Henry admits hand ball

France’s World Cup play-off victory over the Republic of Ireland on November 18 was laced with controversy, and Thierry Henry has confessed that his part in the decisive goal was indeed illegal.

As the midway point approached in extra time, les Bleus scored the decisive goal, William Gallas heading in from close range after Henry had knocked the ball across the six-yard box. The Irish protested furiously, adamant that the Barcelona man had handled the ball, and replays proved them to be correct.

Even Henry would admit his guilt after the match. “There was a hand, but I'm not the referee,” he told the press.

The former Arsenal star's foul play spurred comparisons to the infamous "Hand of God" during the 1986 World Cup. England were knocked out of that tournament's quarter-finals after Argentina's Diego Maradona punched the ball into the net over goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

The Gallas goal tied the score at 1-1. Before the goal, Ireland had been leading 1-0 and the match was level on aggregate.

Carlton Cinemas to close down

The Carlton Cinemas - the downtown Toronto spot for many independent and limited release films - will close after a 28 year run at the corner of Yonge and Carlton. Management and staff were told of the news this past weekend by owner Cineplex Odeon who have decided to shut down the cinema rather than sign a new lease with the building's landlord. The last day will be December 6th.

I remember watching many a matinee at the Carlton while playing hooky from work or during those periods of time I was unemployed (perhaps a result of playing hooky to watch movies). The small and intimate theatres were also my cinema of choice for first dates.

Read the Globe and Mail story.

Arkansas 10-Year-Old Won’t Pledge Allegiance Until Gays Gain Equality

A 10-year-old Arkansas boy name Will Phillips has decided that he cannot in good conscience pledge allegiance to the flag as long as the country for which it stands refuses legal equality to its gay citizens.

That stand has brought Will anti-gay taunts in the lunch room, but admiration from around the gay community

The West Fork School District fifth grader clashed with a substitute teacher for his refusal to stand for the pledge, prompting a call to Will’s mother, Laura Phillips. When the principal acknowledged that Will has the right to refuse to say the pledge, Ms. Phillips asked that her son receive an apology--a request that the principal declined to honor.

Good on Will and his parents for having the guts to stick to their beliefs!

Read the Edge San Francisco story

Conducting leadership styles

An orchestra conductor faces the ultimate leadership challenge: creating perfect harmony without saying a word. In this charming talk, Itay Talgam demonstrates the unique styles of six great 20th-century conductors, illustrating crucial lessons for all leaders.

Watch the TED.com clip

Addictions and bad dreams

My current obsessions, time wasters and indulgences, in no particular order, are:

The Jesus Lizard
Talia Shire, circa 1975
mary-janes
babysitting
homemade vegetable soup
practicing my new golf swing

The Golf Bra

Triumph, a lingerie company from Japan (where else?) is going green, and pleasing sports fans at the same time. The company has created a bra that converts into a putting green.

According to the maker, the Nice Cup In Bra — which is not yet for sale — was created in response to the growing popularity of golf among females in Japan, and is designed to appeal to busy working women looking for a unique and convenient way to practice their putt.

See the Telegraph story

McDonalds pulls out of Iceland

Iceland is losing its only three McDonald's restaurants as a result of the poor economic situation in the country.

McDonald's said it had become financially prohibitive to continue operating in the island nation because of the very challenging economic climate in the country and the fact that their products were imported from Germany.

The three stores closed at midnight on October 31, but they will reopen as an independent chain called Metro, with more domestic ingredients and fewer imported products.

McDonalds opened in Iceland in 1993.Burger King closed its outlets in Iceland late last year.

Read the CNN iReport