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Where’s My Bike?
A starry dream realized.
Arguably one of the (if not the) best paintings in history is “Starry Night” by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. The swirling images, as told with brush strokes of vivid, other-worldly colors, has mesmerized generations of art lovers and casual viewers alike. This masterpiece has an eternally transcendent quality and that’s why tributes to this famous painting resonate so powerfully.
Someone even dared to take a stroll on this world renowned classic.
“In the Dutch town of Eindhoven, artist Daan Roosegaarde has paid homage to its most famous resident, Vincent Van Gogh, by creating a glowing bike path that relies on solar-powered LED lights and interprets his classic painting Starry Night” (NPR, In a Dutch Town, A Glowing Bike Path Inspired By Van Gogh).
You can close your eyes and imagine what this wild vision would look like, or you can just click on the video below:
You can ride your bike or take a romantic stroll on this glowing masterpiece.
Either way, talk about following a path to the stars.
These Games Should Be Scary Good
First of all, every fan (and team) should applaud and mimic the national pride the Brazilians showed last night by walking into the stadium for the first match of the 2014 World Cup with their hands on the shoulder of the teammate in front of them and by singing their national anthems with heartfelt passion.
It was a beautiful sight.
Three games scheduled today will continue the excitement from Brazil’s 3-1 victory against the Mandžukić-less Croatian side yesterday afternoon (the final score was a bit misleading). These matches include: Mexico v. Cameroon (Noon ET), Spain v. Netherlands (3:00 p.m. ET) and Chile v. Australia (6:00 p.m. ET). Not only will these matches provide us with a good idea of the dynamics for Groups A & B, but it’s also Friday the 13th. Just something to keep in mind. You never know what may happen?
After all, who would have predicted a Brazilian own-goal to open the scoring at this year’s World Cup?
Actually, Big Head the turtle probably picked that…
What to watch for:
Can Mexico erase the mighty struggles it endured during CONCACAF qualifying and compete at the highest-level versus Cameroon? It could go wither way for El Tri. In all likelihood, Brazil will win Group A, but it will be fascinating to watch which team will secure that coveted second spot. At this point, Croatia, Mexico or Cameroon could play themselves into the Final 16 with some purposeful and creative footballing rhythm.
Chile v. Australia will prove as a good example at this World Cup of two teams that may not be highly regarded, but who have the potential to be trouble for the teams that are better known and more heavily favored (ie- Spain and the Netherlands). As Croatia showed, a few dangerous crosses by David can put Goliath in a tricky, uncomfortable spot.
Spain v. Netherlands: a rematch of the 2010 World Cup Final. What form will Spain show up in? Will the Dutch be less physical and more fluid in possession and be more attacking-centric? The World Cup should always kickoff with the host nation before its home crowd, but this match-up warrants nearly as much hype. This game could be a nil-nil tie, a 2-2 tie or a thrilling 1-nil win or even a 3-1 domination. Don’t underestimate Spain and don’t underestimate the Dutch in 2014. The tournament is in the “games” phase right now, which means that an explosive offense can make up for early, silly defensive mistakes. Maybe not necessarily for the group stage, but this match can go a long way in defining each squad regarding its style of play and ultimate potential in its equal pursuit towards World Cup glory far beyond the round of 32.
Now, back to the Friday the 13th issue. In soccer, crazy things can and will happen. Today’s superstitious date adds just a little more spice to that Moqueca de Camarão. The question is: for what teams/players will this famed curse affect?
Perhaps keep an eye out for players wearing #13…
Mexico: Diego Reyes
Cameroon: Eric Choupo Molting
Spain: Juan Mata
Netherlands: Joël Veltman
Chile: Jose Rojas
Australia: Oliver Bozanic
Maybe the Dutch should wear black kits today, since their mascot is a lion, which is a member of the cat family…
Got Slogans?
A recent article on CNN revealed the winning slogans for all the teams that will be playing at the World Cup in Brazil this summer. The winning slogans, written by fans from each country, will be displayed on the team buses for all to see during the tournament. A few are good, but most of them are bad.
Solution?
Here is Jimmy’s Daily Planet’s list of better, more realistic team mottoes for some of the 32 teams that will compete in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil:
Algeria: “Yes, We’ll Keep Track of Landon Donovan This Time”
Argentina: “We Have Lionel Messi, So Yeah”
Australia: “Forget Kangaroos, We’re Bringing Our Damn Crocodiles!”
Belgium: “At the End of This, You’ll All Be Eating Waffles”
Bosnia and Herzegovina: “If You Lose to Us, Everybody Will Know”
Brazil: “Win or Lose, We’ll Be in the Final!”
Colombia: “We Brought Our Own White Powder to Line the Fields With…”
England: “Excited For Our 10-Day Vacation Every 4 Years!”
Ghana: “Time to Beat the U.S. Again”
Honduras: “Just Happy to Be Here”
Italy: “And You Thought a Flower Blew Over Easily”
Japan: “We Have the Sudoku of Defenses”
Mexico: “We Have No Idea How We Got Such an Easy Group Again (Ju$t Kidding, We Know)”
Holland: “Real Men Wear Orange” (It’s the real one, but it’s so awesome & true!)
Portugal: “We Have a Star Player Named Ronaldo Who Speaks Portuguese Playing at the World Cup in Brazil…I Mean, C’mon”
Russia: “What’s This Rule About Wearing Jerseys?”
Spain: “Hey, Does Anybody Care or Want to See the World Cup Right Now!?”
Switzerland: “We Don’t Want to Offend or Defend Anyone”
Uruguay: “South America’s ‘Middle Child’ Will Be Kicking Butts & Taking Names!”
The United States of America: “One Nation, Under God, We’re Praying”
A little truth in advertising doesn’t hurt. It definitely revealed how Spain would fare 4 years ago with their simple slogan:
Spain in 2010: “We’re Going to Win”
P.S. You have no idea how painful it was for me to write that as a longtime and dedicated Dutch fan…just one delicate foot deflection away!
Damn, it still hurts.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 