focuses on a few different things:

* Find the best radio stations in a market that matches the demographics (age, gender, income level, etc.) and psychographics (interests, beliefs, hobbies, personality traits, etc.) of your customer.

* Find the time slots that best reach your target customer. mornings? Noon? afternoon?

* Select the top radio stations that most efficiently reach the highest potential customers, the correct number of times (defined as frequency), for the least amount of money

Typically, when researching radio advertising costs, many potential radio advertisers have a pretty good idea of ​​the first two points. However, when it comes to finding the best station (or stations) at the best price, the radio advertising process becomes a bit more challenging.

Here’s how to basically determine how much to spend on radio advertising costs. Within the market you want to advertise in, find the radio stations that have the best potential to reach your target customer. This is based on the formats of the radio stations. Urban hip-hop stations will target a different demographic than a news/talk or soft rock station. After you’ve selected a group of radio stations, contact those stations to let them know you’re thinking of advertising on their radio station. Request specific data from radio stations called “rankers”. This is ratings data that most radio stations can provide based on specific requirements requested. From this point, you can get a good idea of ​​which stations work best for your target demographic.

Once you have narrowed down the radio stations to just a few that effectively reach our target customer, request a proposal based on certain criteria: time slots, frequency targets, etc. From these proposals, see who reaches your target audience most efficiently, using tools like Cost Per Point (ratio of spot rate to rating percentage), Cost Per Thousand (ratio of spot rate to audience category totals), etc. If a radio station is not competitive, ask it to resubmit a more competitive proposal. Ask for the added value. Yes… it takes quite a while… and yes, it’s hard to tell if all the station’s radio advertising fees are too high. You really have to know the market and the going rates. (This is where having an experienced agency is extremely beneficial!) An agency can compare bids against historical figures to determine if radio station prices are in line with market averages…then negotiate and help execute the purchase.

Great… but how much does this cost? It depends on the size of the market you want to advertise in as determined by Arbitron (the radio rating services). Radio advertising rates can be as high as $800 for 60 spaces in a major market like New York City, or as low as $3 for 60 spaces in Kerrville, TX. How will you know what to spend?

Here’s a valuable system we’ve used from our history of working with radio advertising rates. The system is built on a strong brand schedule that can run one spot per day on the morning run, one per day at noon, and one per day on the afternoon run, Monday through Friday, and two slots on Saturday. and Sunday. There are nineteen ads a week at label prices. This type of program is good at achieving the desired frequency level (meaning that the average listener of a station will hear the radio commercial a certain number of times). Under these broad assumptions, you can use the following chart as a rough guide in budgeting for your radio ad campaign.*

*Please note that these are gross rates and do not include production costs or agency discounts. These are market averages for the standard radio show listed above, actual costs may vary. It does not take into account value added, ROS schedules, bonus points, etc. Different combinations of time slots in different seasons can cost much less.

* Markets 1 -5 (for example: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.)

Expect to pay $4,000-$8,000 per week/per station for a top performing station.

* Markets 6 – 20 (ex: Dallas/Ft.Worth, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, etc.)

Expect to pay $2,000-$5,000 per week/per station for a top performing station.

* Markets 21 – 50 (ex: Denver, Cleveland, Kansas City, etc.)

Expect to pay $1000-$3000 per week/per station for a top performing station.

* Markets 51-150 (ex: Akron, Syracuse, Baton Rouge, etc.)

Expect to pay $800-$2,000 per week/per station for a top performing station.

* Over 150 markets (eg Myrtle Beach SC, Green Bay, Topeka, etc.)

Expect to pay $500-$1500 per week/per station for a top performing station.

You may be saying, “Wow! That can be expensive.” In some cases it is! These are standard radio advertising schedules and they come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the hours are smaller depending on advertising goals and objectives. However, it is recommended that you can commit to the range of minimums.

Leftovers?

Note that nothing about carryover radio advertising has been mentioned here at all. Remnant advertising is the practice of buying unused inventory at deep discounts. The remaining advertising success exists more in theory than in practice. However, this is not to say that advertisers aren’t having success with carryover advertising. If and when carryover advertising falls into your lap, it is highly recommended that you investigate it. However, basing your entire radio ad campaign on carryover advertising can be a shot in the foot. With the exception of a few times a year, most top-performing radio stations don’t have that much unsold inventory. Often the larger advertisers have contracts that guarantee so many low-cost/no-cost ads that need to run. The reality is that if the big advertisers (with the big dollar calendar) need their spaces to run, or if another advertiser pays just a penny more than you paid for the remaining spaces, slam! You just got taken off the air that day. You can pay for twenty places and only get two of that air. The stations will make up for it, but what if you had that advertising to drive sales? Or better yet, in the age of established radio groups, your remaining advertising could be placed on the third to last ranked station in the market. The result is NO RESULT. I am a firm believer that when it comes to radio advertising, YOU REALLY GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Now that radio advertising fees have been explained, you may be wondering, how long should I advertise? The type of radio advertising helps define the duration of a campaign. Advertising an event? We recommend shorter and more compact schedules to build anticipation before the event or launch. Marking a product? Often long-term schedules with a little breathing room work best. Maybe even stretches could work (two weeks, two weeks off, or some other length of time). Most of the time, the two things that will determine how long a radio ad campaign will last will be the advertiser’s goals (traffic figures) and external factors such as sales cycles. Oh yeah, and usually the budget affects the duration of the campaign. It is not desired, but that is the reality.

The total cost

You may be thinking, “So if I want to run an ad on all three of Houston’s major radio stations, I should expect to pay $1,000 for a commercial, plus $3,000 per week per station…that’s $10,000 worth of a week’s worth of advertising!” That’s true, and it may be just what it takes to reach several thousand potential target customers. The real question is: “How much money can you make with a few thousand potential target customers?” Is it more than $10,000 per week? $40,000 a month? These are questions to ask yourself, because in the advertising world, that’s pretty good traffic.

It works even better when you let a professional ad agency cut that cost even further. Let the agency provide you with great radio advertising hours by providing you with an instant discount ON TOP of the radio station’s lowest negotiated price plus great added value.

There are only 5 undefeated teams left in Division 1-A football and Penn State is not one of them. The 5 perfect records belong to Alabama (10-0), Texas Tech (10-0), Boise State (9-0), Utah (10-0) and Ball State (9-0).

Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions reached 9-0 and moved up to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 poll before traveling to Iowa on Saturday (11-8-08) and losing to the Hawkeyes 24-23 on a field goal. of 31 yards. with a second left.

Daniel Murray, who hadn’t made a field goal since Iowa’s season opener and had lost his job to a freshman, finally got a second chance. Murray had handled the kickoff duties, but when it came to windy playing conditions and the need for experience, coach Kirk Ferentz turned to Murray.

Murray drilled him down the middle and the icy Iowa fans went wild, flooding the field with wild excitement. It happened because Penn State blew a 9-point lead in the 4th quarter. Iowa won the fourth quarter 10-0. The Hawkeyes were helped by Shonn Greene’s 117 rushing yards and 2 TDs, and Ricky Stanzi’s 15-of-25 passing for 171 yards.

The victory was Iowa’s biggest in years, and their first against a Top 5 team since 1990. The Hawkeyes improved their record to 6-4, becoming bowl eligible. The Hawkeyes’ 4 losses this year have come by a total of 12 points. Last week they lost to Illinois on a 46-yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining. This week they had to win with a field goal in the last second.

Penn State’s chance to compete in the national championship evaporated. The kiss of death for Penn State was the fact that Iowa was not a ranked team and Penn State was playing on the road. The Nittany Lions’ new goals will be a Big Ten title and a berth in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

For the first time this season, all AP Top 25 Poll teams played, with 17 of the 25 teams winning and 5 big wins among winners playing other ranked teams. They included:

No. 1 Alabama on the road over No. 15 LSU in overtime, 27-21, with star quarterback John Parker Wilson scoring on a sneaky 1-yard pass. The Crimson Tide had a chance to win the game in regulation play, but Leigh Tiffin’s 29-yard field goal attempt went low and blocked.

LSU had the first chance in overtime, but even allowed a field goal opportunity as Jarrett Lee threw his fourth interception and Alabama’s Rashad Johnson intercepted it for the third time in the game, who tied a school record in the process. The Tide turned down another field goal attempt, having missed it twice, and Wilson scored on the sneak to give Alabama a berth in the SEC championship game.

No. 2 Texas Tech at home over No. 8 Oklahoma State, 56-20, as the Red Raiders scored touchdowns on 7 straight possessions.

No. 7 Southern Cal at home to No. 21 California, 17-3, in an amazing display of defense. The win was the sixth in a row for the Trojans who have outscored their opponents 231-23 since losing 27-21 as a 25-point favorite at Oregon State. Those are the Trojans, always losing a game to an unranked team, they apparently wake up late in Hollywood.

No. 10 Utah at home over No. 11 Texas Christian in a squeaker, 13-10. Utah had gone 9-0 and moved up to No. 10 by playing one of the weaker schedules west of the Mississippi River. The Utes are in the Mountain West Conference, and if they hadn’t played TCU, they wouldn’t have faced a quality team worth talking about; they still face BYU in their final game.

No. 19 North Carolina at home over No. 22 Georgia Tech, 28-7, scoring 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter.

Twelve other Top 25 teams won against ranked opponents, including:

No. 4 Florida on the road over Vanderbilt, 42-14, as Tim Tebow threw for 3 touchdowns and rushed for 2 more. The Gators clinched the SEC Eastern Division title and will face SEC Western Division title holders Alabama for the SEC Championship.

No. 5 Texas at home over Baylor, 45-21, as Longhorn Colt McCoy threw for 5 TDs and 300 yards. No. 6 Oklahoma on the road over Texas A&M in an easy loss, 66-28. No. 9 Boise State at home over Utah State, 49-14, as Kellen Moore threw for 362 yards and 2 TDs. No. 12 Ohio State on the road over Northwestern, 45-10, as Terrelle Prior threw for 3 scores and Chris “Beanie” Wells added 2 more on the ground.

No. 13 Missouri at home over Kansas State, 41-24, as Jeremy Maclin had 3 TDs and amassed 278 all-purpose yards. No. 14 Georgia on the road over Kentucky, 42-38, getting the go-ahead TD on a pass from Matthew Stafford to AJ Green with 1:54 to play. No. 16 Ball State at home over Northern Illinois 45-14. No. 17 Brigham Young (BYU) at home over a 1-9 41-12 San Diego State team.

No. 18 Michigan State at home over Purdue, 21-7, as Javon Ringer scored twice and the Spartan defense made some excellent third-down stops. No. 24 Florida State at home to Clemson, 41-27, on coach Bobby Bowden’s 79th birthday (yes, the guy’s 79 and still coaching), and following Bowden’s son Tommy’s firing as coach in chief at Clemson last month. No. 25 Pittsburgh at home over Louisville, 41-7, as the Panthers turned 4 Cardinal turnovers into touchdowns.

The 7 losing Top 25 teams, other than No. 3 Penn State, that lost to unranked teams included:

No. 20 West Virginia at home to Cincinnati in overtime 26-23. West Virginia is one of those teams that can’t stand prosperity, they’ve been in and out of the AP Top 25 all season. No. 23 Maryland en route to Virginia Tech, 23-13.

For the 8 losing teams in the AP Top 25 this week, it’s pretty much what legendary coach Lou Holtz said: “When all is said and done, more is said than done.”

When the new AP Top 25 poll came out on Sunday, 4 teams were missing: West Virginia, California, Georgia Tech and Maryland. Replacing them were 2 new teams-No. 22 Cincinnati and No. 23 Oregon State-and 2 returning teams-No. 24 South Carolina (the Gamecocks dropped out of the poll after the first week) and No. 25 Tulsa (the Golden Hurricane came in week 8, was ousted last week, and returned this week).

In other featured games this week:

Boston College at home defeated Notre Dame 17-0 in their annual “Catholic Bowl” game.

An 8-2 West Michigan team from the growing Mid-American Conference hosted and beat Big Ten Illinois, 23-17.

A 4-5 Wyoming team from the Mountain West Conference hosted and beat Tennessee from the Southeastern Conference, 13-7. Could Tennessee sink any lower? Some fans had to read this result THREE times to believe it was true.

Hawaii beat New Mexico State 42-30 to even their record at 5-5 and a win short of bowl eligibility.

East Carolina became bowl eligible with its sixth win, an overtime win over Marshall, 19-16.

That’s all. That’s all. I am out of here. Four more weeks and the regular season is over, then bowl season comes along and some big winners are going to raise a lot of money for their football programs. Some of the bowling games will be great, but we don’t know which ones.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

In this article when I talk about sex I mean sexual relations between a man and a woman. Today’s world has gone so crazy that sexual relations are not more honorable and respected as it should have been the case. In the most developed countries the level of sexual immorality is so high that it is really cause for concern. I don’t think there is any religion that supports premarital sex, extramarital sex, or any form of sexual immorality. When God created the world, he made the first man and the first woman and kept them in a beautiful garden to care for and maintain. He also implored them to multiply and fill the world. Sexual intercourse according to God’s original plan is supposed to be a means of procreation. But today what do we find in the world; adolescents, young people and adolescents practicing premarital sex without fear of the consequences.

I don’t want to start discussing at length the extent of sexual abuse and immorality among today’s teenagers because this article is intended for men and mature minds. In this sense, we will be discussing dating sex and marriage sex. Sex during courtship: call it courtship, courtship, friendship, relationship, affair, etc., you are right because these words speak of the association between two, mostly men and women. Is sexual relations during a courtship, friendship or relationship outside of marriage okay? In a concise and direct answer, No.

The Bible says do not fornicate. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 the Bible says “Flee from sexual fornications, no other sin affects the body like this. For sexual sin is a sin against your own body.” Any sexual relationship between single people is fornication. Call it what you want to call it, the truth is if she is not your wife my boy you are a fornicator and fornication is a sin and not pure before humanity and God. On the other hand, the woman who gives herself to a man who is not married to her is also a fornicator. Most men today say they can’t marry a woman they’re not sure can satisfy them in her bed, which is why they have sex with her before marriage.

Some say that we are courting each other and that we need to know everything about each other to make sure we are compatible. I’m not against men marrying women they are compatible with, but sex isn’t the only thing that makes a marriage work after all, you don’t marry her just for the sex. Or do you intend to turn her into a sex machine after marriage? Most of the young girls have ruined their destinies and their futures because of the courtship word. You give yourself to a man and he makes love to you, then he tells you, I’m sorry, we’re not compatible; I can’t marry you. Meanwhile, it has spoiled your femininity and your pride as a woman. Remember that it has not only spoiled your femininity, it has also led you to sin (fornication) before God.

Extramarital sex: This is another common sin that men and women commit on a daily basis. The Bible says that it is better that we abstain from sexual relations, but where we cannot, we must marry. It is very common today to see married men and women leaving their marital homes to have sex with strange men or women. Society abhors this and the Bible calls it sin (adultery). When you are married and still leave your marital home to have sexual relations with another man or woman, you are an adulterer. Another common one these days is the case of married men having sex with young, single women. She calls you her or Aristo’s sugar daddy and you’re happy.

In this case, the man is an adulterer while the young woman is a fornicator and neither society nor God approve of it. On the other hand, you see married women dating young guys who are young enough to be their children and are happy to talk about it openly. She calls herself sugar mummy and the young man her Gigolo. I pity the young man who does that because he is inviting the wrath of God upon himself. Proverbs 6 verses 27-29 says, “Can a man put fire on his lap and not get burned? Can he walk on hot coals without blistering his feet? So it is with a man who lies with another man’s wife. He who embrace her will not go unpunished”.

Sex in Marriage: God ordained marriage and fully supports the institution of marriage. As I said before, God created man and woman and gave them dominion over everything in the world as well as to procreate and multiply the world. Sexual relations in marriage are the means through which God’s command for procreation is carried out. Also in 1 Corinthians 7:3 the Bible encourages sex in marriage and clearly states: “The husband should not deprive his wife of sexual intimacy, which is her right as a married woman, nor should the wife deprive her husband.” . Sex is for married men and women and all religions support it. I don’t think there is any society that doesn’t believe in this as well.

The couple should try to be available to satisfy each other’s sexual urges to avoid temptation. Sex is not a food that we eat daily, in this sense men should not turn their wives into sex machines either. Most men who commit adultery always give that as an excuse. My wife is not always ready for me when I need her. You have to understand your wife and know when she will be in a better mood. Going out to engage in extramarital sex is a sin and God hates that. I wish all married men a happy married life and encourage all single men to try as much as possible to abstain from sex until they are married in order to be at peace with their maker.

This will be the first Super Bowl with both starting quarterbacks with beards. Abraham Lincoln would be proud. With the game taking place at Jerry Jones’ air-conditioned palace, the weather won’t be a factor. Hopefully a kicker will hit the giant TV over the field. The look on Jerry’s face would be priceless. I’m sure there will be betting action on that happening. There will be plenty of punts as both teams have outstanding defenses and have allowed the fewest points in the NFL this season. They also have two players with the longest hair in Super Bowl history in Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews. I’m thinking there will be a couple of commercials for hair products.

I’m going to start with the Packers. They’ve had a wonderful season despite having 16 players on injured reserve, many of whom were key starters. Recently injured players made a name for themselves by complaining, I mean tweeting about not being included in the Super Bowl team photo. Whatever they are will hopefully have no effect on the game. The Packers have had a lot of endorsements and guys who signed on the streets and Target steps up and is productive for them. None were bigger than running back James Starks, who, although selected in the later rounds, was on the practice squad for most of the season. He has been solid since he was inserted as a starter. He has provided balance on offense with his ability to run between tackles and keep Aaron Rodgers out of third long. In addition, and what is more important, he has not coughed up the ball. Aaron Rodgers has been fantastic all year and should have made the Pro Bowl. But he wouldn’t have gone since he’s going to a slightly more important bowl. He has gambled himself for elite quarterback status. It also helps that he had a top defense league behind him. This allowed him to play free and quiet and not have the pressure of forcing passes to score many points, like his predecessor Brett Farve. (He just had to get his name one last time) The cause for concern is the Packers’ inexperience in the Super Bowl. None of the players or coaches have participated in the Super Bowl. There is something to be said for knowing how to answer the same dumb questions over and over again. Like “What did you have for breakfast today?” Coaches need to make sure they strike the balance of enjoying the festivities, because you never know if and when the team will be back in the Super Bowl. They have to make sure the Packers get to work and don’t spend too much time at the many local dance studios for professional adult ladies. The nice thing for the Packers is that the game is played on the field’s turf, which after playing on the Soldiers’ unkempt field, will be a breeze in air-conditioned Texas. The Packers play in Green Bay and on the legendary “frozen tundra.” But this team is designed for artificial surfaces with its passing ability, quick receivers, and fast pass rushers. The Steelers might be a bit shaken up on the first few possessions when they see firsthand how quick the Packers are. Of course, they won’t be too fast if they spend too much time enjoying the adult attractions.

The Steelers have overcome the lack of Ben Roethisberger, who was suspended for the first month of the season to start the season, and an oft-injured offensive line to reach the Super Bowl. They’ve made it to the Super Bowl in typical Steelers fashion. A magnificent and most finished defense. A punishing ground game, which has been a trademark since the Nixon administration and clutch room endorsement. Big Ben comes out of the bags so often that he looks like a father playing with his children. Rashard Mendenhall has improved every year and this year has been the best. He possesses the power, speed, and balance of a dancer. He can run over tacklers and run away from them. There, the defense has survived injuries on the defensive line, but the backs have done a good job of filling out. The strength of the defense is his linebackers, who are talented, smart and mean like linebacker James Harrision, who commits many personal fouls just by looking at him. Troy Polamalu isn’t as bad as James Harrision, but he’s just as disruptive and should be kept in mind at all times, even during warm-ups. The cause for concern has to be their best offensive lineman and center Markice Pouncey will be out with a sprained or broken ankle. (My first mention of a center). No one knows how valuable snaps are until there’s a missed snap or the long snapper sends a snap down the river. Backup center Doug Legursky did a good job against the Jets when Pouncey went down, but the Packers will have two weeks to figure out a way to test him. They also have a 325-pound nose tackle who is quick, smart, has good hands and is extremely difficult to move. The positive for the Steelers is that they have experience playing Super Bowls, this being their third appearance in the last six years. For them, this will be just another game, except for the two-hour halftime show and the gigantic television above.

I’m looking forward to an entertaining game, fun commercials, and Fergie not so much as flashing a toenail during the halftime show. So to my readers, enjoy the game and good luck in whatever betting pool you find yourself in.

http://MrCleo3586.info

Our “Youth Inspiration Programs” began about 9 years ago when I worked at Brunswick City Schools in Ohio. I helped a teenage student solve a problem with a school bully. The problem was resolved so quickly that the teens’ mother inspired me to help other children in the district. Since I was already in the seminar business, I eventually began speaking to large and small groups of young people in classrooms, auditoriums, assemblies, and school cafeterias.

Although I deal with various topics such as: goal setting, memory and concentration, stress management, avoiding drugs and alcohol and designing your future; I am convinced that the most important factor in inspiring greatness in our youth is building their self-esteem. Therefore, self-esteem is a common thread that works perfectly in all of our programs.

Did you know that approximately 1/3 of the victims of violent crimes are between the ages of 12 and 19? Approximately 2,800 teens in the United States become pregnant every day, 1 in 3 high school students will not graduate, and more than 3,000 teens start smoking every day. Our children can easily fall victim to these behaviors and become a statistic due to a lack of self-esteem. Your child’s self-esteem is the key to avoiding peer pressure, drugs, alcohol, and other dangerous and self-destructive activities. They use these tough behaviors to distract themselves from the problems they are facing at home or at school.

I am convinced that the most destructive type of mind is the mind that feels worthless and worthless. By increasing the self-esteem of their youth, they become masters of their destiny. Then they can easily abolish self-doubt, overcome fears and anxieties, overcome defeatist attitude, and win. This is the true path to greatness.

By high self-esteem I don’t mean an arrogant, self-centered, or narcissistic type of mentality. Instead, healthy self-esteem is demonstrated by realizing your own worth. Understand your own uniqueness and the contributions you can make to our world. Realize that of the 80 billion people who have ever walked the Earth, there was never anyone like you and there never will be. A healthy form of self-esteem is to realize that you are perfect just the way you are. You are comfortable with yourself, your beliefs and values. You hold yourself in high esteem, but you maintain a quiet humility and an aura of serenity. These are the common denominators that our children must acquire to achieve greatness.

High self-esteem is the key to better grades, better social skills, greater self-confidence, and higher-quality friends. (Remember: a great way to gauge your child’s self-esteem is to look at the friends he hangs out with and the boyfriends or girlfriends he has.)

We must constantly remind our children that we can never rise higher than the image we have of ourselves. If our self-image is negative, we will never reach our peak and be everything we could have been. However, if the image you have of yourself is positive, we can rise up and know our greatness. We can discover who we really are, avoid psychosclerosis (hardening of the mind), and leave a magnificent legacy. With high self-esteem your future is unlimited.

Here are some powerful exercises you can do at home with your kids to help fuel their greatness. These are great strategies that I use with my own children and they seem to produce good results.

1. On a piece of paper, ask your child to write down all of his good points, positive traits, and the things he admires most about himself. Spend as much time as possible on this. You will be surprised at how many admirable qualities you possess and can be appreciated by others.

2. Teach your child to become a “good seeker.” Always catch yourself in the act of doing something good. You can easily increase your value by focusing on the positive feedback you give yourself. Constantly focus on his strengths and see his shortcomings as reminders that there is still work to be done. Remember, you are not your weaknesses. You are a positive individual with enough personal power to recognize a deficiency and turn it into a strength. Teach your child to pat himself on the back frequently, he deserves it much more than he thinks.

3. Work with your child to constantly challenge the ideas he has about himself. Teach them to challenge his critical inner voice. They are in charge, so they must take control. If a disempowering image ever pops into your mind, ask yourself, “Is this image accurate, or do I need to update my mental resume?” “Am I stuck with this image or can I change it?” The moment you start asking these questions, you gain control and empower yourself to change. If you hear your inner voice criticizing you, remember that you can always have the last word. Do everything you can to prove the internal critic wrong. Use your voice as a signal to move on and achieve freedom. You disarm the inner critic every time you prove him wrong. As your son continues to respond in this way, the voice will gradually disappear and he will realize that he has found his match.

I will close with a powerful story:

One day a farmer was walking through his field and came across a small glass jar in his tomato garden. Out of curiosity, he slipped a small tomato down the neck of the jar, careful not to break the vine. He placed his little experiment on the ground and then left it alone. At harvest time, the farmer was working on a row of large, ripe tomatoes when he came across the old glass jar. This time it looked very different and strange. Upon examining it, he soon discovered that the small tomato he had stuffed inside of him had now completely filled his crystal prison. Having no more space, he had simply stopped growing. The farmer broke the jar and held in his hand a small, misshapen and distorted tomato. It was less than half the size of the other tomatoes and exactly the shape of the jar.

Even though our youth may not be tomatoes, their self-esteem could be something like that jar. It plays a role in determining the size and type of person they become. We can enlarge our self-imposed limitations by breaking our glass prisons and increasing our self-esteem. The path to greatness lies outside the jar.

I wish you luck and success!