French football team mocked online

FRENCH FOOTBALL TEAM MOCKED ONLINE

Following their poor performance on the pitch, the players then refused to train in protest of Nicolas Anelka’s exclusion from the team after being accused of insulting the manager at half time during the match against Mexico. The French football team’s soap opera in South Africa has sparked many reactions online.

Even if the French blogosphere is feeling predominately ashamed, many prefer to make a joke out of it, like with this fake Facebook page that web users are sharing via social networks. This satirical piece of work affirms that France’s national football team has lost a lot of friends over the past few days.

And criticism of ‘les bleus’ is even more virulent abroad. Many Twitter users are bringing to mind Thierry Henry’s handball during the decider match against Ireland, and are saying that France does not even deserve to play in the World Cup.

Others are accusing the French team of ruining this big sporting celebration with a far from exemplary attitude.

This American blogger for example says it’s ironic as France is so well known for its socialist movements, but finds it grotesque that footballers who are millionaires go on strike during such a prestigious competition. And he is sorry that Anelka’s insults have been quoted all over the world, as he thinks this gives a bad example to the younger generation.

This England supporter is pleased that France’s problems are overshadowing his own team’s unconvincing performances.

SOLDIER HOMECOMINGS ONLINE

Torn between the fear of learning that their child, father or partner has been killed and the hope of them returning home safe and sound, the day to day lives of families of US soldiers sent to the front lines in Afghanistan or Iraq is far from easy and in stark contrast to the moment when the soldiers finally come home. More and more accounts are appearing on the web, sharing these highly emotional moments.

Several videos like this one are circulating on YouTube. You can see the joy on the two mothers faces as they see their sons return from the frontline in Afghanistan. The sons did not tell them they were coming home as they wanted to surprise them.

Some soldiers surprise their children. In these videos, a little boy and a little girl have emotional reunions with their fathers as they arrive home from Iraq. And this photomontage looks at the first time a young father meets his baby daughter, born whilst he was away.

On a more anecdotal level, pets are also celebrating the return of their masters. Dozens of videos like these ones are available to view online …

Meanwhile, several web sites are providing advice so that the soldiers’ homecoming goes as smoothly as possible. It says here for example to avoid sensitive subjects like politics and that it’s important to be patient with the soldiers as the period of adjustment could be quite long.

X-RAY PIN-UP CALENDAR

A German advertising agency came up with the idea of making a particularly original calendar.  Each of the twelve months of the year is illustrated by an x-ray of a pin up. The result is both fascinating and scary.

YOUTUBE PLAY

YouTube has teamed up with the Guggenheim foundation to launch the creative video competition “YouTube Play. A Biennial of Creative Video”. Creative professionals and amateur video makers can submit their pieces to a channel created for the occasion before the 31st July 2010. A jury will choose 20 videos to be broadcast on the site and more importantly in the different Guggenheim museums around the world. The aim of the project is to demonstrate that online videos have become a means of artistic expression.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

After monster trucks, the trucks with huge tires, here’s the monster bike, the bike that should make motorists treat cyclists with more respect. Invented by a young Dutch man, this new type of bike will not go unnoticed but will actually be quite difficult to park in traditional two wheeler spots.