EUROPEAN DRAW

FC Porto v Malaga

 

Valencia v Paris Saint-Germain

 
Real Madrid v Manchester United

 
AC Milan v FC Barcelona

 
Shakhtar Donetsk v Borussia Dortmund

 
Arsenal v Bayern Munich

 
Celtic v Juventus

 
Galatasaray v Schalke 04

President Obama named as TIME magazine's 'Person of the Year' for the second time in four years

DID IT AGAIN

KEEPING THE HOPE ALIVE

 

BALOTELLI MATURES.

BACKS DOWN FROM FIGHTING CITY

Mario Balotelli has shown signs of maturity for the first time in months as he decided not to face Manchester City at a Premier League tribunal.

City were due to meet with their errant striker at a Premier League showdown today (Wednesday) after he contested a fine of two weeks' wages - £340,000 - imposed for accumulating too many red and yellow cards last season

A City statement – released just after midday – said: 'After amicable talks between the parties, as a sign of respect for Roberto Mancini, the supporters and the club, Mario Balotelli has chosen to accept a two-week fine levied upon him by the club and withdraw his disciplinary appeal, which was due to be heard by a Premier League panel today

 

'Mario remains available for selection for all forthcoming fixtures.'

City imposed the fine at the end of last season after working out that Balotelli had missed 20 per cent of his team’s games through suspension.

However, Balotelli was informed by his legal team that there is no provision in guidelines drawn up by the Premier League and the PFA Players’ Union for that kind of fine.

He originally appealed to an internal panel at City and, after losing that, chose to take his case to the Premier League.

Balotelli missed training on Tuesday after being sent home with a virus. He will not be involved when City face Reading at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as manager Mancini does not think he is fit enough

 

How Much Does Appearance Really Matter?

We’re all told that appearances shouldn’t matter — we shouldn’t judge other people by their appearances or make a priority of keeping up with the Joneses. But you’d think that if these beliefs on appearance are such universal truths, we wouldn’t have to keep reinforcing them. We’d have no problem avoiding spending money on things that really just amount to keeping up our appearances.

The Value of Appearances

A lot of personal finance gurus draw a hard line against spending money on appearances. I can think of a few who only buy clothes from second-hand stores, drive cars that are more than ten years old and go to great lengths not to spend money on making them look good.
I can’t help but think that such an approach is, in its own way, an effort to present a very specific appearance. After all, how far would someone talking about thriftiness get with an appearance that obviously cost a lot to maintain?
As a society, we value appearances, no matter how often we hear “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Simply cutting our budgets for clothing and other expenses related to the image we project can have far reaching impacts simply beyond saving us money. The right appearance, after all, can make a difference in whether or not you land a job, the price you can negotiate for a car, even affect where you live.

Investing in Appearances

I’m not one of those people who typically spend a lot of time thinking about appearances. I have about four pairs of shoes and can generally be expected to show up in a t-shirt just about anywhere. But recently, I let my very fashion-conscious sister pick out my outfits for meetings with clients. There was a huge difference in how those clients reacted to me in the more formal (and fashionable) outfits she picked out than the jeans and t-shirt I would normally show up in. Just that little change made a world of difference in how easy I could land clients and the prices I could charge.
When your ability to land a raise or a client is at stake, it’s worth thinking about the image you present as an investment. Sure, the car you drive to meet with clients isn’t going to appreciate in value, but if it helps you land bigger accounts, it may just be worth it. When thinking about your appearance, you need to take your goals and your current situation into account. There is truth to the idea that people prefer to buy from or work with individuals that are successful, and your appearance is the main way that they can tell just how successful you may be. That doesn’t mean you need to rush out and buy a brand new car — there are many ways of signaling your own successes — but you do need to think about appearances.
You have to take your personal situation into account, along with what impact your appearance actually has in your life. In a sense, you have to prioritize the image you want to present. For most people, keeping up appearances certainly shouldn’t be a high priority — but it should be something that you consider when you’re making your budget and planning your finances.

Keeping Up Appearances

There is an undeniable danger that goes along with constantly trying to keep up with the Joneses, no matter the actual value of keeping up appearances. It’s important to understand the differences between making sure that your appearance can help you move towards your goals and just wanting to project an image for image’s sake. It’s that second one that can become incredibly expensive.
It’s also worth reminding yourself that image is not the same as reality. If you want your appearance to include expensive clothes or cars, you don’t necessarily have to spend too much on them. Careful shopping (including a trip by the second-hand store) can create a wardrobe that costs less than it appears to. It takes some planning — more than you would need to just go to the nearest store.
If appearances need to be a priority for you, that shouldn’t be a problem — but you may need to spend some time on that priority, especially if your budget doesn’t necessarily leave room for the image you need to project. Handled correctly, there’s no reason that you can’t turn your appearance into an asset.

Sienna Miller is Vogue UK's December cover girl

December's issue of Vogue takes a decidedly glamorous feel with Sienna Miller as its glittery cover girl. Inside the mag, the pint-sized beauty discusses her messy apartment, Twenty8Twelve and being a muse for designer Matthew Williamson. "Five years ago, I cut out a picture from a magazine of a pretty blonde girl with a green jacket on. My sales director saw it and told me that the girl, a friend of hers, was a young actress. I subsequently met her at the premiere of Cold Mountain. She was all dressed up in Dior with ice cream down her front. It was love, " Williamson says of Miller. Too cute!

COCO HAS MORE ISSUES

Behold Nicole "Coco" Austin at the Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav. Her outfit is wrong on so many levels, I'm not even sure what to say. What one would do with breasts that large and fake, I'm not sure. But the poor thing seems to be struggling to find shirts that fit, I mean, just LOOK at the hole her breasts ripped in that shirt!

 

 

Beyonce inks $50 million deal with Pepsi

Pepsi continues its love affair with A-listers by retaining Beyonce for its newest campaign. The singing superstar not only continues to act as the face of the brand (she has been with them since 2002) her new contract has reportedly earned her a cool $50 million dollars in the process.

It's a win-win situation for the diva, with the campaign set to coincide with her next album set for release in 2013. She will also perform at next year's Super Bowl halftime show in February which, of course, will be sponsored by Pepsi. Furthermore she will star in a new TV ad and appear on a limited edition line of soda cans. The first image from her promotional shoot is pictured above.

Pepsi also announced it would create the multimillion fund to support Beyonce's creative endeavours. "Pepsi embraces creativity and understands that artists evolve," Beyonce said in a statement. "As a businesswoman, this allows me to work with a lifestyle brand with no compromise and without sacrificing my creativity."
Pepsi's last campaign featured Sofia Vergara in a tongue-in-cheek TV commercial for Diet Pepsi. The Modern Family actress appeared alongside David Beckham in the "Beach Tweet" ad which saw her don a $98 Norma Kamali swimsuit. Check out the amusing ad below.

ARSENAL WON BUT THE FANS WANTS WENGER OUT

Arsenal won with a comfortable 5-2 at Reading but that wasn't convincing enough for some of Arsenal's fans as they want Coach Wenger to step down as coach of the club.

Wenger and Theo Walcott also seem to have made up for their differences as they shoot hands and hugged as the player stepped out of the field. Theo scored the fifth goal for Arsenal while Cazorla had a treble.

 

WHAT SOME PEOPLE WILL DO FOR A WATCH

Whose the real winner. The watch company uses their study deed to make more money while they go to jail. Cool.

Chelsea book final place in Club world cup

Goals from Mata and Torres helped Chelsea to book their place in the club world final.

The goal from Torres and second from Mata were actually aided goals by the opponents.

They will meet Brazilian Champions Corinthians in the final.

They beat Mexican champions Monterrey 3-1 in a match that was watched by empty seats as less than 1000 chelsea fans showed up.

Chelsea fans still showed their dislike of current caretaker manager Rafa as they chanted the name of Robert Di Mateo at some point in the match.

When will this stop, after he wins the league, that won't happen.

 

Real Madrid loses

Madrid was beaten by Celta Vigo in the first leg of the Copa del Rey cup.

The match ended 2-1 in favor of Celta Vigo.

I don't know why Madrid have to lose matches.

 

Drogba host party for Chelsea players Torries didn't show up

Chelsea's hero Didier Drogba hosted a dinner tonight in honour of the Champions League title victory he secured with is former team-mates in May - although Fernando Torres was conspicuous by his absence.

Drogba organised the reunion at the Wyndham Hotel in Chelsea Harbour in recognition of last May’s amazing achievements, when they defeated Bayern Munich in their own stadium to lift the trophy.

He presented his old colleagues and backroom staff with special commemorative rings to mark their achievement - early reports suggest their total cost is around £800,000.

The Ivorian set up the special dinner to raise spirits after they became the first Champions League winners to be knocked out in the group stages the following season.

Spanish striker Torres, who is attempting to fill Drogba's boots at the club, was not in attendance.
However his son Leo turned two today and so he may have had an excuse for not showing up. Juan Mata and Petr Cech were also unable to make it to the event

NOW CHELSEA MIKEL GETS 3 MATCH BAN AND THE REFEREES UNION THINKS ITS NOT ENOUGH

John Mikel Obi has been handed down a three match ban for his confrontation with Referee Mark Clatternburg after Chelsea's stormy Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United in October.

I think it was the one that happened in the dressing room and not on the field of play.

He was also handed a fine of £60,000 after he admitted the charge.

However, the referees trade union expressed dismay at the lenient punishment handed down by the FA Regulatory Commission to Chelsea player Jonh Obi Mikel.

The FA had earlier on revealed that the sanction would have been 'significantly longer' but for the fact Mikel had believed he had been racially abused by Clattenburg.

Hope this put a seal on this sad event.

BASKETBALLER LEBRON JAMES WINS ILLUSTRATED'S SPORTMAN OF THE YEAR

 

 

Miami Heat player LeBron James has been awared with the Illustrated Sportman of the Year award.

 

He accepted the honour at the award presentation at Espace in New York City.

 

Jay-Z and wife Beyonce were there to join him celebrated. LeBron had his long time girl friend and mother of his children with him. They are engaged to me married soon.

 

 

 

 

`Mikel signs five more years for Chelsea`

 

Speculations about John Obi Mikel future at Chelsea were put to rest after he signed a new five year contract extension at Chelsea.

 

He has thus committed his future to the European Champions until 2017, meaning he would now spend 11 years at the club.

 

He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2006 after controversially pulling out of a move to Manchester United.

 

He said after the signing 'Chelsea seems like my home now because i have been here for over six years and i enjoy my time here.

 

 

Congrats Mikel. Make us proud.

 

FACT OF LIFE!

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village.
A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked
how long it took him to catch them.
“Not very long.” they answered in unison.
“Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?”
The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.
“But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
“We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives.
In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs.
We have a full life.”
The tourist interrupted,
“I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!
You should start by fishing longer every day.
You can then sell the extra fish you catch.
With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.”
“And after that?”
“With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.
You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City , Los Angeles , or even New York City !
From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.”
“How long would that take?”
“Twenty, perhaps twenty five years.” replied the tourist.
“And after that?”
“Afterwards?
Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting, ” answered the tourist, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!”
“Millions? Really? And after that?” asked the fishermen.
“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast,
sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife
and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.”
“With all due respect sir, but that’s exactly what we are doing now.
So what’s the point wasting twenty five years?” asked the Mexicans.
And the moral of this story is:
Know where you’re going in life….
you may already be there!!!!

SHE KILLED HERSELF BECAUSE SHE WAS LONELY.

FAMILY IS INFACT EVERYTHING

 glamorous 28-year-old businesswoman

A kenya businesswoman living in Britain has killed herself because she could not cope with living alone without her family who were spread across the world.

Sales manager Sharon Bukokhe was a high achiever working for a family planning charity but felt lonely because relatives including her husband lived abroad.

She was said to have used her laptop to research ways to commit suicide, applied full make up and painted her nails before she suffocated herself at her flat in April.  Unbelievable.


A diary found after her death said: ‘I think that any life is as valid as the next, such that an ending of 25 is as good as 88. I have no real regrets or fears any more, I just feel decisive and justified.’

She was a graduate of design and engineering at Nottingham Trent University and settled in the UK in 2002 an inquest was told.

NIGERIAN WOMAN OVERTAKES OPRAH AS WORLD RICHEST WOMAN

A Nigerian Oil Business tycoon has edge out Oprah as the world richest black woman, a position she has held for many years.

Her name is Folorunsho Alakija, 61 year old and she is worth at least $3.2 billion, $500 million more than Oprah.

Alakija was born into a wealthy Family, married with children, four grown up sons and a grandchild. She is also a fashion designer.



Way to go Ma. Congrats.

EVEN ARSENAL TARGET CAN'T WATCH THEM.

lost 1 - 2

 

 

Arsenal lost or perhaps were beaten by Greek side Olympiacos Tuesday night and one of the players they have been watching and willing to acquire just can't watch them play.

 

Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha has been watched by the club's scouts for much of the season, but after they fell behind in Athens, the England forward stopped watching them.

 

Zaha complained on twitter

 

I swear I'm not watching arsenal anymore' Arsenal are poor. plain and simple, sorry @Ian Wright0 its so annoying watching them, used be made of steel, Now, papier mache!

 

I don't know if i totally agree with the 20 year old but Arsenal have indeed been poor.

 

 

 

 

 

MANCHESTER CITY: WORST ENGLISH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TEAM

LOSES AGAIN

Mancini Manchester City lost again to Germany Champion Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday Champions League final round robin matches.

With this loss, Manchester City will end at the bottom of their group and won't even qualify for the Europa League. They didn't win a single match home or away.

Though i think the player didn't want to play in that league in the first place so they were atleast going for a draw. But when you shoot for the Moon instead of the Sun, you won't end up in the Stars.