John McEnroe says Noval Djokovic has been disrespected by audiences

John McEnroe is amazed at how Novak Djokovic has managed to deal with a lack of respect by a minority of tennis audiences for the 21 years that he has been playing professional tennis. 

He believes that Novak has been unfairly treated and he believes that a minority of perhaps Danish people in the audience when Novak faced Holger Rune were in fact booing him as Novak said and not supporting Rune. A kind of sneaky booing.

And Novak has faced that all his professional playing days. He has learned to feed off it and play better. But it must irk him badly. 

John McEnroe said that this lack of respect for Novak never happened to Federer or Nadal. Those two were worshipped. But the imposter that is Novak Djokovic has beaten both of them in terms of the number of grand slam tournaments won. Novak might make it 25 grand slams at this Wimbledon. That looks entirely possible despite the knee injury he suffered just before Wimbledon. The man is amazing and his diet is equally amazing. 😉

Johnny Mac could not put his finger on why Novak has been disrespected all this time.

Novak Djokovic not happy with the crowd at Wimbledon after his win today. "To all the people who chose to disrespect the player, in this case me, have a ‘good’ night. I’ve played in much more hostile environments. You guys can’t touch me”
byu/GreenSnakes_ insports

No one has explained it. Novak is an amazing tennis player. Perhaps some people in the audience don't like it that he is so good. Almost like a robot. Non-human abilities. That might be a reason.

He wins so much so people might like to see his opponent win which may end up looking like disrespect for Novak.

Because he wins so much and is so good McEnroe believes that he should receive praise not disrespect.

And McEnroe says that Novak has been brilliant for professional tennis. He has helped to raise the overall standard of tennis. 

McEnroe expressed disbelief as to why he does not get the respect that he deserves.

I think the reasons for him not being respected like Federer and Nadal is because his game is, as mentioned, somewhat robot-like. It is super-efficient but less attractive than the games of Nadal and Federer.

There also may be a racist element. Novak is Serbian. He comes from Eastern Europe. Eastern European are general less well liked than Northern Europeans. Perhaps because there is more crime and corruption in Eastern Europe compared to Northern Europe. Just guessing but if I am right it is very unfair because racism against anyone is unjustified and immoral.

Novak Djokovic hitting back at the Wimbledon crowd. Image: Getty Images.

Extract of what John McEnroe said:

In conversation with Claire Balding the BBC presenter, an animated McEnroe said: "He [Novak Djokovic] has been battling this for his whole career. Yes he feeds off negative energy and yes I did feed off that at times, but I hated it in a way. Do you want people yelling against you, hoping you'll lose, just because you're so good they start pulling for the other guy for no reason other than you're so good?

"He is like the Darth Vader. There's two of the greatest class acts we have seen in tennis, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who can compare to them in terms of what they have brought to the table and the way that people love them? Nobody. Then this guy Djokovic has the 'nerve' to come in and break into the party.

"It's like 'how about respecting me in all this?' Here's a guy that had a surgery a month ago, the odds are that 10 per cent that he wouldn't play this tournament. He is thinking 'I'm helping this tournament', which he is, why don't I get some love when I am playing a guy who is 15 in the world and hasn't done a damn thing compared to him?

"So yes there were maybe a handful of Danish people going 'Rune' and I get that people want to see a good match, but you have to respect the greatness that you see. It's easy to be the backseat driver now and let it go and (say) they weren't doing that, but that's what he has been dealing with for 10, 15, 20 years.

"I admire the guts that he had to say it there, that takes something because that's in a way going to put more people against him. He doesn't deserve that at this stage, we need him and he has been too great for our game.

"How about they have gone too far the other way? Is it possible that maybe that the fans in there have disrespected him? Don't you think that there has been at least 100 matches over the course of the last 10 or 15 years where Novak Djokovic has been disrespected because of how good he is?

"Why? What has he done that has been that bad? Name something. What is it, that he wants it? That he competes as hard as anyone has ever competed on a tennis court? I just don't get why, is it the look or where he is from?"

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Putin's murder of hospitalised children is enough for NATO to intervene directly

The Times headline: "Children's hospital in ruins after Russia's deadly barrage". The hospital is in Kyiv (the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital), the capital of Ukraine.

Note: Putin is already at war with NATO:

Russia is eschewing conventional conflict and instead waging a campaign of sabotage and intimidation across Europe. When and how are we going to respond asks Edward Lucas in The Times

Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital after the cruise missile hit. Image: BBC.

The hospital suffered extensive damage after a direct hit on its toxicology ward. A video showed the missile hurtling into the building. It was an ordinary Monday until the massive blast. A bone marrow transplant specialist at the hospital said the following: 

"Killing children, killing doctors, killing civilians? This is genocide and Russia is a terrorist state. But why does Russia still have the capabilities to build these rockets? If striking hospitals is a new strategy for them, what should we do next? What should the world do next?"

At least 37 people were killed, including three children, and more than 170 were wounded So what should the world do next?

Putin is allegedly (it very much looks like that as the missile that destroyed this hospital was guided) murdering children in hospital beds. 

He has also murdered through directions to his generals to bomb and shell city centres - apartment blocks - before and killed hundreds of kids and old ladies but this has gone too far. It's totally unacceptable. It is beyond the pale. 

Enough is enough. Can the West in the form of NATO stand by and watch this? Can we accept politicians and generals complaining about the killing of hospital kids but take not action? Can we accept more hollow words from the politicians of the West without real action? More blah, blah, blah? Please enough of empty words. We can do better and must do better. Be braver. Let's steel ourselves.

Direct intervention by NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine would be an act of war against Russia by the West but I don't think the West can look on any more. Day by day we are looking at slaughter. The slaughter of innocents. There must come a time and I would argue that this is the time to intervene directly. It would be the morally right thing to do. 

Putin has threatened nuclear war if NATO intervenes but he's bluffing. I know it's a risk but we have to take risks sometime. We have to do the right thing and call the bluff of a bully/terrorist/murderer. It's time to walk the walk rather than talk the talk. It's time for direct action.

Russia denied responsibility for the hospital strike, saying it does not attack civilian targets in Ukraine. A Russian Defence Ministry statement blamed a Ukrainian air defence missile for partially destroying the hospital. Comment: they always say the same thing. 

Macron has suggested sending troops into Ukraine so my suggestion is not off the wall. Although most would disagree. I think that doing it may avert WW3 not create it.

🚨🇷🇺 The Kremlin says upcoming nuclear weapons drills are a response to “unprecedented” comments, including by French President Emmanuel Macron on sending troops to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/9r0E44evsS

— Terror Alarm (@Terror_Alarm) May 6, 2024

How WW2 started

Back in the day, in 1939 Britain declared war on Germany for invading Poland. There was no NATO obligation. The reason were essentially moral and ultimately about the invasion of an sovereign state by an aggressor. Same as the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Britain decided to go to war with Germany after the German invasion of Poland in 1939 due to a complex set of political and strategic factors:

• Appeasement Policy Failure: The policy of appeasement that Britain and France had pursued towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s, hoping to avoid another World War, had failed to prevent Germany's continued aggression and expansionism. The invasion of Poland was seen as a crossing of a red line.
• Defense of Poland: Britain and France had guarantees to protect Poland's independence, and felt compelled to uphold these commitments to prevent further erosion of the post-World War I order in Europe.
• Preventing German Dominance: There were concerns that if Germany was allowed to conquer Poland, it would give them a dominant position in Central Europe that could threaten the balance of power. Britain wanted to contain German power.
• Upholding International Law: The German invasion of Poland was viewed as a flagrant violation of international law and the norms of the League of Nations, which Britain was committed to upholding.
• Public Pressure: There was significant public and political pressure within Britain to take action against Nazi aggression after the invasion of Poland, in order to defend democracy and prevent another world war.

Ultimately, Britain felt it had no choice but to declare war on Germany on September 3, 1939, two days after the German invasion of Poland, in order to fulfill its commitments and try to halt the Nazi advance. This decision marked the start of Britain's involvement in World War II.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Anger as elderly Chinese insist youngsters give up their seat on public transport

On social media there are videos of young people refusing to give up their seats for older people on the subway. Some elderly people insist that a young person gives up their seat. The young person refuses and there is a clash. It's happened more than once and each time someone has videoed the clash. See Twitter/X video below.

It seems that some elderly believe that it is a duty for the young to relinquish their seat on public transport to the elderly and this cultural aspect of Chinese society is deeply engrained.

In contrast it seems that the young Chinese have divested themselves of this cultural obligation which they see as a courtesy. 

The old think it is a duty while the young see it as a courtesy. It is a clash of culture within Chinese society between young and old.

It probably reflects the modern evolution of Chinese society. I can bring cats and dogs into the discussion here because the old fashioned Chinese culture regarding cats and dogs is that they are utilitarian. This results in abuse. The modern trend is to treat cats and dogs are companions leading to better treatment. There are grass root animal welfare organisations in China run by young animal advocates for instance.

Giving up you seat on public transport to an elderly person is a courtesy not a duty. So these insistent elderly people have got a bee in their bonnet about their rights. It seems that they are angry and discontented. They are taking it out on the young.

There is internal stress in Chinese society it appears.

On June 16, security was called when a young man on a Shenyang subway crumbled after an old man demanded that he'd give up his seat for him. In a video of the incident, which soon went viral, the young man can be heard screaming: "Are you giving me money? No? Then don't bother me! I'm just happy to be sitting here. What's wrong with me grabbing a seat? - What's On Weibo.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion on Chinese social media about young people refusing to give up their seats for older people on the subway, sometimes leading to explosive situations. On June 16, security was called when a young man on a Shenyang subway… pic.twitter.com/C5lTvVNIiQ

— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) July 7, 2024

Here is another incident:

Another subway incident went trending a week later. On June 24, a 65-year-old man started harassing a young woman on Beijing Subway Line 10 after she refused to give up his seat to him. The man became aggressive, started slapping the woman, and put his cane in between her legs, trying to force her to stand up. The incident caused outrage on social media and Beijing police later detained the man.

Another subway incident went trending a week later. On June 24, a 65-year-old man started harassing a young woman on Beijing Subway Line 10 after she refused to give up his seat to him. The man became aggressive, started slapping the woman, and put his cane in between her legs,… pic.twitter.com/khVr47hlJN

— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) July 7, 2024

Does this indicate something more profound is happening within Chinese culture? Are the elderly generally unhappy and taking it out on Gen Z? Are stresses being built up in China?

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From Google Gemini:

Giving up your seat to an elderly person on public transport falls more on the side of courtesy than a strict duty.

There might be designated priority seating on some public transport that requires you to vacate the seat for someone who needs it, but in general, it's a social norm and a kind gesture.

Here's why it's seen as courtesy:

• It's voluntary: You choose to offer the seat, not because you're forced to.
• There can be exceptions: There might be unseen reasons why someone needs to sit (invisible disability, for example).

However, it's a widely accepted courtesy because it shows respect for someone who may have difficulty standing for long periods.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Cat faeces 'logs' in litter tray block another cat's toileting routine

This is a cross-post as I think it is an interesting topic for cat caregivers.

As a cat caregiver you must have heard about the need to keep the litter tray clean. This applies particularly in homes where there are several cats. And in those homes if cats are sharing a litter tray or there are less litter trays than cats and one cat has used the litter tray, the next cat will be put off by the sight of faeces logs in the litter substrate but not by the smell of the logs.

This image summarises the study findings. Image: MikeB. Words: the study.

And in being put off by the sight of the faeces they may not use the litter tray and may even defecate outside the litter tray (inappropriate elimination).

The interesting aspect of the study which discovered this (see citation below) is that the problem for cats sharing litter trays is the physical presence of the faeces in the substrate not the odour of the other cat's faeces. 

This surprised me as cats have very effective noses and they scent mark with urine and faeces. Because scent marking is so big in their lives you'd have thought that the odour of another cat's faeces would be the off-putting issue but no.

This is about VISUALLY offending the cat about to embark on a toilet session and not in terms of odour.

The study worked with cats that got along. It might be a different story if they did not. They discovered this phenomenon by depositing false cat faeces in the litter tray that were odourless. The cats were put off by them. 

They also put in 'faux-urine' and they were put off by that as well, even more so.

Citation for the study: Does previous use affect litter box appeal in multi-cat households? Researchers: J.J. Ellis, R.T.S. McGowan, F. Martin. Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2017.02.008

P.S. It is best not to super-clean litter trays and remove all the natural feline scent from it as cats are attracted to the scent of their poop and pee and use the area as a toilet.

P.S. 2 - The best practice in multi-cat homes is to have one tray per cat. This would avoid the above mentioned issue. I suspect that not many owners of several cats do this however. The issue mentioned on this page may be a big factor in trying to control cat toileting in multi-cat homes.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Does the cat Frodo survive in 'A Quiet Place Day One'?

Spoiler warning: Audiences will be happy to know Frodo makes it out alive. Sarnoski, who also wrote the screenplay, grew up with cats and knew he wanted Sam to have an animal companion. 

Lupita Nyong'o overcame fear of cats for A Quiet Place: Day One. The montage is by MikeB from images from Universal as I understand it.

Frodo impressed the director Michael Sarnoski with his nonchalant confidence, rugged looks and intelligent face.

A Quiet Place: Day One is a prequel to the horror films A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II.

The story takes place in New York City on the first day of an alien invasion. The aliens are blind but have super-sensitive hearing, attacking anything that makes a sound.

The main character is Samira (Lupita Nyong'o), a terminally ill woman visiting the city for a day trip. When the invasion begins, Samira finds herself separated from her group and struggling to survive in the chaotic city. 

She encounters other survivors and must learn to navigate the world in silence to avoid the deadly aliens.

The film follows Samira's journey as she searches for a specific location in the city, with a secret motivation revealed later in the story.

Lupita Nyong'o was scared of cats and had to be desensitized to them to play her role with Frodo.

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Note: I can't put the colon in the title between the words 'place' and 'day' as Google search is confused by colons!