The man who created the fictional detective Mike Hammer, has died, aged 88.

Four weeks ago, I published some statistics on which team I thought was likely to win the World Cup.

Based on hard stats, continental bias, performance of European and South American teams across the history of the competition, I reckoned that either Italy or Germany would be the winners. I plumped for Germany, who were knocked out in the semi-finals.

I wasn’t too far off the mark – just like the World Cup in 2002, when I also predicted that Italy or Germany would reach the final (Germany lost to Brazil in the 2002 final).

Pity I didn’t take my own advice, and stupidly put my money on the perennial under-achievers, Spain.

It was a good World Cup – particularly the early stages, but the knock-out stage was hampered by negative defending and penalty shoot-outs.

The final match itself was suitably entertaining, with a fairly dramatic finale, and the Italians were crowned World Champions over France for the fifth fourth time in the history of the tournament (thanks Greg!).

However, it’s likely that the match will be remembered forever by the insane actions of France’s Zinedine Zidane, who was dismissed in the second-half with a red card for headbutting Marco Materazzi, despite being voted player of the tournament at half-time.

Onwards to South Africa in 2010.

The hands on the Doomsday Clock look set to be moved again for the first time since shortly after 11 September 2001, following the launch of several long-range test missiles by North Korea last night.

Wikipedia has some details on what a superatmospheric detonation of a nuclear weapon would do to communications across the USA.

Via Boing Boing.