'Tis the week of midsummer and the solstice, when people gather for early sunrises, and late sunsets (northern hemisphere edition) impress. Bonfires are lit, and rituals to cleanse abound, in many places (anywhere you want) and not just overcrowded Stonehenge. But what was your "longest day" (and interpret that in any you see fit)? Happy, sad, epic, life-changing, life-affirming? On your own, with a loved one, a friend, or a crowd? Or just write about whatever is on your mind, in your heart, or on your plate, because this is your weekly free thread. Happy midsummer, MeFites!

GQ: "It's happening very fast," said Saurabh Netravalkar, the Team USA cricket player with the world-famous LinkedIn profile ... Several fans in attendance held up signs calling Kohli a god; one held up a sign asking Netravalkar for a job reference. Guardian: As it happened: USA beat Pakistan. The Athletic: So, for a son of Mumbai to inflict such a humiliating defeat on the old enemy was a case of Netravalkar - in the words of his younger sister Nidhi on social media - "making two countries happy". Times of India: Balancing his dual roles as a cricketer and a software engineer at Oracle, Netravalkar manages his demanding career alongside his sports commitments. Interviewed in cricbuzz: "I filed for a patent. It was an innovation algorithm that we had."

Cricinfo: After the Pakistan win, a screen grab of his Slack out-of-office message was all over social media. It said he would be away from work until June 17, when the group phase of the World Cup ends. Netravalkar is not thinking ahead to whether he might have to extend his leave of absence in case USA make it to the Super 8s... ...update on that: As of an hour ago, the USA have enough points so they can't be caught by Ireland, Canada or Pakistan in their group. This means the USA qualify, along with India, into the final group stage of the current World Cup: this also gives the USA automatic qualification for the same World Cup tournament in 2026, two years before cricket returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles. Saurabh is going to need to ask for an extension to WFWCM (Work From World Cup Matches).

The latest: Personal disaster zone Rishi "Bring Back National Service" Sunak couldn't do an afternoon of his own, bailing on D-day commemorations to pre-record a TV interview, and is now campaigning while hiding from the media, public, and his local rival. In Scotland, unpopular referee and malevolent garden gnome Douglas Ross has picked a seat by ejecting the sitting Tory candidate, while in England the Conservative chair has been parachuted into a seat to fight. But it's not all good for the other parties; Hank Hill lookalike Keir Starmer failed to convince in a 1-2-1 debate, while in Wales the (Labour) First Minister loses a confidence vote. Also, Ed Davey continues his bizarre "Mr Blobby incident lifestyle" election campaign, while Farage continues to be a [Previously] [Countdown].

Popsci: (on the Tesla Cybertruck upgrades for police cruisers) "With the all-wheel drive Cybertruck's current $79,990 price, it stands to reason the combined taxpayer cost for a vehicle and new UP.FIT features could easily top $90,000. While UP.FIT's website doesn't offer any price ranges, Unplugged Performance lists similar products on its online store. A 50-inch, 48V double row LED light bar for the Cybertruck, for example, costs $1,293.75, while a front bull bar retails for $1,995. UP.FIT details at least 25 upgrades in its standard "Patrol Cybertruck" tier as well as multiple recommended and optional additions. For comparison, a brand-new 2024 Ford Explorer 4WD Police Interceptor costs roughly $47,000." (Police Cruiser Manual Override Exit Tool: $6.29)

CBS Chicago: Abby Lampe, winner of the 2022 Cooper's Hill cheese-rolling women's race, returned this year to regain her crown/cheese [Instagram]. Though absent in 2023 (won by Canadian competitor Delaney Irving, despite finishing unconscious and only learning of her victory in the medical enclosure), Abby won this year by the strategy of "...to go into the race and hurl myself down the hill and continue rolling." NYT: The race involves no sign-up form or waivers. GloucesterLive: The highest injury toll ever recorded was in 1997 when 33 contestants had to be treated. (there have actually been no fatalities or decapitations in recent times) Some footage and interviews, and pictures. Previously: 2018, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2003.

Metaflora: "The family tree of the plant kingdom (which scientists call Viridiplantae) is broad and beautiful... but also complex! Metaflora is a game that tests your green thumb by seeing how well you can navigate its leafy branches. Your goal is to figure out today's Mystery Plant in as few guesses as possible. Wrong guesses will narrow down the answer by taxonomic rank (kingdom, phylum, class, order, etc.) The more your guess has in common with the answer, the more you will learn about the Mystery Plant." Previously and related: Metazooa.

The 20 country, 55 match tournament is hosted through June 2024 by the West Indies and the USA. Guardian: "Khan's first delivery back bowled Shakib off his inside edge. His fourth was a yorker, which pinned the new batsman lbw. His 10th, delivered in the final over, was edged and caught by the wicketkeeper. The three wickets cost 11 runs and USA won the game by six. "It was a big achievement to take down a top ten T20 side," Khan says, two days later. But he believes there are even bigger ones ahead. The T20 World Cup starts with their [USA] opening match against Canada in Grand Prairie, Texas, this Saturday." Official World Cup website, Wikipedia page. Scorecard for USA vs Canada from 23rd September 1844.

[CW: So much penis] The Cut: As Bustamante injects five vials first into the sides of the shaft, then six more around the glans (if you're picturing a mushroom as the head of a penis, that's the glans, and he is injecting around the base rim of the dome), he sweeps the needle slightly from side to side, then uses his thumbs to massage out any filler lumps, sculpting through what he calls "transitional zones" like a potter smoothing an edge of clay. "It goes beyond just filling up a penis," Bustamante says. "I really do think that there is an artistry to it, to making it look good: aesthetically pleasing, no lumps, smooth, consistent, looks natural, feels natural - all those things." [Previously: post title]

As he finishes up on Tommy's penis, Bustamante injects a little extra filler into the left side to help correct its slight curve. And he makes sure not to put any filler on the top of the penis, only the sides, so as to ensure it doesn't end up resembling a "sausage" when erect. He also wants to avoid "the baseball-bat effect," so he tries to work toward a thicker base that tapers slightly up, rather than the reverse. If anyone isn't happy with the result, Bustamante can inject Hylenex to dissolve the filler, but he says he's never had to do this on penises he's worked on, just ones on which other providers haven't done their best work. Before he leaves, Tommy also has some injections of Botox into his anus ("Holetox"), which can make bottoming easier by relaxing the anal sphincter muscles, but which for Tommy, a top, is more to help with anal fissures. It's just one of a number of below-the-belt services that Bustamante offers, including chemical peels to clear up skin on the butt, an "instant" Brazilian butt lift that makes use of fillers, Botox for the penis to make it look larger when flaccid, Botox for the scrotum to help it hang lower and prevent sweating, and shockwave therapy to help with erections.

Independent: Mr. Connor recently announced plans to take a submersible to the Atlantic seabed in an effort to prove that safe, manned trips to the wreckage of the Titanic are possible. Metro: Connor told the Wall Street Journal: 'I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.' Forbes: "Obviously he's got a significant ego and really believes in his own abilities," Roger Lipson, a longtime partner of Connor, told Forbes this year. @colorlessgrey.bsky.social: I don't know what about being a billionaire leads people to develop feelings about the Titanic that border on religiosity, but I do think taxation is the cure. [Previously]

The village of Snettisham, who play in the Kevin Grimmer Division of the Norfolk Sunday Cricket League, is allegedly 'plagued' by nocturnal chickens. Guardian: Dwellers in Snettisham, Norfolk, have said their life is being made "hell" as the chickens swarm in from a nearby wood. Mirror: But not everyone shares this anger and some even defend the chickens, insisting the animals contribute to the village's appeal. Graeme McQuade, 43, said: "I have no issues with the chickens whatsoever. Before we moved here, we didn't know chickens get up at 4am, but it gives character to the place. (Bluesky) Mrs Schwarzski: Is Snettisham the Florida of England? Derelict Geodesic Dome, MA: Have you seen Snettisham? It's /insane/ that a town that small has a church that looks like that.

[CW: eugenics, racism, violent child abuse incident] Guardian: "His little brother, two-year-old Torsten Savage, is on his iPad somewhere upstairs. Simone, 36, in an apron that strains across her belly, has her daughter, 16-month-old Titan Invictus, strapped to her back. The imminent arrival of their fourth child, a girl they plan to name Industry Americus Collins, turns out to be only the first in a string of surprises – and one really shocking thing – that I will encounter during my day with the pronatalists." [Previously: November 2022, You say 'Eugenics' like it's a bad thing (it is)]