CaaC (John)

Rafael Benitez: Newcastle manager offered £12m by Chinese club Dalian Yifang Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez has received a £12m-a-year offer to take over as manager at Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang. Benitez, 59, is out of contract at the end of June but has been offered a new deal by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. So far he has been unable to agree a deal and it is becoming increasingly likely Benitez will leave St James' Park after just over three seasons. The Spaniard is also linked with a move to succeed Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea. Benitez remains one of the favourites to replace Sarri but Frank Lampard is the overwhelming favourite for the job. Benitez had an uneasy relationship with the Chelsea fans when he was in interim charge of the club during the 2012-13 season. There is a chance Benitez may decide not to go to China and wait for another offer - from Newcastle or elsewhere. However, the lure of China may be too much given the vast sums on offer. Dalian have won only three of their 13 league games so far this season under South Korean coach Choi Kang-hee. Newcastle were relegated after Benitez arrived at the club in March 2016 but the former Liverpool boss guided them to promotion as Championship winners the following season. The Magpies have finished 10th and 13th in the Premier League in subsequent seasons. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48672945

ALEXIS IMPRESSES IN COPA AMERICA WIN OVER JAPAN Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez scored and registered an assist as Chile earned a comfortable 4-0 win over Japan in the Copa America at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Match Report

New Mars crater exposes mysterious darker material Mars attacked. The Red Planet was hit by an asteroid sometime within the past three years and the resulting crater has exposed a "darker material" underneath Mars' reddish dust that is currently perplexing scientists. The image was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 17, 2019. The black-and-blue area on the Martian landscape highlights the area that was hit. University of Arizona scientist Veronica Bray told Space.com that the crater was on the larger side of ones she has observed and was a fairly rare event, as MRO has been continuously observing Mars for 13 years. "It is a reminder of what's out there," she told the news outlet. "It's a gorgeous [crater]. I'm glad I got it in the color strip." The blueish tint seen in the image may be exposed ice, though Bray and her fellow researchers are not sure exactly what it is and further research is needed. Peter Grindrod, a research leader in Planetary Science at the Natural History Museum in London, tweeted this gif showing the before and after images. Researchers suspect that the asteroid was no more than 5 feet wide and likely would've broken up had it entered Earth's atmosphere. But because Mars' atmosphere is significantly weaker than Earth's, it had a better chance of leaving an impact crater. It's unclear exactly when the impact occurred, but the best guess is that the impact crater formed between September 2016 and February 2019. NASA's exploration of space and in particular, the MRO, have been in the spotlight in recent weeks. A tweet from President Trump caused confusion earlier this month when he said "NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon," but rather it should be "be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science." Under the direction of the Trump administration, astronauts will return to the Moon by 2024. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine attempted to downplay the confusion, noting that NASA was using the Moon as a gateway to Mars. And just last week, the University of Arizona, which operates the HiRISE camera, released a picture the MRO took on Mars of a dune that looks strikingly similar to the Starfleet logo on "Star Trek." https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/new-mars-crater-exposes-mysterious-darker-material/ar-AAD1uVS?MSCC=1560843186&ocid=chromentp

Not sure if this should be in the Chelsea thread as it's not a player transfer? Admin/Mods do your bit if you must. Derby manager Frank Lampard is set to meet Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich on his yacht to talk about succeeding Maurizio Sarri as the Blues' boss. (Sun) Chelsea wants to offer 40-year-old Lampard a three-year-deal to become the manager at Stamford Bridge. (ESPN) John Terry is among the candidates to become Derby County manager if Frank Lampard joins Chelsea this summer. (Mail)

June 17, 2019 Storm Rages in Cosmic Teacup Fancy a cup of cosmic tea? This one isn't as calming as the ones on Earth. In a galaxy hosting a structure nicknamed the "Teacup," a galactic storm is raging. The source of the cosmic squall is a supermassive black hole buried at the center of the galaxy, officially known as SDSS 1430+1339. As matter in the central regions of the galaxy is pulled toward the black hole, it is energized by the strong gravity and magnetic fields near the black hole. The infalling material produces more radiation than all the stars in the host galaxy. This kind of actively growing black hole is known as a quasar. Located about 1.1 billion light years from Earth, the Teacup's host galaxy was originally discovered in visible light images by citizen scientists in 2007 as part of the Galaxy Zoo project, using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Cambridge/G. Lansbury et al; Optical: NASA/STScI/W. Keel et al. Last Updated: June 17, 2019 Editor: Yvette Smith https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/storm-rages-in-cosmic-teacup

Freddie Ljungberg is appointed as Arsenal assistant coach Former Arsenal forward Freddie Ljungberg has been named first-team assistant coach to Gunners manager Unai Emery. The Swede is replacing Steve Bould, whose new role includes taking charge of the under-23 team. Ljungberg, who played 214 games and scored 46 times for Arsenal, says he is "really excited" to work with Emery. The former Sweden international was part of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' side under Arsene Wenger. Since starting his coaching career, 42-year-old Ljungberg has also been in charge of the club's under-16s squad. Bould, meanwhile, is to take up a new role back in the academy, which he ran for 11 years before becoming Wenger's assistant manager in 2012, staying on to work alongside Emery last season. The former Arsenal defender, 56, will also help oversee the under-23s and under-18 'phase programme' with current Arsenal Academy manager Per Mertesacker. Arsenal said the changes, which come into effect from 1 July, will help "create a 'transition team' which will collectively manage a player's development through some of the hardest and most challenging periods of their professional lives". https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48662806

Frank Lampard: Chelsea not approached Derby County, says chairman Mel Morris Chelsea are yet to approach Derby County about the availability of their manager Frank Lampard, says Rams chairman Mel Morris. Lampard, 40, is the favourite to replace Maurizio Sarri as Chelsea boss after the Italian left Stamford Bridge to take charge of Juventus. BBC Sport reported on Sunday that the Rams had opened talks over a new deal with the former England midfielder. Lampard led Derby to the Championship play-off final last season. "We have made it very clear to everyone, but most importantly to Frank, that we want to retain Frank for the long term," said Morris. "If Chelsea wants to hire Frank, then it is in their gift to make an offer in pursuit of that. "In the meantime, we will continue to put our best foot forward to continue with our plans for the coming season and work with Frank for him to know how much he is wanted by everyone associated with the club." Lampard won three Premier League titles and the Champions League as a Chelsea player, in addition to becoming the club's all-time top scorer with 211. His first season in management culminated in defeat by Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley last month. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48661952

Whoever parked their car here for the day or weekend and had the intention of picking it up later on will have a lot of cleaning to do, saw this when I was waiting for a bus 2 hours ago, us locals around here call this stretch of road beside Leith Links Park 'Bird Shit Paradise', you name it, Gulls, Pigeons, Crows love these tree branches and this is what happens...

Just out on Netflix and our son said to watch it, Action/Comedy/Mystery - Murder Mystery (2019) For me, it started off ok and I had a bit of a laugh but it petered out a bit as the film went along, I would give this a 7/10, I have seen worse and seen better, the wife enjoyed it the most though.

Just started watching this now, so far the wife is laughing her socks off and so am I in between on this laptop.

Hats off to the guy, although there were no crowds lining the streets it was the thoughts and the achievement of winning the league that counts. Duckpond FC celebrates league win with an open top bus tour A Sunday League football team has celebrated winning the league with an open-top bus parade. Duckpond FC, formed in Harwich, Essex, in 2011, has won the Colchester and District Sunday League. The club has marked each promotion since it was formed with a bus parade and party in the town. It's the third time the team has marked success in this way. Player-manager Michael Hammond said: "We want the world to know we won." Mr Hammond, 29, who founded the club, spent £4,000 hiring a double-decker bus, plane banner and advertising for the day before the tour made its way around Harwich on Saturday. Duckpond FC won the league and then secured the Fowler Memorial Cup Final last month, beating Harts FC 3-0 to secure a double. The team won 15 out of 16 matches this season. Mr Hammond said the celebrations on Saturday left many of the players "feeling delicate" on Father's Day. "We've won all the divisions now - we're officially the best Sunday League team in Essex," he said. "Grassroots football is dying, so many teams are folding or have quit. "But it's on days like this you realise it's not the level of football but the passion and commitment." The team can go no higher in the Sunday League in the county, and are now calling themselves "champions of Essex". Mr Hammond said he was unaware of any other team at this level who celebrates in this way. The club formed in 2011 and is named after Cox's Pond in Harwich. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-48649359

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/47477462

15th-Century Cannonballs Likely Used by Vlad the Impaler Discovered in Bulgaria © By Anonymous, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 15th-Century Cannonballs Likely Used by Vlad the Impaler Discovered in Bulgaria Dracula was known for using his fangs and supernatural powers to dispatch his victims. But he apparently liked to have a few cannonballs by his side as well (just in case). No, there’s no secret passage from Bram Stoker’s novel involving a battle where the vampire count displays his firepower. Rather, according to the website Archaeology in Bulgaria, cannonballs were recently excavated from the Bulgarian town of Svishtov, the site of a military conquest made by the Romanian prince Vlad III. Known more popularly as “Vlad the Impaler,” he likely served as the inspiration behind Stoker's bloodthirsty antagonist. During his reign as one of most ruthless rulers in history, Vlad III frequently butted heads with the Ottoman Turks. The conflict came to a violent head in 1461, when Vlad and his army fought for control over Svishtov’s Zishtova Fortress. Now, as Gizmodo reports, archaeologists say they've uncovered a collection of centuries-old cannonballs that may have belonged to Vlad and were most likely linked to the event. The cannonballs themselves were shot from culverins, medieval cannons that fired missiles weighing up to 16 pounds, which were relatively light compared to later models. Lead archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov of the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology in Sofia said that's what makes these artefacts particularly exciting. “We rejoice at those small cannonballs because they are from culverins," Ovcharov told Fox News. "These were the earliest cannons which were for the 15th century, up until the 16th century, [and] they weren’t in use after that.” That battle occurred as an attempt to reclaim the region from the occupying Turks. The region was occupied as far back as the Roman Empire and was abandoned after barbarian invasions. The Zishtova Fortress was built much later, and Vlad III made it his home—after he reclaimed it from his enemies. But just because Vlad may have had cannonballs at his disposal doesn't mean that some of the battle's victims weren't impaled. "[We] have a letter by Vlad Dracula to the king of Hungary in which he boasted that he had taken [the fort] after a fierce battle, and that about 410 Turks were killed during the siege," Ovcharov said. "Some of them were probably impaled, in his style." https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/15th-century-cannonballs-likely-used-by-vlad-the-impaler-discovered-in-bulgaria/ar-AACSWDK

The way this WC is going rain might win the day AGAIN here, what then, a point each.

Small Soldiers (1998), I would give this a 7/10 but our grandson who was watching it too gave it a......10/10

Our son & grandson have just arrived, Lovely Jubilee from my son, a litre bottle of my favourite sherry......BUUUURRRRRPPPP and a Del Boy mug from our grandson

Police Find 2,000 Cannabis Plants In Abandoned Gala Bingo Hall Police officers hit the jackpot last week when they uncovered a massive cannabis farm worth almost £3m hidden in an old bingo hall. Officers seized 2,000 plants and growing equipment during the raid at the Gala Bingo Hall in Kettering, Northampton, on Friday. Shocking photographs shared by local authorities show that not an inch of floor space was spared in the operation, with rows of cannabis plants and sophisticated hydroponic cultivation equipment filling the building. According to Northamptonshire Police, the entire haul could have been worth around £2.8 million a year. Suspicions were first raised that something wasn't quite right with the property when officers smelled cannabis coming from the derelict building, in Kettering High Street, which closed in January. More

Just waiting @Stan in getting invaded by our son & daughter with grandsons in tow the same as when it was Mothers day.

June 14, 2019 Hubble Sets Sights on an Explosive Galaxy When massive stars die at the end of their short lives, they light up the cosmos with bright, explosive bursts of light and material known as supernovae. A supernova event is incredibly energetic and intensely luminous — so much so that it forms what looks like an especially bright new star that slowly fades away over time. These exploding stars glow so incredibly brightly when they first form that they can be spotted from afar using telescopes such as the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The subject of this image, a spiral galaxy named NGC 4051 — about 45 million light-years from Earth — has hosted multiple supernovae in past years. The first was spotted in 1983 (SN 1983I), the second in 2003 (SN 2003ie), and the most recent in 2010 (SN 2010br). These explosive events were seen scattered throughout the center and spiral arms of NGC 4051. SN 1983I and SN 2010br were both categorized as Type Ic supernovae. This type of supernova is produced by the core collapse of a massive star that has lost its outer layer of hydrogen and helium, either via winds or by mass transfer to a companion star. Because of this, Type Ic — and also Type Ib — supernovae are sometimes referred to as stripped core-collapse supernovae. NGC 4501 sits in the southern part of a cluster of galaxies known as the Ursa Major I Cluster. This cluster is especially rich in spirals such as NGC 4051 and is a subset of the larger Virgo Supercluster, which also houses the Milky Way. Text credit: ESA (European Space Agency) Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Crenshaw and O. Fox https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2019/hubble-sets-sights-on-an-explosive-galaxy