Plenty of Nothing

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Source.

Elsa Lanchester

Elsa Lanchester, who played the Bride of Frankenstein in Bride of Frankenstein (1935), later appeared as the nanny who quits the Banks household and creates an opening for Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (1964). Filmography.

Post-Election Dykes To Watch Out For

In case you missed it, Alison Bechdel has started drawing Dykes to Watch Out For again. They're printed in Seven Days, an independent Vermont weekly. So far there are three instalments. You can read them here, here and here.

Town Hall versus Town Hall

Paisley Town Hall. Source.

Morton visit St Mirren.

The Buddies sit atop the division with 22 points. Morton are sixth with 15. A win for Morton could lift them as high as third, depending on the results of other games.

Last time at Cappielow Morton won 4 - 1. Last time in Paisley it was 1 - 1.

The question can been asked, "What is Scottish football for? What is it about?" It is about Morton vs St Mirren. It is for Greenock vs Paisley.

Today's referee is Steven McLean who has been relegated to the Championship after allowing Motherwell to beat Rangers last weekend.

He's not the only referee in hot water. Assistant referee Douglas Ross has been catching stick for putting his football job ahead of debates and votes in the Westminster parliament where he is a Conservative MP.

You can find all the referee appointments here.

1978-79. Morton beat Aberdeen 2 - 1 at Cappielow. Goals by Russell and Ritchie.

1933-34. Morton defeated Montrose 4 - 1 at Cappielow.

1944-45. Morton lost 2 - 3 to Clyde at Cappielow. Clyde were a power in those days.

What was Morton's most significant game against St Mirren?

This might be a contentious choice, but I'm going with:

May 6th, 1899            St Mirren 0 - 2 Morton

It was a replay of the Renfrewshire Cup final, played before a reported crowd of 10,000.

[St Mirren 2 - 2 Morton. Whew. Morton goals by Murdoch and Harkins.]

Other match of the day: Dumbarton versus Dundee United. Last season the Sons took two wins and a draw from Dundee United. Those eight lost points went most of the way to denying the Tangerines first place. This season United are even weaker. They enter today's play in fourth place with a -1 gd. Last Saturday they suffered their second consecutive shutout, and then sacked their manager. [Dumbarton 0 - 2 Dundee United.]

2017-18 Championship clubs by most recent cup won:

Dundee United    Challenge Cup        25 March 2017

Inverness CT       Scottish Cup            30 May 2015

Livingston           Challenge Cup           5 April 2015

QoS                    Challenge Cup           7 April 2013

Falkirk                Challenge Cup           1 April 2012

St Mirren            Challenge Cup           5 Nov 2005

Dunfermline         Scottish Cup            27 April 1968

Morton                 Scottish Cup            15 April 1922

Dumbarton          Scottish Cup              7 April 1883

Brechin                   no cups

Championship clubs by goals scored so far this season:

25        Dunfermline

21        St Mirren

17        Livingston

15        Queen of the South

13        Morton

12        Inverness CT

10        Dundee United

  8        Dumbarton

  6        Falkirk

  6        Brechin

It's the Scottish Junior Cup, Round Two. Let's watch:

Forth Wanderers vs Irvine Victoria [postponed]

Sauchie [3 - 1] Largs Thistle

Port Glasgow [0 - 0] Petershill

Lesmahagow [3 - 3] Arthurlie

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy [6 - 0] Carluke Rovers

Kilsyth Rangers [3 - 1] Stoneywood Parkvale

Kilbirnie Ladeside vs Penicuik Athletic [postponed]

Irvine Meadow [5 - 2] Broxburn Athletic

Craigmark Burtonians [0 - 5] Cumnock

Kilwinning Rangers [2 - 1] Larkhall Thistle

SWFL Div 2 West: Queen of the South [0 - 7] Morton

Copa Libertadores semifinals, first leg:

River Plate (ARG) 1 - 0 Lanús (ARG)

Barcelona (ECU) 0 - 3 Grêmio (BRA)

CONCACAF League final, second leg:

Santos de Guápiles 0 - 1 Olimpia

Olimpia win on penalty kicks and advance to the CONCACAF Champions League in February.

Abruzzo: L'Aquila [2 - 0] San Nicolò

JFL:

Verspah Oita [2 - 3] Vanraure Hachinohe

ReinMeer Aomori [1 - 0] Sony Sendai

Germany: Kickers Offenbach [1 - 2] 1. FC Saarbrücken

It's also the First Round of the 39th Empress's Cup. Let's watch all 16 games:

Match No. 1: JFA Academy Fukushima [2 - 1] Yamato Sylphid

Match No. 2: Kibi International University Charme (N2) [0 - 4] JEF United Chiba Ladies U-18

Match No. 3: Tsukuba FC Ladies [2 - 2] Fukuoka J. Anclas [Fukuoka win on penalty kicks.]

Match No. 4: Sendai University [3 - 0] NTV Beleza (development squad)

Match No. 5: Nippon University Fields Yokohama Satellite B [5 - 1] Fukuoka High School Attached to Tokai University

Match No. 6: Fukui High School Attached to Fukui Institute of Technology [0 - 4] Fujieda Junshin High School

Match No. 7: Niigata University of Health and Welfare [4 -3] Okayama Prefecture Sakayo High School

Match No. 8: Tokuyama University [0 - 3] Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki (N2)

Match No. 9: Bunnys Kyoto SC [2 - 1] Nippatsu Yokohama FC Seagulls (N2)

Match No. 10: Hokkaido Bunkyo University Meisei High School [0 - 4] Tokiwagi Gakuen High School

Match No. 11: Hinomoto Gakuen High School [0 - 1] Shikoku Gakuin University Kagawa West High School

Match No. 12: Norddea Hokkaido [0 - 2] Angeviolet Hiroshima

Match No. 13: NGU Loveledge Nagoya [1 - 1] Toyo University [Nagoya win on penalty kicks.]

Match No. 14: Aichi Toho University [2 - 2] Kamimura Gakuen High School [Aichi win on penalty kicks.]

Match No. 15: Shizuoka Sangyo University [1 - 3] Waseda University

Match No. 16: Okayama Yunogo Belle (N2) [3 - 1] Seiwa Gakuen High School

N2 = Nadeshiko League, Division 2.

Source. 

Paisley Town Hall versus Greenock Town Hall -- which would win?

    Paisley Town Hall:

Heritage category: A

Constructed: 1882

Cost: £90,000 to £100,000

Height: about 160 feet (my guess)

Auditorium capacity: 765

Pipe organ? Yes.

    Greenock Town Hall:

Heritage category: A

Constructed: 1886

Cost: £197,061 (paid off in 1952)

Height: 245 feet

Auditorium capacity: 900 to 1200

Pipe organ? No.

Sources: Historic Environment Scotland, Renfrewshire Leisure, Glasgow Herald, Jan. 31, 1882, p. 3, Archiseek.

Greenock Town Hall, opened in 1886, incorporates the previous one from 1858. The gap at Cowan's Corner, created by the Luftwaffe in 1941, is plainly visible beside the tower. All that land in the top part of the photo was formed by filling in harbours, which is a topic for another day. Source. (A well researched blog post on Greenock buildings and institutions associated with Frederick Douglass's visits in 1846 and 1860.)

Signor Bonaventura Is 100

Signor Bonaventura, the penniless millionaire, first appeared in print on October 28th, 1917, one hundred years ago tomorrow, in issue 43 of Corriere dei Piccolo. Source.

Alison Bechdel in The Simpsons

Source.

97th Emperor's Cup Quarterfinals

Detail from Perori! Staggered Journey, the stadium gourmet manga by Takanori Noda. Source. Japan has always had sports manga, and food manga have a long and well-established tradition as well. Perori! is about football supporters who follow their club on the road, not to watch the game some much as to try out the local cuisine served up at the other stadiums.

It's the quarterfinals of the Emperor's Cup. All eight remaining teams are from J1, which makes it boring for Plenty of Nothing because here we're all about the underdog. It might as well be the J.League Cup, which I haven't followed because it's only open to J1. But there is consolation in lists:

Compare this year's Emperor's Cup and League Cup quarterfinalists:

Emperor's Cup                J.League Cup

Kashima Antlers                Kashima Antlers

Kawasaki Frontale            Kawasaki Frontale

Kashiwa Reysol                Cerezo Osaka

Cerezo Osaka                   Gamba Osaka

Yokohama F. Marinos       Urawa Red Diamonds

Júbilo Iwata                       FC Tokyo

Vissel Kobe                       Vissel Kobe

Omiya Ardija                     Vegalta Sendai

Today's matches are:

Vissel Kobe [1 - 1] Kashima Antlers [Vissel won on penalty kicks.]

Cerezo Osaka [2 - 0] Omiya Ardija

Yokohama F. Marinos [1 - 0] Júbilo Iwata

Kawasaki Frontale [0 - 1] Kashiwa Reysol

Montedio Yamagata in the Emperor's Cup:

97回        R2        Montedio Yamagata 1 - 0 V-Varen Nagasaki

                R3        Kashima Antlers 5 - 0 Montedio Yamagata

96回        R1        Montedio Yamagata 2 - 1 Arterivo Wakayama       

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 5 - 0 Thespakusatsu Gunma

                R3        Vissel Kobe 3 - 3 Montedio Yamagata (Vissel won on penalty kicks.)

95回        R1        Montedio Yamagata 7 - 1 Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 1 Kamatamare Sanuki

                R3        Fujieda MYFC 1 - 2 Montedio Yamagata

                R4        Sagan Tosu 4 - 3 Montedio Yamagata

94回        R2        Roasso Kumamoto 0 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

                R3        Sony Sendai 0 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

                R4        Montedio Yamagata 1 - 0 Sagan Tosu

                QF        Montedio Yamagata 1 - 0 Giravanz Kitakyushu

                SF        JEF United Chiba 2 - 3 Montedio Yamagata

                F          Gamba Osaka 3 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

93回        R2        Montedio Yamagata 2 - 2 Kataller Toyama (Montedio won on penalty kicks.)

                R3        Urawa Red Diamonds 2 - 3 Montedio Yamagata

                R4        Kawasaki Frontale 2 - 0 Montedio Yamagata

92回        R2        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 0 Tonan Maebashi

                R3        Cerezo Osaka 2 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

91回        R2        Montedio Yamagata 2 - 0 Blaublitz Akita

                R3        Montedio Yamagata 2 - 3 Kyoto Sanga

90回        R2        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 0 Blaublitz Akita

                R3        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 1 Shonan Bellmare

                R4        Kawasaki Frontale 3 - 3 Montedio Yamagata (Montedio won on penalty kicks.)

                QF        Montedio Yamagata 1 - 1 Shimizu S-Pulse (Shimizu won on penalty kicks.)

89回        R2        Montedio Yamagata 2 - 0 Nippon Bunri University

                R3        Montedio Yamagata 0 - 3 Meiji University

88回        R3        Montedio Yamagata 4 - 1 Hitachi Tochigi SC

                R4        Kawasaki Frontale 3 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

87回        R3        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 0 Kanoya Sports University

                R4        Gamba Osaka 2 - 2 Montedio Yamagata (Gamba won on penalty kicks.)

86回        R3        Montedio Yamagata 6 - 2 Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima

                R4        Ventforet Kofu 3 - 2 Montedio Yamagata

85回        R3        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 0 Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima

                R4        Urawa Red Diamonds 2 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

84回        R3        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 2 FC Ryukyu

                R4        Yokohama F. Marinos 2 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

83回        R1        Montedio Yamagata 4 - 3 Gifu Technical High School

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 6 - 1 Ritsumeikan University

                R3        Vissel Kobe 3 - 0 Montedio Yamagata

82回        R1        Gunma FC Horikoshi 2 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

81回        R1        Volca Kagoshima 2 - 3 Montedio Yamagata

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 1 - 0 Ehime FC

                R3        Vissel Kobe 1 - 0 Montedio Yamagata

80回        R1        Sagakita Senior High School 0 - 12 Montedio Yamagata

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 1 - 2 Jatco.TT

79回        R1        Blaze Kumamoto 0 - 8 Montedio Yamagata

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 3 - 0 Teihens FC

                R3        Vissel Kobe 0 - 0 Montedio Yamagata (Montedio won on penalty kicks.)

                R4        Cerezo Osaka 3 - 4 Montedio Yamagata

                QF        Montedio Yamagata 0 - 2 Kashiwa Reysol

78回        R1        石見FC 1 - 9 Montedio Yamagata

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 1 - 0 Meiji University

                R3        Gamba Osaka 1 - 2 Montedio Yamagata

                R4        Nagoya Grampus 3 - 2 Montedio Yamagata

77回        R1        教育研究社 0 - 5 Montedio Yamagata

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 8 - 0 Hosho High School

                R3        Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

76回        R1        Kaiho Club 0 - 4 Montedio Yamagata

                R2        Montedio Yamagata 6 - 0 Renaissance Academy Koga SC

                R3        Gamba Osaka 4 - 1 Montedio Yamagata

Prior to 1996 Montedio Yamagata was known as NEC Yamagata.

74回        R1        NEC Yamagata 2 - 3 Nagoya Grampus

72回        R1        Honda Motor Company 1 - 0 NEC Yamagata

A cartoon by Maneko Nohomachi. Source.

Murrine Cavour

Murrine is like rock candy, except it's glass. The technique has been around since about 300 BC, and is used to make jewelry, pottery, and crazy portraits like this one. Source.

In Case of Missiles

The Hokkaido Prefecture Government has put out a pamphlet on what to do when nuclear missiles are flying. It's getting international attention because it's in manga form and how cute and Japanese is that?, but really the combination of text and image found in manga is ideal for this kind of instruction, showing and telling what to do.

Unfortunately we don't seem to have progressed beyond duck and cover.

Hokkaido Prefecture Government disaster prevention webpage is excellent, giving current local status for earthquake, tsunami, flood, volcano, landslide and tornado.

The White Horse of Mormond

Captain Fraser had this white horse cut into the quartz of Mormond Hill on his lands near Fraserburgh after he returned from the wars in Flanders. His white horse was shot under him in battle, and his sargeant was also shot while dismounting to give Fraser his white mount. Source.