#lots of winners to make up for the drought

[stockcarbaby24]

💙 / 💗 for any pato and whoever youd like for the little prompt!

Thank you so much for the prompt! I wasn't sure if you wanted both or me to pick one so I just kind of combine them. 😵‍💫 Hopefully that's okay!!

Also as usual this was longer than I meant to do, but fork found in kitchen. Palex as well because spoon also found in kitchen. 😭🤭

💙Drunken Kiss & 💗Slow Kiss

“Pato come here.” Amusement laced through Alex’s voice, even if he tried to sound firm. It was hard as he watched Pato dancing around with so much joy, not following the beat of the music even a little. Their sketchy looking parking lot bonfire- one of those shitty appliances you could get from freakin' Walmart just for this- was sputtering out and casting sharp contrasting lights all around their little circle. They danced over Pato as he moved, trying to lap at his heels and chase him to move faster. Alex was more scared he was going to fall over his own drunken feet though. 

Felix quickly moved his legs in so Pato didn’t trip, laughing with Hinch at the sight of the young driver. “Alex you gotta just let him go,” Hinch said after a swig of beer. “He already won, if he trips and breaks an ankle that’s just a better chance for you at Iowa.”

That was a fair point. Alex didn’t want to win because his teammate couldn’t race though, where was the fun in that. “Come here,” he tried again, reaching a hand out as Pato stumbled past him. 

“Rossiiiii~” The Mexican teased out, his accent strong and drawing out Alex’s name. His eyes were glassy as he looked over at him, a loopy smile painted along his cheeks. Pato was high and happy off his victory; it made him look so good. The smile was infectious, making it hard for Alex to be mad. First race win in two years… Pato was a killer- he deserved this. 

It was almost enough to make Alex forget about his own two year drought. Almost.

Nolan and David were giggling, whispering to each other and pointing at him completely unsubtly. Alex knew he was getting clocked for losing that mask of indifference and boredom, but he didn’t care. He had watched Pato win. After everything that happened after the 500… How could Alex not be happy for him. 

“Yes, yes, now stop before you-” Alex stood up, successfully grabbing Pato’s wrist as he swayed back to this side of the fire pit. He tried to wrangle the man, drunk off champagne and the beer that had followed, into his abandoned seat next to Alex’s but Pato had other plans.

As Alex sat down, Pato did too; side saddle over his knees.

Instead of throwing Pato off, Alex focused more on panicking over the fact that this chair was 100 percent going to fall apart right under his ass. He tried to protest the move, over the laughs of the other four men around them, but all of it was drown out by Pato’s soft happy giggles. 

“Rossiii~” he trilled again, closer and quieter. “I won, Rossi.” 

Unfortunately, Alex was not immune to sappy, sweet Pato. Especially when he was in Alex’s lap and warm and happy. “You did.”

“Heehee~ I won and got another trophy.”

“Yes you did,” the world around Alex was falling away as he stared so closely at Pato’s face, thrown into dark sharp lines from the night time shadows. He was gorgeous and so damn happy.

But Pato was always a champion at ruining the moment. 

The younger tipped forward, making Alex throw out an arm so they didn’t completely flop back and hit the concrete. Pato’s lips smashed into his uncomfortably, with a loud accompanying ‘mwaaaah’ sound effect from him. “¡Gané!” he yelled, pulling back and now practically toppling them forward.

Alex was gonna strangle him when they were sober. 

Felix was laughing behind his hand, David was on the ground cackling, and Nolan was bright red looking anywhere but at Alex and Pato. Hinch was the only one taking pity on Alex- but definitely still chuckling. “Alright, I think it's time for our race winner to head to bed then.” 

While Pato stayed in his lap, nuzzling into Alex's neck and babbling Spanish at him, Alex and Hinch made a plan for cleaning up the space and getting the bus lot cleaned. Hinch would hold Alex's chairs and get them back to him later, while Felix would get Pato’s stuff and make sure his trophy wasn't lost to this drunken celebration. 

Pato was a lost cause, but Alex made sure to wish the other's a good night, before hefting Pato up in his arms, desperately holding on for dear life as the driver just giggled and wrapped his legs around Alex’s middle. He took them to Pato's bus near by, letting himself in to walk the familiar hall to his bedroom.

Thankfully Pato let himself be dropped onto the bed, giggling like a lunatic still and trying to grab at the front of Alex’s shirt. “Rossiiii~” he sang again, making Alex roll his eyes, but still crawl into bed next to him. They were both already in casual clothes, long since changed from the race suits of the early afternoon. “Let’s do it. You can sleep with a race winner.” Pato’s hands were trying to grab anywhere they could on Alex, but the older shimmed away. 

“Oh no. You’re going to bed. Maybe tomorrow morning.” 

“Rossiiiii,” he whined, but was ignored as Alex reached to his nightstand and got Pato a water. He insisted the younger drink it, while he sorted them out, untangling the covers to get around them. Settled in, Alex placed a hand on Pato’s hip, and moved them back close together.

“I’m very proud of you, baby, but you need to sleep, okay?” After Pato nodded, pouting, Alex rewarded him with a kiss to his forehead. “You did so well today.” He kissed his cheek. His nose. Then leaned in to kiss his lips. It was much slower than out at the fire. Soft, unhurried, and letting Alex take a minute to savor the noises Pato made against his own mouth. The little licks he gave Alex trying to deepen it were nice, but Alex didn’t let him take it too far. Just soft, hands holding each other gently. Until finally Pato’s movements got slower, his hand clutching at the front of Alex’s shirt uncurled a little. Alex hummed against his mouth and pulled back to see his eyelids drooping. 

“Good night, Pato,” he huffed, giving his little race winner another kiss to his forehead.

--

CONGRATS ON OHIO PATO HEEHEE 🤭

[darcytaylor]

There's an additional element to this where these supposed fans (they're moreso trolls) are monetizing this "content". Or even if they aren't rn, it's easy to build up a following on a platform on a certain topic and then sell the account and nuke all the previous content. They're taking advantage of the drought of official info, but they're also harming the people they're claiming to be fans of, so... There are literally no winners here, the fandom has been cannibalizing itself for a while now. I don't know where any of us go from here tbh.

Navigating the world of a fandom can be complicated, especially with the rise of monetized content and speculation. Personally, I will avoid paywalls because I prefer to access information and engage with content that is free, and I want the same for people who follow me. However, I do recognize that there are some benefits to monetizing content.

Creating and sharing content (news, speculation, or fan related material) can be time-consuming and demanding. (I post things when I have free time, I don't make this my life and I don't want it to be my life).

For some creators, putting up a paywall or finding other ways to monetize their work can provide extra income for their efforts. It can also incentivize them to produce more content and invest in better tools or research. So hopefully you can see creators putting in the work for the added monetization and not just doing it because they can. For me (I want to state this again), I view this as a hobby and prefer to keep content accessible and I can't see that changing anytime soon.

That said, the rise of monetized content can lead to a lot of misinformation and speculation, which doesn’t always serve the best interests of the fandom or the individuals involved.

Finding a balance between supporting creators and keeping information accurate is really important. By promoting transparency and building a positive community, hopefully that can hinder some negative aspects while still appreciating the value of the work creators do. And hopefully that's what the creators are aiming for too.

[nancypullen]

Monday

I can see August from here, and that’s just fine with me.  Though I’m not a fan of wishing my life away I surely won’t cry if summer hurries up and makes an exit.  The only way out of it is through August.   Let’s go that-a-way. July has been dandy, though hot.  I’ve learned that gardening here is vastly different than in Tennessee and I can’t expect anything to show off until mid-July.   Well, I’m not talking about veggies, just flowers.  Our Crape Myrtle is just now blooming.  That seems awfully late.  We were in drought conditions most of June so that may have something to do with the tree blossoms. 

The sunflowers are blooming in spurts.

This one by the front steps has SIX heads on it!

These are outside my kitchen window and are just a couple days from showing their faces.

Another view of the kitchen window garden - it’s a jumble, but it’s there for the grandgirl’s picking. 

There was a hummingbird in this shot right before I clicked, I swear. Imagine him there, bouncing bloom to bloom. This photo was snapped a couple of days ago when the Crape Myrtle was still naked. 

If you think those sunflowers are scrawny, take a gander at the crop by the front porch. Is this the saddest bunch you’ve ever seen?

Believe it or not, those spindly plants on the left actually bloomed.  I’d go ahead and just pull them up but the yellow finches are enjoying snacking on the drying heads.   This is our second summer here and I still have a lot to learn about what will thrive and what won’t.  I’m going to hit up the arboretum’s autumn native plant sale and fill a large part of the gardens with various perennials.  Purple Coneflower, Black-eyed Susans, that sort of thing.  Less for me to do, less to worry about.  There’s only one other house on our street that has a few flowers and they’re mostly in pots. I don’t think it’s a big deal around here.  Even with my failures we have the prettiest yard on Kathryn Court (it’s a low bar).   I’m declaring myself a prize winner.  It’s a participation trophy, but still a prize.

The mister is upstairs on a Zoom call, a photography meeting, of course. I’m keeping one eye on my laptop while typing this blog and the other on Glass Bottom Boat starring Doris Day.  I never tire of her old movies. This one has Paul Lynde and Dom Deloise too. Solid gold. If you ever need a lift watch her in That Touch of Mink or Pillow Talk.  Pure fun. It’s been pretty boring around here, and I’ve been fairly mum about the boys’ trip to Berlin and Prague.  They’re having a ball.

I have laughed every day at the “proof of life” text, and have appreciated it as well.  They are the best brothers, there’s such a bond - my mama’s heart is so at peace knowing they’ll always have each other.  Those two wonderful humans are my whole life. Alright back to Doris Day for me.  I may even go hog wild and have popcorn. Livin’ on the edge here in Podunk.  I hope your day has been delightful.  If it hasn’t, take heart - it’s almost bedtime and you can start fresh tomorrow. Little Orphan Annie, Scarlett O’Hara, Ann Shirley, anyone will tell you that that tomorrow is a fresh start.  You can count on that. Sending out oodles of love tonight, take some if you need it. XOXO Nancy 

[steelycunt]

hi lovely ridi! hello!! dropping in for tea and a catch up (how’s the journal coming along? how are the boys in the jar??…how’s it going back at uni…) but also because i heard you’re looking for new music and er more importantly…you’ve been getting into more belle and sebastian!?!!

i’ve definitely been feeling the new music drought too except it hasn’t been bothering me because i’ve been so stuck on like 3 artists currently—been having a waterboys moment all summer and they are like THE band of the 80s for me because when i used to think (misguidedly) that the 80s was just a decade of one hit wonders and otherwise a musical wasteland it was the waterboys that changed my mind,, and maybe a dodgy comparison to make because truly what compares to mull of kintyre, but every time i listen fisherman’s blues and this is the sea it does remind me of paul’s glorious whoo-hoo at the end…but otherwise i’d rec a girl called johnny, glastonbury song and the big music. 

and b&s!! there’s honestly too many songs but if you haven’t heard it already you absolutely need to listen to lord anthony!! this is a ridi song if i ever heard one! also le pastie de la bourgeoisie and lazy line painter jane…um they all remind me of your special someone so you might enjoy that…

a few more i’ve been obsessed w lately: enola gay, sprawl II, my land is so green and getting away with it all messed up—actually i would just recommend James as an artist on the whole sooo many ***** ***** songs (sit down+say something) and also everyone’s heard Laid i’m pretty sure but it just happens to be THE */* song to me as well :|

HIII MY SIMMY HELLO!! always a joy to see you in my inbox or my notifs or on my dash...how are YOU my dear!! sorry i am so late to get to this but please accept the mug of tea and plate of biscuits i am holding out to you xx i am alright!! the journal is coming along very well im still at it still sticking things in her and writing things in her and taking great satisfaction in seeing her get fuller and fuller..the boys in the jar are equally well!! have made it more cozy in there to prepare for the coming winter months of course. added some more moss and some nutshells to drink from etc. uni is not too bad either...not yet at least...

thank you so so much for the song recs!! have noted them ALL down and started listening to them...particularly the belle and sebastian ones which i very much appreciate as i am currently on a project to get through all their discography in the next few months (it feels like the right time of year for it..). ur so right about the eighties also like i know weve talked about it before but i truly cant believe i ever dismissed it as a musical decade...ihave truly been made to eat my words as time has gone by there is so much good eighties music...although i hadnt heard of waterboys so that is exciting!! anything mentioned in the same sentence as mull of kintyre is frankly on to a winner with me. really like sprawl ii also ive been listening to that a lot...and was not familiar with james before!! much to explore...thank you so much...

[zoeology31]

The MLB season is well underway and I’m back into the seasonal swing of baseballposting! The Twins have invented new and unusual ways of being confusing and frustrating this year, so let’s not talk about that. Instead, here is a complete team of all my favorite non-Twins current players.

C: Salvador Pérez Holds the single season home run record for a catcher, was an integral part of both Royals World Series runs, and balled out in the WBC this year. Probably not a Hall of Famer, but my perception of his ability is certainly skewed by the fact that he wrecks the Twins every year.

1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. How is this guy still only 24??? A true generational talent (literally) and he knows it. One of the most fun power hitters to watch in MLB, and his other tools are a lot better than most in that profile. Also mad respect for his eternal hatred of the Yankees, I live vicariously through that.

2B: José Altuve A really stand-up guy and the beloved face of a franchise that’s been through a lot, only some of its own making. A ridiculously consistent .300 hitter, now with some leadoff home run power too, and even has an outside shot at 3,000 hits. I’d love to see him get there, he deserves it.

3B: Eugenio Suárez Good vibes only! I love his energy, I feel like he contributes so much to the Mariners’ great team culture. A true TTO player and has probably one of the lesser known 49-homer seasons, definitely underrated overall. Also, really good hair.

SS: Francisco Lindor My favorite player on Cleveland and I am very glad he’s elsewhere now so I can root for him wholeheartedly. Super well rounded player with a ton of baseball style and personal style. Another guy who balled out in the WBC, his inside-the-park home run was absolutely electric.

LF: Randy Arozarena Big Game Randy! It was crazy watching his run in the 2020 playoffs, and then he went and became a Mexican folk hero. The man is pure concentrated highlight reel, from stealing home in the 2021 ALDS to the crazy catches in the WBC, and with plenty of swagger to boot.

CF: Julio Rodríguez New face of baseball, anyone? He’s really got it all: talent, charisma, looks, athleticism, youthful energy, ambition, team loyalty, branding. Plus showing out at the Home Run Derby, challenging Mike Trout’s rookie records, and breaking the��playoff drought. Yeah, he’s got a bright future with those Mariners.

RF: Juan Soto A ridiculously min-maxed combo of power and plate discipline that makes his numbers seem unreal. Super fun to watch at the plate with the swag and the patented shuffle. Plus he's got the Narratives of being forged on a World Series winner and traded to a superteam in his prime.

DH: Yordan Álvarez Just ridiculously good. Hits for unbelievable power and solid average, and already has a laundry list of all-time iconic moments. A historic walkoff and a World Series winning home run in the same postseason, and that's not even the year he won ALCS MVP.

SP: Max Scherzer A consistently great pitcher who finally stopped being underrated as a centerpiece of a great Nationals team with a storybook World Series run. Classic super intense SP but in a fun way and not an asshole way. Also a players' union leader for years, we love a workers’ rights king.

SP: Shohei Ohtani Top 20 hitter. Top 10 pitcher. No comparison. He’s also a superstar in Japan to a magnitude baseball hasn’t seen in the US in decades, and lives up to the hype with charisma, leadership, and the clutch gene. Also him closing out the WBC by striking out Mike Trout was so freaking badass.

SP: Framber Valdez A model of consistency for pitching, with a distinctive skillset and also fashion sense. The most square shaped man in baseball. He’s gone from an inspirational backstory to a true Cy Young caliber pitcher and an absolute stopper in the playoffs, also proof that Therapy Works.

SP: Sandy Alcántara A throwback to the days when they let pitchers throw until their arms fell off, except his doesn’t, and he’s still elite. There’s something so satisfying about complete games, and he’s the guy for ‘em. Also a great leader for Miami’s young rising pitching staff.

SP: Luis Castillo An underrated guy who’s very good at what he does and a giant slayer against tough lineups. The perfect ace for one of baseball’s best pitching staffs, with his immediate commitment to the team and the Mariners’ culture. Also his strikeout fist pump is super cute.

RP: Edwin Díaz Just absolutely dominant last year, completing his redemption arc under the NYC spotlights. His entrance song and the hype around it has done wonders for growing the game and kickstarting an incredibly fun trend. Super passionate and upbeat guy too, wishing him the best in his recovery.

RP: Andrés Muñoz Oh look, another Mariner! I love guys who throw heat and are effective with it. Super young guy with a ton of potential, would love to see him and Duran battling it out for reliever of the year for years to come.

RP: Emmanuel Clase I can somewhat respect the game of a division rival, and Clase is as good as it gets. Any AL Central team that goes into the 9th trailing knows the game is already over. He’s Mariano Rivera-esque with that dominant cutter, and his save in the All-Star Game was absolutely electric.

RP: Devin Williams If you throw the best pitch of its kind in baseball and have a cool name for it, you’re automatically so badass. He’s pretty underrated being on the same team as Josh Hader for 2.5 years, but as the primary closer and with a handful of accolades already, I expect that to change.

[chaos-and-recover]

1, 7, 25, 43, 50, 84, 92, 121, and 135 for the book asks!

Oooh some of these are gonna be hard!

a book that is close to your heart

The Angel Riots by Ibi Kaslik

This book came into my life by accident when I stumbled across it in the library and was intrigued by the plot summary. I love it so much. This is not the last time it's gonna appear here lol.

7. a book you did not finish

I started Infinite Jest once a long time ago and just... drifted away from it. I don't even think I know where my copy is anymore. Oops.

25. a book by your favourite author

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Another one of my favourite books in the world. I also absolutely adore his Familiar series but cannot in good conscious recommend that since he got 5 volumes in (of a planned 27) and is now on hiatus because those books were expensive as hell to publish and just weren't selling enough.

43. a book that you have read more than three times

The Angel Riots. I revisit it at least every year or two? It's just so good. On the surface it's about the life of a band on tour but it's actually about a group of deeply dysfunctional people running from various things and has some incredibly beautiful prose. It'll also make you fall in love with Montreal even if you've never been there.

50. a book that made you cry a LOT

The Winners by Fredrik Backman.

It's the third book in a trilogy so it's the culmination of a lot of things that are set up in the first two and I bawled like a baby for the last like... 100 pages.

84. your favourite dystopian read

Y'know, I don't really read that much dystopian fiction tbh but the other day I was thinking about The Crystal Drop by Monica Hughes, which I loved as a kid. It's not so dystopian as it is... sci-fi/spec fic? But in a terrible future (in the distant, distant year of... 2011) during an apocalyptic drought and there is one part involving their dog that haunts me to this day, a solid 25 years later.

92. a book about a redeemable villain

Gonna go a little out of left field here and go with the Walking Dead comics, because Negan is truly one of the greatest villains but is so goddamn likeable by the end.

121. a book that makes you nostalgic

Naomi & Ely's No-Kiss List by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

It's YA and seems quite young but it also makes me nostalgic for a very specific period of teenagehood. I think it's because I was already well into my 20s when I read it and I was like "Ah yes I remember when I thought these were real problems :)" I don't know, I just really like this book and it deserved a WAY better movie than it got.

135. recommend any book you like!

I am TELLING you if you can find a copy of The Angel Riots, find it and read it. I need to read it again too. It's not even that long!

Thank you!

[a-week-of-formula-1-reviews]

Round XII - Silverstone, Great Britain 🇬🇧

Hello and welcome to Great Britain! 🇬🇧

Football might not be making it's way home this summer, but Formula One definitely did. 74 years after the first lights out in Silverstone, we went racing again. And it was bound to be amazing from the start. A British 1-2-3 on the grid (the first time in GB, second time ever) meant for a great race start. But, by the end of the race, the British magic had wavered. George Russell, starting on pole, ended up DNF'ing following an issue with his car, and Lando Norris fell down the order to a mix up with strategy.

But, undeniably, and whether you love or hate him, Lewis Hamilton (definitely one of the all time greats of the sport) ended his winless drought, winning his 9th race at his home track, the most wins at any track by a single driver. It is also his 104th career race win, his 15th podium at the track, and he became the oldest race winner of the 21st Century, at 39 years and 182 days old. So, an all round solid performance from an F1 veteran.

Another race veteran, Fernando Alonso - alongside Lance Stroll - overturned Aston Martin's recent bad fortune. A P7 for Lance and P8 for Fernando was the step in the right direction needed, following both men failing to score in the past two Grand Prix. It seems as if their new upgrade package was the boost needed to strongly end a difficukt triple header.

However, it wasn't all smiles in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire on Sunday. Ever since his historical win at home in Monaco, Charles Leclerc has been in a downward spiral, mostly due to the lack of competence at Ferarri. In the last four races, he has only managed to score points once. For a driver of his capability, he should easily be finishing in the points every race. But when the team don't make the right calls when the rain falls, no wealth of experience will help you.

And when rock legend Brian May swung the chequered flag on Sunday, the 2024 season reached it's half way point. 12 down, 12 to go, and a hell of a lot of points to play for (1,224 to be precise). Until we meet again in Hungary in two weeks..

Goodbye for now! 🇬🇧

[novumtimes]

Xander Schauffele leads PGA Championship with record-equalling 62

In short: Xander Schauffele equalled the lowest score in a round of a men’s major championship, shooting 62 in the opening round of the PGA Championship.Schauffele also achieved this feat during last year’s US Open.What’s next? The second round at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky will begin on Friday evening, AEST. Xander Schauffele set the early target at the PGA Championship, firing a record-equalling opening round nine-under 62 at Valhalla Golf Club on Thursday as the Olympic champion looked to atone for a shock loss at the Wells Fargo. Schauffele, who held a final round two stroke lead at Quail Hollow on Sunday before losing by five shots to Rory McIlroy, was a man on a mission in Louisville and he matched the men’s major championship low score — for the second time. Despite an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo and a proven ability to go low, the 30-year-old American has yet to win a major and is without a win since the 2022 Scottish Open. While there is a lot of golf to be played, the world number three signalled he plans to end both droughts with a brilliant error-free opening round that matched his first round effort at last year’s US Open. Only two other men have returned 62s at a major, Rickie Fowler, also in the first round at the 2023 US Open and Branden Grace, in the third round at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. “I’ll take a 62 in any major any day,” Schauffele said. “Not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is. “For me, at least, I react to it, and I want it more and more and more, and it makes me want to work harder and harder and harder. “The top feels far away, and I feel like I have a lot of work to do.” Lurking four off the pace on five-under are red hot world number two McIlroy and Scotsman Robert MacIntyre. McIlroy, coming off back-to-back PGA Tour wins, carried that momentum into the first round. He rolled in a six-footer for a birdie on his opening hole, the par five 10th, then picked up a second at the 13th to briefly join a crowd at the top of the leaderboard. But the Northern Irishman, who announced on Monday that he had filed for divorce, stalled after the early burst. He took a bogey at the 17th before hitting his stride again after the turn by carding four birdies, including three straight from the fifth coming home. “Not a pretty 66,” summed up McIlroy, who won the last of his four majors in 2014 on the same Valhalla layout. “I sort of felt like it was pretty scrappy for the most part. “I thought I got a lot out of my game today. “Not really happy with how I played but at least happy with the score.” Defending champion and LIV Golf standard bearer Brooks Koepka, bidding to become the tournament’s first repeat winner since he retained the title in 2019, looked a threat to add a fourth Wanamaker trophy to his collection after returning a four-under 67 highlighted by an eagle, birdie, par finish. Tiger Woods, who collected one of his 15 major titles at Valhalla in 2000 with a play-off win over Bob May, opened with a one-over 72 but lamented a sloppy bogey, bogey finish to his day. For Woods, this is his first event since the Masters. Last month the injury-ravaged golfer had earned a tournament-record 24th consecutive made cut at Augusta National and finished last among those who played the weekend. “It’s just that I just don’t play a whole lot of competitive rounds,” said Woods. “I haven’t played since the Masters. “So it’s a little bit different than being at home and playing a flat Florida course.” New dad Scottie Scheffler, bidding for a fifth win in his last six starts, was just getting his round underway going out in the late wave. The world number one will look to shake off any competitive rust after sitting out last week’s tune-up event while awaiting the birth of his son Bennett. Sports content to make you think… or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday. Reuters Source link via The Novum Times

[stateofsport211]

Bratislava 2 Ch F: Gabriel Diallo def. Joris de Loore 6-0, 7-5 Match Stats

📸 ATP Challenger Livestream (via website)

De Loore tried his best to hang on, but Diallo eventually took control of the flow despite the closer encounter in the second set compared to the first set's demolition. Diallo was totally aggressive, had most of the situations under control through his shots, predominantly his forehands despite sometimes he had working backhands as well, making de Loore stay back most of the time and passed him more often in the crucial moments. De Loore did not get any chance to create or convert his chances, while Diallo converted only 26% of his 15 opportunities to break, most of which were created thanks to his shot winners.

Diallo's dominance was further confirmed in his service games. His first and second serves appeared consistent with a 78% average, with him having his first serves winning percentage more than the second by 3%. This was further confirmed by Diallo's aces, where he scored 4 aces to 2, while de Loore had some troubles with his second serves with only having a 27% winning percentage despite double-faulting thrice compared to Diallo's 76%. That's one statement title after a lot of digging in some previous rounds.

This title ended Diallo’s title drought since the Granby Challenger 2022, where he won his maiden Challenger title. As a result, he won his career Challenger title after 3 finals, which raised his rank to a career-high to 130 live. On the other hand, de Loore also reached a career-high rank of 155 thanks to his runner-up placement, and he will take a special exempt to the Olbia Challenger, where he faces third seed Thiago Agustin Tirante in the first round. Could be tough, but should be a fun encounter to follow (with fitness in mind!).

[nbmsports]

Rory McIlroy Just Misses a Hollywood Ending at the U.S. Open

It might have been fitting if someone from Holywood won this year’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. But Rory McIlroy, born in the Northern Ireland town of Holywood, is not having that kind of year.On Sunday, McIlroy was chasing his first major championship title in nine years, a drought that continues to shadow a luminous career that began with four major titles from 2011 to 2014. In April, he missed the cut at the Masters Tournament. A month later, he finished tied for seventh at the P.G.A. Championship.Then, on June 6, McIlroy, the most vociferous loyalist supporting the PGA Tour in its feud with the Saudi-back LIV Golf circuit, learned only a few hours before news broke that the two tours had shockingly formed a business partnership.McIlroy, like almost all of the PGA Tour’s players, felt blindsided.But on Sunday, a buoyant, smiling McIlroy, 34, was again enthusiastically chasing another major title, in the final round of the 123rd U.S. Open. He birdied the opening hole and for most of the next four hours seemed poised to reel in the eventual tournament winner, Wyndham Clark, the third-round co-leader with Rickie Fowler.McIlroy, however, never birdied another hole, and in the end, Clark, after some nervous closing moments, outlasted McIlroy by a stroke as both golfers shot even-par 70s. It was McIlroy’s third runner-up finish at a major and his 10th finish in the top five of a major since 2014.“I fought to the very end, and I’m getting closer,” McIlroy said Sunday of his chase for a fifth major title, adding: “I just got to keep putting myself in these positions and, you know, sooner or later it’s going to happen for me.”McIlroy said he felt a link between his performance on Sunday and his second-place finish at last year’s British Open at St. Andrews.“The last two real chances I’ve had at majors have been pretty similar performances,” he said. “Not doing a lot wrong.”McIlroy’s pursuit went down to the final strokes of the event, as Clark, playing in the final group of the day, was forced to execute a two-putt from 60 feet on the 18th green to clinch the championship.McIlroy conceded that he was hoping for a miscue.“You don’t want to wish bad on anyone, but you’re really hoping for a three-putt,” he said. “You’re hoping to somehow get into a playoff to keep giving yourself a chance. You’re rooting for one guy, and that guy is yourself at that point. A mistake can give you a glimmer of hope.“But Wyndham was pretty much rock solid all day, and that was a great two-putt at the last.”McIlroy’s fourth round began auspiciously as he reached the green on the par-5, 585-yard first hole with his second shot and two-putted for an opening birdie that briefly moved him into a tie for the tournament lead.But he struggled to capitalize on that early momentum even as he registered par after par — a streak of 12 in all. He showed nerve in sinking several tense four-foot par putts but failed to get his approach shots close enough for easier birdie attempts.McIlroy was hanging on but could not convert any putt longer than seven feet throughout the middle of his round. On the eighth green, he pulled an eight-foot birdie putt well left of the hole, a missed opportunity that McIlroy specifically mentioned in his post-round news conference.At the par-3 ninth hole, McIlroy’s towering approach shot with an iron came to rest 14 feet from the flag. As he walked onto the green, fans in two packed grandstands implored him to make a fairly straightforward putt that would have put him in a tie with Clark, but again McIlroy could not seize the moment.McIlroy’s run of consecutive pars ended at the par-5 14th hole after his tee shot bounded into the rough left of the fairway. He was forced to lay up short of the green with a second shot, although he then faced a short wedge shot to the green.McIlroy later said he was choosing between two clubs for the shot, but he felt a wind gust just before he began his swing, and that impeded the shot’s momentum.“I had the right club, but I might have just had to wait an extra 15 or 20 seconds to let that little gust settle,” he said.McIlroy’s golf ball landed about a foot short of perfect and failed to clear a large bunker protecting the front of the 14th green. The ball embedded in a grassy bank between the sand and the green.He was granted free relief in the grass to the right of the bunker, but his dicey, downhill chip to the green rolled 26 feet from the hole. That led to bogey, and McIlroy fell to nine under par, which extended Clark’s lead to two strokes.McIlroy closed with four routine pars.He was asked at the conclusion of his Sunday news conference if he was growing weary of answering questions about the nine-year wait for a fifth major championship victory. He conceded that it was exhausting but added: “At the same time, when I do finally win this next major, it’s going to be really, really sweet. I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.” Source link Read the full article

[sbknews]

Rea ends win drought with Race 1 victory in wet-to-dry battle

Drying conditions prompted pit stops up and down the grid. Race 1 Highlights - WorldSBK P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) - Rea took his first race win since Estoril in May, ending his 24-race win drought. - He is the first rider with a winning career spanning more than 13 years. His first win was in Misano 2009. - He was one of the first lead riders to change from wet tyres to slicks on Lap 10 to win with a 6.247s ahead of Razgatlioglu. “There were a lot of things going on in that race and that’s what makes the victory a little bit more special because my team were involved in the pit stop. We could be strong in the wet conditions and also the dry, and I made that perfection decision to come in. it was even potentially a lap too late. I was thinking about coming in one lap earlier, but we made a deal with my team that I had to give them a signal on the pit straight. I thought I hadn’t given them the signal yet so came past so gave it one more lap and it was time. I quickly checked to see who was coming. I knew it was the perfect time. I saw Toprak was there so I thought the last ten laps would be with him. I exited the pit box and had a much better stop than Toprak and I could ride to my pit board. It’s nice, it’s really nice more than anything to win. It’s not something I’ve really been dwelling on since the beginning of the season because the season’s been so challenging. Alvaro and Toprak have been so good so there’s no point in me getting disappointed or feeling sorry for myself. We’re getting beaten now by guys who are riding very well and manufacturers that are pushing really hard. It’s motivating to keep working, to keep following them and keep challenging myself and my team. I think we’re doing a really good job. Hopefully we can roll this momentum on to tomorrow and finish the season really strongly.”

P2 - Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) - Razgatlioglu claimed second position in Race 1 to take his 81st podium. - He entered the pits to switch to slicks on Lap 10, as did Rea, but he wasn't able to catch the race winner in the final part of the race. "For me, this weekend didn't have a good start but anyway my team was working to have a better bike. Now I'm happy. We finished the race on the podium. It was a strange race for me. It was my first race like this. I felt too much spinning on the rear and after I was not pushing on the tyre. I saw that Jonny was also not pushing. Then I saw he entered to the box and I followed him directly. My team made a small mistake during the pit stop, they struggled to put the front tyre so we lost almost five seconds. But anyway, this is racing, this is motorsport. We tried our best. We are here, in second place. Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow.”

P3 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) - Lowes completed the podium as he finished 15.435s behind race winner. He claimed his third podium of the season. - He was leading when the first riders started pitting but was the last from the leading group opting to pit-in as he switched tyres on Lap 12. - His podium finish means he is now only eight points behind Locatelli in fifth place in the Championship standings. “I didn’t expect it to dry as fast as it did. The race at the start, when I went off the start, it was a lot drier. The warm up lap was a lot drier than when we went to the grid. I need to be careful so I was trying to be smooth on the wet tyres, then I realised there was a dry line appearing so I tried to use the wet tyre a lot because I knew, at some point, we had to make a pit stop. I probably pitted one or two laps too late but when I got out on the dry tyres, I felt good straight away. In general, I’m happy. I think I have a good chance tomorrow whatever the conditions are. Really happy for the team and Jonathan getting back on the top step of the podium, me back on the podium.”

P4 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) - Locatelli finished in fourth place 2.907s behind Lowes and around a second ahead of Bautista as he passed him in the closing stages of the race. - He remains fifth in the Championship standings with 258 points. "Today was a fun race for the fans and for us because to stop to have a flag-to-flag was interesting. In the end we got fourth position so I think we can be happy. It's a good result. I was fighting with Alex until the end and maybe finish in third position. My team did a really good job for the flag-to-flag, so I want to thank them. I'm really happy about today and about this race. We'll try again tomorrow, and we'll try to improve to try to stay closer to the front because we want to try to get a podium. This is the target, but we will see tomorrow what we can do." P5 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) - Bautista took fifth place as he crossed the finish line 19.369s behind Rea. - He decided to switch to slick tyres on Lap 11, one lap later than Rea and Razgatlioglu. "It's been a new experience for everybody, for me and also for the team, having a flag-to-flag race. In the beginning, it was strange in wet conditions because I had a worse feeling than this morning during the practice. I struggled a lot to have some temperature on the tyre and I was suffering a little bit even if I was in the front group. Then I saw that the track was drying step by step. But I wanted to be sure that we'll have a clean line in the dry to make the switch. I switched the tyres. With the setup I had for the wet conditions, it wasn't working so well for the dry tyres. I didn't have too much confidence. On the front I couldn't brake so hard because the bike started to move and jump a lot but also on with the rear tyre, it was like riding on ice. I needed five or six laps to start to feel some grip on the rear. I think this is a big disadvantage to be light because I cannot put weight on the lap in these kinds of conditions. We depend too much on the setup of the bike. If the setup is nice, I can push like I did in the Superpole where I did a really good lap time on the SC0 tyre. But when the race setting is not the right setting for me it's difficult because the bike is more difficult to go into the corners and I cannot move myself to put some weight at the front or the rear. I am more limited than other riders. Anyway, I'm happy. It has been a new experience. We did a really challenging race. For sure we have some data for the future in case this happen again." P6 – Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) - Gerloff was sixth around 36s behind the race winner. He pitted on the same lap as Bautista. "Complicated is the right word to describe this race. It was raining really hard after the Superpole session. I honestly didn't think that it was going to be a dry race at all. But then, we were sitting on the grid, the track was still soaking wet, but the sun came out and the wind was hard. The wind was up there pretty hard. And I was thinking 'alright this is going to dry' and it did pretty quickly. In the race, I made a decent start and it didn't feel too bad in the rain but honestly, I didn't feel too fantastic either and I lost some ground. But staying around sixth, seventh place and then when the track started to dry, I was feeling pretty good, expect that I wasn't really sure about when I should come in, because there were still a couple of places on the track that were pretty wet. I probably waited a lap longer than I should have. I saw Locatelli in front of me, he was with Bautista maybe, I saw him going into the pit and I was thinking like 'do I do it or not' but on the grid, I told my guys that I was going give them a signal before I come in so, I never gave them the signal so I didn't want to catch them out. Anyway, they would have been ready, but I decided to do one more lap, giving them the signal so they were properly ready and in the end it was good." WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 10:35 (Local Time) with the Warm-Up, followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00.

WorldSBK Results Race 1 1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +6.247s 3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +15.435s 4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +19.369s 5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +19.369s 6. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +36.235s Championship standings (after Race 1 - Round 12) 1. Alvaro Bautista (ESP) Ducati (564 points) 2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) Yamaha (507 points) 3. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (475 points) WorldSBK Results Tissot Superpole 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’29.815s 2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.211s 3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.238s For more info checkout our dedicated World Superbike News page World Superbike News Or visit the official World Superbike website WorldSBK.com Read the full article

[kpopgerapitico]

Song of the Week

On time, by like maybe an hour . . .

ALSO, 1thek and other k-pop aggregate posting on YouTube: STOP POSTING OLD VIDEOS!!! It makes it so hard to sort through and find the new music, especially when you repost stuff that doesn’t obviously look old from the thumbnail, with still relevant artists.

Honorable Mentions:

There is a person out there who would love Lee Eun Sang’s Lemonade, and I really hope they find it. If you like stuff like Dancing on Butterfly Wings by ATEEZ, I bet this would be a hit for you. I really like the pre-chorus even if the rest I could take or leave.

Idol Roundup:

- Blooming by Sungmin: SM DIDN’T DROP SUNGMIN?!?!?! I’m so confused, and hopefully suju ‘stans’ wont be assholes to him (it’s a ballad, I’m bored)

- Talk & Talk by fromis_9: I cannot decide, and I think I will have to wait to be in a bubblegum pop mood to give it another try

- Life is Beautiful by ONEUS: I’ve heard this idea and style before, so it doesn’t really get me (and it didn’t when it was newer)

- Not Friends by LOONA: Not my style, and my fav girl Chuu isn’t there, so I will be leaving it behind.

- Movin’ by MCND: Another not my style track, though this time with a style I’m sure you have heard before.

- Outsider by BtoB: Fun and a solid track from them, and worth a listen

The energy that AOMG as a whole is putting out into the world these last few months is so fucking tasty. Jay Park has spent years building a reputation as a rapper and an executive at a label, and now the newest strategy seems to be picking off idol cast offs. And by idol cast offs, I mean what the big three leave behind when scandal, or maybe just contracts are up. He picked up Yugyeom and JB (that’s some energy right there, taking a JYP group leader), and now Lee Hi is thoroughly out of the YG dungeon. Now he just needs the last jewel in his crown: an SM child.

Anyways, Lee Hi has had a comeback with some powerful energy. Only came out last week, and has LEE JEHOON and WON JIN?!?! Like that’s some star power. And then this week, she has a collab with BI, and he is in the video? She is really out here feeding us with star power. I’ve never been a huge Lee Hi fan, and these two tracks don’t really change that, but you have to respect her game.

Speaking of powerful collabs, this week saw Key and Taeyeon together in I Hate that . . . It took the chorus to really get me to buy in, but I’m all in now. I love how Key’s voice is utilized here, and especially how well the duet portions with Taeyeon go. The vibe is slow and chill, like a lot of Key’s solo work, but still has enough drive to keep me interested. And I was worried Taeyeon would be a little to clean and pretty for this, but her voice fits the vibe really well. It gets the first win.

So, there are serious winners for this week, but also one very very very very important less serious winner. In that this song is maybe the most fun I’ve had today, but it is definitely a guilty pleasure sort of fun. Please go watch Park Hyunho’s Money Money Money, because I need other people to see what the average between idol culture and trot culture is. The guy is styled like an idol, with the dances, sets, and frankly MV budget of an idol singer, but he is singing some sort of trot/pop fusion, that, while incredibly repetitive, is also so damn addictive. So it is the fun winner of the week. Also, side note: Park Hyunho smiles like a creep, or a person who never learned to smile, for many shots in the video, which just sort of brought the whole thing to a new level. And thus, the second win.

My posts the last couple days probably show what the last winner is, because A.C.E really continues to feed us, huh? Changer straddles the line of fanservice track and new ideas, with a sound that they haven’t necessarily done before, but that A.C.E unsurprisingly kills. The chorus is addicting, the whole thing is fun and happy. It is a great way to send two members to their military services. Of the groups currently going through service, I have the most hope in A.C.E surviving it, because they’ve had members out of the group for months at a time before. This break will be longer, but they left us with a banger before their enlistment, so I don’t have a whole lot to complain about. Also, they really fed Wow stans for the first time in a while, which I adore Beat for.

[shinymooncolor]

Sweater weather chat #12 part 2

Hi all!!! 

As promised - here’s part two to chat #12!

First of all - massive thanks to @lumosinlove for giving us this world! 

Also thanks to @frombeauxbatons for giving me ideas, support and just generally letting me vent and rant <3 

the amazing @paulian03 cleverly came up with Sirius giving the boys the nickname O’Knutzy in the story and that features both in this chat and the next. :) 

link to part 1 here :) 

So, 

Sirius is hiding in a closet. Remus is sarcastic. Kris is worried. So much love for single dad Kris <3. Dumo wants to call PETA. Blizzard doesn't judge. Olli has opinions. Olli is the best. Timmy is offended. Alice is a boss. Finn has ideas. They involve glitter and rainbows. Mental health awareness is important! Natalie is precious. We establish that consent is EVERYTHING! 

Sweater weather chat #12 part 2

--

Tuesday 2.54 pm 

Sirius <3: re!!!!!! Help. I’m in the green closet. 

Remus ❤️: I’m not gonna make a joke. But. It’s right there. Which green closet? I lost you around the beds. Thought you were behind me. How’re you sneaking away so quietly? 

Sirius <3: someone put it on Twitter. That I’m here. These ladies followed me. Hat to throw my hat down on the floor as a way to distract them. Never seeing that again 😭 

Remus ❤️: sneaky....... you could just sign their bras and get on with your life.

Sirius <3: really? Sarcasm. I was being hunted by cougars re. It’s scary. Help me.

Remus ❤️: alright. Send me a pic. 

Sirius <3: *pic* 

Remus ❤️: I sent you to get a lamp. You ended up on the first floor somehow? In the kids section. And no we’re not buying that massive shark. 

Sirius <3: it’s for Ava. 🥺

Remus ❤️: really? 

Sirius <3: she told me Jackie is her favorite (I assume Jackie is Nado?) and I need to be the favorite. Logan already beat me with the Dumais’ kids. I need to win somewhere. 

Remus ❤️: and bribing her is the way?

Sirius <3: of course it is. How else? Can’t dazzle her with my hockey or money or fame. Need some real firepower and a big shark is a winner. 

Remus ❤️: I’m here now. Which closet are you in? 

——

Tuesday 4.31 pm

Nadotheman: guess who’s trending on twitter for hooking up in Ikea.

Blizzard: my first guess is always you? But as you’re texting you’re either oddly proud or it’s not you. Kuny? 

RussianGod: not me 

Timmyforrealz: @blizzard you’re not even thinking about me? Could totally have been me. Nado not the only one who’s got crazy girl skills. 

Ollibear: skills? Buddy you’ve had a three month drought. 

Timmyforrealz: DONT listen to Olli. He’s a baby. He’s still a little virgin. 

Ollibear: first of all. There’s nothing wrong with not being into sex. Asexuality is a valid thing. Also I’m not a Virgin. I just prefer a partner who either has no idea who I am or likes me for me. 

Ollibear: also, the three of you are easy @russiangod @nadotheman @timmyforrealz. You literally sell out for a pat on the ass and a wink. I could get with either of you with very little effort. 

Nadotheman: oi! I’m not easy. I have an acquired taste. 

Talkiewalkie: acquired taste = anything human with a pulse and the ability to consent. Literally. I’ve watched you pick up. 

RussianGod: as long as consent. What’s big deal? They say yes it’s ok. 

Prongstar: I JUST SAW THE PIC WTF?????

Prongstar: also, Olli? That’s the spirit. 

LeWilliam: cap?!!???? 

Logantremblayzzz: whattttt 

Talkiewalkie: HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA WELL YOU CERTAINLY CAME OUT THE CLOSET..... LITERALLY

CarbO’Hara: damn!!! I was gonna say that 

Newt-leo: I said it first. You just type like a madman.

Krisvolley: is that the shark you dropped off for Ava? 

DumoDad: better call peta. Poor shark. 

Siriusly: it’s not whAt it looks like. Someone tweeted I was in there and the cougars descended upon me. I had to hide. Someone actually ripped my shirt and Remus was gone to look at pillows. I had to hide. It was scary. 

Blizzard: so you didn’t do a quickie in Ikea with a plushie shark watching? 

Siriusly: no. We didn’t, also, sirius had to put his shirt back on in a Hurry. Someone did rip it (re here) 

Blizzard: I’m not judging. Whatever makes your skates fly cap. Never had Re as an exhibitionist tho . 

Siriusly: he’s not. We didn’t do anything. Some lady ripped my shirt and I hid in the closet while the nice Ikea girl distracted them with some sort of family offer I think or free ice cream whatever. But they’d actually ripped my shirt. Re helped me put it back on... you guys are idiots. 

Logantremblayzzz: heheheh whatever you say. 

Krisvolley: so you didn’t do nasty things to or near the shark my daughter is now refusing to give up? She’s named it fluffy. I’m worried. She said it’s just smiling? Should I be worried? 

Siriusly: ew no of course not. Promise. 

Nadotheman: sure. Also I see what you’re doing cap. I’m favorite. Back off.😫

Siriusly: no idea what you mean. JACKIE 

Blizzard: Jackie? That’s cute. How’re you today Jackie? 😘

Nadotheman: shut up kasey. Or I’m gonna spank youuuu 

Krisvolley: you guys do realize she’s literally calling whoever gives in to her whims and tantrums her favorite right? Also I’m her dad. I’ll always be her number 1! ❤️

Nadotheman: awww we know. Best single dad!!! 

Siriusly: we’re not trying to steal her kris! You’re doing amazing! 

Ollibear: yeah man she’s so lucky she’s got you!!! 

Blizzard: we love you kris 💖💖💖

—-

Wednesday 1.33

Alice: alright. Ikea confirmed that there was a situation involving fans and we were able to mostly control the narrative. You have to prepare for some chirps and a few memes. 

Sirius: what’s a meme? 

Alice: I swear to god sometimes you’re a grandpa stuck in a young man’s body. Ask the rookies. 

Sirius: you’re really mean. 

Alice: I’m also really good at my job. So suck it up captain. You’re a hockey god. I’m a PR god. We work together and magic happens.

Sirius: I’d think that was flirting but I’ve seen you make heart eyes at frank. So. We’re good right? I swear I won’t roll my eyes for the next, like, three interviews 

Alice: you better not love. And yes, frank is rather into me, isn’t he? Time I put him out of his misery, I think. 

Sirius: good luck! (To frank) 

Alice: I’ll tell him 😜

—- 

Finn: hey Alice!! 

Alice: O’Hara, how can I help? 

Finn: I just had an idea ok? 

Alice: I hope it’s better than take your dog to work day. 

Finn: that was a great idea. Not my fault that skates and jersey are easily confused for chew toys. 

Finn: but I thought we could do a charity skate or something? (Need your brain here) so all Star was a massive success so maybe we could do like a charity thing soon and get money for like lgbt+ mental health awareness right? Like. Cap is of course new to this but I can speak up, my brother is happy to support too and I bet the team would too! We could invite young people on the ice and do like a you can play thing? I know it’s not pride but like. We could wear rainbows and glitttee and????  I really wanna support cap!! 

Alice: I like your enthusiasm and the idea. Give me a few days with my team and we can work on something? I also believe congratulations are in order? For your and your boys? 

Alice: also. you typed about 100 “like” in there. I’m worried about the state of the American school system. You're a Harvard graduate.... 

Finn: I love you! I’m terrified of you but I also love you and thanks. I want to get us jerseys saying O’Knutzy? That’s cute right. 

Alice: it’s easy to make happen but Finn, maybe sit down with your boys and heather first ok? Maybe cap too. Coming out is a lot and I want to make sure you’re okay with the consequences. There’s a lot of bigoted people out there and it breaks my heart I can’t protect you better than I do! 

Finn; hey we know you’ve got our back! 

Alice: I’ll see what I can do. Is the team ok with this? 

Finn: yeah most of them I’ve asked and the rest will follow I’m sure. 😀

Alice: you’re a good kid! I’ll do my best! 

Finn: 😘😘😘

Alice: I’d say that’s inappropriate but I know you mean well! 

——

Finn: NAT!!! She said she’ll look into it! 

Nat: I love you finn and we’re gonna make this event explode in a shower of glitter, love and rainbows. 

Finn: 💖🏳️‍🌈💖🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

Nat: 😘 also sent you some stuff on email about poly. 

Finn: wait? You and kasey???

Nat: No but I’m a musician baby, me being in a het relationship is the weird thing in our community 😜

Finn: maybe I hang with the wrong crowds. 

Nat: hopeless hockey boys ❤️

Finn: you’re dating one. 

Nat: I know. And I ship your poly arrangement harder than fangirls on tumblr. If anyone says anything tell me and I’ll relieve them of their knee caps

Finn: I get why you and kasey works. His threats are also oddly specific. He made the Boston rat cry when he detailed his imminent death via goalie pads. It was eerie. 

Nat: that’s my man 😍

Finn: weirdos. I’ll let you know when Alice is back ❤️

Nat: 😜🏳️‍🌈💖🙏🏻🌍😇

[kikiskeysgame]

The Blackhawks ended their three-game road trip on a good note tonight as they defeated the New York Islanders 3-2 in a shootout.

Brandon Hagel scored the lead goal in the first period (with assists by Alex DeBrincat and Seth Jones); however, Jean-Gabriel Pageau tied up the game in the second period.

In the third period, Dylan Strome broke the tie with his second goal of the season, but as regulation was winding down, Noah Dobson scored to send the game into overtime.

After an uneventful (and boring) overtime period, the game went into a shootout in which Patrick Kane scored the winning goal.

Overall, I would say that the Blackhawks did quite well on their road trip. Even though the games weren't very high-scoring, being able to finish them 2-1-0 is good to see. Ever since Derek King took over as the Blackhawks' head coach, they currently have a record of 8-4-0 under them.

I would say that Marc-Andre Fleury was definitely on his "A" game tonight, especially in the first period when he made save that made me say, "Wow!" Fleury was outstanding on the road trip, especially against the Islanders and he was able to pick up his 499th NHL career win.

Fleury got praise from Coach King who said: "Marc-Andre, great game again. Especially the shootouts, he's doing a tremendous job" and from teammate Dylan Strome, who said: "He's unbelievable. Vezina Trophy winner for a reason. Without him, we're not in a lot of these games. He's a heck of a goalie, probably Team Canada goalie I'd say. ... One of the best teammates I've ever had, for sure."

Speaking of Dylan Strome, it was nice to see him get himself on the scoresheet tonight and he looked so happy when he scored his goal. It was good to see him back in the line-up during the road trip after being a healthy scratch against San Jose. I just hope that Strome continues to keep himself consistent in his games (and scores a goal against his brother, Ryan's team when the Hawks play against the Rangers at the U.C. this week).

Even though Kirby Dach had a couple of good scoring chances throughout the road trip, none of them panned out into goals. He had a good scoring chance tonight, but he looked so disappointed when Seymon Varlamov stopped it. I can only imagine how frustrated Dach must be feeling about not scoring goals and he's been trying to so hard to make it happen. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Dach will find a way to break his scoreless drought once and for all.

After tonight's game, the Blackhawks are back in Chicago on Tuesday night as they play against the New York Rangers. The Hawks need to be maintain the momentum they gained from the Islanders game, put it to good use and not let it slip away from them.

Until then, go Blackhawks!

[gardenwerks]

Penstemon ‘Garnet’ aka ‘Andenken an Friedrich Hahn’

Penstemon ‘Firebird’ aka ‘Schoenholzeri’ 

The wonderful ‘Garnet’ Penstemon, together with its look-alike neighbor and offspring ‘Firebird’, have become stalwarts of our garden. They are huge for a “perennial”, easily reaching 2-3’ high and 3-4’ wide. They have abundant lovely, glossy, evergreen, narrow foliage, and are prolific bloomers. The mid-August photo (2nd photo) was taken two months after full-bloom in late June (top photo  They will keep this up until Thanksgiving. Each spike holds up a large number of brightly-colored, long tubular flowers, with cute “faces”, a floral form showing their relationship to snapdragons. The “faces” are called “two-lipped” having 2 lobes above the opening of the tube, and three below. They have interesting markings – bee guides – and fuzziness. These are hummingbird and bee magnets. ‘Garnet’ is purply-red, while ‘Firebird’ is crimson red. I realize those colors are not coming out that distinct in the photos.

Penstemons are native to North America – in fact, with about 250 different species, they are the largest endemic genus of plants native to this continent. Most of the species are native to arid and/or mountainous regions, and mainly west of the Mississippi and throughout highland Mexico. These two plants are hybrids, but with strong P. campanulatus (Bell-flowered penstemon) features. This species has lavender-purple flowers, and does not grow as large as the hybrids, but the foliage and plant form are very similar. It hails from highland areas throughout Mexico.

Technically, these two Penstemons are “sub-shrubs”, in that they have a woody framework of lower stems, supporting lush herbaceous spikes. In late January this year, I hunted down YouTube videos – from the UK – that showed major whack-back was useful for maintaining the health and floriferousness of the plants. So, I did that. Scary to look at, but as you can see they came back with a FLOURISH! 

Their cultural requirements are good drainage, lots of sun, and they tolerate fairly infertile soil. They are drought tolerant, but look better and bloom longer with summer irrigation. These two plants were originally in the South Side flower garden, but proved way too robust for that location. So, I moved them along the split-rail fence in the long Back Garden, behind the ‘Bakeri’ Blue Spruce. The soil there is very sandy and not very fertile, so is ideal for these. We see their lovely flowering from our dining room window for months on end – clear until very hard frost.

Ballyrobert Nursery in Northern Ireland provided the following info about ‘Garnet’: Penstemon 'Andenken en Friedrich Hahn', also known as 'Garnet', commemorates an 18th century German astronomer. It forms pinkish red, tubular flowers with attractive white striping on the inside. One of the oldest hybrid Penstemons, bred in 1918, it is still one of the best penstemon to grow. Its parent, P.'Southgate Gem,' was a very popular plant back in the early 1900s. It was a short-lived perennial, so the Swiss breeder, Hermann Wartmann, crossed it with either P. hirsutus or P. campanulatus. According to the oldest reference found, it's more than likely the parentage is P. campanulatus, since it's an easier cross to make between the species.

Debbie Teashon, the Rainyside Gardener, notes that Garnet is one of the most successful penstemons introduced in the Pacific Northwest. San Marcos Growers notes that it is long-lived, and very hardy, provided it has good winter drainage.

Digging Dog Nursery in California provides this information about ‘Firebird’:  Arising in Switzerland when Paul Schoenholzer crossed Penstemon ‘Garnet’ and Penstemon ‘Southgate Gem’ in 1939, the ample, hummingbird-friendly bell-shaped flowers are bright red, heightened by a fiery touch of scarlet plus pink-lined white throats. This shrubby AGM winner was bred for longevity, sprouting tall durable stems, refined semievergreen foliage and a somewhat lax, yet mighty manner.

So ‘Firebird’ is a backcross of ‘Garnet’ to it’s parent ‘Southgate Gem’. No wonder the plant forms are virtually identical, with only the color of the flowers being different. Both plants have received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK.