text:
Programs I have watched
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The Black Windmill (1974)
A British Agent's son is kidnapped and held for ransom. (106 mins.)
Director: Don Siegel
" 1-18-2012 " - mapman2000
Look Both Ways (2005)
During one unusually hot and tragic weekend, four people struggle after hearing some life-changing news, this in turn brings them together. (100 mins.)
Director: Sarah Watt
" 1-16-2012 " - mapman2000
Forget Paris (1995)
Mickey Gordon is a basketball referee who travels to France to bury his father. Ellen Andrews, an American living in Paris... (101 mins.)
Director: Billy Crystal
" 1-18-2012 " - mapman2000
Tales from the Pub (2007 TV Series)
(3 mins.)
Stars: Andrew Parks, Brian Howe, Dan Conroy, Jennifer Blaire
Dark and Stormy Night (2009)
In the 1930s the family of old Sinas Cavinder, gathered for the reading of his will, find themselves being murdered by a mysterious phantom while two rival reporters compete for the story. (93 mins.)
Stars: Jim Beaver, Jennifer Blaire, Larry Blamire, Bob Burns
The Lost Skeleton Returns Again (2009)
Jerranium 90, a "little rock" that made all the papers, is buried deep within the Amazon. And everybody wants it... (92 mins.)
Stars: H.M. Wynant, Frank Dietz, Christine Romeo, Brian Howe
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001)
A bad scientist and wife, a mad scientist and skeleton, two aliens and their escaped pet are all searching for the elusive element "atmospherium". (90 mins.)
Stars: Larry Blamire, Fay Masterson, Brian Howe, Andrew Parks
The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
An employee of a corporation with a lucrative secret process is tempted to betray it. But there's more to it than that. (110 mins.)
Stars: Steve Martin, Ben Gazzara, Campbell Scott, Rebecca Pidgeon
Heist (2001)
A career jewel thief finds himself at tense odds with his longtime partner, a crime boss who sends his nephew to keep watch. (109 mins.)
Stars: Gene Hackman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo
State and Main (2000)
A movie crew invades a small town whose residents are all too ready to give up their values for showbiz glitz. (105 mins.)
The Winslow Boy (1999)
Early 20th century England: while toasting his daughter Catherine's engagement, Arthur Winslow learns... (104 mins.)
American Buffalo (1996)
Long-repressed feelings of bitterness and betrayal explode when three inner-city losers plot the robbery of a valuable coin in a seedy second-hand junk shop. (88 mins.)
Director: Michael Corrente
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, Sean Nelson
Oleanna (1994)
Student Carol visits Professor John to discuss how she failed his course but the discussion takes awkward turn. (89 mins.)
Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)
New York actors rehearse Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" in a dilapidated theatre. (119 mins.)
Director: Louis Malle
Stars: Wallace Shawn, Phoebe Brand, George Gaynes, Jerry Mayer
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
An examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office. (100 mins.)
Director: James Foley
Stars: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin
The Untouchables (1987)
Federal Agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop Al Capone; because of rampant corruption, he assembles a small, hand-picked team. (119 mins.)
Snake Eyes (1998)
A shady police detective finds himself in the middle of a murder conspiracy at an important boxing match in an Atlantic City casino. (98 mins.)
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, John Heard, Carla Gugino
Carlito's Way (1993)
A Puerto Rican former convict, just released from prison, pledges to stay away from drugs and violence despite the pressure around him and lead on to a better life outside of N.Y.C. (144 mins.)
Stars: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguizamo
Casualties of War (1989)
During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager. (113 mins.)
Director: Brian DePalma
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Harvey, John C. Reilly
Body Double (1984)
A young actor's obsession with spying on a beautiful woman who lives nearby leads to a baffling series of events with drastic consequences. (114 mins.)
Scarface (1983)
In Miami in 1980, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed. (170 mins.)
Blow Out (1981)
A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger. (107 mins.)
Stars: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz
Dressed to Kill (1980)
A mysterious blonde woman kills one of a psychiatrist's patients, and then goes after the high-class call girl who witnessed the murder. (105 mins.)
Stars: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon
The Dark Knight (2008)
When the menace known as the Joker emerges from his mysterious past, he wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the Dark Knight must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice. (152 mins.)
Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
The Prestige (2006)
After a tragic accident two stage magicians engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion whilst sacrificing everything they have to outwit the other. (130 mins.)
Batman Begins (2005)
After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from the corruption that Scarecrow and the League of Shadows have cast upon it. (152 mins.)
Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson
Secondhand Lions (2003)
A coming-of-age story about a shy, young boy sent by his irresponsible mother to spend the summer with his wealthy, eccentric uncles in Texas. (111 mins.)
Director: Tim McCanlies
The Quiet American (2002)
An older British reporter vies with a young U.S. doctor for the affections of a beautiful Vietnamese woman. (101 mins.)
Director: Phillip Noyce
Miss Congeniality (2000)
An FBI agent must go undercover in the Miss United States beauty pageant to prevent a group from bombing the event. (109 mins.)
Director: Donald Petrie
Quills (2000)
In a Napoleonic era insane asylum, an inmate, the irrepressible Marquis De Sade, fights a battle of wills against a tyrannically prudish doctor. (124 mins.)
Director: Philip Kaufman
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Two con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of $50,000 first. (110 mins.)
Director: Frank Oz
Stars: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers
Without a Clue (1988)
A drunken Sherlock Holmes is really just a cover for the real detective - Dr Watson. (107 mins.)
Director: Thom Eberhardt
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Chief Brody's widow believes that her family is deliberately being targeted by another shark in search of revenge. (89 mins.)
Director: Joseph Sargent
Stars: Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles, Karen Young
Water (1985)
A British diplomat to a West Indian island nation finds his idyllic existence thrown into chaos when a large American drilling company finds a huge source of natural mineral water there. (115 mins.)
Director: Dick Clement
Blame It on Rio (1984)
Best friends and their daughters holiday in Rio only for one to fall for the other's daughter. (100 mins.)
Director: Stanley Donen
Educating Rita (1983)
In London, the twenty-seven year-old hairdresser Rita decides to complete her basic education before having children as desired by her husband Denny... (110 mins.)
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Deathtrap (1982)
A Broadway playwright puts murder in his plan to take credit for a student's script. (116 mins.)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, Dyan Cannon, Irene Worth
Victory (1981)
As allied POWs prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape. (116 mins.)
Director: John Huston
Stars: Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Pelé, Bobby Moore
The Island (1980)
In New York, the journalist Blair Maynard convinces his editor to travel to Florida to investigate the... (109 mins.)
Director: Michael Ritchie
The Swarm (1978)
A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people. (116 mins.)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Two British former soldiers decide to set themselves up as kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great. (129 mins.)
Director: John Huston
Funeral in Berlin (1966)
A British agent is sent to Berlin to receive a Communist defector, but the true situation turns out to be rather more complicated. (102 mins.)
Director: Guy Hamilton
Stars: Michael Caine, Oskar Homolka, Paul Hubschmid, Eva Renzi
Alfie (1966)
An unrepentant ladies' man gradually begins to understand the consequences of his lifestyle. (114 mins.)
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
Adventurers return to the overturned ship, seeking a fortune. (114 mins.)
Stars: Michael Caine, Sally Field, Telly Savalas, Peter Boyle
The Towering Inferno (1974)
At the opening party of a colossal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it. (165 mins.)
Director: John Guillermin
Stars: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
A group of passengers struggle to survive and escape when their ocean liner completely capsizes at sea. (117 mins.)
Director: Ronald Neame
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
When the Earth is threatened by a burning Van Allen Radiation Belt, U.S. Navy Admiral Harriman Nelson plans to shoot a nuclear missile at the Belt, using his experimental atomic submarine, the Seaview. (105 mins.)
Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, Peter Lorre
Breach (2007)
FBI upstart Eric O'Neill enters into a power game with his boss, Robert Hanssen, an agent who was put on trial for selling secrets to the Soviet Union. (110 mins.)
Director: Billy Ray
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
A sexually repressed woman's husband is having an affair with her sister. The arrival of a visitor with a rather unusual fetish changes everything. (100 mins.)
Kafka (1991)
Kafka works during the day at an insurance company, where events lead him to discover a mysterious underground society with strange suppressive goals. (98 mins.)
Stars: Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell, Joel Grey, Ian Holm
King of the Hill (1993)
A young boy struggles on his own in a run-down motel after his parents and younger brother are separated from him in 1930s Depression-era Midwest. (103 mins.)
Stars: Jesse Bradford, Jeroen Krabbé, Lisa Eichhorn, Karen Allen
The Underneath (1995)
A recovering gambling addict attempts to reconcile with his family and friends but finds trouble and temptation when caught between feelings for his ex-wife and her dangerous hoodlum boyfriend. (99 mins.)
Gray's Anatomy (1996)
After doctors inform him that an eye affliction will require risky surgery, monologist Spalding Gray recounts his various pursuits for alternative medicine to avoid the doctor's scalpel. (80 mins.)
Out of Sight (1998)
A career bank robber breaks out of jail, and shares a moment of mutual attraction with a U.S. Marshal he has kidnapped. (123 mins.)
Stars: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Steve Zahn
The Limey (1999)
An extremely volatile and dangerous Englishman goes to Los Angeles to find the man he considers responsible for his daughter's death. (89 mins.)
Stars: Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán
Erin Brockovich (2000)
An unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply. (131 mins.)
Stars: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, David Brisbin, Dawn Didawick
Traffic (2000)
A conservative judge is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is a crack addict. Two DEA agents protect an informant. A jailed drug baron's wife attempts to carry on the family business. (147 mins.)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Danny Ocean and his eleven accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously. (116 mins.)
Stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon
Full Frontal (2002)
A day in the life of a group of men and women in Hollywood, in the hours leading up to a friend's birthday party. (101 mins.)
Solaris (2002)
A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet. (99 mins.)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Daniel Ocean recruits one more team member so he can pull off three major European heists in this sequel to Ocean's 11. (125 mins.)
Atonement (2007)
Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a thirteen-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. (123 mins.)
Director: Joe Wright
Fight Club (1999)
An insomniac office worker, looking for a way to change his life, crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker, forming an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more. (139 mins.)
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier
The Matrix (1999)
A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. (136 mins.)
Director: The Wachowski Brothers, The Wachowski Brothers
American Beauty (1999)
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend. (122 mins.)
Director: Sam Mendes
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Two Jedi Knights escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their old glory. (136 mins.)
Director: George Lucas
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd
American Pie (1999)
Four teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. (95 mins.)
Director: Paul Weitz
Office Space (1999)
Three company workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel against their greedy boss. (89 mins.)
Director: Mike Judge
Stars: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu
The Sixth Sense (1999)
A boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. (107 mins.)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Fraternal twins set out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by an FBI agent. (108 mins.)
Director: Troy Duffy
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
A pretty, popular teenager can't go out on a date until her ill-tempered older sister does. (97 mins.)
Director: Gil Junger
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. (132 mins.)
Stars: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel
Gran Torino (2008)
Disgruntled Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a Hmong teenager who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino. (116 mins.)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Christopher Carley, Ahney Her
Absolute Power (1997)
A career thief witnesses a horrific crime involving the U.S. President. (121 mins.)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney
A Perfect World (1993)
A kidnapped boy strikes up a friendship with his captor: an escaped convict on the run from the law, headed by an honorable U.S. Marshal. (138 mins.)
Stars: Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Laura Dern, T.J. Lowther
In the Line of Fire (1993)
Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan couldn't save Kennedy, but he's determined not to let a clever assassin take out this president. (128 mins.)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Unforgiven (1992)
Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner and a young man. (130 mins.)
The Dead Pool (1988)
Dirty Harry Callahan must stop a sick secret contest to murder local celebrities, which includes himself as a target. (91 mins.)
Director: Buddy Van Horn
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude. (130 mins.)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Marsha Mason, Everett McGill, Moses Gunn
Pale Rider (1985)
A mysterious preacher protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land. (115 mins.)
Tightrope (1984)
New Orleans single dad and cop Wes Block goes after a serial rapist-killer but when he gets too close to the target the hunter suddenly becomes the hunted. (114 mins.)
Director: Richard Tuggle
Sudden Impact (1983)
A rape victim is exacting revenge on her aggressors in a small town outside San Francisco. "Dirty" Harry Callahan, on suspension for angering his superiors (again), is assigned to the case. (117 mins.)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, Bradford Dillman
Firefox (1982)
A pilot is sent into the Soviet Union on a mission to steal a prototype jet fighter that can be partially controlled by a neuralink (136 mins.)
Any Which Way You Can (1980)
A trucker turned prize fighter, his brother and their pet orangutan have a series of misadventures involving the mob, corrupt cops, motorcycle gangs and pretty dames. (116 mins.)
Director: Buddy Van Horn
Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
The San Fernando Valley adventures of trucker turned prize-fighter Philo Beddoe and his pet orangutan Clyde. (114 mins.)
Director: James Fargo
The Gauntlet (1977)
A hard but mediocre cop is assigned to escort a prostitute into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won't make it into town alive. (109 mins.)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince
The Enforcer (1976)
Dirty Harry must foil a terrorist organization made up of disgruntled Vietnam veterans. But this time, he's teamed with a rookie female partner that he's not too excited to be working with. (96 mins.)
Director: James Fargo
Magnum Force (1973)
Dirty Harry is on the trail of vigilante cops who are not above going beyond the law to kill the city's undesirables. (124 mins.)
Director: Ted Post
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitchell Ryan, David Soul
Dirty Harry (1971)
When a mad man calling himself 'the Scorpio Killer' menaces the city, tough as nails San Francisco Police Inspector Harry Callahan is assigned to track down and ferret out the crazed psychopath. (102 mins.)
Director: Don Siegel
The Beguiled (1971)
While imprisoned in a Confederate girls' boarding school, an injured Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts, causing them to turn on each other, and eventually, on him. (105 mins.)
Director: Donald Siegel
Tarantula (1955)
A spider escapes from an isolated desert laboratory experimenting in giantism and grows to tremendous size as it wreaks havoc on the local inhabitants. (80 mins.)
Director: Jack Arnold
Stars: John Agar, Mara Corday, Leo G. Carroll, Nestor Paiva
Revenge of the Creature (1955)
Men capture the creature from the Black Lagoon and make him an aquarium attraction, from which he escapes. (82 mins.)
Director: Jack Arnold
Stars: John Agar, Lori Nelson, John Bromfield, Nestor Paiva
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
An insane general triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop. (95 mins.)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Mary Poppins (1964)
In turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father. (139 mins.)
Director: Robert Stevenson
Goldfinger (1964)
Investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve. (110 mins.)
Director: Guy Hamilton
Stars: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman, Shirley Eaton
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge. (99 mins.)
Director: Sergio Leone
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter. (86 mins.)
Director: Ubaldo B. Ragona, Sidney Salkow
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
Inspector Jacques Clouseau investigates the murder of Mr. Benjamin Ballon's driver at a country estate. (102 mins.)
Director: Blake Edwards
Stars: Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, George Sanders, Herbert Lom
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
A "typical" day in the life of The Beatles, including many of their famous songs. (87 mins.)
Director: Richard Lester
Stars: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Superman II (1980)
Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth. (127 mins.)
Director: Richard Lester
Stars: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty


text:
Hyundai has thrown down the gauntlet in the luxury car market with the new Genesis sedan. Then they took Ford to task with the new Genesis coupe, which offered the cheapest solution for 300hp, besting the Mustang GT. Now they've set their sights on the track with the rough-n-ready (and dirt cheap) R-Spec coupe.
Source: Autoblog
The R-Spec coupe is aimed squarely at the tuner market, and does away with most of the non-essentials - so forget fanciness - Bluetooth is absent, no automatic headlights, cruise control, chrome trim, steering wheel buttons, and anything else that adds weight. It makes up for it in the right places though — four pot Brembos, Torsen limited slip differential, six speed manual and Bridgestone Potenza tires around 19 inch gunmetal gray wheels. A more aggressive ECU tune, 7% stiffer front springs and 15% stiffer rears, retuned dampers and thicker anti-roll bars round out the package.
At a starting price start of $23,750, expect to see quite a few of these on the road very soon. Check out the rest of the shots here.
© 2017 Spike Cable Networks. All Rights Reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
WF Quotes of the Week: Edgar Davids Retires, Lionel Messi Staying at BarcaDecember 29, 2013
WF Quotes of the Week: Edgar Davids Retires, Lionel Messi Staying at Barca
Despite the Christmas schedule adding a thick layer of snow to the mix, the football world hasn't stopped spinning over the past seven days.
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi feature in amongst this week's most memorable mentions, strangely both alluding to matters at the Camp Nou.
On top of that, Edgar Davids has announced his retirement in controversial fashion, and Roberto Martinez has stated that one of his players isn't for sale, not even for a world record transfer fee.
Read on for all that and more in the World Football Quotes of the Week.
Jose Mourinho: 'Arsenal Players Like to Cry'
In the fallout of Chelsea's 0-0 draw against Arsenal, Jose Mourinho labelled it as a "club tradition" for the Gunners to cry on the pitch.
Throughout the years, the Premier League has become as diverse as any other of Europe's elite divisions, but Mourinho appears to be of the disposition that England's native players are a tougher specimen.
Commenting on the fragile nature of his opponents, the Blues boss was reported by the Mirror's John Cross as saying of his opponents:
You know, they like to cry. That's tradition. But I prefer to say, and I was telling it to the fourth official, that English people - Frank Lampard, for example - would never provoke a situation like that.
Players from other countries, especially some countries, have that in their blood if you have a contact or the opponent was aggressive. Foreign players are bringing lots of good things. They come here because they are talented. But I prefer English blood in football. English blood in this situation is: 'Come on, let's go.'
It's undoubtedly encouraging for the manager to be so gung-ho in his pursuit of tough, clean football, but let's not forget this is a man who benefited from some questionable Didier Drogba incidents during their highly fruitful time together at Stamford Bridge.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 'You Can't Compare Men's and Women's Football'
Not for the first time this season, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has risked landing himself in hot water.
A gender controversy has erupted as a result of the Paris Saint-Germain star's comments on women's football, which he clearly feels are some way off the standard of their male counterparts'.
Speaking to the Expressen newspaper this week (h/t the Guardian), Ibrahimovic said:
With all respect for what the ladies have done, and they've done it fantastically well, you can't compare men's and women's football. Give it up, it's not even funny.
When I come out in Europe they compare me to [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. When I come home they compare me to a female player. With all respect for the ladies, they should be rewarded in relation to what they generate [financially].
I was asked [by Swedish media] in the summer who was the better player, me or [Sweden striker] Lotta Schelin. You're joking with me, right? When I've broken all these records, this goal record, the goals in the national team, who shall I compare it to? Shall I compare it to whoever has the record, or the ladies?
While one would find it difficult to find footing in the argument that women were generally equal to men in terms of football quality, it's easy to see why a woman might find Ibrahimovic's comments abrasive.
One such figure who clearly falls under that category is Sweden's women's national team coach Pia Sundhage who, when speaking to Swedish outlet SVT (h/t the Guardian), reacted:
[It's] boring and sad for Swedish football when a team captain puts it so. One time, he says that we are fantastic and then he thinks that we should have a bike. It feels like he is up and down in the article and it is unfortunately completely wrong, I think.
I understand him when he says that [the men's] squad pulls in more money and exposure. But it's still about respect, we're doing the same stuff: it's football. Then, one should not compare men and women, it is quite impossible.
Though the head-to-head wouldn't quite qualify as a "battle of the sexes" just yet, it appears there's a clear divide in opinion struck between two of Sweden's biggest football figures, gender being the split.
Roberto Martinez: Barkley Wouldn't Be Sold 'Even for Gareth Bale-Size Valuation'
Ross Barkley's breakout season continued over the Christmas period, with the Everton starlet bagging an 84th-minute winning free-kick at the Liberty Stadium.
One person who was particularly happy to heap praise on his midfielder was Toffees boss Roberto Martinez.
Just as he did at the DW Stadium, Martinez has adopted a stern approach when it comes to selling his stars at Goodison Park, and in an effort to ward off interest in Barkley's services, the Spaniard was quoted by David Maddock of the Mirror as saying:
Even if we got a Gareth Bale-size valuation we would never even consider it in January. Ross is an icon for us. He represents everything we are trying to do this season, so even if a stupid offer arrived in January it would never, never affect us.
It is important for us as a football club to show we are making the right football decisions. There is no question mark over Ross' future, he is in the best moment of his time and is everything we want a player to represent at Everton.
There is not even a question mark against whether he is going to be here in February or not.
At 20 years of age and with only 18 Premier League starts to his name, Barkley has already garnered a price-tag of more than £87 million if that's to be believed.
No pressure, Ross.
Avram Grant on Management Drought: 'I Miss the Challenge'
Having left West Ham in 2011, it's been some time since Avram Grant has experienced the ups and downs (mostly down) of the Premier League rat race.
Furthermore, the former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss hasn't held a management position since departing the helm of Partizan Belgrade in the summer of 2012.
However, Grant is more than ready to get back in the saddle, it seems, and when appearing on Sky Sports this week, the manager took his opportunity to advertise his talents, saying:
I like to be on the pitch and I like the contact with the players but I am now lecturing around the world about football.
I am learning a lot and it is good for me to be out of the game to recharge the batteries but I miss the challenge and the day-by-day (involvement) and I miss the fighting to achieve something.
Grant's most recent memories of the English top flight aren't exactly fond ones, as it was he who led the Hammers to relegation during the 2010-11 season.
However, the Israeli has had his share of brighter moments as a team leader, and the manager-less outfits of Cardiff City and West Brom may just be drawn in by the plea for a more exciting lifestyle.
Jorge Messi: 'Messi's Future Is Tied to the Future of This Club'
Lionel Messi's position at Barcelona has come under increased scrutiny of late, a supposed back-and-forth between the player and his club is alleged to have occurred over the topic of salary and a contract dispute.
However, Messi's father Jorge has moved to clear the entire situation up, per Diario Ole (h/t Eurosport), proclaiming that his future and that of Barca's go hand-in-hand:
I think that we need to close this chapter right now. The press shouldn't see anything else other than a direct response from Leo to Senor Faus' comments.
What's done is done. We need to look forward, not backwards. When Leo says something it always creates a lot of headlines. We don't want him to generate any conflict with Barcelona, and least of all the Barcelona fans, to whom Leo, as a club professional, owes everything.
No-one can deny that Leo is at Barcelona because of the love and feelings he has for that club. We are not trying to create any tension over this issue. If the club calls us, we will sit down with the directors. And with regards to Leo's future at Barcelona, the Barcelona fans should know that his future is tied to the future of this club.
The four-time Ballon d'Or winner has gone through a rough year at the Camp Nou, mired by injury and a struggle to gain any sort of consistency.
However, it's at times such as these that a player's will is tested to the extreme, and it appears as though Messi's commitment might remain in Barcelona nonetheless.
Needless to say the forward's father is at least convinced as to where his future lies.
Luis Suarez Opens Up to Young Interviewer
Luis Suarez's recent history as one of football's more controversial figures has unsurprisingly led to a lot of awkward questioning being aimed in his direction.
Even more understandably, the Uruguayan has therefore not proven to be the most open of interviewees in recent seasons, but that all changed for a budding Liverpool fan this past week.
Organised by the club itself, Reds supporter Finn was given the chance to speak to Suarez in a one-on-one setting, via the club's YouTube channel, where the crucial topics of chocolate digestives, winning the Premier League with Liverpool, and the sentiments behind the striker's celebrations, along with much more.
One particular gem came when Finn asked his club's talisman if he'd be able to "really, really, really try" in ensuring the Merseysiders come out on top of the English top flight this term, to which Suarez replied:
It's my dream. It's my dream because I hope so to one day win the league, and win one big trophy with Liverpool.
It's my dream and when I win that, I remember my family and then you because you tell me that.
Bad reputation or not, even Suarez has a soft side.
Edgar Davids Retires, Saying: 'The League Is Targeting Barnet'
Having featured at the top level for almost 23 years, Edgar David has finally called time on his playing career, signing off as player-manager of Barnet.
However, true to form, the Dutchman hasn't left the field quietly, and after receiving a third red card of the season this week, hinted that he's convinced that a prejudice exists against his side.
After his club succumbed 1-0 at Salisbury City on Saturday, Davids was quoted by Adam Hewson of the Barnet & Potters Bar Times as saying:
I think I know for definite now that the league is targeting Barnet. I don't know how many games we have played now but there is weird decision-making all the time.
It is ridiculous, especially the first one (yellow card) because everyone can see I cleared the ball. That was an absolute disgrace. The other one for the red card was also a disgrace.
I am a target but it is ok. I don't think I am going to play anymore because they are taking away the fun and I want the team to do well. The fun of playing in this league, I have just lost it.
It seems awfully coincidental that Davids, a 40-year-old veteran past his playing best, should be attracting all the wrong attention, having been shown five red cards during his year-long stint with Barnet.
Jorge Mendes: 'Ronaldo Would Score 120 Goals a Season at Barcelona'
In super agent circles, Jorge Mendes is perhaps among the most well-known figures, boasting an address book of clients that would make Don King green with envy.
And a key part of an agent's job is advertising their assets in the right light, one of, if not Jorge Mendes' finest being Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Real Madrid superstar has already torn up the turf in a manner that only he's capable of during 2013 and heads into this January's Ballon d'Or ceremony as favourite for the award.
However, Mendes is convinced the attacker would do even better were he at Barcelona, A Bola TV (h/t Goal.com's Alec Fenn) reporting the Portuguese businessman as saying:
"Messi's goalscoring record? If Ronaldo played for Barcelona he would score 120 goals a season."
If Mendes isn't careful, one might even interpret those comments as an insult to Ronaldo's teammates at the Bernabeu, with the ammunition supply at Barca perhaps being seen as of a higher standard.
Take the quote as you might, but there's no mixed emotions over who Mendes feels is most deserving of being crowned 2013's best player.


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Lisburn PSNI cell death accused pair named after reporting restrictions lifted
A custody sergeant and a former civilian detention officer who deny causing the death of a police prisoner can now be identified after a judge lifted the reporting restrictions.
Last month at Craigavon Crown Court PSNI officer Brian McKenna and Alexander McAllister pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of David McGowan on May 30, 2014.
The case could not be publicised as a reporting restriction was put in place due to McKenna's job and the perceived potential threat to his life because of that. In a Belfast court yesterday Mr Justice Treacy lifted that restriction after it was challenged by the media.
McKenna and McAllister, whose addresses were given as Lisburn PSNI station, are also accused of misconduct in public office, McKenna as a sergeant and McAllister as a civilian detention officer, in that in their respective roles they "wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification neglected to perform a duty of care" to Mr McGowan on a date between May 28 and 31, 2014.
The 28-year-old Lisburn man was arrested after an incident on the Beersbridge Road in east Belfast. He was found dead in a cell at Lisburn PSNI station hours later.
The charges follow an investigation by the Police Ombudsman when, in the aftermath of Mr McGowan's death, investigators interviewed his family, witnesses and examined police actions.
In a statement last May the Public Prosecution Service confirmed that a decision had been taken to charge the men.
"After a careful consideration of all the available evidence in the case, it has been decided to prosecute two men, one of whom is a police sergeant and the other was a civilian detention officer, for the offences of gross negligence manslaughter and misconduct in public office," the PPS said.
ACC Mark Hamilton acknowledged how "difficult a time" it had been for the McGowan family following the death.
"I can confirm that one police officer has been suspended from duty in respect of these matters. A second person, who was employed by our managed service provider, is no longer working in the PSNI," he said.
Lawyers representing Mr McGowan's family said they welcomed the decision to prosecute.
"This has been a deeply traumatic two years for David's family, particularly his mother Elizabeth, but this announcement will go some way in helping them to come to terms with David's death. Although the family are still cautious as they recognise it will take some time to reach the final conclusion, however we are all quietly confident justice will prevail."
Belfast Telegraph


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Labour will protect low paid workers – Joanna Tuffy
Labour Party TDs and ministers are united in the fight to preserve wages for low page workers, according to one of the party's Dublin backbenchers.
Dublin Mid-West TD Joanna Tuffy was responding to plans by Jobs Minister Richard Bruton to cut the wages of 250,000 workers in the restaurant, hotel and retail sectors.
The proposals were criticised by several Labour backbenchers yesterday and speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland today, Ms Tuffy said Minister Bruton's plans were his "personal opinions", which he was entitled to, "But the minister is just one member of cabinet and the cabinet will make the decision."
Ms Tuffy said Mr Bruton's plan would not create jobs and could in fact lead to increased unemployment and widen inequality. "If you reduce the terms and conditions of these workers, you reduce demand in the hospitality and retail sectors and you could end up crearting more unemployment," she said.
She said she was confident that her views were also those of the Labour Party as a whole, and said ministers Joan Burton and Brendan Howlin agreed with her.
"I'm confident that the party will protect low paid workers," she said. Asked if she would vote against Minister Bruton's proposals if they came before the Dail, she said she "didn't think it will come to that".


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Building Books: How Our Leader's Companions Come Together
We are thrilled to be sending the Magnificent Marvelous Me! Leader's Companion to press!
We've demystified the process of putting our curriculum together and we're giving you a sneak peek of the design, too. Look for this Leader's Companion on our online store this summer, where you can purchase it in a bundle with ten copies of Magnificent Marvelous Me! at a special rate. Here's how our Leader's Companion was made:
- Lots of meetings! We meet with brilliant advisors who help us understand best practices in the fields of social and emotional learning, education, and mental and physical health. They help us develop language around social justice, meditation activities, and moving our bodies through space. All of these meetings get synthesized into every area of the Leader's Companion, but especially in our alignment charts and Tab 2: Best Practices.
- Activity Brainstorming. Have you ever wanted to work at a think tank? Our program coordinators and book developers spend a lot of time thinking about how to pair our pages with a variety of body movement, meditation, and visual arts projects using unique, high-quality mediums that will be engaging for kids while maintaining therapeutic value.
- Making Art! We pilot our new Leader's Companions with schools and organizations around the Puget Sound Region and also invite interns and volunteers to make sample pieces. All of these get photographed and many end up in the pages of the Leader's Companion.
4. Rewriting, revising, refining. Every Leader's Companion is built in many stages, with our volunteer advisory team looking over our work to ensure efficacy at every state. At the final stages, we get everything beautifully designed with help from some brilliant graphic artists, copyedit with some help from our friends at Girl Friday Productions, and send the whole shebang to the printer!