World Cup 2010

[Amby 490]

maven - did they make that song the world cup song one year? I thought that was a WI thing

[IndigoSkies 168]

My heart is fning beating so much faster now. Can I do this again? USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Okay I'm done for the day.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

maven - did they make that song the world cup song one year? I thought that was a WI thing

They certainly did, but I can't remember if it was for a WC or a Euro one that year. Let me go searching through the mixed-up files in my brain.

I remember a really fat sunburned English guy standing up through a sunroof, draped in the St George Cross flag, and carrying one aloft, as his mate drove slow down the streets of Marylebone and blasted Jerusalem from his decrepit Fiesta. Good times.

[TheMatrix 6]

They certainly did, but I can't remember if it was for a WC or a Euro one that year. Let me go searching through the mixed-up files in my brain.

I remember a really fat sunburned English guy standing up through a sunroof, draped in the St George Cross flag, and carrying one aloft, as his mate drove slow down the streets of Marylebone and blasted Jerusalem from his decrepit Fiesta. Good times.

Isn't that a quintessentially English football moment? All that is missing is the 'Huddersfield Town FC' or 'Scunthorpe United' written on the flag.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Isn't that a quintessentially English football moment? All that is missing is the 'Huddersfield Town FC' or 'Scunthorpe United' written on the flag.

One would have thought. But I got the feeling these guys couldn't save up enough for the Sharpie to write with because the money was better spent on Special Brew.

[ValerieA 350]

One would have thought. But I got the feeling these guys couldn't save up enough for the Sharpie to write with because the money was better spent on Special Brew.

I am people like that! Beer or writing instrument - BEER!!!!!

[TheMatrix 6]

One would have thought. But I got the feeling these guys couldn't save up enough for the Sharpie to write with because the money was better spent on Special Brew.

Or on Doner Kebabs!

Well done USA! Time to start preparing for Saturday's game. They shouldn't dwell on the euphoria too long!

[Fandango 1,440]

I am people like that! Beer or writing instrument - BEER!!!!!

Not Special Brew, lolz.

Or White Lightning, for that matter, hehehe.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I will always choose the beer. Or gin. What can I say, 12 years in that heathen country and I went totally native.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I hear yelling. drunk at 5pm.

What took them so long?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Just ran across this and must say that I feel so much better now that Paul has predicted a German win tonight.

Paul the Octopus Predicts a German Advance

In the unreliable field of predicting World Cup results, a German octopus has pulled ahead by a tentacle. He sees Germany moving out of the group stage.

German football fans have another reason to hope for a good night on Wednesday, when their national team plays Ghana in the 2010 World Cup: Paul the octopus has tipped their team to win.

Paul is a smallish cephalopod in the western German city of Oberhausen who finds himself in a klieg-lit tank at the Sea Life public aquarium before each Germany game during this year's world championship. His handlers bait glass cubes with mussels and mark them with national flags. The mussel Paul chooses first is meant to indicate -- at least to his handlers -- a prophecy for the upcoming game.

Skeptics scoff, but Paul is two for two so far.

He foresaw the German trouncing of Australia on June 13. A few days later -- bucking the bookies -- he called Serbia's upset over Germany.

Anton and a Morsel of Fruit

On Tuesday he picked a mussel from the German glass, which puts him in line with professionals who favor Germany to beat Ghana tonight. And if they win, the Germans will advance from the group stage to the final 16.

Paul has a better record than other football-prognosticating animals, like Petty, a pygmy hippo at the Chemnitz Zoo who picked Germany to beat Serbia, or Leon, a porcupine -- also in Chemnitz -- who liked Australia. The Chemnitz staff turns to a new animal for each game, and their latest consultant, Anton the tamarin monkey, has chosen a morsel of fruit in favor of Ghana.

Given the nature of their prognostications, the animals have trouble calling a tie. But such trifles haven't slowed down Paul. According to Sea Life staff, the octopus notched an 80 percent record of forecasts during his last assignment -- the UEFA European Championship tournament in 2008.

Paul's handlers bait glass cubes with mussels and mark them with national flags. The mussel he chooses first is meant to indicate his prediction for the upcoming match.

Here, Paul is deep in thought about the merits of the Ghanaian side against Germany.

He eventually chooses Germany, predicting that they'll be sent through from the group stage to the round of 16.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Whoever was claiming that someone is trying to fix games has my attention now. Twice in a row a goal was disallowed??

[SMR 368]

Just ran across this and must say that I feel so much better now that Paul has predicted a German win tonight.

This reminds me of "The System" by Derren Brown. It's a very interesting experiment. With enough "psychic" animals around, one of them was going to get two in a row.

Edited June 23, 2010 by SMR

[slim 1,533]

At least this goal that was disallowed was a lot closer a call than last time. You could see they were pretty much even yet the ref was a step or two behind. From his vantage point, he probably looked offside. Last time was a "mystery" call.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

GOAL. GOOOOOOO SCHLAAAAAAND!