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Tuesday 21 June 2016

Josephine Miles: Belief and Family ("This is what is called the brotherhood of man")

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Children of Syria: image via Mahmoud AlhajiOthman @saefazzan, 20 June 2016

Josephine Miles: Belief

Mother said to call her if the H-bomb exploded
And I said I would, and it about did
When Louis my brother robbed a service station
And lay cursing on the oily cement in handcuffs.

But by that time it was too late to tell Mother,
She was too sick to worry the life out of her
Over why why. Causation is sequence
And everything is one thing after another.

Besides, my other brother, Eddie, had got to be President,
And you can't ask too much of one family.
The chances were as good for a good future
As bad for a bad one.

Therefore it was surprising that, as we kept the newspapers from Mother,
She died feeling responsible for a disaster unverified,
Murmuring, in her sleep as it seemed, the ancient slogan
Noblesse oblige.                                   

Josephine Miles (1911-1985): Belief, 1955, from Collected Poems 1930-1983


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Gas station, Washington, D.C.: photo by John Vachon, July 1937 (Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8b31000/8b31400/8b31481v.jpg

Gas station and gospel mission, Cleveland, Ohio: photo by John Vachon, August 1937
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress) 
 
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8a11000/8a11200/8a11201v.jpg

Gas station, Butte, Montana: photo by Arthur Rothstein, Summer 1939
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8c17000/8c17000/8c17048v.jpg

Gas station at night, Dubuque, Iowa: photo by John Vachon, April 1940
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8a33000/8a33700/8a33747v.jpg

An "open all night" gas station in  Durham, North Carolina: photo by Jack Delano, May 1940
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8a06000/8a06800/8a06832v.jpg

Gas station, Benton Harbor, Michigan: photo by John Vachon, July 1940
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8c05000/8c05400/8c05405v.jpg

 Gas station in Franklin, Heard County, Georgia, nine o'clock in the evening: photo by Jack Delano, April 1941
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8b29000/8b29400/8b29416v.jpg

Gas station, Minneapolis, Minnesota: photo by John Vachon, January 1942
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8c20000/8c20700/8c20732v.jpg

Gas station and road house, Union County, Illinois: photo by John Vachon, February 1942
(Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress) 

Josephine Miles: Family

When you swim in the surf off Seal Rocks, and your family
Sits in the sand
Eating potato salad, and the undertow
Comes which takes you out away down
To loss of breath loss of play and the power of play
Holler, say
Help, help, help. Hello, they will say,
Come back here for some potato salad.

It is then that a seventeen-year-old cub
Cruising in a helicopter from Antigua,
A jackstraw expert speaking only Swedish
And remote from this area as a camel, says
Look down there, there is somebody drowning.
And it is you. You say, yes, yes,
And he throws you a line.

Josephine Miles (1911-1985): Family, from Collected Poems 1930-1983




Children of Aleppo: image via Hozaifa Dahmaan @hozaifadahmaan, 20 June 2016



[Untitled]: image via Milad Shehabi @miladsyrian, 12 June 2016


@berkeleyside @ChevronRichmond i see...: image via Ariel Nava photo @arielnavaphoto, 20 June 2016


#Israel #Palestinian #Ramadan Muslim worshippers make their way at the Qalandia checkpoint  @AFP by @Abbasmomani: image via Aurelia Bailly @AureliaBAILLY, 20 June 2016


 #Israel #Palestinian #Ramadan Muslim worshippers make their way at the Qalandia checkpoint  @AFP by @Abbasmomani: image via Aurelia Bailly @AureliaBAILLY, 20 June 2016


People in Belarus celebrate Kupala night: image via AFP news agency @AFP, 20 June 2016

Young people wearing Belarus traditional clothes and wreaths dance around a bonfire as they celebrate the Ivan Kupala night, an ancient heathen holiday, held in the countryside near Minsk, on June 19, 2016.

Young people wearing Belarus traditional clothes and wreaths dance around a bonfire as they celebrate the Ivan Kupala night, an ancient heathen holiday, held in the countryside near Minsk last night.: photo by Maxim Malinovsky/AFP, 20 June 2016

Young people wearing Belarus traditional clothes and wreaths dance around a bonfire as they celebrate the Ivan Kupala night, an ancient heathen holiday, held in the countryside near Minsk, on June 19, 2016.

Young people wearing Belarus traditional clothes and wreaths dance around a bonfire as they celebrate the Ivan Kupala night, an ancient heathen holiday, held in the countryside near Minsk last night.: photo by Maxim Malinovsky/AFP, 20 June 2016


Indian yoga practitioners participate in a rehearsal for #InternationalDayofYoga in New #Delhi #Yoga #AFP: image via Chandan Khanna @Chandanphoto, 19 June 2016

Indian schoolchildren participate in a yoga session at a school in Chennai on June 20, 2016, on the eve of International Yoga Day. 4001 schoolchildren participated in the demonstration. Yoga, which means union in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices and also a school of spiritual thought from the South East Asian continent, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means of enlightenment. / AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKARARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images

 Indian schoolchildren participate in a yoga session at a school in Chennai on the eve of International Yoga Day: photo by Arun Sankar/AFP, 20 June 2016

Indian schoolchildren participate in a yoga session at a school in Chennai on June 20, 2016, on the eve of International Yoga Day. 4001 schoolchildren participated in the demonstration. Yoga, which means union in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices and also a school of spiritual thought from the South East Asian continent, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means of enlightenment. / AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKARARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images

Indian schoolchildren participate in a yoga session at a school in Chennai on the eve of International Yoga Day: photo by Arun Sankar/AFP, 20 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

Indian schoolchildren participate in a yoga session at a school in Chennai: photo by Arun Sankar / AFP, 20 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

People practice yoga on the outskirts of Beijing, China: photo by Reuters, 20 June 2016


PAKISTAN - Food preparations for Iftar are pictured onto the cart of a street seller in Karachi. By Asif Hassan #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 18 June 2016


Daily life at the Syrian refugee camp at Kab Elias in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley #AFP photo by @Patrick_Baz: image via Aurelia Bailly @AureliaBAILLY, 20 June 2016



Daily life at the Syrian refugee camp at Kab Elias in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley #AFP photo by @Patrick_Baz: image via Aurelia Bailly @AureliaBAILLY, 20 June 2016



Daily life at the Syrian refugee camp at Kab Elias in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley #AFP photo by @Patrick_Baz: image via Aurelia Bailly @AureliaBAILLY, 20 June 2016


LEBANON - A Syrian refugee sits with his children in a makeshift tent in a refugee camp in Kab Elias. By @Patrick_Baz: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 20 June 2016


 

A rescuer grabs a rope to prevent a raft carrying residents from being flushed away as residents are evacuated from a flooded area in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China: photo by Reuters/Stringer, 19 June 2016


#China #weather Clouds are seen above residential buildings in Shanghai #AFP Photo by @johaynz: image via Aurelia Bailly @AureliaBAILLY, 20 June 2016


PAKISTAN - Young Afghan refugee boys ride on a donkey cart in Islamabad. By Aamir Qureshi #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardafp, 20 June 2016


PAKISTAN - An Afghan refugee girl makes a carpet at a small factory in Peshawar. By A Majeed #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardafp, 20 June 2016


INDONESIA - A woman washes laundry while surrounded by silt and mud after flash floods in Kamulyan. By Rohmat Syarif #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardafp, 20 June 2016


NIGER - A boy walks on the dried banks of the Komadugu River near Diffa. By Issouf Sanogo #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardafp, 20 June 2016


SYRIA - Rescuers search the rubble of building following a gov. forces attack in Aleppo. By Thaer Mohammed #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardafp, 20 June 2016


AFGHANISTAN - Firefighters wash down a road at the site of Taliban suicide attack in Kabul. By @shahmarai #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 20 June 2016 
 

INDONESIA - A Sri Lankan migrant washes himself near the beach in Lhoknga. By @mirroreye #AFP: image via LeCoMax @lecomaxnews, 20 June 2016


Syria  A fighter from the #Manbij militia during an op. to try to retake the town, held by #ISIS By @Delilsouleman: image via Photojournalism @photojournalink, 20 June 2016


CHINA - Waste collectors ride their loaded tricycles on the streets in Shanghai. By @johaynz #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 20 June 2016


MYANMAR - Female Oriental-Magpie robin fight with Garden Lizard at the Hlawga National Park @AFPphoto @ye_aung_thu: image via YeAungThu @ye_aung_thu, 20 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

Men pray as they wait to break the fast in Karachi, Pakistan: photo by Shahzaib Akber / EPA, 20 June 2016


AFGHANISTAN - An elderly man reads the Koran during Ramadan at a mosque in Herat. By @Arefkarimi #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 20 June 2016


Israeli troops demolishing unlicensed sheds belonging to Palestinians near Yatta in the West Bank on Sunday: photo by Mussa Issa Qawasma/Reuters, 19 June 2016



Israeli troops demolishing unlicensed sheds belonging to Palestinians near Yatta in the West Bank on Sunday: photo by Mussa Issa Qawasma/Reuters, 19 June 2016


Houses in the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim in the West Bank, with the Palestinian village of Al-Eizariya in the background,
The Israeli government on Sunday approved about $20 million in additional financing for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank underlining its strengthened right-wing orientation and raising the ire of political opponents and the Palestinians.: photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters, 19 June 2016


 

Houses in the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim in the West Bank, with the Palestinian village of Al-Eizariya in the background, The Israeli government on Sunday approved about $20 million in additional financing for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank underlining its strengthened right-wing orientation and raising the ire of political opponents and the Palestinians.: photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters, 19 June 2016

An Iraqi girl who fled from of Islamic State violence, is seen during World Refugee Day celebrations at Al-salam refugee camp in Baghdad, Iraq, June 20, 2016.

An Iraqi girl who fled from of Islamic State violence, is seen during World Refugee Day celebrations at Al-salam refugee camp in Baghdad, Iraq: photo by Ahmed Saad/Reuters, 20 June 20, 2016

An Iraqi girl who fled from of Islamic State violence, is seen during World Refugee Day celebrations at Al-salam refugee camp in Baghdad, Iraq, June 20, 2016.

An Iraqi girl who fled from of Islamic State violence, is seen during World Refugee Day celebrations at Al-salam refugee camp in Baghdad, Iraq: photo by Ahmed Saad/Reuters, 20 June 20, 2016

A devotee performs a stunt during the Jal Yatra procession ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot procession, which will be held on July 6, in Ahmedabad, India, June 20, 2016.

A devotee performs a stunt during the Jal Yatra procession ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot procession July 6, in Ahmedabad, India: photo by Amit Dave/Reuters, 20 June 2016

A devotee performs a stunt during the Jal Yatra procession ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot procession, which will be held on July 6, in Ahmedabad, India, June 20, 2016.

A devotee performs a stunt during the Jal Yatra procession ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot procession July 6, in Ahmedabad, India: photo by Amit Dave/Reuters, 20 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

A currency trader looks at monitors at the foreign exchange room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea: photo by Ahn Young-joon / AP, 20 June 2016 

World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

A man tries to make his way through a flooded area in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China: photo by Reuters, 20 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

Men pray as they wait to break the fast in Karachi, Pakistan: photo by Shahzaib Akber / EPA, 20 June 2016

 World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

A woman checks her phone before morning prayers in the Old City of Arce: photo by Ammar Awad / Reuters, 20 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 20, 2016

Chiquinho, a 12-year-old cat, enjoys a motorcycle ride around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP, 20 June 2016


plum tree: image via Julia Carrie Wong @juliacarriew, 17 June 2016


Snow White greeted tourists at the $5.5 billion Disneyland in Shanghai, which was in its first week of operation. The company offered concessions to persuade the Chinese to allow it to build there.: photo by Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times, 16 June 2016 



Snow White greeted tourists at the $5.5 billion Disneyland in Shanghai, which was in its first week of operation. The company offered concessions to persuade the Chinese to allow it to build there.: photo by Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times, 16 June 2016 


It rained on Tuesday, on the first day of races, at Ascot Racecourse in Britain, prompting this couple to share an umbrella: photo by Toby Melville/Reuters, 14 June 2016

 

It rained on Tuesday, on the first day of races, at Ascot Racecourse in Britain, prompting this couple to share an umbrella: photo by Toby Melville/Reuters, 14 June 2016

 
Men’s clothing by Aitor Throup, which he called the New Object Research Collection, was displayed in London on Sunday: photo by Tom Jamieson for The New York Times, 12 June 2016

 

Men’s clothing by Aitor Throup, which he called the New Object Research Collection, was displayed in London on Sunday: photo by Tom Jamieson for The New York Times, 12 June 2016

Wales supporter cheer during the Euro 2016 Group B soccer match between England and Wales at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, France, Thursday, June 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Welsh supporters cheer during the Euro 2016 Group B soccer match between England and Wales at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, France: photo by Michel Spingler/AP, 16 June 2016

 Wales supporter cheer during the Euro 2016 Group B soccer match between England and Wales at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, France, Thursday, June 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler) 

Welsh supporters cheer during the Euro 2016 Group B soccer match between England and Wales at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, France: photo by Michel Spingler/AP, 16 June 2016

This is what is called the brotherhood of man


World in focus — best photos for June 15, 2016

A woman stands outside a gate in Shanghai Disney Resort in China: photo by Aly Song / Reuters, 15 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 15, 2016

An Israeli army soldier aims his laser sight at camera during a night raid as they move in to arrest Palestinian Abed Abu Eram, in Yatta, south of the city of Hebron: photo by Abed Al Hashlamoun / EPA, 15 June 2016

A Swiss fan waits for the start of the Euro 2016 Group A soccer match between Romania and Switzerland at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France

A Swiss fan waits for the start of the Euro 2016 Group A soccer match between Romania and Switzerland at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France: photo by Christophe Ena/AP, 15 June 2016

A Swiss fan waits for the start of the Euro 2016 Group A soccer match between Romania and Switzerland at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France

A Swiss fan waits for the start of the Euro 2016 Group A soccer match between Romania and Switzerland at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France: photo by Christophe Ena/AP, 15 June 2016

A Russian soldier patrols the roof of the ExpoForum Convention ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. The 20th anniversary St. Petersburg International Economic Forum which brings together heads of state and governments, political leaders, leading experts and global company executives runs from June 16-18. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

A Russian soldier patrols the roof of the ExpoForum Convention ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia: photo by Simon Dawson/Bloomberg, 15 June 2016

A Russian soldier patrols the roof of the ExpoForum Convention ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. The 20th anniversary St. Petersburg International Economic Forum which brings together heads of state and governments, political leaders, leading experts and global company executives runs from June 16-18. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

A Russian soldier patrols the roof of the ExpoForum Convention ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia: photo by Simon Dawson/Bloomberg, 15 June 201

People participate during a training session on a river ahead of a local dragon boat competition in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA.

People participate during a training session on a river ahead of a local dragon boat competition in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China: photo by Reuters, 15 June 2016

People participate during a training session on a river ahead of a local dragon boat competition in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA.

People participate during a training session on a river ahead of a local dragon boat competition in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China: photo by Reuters, 15 June 2016
  
World in focus — best photos for June 15, 2016

A seagull in a flooded meadow after heavy rain near Zell, south-western Germany: photo by Thomas Warnack / dpa via AP, 15 June 2016



A man acting as a terrorist is attacked by a dog from the canine unit of a Brazilian military police battalion, during an instructional exercise with officers of an elite unit of the French police, ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, on Rio de Janeiro's subway: photo by Ricardo Moraes / Reuters, 10 June  2016


 
Marie Segretier, age 18, helps to wrangle young bulls and brand them, in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer near Arles, France. Traditional horsemen, known as ‘Gardians’, celebrate the day in memory of the Marquis de Baroncelli and show tourists how they work. Marie works with horses and is the only cowgirl in the Staintes-Maries-de-la-Mer area.: photo by Thomas Lohnes, 26 May 2016 


 
A Western and Victorian crowned pigeon sits inside its enclosure at the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park: photo by Manan Vatsyayana / AFP, 19 May 2016



Janet Yellen arriving for a news conference on Wednesday in Washington: photo by Alex Wong, 15 June 2016



Janet Yellen arriving for a news conference on Wednesday in Washington: photo by Alex Wong, 15 June 2016


A child played Saturday in an art installation by Darya von Berner titled “Selfi” at the Matadero Madrid, a center for contemporary art in Madrid: photo by Javier Soriano/Agence France-Presse, 11 June 2016

 

A child played Saturday in an art installation by Darya von Berner titled “Selfi” at the Matadero Madrid, a center for contemporary art in Madrid: photo by Javier Soriano/Agence France-Presse, 11 June 2016

World in focus — best photos for June 18, 2016

A passenger walks at Simon Bolivar international airport in Caracas. German airline Lufthansa suspended flights to crisis-hit Venezuela for an indefinite period owing to the economic crisis in the country.: photo by Federico Parra / AFP, 18 June 2016


VENEZUELA-  A store remains closed after the country's food crisis erupted into looting in Cumana. By Manuel Trujillo: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 18 June 2016


Dionny Ramárez, 36, at the bakery in Boca de Uchire where he works. It was looted by hundreds of people on June 7. He said he grabbed the bakery’s panini press, one of its most valuable items, to keep it safe.: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 19 June 2016


Dionny Ramárez, 36, at the bakery in Boca de Uchire where he works. It was looted by hundreds of people on June 7. He said he grabbed the bakery’s panini press, one of its most valuable items, to keep it safe.: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 19 June 2016


A man searched for food last week at a grocery store in Cumaná that had been looted: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 19 June 2016


A man searched for food last week at a grocery store in Cumaná that had been looted: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 19 June 2016


National police officers during the student demonstration in Caracas: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 19 June 2016



National police officers during the student demonstration in Caracas: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 19 June 2016


The demonstration in Caracas on June 9 turned violent after the national police set up blockades. Students threw rocks and molotov cocktails at the police, who responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and a water cannon: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 17 June 2016



The demonstration in Caracas on June 9 turned violent after the national police set up blockades. Students threw rocks and molotov cocktails at the police, who responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and a water cannon: photo by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times, 17 June 2016


Sunday was World Day Against Child Labor, an effort to publicize the plight of children forced into labor. Those hands belong to Imran, 11, who works at a utensil factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.: photo by A.M. Ahad/Associated Press, 12 June 2016

 

Sunday was World Day Against Child Labor, an effort to publicize the plight of children forced into labor. Those hands belong to Imran, 11, who works at a utensil factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.: photo by A.M. Ahad/Associated Press, 12 June 2016

4 comments:

Sandra said...

as someone said "the sacred geometry of chance"....love those poems...thanks Tom!

manik sharma said...

Tom,

What a wonderful collection of photos. On one hand there is the Yoga day thing, being sold like pack of chewing gum on a cold winter night. And on the other hand we got every inch of land being prepared to bring in the corporates, who bring in their dictatorial labour rules, which in turn brings in discontentment, and dissent which is as unfit to the general structure as the man or woman lending his or her voice behind it. Nice circle we got going there.

So then there are the can't-complain-about distractions like the Euros. And so I've got to ask you Tom, have you been following ? The lesser footballing nations have arrived, it seems. But it may still be a predictable turn of events.

tpw said...

Thank you, Tom. Josephine Miles is very good. I like potato salad in my poems. And I don't really know her work well, so have just ordered her collected poems.

TC said...

Many thanks friends.

To coin a phrase (that is, lift a phrase from dear Sandra), Manik, only the sacred geometry of chance can be responsible for the survival this long of the lessers, the Irelands both, the Wales and Icelands only the one, and the other one, but how long can this be permitted to last. I have failed thus far to be able to intercept a stream without unleashing all the demons of Bovada into my private workings, though I did manage to have the freeze frame, or make that the frame freeze, just as Perisic scored for Croatia. I would expect Spain to prevail.

Terry, totally glad you dig JM. For me you're both among the elite. It's undoubtedly the quality of the potato salad distances her poems and yours from the pack.