kimblr.com

Channel 4’s digital time-shift service Channel 4 +1 pulled in its highest audience since launching in August last year when more than 700,000 viewers tuned in to the Big Brother highlights show last night, Thursday June 19.
The episode, which included coverage of Big Brother housemate Alexandra De-Gale’s removal from the show on Wednesday evening for allegedly threatening behaviour, brought 703,000 viewers and a multichannel share of 4.4% to Channel 4 +1 between 10pm and 11pm, according to unofficial overnight figures.
The time shift channel benefited from viewers switching over from the end of ITV1’s coverage of the Euro 2008 quarter final match between Germany and Portugal, which ended at 10pm, clashing with Channel 4’s Big Brother broadcast.
Channel 4 +1’s previous highest rating was also for a Big Brother episode first broadcast against Euro 2008 football on Channel 4 on Thursday last week. The Channel 4 +1 repeat scored 530,000 viewers in the 10pm hour.
Big Brother’s first showing last night on the main Channel 4 service attracted 3.5 million viewers and a 15% share between 9pm and 10pm.
On Channel 4 the dramatic instalment held its own against ITV1’s Euro 2008 match, with the reality show peaking at 4.4 million viewers for the 15 minutes from 9.45pm.
Wednesday night’s Big Brother picked up 3.2 million viewers and a 20% share in the later 10pm hour, with a further 238,000 watching an hour later on Channel 4 +1.
ITV1’s live coverage of the Euro 2008 game, which saw Germany progress to the semi-finals, winning 3-2 against Portugal, peaked at 8.3 million viewers and a 36% share for the 15 minutes from 9pm.
Live match coverage attracted 7.3 million viewers and a 33% share between 7.45pm and 9.45pm – the highest rating so far for the tournament.
The event’s previous high came with the France v Italy match on BBC1 on Tuesday, which attracted 6.8 million viewers for live match coverage.

guardian.co.uk

Italy must bounce back from their Dutch disappointment when they take on Romania in Zurich.
The world champions were among the favourites to lift the trophy prior to the start of the tournament, but Monday’s 3-0 loss has left them in a precarious position and piled the pressure on boss Roberto Donadoni.
Anything less than victory for the Azzurri against Romania would be deemed a disaster, while a second successive defeat would eliminate them from the tournament.
Donadoni has revealed that he could make up to five changes and has confirmed that Alessandro Del Piero and Giorgio Chiellini will come in.
Fabio Grosso, Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Cassano have also been tipped to feature from the start, while Marco Materazzi, Andrea Barzagli, Antonio Di Natale and Mauro Camoranesi could be the ones who find their places under threat.
Donadoni realises the importance of picking up three points but has stressed that his side will have to find the right balance between attack and defence.
He said: “Winning is fundamental for us. We have worked towards that goal and will do everything to achieve it.
“We must not think if we have not scored by the fourth minute it is a disaster. The game lasts 90 minutes and we must be patient.”
Romania tested France’s patience in their opening match and held out for a goalless draw to boost their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
They were impressive in defence and will look to similarly frustrate Italy, but coach Victor Piturca has hinted at a slightly more attacking approach.
Striker Ciprian Marica is set to miss out after suffering a blow to his head in training on Tuesday but Piturca has no other injury concerns.
Adrian Mutu toiled away up front against Les Bleus with little support but still managed to pose problems and Piturca is hoping his side can break down the Italian backline.

skysports.com

They bored us all to tears during their fortunate opening win against Switzerland but Chickendinner thinks Czech Republic can shock Portugal tonight. But can the team with one of the greatest past records at the European Championship go on to win the tournament?
To view previews of every team in Euro 2008 click here
Chickendinner predicts Quarter-finalists
» Sometimes struggle to match qualifying form
» But often reach the semi-finals
2000 – Group Stage exit
Group A Opponents (Czech Republic’s record in last five encounters)
Milan Baros top-scorer each way on four places – 25/1 at Sky Bet – he’s unlikely to retain but his international ratio suggest he should grab a few in the group stage at good odds
Czech Republic v Portugal – draw at 9/4 – Portugal are favourites for this clash but given Czech Republic’s past record against them, they have every chance of getting at least a draw.
For a free £25 bet sign up with 888Sport.com here
For accumulative Free Bets adding up to £100 click here for Bet365
» On each of the six occasions Czech Republic have qualified to the tournament proper, they have always won at least one match and have only once not finished in the top two of their group.
» Czech Republic always blitz through their qualifying group – finishing ahead of Holland in 1996 and 2004, Scotland in 2000 and now Germany this year – but struggle to replicate that form at the finals the tournament.
» The team who have gone through at the Czech Republic’s extent in the last few European Championships have gone on to win – Germany in 1996, France in 2000 and Greece in 2004.
» Czech Republic are the only team in Euro 2008 to have reached the semi-finals of both the first and most recent European Championships.

chickendinner.co.uk

Hon Chris Carter
Minister of Education
Minister Responsible for Education Review Office
9 June 2008Media Statement
Education Minister to APEC and Chile
Education Minister and Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office Chris Carter will attend the APEC Education Ministers’ Meeting in Peru later this week where major changes to the New Zealand education system will be showcased.
The meeting is also a chance for New Zealand to share its work on the new New Zealand curriculum, launched earlier this year, and innovative work in the early childhood education sector.
Education Ministers from Australia, USA, Canada, Brunei, Korea, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, the Philippines and other Pacific Rim countries are expected to attend.
“The meeting’s themes have strong connections to recent and current New Zealand education priorities including the main theme of this conference, ‘21st Century Competencies’,” Chris Carter said.
“Other themes have special relevance for New Zealand including Language Learning, Information Communications Technology, Mathematics and Science and Career and Technical (Vocational) Education.
“The Career and Technical theme links strongly to New Zealand’s Schools Plus policy whereby the government is extending a wider range of pathways for students so they remain in engaged in learning or training until 18.”
Preceding the APEC meeting, the Minister will attend a seminar on ‘The New Zealand Education Experience and its Relevance for Chile’ in Santiago, where he will speak on the opportunities for educational co-operation and knowledge-sharing between New Zealand and Chile. The seminar will be jointly opened by Chris Carter and Chilean Education Minister Monica Jimenez.
On his way home, Chris Carter will return to Chile to explore opportunities for New Zealand engagement with Chile around English language training, agricultural training, Maori language education on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and a proposed scholarship scheme.
“I will be giving the Chilean Education Minister Monica Jimenez a strong affirmation of New Zealand’s commitment to a growing bilateral relationship between our two countries,” Chris Carter said.

scoop.co.nz

Ticketmaster: Macy’s in Eastwood, Southern Park and Shenango Valley malls; and Giant Eagle stores in Austintown, Calcutta and New Castle. Call (330) 747-1212. Web address is www.Ticketmaster.com. Chevrolet Centre, 229 E. Front St., Youngstown: call (866) 443-8849 or go to www.Ticketmaster.com.
Davis & McKay, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Rosetta Stone Cafe, 110 Federal Plaza West, Youngstown (330) 480-0884.
“Ragtime,” 7:30 p.m., Weathervane Community Playhouse, 1301 Weathervane Lane, Akron (330) 836-2626.
Fairs and Festivals
Parish Festival, St. Joseph the Provider, 633 Porter Ave., Campbell.
Parish Festival, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Norquest Boulevard, Austintown.
Link up to Golf for Adults, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Mill Creek Par 3 Golf Course, Youngstown.
Cheerful Heart Music, 7 p.m., Atmosphere Cafe, 815 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles (330) 652-6929.
Eclipse, 8 p.m., McMenamy’s, 325 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles (330) 544-1732.
CosmoSonics with Chip Dimonick & Catgut Tonic, 9 p.m., Hard Rock Cafe, Station Square, Pittsburgh (412) 481-7625.
Frankie and the Sensations, 9 p.m., Fireplace, 2075 E. Western Reserve Road, Poland (330) 757-4042.
Via Sahara with Acoustic Juggernaut, 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., Salty Grog, 1203 Boardman-Poland Road, Poland (330) 726-6690.
NoXcuse, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., Drunken Jack’s Saloon, 1714 Boardman-Poland Road, Poland (330) 757-1490.
House band, 10 p.m., Shakers Bar and Grille, 4520 Belmont Ave., Liberty (330) 759-0465.
DaBoondox, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., Barleys, 21 Federal Plaza West, Youngstown (330) 743-6480.
Cross Bow, 10 p.m., Down the Hatch, 3101 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown (330) 799-3449.
The Limbs, Weird Paul, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., Cedars Lounge And Restaurant, 23 N. Hazel St., Youngstown (330) 746-6560.
Howard and the Point 5 Band, 7 p.m., Rosetta Stone Cafe, 110 Federal Plaza West, Youngstown (330) 480-0884.
Chuck Corby Band, 8 p.m., Kuzman’s Bar, 1025 S. State St., Girard (330) 545-8995.
Fairs and Festivals
Parish Festival, St. Joseph the Provider, 633 Porter Ave., Campbell.

vindy.com

Eight Sides of Steel 05.11.08: You Got Knocked The F…
We got KOs and submissions up the wazoo, pretty faces,criminal charges, trash talking and more Pulver than any other column this week. Tape up your fist, say a little prayer and join me inside the Eight Sides of Steel
Happy Mother’s day folks. Make sure you tell your mom and/or wife that you love her and let your baby mama know that you don’t hate her. Let’s get to why you came here, shall we?
IN A WEEK WHERE NO ONE SUES, I STILL brING THE NEWS
And probably take Michael Bisping apart. Day made his UFC debut just three weeks ago by dismantling Alan Belcher with his fists. Not shortchanging the hometown boy Bisping, it’s just that I have a feeling Jason Day wants to make a name for himself and whooping a man in front of his home crowd is just the way to do that.
Here are the results:
Evan Sanguin def. Dave Nippard - TKO (Strikes)
Troy Sorenson def. Mike Tubbs - Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Brandon Curts def. Sean Wright - Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Mike Sorenson def. Jeremy Martin - Submission (Guillotine)
Gavin Neil def. Ryan McGillivray - Split Decision
Aron Lofton def. Jason Kuchera Submission (Guillotine)
Chris Camozzi def. Dwayne Lewis - Unanimous Decision
Ben Henderson def. Mike Maestas - Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Matt Veach def. Matt MacGrath - Unanimous Decision
Chase Gormley def. Eric Pele - Unanimous Decision
Ryan Ford def. C.J. Fernandes - Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Gotta love the amount of submissions on this card. I mean, what better way to spend your Friday night than choking somebody out? I wonder if Eric Pele would have choked out Gary Goodridge if the old guy hadn’t broke a hip? Nah, that’s mean of me. It was actually his back. Old people are so brittle.

411mania.com

On June 1 in Sacramento, Calif. at the Arco Arena, the WEC will put on arguably their best production yet in WEC 34: “Faber vs. Pulver.”
This will be a big night for the Zuffa, LLC owned WEC (Zuffa is also the parent company of the UFC). The event is currently sold out and they have had to open up more seats in the upper bowl to accommodate the public demand for tickets.
The WEC Bantamweight and WEC Featherweight Championship belts will both be on the line that night.
The headlining fight will be for the WEC Featherweight Championship and will feature two of the best MMA fighters in the world. WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber will battle former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver.
Urijah “The California Kid” Faber will step into the octagon with a 20–1 professional MMA record. He is considered by many to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Faber’s only loss was in 2005 to the UFC’s Tyson Griffin for the Bantamweight title at the Gladiator Challenge 42: Summer Slam event.
Since then, he has rolled off 12 straight victories, including four straight WEC Featherweight title defenses against Joe Pearson, Dominic Cruz, Chance Farrar, and Jeff Curran.
Faber’s greatest strengths are his wrestling skill and physical strength on the ground. He also has great submission skills.
Ten of his 20 victories are by submission. Faber has an extensive background in wrestling in high school and Division I college.
He is currently being trained for the Pulver fight by Andy Kay (Muay Thai), Cassio Werneck (BJJ), and Joe Urias (Boxing).
Jens “Little Evil” Pulver, on the other hand, has a 22– 8– 1 professional MMA record.
He holds victories over Joe Stevenson, current UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn, and Caol Uno.
Pulver’s greatest strength inside the octagon is his stand-up. He was once a professional boxer and is 4–0 in his boxing career before MMA became his primary focus. He, like Faber, was also a Division I wrestler.

bleacherreport.com

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If you want to see great basketball without the pretense, without the self-righteousness that has become an inescapable part of March Madness worship, then settle in for the next eight weeks and watch the NBA playoffs. It’s a postseason with greater promise, potentially better basketball and more melodrama than any season since 1998, the year Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls.
There’s certainly something for every basketball disposition, beginning with the kickoff game, the very noisy confrontation between the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers. If you’re a purist who likes to see basketball played by the book, the four-time champion San Antonio Spurs bear close watching as always, as do the Utah Jazz, the dark horse pick among people who prefer screen-and-roll to run-and-gun. If great defense is your thing (or you mistakenly think professionals don’t play it) you’ll want to lock in on the Boston Celtics or Detroit Pistons.
Of greater mass appeal is unrestrained offense, and there’s plenty of that, the gradual move away from the bump-and-grind of the late ’90s and early 2000s having now taken full effect. The Magic, Jazz, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets all score between 105 and 111 points per game. All the Nuggets do, with Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson leading the way, is score.
And there’s no need to warm up slowly to the big action. From Day One starting this afternoon, there are matchups worthy of the conference finals. The league couldn’t ask for a first-round series more glamorous than Spurs-Suns, matching the four-time champs against the perennial bridesmaids. We might as well find out right away if the Suns’ stunning midseason trade for Shaquille O’Neal was worth the risk.

washingtonpost.com

Both boxers have impressive winning records. 43 year-old Bernard Hopkins from Philadelphia, USA has 48 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw and 32 knockout victories. 36 year-old Joe Calzaghe from Wales, who is the current undisputed super middleweight world champion, has 44 wins, 0 losses and 32 knockout victories.
Hopkins and Calzaghe are considered by The Ring magazine, ‘The Bible of Boxing’, as the No.4 and No.5 best boxers in the world today. It is undisputed world champion versus undisputed world champion!!

ebroadcast.com.au

Serving a balance
Emory wants food to fit its conscience — and budget
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Buy local. No, buy organic.
Consumers who want to eat more sustainably have been wrestling with different marching orders about what’s best for the earth. Buying food grown close to home supports local farmers, preserves open land and cuts down on fuel consumption, but may involve eating produce raised with chemical fertilizers or treated with pesticides. Organic food is raised in an environmentally friendly way, but may have to be transported from as far away as California, Mexico or even China.
These organic vegetables are distributed by Destiny Produce, a wholesaler based at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park. Emory University is encouraging small growers to become partners with Destiny or to form cooperatives.
A sign lets you know that the onions are locally grown at one of the dining choices at Cox Hall Food Court on campus at Emory University. Emory is trying to get 75 percent of its food from local sources by 2015, a goal that it hopes will improve rural economies in Georgia as well as boosting the health of its students and benefitting the environment.
Like any food shopper, Emory University wanted to buy food that fit its conscience — and its budget. The school set a goal of having 75 percent of food served on campus come from local or sustainable sources by 2015. That adds up to more than 11,000 meals daily.
As it turns out, those solutions didn’t come easily.
After nearly a year of discussion, Emory unveiled its buying guidelines to farmers and suppliers last month. Although the ultimate goal is to buy Georgia-grown food raised in an environmentally, socially and economically responsible way, that isn’t the first priority in most cases, or even the second or third. Instead, buyers are focusing on regional produce and on meat, milk and eggs raised humanely and without antibiotics or growth hormones.

ajc.com