Monday, July 12, 2010
Sealed with a kiss: Spain captain embraces TV reporter girlfriend live on air after World Cup win
What a difference a World Cup win makes.
At the beginning of the South Africa 2010 tournament – after Spain’s shock defeat by Switzerland – the Spanish captain Iker Casillas was berated by his TV reporter girlfriend Sara Carbonero.
But six games later, after lifting the trophy and being asked about the triumph, all was forgiven as the goalkeeper kissed and made up on live TV.
The passionate embrace came after the World Cup winner broke down in tears and Miss Carbonero, 25, offered him time to compose himself.
Scroll down to the bottom to watch the video...
Gotcha! Iker Casillas surprises Sara Carbonero with a kiss during a live interview
Taking her by surprise, he grabbed the glamorous sports presenter – voted the sexiest in the world - as he said: ‘No, this is what I want to do.’
Casillas, 29, was named man-of-the-match after making two outstanding saves to keep his country's tournament dreams alive against Holland.
Andres Iniesta's extra-time winner then broke Dutch hearts as Vicente Del Bosque's team clinched the title following a tense and scrappy match.
Joy: Miss Carbonero asks Casillas how he feels about his World Cup triumph
That's my answer! The goalkeeper plants a kiss on his glamorous girlfriend
Blushing beauty: Miss Carbonero wipes her face and looks abashed afterwards
Spain scored four minutes before penalties would have been required to decide the winner.
Tears filled the captain’s eyes as the final whistle was blown – and, as Spain’s road to victory was anything but easy, this could probably be expected.
In their first game against Switzerland, they lost 1-0 and as sudden doubts emerged over the Spaniards’ chances, Miss Carbonero left her boyfriend squirming in an interview as she asked him: ‘How could you muck this up?’
On top of the world: Casillas lifts the World Cup trophy after helping Spain beat Holland 1-0
Glamorous: Miss Carbonero - voted world's sexiest reporter - before the match
The Real Madrid star responded: 'I don't know what to say,' he said, unable to look her in the eye. 'I don't know if this defeat will have consequences. The dressing room is fed up.'
He then slunk off feeling somewhat abashed.
But last night the tables were finally turned as Miss Carbonero, a reporter for Spanish TV station Telecinco, was the one looking embarrassed.
Spanish Inquisition: Casillas squares up to Miss Carbonero after his side's shock World Cup defeat against Switzerland in their first game of the tournament
Congratulations to Spain!
Huge congratulations to Spain, on winning their first ever World Cup, with a narrow win over the Netherlands in South Africa yesterday. As you'll see from the video playlist above, Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) has been the soundtrack for many Spanish celebrations, from the stadium to Spain itself.
We also discovered today that Waka Waka is now Number One in all countries served by radio network Los 40 Principales - Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. Only one artist, Alejandro Sanz, has ever achieved this before. Pretty amazing.
Windows 7 SP1 Beta Now Available for Download
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level, provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates.
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta will help you:
- Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
- Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
- Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
- Meet your users’ demands for greater business mobility
- Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations
- Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency
In order to download and install the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta you must currently have a Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 already installed.
Like most of the Service Packs for Microsoft Windows, this one follows in the same direction, containing all the security and recommended updates that you would usually receive through Windows Update. Available in both 32 and 64 bit versions, Windows 7SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 doesn’t offer any new features except for tons of security, stability and bug fixes. The greatest beneficiaries of this release are said to be Windows Server 2008 R2 users.
Windows 7 RTM was announced back in July 2009. It is publicly available since the official launch, which was held on October 22nd 2009.
Download Windows 7 SP1 Beta from TechNet Evaluation Center
Download Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta from TechNet Evaluation Center
Check out our Windows 7 Center for the complete coverage on the latest client version of Windows. [via TheNextWeb]
Skype Blocks, Threatens To Sue Fring
Late last week, mobile communication services provider fring
released an updated iPhone app that enabled iPhone 4 owners to engage in unrestricted 2-way video calling over Wi-Fi or 3G internet with other iPhone, Android or Symbian devices. This garnered a lot of attention, mainly because Apple’s native FaceTime application works only over Wi-Fi and between iPhone users.
Hours after its release, the company said it saw a huge spike in video calling that it was forced to “temporarily reduce support” to Skype, a third-party provider it has long supported.
Now, they no longer have to worry about that extra network strain, as Skype has apparently outright blocked fring and threatened legal action against the startup.
In a press release issued moments ago, fring says that it is thus being forced to stop its 4 years of Skype interconnectivity, referring to the move as an anti-competitive ambush. They go further than that in the complementary blog post, calling them out for being ‘cowards’:
They are afraid of open mobile communication. Cowards.
Needless to say, we are very disappointed that Skype, who once championed the cause of openness is now trying to muzzle competition, even at the expense of its own users.
We’re sorry for the inconvenience Skype has caused you.
We’ve contacted Skype and are awaiting an official response from the company.
Update: a Skype spokesperson tells us that they’ve been debating with fring about whether they operate in accordance with its terms of use and license agreements for some time now, and that these discussions were ongoing.
Surprisingly, Skype also claims the decision to no longer offer Skype interconnectivity was entirely made by fring and that they had nothing to do with it.
The company’s spokesperson emphasized that they encourage developers to build products that work with Skype so long as they’re in accordance with its various licenses, and that they are keen on enforcing its terms when developers do not comply with them.
Something tells me this won’t be the end of this particular story.
World Cup 2010: 10 reasons to remember this year's tournament
South Africa's remarkable championship - from the 'instrument of hell' to the prognostications of Paul the octopus
1 The vuvuzela
For many South Africa 2010 will always be synonymous with the plastic horn. Fifa rejected calls for the horn – described by a South African journalist as "the instrument of hell" – to be banned. The fact that the collective noise sounded like a swarm of mosquitoes did not stop the vuvuzela from being sold in the UK ‑ and even becoming an iPhone app.
2 The Jabulani
Barely a World Cup goes by without criticism of the official ball, but the Jabulani – meaning "be happy" or "rejoice" in Zulu – came in for particular flak. The "roundest ball ever" was criticised by players and coaches alike in the runup to the tournament. A series of high-profile and costly blunders by players, including one from England's Robert Green, meant the condemnation continued, although, as usual, by the end of the tournament the ball had been accepted.
3 Managers on trend
Before the World Cup, Joachim Low was perhaps best known sartorially for his array of skinny scarves. But once the competition began the German coach and his assistant were dazzling in blue knitwear. "I'm not driven by superstition but the coaching staff want me to wear the blue sweater because we always score four goals when I do," he told the Sun. The sweater's luck ran out in the semi final, when Germany were beaten by Spain.
4 North Korea score against Brazil
Not many people backed the Democratic Republic of Korea – team officials refused to acknowledge the name North Korea ‑ against the five-time winners. But after Brazil went 2-0 up, Ji Yun-nam thrashed home a shot with the kind of velocity North Korea usually reserves for test-firing missiles. The Dear Leader would have been less pleased with the team's performance in their next match, which they lost 7-0.
5 Lampard's goal that never was
After England struggled through the qualifiers, the nation found itself in the next round facing the old enemy. England deserved to lose to Germany, but Lampard's shot crossed the line and would have made the score 2-2 at half-time, if the officials had spotted it. The one positive was Sepp Blatter promising Fifa would reopen the discussion on goal-line technology.
6 Ghana's run
The first World Cup to be held in Africa proved a poor one for African teams. South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Algeria failed to get through their groups. Ghana's Black Stars beat the USA in the last 16, earning pan-African enthusiasm along the way. It looked as if the world's second team could become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, until they met Uruguay …
7 Hand of God mark II
Luis Suarez executed a textbook, point-blank save in the last minute of extra time, preventing Ghana from scoring a winner. The problem was Suarez is a striker. He was red-carded, but his wild celebrations in the tunnel after Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, and claims afterwards that he had produced "the best save of the tournament", left a bitter taste.
8 Maradona's fifth World Cup
Many were prepared for the Argentina manager to embarrass himself or his country after an iffy qualifying campaign. While some aspects of his coaching style remained unorthodox, for example ending each day's session by forcing some players and coaches to offer up their backsides for the rest of the team to wallop balls at, the team were a revelation until conceding four goals to Germany. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
9 Robbie Earle's fans
When 36 women clad in orange mini dresses were ejected from the Holland v Denmark match for being part of an ambush marketing effort by a Dutch beer company, the incident wasn't a huge story. Then it emerged that the women had apparently all used tickets allocated to ITV pundit Robbie Earle for the use of his friends and family. Earle was sacked. Two of the 36 were arrested, but charges later dropped.
10 Paul the psychic octopus
The Weymouth-born, German-bred octopus correctly guessed the winner in all of Germany's matches. His psychic abilities came at a price however: Argentinian fans threatened to put Paul in a paella. "There are always people who want to eat our octopus," his keeper, Oliver Walenciak, said. "But he is not shy and we are here to protect him as well. He will survive." He picked Spain to win last night.
I won't be addressed as serial kisser after OUATIM : Emraan
Emraan Hashmi is all set for his upcoming film, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI, in which he's playing an underworld don. According to the actor, his 'serial kisser' tag will go after this film.
"Definitely it's a major depart from playing romantic roles. Hopefully, I won't be addressed as a serial kisser after OUATIM. The script and the film is a completely different genre for me," said Emraan
The film also stars Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut and Prachi Desai.
On working with Ajay Devgn, Emraan said, "It's extremely intimidating to work with Ajay Devgn. He's an actor who has won a National Award and who oozes that kind of intensity in the frame."
The 31-year-old actor further added, "For a young actor it is almost like going to acting school and learning. It was a tremendous experience as well. Just sit there and watch him act. I really admire him as an actor and learnt a lot from him."
Emraan had to work a lot on his body for this film. But he completely loathes the term 'six pack abs'.
"I hate this term six-pack. When Milan narrated the script he made sure that the character demands an overall muscular physique. Because of the action sequences, the toughness in the look was required," he said.
Exclusive: PTCL is Testing 9.3 MB Wireless Broadband
According to our sources at PTCL who wished anonymity have confirmed that PTCL is Testing 9.3 MB Wireless Broadband for possible commercial launch later this year.
However, initial device testing procedures experienced some problems as the device gets heat up early.
Provided by ZTE, these EV-DO Revision B (Rev.B) technology devices are compatible with already laid EVO network. On technical side, ZTE’s EV-DO Rev.B requires upgrading EV-DO Rev.A’s software only, with no additional hardware equipment required. Both ZTE’s EV-DO Rev.A and Rev.B adopt identical baseband chipset.
Sources in the corporation told that PTCL is reportedly testing EV-DO Rev B wireless broadband devices that support upto 9.3 Mb/s download rate and 5.4 Mb/s upload rate.
A well placed source further elaborated that this upcoming device, when tested, gave 600-800 KB download speed, however, it is hoped that the heat problem will soon be fixed.
Officially we couldn’t confirm from PTCL, whether it will ever be launched, but the technology is going to change the way people use internet in Pakistan and PTCL is well positioned to take the first leap in this regard, particularly with its expanding EV-DO coverage.
Unlike PTCL’s other broadband services, EVO has earned healthy reputation in terms of reliability – however, coverage still remains a constraint for subscribers.
Bips not ready to marry John
Bong bombshell Bipasha Basu has got marriage phobia. She has been dating
actor John Abraham for many years but still avoids getting married to him. The reason, she suffers from marriage blues and so she runs away from marriage. It is quite surprising that since the last 28 years, she has attended only two marriages. The entire process of marriage makes Bipasha Basu feel nervous. John and Bips close friend cricketer MS Dhoni tied the knot but the actress quips that she can?t handle the pressure faced by a bride, going though the rituals and dressing like bride with heavy ornaments and decorated outfit.
Bipasha also adds, ?I hate getting decked up. I?m okay with attending receptions. You can still get away with just wearing something formal and nice to a reception. But the actual shaadi ceremony is something I have avoided all these years.?
She prefers wedding reception to the marriage ceremony. ?I hate getting decked up. I?m okay with attending receptions, you can still get away with just wearing something formal and nice to a reception. But the actual shaadi ceremony is something I have avoided all these years?, quips Bips.
So, Bips has got a funny reason to avoid marriage. Hope, John takes it lightly.
John chucks football to play Priyanka's husband
John Abraham's plans to watch the FIFA final in South Africa have gone kaput, thanks to Vishal Bhardwaj. John had painstakingly planned his schedule such that he will be free on the dates he needed to watch the final of the football world cup at the stadium.
However, at the nth minute, Vishal Bhardwaj called up, saying that he needed John's dates for some urgent work on Saat Khoon Maaf. John plays one of Priyanka's husbands in the film.
John had no option, but to give in to Vishal's demand and cancel his flight plans. The final match will be played on Sunday between Spain and The Netherlands.
John, who is a footballer himself, had wanted to watch all the matches in South Africa, but due to his work schedule, he had to content himself with the final. He had even finished with his work for Dostana 2 just so that he could go to Johannesburg for the final.
Exclusive: I Would Not Go To Jail Without...
That's what Lindsay Lohan wants with her in jail. What would our B-Town actresses demand?
American actress Lindsay Lohan was ordered on Tuesday to serve 90 days in jail for missing alcohol counselling sessions in violation of her probation. Well, Lind-saying is believing because the actor said she would not go to jail without her lip gloss.
Here is a tongue-in-cheek look at what our stars would take with them, Lindsay Lohan lip gloss style, if they were ever put away in jail.
Aishwarya Rai
Hubby. Mrs Rai-Bachchan would carry husband Abhishek into jail. In a recent interview, she said he calls her 40-50 times a day. Phones are a no-no in prison, so she will just have to take him along for all that 'talk time.' What an idea, Sirjee!
Kareena Kapoor
Her Cell phone. Bebo and her BlackBerry simply cannot be separated. Eat your heart out, Saifoo.
Priyanka Chopra
An Ipod. If PC cannot go to the opera, the music must come to her. Priyanka won't be iPod-denied even behind bars.
Rani Mukerji
Memories. She would carry a pile of her earlier movies on DVD into her cell, just to remind her about those heydays!
Kangna Ranaut
She will carry her English dictionary to jail as she is learning the lingo. Ah, all that time to practise!
Lara Dutta
Tennis racket. Lara would sashay into jail with it to remind her of boyfriend Mahesh Bhupathi. Game, set and match behind bars.
Deepika Padukone
Training Shoes. This sporty chica needs to keep up with badminton practice and other sports to keep that figure 'arresting.'
Shilpa Shetty
Yoga mat. The Indian Premier League (IPL) team owner has the courage of her contortions and what better way to show it than on the yoga mat in jail?
Bipasha Basu
A pair of dumbells. Bipasha can't do without her workouts. And given the the spartan dal-chaawal (oh those carbohydrates!) that is served in the prison, she will need to burn those calories.
Rekha
MAKE-UP. Madame Re won't be caught dead or under arrest without oodles of make-up. So, make-up kit is a must for B-Town's Rekha O Rekha.
Sonam Kapoor
Accessories and dresses. Jail uniforms had better be designer or Sonam won't wear it. Preferably, the police can give her a Vivienne Westwood jail dress.
Kajol
Her daughter. Kajol would demand that her beti Nysa with her to jail, as she simply cannot live without her. Talk about maternal instinct.
Katrina Kaif
Scripts. The actor is a voracious reader of movie scripts. With offers deluging her, Kat can read in jail. They will just have to provide her with a night lamp.
Sushmita Sen
Crown. Ms Sen would carry her Miss Universe crown into jail and order other inmates to do her bidding. Police don't frown, Sen has the crown.
Mallika Sherawat
Food. The vegan siren would carry packets of special organic, no-dairy food into jail as she needs to stick to her do or die-t.
Vidya Balan
Eyeliner. Ms Ethnic appeal would carry a special kaajal she gets from Pakistan into jail as she cannot do without it. Eyes, eyes, baby.
American actress Lindsay Lohan was ordered on Tuesday to serve 90 days in jail for missing alcohol counselling sessions in violation of her probation. Well, Lind-saying is believing because the actor said she would not go to jail without her lip gloss.
Here is a tongue-in-cheek look at what our stars would take with them, Lindsay Lohan lip gloss style, if they were ever put away in jail.
Aishwarya Rai
Hubby. Mrs Rai-Bachchan would carry husband Abhishek into jail. In a recent interview, she said he calls her 40-50 times a day. Phones are a no-no in prison, so she will just have to take him along for all that 'talk time.' What an idea, Sirjee!
Kareena Kapoor
Her Cell phone. Bebo and her BlackBerry simply cannot be separated. Eat your heart out, Saifoo.
Priyanka Chopra
An Ipod. If PC cannot go to the opera, the music must come to her. Priyanka won't be iPod-denied even behind bars.
Rani Mukerji
Memories. She would carry a pile of her earlier movies on DVD into her cell, just to remind her about those heydays!
Kangna Ranaut
She will carry her English dictionary to jail as she is learning the lingo. Ah, all that time to practise!
Lara Dutta
Tennis racket. Lara would sashay into jail with it to remind her of boyfriend Mahesh Bhupathi. Game, set and match behind bars.
Deepika Padukone
Training Shoes. This sporty chica needs to keep up with badminton practice and other sports to keep that figure 'arresting.'
Shilpa Shetty
Yoga mat. The Indian Premier League (IPL) team owner has the courage of her contortions and what better way to show it than on the yoga mat in jail?
Bipasha Basu
A pair of dumbells. Bipasha can't do without her workouts. And given the the spartan dal-chaawal (oh those carbohydrates!) that is served in the prison, she will need to burn those calories.
Rekha
MAKE-UP. Madame Re won't be caught dead or under arrest without oodles of make-up. So, make-up kit is a must for B-Town's Rekha O Rekha.
Sonam Kapoor
Accessories and dresses. Jail uniforms had better be designer or Sonam won't wear it. Preferably, the police can give her a Vivienne Westwood jail dress.
Kajol
Her daughter. Kajol would demand that her beti Nysa with her to jail, as she simply cannot live without her. Talk about maternal instinct.
Katrina Kaif
Scripts. The actor is a voracious reader of movie scripts. With offers deluging her, Kat can read in jail. They will just have to provide her with a night lamp.
Sushmita Sen
Crown. Ms Sen would carry her Miss Universe crown into jail and order other inmates to do her bidding. Police don't frown, Sen has the crown.
Mallika Sherawat
Food. The vegan siren would carry packets of special organic, no-dairy food into jail as she needs to stick to her do or die-t.
Vidya Balan
Eyeliner. Ms Ethnic appeal would carry a special kaajal she gets from Pakistan into jail as she cannot do without it. Eyes, eyes, baby.
Best Snap of the world cup final
Fan punched in the face by a security guard as he tried to place a hat on the World Cup!
Pakistani hotel cleaner returns $50,000
Essa Khan found the bag of notes stuffed in a safe deposit box while carrying out a routine inspection of a room vacated by a Japanese NGO worker before another guest arrived.
After years of negative publicity from terror strikes and political unrest, politicians have lauded the housekeeper's honesty as the "real face of Pakistan".
But Mr Khan told The Daily Telegraph he was simply doing his job.
"I have a responsibility as a human being, as a Pakistani, a Muslim," he said on Sunday. "I never thought about keeping the money."
Mr Khan, 50, has worked for the past 20 years at the Gilgit Serena Hotel, which stands amid dramatic scenery at the foot of the Karakoram mountains, in northern Pakistan.
Hotel staff managed to track down the guest, who works for the Japan International Co-operation Agency, and return the money, which was intended to fund a feasibility study into tourism projects in northern Pakistan.
Rashid Uddin, the hotel's general manager, said the Japanese man, who has not been named, was embarrassed to learn he had lost the cash.
"Even after three days, he had no clue that he had left the money," Mr Uddin said by telephone from Gilgit.
"He came in the next day, and it was easy to see from the look on his face just how relieved he was."
The hotel has given Mr Khan a 10,000-rupee (?77) reward for his honesty.
But his general manager said his actions deserved wider recognition.
"In these economic conditions, and in a region of poverty, we should be very, very proud of people like this," said Mr Uddin.
The story has been taken up by politicians in a country tired of negative publicity. Years of suicide bombings mean tourist hotels have struggled to survive as foreigners stay away.
Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, declared Mr Khan a "national hero".
"He's a humble housekeeper and we are really proud of him," he said. "This is the face of Pakistan that people don't see normally."
He telephoned Mr Khan on Sunday to promise him another reward and to invite him to Lahore for a ceremony in his honour.
SOURCE
After years of negative publicity from terror strikes and political unrest, politicians have lauded the housekeeper's honesty as the "real face of Pakistan".
But Mr Khan told The Daily Telegraph he was simply doing his job.
"I have a responsibility as a human being, as a Pakistani, a Muslim," he said on Sunday. "I never thought about keeping the money."
Mr Khan, 50, has worked for the past 20 years at the Gilgit Serena Hotel, which stands amid dramatic scenery at the foot of the Karakoram mountains, in northern Pakistan.
Hotel staff managed to track down the guest, who works for the Japan International Co-operation Agency, and return the money, which was intended to fund a feasibility study into tourism projects in northern Pakistan.
Rashid Uddin, the hotel's general manager, said the Japanese man, who has not been named, was embarrassed to learn he had lost the cash.
"Even after three days, he had no clue that he had left the money," Mr Uddin said by telephone from Gilgit.
"He came in the next day, and it was easy to see from the look on his face just how relieved he was."
The hotel has given Mr Khan a 10,000-rupee (?77) reward for his honesty.
But his general manager said his actions deserved wider recognition.
"In these economic conditions, and in a region of poverty, we should be very, very proud of people like this," said Mr Uddin.
The story has been taken up by politicians in a country tired of negative publicity. Years of suicide bombings mean tourist hotels have struggled to survive as foreigners stay away.
Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, declared Mr Khan a "national hero".
"He's a humble housekeeper and we are really proud of him," he said. "This is the face of Pakistan that people don't see normally."
He telephoned Mr Khan on Sunday to promise him another reward and to invite him to Lahore for a ceremony in his honour.
SOURCE
Garlic-made pills ineffective against flu: researcher
 SYDNEY: An Australian researcher has found that medicines made of garlic are ineffective to cure influenza and cold, insisting that all those experiences of people in this wake amid different climates were just ‘untrue’.During research, a medical student Elizabeth Jasmine picked 146 patients to try garlic-made medicines to cure influenza and cold diseases, observing that pills remained entirely ineffective to cure them against cold and flu. Her research continued till 12 weeks, in which, she claimed to have kept all the patients under constant observation, but pills met failure to provide any relief to flu and cold patients. |
Spain beat Holland 1-0 to win World Cup
Updated at: 0216 PST, Monday, July 12, 2010 JOHANNESBURG: Spain won the World Cup for the first time on Sunday, Andres Iniesta netting in extra-time to see off Holland 1-0 in Johannesburg and hand the Dutch their third final loss.With just four minutes of extra-time remaining, substitute Fernando Torres slid over a cross from the left which was partially cleared as far as Cesc Fabregas and his pass found Iniesta lurking in the area. The Barcelona star promptly set his sights and fired past Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Five minutes earlier, the Dutch were down to 10 men when referee Howard Webb red-carded John Heitinga for a foul on Iniesta. A niggly game saw a proliferation of yellow cards and missed chances at both ends - most notably in the first period of extra-time when Spanish substitute Fabregas raced onto a pass from Iniesta only to see Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg block his shot. Then fellow substitute Jesus Navas looked odds on to score but his shot deflected off Giovanni van Bronckhorst and hit the side-netting. |
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Forlan Wins Golden Ball, Mueller Wins Golden Boot & Young Player Accolades
Following Spain's 2010 World Cup final triumph over the Netherlands, Uruguay striker Diego Forlan picked up the Golden Ball award while young Germany forward Thomas Mueller took the Best Young Player accolade as well as the Golden Boot.
Atletico Madrid striker Forlan proved to be one of the star performers in South Africa, beating off competition from the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Spain hitman David Villa to be crowned the tournament's best player - as voted for by the media.
Forlan was, however, pipped to the post when it came to the Golden Boot, with Thomas Mueller's five goals and three assists for Germany edging him ahead of Silver Boot winner Villa and Holland playmaker Sneijder who picked up the bronze award.
Mueller also claimed the Best Young Player gong for his impressive performances in South Africa, beating both Ghana's Andre Ayew and Mexico's Giovanni Dos Santos to claim the prize.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who made a string of impressive saves in Spain's final triumph over the Netherlands, claimed the Golden Glove while Vicente del Bosque's side were also recognised with the Fair Play Award.
Atletico Madrid striker Forlan proved to be one of the star performers in South Africa, beating off competition from the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Spain hitman David Villa to be crowned the tournament's best player - as voted for by the media.
Forlan was, however, pipped to the post when it came to the Golden Boot, with Thomas Mueller's five goals and three assists for Germany edging him ahead of Silver Boot winner Villa and Holland playmaker Sneijder who picked up the bronze award.
Mueller also claimed the Best Young Player gong for his impressive performances in South Africa, beating both Ghana's Andre Ayew and Mexico's Giovanni Dos Santos to claim the prize.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who made a string of impressive saves in Spain's final triumph over the Netherlands, claimed the Golden Glove while Vicente del Bosque's side were also recognised with the Fair Play Award.
YouTube is ready for the big screen, now supports 4K ultra high-res videos
It seems YouTube always thinks big and the result is the new support for 4K videos – 4096×2304 resolution.
Best Pranks Played by Pilots on Their Passengers
Sometimes, when you’re bolting through the sky in an aluminum capsule full of crying children and the occasional schnauzer, things can get dull. To relieve the tedium, some people read in-flight magazines, watch in-flight movies, or kick in-flight seats-in-front-of-them.
Not so, pilots. For the folks flying the plane, all that is mere child’s play; they’ve seen it all before. That’s why, to entertain themselves at 35,000 feet, some pilots have been known to engineer a laugh at their passengers’ expense. Considering that as many as 50% of adults who use commercial airlines are afraid of flying, wouldn’t you?
Here is a list of some of the top pranks ever played on airline passengers by the people they were trusting to get them back on the ground safely.
1. Alternate landing
It’s the most basic prank, because nobody would have a clue: Tell them you’re landing in one place, and actually land somewhere else! That’s what one American Eagle pilot did in 2008 on a flight from New York to Cleveland. The plane was already behind schedule, so the pilot told the passengers, just for kicks, that the flight was being diverted to Toledo. Then he landed in Cleveland. Boy, were they confused when they found out they were exactly where they were supposed to be, only late.
2. Bathroom break
What do you do when you’re flying a 747 and have to take a leak? Well, if you lack imagination, you just put the plane on autopilot. Otherwise, you can do what one pilot on a prop plane in Scotland reportedly did: Back slowly out of the cockpit unraveling a ball of string with each hand and ask the nearest passengers to hold the strings—tightly, please—while you use the lavatory. Then come back, take the strings off their hands, and terrify everyone by shrugging and dropping them.
Do put the plane on autopilot first, though.
3. Waiting for Pilot
Flying a plane is a tough job, but someone’s got to do it—preferably someone random and irate from one of the back seats. Word has it that a captain with what used to be British European Airlines would occasionally sit in the back with the passengers for a while before the flight and pretend to be waiting for the pilot. People would get antsy and frustrated, and at some point, he’d declare loudly that if the pilot didn’t show up soon, he’d fly the plane himself. Then he’d get up and do just that—often pretending to have no idea how to operate the controls.
Thankfully, as far as we know, only real pilots have decided to engage in such shenanigans.
4. Cloudy waters?
Nothing says “Gaa! What’s that?!?” like a toilet full of dry ice. This prank was played on a newbie flight attendant, but it could just as easily have been one of the passengers. The pilot decided it might be fun to put dry ice in the plane’s commodes. When the ill-fated flight attendant discovered unusual vapors coming out of the lavatory, the pilot took one look and cried, “Oh s***! Cloud smoke!” and ran off.
5. Sleeping room
April Fool’s Day ads are the best ever, and even though this one wasn’t a pilot’s fault, it did target air travelers. Canadian airline Westjet once put out a statement offering, for a small fee, extra sleeping room—in the overhead luggage compartments. Apparently there was even a picture with it, showing a passenger happily sleeping in the luggage bin.
Still, the business class compartments were probably cushier.
6. Monkey business
Most of the time, you don’t see who’s actually flying the plane. You just assume they’re human.
However, one American Airlines pilot reportedly put this to the test, donning part of a gorilla suit for the airline’s televised landings and shocking the passengers, who would just see a large primate’s arm fiddling with the controls.
It’s hard to say who would be more offended by this prank—the FAA or the SPCA.
7. Just for laughs
Half the fun of having control of the airplane’s speaker system is being able to abuse it. Pilots have a thing about making clever comments over the intercom before, during, and after the flight for the amusement of the passengers, or just themselves. Usually, travelers can tell when the captain is kidding. But when the public address says, “Please turn off your cellular phones, computers, video games or any other electronic device that might interfere with the captain’s pacemaker”, one has to wonder.
Particularly since there is the occasional check pilot who shorts out the plane’s navigational systems for a lark. On a Jet Airways Delhi-Mumbai flight in 2009, the check pilot took out a circuit breaker at 3,700 feet and knocked out the flight director indications and the ground-proximity warning system. Supposedly, he was just checking to see that the crew knew what to do in such a situation. Based on the fact that no one clocked him on the head for incredibly stupid behavior, they didn’t.
8. Blind luck
One of the classic pranks to play on passengers, apparently, is convincing them that not only don’t you know where you’re going, you can’t actually see. Several pilots have been known to put on dark glasses and hold out a cane while visibly making their way to the cockpit. No worries, that’s what the navigator’s there for. Wait—wasn’t he fired for putting dry ice in the lavatories?
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