Tunisia 2-2 Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia scoring not one, but two goals. Quite a turn, since Saudi Arabia is always the odd team to qualify only to get stomped on during group play (due to the strange arithmetic that earns you more point for defeating a team in your own league than a team playing on a different continent ... which is also why the USA are ranked #3 while superior teams are ranked lower, like France at #7, Argentina at #8, Italy at #9, Sweden at #12, etc ...) Of course, it is not too difficult to qualify from your regional federation when you are playing against China, Mongolia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan (in Saudi Arabia's case) or against Canada, Haiti, Guatemala, Cuba (in the US team's case).

But it always seems that the Saudi team is in the tournament just so that the US team does not look like the worst team. Well, in terms of goal differentials, the only team worse than the USA is the Ukraine, defeated by Spain 4-0 today. Which is not going to last long.

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And the New York Times reports that the Library of Congress has nominated Donald Hall as the next U.S. Poet Laureate, reminding us again how much the post is utterly irreverrant.

At least, he is "better" than Ted Kooser. But quite frankly, I'd be ashamed of accepting anything during the Bush Administration.

(I know, I know, the Library of Congress works independently of the Administration ...)

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My buddies (okay, I am just friends with AJ Ware) at Infernal Bridegroom are also in the New York Times for their adaptation of Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle."