Another howler

If a person is going to ride on 160 days during a seven month bicycling season it is necessary to sometimes ride in questionable looking conditions. It was ugly and grey all day long with radar showing rain just to the south. But by about Germany 4, Australia 0 it still hadn't rained and the websites still said only 25 percent chance. It might have been worry about reaching nightfall and having missed a completely rideable day that finally got me out there or it might have been Germany's fourth goal.

Three days into the tournament and I have now seen half of the teams. Germany easily earns most impressive to date designation. Not only are the four goals impressive but Deutschland also displayed the best organization and teamwork so far. Of course it is one game and every team must play three before the field is cut in half, it is 8 games with 40 to go to the end of the first round, lots of football to come.

In today's first game I thought I had found another team to root for. Algeria has on its 23 man roster 17 players born in France. I wanted to like them but they lost as the Algerian keeper produced the second howler goal in as many days. A harmless looking shot from distance bounced once and skidded in off the keeper's arm. Algeria has a host of creative players and is fun to watch but it now looks like they will be going home early (most of them to France).

It turns out that it will not be necessary for me to view all 32 teams play a game before reporting on the apparel choices for the World Cup. There is a website selling official gear (only $102 for a Gerrard England jersey). I looked at the jerseys there and can report Adidas 12, Nike 9, Puma 7, Umbro 1, Brooks 1, Joma 1, with North Korea unknown (probably home sewn in a workers' commune). It turns out that it was an anomaly to have so many Adidas teams at the start of the tournament and they are not going to be as dominant as I first thought. Adidas scores bonus points though, as the ball is Adidas and the game officials are wearing Adidas.

No pictures today so back to the archives. Here is one of the medallions marking the Paris Meridian, also known as the Arago Line. This one is located in le Jardin du Palais Royal.The line is referred to in "The DaVinci Code" as the Rose Line, leading, it is believed, to the disappearance of some of the medallions.

In several places replacement medallions, more elaborate have been placed. This one is on Rue Saint Honore near the Palais Royal Metro stop.And what the heck, as long as the topic seems to be brass things embedded in pavement, here is Point Zero.All official distances in France are measured from this spot in the place across the street from the front entrance to Notre Dame.