#January 2021 Winner

[rogerdeakinsdp]

Academy Award Winners for Best Cinematography: 2022 — Greig Fraser, ACS, ASC Dune (2021) Directed by Denis Villeneuve Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1

Desert colors dominate throughout the movie, but Fraser, [production designer Patrice] Vermette and costume designer Jacqueline West went to great lengths to imbue that palette with subtle and organic variations of color. “We worked very hard to make sure the world of Dune was not monochromatic,” Fraser says. “For example, Patrice worked veins of reds and blues into the sand walls. He — and Jacqueline, who built these subtle gradations of color into the costumes — both did wonderfully subtle work, and I had to make sure we were capturing those subtleties."

“My approach was to pull as much color as possible out of non-colorful situations,” he continues. “It was all subtle differences, not necessarily bold color contrasts. Achieving bold color in film is super easy. Achieving depth [in the image while creating a natural-light look] when you’re working with a digital sensor and digital lights is harder than it might first appear.” — The American Society of Cinematographers, January 2022

[architect-2015]

living the fast life - Alexia Putellas

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‘la reina’ and ‘il prescelto’ two women dominating their chosen sport.

Alexia Putellas a two-time ballon d’or winner Carmen Blanc the current formula one world champion.

Two women compared in the media could not be any close together.

(whenever they are speaking english besides in posts is spoke in spanish, it’s easier to write it this way than to translate everything!)

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June 23rd 2024 (day of the Spanish Grand Prix)

@alexiapnews

alexiapnews: Alexia Putellas seen walking to the ferrari motorhome a head of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix!

Carmen Blanc (ferrari driver) and the Barcelona midfielder have been linked multiple times during the duration of the last two years, no comments have been made in these rumours.

@yn.alexia: OMG THEY HAVE TO BE TOGETHER!

@fanusername1: girl let them live their lives.

@fanusername2: if they are together imagine the f1 x barcelona crossovers we could have!

@ferrarixfootball: 💙❤️🏎️

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

January 31st 2021 (Day of El Clásico)

It was winter break for Carmen Blanco, coming off the back of another successful season in Formula One, second in the Drivers Championship and Ferrari coming third in the Constructors Standings.

Unlike the other drivers on the grid, the Spaniard like to return home to her beloved home city of Barcelona instead of travelling to all four corners of the world.

Being born and raised in Barcelona, her love for football was a big factor in her off season. The Estadi Johan Cruyff might as well be her second home during the winter and summer off season.

Due to her status in the sport community, specifically women in sport, Carmen had been invited to meet the teams after the game.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Following a staff member towards the locker rooms, the young lady began to feel her palms sweat. She would be meeting one of her idols.

Carmen had always admired Alexia, her loyalty to Barcelona mirrored that of Carmen’s towards Ferrari. Both women being part of breaking the barriers for women in male dominated sports.

Once she had reached the door, she reached up and knocked three times on the painted wood. Cheers and shouts of joy were heard from inside the changing room as the door was ripped open.

Standing face to face with ‘la reina’ was something she couldn’t believe she would be doing.

“Hola, you must be Carmen. I’m so happy we finally get to meet!”

@carmen.blanco

liked by alexiaputellas, marialeonn16 and 231,567 others

carmen.blanco: always a joy to be back home, this team has my heart. Forca Barca! ❤️💙

alexiaputellas: thank you for your support, it was amazing to meet you.

carmen.blanco: you too alexia, i was completely star struck!

fanuser1: ALEXIA AND CARMEN CROSSOVER!

carmenxf1: the two best women to do it.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Over the past three months since being introduced Carmen and the players of Fc Barcelona Femení have all stayed in touch, but specifically the spanish captain and the driver.

Having met on multiple occasions for coffee and dog walks with Alexia’s pomeranian Nala and Carmens Dalmatian Lulu. The two had grown increasingly closer to each other.

Currently laid out on a sun lounger in the backyard of her Barcelona home, Carmen was trying to soak up the last of the Spanish sun before her race season begins. A ding interrupts her peace and she leans over to check her phone.

a delicate blush spreads across her cheeks as she rushes into the house to begin getting ready for the night, nervous for what the future holds for her and Alexia.

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oops i realised that for the amount of social media posts i’ve made this is going to have to be a multiple part series.

This spans from January of 2021 to June if 2024 so we’ve got a lot to cover!

i can’t wait to get to Alexia’s first ballon d’or win and Carmen claiming for first formula 1 world championship. 

I’m a sucker for a secret romance so 🤭

[hugshughes]

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 - 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐒

𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎 - 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱!𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐳𝐚�� 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 - 𝐘/𝐧 𝐘/𝐥/𝐧'𝐬 𝐕𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐨.

𝐰𝐜 - 600 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐘/𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭! 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲!

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 - 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐌 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐘!!!!!, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞!𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐳𝐚𝐥, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐩, 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞(?)

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 - 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧/𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐜! 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬!

𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 - ��𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 - 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐭. 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰!

-

Social Media!

thevogue.com/artists/yn-yln/#bio

Artists / Y/n Y/l/n

Pop Female Vocalist Indie Folk Post-teen Pop Singer-songwriter

Published December 2nd, 2023. 11:29AM PST

Y/n Y/m/n Y/l/n (born January 11, 2001, in Annapolis, Maryland) is an American singer-songwriter. Y/l/n is a 3-time Grammy winner with a total of 11 nominations (as of October, 2023). As of October, 2023, Y/l/n has sold 26 million albums and 88 million singles worldwide.

Y/n Y/l/n is a internationally praised pop-indie phenomena. She quickly rose to fame at only 17 when she released her debut album Pause (February 19, 2018). Pause sold over a million copies in less than 48 hours, soaring to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 8 of Y/n's songs took place on the top ten and it took 41 weeks for Y/n's songs to exit the top 10. Pause racked up 3 Platinum singles, including Blouse, Innocent, and Bags.

Y/n Y/l/n's fame somehow skyrocketed higher when she released her second album Chaser (January 19th, 2020). The album features mostly love songs, rumored to be about her then boyfriend, NHL player Mathew Barzal. The album featured best sellers such as Cruel Simmer, Habits, and Happiness is a Butterfly.

As we stay on the topic of her ex boyfriend, she has been stuck in one scandal regarding her love life. In September of 2021, 20 months after releasing Chaser, there were paparazzi videos released of the IT couple in a shouting match on the street outside of popular restaurant, BOA Steakhouse, in Los Angeles, California. Video depicted Y/l/n crying as she fought with the hockey player, who was caught insulting Y/n very explicitly. The video ends with Barzal storming back into BOA Steakhouse, and Y/l/n sitting on the curb, awaiting her ride after the NHL star shouted, "Get a f***ing Uber back if you're going to be a b***h and embarrass me like this!" Bystanders watch as Y/l/n entered long time friend Tate McRae's car.

Less than a week later Y/n confirmed the end of the three year long relationship, with no further comments. While there have been no albums released since Chaser, in January 2020. Y/l/n has released two singles, Memories, and The Cut That Always Bleeds, both released in the summer of 2022.

As of now, December 2023, there has yet to be any major news of new music, but there's always the tiny bits and rumors that get down to the public. While Y/n has promised an album in 2024, she has yet to set a release, causing fans to believe it will come in the later months of the new year.

All in all, Y/n Y/l/n is a talented, young superstar. She captivates audiences like few can, and with the way her career is going now, could be one of the biggest star the world's ever seen. Most recently, Y/n was spotted in a cozy Baltimore suburb alongside Taylor Swift, who Y/n has repeatedly mentioned as her biggest influence when it comes to music, as well as her biggest fan. Swift seemed to take Y/n under her wing in 2019, even having Y/n open a stretch of her shows at The Eras Tour, in 2023, as well as the US shows in late 2024!

There are obviously large things in store for this young influential woman, and I can't help but applaud all of her hard work and dedication to her work.

Similar Artists

Taylor Swift

Gracie Abrahams

Conan Gray

Billie Eilish

[nothingelsematterswrites]

Because I'm feeling petty, and it is the anniversary of The Tweet That Rocked The Grid, I decided to compile the most important piece of Oscar Lore.

I present to you: the most complete timeline of how alpine fucked up their handling of oscar piastri, aka, the piasco, to the best of my knowledge

(information compiled from multiple sources)

March 2021: Oscar Piastri makes his F2 debut in Bahrain, at the first round of the season. He immediately makes a splash by finishing fifth in the first sprint race and winning the second.

May 2021: Monaco. Oscar again impresses, collecting an 8th and two 2nds (including one in the feature race). Meanwhile, in Formula One land, Laurent Rossi offers a four year deal to Esteban Ocon, which he signs.

Rossi did not consult with any of the Alpine board about this offer, which is unprecedented for a driver who had not yet even won a race and unusual even for a race-winner who was not a champion.

What this does do, however, is effectively block one of the Alpine seats until 2025.

June-July 2021: Oscar continues to collect consistent points finishes at Baku and Silverstone, including podiums, keeping him in the championship hunt.

August 2021: Esteban Ocon wins the Hungarian Grand Prix.

September 2021: Oscar and Daniel win in Monza on the same day, with Oscar taking out the F2 feature race on the same day Daniel wins the Italian Grand Prix. Oscar follows this with another feature race victory in Russia, solidifying his points lead.

It is about this time that Alpine sit Oscar and Mark Webber down and explain that no matter what Oscar does now, he will not be in F1 next year. Alpine will have him as a reserve driver only and will not make the effort to put him in a race seat, despite Williams publicly saying they no longer require the money Nicolas Latifi brings in and are open to other drivers for 2022.

November 2021: Alfa Romeo announce that Zhou Guanyu, third place in the F2 championship, will be replacing Antonio Giovinazzi for 2022. This causes quite the uproar, as many despise the idea of Zhou getting a seat before Oscar, the talented rookie champion-elect.

The Piastris (Oscar and his father Chris) and Mark sit down with Alpine and agree to terms for 2022 and beyond, outlined in a terms sheet. This terms sheet is not a contract, but an agreement to sign a contract. The terms sheet outlines that Oscar will be the Alpine reserve driver for 2022; that he will be given practice sessions, certain private tests, and two FP1 sessions; and that Alpine guarantee him a seat on the 2023 grid, presumably with Williams. The terms sheet specifies that the actual contract will follow in 10 business days.

December 2021: Oscar wins the F2 championship in Jeddah after winning the second sprint race and the feature race. He then follows this up with a podium in sprint race one and a win in the feature race at Abu Dhabi, only serving to make Alpine look even more stupid. He is announced as the reserve for Alpine for 2022 and participates in the end of season test for Alpine.

No contract has appeared.

January 2022: Mark follows up with Alpine about the reserve driver contract, and is told, "it's coming".

No contract has appeared.

February 2022: Mark begins to hassle the legal team at Alpine about the contract. At some point, he has an exchange as follows: "I can't keep telling them that the contract is coming." The lawyer replies that she is the only one in the entire legal department, and that she has to do everything before the season starts.

No contract has appeared.

March 2022: During pre-season testing, Daniel Ricciardo tests positive to COVID-19. Alpine make arrangements with McLaren that if Daniel is not fit for Bahrain, Oscar will drive for him. Oscar still does not have a contract at this point. Alpine realise that without a contract, he does not have a superlicence (thereby making him ineligible to drive even if Daniel isn't fit.)

Panicking, the lawyer in Alpine's legal department writes "legally binding" across Alpine's copy of the terms sheet and submits that to the FIA in order to grant him his superlicence.

Five days before the Bahrain Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri finally sits down and signs a contract with Alpine to be their test and reserve driver for the 2022 season. This contract very explicitly only covers 2022, and does not contain any provisions for 2023.

Daniel finishes 17th in Bahrain, ahead of Lando Norris, and is running ahead of Norris and in the points when his gearbox fails in Jeddah.

April 2022: Oscar fulfils his duties as test and reserve driver, including being paraded around in Australia. Daniel finishes 5th in Australia after a nasty team order keeps him behind Norris' ailing car. At Imola, he is sixth in the sprint, only just behind Norris, but finishes 18th in the race after an uncharacteristically clumsy T1 move.

May 2022: Oscar conducts a private test with Alpine at Paul Ricard, using the 2021 car. No times are published, but there is a whisper on social media from the spectators who were there that Oscar was faster than Esteban Ocon had been the previous year. Daniel finishes 13th at the race in Miami after mechanical issues in qualifying and strategy issues in the race, which Andreas Seidl publicly apologises for. He finishes 12th at Spain, due to a broken rear end (which McLaren do not acknowledge until several days after the race).

After the Spanish Grand Prix, Zak Brown conducts an interview where he calls Daniel "disappointing" and lays the blame for their substandard results squarely at Daniel's feet. Daniel is then harassed by the media all through the Monaco weekend, where he finishes 13th.

It is also about this time that Alpine begin to publicly state that they are courting Fernando Alonso for a contract extension for 2023, meaning no seat will be available for next year at Alpine.

June 2022: It is about this time that Zak Brown begins shopping Daniel's seat behind his back. There are several interested parties involved, including Alex Palou and Pato O'Ward of Indycar.

Alpine continue to insist to Mark and Oscar that the 2023 deal is in progress. However, at about this time, rumours start to fly that Oscar is going to replace Nicolas Latifi at Williams after Silverstone. Williams angrily deny this, stand by Latifi, and publicly state that they are done being used as a dumping ground for other teams' juniors when they have their own - a seemingly firm statement that Oscar will not be welcome while he is attached to Alpine.

Mark makes contact with McLaren, and negotiations begin.

5 July 2022: On this date Oscar Piastri signs his contract with McLaren. The contract is initially as a reserve driver with mechanisms to make him the race driver if McLaren can negotiate an exit with Daniel. Oscar informs Otmar Szafnauer and Laurent Rossi shortly afterwards, and does so a second time at some point in the next three weeks.

11 July 2022: Zak Brown states to the media that Daniel Ricciardo will be driving for McLaren in 2023. About this time, Daniel visits the factory, and makes a tearful, impassioned promise to the team members that he is working incredibly hard and will be driving for them next year.

28 July 2022: Sebastian Vettel shocks everyone by announcing his retirement from Formula One at the end of the season, throwing the grid into disarray.

30 July 2022: Lawrence Stroll contacts Fernando Alonso and offers him the drive for next year. Unlike Alpine, Lawrence does not hesitate to put a paper contract in front of Fernando, and offers him a 2+1 deal where Alpine had been pondering a 1+1. Fernando, tired of the games of Alpine, signs immediately.

1 August 2022: Aston Martin announce that Fernando Alonso will join the team from 2023.

Either 1 August 2022 or 2 August 2022: Otmar Szafnauer corners Oscar in the simulator, in front of several other Alpine staff, and informs him he has the Alpine drive in 2023. Oscar is aware that if he challenges Szafnauer he will make a scene and does not say anything.

2 August 2022: Alpine announce that their 2023 driver lineup will consist of Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri. Eagle-eyed fans note that there are no quotes from Oscar in the press release, which has a very strange vibe. They are right, because...

A few hours later, Oscar sends The Tweet. There is immediate uproar.

August 2022: Otmar Szafnauer and Laurent Rossi proceed to go on a smear campaign against Oscar, calling him disloyal and questioning his integrity. Even other team principals (unwisely) get involved, despite not knowing the full story. Alpine is threatening court action, and the matter is scheduled for a Contract Recognition Board hearing. Oscar and Mark do not say a word, and nor do McLaren, who everyone assumes is the team that got him.

24 August 2022: McLaren announce that they have agreed with Daniel to part ways for the 2023 season. They do not announce his replacement and Daniel does not have a drive for 2023 arranged.

2 September 2022: The Contracts Recognition Board hearing takes place. Alpine are savagely humiliated as the full extent of their incompetence is laid bare. The mediators express their clear disdain for Alpine's actions, including their incredulousness that a lawyer possibly thought it acceptable to write "legally binding" on a terms sheet, the fact that the lawyer had pleaded with Laurent Rossi for more help several times and Alpine's "shilly-shallying" over even getting Oscar his reserve contract, let alone a race one. They find that the only valid contract Oscar had for 2023 was the one with McLaren, and Alpine are ordered to pay Oscar's, Mark's, and McLaren's costs.

After all of their bluster and slander, it turns out that Otmar Szafnauer and Laurent Rossi genuinely believed the terms sheet was a contract that entitled them to Oscar's services for 2023.

Alpine fire the lawyer. (So I guess nobody is in their legal department, now?)

[think-like-a-poet]

Continue the Legacy

Verstappen Daughter x Leclerc Son

Master list here

Max Verstappen is a known driver who has written pages in the history books. Being the youngest person to ever drive in Formula 1 he got lots of opinions on him from the start. He proves them all wrong in the following years winning races in Mercedes dominance. Sharing podiums with earlier winners and champions and winning his first one in 2021. In 2023 he had a dominance year with almost all of the races except for three. He went on to win two more championships in 2024 and 2028. However, the 2028 season marked a significant change for the Dutch driver, as he announced his retirement from racing at the end of the year. The news came as a surprise to many fans, as Verstappen had become synonymous with the sport. He cited his desire to focus on his family and spend quality time with his new-born daughter as the reason for his decision. He still races in his spare time and on the sim. In 2032 he became his daughter's manager in her karting career.

Charles Leclerc is Ferrari's golden boy. Since he signed with them in 2019 he hasn't changed his team. He has endured more bad luck than any of them and put the famous Ferrari curse to his name. With luck on his side he won his first Championship in 2025, beating the reiniging Dutch man. The following year he also won the championship in the last round against his teammate. In 2027 he lost the Championship to the Mclaren driver, Lando Norris, who had been dominant all year long. In 2029 he scored his third and last victory. After an illustrious career, Leclerc announced his retirement from racing at the end of the 2030 season, citing his desire to spend more time with his family. He left the sport behind to focus on his wife, two children, and beloved dogs, bringing an end to an era marked by both triumph and tragedy. He also became the Manger to his son, leaving his legacy to him to continue.

As Jules and Sofie's competitive spirits clashed, their fathers witnessed moments of intense rivalry between their kids. The tension culminated in a heated crash during a karting competition, leaving the two young competitors at odds with each other. The same emotions that had once fueled their own fathers' arguments now seemed to be at play.

Follow the life of Jules and Sofie in this story, with their love being destined from the beginning.

Cast

Jules Saint Mleux Leclerc

23 July 2027

"To be fair, I already knew that."

Sofie Piquet Verstappen

16 January 2028

"Your opinion of me, doesn't define who I am."

Eloise Saint Mleux Leclerc

11 November 2029

"You have to do it now, otherwise it would be too late."

[keepingupwithzaynmalik]

Zayn Malik is gearing up to release his long-awaited fourth studio album, and he’s co-produced the upcoming LP with Grammy-winner Dave Cobb, Rolling Stone can exclusively confirm.

In working with Cobb — one of Nashville’s most accomplished and in-demand producers — Malik will explore new sonic territory and lean into pairing his unmistakable vocals with live instrumentation. The soulful singer-songwriter had spent several years writing the album at his home in rural Pennsylvania before enlisting Cobb’s help as a co-producer. There’s no release date or title yet, but the album will be Malik’s first on new label, Mercury Records.

“What got me about Zayn was his voice, you can hear love, loss, pain, triumph and humanity in it. I feel as if this record is removing the glass from his spirit directly to his fans,” Cobb says. “Zayn has really created his own universe on this record, he really has no fear and is speaking straight from his soul.”

In an interview on Call Her Daddy last year, Malik teased the upcoming album a bit, saying, “I’m doing a record I don’t think people are really gonna expect. It’s a different sound for me. And it’s got some more narrative going on, like real-life experiences and stuff. My daughter’s mentioned in there a couple of times.”

Malik’s last album, Nobody Is Listening, was released in 2021. Since then, he’s shared a couple of scattered singles, including “To Begin Again” with Ingrid Michaelson, a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel,” and last year’s “Love Like This.” Back in January, Malik collaborated with the up-and-coming Pakistani group Aur on a reimagining of their hit single, “Tu Hai Kahan.”

As for Cobb, his credits include hit albums and critically acclaimed projects with Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Lady Gaga, Jason Isbell, Lori McKenna, and Sturgill Simpson. More recently, he’s teamed up with some classic rockers like Slash and Sammy Hagar, as well as Barry Gibb, Greta Van Fleet, Gavin DeGraw, and William Prince.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

S.V. Dáte at HuffPost:

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith Tuesday announced that a grand jury had reindicted former President Donald Trump on four charges related to his Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt to honor the direction given by the U.S. Supreme Court in its July ruling holding that Trump was immune from criminal prosecution for “official acts.” “Today, a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment,” Smith wrote in a separate filing to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is handling the case. “The superseding indictment, which was presented to a new grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in this case, reflects the Government’s efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Court’s holdings.”

Trump’s first public reaction to the new indictment was to repost a message on Truth Social by Mike Davis, a former Senate lawyer who supports him, that ends with: “Bottom Line: There’s no chance this case goes to trial before the election. Trump wins. Jack Smith fired. Case closed.” About an hour later, Trump personally responded with a five-post screed on his social media platform in which he called Smith “deranged” and claimed, without any evidence, that the prosecution was being directed by President Joe Biden’s White House. He also repeated his lie that Democrats had cheated to win the 2020 election. He ended with: “PERSECUTION OF A POLITICAL OPPONENT!” The “superseding” indictment, as it is known, charges Trump with the same four counts as in the original indictment that was filed a year ago: Conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstructing an official proceeding and conspiracy to deprive millions of Americans of their right to have their votes counted. It follows the same narrative structure, laying out how Trump spent months after losing his 2020 reelection bid laying the groundwork for the violent assault on the Capitol by his mob of followers.

“Despite having lost, the defendant ― who was also the incumbent president ― was determined to remain in power,” Smith wrote. “So, for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election [that] he had actually won. These claims were false, and the defendant knew that they were false.” But Smith’s new indictment does not reference Trump’s efforts to enlist federal government employees in the executive branch — who all technically report to him. For instance, the original indictment had mentioned a Department of Justice official whom Trump considered making his attorney general because of his willingness to tell state officials that voter fraud had occurred. The new indictment does not include the official as a co-conspirator, but does still include the other five individuals who were not in government. The Supreme Court ruled in July that Trump had immunity from prosecution for “official” acts, and specifically cited the ability to hire and fire executive branch employees to carry out his wishes. The revised indictment, now at 36 pages compared to the 45-page original, still centers on Trump’s scheme to have allies in key states won by Biden create fake Electoral College slates and send them to the Senate. The plan was for then-Vice President Mike Pence to use the fake Trump slates instead of the legitimate slates for Democrat Joe Biden and declare Trump the winner.

A new grand jury issued a superseding indictment on Donald Trump on the same charges as the original indictment in regards to his coup attempt that led to the January 6th Insurrection in a bid to stay in power: Conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstructing an official proceeding and conspiracy to deprive millions of Americans of their right to have their votes counted.

The new indictments, with respect to the SCOTUS’s Trump v. United States ruling, omitted official business acts.

See Also:

The Guardian: Special counsel files new indictment against Trump over 2020 election

[scotianostra]

January 23rd is National Pie day, what's your favourite pie?

Is it the traditional New Years day fare, of a muckle steak pie, or the humble Scotch Pie filled with mutton? It could also be a macaroni pie, possibly a favourite with the vegetarians Scots out there. Or maybe you have sought out the Breakfast pie that I posted about previously is made by Table 13 Express takeaway deli in Kirkintilloch. The Haggis and Steak Pie by Bells is also up there, although I preferred the haggis mash and beans pies we used to get from our local bakers growing up in my hometown of Loanhead.

Perhaps the most famous of our pies here in Scotland is the award winning Killie Pie made by Brownings Bakery in the town since 1945.

Just last week Scotlans best pie was announced at The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards, with a beloved Perth and Kinross butcher taking home the top prize at the ceremony. More than 50 bakeries and butchers from around Scotland were shortlisted in a range of categories, with their bakes assessed anonymously by a panel of experts and independent judges.

This year, the top World Champion prize was given to James Pirie & Son of Blairgowrie, who previously won the competition in 2018, 2020, and 2022, as well as taking the title of World Scotch Pie Champion of Champions in 2021 with their iconic Scotch Pie.

Elsewhere, fellow winners included James Aitken Butchers in Alloa, The Little Bakery in Dumfries, and Beefcake Cafe in Glasgow, who took home prizes in the Sausage Roll, Bridie, and Vegetarian Savoury categories respectively. Among the other categories were Steak Pie and Haggis Savoury, which were awarded to Brownings the Bakers Ltd in Kilmarnock and WeeCOOK in Carnoustie.

Here's a recipe for the Scotch Pie, although they will differ from source to source.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Four 4-inch springform cake pans (or equivalent)

Rolling pin

Small skillet

Knife to cut onion

Saucepan/s

Measuring cups, spoons

Kitchen scale (optional)

Mixing Bowls and spoons

Pastry Brush (for egg wash)

Stove and Oven (obviously)

INGREDIENTS

Hot Water Pastry Crust

2 cups flour (240 grams)

1/2 cup lard or shortening

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk, beaten (for egg wash)

Meat Filling

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 – 2 teaspoons lard, butter, or shortening

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon Italian spice (optional)

Quick Beef Gravy

1 14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth

2 cubes beef bouillon

1/4 cup cold water

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons corn starch

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F or 177° C. Grease four 4 inch springform pans and set aside.

Put flour in a medium mixing bowl and create a well in the center.

Place water, salt, and lard in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Carefully pour hot water and lard into well made in the flour. Mix with a spoon until all the flour is wet.

When the flour mixture is cool enough to handle. Knead just enough to mix completely. Set aside one fourth of the dough and divide the remaining dough into four balls.

2 tablespoons corn starch

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F or 177° C. Grease four 4 inch springform pans and set aside.

Put flour in a medium mixing bowl and create a well in the center.

Place water, salt, and lard in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Carefully pour hot water and lard into well made in the flour. Mix with a spoon until all the flour is wet.

When the flour mixture is cool enough to handle. Knead just enough to mix completely. Set aside one fourth of the dough and divide the remaining dough into four balls.

Place all of the dough in the refrigerator while sautéing the onions and preparing the meat mixture.

Sauté the chopped onion in 1 to 2 teaspoons of lard, butter, or shortening, until soft.

Thoroughly mix ground beef, onion, and spices, including salt and pepper, in a bowl and set aside.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll each of the four big dough balls into round shapes big enough to cover the bottom and up the sides of the springform pans stopping about 1/4 inch or 6 mm from the top of the pan.

Roll out the large piece of dough, (the fourth you cut off from the whole dough mass in the beginning), into one large shape a little thinner than the bottom shells. Using one of the springform pans, cut four circles out of the rolled dough. These will be the lids (top crusts) of your pies. Lay them flat and cut a small hole in the center of each lid.

Add one fourth of the meat mixture to each pastry lined pan. Filling to about 1/4 inch or 6 mm from the top of the dough. Be sure to push it down into the corner round the bottom of the pan.

Cover the pie with the pastry lids and press the edges of the lid dough into the shell dough to seal. You may crimp with your fingers or press with a fork to make them pretty or just leave them plain. Just make sure the tops and sides are sealed together.

Brush each lid with the beaten egg yolk and place the pies in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You can stick a meat thermometer into the lid hole to ensure the meat is cooked through. It should be 160° F or 71° C.

While the pies are in the oven, make the quick gravy. Put the chicken broth in a saucepan along with two beef bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch into 1/4 cup cold water and stir until smooth. Slowly, add the corn starch mixture to the broth while stirring. Turn down the heat to a simmer and allow the gravy to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing springforms. Serve with gravy, potatoes, and vegetables, top with beans, or, just eat them on the go.

NOTES

If you want to put a tablespoon of gravy inside each pie before baking them, just make the gravy before assembling the pies.

Scotch pies will last 3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen after they have cooled for an hour. They will taste best if eaten within two to three months of freezing. Once you have thawed the pies, don’t refreeze them.

Recipe taken from https://travelinginmykitchen.com/2022/01/03/make-your-own-scotch-pies/

[favoriteanimatedtheatricalfilm]

Click here to find more about the governances & players of this tournament

*From 2020-2022, as Wish (2023) hasn’t come out yet as of posting this poll. A different poll pitting Wish and Elemental (2023) against each other will release the first week of January. That winner will then be pitted against this poll’s winner, as a new potential 2020s winner.

If a new movie for the 2020s wins, I will then hold a new decades poll, pitting the winners from each decade against each other once again.

2023’s decade poll (aka, the Finale) is coming out next week, after this poll ends and I know the result to put in for 2020s.

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #718:

A group of former Eurovision contestants are going on tour together across Europe and Australia for "Eurovision On Tour 2024." The concert series will begin in October and finish in January of 2025.

The group behind the idea for the tour, Eurodrama Entertainment SL, also produces the Barcelona Eurovision Party and Nordic Eurovision Party.

The artists who have confirmed their participation in the concert event are:

Silia Kapsis (Cyprus 2024), Carola (Sweden 1983, 1991, 2006), Emmelie de Forest (Denmark 2013), Linda Martin (Ireland 1984, 1992), The Roop (Lithuania 2021), Destiny (Malta 2021) and Sunstroke Project (Moldova 2010, 2017).

[Sources]

"Eurovision on Tour to bring winners, icons and favourites to fans," Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Malmö 2024: Silia Kapsis, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Munich 1983: Carola Häggkvist, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Rome 1991: Carola, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Athens 2006: Carola, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Malmö 2023: Emmelie de Forest, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Malmö 1992: Linda Martin, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Luxembourg 1984: Linda Martin, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Rotterdam 2021: The Roop, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Rotterdam 2021: Destiny, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Oslo 2010: Sunstroke Project & Olia Tira, Eurovision.tv.

Participants of Kyiv 2017: Sunstroke Project, Eurovision.tv.

[waitingfortaemin]

Day 566 of Taemin’s enlistment

Arena Homme+ January 2021 - 15th A-Awards Solo Artist Category Winner Pictorial

[irondad-creator-awards]

And The Fic Nominees are...

Nominations are now closed and the fic nominees are listed below. If you don’t see your nomination it’s because they wereineligible as a previous winner or the story was updated last before January 1st 2021 or they chose to have their works excluded. 

Voting will being Saturday 4th with the link posted here on Tumblr. You can vote for your top 5 stories this year in the first round of voting. In the second and final round - Top 10 - you will only be able to vote for one.

The fabulous @asyouleft​ has compiled this list of all nominess with links this year for your ease of access.

THE MULTI-CHAPTER YOU COULDN’T PUT DOWN

A Decade Away by Shortiethegiraffe

A New Point of View by Waitingondaisies

All Good Things Come in Threes by Bergen

Broken Mirrors and Fragile Things by Evienyx

But Only Hope and Sorrows End by iron_spider 

Catch and Keep by Bergen

Catch Your Own Happiness by Truelovetakesawhile 

Count My Heartbeats by Katinamoon 

Even A Free Bird Is Chained to The Sky by Cheerios_Me_Lovely 

Feathersoft by Katinamoon 

For We Are Bound By Symmetry by Kingdomfaraway 

Forty-Seven Flat by Geekymoviemom 

From My Weakness I Drew Strength by Mendeia 

I Promise I'll Do Better by 221broadwayiron

Identity Crisis by Kitcat992 

If These Wings Could Fly by For_The_Night 

Instant Kill Mode by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So 

Irreplaceable by For_The_Night

Not Broken, Just Bent by Cheerios_Me_Lovely 

Not So Friendly by Ramble_On

Only In The Present by Mendeia 

So Many Things To Say by Happyaspie 

Someday (I'll Make It Out Of Here) by The_Color_Pomegranate

Somethin's In The Air Right Now by Natasha_Romanoff_Official

The Chasm Between by TheSleepingOwl

The Hardest Part Is Living (With It) by Unidentified_Oblivion 

The Long Game by Niniblack

The Many Adventures Of Iron Dad And Spider Son by Lbigreyhound13

The Simple Life by Niniblack

These Lives We Seek by Beautifullights

These Word Written On My Wrist by Katinamoon

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

What A Difference A Day (Or A Hundred) Makes by Lunasquared

Where There's Smoke by Juiceontherocks

Worst Summer Vacation by Mysterycyclone

You Are My Sunshine by M4rmalade

 THE ONE-SHOT THAT THAT HAD YOU HOOKED 

A Different Kind Of Heat by Katinamoon 

Ace Of Hearts by Ironfidus 

Buried Deep by Inkinmyheardandonthepage

Cannolis by Heyitsline 

Concentric Circles And Shiny Corners by Geekymoviemom

Count To Seventeen And Close Your Eyes by Winterturtle

Dead In There By You’re Dead In There by iron_spider

Demon In A Bottle by Edema_Ruh 

Divergence Point (Chapter 4: Loki Kidnaps Tony) by Mysterycyclone

Fly On The Wall by Kuroi_Tanken

From Strangers To Siblings by For_The_Night

Hair’s Breadth From Death by Olliecollie

Home (Is Where My Heart Found Exactly Where I'm Supposed To Be) by Ironfidus

How To Fire Your Intern Sixteen Times In Three Days by Bergen

Hunger by Katinamoon

I Am Not Worried, I Am With You by Kingdomfaraway

I Get To Love You (It's The Best Thing That I'll Ever Do) by Thetealdragon

I Need You Like A Heart Needs A Beat by For_The_Night

Insist Upon Your Cup Of Stars by Finny3120

Never Meet Your Heroes (They're Human Just Like You) by Marvelousbutterfly

No Patch Job by Buridaino

Pain Relief by Sara (Ctrsara)

Pickle Starburst by Bergen

Shocking! Spiderman's Alien Baby: Friendly Neighborhood Hero And His Hanukkah Blessing by Aggressivewhenstartled

So Much Has Changed by Ephemeralstark

Spider-Baby Protocol by Liliaphant (Seaphire)

Staring Shadows In The Eye by Ironxprince

The Little Things by Crowkag

There Are Fields On Fire And I Lay Burning by Canon Irondad (Tomlinsoul)

Whatcha Got There? by Retro_Memo

You Game? Cake Time? by iron_spider

You Talk Of The Pain Like It's All Alright by SpaceCowBoysFromMars

THE BEST THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES

A Misunderstanding by Woamx

All Things Must Pass by Frogboyfrog

Ashes by Winterturtle

Behind A Photograph by 107thinfantry

Could Roses Bloom Again? by Errorinloading 

Drowning In The Whispers by Winterturtle

Every Spider Has Its Day (Prompt 5: Every Whumpee's Needs) by Itsapugthing

His Light by Callie_Caje

Koala Care by Happyaspie

Peter Stark by Ilove_Klance

Should I Go Into The Light? by Happyaspie

Show And Tell by Oriocookie

The Guest Room by Niniblack

The World Wept by Callie_Caje

This Feels Right, So Stay A Sec by Errorinloading

Tony Stark Doesn't Do Naps by Lillylemonbee

THE ONE THAT MADE YOU GASP

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

All Good Things Come in Threes by Bergen

As Long As You Still Have A Heart by Darksideofmyroom

Can't Part The Sea, Can't Reach The Shore by Forensicleaf

For We Are Bound, Symmetry by Kingdomfaraway

Hold Me Close, If You Dare by Id_Rather_Be_Reading_3

Longing, Rusted by Honeycombclairev

Men Of Iron by Spdrmain

My Father Moved Through The Dooms Of Love by Shetheybrucebanner

Oh Sweet Child, The Things I'd Do For You by Tonystarkissist

Only Suckers Wear Scarves by Bergen

Savoir-Vivre, Or Whatever You Call It by Bergen

The Chasm Between by TheSleepingOwl

The Darkest Hour by Ephemeralstark

The Ghost At The Back Of Your Closet by Niniblack

These Lives We Seek by Beautifullights

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

Unconscionable by Hollow_Dweller

THE BIODAD THAT TOUCHED YOUR HEART

A Little Late On The Blood Work by Pixiemage

All That’s Left by Pandaluna

Baby Mine (Dry Your Eyes) by Mainstreamelectricalparade

Continuum by Geekymoviemom

For We Are Bound By Symmetry by Kingdomfaraway

Just Me And All Of My Plain Jane Glory by SpaceCowboysFromMars

One Single Thread Of Gold by Tonystarktrash

Picture Day by iron_spider

Playing Possum by Skeeter_110

Retrieval by Nation_Ustria

Savoir-Vivre, Or Whatever You Call It by Bergen

Teething by Spooderboyandtincan

The Gift by Duskblue & Violettavonviolet

The Long Game by Niniblack

The Simple Life by Niniblack

The Ties That Bind Us by Winterturtle

To Capitalist Christmas And A Pretty Awesome Irondad by Lunasquared

Uncle Obie May Have Lied (And Other Lessons To Be Learned) by Theskeptileptic

We'll Make Butterflies by iron_spider

You're My (Spider) Baby by For_The_Night

 THE ONE WHERE WORLDS COLLIDE

A New Point Of View by Waitingondaisies

Chase You Down Until You Love Me by OK_Butwhy1

Dark Matter by Mysterycyclone

Emergency Contacts by Sara (Ctrsara)

Forever And Ever by Thisisnotourlasthunt

Home by Patrochilles_Trash

I’ll Be By Your Side (When You’re Stuck In Place) by Marvelousbutterfly

If You’d Only Listened by For_The_Night

In The Blowing, Cold Wind by Odd_I

It's A Secret To Everybody by Snapdragon_In_The_Snow

Kids These Days by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Mr Parker Declines To Comment by Apisdn

Put It On Speaker by Onlyforward

Quaranteens by Blueh

School Sucks, I Know by Call_Me_Coley

Setting Things Straight by Sara (Ctrsara)

Sick Day Shouldas by Sara (Ctrsara)

Stark Industries Is A Real Place by Sisyphusclimbs

The Person On The Other End Of The Line by Imgoingtocrash

The Stark Legacy by Ironfidus

Ultimate School Pick Up by Coconutknightshade

Undercover Chaperone by Happyaspie

What Makes A Hero by Patrochilles_Trash

Write It On The Skyline by Ironfidus

THE ONE WITH ALL THE OWIES

Addiction by Lanyakea

At The Bottom by Living_Is_Easy_With_Eyes_Closed

Atlas Held by Grumperella 

Because They Didn't Want Kids by Swizzlemalarky

Broken Mirrors And Fragile Things by Evienyx

But Only Hope and Sorrows End by iron_spider 

Couch Cuddles by Happyaspie

Count My Heartbeats by Katinamoon 

Die With The Sun, Live Like The Moon by S0lstice

Equilibrium by Lunasquard

Feathersoft by Katinamoon

Fledgling Avenger by Assayist

Four Times Peter Cheated Death And One Time He Didn’t by iron_spider

Grief Has No Timeline by Sara (Ctrsara)

He’s Just A Kid by For_The_Night

Hold Me Close, If You Dare by Id_Rather_Be_Reading_3

I Am Not Worried, I Am With You by Kingdomfaraway

I Will Always Be A Liar by Natasha_Romanoff_Official

Just A Little Obsessed by Quacks

My Teen Angst Bullshit Has A Body Count by Imgoingtocrash

Not Broken, Just Bent by Cheerios_Me_Lovely

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15

Pride And Joy by Canon Irondad (Tomlinsoul)

Someday (I'll Make It Out Of Here) by The_Color_Pomegranate

The Long Game by Niniblack

The Stars The Moon They Have All Been Blown Out (You Left Me In The Dark) by Madasthesea

These Webs We Weave by SpaceCowboysFromMars

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

Tumblr Prompt: Villainirondad And Spider-Son by Ironmum

Wherever I Go (I’m Home) by Plqto

Write It On The Skyline by Ironfidus

THE ONE WITHOUT A HOME TO GO TO

A Difference In Husbandry by Happy_Cloud

A Good Reason by Baloobird

Adopt-A-Kid by Waywardkeener

Broken Mirrors And Fragile Things by EvieNyx

Dark Matter by Mysterycyclone

Distracted By A Dime by Happyaspie

First Impressions by Athingcalledr

Gaslighting For Breakfast by Anonymous

Hold Me Close, If You Dare by I'd_Rather_Be_Reading_3

I Am Not Known (If I'm Not Seen Or Heard) by Madje_Knotts

I Want To Be Well by Lemon_Drop_Drabbles

Iron Dad: Coming Home by Jaworley 

Make Way For Tomorrow by Hopeless_Hope 

No Ulterior Motive by Ob_Liv_Ious_Writer

Please Don't Slip Away by Llovedove

So This Is Christmas… by Cheerios_Me_Lovely

Spider Snark & Mr Stark by Lethewren

The Morning Will Come (And The Dream Stealing Your Sleep Will End) by Winterturtle

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

 THE SECOND CHANCE AT HOME 

And The Songbirds Keep Singing by Finny3120

As Day Changes To Night by The Spider-Man Alt (Counterclaw)

Even In Sleep, I Seek You by Anonymouss_Writerr

Hold Onto This Grief Dearly Until It Lets Go Of You by Canon Irondad (Tomlinsoul)

Home by Patrochilles_Trash

Home Is Wherever I'm With You by Maicaly

I Promise by Marvelously3000

If We Have Each Other, Then We'll Both Be Fine by Iplaypiano36

My Friends Are Ghosts by Firecracker121

Not Broken, Just Bent by Cheerios_Me_Lovely 

Oh I'm Ready (For Whatever Comes Next) by Rotfuchs

Peter's Hitchhiking Guide To The Time Heist by Randomsketchez

So Many Things To Say by Happyaspie

The Hind & The Hart by Coal_Scuttle_Waltz

The Seventh Escape by Bergen

To Melt An Iron Heart by Retro_Memo

Unexpected Brother At Daycare by Yeeter_Parker 

THE FIXER-UPPER

(Meet Me In) The Afterglow by Pro_Fangirl

Blue Memento by Bergen

Broken Mirrors And Fragile Things by Evienyx

Count My Heartbeats by Katinamoon 

Electric Bugaloo by Nihilego

Equivalent Exchange by Seajelly (Legless_Fish_On_Rollerskates) 

Fly On The Wall by Kuroi_Tanken

Hold On To All My Son by For_The_Night

How To Fire Your Intern Sixteen Times In Three Days by Bergen

Like A Waterfall by Oriocookie 

Long Story Short (It Was A Bad Time) Or Ais Don't Forget by Peacockgirl

Make It A Good One! by Zippe 

Meet You Up There (Where The Path Runs Straight And High) by Bluesweatshirt

One In A Million by Inkonmyheartandonthepage

Roots Before Branches by Disneyn3rd

Somethin's In The Air Right Now by Natasha_Romanoff_Official

System Error: Reboot by Oriocookie

The Other Side by Memoriaeterna

The Ripples They Cause by Linarai 

There Is Always One Last Light To Turn Out by Kingdomfaraway

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt 

Watch Over You (Fall Down, Get Up) by Fragmentaryblue

We Got Lucky by The Muses Summer House

Whatever It Takes, Spiderling by Lethewren

 THE MAGIC NUMBERS (5+1)

5 Times Peter Accidentally Stuck To Something by Call_Me_Coley

5 Times Peter Leaves Before The Ambulance Arrives (And 1 Time He Can't) by Lillylemonbee

5 Times Peter Scared The Crap Out Of Tony + 1 Time He Scared Everyone Else by Sara (Ctrsara)

5 Times Peter’s Metabolism Screwed Him Over by For_The_Night

5 Times Someone Loved The Paparazzi More Than Tony + 1 Time Someone Didn't by Katinamoon

5 Times Tony Joked About Peter Being Part Spider by Katinamoon

5 Times Tony Reminded Peter He Was Human by Katinamoon

5 Times Tony Stark Found Peter Parker (And The 1 Time Peter Found Tony) by Speakeasyscribe 

Break These Bones ('Til They're Better) by SpaceCowboysFromMars 

Five Times Tony Stark's Fabled Intern Just Showed Up + One Time He Was Invited by Kingdomfaraway

I Know How Much You Love Surprises by Opal_Earrings

Mishaps At Midtown by Onlyforward

Ready For Those Flashing Lights by SpaceCowboysFromMars

So This Is Christmas (War Is Over) by SpaceCowboysFromMars

So This Is Christmas… by Cheerios_Me_Lovely

The Stark Legacy by Ironfidus

Variation On A Theme by Bluesweatshirt

With Great Power by Polaroid15

Would You Still Love Me If… by Yellowsunflowerheart

You Caught Me At Just The Right Time (Until You Couldn't) by 14million_Constellations

 THE RIPPING OFF THE MASK ONE

A Difficult Choice & "Aw, S**T." by ADGAEA

All Good Things Come in Threes by Bergen

Because Of You by Rootbeer

Devil's Roll The Dice by Ephemeralstark

Flowing With The Melody by Pandaluna

Intern Override by Sara (Ctrsara)

Lost And Found by Pogokitten 

Make Way For Tomorrow by Hopeless_Hope 

On So Many Levels by Opal_Earrings

Peter Is Worthy (And So Done) by Anonymous

Rhodes Well Traveled by Grumperella

Secret's Out by Celestialseawitch

So Many Things To Say by Happyaspie

The Girl From Yesterday by Finny3120

The Kid Behind The Mask by Inkinmyheartandonthepage

The Same Soul by Katinamoon

These Lives We Seek by Beautifullights

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

You Better Let Somebody Love You (Before It’s Too Late) by Ambivalentangst

You Know What They Say by Patrochilles_Trash

You're Not Insane by Llovedove

THE NAME YOUR RANSOM ONE 

Bring Me Some Hope (By Wandering Into My Mind) by Tonystankandthekid

But Only Hope and Sorrows End by iron_spider 

Count My Heartbeats by Katinamoon 

Did We Come Close To Having It All by For_The_Night

Extraction by Niniblack

Happy Birthday, Enjoy Your Kidnapping by Kingdomfaraway

It's Too Cold For A Kidnapping by Pogokitten

I've Got You, Baby by Thisisnotourlasthunt

Just A Mouse Stuck In A Glue Trap by Spicysauce

Lamb To The Slaughter by Kirac336

Man In A Can by Jinxquickfoot

Money Can't Buy Family by Olliecollie

Order Fulfillment by Sara (Ctrsara)

Return To Me, The One I Love So Endlessly by SuperHeroTiger

The Most Chaotic Of Kidnappings by Onlyforward

The Same Soul by Katinamoon

Very Normal Totally Regular Human Intern by Winterturtle

Worst Summer Vacation by Mysterycyclone

THE SOMETIMES-HAPPY FAMILY ONE

Are We Out Of The Woods Yet? by Bluesweatshirt

Christmas With The Starks by Emmaelsa0000

Definitely Not A Lizard by Hailfire_73

For Peter; For My Son by Canon Irondad (Tomlinsoul)

Gonna Let The Light Shine On Me by Doctornineandthreequarters

Happy Endings Are Complicated by Mazeeternal

Happy Hibernation Day by For_The_Night

I Know That There’s A Place For Us by Madelinedear

Ice Ice, Baby by Olliecollie

Ironfam Day by Marvels_Blue_Phoenix

Little Demons Like To Play by Raccooncati

Magic Makers by Sara (Ctrsara)

One In A Million by Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Post-Surgery Sleepover by Sara (Ctrsara)

The Best Thanksgiving Ever by Niniblack

Try, Try Again by Mak5258

We Aren't Related, Blood, But It's What Deemed Our Bond Unbreakable by Peterparkersimp3000 

THE ONE THAT MADE YOU LOL

Am I A Dying Man? by Odd_I

Better Than I Was by Sara (Ctrsara)

Between A Pun And A Noble Gas by Skymageariel

Boy Meets A Random Out Of Body Experience by Natasha_Romanoff_Official

Buttering Me Up by iron_spider

Call The Priest by Call_Me_Coley

Don't Get Confused, Its All About You by Krystalpomme

Far Out by Bergen

Field Trips And Lab Days by Bundibird

Fred The Tarantula by Hailfire_73

Gremlin Activities In The Stark Household by Emmacortana

Hey Grandpa by iron_spider

Home Alone (Peter's Version) by Annasgolden 

How Steve Found Out That He Traumatized An Entire Generation by Gempiglin

Instant Kill Mode by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Papa-Paparazzi by Niniblack

The Grey Area by Lansfics7

These Lives We Seek by Beautifullights

Tony Stark, Doctor (Prompt 21: Famous Last Words) by Itsapugthing

We're Never Too Far Apart by Kingdomfaraway

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Winterturtle

  THE WILD CARD STORY

A Place To Call Home by For_The_Night

A Stubborn Teenager Vs Adrenaline Crash by Thisisnotourlasthunt

Can't Part The Sea, Can't Reach The Shores by Forensicleaf

Catch and Keep by Bergen

Chase You Down Until You Love Me by OK_Butwhy1 

Equilibrium by Lunasquared

Evergreen by Onlyforward

Fly On The Wall by Kuroi_Tanken

Good Kid Name by Rainwaiter

Haunting The Halls by Blasphemmky

Home (Is Where My Heart Found Exactly Where I'm Supposed To Be) by Ironfidus

How To Fire Your Intern Sixteen Times In Three Days by Bergen

It Started With A Headache And Ended With The Multiverse by Kingdomfaraway

Men Of Iron by Spdrmain

Mortal Flaw And Fatal Sin by Retro_Memo 

Mother May I by Battybatzgirl

Of Careful Steps And Reborn Dreams by Seventeenspiders

P.E.T.E by Dixiegrayson

Secret Identity? You Mean A Private Twitter Account? by Villain_Klaus

Sirens In My Mind by Olliecollie

Surviving On Secrets by Booklivesmatter

The Cycle Of Shame by Cheerios_Me_Lovely 

The Love (And Other Things) You Inherit by Ironfidus

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

Under The Advent Of Stars by Gigidoyle 

Whatever It Takes by Ronnieibyrne

THE ONE THAT’S A WHOLE NEW WORLD

A Pirate's Life For Us by Lbigreyhound13

Dear Fellow Traveler by SuperHeroTiger

Do I Deserve This? by Id_Rather_Be_Reading_3

Far Out by Bergen

Forty-Seven Flat by Geekymoviemom

Golden Threads by Winterturtle

Home Is Where The Heart Is by SuperHeroTiger

If These Wings Could Fly by For_The_Night

Left Of The World by Emmacortana 

Moulded Minds by Wingswithoutstrings

On So Many Levels by Opal_Earrings

Open Your Mind And Let Me Step Inside by Sunsetuniverse

Past, Present, Yet To Come by Thedumbestavenger

Peter Parker's Home For Wayward People And Animals by Bergen

Prince Of The Forest by Tess_Moon

The Silver Prince by Marialf2001

The Truth Is (Everyone Is Confused, Quantum Physics) by Eviefuller

These Days I'll Sit On Cornerstones by Finny3120

THE SERIES THAT SWEPT YOU AWAY

Cause Freedom Is No Small Thing by TheWeirdDivide

Dear Fellow Traveler by SuperHeroTiger

Earth 2354 by Id_Rather_Be_Reading_3

Fostering Hope by Happyaspie

From The Same Star Series by Sara (Ctrsara)

Heir Peter Fics by Onlyforward

Home Is Where You Hang The Live, Laugh, Love Sign by I_Regret_Thatpersonalityquiz

Inimitable Verse by Deniigiq

Peter Is A Precious Chickpea by Bergen

Peter Parker: Feminist, Social Justice Warrior And Stand Up Guy by Coincidental_Fangirl

Pieces Of Echoes by Geekymoviemom

Role Models by Writing_As_Tracey

Roo-Niverse (Irondad AU) by Juiceontherocks

Spider And Bat Friends by Emmacortana & Tinkerslut

Strands In The Rope by Sara (Ctrsara)

The Meaning Of Inevitable by Mendeia 

The One Where Bucky Kidnapped Peter Stark As A Toddler by Niniblack

These Words Written On My Wrist by Katinamoon

They Say It’s What You Make (I Say It’s Up To Fate) by Littlemissagrafina

To Hold The World In My Arms by Ashleyparker2815

Up Came The Sun by Whimsicalethnographies

Wake Up And Smell The Coffee by Bergen

THE ONE THAT GAVE YOU ALL THE LOVE

5 Times Tony Dealt With A Loopy Peter by For_The_Night

A Chance (Of Life, Of Death) by DJ_Unicornsrgr8

Ace Of Hearts by Ironfidus

Catch Your Own Happiness by Truelovetakesawhile

Dear Mach - Come In by Finny3120

Do You Remember Forgetting? by Silverstar1

From My Weakness I Drew Strength by Mendeia 

I Know How Much You Love Surprises by Opal_Earrings

Just A Little Obsessed by Quacks 

Not Your Peter Parker by Id_Rather_Be_Reading_3

On Begged And Borrowed Time by Buckleyirondad

Only Suckers Wear Scarves by Bergen

Spidery Intervention by King_Claus_The_First

The Ripples They Cause by Linarai

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

Tony Stark Finds Himself A Family (That Doesn't Suck) by Youcancallmearrow

Trapped In The Shadows by Geekymoviemom

Where There's Smoke by Juiceontherocks

Worst Summer Vacation by Mysterycyclone

THE ALL-TIME FAVORITE

#Supportspidey by Ironfidus

Academic Decathlons And Peace Offerings by Ironfidus

An Unofficial Introduction To The Avengers by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Cause And Effect by Pokeydotes

Deep In The Heart Of Me by Finely Honed (Jaqen_Hgar)

Five Times Tony Worried Peter And Harley Wouldn't Get Along by Fanfictiongreenirises

Fly On The Wall by Kuroi_Tanken

He Looks On Tempest by iron_spider

Heir Peter Fics by Onlyforward

Hindsight by Elephreak

Identity Theft by Kitcat992

More Peril In Thine Eye by iron_spider

Moulded Minds by Wingswithoutstrings

No Matter If I Fall From The Sky by Opal_Earrings

Prince Of The Forest by Tess_Moon

Roo-Niverse (Irondad AU) by Juiceontherocks 

Sins Of The Fathers by Geekymoviemom

Slow Down, Start Again From The Beginning by Cassiecasyl

The Chasm Between by TheSleepingOwl

The Ties That Bind Us by Winterturtle

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

Turn Back The Clock (And I'll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

Up Came The Sun by Whimsicalethnographies

Visiting Hours by Sara (Ctrsara)

Who Says You Can't Go Home by Peacockgirl 

THE 2021/2022 FAVORITE

A Different Kind Of Heat by Katinamoon

But Only Hope and Sorrows End by iron_spider 

Feathersoft by Katinamoon

Grief Has No Timeline by Sara (Ctrsara)

Hold On World You Don't Know What's Coming by Sandyk

Long Story Short (It Was A Bad Time) Or Ais Don't Forget by Peacockgirl

Men Of Iron by Spdrman 

One Of Those Weeks by Juiceontherocks

Prince Of The Forest by Tess_Moon

Sirens In My Mind by Olliecollie 

Survivor's Guide To The Galaxy by Fanfic1892

The Long Game by Niniblack

The Love (And Other Things) You Inherit by Ironfidus

The Trouble With Being A Unicorn by Angelworks

There Is Always One Last Light To Turn Out by Kingdomfaraway

These Webs We Weave by SpaceCowboysFromMars 

Through The Multiverse And What Peter Found There by Unctrlablyalt

Would You Still Love Me If... by Yellowsunflowerheart

[goodstuffhappenedtoday]

We're not lion: The 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are a good laugh

Jennifer Hadley's overall winning photo of a 3-month-old cub tumbling out of a tree.

Jennifer Hadley/Comedy Wildlife 2022

From a salmon punching a bear in the face to a penguin that seems to have no head, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards announced its winners this year.

The organization fields thousands of submissions for each of its photo categories: creatures of the land, creatures of the air, creatures of the sea, a junior award for photographers 18 years old or under, an internet portfolio award, and a people's choice award.

Jennifer Hadley, a photographer who grew up in Virginia, claimed the top prize as the overall winner for her January 2021 photo of a 3-month-old lion cub tumbling out of a tree in the Serengeti region of Tanzania.

"It was definitely unexpected," Hadley told NPR. "How often do you see cats falling out of trees?"

Though shots like these are often unpredictable, she said photographers prepare themselves for the unexpected.

"What you can anticipate is potentially something happening so you want to position yourself in the way you think that animals will move, where the light is, how that's going to affect the speed of your camera," Hadley said.

John Chaney's photo of a salmon appearing to punch a bear in the face at Alaska's Brooks Falls.

John Chaney/Comedy Wildlife 2022

John Chaney, a businessman and photographer of over 50 years, was one of the 10 "highly commended winners," recognized for his August 2021 photo of a salmon seemingly punching a bear in the face at the foot of Alaska's Brooks Falls.

From late June to September, mature salmon make an arduous upriver journey from the ocean to the gravel beds of their birth to spawn every two to three years. The National Park Service estimates 200,000 to 400,000 salmon successfully leap the waterfalls each year.

Chaney said bears planted themselves at the top and bottom of Brooks Falls to feed on the flapping salmon.

"Wherever wildlife is happening, you try to stake out a good spot and you just take pictures for hours trying to get the best image, whether it's a unique facial expression or an animal doing something unique to make the picture special," he told NPR.

Chaney said he does not have any tips or tricks to taking a comedic shot.

"It's just luck," he said.

Arturo Telle Thiemann's photo of a couple triggerfish looking into the camera. The photo won the Creatures Under the Sea Award.

Arturo Telle Thiemann/Comedy Wildlife 2022

Miroslav Srb.'s photo of a raccoon seemingly thanking Srb. for feeding him shrimp on a Florida beach.

Miroslav Srb./Comedy Wildlife 2022

Alex Pansier's photo of a red squirrel jumping in a rainstorm.

Alex Pansier/Comedy Wildlife 2022

Martin Grace's photo of two king penguins at Volunteer Point in the Falkland Islands.

Martin Grace/Comedy Wildlife 2022

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

"Rule of Reason" :: Dwight D. Eisenhower

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 10, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 11, 2024

On October 31, 2020, former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon—who had left Trump’s administration in 2017—explained to a group of people that, knowing that votes for Biden would accumulate throughout the evening as mail-in ballots were counted, Trump planned simply to declare victory on election night, seizing the presidency and claiming that any results to the contrary were an attempt to steal the election from him. “[A]t 10 or 11 o’clock Trump’s gonna walk in the Oval, tweet out, ‘I’m the winner. Game over. Suck on that,’” Bannon was recorded as saying.

That prediction was pretty much what happened, but Trump did not succeed in seizing the presidency. Next came plans to overturn the election results, and Bannon was also involved in those. Then, famously, on January 5, 2021, he predicted on his podcast that the next day, “all hell is going to break loose.”

Not surprisingly, the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol wanted to talk to Bannon. It subpoenaed him in September 2021 for testimony and documents. When he refused to comply, a jury found him guilty of contempt of Congress in October 2022. A judge sentenced him to four months in jail but allowed him to stay out of jail while he appealed. 

Today a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld his conviction. He will not be jailed immediately; he can still appeal to a higher court. 

Another White House advisor, Peter Navarro, appealed all the way to the Supreme Court to overturn his own conviction for contempt of Congress after he, too, refused to answer a House subpoena for testimony and documents. The Supreme Court denied his appeal, and Navarro reported to prison on March 19, 2024. He has asked a federal judge to let him serve the remainder of his sentence on supervised release, so far without luck. 

Former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Joyce White Vance wrote: “Bannon is effectively out of appeals. He can delay a little bit longer, asking for the full court to review the decision en banc & asking SCOTUS to hear his case on cert, but neither one of those things will happen. Bannon is going to prison.”

Lack of information was at the heart of Bannon and Navarro’s cases; it was also at the heart of the State Department’s report to Congress about whether Israel’s strikes on Gaza have complied with international and U.S. law. National Security Memorandum (NSM)-20, which Biden signed on February 8, 2024, was designed to make sure that there are adequate safeguards and accountability when countries who have access to U.S. weapons use them. The memo required the secretary of state “to obtain certain credible and reliable written assurances from foreign governments receiving defense articles” and transmit that information to Congress. 

Issued today, the report covered seven countries in “active conflict”—Colombia, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Ukraine—and explored whether they were using U.S. government-funded defense articles in accordance with international humanitarian law, and whether they were not “arbitrarily” denying, restricting, or otherwise impeding U.S.-backed humanitarian assistance in any areas where the country was using those U.S. defense articles.

The report noted that it’s hard to collect accurate information in a war zone. Often, the information has to come from participants or third parties, and sometimes that information comes only from the country the U.S. is supplying with weapons. It also noted that the human-rights-based Leahy Laws prohibit the U.S. from supplying weapons to a foreign military unit if the departments of state or defense have credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights, including torture, rape, extrajudicial killing, or enforced disappearance.

The report concluded that Colombia appears to be in compliance. Iraqi security forces have been credibly alleged to be violating international law, but the U.S. does not supply those units. Those it does supply have received U.S. training on compliance with international humanitarian law, and Iraqi leadership is working closely with the U.S. to professionalize. It has not restricted humanitarian aid. 

Kenya has repeatedly violated international human rights law, but it is working to come into compliance and has not misused U.S. weapons. Nigerian forces routinely use excessive force and torture. They are expanding the legal advice in the professionalizing army, and there are no credible reports of U.S. matériel used in ways that are inconsistent with international law. 

Somalia has violated humanitarian law and human rights law, arbitrarily killing and torturing people and committing sexual violence. The U.S. supplies the counterterrorism Danab Brigade of the Somali National Army and works closely with it. The State Department assesses that the brigade has not used U.S. weapons in any violations of humanitarian or human rights law. 

That leaves Israel and Ukraine.

The report begins by noting that in the October 7 attack on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists killed an estimated 1,200 individuals, wounded more than 5,400, and took 253 hostages, including U.S. citizens. Hamas, it notes, “does not follow any portion of and consistently violates” international humanitarian law. 

Then it takes on the numbers of Palestinians killed and injured, saying that the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health, “which international organizations generally deem credible,” estimates that 34,700 Palestinians have been killed. Another 78,200 have been wounded, “a significant percentage of whom are reported to be women and children.” The Gaza Ministry of Health does not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians, but Israel says that about half the 34,700 killed were Hamas fighters. The State Department says that “we do not have the ability to verify this estimate.” It also notes that “[t]he conflict has displaced the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza and resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis.” 

The State Department notes that the U.S. government has emphasized Israeli compliance with international humanitarian law and that Israel has “institutions and processes charged with upholding” those laws. Israel has been conducting assessments, including criminal investigations, into alleged violations of international humanitarian law. 

The next paragraph, though, says that when asked, Israel shared some information that gave insight into Israel’s procedures and rules, but that information was incomplete. Among other things, “Israel has not shared complete information to verify whether U.S. defense articles covered under NSM-20 were specifically used in actions that have been alleged as violations of [international humanitarian law or international human rights law] in Gaza, or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the period of the report.” However, the authors concluded, because “certain Israeli-operated systems are entirely U.S.-origin (e.g., crewed attack aircraft),” they “are likely to have been involved in incidents that raise concerns about Israel’s [international humanitarian law] compliance.”

The report goes on to say that while it is difficult to determine whether specific U.S. weapons have been used improperly, “there have been sufficient reported incidents to raise serious concerns…. Given the nature of the conflict in Gaza, with Hamas seeking to hide behind civilian populations and infrastructure and expose them to Israeli military action, as well as the lack of [U.S. government] personnel on the ground in Gaza, it is difficult to assess or reach conclusive findings on individual incidents. Nevertheless, given Israel’s significant reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, it is reasonable to assess that defense articles covered under NSM-20 have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in instances inconsistent with its [international humanitarian law] obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm.”

The State Department says it is “not aware” of U.S. weaponry being misused. It also said that it “has had deep concerns…about action and inaction by Israel” that hampered humanitarian aid efforts and that, while that aid still is insufficient, “we do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.” 

The report also assessed that Ukraine had occasionally violated international humanitarian law and international human rights law, torturing those suspected of collaborating with Russia, for example. The Ukraine government has committed to adhere to the rule of law. It has apparently not used U.S. weapons in those violations and has facilitated U.S. humanitarian assistance.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[because-its-eurovision]

Even though I've been watching for years I still don't understand all the ins and outs of the running order (I only know that being in the first half of the final is bad?) but I'm looking forward to hearing you talk about it and learning more 😌

How to get the best out of Eurovision running order 101 👩‍🏫

Rule of thumb: the later, the better. Especially if you try to win. Nobody has ever won Eurovision performing second.

Allocation draw for the semi-finals is held in January, Big-5 countries draw their half for the final during the opening ceremony, and semi-final qualifiers draw their halfs for the grand final at the press conferences after their semi. Producers then decide the running order and it is accepted by EBU. The only exception is the host country, which draws their place in the running order randomly during the EBU meeting in March. Try to be lucky.

In semi-final the second half has better qualification rate than the first half. Second and third place have the worst qualification rates.

To avoid performing second place, try not to be annoying and/or from these countries: Estonia (2013 & 2021) Latvia (2014 & 2022), Israel (2014 & 2022), Ireland (2015 & 2019), Poland (2016 & 2017), Romania (2018 & 2022), Albania (2019 & 2021).

Usually a maximum of five songs qualify from the first half, the only exception so far being the first semi of 2018 with six qualifiers from the first half. The usual split is 3/7, 4/6 or 5/5.

Hope that you get to perform last. But if your song is an uptempo, performed on the last spot of the semi-final and you qualify, be prepared to open the grand final (Belgium 2016, Israel 2017, Ukraine 2018, Czech Republic 2022).

Hope for a place right before or right after a commercial break. If you want to ensure a spot after a break, bring a big prop that needs extra time to get ready on stage (United Kingdom 2017, Ireland 2021, Australia 2022).

The producers give the favorites best places in the running order, usually as late as possible in their half. You can try to influence that by betting for your own country so it gets high up in the odds (Malta 2021).

If there are many favorites or frontrunners, they are not placed back-to-back. Being the one entry sandwiched between two favorites is not great so try to avoid that (Cyprus 2015, Denmark 2017, United Kingdom 2019).

The running order isn’t everything. Of the last ten winners, five came from the first half and five from the second half. Eight times out of ten, the winning song was performed earlier than the one that placed second. Most important thing is to have a great song, all the rest follows.

[suzie-shooter]

ELMS interview with Clem (link above, copied text under the cut)

Double WSK Super Master Series Kart Champion and Formula 2 race winner Clement Novalak will begin on a new chapter in 2024 when the 23-year-old French driver makes his ELMS debut with Inter Europol Competition in Barcelona, ​​competing for the overall title in LMP2 alongside Ollie Gray and Luca Ghiotto.

After clinching his second WSK Super Master Series title in 2017, Novalak moved up to single seaters winning the 2019 BRDC British Formula 3 title with Carlin and finishing third in the 2021 standings of the FIA ​​Formula 3 Championship. A move to Formula 2 garnered another win with Trident Racing last season, but now Clement Novalak has his sights set on glory in the ELMS and beyond.

Novalak was due to make his endurance racing debut at the Daytona 24 in January, racing in LMP2 with his new team. However, a pit lane incident during the final practice session sidelined the French driver before he could compete in his first race. After suffering a fractured rib, Novalak has now recovered and is ready for the start of the ELMS season in April.

So w hat influenced Novalak to change from single seats to prototypes? “I have always enjoyed the longer format of races; being able to get yourself into the zone at the wheel of the car for multiple hours,” he said. “The format is a real challenge, and enjoyable as we get to work with other drivers. I've always been interested in endurance racing from a young age when I watched the 24 Hours of Le Mans with my dad.

“In saying that, this is a new challenge for me, it's very different from what I'm used to with the sprint races in Formula 2 and Formula 3, but I'm really looking forward to it,” Novalak continued.

“ELMS is good for me, with WEC not having the LMP2s on the calendar anymore, ELMS now has so much racing talent within the championship and this means, that it will be harder to perform well. Inter Europol Competition are a mega team, they have great experience at the highest level of sportscar competition, and I am delighted to be racing with them this year.”

The next obvious question is how the Oreca 07 compares to the single seaters Clement Novalak has raced up to now. “Surprisingly, the car is not too different to what I have been used to,” Novalak admitted. “While heavy, it still has a single-seater vibe! The tires are more complaint than what we had in Formula 2, so overall, it feels similar, and I felt at home from the get-go.

“You can change your driving style and the car responds well, it does what you want so you can play around with it. It’s been extremely enjoyable getting to know the car and hopefully, we’ll be fast out of the box in Barcelona.”

Another new thing that Clement Novalak will have to learn and that is sharing a car. So how does he approach sharing a race car with two other drivers for the first time? “I'm looking forward to working alongside them both to try and extract as much performance as we car from the car and have some fun on the way!

“I don't know either particularly well. Luca (Ghiotto) was someone I looked up to in Formula 3 in my formative years, as he raced against the likes of Callum Ilott and those guys. Ollie (Gray), I know of, he's been in F3 and did a season with Carlin, as did I, so I expect we can share some stories and experiences.”

The competition in the ELMS is always fierce but with 22 LMP2s on the grid, 14 in LMP2, this season is likely to be tougher than ever for the overall title. So how is Clement Novalak approaching the start of the season and what is the goal for his debut year in Le Mans Prototypes? “For sure it's going to be the toughest LMP2 grid in the history of ELMS. There are so many professional drivers joining the series, so it’s going to be a huge challenge,” he admitted. “From my side, I unfortunately fractured a rib in Daytona, so I have not been able to be in the gym as much as I would like, but I have been around the sport and will do as much as I can physically, use the simulator, talk to the engineers and test when I can.

“I'll approach each race weekend as a standalone event, and not think too much about the championship. My job is to maximize everything in the car and the added benefits of having two teammates on the same car is, that we pool our knowledge and feedback to adapt and develop together.”

With six of the most challenging circuits in Europe the ELMS offers a good variety of challenges. So which circuit is Clement Novalak looking forward to the most? “I've had the pleasure of racing on all of the tracks, and to be honest, while there's only six rounds, they are probably the best circuits in Europe.

“It's difficult to pick and choose a favorite, but for me, Le Castellet is a home race and will therefore be special. The elevation changes make Spa-Francorchamps a favorite of many drivers, and for me Imola is one to look forward to with the flowing layout and great atmosphere.”

So what does Clement Novalak get up to when he is not racing? “For me, it is important to be able to switch off, outside of racing. I really enjoy playing tennis and watching football with friends. I'm starting a business at the moment – ​​related to motorsport – so that is taking up quite a lot of my time away from the racetrack.

“I think once you're an athlete, you always enjoy – and respect tremendously – others excelling in other sports. So apart from sitting on the couch watching F1, its football, tennis, and golf; plenty to do in the time I do have off!”

The opening round of the 2024 European Le Mans Series, the 4 Hours of Barcelona, ​​will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on Sunday April 14.