Violent Protests Reported From Kenya

  

There are live reports right now as I write this from Al Jazeera of violent protests in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The protests were originally over taxes, but the situation quickly escalated.

There were reports that the police had responded with live ammo against protestors, and that some of the protestors had been killed.

However, the protestors overwhelmed the police, ultimately.

A section of Kenya's Parliament Building caught fire.

Another Warm Weather Southern Franchise Beats a Canadian Team & Wins the Stanley Cup: Who Cares?

Now let me say this right off the bat: I will even pretend to be impartial about this Stanley Cup Final. Hockey is Canada's sport, and the NHL has robbed Canadians of a lot of joy. Far too much joy, frankly.

The last time that a Canadian franchise won the Stanley Cup was in 1993, when the Montreal Canadians defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five. Bill Clinton was then the new American president. Most people had not yet heard of the internet. Hell, most people had not even heard of Y2K yet. The year 2000 still looked too distant to worry about, and impossibly futuristic, even though it was rushing to meet us. The Cold War had fairly recently ended, and the Soviet Union had dissolved still more recently. There had been an attack on the World Trade Center earlier that year, but it had not registered too strongly on the radar of most Americans. 

Oh, and Canada was still pretty dominant in hockey, despite only having a fraction of the franchises in the NHL. 

Back then, I was just really getting into hockey for the first time. It, like other sports, felt like a respite from the pressures and stress of the real world. An escape, like any other form of entertainment. It was easy to get into it. Then, it started getting weird, and it was hard not to notice certain things. There was a trend growing by the time I really got into hockey fully, which would be 1995, right around the time that my two favorite teams - the Quebec Nordiques and the New Jersey Devils - were really starting to enjoy some bigtime success.

At first, the trend was not obvious. Again, hockey felt like a sport then that relied more heavily on traditions, and those traditions went longer than any other sport. You really could not escape the Canadian roots of the league. So it made sense that Canadian teams would be the very picture of success at the time. 

Who knew that all of that was about to change?

Think about that, and think about the trends since then. Northern market teams - and especially those north of the border - seemed to be specifically targeted, as one northern city after another either lost their NHL franchises, or came uncomfortably close to it. The Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993. Then in 1995 it was the Quebec Nordiques, who were just getting really good and about the reward their loyal fans after years and years of losing, instead moved to Denver and hoisted the Stanley Cup for Colorado. In 1996, the Winnipeg Jets moved to the desert, to that noted hotbed of hockey, Phoenix, Arizona. In 1997, Hartford lost the Whalers. 

Almost as bad were all of the rumors of seemingly inevitable moves, where northern cities would lose their franchises, inevitably moving further south. The New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup, which probably saved them from a move to Nashville which had previously seemed inevitable. It also sure seemed like the Buffalo Sabres would relocate in the early 2000's., and that still seems like a possibility at times  Even the Pittsburgh Penguins almost moved to Kansas City.

Yet, the worst was that once again, Canadian franchises seemed to always be vulnerable. The Edmonton Oilers came uncomfortably close to relocating to Houston. The Canucks almost made a move to Seattle. And there were constant questions whether city of Calgary could afford to keep an NHL team. Ditto with the Ottawa Senators.

Then, as if all of that was not bad enough, the Calgary Flames seemed to be robbed of a Stanley Cup win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They were up 3-2 in the series and hosting Game 6. It was very late in a low-scoring game, the two teams nodded up at 1-1. Then, the Flames scored what sure appeared to be a Stanley Cup clinching goal. 

But wait! Not so fast! 

There was a long pause when the goal was reviewed, during which time NHL league officials were consulted. The goal was called off, taking the air out of Calgary's sails. The game went to overtime, and the Lightning took advantage and scored, forcing a Game 7, to be played in Tampa. And surprise, surprise, the Lightning won. The NHL had commercials showing the wild enthusiasm of these new fans in a southern market team. It was hailed as a huge success. 

But you know what? Canadians felt a sense of betrayal, and they were not wrong to feel that way. 

That, plus the strike in 2004-2005 that saw the entire season cancelled. Then the Edmonton Oilers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, and the Ottawa Senators lost to the Anaheim Might Ducks in 2007. That was more than enough for me. I pretty much lost interest in the NHL. 

Here's the thing: hockey at it's best could be fun. I remember enjoying it in 1994 and 1995, and even for a few years after that. Even right up until the Devils dynasty more or less ended. Yet, I was feeling less and less comfortable with hockey as an escape, because it still felt like the league officials were trying to alter the entire landscape. And they were doing it for the most obvious reasons in the world: money.

You see, call me crazy, but I can really get into sports mostly as an escape from the real world. Once sports begins to remind me too much of the real world, it stops being fun. The NFL, for example, felt a whole lot more fun before there were constant reminders of contract negotiations, with suddenly nonstop newsfeed, at least on sports shows, which of course spilled over into sports conversations with friends and coworkers and such. Then, there were the domestic abuse issues, and players like "Big" Ben Roethlisberger being saved from suffering serious consequences for their own actions and very, very poor decisions. Also, there was the increased suspicion that the NFL was going to increasingly extraordinary lengths to try and minimize the story of the effects of concussions. And I find that I have not been able to get into the NFL nearly as much as I did when younger, when it felt more innocent. 

With the NHL, it was the perception - and it felt like there were some very good reasons for this particular perception - that only money mattered. Fans did not matter, if those fans could not bring the NHL the most money. And Canadian fans evidently were regarded as a liability, it seemed. Probably fans of not so glamorous, northern market teams, as well, like the Buffalo Sabres, the Minnesota North Stars, and the Hartford Whalers. Probably the New Jersey Devils were saved from that, at least for a while, with their incredible success in the 1990's and early2000's. But once some Canadian franchises left for greener (in every sense of that word) pastures south of the border, NHL hockey stopped being fun for a lot of people. I'm not even Canadian, but that was about the point when I started to really lose interest, as well.

It's not just the money issue regarding the actual move of NHL franchises to non-conventional hockey markets in warm weather, southern cities, either. It is also who it will attract, which inevitably feels like...well, wealthier people. 

Here's what I mean: there was a young man (I almost put down kid, but he in fact only reminded me of a kid) who actually was  quite enthusiastic about the trends of new, non-traditional markets getting ice hockey franchises. He said that it was spreading interest in the sport. He waved away my arguments that places like Miami and Las Vegas and Arizona and southern California really never got ice. 

"That's why they have indoor venues," he said, clearly pleased with his own logic. 

But here's the thing: when I thought of old school hockey, the way it used to be, I thought of kids playing the sport on frozen lakes somewhere in Canada, or some northern American states, or perhaps Scandinavia or Russia. Like Pele learning to play soccer so well even though he was dirt poor, it did not require money. It just required the will to go play the sport at your local frozen lake. If you get good, and things grow more serious, than yes, surely there will be ice skating venues year round, and coaches, and all of that. But remember, all of that takes money. Hockey always felt at that time like the most grounded sport. A sport with the most regular, least glamorous guys of all four major North American sports. And it felt like that was going to be compromised once it became more of an elitist, niche sport, at least for the new fans in those warm weather markets. In other words, it would exclude kids who could not afford it. They would never learn to love the game in the same way that, say, Canadian kids learned to love the game, playing makeshift ice hockey games on their local frozen lakes or even ponds, perhaps using sticks and rocks, much like Pele used to use a rock and two sticks as a makeshift goal, as I understand it. 

The fans from these new, warm weather markets would be kids with money. It would b polarizing, and open really only to affluent kids. Kids who could afford it. And that, too, felt like too much of the real world getting in the way of allowing hockey to simply be fun, like it used to be. 

So my interest waned  I mean, seriously waned. 

There was a brief while in the late 2000's into early 2010's when I had a girlfriend who was really into going to Devils games. But even then, it did not feel as fun or magical as it once had. As soon as our relationship ended, so did almost all of my interest in really following the NHL.

I took a brief interest again when the Vancouver Canucks almost won the Cup in 2011. Again I took interest when the Canadiens made it in 2021, because it would hae been nice to see them win again. But they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights, who happened to make the Stanley Cup Finals a few years earlier in their very first season of existence. Somehow, they have been an elite team since they came into existence, and they won that series. Yet another warm weather southern city franchise defeating a Canadian franchise in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Now, once again, my interest flared briefly. Feeling a little bit like Charlie Brown trying to kick a football that would inevitably be pulled away at the last moment, I took some measured interest in Edmonton's run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Then they promptly fell behind, 3-0. True, they won the next three games, but something told me that ultimately, they would lose. Last night, that was exactly what happened.

Yet another warm weather southern city franchise defeating a Canadian franchise in the Stanley Cup Finals.

And you know what?

Fuck that. 

Sorry, I don't mean to be crass on my own blog, but it grew old a long, long time ago.

So yeah. Frankly, fuck the NHL for making that the new reality of the league, one way or the other. It grew old and tiresome a long time ago. 

They could take steps to change it. Make hockey accessible and enjoyable to those who consistently showed the most passion for the sport. I would be willing to bet anything that kids in Canada and some parts of the northern United States still play ice hockey on frozen lakes, like they did for many decades before. Try to appeal to those kids, instead of giving them every reason to turn away from ice hockey, in a world hat is rapidly filling up with more and more distractions. Remember that ice hockey's roots were in the northern United States and especially Canada, whether you like it or not. Bring back a reason for those kids to have passion for ice hockey again, instead of making it seem like you are turning them away.

Somehow, though, I don't see this happening. And I see the NHL continuing in the direction that it has been going it, rather than changing course. Money talks, after all.

So I am going to try to do my part. I have hardly been paying attention to the NHL in recent years, but now, I will make even more of a point of ignoring it. I went to my first NHL game in years (a playoff game, actually), but no more. There were games I actually watched this postseason, but again, no more. The NHL only pays attention to money, and so I will try to do my part in getting them to listen to my complaints by not giving them any of mine. Money talks, after all. 

I have lost pretty much all interest in the NHL now. Let me finish by saying this: I will not watch another NHL game, much less review anything regarding the NHL, until this ridiculous "bad luck" streak that Canada is supposedly suffering through, but which in fact actually feels remarkably orchestrated, ends. Bring back the Quebec Nordiques. Stop blocking Hamilton from getting an NHL franchise. And most importantly, stop promoting the glory of new, warm weather southern franchises who suddenly get good and suddenly get strong fan support for the duration of their successful postseason runs. Do something to reward the most loyal fans, traditionally, in Canada.

Until I sense that this is happening, personally I have lost all interest in following the NHL.I would congratulate the Florida Panthers, but frankly, I just don't care anymore.

Fuck the NHL. 

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ The Unofficial National Anthem of Québec: 'Gens du pays' by Gilles Vigneault & Gaston Rochon ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ 

Bonne St-Jean Baptiste à tous les Québécois!    

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ 

In honor of today being Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day / La Fête nationale in Québec, it seemed appropriate to dedicate a blog entry to the song that is unofficially recognized as the national anthem of Québec: 'Gens du pays'.  This was a song written by Gilles Vigneault and Gaston Rochon for the celebrations of the holiday at 1975 the Parc du Mount Royal in Montréal. There is a brief video clip of them performing it on that occasion, which I believe was the first time that it was released to the general public.

Since then, however, it has taken on a life of it's own. It is a beautiful song (in my opinion) and it became the de facto anthem of Québecois separatists in the years following. It had already become the unofficial anthem of Québec by the time of the referendum championed by René Lévesque in 1980. Below, there is a brief video of his concession speech, with the song being sung by the crowd on it's own quite spontaneously. It even seems to have become a makeshift birthday song (at least the way that it was performed by Céline Dion in an attached video included below, and in a few other video clips which I have seen over the years, but could not find for this particular blog.

Anyway, as already mentioned, I believe that this is a beautiful song. The tune is catchy, the music is beautiful, and the lyrics are positively poetic. So it seemed worth it to include a blog entry about it here.

Below are several video clips of different versions of the song being played on different occasions, as well as the original lyrics in French, and a couple of different translations into English. Remember, this is being played all over Québec today.

Enjoy.

Below are the lyrics to 'Gens du pays' first in the original French, and below that, with an English translation.

Enjoy.

Original Lyrics to 'Gens du pays' by Gilles Vigneault:

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour 

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour 

Le temps que l'on prend pour dire Je t'aime 

C'est le seul qui reste au bout de nos jours 

Les voeux que l'on fait, les fleurs que l'on sème 

Chacun les récolte en soi-même 

Au beau jardin du temps qui court 

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour 

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour 

Le temps de s'aimer, le jour de le dire 

Fond comme la neige aux doigts du printemps 

Fêtons de nos joies, fêtons de nos rires 

Ces yeux où nos regards se mirent 

C'est demain que j'avais vingt ans 

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour 

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour 

Le ruisseau des jours aujourd'hui s'arrête 

Et forme un étang où chacun peut voir 

Comme en un miroir l'amour qu'il reflète 

Pour ces coeurs à qui je souhaite 

Le temps de vivre leurs espoirs 

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour 

Gens du pays, c'est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d'amour

The English translations:

People of my Country “Faithful” translation by John Lejderman  (Version 1):

The time that we take, saying “I love you” 

Is all that remains at the end of our days 

The vows that we make 

The flowers that we sow 

We harvest them within 

Among the splendid gardens of time’s flow.  

People of my country, your turn has come 

To let love speak to you 

People of my country, your turn has come 

To let love speak to you  

The time to love each other, and the day to say it, 

Melt like the snow touched by spring. 

Celebrate our joys, celebrate our laughter 

Our eyes meeting in embrace 

Tomorrow I was only twenty.  

People of my country, your turn has come 

To let love speak to you 

People of my country, your turn has come 

To let love speak to you  

The stream of our days, today comes to a pause 

And forms into a pool where everyone can see 

As if it were a mirror, the love that it reflects, 

For those hearts to whom I wish 

The time to live out all our hopes.  

People of my country, your turn has come 

To let love speak to you 

People of my country, your turn has come 

To let love speak to you  

People of Mine 

Rhyming adaptation by John Lejderman  (Version 2)

The time that we take, saying “I love you” 

Is all that we have left, at the end of our days 

The promises we gave 

The flowers that we grew 

Inside of each of us they bloom 

In the fragrant gardens on our way.  

People of mine, your turn has come 

To let yourself be spoke of love 

People of mine, your turn has come 

To let yourself be spoke of love  

The care that we show, the love that we confess 

Melt away the snow, like the touch of the sun. 

Celebrate our joys, the life with which we’re blessed 

The meeting of our eyes in happiness. 

Celebrate today I’m growing young.  

People of mine, we celebrate you 

And hope that your dreams may soon come true 

People of mine, we celebrate you 

And hope that your dreams may soon come true

  

The stream of our years, settles down today 

Allowing each to see, as in a silent pool 

Reflecting like a mirror, the love we give away 

To those hearts for whom I pray 

That all our hopes may soon come true  

Gens du pays, c’est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d’amour 

Gens du pays, c’est votre tour 

De vous laisser parler d’amour

Source:

Song Translation – Gens du pays:

https://french-to-english.net/song-translation-gens-du-pays/

National Anthem: Quebec - Gens du pays (Province of Canada)

The first time that 'Gens du Pays' was played, I believe (Montréal, 1975):

Gens du Pays (St-Jean 1975)

A cover of the song by Québecois singer Céline Dion back in 2017:

Céline Dion sings Gens Du Pays (April 15, 2017)

Here is the aforementioned clip of supporters of René Lévesque singing 'Gens du pays' on their own following the Québec referendum defeat of 1980.

René Lévesque et la défaite du référendum - 1980

A more recent performance of 'Gens du pays' by none other than Gilles Vigneault, accompanied by Fred Pellerin, who I am admittedly not all that familiar with. 

Gens du pays | Gilles Vigneault/Fred Pellerin

And here is another brief video clip of this song (with altered lyrics) being used for other occasions, like birthdays and celebrations:

Chanson Quebecoise d'Anniversaires

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day / La Fête nationale in Québec ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ 

Bonne St-Jean Baptiste à tous les Québécois!    

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ 

Today, June 24th, is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. It is celebrated in certain parts of French Canada, particularly in the province of Québec. It is the feast day honoring St. John the Baptist. He was the Jewish preacher who baptized Jesus.

It is know as La fête nationale in Québec province, having been given a nationalistic flavor. For pro-independent nationalists, it is almost equivalent to Independence Day (the 4th of July) in the United States. It has become an expression of francophone pride, often taking the form of flag waving, much like in the United States. For many Québecois, it is essentially their answer to the Canada Day festivities a week later, on July 1st. For other French Canadians who want to remain part of greater Canada, it is still a holiday to be enjoyed. Businesses are closed and people are off from work, much like the rest of Canada on Canada Day, or like Americans on Independence Day. It is a day of barbecue and parades and public shows of patriotism, perhaps concerts or other festivities, all ending with a grand fireworks show at night.

The origins of this becoming a truly significant and uniquely Québecois holiday date back to the founding of the St-Jean-Baptiste Society in 1834 by journalist Ludger Duvernay. It came at a time when Francophones in Canada - and especially in Lower Canada (which was dominated by the majority French-speaking  territory of Québec - were feeling a sense of urgency to protect their Francophone identity and culture against British rule. It happened to come out just months after the Ninety-Two Resolutions, which were partially authored and championed by Louis-Joseph Papineau, the leader of the Patriotes movement in Canada. He went to London to officially submit it, but the British ignored it for three years before basically officially rejecting it and sending their counter proposals, known as the Russel Resolutions. This in turn sparked a revolt by those in favor of the cause of the Patriotes, which came to be known (in English) as the Lower Canada Rebellion, but which I have seen referenced in French language history book of Québec as an outright Revolution. Anyway, Duvernay had set up the St-Jean-Baptiste Society in hopes of fostering a sense of nationalist spirit and linguistic and cultural pride among Francophones in Canada, and particularly in Québec.  Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day had been recognized and celebrated in Québec since the earliest days of French rule there, but it took a decided turn following Duvernay's efforts for that day to be a de facto holiday celebrating Francophone identity and pride.

I was blessed to be in Québec City once for this holiday, and it was very exciting! This was back in 2008, when that city was celebrating it's 400th anniversary. It was incredibly crowded, and we had our very young son with us. He was not yet three years old, and the crowds were a bit too much (which was the main reason that I would not fight hard to get a good spot at the Paul McCartney concert that he gave in Québec City to honor it's 400th anniversary a little less than a month later.

To any Québecois and other French Canadians out there who celebrate the holiday, enjoy this Saint-Jean Baptiste Day/ Fête de la St Jean-Baptiste/ bonne fête nationale!

Sources: 

Wikipedia Pages:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-Two_Resolutions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Joseph_Papineau

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parti_canadien

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebellions_of_1837%E2%80%931838

The Canadian Encyclopedia: TIMELINE Rebellion in Lower Canada

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/rebellion-in-lower-canada

⚽️ UEFA European Championship - Euro 2024 Update For June 23rd ⚽️

Some have speculated that this Euro tournament may be the last chance for Belgium's "Golden Generation" of soccer talent to win a major international title. So far, they have not managed to win one, and that generation of talented Belgian players is aging. That meant that expectations were very high for the Belgian side for this tournament.

In their first game at this Euro tournament, Belgium was the victim of one of the biggest - I even heard the biggest - upset in the history of the Euro tournament when they lost to Slovakia. Hard to believe, but there you have it.

Well, they responded brilliantly in the second game. They defeated Romania, 2-0, and left no doubts. Youri Tielemans broke through in just the second minute, giving the Belgians the early lead. 

After that, their defense held strong. The Romanians had some chances, but could not capitalize. Then, Kevin De Bruyne broke through in the 79th minute to pretty much put this one away. 

Anything less than a win would have been disastrous for the Belgians. But with this win, and a game coming up against Ukraine which Belgium really should find a way to win, they are right back in this thing. They can and probably should be able to advance. Romania had defeated Ukraine in the first game for those two teams, while surprisingly, the Ukrainians managed to defeat Slovakia on Friday, 2-1. Kind of a strange triangle there in Group E. 

Otherwise, Portugal just crushed Turkey, 3-0. Not really a surprise there.

Earlier today in Group A action, Germany scored a late goal after trailing Switzerland for most of the game. That allowed them to finish with the most points in Group A, and so they advance. So, too, does Switzerland, which clinched second place. 

Also, Scotland and Hungary played for a chance to advance as the third place team in Group A. It was deadlocked in a scoreless draw until just seconds before extra time was set to expire, when Hungary managed to break through with a dramatic goal to win it in the final seconds. Scottish players were stunned and clearly devastated. But the win gives Hungary a real chance to advance as one of the top third place teams, although they will now need help and have to wait to see the results of other games in other groups. 

Sunday Funny: André The Giant & Bobby Heenan Vintage Promo Against Ultimate Warrior

Thought it might be nice to keep things light this Sunday.

So here is a promo clip with Bobby Heenan and André the Giant from 1989. Andre had painted his face in the style of the Ultimate Warrior, who was to be his opponent.

Never having seen this clip before (at least not in my memory), it took me by surprise and made me laugh. It also seemed worth sharing here.

Still think that this was wrestling when it was at it's best, with my favorite wrestler, André  the Giant.

Enjoy.

André The Giant & Bobby Heenan Promo [1989-10-01]

John Oliver Warns About How Much Worse Trump’s Second Term Will Be Than His First Term Was

Having watched this video, where John Oliver warns about what a second administration of Trump would actually look like, it should serve as a warning.

Many of his supporters - and even those who apparently are still a bit on the fence - suggest with a straight face that his first administration was not as bad as some forecasts had warned. The thing is, as Oliver points out here, Trump and his allies now have experience, and will know much better what they are doing, and how precisely to do it, as soon as they are in power. 

By now, most everyone has heard of Project 2025. It lays out a very definitive plan to turn the country backwards politically. To reflect much more the conservative political values which they espouse and want to impose. They will not let little things like a democratic tradition stretching back two and a half centuries, or laws, stand in their way this time, either. 

Remember, these are the people behind January 6th. They have already had four years of Trump's presidency under their belts. And they have been foaming at the mouth for revenge for the past nearly four years, for that matter.

Also, they are increasingly unafraid to expose their own dark sides. In this video, one of the guys on the Trump team openly mulls over the possibility of a homeland for whites. He questions why a homeland for Palestinians is considered acceptable, while talk of a homeland for whites is considered racist. Yet, the reason for this is hardly a mystery. After all, it's right there in what he's saying, and how he's saying it. Palestinians are a people who have lived in the same region for thousands of years now, like Russians and Chinese and French and Germans. Also, they were first colonized by the British, and then saw Jews take over what had been their homeland to establish Israel. There are and long have been people from a very specific region in the world who are known as Palestinians. Thus, the notion of an independent nation of Palestine is not some unthinkable process. Meanwhile, "whites" clearly refers to exclusively a race, and not a nationality. When you refer to a certain group of Americans as "whites," it implies their race and thus, by process of elimination, it excludes people who are not white. And yes, that is based exclusively on skin color. There is literally no other criteria to describe people as being or belonging to a group known as "whites." That is labeling people based on their appearance. More specifically, their race. So yeah, that is pretty much racism in action. In fact, that is pretty much the definition of racial thinking or, as many conservatives like to refer to it when they are accusing liberals or Democrats of doing it, identity politics. Hardly seems like it actually needs to be explained, even, since it is rather obvious and elementary to anyone who actually examines it with any objectivity. Yet, since he specifically asked, I guess it should be pointed out, since it obviously is geared towards people who will not really scrutinize it, but will be too easily convinced by this line of rationale as an actual argument and counterpoint to the idea of Palestinian autonomy. 

So let's look at this, without panicking and without fear. Without a sense of impending dread that some have, but also without that premature desire to celebrate Trump's downfall which also seemed too prevalent by some following his becoming officially a convicted felon. As if many of his detractors have not underestimated him before by celebrated his sure downfall well before it was an actual fait accompli. After all, as of right now, he is still very much in this presidential race. The polls seem less certain than ever before, and I have admittedly never seen such highly wavering polls. Depending on whom you ask, a victory for Biden seems like a sure thing, and the conviction has only hurt Trump. In other polls, the conviction has only helped him, and he has expanded his lead.

Frankly, it is becoming extremely difficult to know what to believe.

Yet, I suspect that we can believe this diagnosis by Oliver of what a second Trump presidency would actually look like. And it is not a good diagnosis. 

Trump’s Second Term: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

ICC Pursues Arrest Warrant Against Iyad Ag Ghaly For Role in War Crimes in Timbuktu

The International Criminal Court (ICC) just unsealed an arrest warrant against Iyad Ag Ghaly  for his role in war crimes committed over a decade ago during the conflicts in Mali. many of these crimes were committed specifically in the city of Timbuktu during that time.      

Indeed, the ICC just published the arrest warrant yesterday against Iyad Ag Ghaly, who is believed to be the leader of the Ansar Dine Islamist terrorist group that managed to overtake the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali back in in 2012. The crimes which he and his group are charged with occurred between January 2012 and January of 2013, when his group was more or less in charge in Timbuktu. They are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity, including sex crimes like rape against women. 

The ICC in the Hague is now evidently going to pursue this case.

ICC unseals arrest warrant against Iyad Ag Ghaly over Mali war crimes By Reuters June 21, 2024:

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/icc-unseals-arrest-warrant-against-iyad-ag-ghaly-over-mali-war-crimes-2024-06-21/

Moose Versus Bear in the Wild

Saw this brief video a few days ago, and it was fascinating. Not sure what happened, if the moose got away, or if the bear managed to catch it. Not sure how that battle would be, if it would go on and on to a standstill, or if one or the other could possibly get the upper hand in some way.

My guess is that it depends on a case to case basis. When I looked into the matter further, I found that there are videos of moose chasing bears, and bears chasing moose. So I guess it could go either way, depending on the circumstances.

In any case, the first video is the one I ran into, and the second one below it was one I found when doing a little bit of research on Youtube.

Both seemed worth sharing here.

Enjoy:

Grizzly bear chases down moose at Montana campground

https://youtube.com/shorts/wk0UWImQgEg?si=VnrnNkrEw1LwVJMh

Moose chases bear

https://youtube.com/shorts/wHix_MP87PQ?si=UgJh7eXOdwLafFHp

⚽️ France & Netherlands Battle to Scoreless Draw in Group D Action At the Euro 2024 ⚽️

  

France met Netherlands earlier today in Leipzig, Germany, for Group D action at the Euro 2024.

These are considered the two tops teams in Group D, with Austria and Poland both being considered the underdogs. It should be noted that Austria handled Poland with relative ease earlier in the day, with a 3-1 win that puts them solidly in third place behind Netherlands and France. Should either side slip and lose the next game, Austria could very well go in place of them.

Les Bleus and the men in orange hardly played a fascinating game. In fact, it was a dull affair by the standards of most viewers. 

One newsworthy and unusual thing is that Kylian Mbappé had to wear a mask, because he had suffered a broken nose in the previous game, when France narrowly defeated Austria. In fact, Mbappé will have to wear the mask for the duration of the tournament, although France also said that surgery would not be required. Hard to tell if this inhibited his level of play today or not.

France held onto the ball for about 62 percent of the time, and enjoyed an advantage of 12 attempts, tom just 4 for Netherlands. However, Netherlands had all 4 of those shots on target, while France had just 3 on target. 

Otherwise, not too much to report from this game, other than that it was not wonderful or disastrous for either side. They both earned a point from the draw, and by virtue of their earlier wins (Netherlands had defeated Poland in the opening game, while France had beaten Austria), they both have 4 points, and seem in good shape to advance to the elimination round, barring a disastrous showing in their final games. France will play Poland on Tuesday, June 25th, while Netherlands will play Austria on that same day. Then, we will find out which sides from Group D advance to the elimination round of this Euro. 

It should prove interesting to see what happens.

Netherlands 0-0 France: Euro 2024 – as it happened | Euro 2024 6 hours ago

https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2024/jun/21/netherlands-v-france-euro-2024-buildup

Taking a Closer Look at France's Far Right National Rally

   

The snap election that French President Macron called for are just about here. He called it because of the threat of the rise of the extreme right in France. Indeed, it used to be known as the Front National under founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. But his extremism, and what many took to be blatantly racist and/or xenophobic comments kept many people at arm's length. 

Here is how it was described by Kim Willsher in a recent Guardian article (see link below):

After Le Pen took over the FN she set about cleaning up its image, at the time inextricably linked to the xenophobic, shaven-headed neo-Nazi thugs who supported her father. Members were expelled for racist and antisemitic remarks or for defending Philippe Pétain, the head of France’s Nazi-collaborating Vichy government in the 1940s. In 2015, after several warnings about his behaviour, she expelled her own father. 

However, the movement's image softened a bit for better public consumption when his daughter, Marine Le Pen, took over. She kicked her father out, and the party's new, more politically correct image, if you will, helped it gain more traction than it had under her father. The party was renamed the Front Rassemblement (National Rally). Now, they have a bright young star whose apparent good looks (he is likened to a movie star) are helping to draw still more supporters.  

In time, the following of this political movement has just continued to grow, until it is now one of the largest and most influential political parties in France. And the upward surge of momentum also seems to be on the side of this party. They just always seem to gain from where they were previously with each new election. 

How much has the party surged over time? Again, we go back to Willsher's article in The Guardian:

Critics said the laundering operation was more about style than substance, but it worked. In 2012, Le Pen polled 17.9% of votes in the first round of the presidential election. In 2017 that rose to 21.3%, and in 2022 to 23.15%. In 2014, the RN’s list of candidates, headed by Bardella, won the European elections in France, with 24.9% of the vote, sending 25 representatives to the European parliament.

So it feels like France is at an important crossroads, politically. That feels true for all of Europe, really. But perhaps it is especially true for France. After all, this is a major European nation, second in terms of population among EU members to Germany. It is also the largest nation in terms of size in Western Europe, and it borders many other big nations, including Germany, Spain, and Italy. In short, what happens in France is bound not only to be noticed, but to have an effect on the rest of Europe. 

Yet that is not the full story. After all, it stands to reason that if France could influence the politics in other European countries, than the reverse is also true. And the rise of fascism and intolerance, and a wave of antidemocratic spirit, has undeniably been on the rise in Europe, and for a long time, at that. Remember how the far-right Jörg Haider got to be part of the government of Austria in 2000, marking what was then the most extreme, far-right government in Europe since the end of World War II? A few years later, the Golden Dawn movement in Greece got enough representation in Parliament to be the third biggest political party in that country. More recently, the longstanding far-right political movement of Geert Wilders and his "Party for Freedom" in Netherlands just scored huge gains across the nation just last year. And while Viktor Orban's created a political trend in Hungary which he himself has a difficult time describing, the themes of intolerance for minority rights and the deterioration of democracy in that country are clear enough to recognize. They are also consistent with the deterioration of democratic government in Europe, to the point where many experts no longer even view Hungary as a democratic nation at all anymore.

In a recent BBC article that I feel is absolutely worth looking at and comes highly recommend (see link below), there is a focus on Viktor Orban and the troubling situation in Hungary which seems like a warning to the rest of Europe and the world, Orban's political transformation from seeming freedom fighter back in the early days of the post-Cold War emergence of a free Hungary, into the exact opposite these days:

Political scientist Zoltan Lakner believes Viktor Orban shifted ideology during the second half of the 1990s. As Hungary was governed by a liberal-socialist coalition, he realised "to gain political success he had to turn his back on liberalism and transform his party into a nationalist, anti-liberal political force".

Orban himself was described in this same article in what I feel is an illuminating, yet simultaneously alarming, manner:

Veteran Hungarian-born journalist Paul Lendvai sees a staggering reversal in Viktor Orban - "from one of the most promising defenders of Hungarian democracy into the chief author of its demise".

That, of course, is not the full story. After all, far-right wing parties and individuals have been consistently making inroads into mainstream politics for quite a long time now. Italy's current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has shown fascist leanings in her practices. Nor does it seem to really bother her that some of her supporters have, at times, done fascist salutes and shouted "Sieg Heil," as Nazis under Hitler once did. That, of course, is entirely in keeping with the seeming revival of the Mussolini family. Yes, Benito Mussolini's family. Mussolini was for along time a shameful name, and anyone associated with him or his political leanings or styles was once automatically discredited and dismissed. Nowadays, things are very different. Benito's granddaughter is gaining traction politically, as well. Clearly, fascism is something on the rise in Italy, and has been for years. 

So it is not just the political rise of far right extremists in France which is troubling. This is a trend all across Europe. But the situation in France is growing ever more serious with each election. Much like here in the United States, it feels like many in Europe just are losing faith in democracy and the economic realities that we are living under. And increasingly, they are turning to more severe extremes as a seeming solution, even though this itself is creating more tensions with, and problems for, much of the rest of the society. Look at the rise of Trumpism in the United States. France clearly is not immune from this. Which is why Macron's call for snap elections is a political risk, because it is not unthinkable that he could, in fact, be helping the far right gain still more ground in France. 

France’s far-right National Rally elects new president to replace Le Pen by Kim Willsher in Paris, Sat 5 Nov 2022:

This article is more than 1 year old Jordan Bardella, 27, who joined the party as a teenager and is a protege of Marine Le Pen, replaces her as leader 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/05/frances-far-right-party-rn-elects-new-president-to-replace-le-pen

Who is Viktor Orban, Hungarian PM with 14-year grip on power? 13 February 2024 By Paul Kirby & Budapest correspondent Nick Thorpe, 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67832416

Behavior By Fans of England Towards Host Nation Germany Receiving Criticism

Sports can unify people like very little else, at the best of times and circumstances.

Yet it also has to be noted that, at it's worst, it can also divide people, and show their incredibly petty and xenophobic sides, under less than ideal circumstances.

So it is no real surprise that there are more controversies already in this Euro regarding fan behavior towards other (rival) countries. And some of the fans being singled out for arguably reprehensible behavior are the England fans. 

This year's Euro tournament is being held in Germany. And English fans were recently caught chanting a taunting song towards German fans, with references to World War II which some people feel might be objectionable and even offensive.

Is it? Or is this an overreaction, as some (including some of the English fans interviewed in the article (see link below)? 

That I leave to the individual to judge. But this seemed worth sharing here.

Enjoy.

 

England fans' behaviour under scrutiny over chant  Media caption, Reaction to controversial chanting referencing World War Two at Euro 2024.  Dan Roan Sports editor, June 19, 2024:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cx77ljg2710o

Honoring Juneteenth & It's Symbolic Significance in American History

Juneteenth has now officially been recognized as a national holiday through an act of Congress a few years ago. It is another sign that the United States is coming to terms with a problematic, racist past, even if it is doing so grudgingly. After all, there are a lot of Americans today, in the 21st century, who deny that racism is a major problem, and quite often undermine the problems that racism has cast historically in the nation. 

In 2020 at about this time of the year, during his last year in the Oval Officer, Trump was asked about Juneteenth. Not surprisingly, the self-identified "very stable genius" had never heard of it.

Of course, that is not exactly a surprise. Trump is the very symbol and almost literal face and voice of the "ugly American" who has grown completely tone deaf to any kind of problems within the United States. That seems particularly true when it comes to America's rather long history of racism and racial violence. After all, he made clear almost immediately after taking office that he was opposed to Harriet Tubman being place on the $20 bill, and at least temporarily delayed it from happening. Frankly, that was almost the least of the racist things that seemed to become the norm in our headlines during the Trump years.

However Trump, while officially the elected and sitting president at the time that he undermined the significance of Juneteenth, is not really a leader in the conventional sense. He does not command the respect of a majority of Americans, let alone people around the world. More often than not, he seems like the punchline to some joke that long ago stopped being funny. Frankly, he feels like a dinosaur, with antiquated ideas and solutions to the problems facing the nation, and indeed the world. He feels more like a relic of the nineteenth century way of seeing and doing things, rather than a modern man of the 21st century. 

Yet, we need to remember that, despite not having obtained a majority of votes in either 2016 or in 2020, he nevertheless received enough votes to win a term in the highest political office that this nation has. It is unfortunately still one more sign - as if we needed any more - that xenophobia and prejudices (tacit or otherwise) clearly remain a large problem and obstacle to true progress for us as a nation.

Juneteenth has now officially been recognized as a holiday today, June 19, 2021. It was already a state holiday in Texas. The significance of it, historically, was that this is the anniversary of General Gordon Granger coming to Galveston, Texas, months after the official end of the Civil War, and proclaiming emancipation to all slaves, who had not been informed that slavery had been officially abolished. The slaves in Galveston were the last official slaves remaining in the Confederacy. 

So today, I honor this holiday, and added something else, also. There are two links that I added. The first is a transcript about Juneteenth from Bill Moyers back in 2020, where he talks about the significance of the holiday, saying that it is another Independence Day, of sorts. The second is a more cynical take on the holiday, suggesting that it is more symbolic, and has not really made any serious leeway towards true progress in the fight against racism.

Enjoy!

Watch Bill Moyers Speak at the Carnegie Hall Juneteenth Celebration America’s Other Independence Day  BY BILL MOYERS | JUNE 17, 2020:

https://billmoyers.com/story/bill-moyers-on-juneteenth/?fbclid=IwAR2udNcaQj6faedupettajsKi8g9fAhQbM0mwfunTqHrZxW2nEu6F6GoMr8

Opinion: Juneteenth As A National Holiday Is Symbolism Without Progress June 19, 20216:00 AM ET ROBERT A. BROWN:

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/19/1008123408/juneteenth-national-holiday-symbolism-without-progress-opinion





Below is a link to an article which shows how some 10,000 former Confederate Loyalists fled to Brazil following the end of the Civil War, because slavery was still legal there at that point, and would be for maybe another decade and change or so. The link is at the bottom. 

Meet The Confederados, The Confederate Loyalists Who Fled To Brazil After The Civil War By Morgan Dunn, June 15, 2020:

https://allthatsinteresting.com/confederados?fbclid=IwAR1f-soMdtnJUyAtDv-GAVzI7FYOVGoprGFarTbhVjknONLNAX052M8Xy7E