#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

[wttcsms]

WTTCSMS EGOIST BIBLE !!

while i'm gone on hiatus, i thought now would be a good time for you all to get to know me! i thought the egoist bible questions were so silly but so good at getting some insight into how a person is, so here are my answers <3 i did change up some questions pertaining to soccer, but for the most part, these are all the questions asked from the egoist bible 🤭

BIRTHDAY ► april 21

AGE ► 21

ZODIAC SIGN ► taurus

BIRTHPLACE ► houston, tx

HOUSEHOLD ► dad, mom, older sister, me, younger brother

HEIGHT ► 5'2

SHOE SIZE ► us women's 6.5, eu 37

BLOOD TYPE ► o negative (i actually really enjoy donating blood)

DOMINANT HAND ► right

AGE YOU STARTED WRITING FANFICTION ► 11

MOTTO ► it's cheesy, but i really like nike's "just do it"

WHAT YOU THINK IS YOUR STRENGTH ► my personality must be pretty agreeable because no matter the setting (different workplaces, school, concerts, waiting in a long line, etc.) people always seem happy to talk to me. i'm happy about that because i love listening to people yap and encourage it.

WHAT YOU THINK IS YOUR WEAKNESS ► i get scammed easily. i don't like saying no when i see people asking for money, even if i know they're feeding me a lie. usually, there's a thought in the back of my mind that goes "what if they're not lying and they really do need the money??" it'll all come back to me, anyway.

FAVORITE FOOD ► a ny strip, cooked rare.

LEAST FAVORITE FOOD ► salmon. i hate it; i dislike most fish, but i gag every time i eat salmon. it doesn't matter how high quality it is, how it's prepared, what dish it is — i can't stand the taste. which is a total bummer because salmon has hella omega-3s, and i #needthat (i buy fish oil vitamins because of this)

BEST SIDE DISH WITH RICE ► not a traditional side dish, but i really like bacon and rice. my uncle opened my eyes to this

HOBBY ► playing nitrotype (my average wpm is 127, with a personal best of 144 wpm)

FAVORITE SEASON ► winter, i love cold weather because i live down south & it's christmas season!!!

FAVORITE SONG ► changes all the time, but my current fixation is "packing it up" by gracie abrams.

FAVORITE MOVIE ► 1917; i watched it once a day for two weeks straight.

FAVORITE MANGA ► blue lock, with haikyuu a close second

CHARACTER COLOR ► baby blue

FAVORITE ANIMAL ► labrador retrievers <3 growing up, we had one

FAVORITE BRAND ► new balance, i swear by their shoes

BEST SUBJECT ► english + history; i was on a full ride scholarship during undergrad and wanted to take advantage, so i maxed out my schedule's credit limit by taking a "history of english language" class. it combined my favorite subjects together & apparently it was a required course for all english majors at my uni. funnily enough, i was the only business major in the course but after silently stalking the groupme & looking at the canvas lowest v highest score scale, it turns out i was doing better than all of them. business majors 1, eng majors 0 😋

WORST SUBJECT ► math. i like it and always made A's. sometimes i regret not majoring in math, but it's one of those subjects that didn't automatically click for me.

MAGAZINES YOU READ OFTEN ► national geographic. i can't help but buy the newest issue whenever i'm in the checkout line of barnes and noble. wall street journal

SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY ► when strangers compliment me

SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU SAD ► seeing people mock neurodivergent people for their mannerisms.

FETISH ► hands. specifically, guys with big hands. you know when athletes grip the ball with one hand? wooooooow. or when a guy is reversing and has one hand on the steering wheel

YOUR TYPE ► someone driven & disciplined who also makes me laugh (whether it's unintentionally or because he really is just that funny)

FIRST TIME YOU RECEIVED A CONFESSION ► when i was 14. he admitted to liking me since middle school, and suddenly i was aware that i am capable of being perceived which is scary

HOURS OF SLEEP ► 4-5 hours (i stay up late but wake up very early)

WHERE DO YOU WASH FIRST IN THE SHOWER ► my face. i heard you're not supposed to wash your face in the shower, but idc. it's easier that way.

WHAT YOU UNINTENTIONALLY ALWAYS END UP BUYING AT THE CONVENIENCE STORE ► it used to be an energy drink, but now it's those bottled smoothies.

MOST USED APP ► tiktok. im working on that NOT being my top app.

MUSHROOMS OR BAMBOO SHOOTS ► mushrooms

LAST TIME YOU CRIED ► last night, i was watching sad tiktoks

HOW OLD WHEN YOU STOPPED RECEIVING PRESENTS FROM SANTA ► maybe 8? my parents never did the "from santa" schtick, but i stopped believing in him at around 8 years old

WHAT DID YOU ASK FOR AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM SANTA ► probably dolls. i liked playing with barbies and polly pockets and bratz

WHAT WILL YOU DO ON THE LAST DAY ON EARTH ► spend it with my family

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU RECEIVED $650,000 ► 10% to my church, 50% in savings, 25% to my brokerage accounts + roth ira, 15% to spending!!!!

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR DAY OFF ► play nitrotype, color, clean

WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU HADN'T STARTED WRITING FANFICTION ► probably (definitely) study more, but i feel like i wouldn't be as happy. writing fanfiction makes me more connected to a fandom, and it adds to my overall enjoyment of media. i met really cool people online because of my fanfiction

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE HISTORICAL FIGURE ► Jesus

IF YOU COULD TAKE ONLY ONE THNG TO A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT WOULD YOU BRING ► my dad, he'd know what to do. if i can't bring a person, an expensive emergency survival kit (loophole logic; an emergency survival kit is usually sold as one unit).

IF THERE WAS A TIME MACHINE, WOULD YOU WANT TO GO TO THE PAST OR THE FUTURE ► the future. somehow, i don't think i'd get treated right if i went to the past, and besides, i can read a textbook. i can't see into the future.

[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.

[goosewriting]

Hi, love your stuff! As a request.. I was thinking Leo x reader with a reader who is as competitive as Leo haha. I was thinking at basketball specifically! Thought it would be funny if it started out as a 3 on 3 game with April and the other three boys but they ended up just watching because Leo and reader were WAY too competitive, and probably didn’t even notice the other four were gone lmao

Extra points if it’s surprising because reader is normally very shy/quiet lmao just not when it comes to competition. But do whatever you like! Just some ideas I had :)

Baskets and bruises (rottmnt Leo x reader)

summary: reader gets surprisingly competitive in a basketball match with the turtles.

relationship: Rise!Leo x GN reader (established)

warnings: none!, fluff if you squint at the end

word count: 1.2k

A/N: this one was fun! i can totally see myself getting carried away in a match and trying to win against Leo no matter what, that would give me some real bragging rights lol thanks for requesting!

(english is not my first language. constructive criticism and grammar corrections are very appreciated!)

— — —

You didn’t really consider yourself the sporty type, be it about watching sports or actually playing them yourself. Sure, you’d join a friendly round of football or volleyball if it was just doing passes among friends, but that was about it. Being somewhat shy, you preferred watching from the sidelines anyways to cheer on the players. 

So when the turtles invited you over for a friendly game of basketball, you didn’t think much of it, expecting to be watching them play as you cheered on your boyfriend from the sidelines. But since April was joining them, they needed one more player for a 3 vs. 3. 

The six of you had decided how to split up the teams through a couple of games of rock-paper-scissors. You ended up being teamed up with Donnie and Raph, leaving your boyfriend Leo on the opposing team with Mikey and April. Somehow you had even convinced Splinter to be the referee. He was sitting on the bleachers, munching on some bribe snacks, sporting a striped black and white shirt.

Leo and Raph were doing some warm-up stretches on the court, clearly about to go all out in this game, glaring at each other and calling out empty threats at each other; the psychological game had already begun. You smiled to yourself as you took off your hoodie, showing off the jersey you had gotten from Leo not long ago as a gift; it had his name on the back, together with your favourite number, the shirt being a green and blue design.

“Traitor!” Donnie gasped, pointing at you. “Why are you wearing the name of our opponent?”

“It’s the only sports shirt I had at hand on such short notice” you defended yourself. The purple turtle scoffed in mock offence, while Leo gave you a once-over, nodding to himself in self-satisfaction.

“Alright everyone, settle down” Raph said, calling everyone to the centre of the court. “The game is about to start. Pops, whenever you’re ready!”

And with that, Splinter gave the starting whistle, throwing the ball into the centre of the court from where he sat. 

Raph jumped the highest, snatching the ball from Leo. He moved swiftly for his size, evading April and passing you the ball as he called your name, seeing that you stood the closest to the hoop. You received the ball, turned, and were about to shoot your shot but Leo appeared out of nowhere, snatching your ball and sprinting off with it, not without sticking his tongue out at you. 

It all had happened so fast, you couldn’t even react. 

And it kept happening over and over. It was almost as if Leo had made it his objective to only defend from you, and snatch the ball any time you had it. He didn’t leave you a single chance to make a point.

As he was scoring yet another 2 points, the other team now winning at 16-11, you’d had enough. 

“Oh, sweetheart~” you called in an exaggerated sweet voice, Leo turning around where he stood on the other side of the court with a confused expression; that was the nickname you used when you were mad. “It is on, Leonardo!” you exclaimed, pointing at him dramatically with an extended arm, panting and covered in sweat because of the physical exertion. 

“I’d like to see you try~” Leo taunted you.

– – –

The others weren’t even sure how it had happened, but they all had ended up on the bleachers with Splinter. Leo and you had started passing less and less to the other players, and were now basically playing a 1 on 1 match. 

Raph would have reprimanded the two of you, saying how this was just a friendly game, but it was just too entertaining: you were normally reserved, but were now running and playing and yelling like your life depended on winning this game, and you were actually beginning to tire Leo out, who was slowly losing his accuracy and messing up his shots.

Originally you all had planned to play ‘first team to 20 points’, but as the scores kept going higher and higher, Leo and you kept asking to extend the limit; first 25, then 30, and now you wanted to play to 40.

Mikey approached the bench everyone sat at, handing out the food he had quickly picked up after ordering food delivery. 

“What did I miss?” he asked, passing Raph some fries. 

“Leo is barely winning, the score is now at 38-37” he said and took a bite of his sandwich.

“Damn” Mikey whistled, impressed at your stamina. 

“Actually, Y/n might be able to win” Donnie pointed out, doing some calculations on his bracelet screen. “Leo has been starting to mess up the last couple of rounds. They just need a 3-pointer and it’s over.”

The turtles and April started cheering for you from the bench, to which Leo gasped in offence; betrayed by his own brothers.

The next couple of minutes passed with neither of you getting to score. The battle was getting more and more fierce, playful banter escalating between the two of you.

“If I win, you have to do my chores for a week!” Leo said.

“If I win, you have to do as I say for a month!” you retorted.

“Don’t I already do that, though?”

“I mean- I guess? Lemme think of something else!”

“Too slow!” he said, as he snatched the ball from you again.

This time though, you had seen this move often enough to know it’d be coming.

“I don’t think so!” you said, abruptly throwing your whole weight to the side, effectively tackling Leo to the ground. You climbed on top of his shell, trying to reach the ball in his grasp.

“Foul, foul!” Leo yelled, hitting and kicking on the ground, but to no avail; you were set on getting to 40 points.

After getting to his other side, you grabbed the ball, both of you now rising to sit on your knees. In the midst of your tug-o-war, the ball slipped from your sweaty hands, hitting Leo square in the face, bouncing off him and drawing a beautiful arch towards the net. Everyone on the bleachers stopped chewing and breathing, all eyes focused on the ball, which effectively landed on the net, spinning around a couple of times, then going through the basket.

You looked at the ground where you two were, and you saw you were outside the 3-point-line. Splinter whistled, signalling the end of the match.

“I did it, I won!” you called in disbelief.

“But at what cost?” came a groan from below you, and when you looked down at Leo, who was now lying flat on the ground, you noticed his black eye.

“Oh, Leo!” you exclaimed, half-scared, half-amused.

You called for Raph, who helped Leo towards the bleachers, handing him a pack of ice for his face. He instructed the both of you to take a time-out, and eat and drink. Him and the rest went to the court to start a new game, while the two of you sat on the bench.

Taking a bite from your sandwich, you gave Leo an apologetic look, and patted your thighs, inviting him to lie down. He did, resting his head on your lap, still holding the ice pack to his eye.

“I’m sorry for that” you said, gingerly stroking over his bruised cheek. 

“Nah, it’s okay” Leo replied, suddenly smirking mischievously. “Totally worth it. You should get fired up like that more often, it was kinda hot.”

You almost choked on your sandwich, and playfully hit him on the chest, your face burning up.

~~~~~

🐥 taglist: [more info in my pinned post!] @hearteyedracoon, @koalaray, @maribatshipper, @whygz

[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

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

DreamWorks’ Great Reset?

This looks to have been a banner year for DreamWorks Animation LLC.

Pierre Perifel’s THE BAD GUYS was a critical and commercial success, once again a showcase of their software and how they can produce such dynamic visuals without spending as much as Disney Animation and Pixar do each time out on features. The incoming PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, the belated sequel to the SHREK spin-off from Joel Crawford, is already a critical darling, already has a Golden Globe nomination, and appears to be Universal’s over-all big push for the animated feature Oscar. It’s sure to make some decent money, too!

Universal in general seems to have had a fantastic animated year, when you add in 3/4 of SING 2′s gross, as that movie was a late December opening. Then you have MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, which is the highest-earning animated movie since the 2019 release of FROZEN II... Not too shabby. The Walt Disney Company, by contrast, had some real pains this year. I liked all three of the big-time animated movies released by them this year (not counting D+ pics like RESCUE RANGERS, the new WIMPY KID, and the NIGHT AND THE MUSEUM continuation), but the way they were handled and released didn’t work out. Bob Chapek is out as CEO, and a restructuring of his way of running the movie end of the business is already underway. Even though COVID-19 is still a thing, audiences have returned en masse to the movies... Especially proven by the biggest blockbusters this year, from TOP GUN: MAVERICK to JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION to Disney’s own BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER... TURNING RED, LIGHTYEAR, and STRANGE WORLD could’ve definitely benefited from that, but for various reasons... Did not.

But not Universal... They weathered the storm, they smartly delayed pictures and stayed committed to the theatrical release. MINIONS 2, for example, was pretty much ready to go for a summer 2020 release. After the outbreak of COVID-19, they pushed it to summer 2021, but it seemed like things - even with vaccines out - still had a ways to go, they pushed it to summer 2022... Probably the best thing they did for that feature... I couldn’t imagine it making the kind of money it did this past summer, in summer 2021.

DreamWorks is a curious case, really. DreamWorks had many growing pains in the early 2010s. Being independent, each movie they made had to be a big hit in order to keep the place afloat. Problem was, whatever they were doing at the time... And being based in Cali didn’t help, it lead to their animated movies costing $125m minimum... That puts a ridiculous strain on a movie like, say, TURBO or MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN. If those had cost half of what they ended up costing, they’d be considered minor hits... But with those budgets, they were crushing flops. Animators and staff bore the brunt of it, too. Layoffs, pictures being cancelled (R.I.P. ME AND MY SHADOW), restructurings... An entire studio shut down, too. R.I.P. Pacific Data Images.

Comcast bought DreamWorks in 2016, and the studio’s distribution deal with 20th Century Fox was cut off the year after, with a few more movies being put into limbo (THE CROODS 2) or outright cancelled. (LARRIKINS) It was a rocky transition, and it seemed like the game plan and leadership changed a lot. For a little while, Chris DeFaria was heading up animation and some projects with a lot of potential got optioned or even slated... Only to go the way of the quagga. The studio took 2018 off (which was when LARRIKINS would’ve opened), and came back with a HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON threequel with a baffling ending (though it nonetheless scored great reviews and solid box office) and a co-production called ABOMINABLE. Somewhere down the line, DeFaria was out, and later in came from Margie Cohn from DreamWorks’ TV animation division... Running both wings, now. COVID-19 cut into TROLLS WORLD TOUR, which did stellar business as a PVOD title in April 2020. Universal tested a theatrical/PVOD strategy with THE CROODS: A NEW AGE, which paid off nicely.

TROLLS 2 and CROODS 2 marked the beginning of DreamWorks’ new way of budgeting their animated movies. CROODS 2 especially. The first movie cost them $135m to make back in 2013, the sequel? $65m... And it looked just as good as the original. 2021 saw the release of SPIRIT: UNTAMED, which didn’t do well, but THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS scored okay enough as a hybrid release. THE BAD GUYS was their first big-time theatrical release in a while, and it performed pretty well! Now PUSS IN BOOTS Dos looks to really make a wallop, and be their biggest pic in a while.

In the lead up the film, they’ve created an all-new logo that showcases characters from their past films/series. There’s talk I hear from the trenches that indicates that they are on their way to a grand reset of sorts, now that they’ve found their footing.

Though surprisingly, their slate seems rather incomplete.

They have two features coming out next year, and the only one that got any kind of formal announcement is the 2nd of the batch... TROLLS BAND TOGETHER, which is currently slated for November 17, 2023. That title had been quietly rumored for some time, but European Universal documents confirm it is so. The picture also seems to be releasing earlier in territories like Switzerland, mid-October. Wouldn’t be surprised if it moves there in the U.S. as well, given that the current date puts it five days before Disney Animation’s centennial celebration feature WISH. We’ll have to see...

A feature called MEET THE GILMANS (or is it GILLMANS? I’ve seen two spellings of it) has been quietly rumored for quite some time, too, and has popped up - mysteriously - on the resumes of DWA staffers. Little is known about it, apparently it has to do with a family of sea monsters. That’s kind of similar to the Pixar picture LUCA, but animated movies with similar premises are a regular occurrence. Not everything is an ANTZ/A BUG’S LIFE scenario... Anyways, it’s pretty much all we know plus a few other things. An Italian Universal recently executive confirmed the movie’s existence and it being a summer release, despite no U.S. records showing that. Universal did previously have the date 6/30/2023 reserved for Illumination’s Benjamin Renner comedy MIGRATION, but then moved that to the Christmas season... Not at all suggesting that a DreamWorks movie had taken its place. There was a DreamWorks movie set for late March of 2023 at one point, but Illumination’s SUPER MARIO BROS. movie took the first weekend of April instead. Additionally, that Swiss release calendar that got out indicates that MEET THE GILMANS indeed opens in late June of 2023...

So GILMANS is our mystery movie here. It exists, yet it kind of doesn’t. This, strangely, isn’t new for DreamWorks... But this close to release and we know next to nothing about it? THE BAD GUYS had gotten a similar rollout. I reckon once PUSS IN BOOTS Dos opens, DreamWorks and Universal announce GILMAN as their summer 2023 picture, or even unveil the new slate of movies that has been quietly prepared all this time...

The only other movie on their slate is KUNG FU PANDA 4, currently scheduled for March 8, 2024. Notably, that date places it after Pixar’s ELIO (3/1/2024) and a few weeks before Sony’s SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE (3/29/2024)... Another tidbit that surfaced concerns KUNG FU PANDA 4, actually... Joel Crawford is directing. The man seems to be the DreamWorks Franchise Reviver of sorts. Directed CROODS: A NEW AGE, this new PUSS IN BOOTS movie, and now a KUNG FU PANDA that arrives eight years after its predecessor. Will he be the one to bring MADAGASCAR back as well? DreamWorks did have a MADAGASCAR 4 in the works that they scrapped during their growing pains years, who’s to say that can’t be revived? After all, a different version of PUSS IN BOOTS 2 was also shelved right around the same time as that MADAGASCAR 4 project. CROODS 2 was also a shelf-and-restart situation.

But what else? I hear their game plan is an original and a sequel every calendar year. 2022 filled that quota: BAD GUYS (yes, I know, a book adaptation... But not a sequel to something. That’s what I mean by “original”) and PUSS IN BOOTS.

Next year: MEET THE GILMANS and TROLLS BAND TOGETHER.

2024... KUNG FU PANDA 4... And?

What’s a possible candidate? In the recent years, DreamWorks has announced a plethora of optioned material and original stories, and many of them disappeared. At one time we could’ve seen an adaptation of THE WIZARDS OF ONCE - a book series by HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON author Cressida Cowell - come out, or an adaptation of MICE AND MYSTICS. In 2020, two projects were announced: An adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s DOG MAN (same man who created CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS, which DreamWorks adapted into a movie in 2017), and an adaptation of Thomas Lennon’s RONAN BOYLE AND THE BRIDGE OF RIDDLES... There’s also an untitled picture that’s to be made in collaboration with Unanimous Media.

Out of all these, I reckon it’s either one or the other. DOG MAN could go through given how CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS did for DreamWorks and the additional stuff it spawned (such as the Netflix series), and the fun style of Pilkey’s work is already right in line with what DreamWorks does. It also has a director in Peter Hastings, who worked on several TV projects for DreamWorks, including the CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS stuff. He was also - supposedly - at one point eyed to direct the UNDERPANTS movie, and at one time... The first HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON!

RONAN BOYLE has Fergal Reilly as its director, and original author Thomas Lennon as screenwriter. I’m leaning on this one being their other 2024 release, likely a fall debut. Late September. DreamWorks seems to like that slot a lot. CROODS 2 was aiming for it in 2020 until COVID-19 pushed it to Thanksgiving, BOSS BABY 2 was looking at it for 2021 but got moved up to July 2021, PUSS IN BOOTS could’ve been a September 2022 release but it went to this coming Christmas week...

Curiously, Universal has one other animated movie set for 2024... February 9, 2024 to be exact... But no specification. Illumination? DreamWorks? Something else? Universal does have the rights to the LEGO movies and will make the next one, be it THE LEGO MOVIE 3 or something else... But I don’t know if it’s ready for February 2024... I reckon KUNG FU PANDA 4 moves to that slot instead, leaving March to ELIO and SPIDER-VERSE. Illumination releases DESPICABLE ME 4 in summer 2024, I think it’ll be their only picture for that year. What else do they even have in development? A picture called BIG TREE, an untitled Pharrell Williams films that feels like it was announced eons ago, and a third SECRET LIFE OF PETS movie.

Anyways, here’s what I see so far...

06/30/2023: MEET THE GILMANS

11/17/2023: TROLLS BAND TOGETHER

02/09/2024: KUNG FU PANDA 4

09/27/2024: RONAN BOYLE

2025: SHREK 5

2025: DOG MAN

There’s also a third BOSS BABY movie in the works, and a third CROODS as well. Not sure where those will all fit in when all is said and done, but... We’ll only know from either Universal or DreamWorks themselves. Interestingly, the Swiss slate also adds late September 2025 and late September 2026 for “Untitled Animated Event Films”... I’m pretty sure those will be for DreamWorks movies, and in the U.S., the exact dates would probably be 9/26/2025 and 9/25/2026. Illumination typically takes the summer and Christmas slots, though sometimes they share. MARIO opens in April of next year, with GILMANS in the June slot, and we’ve got PUSS IN BOOTS opening in a few days... But I think everything goes back to the usual after next year.

So...

06/30/2023: MEET THE GILMANS (DreamWorks)

11/17/2023: TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (DreamWorks)

12/22/2023: MIGRATION (Illumination)

02/09/2024: KUNG FU PANDA 4 (DreamWorks)

07/03/2024: DESPICABLE ME 4 (Illumination)

09/27/2024: RONAN BOYLE (DreamWorks)

Early 2025: Untitled LEGO Movie (LEGO Group)

Spring 2025: SHREK 5 (DreamWorks)

Summer 2025: Untitled Illumination

09/26/2025: DOG MAN (DreamWorks)

Christmas 2025: Untitled Illumination

Spring 2026: THE CROODS 3 (DreamWorks)

Summer 2026: Untitled Illumination

09/25/2026: Untitled DreamWorks Original

It was fun to predict this stuff back in the day, so... We shall see.

[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.

[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.

[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.

Advertisement

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.

.

MATCH PREDICTION -

BRAZIL (H) Friendly International - Home win

BELGIUM (H) Friendly International - Score Draw

.

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

[stories-me]

Potential Character for Mrs. Kelsey and Tumblr 1/10/2024:

Andy Dwyer, Loveable Idiot:

What he’s from: Parks and Recreation.

Overview:

Chris Pratt (the guy who played Andy on “Parks and Recreation”) summarized Andy Dwyer as “dim-witted and guileless and a real idiot, but lovable.” At the start of the series, Andy Dwyer is dating Ann Perkins. Ann matured faster than Andy did; while Ann entered into a career in nursing, Andy was lazy and unmotivated. After being dumped by Ann, Andy begins living in the pit adjacent to Ann’s house.

Andy remained unemployed after school but was the lead singer and guitarist for his rock band, which underwent numerous name changes, but was usually called “MouseRat”.

Andy later gets work shining shoes at city hall, where he becomes friends with April Ludgate, whom he later marries after one month of dating. Though absentminded and possessing an extremely short attention span, Andy is shown to have a savant-like memory. For instance, he received the highest grade the police academy had ever seen on the written entrance test, has an uncanny ability to remember movies word for word, and is able to memorize a long list of facts for his feminist college class in the episode, “Smallest Park.” Andy also had perfect SAT scores, but mentioned it was probably due to broken Scantron machines.

Andy also possesses a wild imagination, which helps him become a children’s performer named Johnny Karate and then get his own children’s television show. Occasionally, Andy goes into character as his alter ego, covert FBI agent Burt Macklin, whenever he and April role play or to solve local mysteries.

How he’s like me:

He is technically writing his own fan fiction, in his work as “Burt Macklin” and "Johnny Karate". In addition, we are both musical, and have well-defined worlds in our heads. Also, we are both working on “adulting”.

How he’s NOT like me:

All that aside, I am much, MUCH smarter than him.

Kelsey Notes:

How you are different than Andy addition- he has a very specific and detailed fan fiction that he has narrowed down and “takes on that character in real life” to brainstorm story ideas

            Any time he needs to disguise himself for whatever shenanigans they have going on, he takes on Burt which helps him better develop his character a

            The work antics can basically become additional story ideas for Burt

Writing stories comes with creativity and using more brain power to build on their stories from your own mind

            He has a wild imagination

Andy is also very flexible, he goes with the flow well, and is up for any task that is asked of him.  This is different for you because your schedule is very set in place because you like the predictability

Andy is also always willing to work, even if it isn’t the best job that he wants (you weren’t a fan of cleaning up after the dogs for Dogs Day out)

On days where it’s hard to have a positive attitude or you can’t find the energy to do all the work, Andy is a good character to think about (recalling funny moments like the “dad you’re alive?” scene)

It can be scary sometimes to think about the hard work that comes with adulting, but if we think about how Andy ends the series he is a functioning adult with a good head on his shoulders, he has a good job and he is able to support his family (despite lacking some common sense)   

The definition of an adult with autism vs. one without is very different and varies greatly from person to person. 

You can’t compare yourself to others but you can work hard and strive to be as independent as possible.  If you try like Andy there’s no doubt you won’t succeed.

[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)

[stevishabitat]

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.