Bernard Tomic’s tennis ability against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal

Tonight Australia will get the measure of Bernard Tomic’s tennis ability against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, writes Linda Pearce

Ask Pat Rafter about it. Rafter, remember, was the charismatic emerging star whose round-of-16 contest against the great Andre Agassi in 1995 prime-time was promoted like few Australian Open matches before it. Rafter was belted in three sets, the last 6-0. The damage was extensive, the recovery slow. Six months later, having dipped 40 places in the world rankings, Rafter finally won consecutive tour matches again.

Two majors and a stint at No.1 later, Rafter is Australia’s Davis Cup captain, pressed into the job by his old mentor John Newcombe and welcomed by a desperate Tennis Australia as still the best-loved face in Australian tennis, a decade in retirement notwithstanding. The underwear and deodorant salesman will soon have a more demanding job: dealing with the prodigious talent that will tonight feature on Rod Laver Arena against world No.1 Rafael Nadal.

Rafter was involved in the decision to award Bernard Tomic an Open wildcard for the third consecutive year, but also party to the minor wrist-slap that required the occasionally wayward 18-year-old to qualify in Sydney earlier that week. Through the first top-50 wins of Tomic’s career, the second over a discombobulated 31st seed Feliciano Lopez, the result is this: Tomic’s name and face everywhere. Saturday night live. So will the world No.199 handle the hype?
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‘‘He’s a pretty relaxed character in a lot of ways; he’s a very different temperament to what I was, so I think he’ll deal with it pretty well,’’ Rafter said. ‘‘Time will tell. But I don’t think it will affect him. It’s just the way he plays, his attitude, and he’s very relaxed. He looks disinterested, but he’s not. I expect him to deal with it pretty well.’’

Handling the ruthless Nadal will be a different matter, but Tomic watchers know that these are the occasions he likes best. Satellite tournaments, despite the fact he already owns one Challenger title, are not really his thing. As a 16-year-old he was the youngest man ever to win a round at the Australian Open, and last year he pushed eventual semi-finalist Marin Cilic to five late sets in round two. Of his seven career wins at tour level, four have come in his home grand slam, including Thursday’s patient dismemberment of a tortured Lopez.

‘‘Well, Rafa is a different story,’’ the beaten Spaniard said later. ‘‘He’s the No.1 player in the world, and Rafa has so many options when he plays now. It’s going to be very tough for Tomic, but I think for him it’s an incredible opportunity for him to show his game to everyone. It’s going to be a great match for him, it’s very exciting and I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for him.’’

Certainly, he plays a style of game Nadal seldom encounters. Wally Masur has compared the languid former junior star to the Greek god of sleep. Jim Courier sees him as a chess player, with an exceptional tennis IQ. But the praise is not universal; Roger Rasheed among those less enamoured of his ‘‘junky’’ style, describing Tomic as an enigma who will quickly be worked out, and his lack of power exposed.

‘‘He knows when to play the junk, that’s the thing,’’ Rafter counters. ‘‘If he knows when to play it, and he works the other guy out, I don’t care how much junk he plays.’’

Indeed, a common reference is to the ‘‘X factor’’, and former doubles star Allan Stone is one of many who draw comparisons with the cat-and-mouse Scot, Andy Murray. ‘‘I think it’s refreshing that someone can play a bit different and still succeed, because we’re so used to seeing the guys just club the ball from the back of the court,’’ said Stone.

‘‘Subtlety, and touch and feel, and using the court and the angles are disappearing from the game, and he seems to be able to bring that. And for some reason, the guys seem to get a bit nervous playing him: they come in and he just rolls it past them; they stay back and he moves them around, then gives them a few junk balls and all of a sudden he cranks it up and hits it a bit harder, and the ball’s gone past you.’’

That has always been Tomic’s way, a gentle lullaby that catches so many off-guard. He says he can hit the ball hard, ‘‘but I don’t do it a lot of the time. That’s sort of not my game, playing hard. I like to play against players, make ’em miss, sort of thing’’.

Courier, indeed, credits Tomic with seeing angles and possibilities where others do not, whose perspective of the court is different to most. ‘‘He’s a real natural tennis player; unique brand,’’ said the US Davis Cup captain, another to compare Tomic to Murray. There is, however a trade-off. Tomic, he says, ‘‘is very developed mentally as a tennis player — physically, not yet’’.

And therein lies the problem. When Mark Philippoussis famously toppled world No.1 Pete Sampras on that explosive Saturday night in 1996, he was a big teenager with a huge serve and game. Rafter’s fear that Tomic’s movement will be exploited is one shared by former top-20 player Masur, for it is all very well to think a good game, but another to be allowed to implement it by the enforcer attempting to win four slams in a row.

‘‘Rafa will turn it into a physical contest, regardless of what tactics Bernie employs,’’ Masur said on Fox Sports. ‘‘So if you take Bernie out on the track now and take his times against Rafa in the 400 [metres], the 100, there’s a big gap, and I think that’s what’s going to be exposed. I just think it doesn’t matter what tactics he employs, Rafa’s got the wheels to deal with it and he will turn it into physical match, and that’s where we’re going to find out where Bernie is physically.’’

Another retired star, Mark Woodforde, was a little more optimistic, describing tonight’s match as a barometer of where Tomic’s game is at and where it is headed. Nadal will push him around and probe for cracks. And while movement is the most obvious structural issue, Tomic’s serve is not considered to be at the same level of a world-class backhand, for example, or his marvellously innate sense of how to play the game.

''Nadal, against some of the players that he doesn't know much about, he's going to be searching for a weakness, so I think at the start he's just going to be moving Bernard left, right, left, right, hitting into the open court, until he senses a weakness,'' said Woodforde, now a commentator and coach. ''There isn't much weakness there, though, because he's a manipulator of the ball and the spin, so it's going to be interesting. If he can stick with Nadal early, then that's terrific. I think it's not out of the question that Bernard can perhaps sneak a set or two.''

Lopez does not like to talk in terms of sets that might be won, but predicts that if Tomic plays well enough, his chances will come. He ranks the Australian in an emerging quartet that includes European prospects Richard Berankis, Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic - dangerous now, likely to be venomous in the future. The problem tonight is that Nadal has no real weakness, so what was good enough against the third-best Spanish left-hander will be insufficient against the best of the best.

Even so, Rafter is happy to confirm his membership of the fan club of a player he describes as ''absolutely'' Australia's best male prospect since Hewitt, who succeeded Philippoussis as the last local teenager to reach the men's third round. And if the serve-volleying Rafter is at a slight loss to describe how Tomic quite manages it, then one does not have to know the secret to a magician's tricks to enjoy his show.

''I still haven't worked him out yet, I can't work out Bernard's game,'' Rafter smiles. ''It's awkward and he's got such a point of difference, and the other guys playing him don't know what's going on, either. So I think he's got them baffled as well, because he's just incredibly awkward, and he's got sneaky weapons.''

He is also stronger and fitter than last year, taller and five kilograms heavier. He has played a big match on centre court, if not anything on the scale of this one. And so the hype-ometer is at maximum capacity, leaving Tomic to deal with the nerves, the anticipation, as the countdown to his big night out ticks on.

''It's excitement, that's what it is,'' said Tomic, who has practised with Nadal previously, but never played him. ''To get this opportunity the first time in my life, it's different. It's an opportunity that I'm going to take, I think.''

News From: www.smh.com.au

Spartacus Gods of the Arena Prequel Season

Spartacus Gods of the Arena Prequel Season Episode 1 Recap

['Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' - 'Past Transgressions']

We are back, ladies and gentlemen. The first few minutes of 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' gave us heaping helpings of things we've come to expect from this Starz series: spurting blood, naked bodies, violence, profanity, and, just for grins, Batiatus using a public toilet.

Remind me again, why isn't this airing on ABC Family?

OK, I kid, but it almost felt as though with this first episode back, 'Spartacus' felt a particular need to get in our faces with its most outrageous or provocative content. There couldn't just be sex, there had to be lots and lots of sex of many different varieties; there couldn't just be violence, there had to be unusual beheadings and an extra helping of insanity when it came to the creative use of spurting blood.

All right, all right, we get it -- this is a show about people who use each other for any number of purposes, and the results aren't always pretty. And iff we didn't get the point that bodies are merely so much flesh to be sold by the pound, a couple of scenes were set in a butcher shop.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the show's in-your-face tendencies; after a year without 'Spartacus' I would have beheaded someone myself if this show hadn't returned when it did. I just hope that, in the six episodes of this prequel season, the show can both hold on to its signature sauciness and dig into the characters in the ways that made 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand' much more than the sum of its blood-spattered parts.

'Gods of the Arena,' this new prequel season, is only six episodes long, and it makes me wonder -- in that relatively short time span, can we come to care about Gannicus' plight as much as we did about the lives of Spartacus, Crixus, Doctore or even Barca in 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand'? That remains to be seen.

But the first episode of the prequel season covered a lot of ground quite fluidly and set up several new conflicts with efficient energy, and it was intriguing to see the characters in such different places. How different things were five years ago! Let's take a brief look at then and now, for each of the show's main characters:

Batiatus (John Hannah): It's poignant to see a Batiatus who is, in a way, quite innocent. He's been around, sure, but he's so certain that all it takes to succeed as a ludus owner is persistence and an ability to cross the right palms with silver. How naive! At the end of the episode, his energetic ambition collides with a cold, stark reality: The people who occupy the higher reaches of society don't want the upstarts below them to succeed. Tullius, the man Batiatus had wanted to emulate, ended up pissing in his face. That's one thing I love about the show -- not the abuse via urine, but the way it constantly leaves its characters in unwinnable situations. On a character level and a story level, things are about to get interesting: We know that Batiatus is going to fight and scratch and claw his way out of this hole, but we also know events like these are going to make him every bit as ruthless as the heartless Tullius in a few years. Clearly something will go wrong between the good friends Batiatus and fellow ludus owner Solonius, and no doubt other relationships will suffer as well.Lucretia (Lucy Lawless): It's also poignant to see Batiatus and Lucretia so deeply in love. In a few years' time, they'll still love each other, but as we saw in 'Blood and Sand,' they'll be both be much more scarred and cynical. There might as well have been an "irony alert" sign flashing when Lucretia talked about not wanting to bed a dirty, gross gladiator. As we saw in 'Blood and Sand,' she not only slept with Crixus but had deep feelings for him -- feelings she couldn't quite admit. In any event, once we saw Lucretia as such a loving, supportive wife, that was our clue that things are bound to go at least partly wrong between them. These young marrieds are about to find out just what it will cost them to rise in Capuan society.

Oenomaus (Peter Mensah): Fans of 'Blood and Sand' are probably saying to themselves, "Hey, why is Doctore not being called by his rightful name? What's going on here?" In this prequel season, which is set five years before 'Blood and Sand,' Oenomaus is using the slave name he carried before he took over instruction at Batiatus' ludus. And given that Oenomaus is relatively content as 'Gods of the Arena' begins, my guess is that he's the character who will suffer the most this season. He's got a wife, and even if they are both slaves, they're both being treated relatively well and they get to spend time together. Oenomaus even smiles now and then! Clearly things are about to go very wrong in his life. It's interesting to note, however, that though his circumstances are different, Oenomaus/Doctore is essentially the same guy he was before -- ethical, honest, strong, reliable. I love this character and relish the idea that we'll get to explore his life more fully. Also, I must add that there's no doubt in my mind that Oenomaus' wife will come to a brutal end this season. That's not based on inside knowledge, that's just a guess. Since when do the people in this world ever get to keep what they want? If they do, they generally have to pay a very high price.

Crixus, Ashur and Barca: We see the burly gladiator Crixus when he first arrives at Batiatus' ludus, when his hair was still long and he was mocked for being a "little" guy. Ashur is among the trainees who survived the house's brutal training regimen but has yet to get the brand of the brotherhood. It should be interesting to see how Ashur got the injury that ended his career in the arena. As for Barca, he appears to be the same tough guy, and that's to the good; not everything in life changes all that much in a five-year span.

As far as the show's new characters, Gaia is ringing a few alarm bells for me, though it's too early too tell if she'll end up being a good or bad addition to the cast. If Gaia (who's played by Jaime Murray) ends up being a standard-issue vixen, there to cause soap-opera-style troubles between the lead couple, that might be problematic; so far she's seeming like an overly predictable type. It's too soon to tell, though; we'll have to see what her game is, and if the feelings she apparently has for Lucretia are real or merely part of some secret agenda.

Vettius and Tullius are, so far, relatively one-dimensional villains, but the characters are well played (though Vettius' sneering could get quite old if he doesn't moderate it a bit). In any event, 'Gods of the Arena' is really the story of how Lucretia and Batiatus lost their innocence, so to speak, and John Hannah and Lucy Lawless are so good at playing earlier versions of themselves that it doesn't really matter that not all the show's characters are fully fleshed out (no pun intended).

Of course, the season is also the story of Gannicus, and I think it was wise of the show's writers to make him the opposite of the Spartacus who arrived at Batiatus' ludus five years later. That taciturn man burned with an interior fire and quietly came up with an increasingly canny plan for revenge; he was the unshowy opposite of Gannicus, a heedless bad boy who never thinks about the consequences of his actions.

Will we find out that Gannicus nurses some secret pain that makes him take refuge in wine, women and spectacular feats in the arena? Possibly. That might be an interesting way to go with the prequel season, but the truth is, the character may end up being just one more supporting player in the saga of Lucretia and Batiatus. That might be the wisest course for the 'Spartacus' franchise. I don't know about you, but I still have the memory of Andy Whitfield's performance as Spartacus fresh in my mind, and I don't know that I'm quite ready to emotionally invest in another gladiator's personal saga.

But to see Lucretia and Batiatus fight their way from street brawls to the sands of Capua's shiny new arena? I'm definitely interested in that tale. As I said, I don't know if six episodes will be enough time to tell that story with depth and complexity, but the previous season frequently shocked and surprised me in good ways, so I'm giving 'Gods of the Arena' the benefit of the doubt. And given how energetic the first episode of 'Gods of the Arena' was, our return to Capua is off to a good start.

Story From: www.tvsquad.com

Gas explosion in Philadelphia kills 1injures 5

Gas explosion kills 1, injures 5 in Philadelphia

(CNN) -- A gas main explosion in Philadelphia Tuesday evening killed one utilities worker and injured five other people, a fire department official said.

Philadelphia Gas Works employees were responding to a gas main break in the city's Tacony neighborhood when the explosion occurred, fire department spokesman Jim Smith said.

"Th
ey were trying to control it and found a source of ignition," according to Smith, who said four PGW employees and a firefighter were among the injured. He said some of the gas workers' injuries were serious.

News from: cnn.com

Two students shot accidentally bullet at L.A. high school

Two students shot accidentally with 1 bullet at L.A. high school

LOS ANGELES — Two students were shot with one bullet at a Los Angeles high school Tuesday when a student dropped a backpack containing a gun and it went off, officials said.

Neurosurgeon Dr. James Ausman says a 15-year-old girl was unconscious when she arrived at Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Tuesday with a skull fracture, bruising to the brain and a significant blood clot. She went into surgery within 30 minutes to remove the clot.

She is in critical condition and remains sedated. Her family is by her side.

A 15-year-old boy was in serious condition with neck and shoulder wounds.

Both teens were hit with the same bullet, Los Angeles deputy police chief Patrick Gannon said.

John Deasy, deputy superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, said there was no indication the student had touched the gun before it discharged.

"He literally dropped his knapsack on the desk and it went off," Deasy said.

Gannon said the student apologized before running to another classroom.

"He said, 'I'm sorry,' when the gun went off. It made it appear to the teacher that it was an accident," Gannon said.
Still, Los Angeles police Lt. John Pasquariello said it was a crime to

bring a gun to campus. The unidentified student was arrested and charges were pending, he said.

"We don't know exactly what happened," Pasquariello said. "Traditionally, guns don't go off without someone's finger on the trigger."

The shooting occurred in a classroom at Gardena High School, where Principal Rudy Mendoza said students were on a break at the time. The campus was locked down after the incident. Police initially reported a shooter was at large.

Officers transported the student to a police station while the school 15 miles south of downtown remained locked down.

If the student is released on bail, the school will recommend to the district disciplinary office that he be suspended, district spokeswoman Gayle Pollard-Terry said. The office also could recommend expulsion, which would have to be approved by the school board.

Expelled students are referred to the Los Angeles County Office of Education to complete their education.

Andrea Tibbs, who described herself as a “good friend” of the student, told the Los Angeles Times that he started bringing the gun to campus to protect himself after he had been in a fight outside of school.

Shedric Porter, 14, said he was walking past the classroom at the time.

"I didn't see anything, but I heard the shot, and it was really loud," he said. "I stopped. I was scared. Then I thought it was just a book or something hitting the ground, but it was too loud for that."

It's unclear how the student got in with the gun in his backpack, Pollard-Terry said.

Arriving students are checked with security wands on a random basis at Gardena High, she said. No district school is equipped with walkthrough metal detectors.

Video from a TV helicopter showed students coming out of buildings with their hands up as police with guns drawn covered them.

Numerous law enforcement agencies responded to the shooting at the campus located in the city of Los Angeles adjacent to the city of Gardena.

Gardena police Lt. Steve Prendergast said a teacher called 911 at 10:41 a.m. and Gardena officers initially responded. The investigation was turned over to Los Angeles city and school district police.

The school, which has more than 3,000 students in grades nine through 12, is in the 1300 block of West 182nd Street. That's the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Several parents interviewed at the scene said their children described a lot of racial tension at the school.

News From: www.msnbc.msn.com

Big Love Wife Watch: Season 5, Ep. 1

Welcome to Wife Watch!, the only blog post that ranks the most powerful wives on this week's episode of Big Love.

---

Welcome to the third season of Wife Watch! Can you believe we've been doing this since 2009? Your baby has gotten so big, and that little tree we planted is almost up to the power line!

You may have heard, too, that this is our last season of Wife Watching, as Big Love itself is calling it quits after this year. I'll be sad to see the series go, but honestly, I'm happy when shows end on their own terms instead of getting canceled. I'd much rather see the Henricksons leave with a complete story under their Garments than see them get axed in the middle of an unfinished plot.

Plus, if the season opener, "Winter," is any indication, the imminent end of the series has also reinvigorated the creative team. You may recall that I ended last season in a big fight with this show. We never broke up, but I needed a break, and I hoped that some time apart would let Big Love pull itself together. Looks like my prayers got heard. Just stick with this course, Henricksons, and you'll leave this earth with my kisses all over your polygamy braid.

Um... yes. The point is: I can forgive last season if this season maintains its initial level of quality, and if, as has been promised in several interviews, it focuses on the relationships of the core family members instead of the bureaucracy of casino management, J.J.'s plan to impregnate the world with his demon spawn, and the ancient bylaws of the UEB.

To that end, many scenes from this episode play like a winking apology from the writers, who take care of lots of troubling business in just a few lines. The casino? Can't deal with it, because they won't take our calls! J.J. and Cancer Wife? They're dead, burned up, and Adaleen has served her punishment in some kind of hole, so let's forgive and forget!

And Teeny? Oh, yes... Teeny. Or should we say, Second Teeny. You see, there are about 500 characters on this show, and we've got this really cool idea for another red-headed kid, and Second Teeny never really did anything except sell porn that one time and generally brat around. so we're just going to say she's "living with Sarah." Because it was totally Barb's good idea, okay? To send her teenage daughter to live with her other, barely legal daughter and probably get educated online or by a salty group of cocktail waitresses who take a shine to this little ragamuffin with a whole mess o' mamas. Whatever. The point is, she's out like J.J., so let's get back to business, okay?

And... okay. I can give or take a Teeny if it means a better show.

Speaking of "other red-headed kid," can we take a moment to praise Nicki for getting right to the top of her crazy game? She might have new hair and a new set of floral dresses, but underneath, she's still our compound maniac.

Granted, it is horrible that her son gets branded with hateful words all over his body. Director David Petrarca and writers/series creators Mark V. Olson and Will Scheffer handle his playground assault and its aftermath with an almost objective distance, often framing poor Wayne in a mid-range shot, so that instead of seeing his face in close-up, we see the entire tableau of his humiliation. We see all the other Boy Scouts watching as Boy Scout Red pushes him down. We see Barb looking on while Nicki tries to scrub the awful words off his face and chest. And tellingly, we hear almost nothing from Wayne. Both silent and small, he becomes totally objectified, which puts a steel-toed boot on the gut-kick of his predicament.

Obviously, it's easy to sympathize with Nicki when she gets furious. However, It's a little harder to support her decision to corner Boy Scout Red (BSR) in a fenced-in area behind his school, jumping around like a gibbon and refusing to let him escape as she pelts him with odd names like "ketchup head."

But while I can't support Nicki's cracked-out vengeance, I sure can enjoy it. I love watching her get mad, because she has never been trained how to curse or fight or do anything else that might let her release her emotions. Instead, she tackles injustice from her own unique worldview and threatens to write mean things about BSR on his "bottom." Bottom! It's just so... outre. At least she has the good sense to run when he knocks his tooth out.

That outburst---and her "nanny nanny boo boo, Barb's an alcoholic" tattle-taling after the disastrous school board meeting where she is exposed as a bottom-threatener---keep Nicki from being Wife of the Week, but her furious, flailing relinquishment of power stokes the drama in scene after scene. She just keeps picking fights, which drives Barb and Margene to snap at her, each other, Bill... everyone. Way to be a goad, Nicks!

And speaking of picking fights... I commend all involved for the crackling tension in this episode. You can feel the fury coming several beats before it explodes, which makes me giggle in anticipation. Even better, the fights all make sense: These people should be fighting about their horrible new life in the public eye, their unwillingness to let each other fail without, and Bill's inability to ever, ever, ever admit that he's wrong.

However, the success of this episode---and this is what was so often missing in last season---is that the fights are not the only well-wrought moments. They are counterweighted by moments of ache (Wayne's abuse, Margene's break-down at her old job), humor (Nicki's catty asides), and tenderness. I'm touched by the opening scene, for instance, when we see the tail-end of a family talent show in the desert. Barb is dressed like Charlie Chaplin, Bill's singing a song, Nicki's performing a magic trick, and out there on the range, the family seems safe and happy. The irony, of course, is that they have to leave home and put on costumes in order to feel okay. When they're in their houses just being themselves, they're besieged on all sides.

What an empathetic vision for the start of the year, and how nicely it's echoed when Bill breaks down and admits that he feels guilty for hurting his loved ones. Don (rightly) calls him on his crap, and Bill (in a lovely performance from Bill Paxton) almost cries as he stands there alone in his living room. At the end, though, all three wives stand behind him (in a gorgeously framed shot). By finally dropping the performance of having it all together, he makes it possible for the wives to drop their attitude and just be nice to each other for a second. The performance ends, and home becomes safe for a little while

Lord have mercy... writing that paragraph reminds me how glad I am that Bill has shown some weakness. It makes me think I might actually like him this season, that I might be able to root for him as he tries to get Gregory Itzin and the God-Fearing Senators to stop freezing him out and tries to keep HomePlus and his family from collapsing. It's just so much easier to root for a man who considers himself a man, and not a walking manifestation of God's will.

That's why it's always easy to root for Margene, who is very good at owning up to her culpability and asking others to own up to theirs. Her intense grief at losing the life she was building for herself---the friendship with Anna, the jewelry business---breaks my heart because Margie clearly knows the role she played in her own hardship. And you've got to give it to a woman who will scream the f-word at a news camera in the middle of a school board meeting. She may know she's made mistakes, but she also knows when it's time to defend herself. Do it girl! And keep watching those DVDs with Grant Show singing "It's My Life" and talking about some energy drink. That's not going to lead to any problems at all!

Speaking of "problems," lets keep our eyes on Cara Lynn and her covert soda-drinking, okay? I feel like she could be running a major scam. Maybe Teeny's not really at Sarah's place, if you know what I mean.

But while Cara Lynn may snatch a future Wife Watch! trophy, this week's First Wife is Barb. It may be misguided to see drinking wine as a great new way to expand your life, but at least it's a truly autonomous action, and by sticking to her guns about not needing Bill, even if she's not sure what that means, she displays admirable strength. In the end, it may be good that she loves Bill but doesn't need him. I'm interested to see.

We haven't even touched on Alby's unsettling determination to cleanse his flock (or whatever), but we'll have to save that for another time. For now, let's go check Barb's wine bottle and see if Cara Lynn's breath smells like a late night with the girls.

SKINS Tony Episode 1 Premiere

SKINS (MTV) “Tony” Episode 1 (Premiere)

Watch a sneak peek and check out photos of the premiere episode of MTV’s new series, SKINS “Tony” Episode 1 which airs Monday January 17 2010 at 10 pm on MTV.

Episode Synopsis: SKINS (MTV) “Tony” Episode 1 (Premiere) – A group of teenagers, 5 girls and 4 boys, are introduced in this US version of the hit UK series. The first episode introduces us to Tony.

Series Summary: Skins is funny, sexy, irreverent and genuine to an extreme. It also aspires to be heartbreaking, elegantly witty and subtextual. The show fearlessly pokes fun at parents, teachers, at the crazy rules of friendship and love in the teen years, wonky social rules – and any other random target it chooses. Skins teeters on the edge of acceptability all the time. But along the way, it stumbles across depth and truth – homing in on the difficulties and complications of young people’s lives. Somehow we’re never absolutely sure how. Skins is about loyalty, obligations among friends and the difficulties of growing up in the pressure cooker of expectations which flow from an impatient adult world.

Big Love Recaps Season 5, Episode 1

Recap in 140: This season, they’re cutting the crap and refocusing on the family. This is the end. There’s just not enough time for anything else.

The episode: It’s been a short, strange journey, hasn’t it? Here is something to chew on: It feels like Big Love has been on for a long time, and indeed, it has been half a decade. But because of limited seasonal runs (read: high production costs), the first episode of the HBO polygamy drama’s fifth season is just its 44th. It just seems low for a show that has been on since 2006.

Anyway, here we are at the beginning of the end. Following a fourth season that was ridiculed by critics and one cast member alike, creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer have decided to shift gears in their final kick at the can. Instantly shaved out of the proceedings: the casino, Margene’s sham marriage to Goran and — mostly hilariously — Teeny. (She moved to Portland to live with Sarah after the family outed itself; funny only because they decided to recast her part last season for reasons unknown.)

It appears that the show will take a two-pronged approach as the end nears:

1. The Henricksons’ lives as societal have-nots.
2. How Bill’s decision to take the family’s polygamy public affects his relationships with the three wives.

As far as the first one goes, yes, as it turns out, revealing yourself to be a secret polygamist in modern day society and hiding that fact while you run for elected office will not make you very popular. Bill’s choice for speaker of the state senate resigns after a DUI charge and his incoming replacement is no fan of polygamy. Margene loses her job as a home shopping channel jewellery sales person. Nikki’s son Wayne is bullied at school. Dale can’t keep the staff at Home Plus from quitting. At Bill’s first constituency meeting, supporters are a tad concerned they campaigned for a polygamist.

All of this supports the thinking that Bill is a stupid, stupid man who put his family in a lot of needless danger in Season 4 when we probably could have spent more time on JJ trying to keep the family “pure” (on second thought …).

And the family itself? Well, Margene cries. A lot. This was strangely played for humour, which is a bit perplexing. Isn’t Margene the most likable wife by a country mile? Why is her sadness funny on any level? On the opposite end of that spectrum, Nikki spends most of the episode being generally unredeemable. She taunts Barb for trying to sink Bill’s successful campaign and bullies her son’s tormenter — you know, a kid — into running into a metal pole and breaking some teeth. As usual, she lies about nothing and is annoyed by everything.

And Barb, well, she remains undecided about her future with Bill. She remains committed to the family, but not necessarily to her husband.

What are your hopes for the season? Do you want the wives to split with Bill? Do you think he’ll abandon the principle? Would you be happy if Margene and Benny ran off together? Are you just happy it’s coming to an end so you can catch up on Friday Night Lights or Justified? Post below.

A few random odds and ends:

• Alby, still not over Dale’s death, plans to “cleanse” the religion. That sounds promising.
• No Joey and Wanda, nor Lois and Frank, but that can’t be too far off.
• Alby’s first wife, Laura (the excellent Anne Dudek), seems to be running the show in her husband’s mental absence. It’s not clear, but she seems to have imposed punishment on Adaleen for murdering JJ and company (two weeks in a hole in the ground, of course).
• A fraction of the episode focused on other polygamist families reacting to Bill’s decision to come out for them, and the conclusion of the hour seemed to imply that this might be his salvation. If so: boring.

Watch Online Big Love Recaps Season 5, Episode 1

Big Love Recaps Season 5, Episode 1

News From: arts.nationalpost.com

Nick Fairley vaulted to No. 1

Draft Dish: Auburn's Nick Fairley vaulted to No. 1

In the biggest game in college football and in the biggest win of his collegiate career, Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley vaulted his predicted placement to No. 1 in SN’s mock draft.

The change at the top marks the first time this season that Fairley has moved up to the first overall pick. Until he announced he was returning to school last week, Stanford QB Andrew Luck was the consensus choice for the draft’s premier spot. Now, it’s Fairley’s turn in the spotlight.

Russ Lande presents the latest mock draft:

(* - denotes junior or third-year sophomore; picks 1-20 are set, but picks 21-32 are subject to the results of the playoffs)

1. Carolina Panthers—Nick Fairley*, DT, Auburn

2. Denver Broncos—Da'Quan Bowers*, DE, Clemson

3. Buffalo Bills—Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

4. Cincinnati Bengals—Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

5. Arizona Cardinals—Blaine Gabbert*, QB, Missouri

6. Cleveland Browns—A.J. Green*, WR, Georgia

7. San Francisco 49ers—Jake Locker, QB, Washington

8. Tennessee Titans—Patrick Peterson*, CB, LSU

9. Dallas Cowboys—Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

10. Washington Redskins—Ryan Mallett*, QB, Arkansas

11. Houston Texans—Robert Quinn*, OLB, North Carolina

12. Minnesota Vikings—Cam Newton*, QB, Auburn

13. Detroit Lions—Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

14. St. Louis Rams—Julio Jones*, WR, Alabama

15. Miami Dolphins—Ryan Williams*, RB, Virginia Tech

16. Jacksonville Jaguars—Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

17. New England Patriots (from Oakland Raiders)—Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal

18. San Diego Chargers—Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pitt

19. New York Giants—Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Tyron Smith*, OT, USC

21. Kansas City Chiefs—Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

22. Indianapolis Colts—Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State

23. Philadelphia Eagles—Aaron Williams*, CB, Texas

24. New Orleans Saints—Mark Ingram*, RB, Alabama

25. Seattle Seahawks—Michael Floyd*, WR, Notre Dame

26. Green Bay Packers—Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State

27. Chicago Bears—Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami (Fla.)

28. New York Jets—Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

29. Baltimore Ravens—Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson

30. Pittsburgh Steelers—Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

31. Atlanta Falcons—Aldon Smith*, DE, Missouri

32. New England Patriots—Shane Vereen*, RB, Cal
Draft Dish: Clay, Mallett could have short NFL careers

As juniors and third-year sophomores are declaring for the 2011 NFL draft this week, ahead of Saturday's deadline, some certainly should pull their names out of the draft before it's too late. Here is a look at five underclassmen who are sure to be drafted later than they think:
1. John Clay, RB, Wisconsin

We were shocked when Clay entered the draft, but after breaking down his film it became apparent that he might not be good enough to start on the '11 Wisconsin team. So, he's taking his shot at the NFL instead of perhaps becoming a college backup. Clay is a first- or second-down runner who is a liability as a receiver or pass blocker. He has value as an inside power runner in a complementary role. He lacks the speed, quickness and burst to be an NFL feature back.

Clay (6-1, 258) is most effective as a downhill runner who can make one cut and build speed through the hole. He shakes off defenders who go high but is tackled easily when defenders hit him below the waist. At times he runs with good patience and other times he seemingly runs with his eyes closed, simply slamming into the backs of blockers. He lacks elusiveness in the open field and has a history of fumbling.

Basically, he is a one-dimensional prospect with limited upside and might have to make an NFL roster as a special teams coverage player. He should stay in school and get his degree because he might not last long in the NFL. Projection: Fifth-round pick.
2. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

Mallett (6-6, 238) is an enticing prospect because of his size and arm strength, and he has shown the ability to be an accurate passer when using good technique and footwork. However, Mallett makes way too many mental mistakes when reading defenses and thus throws way too many interceptions.

Mallett is not a premier prospect and must improve a ton to become a quality NFL starter. Another season in college would have given him the chance to improve at reading defenses and understanding passing schemes so he could make better decisions in clutch situations.

By leaving school early, he is risking his entire pro career. As in, if he goes to a team without a great QB coach and patient owner, he could well wash out of the NFL in a hurry. Projection: Second- or third-round pick.
3. Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA

Ayers has been hyped as an elite player since he arrived at UCLA but has shown only flashes of being such an NFL prospect. Ayers (6-3, 258) is a lanky straight-line player who struggles to changes directions in coverage. He does have elite speed to chase down ballcarriers in pursuit and flashes an explosive closing burst to deliver violent hits.

He was an inconsistent player in college, and he must improve his all-around game to become an NFL starter. He must have a great performance at the NFL Scouting Combine to overcome concerns about his lack of athleticism and be a high pick. Projection: Third- or fourth-round pick.
4. Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

Baldwin (6-4 3/4, 230) has rare size and arm length but is a long-strider who lacks elite speed and quickness to separate from man-to-man coverage. He tracks passes well, showing the ability to catch balls away from his body. He has good body control and balance. He has a tall, lazy stance and builds up speed slowly. He lacks any instant burst, explosiveness or acceleration in his movements.

He gets sloppy with his routes at times and seems unwilling to catch passes over the middle. He does not appear to be willing to do the little things necessary to be great. He does not come back to the ball against zone coverage or go high to catch off-target throws. He has the ability to be a dominant run blocker but rarely works hard.

Receivers without good speed usually fall on draft day. Throw in the questions about his competitiveness and toughness, and he could really slide. Plus, he has no special teams value as a return man or cover guy. Projection: Third-round pick.
5. Jurrell Casey, DT, Southern Cal

Casey is quick and athletic, and he was productive in college. However, he looks short and thick on film. He is listed at 6-2 and 282 but might not break 6-foot once officially measured at the Combine. His lack of height could help him gain leverage, but the problem is he plays upright too often and is too easily pushed around.

We like his quick hands and ability to defeat one-on-one pass blocks in the open field, but NFL defensive tackles rarely have much space to utilize athleticism advantages. Casey reminds us somewhat of Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson when he was at USC, only not as big or as strong. Projection: Third- or fourth-round pick.

News From: www.sportingnews.com

pope John Paul II

Late pope John Paul II to be beatified May 1

The Pope on Friday approved a miracle attributed to Pope John Paul II's intercession and set May 1 as the date for his beatification, an event that will be a major morale boost for a church reeling from a wave of violence against Christians and fallout from the clerical sexual abuse scandal.

Pope Benedict XVI declared in a decree that a French nun's recovery from Parkinson's disease was miraculous, the last step needed for the beloved pontiff's beatification.

The May 1 ceremony, to be celebrated by Benedict himself, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome to honour one of the most popular popes of all time. A second miracle is needed for John Paul to be made a saint.

Benedict put John Paul on the fast track to possible sainthood just weeks after he died in 2005, responding to the chants of “Santo Subito!” or “Sainthood immediately!” that erupted during his funeral.

Benedict waived the typical five-year waiting period before the process could begin, but he insisted that the investigation into John Paul's life be thorough so as to not leave any doubts about his virtues.

The last remaining hurdle concerned the approval by Vatican-appointed panels of doctors and theologians, cardinals and bishops that the cure of French nun, Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre, was a miracle due to the intercession of John Paul.

The nun has said she felt reborn when she woke up two months after John Paul died, cured of the disease that had made walking, writing and driving a car nearly impossible. She and her fellow sisters had prayed to John Paul, who also suffered from Parkinson's.

Last year, there were some questions about whether Marie-Simon-Pierre's original diagnosis was correct. But in a statement Friday, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints said Vatican-appointed doctors had “scrupulously” studied the case and determined that her cure had no scientific explanation.

John Paul was adored by Catholics, but he did not escape scrutiny, since many of the thousands of sexual abuse cases that emerged last year concerned crimes or cover-ups that occurred under his watch. Vatican officials have said there was nothing in John Paul's record that called into question his path to beatification.

England prevails over Australia by 1 wicket at Adelaide

Chris Woakes hit the winning run from the final ball to give England a one-wicket win over Australia in the first Twenty20 cricket international at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.

Woakes scored 19 from 15 balls to guide the critical last stage of England's run chase as it replied with 158-9 to Australia's total of 157-4. The win gave England a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, the second of which is at Melbourne on Friday.

Australia allrounder Shane Watson almost single-handedly steered his side to victory, scoring 59 from 31 balls — the highest score of the match — and taking 4-15 to hamper England's chase.

Eoin Morgan topscored for England with 43 and Woakes showed composure beyond his years to steer his team home as it chased four runs from the last over.

England seemed headed for a comfortable win as it reached 50 inside five overs in front of 32,000 fans, and on a ground on which it achieved one of its three wins in the recent five-test Ashes series.

But Watson, already Australia's batting hero, almost turned the match when he struck with successive balls to remove the dangerman Morgan and Michael Yardy, prompting England's slump from 130-5 to 130-7 inside the 16th over.

Watson also dismissed Tim Bresnan, who hit 11 from 11 balls, to deny England another of the strokemakers who might have made the late stages of the run chase more comfortable.

England finally came to the last two overs needing 15 runs to win and with only two wickets in hand. Woakes and Graeme Swann combined to take 11 runs from the 19th over, bowled by Brett Lee, and to leave England needing four from the last six balls with two wickets in hand.

The last over fell to Watson and he immediately ramped up the tension on both sides when he dismissed Swann for 6 with the first ball. The action left England's final pair at the crease, the redoubtable Woakes at the non-striker's end and the last man in, Ajmal Shahzad.

Shahzad struggled for three deliveries to work the single that gave Woakes the strike and the chance to decide the match. Unfazed by the drama around him, Woakes worked the penultimate ball for two to tie the scores then crashed the final ball through wide mid-on for the winning run.

Earlier, Watson made the largest contribution in Australia's bid to set England an unreachable target. He hit six fours and three sixes in his 31-ball innings of 59, taking 26 runs from a single over of Swann's offspin.

He put on 83 for the first wicket in 8.4 overs with David Warner, who made 30 from 28 balls with five fours. The openers seemed to have set up Australia for a formidable score but it failed to capitalize on that start.

Tight bowling by Yardy, Shahzad and Bresnan saw the home side fall well short of a defensible score.

Yardy dismissed both openers and finished with 2-28 while Bresnan removed David Hussey for 28.