You’re never too young to start playing sport. And you’re never to young to make a complete idiot of yourself while doing so. The poor little girl who scored an own goal is going to be scarred for life.

I fully support getting kids to play sport as at young age as possible, assuming of course that they are interested. But there is always the risk of one of the kids messing up and being put off for life.

Playing sport is good for your health and fitness but not necessarily for your state of mind. Luckily, this little girl is likely to have laughed off the incident and just got on with it afterwards.

But in years to come she’ll see the clip on YouTube, hear the adults all laughing at her, and probably develop an eating disorder. Still, it’s funny for now and that’s all that matters really.

It took Rihanna some time to speak up after being assaulted by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, but now that she’s opened her mouth it seems that she can’t stop. Following her recent interview with Dianne Sawyer, Rihanna’s letting her music do the talking.

Her new single “Russian Roulette” seems to be a way of exorcising those demons. This is seriously dark stuff, a world away from the playful Rihanna who released bubbly pop hits “S.O.S” and “Umbrella.”

The music video is as brooding as the song itself, with Rihanna trapped in a gas chamber, shot underwater, and in an obvious reference to her own troubled relationship, assaulted in a vehicle. But through it all she survives … unlike the man in her life. Take note Chris Brown!

New Moon is the latest movie in the Twilight Saga. It was released today and the first reviews are starting to filter through. This one is by Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune.

I resisted reading the books or seeing the first movie as I didn’t think they’d be for me. Then I finally saw Twilight on DVD and really enjoyed it – I also realized it isn’t just for hormone-encrusted teenagers.

New Moon is getting mixed reviews so far, with some suggesting it’s a little boring without the simmering chemistry between the two leads as they spend most of the film apart. Others feel it’s a better movie than the first and better even than the book.

Regardless of whether it’s any good or not, New Moon is bound to be a box office smash. And there are two more movies being made as well, with Eclipse due out next year and Breaking Dawn due in 2011.

This is a great video to watch if you’ve just woken up from a coma. Not you? Well, there’s always the nostalgic aspect of this 10 year-recap done by Newsweek magazine.

Is it just me or is most of the American news of the last decade depressing?

Not that Newsweek didn’t do a good job summing up the last ten years (hell, doing so properly would take 10 years in itself), it’s just that I can’t help but wonder why they chose to dominate it with celebrity and depressing news. After all, if that’s the case they should have included Enron and some music news.

Perhaps it’s because I’m music-obsessed, but I distinctly remember there being a demise of boy bands and a rise of hip-hop artists during this decade. Another one they missed was The Dark Knight movie. Wasn’t that the Titanic of this decade?

Like most comedy talk shows focusing on current events, this could easily be renamed as ‘people sitting around making fun of things in the news’.

But that wouldn’t be nearly as catchy, would it?

Honestly, though, I really do like this show (and some other shows like it). There is nothing like getting caught up on current events by listening to people make fun of them.

You certainly won’t forget the queen’s recent news, now will you?

Mind you, you might now have her permanently connected to thoughts of smurfs, which probably isn’t a very good thing…

And just think – this is only part one.

When it comes to being punished for driving under the influence, not even the daughter of Senator John Kerry can get away with it…

While I am sure the senator’s media team is running around so this story is downplayed (if not eliminated) as much as possible, I don’t think it is a big deal.

I am not saying I condone drunk driving, but she went to jail and posted her bail.

This would be a bigger news story if she had somehow gotten special treatment because of whose daughter she is.

But she didn’t, so kudos to the police for doing their jobs.

Green thumb Peter Cundall is an Australian treasure, the host of Gardening Australia for more than 20 years and a 2008 recipient of the Order of Australia. But yesterday the 82-year-old found himself on the wrong side of the law for the first time in his life.

Peter Cundall made his stand at Tasmania’s Parliament, protesting the state’s Tamar Valley pulp mill. The police told him his actions would result in an arrest, but the television veteran would not be moved.

I’ve never seen a more polite arrest than this one, on both sides! Peter remains courteous to the end, and I didn’t see one taser or baton from the cops. Maybe the Americans could learn something from this very civilized affair!

Entourage is a U.S. television series that has been running for six seasons now. It’s a gem of a show that airs on the HBO channel, and it’s reason enough to subscribe to the pay TV offering.

This video shows Ari Gold’s best bits from the brilliant first two seasons of Entourage. With writing and acting of this quality it’s no wonder Entourage as one of the Top 10 Television Shows For Men.

Ari Gold is played by Jeremy Piven, who has gained plaudits and award galore for the portrayal of a Hollywood agent. He’s actually based on a real person, Mark Wahlberg’s real-life agent Ari Emanuel.

Ari Gold can be called a lot of things but a womanizing pig isn’t one of them. If you haven’t yet seen Entourage then you should check it out. It isn’t too late to get into the series.

We stand to lose the excitement of coming home from the shop with a brand new record, slowly unwrapping it, exploring the liner notes, sitting down and listening to it in its entirety. More importantly, perhaps, we could lose record sleeve artwork, as record labels will no longer be willing to invest in something that will only ever be viewed as a tiny thumbnail on an iPod.

Here we bring you 15 of the most creative indie album covers of all time. The music might not always be indie, but an independent record label has released each one. Looking through these amazing covers and exploring their history, it soon becomes clear that record sleeve art is a genre that deserves conservation.

1. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

The cover of the Stone Roses’ debut album, released by Silvertone Records in 1989, was created by John Squire, the band’s guitarist. Heavily influenced by action painting, particularly the work of Jackson Pollock, this powerful cover stands as a tribute to the May 1968 riots in Paris.

Note the ‘drapeau tricolore’ on the left-hand-side and the segments of lemon, which French rioters used as an antidote to teargas fired by police. The background is based on the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, a country that’s witnessed its own share of political struggles.

2. Menomena – Friend And Foe

Craig Thompson drew this detailed illustration, which adorns the cover of Menomena’s Friend And Foe. Studying the minutiae of the design, one spots autopsies, cow-eating-fish, conveyor belts, CCTV cameras, fungi and a host of wacky characters.

Thompson, whose work regularly features in Nickelodeon Magazine, Star Wars Gamer, Dark Horse and even Marvel Comics, uses die-cut holes in the album sleeve to reveal eyeballs and other shapes lurking behind.

3. Middle Distance Runner – Planes in Flames

Planes In Flames is the first full-length release from Washington DC indie-rockers Middle Distance Runner, who are signed to New York City-based Engine Room Recordings.

This striking album cover features a paper airplane crashing into a hillside, releasing plumes of smoke and flames. Superimposing cut-out-paper onto photography creates a highly original effect.

4. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Rather than looking to modern art for their album cover, like the other bands in this list, Fleet Foxes and their record label Bella Union chose to look to the past instead. It paid off: this cover won the Best Art Vinyl Award 2008.

The cover of the band’s debut album features Netherlandish Proverbs, a 1559 painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which depicts Flemish proverbs of the day. See if you can find the following proverbs: two dogs over one bone seldom agree (meaning to argue over a single point); to sit on hot coals (to be impatient); and to catch fish without a net (to profit from the work of others). You might also be able to spot a man defecating coins into a river!

5. Belle and Sebastian – Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant

Belle and Sebastian have been art school favorites ever since the release of their first album, Tiger Milk, in 1996. In keeping with the rest of the band’s albums, the cover of Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant features a beautiful photograph.

The image shows twin sisters, Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, former members of the experimental Icelandic group múm. The album title is a quote taken from John Witing’s 1960 play, the Devils.

6. Pavement – Westing by Musket and Sextant

Westing by Musket and Sextant is a compilation of Pavement’s early EPs and singles, released in 1993 on the Chicago-based label Drag City. The cover is vintage Pavement, complete with polysemic symbols, hand-drawn notes, scribbles and a post-punk DIY collage aesthetic. Although the images on this cover appear to be random, they are, in fact, coded references to the band members’ favorite songs, like REM’s Maps and Legends.

7. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

The artwork on this album cover was a collaboration between Jeff Magnum and Chris Bilheime. Magnum is Neutral Milk Hotel’s lyricist, vocalist and guitarist, not to mention a founding member of the influential independent collective The Elephant 6 Company. Bilheime is R.E.M.’s staff designer.

The image is a cropped and altered version of a European postcard found by Magnum, who is obsessed with “old-timey, magic, semi-circus, turn-of-the-century, penny arcade king of imagery”.

8. Architecture in Helsinki – Places Like This

Architecture in Helsinki are well known for the beautiful artwork on their album covers. Choosing the best among them was hard, but the cover of These Places was ultimately decided to be the most original (In Case We Die was a close runner up). The eye-catching design and crazy colours of this album cover make it stand out on the shelf, but I wouldn’t want to have been there when they read out the printer cartridges bill!

This futuristic, colorful illustration by Will Sweeney is a perfect encapsulation of the band’s ‘twee pop sound. Sweeney also designed the cover of The Heart It Races, a single taken from the album.

9. The Cribs – Men’s Needs, Women’s, Whatever

When The Cribs commissioned Rob Crane to make them this album cover, they specifically wanted him to use an image from This Sporting Life, the 1963 film starring Richard Harris.

Due to copyright technicalities, Crane was unable to use a still from the film and had to search high and low for another image that could do the album justice. Eventually, he settled on this wonderfully cinematic and atmospheric photograph of a couple standing outside a Granada picturehouse. It was voted the best cover in a poll of over 3,000 people, undertaken by Art Vinyl.

10. The Nextmen – This Was Supposed to Be The Future

Joe Pilbeam created this graffiti-inspired cover for The Nextmen’s 2007 album, This Was Supposed to be The Future, which was released on Antidote Records. Pilbeam commissioned largely unknown illustrator Alex Young to draw the cover image, which features a futuristic amalgamation of robots, hover-cars, biodomes and spacemen, all symbols that reflect the band’s futuristic, electronic sound. Young subsequently illustrated the cover of The Nextmen’s 12in, Let It Roll.

11. Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism

Adde Russell created the cover to Transatlanticism in a dusty basement in Seattle. It was the first album cover that she had ever produced, although she has received many commissions since (and rightly so). The idea for the cover came to her whilst visiting a local craft store, where she stumbled across a white, Styrofoam bird. The cover is actually a small section of a much longer piece, which can be found in the cassette version of the album.

12. Roots Manuva – Slime and Reason

Oscar & Ewan felt compelled to create a real plaster sculpture of Roots Manuva’s head (sans scalp) for this great album cover, rather than settle for a computer-generated image. The realistic bright-green slime is, in fact, three bottles of aloe vera hand soap. Oscar & Ewan first made a 3D model of Roots Manuva’s head, before having it cast by a professional sculptor.

13. Simian – Chemistry is What We Are

This wonderfully surreal album cover features a sheep/dog (as opposed to a sheepdog) taken from Thomas Grünfeld’s photographic series called Misfits. Freakishly, Grünfeld’s Misfits are not computer-generated. They are examples of what’s known in the trade as ‘hybrid taxidermy’: essentially two dead animals, of a similar size, stuck together.

14. Efterklang – Under Giant Trees

When Efterklang decided to release a deluxe version of their album, Under Giant Trees, they were desperate to get graphic designer and artist Nan Na Hvass on board.

Hvass not only came up with this vibrant, colorful cover, but a magic color game that comes free with the record. Players of the game rotate four of Hvass’s images to create unusual shapes and patterns. Hvass also made the video for Efterklang’s Mirador.

15. Kisschasy – United Paper People

The work of art which graces the cover of this album is actually a watercolor by David Homer and Aaron Hayward. The pair treated the treated the piece to make it look specifically like an oil painting.

The Australian band’s label, Below Par Records, were unhappy that the band’s name appeared so small on the cover, but Homer and Hayward refused to enlarge it for aesthetic reasons. The label had their wicked way in the end, placing huge stickers bearing the band’s name in the corner of every CD.

Violence is quite widespread in men’s football (soccer), especially as you move further down the leagues to the lower skill levels. But I didn’t think women’s football would be as bad. But it is, and then some.

This video shows University Of New Mexico defender Elizabeth Lambert playing against Brigham Young University in the semi-finals of the Mountain West Conference tournament. Although, maybe playing is the wrong word.

The 20-year-old Lambert was filmed going in for high and brutal tackles, punching a player in the back, and then pulling one opponent’s ponytail so hard she’s yanked back and falls on the floor.

Lambert has now been suspended for her behavior. Which is fair, of course. However, she’s maybe being treated a little harshly in the media and on the Web. In both the punch and the hair pull incident, she was clearly reacting to some violence coming from the other players.

And I’m guessing this stuff is more widespread than we’d like to think.

The times, they are a changing as Portland, Oregon celebrates the opening of their very first medicinal marijuana café.

While I totally believe that controlling and regulating marijuana is the answer (rather than banning it altogether), I never though I would see a marijuana café in the US.

I have said my words before about the benefits and such of marijuana as a pain reliever and relaxant, so I will just leave it at that for now.

However, I do want to say that I am quite proud of America for opening up a bit and learning more tolerance when it comes to marijuana.

I’m not some raging vegetarian and I’m not particularly squeamish. However, this video managed to turn my stomach and make me want to inflict violence on the people responsible.

It shows what can only be described as extreme sushi. They’ve kept the fish alive until it’s actually sitting on the plate and being eaten, with what looks like seasoning on the flesh. And it’s clearly suffering.

This is sick, there’s no other word for it. Why is it necessary? The only reason to do this is to watch a living creature squirm and struggle while you sit eating its flesh.

Eating animals once they’ve been killed humanely and cooked is one thing but eating animals that are still alive and gasping for breath is quite another. Anyone who does this disgusts me and anyone who condones it isn’t much better.

The video shows us a wallpaper that’s much tougher than the rest.

Known as bombproof wallpaper, this strong stuff is made from Kevlar material sandwiched in a flexible polymer. The vid puts the sheets to the test by applying them to brick walls and substituting a wrecking ball for explosives.

The results are pretty compelling. While the structural integrity is compromised, the wallpaper ensures the walls stay standing.

Can you imagine the implications in real life situations? This wallpaper could give anyone trapped inside a building just enough time to escape before the walls come down. That makes this wallpaper a potential life saver.

Today is Mickey Mouse’s birthday. The most famous rodent in history is 81 years old, with his first animated feature, Steamboat Willie, having been released on November 18, 1928.

This video shows the birthday celebrations from last year, when Mickey Mouse turned 80. Proving his universal appeal and worldwide fame, these celebrations took place in India in 2008.

Mickey Mouse actually appeared in a cartoon (Plane Crazy) six months prior to Steamboat Willie but it’s that latter animated short that has stood the test of time.

Whether you love or hate Mickey Mouse, or even Disney as a whole, the influence it has had on young kids and teenagers is hard to fault. Mickey Mouse and his friends are all positive role models in a world where they are lacking in other areas of life.

Despite being attacked for her beliefs regarding gay marriage numerous times in many different ways, beauty queen Carrie Prejean talks candidly with Sean Hannity about the alleged sex tape as well as her book Still Standing.

While I don’t agree at all with her beliefs about gay marriage (she doesn’t think it should be legal, just in case you missed it), I feel bad for her.

She is only 22 years old and she shouldn’t be treated this way for stating her beliefs – no matter how much anyone disagrees with her.

Come on people. Learn a little tolerance on both sides already.

In light of Sarah Palin’s Newsweek cover pose, people on Larry King Live debate her sex appeal.

S.E. Cupp, a conservative columnist, is crying foul, claiming that Sarah Palin has been sexualized.

However, I am on the side of radio host Stephanie Miller when she says that Palin sexualized herself. You can be a sexy conservative woman and keep your dignity.

Sarah Palin with all that winking suggests that she knows what she has going on (if anything) and she will use it.

But, in the end, who really cares? She posed because she wanted to, unless there is a more ’sinister plot’ on the part of Newsweek. So why get all worked up?

Independent Australian senator Nick Xenophon has slammed the Church of Scientology of widespread criminal conduct.

He says the church abuses past members of the flock, defrauds, blackmails, falsely imprisons, and coerces its members into abortions. They’re some explosive claims, but given what we already know about the church they’re probably not too far off the money.

The Church of Scientology says the senator has abused parliamentary privilege by making the comments. Which is exactly what it would say now, isn’t it?

While Mr. Xenophon may not be the church’s best friend right now, I don’t think most people will judge him too harshly for speaking out of turn. I wonder how Tom Cruise and co will feel once we get to the bottom of all this?

Christmas is a fantastic time of year – presents, cards, dinner, family, friends, crackers, holly, mistletoe, drinking, parties, fun, frolics, and TV.

Yes, that’s right, television is the great leveler come Christmas, with everyone being able to settle down in front of the goggle box and watch seasonal shows and movies.

This video shows a clip from The Year Without A Santa Claus, which is shown every year over the holiday season. This scene shows the awesome Snow Miser and Heat Miser strutting their stuff.

The Year Without A Santa Claus is a stop-motion animated special based on the 1956 book of the same name by Phyllis McGinley. Alongside A Christmas Carol, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and plenty of others, it’s an integral part of Christmas.

President Obama is currently on a tour of Asia as he seeks to build stronger ties between the United States and the nations in the Pacific Rim.

On Saturday the President was in Japan where he met the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Obama bowed deeply to them as is the custom and protocol for anyone meeting the revered couple.

But that fact hasn’t stopped the right-wing media and pundits laying into the President.

Apparently, Obama bowing to the Japanese Emperor and Empress shows a sign of weakness and isn’t becoming of the most powerful man in the world.

Well, no actually, it’s becoming of him because it shows respect. The U.S.A. may be powerful because of its military might and the force of its weapons but it doesn’t rule or own the rest of the world.

And that means local traditions apply to everyone, even the President. People complaining about this are just ignorant.

Mr. Chi City is one of the most popular independent video makers on YouTube. As a both a shareholder and content provider with over 95,000 subscriptions, he knows a few dirty secrets that most YouTube watchers don’t.

Until now, that is.

As you might know already, YouTube has yet to turn a profit as of 2009. Back in 2008, they sent some of their content providers a list of suggestions (more like rules) to follow in order to maximize profits. After knowing these rules, it’s easy to see why some of the most controversial videos never make the front page.

Perhaps the most shocking secret revealed in this video is the one about High Arts Entertainment actually making most of the popular videos seen on YouTube. And here I thought the most popular YouTube celebs were actually talented.