Chelsea tormentor to join... Chelsea?

And there we were thinking that Chelsea, fresh from finally claiming the Champions League trophy they had craved for so long, had enjoyed a pretty spectacular summer in the transfer market. But now it seems the rebuilding programme at Stamford Bridge may not end there. 



The Sun reports that the Blues are weighing up a spectacular £45 million bid for Atletico Madrid’s imperious striker Radamel Falcao. 

The paper says preliminary talks between the clubs have already taken place – and Chelsea, of course, were dismembered by 26-year-old Falcao in August’s UEFA Super Cup. 

They’ve signed strikers who shone against them in the past – remember Robert Fleck, anyone? – without great success, but Falcao appears to be at the peak of his powers and could replace the forward power that had been provided by the departed Didier Drogba. 

The Sun says he could be on his way to London in January, and quotes a Chelsea insider as saying: “The groundwork is already being done for Falcao. 

“The owner [Roman Abramovich] wants everything in place now so a deal can be done before any other club can make a counter-offer.” 

Falcao joined Atletico from Porto in a £32 million deal last summer. 

Also in the Sun, former Villa and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger hopes to earn a contract with Everton, with whom he is training. 

The paper says Everton boss David Moyes could offer the former Germany international a Goodison Park deal if he can prove his fitness. 

Barcelona hope Xavi will finish his career with them, and the player’s representative says he believes a new contract is in the pipeline: that’s according to the Daily Mail. 

The Mail quotes his representative Ivan Corretja as saying that Camp Nou officials are keen to extend Xavi’s deal, which ends in 2014. 

“Last Friday, the club sent us its intention to renew the contract because they want Xavi to sign a new deal, given that the current one ends in 2014,” it reports Corretja as saying.
Source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/onthemove/id/1212?cc=3888

The conundrum of seeking material gains eternally...

The lessons learned from the mishap that happened to Cynthia Osokogu cannot be overemphasized, as many are now aware of the disadvantages of the social media especially in leading people to the hands of hoodlums. This is yet another story from a lady that simply wants us to learn. It is a near-death experience a young lady had with a man who was her BBM friend: "I am a girl who has fears, beliefs, reservations and just your regular typical Nigerian girl. This past few weeks has been one hell of a game for me. I have really been unsettled and I thought I share this story with you.

"When Cynthia (the lady killed in the hotel room in Festac, Lagos) surfaced on the internet and various news media, I was scared and it brought back a whole lot of memories to me and also served as and eye opener. Many people castigated and criticised Cynthia (may her gentle soul rest in peace), but my point is, it could have been anybody, anybody at all.

"We have met people through various social media. Some have ended up well, some have not but with painful memories. To cut the long story short, let me kindly share with you my encounter with social media especially the very popular Blackberry Messenger (BBM).

"I am a graduate and currently serving in Kaduna. I could have runced it, but I needed somewhere to clear my head and forget about my ugly encounter. Here is my story.

"I happened to have a married man as a contact on my BBM. He had been asking me out for over six months and I refused to date him. As time went on, he invited me clubbing with him when his wife was outside the country, and I went with him all night. We spent most of the night at Swe bar, Lagos.

"I also met his clique of friends, married as well with their various mistresses. We had ‘mad’ fun. After all the clubbing and drinking, he lodged me in a hotel somewhere in Obalende. I felt sort of safe with him. We did not have sex, but he made sweet love to me and touched me in places I had never ever imagined.

"He kissed me passionately but guess what? He did not have sex with me. We did all sorts but there was no penetration. So, to an extent, I trusted he was a good person to be around with. I did not know that it was all part of the plan.

"He gave me N10,000 and put me in a cab to go home the next morning. We kept talking and chatting and sending naked pictures to each other and he told me naughty things of how he wanted to whisper things in my ear, I blushed. We didn’t see for two weeks and that was because his wife just came back from Turkey.

"One faithful evening, he pinged me that he was organising a beach party/boat cruise and that he would love for me to be his date and that he wanted to open a BBM chat, as a medium for his friends and my friends to interact. I was excited about it, I just wanted to have fun. I was able to get five of my very hot friends.

"The BBM group opened and we got chatting. I also realise that majority of them were married and working in reputable firms. It was fun and we didn’t mind if they were married, we just wanted to have fun, as well as some other girls apart from my friends in the group.

"We chatted exclusively, sent pictures to the BBM group to introduce ourselves, and we had opened group conversations pending the beach party. And as excited as we were, we went shopping for nice sexy beach wears.

"The D-day finally came, we all assembled at the Lagos Island Boat Club. I was wowed because it was a high class party. We were cruising in a boat loaded with goodies drinks and hot babes, and as well ‘MARRIED MEN’. I did not care, I just said in my mind that I would not roll with married men anymore after this, that for now, all I wanted to do was to catch some fun. After all, I wasn’t paying bills.

"We got there, it was a private beach resort. Most of the beach facilities I got to see there were owned by multinational companies. We got out of the boat, and went to where we were partying. It was a duplex made with wood. It was a very nice setting.

"I felt comfortable because it even had a fence around it separating it from other beach houses around. So, there was privacy and of course bouncers (heavy looking guys) guarding the place. I said to myself, this must be heaven, I must be dreaming.

"Anyways, we felt free with each other because we had been chatting. It was 5:30pm and the party just started. We had drinks flowing from the private bar tender which happens to be owned by one of the men in the group. Reality struck when I realised that I was feeling dizzy and feeling really funny and light headed. Not only me, but other girls around me too noticed there was something strange about it.

"I was also feeling HORNY as hell! I had been drugged. They monitored us and when they knew the drug had really gone deep into our system, they moved us up into the main beach house. I could still see faces, but was too weak and horny to react.

"Mr B, the man who took me clubbing, carried me in his hands like a sacrifice and put me down on the floor just as other men also did with their girls. We were eight in numbers; 8 girls, 8 guys, and they all stripped us down and had sex with us.

"I enjoyed it a bit because I was horny. It was a mixed feeling because I cried, I moaned, but I did not know how many times he came into me. He pounded me hard. I was dizzy, but he grabbed me with force.All I could notice was the wedding ring on his finger. I thought of how wicked and miserable some married can be. How inhuman and heartless they could be.

"All of them took turns in switching partners and slept with all of us. I passed out. That was the last thing I could remember. I felt water poured on me. I noticed all the other girls around me too were half naked and some stark naked.

"We spent the night at the beach, but the men were no where to be found. I looked round me and all I could see was packs of used condoms. I ran to pick my cloths and possibly raise an alarm. I got dressed, found my phone with an envelope. It contained N16,000 and a note asking us to take N2000 each for transport. Tears of anger and rage filled my eyes and the girls around me as well.

"We were drugged and used like tissue paper. I grabbed my phone and noticed a ping came in. I checked my phone and I noticed the BBM group had been deleted, and a message via BBM from MR B came in. He threatened me that if I say a word to anyone, I would regret it.

"I told him he was a bastard, and he said try it. A picture came in, several pictures. In fact, they were pictures of us being naked on the floor. Pictures of the humiliating us but they blurred the faces of the men. In total, I got 20 pictures. I was not myself for a month.

"I went back to school, I had no one to talk to. The rest of the semester was hell for me. My CGPA dropped drastically. It was the worst out of the worst result I ever had.

"Till today, my friends and I have not discussed this with anyone, but all I could do when I heard of Cynthia’s story was to narrate my own ordeal anonymously and spread the news, the word, and pray they (ladies who do runs) see it and changed their ways.

"I am now born again. I have given my life to Christ. I fear men so much that I cannot even move close to them. I still have nightmares, but with time, God will strengthen me and I will move on. My advice to single ladies out there is, do not be desperate for fun. Pray to God to open your eyes of understanding, and pray hard. He who kneels before God will stand before kings and queens.

"To all married women, pray hard to God to intervene in your marriages and turn your husbands from bad habits and bad friends. As for me, I do not think I ever want to get married or date a man again. That chapter has been closed for good in my life.

"Please, do not ignore my mail. Please post it. There are a lot of things we ladies need to learn.Please post it on your blog and save a soul. It could be your friend, sister, cousin, neighbour.

"God bless you as you pass it on. To all readers, I do not care if you insult me or rain abuses at me. My job is to share this encounter with you and save you from any mishap. God bless you all. Amen."

Source: http://news.naij.com/7707.html

What’s The Big Deal About Love, Sex And Romance?

By Lamide Akintobi

 

Sex, love and romance are a big deal.

Such a big deal, in fact, that there’s a whole industry built and focused on them.

No matter where you are, who you are, who you love, and how you love, there’s a day, a month, a concept, a parade, a book, or even a sub-culture that is tailored just for you; waiting and lurking to grab you in its clutches and sink its tenterhooks around your neck until you give in.

Now, I realize that may sound skeptical, but as they say; it is what it is.

Bringing this “culture” home to Nigeria is a whole other kettle of fish. As with pretty much everything else in our beloved motherland, ‘e get k-leg.’

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find that in my beloved Naija, the idea of romance can be far removed from what we are told it should be by the endless romance movies (be they from Hollywood or Bollywood), sappy music, and other messages that filter in through a variety of ways.

Romance in Naija might not be fresh red roses “just because” o; it may be your lady love surprising you with freshly pounded yam and your favorite soup after a rough day at work, or your partner putting oil in your car so your engine doesn’t knock while you’re driving to and fro Third Mainland Bridge. You might have to forget about dimmed lights and soft music playing as you make sweet love, because quite frankly, young lovers often have to settle for a quickie before the parents come home.

Nevertheless, I think we should talk about it. Let’s talk about the differences, the similarities, and the peculiarities of love, sex and romance in our corner of the world.

Questions? Comments? Thoughts? 

Welcome to ‘LRS…the Naija way’

Can’t wait to hear from you!

By Lamide Akintobi

Source: http://thenetng.com/opinion/whats-the-big-deal-about-love-sex-and-romance/

Nigerians Don’t Want To Elect Credible Leaders – Pastor Kumuyi

Respected cleric and General Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, has lamented that the reason why corruption and bad leadership still persist in the country is the inability of the electorate to vote for a responsible leader.

He maintained that until Nigeria elects a credible candidate, the nation’s problem would continue.

The Man of God said this in Abuja yesterday ahead of the forthcoming four-day programme entitled, ‘Divine connection for full freedom’, slated for Friday, September 23.

He said, “Our problem can be zeroed in on the leaders we elect and the people we put in places of power and positions, and this matters a lot. So what I will say first is that what the electorate should do now is to begin to see how we elect the right people to the places of authority and decision making.

“If we can resolve that, I think a lot of our problems will be solved. Many times, the people with money also have good communication and they can get into places of authority; but if we begin to define the kind of country we are looking forward to and the people that can lead us to the place where we want to be, we will get it right.

“I think if we elect people based on what they can deliver rather than what they just say, we will get it right. They can deliver very well, looking at their track records and what they have been before being elected, I think it will be part of the solution to the problem.”

Kumuyi who lamented over the security situation of the country and the natural disaster occasioned by flood that has recently descended on the nation said that all Nigerians must draw closer to God, buttressing that only Him has the answer.

Source: http://news.naij.com/9956.html

Awkward Places

Have you ever had to look for a dead rat? The smell from the decaying creature saturates the air like a heavy musk and engulfs your air passage like the mucus from a huge boil. You turn your house upside down looking for the damned creature in all the usual places, underneath the chairs, in-between the crevices of walls and behind your dressing table, all to no avail. The smell continues to pervade your home as you battle endlessly with cans of air fresheners and freshly scented oils. Then, one day, when you have finally given up hope, as the smell has all but eaten into the fabric of your home, you find the half decayed creature at the corner of your air conditioning vent, its semi-decomposed fur melting into the plastic of your cooling device. Ecstatic, you scream, grateful that you’ve found the wretched creature and wonder how it found such an awkward place to pass its last breath.

The same is true about love. You search for it in the most usual of places, at church, hook-ups, parties and in the arms of old friends – all without actualization. Then just as you are about to give up, just as you are about to throw in the towel and launch into the “who-needs-a-man?” attitude you find it. Dusty, rugged and entirely the opposite of what you planned. But you know it’s love because, …well because it is. You can’t explain it, you can’t define it and you can’t quite put your finger on how it happened but you know without a shadow of doubt, that it is love. The feeling literally catapults you unto a magical carpet ride. Your eyes are wired shut as little winged animals dance around in your gut and your heart threatens to implode from the sheer rush of it all.

This is exactly what happened to a friend of mine – Nneka*. After years of searching for love, she found Bayo*. But he wasn’t the tall, accomplished, age appropriate man she had spent the latter part of her twenties dreaming about. Instead he was a self-assured, 26 year old who was just starting his career. She on the other hand was 31, had her own flat and was a well positioned manager at a thriving multinational company. They’d met at a training course where she was an invited speaker and he was part of the tutees. They exchanged business cards during lunch and, barely two weeks later, their lips were locked in passionate kiss. At first, she thought it would be something physical, where she could find some sort of avenue to release sexual tension. But, as the relationship progressed, she found that the only physical tension was the difference in their ages. Bayo, to her, was perfect in every other respect. They shared similar passions in life; he understood her better than anyone she had ever dated and, more importantly, she knew he loved her and she loved him too. Unfortunately, a five-year age difference, coupled with the vast gap in their career and financial standing, caused Nneka to hide her relationship with her young lover from her friends for months- including me. But anytime we met up, I always commented about how radiant she looked. At one point, I actually suspected that she might be pregnant because she just had this glow and calmness about her.

In January this year, Nneka relented and told me about her relationship with Bayo. With tears in her eyes, she told me how Bayo had proposed on the 31^st of December and how the realization of the hopelessness of their relationship finally hit her. The ring which was meant to be a symbol of his love for her became a reminder instead of just how impossible their love was to be. Nneka literally quivered as she asked me how she could marry someone who was not only younger in age, but was totally incapable of taking care of her. How was she going to introduce him to her parents? What would people think? Her biggest fear was also meeting his parents. “His mother would think I am an old dried-up woman who wants to come and steal her son” she said in between tears. I felt sorry for her on many levels. Being an old friend, I had seen her struggle in previous relationships and even without being told, I had seen the glow of happiness that she basked in when she was with Bayo. And now I could see the pain and bitterness she was in as she relayed her tale to me and her tears stained my pillowcase.

When she finally left my house, I couldn’t help but wonder how unpredictable love really is. We really have no way of choosing who we fall in love with. People argue that loving with your head is the only way to avoid the pitfalls of love; I disagree. Personally, I am of the opinion that any type of love which flows from a sensible disposition isn’t love; rather, it’s a watered down version of the original thing. To me, love is all about reckless abandon, the unexpected turn of events that make life colourful and worth living for, not the pre-calculated set of events that lead you to the one you think you ought to be with. To me the beauty of love is sometimes found in the awkwardness of the events that surround it all. The effort put in by both parties to surmount the challenges of being together, the difficult times that end with renewed reinstatements of love and the eventual strength of depth between the couple when they realize just how much they have overcome to be together. That, to me, is the genuineness of love- the capacity to make it work regardless of the awkward places in which we find it.

After much blood and tears, Nneka and Bayo will be getting married in two weeks. In February, Bayo got promoted to Assistant Regional Director, the youngest person in his company’s history to ever hold that position and has been transferred to the UK head office. The couple have decided to have a small civil ceremony with close friends and family just before they relocate. Nneka’s warm happy glow has returned and her mother-in-law to be loves her like a daughter.

To me, the lesson in this story is simple- sometimes it is in the awkwardness of love that we find the perfection we seek.

By: Glory Edozien

Jobs at Huawei Technologies

Huawei Technologies is a leader in providing next generation telecommunications networks for operators around the world. The company is committed to providing innovative and customized products, services and solutions to create long-term value and potential growth for its customers. 

Huawei's products and solutions cover wireless products (HSDPAlWCDMNEDGEi GPRSiGSM, CDMA2000 1xEV-DOiCDMA2000 1X, WiMAX), core network products (IMS, Mobile Soft switch, NGN), network products (FTIx, xDSL, Optical, Routers, LAN Switch)" application and software (IN, mobile data service, BOSS). as well as terminals (UMTS/CDMA). Major products are based on Huawei's self-designed ASIC chips and shared platforms to provide high-quality and cost-effective products and solutions with quick response.

Huawei's products are deployed in over 100 countries. and serve 28 of the world's top 50 operators, as well as over one billion users worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.huawei.com 

General Requirements for the position:
•             Experience in a Telecom Engineering Company, Telecoms Vendor or ICT is preferred and is of top-priority. 
•             Bachelor Degree in Electrical, Computer Science or telecommunications Engineering or relevant Degree as applicable 
•             Good Customer service orientation, communication skills. good team spirit and has ability to work independently. 
•             Should be ready to work under pressure in all kind of working condition. 
•             Proficient in Microsoft office(word, excel and PowerPoint) 
•             Applicants should be open to learning new skills and technology 
•             Self-motivated, flexible. enthusiastic and fluent in English both oral and written. 
•             Must be ready for international project to the other African countries. 
•             Successful applicants should be Goal-oriented with good interpersonal and communication skills. and be a very good team player. 
•             The successful applicant should be good at information gathering and analysis

Application and Software Maintenance Engineer

Requirements:

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Telecommunication Engineering or any related field.
• At least 1 year practical work experience in Unix/Linux, HP-UX, SUN-OS, IBM-AIX
• Knowledgeable in database, oracle, Informix and Sybase
• Ability to work independently and build up good customer relations
• Good communication skills and ability to work in a team.
• Self motivated, flexible, enthusiastic and fluent in English both oral and written
• Could work under pressure in all kind of working condition
• Should be willing to travel to other African countries to support project.

Responsibilities:

• Be responsibilities for Application & Software project implementation, which includes software and application installation, testing and maintenance
• Be responsible for service related technical activities, including monitoring and maintenance of equipment and servers, ensuring functionality of the system.
• Also keep in line with agreed SLAs issue management change management etc.

Work Location: Lagos/Abuja

Contact Email: juliet.edwin@huawei.com

Application & Software Developer

Requirements:

- Bachelors Degree in Computer, Telecommunication, Electrical & Electronics Engineering or any related field
- At least 1 year developing experience in Java or C++
- Knowledge of database system with developing experience in Oracle, Informix or Sybase
- Familiar with OO development method
- Familiar with UNIX or LINUX
- Application development experience in Telecommunication is preferred.

Responsibilities

- Analyze, optimize and confirm customers requirements
- Design and develop application solutions with high quality software source code
- Test and troubleshooting

Work Location: Lagos/Abuja

Contact Email: Juliet.Edwin@huawei.com

Method of Application

All applications must be sent via email to the outlined email address and must be received not later than 1 week from the date of this publication. Applicants should specify on their applications and CVs the job title and the job position they are applying for and should send their CV with their names and job title. All applications that do not follow the instructions above will be disqualified.

Craft Trainee Vacancies at Nigerian Breweries Plc

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for recruitment as Craft Trainees. The program entails a six-month comprehensive training in our Technical Learning Centre. 

Eligible candidates must posess the following educational qualifications:
    
a. NABTEB: Credits in FIVE SUBJECTS, which must include the following:

    i.  English Language, Mathematics and Physics Or Chemistry
    ii. Any TWO of the following Trade related subjects:

    Mechanical Engineering Craft Practice
    Fabrication & Welding.
    Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Works
    Electrica Installation and Maintenance Works.
    Electronic Works.
    Instrumentation Mechanic Works.

b. Candidates must have SAT for the above examinations not earlier than November/December,2009.
c. Candidates must not be older than 28 years as at the last birthday anniversary.

METHOD OF APPLICATION
Interested candidates who meet the above criteria should forward their applications together with following documents:

    1. Handwritten application (applicant’s own) with full contact details, telephone numbers and e-mail address
    2. NABTEB Result(s)/Certificate (s).
    3. Birth Certificate or Sworn Declaration of Age

All applications should be addressed to the:

HQ Human Resource Manager,
Nigerian Breweries Plc,
Headquarters, Iganmu House,
No. 1, Abede Village Road,
Iganmu, Lagos.

However, candidates are free to submit their applications to the Human Resource Dept, at any of our Breweries in the following addresses:

Nigerian Breweries Plc
Lagos Brewery
Abebe Village Road,
Iganmu Lagos

Nigerian Breweries Plc
Aba Brewery
1, Industry Road
Aba

Nigerian Breweries Plc
Kaduna Brewery 
Industrial Layout,
Kakuri, Kaduna

Nigerian Breweries Plc
Ibadan Brewery
KM, 3 New Ife Road
Ibadan

Nigerian Breweries Plc
AMA Brewery
9th Mile Corner 
Enugu

Nigerian Breweries Plc
Onitsha Brewery
87 - 97 Port Harcourt Road
Onitsha

The closing date for receiving applications is two weeks from the date of this advertisement.

Candidates who meet the above requirements will be contacted, through the addresses/phone numbers provided, for selection exercise (aptitude test, oral interview and medical examination) on a date (s), time and venue to be advised.
Source:http://www.myjobmag.com/readjob/2397/jobs/craft-trainee-vacancies-at-nigerian-breweries-plc/

Are private Facebook messages becoming public?

Rumors of a Facebook bug has users from all over the world worried about private messages showing up very publicly on Timeline pages. But the social network is debunking those claims, saying these messages are actually just older wall posts.

A series of reports coming out of France — including ones fromMetro France and Le Nouvel Observateur — claim that Facebook members who sent private messages over the past few years have been popping up on public posts.

Some members in the U.S. have said their private messages from 2007 and 2008 are showing up on their Timeline, but Facebook told Mashable that the company hasn't found a bug and believes the discrepancy comes from a wider roll out of the newer Timeline layout on a global scale.

Facebook says that if you can comment or Like that activity, then it is a wall post and not a private message. In the past, users weren't able to comment and Like posts, so Facebook believes members new to Timeline are confusing old posts for private messages.

"A small number of users raised concerns after what they mistakenly believed to be private messages appeared on their Timeline," Fred Wolens of Facebook Policy Communications said in a statement. "Our engineers investigated these reports and found that the messages were older wall posts that had always been visible on the users' profile pages. Facebook is satisfied that there has been no breach of user privacy."

UPDATE: When asked if such a bug were possible, Wolens responded: "While not quite a technical impossibility, these systems are run on two separate backends which would require a non-trivial amount of work for this bug to be real."

We have been unable to confirm any case where private information has been leaked.

For those worried that they may be subject to a bug, users can set all wall posts to only friends or just to themselves, and also hide the activity.

Source: Samantha Murphy

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/25/tech/social-media/facebook-private-messages/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fedition_technology+%28RSS%3A+Technology%29

Profitable Jobs That Nigerians Dont Like Doing

1. Pepper seller; they earn average of 60K monthly but too many mouth to feed    (Iya Ogoja,Council,task force etc).
2. Welder; 90K monthly(on average) but we think they are too vocational.
3. Carpenter;same as welder
4. Cement and block loader;60K but their bad habit didn't let it show.
5. Lawma cleaner;N25000(Per-time)
6. Truck driver; 90K but it is not white colar.
7. Aboki indomie cook; 90K(average) but their spending habit is bad.
   Medicine salesman(ise oluwa);80k monthly(base on skill)
8. Agbero(chairmen);150K dey be man Manager
9. Neighbour-to-neighbour salesman; 15k(novice) it based on Network
   and confidence.

Retailer of farm produce: 80k minimum.Since they earn more than
farmer(all season).

Have smartphones killed boredom??

Take a look around today at people in line at Starbucks, on the train platform or waiting for their bags at the airport.

Odds are, a huge chunk of them are staring down into a glowing mobile device -- passing time by checking on friends, catching up on texts or e-mail or playing a video game that would have required a PC or home console just a few years ago.

"That's me," said Jeromie Williams, a 36-year-old social media manager and blogger from Montreal. "If I'm on the bus. If I'm waiting in line somewhere ... .

"The other day I was at a restaurant with a friend. He got up two times -- once to smoke a cigarette and once to go to the bathroom. As soon as his ass was off the seat, 'Boom!' iPhone in hand."

Thanks to technology, there's been a recent sea change in how people today kill time. Those dog-eared magazines in your doctor's office are going unread. Your fellow customers in line at the deli counter are being ignored. And simply gazing around at one's surroundings? Forget about it.

Between smartphones, tablets and e-readers, we're becoming a society that's ready to kill even a few seconds of boredom with a tap on a touchscreen.

Smartphone ownership in the United States, and elsewhere, hit a tipping point in 2012. More people now own a smartphone in the United States -- 45% of adults -- than own a traditional cellphone, according to a survey from the Pew Internet & American Life project.

And 42% of all mobile phone users say they expressly use their phone for entertainment when they're bored. (Presumably, non-entertainment uses like texting and e-mail would jack that number up even higher).

"I do everything with my phone," said Alexandra Reed, 39, a self-employed single mom from Charlotte, North Carolina.

"I have five e-mail accounts for different things. I have two phones, one for business and one personal. I use apps -- Mapquest, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google Plus, CNN, ESPN ... ."

Is it a boredom killer? Absolutely, she said.

"Even when I'm driving, I might have Facebook open," she said. "At a red light the first thing I (do is) just look at my phone. I get a little anxious if I see a notification and don't read it."

Researchers say this all makes sense. Fiddling with our phones, they say, addresses a basic human need to cure boredom by any means necessary.

Christopher Lynn, an anthropology professor at the University of Alabama, compares tapping at smartphones to smoking a cigarette. Both can be "pivots," he says -- things that quickly transfer us from the monotony of everyday life into a world of "unscheduled play."

"Smartphones are like cigarettes are like junk food are like chewing your nails or doodling ...," Lynn wrote in a May essay for the Evolutionary Studies Consortium. "Does the naked space of your own mind and the world around you send you screaming into oblivion when you walk across campus, across a street even? Pull out your smartphone and check your email again -- that car will swerve around you."

With their games, music, videos, social media and texting, smartphones "superstimulate" a desire humans have to play when things get dull, Lynn told CNN in an interview. And he believes that modern society may be making that desire even stronger.

"When you're habituated to constant stimulation, when you lack it, you sort of don't know what to do with yourself ...," he said. "When we aren't used to having down time, it results in anxiety. 'Oh my god, I should be doing something.' And we reach for the smartphone. It's our omnipresent relief from that."

So, our phones are brutally efficient at addressing an ancient desire. But is that always a good thing?

At Oxford, England's Social Issues Research Centre, researchers fear it is not. In their view, by filling almost every second of down time by peering at our phones we are missing out on the creative and potentially rewarding ways we've dealt with boredom in days past.

"Informational overload from all quarters means that there can often be very little time for personal thought, reflection, or even just 'zoning out,' " researchers there wrote. "With a mobile (phone) that is constantly switched on and a plethora of entertainments available to distract the naked eye, it is understandable that some people find it difficult to actually get bored in that particular fidgety, introspective kind of way."

Williams, the Montreal blogger, admits as much.

"One thing that unfortunately I do miss out on is that sort of quiet time where I can think about something I want to write ... where, if I'm bored, I'm flipping open Word and punching something out," he said. "Instead, out comes 'Infinity Blade II' and I'm killing titans.

"Before smartphones came out, you had that down time where you sit on the bus and your mind just kind of wanders and you think of these amazing things. You get out that old thing called pen and paper and you jot it down."

But Joel Marx, a 25-year-old research assistant in Baltimore, Maryland, disagrees. Marx juggles two jobs and sees his phone as a way to be productive, and keep up with the news, during gaps in his hectic workdays. He relies on it for fun, but also for research and scheduling.

"I feel like it gives me a break from what's at hand," he said. "I even find it helps to keep me going through the day as I can get in touch with things in the outside world. Most of the time, I would have done nothing during those times anyhow."

Reed, the Charlotte mom, admits her phone use sometimes distracts her from work or even watching a movie. But compared to other time-killers, she thinks the phone is a good option.

"I actually feel more productive reading things online and on social media like Twitter and Facebook than if I was just sitting and watching a TV show," she said. "I follow people who are mostly sports and news anchors, people like that -- interesting people I know I can learn something from."

Source: Doug Gross, CNN

Thoughts on the messy Messi-Villa incident

I think it's fair to say that Leo Messi committed a minor error by chewing out David Villa just before halftime on Saturday as Barcelona was sweating out an edgy win against Granada. But in doing so, some pretty healthy signs were also apparent.

For Messi to lose his temper at a teammate making his first start in 10 months over the lack of a first-time pass that, if it had been pulled off, would have been just short of telepathic was a clear overreaction.

And yes, it does betray Messi's increasing need to boss the pitch and have the ball whenever he demands it, but it also hints at his desperate desire to win games and conquer any physical or psychological barriers in his way.

Because the two men are both feisty, determined competitors -- and given that there's a spotlight on absolutely everything relating to Messi -- there are quite a few who either for mischief or for lack of information wish to take this incident as definitive proof that there is a problem between them.

However, at this point some context might help.

Messi's actions on the pitch, sublime and astonishing as they are, make it seem to many that he's superhuman. Not everyone around the globe has the good fortune that we do here to meet him occasionally, listen to him in news conferences, watch him mix with the rest of the team and chart his growth and development.

If your only contact with Messi is seeing him do extraordinary things a couple of times a week it's easy to forget that, like you and me, he's flesh and blood.

For example, he confirmed what I wrote a couple of weeks ago in saying that thanks to the World Cup qualifiers for Argentina culminating in the 1-1 draw in Peru, he'd gone nine nights without proper sleep (with barely any sleep at all, in fact) as a result of jet lag. That would leave anyone a little bit edgy and fractious.

Moreover, Messi is due to be a father for the first time in the not-too-distant future -- again, enough to make anyone a little bit narky.

And just to put a cherry on the icing, there were stages during what became a 2-0 win over Granada when it looked like Barcelona might drop two points to their lowly foes, perhaps even three. The Blaugrana were a little stodgy in their play. Not crisp, not devastating. Anxiety was setting in.

What's unavoidable is that although there exists a healthy tension between Messi and Villa, there's also a huge amount of respect and a good dose of friendship.

Villa was the key striker at Valencia, able to pick and choose where he moved, when he demanded the ball -- basically, their equivalent of Messi.

When he signed up at the Camp Nou it was made 100 percent clear to him that Messi was pre-eminent. Primus Inter Pares -- first among equals. As such, the Argentinian would be first choice at centre forward and serve as the team's leader and its symbol. Villa would need to play on the left, submit to team orders and take his chances when they came.

But I'd recommend to conspiracy theorists that even if this chafed at El Guaje a little bit, it also served a function.

Remember Jose Mourinho's first trip to the Camp Nou as Real Madrid coach? The 5-0 pasting that night included the best assist I've ever seen Messi give -- and it went to Villa, a 40-meter heat-seeking pass that allowed Villa to power through and score past Iker Casillas.

Or what about the Champions League final at Wembley? It was Messi's darting run in from the right touchline that ended up with Villa bending a glorious shot around Edwin van der Sar.

If you watch it again you'll see Messi sinking to his knees in supplication at the utterly glorious style with which El Guajesealed Barca's Champions League triumph.

Just one more? The Spanish Supercopa first leg last year. Messi's forward run down the middle, a pass to the left for Villa before the Asturian cut inside and bent an equally unbelievable goal past Casillas at the Bernabeu.

No complaints from Messi that night about not getting a first-time return ball, either.

That Messi has a fierce temperament is also not a shock to those who have chronicled him for a long time.

OK, he's a pacifist 95 percent of the time, but remember his utter fury at Frank Rijkaard for not naming him in the 2006 Champions League final squad? So angry was Messi that after the final whistle he steadfastly refused to go down to the pitch to celebrate with his teammates with the trophy. He regretted it almost instantly but the red mist descended. It also did in the 2009 UEFA Supercup Final against Shakhtar Donetsk when he came within a millimeter of head-butting Dario Srna in a bad-tempered match.

How he restrains himself from retaliating given the tackles he suffers, I'll never know. But just because he manages that gargantuan feat doesn't mean he's immune to rushes of blood to the head.

What I also consider healthy is that Messi, who doesn't crave publicity and only sporadically consents to interviews, immediately said "yes" to the request from Barca TV after the match so that he could clear the air.

GettyImages / Pedro Ladeira/AFP/GettyImagesForget about the Messi-Villa spat. Perhaps more important is whether Neymar comes to the Camp Nou -- and how Tito Vilanova would make room for him.

No hiding, no sulking, no campaign of whispers surrounding the issue. Just trying to put it to bed.

"There's no problem between us because we are in a fantastic dressing room. These things happen in games because we want to win. They happen in training but you don't get to see that because there are no cameras there. It was just a product of the pressure we put on ourselves to win and go get that first goal which makes everything that much easier. I've got no problem with David, quite the contrary in fact. You just saw the character of the team, we want to win and keep on winning. That's why the tension can get you annoyed and heated up. My aim isn't to score more goals than last season, the important thing is that this team has goal scorers in it and that we win trophies."

To me, the misjudgement comes when a guy who lives to play has a broken leg, misses nearly a year and then gets pretty antsy about his first start; that isn't the time to bawl him out over a tiny error.

So, hey, Messi made a mistake. Where Tito Vilanova would have a problem to address is if this repeats, or if Villa feels slighted and bears a grudge, either of which would turn the whole issue on its head.

Another question, altogether, is the news that on enquiring about buying Neymar, Paris St. Germain was told by Santos that the Brazilian prodigy is heading for Barcelona, probably next season. Messi, Villa, Pedro, Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Tello, Isaac Cuenca -- and Fabregas! -- plus Neymar is what the Spanish call "overbooking." Somebody is going to have to travel in steerage and somebody's going to have to move to another flight.

A looming problem, not the issue right now. But perhaps something on David Villa's mind?http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/laliga/id/123?cc=3888
Source:Graham Hunter ESPNSOCCERNET.COM