Football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end...

... the Germans always lose.

In May 1996 Bayern Munich won UEFA Cup, in June German national team was the best in European Championship tournament. Famous English football player Gary Lineker said "football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win". He was absolutely right, Germans were one of the strongest countries in football world, next year Schalke 04 collected UEFA Cup as well as Borussia Dortmund dominated UEFA Champions League. But that was all, May 1997 was The Big End of Golden Age for Germans.  Next 13 years were so painful. In crucial moments those, who always used to win became whose, who are always losing.

The world changed, 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always lose.

Let's take a look into World Cup, European Championship, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup (since 2009 Europa League), Cup Winners' Cup and SuperCup:
1997 Borussia (SuperCup)
1998 Stuttgart (CWC)
1999 Bayern (CL)
2001 Bayern (CWC)
2002 Borussia (UC)
2002 Bayer (CL)
2002 national team (WC)
2008 national team (EC)
2009 Werder (UC)
2010 Bayern (CL)

(1999 was the most painful, lost against ManUtd despite 1:0 lead in 90th minute!)

In 2001 Bayern won Champions League after penalty competition. ONE FINAL won in ELEVEN attempts, a disastrous efficiency. For five consecutive years (2003-2007) no German team advanced to any final (national team was in semis during home World Cup in 2006, but was defeated by outstanding Italy).

Any hopes for the future? World Cup in South Africa (2010)? European Championship in Poland/Ukraine (2012)? Or taking place in Munich the Champions League Final in 2012?

(1999 CL Final photos from Telegraph and The Times)

Nations in 2008 Summer Olympics

1) Medal countries (no. of medals per million citizens):

2) Three biggest countries without any medal:

3) The most efficient countries (total medals per number of participants, min. number of medals=3):

4) The least efficient countries (total medals per number of participants):

5) The Gold countries (gold medals per total medals, min. number of medals=2):

6) The most sporting countries (number of participants per million citizens, min. number of participants=4):

7) The least sporting countries (number of participants per million citizens):

Airplane! - one of the most funny movies ever

See yourself:

1) How to manage free time for passengers?


2) How to calm down the passengers?


3) How to make the flight more pleasant?


See more details: Airplane! (1980)

There's no justice in football

With reference to few last team tournaments (WC, Euro).
Group stage. 4 teams. 6 matches.

Let's analyze two margin cases.

Case One, scores:
Black - White 1:0
Red - Yellow 1:1
Black - Red 1:0
White - Yellow 0:0
Black - Yellow 1:0
White - Red 1:1
1. Black 3 9 3-0-0 3:0 +3 next round
2. Red 3 2 0-2-1 2:3 -1 next round
3. White 3 2 0-2-1 1:2 -1
4. Yellow 3 2 0-2-1 1:2 -1
2 points are sufficient for Red to promote!

Case Two, scores:
Black - White 1:0
Red - Yellow 2:0
Black - Red 0:1
White - Yellow 1:0
Black - Yellow 2:0
White - Red 1:0
1. Black 3 6 2-0-1 3:1 +2 next round
2. Red 3 6 2-0-1 3:1 +2 next round
3. White 3 6 2-0-1 2:1 +1
4. Yellow 3 0 0-0-3 0:5 -5
6 points are insufficient for White to promote!

Two assassinations

Two major events in history of USA presidency.

First is very mysterious [more].
Nov 22, 1963

Many suspicions: why bodyguards had left president's cadillac? why the driver is looking back exactly second before the shot? what are doing two women staying on the left side of the car?

Second, happened 18 years later. President fortunately survived.
Mar 30, 1981

Submission is a problem?

Don't worry. Michael P. and John C. teach how to argue correctly :)

They did not teach. Didn't they?

Highest peak of the music

I've heard much music. Many pieces makes me impressed. But there's one work which can't be forgotten. It is sitting deeply in soul. It seems to be only combination of few hundred sounds. Actually this music is the voice from heart.
Composed over 200 years ago.
Hector Berlioz, famous French composer, admired:

'Is one of those poems that human language does not know how to qualify.'

I agree, there's no word to express second movement in The Piano Sonata No. 14 by Ludwig van Beethoven.



I don't know anything better than that. Maybe you know?