Pollux writes:

Yesterday, I was listening to NPR and heard an interesting factoid: more Americans purchased tickets to see the Soccer World Cup than any other nationality apart from South Africans.

Has America finally fallen in love with soccer? Well, it’s complicated.

As David Wangerin points out in his book Soccer in a Football World, the United States may be a soccer-playing nation but we’re not a soccer nation. “Certainly the game has not managed to permeate popular culture,” Wangerin writes, ” - office conversations, school playgrounds, radio phone-ins and so forth - the way the major sports do, and it seems a long way from doing so.” (continued)

Pollux writes:

“I believe we can build a better world! Of course, it’ll take a whole lot of rock, water & dirt. Also, not sure where to put it.”

This tweet, by Canadian Marc MacKenzie, was crowned the most beautiful tweet at England’s Hay Festival.

The judge? The brilliant Stephen Fry, who is a prolific tweeter himself. (continued)