Screenwriter William Goldman once famously declared that the most important fact of life in Hollywood is that “nobody knows anything.” It was his way of describing a reality that continues to haunt the movie business: Studio executives have no idea which pictures will make money.

Unless, of course, those pictures are made by Pixar Animation Studios. Since 1995, when the first Toy Story was released, Pixar has made nine films, and every one has been a smashing success.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/process_pixar/all/1

The debate over whether Lionel Messi will usurp his international coach and become perhaps the greatest player in history has intensified thanks to the forward’s exploits this season, with his 47 goals in all competitions for Barcelona serving notice of his excellence.

Messi may have been criticised for failing to replicate his club form with Argentina, but Maradona expects great things from his young protégé and has urged him to inspire the players around him when then World Cup finals begin.

Maradona did the same when he wowed the world 24 years ago in Mexico, and feels Messi is at an even higher level at present.

“Messi is better than me at World Cup ’86,” Maradona told Sport. “He’s the best player in the world and better by far compared to others.

“In 86, in Mexico, I did it with the ball, I grew up and my team-mates followed. Now I have explained the same to Leo to do it in South Africa and he has understood.

“It is fortunate that Leo was born in Argentina and I can train him. Whoever does not want to understand that, that it is their problem.

“Messi is well aware that colleagues expect him to be the icing on the cake. He has to be the leader with the ball. We need him to lead by example in the squad and on the pitch.

“He has to be the leader of the ball. When we play football and the ball does not pass through Messi, then ball goes through me but I cannot move so then we are going wrong.”

3.Reflect on your accomplishments and reward yourself for fitness victories. Treat yourself to a massage or bubble bath.

4.If you have a bad eating day, remind yourself that tomorrow is a chance to begin again.

5.Experience joy each day. This will affirm that a fulfilling life does not focus on food. Read a book, take a walk somewhere new and play soothing music.

Ferdinand will be England’s captain at the World Cup finals in South Africa after John Terry was sacked by Fabio Capello for his off-field behaviour.

Fitness permitting, it will be Ferdinand who leads England into battle for their World Cup opener against the United States in Rustenburg on June 12.

“Being captain is a fantastic honour and a responsibility that I warm to,” he said. “But it is not something that is going to change me. I will conduct myself in exactly the same way. Even before I was made captain, the younger players knew I was an easy-going guy who they can approach which, in a way, is more important than being captain.

“When you have been to tournaments, you are more capable of being the kind of person that a younger player might need to speak to.”

Ferdinand is wary of being over confident despite England being tipped as one of the favourites for success in South Africa.

“There is a confidence. But maybe we have been a bit naive in the past and got ourselves caught up in all the emotion that surrounds our country going to a massive tournament,” he said. “People say we are going to win it. But we have respect for the other nations as well.”

Ferdinand also backed Terry’s call for Wembley to go back to basics and end the pitch problems that continue to dog the £757 million stadium.

“It is a football stadium. That is what it was built as,” he said. “If there are things going on there that make it a bad pitch to play on and hinders the spectacle of a football match, a decision needs to be made in that sense. Having said that, there are stadiums all around the world that are used for different things and they seem to get it right, so we need to look at it.”

The Wembley authorities are assessing the matter, although scrapping additional events is unlikely to be one of the solutions being considered to solve a very complex problem.

“We fully understand the players’ desire to play on as good a surface as they are used to and one befitting of our excellent national stadium,” said an FA spokesman. “Wembley and the FA are working with a number of pitch experts to resolve the problems encountered.

“As Fabio Capello said, those involved with the stadium and the pitch are working extremely hard to get it right, and they are considering a variety of approaches and options.

“We more than anyone appreciate the need to ensure we have a pitch we can all be proud of. Due to the growing conditions in the stadium – due to light and air circulation we have encountered difficulties, but we are determined to get it right.’