Plenty of Nothing

Roman Hare

Roman enamel hare from the Isle of Wight, as seen in Time Team series 9, episode 12.

Duplessis or Lake Melville?

Le Directeur Général des élections du Québec reminds everyone in its report on the April 7, 2014 election that the government of Québec still has its own ideas about the boundary with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Labrador Boundary Dispute. The area north of the dotted line, a chunk of the St Lawrence watershed about half the size of Nova Scotia, is seen folded into the electoral district of Duplessis (which was won by the PQ's Richard Lorraine by 359 votes.) In the Newfoundland legislature most of the area is part of the Lake Melville electoral district and is represented by Keith Russell of the Progressive Conservatives. For the sake of economy the Postmedia newspapers used this map in their election coverage, though editorially they would deride the land claim. But it was a strange election for newspapers.

Shelfie

Redhead

Gondola

The Canadian Space Agency provides this graphic of the International Space Station as it might appear if it were the broadcast gondola overhanging five newly-Zambonied hockey rinks. Canada currently employs two astronauts, neither of whom is scheduled to be on board the ISS before 2020, and we have no rockets or capsules of our own to get them there. But, look, hockey.

Gracious Living

Ardgowan Square. They keep the nicer houses in west Greenock. Source.

Livi visit Cappielow. Morton unexpectedly avoided relegation Tuesday, but to make it to ninth place the Ton will have to win all five remaining matches, while Cowdenbeath lose all five of their games. This is Morton's fifth game in fifteen days. Maybe they've just warmed up. [Maybe! Morton win 2 - 0. Goals by Imrie and McKay. Cowdenbeath lose, so Morton are not relegated yet. Hearts are relegated to the Championship despite winning.]

Tomorrow it's the Ramsdens (Challenge) Cup Final: Rangers versus Raith Rovers at Easter Road in Edinburgh. This is Rangers' second-to-last chance to win the Scottish Challenge Cup before they return to permanent ineligibility. If Raith can deny them the cup it will rank up there with Rovers' 1995 League Cup win. [Raith win 1 - 0!]

Raith Rovers' groundskeepers intend to seed their pitch with a species of grass called Floral Poi. It has a sturdier root structure than the current lawn and better resistance to the dreaded Black Layer. Only thing is, it's it's such a pale green it looks white, meaning the lines will have to be drawn in black and the game ball will have to be orange.

Yesterday Union Sportive Boulogne hosted Luçon. [Luçon won 0 - 2.]

Tomorrow in J3 action Grulla Morioka host Zelvia Machida. The club was founded in 1977 as a soccer school. They wear double blue. Machida is in the western, soccer mad, part of Metropolitan Tokyo. Zelvia combines the words zelkova (Machida's official tree) and salvia (a species of grass used for football turf.) (What would the club be called if the groundskeepers had used floral poi?) [Zelvia win 1 - 4.]

Unarigoe, Chapter 5, Page 16

The League of Church-Goers

But indeed it distressed her, Alyse added, to think of all these village churches falling into disuse, and all these parsons with their neglected rites. I said that I foresee the formation of a League of Church-Goers, drawn entirely from the ranks of compassionate free-thinkers.

Sylvia Townsend Warner, I'll Stand By You, Letter 100 (11 September, 1949), page 253.

Picture: All Saints, Warham, Norfolk. Source.

Herzog und Herzogin

Herzog Heinrich der Fromme and Herzogin Katarina von Mecklenberg say, "Make the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden your one stop for Lucas Cranach the Elder."

Versus Dumbarton

Seamen Ashore, Greenock (c.1944) by Edward Burra. See.

Dumbarton visit Cappielow to make up the game postponed due of the Sons' Scottish Cup quarter-final against Aberdeen in March. That and the match abandoned in January following a death in the stands at Cappielow are the only two postponements for Morton so far this season. Bad weather was not a factor at all this year.

If Morton lose or draw today they can only finish tenth, and will be relegated to League One, and will miss out on the most interesting Championship of probably all time, with Rangers, Hearts and maybe even St Mirren in it.

[But Morton win 3 - 0! Goals by Vine, O'Ware and McKay .]