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?