Happy New Year!

Today, I just want to wish all my readers a happy new year. I promise to keep up my blog for next year as well. Stay tuned!

Japan Gains Territory

A new Japanese island is forming outside of Tokyo, thanks to a volcano. The island is now almost 2.3 square kilometres, and it is still growing. Since it is growing due to continuing eruptions of lava, authorities recommend that noone should go there. It has been named Nishinoshima.

I think it is nice that Japan grows, that it gains territory in this way. No neighbouring countries can complain, either, as when China claims the Japanese Senkaku Islands. I wonder when humans and dogs may set their paws on Nishinoshima. Hopefully, it will not be too far off into the future.

Cuddling

tonight, I feel more like cuddling in the bed than writing in my blog. It was a rather uneventful day today, anyway. Please come back tomorrow.

Cold Weather

Hello, Karstuhl here!

We have got really cold weather now. We lit a fire in the stove this evening, it boosted the indoor heat and was cozy. It is winter, and Shiba coats can handle these temperatures. Still, it is better to be indoors. The cold weather is almost symbolic, now that there will be no extra election and the "political temperature" will not be so high as if we would have had campaigns from now on until March. Whether it is good or bad that there will be no extra election, I cannot say. I would, however, like to have a little less cold weather, winter or not.

No Extra Election

There will be no extra election to the Swedish Parliament this spring. I like this. It means Daniel will not be away campaigning so much.

The Colour of Jesus Christ

A debate has started on what colour Jesus Christ was. It is interesting, now that we celebrate his birth. Apparently, there are some scholars who claim Jesus was black. Others claim he just looked Middle Eastern, with an olive complexion. He was, most certainly, not white in the Western European sense.

To me, the colour of Jesus Christ does not really matter. Shibas come in different colours, and are equally good. So should humans be, regardles of colour. I would, nevertheless, be happy if further scientific investigation revealed that Jesus Christ was black & tan. That would really be something.

Fox Jewellery

The other dogs and I pooled our resources and bought a fox in silver for Paula for Christmas. Paula does so much good for us, so she is worth the very best.

You might wonder how we, as dogs, could buy jewellery. It is not possible for a dog to walk into a store and buy things, regardless of whether we bring money or not. Too many humans cannot speak with us dogs. We are not allowed to make contracts, under law, this means that we cannot buy things. What we can do, however, is to agree with a human whom we trust, to make the purchase for us. Thus, we agreed with Daniel that he would purchase a piece of jewellery for us. It could have the shape of a dog, a wolf, or a fox. What he found and bought, and which we also liked when he showed us, was a silver fox. This became our Christmas present for Paula.

We were very happy to hear Paula loved our present.

Meri kurisumasu!

Japanese is not an easy language. It does not help that I am of Japanese origin. I grew up in Sweden with humans who spoke Swedish, with a Mum from America who taught me English and a Dad from Norway who taught me some Norwegian. It was not until later I met dogs who had lived in Japan for quite some time and who knew Japanese. Kenny, my dear one, is one of them. Over the years since, I have learned a few phrases and words in Japanese, at least. Today, it is time to use one of them which is easy, because it is just borrowed from English. When you say "merry Christmas" in Japanese, you just say: Meri kurisumasu! This fits today, on Christmas Eve, doesn't it?

Walk

Yesterday, Karstuhl got to go on a long walk with Nils Olov. Today, it was my turn. I enjoyed it very much. Like Karstuhl, I got to walk with my beloved one, who is Kenny. Kenny is Karstuhl's father. I always enjoys his company. It was a great way to prepare for the Christmas preparations later in the day. We did well on that, as well.

Long Walk

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Today, I got to go on a long walk with Paula's father Nils Olov and my dear friend Fuji. We walked the paths of the woods behind our house. It was a really nice trip with a lot of new things to smell, to hear, and to see. I like Nils Olov, he is such a great guy when he takes me on long walks. This really made my day. I wish I can get a walk like this in the close future again.

A Little Snow

Hello, Orange here!

We had some snow here tonight. It is still snowing when we are foing to bed. Unfortunately, though, I do not think it will be much. I am not even sure it will stay until Christmas. We just have to see.

Schedule

They called Paula on the telephone from her workplace this morning, asking her what she wanted for lunch. She said she was not scheduled to work today, but they said she was. There must have been some missunderstanding. Thus, Paula had to go to work, instead of going to a Christmas get-together at her aunt's house. We felt so sorry for her. Working and earning money is a good thing, but not anytime, not when you have to turn down a family celebration. We still do not know who made the misstake, but I do not believe it was Paula. I guess nobody will take the blame.

Herding Dog

We watched a show on TV, where a family from America was on vacation in Ireland. One of the things they did, was visiting a farm, where they saw a herding dog herding sheep. The family was very impressed of the herding skills of the dog. I was too, but I think I was less surprised than the family on TV was. Herding dogs in general are good at what they do. Still, it is always impressing to see it. This was the best part of the TV show. There were some seconds where you could also see some pups, but this was just flashing by.

Politics

Daniel is a member of the city council. He has been at a meeting there today, and it will continue tomorrow. He tried to tell me a little about it, but I think it is politics on a rather small scale. I am more interested in things like the Japanese national election last Sunday. the talk about an extra national election in Sweden is also a small thing in comparison, Japan having a larger population and the third largest economy of the world. Oh, well, it is a good thing Daniel and his friends in the city council want to put their time and effort on the small scale politics of Örebro, anyway. The city council is not unimportant. I hope Daniel's political party will be successful.

Noise

It is said that any unwelcomed sound is noise. The I guess any sound is noise, if you try to get to sleep. I do not mind much, though. Dogs generally have a good talent for going to sleep whenever we want to. This is good, it helps us staying awake whenever we need to. Luckily, we do not have much noise around. There are advantages to living a bit away from the centre of town.

Rain

It is in the middle of December, a month when you want snow to go with that Christmas feeling. We have had a few days with temperatures below the freezing point, but the little snow that has fallen has melted away. Today, we had a few degrees above the freezing point and a lot of rain. It feels more like autumn than winter. Grantes, many December months are like this, but I do long for a little white snow. It would make the surroundings brighter and give us more of a holiday spirit. We will see what happens in the coming week.

Nice Result

My granddaughter Soya got a nice result, in her debut in adult classes in the dog show today. She got Excellent, and was fourth in Junior Competition Class after older, more mature girls. I am proud of her. She will get even better results in the future.

Stockholm

Daniel has prepared to go to Stockholm tomorrow. Paula is already there. They will attend the greatest annual dog show in Sweden, and I am not invited. This is unfair! I could make such an excellent impression on the judges.

My granddaughter Soya will be at the show. I wish her the best of luck. She has to hold the Aangenaam name high, and I am confident she can do that.

Snow

Late this evening, snow started to fall. It is still not very cold outside and I am not sure this snow will stay on the ground. It would give us some more holliday feeling if it did stay, though. If it gets deep enough to play in, I am all for it. I know I am not young, but I still love to play in newly fallen snow. We will have to see how it looks tomorrow morning.

Christmas Food

Paula was away this evening, eating Christmas dinner with colleagues from work. She said she is almost tired of Christmas food already. I wish I could get the rest of her Christmas food, I would enjoy all of it.

Animals as Persons

A court of law in New York has ruled a chimpanzee is not entitled to rights, such as freedom. The case was specifically about a chimpanzee living with a human in New York. An organization called the Nonhuman Rights Project made his case before the court, claiming the chimpanzee had the right to freedom The court, however, said legal rights can only be held by someone who can also have legal duties, which a chimpanzee cannot have. There were also no legal precedence whatsoever.

I am not surprised by the verdict. As far as I know, chimpanzees are not bright enough to have legal duries. They are not as intelligent as dogs, I believe. They are also not part of human society and civilisation, not the way only dogs are, besides humans. If any animal besides humans deserve certain legal rights, it is the dog. Dogs have been part of human culture much longer than any other animal. Of course, a court case on setting dogs free would be unnecessary, because we are already free when we live with our humans. This is because we are part of human culture, the way chimpanzees can never be. Rights, as the right not to suffer from animal abuse, are given to dogs already. Do we need more? I do not think so. This way, I believe the Nonhuman Rights Project is missguided. Perhaps I would need to know more, but this is my opinion now.

Recession

Sweden has a good national economy, even though there is a political crisis since the cabinet failed in passing its budget through Parliament last week.

Japan, on the other hand, is in a deep recession. The economy shrank more than estimated in the third quarter of this year. The country has now had a badly functioning economy for a long time. This is bad news for the whole world, given that the Japanese economy is the third largest of the world. I am certain the Japanese will cope, after all, they have the world's largest Shiba population to help them. Nevertheless, I am concerned. It is not good that the recession is so deep, and deeper than estimated. I hope it will soon recover.

Little Sister

Hello, Orange here!

In the middle of the night, very early Sunday morning, I became a big sister. My mother Tenn gave birth to a little puppy girl. I have not yet met my youngest sister. She stays in the bathroom with my mother to have a safe haven for about four or five weeks. After that time, I believe I will meet my little sister. I am very curious about her. There is a lot of things I will be able to teach her, once we get to know each other.

The birth of pups must be fantastic. It is the dawn of a new life. I hope the pup will soon learn the beauty of life. I will help her learn this.

Crisps

Saturday nights are meant for celebrations of the weekend and having fun. This Saurday night, we had a lot of crisps and watched TV, when Örebro beat Modo in ice hockey. Crisps are really good. I wish we could get crisps every night.

Ice Hockey Game

Paula and Daniel went to see an ice hockey game live today. Daniel's favourite team Djurgården played Paula's favourite team Örebro on Örebro's home turf. I would have loved to come, but they said ice hockey arenas are nothing for dogs, at least not when ice hockey is played there. I have been to ice hockey arenas at dog shows, but an ice hockey game is something much different from a dog show. I guess I have to settle with watching ice hockey from home on TV. It is not bad.

By the way, the game ended 1-1 in full time, Örebro won 2-1 after penalties.

Still There

The Cabinet lost the vote on the annual budget, but did not resign. The PM has said he will call for an extra election in March. His party members blame the opposition, but I believe it is the fault of the ruling parties, if they cannot win important votes in Parliament. We will have to see if the extra election solves any problems. I doubt it.

Electricity

Late at night, we were suddenly without electricity. It only lasted for a few minutes. Nevertheless, it was annoying. It also makes you think of how dependent our society is on electricity. Daniel has said that the taming of electricity is one of the greatest feats of mankind, of an equal importance as the taming of fire. I believe so too.

Crisis

The Swedish Cabinet will probably resign tomorrow. It has been made clear today, they will not get the majority they need to get their budget through Parliament. This is bad manouvering by the Prime Minister. We will see what happens next. It is interesting, but not that good for our country.

Lights in the Night

Paula and Daniel always put up electric lights in the windows at this time of the year. It is a sign that it is soon Christmas. These lights are not bright, but as they are never turned off until after Christmas, we have a little light in the house throughout the night. It is almost like the light of the Sun shining over the north horizon in the middle of summer. This we have twilight in the middle of the night in midsummer and in midwinter, but not in between. It is rather nice.

Trends

The BBC has done a piece on Facebook trends. The most important trend was the saving of dogs. This is good, saving dogs is the best anybody can do.

Dreamhack Open

There were live broadcasts on TV tonight from something called Dreamhack Open in Jönköping. We watched for a little while, just to see what it was all about. As far as we could understand, it was some sort of computer game competition, people who played computer games versus one another. There was a rather large audience there too, watching the competitions on site.

I think it is good. People follow this, just like people follow dog shows. Dog shows are vastly more important than computer game competitions, since it is about dog breeding and thus the future of all dogs. If Dreamhack Open can be broadcasted live on TV, they should be able to broadcast important dog shows live on TV too. I am looking forward to this.

Conference

Paula is away on a conference with politicians in the Örebro region. We hope she has some fun, but we miss her. Friday evenings are usually better than this. She will be back tomorrow, though.

I have thought of going away on a conference myself sometime. It seems interesting, when Paula or Daniel does. However, I do not know what type of conference I could attend. I might think of aomething in the future.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Paula and I baked some gingerbread cupcakes this morning. These are soft cupcakes with the spices and taste of gingerbread. It smelled nicely in the kitchen for the rest of the day. Part of me wanted to eat a lot of these cupcakes right away, but I held back. They were baked for a purpose. Paula will give most of them to colleagues at work. I hope I will be mentioned, when she talks about how they were baked.

Grades

Paula came home happy tonight. She told us she had succeeded on a course, where she got Very Good. We were sceptical to the joy, comparing this to the dog show prize Very Good. At dog shows, this is the second best quality prize, not good enough to allow you to participate in competition class. Paula explained, however, that at her university, Very Good is the very best grade you can get. I think this is a bit confusing. They should use Excellent, Very Good, Good, Sufficient, just like everybody is used to from dog shows. It would be much easier, if everybody used this scale for their grades. There would be no confusion this way. Well, I guess many people think they can come up with better ways of grading things. You can do that, but it is confusing.

The Sun

This month, every day has been overcast, until today. We saw the Sun again today. It was a pleasant surprise. November is usually a dark month, but this November has been darker than usual. This made the rare visit of a clear aky even more welcome. November can be beautiful, for instance when the Sun is shining from a blue sky. This was the case today. We enjoyed it. I wish more days could be like this.

Music

Hello, Orange here!

Humans have this thing called music, which is a certain, rythmic form of sound. Paula even uses it on her telephone sometimes, when playing a game on it. I have never quite understood the purpose of music. It does affect my mood, but is this it? Is there, perhaps, other purposes as well? I know humans do not quite understand the idea of howling, I guess it is the other way around with music. Well, the world is mysterious in many ways, maybe it is supposed to be that way.

World Champion

Today, Briton Lewis Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi GP and his second Formula 1 championship. We congratulate him. It has been an exciting season, even though it has been a fight between just two drivers, Hamilton and his team mate Nico Rosberg. It was undecided until the final race, which is always good. I believe Hamilton is the better driver, but I would have wanted Rosberg to put up a fight, without the technical problems leaving him far behind in the field. He did finish second in the championship, though. Now we just hope some of the other teams will be able to compete for the title next year, to make it even more exciting.

Questions

Hello, Orange here!

Life is full of questions. I often wonder where Paula and Daniel go, when they are not at home. They go to work sometimes, places where they need to go in order to earn money to buy food and other things. I still do not understand what they do at work. Today is Saturday, so Daniel is at home most of the time, but Paula was at work. Then Paula came back, and they both left again for a while in the evening. The question is what they do. I wish I could come along more often, because I like being with them.

Choking

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Dogs are resourceful. Sometimes, some of us eat what humans consider garbage. I certainly do. I have the ability to pick pieces of garbage that can be chewed upon and used. Some dogs do not. Some dogs just chew on anything they get their paws on, sometimes swallowing it. Thisö is not good for them. Iam glad I have better judgment. I do hope most dogs do, even though some of my friends do not. You just have to be careful what garbage you eat.

Arthur Has Come To Sweden

The dog Arthur, who teamed up with the Swedish multisport national team on the world championship in Ecuador, has arrived in Sweden today. If I could, I would welcome him to his new homeland. I guess he knows Spanish rather than English, so he might not be able to read my blog, even if he would have known about it. I like the fact that a dog who help a Swedish national team can be rewarded with a new life in Sweden in this way.

Need to Sleep

We need to sleep. Now.

Cold Winter

Cold winter weather has hit North America. Meanwhile, we are experiencing a very mild November. There is a rule of thumb that when the winter is cold here, it is mild in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and vice versa. Now it is cold there, so it moght very well stay mild here. I would like it to be very cold for a couple of days before the first snow, this would kill a lot of ticks. Apart from this, snow is fun. We will have to see when we get snow.

Ironing

Hello, Orange here!

Some evenings, Daniel puts up something called an ironing board, and with the help of an electric thing in plastic and light metal, curiously called an iron due to historical reasons, makes his shirts look presentable. He did this tonight. I am not envious of him. I shed my coat twice a year, the rest of the time it is just as beautiful as anybody could wish for, without me doing anything. It must be hard being a human sometimes. I am glad I am a dog.

New Team Member

The Swedish national team in multi sport have been in Ecuador for the world championship. They met a stray dog there, who decided to come along after getting a meatball. He boosted the team morale, even though he made the team go slower. Now the team is considering bringing the dog to Sweden.

Normally, I do not like the import of stray dogs. It is better to help dogs where they live. This dog has, however, helped the Swedish national team. He has made an effort for Sweden. This should be rewarded. I hope he can come along to Sweden and get a good life here.

A Wolf in the Neighbourhood

A wolf has been seen in the northern outskirts of our home town. We are lucky to live in the southern outskirts. I like wolves and support their cause, but I rather not meet them face to face. They are the same species as me, so they would be competitors for the territory which is mine. Way to go wolf, but  stay in the more uninhabited areas of our country.

Risk of Rabies

There are a few countries in the world that are declared free of rabies. Rabies is a deadly disease, and we are happy Sweden is one of the rabies free countries. This freedom from rabies is, however, constantly at risk due to illegal transport of dogs with falsified papers.

The UK is also rabies free, and there, a charity now warns of rabies transferred by smugglers of dogs. I feel sorry for the smuggled dogs, it is not their fault. At the same time, I do not want these dogs to come to countries like Sweden or the UK.

It is important to fight rabies anyway we can, keeping some countries rabies free is part of this fight. I wish the whole world would be rabies free, but smuggling of dogs jeopardise this vision.i wish no humans would buy smuggled dogs, then there would be no economic benefit from smuggling. However, unfortunately, I doubt the smuggling will ever stop completely.

Night Out

Fuji ran off last night. He disappeared into the darkness and we all worried about him. This morning, Paula's mother Gertrud helped looking for him, found him, and carried him home. The night without Fuji was a horror to all of us, since we did not know what had happened and where he was. It turned out, however, he was in our immediate neighbourhood. He was happy when he returned, to him, there had been no horror. We all owe Gertrud a huge thanks.

Good Food

We got special food today, full of meatballs. There was no special occasion, it is just that sometimes, our humans like to spoil us without there being a special occasion. This is good. In a way, I like this better than the special food that we may get because of special occasions. Nice surprises like this are just great. We could get it more often, but at the same time, it need not be so often that it would be no surprise. The surprise is part of the greatness, of course.

Red Hair

Hello, Orange here!

In one aspect, humans and Shibas are the opposite of one another. This is the hair colour. While most humans in the world are black haired, and the rarest colour is red, Most Shibas are red, but a minority is black and tan. It is said that the human population where there are the most people with red hair are the Udmurts, who live in Russia, Close to the eastern limit of Europe. Maybe they would like us red Shibas more than other humans do, just for the colour of our coats? Humans generally do like all Shibas, but there must be something special with having the same colour, I believe. Udmurtia is far away, though, I do not think I will ever go there to find out. Besides, I am very comfortable living where I live, anyway.

Further Thaw, Japan-China

At a summit of many Pacific nations, the leaders of Japan and China met. prime Minister Abe of Japan tried to do some small talk while shaking the hand of Chinese President Xi, but Xi did not reapond. Still, a handshake between the main political leaders is a step forward. The two countries have agreed not to pursue the territorial dispute over the Japanese Senkaku Islands, which China claims. It is a step in the right direction. I like this.

It Should Have Been Prison

A woman has ben sentenced to fines and a suspendend sentence, after mistreatment of 21 dogs in he small flat. The dogs were never taken outside, they lived among filth and their own wastes, were stressed by loud music, and even pups from unplanned litters lived in the miserable conditions. Eight dogs had to be put down. The court thought there was no need for a prison sentence. I am of a different opinion. I think the woman should be inprisoned in a cell with no toilet.

No Snow

Hello, Orange here.

There is no snow anymore. It melted away today, just as I predicted. I am good at predictions sometimes, if I may say so myself.

Snow!

Hello, Orange here!

We got the first snow of the season today! I like it. Many of us do not. I guess it will not last for long. It was not deep enough to play in, either. Still, snow is always snow, something to enjoy. I ran around in the snow to get a feeling for it, since it has been a while. This made me happy for the rest of the day.

Late Work

Paula did not come home until a little past ten in the evening today. She is doing a part of her education that takes place at the hospital, and the evening tour ends at ten. Daniel also sat working until about ten in the evening, even though he sat at home. You could say they worked until late. They do not, however, have the twentyfour hour pet duty that dogs have. Working around the clock is the real late work. Not that I complain, duties as a pet are not hars. It is just that you always have them.

The Best Whisky Is Japanese

According to the experienced whisky tester and author Jim Murray, the best whisky this year is not from Scotland. Scotland is widely considered the home of whisky, though the Irish claim they invented it. According to Jim Murray, the very best whisky in 2014 is a Japanese single malt whisky from the distillery Yamazaki. I think this is nice. I never drink whisky, dogs do not do that, but I love Japan as the home country of my dog breed. Just as the best dog breed ever, the Shiba, is from Japan, nobody should be surprised the best whisky is also from Japan. The Japanese people know how to make things with excellent quality, this is one more proof of that.

Studies

Paula is studying to become a specialist nurse in intensive care. I am helping her with hers tudies today. This also keep my mind focused on other things than the wound, which is good. I have to go back helping Paula now.

Wishing It Was Over

Well, I was back at the animal hospital today, my wound not healing as it should. I wish this would be over.

Wound

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Mommy is in no mood to write in her blog. She had surgery last Monday, and some of the stitches have given up, so she feels down. We all feel sorry for her. It is not her fault, not in any way. We are lucky Paula is a nurse and knows how to take care of wounds, until a veterinarian can help after the weekend. I do think everything will work out fine in the end. One of us will keep our blog readers updated.

Kids Who Lack Manners

Paula, Daniel, and I visited Paula's parents tonight. It is the night that is celebrated as Halloween in Ireland and the USA. Some people want to do the same in Sweden. A bunch of kids rang the doorbell and asked for candy. They were unknown to Paula's mother, who opened the door, and she told them she did not have any candy to give to them. Later, we saw that toilet paper had been thrown over the shrubs of Paula's parents' house. This is not OK. You do not go around to people you do not know, asking for candy, and leave garbage on their shrubs if you cannot get any candy. These kids must have parents, the parents should teach them some manners. A recently imported and misinterpreted American tradition is no excuse for not having manners.

Foreign Policy

Sweden recognized Palestine as a country today. You can say a lot about this, both for and against this decision. I have been judged by an Israeli judge on a dog show once, other than that, I have not much experience of either Israel or Palestine. There is, however, one argument against the recognition that I do not like. This is the argument that when Sweden recognized Palestine ahead of any other EU country, we breach the unity of EU foreign policy.

I believe the EU should be a cooperation between independent countries, just like the kennel clubs of these countries are independent, but cooperate through FCI. If Sweden is an independent country cooperating with other independent countries in the EU, independent foreign policy must be the norm. Unity in foreign policy is a good thing, but not for unity in itself. Unity in foreign policy, when the policy is good and all the countries are still independent, is good. I would not want Sweden to join other EU countries on bad foreign policy just for the sake of unity.

So, the recognition of Palestine might be a bad thing, it might be too early, it might be in breach of some rules of international law. These are valid reasons for critique of the decision. Not working in unity with the other EU countries is, in my mind, not a valid objection.

Grilled Cheese

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Some nights, we watch a TV show from Canada called Eat Street. They do short documentaries on food trucks across the USA and Canada (and the occasional other city). You often see delicious food, like grilled cheese sandwiches with pork. I cannot decide whether to love or hate this show. It is fun, and it gives you food ideas. On the other hand, what is the use of grilled sandwiches, if you cannot smell and taste them? I hate it, that I cannot have bites of all the delicious food shown on this show.

I would like to have a food truck of my own.

Too Late

It was late this evening, when I started to think about what to write in my blog. I read a couple of news articles, but found nothing that I wanted to comment. Then I realized it was past midnight. Too bad, I was too late. This annoys me. It must be better next time. I am sure it will.

Opportunity

Do not think I am in pain from my surgery yesterday. I do get pain killers, but this is because the veterinarian prescribed them for me. Shibas are strong dogs, we rarely feel pain. Still, I can play on this, getting a little extra treats. Not being in pain, does not mean I am stupid. If I can get some sympathy, which will give me treats, I will. Shibas are smart dogs, we know how to get treats.

Surgery

Today, I went through surgery for my cancer. It went very well. The veterinarian said I will certainly make a full recovery. Strangely, though, Paula and Daniel talked about not entering me in dog ahows anymore. Why would I be subject to such a gruesome fate, if I do make a full recovery?

In the evening, there was a show where they wanted people to contribute to cancer research. Some humans told the audience, on site and on TV, about their cancer and recovery from it thanks to cancer research. Next time, I could be there, telling my story. I wonder if my appearance would be appreciated?

New Crime Show

We watched a Swedish crime movie on TV tonight, based on novels by mid 1900's author Maria Lang. It was a rather bland story, and a little silly. There was not a single dog in the movie, either. There has been more movies made on Maria Lang's books, with the same main characters. We do not think we will see them.

Equality

In Japan, the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a woman, whose employer demoted her because she was pregnant. This is a good judgment. It is fair. It is also in accordance with Japanese law. I would never accept being treated worse than the male dogs at dog shows, just because I have had pups and they cannot and have not had pups. Life is supposed to be equal between the sexes. The Japanese Supreme Court shows that it is in Japan.

Bed Sheets

Paula often want to change bed sheets. She says it is because of all the dog hair. I do not understand that. Dog hair is soft and comfortable to lie on. Well, we all have different preferences.

K

Hello, Karstuhl here!

There is a common abbreviation, "OK", meaning that something is all right. The funny thing is, some people abbreviate the abbreviation, they are just saying "K".

K is also my initial, when I use my nickname Karstuhl. It is funny to think about K as meaning me, when people say "K", meaning "OK". I mean, saying something is "Karstuhl" is the same as saying something is "all right", isn't it?

Less Tension?

Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso is on a visit in China, meeting the Chinese Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli. This is seen as a sign of less tension between these two great powers.

This is good. It would be great if China would back down from its aggressive standpoints. China claims the Senkaku Islands, which are part of Japan. Perhaps the lowered tension will not make China give up on this claim, but it might make China less inclined to act on it or support Chinese people who act upon it. Less tension lowers the risk of war, and war is something that would come with a high cost for humans and dogs in both countries.

We have to keep up the hope for less tension. At the same time, it is important that Japan stays strong.   It has to be able to defend its free and democratic society if the dictatorship China would ever go further in its aggressions. A strong military is an insurance against war.

At the Animal Hospital

Paula and I went to the animal hospital today. I have some hard lumps in my breast. They do not hurt, but Paula was right in saying we should check them out. They proved to be a form of cancer, although certainly benign. I will undergo surgery for this next week and the prognosis is good. I would not expect anything less from our veterinarians, they are that good. I will keep readers of this blog updated.

Unidentified Things in the Water

There are reports from the Stockholm archipelago, that there might be foreign submarines travelling under Swedish territorial water. I am more concerned with another kind of unidentified things in the water. Our dish washer does not work as it should. We believe there might have been something in the water from our well, clogging the pipe bringing water to the dish washer. Our water is normally very clean, but the dish washer does not seem to get water enough to wash the dishes. We have to wash everything by paw for the moment. This is not difficult at all, but it takes a little more time, hence in is a little annoying. I wonder how we can make the dish washer operate as it is supposed to again.

Weather Forecasts

The weather forecasts are often surprisingly accurate. However, this makes you disappointed with them, when they are not. The forecast for today said there would be rain, and even a lot of rain in the evening. While we had some rain last night, there has not fallen a drop of rain since. We will see if the rain will come tomorrow instead.

Return

Hello, Orange here!

Daniel was away for a night, but came back this afternoon. We missed him, but enjoy his return. He also greeted us by doing what he does best: giving us food. This was a splendid gesture, how could we be disappointed with him for being away, when he gave us food right upon his return? Daniel knows what is important.

Friday

We celebrate the weekend, I will be back tomorrow.

Meanwhile, you can consider why a competition where the winner just might, or might not even, become a contestant in the Swedish qualification for the Eurovision Song Contest may draw such a big audience.

Schrödinger's Cat

Hello, Karstuhl here!

There is a story explaining quantum theory, about a cat in a box. It was first told by quantum physicist Erwin Schrödinger, hence, the cat and the story is called Schrödinger's cat.

The story is very short. It is about a cat who is put in a box, together with a poison that is released by a radioactive substance. The probability that the cat will live when the box is opened is 50 %. In quantum physics, the tiny objects that make up the Universe is and is not a certain thing, until you observe it. While the cat is inside the box, by quantum physics rules, it is not alive, nor dead, but both alive and dead at the same time. This goes to prove that you cannot apply the rules of quantum physics on things of our normal size.

When I first heard about this story, I wondered why Schrödinger said a cat was put in a box. At first, I figured that he did not want to put a dog there, because he did not want to kill a dog in his story. Then it dawned on me, a dog is so much more reliable than a cat. You can trust a dog, but not a cat. Therefore, it fits the story that the animal put in the box is an animal that you cannot really trust. It would be much harder for the audience to accept a story where you could not say whether a dog was alive or dead, than a story where you could not say this about a cat.

It is good to be trustworthy. We dogs, who are trustworthy, would never be put in the box of Schrödinger's cat.

Rain

Hello, Orange here!

Rain is a rather nice weather. At least it is, if you are indoors. There was rain this afternoon, but we had to go out in it. I would like to have stayed inside. Well, life as a dog is going out in any weather. Sometimes you have to, and never going out would be worse. You just chose the lesser evil. I guess it is OK.

Desert Grand Slam

We watched an interesting documentary tonight on the Desert Grand Slam. This was a really harsh competition, where humans ran very long distances through four different deserts. It was really impressive, these humans almost had the endurance of dogs.

I wonder whether there should not be a Dog Show Grand Slam for show dogs. If you would compete in four different big dog shows in a year, you could take a grand slam.

More Rain

I have complained over rainy weather before in this blog. The last time was not many days ago. Still, a rainy day is often defined by that rain. Autumn may be beautiful and feel fresh, but not when it is just rainy and damp outside.

The Euro Qualifier that Sweden played against Liechtenstein had the potential to make us happy. Many goals for your own team often do. However, while Sweden won, it was with no more than 2-0. We thought the Swedes could have done better, even though Liechtenstein did have an excellent goal keeper. Well, a victory is always a victory, it is not cause for complaint. The rain is, though.

Euro Qualifier, Poland Beats Germany

Sweden will play Liechtenstein in the qualification tournament for the UEFA Euro 2016. It is an important game, as are all the games, but Sweden should win rather easily. On the other hand, most people would have thought reigning world champions Germany would easily beat Poland. Instead, Poland won, 2-0. In sports, you can never be sure of the results before the game is played. Thos is one of the things making sports such a thrilling entertainment. I like this.

Friday Bacon Flavour

Many Friday nights, we have crisps as snacks in front of the TV. Today was no exception. The flavour today was, however, better than usual. It was bacon flavoured crisps. This is a great flavour. It is hard competing with bacon flavour. These are my favourite crisps.

Horrible News

In Nordmaling, a farmer have been charged with animal cruelty. Farm animals lied around dead among the living animals. Many animals suffered, without anything being done. When the authorities came, the situation was so bad, most of the 200 animals had to be put down immediately.

I feel so sorry for these animals. Nobody should have to suffer like this. When humans take animals in their care, they have to care for the animals. I do think, however, this is a rare exception to the rule that domestic animals in Sweden are being well taken care of. We have a good morale on the welfare of animals in this country. I like that.

Innocent Victim

In Spain, a nurse who was infected with the dreaded ebola virus, has had her dog put down, for no other reason than being the dog of an ebola infected human. The authorities responsible for this went on, despite massive protests, and despite the lack of evidence that dogs may cause humans to be infected. While dogs may carry the virus, there is no proof the virus can pass from dog to human. The poor dog, a twelve year old rescue dog named Excalibur, was, this, put down for no real reason. This is a scandal. One can only hope the Spanish authorities learn from this fault and stop this from happening again.

Rain

Why does it have to rain, when we go outside? I do not mind rain, as long as I can stay indoors, but it is uncomfortable to get rain on top of you when you go out. Sometimes, I wish there was an off switch for the rain. On the other hand, I guess life is not meant to be comfortable every minute. If it were, how could we say life was comfortable, if we just would not have any uncomfortable events to compare with? Mainly, I do have a good life.

Why Clementines?

Hello, Orange here!

Paula bought some fruit today. It was clementines. I wonder why she does not buy oranges instead. In my mind, there cannot be a better fruit than the orange. We should have oranges at home more often, I think.

Unnecessary Election

The people of Brazil are electing a new president of their federal republic today. This is quite unnecessary, really. Brazil used to have an emperor. Decendants of the emperor still live and the empire could return. In this case, Brazil would have a Head of State of the same rank as Japan. This would be cool. With an emperor, the people still elects the parliament and the head of government is appointed based on the outcome of the parliamentary election. You do not have to have elections for Head of State. Having a hereditary monarch is better. You can compare it to a wolf pack, where the power is inherited by a daughter of the alpha bitch. In our dog pack, I inherited the alpha position from my Mum. Inherited power is natural.

Cinnamon Bun Birthday

Auntie Linni has a very good birthday, this day, because it is also the day of the cinnamon bun. Any day dedicated to a bun is a good day. Any day when we can celebrate our dear auntie Linni is also a good day. This day is, therefore, double good.

Auntie Linni turns thirteen years old today. This is an awesome age for any dog. We celebrate her accordingly.

New Cabinet

Sweden got a new Prime Minister yesterday. He presented his cabinet today. There have been much to read about the new ministers. Still, I have not found any comprehensive list of what dogs they have. If some of them do not have dogs, they might at least have cats or other pets. I prefer humans with dogs, of course, but a cat will do in the absence of a dog.

If a human has pets, this is usually evidence of his or her concern for animals and nature. A human with dogs usually has a better understanding of the needs of dogs, which is something I find very important with any politician. How can we judge the members of the new cabinet, if we do not know what dogs or other pets they have?

Christmas Candy

Ecidently, the stores have started to sell Christmas candy already. Paula and Daniel went grocery shopping today. One of the items they brought back home was some "Juleskum", Traditional Swedish Christmas candy. I do not complain, I like all candy, any time of the year.

Second Month of Autumn

As we enter October, autumn shows itself with temperatures below the freezing point in the morning. The leaves are sparkling with different colours. As a dog of Japanese origin, I observe the seasons of the year by the calendar, as is the custom in Japan. Autumn starts with September, no matter how warm the weather might be. Still, I can see that October may be a month which shows more pure autumn weather. Such is certainly the case now. It is good to know that ticks go away. I just wish they never came back.

Yoghurt

Over the last few days, we have got yoghurt on top of our food. Paula and Daniel do things like this occasionally, adding extra treats to our dog food. I usually like it, and yoghurt is no exception. I do wonder, though, why we have got it for a few days in a row. The extra treats are usually just given to us for single days. It is not that I complain, far from it. I do not think there is some hidden, malicious intent behind it, not with our humans. It is just that this is out of the ordinary. Sometimes, I wish we got extra treats on top of our food every day, but then again, it would not feel as good if we got it that often. We will have to see if we get yoghurt tomorrow as well. I hope we will.

Ontake Volcano

I am concerned about the news I have read about the volcano eruption of Mount Ontake in Japan. The eruption came without any warning. Many humans have been reported dead or missing. I feel sorry for their family, especially for their dogs, who will have a hard time understanding why their humans do not return. The conditions on the mountain is still dangerous, so much that rescue work has been suspended. I hope there will be no more casualties.

The Respiratory System

Paula is studying to become a specialised nurse on intensive care. She studies the reapiratory system today, that is the body organs which we use to breathe. I cannot think of anybody whom I know hve had problems with the reapiratory system, but I guess some must have. I am glad I don't. It is rather comfortable being able to breathe without any trouble, when you think about it.

Autumn

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Daniel mowed the lawn for the last time this season today. This was good, not only because the grass got shorter, but also because fallen leaves got shred to pieces, not being so obvious as before. Daniel and I like autumn. It is the season which is fairly warm, when the bugs are not around anymore, and the air is fresh and clear.

Cozy Friday

We have a rather new word in the Swedish language: "fredagsmys". It means "Friday coziness" and stands for the calm Friday evenings you can have with the family at the end of the work week. I do not think there is a good word in English for it. Anyway, we spent this Friday evening like this. It was nice.

Good Priorities

Daniel always gets his salary on the 25th of each month. Today, when he had received the money, he went to the pet shop and purchased more dog food. He knows his priorities.

This was a short blog post, but sometimes, I do not have to say more, do I?

Alien Animals and Plants

I read that there were plans to use dogs in the customs service to smell for foreign plants and animals. This is animals and plants who do not naturally belong here and who may endanger animals and plants who have lived here for a very long time. The danger increases with more commerce. It is good to know dogs can be of service in this area, as in so many other areas.

Frost

Hello, Karstuhl here!

We had a beautiful morning today, with ice crystals almost all over the ground, and the sun shining from a clear blue sky. Daniel had to dress for the cold. This makes the wait for the morning walk a little longer, but we have to endure that. We have our own fur coats which regulates our heat down to at least 20 degrees Celsius below the freezing point. Daniel cannot help he is a human, with origin in tropical Africa, and lacks a furry coat that can keep his body heat inside. It is good he have clothes instead. I would not want to trade my coat for clothes, though. I do not think any dog would want to, but my black and tan coat is also more beautiful than most, if I may be so bold as to say so. It is good to be a Shiba.

Chocolate Pudding

Paula and Daniel had some chocolate pudding tonight. It seems to be tasty, but as always when things contain cocoa, they will not allow us dogs to taste. It is said cocoa contains a substance which is toxic for dogs. I have never really figured out whether this is true, or whether it is just something made up by humans to keep chcolate from us. Rumour has it, some dogs have eaten chocolate and not only survived, but having experienced no negative effects. I wonder what is true. On the other hand, there are many other tasty things in the world, so maybe we do not need chocolate. I hope so.

Singapore

The Singapore GP in Formula 1 gives a clear picture of different time zones around the world. It is driven at night, but aired live in the afternoon in Europe. This is quite cool. It means we can watch the race at the same time as we usually watch the races driven in Europe.

This year's Singapore GP was driven today. It was not as exciting as we would have hoped. Mercedes are dominating this year, when one of their drivers did not finish, there was no question about that the other Mercedes driver would win. The fight for second place involved three cars, they drove very close for the whole second half of the race, but nobody overtook anybody else.

Well, Formula 1 is always formula 1. It is almost as exciting as dog shows. We hope for a better race next time. The next race is the 5th of aoctober in Japan, it is always extra fun to watch a competition in Japan.

Going Shopping

Paula went into the city centre with her Mum today, shopping. I would have wanted to come, but then, most shops will not allow dogs inside. I find this strange. Dogs are a vital part of human society, still, many humans do not like us. As this is the case, I guess I really have a better time at home.

"No" Won

The People of Scotland voted no. scotland will still be part of the UK. I guess this is good. They have common rules on quarantine for dogs in the UK.

Referendum in Scotland

The humans who live in Scotland vote in a referendum today on whether Scotland will become independent or still be a (fully equal) part of the United Kingdom. I cannot see the advantage of becoming independent, it must be better to be part of a mightier country. If independence is what the Scotsmen wish for, I would say the most important part of Scottish society is independent already, since Scotland has a national Kennel Club of its own. They also have a national football team of their own. Who needs more independence than that?

The Second Smartest Animal

Humans are probably the smartest animal around. This does not mean every human os very smart, but on average, I have to say humans are smarter than the average dog.

Some humans, however, doubt that dogs are the second smartest animal. There are some species of monkeys who are contenders of the title, as well as dolphins. I am not in doubt, though. If those animals would be so smart, why is it that they have not been smart enough to make friends with humans, taking all the advantage of human culture that they can? Dogs have chosen to live with humans for the last 40,000 years, cooperating with them. We are "mans best friend". This is proof that we are smarter than any other animals.

Mind you, human civilisation would not be the same, but much worse of, if it was not for us dogs. This is a factor never mentioned in the article that I have made a link to, but it is important. We are smart enough to aid to human smartness.

Clean Sheets

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Once in a while, Paula or Daniel changea sheets in the bed. It is nice with clean sheets, but I believe it is better when you have had the sheets for a couple of days. By then, while still clean, they smell of all of us, which is comforting. Daniel changed the sheets today, so now we have to hang around in the bed for a while, to gove it that comforting smell. It is, nevertheless, a nice task, since lying in clean sheets is also very comfortable. Life is good.

General Election

We had a general election yesterday, humans chosing other humans to decide over society. Daniel was a candidate. He got re-elected to the city council, but is disappointed his party did not do better.

I do not care much. I cannot say human politics affects dogs that much. There are Swedish rules on animal welfare and rules against animal cruelty. This is important, but the politicians pretty much have the same ideas in thos area. Other areas of politics does not interest me much. Thankfully, Daniel accepts this.

Kobayashi Will Not Be Here

It is time for Örebro Race Day. A part of central Örebro will be closed and turned into a raceway, where Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson from our small neighbour town Kumla will drive a Caterham Formula 1 car. We will not be there.

Daniel is interested in Formula 1, but is also a candidate to the city council in the general election tomorrow. He believes it is more important to participate in the campaign.

My fellow Shibas and I would have liked to go, if Marcus Ericsson's team mate Kamui Kobayashi would have been there. He is from Japan, like our breed, and he is a better driver than Marcus Ericsson. We have learned, however, that Kamui Kobayashi will not come. In this case, we will not come either. There are better things to do at home.

Back Home

Paula has been away from home for a while. She came back home tonight. Most of the time when she does this, she goes to a dog show, so I speculated a little on whether she would bring any of us dogs with her. She did not. It turned out she was going away with some friends from work to watch a musical. I cannot see why anybody would do this, rather than going to a dog show. At least I did not have to be jealous of any other dog going to a dog show, when I was not. We all Said welcome home to Paula.

Tired

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I am tired. I want to sleep. Have to write a blog entry, though.

There you go, one blog entry written. Now I can go to sleep. Good night!

Shrimps

Daniel fried some shrimps today. It smelled good, bit I did not get any. He said we had already got food, which was true, but I have never understood how this could be a valid argument. I have always room in my stomach for more treats.

Nishikori Lost the Final

Well, Japanese US Open finalist Nishikori did not win. Marin Cilic from Croatia did. Congratulations to him. It was still a step forward for Nishikori and Japanese tennis. We hope for new chances to win a Grand Slam tournament next year.

US Open

Japanese professinal tennis player Kei Nishikori is playing the mens' single final in the Grand Slam tournament US Open. I would have hoped the game would have been played a little earlier, so I could write a blog entry about it on Monday, Swedish time. Unfortunately, though, this did not happen. I will come back to the subject after a night's sleep. Now I just have to be happy a Japanese player is in the final.

Retirement

As a show dog, you have no fixed age of retirement. You may retire, but then make many come backs. Mum came back to take her final title in 2012, when she became Norwegian Veteran Winner.

Humans often retire at the age of 65 years old. Paula's mother turned 65 today, and retired some days earlier. She is, however, healthy and fit; in my mind, she could also make come backs many times, if she wanted to. We congratulate her on her birthday, while certain that she will have many great years ahead of her.

No Conection

If anybody owonders why I did not post any blog entry yesterday, it is because I failed to get an Internet connection, when I was about to write a post. I was luckier today, as I usually am.

Qualifying

The Japanese Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi made a splendid come back in the qualification to the Italian GP today, after being sidestepped for one race. He beat both cars from the Marussia team, the harshest competitors to his own Caterham team in the lower end of the field. His Swedish team mate Marcus Ericsson did not do a job this good, he scored the least good time of all drivers. I have always held Kobayashi in high regard, not just because he is from Japan. He is a very good driver. I believe he should drive a better car than a Caterham. We will see what team wants him next year.

Not Usual

Hello, Orange here!

This turned out to be an odd evening, in a pleasant way. auntie Linni, who is old, but dear to us all, decided to sleep in the bed tonight. Many. Of us do this most nights, but Linni often sleep in a sofa in the living room or in a low dog bed. I like it better to have her closer to me. Linni has taught me a lot about life, she deserves to sleep wherever she wants, but this is my favourite among her choices.

Walking the Walk

Sometimes, you have to walk in a certain fashion. Dogs do it all the time in the show rings at dog shows. Soldiers are supposed to do it, while on duty outside of Buckingham Palace in London. There was, however, one soldier who did not, and was captured on video. He is now investigated by the military. I think it is correct not to let him walk anyway he wants to. He has signed up for the job as a soldier, then he has to follow the rules that comes with the job. He has to walk the walk.

Scientists Learn What Sheepdogs Know

Scientists have made research on the work of sheepdogs and how they herd sheep. This might be interesting for the scientists. A shepherd, however, did not think there were any new knowledge discovered. The scientists had merely mapped what sheepdogs and shepherds have known for a long time. Well, science is sometimes about describing what os already known. I still think it is good scientists are interested in how dogs work.

Half a Month until My Birthday

My birthday is the 15th of September. Today is the 1st. It is, thus, just half a month until I can celebrate my birthday. I hope there will be a lot of candy, treats, and other goodies. Apart from this, I have no particular demands. It will be fun, nevertheless.

Bigger Defence Budget

The Japanese Ministry of Defence urges an increased budget of 3.5 %. In Sweden, we mostly hear about the fights in Ukraine and the Middle East, but there are tensions in the vicinity of Japan. This is not least because China claims the Japanese Senkaku Islands. It is important that a democracy like Japan stand fast against dictatorships like China. I support increases in the defence budget.

Mushrooms

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I went with Paula and her parents on a walk in the forest today. We picked mushrooms and also some berries. It was fun coming along, especially since we took paths I do not usually walk. I could do things like this more often.

Crossing Terrain

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I read this article on a new type of bicycle that would be good for hikea in the terrain, off road. This might be good for humans. I am still convinced dogs could outrun this bicycle in most kinds of terrain. There are hills, pits, stones, and brooks in the way, all sort of things where a running dog would outperform any kind of bicycle. Humans are very intelligent, but there are some areas where they will certainly never beat dogs. It is a good thing, then, that dogs are humans' best friends.

New FCI Page

The international kennel federation FCI has a new webpage. It is nice and I can recommend a visit.

In case you do not know, the FCI is an important organisation. It is the dog breeding and dog sport equivalent to FIFA for football. In my mind, this makes the FCI the most important international organisation there is. It is more important than the United Nations and other such organisations, who are mainly concerned with humans. The FCI cares about both humans and dogs, the two most important species of our civilisation. Thus, the FCI is the best.

Fame

A dog who has become a local celebrity in Washington, DC, for sitting in a window observing the street, will move to the suburbs. You can get famous in many ways. Fame because you are sitting in a window is not my cup of tea, I'd rather be famous as a show dog. However, it is nice reading about this.

Important Stuff

Hello, Karstuhl here!

This afternoon, Daniel came home from work, a work which is rather important. He then gave us food. When he was done, he left us again to go campaigning because of the upcoming general electin. This is also rather important, because the outcome of the election affects us all. The most important thing he did today, though, was giving us food. This is self evident.

Stray Dog Killed, Sparking Protests

A stray dog in Hong Kong was killed, when a train was allowed to go on the tracks on a station where the dog was observed. The people of Hong Kong love dogs, and numerous humans have protested against the train operator. Witnesses claim the train operator personell could have done more to save the dog.

I am so sorry for this dog. Being run over by a train must be a horrible death. The protests may, however, make the Hong Kong society better at taking care of dogs who have ended up in the wrong place. Let us hope this dog's death will lead to better safety for sogs in the future. In this case, it was not a meaningless death.

May this stray dog rest in peace!

One Hundred Years Ago, Japan Went to War

On the 23 August 1914, Japan declared war on Germany, entering the First World War on the same side as Britain, France, Belgium, and Russia. This was one hundred years ago yesterday. (I wrote about Paula's birthday yesterday, more important to our family as it was.) This is important in Shiba history, because at the time, every Shiba in the world lived in Japan. Thus, in Shiba history, this was the date when the First World War started for real. It was not just something happening far away in Europe anymore, and the humans of Shibas got involved in the war. I guess some Shibas lost beloved humans, too.

Daniel use to say that the outbreak of the First World War is the greatest single tragedy of  human history. In part, this is because the war really did not have had to happen, there were just a long range of unfortunate circumstances, warmongering politicians, and wrong decisions that led to the war. The other part is that there were so many people who died, the evolution towards democracy throughout Europe gave way to dictatorships, and the outcome of the war sowed the seeds of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and even more communistic dictatorships. You may also add that the Second World War almost was a war which could have meant the end of the Shiba breed. We were almost extinct as a breed, when Japanese humans took it upon themselves to help save us after this war.

If Japan would not have entered the First World War one hundred years ago, perhaps Japan would not have taken part in the Second World War either, and the Shiba breed might have been different. Of course, I might not have been. In the great scheme of things, however, the world might still have been a better place.

Party, Party!

Paula celebrated her birthday today with a crayfish party. A lot of family was invited. It was fun.

Later, there were extra treats in the food bowls for us dogs as well.

All in all, it was a great celebration. Congratulations, Paula!

Heavy Rain

There has been rather heavy rainfall on some places in Sweden over the last few days. Nothing like those in Japan, though. In the Hiroshima prefecture, landslides have killed 39 people. On top of this, 51 people have gone missing. The continuing rain have hampered the rescue operations. About 100,000 people have been evacuated. How many dogs who have been killed, lost, or who have lost their humans have not been reported. We hope the situation will soon be better.

Brother

Daniel's brother came by this evening. It is not often we see him, because he lives several kilometres away, in Stockholm. As I am used to having parents from other countries and brothers and pups that have moved to many different places, this is nothing strange to me. It is usually nice to meet family and this meeting was no exception.

Daniel's brother's dog is a little Chihuahua. He is a little too small to play with in a decent way, but at least he has a nice black and tan coat. There is always something right, if you are black and tan.

Not Sacked

Rumour had it, Caterham Formula 1 would sack one of its drivers. Most people thought Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi would have to go. It now turns out, he just have to stand down for one race, the Belgiam Grand Prix this weekend. German driver andre Lotterer will make a one race debut in Formula 1 alongside Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson. We hope for the best for Ericsson and that Kobayashi will make a grand comeback in his next race.

Lights Out!

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Sometimes, we are urged to turn off the lights so early in the evening, that nobody has the time to make a decent effort at writing a good blog entry. You have to get by with this short entry instead. On the other hand, with a short text, perhaps you can go to sleep earlier as well, as I guess we will. Sweet dreams!

Viking Ship Found by the Mississippi

An old ship, carbon dated to be abput one thousand years old, has been discovered by the Mississippi River in the USA. The ship is built like the ships of the Norsemen commonly known as vikings. It certainly suggests the Norsemen ventured farther into North America than previously thought. I hope more will be revealed about thos ship soon. It is really fascinating to imagine how the ancestors of modern day Scandinavians saw the great river of Mississippi so long ago. I wonder if they brought any dogs.

Best

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My dear daughter Soya was, once again, Best of Breed Puppy, at today's show in Norrköping. Mommy was also there, she was disappointed to be second best in veterans' class. Well, I guess I have had more influence on my daughter than on Mommy, so perhaps it is as it should be, that my daughter did better than Mommy?

Tomorrow!

I am going to a dog show again tomorrow. It will be so much fun! It was a long time ago I went to dog shows two weekends in a row, and I really like it. We have made preparations today, because we are leaving very early tomorrow morning. This is no problem for me, because I usually sleep in the car.

My grand daughter Soya will also be at the show. I will wish her good luck and advice her on what to do. She is promising, I am certain she will make me proud.

I Could Not Come Along

paula was out on after work with workmates tonight. daniel went to give her a ride home, but i was not allowed to come along. i usually do come along. it is fun to do that, especially since it is not everyday i can go somewhere just by myself with daniel and paula. oh, well, i guess i can come along next time.

Panda Triplets

A panda in China has given birth to triplets. This is the first known time that a panda has had this many cubs in one litter. I have also had triplets, but this is not unusual for dogs. I guess the news worthiness is that pandas usually just get fewer cubs.

Pandas look rather nice in black and white. I believe they would look even better, though, if they would also have tan colours in their coats.

Visit

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My dear daughter Soya visited us today. I had to be rather firm towards her, as is the duty of mothers sometimes. She has to know her place, especially since she now only lives with her humans and a cat, no other dogs. I think it is good that she meets us sometimes, young dogs need to learn how to act towards other dogs, and you can only do this by interacting with other dogs. Well, at least she is very cute.

Getting Up

Hello, Orange here!

paula and Daniel had this discussion today about helping dogs get up in the bed to sleep at night. I do not need any help, I just jump right up. It was long ago I was too small to manage this. Our Poodle friend Love Chan needs help, though. It cannot be easy being a Toy Poodle when you want to get up to places which all the bigger dogs reach without any trouble, bit you do not. I am glad I am bigger than that.

Soft Day

We arrived home this morning and took a day off from most duties. The rain was pouring down, fitting, as we stopped on the way home to get the earthly remains of Mum. It is a sad, but slow and comforting day.

Show Results

None of us got very good show results on the World Dog Show. It has been fun, but not fun enough with the show results. This is enough, I will write about something else tomorrow.

Finland

We went to Finland yesterday, to participate in the World Dog Show in Helsinki. It was a long journey and I did not have the energy to write a blog entry. We went by car to Kapellskär, then a ferry to Naantali next to Turku in Finland, and from there to Helsinki. It was nice getting here.

Overload?

Hello, Polly here!

Mommy is acting crazy. She knows she will come along to a big dog show soon, and she loves the thought of it. She was even excited about the idea of going to the veterinarian today before going to the show.

I am not coming along. This is just as well. While I think dog shows can be a pleasant break in the day to day life, I have never loved them the way Mommy does.

It almost feel like Mommy is too excited. I wish her good luck, but I hope she will come to her senses before going into the show ring, so she is not on an overload just when it counts the most. Well, she has been there before, so has Paula and Daniel, so I am not worried any of them will spoil the experience.

If Mommy does not win, it better be against a dog who really is better than her. I guess there are some, but they must be few and far in between. They might turn up at this show, though, since it is the World Dog Show 2014. It will be exciting to get the results even for us who stay at home.

We Are Close

I got yet another bath today. Daniel told me, however, that this was the last full bath for a long time - unless anything unexpected would happen. I do hope nothing unexpected will happen. We will soon go to the World Dog Show. I am so looking forward to this. Going to dog shows is the best thing I know. Going to a world dog show is like going to a huge, great dog show - that is, a huge, great best thing there is. I can hardly wait. We are so close now.

Forest Fire

A fire is raging in forests not far from us. The fire fighters have had a hard time fighting the fire, with the warm and dry weather and hard winds. There is no risk that the fire will spread so far that we are in any danger, at least not so far. We feel sorry for those who have lost, at least one human has lost his life while fighting the fire.

We saw one woman on TV who had had to evacuate from her home. She said she had been able to bring her dog and cat, which was the most important things to bring. We liked this statement. It is good to know people can often think clearly, even when they are facing horrors such as uncontrolled forest fires.

One Hundres Years Ago

One hundred years ago, the First World War started. You could dispute the exact date of the start of the war. The first declaration of war was when Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia on the 28th of July 1914. Over the following days, Germany, Russia, France, Belgium, and The United Kingdom went to war, the latter on the 4th of August, exactly one hundred years ago today. Japan declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary a little later, on the 23rd and 25th of August, respectively. This was a time when every Shiba in the world still lived in Japan. The First World War was a tragedy, many humans, dogs, and other animals were killed in the war. Japan was on the victorious side of the war and gained islands which had been German colonies in the Pacific Ocean. Still, it would have been better if there would have been no war.

A Good Gift

Japan and Vietnam have agreed on a deal where Japan gives Vietnam six used naval ships, with equipment and training for crews. This is a good thing, since both Vietnam and Japan are victims of Chinese hostility in disputed waters. The countries thus have a common enemy, and it is a good thing to team up. I hope the naval ship never have to be used in warfare. One of the main purposes of military forces is, however, to make others beware of attacking you. These naval vessels may fulfill such a purpose.

Exaggeration

We will be at the World Dog Show in a week. I am so looking forward to it. To prepare for this, I bathed a couple of days ago. It might happen that I will take another bath just the day before we leave. However, Daniel gave me a bath today too. While it is important to be clean, looking your very best, at a dog show, I think this is exaggerating the bathing a little too much. Shiba coats are natural dirt repellants, we do not need to have this many baths.

Shiba Shopkeeper

In Tokyo, Japan, there is a small tobacco and snack shop, where a Shiba lives with his human. This Shiba is the best dog shopkeeper ever, opening the window to the shop for all customers. Many people from Tokyo and around the country come to the shop to see this adorable shopkeeper. Follow the link and watch a short film and some pictures of him!

I am not surprised it is a Shiba, we are very resourceful whenever we want to.

Not Really Hot Anymore

We have had some weeks with really warm weather, you could call it hot. It is not so anymore. We still have a warm and sunny summer, just not that warm. I like this better. A black and tan Shiba coat is great in many ways, but it can be a little too hot on a warm day when the Sun is shining from a clear sky. The summer may very well carry on for a long time, as long as it is comfortably warm, like today.

Pie

Hello, Orange here!

Paula got up early this morning, despite working in the evening. She used the time in the kitchen baking a pie. This is some kind of torture for us dogs, because we are not allowed to taste. We always offer to taste, arguing that we have valuable input in the spices et cetera, but are still not offered any pieces of pie. Maybe the pie turns out not to be that tasty after all, then Paula and Daniel can regret not asking us dogs for advice on the taste. My wish is, however, that the pie is very tasty and that I will get a piece of it. This would really be something.

Horrible Murder in Japan

Japan os famous for many things, one of which is horror movies. This Sunday, a high school girl was arrested, charged with a murder as taken from a horror movie. She had killed a girl her own age, dismembered the body and cut the body open. In a country with such a large population as Japan, things like this will happen, statistically.

It is worth noting that the girl lived alone, her mother having passed away, her father re-married, and she did not have a dog either. I believe this might not have happened, if only she had had the company of a dog. We usually have a positive influence on humans.

When this happened, though, I am glad she did not have a dog, who would lose her.

Sigh

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Sometimes, Internet is really slow. It is mostly fast, but today ot is slower than syrup. It is a good thing our nervous system does not act the same way. What if we, all of a sudden, for no reason we can understand, would just have very slow nerve signals? All of our movements would be equally slow. It is a good thing our nerves work much better than that. It might look funny, seeing somebody whose nerves would just stall, the way Internet sometimes do. Still, I am grateful this never happens, it would certainly be a dreadful disease. We can live without the fast Internet, but not without our fast nerves. The physical world will always be most important for us.

Bath

As a Shiba Inu, I am blessed with a coat that withstanda most dirt. This means I rarely have to wash it thoroughly. There is, however, one occasion where you just have to look the best you can, hence, you have to have a clean coat. This is at a dog show, of course. We are closing in on the most important dog show of the year, the World Dog Show, which takes place in Helsinki this year. We will go there, I will compete in veterans' class. This is why I put up with having a bath today. You just have to go through some hardships in order to have really fun later on. See you on the WDS!

Not Mowing the Entire Lawn

Daniel mowed the lawn in the dog yards today. He thought this was enough. We have had several really warm and sunny days with no rain, so the grass has not grown much. It always grow more in the dog yards than other parts of our land, since we fertilize iåthe dog yards more. We will have to see  what will happen to the lawn when there is rain again.

Insects

I can never understand insects. They fly into our house, then try to get out theough the glass of the windows. Why not fly back the same way they came? I guess they are just to stupid to do that. At night, they are drawn to every light there is, regardless of what kind of light it is. This proves, once again, how stupid they are. I like the warm weather of summer, but the good thing about winter is that the insects are not around.

Jealousy

Human scientists have recorded that dogs may be jealous, by testing them in a scientific environment. I think it is always interesting to know when science concludes that something exists, which is already part of common knowledge. We dogs know we can be jealous, of course. Humans who has a lot of experience of dogs know the same. Now we have scientific proof that this is true. It is like getting scientific proof that dogs in general have four lega, two eyes, and one nose.

Bad Reception

I thought I would read some news and find something to comment in my blog. No such luck, though. We have bad wireless reception today, and I am not patient enough to sit and wait for news pages to load. It will just have to do with a blog post where I complain about Internet reception. Well, it is better than no blog post at all, anyway.

Missing Granny

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I hope you have read my mother's blog post, that was posted just before mine. If not, please do so before reading any more here.

My grandmother Sunni has been a great support in my life. When my mother has not been around, my grandmother has been there. It has been like having an extra mother. I wish I can live up to the standards set by my grandmother, being such a great and successful dog in every way. She was a great leader, a great show dog, a great candy hunter, a great role model, as well as a terrific great grandmother of my pups. I think I will miss her almost as much as my mother will.

Rest in peace, granny!

Missing Mum

Mum was in pain this Sunday, so Paula took her to the veterinarians. They made thorough examinations yesterday and were ready to operate today, but discovered cancer that had spread too far. This was it. Mum was allowed to be free of her pain and leave this world. We will all always miss her!

Resquiescat in pace, my dear mother! I will take care of your dog pack and try to rule it as wisely as you have always done.

Alternatives to Beef

A new study suggests the production of beef is ten times more damaging to the environment than other meat. I guess this only goes to prove we need to eat more pork, fowl, and other kinds of meat.

Hmpf

Paula and Daniel took April, Javier, and Tenn to a dog show today. I wanted to go, but they would not want me. Going to dog shows is the best thing there is, but I could not go. I am so disappointed!

Cleaning

Hello, Orange here!

We have cleaned the house today. I think it is cozy as it is, but have to admit that it feels better when the house is clean.

Robbed of a Pup

A woman walked her pug puppy Nellie in Augustenborg, Malmö, today, when a man just ran to her, snatched the pup from her and disappeared in a dark car. The woman says it all happened so fast, she did not have the time to react. Later on, she contacted the police, but since she did not even know what car the man drove away in, the police have closed the investigation already.

Nellie is just ten weeks old. She is old enough to be away from her mother, but no dog, whatever age, should be stolen from her human. If you get in touch with a pug puppy of that age, ask where it is from. You may see a stolen dog.

It is a pity the woman did not note the registration number of the car that the man drove off in. If she would have, there would be a good lead, because it would be easy to check who is the registrated owner of the car. If a thing like this happen to you, try always to note the registration number.

Late

It is late when I go to sleep. The World Cup is over, and so are its late games. It is still daylight until rather late, though, and one does not feel like it is very late. Perhaps I have to make some changea. On the other hand, as a predominantly pet dog, I can sleep during the day if I want to. Late nights are not such a bog trouble for me,

New World Cup Trivia

Another FIFA World Cup is over, and some of the trivia that I published before is no longer true. It is time to update the list. I will also add some more trivia.

Flags
There is red in all of the flags of European World Cup winners, but in none of the flags of South American World Cup winners.

The only European World Cup winner with a flag that has a significant amount of blue in it is France, which also has the area French Guyana on the South American continent.

Gold Medals
There are as many gold medals won by Spanish speaking countries (Uruguay '30 and '50, Argentina '78 and '86, Spain '10) as Portugese speaking countries (Brazil '58, '62, '70, '94, '02). There are four gold medals won by German speaking countries (Germany in '54, '74, '90, '14).

Spain is, so far, the only football World Cup gold medalist of the 21st century not to have won gold in the 20th century too.

Four countries have won gold in the World Cup before winning any other medals: Uruguay ('30 - first ever World Cup), Italy ('34), England ('66), and Spain ('10).

All the three countries which have won gold but no other kind of medal has fourth as next best result: Spain in '50, Uruguay in '54, '70, and '10, England in '90.

Silver Medals
The Netherlands is alone on top of the list of "number of World Cup finals of countries which has been there but never won gold": three: the Netherlands ('74, '78, '10), two: Czechoslovakia ('34, '62) and Hungary ('38, '54), one: Sweden ('58).

Germany has lost four finals ('66, '82, '86, and '02), but has won just as many ('54, '74, '90. '14).

Most countries reaching the World Cup final have been there more than once. Out of the four countries that have been there only once - England in ´66, Spain in ´10, Sweden in ´58, and Uruguay in ´30 (Uruguay technically did not take part in a final game when winning gold in 1950) - only Sweden lost its final.

 Four countries have won silver before winning any other medals: Argentina ('30), Czechoslovakia ('34), Hungary ('38), and the Netherlands ('74).

There are only two countries that have won silver and bronze without winning gold: the Netherlands (see above) and Sweden, which has won one silver ('58) and two bronze medals ('50 and '94). Brazil, France, Germany, and Italy have also won both silver and bronze, but they have all won gold too.

Bronze Medals
The Netherlands won against Brazil 3-0 in the bronze game '14. The biggest victory in any bronze game is still 4-0, the result when Sweden won against Bulgaria in 1994.

Argentina has been in five World Cup finals (´30, ´78, ´86, ´90, ´14), won two (´78, ´86), but has never been in a bronze game.

Most goals scored in a bronze game was when France beat West Germany by 6-3 in '58.

The only country that has won more than one bronze medal but never any other kind of medal is Poland, which won bronze in '74 and '82.

Most Medals
Germany has more World Cup medals than any other country: gold in ´54, ´74, ´90, ´14, silver in ´66, ´82, ´86, ´02, bronze in ´34, ´70, ´06, ´10.

 Brazil has more golds than any other country, ´58, ´62, ´70, ´94, ´02, but has two silvers, ´50, ´98, and two bronzes, ´38, ´78.

Germany is the only country which has won medals in four consecutive football World Cups, with silver in ´02, bronze in ´06 and ´10, and gold in ´14.

Many Different Medalists
Out of all the 20 World Cups played so far, there are only eight when all the medalists have won medals before: '70, '78, '82, '86, '90, '94, '06, and '14.

The World Cup 2010 was the seventh where medals have only been awarded European countries, the others being '34, '54, '66, '74, '82, and '06. There has been no World Cup with only South American medalists.

Out of all the nineteen medalists, there are as many as seven that has not won more than 1 bronze each.

The USA (bronze '30) is the only medalist not to come from the football associations of either Europe nor South America.

Top Scorers
In three World Cups, there have been more than one player who has won the list of top scorers: '62, '94, and '10.

Fans
Some people living in Africa can say that they live in the country winning the first World Cup played in Africa: inhabitants of the Spanish towns of Ceuta and Melilla and of the Canary Islands.

While Brazil is the only South American country to have won gold when the World Cup was played in Europe ('58), other South Americans can also say their home country won the World Cup when it was played in Europe: inhabitants of French Guyana, since France won in '98.

Football and Rugby
The football World Cup is the largest sports event in the world. After the summer Olympic Games, the rugby union World Cup is the third. One nation has won both: England, which won the football World Cup in 1966 and the rugby union World Cup in 2003.

The Most Important Championship

The FIFA football World Cup ended yesterday, and it is a large event. It is, however, not the most important competition of the year. We are going to Helsinki this August to compete in the most important competition there is. I am talking about the World Dog Show, of course. Do I have to explain myself? I think not. I hope to see many of my friends there.

Swedish Gold in a World Championship

The male Swedish orienteering team won the gold medals in relay at the world championship in Italy today. We watched the race on TV, the last Swedish runner made a terrific job. It was quite exciting.

Orienteering is an interesting sport. As a dog, I like it. It is about finding your way through the terrain, especially through forests. It is something dogs can really relate to.

Earlier today, the Swedish team also won bronze in the ladies' relay.

Darker

Hello, Orange here!

It is getting darker at night. We do not have the Swedish twilight midsummer midnights any longer. They will come back next year, but it will take some time. Still, the summer has not been warmer than the last couple of days. You can tell when the sun will rise and set, but never what the weather will be like. It is an interesting world we are living in.

Sykes

We watched a new episode of the British crime series Midsummer Murders tonight. I think the series has improved, after Tom Barnaby left and turned his position over to his cousin John Barnaby. John Barnaby is a more pleasant character. This is mostly due to the new star of the show, Sykes, John Barnaby's dog. Tom Barnaby never had a dog. A character who has a dog is always better than one without. Dogs make humans better people, and you can sense this in John Barnaby. I like that. I like Sykes.

Argentina

Argentina won against the Netherlands in the second semi final of the World Cup today. As usual, there were some of us hoping for one team, others hoping for the other team. This is pretty nice, because some of us are always happy with the result. The game as such was quite boring, however, ending without any goals made. They had to have a penalty shoot out to separate the teams, where Argentina was the lucky one. Will they stand any chance against Germany, who thoroughly beat Brazil yesterday?

Wild Boar

We heard from Soya today, my grand daughter who lives in the countryside northwest of Örebro. She encountered a wild boar on her lawn, close to the house. She barked at it, scaring it off, however. That's my girl!

Unbelievable

Football may be fun, but there are often very few goals scored. Today was different. In the World Cup semi final between Brazil and Germany, the German team led by 5-0 at half time and finally won by 7-1. This is unbelievable, especially against such a good team as Brazil. Who would have thought this would happen? Well, it did, and in a way, this os great. Love sport should be unpredictable, it is the greatest thing about it.

Earth Quake

An earth quake of high magnitude hit Mexico and Guatemala today. I have seen reports of some dead humans. Even though I have searched a lot, there are no news to be found on dog casualties. I hope no dogs were killed or lost their humans. There are never any reporta on what happens to the dogs in areas struck by natural disasters. I rather dislike this, but I do not know what to do about it. I cannot travel there myself and try to get the statistics. I am sorry for the lost humans, of course, but I want to know what happens to dogs too.

Babies by Mistake

Estimates have it, about 37 % of all human children in the USA, and 30 % in Brazil, come to be by mistake. Most are wanted and loved, of course, but I am still surprised by the numbers. Being involved in a family where we get pups, I know pups are very rarely made by mistake. Indeed, none of mine were. Are humans that much worse on planning their own offspring than the offspring of us, their four legged companions? It may seem so, but then again, it might be hard to tell. Only a small minority of humans are dog breeders, with the experience of planning the offspring that comes with it. Maybe it should be more common? Maybe the planning of human children would be better that way? Well, it is not for me to decide, but it is an interesting thought, isn't it?

Best When it Counts

we should have known. germany and brazil went on to the semi finals, versus france and colombia, respectively. we thought france and colombia had played bettter this world cup, but when it counts, the football great powers are best.

Soya

My granddaughter Soya paid us a visit this afternoon. It was nice seeing her for a while. Still, she is so young and full of energy, that it was also nice, in a way, when she left again. We let Orange play with Soya for as long as Soya was here, they are closest in age. You can tell Soya has a happy, healthy life, despite not living with us. This is the most important thing. It makes me happy seeing my offspring now and then, having great lives on their own.

Torn

I am torn tonight. The USA plays Belgium in the World Cup, and Mum is naturally rooting for the USA. She is an American, always. Dad would, however, root for Belgium. I know this, because he always did, when his native Norway was not playing. His father was from Belgium. Who should I root for?

Daniel says it is better for Sweden if a European country will win, because this will make It more probable that the European football federation UEFA keeps many slots in future World Cups. I do root for Switzerland, just like he does, in the earlier game today versus Argentina. As for the latter game, I do not know. I would not be really disappointed with any result. Still, not really rooting for one team makes the game less exciting. What am I giong to do?

Football

Hello, Karstuhl here!

It is hard to have the time to write blog posts between the matches of the World Cup. I wonder what we will do in the evenings after the World Cup? I guess we will go by, we did before the World Cup, didn't we?

Champion

Hello, Orange here!

Hailey was so disappointed she did not get to go to the dog ahow today, that she asked me to write the daily blog post. I gladly agreed. We got great results. My mother Tenn won Best of Breed and won a CAC, the latter making her Swedish Show Champion. My friend Javier won the male CAC. To me, my mother's victoria was the best news today, even though my favourite football team, the Netherlands, won against Mexico and made its way to the World Cup quarter finals. I am happy today.

Go, Colombia!

we all hope colombia will win tonight. it is the country where paula was born, and we have no feelings of that kind for uruguay.

brazil won its game against chile, after penalties. they were not very convincing. if colombia wins, it will face brazil in the quarter final. it does not seem like a hopeless endeavour.

Nana

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I was asked by Mommy to write a blog entry. However, I cannot think of anything to write about.

Nananananana...

Belgium Goes On

Belgium goes on to the final sixteen of the World Cup after three victories. This is one of my favourite teams, since my Dad's dad was from Belgium and Dad used to root for Belgium. I have high hopes for the Belgian team, they have played very convincingly. We will see what happens, but I believe they will go far.

Shiba Scares off Bear

In Odate outside of Tokyo, Japan, a five year old boy was attacked by a bear the other day. The family's Shiba was with him, barked loudly and managed to scare the metre high bear away. Understandably, the Shiba was hailed as a hero. The boy suffered nothing more than a few bruises. He had a check up at a hospital, but could leave for home the same day. This must make for a terrific story that he will always be able to tell new friends. I am so happy that he had this heroic Shiba with him.

He Bit Another Player

We watched the Uruguay-Italy game tonight. I hoped Uruguay would win, and they did. The victory was soiled, however, by the player Suarez, who bit an Italian player. The referee did not see this, otherwise Suarez would obviously have received the red card. I guess he will be disqualified for the remainder of the tournament. A dog biting another competing dog at a dog show would be disqualified. You just do not do that.

Last Sixteen

Hello, Orange here!

Today, my favorite team in the World Cup played in their ordinary colour, nothing but orange. It is the Dutch team, of course. It was clear since last game, that they would go on to the last sixteen, but they played to win, nevertheless. They beat Chile, 2-0, and thus made sure they won Group B. This means they will meet the second best team from Group A in the first knock out game. I believe they will continue from there at least to the quarter finals. We will have to see what their opponents will be. Go, the orange team!

America in the World Cup

The USA is one of my favourite countries, since my Mum is from that splendid country. It is participating in the World Cup and doing pretty well. The latest game was played after midnight, Swedish time, but we tried to stay awake and did follow it. We were quite disappointed, when Portugal scored in the very end, making the result 2-2. Still, America has a good chance to go on to the last sixteen. We do hope it does.

Elves on Iceland

There are strange places in this world. On Iceland, the authorities have changed their plans on building a new road, so they will not disturb the elves said to live where the road was supposed to be built. I can understand if you change the plans in order not to disturb endangered animals, or even plants, but are there any proof elves actually exist? Certainly not, but ennough Icelanders believe in them, nevertheless. A strange place, that island.