Hey everyone, welcome back to Short Story Sunday. I’ve got a bit of a fun one for you today. Mind, it is a little undercooked as I’ve been a little preoccupied with some other articles and other things lately, so just something to keep in mind as you read. Enjoy!

A Very Hot Day

It was morning in the Henley household. And a beautiful, bright morning at that. The sun was shining brighter than ever, the heat radiating from the golden orb of fire immense. The house featured a few bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms, a neat living room, an exquisite dining room, and of particular note was the highly pristine kitchen. And it was in this kitchen where we found Tate.

Tate was hanging around the kitchen, just letting the day flow by. He did this most days, it wasn’t really new for him. He was just taking it easy, having a nice day in, out of the summer heat. Tate liked to spend his days just keeping it simple, and sometimes he had a few friends to chat with. They’d entertain themselves by having a chat, by joking with each other, doing whatever really to keep themselves busy and happy. It was a genuinely simple yet good life to live.

On this particular day, Tate had a few friends with him to keep him company. It was good company at that too. Tom was one of these. Tate and Tom were really good mates, the best of friends. They’d known each other for so long, it felt like they’d never been apart. They’d always hang out together, do everything together. They were truely best mates. Tom was looking a little red today. Tate spoke up, and asked him why.

‘Hey Tom, you’re lookin’ a bit on the red side today mate. You alright? You get burnt or something in the sun?’

‘No, I’m fine’, Tom replied, ‘Just my usual self, you know how it is.’

Tate looked at him, ‘Yeah, well, I guess I do.’

Tom wasn’t the only one with Tate today. Annie was also with the guys today. Annie Yen was a fun one to talk to. And she had some great stories to tell. But some of them were so deep or just so hilarious, they actually brought tears to your eyes. Only she could do that, it was just purely amazing. The stories also kept the others highly entertained, and they all really enjoyed hearing these tales of humour or of woe. Tate for one was really excited to have Annie there today.

‘Hey Annie, you got a good one for us today?’

‘Yeah Tate, it’s a real tragic one too. I’m sure you’ll all love it’, Annie replied.

‘Sounds delectable’, said Tate.

There was one more friend with the three today. This was none other than Peter. Peter was a small guy, quite short in fact. He was a fun little guy. He had a really big family too. Tate was sure he’d heard Peter tell them how many family members he had once. Although he couldn’t quite remember the number. But he knew it was a lot. In fact, he thought he’d ask again just to make sure.

‘Hey Peter.’

‘Yeah Tate?’

‘How many did you say were in your family?’

‘Oh, about a hundred and ninety-six I think. Actually, make that one ninety-seven. We had another join the family a few days ago.’

‘Wow, that’s a lot.’

‘Yeah how is your family that big?’ said Tom.

‘I’ve got a lot of cousins.’

‘Really?’ Annie inquired.

‘Yeah. Some have slightly odd names too. Like Snow, Sugar, Sweetie, Peaches. And then there’s Peta. Lots of cousins. The family gatherings can get immense.’

‘I’d imagine so’, said Tate.

The four friends were all together in the kitchen. All were having a chat, happily discussing what they had each been up to and what their plans were for the coming days. Annie was right in the middle of telling her tragic story when something happened. Something sharp and silver was laid down next to them. Annie kept telling her story despite the minor disruption, but Tate noticed something different about her. Her skin was peeling slightly.

‘Hey Annie, sorry to interrupt, but your skin looks a little out of sorts. Like it’s peeling.’

‘Oh, yeah, I don’t know why it’s doing that. Probably the sun or something, you know?’ Annie replied.

‘Ah, yeah, that’s probably it,’ said Tate.

Annie went back to her storytelling just as Tate noticed that the sharp object next to them had disappeared. He was just thinking how strange that was when that object came down and struck Annie. The others started shouting and screaming, freaking out at the stabbing that was occurring in front of them.

‘Argh, I’ve been stabbed!’ Annie shouted, sounding highly alarmed.

‘What’s going on?!’ Tate yelled.

‘Arrrrrghhhh!’ Tom screamed at the top of his voice.

‘Oh my gosh!’ Peter chimed in.

After the initial stabbing, the knife came down again and stabbed Annie a few more times.

‘Oh golly, it’s killing her!’ said Tate.

After Annie had been sliced up, the knife came down again, this time heading for Tom. Tate looked up and saw it coming.

‘Tom! Watch out!’

Tom tried to move out of the way.

‘I can’t move! I can’t move!’ Tom shouted.

The knife came down and stabbed Tom.

‘Arggggggghhhhh!’ Tom screamed loudly.

‘Tom! No!’ screamed Tate.

‘Get out of here while you still can!’ Tom shouted.

The knife came down a few more times, slicing up Tom, and then it cut off his head.

‘Oh my, what in the..?’ Tate questioned, taken aback by the situation playing out in front of his very eyes. Just as he was doing this, he was sliced in half.

Peter meanwhile had survived the carnage. He sat there, somewhat disheartened that his friends were gone. He was content however, as he had been spared, and could live on with his family and his numerous cousins. He was just sitting there, thinking this to himself, when he noticed that he was floating. He was then hovering over something, and it was hot, really hot. He could see bubbles in there though, so that could be alright. Then he started falling. It was at this point that he had a mid-air revelation, and he realised he hadn’t been floating, he’d been lifted up. And now here he was, falling, falling, descending into a hot, bubbly spring. He could see something below, a sea of green. He realised something about it. It wasn’t just a sea of green, it was his family, and all his cousins were in attendance. Well, except for Pyotr, but he was always late to these events. Then he hit the water and started boiling. It was at this point he realised this was the end of the line for not only him, but for his whole family. Because he was in a kitchen, and he was in a pot filled with boiling water. And he was being served with the roast for lunch in about ten minutes. Why? Because, if you haven’t already worked this out, Peter was a pea. And who else was in the pot with him? None other than a chopped up Tate, the potato. And in the tray next to them were Tom the tomato, and Annie Yen, the onion. Because this was no simple story about some friends having a chat and then ending up stabbed. No, this was a story about four vegetables, each being served for lunch with a beautiful roast lamb for the Henley family.

There you go. Hope you enjoyed it. More to come on the blog soon. Keep an eye out for upcoming articles. Have a good one!

JJ

Hey everyone, welcome back to another Flashback Friday, the segment where we wrap up the week that was. So as always, let’s get right into it.

We’ll start with the World Cup once again. The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia has come to a close, with France defeating Croatia 4-2 in the Final to become Champions Of The World. Both teams played a great match, however the French were just too good for the Croatians, with even 19 year old Kylian Mbappe making an impact and securing the fourth and final goal for his side. The Closing Ceremony was also a highlight, with Nicky Jam, Era Istrefi and Will Smith headlining the colourful spectacular, with a rendition of this year’s Official World Cup Song, Live It Up. The Final was also interrupted, with four members of a protest rock group invading the pitch in the second half, resulting in the match being halted while they were escorted off the pitch by security. The four, three females and one male, have since been jailed for 15 days, and have all been banned from attending sporting events in Russia for the next three years. The World Cup has now officially ended, and France reign as Champions for just the second time in their history, whilst Croatia Place second, Belgium third, and England fourth. The next World Cup will be in Qatar, and will run from November 21 to December 18, which will be in the Winter in Qatar. This will be the first time in history that leagues around the world will have to be paused for the World Cup, and will then resume after the 2022 World Cup concludes.

In some good news this week, the Thai boys who were trapped in a cave in Chiang Rai have been released from hospital this week, fronting a press conference after their release. They have all been given a clean bill of health, and spoke of their trials and tribulations in the cave. They will return to playing football again soon, however they will first be entering the monkhood in order to commemorate the memory of Thai Navy SEAL Saman Gunan. They will enter as novices and dedicate their entry to the Navy SEAL who tragically died after running out of oxygen when returning to the outside of the cave. This is considered to be one of the highest honours for an individual in the monkhood. Part of the boys survival was thanks to meditation that was taught to them by their coach Ekapol Chanthawong, who is himself a Buddhist monk. The boys told of how they survived their ordeal, but also how they have learnt and grown from the experience, and have come out the other side more resilient and more courageous than ever. This was a life-changing experience for them, and they have become even closer as a result. They are now all back in their own homes with their families, who couldn’t be happier.

In a bit of world news now, and US President Donald Trump has made headlines more than once this week, with visits to both the UK and Russia. He first met with British Prime Minister Theresa May, who he allegedly told to ‘sue the European Union’ rather than negotiate with them. May has since made it clear she has disregarded the advice given to her by the US President, stating that the UK will be ‘going into negotiations with them’. Trump then moved on to meet with the Queen, arriving late to have tea with her, before breaking royal protocol by wondering aimlessly in front of her when the two of them were walking between the Royal Guard, blocking the Queen from view. Also of note, the Queen was wearing a particular brooch when meeting the President of the United Stats, specifically one that former US President Barack Obama had given her upon meeting her. There was also a minor error in the photo taken of the Queen with Trump and the First Lady, with a dog bowl noticeable in the bottom right hand corner of the image, something that should have been taken away from the area but was mistakenly left behind. After Trump’s meeting with the Queen, he moved on to Russia, flying to Helsinki to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The meeting was a highly anticipated one, with many expecting him to condemn Putin and Russia for meddling in the 2016 US Presidential Election. However, he was quite friendly with the Russian President, and failed to directly confront him about the issue. After the meeting and after arriving back in the US, he tweeted out saying it had been successful. After a Cabinet meeting, when asked if the Russians were still involved with targeting the US, Trump denied they were, which contradicted a warning given by National Intelligence Director Dan Coats that Russia was still engaged in ‘ongoing, pervasive efforts’ to interfere with US Elections. Later on spokeswoman Sarah Sanders clarified Trump’s earlier ‘no’ meant he didn’t want to answer questions from the press, and that they believed the threat still existed. Trump then told CBS News that he holds Putin personally responsible for Russian interference in the US Election, claiming to have told Putin that the US was no longer going to allow for this to happen. However, many are still not convinced, and are uncertain as to just where Trump stands on this issue and where his relationship with Putin is at.

And in some entertainment news, the first trailer for the new series of Doctor Who has been released this week. The trailer shows the new Doctor in action alongside three new companions. For the first time in the show’s history, the Doctor is now female, with Jodie Whittaker taking on the role under new showrunner Chris Chibnall. The new companions include Yaz, played by Mandip Gill, Ryan, played by Tosin Cole, and Graham, played by Bradley Walsh, who may be more familiar to some people. The new sonic screwdriver has also made its debut, being shown off by Whittaker at San Diego Comic Con during the Doctor Who panel this week. The cast and crew are all very excited about the direction the show is taking, and all have seen just how well Jodie is taking on the role of the Doctor. Whittaker and Chibnall worked together previously on the BBC show Broadchurch, with highly acclaimed and one of the most well known Doctors of the modern era, Tenth Doctor David Tennant. The new season will most likely not begin airing until Autumn in the US, which begins in late September.

And that’s it for another Flashback Friday. Hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for more in the coming days. Have a good one!

JJ

Hello my faithful readers. For those of you who have been keeping up with the blog of late, you’ll know what time it is. For those who haven’t, well, you’ll still know what time it is. That’s right, World Cup Wednesday is back again, but this time it’s the 2018 Season Finale. Yes, you heard me right, or rather, read correctly, this is it, the Final Edition of World Cup Wednesday for this year, and in reality, for just over four years. The World Cup has finished, the final two matches have been played. And here we are, at the very end of the 2018 tournament, just over a month since the first edition of World Cup Wednesday, with the eighth and final edition of World Cup Wednesday. So, as always, let’s get into the matches.

Belgium v England: The Third Place Playoff. In all honesty, this game is realistically unnecessary, as it’s really just determining who the bigger loser of these two losing teams is. But that aside, Belgium wrapped this game up very quickly, and very easily. With a goal inside the first four minutes of the match, it was all too easy for Belgium to take the win from their position. Belgium strengthened their defence, even going so far as to bring on another defender for an attacker. And England flailed. They got desperate, trying whatever they could to net just one goal. But after changing a decent number of personnel in their starting eleven, and with Harry Kane struggling to make an impact, most likely due to an injury he picked up against Colombia in the Round Of 16, England just couldn’t break the Belgian defence. And after another goal late in the match, it was all over. Belgium took third place, a historical milestone for them, and England went home fourth, which still wasn’t all too bad for them, a stellar World Cup for both teams.

France v Croatia: The Final. The most spectacular match of football you will see in the world. This is the moment that everyone waits for, that every team in the World Cup so desperately wants to get to. It’s what each country works so hard for in the tournament, and it always provides top quality entertainment. This year was no different in that aspect. But it was so much more than so many of the World Cup Finals before it. France. Croatia. Both of these teams were fighting that hardest they ever had for their country. It was France’s first World Cup Final in 12 years, after losing their last one against Italy back in 2006. And France were the favourites, having won the Cup once before back in 1998. But for Croatia, this was a historical moment which they would never forget. Their first World Cup Final in 88 years of World Cup History. It was just monumental that they reached the Final, however, the occasion would become all the greater if they had won. And the match was a brilliant one. The Closing Ceremony was well put together, headlined by Nicky Jam, Era Istrefi, and the one and only Will Smith. After a good quality performance of the World Cup Song Live It Up, the Closing Ceremony was over, and the match began. Both teams were strong, but Croatia looked stronger at the start of the Final. However, after the first own goal in a World Cup Final was scored by Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, France picked up their game. A controversial penalty decision made by the VAR 20 minutes later gave the French side a 2-1 lead, after Ivan Perisic had scored for the Croatians 10 minutes before. And the scores were left that way at half time. The second half saw even more history created. French midfielder Paul Pogba put France 3-1 up in the 59th, with a goal from 19 year old Kylian Mbappe making it 4-1 just 6 minutes later, making him the youngest player to score in a World Cup Final since Pele in 1958. Croatian striker Mandzukic managed to put another one in for Croatia in the 69th, but it wasn’t enough, with France winning the World Cup Final 4-2, the highest scoring game since England edged West Germany 4-2 back in the 1966 World Cup Final. After a World Cup Final filled with drama, including the game being halted after four pitch invaders ran rampant on the pitch, France reigned victorious, and took the glory of the World Cup home with them. Croatia should still be very proud of themselves as a team and as a nation, after their best World Cup tournament in history. The Final was really a true marvel, and a congratulations to both nations for their efforts.

Highlight Of The Final Two Matches: The highlight was most definitely the Final. The match was a thriller, and a high scoring one at that. Seeing both teams do everything they could to win this, the most coveted match in the world, is something that is absolutely brilliant to watch. It was filled with historical moments, moments of pure class, goals that were just spectacular, and some of the most talented players in the world. It was truly a wondrous match, a marvel to watch, and there is really nothing else quite like it.

History Made: There was a fair bit of history made in the World Cup Final this year. Croatia created history after by playing their first ever World Cup Final. Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic created history after scoring the first ever own goal in World Cup History. The VAR was used to award France a penalty for the first time in a Final. This was also the first World Cup Final in which pitch invaders made their way onto the pitch during play, disrupting the match and forcing it to be brought to a halt. Kylian Mbappe was the youngest player, at 19 years of age, to score at a World Cup Final since Pele, who scored 2 goals in the World Cup Final in 1958 at the same age. It was also the first time in decades that a goal was scored in a final from outside the box, in this case the scorer being French midfielder Paul Pogba. And finally, this was the highest scoring Final since the 1966 World Cup Final in England, which England won 4-2 after edging West Germany as they were then in extra time, with the score for this year’s World Cup Final being 4-2 to France, who did it in regular time. A World Cup Final for the history books for sure.

So that’s it. The World Cup is over. The Final is complete, and France have taken home the coveted World Cup, and the titles that go with it. It’s been a great one, but that’s the end of World Cup Wednesday for this year’s edition of the FIFA World Cup. Little hint though: there may be a World Cup Wrap-Up in the works for release next Wednesday to finish it up. But as for World Cup Wednesday, it’s goodbye for now, and see you all in just over four years in the nation of Qatar, when the World Cup will be making history once again by being played in Winter (Summer here in Australia), in November and December. But for now, France are your 2018 FIFA World Cup Champions. So for the final time for this year, this has been World Cup Wednesday, signing off. Hope you enjoyed the World Cup!

JJ

Hey there everyone, welcome back to Mystery Monday. This blog is sure keeping me busy. So for today’s Mystery Monday, you all get another poem, this one being one I wrote last year. Thought it would be good to share though, so enjoy it!

The Potato

There was once a potato,
Who was nice and round,
He was large for his size,
And he lay on the ground.

He minded his own business,
And kept it at that,
But this potato was different,
Cause he wore a hat.

But that was not all,
Because as was his root,
This classy potato,
Well, he wore a suit.

That was not it though,
Cause this little guy,
Wore on his suit,
A little red tie.

And yet there was more,
What else might you ask?
Well this little potato,
Had a little moustache.

Yet that was not all,
Cause as was his type,
This little potato,
Smoked a little brown pipe.

But see this potato,
He needed carrying space,
And so carried with him,
A small black suitcase.

And within this suitcase,
We’re not business tips,
Surprisingly instead,
There was a bag of potato chips.

That little potato,
What an odd little guy,
He was once my friend,
But now, he’s a French fry.

And there you have it. Another Mystery Monday. If you want Part 2 of the potato story (because there is a Part 2), like the post, give the blog a follow and leave a comment. Hope you enjoyed this one!

JJ

Hey everyone, you know what time it is. That’s right, World Cup Wednesday is back again. We’ve had a number of editions of this, everyone’s favourite segment. In fact, I lost count, although I’ve made sure and this is the seventh edition. Wow, isn’t that just amazing? (If you didn’t say yes, then I don’t know why.) This just continues to break records doesn’t

it? Anyway, the World Cup Semi Finals have been completed, and we now move on to the Third Place Play Off, and the coveted World Cup Final. But first, a review of the Semis.

France v Belgium: The Semis were always going to be close, and so was this match. Belgium had played a stellar World Cup, and France were proving to be a tough opponent to beat. Both teams hadn’t lost a single match thus far. In fact, Belgium had actually won all their matches, and this opportunity was everything for them. It was their first World Cup Semi Final in 32 years. But despite their efforts, it wasn’t to be, with France taking the win from a single goal scored by defender Samuel Umtiti in the 51st minute. This puts them through to their first World Cup Final since 2006, 12 years ago. Unfortunately for Belgium, the dream for this year at least, is over. Although they will get a chance to play for third in the Third Place Playoff against England.

Croatia v England: The scene was set for England. The English fans were elated that their team had made it this far at this year’s World Cup. The dream was alive, and they were going to do everything possible to get to their first World Cup Final since 1966, when they won the Cup. The English were so hopeful, and their hopes rose dramatically when Kieran Trippier scored in the 5th minute of the match. The English held the 1-0 lead for the rest of the first half, and them kept it going in the second. But it all started to spiral for them when Croatia’s Ivan Perisic put one in the back of the net in the 68th. The two sides couldn’t be separated for the rest of the match, and so extra time ensued. And whilst the scores were level at the end of the first half of extra time, it all went wrong for England early in the second, when Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic scored the winning goal in the 108th. It was just too much for England, who had players that had sustained some injuries, including striker Harry Kane. But after all that happened, England were sent to the Third Place Playoff against Belgium, and Croatia made World Cup History, making their first ever World Cup Final, and will play France in one of the toughest matches they will probably ever play.

Highlight Of The Semi Finals: The highlight of the Semis, although not really what many people wanted to see, particularly the English supporters, was Croatia making the World Cup Final. This is the first time in World Cup History that Croatia has made the Final, and their supporters are quite obviously going crazy about it. They have quite a challenge to face now in France.

Controversy: In the Croatia v England match, the standard of refereeing seemed to fall short of what it should have been for a World Cup Semi Final. Of particular notice was when the ball went out of play but play continued on as the referee did not recognise it as out of play, and in all reality, this should have been picked up by the linesman. This occurred a couple of times in the match, and throw ins should have been given, but were not. The other blatant error in refereeing was when, towards the end of the second half of extra time, England were denied a corner even though the ball clearly came off the head of one of the Croatian players and went out of play. Croatia were given a goal kick by the referee, however, it was a clear corner, and the decision wasn’t even reviewed by the VAR, therefore showing it is, once again, being misused. These errors change games, and you never know if England would have equalised from the corner they were denied. Hopefully the refereeing is up to high quality standards in the World Cup Final.

What To Expect From The Third Place Playoff And The World Cup Final: Well, here we are. The final two matches of this year’s World Cup. It’s been a brilliant one this year, and now we are coming to its end. The Third Place Playoff. The World Cup Final. One match which, realistically, determines who is the bigger loser, and the other which determines who the Champions Of The World are. The Third Place Playoff will be an interesting one, all things considered. Both teams are playing for pride. England will be attempting to edge Belgium for the second time this World Cup, although it was debatable whether or not they were actually trying to win against them in their Group Stage match. Belgium will be looking to at least gain third place in a World Cup that has been almost perfect for them. Both teams are in some ways level, and so it will be quite interesting to see who will come out on top. And then there’s the World Cup Final. It’s going to be crazy. France in a World Cup Final for the first time since 2006. Croatia in their first ever World Cup Final in World Cup History. France are obviously the favourites to win the match, having won the World Cup once before back in 1998 in their own country, winning over Brazil 3-0. Croatia, however, will do everything they can to secure that precious World Cup, and the titles to go with it, and make history for their country with a first ever World Cup victory. Both teams have not lost a single match, Croatia having won every single one of their six matches so far, France having won five and drawn one in their six matches. Both teams have a shot at this Final, and both will be fighting harder than they ever have before to win, and be crowned Champions Of The World. Enjoy the Final!

JJ