#2019 victory tour

[tobinsonny]

always thinking about this

[nettlestingsoup]

it's 00:30 and i need to sleep but let me say. kim fucking seungmin.

[fortheloveofaussiegrit]

@fortheloveofaussiegrit 's deep dive into Mark and his love of twinks...

Sebastian Vettel 

Where does one even start when trying to explain this... that's his twink of the past, present, and future— his forever. [first: debatable but the beginning of martian at the Fuji GP 2007 when Seb crashed into the back of Mark ruining both of their races, they were running 2nd and third. second: the day i lost my sanity, Abu Dhabi 2022]

Oscar Piastri

His twink of the present [i don't think i need to say anything... but photos above are from Mark's website from his blog post about Oscar winning the F2 championship and how Mark stayed in Abu Dhabi with Oscar after the GP for the young driver f1 test...]

Mitch Evans

Without Mitch we wouldn’t have got Oscar/Mark... (this is what oscarmark could’ve been but not sure i would’ve been able to handle oscar posting mark the way mitch did) Started in 2010, Mark then went on to manage him and Mitch even moved into Mark’s home in England, down the drive but point still stands [first: Mark Webber takes protege on birthday tour, 2010 (speedcafe.com) second: Mark embracing Mitch after he took maiden victory in Formula E, 2019 (📷Sam Bloxham) bottom two: from Mitch’s IG circa 2014] 

Daniel Ricciardo

i like that belt buckle mate [first/second: F1 Paddock 2013 (📷skysports.com) third: Mark & Daniel’s BBQ on the beach ahead of the Aus GP 2011 (📷flickr) fourth/fifth: Dutch GP 2022.]

 

Fernando Alonso

again do i need to say anything? i think this sums it up (thank you to @seafoampearlygirl for the screen shot and your help too, much appreciated!!

and this... [Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella, Fernando Alonso & Mark Webber for Benetton Renault 2001 F1 launch]

Lewis Hamilton

If there's one thing about Mark that you need to know its his love of twinks with world championships... @mwebber​ has a post here on these two! Mark always loves talking about Lewis and the way they look at each other.. [first: Mark and Lewis during the post-qualy presser at the Spanish GP, 2010 (📷Sutton Images) second: during the pre-race presser at the Aus GP, 2013 (📷Hoch Zwei) third: Abu Dhabi GP, 2017 (📷James Moy)]

Nico Rosberg

from teammates at Williams to Mark snapping pics of the back of Nico in 2023… [first: Mark talking to test driver Nico Rosberg during the German GP, 2005 (📷Pakusch) second: Monaco ePrix 2023]

Max Verstappen

like i said... twinks with championships [first: ‘bumped into these two over easter and managed a few k on the trails’ Apr, 2018 (Mark’s FB) second: Hangar-7, 2019]

Felipe Massa 

yeah... [first: Brazil 2012, i think (📷sky-sports.com) second: Brazil 2013 (📷xpb images)]

Brendon Hartley 

he’s already featured a few times, but from rbr junior driver to teammate... yeah.. is there a pattern? [first: Spanish GP 2009 (📷DPPI Images) second: Brendon, Mark & Timo after winning the 6 hours of Bahrain and the WEC Drivers Championship 2015 (📷fiawec.com)]

Jenson Button

and finally we get to Jenson Button, who, yes, is younger than Mark so makes it onto the list... the ultimate twink on twink... you cannot tell me this wasnt a couples holidays covered up as ‘training’. you cannot tell me they were not fumbling around in their bedsheets at night. you cannot tell me— [redacted redacted redacted] — [pre-season training session in Lanzarote, Spain. 4 Jan 2001 📷Mark Thompson]

[eretzyisrael]

The ongoing war in Gaza, Pipes wrote, could provide Israel with a golden opportunity to transform the coastal enclave into a “decent” place, thanks in part to the fact that 17 years of Hamas’s “torment” of the local population turned it against the terror group and consequently “eroded their anti-Israel vehemence.”

Palestinian demonstrators chant slogans against Hamas in the Gaza Strip during a protest against the territory’s chronic power outages and difficult living conditions along the streets of Khan Younis, Sunday, July 30, 2023. (AP Photo)

“Israel now controls nearly all of Gaza,” Pipes explained over the phone. “It needs to take advantage of this to work with Gazans who are ready to cooperate to build an administration, a police force and everything else that goes with civilized life, education, hospitals.”

Pipes believes that a new regime in Gaza should follow the same path to stability as Israel’s larger Arab neighbors Egypt and Jordan, “countries where one can lead a normal life so long as one stays out of trouble and never, ever criticizes the ruler.”

“I would see [the new regime in Gaza] as a tough police state, not as a gentle inducement,” he said.

Illustrative: A picture taken during a guided tour organized by the Egyptian State Information Service on November 20, 2019, shows policemen standing guard at Borg el-Arab prison near the Egyptian city of Alexandria. (Mohamed el-Shahed / AFP)

Israelis should have “learned the lesson of 1993,” the year the Oslo accords were signed, he argued. In that framework, Israel made concessions, including agreeing to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, intended as a precursor to the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The peace process, however, was derailed and Israel soon found itself confronted with a massive bloody uprising, the Second Intifada, and hundreds of civilian casualties in terror attacks.

“It’s time to approach this [Israeli-Palestinian conflict] in a different way, and to attempt to convince Gazans and West Bankers that is over. They’ve lost and it’s time to move on, in the time-honored way that wars end,” Pipes said. “They don’t end with peace conferences while the war is still taking place.”

[mariacallous]

Gold Star Ratfucker Democratic Representative Jared Golden said not only does he want Biden to drop out, but he said, "Trump is going to win, and I'm okay with that."

Y'all know what to do:

(202) 225-6306 (DC office)

(207) 241-6767 (Lewiston office)

(207) 249-7400 (Bangor office)

(207) 492-6009 (Caribou office)

Moderate House Dem: ‘Donald Trump is going to win. And I’m OK with that’

Rep. Jared Golden (Maine), a moderate Democrat, published an op-ed Tuesday arguing former President Trump is going to win the election and he’s “OK with that.”

Golden, who has held his seat in the House since 2019, wrote a piece published in the Bangor Daily News, headlined, “Donald Trump is going to win the election and democracy will be just fine,” in response to the outcry of concern from his party following President Biden’s lackluster debate performance.

The Maine congressman argued that Biden’s on-stage presence didn’t rattle him like it did others because the outcome of the 2024 presidential election has been clear to him for months.

“While I don’t plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I’m OK with that,” Golden wrote.

The House Democrat argued that others in his party are concerned that if Trump wins the election this fall, it will be a threat to democracy. The proclamations from Golden’s party were only exacerbated after the Supreme Court on Monday granted broad immunity to Trump in his Jan. 6 case.

Golden said he rejects the idea that Trump will overturn American democracy. He said sounding the alarm about a Trump victory ignores the strength of a nearly 250-year-old nation.

“Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system,” he said.

Golden, who served combat tours as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan, noted that Jan. 6, 2021, was a “dark day.” Still, he said, police officers, judges, state election officials, members of Congress joined to defend democracy like members of the U.S. military.

“This election is about the economy, not democracy. And when it comes to our economy, our Congress matters far more than who occupies the White House,” Golden wrote.

By January, Golden believes Trump will once again occupy the White House and Maine’s lawmakers must be willing to not only hold him accountable, but to work with him.

“I urge everyone — voters, elected officials, the media, and all citizens — to ignore the chattering class’s scare tactics and political pipedreams,” Golden wrote. “We don’t need party insiders in smoke-filled back rooms to save us. We can defend our democracy without them.”

Golden, like all other House lawmakers, is up for reelection this year. He will take on Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault, a Republican, in the general election this fall.

Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan index, ranks Golden’s district as a toss-up. Trump carried the district by 6 points in 2020.

His op-ed is a stark contrast to comments from Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who on Tuesday became the first House Democrat to publicly call on Biden to remove himself from the race.

In a post on social media platform X, Theriault said Golden’s piece was “a very phony attempt to avoid accountability.” He asked Golden if he supports Biden or not and whether he believes the president is mentally competent.

“He won’t say, because he puts politics ahead of Mainers,” Theriault said.

[gratisdiamanten]

NO SHORTCUTS TO HEAVEN:

Or, Lance Armstrong buys himself a gun.

No Shortcuts to Heaven, Billy Graham, Decision Magazine (2005). // Lance Armstrong is treated for testicular cancer, Linda Armstrong Kelly (1996). // Psalm 138:6 ESV. // Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky (1979). // Lance Armstrong crashes out of Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California, Associated Press (2010). // Recycling Religion: Lance Armstrong’s Postmodern Spirituality of Suffering and Survivorship, William J. F. Keenan (2014). // Lance Armstrong is treated for testicular cancer, Linda Armstrong Kelley (1996). // Lance Armstrong during the 91st edition of the Tour de France, Tim de Waele (2004). // Recycling Religion: Lance Armstrong’s Postmodern Spirituality of Suffering and Survivorship, William J. F. Keenan (2014). // For Stacy (photo and excerpt), Lance Armstrong, Recovox News (2010). // It's Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong (1999). // Lance Armstrong in a youth BMX race ca. 1982, Linda Armstrong Kelly, Sports Illustrated (2013). // Lance Armstrong: It Wasn’t Legal but I Wouldn’t Change a Thing, Reuters (2019). // Lance Armstrong getting a medical check up before the Tour de France, Franck Fife (2003). // Effects of erythropoietin on cycling performance of well trained cyclists: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, Jules A. A. C. Heuberger et al., The Lancet (2017). // Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866). // Luke 9:25 ESV. // Lance Armstrong at a victory procession for the Tour de France, Peter de Jong (2005). // Lance Armstrong climbing Alpe d'Huez, John Allen (2000). // It's Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong (1999).

[gracefullou]

What an amazing ride! From the late nights watching lives even though exams and work were a few hours away; to new friends made even though we didn’t speak the same languages; to sharing victories and challenges when sometimes the entire world would hold us at arms length and ridicule for simply loving his music; for letting the young, the old, the rich with heart and the poor with money be part of all one community; to Louis/Louies bringing each other up when real life is harder than it looks. To Louis and my fellow Louies, it’s been a privilege to grow up with you, sharing the experiences, the memories and all the love. Thank you for all this time.

Aww thank you, anon. That's so sweet and ending it with all this time is just so lovely. I still remmember vividly the first fitfwt show, how nervous Louis was, how we were all so excited and curious to see the setlist, the stage design, the performances, the outfits, just everything. And boy did Louis deliver. He killed it. Night after night after night. I used to stay up till 5am watching the US shows and i'll never regret it i don't think there's anything or anyone else i woud do that for . It's been a pleasure to witness Louis evolve as an artist and a performer and honestly just freaking blossom and glow. He was born to make the most beautiful songs and then perform them for audiences. As a 2019 Louis fan, i don't take that for granted. He was held back for years, with no album and therefore no tour. But look at him now 🥹❤️‍🩹. He is thriving. And thanks to him, we also have our little lovely community of louies 🫶. And now after a huge successful tour and a round of festivals all over the globe, here we are at what looks like the end of the fitf era 🤧. Fitf is not only my all time favorite album, but it's also the album that confirmed to me with no doubt what an exceptional talent Louis is, and that basically i will be a fan of him till the very end (it's you and me until the end- silver tongues 😁). So it is so special and dear to me. Still, i can't wait for LT3. The expectations are soooo high but if anyone can deliver something that measures up to that it is Louis Tomlinson. How am i to survive the lack of content while he lets live in and write his album? idk 😭 but we'll figure it out. Hey, we survived the 2020 drought we can survive this too 😭💔💔

[biscuits-of-bagend]

Andy Murray - The Flowers We'll Remember

I made this playlist halfway through the week, in between victories one and two. It tells me the story of Andy Murray's career as I experienced it, through songs that mean a lot to me, which is to say it might not make much sense to anyone else! So I've included some explanations below.

The title is related to a passage from the Ali Smith novel 'Summer'. It's about a summer day that told the gods it wanted to last forever, which the gods found hilarious.

Halfway Right by Linkin Park - 'I scream at myself when there's nobody left to fight', representing my earliest memories of Andy Murray, which involved a lot of him screaming at himself.

Hard Times by Paramore - Losing to Federer and Nadal and later Djokovic, but jauntily. A young man's losses.

The Heart Never Lies by McFly - 2012 Wimbledon final on-court interview 🥺

Love Forty Down by Frank Turner - I know he was 40-0 up at the end of the Wimbledon final, but functionally going from 40-0 to 40-Adv is basically the same thing 😂

Hold On by Twin Atlantic - back injuries :/ still sort of felt like it would all work out okay though, at least that was my understanding of it I think.

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen - Davis Cup at the end of 2015 through to World Tour Finals at the end of 2016. A euphoric period (ignore any losses to Djokovic in grand slam finals, we don't need to talk about those), but hard to look back on without thinking about what was coming.

Airfield by Enter Shikari - The Hip. Queens 2017 & 2017 Wimbledon QF to Australian Open 2019 'retirement'.

Wetsuit by The Vaccines - so get a hip operation, come on, come on

Get Better by Frank Turner - Bursting back to life/resurfacing in Cincinnati 2019. Also makes me think of 2019 'Resurfacing' documentary even though that didn't come out until later in the year.

Walk by the Foo Fighters - omg I've just realised I was thinking of the US Open 2020 not 2019... welp, timey wimey I guess, insert your preferred moment of watching Andy figure out how to play with his new hip

Mountains by Biffy Clyro - Antwerp 2019

Getting Old Sucks (But Everybody's Doing It) by Bowling For Soup - Pandemic through to 2023, including the post 4am fightback from two sets to love down against Thanasi Kokkinakis (see pics below). Getting old does suck, but Andy was really good at it.

Forever's Not Enough by McFly - "I want to play forever" (Wimbledon 2024)

26 by Paramore - a sad quiet song about hope, ie the only thing I was holding onto during the first half of that match against Nishikori and Daniel, which, lest we forget, was horrible

The Last Song by McFly - from 5 match points down through to breaking back in the second set against the Americans. Just pure fucking magic ✨ (thank you Dan!) ~~Epilogue section~~

Growing Up Beside You by Paolo Nutini - Andy Murray may be 11 years older than me, but so many of my memories of watching him play are tied to memories of times in my life. For example, I watched the 2016 World Tour Finals semi-final against Raonic in my student union, and vaguely remember trying not to show how stressed I was. I'm currently the age he was when he won Wimbledon the first time, so that's not terrifying at all...

The Way I Loved You (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift - I do really like Jannik Sinner but this could sort of be read as an indirect towards him? Although tbf watching post-puke Sinner power through tournaments has been its own kind of awesome. Honestly though, I don't think anyone will ever make me feel as much of a "rollercoaster kind of rush" on a tennis court as Andy Murray did anyway, not even the stress of watching Grigor Dimitrov try to hold a lead ❤️

Wouldn't Change a Thing - I really really wouldn't, and I hope Andy feels the same. Well, I mean, he'd probably choose not to have a hip injury, but you know what I mean 😆

[favouritecyclistpoll]

Round Two, Match Seven: Jonas Vingegaard v. Marc Soler

Jonas Vingegaard Propaganda

No propaganda submitted.

Marc Soler Propaganda

He may be ranked #130 in the UCI rankings but he is #1 in my heart ❤️

More propaganda under the cut.

As you may know, Marc Soler moved to UAE Team Emirates in 2022 and has since been one of Tadej Pogačar's most valuable mountain domestiques – pulling the peloton for kilometres on end, being there in the final group before Tadej and Jonas start attacking each other. Then there's stage 17 this year; his infamous ‘scary eyes’ and comforting hand, pulling his leader up the Col de la Loze and helping maintain his podium place.

However! There is much more to Marc Soler than that! Before 2022, his entire professional career was spent with Movistar – that blue-clad stalwart of Spanish cycling hopes. With them, he was again an invaluable domestique to the likes of Enric Mas, Alejandro Valverde, Nairo Quintana, and Richard Carapaz. In the intra-team ~drama~ that plagued Movistar’s 2019/2020 seasons, he remained if not neutral, but relatively uninvolved. This is well-documented in their documentary ‘Movistar: The Least Expected Day’, the series that first endeared him to me.

In 2018, he had his day as a GC challenger – a week, really, swooping to victory at Paris-Nice to take the overall win with a fantastic attack on the final stage to make up more than a minute on Simon Yates

Now let me discuss stage 5 of the Vuelta 2022: Marc’s second stage win at this race – the first being in 2020. There was a battle for the breakaway, and Marc missed out! Never fear – the intrepid Spaniard did what he does best; launch a seemingly futile attempt to bridge, riding solo or in a small group for 50km+ that never really gets anywhere. Not today, though! He joined them, when Stewart attacked he countered brilliantly and rode solo for the final 15km. Brilliant stuff. This won him the stage, the combativity award, and later actions brought him the overall super-combative award, all while supporting Juan Ayuso to the podium.

Oh yeah, did I mention the mullet?? And the earring??

Outside of racing, he comes across as a genuinely nice guy – though I have yet to come across an interview in English, translations of Spanish-language seem cheerful and respectful, having fun in UAE’s social media videos!

He recovered brilliantly from having to abandon in both the Giro and the Tour in 2021 – breaking both of his arms in a crash in the latter, yet soldiering on and completing the stage.

Soler in his natural habitats; pulling the peloton up some steep, steep slopes, or breaking away for a hail-Mary attack that’s seemingly done only for the sheer joy of doing so. He’s a valuable domestique, brilliant rider, and most certainly embodies the spirit of ciclismo!

Thus concludes my Soler propaganda.

Vamos, Marc!

[allthecanadianpolitics]

For all anyone knows, this might be as good as it gets for Jagmeet Singh's NDP. But would that be so bad?

The NDP is certainly in a celebratory mood. On Wednesday, the day after the federal budget, the party's MPs staged a mini-pep rally for the television cameras to celebrate their influence on the document. Singh announced an eight-city "post-budget tour" to "talk to Canadians about how the NDP delivered results that put money back in their pockets."

Some of the victories New Democrats are claiming for themselves are at least open to debate. Left to its own devices, the Liberal government might have ended up boosting the GST credit last fall anyway — and might have done so again in this year's budget. (Still, the decision to now promote the extra payment as a "grocery rebate" feels like a nod to the complaints New Democrats have focused on major grocers).

The Liberals also might not have needed the NDP's help to decide to apply labour standards to the new round of investment tax credits for clean tech.

But a new dental care program for low-income Canadians is an indisputable NDP win. While it's a Liberal government that will actually implement the program — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in New Brunswick on Friday to tout "affordable dental care" — dental care was not a feature of the Liberal platform in either the 2019 or 2021 federal elections. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me THIS SUNDAY in ANAHEIM at WONDERCON: YA Fantasy, Room 207, 10 a.m.; Signing, 11 a.m.; Teaching Writing, 2 p.m., Room 213CD.

#20yrsago Gates’s vision — and failure thereof https://memex.craphound.com/2004/03/30/gatess-vision-and-failure-thereof/

#15yrsago When it comes to the Kindle, authors are focused on the wrong risk https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/mar/31/cory-doctorow-kindle

#15yrsago Bank pushing 120% APR loans https://web.archive.org/web/20090403052204/https://scienceblogs.com/catdynamics/2009/03/120_apr.php

#15yrsago DRM should be disclosed on game-boxes https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/03/halpin/

#15yrsago America’s bankers are oligarchs https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/05/the-quiet-coup/307364/

#10yrsago Spyware increasingly a part of domestic violence https://memex.craphound.com/2014/03/30/spyware-increasingly-a-part-of-domestic-violence/

#10yrsago Chinese censor prosecuted for taking bribes to censor remarks companies and government officials disliked https://yro.slashdot.org/story/14/03/30/0216218/china-prosecuted-internet-policeman-in-paid-deletion-cases

#5yrsago Animated David Byrne/Big Suit enamel pin https://www.psapress.com/products/stop-making-sense-enamel-pin

#5yrsago Researchers find mountains of sensitive data on totalled Teslas in junkyards https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/29/tesla-model-3-keeps-data-like-crash-videos-location-phone-contacts.html

#5yrsago Facebook owns Netscape https://www.jwz.org/blog/2019/03/brand-necrophilia-part-7/

#1yrago We should ban TikTok('s surveillance) https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/30/tik-tok-tow/#good-politics-for-electoral-victories

[topperscumslut]

i’m a reality shifter (minishifted but haven’t fully shifted yet) so let’s do a lil DR (desired reality) tour!!! (i’m 20 in my CR for reference)

OBX DR:

year: 2023

my age: 20

s/o: topper thornton

s/o’s age: 20

90s DR:

year: 1996/7 (havent decided yet)

my age: 19/20

s/o: Sal Vulcano

s/o’s age: 19/20

TUA DR:

year: 2023

my age: 20

s/o: Five Hargreeves

s/o’s age: 20 (both physically and mentally) (i scripted he was only in the future for a day and got stuck when he was 16, not 13 and then traveled back to 2019 like in the show) (i also scripted out the apocalypse so it’s 4 years since five reunited with his family and we just vibe lol)

Hunger Games DR

year: whenever THG is set 🤷‍♀️

my age: 18

s/o: Marvel Sanford

s/o’s age: 18

Scream DR

year: 1996

my age: 18

s/o: Randy Meeks

s/o’s age: 18

NRDD DR

year: 2023

my age: 20

s/o: Nicky Harper

s/o’s age: 19 (the quads were canonically born in 2004, HES NOT THE SAME AGE IN MY DR AS HE IS ON THE SHOW!!!!!!!)

y2k SNL/Fame DR

year: 2005

my age: 20

s/o: Bill Hader

s/o’s age: 27

Victorious DR

year: 2023

my age: 20 (i scripted Hollywood Arts is a college)

s/o: Cat Valentine

s/o’s age: 19/20

T90S DR

year: 1999

my age: 19

s/o: Jay Kelso

s/o’s age: 19

TVDU/Legacies DR

year: 2032

my age: 20 (scripted Salvatore School is a college)

s/o: Penelope Park

s/o’s age: 20

YouTuber DR

year: 2013

my age: 20

s/o: Jon Cozart aka Paint

s/o’s age: 21

TBOSAS DR

year: whenever tbosas is set

my age: 20

s/o: Sejanus Plinth

s/o’s age: 20

yes ik my taste is immaculate u don’t gotta tell me 🥰 /hj. also most of my DRs i scripted out the plot (well at least the main plot/dangerous parts) lmao like in my Scream DR (obviously lol), TUA DR, Legacies DR, and OBX DR, and in my Hunger Games DR i scripted im still in the games but that it’s a very realistic simulation and no one actually dies

[shefanispeculator]

The Voice sure does know how to go out with a bang! As the reality competition show draws to the close of its 24th season, the Emmy-winning program has announced its star-studded lineup for its finale episode, which is set to air on NBC's Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

2024 Grammy nominees Jelly Roll and Tyla are set to take The Voice stage to commemorate the season 24 finale, alongside performances from Earth, Wind & Fire, AJR, Keith Urban and season 25 coaches Dan + Shay. The intergenerational genre-spanning lineup will play a collection of songs that combine major moments in their respective careers, the dominant songs and styles of 2023 and their latest releases.

Jelly Roll, a four-time 2023 Billboard Music Awards finalist, will perform his Grammy-nominated Lainey Wilson-assisted "Save Me," the second single from his chart-topping album Whitsitt Chapel. Amapiano/Afropop star Tyla will perform "Water," her breakout single, which recently hit the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 ahead of the release of her forthcoming debut studio album.

Music legends Earth, Wind & Fire will perform a career-spanning medley that previews the band's upcoming Heart & Soul 2024 Tour, which they are co-headlining with Chicago. Another genre-fusing band, AJR, will perform a medley of its hit single "Bang!" and "Yes I'm a Mess," which hit No. 28 on Rock Airplay this year.

Keith Urban, a four-time Grammy winner who previously served as a judge on American Idol and a coach on the Australian version of The Voice, will perform "Blue Ain't Your Color," his 2016 hit single which ranked at No. 9 on Billboard's Decade-End U.S. Hot Country Songs (2010-2019). Another superstar country act, Dan + Shay, will grace the stage with a performance of "Bigger Houses," the title track from their most recent LP.

In addition to these eye-popping guests, The Voice has even more performances in store for the season 24 finale. Season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood will return to perform "The Finger," a single from his forthcoming project. Furthermore, this season's top 12 artists will band together for a special joint performance. In that spirit, this year's coaching panel - Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani - will join forces for a bubbly rendition of "Let It Snow."

This season marks the first in which none of the show's original coaches - Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and CeeLo Green - from the series' inaugural season appear on the coaching panel. Shelton departed after last season, which saw One Direction alum Niall Horan emerge victorious.

Jelly Roll, Tyla & Dan + Shay Lead Star-Studded ‘The Voice' Season 24 Finale Lineup (msn.com)

[sargeantposting]

ARTICLE: Meet America's Next F1 Hope, Logan Sargeant (Autoweek, 2020)

source: matt weaver, autoweek.com published: february 1st, 2020 series: f3, 2020

He doesn’t view himself as anything more than a racer trying to win races and championships, but Logan Sargeant inherently represents more than himself, as he is also the current best chance the United States has to return an American full time to the Formula 1 grid.

For American racing enthusiasts, the Sargeant name might sound familiar, as the 19-year-old is the younger brother of former NASCAR prospect Dalton Sargeant, who spent several seasons in the ARCA and Truck Series system.

Meanwhile, the youngest racing Sargeant has done nothing but win since moving to Switzerland as a 12-year-old to chase a career at the highest level of international motorsports. Sargeant won the Karting Federation Junior championship in 2015, becoming the first American to win an FIA karting championship since 1978, when Lake Speed earned the honors.

He has victories in the F4 British Championship and Formula Renault.

Sargeant suffered his first significant career setback in 2019, finishing 19th in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Carlin, with just one podium, albeit in the nonpoints prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

There were valid reasons for the adversity, of course, as 2019 was the first season with a new chassis and rules package that allowed for adjustable downforce during practice but one fixed amount during a race.

With three first-year Formula 3 drivers on its roster, Carlin struggled to develop the chassis, and each of them finished outside of the top 15 in the standings.

It was uncharacteristic of Sargeant, who had adapted to everything he had driven up to that point, which makes 2020 all the more interesting as it comes with a return tour of Formula 3, albeit with a change to the championship-winning Prema Racing Team organization.

If Sargeant simply repeats what the three Prema drivers accomplished last year, sweeping the championship’s podium, an American will likely be one step below the highest level of international motorsports in 2021 for the first time since Alexander Rossi made five Formula 1 starts with Marussia.

Get to know Sargeant—an avid fisherman who enjoys returning to his Boca Raton, Florida, home as much as he is able—in this Autoweek exclusive below.

Autoweek: Let's start on the performance side—what went wrong in 2019?

Logan Sargeant: In hindsight, Carlin has had a lot of success over the years, but we really struggled with the new car. We had three rookies on the same team, inexperienced drivers who couldn't lead us in the right direction. A tenth or two makes such a difference. I understand the situation. I'm not saying I wasn't responsible to a degree either. I wasn't satisfied with myself. I have an obligation to help develop the car as much as possible, and we just couldn't figure it out for most of the year.

AW: Do you view last year as a setback or are you still on schedule?

LS: To be perfectly honest with you, I actually feel like we're still ahead of schedule. I just turned 19. We did really well in Formula Renault and made the jump to Formula 3 and now I'm in a really good spot to be with the team (Prema) that won the championship last year.

AW: What's it like to be an American in the F1 ladder system?

LS: I moved to Switzerland when I was 12 and went to a school for Americans so I got used to everything from an early age. Then I moved to London. When you move at such an early age, it's shocking how different everything is, but it's easier to adjust to, as well. I try to go home at least twice a year for a couple of weeks, so that helps. As for the racing side, there is so much quality racing back home between NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA, and that's the only reason there aren't more of us trying. There is a really good racing culture in the States, so that's the only reason we don't see it more often.

AW: I understand you have a dog back home—how tough is it to have to leave a beloved pet when you return to London? The same thing with friends and family?

LS: It's really tough, especially when you're really attached to a pet, like a dog or cat. She used to live with us in Switzerland, but we had to take her back home because she was getting older. It's the same with your friends, right? I have friends in Europe, but they're all my racing friends. They're really nice to have, but you miss your friends you have back home. It's part of the sacrifice you make to do this.

AW: On that note, you've been in Europe now for almost a decade—does it feel like home when you come back from Florida?

LS: Oh, no. Florida is home. I really enjoy it in London. I came early so I've adjusted, but you only have one home.

AW: Do you allow yourself to entertain racing in the States or do you commit everything to what you're doing now?

LS: I'm fully committed to Formula 1, but I wouldn't have a problem if I ended up with the opportunity to race in IndyCar someday. That would be really exciting. I really enjoy sports car racing, too. It would be really cool to hop into a LMP2 or something one day. I want to race and I'll race anything.

AW: How much American racing are you able to keep up with?

LS: I watch as much racing as I can, period. It's tougher to watch certain races here because of the time difference, but I watch nothing but racing. That's the sport I'm in so I'm studying everything.

AW: Is this a championship-or-bust season for you?

LS: I'd say, to be honest, that I'm aiming for the championship. The goal is to win races and compete for the championship. Last year was tough because I'm so used to being at the front of the team. I'm aware of what Prema did last year. That's what I hope to accomplish, too.

[charliegearhart]

2021 FARC Bummin' Beaver Brewery Tornado Alley Tour - Race 4 - LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway

Welcome to FARC Racing coverage on this blog. I hope you enjoy this little experiment. Beware, spoilers below.

Taylor Brillon won the 75 lap FARC Bummin' Beaver Tornado Alley Tour late model feature at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin. It is the first victory of the year for her and the No. 9 Arnie Pine Racing team, and her first late model win since Waterbury Park in 2019.

This race flew by uninterruped by cautions, a surprising achievement for the series.

Cody Lewis drove his Basscadet machine to a second consecutive pole with Brillon on his outside. Lewis made a clean getaway at the start as FARC legend Andy Pearson followed him under the 9 into second place, making a special appearance in his Bald Tire Brewing No. 2 in a cheeky flex on the series sponsor.

You can't win the race on the first lap, but the winning move was made on lap 3, when Brillon got by Pearson for second and started chasing Lewis. Meanwhile, Art Gordon was existing in his No. 49, running lap times two seconds slower than the leaders.

Cody Lewis seemed to enjoy his time behind Art Gordon, as he dropped to fifth. He would eventually recover and claw his way back to third.

Meanwhile, Brillon led with Pearson in tow. They were kept close in part by regular encounters with lapped traffic, filling the scoreboard with more and more negative numbers as the green flag continued to enjoy the sunshine.

The former Lowe Dollar Series regulars enjoyed a smart yet spirited battle, but Brillon held Pearson off the rest of the way. Pearson's best chance came in turn 2 on lap 62, when he caught Brillon sliding high. However, the 40-year veteran lacked momentum out of the corner, allowing Brillon to shut the door in turn 3.

Andy Pearson may be FARC's most accomplished driver, with 4 Lowe Dollar Series titles, and later two more in the Super Series late models where he continues to race regularly, but he is also 65 years old, and 75 laps is a lot of laps to race consecutively at his age.

Taylor Brillon inched away and cruised to the win, lapping everybody up to 10th. The last victims of car 9 were reigning and final FARC Truck Series champion Eddie Vero, who finished 11th, and her teammate and father Kenny Brillon for a second time. "I don't know how we held him off." Brillon said of Pearson's chase after climbing out of her bright yellow Arnie Pine Auto Sales machine. "It ain't every day you've got the Goat honking at you. If he got me there [on lap 62] I knew it was gonna be over."

Gordon Tanner (No. 26) and Mindy Gunn (No. 35) entered this race tied for the points lead, with the tiebreaker going to Tanner for his two victories at Ishpeming and Quincy against Gunn's lone win, coming last week at Grundy County Speedway. After 75 laps, Tanner crossed the line in fifth, four seconds ahead of Gunn, giving him the championship lead by two points over Gunn.

Preston Orchard-Park (No. 85) was the only casualty of the 23-car starting field, losing his engine on lap 8 and finishing last.

The last time Kevin Monroe stepped into a FARC car, he went upside down on the first lap at Road America in 2019. The M&J Racing boss was thankful for bringing the Jeb Klinger Special home eighth in his first outing with the Klinger family. "The only thing Zeb [Klinger, car owner] asked for was no acrobatics." Monroe said with a smile. "So I think today was a success." Monroe qualified ninth and found himself dueling with Caitlin Cook, Tyler Bridgette, and former M&J coworker Eddie Vero for a bulk of the race, ultimately finishing one spot better than he started. Monroe will return with the Klinger family at the season-ending Rockford 200.

The next round for the Tornado Alley Tour will be the 72-lap support race at Minnesota Motorsports Park, a wide and fast one mile oval that is expected to produce pack racing for the late models.

Race Results

Championship Standings

[realhousewives-fan]

Post-Eurovision Depression Kicked in

Well, my apology for the delay on my blog here. 

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you might be familiar with my obsession with Eurovision Song Contest.

It was difficult to find the time to watch any Bravo content the last couple of weeks, because… if you know, you know. 

Eurovision is an all-consuming party.

It’s not that I don’t care about all the twists and turns of Scandoval, or Real Housewives, but I’ve got bigger obsessions in May.

The semi-finals and the final were last week and I’m still trying to process it all. And, frankly, the Post-Eurovision Depression has started.

If my favourite had won, I might have handled the transitioning better. But he didn’t. So, I’ve been obsessing over other Twitter-content than Bravo stuff.

Like, fanfiction. And getting lost in conspiracy theories. Like, how convenient it is that it’s ABBA’s 50th anniversary next year and Sweden is hosting the competition.

Käärijä was supposed to win Eurovision Song Contest of 2023 and I will never get over the disappointment of the juries!

It felt like the song contest was ruined by favouritism. The crowd was screaming “Cha Cha Cha”! He was the public’s favourite, but his victory was robbed by snobbish juries.

This has happened before, with KEiiNO in 2019. The juries butchered their votes, so they finished 6th, even with an enormous number of votes from the public.

So, I don’t care. I won’t listen to the winning song. It won’t exist in my world. 

I’m waiting for Käärijä to announce a tour in Scandinavia and for him to launch some merchandise. I’m definitely painting my nails green!

But that wasn’t the only shock of 2023. Like, what the fuck happened to Austria?! And don’t get me started on United Kingdom and Germany!

There’s so much to process after this year. I’ve been spoiled with my favourites winning the last couple of years.

Måneskin and Kalush Orchestra have been worthy winners. But this year hurt me. I’ve forgotten how heartbroken I can get over this competition.

But I will start watching Bravo again now.