(Nobody sent garden pics this week, so y’all are gonna have to share with the futbal fans.)
Costa Rica v Serbia at 8am EDT; Germany v Mexico at 11am.
FIFA liveblog et al at the Google link.
Happy nice time World Cup story from my local paper, the Boston Globe — “In Cambridge, World Cup brings a jubilant reprieve for local Iranians”:
The ball was in the back of the net, and in the subsequent moment of pandemonium, no one was talking about President Trump, international sanctions, visa uncertainty, or geopolitics.
For the more than 100 Iranians who packed Phoenix Landing, an Irish pub located about 5,900 miles from Tehran, there was only jubilation early Friday afternoon: Their team was about to win its opening World Cup game against Morocco.
Last month, Trump announced he was withdrawing the United States from a landmark nuclear accord with Iran and was reimposing harsh sanctions against the country. In the wake of that announcement, questions about Iran’s political and economic future abound.
Friday’s match offered a two-hour reprieve from that tumult for the local Iranian community, but even on the pitch, Trump’s decision was inescapable: Nike had previously said it could not outfit Iran’s national soccer team with cleats for the World Cup because of new US sanctions, something the country’s fans were acutely aware of.
“It’s a shame,” said Dee Toop, a 29-year-old who lives in Jamaica Plain and holds dual Iranian-American citizenship…
“I think if Iran does well in the World Cup, it can change a lot of politicians’ views, stances, and attitude towards Iranians. If they see them having fun,” he said. “Iranians like to have fun. We don’t just wear black and mourn. We like to drink beer and dance and celebrate.”…
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If you have garden — or World Cup party! — pics to share, send me jpgs via the ‘Contact A Front Pager’ link at the right, or directly to annelaurie [dot] bj [at] gmail [dot] com.
raven
I guess you never got the pictures of our roses?
NotMax
Trying to reconcile soccer (yuck) with gardening (meh).
No can do.
Meanwhile, although it is about as far from being my thing as can be, something bumped into which might amuse the cat people.
Oh, and some Sunday morning organ music.
Also too, Happy Father’s Day!
OzarkHillbilly
I just sent you some pics and a short video of a visitor we had yesterday, Anne. Nothing says “You livin’ in the country now.” like saying hello to one.
NotMax
@OzarkHillbilly
A door to door overall salesman?
;)
BTW, learned a handy new word yesterday, one which somehow had never come across before but is probably old hat to you woodworkers (and metal workers as well) : swarf.
OzarkHillbilly
@NotMax:
More likely a 7th Day Adventist, but they’re too afraid to come down the drive. Might have something to do with the bullet riddled sign that says, “If you can read this, You are down range” //s
Swarf, we call that “sawdust” or “wood chips”. I had to google it.
raven
@OzarkHillbilly: Hey morning dudes, I had a lot of conversations about this last night but I wanted to let you know Lil Bit’s Laryngeal Paralysis kicked in big time yesterday. She struggled to breathe and her tongue turned blue. We got her to the ugh vet school in time and they pulled her through. She’s going to have “tie back” surgery in the next couple of days and were hoping that will give her a better life.
OzarkHillbilly
@raven: Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit. Fingers crossed and all that.
Amir Khalid
@NotMax:
“Yuck”? What is wrong with you? The whole world loves football! ;)
?BillinGlendaleCA
I’ve been telling Madame about the suicidal rabbits of Lockwood Valley where I take some of my Milky Way pics, she did not believe me. Tonight she accompanied me on a shoot to Lockwood Valley and saw for herself the suicidal rabbits of Lockwood Valley as we drove up Boy Scout Camp Road. Of course, I took Milky Way pics.
chris
@NotMax: Swarf. New to me even though I’ve made a lot of sawdust, chips and shavings over the years.
Here’s a pic from my side-of-the-road garden, Labrador tea. Bert and I are sticking to the roads or driving to the beach for our walks because the it’s the height of tick season. I put one foot in the grass to take that picture and got three ticks on my pant leg. I wish science would come up with a flea and tick medication for me.
Raven
@OzarkHillbilly: yea, the surgery has a good success rate.
Montanareddog
For me, swarf is a metalworking word. Not heard of it in a woodworking context.
One of the first lessons in high school metalwork class 40 years ago – never try to remove swarf with your hands if you want to keep all your fingers. That is what pliers are for.
Dorothy Winsor
For the soccer talk, I offer a book (cuz that’s how I roll): Fredrick Backman’s Britt-Marie Was Here. Britt-Marie is a 63 year old woman who winds up coaching a children’s soccer team.
OzarkHillbilly
I has a question:
No, that’s not the question. I already know how to get to the top.
How in the fuck did fish get up there?
rikyrah
Good Morning Everyone ? ??
Immanentize
@OzarkHillbilly: Are they flying fish?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly:
Flying Fish.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Immanentize: Great(or twisted) Minds…
Immanentize
@raven: I’m glad you guys have such top quality care so close. And that Lill Bit’s going to get the help needed. Good luck!
Immanentize
@OzarkHillbilly: @?BillinGlendaleCA: Then I thought that it’s a rainforest, so probably they are Parrot fish?
Josie
@OzarkHillbilly:
I can’t answer your question, but thanks for the link. That article was strangely uplifting for me this morning.
Immanentize
My garden — two of the transplanted rose bush volunteers have bloomed. They are quite different types of pink roses. The third of four is getting ready to bloom and has multi-clustered blooms. Like a beach rose? The fourth is alive but no sign of blooms. I will try to photograph for your collective diagnostic abilities….
OzarkHillbilly
@Immanentize: @?BillinGlendaleCA: Outside of the obvious snark, seriously, how the fuck did the fish get up there?
debbie
@raven:
All kinds of appendages crossed, hoping for a good outcome.
Litlebritdifrnt
@OzarkHillbilly: Generally eggs attached to the legs of wading birds such as Herons and the like. Apparently that is how fish end up in the drainage ponds located in places such as Wal Mart parking lots and such in the US. Or at least that is what I was told.
debbie
@OzarkHillbilly:
Noah’s Flood.
Immanentize
@debbie: Oooo. That was a good one. Specially aimed at OzarkH!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly: Seriously, birds dropping them.
debbie
@OzarkHillbilly:
I haven’t read the entire article yet, but they also found butterflies. Also amazing, considering there have to be some pretty fierce winds at that elevation.
debbie
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
I couldn’t stop myself! I’m in a rare good mood this morning.
Immanentize
@OzarkHillbilly: went and read the article — the team also found stone/pottery bowls or pots up there. If people lived up there, they are also great transporters of all sorts of seeds and eggs.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Oh, we did not hit any of the suicidal rabbits, one was a little bunny.
JPL
Has Jacy posted an update about her latest custody hearing?
Wapiti
@Litlebritdifrnt: I’ve heard that, too, about fish eggs being transported.
HeleninEire
@raven: Good Luck. We are all rooting for her.
OzarkHillbilly
@Litlebritdifrnt: THAT makes sense. Thanx.
Patricia Kayden
@raven: Wishing LB all the best.
japa21
Happy Father’s Day to all fathers out there, biological or otherwise. Had three of our grandchildren here for a week. Drove them back to Missouri yesterday. It was great having them here, although Mrs. Japa and I have a much better idea why their parents get so frustrated with them at times. Also great returning them to the arms of their parents. One of the advantages of being grandparents.
zhena gogolia
Happy Father’s Day, everyone.
My Sunday will be church followed by 2 1/2 hour memorial service, and another friend died yesterday.
And Trump.
OzarkHillbilly
@japa21: Grandchildren are a parent’s revenge.
Planetjanet
Do not have a picture, but the USA just defeated Scotland in rugby for the first time it the history of the club. Stunner in Houston. Sixth ranked Scotland missed a late conversion kick, losing by one point at the last second. So wish I was there.
EDT. Can not get link to work..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/44465090
tobie
The Washington Post is up with a breaking story that Roger Stone and Michael Caputo met with a Russian American named Henry Greenberg in March 2016 who wanted to sell them dirt on Clinton. Their claim is they didn’t buy it. But the more ‘interesting’ feature of the story seems to be their claim that Greenberg was an FBI informant and they’ve turned over a trove of documents to the IG of the DoJ given his expressed concern for the FBI’s use of informants against the Trump campaign:
These guys will stop at nothing to discredit the FBI probe/Mueller investigation. They’re throwing everything and I fear some of it will stick. Also, too, I have no faith in IG Horowitz who seems like a world-class douche.
OzarkHillbilly
My oldest son and I are going floating today, just him and I. Do a little fishing, a lot of getting wet in the 90+ degree heat, drink a few beers etc. All that said, fuck the Hallmark Holiday. These are the kinds of things we do all year round.
oldgold
@japa21:
Reminds of an old off season joke.
What are Grandpa’s favorite Christmas lights?
Tail lights!
tobie
@tobie: I should add I find it curious that IG Horowitz has announced that he’s investigating the use of informants in the Russia probe but not the leaks coming from the New York office of the FBI.
Heidi Mom
@raven: Heidi and I send our best wishes to you and Lil Bit.
MomSense
Happy Father’s Day to all the Jackals.
It’s hot already and my garden is full of weeds. I’m going to put this off a little longer.
My oldest marched in the pride parade yesterday with his friends from a consent advocacy group. The photos are awesome.
Time to make another pot of coffee and procrastinate weeding a little longer.
Jager
Our 70 foot retaining wall is done after 4 weeks of construction and numerous engineering inspections. One of the requirements was a water diffuser needed to be built at the low end of the wall. It looked like shit in the engineering drawings. The mason who built the wall,( it’s built out of specialized concrete blocks on top of a concrete footing structure) and I sat down over a beer and he came up with a plan to diffuse any run off using large rocks and softball sized stones. We wrestled the big stones in place on Friday, 18 of them down a 20 degree slope. He loaned me his 4 wheel block cart so I can at least roll the rest of the landscape rocks tomorrow. I am too old for this shit. We watched 3 episodes of Grace and Frankie Netfix on Friday night. I could barely get off the sofa. Strangely enough it was the episode about Grace’s bad knee! OTOH the whole project should landscape out nicely when it’s finished.
Dorothy Winsor
I’m meeting Stinger for dinner in Cedar Rapids today. That will be fun. First I have to grocery shop and start drafting my June newsletter so I can have it scheduled to go out before the movers get here.
tybee
@Jager:
tall?
Morfydd
Watching Serbia outmuscle Costa Rica and it just registered that the (German) announcer is a woman. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that here before!
Jager
@tybee:
It marches up the hill on the side of the house and turns at the back, The highest section is 7 feet, lowest 4. It’s an engineering marvel and expensive.
Schlemazel
@OzarkHillbilly:
Wading birds will occasionally pick up fish eggs on their legs while feeding in weeds. The eggs can come off later in another place. Or at least thats one theory
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Joy Reid going right at Paulie Blue-Eyes and his mewling about how much fatherhood means to him. Torch that smarmy fuck, Joy!
O. Felix Culpa
Good morning from El Paso! Ms. O and I drove down here yesterday to take part in the March on the child internment camp in Tornillo, initiated by Beto O’Rourke. According to the El Paso Times, the newly-erected tent camp currently houses 16- and 17-year-old boys who entered the country as unaccompanied minors. However, authorities are preparing for an influx of children separated from their parents. The facility is set up to hold 400 children, but they’re talking about expanding it to hold 4,000.
ETA: The march starts at 9:30 this morning. Also, best wishes to Lil Bit and raven!
chris
Anti-vaxxers are very high on my list of people who should suffer from chronic untreatable jock itch so this video made me laugh. Wait for it, the kicker is great.
Barbara
@Morfydd: One of the games I watched this weekend had a female announcer, though I don’t know who she was.
Schlemazel
@tobie:
Thats one way to look at it. Another way would be why an FBI asset would be offering dirt on a candidate to another candidate. Given some FBI agents animosity toward HRC perhaps the intent was what it appears to be, harm Clinton
schrodingers_cat
@O. Felix Culpa: Thanks for doing this.
O. Felix Culpa
@O. Felix Culpa: To clarify (damn antecedents!) the march, not the camp, was initiated by O’Rourke. :)
D58826
@O. Felix Culpa: Just a shame that so much time has passed since the end of WWII. Germany had an entire military structure – the SS – to handle these kinds of issues with the undesirables in society.
NotMax
@OzarkHillbilly
Immediately of any number of cheesy movies, usually with Doug McClure in the cast.
;)
Josie
@MomSense:
Weeds are part of the reason I garden in large pots. That and the fact that the soil here is full of clay and hard as a rock. My tomatoes and peppers are coming along nicely.
NotMax
@NotMax
(No edit function.)
Immediately thought of.
Josie
@O. Felix Culpa:
FSM will bless you for doing this.
germy
Stallone has a new movie coming out about Jack Johnson. I guess this explains his petition for Johnson’s pardon. And tr*mp thought the pardon made him a better president than Obama.
link
raven
@OzarkHillbilly: Johnson shut in’s?
Hill Dweller
@tobie: FWIW, Josh Marshall and other journalists were discussing the failure to mention FBI’s NY office’s leaking in the IG’s report on the Twitter machine yesterday. They seemed to think the IG is investigation individual cases of leaking, instead of the whole office, to lessen the appearance of a conspiracy to fatally damage HRC’s campaign.
JPL
@O. Felix Culpa: Thanks and please update us later.
Barbara
@germy: Obama granted clemency to hundreds of living men and women whose sentences were unjustly harsh.
debbie
@germy:
Whatever Johnson’s shortcomings, I hope Stallone’s movie is compared poorly to the Great White Hope with James Earl Jones. (Yes, I know it started out as a play.)
danielx
The more things change…I’m reading the second volume of a history of Nazi Germany and the Jews by Saul Friedländer: 1939-1945 The Years of Extermination. It’s depressing to read of the futility of protests, granted that it was a completely different time and place. But parallels are obvious.
– Jules-Gèrard Saliège, archbishop of Toulouse , August 30 1942 – in a pastoral letter denouncing roundups and deportations read in the churches of his diocese.
Gvg
@OzarkHillbilly: bird feet. Eggs of fish attached to plants that wrap around water bird fee migrating or even the roe falling out of a fish caught and eaten.
It’s the way water bodies that dry up and then come back get restocked. Common world wide.
There are also species that have adapted to wet dry cycles by having eggs that can hibernate when dry then hatch when the water comes back. Africa has a lot of the type called killifish. Is also means they get spread in mud on birds feet. Killifish get traded worldwide through the mail because of this useful adaption and the fact that many of them are gorgeous. There are other species though that are known to be spread on bird feet.
germy
@Barbara: @debbie: Tr*mp calling himself “righteous” made my stomach turn.
chopper
@raven:
oy. here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.
Morfydd
Um, back to football… this is not the walkover expected. Yikes!
Morfydd
And best of luck to you and Lil Bit, @raven.
Jeff
@Gvg: How interesting. Never heard of them. That would be my factoid of the day that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
lol chikinburd
Figured well before this tournament started there would be no way Germany would be allowed to win a World Cup on Russian soil, and was certain events would conspire to have Germany face Brazil in the round of 16. Looks like mysterious illnesses won’t be necessary for that now; Mexico were just better, with the right game plan executed the right way. Thoroughly deserved win.
HumboldtBlue
@NotMax:
I recognize swarf.
Flaneur, on the other hand, is my latest new word. I am more of a Boulevardier, however.
Viva El Tri! Vamos Mexico!
(They’re the only North Americans in the tourney, I have to cheer for fellow North Americans)
Bitter Scribe
Someone needs to tell the Swiss national soccer team that orange jerseys are UGG-LAY. There’s no reason to wear that color if you’re not Irish or Dutch.
Bitter Scribe
Irrelevant but distracting tidbit: Why the hell does Russia feel the need to advertise Gazprom at the World Cup? I mean, Gazprom is the Russian state monopoly natural gas company, right? It’s either buy from them or freeze.