On Friday, in his weblog, Neil Gaiman wrote, “Poor Argentina,” and I wondered, why? what happened in Argentina? Was there an earthquake? Was there a riot? Did somebody die? And then I realized, oh, he’s just talking about soccer. And then I thought, well gee, that’s a very American thing to say, isn’t it? It’s a big deal to Argentina that they lost, and it’s a big deal to England that they won. Here in the United States, though, the World Cup really isn’t considered important except to a scattered handful of fans and the people who actually play in it. I couldn’t name any of our country’s players if I tried. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s just a curious cultural difference…one, I realize, that’s been pointed out many times before, by those better informed and less sleep-deprived than I. I think I had better wander off to bed now.