Plenty of Nothing

Genshiken Cosplay

How can you tell ordinary nerds from people cosplaying the men from Genshiken? Cosplay wigs. These three appear to be playing Madarame, Sasahara and Tanaka. Source.

Toy Museum, Nuremberg

Source.

Ässät versus Lukko in the 1990s

Finnish national team member Jari Torkki played most of his career in Rauma, with spells in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, Germany, Italy, and finally Bracknell Bees. Source.

1999-00

    1999/9/19      Lukko 3 - 2 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1999/10/30    Ässät 0 - 7 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1999/12/2      Lukko 10 - 3 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1999/12/30    Ässät 0 - 0 Lukko     Runkosarja

    2000/1/22      Lukko 4 - 3 Ässät    Runkosarja

    2000/3/2        Ässät 3 - 4 Lukko    Runkosarja

1998-99

    1998/9/26      Ässät 4 - 2 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1998/11/21    Lukko 7 - 4 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1998/12/10    Ässät 4 - 2 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1999/1/5        Lukko 0 - 2 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1999/1/23      Ässät 2 - 0 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1999/3/6        Lukko 5 - 4 Ässät    Runkosarja

1997-98

    1997/9/20      Lukko 4 - 3 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1997/10/18    Ässät 5 - 1 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1997/11/13    Ässät 3 - 3 Lukko     Runkosarja

    1998/1/6        Lukko 1 - 4 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1998/1/24      Lukko 1 - 4 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1998/2/28      Ässät 2 - 5 Lukko    Runkosarja

1996-97

    1996/9/28      Ässät 3 - 6 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1996/10/26    Lukko 2 - 3 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1996/11/23    Lukko 2 - 1 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1997/1/4        Ässät 10 - 2 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1997/2/1        Ässät 5 - 2 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1997/3/1        Lukko 3 - 8 Ässät    Runkosarja

1995-96

    1995/9/28      Lukko 2 - 5 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1995/10/21    Ässät 2 - 4 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1995/11/16    Ässät 6 - 5 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1996/1/4        Lukko 5 - 5 Ässät     Runkosarja

    1996/1/21      Lukko 2 - 3 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1996/2/15      Ässät 0 - 7 Lukko    Runkosarja

1994-95

    1994/10/1      Ässät 9 - 3 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1994/10/20    Lukko 2 - 1 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1994/12/4      Lukko 2 - 2 Ässät     Runkosarja

    1995/1/5        Ässät 2 - 1 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1995/1/24      Ässät 4 - 4 Lukko     Runkosarja

    1995/2/23      Lukko 4 - 3 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1995/4/1        Lukko 0 - 3 Ässät    Playoffs -- Bronze Medal Game (Video)

1993-94

    1993/9/26      Lukko 8 - 5 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1993/10/19    Ässät 2 - 4 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1993/11/11    Ässät 2 - 2 Lukko     Runkosarja

    1993/11/30    Lukko 2 - 4 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1994/1/6        Lukko 2 - 5 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1994/2/1        Ässät 3 - 3 Lukko     Runkosarja

1992-93

    1992/9/27      Lukko 5 - 5 Ässät     Runkosarja

    1992/10/17    Ässät 5 - 2 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1992/10/29    Ässät 3 - 2 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1992/11/24    Lukko 5 - 3 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1993/1/6        Lukko 5 - 4 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1993/2/16      Ässät 8 - 0 Lukko    Runkosarja

1991-92

    1991/10/3      Ässät 1 - 3 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1991/11/7      Lukko 7 - 1 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1991/12/12    Ässät 5 - 1 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1992/3/1        Lukko 8 - 0 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1992/3/19      Lukko 1 - 4 Ässät    Playoff Quarterfinals

    1992/3/20      Ässät 4 - 0 Lukko    Playoff Quarterfinals

1990-91

    1990/10/4      Ässät 5 - 3 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1990/11/4      Lukko 9 - 0 Ässät    Runkosarja

    1991/1/3        Ässät 4 - 1 Lukko    Runkosarja

    1991/2/12      Lukko 2 - 4 Ässät    Runkosarja

(Runkosarja means "regular season" but uses fewer letters, so I propose that all hockey leagues adopt the term. The bronze medal game should also be introduced everywhere.)

Henry Moore at the AGO

On this day in 1968 sculptor Henry Moore donated about 900 works of art to the Art Gallery of Ontario, where you can still see them. Source.

Before Scotia Square

Jacob and Grafton Streets, c. 1947. Source.

Gustav Vasa Addresses the Dalecarlians

In December 1520 Gustav Vasa incited the farmers of Mora to rebellion with the words, "Look, you already all dress alike. Why not form an army and kick the Danes out of Sweden?" Painting by Johan Gustaf Sandberg, 1836.

To Falkirk by Tram

Laying the tramways near Carron Works, 1905. Source.

Morton visit Falkirk Stadium. Morton are 6th in the division with 21 points, Falkirk are 10th with 12 points. Morton won the first meeting 1 - 0 at Cappielow in October.

Falkirk have been stuck in last place all but three weeks this season. They have not won at home since July. They've scored 4 goals on their home pitch in the 2018-19 Championship to date. They suck.

Other Championship matches:

Ayr United (1st) [3 - 3] Ross County (2nd)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (5th) [1 - 1] Dundee United (3rd)

Partick Thistle (8th) [2 - 2] Alloa Athletic (9th)

Queen of the South (4th) [0 - 0] Dunfermline Athletic (7th)

The Dunfermline chairman issued a statement Wednesday decrying the behaviour directed at Dunfermline players and staff by some Pars supporters.

[Falkirk 0 - 0 Morton.]

1928-29. Morton hosted Queen of the South. They played to a scoreless draw. The league schedule was now half over. Morton held seventh place with 19 points and a 1.1875 goal average.

1951-52. Morton travelled to Aberdeen and lost 3 - 1.

League 1 watch: Not only does it look a sure thing that Arbroath will earn promotion to the 2019-20 Championship, they're on track to do it in March.

Angus derby: Forfar [2 - 1] Montrose

Arthurlie vs Arbroath. These two played five seasons together in Division Two in the Twenties. They each won four games, with two draws. Goals were 22 for Arthurlie, 21 for Arbroath.

Premiership: Livi's 5 - 0 win over Hearts last night was their biggest ever in the top division.

Rank the 2018-19 Championship clubs by the number of times they finished in the top half of the top division.

                                        1st time        last time

41    Dundee United        1960-61        2014-15

38    Partick Thistle          1903-04        2016-17

21    Falkirk                      1906-07        1994-95

14    Morton                     1900-01        1970-71

12    Ayr United                1913-14        1974-75

12    Dunfermline             1961-62        2003-04

  3    QoS                         1933-34        1955-56

  3    ICT                           2012-13        2014-15

  2    Ross County            2012-13        2015-16

  0    Alloa                         never

Sort the 2018-19 Championship clubs by the date each last suffered consecutive losses.

2018/3/13        Inverness CT

2018/4/22        Ayr United

2018/7/17        Morton

2018/8/25        Ross County

2018/10/6        Dundee United

2018/10/27      Falkirk

2018/11/3        Queen of the South

2018/11/10      Partick Thistle

2018/11/20      Alloa

2018/11/24      Dunfermline

How many goals has each Morton player scored this season (league + cup)?

8 (5 + 3)    McHugh

7 (4 + 3)    Tidser

3 (2 + 1)    Millar

2 (2 + 0)    Telfer

2 (1 + 1)    Oliver

1 (1 + 0)    Tiffoney

                  Lyon

                  Iredale

                  Buchanan

1 (0 + 1)    Tumilty

                  Armour

                  Bell

                  Waddell

                  R. Thomson

Morton versus the world:

1968/9/30      Morton 3 - 4 Chelsea

1968/9/18      Chelsea 5 - 0 Morton

1970/9/14      Morton 2 - 1 West Bromwich Albion

1970/9/30      West Bromwich Albion 0 - 1 Morton

1970/10/21    Morton 0 - 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers

1970/11/3      Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 - 2 Morton

1971/9/15      Huddersfield Town 1 - 0 Morton

1971/9/27      Morton 1 - 1 Huddersfield Town

1973/9/19      Morton 1 - 2 Newcastle United

1973/10/1      Newcastle United 1 - 1 Morton

1978/9/13      Morton 3 - 0 Oldham Athletic

1978/9/26      Oldham Athletic 4 - 0 Morton

1979/9/18      Preston North End 1 - 3 Morton

1979/10/22    Morton 2 - 0 Preston North End

1979/11/6      Bristol City 2 - 2 Morton

1980/1/15      Morton 0 - 1 Bristol City

1980/9/16      Notts County 2 - 0 Morton

1980/9/30      Morton 1 - 1 Notts County

Falkirk versus the world:

1979/9/14      Falkirk 1 - 0 Coventry City

1979/9/28      Coventry City 3 - 0 Falkirk

2009/7/16      Falkirk 1 - 0 Vaduz

2009/7/23      Vaduz 2 - 0 Falkirk

2017/9/2        Sligo Rovers 1 - 2 Falkirk

2018/9/8        Falkirk 0 - 1 Connah's Quay Nomads

Morton vs Falkirk league results since 1994:

1996-97        Falkirk 2W - 1D - 1W Morton

1997-98        Falkirk 2W - 2D - 0W Morton

1998-99        Falkirk 2W - 2W Morton

1999-00        Falkirk 3W - 1W Morton

2000-01        Falkirk 2W - 2W Morton

2010-11        Falkirk 2W - 2D - 0W Morton

2011-12        Falkirk 1W - 1D - 2W Morton

2012-13        Falkirk 2W - 2W Morton

2013-14        Falkirk 2W - 2D - 0W Morton

2015-16        Falkirk 3W - 1D - 0W Morton

2016-17        Falkirk 0W - 3D - 1W Morton

2017-18        Falkirk 3W - 1W Morton

West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle vs Pollok [postponed]

Europa League group stage, matchday 6:

Group B: Celtic 1 - 2 Red Bull Salzburg

Group G: Rapid Wien 1 - 0 Rangers

Group I: Beşiktaş 0 - 1 Malmö

Rangers are out. Malmö advance. Celtic lose but advance anyway.

FIFA Club World Cup:

Playoff (Dec 12): Al-Ain 3 - 3 Team Wellington (Al-Ain won on PK.)

Quarterfinals (Dec 15):

Espérance Sportive de Tunis [0 - 3] Al-Ain

Kashima Antlers [3 - 2] Guadalajara

Swiss Challenge League: Chiasso [1 - 3] Winterthur

The 67th All Japan University Football Championship began Wednesday and goes till Dec 22nd. 24 clubs are in it, including seven from the Kanto League: Juntendo, Meiji, Waseda, Hosei, Komazawa, Toyo, and our guys Tsukuba. There are five rounds. Tsukuba enjoy a bye into Round Two, where they face Sendai University today. [Tsukuba win 4 -1.]

CONCACAF has ruled that Ottawa Fury FC can't play in the USL now that the Canadian Premier League exists. Story.

86th All Japan Ice Hockey Championship

President's Cup winners Dynax. Source.

The 86th All Japan Ice Hockey Championship goes today, tomorrow and the next day. Again, the eight entrants are Japan's four Asia League clubs, two Kanto university league teams, one Kansai university league team, and the President's Cup winner.

The Asia League clubs are: Tohoku Free Blades, Nikko Ice Bucks, Nippon Paper Cranes and Oji Eagles. The other four are: Waseda University, Meiji University, Kansai University, and Dynax.

Dynax are the company team for Dynax Corporation, makers of gears. Their headquarters are in Chitose, Hokkaido.

Dec 14:    1. Meiji University [1 - 3] Nikko Ice Bucks

                2. Tohoku Free Blades [8 - 3] Dynax

                3. Kansai University [1 - 7] Oji Eagles

                4. Nippon Paper Cranes [4 - 1] Waseda University

Dec 15    5.  [Tohoku Free Blades 1 - 3 Nikko Ice Bucks]

                6.  [Nippon Paper Cranes 1 - 4 Oji Eagles]

Dec 16    7.  [Tohoku Free Blades 2 - 3 Nippon Paper Cranes] (for 3rd place)

                8.  [Nikko Ice Bucks 2 - 4 Oji Eagles]

JIHF.

Cabaret de l'Enfer

Source.

Dany Laferrière

Dany Laferrière is the only Canadian ever to be elected to the Académie française. Source.