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English ruggers bet on the Gambler
Britain is certainly no bastion of country music. Yet England’s rugby players have adopted a Kenny Rogers song as their unofficial World Cup anthem.
His hit “The Gambler” has become a favorite in the England dressing room, with the squad using it to psyche themselves up.
British newspapers all have highlighted the song as the unlikely inspiration for England’s unexpected march to the semifinals. Kenny even sent the team a video message of support this week as the team gears up for its semifinal match in Paris tomorrow.
Apparently the team is particularly taken by the lines: “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em; know when to walk away and know when to run.”
If the song works, and England wins, the team will head for a final showdown with either South Africa or Argentina.
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For Gore, nine inconvenient truths from a British judge
It was the surprise box-office sensation credited with confronting the world with the honest reality of climate change. But a High Court judge in London has called “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore both “alarmist” and “exaggerated.”
In a rare judicial ruling on what children can see in the classroom, the judge said that the documentary was “one-sided” and would breach education rules unless accompanied by a warning.
Despite winning lavish praise from the environmental lobby and an Oscar from the film industry, Gore’s documentary was found to contain at least “nine scientific errors” by the judge.
These inconvenient untruths included the claim that the snows on Mount Kilimanjaro were disappearing solely due to global warming and that sea levels will rise up to 20 feet in the near future.
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But they forgot to list Michael Jackson
Fifty years after Sputnik, the Times of London has released a list of the world’s 40 most memorable aliens — and they include a boatload conjured up in America.
In the top 10 are the Blob, whether in the classic Steve McQueen version or the 1980s remake. Also at the top are Superman, Transformers, and E.T. — one of the best-loved non-humans in popular culture.
Also on the list is Venom, a sentient black oily substance that becomes Spiderman’s deadliest adversary, as well as the Borg, a race of modified humanoids that have proven to be the most popular villains of the Star Trek universe.
Bizarrely, at the very top of the list is God. The newspaper said: “Perhaps not the most obvious contender for a list of aliens but certainly not terrestrial in origin, possessed of some extraordinary abilities, and pervading popular culture like no other personality the God of the Christians, Jews, and Muslims is — irrespective of how you might feel about his existence — the most powerful alien intelligence imaginable.”
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The Euro view: Barack off track
Is a Democrat headed for the White House? Most Europeans think so. But increasing it’s Hillary Clinton who’s being pegged as the next president and not Barack Obama.
Writing in today’s Guardian newspaper in London, political commentator Michael Tomasky said that Obama has disappointed in that he hasn’t been able to present himself as quite as different a political figure as his admirers had hoped.
“At the beginning of his campaign, he seemed like someone who had a deep contact with the ideals that animated America’s founding, ideals of shared civic responsibility that he captured well in his famous keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention,” he wrote.
“Right now he’s like an American football team that, with about five minutes left in the third quarter, has been thrown completely off its game plan,” he said.
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No worries, mate. But wary of the Yanks? You bet.
Almost all Australians expect the United States to remain a close security partner and most believe the alliance between the nations is important.
But an increasing number of Aussies have lost confidence in Washington’s ability to “deal responsibly with world problems” and believe that Australia faces higher security risks because of its decision to join the U.S.-led war on terror.
The survey data, released this week by The United States Study Centre at The University of Sydney, showed a nuanced Australian view of the United States.
“Australians are clearly able to differentiate between the foreign policy of a particular U.S. administration and the enduring strategic value of the U.S. alliance, which still receives overwhelming support despite widespread opposition to the Iraq conflict,” said Alan Dupont of the center.
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Mexico: rough economic times ahead in El Norte
Is the U.S. economy headed for a slowdown? Officials south of the border certainly think so and Mexico is projecting a ripple effect in its own economy next year. Finance Secretary Agustin Carstens told Mexican lawmakers this week to expect smaller economic growth than the 3.8 percent originally projected for 2008 due to trouble in the U.S., by far Mexico’s largest trade partner.
“The deceleration in the United States could be transmitted to the Mexican economy,” Carstens told lawmakers. “We shouldn’t exaggerate it, but we also can’t ignore it.”
Mexico is largely projecting rosy economic numbers thanks to a recent tax overhaul that should bring an additional $10 billion a year in government revenues. Carstens expects Mexico’s growth rate to hit at least 4.1 percent by the end of the decade and go possibly as high as 5 percent. Mexico is only now shaking off the sluggish growth (about 2 percent from 2001-2003) that marked the beginning of the decade.
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Rat: a Frenchman’s best friend?
The French are so smitten with the latest offering from Pixar — the U.S. box-office smash “Ratatouille” about a rat that’s a chef — that they are buying pet rats in droves.
“Since the film came out there is no question there is a real fashion for rats,” Gerald Moreau, 25, who runs a pet association near Paris promoting the long-tailed rodents as domestic animals, told AFP.
Apparently French children are driving the craze as they seek out soft-coated rats with floppy “Dumbo” ears like Remy, the hero of the comedy.
“Rats are much smarter and much more interesting than hamsters or mice,” said Moreau, who owns 19 pet rats. “They recognize their name and grow very attached to their owner and they play with you like a dog or a cat.”
But a word of warning to those conquered by the rat’s charms: never put a male and female in the same cage since the female can give birth to up to 15 baby rats every three weeks.
That’s a lot of Remys.
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A little advice for American stars
The British media love to take pot shots at the rich and famous just as much as the American media do, picking apart their looks and actions with a kind of sinister gusto.
J
ust today, London’s Daily Mail has told the world that American actress Demi Moore is in desperate need of a cosmetic touch-up. The paper reports seeing major new wrinkles on the star’s face even after she spent $500,000 remodeling her face and body.
The paper also takes a swipe at another American actress, Angelina Jolie, who the paper says is in dire need of a hearty lunch and supper. The paper reports seeing bulging veins on her arms, legs as skinny as twigs, and a stomach that’s hollow.
And let’s not even get started on Britney Spears. Almost every British newspaper sported a huge headline announcing that the fallen star had lost custody of her two young boys. The London Times said that Britney had made an amazing decline from pop megastar to tabloid punchline. The papers rehashed her recent appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards that was described as more of a “catastrophe than a comeback.”
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Best movie moments, to British eyes
The London Times’ film writers have selected their top 10 favorite moments in cinema, and several American movie scenes have made the cut.
They are:
1) The dawn helicopter attack in “Apocalypse Now,” Francis Ford Coppola, 1979
2) Dil pulls down her tights in “The Crying Game,” Neil Jordan, 1992
3) The arrival of Uncle Monty at the cottage in “Withnail & I,” Bruce Robinson, 1986
4) The beer garden scene from “Cabaret,” Bob Fosse, 1972 5) “Funny how? Funny like I’m a clown? I amuse you?” from “Goodfellas,” Martin Scorsese, 1990
6) “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” from “The Shining,” Stanley Kubrick, 1980
7) “You wanna have a catch?” from “Field of Dreams,” Phil Alden Robinson, 1989
8) The lobby carnage in “The Matrix,” Larry and Andy Wachowski, 1999
9) The eyes have it in “Les Diaboliques,” Georges Clouzot, 1955
10) “I coulda been a contender,” in “On the Waterfront,” Elia Kazan, 1954
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Halo 3’s appeal is transoceanic
Just as in the U.S., thousands of people across Britain were in lines at midnight last night to buy Halo 3, the much-anticipated Xbox game from Microsoft.
Rarely has a video game received such glowing reviews from the British press. “Was it worth the wait? The answer is an emphatic yes,” said London’s Daily Telegraph. “There is a familiar look and feel to the game with just enough tweaks and additions to keep it fresh. Whether a newbie to the game or a die-hard Halo fan, the simple truth is that Halo 3 delivers.”
The London Times said today that the Halo series is one of the best action-shooters series around and that “Halo 3 does not disappoint.” The review said that the way the game works has not changed much so fans will be able to jump straight into the action. “The single player option is still a strong element but where Halo 3 builds on previous outings is in its multiplayer features,” the paper said.
Despite the rave reviews, the launch here was not without its problems. Some consumers lamented the fact that they have to pay about $100 for the basic edition of Halo 3 — or $40 more than their U.S. counterparts. It’s not the first time Britons have been stuck with higher tabs. Apple’s iPhone costs only $399 in the U.S. but will go on sale for about $540 in Britain in November.
Even so, judging by last night’s lines, it doesn’t appear that the price tag on Halo 3 is high enough to deter its many British fans.
Latest comments
No wire hangers! from Mommy Dearest was a memorable one.
... read the full comment by Ron | Comment on Best movie moments, to British eyes Read Best movie moments, to British eyes
I have to agree with Lovelyliz, especially when the cops come and tell her she can only burn trash and she tells him it is trash, takes a drag from her cigarette and tosses it through the sunroof. My moment would have to be when Thelma and Louise drive
... read the full comment by JohnW | Comment on Best movie moments, to British eyes Read Best movie moments, to British eyes
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE “HOW BOUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE OLD IN OUT”
... read the full comment by KEITH | Comment on Best movie moments, to British eyes Read Best movie moments, to British eyes
The scene from Waiting To Exhale when Angela Bassett sets her philandering, soon to he ex-husband’s car with all his stuff in it on fire.
Every woman in the theatre cheered and every man sank down in his seat.
... read the full comment by lovelyliz | Comment on Best movie moments, to British eyes Read Best movie moments, to British eyes