I'm not sure what to make of this, or even why I bothered to check yesterday, but this column is the 666th Mullings (including Travelogues) since March 1998 when this series began.
The Devil made me do it.
I know that it is required for American columnists to say really amusing things, poking fun at the World Cup soccer matches now underway in Korea and Japan. Matches are about 90 minutes long and there isn't much scoring.
As of yesterday afternoon eight matches had been played: Two were 1-0; two were 1-1; one was 2-1; one was 2-2 and one was 3-1.
I know that's only seven matches. The eighth - Germany v. Saudi Arabia - was an 8-0 blowout in favor of the Germans.
I wonder if getting embarrassed 8-0 in a tournament where the average score in the first weekend of play has been 1.3 to .71 qualifies the Saudi team members for some of that bonus money the Saudi royal family has been handing out to Palestinians.
Americans make a big deal about the lack of scoring in professional soccer, but if an American NFL team holds an opponent scoreless, the defensive coordinator is hailed as a "defensive genius."
If a Major League pitcher holds an opponent to absolutely no offence - a perfect game - he immediately gets his name on the wall at Cooperstown.
Here's what a big deal the World Cup is everywhere else: In 1994 the tournament was held right here in the good old U S of A. I was living in Dallas and running around the Middle East for EDS. I happened into the lounge of the Intercontinental hotel in Bahrain, one day, where everyone was glued to the TV set which was showing the match between - I think - Bulgaria and Nigeria.
The match, as it happened, was being played in the Cotton Bowl in beautiful downtown Dallas and I mentioned to my colleague that The Lad, then still in high school, was at that match.
The colleague, told the others what I had said, which caused a large percentage of the fans, none of whom I knew, to walk over to shake my hand.
I asked my colleague why that had happened. He said none of them had ever been to a World Cup match, and most of them had never met anyone who KNEW anyone who had ever been to a World Cup match.
Here's the best reason to like this year's World Cup: In the opening match, defending World Cup champion - France - lost to first-time qualifier - Senegal - by a score of 1-0.
Gimme an "S!" Gimme an "E!" ... The Senegalese teams' nickname is "Les Lions de la Teranga."
Senegal is a very poor country. The CIA's World Factbook puts Senegal's Gross Domestic Product at about $16 Billion. If Senegal were a publicly traded corporation $16 Billion puts them at about 127th on the Fortune 500 list - between 3M and Coca-Cola.
Of course if they WERE a publicly traded company they would have overstated their sorghum exports by setting
up an off-the-books partnership with Morocco and ...
Nevertheless, they kicked France's derri�re so they're my guys.
More reasons for Europeans to hate us: According to the International Herald Tribune, Vienna - a city which has one coffee shop for every 530 people now has four more: Starbucks has entered the market.
And with a decidedly anti-European attitude. According to the IHT nearly 40 percent of Europeans smoke and 60 percent of Italians. Nevertheless the 3,000 Starbucks in the US are non-smoking. Numbers 3,001; 3,002; 3,003 and 3,004 four are, too.
Even though one magazine editor said he wouldn't try Starbucks because, "I don't drink marshmallow-flavored coffee," the Seattle-based shops have been averaging 50,000 customers a month.
I wonder how you say, "half-caf-skinny-extra-hot-grande-caramel-macchiato" ... in German.
On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: A translation of the title, a map of Senegal, a link to the Herald Tribune article, a definition of sorghum, and the usual things.
If you are working at a lobbying firm, a government affairs office, a coalition, or a PAC you should take a
look at this page to see how advertising in Mullings might serve your organization very well:
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