#in april i had some of the highest scores

[anditendshowyoudexpect]

boy have i come a long way from crying over Sprawlopolis on cold November nights

[rubyroses222]

My take on the Jude slander after RMA vs ManCity

8th April 2024

I have seen so many people straight up hating Jude for yesterday’s game, and I just can’t stay silent anymore, so enjoy my little rant.

Playing football, especially on the level of Real Madrid is (apart from skill and mindset) also a lot about building and keeping rhythm. This applies to any team but also to each and every player - Toni Kroos has mentioned this a couple of times already but I’m sure you can find a lot more players talking about this.

So let’s take a look at Judes appearances in 2024:

started the year strong with 5 games (Copa del Rey (1), Supercopa (2) and LaLiga (2))

missed the away game vs UD Las Palmas (27th January) due to a yellow suspension

played three games in LaLiga again

missed three more games due to his ankle injury (LaLiga (2), UCL (1))

played the away game vs Valencia and got THAT red card

missed two more LaLiga games due to the suspension

his first (and last) game before the one vs City was the game against Bilbao last week

-> all in all he played 12 (5 of which were in January) out of 19 games total (not counting international games)

Compared to that the games he missed this season in 2023:

the home game benched against UD Las Palmas (27th Sept)

one game benched vs Braga in the UCL (8th Nov)

one game due to shoulder injury against Valencia (11th Nov)

-> in 2023 he played 21 out of 24 games total (not counting international games)

Yes I expected a better performance from him (and Vini!).

Yes we are Real Madrid and no player stands above the club (if you don’t show up we will hold you accountable for your mistakes).

Yes a player like Jude should be able to compensate a missing rhythm with his talent and skill but he is still very young. Older players like Lukita can rely on 10+ years of playing in the white shirt on the highest level possible, he only needs seconds even when he spends more time on the bench than the pitch. Jude is still learning and has shouldered an unusually huge responsibility in his first season.

Normally our young transfers are give time to adjust at Real, they were/are not guaranteed starters, for example:

Camavinga was mostly used as a sub in 21/22

Rodrygo wasn’t even a regular part of the first squad in 19/20, and was still used as a super sub in 21/22

Vini rarely was part of the starting XI in 19/20

Tchouameni had his fair share of being subbed on/off last season (although less than one would expect)

Brahim was sent away on loan

Arda sadly rarly gets playtime as well etc etc

Jude however has started almost every game, he scored more goals than our two wingers and is carrying Zidanes legendary “5” on the back (while Vini only got Ronaldos Hazards “7” this season, even though Hazard never really played in these last years and Real could’ve reasonably taken the number away from him)

So to all those that are hating on him, that are saying he’s loosing form, he’s overhyped and overrated and I have even heard he apparently “partyed too much”. To the ones that were only praying for his downfall waiting for a bad game - please kindly shut up!

Criticism is good and healthy, but there is no need to slander him like this. It was ONE very bad game and unfortunately it was against ManCity, as long as he shows up next week everythings gonna be fine. Regardless of this he has saved our asses way more than he’s let them down this season. Give him a some time and he’ll come back and be the Judey starboy we all know and love.

[jonfucius]

Great Star Trek Rewatch - The Animated Series S2

Originally posted on Twitter 11 January 2021

Star Trek: The Animated Series Season 2 is up next in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. As with ENT, DSC, STX, TOS, and TAS Season 1, mini-reviews will document my progress.

The Pirates of Orion: Although the Orion culture in this one ends up almost completely retconned by ENT and LDS, the core trio has some nice scenes together. Not quite as strong a season premiere as “Beyond the Farthest Star,” but not horrible either. 6/10

Bem: Something we never got to see on TOS: meeting/introducing a possible new member of the Federation. Too bad Bem is kind of a jerk. Sprinkle in a non-corporeal alien and you’ve got yourself a classic Star Trek tale. 7/10

The Practical Joker: Majel Barrett is having a ball as the maniacal ship’s computer. This episode also introduced the concept of the holodeck, over a decade before TNG. This is also one of the first instances where a space phenomenon wreaks havoc with the ship/crew. 6/10

Albatross: Honestly, I had forgotten this episode existed. I wish McCoy’s backstory got more moments like this during the TOS era, but that’s about all I can say. I’m reminded of SG-1’s “Cor-Ai.” 4/10

How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth: Live action Star Trek could never have pulled off Kukulkan, either his ship or his god-like form. I’ll give this one partial credit for introducing a Native American character (written by a Kiowa, but voiced by James Doohan). 7/10

The Counter-Clock Incident: The first introduction of Robert April, the Enterprise’s first captain, this episode tackles the Fountain of Youth story more ably than the regrettable TNG entry “Too Short a Season.” A decent finale to the animated adventures. 8/10

And with that, Season 2 of TAS, and the series itself, comes to an end in my #GreatStarTrekRewatch. Final score: 6.33/10. Highest score(s): “The Counter-Clock Incident.” Lowest score(s): “Albatross.”

TAS overall score across 2 seasons and 22 episodes: 6.29/10

[seekingthestars]

tagged by @koalammas!! thank youuu 💞

buckle up ladies and gents time for some rambles okay go

1. Are you named after anyone?

nope lol my middle name was going to be Rose after my great-grandma on my mom's side, but my parents didn't want to offend either side of the family by using a name from the other side of the family so they ended up opting for completely random names for me and my brother hahaha

2. When was the last time you cried?

around april 21 (friend's funeral, her brother was speaking during it and i did not keep it together)

3. Do you have kids?

nope! only my cat, who i love and adore with my entire heart, she is my sweet lil angel muffin

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

kinda depends i guess? sometimes?

5. What is the first thing you notice about a person?

ohhh good question hmm i guess if i'm just seeing someone in passing, probably appearance? otherwise how they interact with and treat other people.

6. What’s your eye color?

brown, but leans a little hazel-ey some days.

7. Scary movie or happy ending?

agree that i like satisfying endings that are also hopefully happy! but between these two options, happy endings, i cannot do scary movies or tv shows or anything, i get freaked out and then can't sleep lol

8. Any special talents?

i genuinely don't know L O L i don't know what would constitute a special talent??? i can memorize song lyrics pretty quickly and then they sorta embed themselves into my brain forever, does that count??

9. Where were you born?

southern usa!

10. What are your hobbies?

video games, watching movies/dramas (though i do not always have the attention span for it lol), reading, crafting (i like physically making things with my hands since i just do design on my computer all day for work! i like trying lots of different things, recently been trying a little bit of hand embroidery. also painting little ceramic figures and stuff like that), cosplaying. i've been trying this year to build taking a walk into my daily routine, not sure if i count it as a hobby or not lol

11. Do you have any pets?

my sweet sweet rileycat!!!! i love cats!!!!

12. What sports do you/have you played?

am not a sports girlie LOL i did tap/ballet/jazz for six-ish years when i was younger! in high school i took theatre classes and was in the plays/musicals instead of sports.

13. How tall are you?

5'4" which is like 162.5cm??

14. Favourite subject in school?

oh i love english, i always loved english. and math! i actually really loved math up until i took calculus. my calculus teacher was horrible, he made you feel stupid for asking questions and he intentionally made the tests too long to finish in a class period and made them extra confusing, it left me in tears more than once. cried at school bc i failed a lot of those tests. anyway i got a 5 on my AP exam for calculus (highest score) so i understood the material, my teacher just sucked and made me hate math after i'd loved it my entire life so ✌️

also loved my theatre classes in high school ahhhh

15. Dream job?

i think something working with cats / big cats / red pandas would be really fun. not a vet necessarily, i don't think i could handle it lol, but like a cat rescue or animal sanctuary maybe??? idk honestly

but yeah mostly agree with the "something that won't drain me and actually leaves me with savings and a will to live" answer. i like my current job/workplace/coworkers a lot more than my last job, but i still don't know if i'd want to be in this field until i retire, that's so many more years and clients sometimes make me wanna bash my head into a wall lol

i have a hard time with the ~dream job~ question bc i've just never felt like i had a "calling" or any overwhelming grand idea with what i've wanted to do with my life, i'm just vibing my way through somehow

Bonus: any significance to your blog's name:

NOPE lol when i was making this blog uhhhh 12 years ago everything that i wanted at the time had been taken and this was the only thing i could think of that i liked that was available and it was just something random 😂 i've thought about changing it but idk it's been too long now LOL

[invincible-selfxmade-punk]

Teacher Life Update April 2023

It takes months and sometimes yours for things to occur to me that I should have understood way before.

I am finally changing doctors which I needed to years ago but like any good autistic, change is a horrible thing and I'm only doing it because I'm pretty much forced to & I'm so fed up with the awful service I get from the doctor I've been going to for 6 years.

The new doctor is not entirely new to me, I have gone to her before and I am now kicking myself for not making her my primary care physician about 3 years ago when I had the chance. I won't be able to get an appointment with her until next month but I am already composing in my head what I am going to talk to her about.

And that's when it occurred to me that so much of what I go through on a daily basis with my mobility issues has nothing to do with my physicality, even though I am a lot weaker than I used to be. It is all due to the unbelievable amount of anxiety I feel every minute of every day.

I came to the previous doctor with this issue. I had plateaued out on Zoloft and asked him to be put on something else. He put me on a Paxil and initially it did okay but I knew he was starting me off on pretty much a baby dose and I needed a higher dose. When I asked for that higher dose he put me right back on Zoloft which was pretty much like just giving me a placebo.

Add that added to the amount of stress I'm under everyday teaching the covid generation and it is like I exist in a state of anxiety that is so elevated, by the time I'm off work and go home I am completely deflated and can't do anything.

This means my house is a wreck and my husband thinks I'm some kind of lazy, awful wife who just doesn't want to take care of things. And I cannot make him understand it is not a matter of not wanting to it is a matter of being so physically drained because of the stress and anxiety that I cannot move.

Add to this the everyday stresslately of the death of my surrogate godmother, the death of my great nephew, having to try and file assault charges on one of my students (which did not work because I did not get to and I did not even get to get kick that student out of my class so that student is still there), and then all of that stress manifesting in kidney stones for which my doctor that I'm getting rid of forgot to call me in pain meds for 4 days for. Which was the last straw in causing me to get rid of him.

On top of all of that it is mid April, which is the anniversary of my sister's death, and the anniversary from last year of the single worst employee evaluation I ever had in my life.

I have spoken about this last year but if anyone is on here and is new here is what happened in a nutshell.

I had had the same principal for 5 years and I thought we had a very good relationship

. In the beginning I actually felt very close to her. I do not know what happened last year. Something changed. And she made my life a living hell the entire year. She said she had an open door policy but when I came to her and took advantage of it she completely dismissed anything I had to say and worse after I had told her everything I needed to and was crying, she looked at me very coldly and said" Mrs. _____, do you feel better now !?"in a voice that said I had completely wasted her time and my own.

Because I refused to spend any more time than I had to working with someone out of my apartment who screamed at me and was hateful to me every time we were engaged, I was told I was being a baby and unprofessional.

I was told I had not grown any in 6 years. I was told I was too stupid to go back and teach in the English Department even though when I was in The English Department for 3 years we had the highest test scores we had since.

Even though we had gone through several teachers in the social studies Department that year and I was the one who stayed and did all the work, I was told that she did not tell people thank you for things like that. It was not her leadership style to tell people thank you. Her version of letting you know how thankful she was for you was giving you a donut once every quarter and cooking for you once a year. And this was literally word for word.

This came totally out of left field because the entire year every single walkthrough, and every single observation I had gotten by the two asst pribcipals was unbelievably positive.

I had the mother of all panic attacks after that---- or actually during but as soon as I got out of her room I just completely broke down and could not even walk over to my room I just kind of froze.

The head of this bed Department saw me I knew immediately something was wrong, came and walked me over to my room because I just could not move an inch.

that's what my panic attacks are, it's not fight or flight for me it is always freeze or pass out.

I left that room never wanting to teach again, not in our district or any other,. If I hadn't been on medication I would have thought very seriously of killing myself.

It has been one year and because of that I am still completely terrified of that woman even though she is no longer my principal but has been moved to a higher position as assistant superintendent.

And this is going to be TMI but I just want to demonstrate how scared I am of her. It is so bad that even though I have minor incontinence problems, if I see her in the hallway when I have it off. I would rather urinate on myself then have to pass her in the hall to get to the bathroom.

I have had nightmares about her for the last year including last night. I had a dream that even though I was so sick I was in the hospital she forced me into a wheelchair and made me come to work anyway.

I have only had to be in the same room with her one time since that encounter and that was for a parent conference that she set in on without me being told in advance that she was going to be there. And I literally thought I was going to pass out during it. After she left I could not get up or leave my room for the next 30 minutes I just sat in place shaking.

This year we have a new principal but he is a little mouse of a man who has no Authority whatsoever and pretty much answers to her, I'm assuming. I don't think he makes any big decisions on his own. And he will be evaluating me or he already has I'm just waiting to find out what he thinks.

So I am just waiting to find out if I'm going to be taking into a room with another person and mentally and emotionally annihilated and tortured for an hour like I was last year.

I have to give myself a lot of credit for going through this all the time.

I'm really hoping that this new doctor will get my medication right so that I don't have to do this next year.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Here's a fun stat regarding Walt Disney Animation Studios' recent Thanksgiving-release films.

As in, films released the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, giving them a 5-day opening advantage and usually great holiday legs from there.

It's a spot that had been utilized by Disney before for animated features, chiefly from 1988 (OLIVER & COMPANY) to 1992 (ALADDIN), before embracing primarily summer debuts, with a few exceptions here and there. TREASURE PLANET, in 2002, would be the first Disney animated feature to try Thanksgiving again... And the last until, not counting a limited release of THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG... TANGLED, in 2010.

After TANGLED, WDAS released multiple animated films during the Thanksgiving frame of their respective release years: FROZEN, MOANA, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, FROZEN II, ENCANTO, STRANGE WORLD, WISH, MOANA 2... And this year, ZOOTOPIA 2 aims for it, an untitled original for Thanksgiving 2026, and FROZEN III for Thanksgiving 2027...

And it's interesting to note that the studio's best Thanksgiving release multipliers, post-2009, have been their 2010s features. In the before-COVID times, when an animated feature that wasn't a sequel could easily score a good $45-60m opening weekend. Nowadays, they mostly have to fight to get anywhere near that, sometimes it helps to be based on some kind of well-known IP.

I wanted to look at this because despite MOANA 2's massive numbers, which is way more than what the previous few WDAS movies made combined... It doesn't have the best multiplier, suggesting that it was frontloaded *and* some audiences weren't that big on it.

Let's look at the top movies in this criteria...

FROZEN, of course, has the highest multiplier of the domestic releases, a then-unprecedented 5.97x. $67m three-day, all the way to $400m final total. Excellent for any movie, let alone an animated feature. We all remember what a leggy phenomenon that movie was, well past its late November release.

Second place here is the first MOANA back in 2016/17, which made 4.42x its opening weekend. $56m OW, $248m DOM. Very good legs there.

TANGLED made 4.16x its opening weekend, also very good. Anything above 4x is excellent, really, especially if it opened pretty solidly. $48m to $200m.

FROZEN II opened way higher than the first one, with $130m, and topped out at $477m. 3.66x its opening. Still good! 3x is usually a good multiplier for anything. Certainly not what the first one was some 6 years prior, but even then, it probably wouldn't have recaptured that kind of phenomenon anyways. Even if the movie were widely beloved and considered as good as the original/superior to it.

RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET opened with $56m, finished with $201m, 3.58x the opening. That's a somewhat weaker multiplier than the original WRECK-IT RALPH's, which made 3.85x off of an early November opening.

A click below here is ENCANTO, the first of the 2020s WDAS movies on here... Which... We have to make a special case for that one. ENCANTO opened in Thanksgiving 2021, which was at the tail end of COVID-19's Delta variant and at the start of the Omicron variant. Not that that affected every movie out there (SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, anyone?), but it was still very much a concern for now-reopened theaters and family audiences. I saw it the week after opening in a theater w/ maybe 4 to 5 other people in it? Not even a month into its run, it was put on Disney+. On Christmas Day. That's where the movie *really* took off!

Still, the feature made 3.55x its opening. The movie was that good to audiences, that the Disney+ release didn't cut too much into it, I suppose! It played in domestic theaters 'til April of 2022, it was at $88m by Christmas weekend and finished with $97m when all was said and done. A world where COVID never happened, this would've opened - easily - with $40m and made well over $170m+ domestically. In that scenario, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON would've opened in Thanksgiving 2020 as originally intended, and probably would've done equally as well.

Next is WISH, Thanksgiving 2023, with an okay 3.31x multiplier. Again, for a Thanksgiving WDAS movie. It had a pretty blah $19m opening, and made only $63m in the long run, which wasn't great - even for a post-outbreak animated feature like that. ENCANTO had major COVID variants up against it, this did not. Audiences didn't really like this one, nor really wanted to see it.

Then we have MOANA 2, with - currently - a 3.25x multiplier. Should it make $460m here by the end of its long run, it'll still be a sliiiight notch below WISH's multiplier. This movie was much more frontloaded, and while I saw - at my theater job - audiences flocking to it and coming out of it satisfied (or loving it, even), it apparently wasn't that high on their lists. If the reception was on the level of the original MOANA, it may have pulled more of a 3.5x multiplier and made roughly $485m+ domestically. Maybe even made a play for $500m. INSIDE OUT 2, from Pixar, opened gargantuan and made 4.23x its $154m opening. It could've been done, but MOANA 2 didn't have the juice. I'd imagine WICKED and other competition could've played a part, too, maybe not. Still, that's a goddamn ocean-full of money there!

And then, predictably, in last place... Is poor STRANGE WORLD, which made only 3.08x its pitiful $12m opening. Well past Omicron, in Thanksgiving 2022, back when movies were really starting to do better again. We had gotten past the summer of TOP GUN: MAVERICK and MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, in addition to heavy-hitters like ELVIS, NOPE, and THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. The biggest non-sequel animated films of 2022 were THE BAD GUYS and DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS, both of which scored in the 90s. If TURNING RED had been a theatrical release, it probably would've made somewhere around that amount... So, in a better scenario, STRANGE WORLD could've been primed to be a successful film.

No good word of mouth could save the picture Disney dumped and did a poor job presenting beforehand (crickets in the auditorium whenever that teaser played), and I'm sure homophobic audiences staying away played a tiny part too (I remember at least one person demanding a refund at my job for the gay stuff)... It puttered out at $37m domestically. Like ENCANTO, it too went straight to Disney+ not even a month after opening.

So yeah, interestingly... Only the 2010s WDAS movies released during Thanksgiving had the really good multipliers.

Maybe if ZOOTOPIA 2 is both a critical and audience hit, as in something they really love- A CinemaScore, well above 80% in aggregated Rotten Tomatoes-counted reviews, etc.... Maybe ZOOTOPIA 2 makes over 3.5x its sure to be big opening weekend. Well, maybe it'll open big... Let's see what the country looks like by then, first, given everything that's already been going on. Movie tickets and snacks cost quite a bit, ya know?

But suppose we are in decent-to-good standing by Thanksgiving 2025... Yeah, I fully expect ZOOTOPIA 2 - should it be very satisfactory as a movie - to open big and have truly good/great legs from there on out.

[sapph-mik]

i’ve been trying to ignore how scared i really am about my health.

i’ve noticed a decline since January, where I was weighing in around 145-150 pounds a day. February is when I said something to someone. I remember all the actual muscle aches. i remember thinking i just had a crappy bed, or work was strenuous on my body. i remember how hesitant i was to consider myself celiac. i remember my stomach hurting once a day, sometimes more depending on what i might have had.

i remember mid april when i decided to go gluten free completely. i remember eating the giant drag brunch breakfast for my best friends birthday, to which turned into three days of me being immobile from the amount of pain i was in. i remember the aches. the stomach pain. the gastrointestinal issues. i remember vowing to not eat gluten.

and for some time, i improved!

i remember how frustrated i was that it was going to take a month and a half to get into the gastroenterologist. but hey at least i got an appointment. i remember counting down the days to June 13th. i remember getting poked and prodded three times over for bloodwork. i remember turning in 7 different take home tests.

and yet… nothing. labworks indicate NOTHING. the only thing it indicates is inflammation (where i do now know), low protein, an iron and vitamin b deficiency. my mother is stuck in mom mode and had bought me iron and vitamin d pills in hopes something will magically change.

i have four different doctors/clinics trying to figure out what’s wrong. no one seems to have answers. i ask my sister who went through something similar advice.

it’s getting worse. i’m getting worse. the stomach pains happen much more frequently and get worse every time. even if i’ve just had something i consider a “safe” food. i don’t know what i can or can’t eat anymore. i’m hungry all the time but have no desire to eat — if all it does is put me in such pain why bother?

at this point i just laugh when i tell my mom some things about my health. like today when i took the pee test and on the cell inflammation color match, it was the color of the highest amount of inflammation the paper provided. “that’s really bad mik,” yeah i KNOW!!! try living with it. try score higher than an 8 on 6 of the 7 surveys.

i know i’m experiencing malabsorption. i’ve lost 25-30 pounds in 4 months — nothing in my physical activity has changed. im hungry all the time but never experience hunger pains. im exhausted all the time. i have no energy. i have no drive.

i’m scared whatever is wrong with me, can’t be fixed. or it’s too late to be fixed. or it’s things that could have been fixed but now it’s been too long. i worry i’ll never return to myself. i worry ill always have the fear in the back of my mind that i may not feel well enough to go to work, a dinner with friends, a date with my girlfriend, hangout with my neice/nephews. i feel bad for canceling or calling out but i have no choice.

and no one seems to have answers.

[warningsine]

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s monthly inflation rate eased sharply to a single-digit rate in April for the first time in half a year, data released Tuesday showed, a closely watched indicator that bolsters President Javier Milei’s severe austerity program aimed at fixing the country’s troubled economy.

Prices rose at a rate of 8.8% last month, the Argentine government statistics agency reported, down from a monthly rate of 11% in March and well below a peak of 25% last December, when Milei became president with a mission to combat Argentina’s dizzying inflation, among the highest in the world.

“Inflation is being pulverized,” Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesperson, posted on social media platform X after the announcement. “Its death certificate is being signed.”

Although praised by the International Monetary Fund and cheered by market watchers, Milei’s cost-cutting and deregulation campaign has, at least in the short term, squeezed families whose money has plummeted in value while the cost of nearly everything has skyrocketed. Annual inflation, the statistics agency reported Tuesday, climbed slightly to 289.4%.

“People are in pain,” said 23-year-old Augustin Perez, a supermarket worker in the suburbs of Buenos Aires who said his rent had soared by 90% since Milei deregulated the real estate market and his electricity bill had nearly tripled since the government slashed subsidies. “They say things are getting better, but how? I don’t understand.”

Milei’s social media feed in recent weeks has become a stream of good economic news: Argentine bonds posting some of the best gains among emerging markets, officials celebrating its first quarterly surplus since 2008 and the IMF announcing Monday it would release another $800 million loan — a symbolic vote of confidence in Milei’s overhaul.

“The important thing is to score goals now,” Milei said at an event Tuesday honoring former President Carlos Menem, a divisive figure whose success driving hyperinflation down to single digits through free-market policies Milei repeatedly references. “We are beating inflation.”

Even so, some experts warn that falling inflation isn’t necessarily an economic victory — rather the symptom of a painful recession. The IMF expects Argentina’s gross domestic product to shrink by 2.8% this year.

“You’ve had a massive collapse in private spending, which explains why consumption has dropped dramatically and why inflation is also falling,” said Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics who studies emerging markets. “People are worse off than they were before. That leads them to spend less.”

Signs of an economic slowdown are everywhere in Buenos Aires — the lines snaking outside discounted groceries, the empty seats in the city’s typically booming restaurants, the growing strikes and protests.

At an open-air market in the capital’s Liniers neighborhood, Lidia Pacheco makes a beeline for the garbage dump. Several times a week, the 45-year-old mother of four rummages through the pungent pile to salvage the tomatoes with the least mold.

“This place saves me,” Pacheco said. Sky-high prices have forced her to stick to worn-out clothes and shoes and change her diet to the point of giving up yerba mate, Argentina’s ubiquitous national drink brewed from bitter leaves. “Whatever I earn from selling clothes goes to eating,” she said.

Argentina’s retail sales in the first quarter of 2024 fell nearly 20% compared to the year before, a clip comparable to that of the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. The consumption of beef — an Argentine classic — dropped to its lowest level in three decades this quarter, the government reported, prompting panicked editorials about a crisis in Argentina’s national psyche.

“Now I buy pork and chicken instead,” said Leonardo Buono, 51-year-old hospital worker. “It’s an intense shock, this economic adjustment.”

Milei, a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” and former TV personality, warned his policies would hurt at first.

He campaigned brandishing a chainsaw to symbolize all the cutting he would do to Argentina’s bloated state, a dramatic change from successive left-leaning Peronist governments that ran vast budget deficits financed by printing money.

Promising the pain would pay off, he slashed spending on everything from construction and cultural centers to education and energy subsidies, from soup kitchens and social programs to pensions and public companies. He has also devalued the Argentine peso by 54%, helping close the chasm between the peso’s official and black-market exchange rates but also fueling inflation.

Inflation in the first four months of 2024 surged by 65%, the government statistics agency reported Tuesday. Prices in shops and restaurants have reached levels similar to those in the U.S. and Europe.

But Argentine wages have remained stagnant or declined, with the monthly minimum wage for regulated workers just $264 as of this month, with workers in the informal economy often paid less.

Today that sum can buy scarcely more than a few nice meals at Don Julio, a famous Buenos Aires steakhouse. Nearly 60% of the country’s 46 million people now live in poverty, a 20-year high, according to a study in January by Argentina’s Catholic University.

Even as discontent appears to rise, the president’s approval ratings have remained high, around 50%, according to a survey this month by Argentine consulting firm Circuitos — possibly a result of Milei’s success blaming his predecessors for the crisis.

[thefootballobserver]

April 9-11 European Roundup: Match Reviews

It was a week full of surprises, with underdogs exceeding expectations.

Wow. Nearly every match this week was filled with drama and reminded everyone of the beauty of continental competitions. From wonder goals to disappointing performances, here’s a brief review of a chunk of the matches played. I’ve only managed to watch these highlights, so these reviews do not represent the full matches but key moments.

Arsenal 2-2 Bayern Munich: Penalty Controversy Steals the Attention

A Harry Kane goal against Arsenal on his return to North London was written in the stars.

Of course, as a Spurs fan, it was a delight to see Harry Kane score against the Gunners, making him the highest goalscorer against Arsenal at the Emirates. As he said in his post-match interview, Arsenal tend to concede penalties to Kane, with him scoring his 15th goal against them - and 8 of them being penalties. Maybe it’s not a good decision to let the striker of your biggest rivals be the top scorer at you on your ground, yeah?

Besides me fawning over Harry for a bit, the game was good. Saka opened the scoring with a beautiful finish thanks to some pretty poor defending from Davies, who struggled against Arsenal’s leading man (and picked up a yellow, meaning he misses their next meeting). Unsurprisingly, Arsenal played on the front foot. At the same time, Bayern largely looked to counter, with Bayern’s right winger Sané causing havoc on Arsenal’s left side, and Kiwior looked like a major defensive weakness that night. But it wouldn’t be Kiwior but Gabriel, who’s arguably been better than Saliba this season, who loses the ball, resulting in former Arsenal player Gnarby equalising for the visitors.

Usually, with a leakproof defence in the league, Sané again caused trouble as he glided through it, and Saliba conceded a penalty through a stuck-out leg. Raya dived about ten business days before Kane even moved, resulting in Kane waiting and slotting it away instead of his usual “I’m going to launch this bad boy into the net as hard as possible,” silencing the Emirates as Bayern played without away fans.

Trossard, who was subbed on Martinelli (I was surprised he didn’t start if I’m honest), would go on to equal for the home side with a sweet strike. Still, ultimately, the game ended in a 2-2 draw - a much better result for Bayern than Arsenal, who should have taken advantage of Bayern, given this is one of the weakest teams they’ve displayed in a long, long time.

Of course, the game had to end in controversy as Saka tried to draw a foul from Neuer in the last minute instead of shooting at an open goal. I think the criticisms have gotten out of hand, but I agree that it was a poor decision by Saka and Neuer, who knew that he wouldn’t get the ball and stopped moving his leg. Saka’s leg didn’t look in a particularly natural position, but camera angles make it a difficult call. I read an opinion that Arsenal likely tries to draw fouls to take advantage of set pieces, which I think is a good point. However, in the world of VAR, they need to get it out of their system when they’re in the box. Ultimately, what has happened happened, and both sides need to let go of it as an exciting game is teed up at the Allianz Arena.

My MOTMs: Odegaard (ARS); Kane (FCB)

Real Madrid 3-3 Man City: Wonder Goals Star in 6-Goal Thriller

Ruben Dias scored an unfortunate goal and didn’t have the best of times against Vinicius and Rodrygo.

Bar the four incredible goals scored, the real news to come out of the game was Pep pronouncing “vomit” in quite a zesty manner when asked about Kevin de Bruyne’s absence from the starting lineup. Even his stomach is against him playing in big UCL nights, I’m afraid (I still love that man).

Before the clock could even hit a minute, Tchouaméni got carded for a foul on Grealish - which, if I’m honest, was entirely unnecessary - and now misses the second leg. Minutes later, Silva scored a beautiful free kick. Some may argue Lunin should have done better, but let’s be honest: you, him, the players, the managers, the Bernabeu and the neighbour’s dog weren’t expecting that. Real Madrid then responded with two rapid goals in the 12th and 14th minute, with Dias conceding an own goal and Rodrygo scoring, both from taking advantage of City’s relatively slow back line. The game slowed down after that, and City were sloppy at best.

They massively improved in the second half, though, and managed to turn the 2-1 scoreline in their favour, with Foden (it just had to be him) scoring from range perfectly into the top left corner, making it impossible for Lunin to make the save. Gvardiol then one-upped it with an even better goal on his right foot, his first goal for City since his summer transfer. This goal sparked a lot of humorous Twitter conversation, with City fans saying that Walker will be shooting from 40 yards out constantly and Liverpool fans saying that they don’t even want to think about Robertson shooting like that on his left - let alone right foot. Gvardiol hasn’t been the 70m signing most have expected, but his upturn of form lately has been promising.

Three unforgettable goals weren’t enough, and Valverde scored an even better strike to level the game at 3-3. For all the hype of Real closing the Bernabeu roof (which one commented that it looked like an air fryer, which I’m afraid I have to agree) and wearing all white, it was an excellent game for the neutral, but not so much for the Madridistas, who may have the 4-0 trashing at the Etihad in mind…

Oh, and of course, Haaland ghosted. Whether or not he served as a distraction for the centre-backs or just failed to get involved is not my fight to fight.

My MOTMs: Vinicius Jr (RMA); Gvardiol (MCI)

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Dortmund: The Metropolitano Still Stands Strong

What can I say? Atletico did what it always does.

So, I’m not an avid watcher of Atletico, and I’m even less of a Bundesliga person. Thanks to time zones, I don’t watch European games live either, so I wasn’t precisely tuned into this match as much as I should, but it was still exciting.

Atletico should have had more than a one-goal advantage but failed to capitalise, notably when Lino should have scored in the 71st minute. This is especially true given Dortmund’s inconsistent form this season. However, their UCL form should be applauded as they escaped the “Group of Death” relatively more straightforwardly than the other three teams. The home side stunned Dortmund early in the game, with De Paul capitalising on a Kobel-Maatsen mistake to score in the 4th minute. Although Dortmund had the ball, all the chances came from Atletico, who…well, Atletico-ed with a back five and looked to counter, as is the Diego Simeone way.

The home side would deservedly double to lead through Lino to round off the first half. Dortmund finally grew as the game went on and did manage to snatch a goal back through Haller to keep Dortmund in the second tie. It's less eye-catching than the previous night's matches, but the second leg should be fun to watch.

My MOTMs: Griezmann (ATM); Haller (BVB)

PSG 2-3 Barcelona: Xavi’s Super Subs Give Barca a One-Goal Advantage

What’s up with big stars and poor UCL nights? Mbappe ghosts as PSG loses at home.

PSG ultras had a lot to say and do before the match, with them launching fireworks at the hotel Barcelona were staying at 4 am, chanting “p*ta Barca” (f*ck Barca) to the players, as well as “Real Madrid” too. Some bold moves, considering their star man will leave them to Real Madrid for nothing, but PSG ultras have always been questionable. Some Barcelona players, like Ferran Torres and youngest Marc Guiu, were seen recording and laughing, likely at the fans. They would also have the last laugh that night as the current La Liga holders left with a one-goal advantage.

Barcelona started the game much stronger than PSG (they had 0.81 xG, ten shots and one on-target versus 0.33 xG and eight off-target shots) and were rewarded when Raphinha scored in an empty net. They carried this lead to halftime, but PSG was on the front pedal when the second-half whistle blew, looking like an entirely different team. Barcelona couldn’t handle the pressure, and former Barcelona man Dembele scored (and celebrated) and was followed by Vitinha - who’s been having an excellent season for the Ligue 1 giants - only three minutes later. 

However, Xavi’s super substitutions would save the game for Barcelona, as Roberto came off for Pedri, who then produced a wonder assist within a minute with his first touch of the game - and his first touch since his injury in March - to Raphinha, as all the Brazilian had to do was slot it past Donnarumma to level the game. Later, de Jong would come off for Christensen, and this time, he one-upped Pedri and scored thanks to a Gündogan corner with his first touch, which was within a minute of coming on. On his birthday, too!

As a Barcelona fan, I would have been happy with a draw at the Parc des Princes, but to leave with a win really must have been confidence high - even if it’s only a one-goal margin and there’s still all to play for that the Montjuïc Stadium next week. I can’t lie - Dembele scoring and celebrating hurt, but I think Barca fans have overreacted, especially those calling for the Figo treatment. Honestly, I’m just glad he did what he did and left us with some money instead of going on a free next summer.

My MOTMs: Vitinha (PSG); Raphinha (FCB)

Liverpool 0-3 Atalanta: Klopp’s Farewell Party in Tatters

Poor, poor mistakes from the Reds resulted in a completely unexpected scoreline.

My oh my, where do I even start? For starters, I’d like to say that I quite like Klopp. I think it’s a bit of a shame he’s leaving Liverpool, and I hope he leaves the club on a high note. I’m glad they won the EFL Cup, so at least they have something, even if it’s the least noteworthy competition they could win; a cup is a cup (but I am a Spurs fan, so I’m not exactly in a position to judge).

That being said, Liverpool’s defence was sh*t. I’m sorry, but it had to be said. I like Kelleher, and I think he’s been pretty good for Liverpool, given he’s not a starter and has to fill in Alisson's shoes, but man, that first goal was a bummer - although I don’t think that should take away from his other two incredible saves before and after the error - Kelleher did end up conceding two more after that (neither of which the goalkeeper was at fault for, but he did concede). Unfortunately, goalkeepers tend to be remembered for the goals they concede, not the ones they prevent.

Attacking-wise, Liverpool was fine but very much not clinical - although I don’t know if Klopp wished for goals when he started a front three of Gakpo-Nuñez-Elliot. There were a few promising sequences, but Nuñez (absolutely no one is surprised) was wasteful - but he’s not the only culprit.

Atalanta tried to catch Liverpool on the counter - again, to no one’s surprise - and they reaped the awards. Italian striker Scamacca scored two against Liverpool in the 38th and 60th minute, the first taking advantage of Kelleher not reacting nearly fast enough for a preventable goal as it slid under the ‘keeper and the second coming from a cross when (1) Van Dijk really should have closed down De Ketelaere and (2) Scamancca should not have been so open and unmarked.

The third was by Pasalic and was to an inexplicable back pass by Szoboszlai - although Kelleher did block the initial shot by Ederson, it wasn’t enough. The backline wasn’t trying to prevent the two later goals by how they reacted. They were walking back when the Atalanta players really should have been closed down earlier.

A comeback looks unlikely as Liverpool plays away next, although it’s not off the cards. Liverpool have now drawn to an underwhelming United and lost at home to a side that’s 6th on the Serie A table and have lost their two recent games. Their finishing has disappointed them despite having some of the Premier League’s best forwards and playing well in their previous Europa games. This game is a major result for Atalanta and confirms them in the semifinal - though I don’t want to jinx it.

You have quite a lot of work to do if you want that nice farewell party, Jürgen Klopp.

My MOTMs: Gakpo (LIV); Scamacca (ATA)

Leverkusen 2-0 West Ham: So Close Moyes! But Forget It

Moyes-ball almost gets them a draw…until it didn’t.

I’ll be zooming through the next few because I think the results are coming, or I don’t follow the teams too much.

Leverkusen’s 30 shots to West Ham’s one sums it up. Still, West Ham did look like they were going to snatch a point until the German side finally broke the deadlock with seven minutes of regular time remaining through Hofmann, who would also assist Boniface’s goal in stoppage time. Fabianski bailed the team out on multiple occasions, displaying some fantastic saves. On a better or worse day - depending on who you’re asking - Leverkusen easily could have had three to five goals. A two-goal deficit is saveable for West Ham at home, but they’ll need to do better on the counter.

Also, please end Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak. If the streak ends by Moyes ball, it’d be hilarious, and I need one less thing for them to be happy about (I’m just a little salty).

My MOTMs: Fabianski (WHU), Hofmann (B04)

AC Milan 0-1 Roma: What in the World is De Rossi Cooking?

Roma play at home next with a one-goal advantage.

All I can say is that Roma should have fired Mourinho ages ago if De Rossi was willing to take the job before his release (and this isn’t even my Spurs bias talking) because you’re telling me De Rossi has only lost to Inter and Brighton (in a useless game) between then and now? What in the world is he cooking in Rome?

Also, that back-and-forth between Giroud and Lukaku was hilarious. It’s even funnier when the replays show that Lukaku’s making the goalkeeper’s life way harder by standing in front of him and preventing Svilar from catching the ball.

No man of the matches because that’s all the highlights had.

Aston Villa 2-1 Lille: Work to Be Done Next Week

McGinn, with his iconic celebration as he put the Villans two in front.

The game was a perfect McGinn performance from the looks of it. I’ll admit that the second goal looked accidental on Bailey’s part (that slip…was he trying to cross?), but that strike was terrific. Of course, Lille did manage to pull one back, but Martinez also made some stunning saves to keep Villa in the game in the first half. The way he comes off his line with that confidence is impressive.

My MOTMs: McGinn (AVL), Diaketé (LIL)

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

                   Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                            Volume 7 Issue 18                                                                                                  Week of April 15 2024                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing

EDITOR: A new resident to Oconee said her family moved here to get away from the overdevelopment.  “ There are not many places like this left, ” she said.   Shouldn’t that be a message to us all that we need to protect what we love?   People love community and the rural way of life.   I say to leaders and developers who want to destroy our Oconee County life—you move!  Move to the overdeveloped destroyed areas and cities.  Sell your home to the people who want to come here to get back to real living.  “There are not many places like this left.” Let’s keep it!  LRMartin

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue * Visit the Downtown Market every Sat, Winter hours 9am-1pm. Town of Salem Clean up day– April 27th meet at 8AM at the Calvary Baptist Church– Invite your friends, neighbors, civic groups, and anyone interested in coming together for the good of our community.                  Salem Beautification Committee is a group of volunteers who support the Town of Salem by maintaining the gardens and decorating some areas for the holidays. If you are interested in volunteering or donating please call Vickie Towe 864-6229 or Ethel Cameron 864-280-4040                                                                                            SALEM LIBRARY:  5B Park Avenue.  Hours Monday 10am-6pm. Tues-Friday 9am-5pm. Closed 12-1 for lunch.                    

Jottings from Miz Jeannie  by Jeannie Barnwell.    Walhalla HS Plant Sale  Plan to visit the greenhouse area of WHS off HWY 11 and shop for hardy blooms at a reasonable price.  Instructor Josh McCall's green thumbed  students will carry your tray while you select from Zinnias, Okra, Daisies, Latana, Ferns and Hostas, just to name a few.  These high school students will educate you while you make your choices.  Then they cheerfully carry the buds and blossoms out to your car. I want to thank the students who planted  and tended the seeds and prepared them for the sale. They are Aiden Wallace, Reagan Smith, Kristen Winland, Hudson Smith and Jackson Medlin I told these young entrepreneurs that YOU WOULD BE STOPPING BY!  LOVE YA!!! Miz Jeannie                                                                                              ASHTON RECALLS    by Ashton Hester                               SALEM SCHOOL NEWS, APRIL 1, 1964 continued from last week -  The following are some more items from the "Salem School News" column, written by Mrs. Nelle Rochester, in the April 1, 1964 Keowee Courier. . . BETTY CROCKER SEARCH. . .Our senior girls did very well on The Betty Crocker Search for the American Homemaker of Tomorrow contest. . .Ruth Lusk and Sharon Rankin both received "excellent" ratings. Ruth had Salem's highest score but Sharon was only one point behind. We had nine girls that received "good" ratings, and three received "fair" ratings. None of our students received "poor" ratings. . .LEAP-YEAR CARNIVAL. . .The juniors did real well on their Leap-Year Carnival. They had a net profit of $309.74. Thanks to all of the merchants, parents, students and teachers who contributed to the success. . .ILLNESSES STILL ABUNDANT. . .We are still plagued with a variety of illnesses. Mumps seems to be taking the greatest toll while measles and chicken pox are also still prevalent. Ruth Lusk, Sue Murphree and Larry Jones are a few that have had mumps recently. . .DONKEY BASKETBALL GAME. . .The juniors are sponsoring a donkey basketball game on April 2, Thursday, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $1.00, 60c. for students and 25c. for children.                                              

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11 Open Wed–Sat 9am-9pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm   Events this week:  Wed: Blue Grass Jam  6:30PM  Wings and more by Blue Ridge Grill starting at 4PM.  Thursday: Trail Talk Thursday at 6:00PM  Food: Kodesh BBQ Blue Ridge Grill  Fri:  Music: Scott Low ( Appalachian Blues Singer-Songwriter)  at 6:30pm Food:   Sat– Music: Conservation Theory ( Americana Mountain Folk Singer-Songwriters)  at 6:30pm Food: Just a Smile Caribbean   Sun:  12pm-7pm  Food:  El Charro  Music:  11 North with Chad Rawlings 4PM  More info 864-873-0048    April Book Club meeting on Wednesday, April 17th at 10AM to discuss The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose.                      COMBAT VETERANS MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION SC 34-2:  7th Annual Veteran Benefit Ride April 27th 2024  Register 0900 at Harley Davidson of Greenville, 30 Chrome Drive 29615  All vehicles welcomed.  **   These riders will be stopping at the  Jocassee Valley Brewing Company around noon.   JVBC is proud to be a host stop-off.   

Carolina Hemlock Festival:   April 20th  11AM-4PM  at the Mountain Rest Hillbilly Grounds. Music, Conservation Groups &more!     

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS           Check out our website Eaglesnestartcenter.org as future events are added.                                                                                                                                    April 20th 7pm– The War Cry Band will host a benefit for Ralph Turpin medical expenses at the ENAC venue.                              April 26th, 7 PM Friday Evening Wellness Event:  Reclaiming Our Inalienable Wellness  Doors open at 6:30 PM  Free event hosted by ENAC featuring speaker Meredith Orlowski, AFMC, INHC.  Bring your friends and family along. Gain Energy, Lose Weight, Feel Happy, & Save the World While Doing it!       Call 864-280-1258 for more information                                                                                                         Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea on Saturday, May 4th  from 2PM-4 PM:   Join us for a special afternoon and treat yourself to delicious goodies, hot tea, and a guest speaker!  Our youngest guests will enjoy manicures and a craft!  $10 per guest.  All funds will be donated to support the Eagles Nest Art Center.  There are also opportunities to sponsor a table for the event.   To RSVP or find more information:  Kayla or Emma Lusk at 864-903-0681                                                                                                               Oconee Mountain Opry:  May 18th at 7PM.   Jef Wilson, West End String Band, Mystery guests, comedy and more.  

June 3-7  ENAC hosts  Art Camp for children 6-12 years old.  9AM-12PM  Call 864-280-1258   $50 fee                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        EAGLES NEST ART CENTER                                      

The Eagles Nest Treasure Store is open every Saturday morning 9AM-12PM.  Will accept donations also or call 864-557-2462.

Information on sponsorships, events, volunteering, donations, or rentals call 864-280-1258 or email at eaglesnestartcenter@gmail.com. 

Interested in becoming a YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIAN?   For ages 3rd grade through adult.     Call 864-280-1258                                                       

           CHURCH NEWS                                                           Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA),  580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m.   Come visit us. All are welcomed!   April 29, 2024, Mel Davis will give the message.                                                                                 Boones Creek Baptist Church, 264 Boones Creek Road, Salem invites you to join us for regular worship service on Sunday morning with Sunday School at 10am and followed by worship at 11am.

Salem Methodist Church: 520 Church Street, Salem.  9AM for breakfast, 9:30AM for Sunday School, and 10:30AM for Worship.  You may tune in to our live service on Facebook or view it later on our website.  All are welcomed!

Calvary Baptist Church in downtown Salem is inviting you to attend a special Bluegrass Gospel Singing featuring, "The Tugaloo Holler Band" on Saturday, May 11th at 6 PM. You will be blessed! Come worship God with us through singing and fellowshipping with believers.

News:  On April 9th from 5PM-7PM the Jocassee Valley Brewing Company was the host site of the OPUS Trust unique wine tasting event featuring rare California Napa Valley wines provided by a donor family, and matched funding from another generous family patron.  The tables were set up with white table cloths and fresh flowers.  The wine tastings were from 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.  Paring these delicious rare tastes with local farm products created a unique palate pleasure. The Reed Homestead owners David and Casey Thornton presented herbed flatbreads, pickled watermelon rind, pepper jellies, chocolates, spiced pecans and more. The  Split Creek goat farm provided 3 types of tantalizing cheeses.  The McPhail Angus Farm  was the featured farm for a delicious cut for smoked beef.  This proved to be quite a social event for our Salem area with these fine tastings from local farms and this special stock from California Napa Valley wines.  You may purchase from our local farms on the Clemson Area Food Exchange online farmer’s market.   Check out CLEMSONAREAFOODEXCHANGE.COM.                                                                                                                                             

Love & Blessings to you!  LRM    

[dragoneyes618]

When I was around sixteen, I spent two successive summers in a city that I fell in love with at first sight, Paris. My hope was to improve my French, but I spent too much time away from my books and lessons gazing enchantedly at the beauty of France’s capital. When my wife and I married some twenty years ago, I was particularly delighted to discover I now had additional family and relations in the city. This was especially so as they lived on the west bank of the Seine in the exclusive 16th Arrondissment.

I have kept an eye on the city of my youthful infatuation ever since, watching the occasional changes and upheavals that are synonymous with France.

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On the night of April 19, 2019, I sat at my computer watching in disbelief as one of the city’s (and the world’s) greatest landmarks burst into flames, the 12th century cathedral the French call, Notre Dame De Paris. It was for the French and particularly the Parisians, what 9/11 was to the U.S. and New Yorkers. The comparison was additionally secured when the spire of the cathedral, like the Twin Towers, collapsed at 19:50 p.m. and crashed to the ground.

By the next day, the Paris prosecutor had declared that it was not a deliberate act.

That was something that he could not possibly have known; no one could. Making the risible declaration with such haste, signaled to everyone in France what many already believed. A cover up at the highest levels of the French government had begun immediately and the fire had been an extremist Muslim attack.

If that fact were to be established and revealed it would not have been a surprise. There had and have been scores of church burnings across France by Muslims before and after Notre Dame De Paris.

France officially has a huge Muslim population (10%) and unofficially, a huger one.

The percentage of those holding extremist Islamist and Islamo-Nazi views is unknown (and only a bigot assumes that all Muslims are extremists) but from the Charlie Hebdo attacks to the killing of French priests and worshipers by Islamists, there clearly exists a significant problem.

Whether the epidemic of anti-church/anti-state attacks are coordinated or spontaneous, they combine to achieve a common goal. They fracture the French nation and drive a wedge between good people on both sides of France’s religious racial/divide.

This was chillingly demonstrated in October 2019 when a French Muslim convert drew his gun and murdered four of his colleagues in the Paris Police HQ.

The reason that Notre Dame’s inferno could never be admitted as an Islamist attack, is that the French state (and much of its population) is terrified of its Muslim minority and the consequences of an open clash with it.

Anyone daring to say this will immediately be accused of Islamophobia and racism by the Islamist’s allies among France’s extreme Left. Like the left throughout the west, they are defenders of Islamists through the “Red/Green” alliance. That’s why they were on the streets marching shoulder to shoulder with Islamists the day after the Hamas atrocities. American college professors used phrases to describe the slaughter as, “exhilarating.”

The situation is similar in France’s neighbor, England. The British police have long operated a system of tolerance of low-level antisemitic attacks.

When Suella Braverman took office in 2022 as British Home Secretary, she announced that British police must stop ignoring incidents of UK antisemitism.

The UK’s Jewish Chronicle reported, “The Home Secretary said a culture in the police of treating anti-Semitism as “racism lite” was to blame for the failure to convict thugs who bully Jews, including those who drove in convoy through north London’s Jewish community in 2021. In a pre-Hamas attack portent, they threatened to “Kill the Jews” and “rape their daughters.”

Suella Braverman said officers had been too slow to respond to the convoy because they didn’t take antisemitism seriously enough – and she vowed to change the “outrageous” state of affairs.

At the start of the Hamas War in a convention-breaking attack on the police, Braverman said London’s police force was ignoring lawbreaking by pro-Palestinian “mobs.” She described demonstrators calling for “International Intifada and “Jihad ” as “hate marchers.” Braverman claimed that British Police were “sympathetic” to Palestinian and Black Lives Matter demonstrations and tolerated systematic lawbreaking that they would not tolerate among other groups.

Photographs of smiling London police officers crouching for selfies with children carrying Palestinian flags only confirmed her accusations. That was particularly so when two Manchester police officers were photographed tearing down poster of Jews kidnapped by Hamas.

All this was way too much truth for the British political establishment and even her own Conservative party. Her vow to change the “Outrageous state of affairs” collapsed when she was promptly fired.

In her “Free Press” article entitled “British Police Are Giving in to the Mob,” Rupa Subramanya quoted an ex-London police sergeant, Tim Cruddas who retired from London’s police force four years ago.

“There are 100,000 demonstrators and 1,000 cops, so 100 to one. There’s only so much you can do on the day without causing a lot of disorder.”

Another reason Britain’s police appear to be supporting the pro-Palestinian faction is, according to Toby Young, the founder of the Free Speech Union, which champions free expression in Britain, “They are pro-Palestinian. They’re not impartial. They prioritize protecting the feelings of Muslims over protecting the feelings of Jews. I think that’s pretty indisputable.”

The truth is that the British police, like the British establishment, is simply scared stiff of the 7% of the population that are Muslim. A long history of UK terrorist attacks from suicide bombings, decapitations, violence and Muslims now filling 18% of UK prison places (27% in London) guarantees that they stay that way.

A picture of a plane hitting the Twin Towers on 9/11 appeared on social media recently. Underneath it appeared the question, “How did we move from this…to not offending the Muslims?”

The answer is really very simple, “When we got scared.”

[jrpneblog]

Tough task ahead

With nine games to go it looks a tough task for North End to reach the top six even though we have a game in hand. Norwich sit five points above us in sixth place going into this international break and with West Brom ten points ahead of us it seems realistic to say that only sixth spot is open. Hull and Coventry sit two points and one point above us, respectively and with Middlesbrough two points behind us and played a game more it looks like Hull, Coventry, Norwich and ourselves in the fight for the play off place. Having said all of that if we had beaten Stoke the Saturday before last we might well be having a different conversation so it shows how quick things can change in the Championship. We will look a bit more at North Ends Easter programme next week but with Rotherham, Birmingham, Watford and Huddersfield as our next four games it seems pretty clear that the next three weeks or so will give us an idea of where we are ahead of what could be a massive game at Home to Norwich on April 13th. Much debate goes on as to whether we are punching above our weight but I actually dont think we are. The table never lies and we are where we are on merit in spite of the bigger budgets that other clubs have squandered.

Last Saturday we made the longest journey of the season to play Plymouth Argyle with the 600 mile round trip being made worthwhile as Liam Millar`s goal secured all three points. It was great to see over 1,000 North End fans inside Home Park and the travelling faithful gave North End fabulous support from the first whistle to the last. In all honest it was a game North End should have won much much more comfortably than they did. It was a drizzly damp day but North End always had that little bit extra whether it be quality on the ball or the tenacity in the middle of the park typified by my man of the match, Ryan Ledson. Plymouth should have been down to ten after an horrendous tackle by Miller but once again a referee in the Championship got a major decision wrong. It appear it is something we expect and are getting used to but I have to that the general standard of refereeing in the second tier this season is as bad as I have ever seen it.

With it being the International break this weekend my thoughts turn to England and a couple of high profile friendlies over the break against Brazil and Belgium both at Wembley. I think it is fair to say that both our visitors are going through a transition period and England should be mindful of this whatever the results are. The pressure is certainly building towards the 2024 Euros and Gareth Southgate will be expected to reach the final, probably against France if we miss each other on the way. If we are being honest we should have won the Euros in 2021 but we gave an aging Italian side far too much respect in the final. I do think it is a measure of how far we have come that we no expect to be in there at the death and I think history will look kindly on the current England manager once he has passed the baton on.

And finally this week:- what a great FA Cup quarter final the game was on Sunday between Manchester United and Liverpool. The FA Cup is, without doubt, the greatest cup competition in the world but the greedy FA have once again sold out meaning that from the 2025/26 season the Cup will only be shown on TNT. The FA Cup looks like going the way that test match cricket went as the TV rights were sold off to the highest bidder. The are some sporting events that are for the people and should be free to air no matter what. The Football Association Cup stands very high up in that list of sporting events.

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MATCH PREDICTION -

BRAZIL (H) Friendly International - Home win

BELGIUM (H) Friendly International - Score Draw

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JR`s HIGH FIVES

Harry Kane to score at any time against Brazil 7/5

A £5 Stake returns £12.00 on bet365

SEASONS STATS

Returns £96.00 Stake £160.00

Percentage profit+/-loss - 40.00%

Predictions 33 won 9 lost 24

[2dkapsddr]

April 5th, 2023 - ProSeka, DDR A3, SDVX EG

just did some EN gaming at college since i was bored, and now i have a MATORYOSHKA Master AP on both servers! besides that Nothing lol

...at least nothing MOBILE-WISE

i had a BLAST playing at the arcade though!! nothing awfully notable, but nothing tooo bad either

that big image you see next to the sdvx score?? that's right, it's my NEW HIGHEST 18!!! that's how much i KILLED IT this day. ohyeah btw there was a sdvx score today in case you didn't notice (nothing awfully special but it brought my vf up :] as does every new score i get actually)

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CHICAGO (August 31, 2023) – Julie Ertz, one of the greatest competitors in U.S. Women’s National Team history and one of a select group of players to win FIFA World Cups at the youth and senior levels, has officially announced her retirement from professional soccer.

Ertz played a major part in helping the USA win back-to-back FIFA Women’s World Cups, bursting onto the international scene in 2015 in Canada as a center back and then as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world in 2019 in France. She was off the field for 18 months following the Olympics in 2021 due to injuries and the birth of her son but made a comeback to play in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was stellar in New Zealand and Australia, playing every minute of all four matches while marshaling a U.S. defense that allowed just two shots on goal over the four games.

Ertz is a two-time U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year (2017 and 2019) and is one of just five players to win both the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year (which she won in 2012) and the senior team award. She is the only player to win the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year and then win the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year twice.

“As an athlete you’re always singularly focused on the next goal, the next tournament and rarely do you get time to reflect on your career,” said Ertz. “However, over the past couple of months my heart has been filled with gratitude as I’ve thought about the amazing experiences soccer has given me. I’ve been blessed to meet and train with some of the best and most inspirational women I’ve ever been around, and I’ve experienced different cultures while traveling the world to compete at the highest level. I gave everything I had to the sport that I love. With that I can walk away with no regrets because while I gave soccer every ounce of myself, soccer gave me even more, and for that I’ll always be thankful.”

A two-time Olympian, Ertz came back from a serious knee injury to play in the delayed 2020 Olympics in Japan, gutting out a performance that saw her start five of the six games and play the second-most minutes on the team while helping the USA capture bronze.

Ertz took some time off the field after the Olympics, and then announced her pregnancy in April of 2022. She gave birth to her son, Madden, on Aug. 11, 2022.

Ertz, 31, debuted for the USWNT in 2013 and her U.S. National Team career spanned 10 years. In her 122 caps, the USA had a record of 100W-17D-5L. Ertz played in 17 World Cup matches, all of which were starts, in which the USA amassed 13 wins and four draws while keeping 11 clean sheets.

In 2012, as a center back, she captained the USA to the title at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan and was awarded the bronze ball as the third best player in the tournament, a rare tribute for a defensive player. Her performance helped her earn the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year accolade.

Over her career, Ertz developed into a fan favorite with her dynamic style of play which featured crunching tackles, a dominant aerial presence and an impressive 20 goals – many off set plays -- while playing in the back or at defensive midfield. Ertz’s 20 goals came against 15 different opponents: three against New Zealand, two against Korea Republic, Brazil and Colombia, and one each against France, Republic of Ireland, Haiti, Canada, Jamaica, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, Denmark, Japan.

A defender during her first four years on the U.S. National Team, she came off the bench against Brazil in the 2017 Tournament of Nations to play defensive midfielder – a position she played all season for her pro club and in the past in college and for the U.S. Youth National Teams – and scored the dramatic game-winner in the 89th minute of a 4-3 comeback victory. From there, she started the final seven games of the year at defensive mid, scoring five more goals, and played all but 67 minutes over those games. Her six goals almost equaled her total (8) from her first four years on the WNT and she played so well and was so dominant that she was named the 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.

In the first match of the 2020 SheBelieves Cup against England on March 5, she became the 40th U.S. Women’s National Team player to hit 100 caps.

At the club level, Ertz played the majority of her professional club career for the Chicago Red Stars, spanning almost 100 games from 2014-2021. The Red Stars selected her with the 3rd overall pick in the 2014 NWSL Draft. She would go on to be named the 2014 NWSL Rookie of the Year. She returned to the NWSL in 2023 with Angel City FC and played in seven matches before the World Cup, all starts, while scoring one goal. She will not return to Angel City for the remainder of the NWSL season.

Julie Beth Johnston was born in Phoenix, Arizona and grew up in Mesa, where she excelled as a youth player with Sereno SC, with whom she won nine state titles. She first became part of the U.S. National Teams program at the Under-14 level. She earned a scholarship to Santa Clara University, where she was a First-Team All-American and the West Coast Conference Player of the Year as a senior. She was also the WWC Freshman of the Year during her rookie campaign. She earned her first senior team cap in 2013 against Scotland and scored her first senior team goal at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in 2015 vs. France.

In 2017, she married NFL tight end Zach Ertz, who is currently with the Arizona Cardinals and was a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, catching the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl LII.

In 2018, she and Zach started the Ertz Family Foundation with a mission of empowering others by sharing faith, learning through sports and advancing education to build supportive communities, with the goals of transforming lives through faith, hope and love. Her work with the Foundation continues.

[productsreviewings]

Like many individuals, I am searching for methods to chop prices and some of the apparent classes to shrink is leisure. Lodging, meals, utilities and a mobile phone plan are required, however not films and TV. With so some ways to observe in the marketplace, and costs beginning to rise among the many finest streaming providers, the answer is obvious: cancel a few of them. At the moment, I've seven streaming providers: Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Apple TV Plus, Paramount Plus and Peacock. I do not pay for all of them, since some are free by way of my telephone supplier, mates at giant or for different causes I will not entry. Nonetheless, my month-to-month streaming invoice is excessive and solely getting steeper, no thanks to cost will increase. Of all of the providers I pay for, the one which surprises folks probably the most is Peacock The Comcast-owned platform lately reported 20 million subscribers, excess of business chief Netflix's 231 million. After all, Netflix has been round for ages. However, HBO Max (which launched in the summertime of 2020) and HBO mixed had 76.8 million customers final April. Peacock lags behind, displaying that it is had a tough time attracting clients or conserving the budget-conscious. However, I nonetheless have good causes to pay for Peacock (together with the perfect Peacock movies). Listed here are the highest three:1. Peacock's tv library has depth and breadthPeacock is constructed on the again catalog of NBCUniversal, the corporate that owns NBC, Bravo, USA, Syfy, Telemundo and different networks, in addition to manufacturing studio Common Tv. (Picture credit score: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alma Inventory Photograph)As such, Peacock is the streaming residence of a few of tv's most iconic reveals. It snapped up the whole thing of The Workplace from Netflix a couple of years in the past, pocketing some huge cash within the course of, so the previous NBC sitcom might turn out to be one in every of its tentpoles. Simply this previous fall, Peacock pulled again daytime episodes of present NBC reveals from their longtime spots on Hulu. So, for those who minimize the twine and need to stream the newest Regulation & Order: Particular Victims Unit or Chicago Fireplace, you will want Peacock. (Picture credit score: Jack Dilgard/NBC)What attracted me personally to Peacock, was its originality. The service hasn't had a ton of hits — no Stranger Issues or The Mandalorian but — however you'll be able to uncover some actual gems like We Are Girl Elements, Women 5 Eva, and the sadly canceled reboot of Saved by the Bell. And it seems like the unique engine is getting an actual revival in 2023. Final month introduced Rian Johnson's homicide thriller sequence Poker Face and the addictive actuality competitors Traitors. A number of of my mates even signed up for Peacock for the primary time particularly to observe these reveals. With Bel-Air Season 2 and Damon Lindelof's Mrs. Davis coming quickly, extra potential hits are on the way in which. (Picture credit score: Paramount Community)Peacock is nice for folks with wants and pursuits outdoors of my very own, says Henry T. of Tom's Information. Casey informed me that he would "by no means rule out Peacock as a result of it is the one place for reside WWE occasions." In related however fully completely different programming, I've an excellent buddy who wants it for the Actual Housewives Prolonged Universe. And little doubt, loads of folks have peacocked to see Yellowstone earlier within the season. The present installment of the cable behemoth airs on the Paramount Community, however resulting from some deal signed years in the past, Peacock has unique rights to stream one of many largest reveals on TV.2. An enviable number of moviesPeacock can draw films from Common Photos' enormous, high-quality effectively. Based in 1912, it's the oldest surviving movie studio in the US. Over the previous century, Common

has produced many profitable blockbusters and movie franchises, together with basic monsters reminiscent of The Mummy and King Kong, Jurassic Park/World, Minions and Quick and Livid. And due to Common's shared custody state of affairs with Warner Bros. Discovery, Peacock has the occasional Harry Potter film.(Picture credit score: Common)The very best Peacock films are usually not simply filled with classics; A number of new hits and acclaimed titles accessible. Proper now, you'll be able to watch Jordan Peele's newest horror entry, Nap, and the Oscar-nominated drama Tár. The latter was produced by Focus Options, one other Comcast-owned studio identified for its wonderful indie movies.Peacock does not simply depend on its company siblings for content material. They license films from different sources like Hallmark. The 2 manufacturers have signed a deal to provide Peacock a few of Hallmark's hottest Christmas films. 3. Dwell sports activitiesI will be sincere: I do not watch many reside video games. However the largest cause I signed up for the primary Peacock in the summertime of 2021 was for the Olympics. The service talks about streaming all of the completely different sports activities, reside and on-demand occasions. (Picture credit score: Visionhouse/Getty Photos; Jose Breton/Pix Motion/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos)However it wasn't fairly the stroll. The Tokyo Olympics streaming state of affairs was a multitude. However the Peacocks realized from their errors and bought issues out in time for the Beijing Winter Olympics in early 2023. Streaming these video games was simple, even a pleasure I used to be capable of see extra protection than ever earlier than. Peacock presents a variety of sports activities together with the Premier League, golf, NFL Sunday Night time Soccer, biking and WWE (talked about earlier). All aboard! The peacock has lastly flownThe entire content material I simply talked about makes Peacock's comparatively low-cost entry payment ($4.99/month) value paying. It is now the most affordable streaming service on the market, now that Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus are elevating their charges I would not be shocked if Peacock went up a greenback as effectively, however even then, I would nonetheless think about it an excellent deal. On the very least, even when I am unable to pay for it each month, I am going to attempt to churn out Peacock recurrently, subscribe once I need to watch Season 2 of Traitors or watch Mrs. Davis, and cancel till the subsequent installment of Poker Face. At a time when it looks like Netflix is ​​canceling each different present and HBO Max is seemingly operating nothing however The Final of Us, maybe Peacock could possibly be an reasonably priced possibility that deserves a re-evaluation.In the present day's finest Peacock TV offers (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)

[kiaenystargaryen]

finnishgermanacesofwwii:

Erich Alfred Hartmann (1922-1993) was the highest scoring ace in the history of military aviation. He fought as a fighter pilot on the Eastern Front during World War II, shooting down 352 Soviet aircraft. Serving with the Luftwaffe, Hartmann flew 1,404 combat missions, engaged the enemy in combat 827 times and was never shot down. Known as “Bubi” or the “Blond Knight”, and to the Soviets as The Black Devil, he was an audacious and determined man with full control of himself and steel nerves. Erich Hartmann was born in Weissach, Württemberg, Germany, on April 19, 1922. His father was Alfred Erich Hartmann and his mother, Elisabeth Wilhelmine Machtholf. As his father was a physician and had been sent to work in China, Erich spent part of his childhood in the Far East. When the Chinese Civil War broke out, they returned to Germany in 1928. In the early 1930s, Erich Hartmann was taught to fly gliders by his mother, who was the first female pilot of Germany. Then, he joined the gliding training program of the future Luftwaffe. In 1939, Erich obtained his pilot’s license, which allowed him to fly powered aircraft. In October 1940, he joined the Luftwaffe where he learned combat techniques and gunnery skills. When his advanced pilot training was completed in January 1942, Hartmann was assigned to a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka at the fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52), based at Maykop on the Eastern Front in the Soviet Union. Erich was placed under the supervision of some of the Luftwaffe’s most experienced fighter pilots, such as Walter Krupinski, Oberfeldwebel Edmund “Paule” Roßmann, and Alfred Grislawski. Hartmann flew his first combat mission on October 14, 1942, as Edmund “Paule” Roßmann’s wingman, flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109. By August 1944, Erich Hartmann had claimed 301 aerial victories and earned the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Erich Hartmann scored his last aerial victory, the 352th, on May 8, 1945. He and the remainder of JG 52 surrendered to United States Army forces and were turned over to the Red Army. In an attempt to pressure him into service with the Soviet-controlled East German air force, he was convicted of fabricated war crimes, a conviction posthumously voided by a Russian court as a malicious prosecution. Hartmann was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor and spent 10 years in various Soviet prison camps and gulags until he was released in 1955. In 1956, Hartmann joined the newly established West German Luftwaffe and became the first Wing Commander of Jagdgeschwader 71 “Richthofen”. Hartmann resigned from the Bundeswehr in 1970, largely due to his opposition to the F-104 Starfighter deployment in the Bundesluftwaffe and the resulting clashes with his superiors over this issue. Then, he worked as a flight instructor. Erich Hartmann died in 1993.

III./JG 52’s commander, Major Hubertus von Bonin, placed Hartmann under Oberfeldwebel Grislawski’s wings. The miner’s son Alfred Grislawski found a particular pleasure in teaching this newcomer the name of the game. He made a few mock combats with Hartmann. This relieved Hartmann of some of his ambitious ideas, but Grislawski had to admit that although Hartmann had a lot to learn about combat tactics, he was quite a talented pilot. The trouble began when they started flying combat missions together. Grislawski immediately noticed that the newcomer was one of those who thought they were going to “shoot together a Knight’s Cross” in no time. During one incident, Hartmann had barely started to leave his place behind Grislawski to go after an I-16, when his earphones seemed to explode: “You bloody idiot! What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m your leader! Get back in place or I’ll shoot you down myself!” Grislawski kept cursing over the R/T all the way back to base, and when they had landed, the Oberfeldwebel gave the Leutnant a dressing down that he would never forget. Then, in front of the sweating Hartmann, Grislawski turned to his friend “Paule” Rossmann and said: “Oh man, this is too much! What a baby they have sent us! Just look at his face - like a cute little boy!” From then on, Grislawski never addressed Hartmann as anything but Bubi, “little boy”. Hartmann indeed proved to be extremely individualistic, and von Bonin definitely knew what he was doing when he assigned a vigorous and harsh worker’s son like Alfred Grislawski as his teacher. The men at Soldatskaya used to gather around the radio equipment and listen to the R/T communication with amusement when Grislawski and Hartmann were out on combat missions. “Are you so anxious to die, Bubi?” “I’m sorry, sir!” “Don’t you ‘sir’ me, look after your tail instead!” “I’ll nail you for this, Bubi!” “I’m sorry!” “Your mother will be sorry!”* -Erich Hartmann on Hauptmann Alfred Grislawski

“Once I was in a duel with a Red Banner flown Yak-9, and this guy was good, and absolutely insane. He tried and tried to get in behind me, and every time he went to open fire I would jerk out of the way of his rounds. Then he pulled up and rolled, and we approached each other head on, firing, with no hits either way. This happened two times. Finally I rolled into a negative G dive, out of his line of sight, and rolled out to chase him at full throttle. I came in from below in a shallow climb and flamed him. The pilot bailed out and was later captured. I met and spoke with this man, a captain, who was a likeable guy. We gave him some food and allowed him to roam the base after having his word that he would not escape. He was happy to be alive, but he was very confused, since his superiors told him that Soviet pilots would be shot immediately upon capture. This guy had just had one of the best meals of the war and had made new friends. I like to think that people like that went back home and told their countrymen the truth about us, not the propaganda that erupted after the war, although there were some terrible things that happened, no doubt.” -Erich Hartmann on his foes on the Eastern Front

“Once I attacked a flight of four IL-2s and shot one up. All four tried to roll out in formation at low altitude, and all four crashed into the ground, unable to recover since their bomb loads reduced their maneuverability. Those were the easiest four kills I ever had.

However, I remember the time I saw over 20,000 dead Germans littering a valley where the Soviet tanks and Cossacks had attacked a trapped unit, and that sight, even from the air was perhaps the most memorable of my life. I can close my eyes and see this even now. Such a tragedy! I remember that I cried as I flew low over the scene; I could not believe my eyes.

Another time was in May 1944 near Jassy, my wingman Blessin and I were jumped by fighters, he broke right and the enemy followed him down. I rolled and followed the enemy fighter down to the deck. I radioed to my wingman to pull up and slip right in a shallow turn so I could get a good shot. I told him to look back, and see what happens when you do not watch your tail, and I fired. The fighter blew apart and fell like confetti.

However, separate from Krupinski’s crash the day I met him, one event is clear and comical. My wingman on many missions was Carl Junger. He came in for a landing and a Polish farmer with horse cart crossed his path. He crashed into it, killing the horse and the fighter was nothing but twisted wreckage. We all saw it and began thinking about the funeral, when suddenly the debris moved and he climbed out without a scratch, still wearing his sunglasses. He was ready to go up again. Amazing!” -Erich Hartmann on memorable moments

“Then there was the American Mustangs that we both dreaded and anticipated meeting. We knew that they were a much better aircraft than ours; newer and faster, and with a great range. On 23 June 1944. In the defense of Ploesti, Bucharest, and Hungary when the bombers were coming in with heavy fighter escort and “Karaya 1” was commander of I/JG52. B-17s were attacking the railroad junction, and we were formed up. We did not see the Mustangs at first and prepared to attack the bombers. Suddenly four of them flew across us and below, so I gave the order to attack the fighters. I closed in on one and fired, his fighter coming apart and some pieces hit my wings, and I immediately found myself behind another and I fired, and he flipped in. My second flight shot down the other two fighters. But then we saw others and again attacked. I shot down another and saw that the leader still had his drop tanks, which limited his ability to turn. I was very relieved that this pilot was able to successfully bail out. I was out of ammunition after the fight. But this success was not to be repeated, because the Americans learned and they were not to be ambushed again. They protected the bombers very well, and we were never able to get close enough to do any damage. I did have the opportunity to engage the Mustangs again when a flight was being pursued from the rear and I tried to warn them on the radio, but they could not hear. I dived down and closed on a P-51 that was shooting up a 109, and I blew him up. I half rolled and recovered to fire on another of the three remaining enemy planes and flamed him as well. As soon as that happened I was warned that I had several on my tail so I headed for the deck, a swarm of eight Americans behind me. That is a very uncomfortable feeling I can tell you! I made jerking turns left and right as they fired, but they fired from too far away to be effective. I was headed for the base so the defensive guns would help me, but I ran out of fuel and had to bail out. I was certain that this one pilot was lining me up for a strafe, but he banked away and looked at me, waving. I landed four miles from the base; I almost made it. That day we lost half our aircraft; we were too outnumbered and many of the young pilots were inexperienced.” -Erich Hartmann on his encounter with American Pilots

“Goring could not believe the staggering kills being recorded from 1941 on. I even had a man in my unit, someone you also know, Fritz Oblesser, who questioned my kills. I asked Rall to have him transferred from the 8th Squadron to be my wingman for a while. Oblesser became a believer and signed off on some kills as a witness, and we became friends after that.”   Goring wasn’t the only one who didn’t believe the claims coming out of Russia. The scores reported were so high, a very strict system was put into place to verify a claim. Not only were pilots required to sign off on their wingmate’s kills but independent ground confirmation was needed as well. When a pilot shot down a plane he would call out over the radio, “Horrido.” At this point pilots or ground crew in the area would look about and see if they saw the event. Most often on the eastern front, there were many on hand to see the victim smash into the ground, and thereby make the kill “official.” A few other things deserve to be mentioned here too… Shared kills were not individually counted by the pilots involved, but they did count toward the squadron’s score as a whole. You won’t see a score of 50.5, for example, for a German Ace. And, points were awarded depending on the number of engines a plane had that was destroyed. 1 point for a single engine, 2 for a twin, 4 for a four-engined bomber and so on. These points were added up and when a pilot achieved a certain number of points he was awarded a medal (the points required for a given medal was much higher on the eastern front than it was on the western front). These points are in no way related to a pilot’s total score of victories. Bringing down a 4-engined bomber may have gotten a pilot 4 points, but it only got him 1 victory. So make no mistake, Erich Hartmann’s score of 352 does not refer to engines but 352 individual planes shot down. -Erich Hartmann on his score.