#november rookie challenge

[yoitsjay]

(This is a screenshot of the original ask because for some reason my drafts glitched out and instead of editing the tumblr it posted it when it wasn't ready and I had to delete it, so whoever requested this I am sorry! And I hope you read this and like my story!

Cuddle Buddies

Pairings: Simon "Ghost" Riley x M!reader

Summary: you and Simon have always had your differences, but the one thing you did have in common was the fact that you couldn't go to sleep without being in each other's arms every night. So, you and him made a habit of cuddling every night.

Warnings: fluff, touch starved? Confessions

Word count: 1621

December had settled in after a long and dreadful November, luckily enough for the soldiers, December was their month off from work. Some soldiers left, Soap went away for a bit to spend Christmas with his family, he had invited you and Ghost but you didn't Really know soap that well so you declined. You had been a recruit for the 141 for about a year before you finally “graduated” in the eyes of the team and became their combat medic. Your family lived all the way up in Northern Canada and you were all the way in London so there was no cheap way to see them, so instead you stayed on base and face timed with your family.

It was the day before Christmas eve and you were on the phone with your mother, it was late, maybe about 11 pm for you whilst it was much earlier for your family as there was a 7 hour time difference. It was just you, Ghost and a few recruits on base so it was very quiet, quiet enough that you could hear a pin drop from another room entirely. So when you heard footsteps approaching your barracks you said some goodbyes To your family and promised to call them for Christmas.

You set your phone down on your night table after the call ended, running a hand through yours freshly washed hair, it had definitely been a while since you really had a good scrub down so the shower you had taken the night before really made you feel good…

A sudden knock on your door broke you from your thoughts and you stood up from your bed, making your way to the door before opening it. And much to your unsurprise it was a recruit. “Sir- Ghost asked me to fetch you, he's in his quarters.” the recruit relayed before walking away. A sigh escaped your lips and you returned back to your bed, grabbing your phone before heading towards Ghosts bedroom.

See, for months you and Ghost teased each other back and forth, at first he was just straight up bullying and you wouldn't react, but as soon as you hit the three month mark of being a rookie, which was typically where rookies bailed, you started reciprocating the same energy back to Ghost and he took that as a personal challenge, so whenever you were around each other you would bicker and insult each other.

However one night during a game of very drunk poker, you had passed out against Ghost and he had taken you to your room to sleep, however you wouldn't let him go, and that started your almost daily routine. When everyone else was asleep Ghost would send a recruit for you or send you a text, and the moment you entered his room you were in his bed. It was nothing sexual, intimate but not sexual. But every night you and Ghost would hold each other, and on bad nights you would cradle him to your chest and tell him stories to make him forget about whatever dream or nightmare had plagued him that night.

Tonight was no different. You were cuddle buddies now, supposedly.

Or maybe it was different.

When you reached his bedroom you had heard some shuffling from behind the door, followed by a grunt and a curse from the British man's lips. You raised an eyebrow, knocking on the door to alert him of your presence. “Ghost? You're gonna let me in or what?” You asked in a joking tone. “Hold on! Wait a minute.” He replied back to you and some more shuffling could be heard before finally Ghost opened the bedroom door a few minutes later. However before you could see what he was doing Ghost tied a blindfold around your eyes. You jolted at the sudden blindness and the larger man let out a soft apology, taking one of your hands in his while his other hand went to your hip as he guided you into his room, making you stand in a certain spot before he closed the bedroom door and came back to you, gently untying the cloth around your eyes.

When you saw what he had done to his bedroom your jaw was on the floor. He had candles lit and strewn about the room, his bed was neatly made (which it never is) but on top of that there was a large tray of your favorite food. But that wasn't even the most shocking thing. Ghost was standing in front of you in just a T-shirt and sweats, he had his Balaclava on of course but no black makeup surrounded his eyes. You could also see the tattoo on his arm alot better and honestly you loved it. You had a few tattoos of your own but not a sleeve.

“Ghost wha-”

“Simon.” He blurted out, his eyes reflecting nervousness almost as he looked at you. His interruption baffled you as you blinked at him once before opening your mouth again to speak. However once again he beat you too it.

“call me Simon. Please.” He muttered to you, clearing his throat before grabbing your hand and leading you to his bed. He sat you down, pushing the tray towards you. He was quiet, more quiet than usual. He always had something smart to say but- not now. “Simon.” You whispered, and watched as he visibly got shivers by you just saying his name. You grabbed the tray of your favorite food, scooping up some of it on a spoon as you took a bite. This wasn't store bought, but homemade.

Your eyes went wide at the realization and you stared at Ghost- Simon. “Did you- did you make this?” You asked him, and all he did was nod. You could see him fidgeting, but he quickly tore your attention away from that as he spoke up again. “If you don't like it you don't have to eat it-”

You quickly interrupted him before he could say anything more, shaking your head. “No Simon it's delicious. I cant- I can't believe you remembered me ramble about this dish- how did you even find the recipe?” You asked, taking another bite from the dish, well- more than one, you were absolutely devouring this dish. “I uh- I found your moms Facebook and I contacted her for the recipe. She's a very kind woman- gave it to me immediately…” He trailed off, watching as you devoured the meal.

You finished it quickly, placing the food tray on Simon's bedside table before turning to him again. However instead of saying anything you pulled him into a crushing hug. Which he actually reciprocated. “Thank you Simon.” You whispered.

You don't know why he had done all of this for you, but as you and him lay down together and you rest your head on his chest, you can hear just how much his heart is racing, even hearing it skip a beat when you adjust your hand or touch his chest. Was he sick? You had no clue.

Silence filled the room, it wasn't comforting, no the way Simon was acting, or more so how he wasn't acting was off-putting. So you abruptly sat up, shifting your body so you now sat atop his lower abdomen. You stared down at him into his widened eyes, and you huffed. “Spill it Riley, what's got you so weird today? Are you sick or something?” You asked him, leaning forward as you placed your hands on his face to try and feel if he had a fever or something. Simon then grabbed your wrists, keeping you in place as he stared up at you, but in one swift motion you were on your back and he was on top of you, his face extremely close to yours, Close enough to feel his breath filter through the mask and fan across your face. It smelt like mint, and chocolate. “Simo-”

you couldn't even blurt out his full name as he pulled the mask up over his nose and he kissed you, moving his hands from your wrist to your hips instead. You were in shock, eyes wide and lips somewhat Agape. He pulled away after a few minutes, his expression now worried that he pushed you too far. “Y/n?” He called out your name, squeezing your hip gently.

You blinked once… twice… you looked up at him as you licked your bottom lip, taking the remnants of whatever lip chap he had on. You sucked in a deep breath, moving your hand up to his bare cheek. He flinched slightly, but didn't pull away as you gently felt the lower half of his face, your hand traveling to the nape of his neck where you rested your hand there for but a moment before pulling him against your lips again, reciprocating the kiss that he had given you less than a minute ago.

Simon melted into your touch as he held you and kissed you, hundreds of bottled up feelings smashing into you like the dam that held it all in broke. After a few moments he pulled back, staring into your eyes. No words needed to be said, and this time he got comfortable beside you with his face pressed to the crook of your neck, his mask was still up over his nose, which was good enough for you.

His arms around your waist, his face against your neck and the feeling of his hot breath against your skin, combined with the food you had ate had started to make you sleepy. And within moments you had drifted off with Simon following suit.

Cuddle Buddies indeed.

[dearlexies]

if you are a REAL ENGENE read this until the end, it's long but so so important!!!

I need Engenes to start supporting enhypen the same way they do with us, and I'm being serious.

I warn you that there will probably be some spelling mistakes because English is not my first language, but honestly at this moment I don't give a damn about that I just hope you understand what I have to say.

I'm so tired of seeing other fandoms talking bullshit about the boys, and dragging the group and members at every opportunity. This is not the first, the second, third and definitely won't be the last one. I'm not saying for us to be like them but for us to start being better, and not in a way that they talk shit about enhypen and we just let it happen without saying a word but in a way that they talk shit and we show the results!!!

WE ENGENES are the ones who make them break records, WE ENGENES are the people who should support them on this path, WE ENGENES are the people responsible for voting and streaming their music and honestly we are not doing this well. Romance : Untold was a perfect album, and Sunghoon said he expected to get 3 wins with this album; instead we only got one. and sometimes it feels like it was purely luck. we had a goal for the XO mv to have 40M views on the first month, now 3 months have passed and we are still at 33M. XO and BTHB had the chance to trend on tiktok and we let it pass. How do you expect Enhypen to be known? Honestly Belift doesn't promote them too much, and in the few times that it happens y'all let it pass and act like it didn't happen. So the only ones who can ACTUALLY promote the group are us engenes.

The ones on Tik Tok are useless, most of them don't vote, don't stream, don't watch mvs, are only there for interactions and comment "who's your bias??" at every video. The ones on Twitter are fighting with each other all the time. The few on Tumblr are only here for fanfics. And not to mention the fake engenes that are LITERALLY telling us to boycott the group which is honestly the worst thing we can do for them!!!!

So please, all I'm asking is for y'all started acting as a FANDOM. we need to unite, connect, whatever, to help the boys to grow. Can we please do this???

ENHYPEN already warned us that next year's schedule will be super busy, that means they already know their plans and have accepted the challenge. We should match their pace in terms of working hard all year. ENGENEs I ask you, are you ready?

let's support them with whatever we can and I ask all the Engenes to kindly stream we need to go on a steaming lockdown. Every Engene who come across this comment kindly stream to their fullest, collect rewards for music shows, Stream music videos etc.

But let's not start it next year, let's do it NOW!!! as we know enhypen will probably have a comeback in November so download higher, all charts, idol champ, mubeat, mnet plus, upick and star collecting for the voting, you don't need to download all of them just one or two is already good enough to help. Just download the app, do your attendance, watch some ads, and when the voting stars just vote for enhypen, simple like that. We have one month to collect so when it starts we're ready.

ENHYPEN has a chance to take AOTY to this year's MAMA, we urgently need to increase streams in romance:untold, listen to the album as much as possible, let's give them this award, please!!! Moonstruck is kinda trending on tiktok right now so let's keep it that way post videos with the songs, do edits, dance challenges etc

and also, enhypen is the only bg of the 4th generation to have four songs with 300M on spotify and I know in the future there will be many more, but right now we need to make given-taken have 200M on Spotify so here are some playlists for Romance Untold and Given-Taken

R:U & Given-Taken 2 hours

Given-Taken to 200M

Given-Taken to 200M + XO focus

Romance Untold 8 hour stream

as Engenes we need to support our boys they not rookie's anymore they are Senior now. They have big goals in 2025 ENGENES need a mindset like ENHYPEN.. ENGENES also need a Big Goals to our boys like Deasang!!!! let's work hard

[theidcl]

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊ STARZIE is a seven-member fictional coed group that debuted on january 7th, 2024, under stellar entertainment. the coed supergroup was formed through the idol survival show "SHOOTING STARS" which premiered in 2023. the show's purpose was to gather currently active idols and put them up against each other in order to form the ultimate coed group featuring the highest-ranked idols.

the supergroup made their debut shortly into the new year with the mini album "mission one: take off" and promoted their title track "crush", as well as other b-sides from the album. their debut was garnered as both a domestic and international success, boosting STARZIE into the super rookie category very quickly despite only just debuting.

with the group being made up of some of the most popular idols from multiple generations, the public has opened their arms to the group while also throwing harsh criticism their way. many fans are excited to see their favorite idols pursue new activities and release different music alongside other highly popular idols, but due to being a coed group, the public has expressed concern over how scandals and rumors are bound to happen.

˖ ࣪ ˚ . group name ⇁ starzie

˖ ࣪ ˚ . fandom name ⇁ starnautz

˖ ࣪ ˚ . fandom color ⇁ #1ad700 #00a0d7

˖ ࣪ ˚ . company ⇁ stellar entertainment

˖ ࣪ ˚ . debut date ⇁ january 7th, 2024

˖ ࣪ ˚ . debut album ⇁ mission one: take off

˖ ࣪ ˚ . debut song ⇁ crush

˖ ࣪ ˚ . greeting ⇁ "one of a kind! hello, we are starzie!”

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊ MEET THE STARZ!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ ELLIOT SON, professionally known as ELLIOT, was born in 1998 in baltimore, maryland, usa. elliot began his training journey at jyp entertainment, where he participated in the reality show 'stray kids', originally making the final lineup before leaving the group before debut and jyp as a whole, stating creative differences. he trained for 4 years before debuting in the boy group embers in 2019, which would disband just a year later. he would soon re-debut in pushing daises.

ELLIOT was a popular idol while on SHOOTING STARS, being a member of the totally spies group during the cover challenge, in which the team placed 2nd in the challenge. during the rewind challenge, elliot was a member of 3rd place team elec6ix. at the end of the show, elliot managed to finish the show in 5th place, making him the second announced member.

˖ ࣪ ˚ . full name ⇁ elliot dowon son

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthday ⇁ february 14th, 1998

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthplace ⇁ baltimore, maryland, usa

˖ ࣪ ˚ . position ⇁ rapper, vocalist

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ranking ⇁ 5th place

˖ ࣪ ˚ . height ⇁ 185cm

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ethnicity ⇁ korean-caucasian

˖ ࣪ ˚ . nationality ⇁ american

˖ ࣪ ˚ . faceclaim ⇁ vernon chwe

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ BAE MINJU, professionally known as MINJU, was born in 1998 in liverpool, england, but she moved to london when she was three years old. every summer, she traveled to korea over the summer to spend time with her grandparents and cousins in busan. growing up, minju was always fond of music and dancing, which led to her dream of being a k-pop idol. minju applied to many agencies such as jyp and cube entertainment, but ultimately made her choice to join source music with a friend of hers in 2010. after training for five years, minju officially debuted as a member of gfriend under source music. after the disbandment of gfriend, she signed a contract with big hit music and made her solo debut on november 11th, 2021. although many had anticipated it, the whole thing became a total failure, and minju was put on hiatus.

MINJU held a fluctuating rank while on SHOOTING STARS, but was always dancing within and around the top seven. during the rewind challenge, minju was a member of 3rd place team elec6ix. in the cover challenge, minju was a part of wonderland, and they placed 1st overall. at the end of the show, minju managed to finish the show in 4th place, making her the third announced member.

˖ ࣪ ˚ . full name ⇁ bae minju

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthday ⇁ march 14th, 1998

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthplace ⇁ liverpool, englad

˖ ࣪ ˚ . position ⇁ vocalist, rapper

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ranking ⇁ 4th place

˖ ࣪ ˚ . height ⇁ 162.5cm

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ethnicity ⇁ korean

˖ ࣪ ˚ . nationality ⇁ british

˖ ࣪ ˚ . faceclaim ⇁ park jiwon

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ CHLOE LEE, professionally known as CHLOE, was born in 1998 in new york, united states. chloe's career began in 2016 after ranking second on the mnet surivival show 'produce 101', securing herself a spot in the temporary girl group, ioi. once ioi disbanded in 2017, chloe debuted in venus as their main vocalist and lead dancer. alongside her success in venus, chloe would also have a flourishing solo career that began in 2019 with the song "rollercoaster" and has been on the rise ever since. chloe is a renowned vocalist and lyricist in the industry, being one the most credited female songwriters in the kpop industry.

CHLOE started the SHOOTING STARS with a bang, quickly securing a spot as a leader in the first group challenge. she was able to pick her teammates during the rewind challenge and ended up picking wisely as her team, the dream, placed first overall. once again placing high enough to be chosen as a leader, during the cover challenge, chloe was in charge of the last place team the zoo. chloe was up the coveted position of first place in the finale but ultimately placed 2nd, making her the sixth announced member of the group.

˖ ࣪ ˚ . full name ⇁ chloe lee

˖ ࣪ ˚ . korean name ⇁ lee chohee

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthday ⇁ june 17th, 1998

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthplace ⇁ new york, united states

˖ ࣪ ˚ . position ⇁ vocalist, dancer

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ranking ⇁ 2nd place

˖ ࣪ ˚ . height ⇁ 152.4cm

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ethnicity ⇁ korean

˖ ࣪ ˚ . nationality ⇁ american

˖ ࣪ ˚ . faceclaim ⇁ han sohee

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ PARK MIKYUNG, professionally known as MIKA, was born in 2001 in gwangju, south korea. after being scouted at her middle school’s talent show, mika auditioned for dsp media and trained for two years before making her debut in april on august 24th, 2015 as the group’s main rapper and main dancer at the young age of 14. she promoted with the group for multiple months before she was announced to be a participant on mnet’s trainee survival show ‘produce 101′. mika made her debut in ioi after finishing the show ranked 5th, and later made her debut in the only subunit of ioi. after the group's disbandment, mika returned to april but quickly announced her departure from both the group and dsp media. signing with angelico entertainment, mika went on to have a successful acting and solo career before debuting in sugar n' spice. mika is considered one of the best producers and lyricists in the industry, going under the pseudonym m.ka.

despite being one of the most popular idols to partake in SHOOTING STARS, MIKA suffered from fluctuating rankings that made her position on debuting unknown. she started off the show strong by being a member of the winning team, the dream, during the rewind challenge. during the next challenge, the cover challenge, mika was instead part of the last place team the zoo. being the first announced member, mika finished the show in 6th place.

˖ ࣪ ˚ . full name ⇁ park mikyung

˖ ࣪ ˚ . english name ⇁ isabella jade park

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthday ⇁ march 26th, 2001

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthplace ⇁ gwangju, south korea

˖ ࣪ ˚ . position ⇁ rapper, dancer, vocalist

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ranking ⇁ 6th place

˖ ࣪ ˚ . height ⇁ 162cm

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ethnicity ⇁ korean

˖ ࣪ ˚ . nationality ⇁ korean

˖ ࣪ ˚ . faceclaim ⇁ yu jimin

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ WANG LILING, professionally known as LILING, was born in 2001 in beijing, china. growing up, she appeared in numerous product commercials in china and was considered a well-known face despite the lack of attention she received from these commercials. liling debuted in august of 2019 with the girl group, hashtag, under the company melody media. when their first mini-album was released, fans suddenly began to favor liling over the other members, gaining her the title of ‘face of the group’. this meant that liling was constantly taking part in solo activities and brand deals. she is currently melody media’s sole representative, despite the rumors of favoritism.

LILING was one of the most popular idols while on SHOOTING STARS, earning her the spot of being the leader of the heart attack group during the rewind challenge, in which the team placed 4th. liling was once again selected as team leader during the cover challenge, where she was in charge of 4th place team timeless. at the end of the show, liling managed to finish the show in 3rd place, making her the fourth announced member. liling was chosen to be starzie's leader after winning multiple challenges and a voting round during their reality show "living with starzie".

˖ ࣪ ˚ . full name ⇁ wang liling

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthday ⇁ july 11th, 2001

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthplace ⇁ beijing, china

˖ ࣪ ˚ . position ⇁ leader, vocalist, dancer

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ranking ⇁ 3rd place

˖ ࣪ ˚ . height ⇁ 160cm

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ethnicity ⇁ chinese

˖ ࣪ ˚ . nationality ⇁ chinese

˖ ࣪ ˚ . faceclaim ⇁ ning yizhuo

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ FINN LEE, professionally known as FINN, was born in 2001 in florida, united states. beginning his career at 15, finn appeared on the angelico survival show "the new wave". finn would quickly become a fan favorite for his dedication, humor, and overall talent. he would end his run on the show, ranking 1st overall despite being one of the youngest there, securing him a spot in the revitalized group, deepdive. deepdive would make their re-debut in 2015 with seven members but would only seem to gain traction in 2020. finn is one of the most sought-after producers in the industry, with over 190 song credits to his name.

FINN started off SHOOTING STARS strong by placing fourth in the pre-voting and securing himself a team leader spot. during the rewind challenge, finn was the leader of the 3rd place team elec6ix. during the next challenge, the cover challenge, finn was a member of the wonderland team, who placed 1st. being considered the most dramatic ranking due to how many people could have taken the spot, finn finished the show ranked 7th, making him the last announced member of starzie.

˖ ࣪ ˚ . full name ⇁ finn lee

˖ ࣪ ˚ . korean name ⇁ lee jungwoo

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthday ⇁ october 10th, 2001

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthplace ⇁ florida, united states

˖ ࣪ ˚ . position ⇁ rapper, vocalist

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ranking ⇁ 7th place

˖ ࣪ ˚ . height ⇁ 183cm

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ethnicity ⇁ korean

˖ ࣪ ˚ . nationality ⇁ american

˖ ࣪ ˚ . faceclaim ⇁ park wonbin

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ OLIVER SONG, professionally known as OLIVER, was born in 2001 in massachusetts, united states. oliver made his debut as the lead guitarist of the idol band plastic flowers under superbloom media in 2018. after their second album, he was promoted to lead singer and has become the most well-known member of the group since his appearance on jtbc’s 'superband' and other variety shows. he would slowly become the most famous artist under superbloom media as well and has produced almost every piece of music released by the label since 2020. oliver made his official solo debut in march 2023 with the lead single "starting line", launching him into further fame as plastic flowers continues to top the charts with each of their releases.

being a previously well-known idol before participating in SHOOTING STARS, OLIVER managed to stay at the top the ranks throughout the show. he started off the show strong by being the leader of the mystery inc team during the rewind challenge, where they placed 2nd. placing first in voting, oliver was once again chosen as a team leader during the cover challenge; his team, wonderland, was able to place 1st. oliver was able to secure his spot as starzie's center after finishing the show ranked 1st place, making him the fifth announced member.

˖ ࣪ ˚ . full name ⇁ oliver song

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthday ⇁ december 12th, 2001

˖ ࣪ ˚ . birthplace ⇁ massachusetts, united states

˖ ࣪ ˚ . position ⇁ vocalist, center, maknae

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ranking ⇁ 1st place

˖ ࣪ ˚ . height ⇁ 178cm

˖ ࣪ ˚ . ethnicity ⇁ korean

˖ ࣪ ˚ . nationality ⇁ american

˖ ࣪ ˚ . faceclaim ⇁ seok matthew

[ncisfranchise-source]

Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) is going to go through it when an old case rears its head again.

In the November 4 episode of NCIS: Origins, with the countdown on to an execution, Franks races to extricate the location of a missing body from a death row inmate and honor a promise he made to the victim’s sister before time runs out. Below, Schmid previews how that goes, talks about playing Franks, teases what’s to come with that file from the premiere, and more.

Obviously we had a sense of who Mike Franks is based on what we know from the original series. But what’s surprising you the most as you’re getting to know him as he was back then?

Kyle Schmid: That’s interesting because I’m getting to know him through our writing. I’m getting to know him on a daily basis because I am him. I’m becoming him. So that’s kind of a cool question because I’ll tell you one of the best parts about working on this show as somebody who’s been in the industry for 30 years is once a week I get an email with our new script and I have no idea what it’s going to be. And it is such an exciting moment to go, this is it. This is what I’m going to be doing next week. It’s nerve-wracking because you just hope it’s good. And then you got a little bit of the ego going and you’re like, I hope I’m in a lot of it.

Then the most important thing is, how are they going to write my character and how am I going to bring it to life? And with [showrunners] David [J. North] and Gina [Lucita Monreal], I am never short of blown away by the integrity of the writing and the voices of these characters. And every week, I end up sending them a text message or an email thanking them for the dialogue and the character and the writing. It’s such an amazing thing to be able to do because they challenge me on a regular basis.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

And we get to meet this character that’s been grandfathered into this origin series because of his relationship with Gibbs [Austin Stowell]. And we get to see how he became and why he is this gruff character that Gibbs looks up to so much and no pressure or anything. [Laughs] But our writers hand me these scenes that are just so well-written and so thoughtful. And then the voice of Franks, I think, rings true to me so much that I get to put on my boots every day and go to work and do what I love and become this man who has a heart that’s as big as this world, who loves his family, his NIS ragtag team of misfits that he’d die for, and go to work with them. And that’s kind of how I feel when I get to go to work at the studio. I love my actors and I love my team, and I get to go to work with a smile on my face every day.

This next episode is a highly stressful one for Franks. Preview this case and how he’s going to be handling it. It gives us a taste of what he was like even before we’re seeing him now.

Yeah, so, Franks says in the episode, “Rookie mistake, making a promise like that.” Promising somebody closure, promising somebody that you can relieve their emotional pain when it comes to loss, such as what [the victim’s sister] is trying to digest in this episode, I mean, what an impossible thing to give anybody. And yet, because Franks wears his heart on his sleeve and becomes so emotionally connected to trying to hold up his end of the bargain, it tears him apart. He takes on the emotional responsibility of something that is impossible. And so he slowly unravels in this episode when he’s given a second shot at righting this wrong, at fulfilling this promise that he was unable to years beforehand.

I think there’s something so admirable about the emotion that he takes on, the fact that he truly takes responsibility for his words and that promise and the fact that it eats him up. I think there’s something valuable in the type of person that takes responsibility and feels the guilt for their actions. And I think that’s a wonderful trait of Franks’. And so we get to see him, through this episode, unravel and feel all the pain that her sister feels and the ups and downs. I mean, what a crazy episode. When they handed it to me, going back to that, I remember calling David and Gina and just almost being in tears because I was just so excited to bring this to life. And it also made me fall in love with Franks.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

The season began with that introduction of this mystery with Franks, the file, and Vera (Diany Rodriguez). What can you say about that? It kind of highlights Franks and Vera’s relationship because we see the tension there—especially in this coming episode—but he trusts her, and that file plays into that.

He trusts her. [Laughs] This is such a loaded question because everything with Franks hits the heart, and I think that’s what the audience relates to the most with his character. That file has the ability to empower Franks and absolutely destroy him. And it is a very dangerous tool in this show. So what comes in that file is something that I personally as an actor and as Franks am very eager to see what happens with it.

I heard you’re planning to participate in Movember. Why is that important to you?

I’m heading a campaign called Men for Mental. So men for mental change, men for understanding the psychological kind of hardships of life and hoping that we can make that conversation a much more common conversation had between men, trying to eliminate the stigma around men’s mental health. And ideally, I wanted—it’s okay not to be okay. Most people aren’t okay all the time. And I’ve lost friends to mental health. I’ve lost friends to suicide. I live in an industry where so many people are celebrated for wearing their hearts on their sleeve, but that also invites a vulnerability and into our lives that is often unsustainable. We live our lives through a microscope. I also lost my mother in November of last year.

I’m so sorry.

Thank you. But through that experience, I also recognized that I believe she’s in a better place. And I saw how it affected my family. I recognize how it affected me, and I understand how it feels to shoulder so much emotion and be surrounded by loved ones, but also understand how it feels to be alone at the same time. And so I’ve started having conversations with friends in the industry who have just opened up, and we start having these conversations and I say, just give me 15 minutes of your time so we can just talk about it. Every conversation’s been an hour long. Every conversation just turns into this opportunity to talk openly about life and the opportunity to shed the stigma and put on this kind of courageous, brave jacket and talk about things honestly. And I think it’s been overwhelmingly rewarding to just be able to take the opportunity to talk to friends and then hopefully people can see these videos and turn to their loved ones or turn to their brother or turn to their friend and go, how are you really though? You good? That’s okay. It’s all right, man. You’re not alone. So it’s very important to me.

And it was also important to me to take the opportunity to—When I wasn’t on a show and I’ve had these giant kind of waves through my career, and I always said, when I’m on a show, I’m going to do something to make a difference. And then you’re on a show and all of a sudden you’re working 15 hours a day and you’re trying to juggle—I just had a little girl and I’ve got a family and responsibilities and it’s so easy to blink and life passes you by. And I didn’t want to let that happen again. I think Movember was a great partner with this. I think Mike Franks will have one of the most iconic mustaches on television this year and hopefully many years coming. And I thought this was a great opportunity to team up with Movember.

Gillette jumped on board and donated 10 grand for us right out the gate because they believed in our cause. And we’ve got [a bunch of] people. And just word of mouth, this went from being four interviews to 15 in three days, and there’s an excitement to talking about something that I think actually makes a difference.

[formulaphoe]

the rising star of formula 1

image source: sonoma index-tribune

when you think of formula 1, the name lando norris is likely to pop up in your head. the mclaren driver has quickly become a fan favourite, not just for his impressive on-track performances, but also his charismatic personality off the circuit. let's take a deep dive into the life and career of this young racing sensation.

early life and background

image source: youtube

born on november 13, 1999, in bristol, england, lando norris grew up in a family that fostered his love for motorsport. his father, adam, was a former racer himself, and his mother, cisca, encouraged lando's passion from a young age. it wasn't long before he began karting at just seven years old, competing in local events and showing a natural talent that would see him rise through the ranks in no time.

lando's early career included impressive performances in various karting championships, where he earned a reputation for his speed and skill. by the age of 14, he was already racing in single-seaters, having moved up to the ginetta junior championship and then to the eurocup formula renault 2.0, where he won the title in 2016.

road to formula 1

image source: formula 2

lando's breakthrough came when he joined the mclaren young driver programme in 2017. he made his first significant steps into the world of formula 1 as a test and reserve driver for mclaren in 2018. his talent was undeniable, and he made his race debut in 2019, taking over for the (briefly) retired fernando alonso.

in his rookie season, lando showcased his potential, finishing in the points multiple times and often outpacing his more experienced teammate, carlos sainz. his spirited driving style and resilience caught the attention of fans and pundits alike. it wasn't just his speed on the track that impressed people; his engaging social media presence and cheeky sense of humour have endeared him to the new generation of f1 fans.

continued success with mclaren

image source: financial times

lando remains with mclaren through 2025. his journey has been marked by significant growth, both as a driver and as a personality within the sport. after a challenging few years for mclaren, a team with a storied history in formula 1, lando has played a pivotal role in the team's resurgence. the 2024 season has been especially noteworthy so far, with lando consistently finishing on the podium and even claiming three p1 finishes.

lando's relationship with his team is characterised by mutual respect and a shared goal of returning mclaren to its former glory. the team's commitment to developing such a competitive car has boded well for lando, and he and the team have worked hard to achieve impressive results on track.

a unique personality

image source: planetf1

what sets lando norris apart from many drivers in the paddock is his down-to-earth nature. he's not afraid to be himself, often sharing light-hearted content on social media platforms like instagram and twitter, and even streaming on twitch. whether he's engaging with fans during livestreams or sharing behind-the-scenes glimpes of life as an f1 driver on his story, his authenticity always shines through.

his approachability and sense of humour make him a relateable figure in a sport that can often feel overly serious. from a marketing standpoint, this connection with fans is crucial, especially in the age of social media, where engaging content can make all the difference.

challenges and triumphs

image source: medium

like any athlete (or person), lando has faced his fair share of challenges. the pressures of formula 1 can be immense, and he has had to navigate the ups and downs that come with being in such a competitive environment. from tough races to battling anxiety in the spotlight, lando has shown resilience and determination, traits that will serve him well as he continues to fight for championships.

one of the most memorable moments of his career came at 2024 austrian grand prix. although they eventually collided, leading to a dnf, lando fought valiantly against max verstappen, showcasing his ability to hold his ground and not back down against of one of the sport's top talents. such performances not only demonstrate his skill, but also underline his potential to become a future world champion.

the future

image source: sports illustrated

looking ahead, the future seems bright for lando norris. with mclaren at the top of the field and the team's continued investment in technology and engineering resources, there's every chance he could be challenging for this year's driver's championship. his ambition is palpable, and he's made it clear that he strongly desires to be at the forefront of the sport.

as lando continues to hone his craft, fans can expect to see more thrilling performances and an exciting championship battle for the remainder of the season. but whether it's due to his one-in-a-million skill on the grid or his infectious enthusiasm off of it, lando norris is undoubtedly the man to watch in formula 1.

sources

"lando norris - mclaren formula 1 driver." mclaren, www.mclaren.com/racing/team/lando-norris/

"lando norris." wikipedia, 2 oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lando_Norris

"2024 mclaren formula 1 driver lando norris." lando norris, landonorris.com/about

"lando norris - f1 driver for mclaren." formula 1, www.formula1.com/en/drivers/lando-norris

"lando norris." racefans, www.racefans.net/lando-norris/

"lando norris profile." motorsport, www.motorsport.com/driver/lando-norris/289316/

if any errors or typos are noticed, PLS PLS point them out via comment, ask, or dm. if there is a specific topic you would like me to cover, send in an ask and i'll look into it!

[dedieamars]

The infamous friendship of Nct Dream’s Park Jisoo and Park Jisung ♡

[Park Jisoo is a fictional member of the group NCT DREAM. She trained with them during SM ROOKIES and debuted with them August 2016!]

It was two years after Jisoo made her official debut, November 5th, 2013. On this particular day, two staff called Jisoo down to the trainee’s room so they could speak with her. Jisoo, curious, thought she was going to be able to start helping Mark with his training, but unfortunately for her that wasn’t it.

Not Mark, but some little small boy. As she walked into this room she was met with the two staff with bright smiles, but behind those staff was the boy. He was staring at the ground, playing with his hands like he was nervous. He slowly looked up at her, only to be met with the eyes of a young girl who he recognized. Once he noticed it was THE Park Jisoo, he immediately looked back down to the ground and he looked even more nervous then before.

The two staff explained to her that this is 11 year-old Jisung’s first day at the company whom they recruited at a dance contest. Since Jisoo was the dancer of the group and liked to help the trainee’s out with their dancing they figured it would be a perfect match. They furthermore explained that they were told by his mother that he has a hard time making friends as he’s very shy. They requested that she become his friend in an effort to get him adjusted.

Jisoo immediately saw a part of herself in him, so she knew becoming his friend would be a challenge.

I like a challenge Jisoo thought to herself.

Although Jisoo was also shy and not outgoing whatsoever, she empathized with him as it took one year for her to become close with her group mates. For a long time the only friend she ever had was Mark. Mark makes a really great friend, but she hated how she had to constantly rely on him.

Jisoo thought about all of the things she could do for him. Putting herself in his position, she knew that just starting a conversation would get her nowhere.

She came up with the idea of making a dance for him, sharing snacks with him, as well as writing him notes you would give a friend. That way he’ll notice these things and understand the effort she’s putting in for him, ultimately leading him to strike up a conversation with her.

But then she remembered he’s only 11 and probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend that but it’s okay, she’ll try anyway.

Tried was an understatement. She did as planned, left him notes of encouragement, helped him with his dancing, shared her snacks, and went the extra mile to create a special dance just for him. For the next three weeks she had continued these small gestures in hopes that it would bring them closer together.

However, nothing she did seemed to interest him. He would read the letters but would just give her a blank stare. He ate the snacks and thanked her, but it never went further than that. He watched her dance routine, but then just continued practicing.

Jisoo would follow him around and try to hang out with him but just nothing seemed to get him to actually speak to her.

Was he nervous? Or did he just not want anything to do with her.

Jisoo’s timid nature led her to feel humiliated and she grew tired of constantly putting herself out there, only to be met with distance and blank dull eyes.

She eventually gave up. Something that she has never in her life done. She stopped doing all the things she had done before and left him alone as per silent request. She really believed that he just didn’t like her and didn’t want her as a friend.

That was until Jisoo was walking to the trainee room and was stopped by the sound of sobs from the bathroom. She could see Jisung’s small figure from the crack of the door. Concern fluttered her heart as she pushed the door open and saw Jisung sitting on the ground with tears streaming down his face.

She immediately crouched down in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder and asked him what was wrong.

Jisung slowly picked up his head to look up at her and make eye contact. Something that he avoided doing for the past few weeks.

Through hiccuping breaths, Jisung said that he thought she hated him considering the fact that she had stopped interacting with him completely.

Part of Jisoo felt frustrated because she had tried so hard for him but he was the one not interacting, if anything it should’ve been the other way around.

That frustrated side was washed away as Jisung started to sob even harder because he thought Jisoo was mad because she wasn’t replying to him.

Jisoo softened at the sight and embraced him in a hug. She put his head in her chest and wrapped her arm the back of his head with one hand, and pat his back with the other.

“Shhh. Don’t cry Jisung..”

Jisoo started to tear up. It reminded her of her younger siblings who she was never able to see due to her being in the company.

At this point she didn’t care if he continued to ignore her, she just wanted to help and guide him.

As Jisung’s sobs slowly died down she moved her hand off of the back of his head and looked at him.

“are you okay Jisung?”

He wiped his tears, looked at her, and nodded.

“I want to be friends with you Jisoo, and I also want to learn your dance.. and keep reading your notes..”

[tinygmusic]

Big Ocean, K-Pop’s First Hard-of-Hearing Act, Announces Debut Mini Album, "Follow"

Rosa Gulliver of TINYGMUSIC | November 12, 2024

Big Ocean, K-Pop’s trailblazing hard-of-hearing boy band, is set to make waves in the music world with the release of their highly anticipated debut Mini Album, Follow, out now.

Featuring previously released digital singles “Glow,” “BLOW,” and “SLOW,” the Mini Album introduces a brand-new track titled “FLOW,” produced by Grammy-winning producer Mark Batson (Eminem, Beyoncé, Nas, Alicia Keys). Follow showcases Big Ocean's innovative approach to overcoming hearing challenges, blending rap and AI tools to create an unforgettable musical experience.

This exciting release follows Big Ocean's recognition as Billboard's K-Pop Rookie of the Month for September 2024, solidifying their growing influence in the global K-pop scene. Big Ocean will be in New York City from November 11th-13th to promote the release of Follow, before heading to the Cayman Islands for a performance at Cool Out 2024. Since their debut on April 20, 2024, a date chosen to coincide with South Korea’s Day of People with Disabilities, Big Ocean has been shattering industry norms bringing awareness to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community through their music; all while garnering an impressive 1.6 million followers across social media within just four months.

With this Mini Album, Big Ocean is debuting the genre Free-soul POP, which they define as a sound that celebrates the joy and fulfillment of self-acceptance through music. Follow reflects this philosophy, persuading listeners to build self-confidence regardless of life’s challenges. The focus track “FLOW” takes centre stage, offering a melodic and smooth experience that mimics the natural ease of falling in love, much like the flow of water. “We were so excited to collaborate with Mark Batson, a legendary producer who has shaped countless genres,” shares Big Ocean. “Our partnership began even before our debut, and FLOW was crafted just for us. Mark understood the nuances we needed, from easy-to-follow rap for non-English speakers to the powerful beats that resonate with our hearing abilities. It’s truly mind-blowing to release this song after months of hard work. We’re honoured to be the first K-Pop artists to work with him.”

“FLOW’s” music video adds another layer of depth, showcasing a powerful performance by Big Ocean alongside nearly one hundred participants. Filmed in Paris, the video was shot at the iconic National Institute of Deaf Youth, the world’s first institute for Deaf students, founded in the 1750s. This historic backdrop amplifies Big Ocean’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as their unique identity as hard-of-hearing artists in the K-Pop landscape.

“Unlike other K-Pop idols who debut with full physical albums, we took a different path with consecutive digital singles. Thanks to our fans, we can finally release a physical album. We are over the moon and can’t wait for our PADOs to enjoy Follow!” adds Big Ocean. “We’re especially excited to celebrate our release in New York with our U.S. PADOs!” Follow is more than just a musical project for Big Ocean—it’s a movement, redefining K-Pop’s landscape and advocating for inclusivity and self-empowerment.

Mark Batson commented on “FLOW”; “It is a great honour to work on such an important piece of music during this milestone in human creativity. When I first heard about the project I was amazed at the talent of Big Ocean's performances and what they were able to accomplish. This is my first time working with Korean K-Pop artists, and to combine the use of digital technology with this amazing group has been a once in a lifetime experience, which dictates to me a future in which anything is possible for all of humanity.”

The group’s ground breaking use of technology—such as vibrating smartwatches that serve as metronomes and flashing lights for rhythmic counting—allows them to synchronise their choreography and performances despite hearing challenges. These innovations, combined with their talent, have earned them praise from industry heavyweights and recognition from the President of Korea. Big Ocean’s story is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of breaking barriers.

About Big Ocean

Big Ocean is K-Pop's first all-hard-of-hearing boy band under Parastar Entertainment, breaking boundaries with their unique blend of music and advocacy for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. With powerful support from global organisations and the music industry, Big Ocean is reshaping the K-Pop scene, inspiring fans worldwide.

Big Ocean’s journey is as inspiring as their music. The group, composed of Hyunjin, Jiseok, and Chanyeon, embraces the symbolism of the ocean—a place of both comfort and potential. Just as divers use hand signals underwater to communicate, Big Ocean uses music to express themselves in a world that often isn’t designed for the hard of hearing. Each member brings a unique background to the group, defying the odds and stereotypes associated with hearing disabilities.

Hyunjin lost hearing in his left ear after a childhood accident and found solace in music after cochlear surgery, becoming a YouTube creator and advocate for the hard-of-hearing community. Chanyeon, the group’s main rapper, underwent cochlear implant surgery and discovered his passion for music through therapy, which he now channels into his performances. Jiseok, born hard of hearing, pursued professional alpine skiing before turning his attention to K-pop, driven by his love for dance.

Big Ocean's impact extends beyond the K-pop industry, with social collaborations alongside SEVENTEEN, RIIZE, ITZY, and even Young K of DAY6, featured on their most recent single "SLOW." Their partnerships with global organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have further cemented their status as trailblazers advocating for inclusivity.

Keep up with Big Ocean

Instagram

X (Twitter)

Facebook

TikTok

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Music

Amazon Music

DEEZER

genie

Melon

TIDAL

qobuz

iTunes Store

YouTube Music

[gacmediadaily]

We’ve got an early Christmas present for Candace Cameron Bure fans.

TVLine can exclusively reveal the title, premise and first photo from Bure’s annual Great American Family Christmas movie. Premiering in November as part of the network’s “Great American Christmas” slate, A Christmas Less Traveled stars Bure and Eric Johnson (Rookie Blue, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin) and centers on a down-on-her-luck proprietor who embarks on a life-changing road trip. The official logline reads as follows:

The Dine and Dash Diner has a stack of mounting unpaid bills, forcing its owner, Desi (Bure), to sell her beloved, mint condition, cherry red 1964 Ford F-100, a gift from her deceased father. As Desi visits the vintage truck one last time, she discovers a recorded message from her dad on an old audio cassette. Desi’s dad’s voice sends her and ‘Old Red’ out to retrace her family’s most memorable moments one last time. Just as the journey begins, Desi meets Greyson (Johnson) who offers her a generous payment in exchange for a ride to ‘close the most important deal’ of his life. Little do Desi and Greyson realize the less traveled road will reveal more about each of them than they could have ever known.

Bure serves as an executive producer on A Christmas Less Traveled — a Syrup Studios production in association with Bure’s CandyRock Entertainment.

“A Christmas Less Traveled gently challenges us to truly embrace every moment we share with our families, friends and loved ones,” Bure says in an exclusive statement to TVLine. “It reminds us that forgiving ourselves and others is the pathway to set ourselves free.”

Adds Great American Media president/CEO Bill Abbott: “Filmmakers have been inspired by road trips for as long as movies have been made. In A Christmas Less Traveled, viewers will go on a scenic journey with our characters to celebrate Christmas in communities and with acquaintances, treasuring every heartfelt moment of discovery or remembrance in a vintage vehicle that seems to magically know all the right places to stop.”

Bure previously executive-produced and starred in a pair of Great American Family Christmas movies: 2022’s A Christmas… Present and 2023’s My Christmas Hero. She also served as an EP on 2022’s Christmas on Candy Cane Lane (starring Full House’s Andrea Barber) and 2023’s A Christmas for the Ages (starring Natasha Bure).

Before A Christmas Less Traveled debuts in November, Bure will return to the network to headline another movie: The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, which is slated to premiere in September.

[hhhemberhhh]

SUMMER IS HERE, AND SO AM I (probably not for long because it’s busy)

allow me to fill in the gaps of my absence with a rambling of all the band stuff that’s happened…

We had another concert for community band at the end of April with good music, including Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst (that was our most challenging piece because Jesus Christ)

State MPA, got straight Goods, which I’m not too upset about because our performance wasn’t the best but that only strives us to work harder

Spring Concert, complete with our jazz ensemble, a performance of my clarinet trio from Solo and Ensemble, and an amazing awards ceremony, including a Rookie of the Year award, which I won and was ecstatic about

Leadership interviews for this coming up marching season. I applied for clarinet section leader and the person who manages our band’s social media page because everyone knows me as the person who memes everyone and takes pictures at the most random times. I GOT BOTH 💪💪 (our past clarinet section leader is now assistant drum major so SHE’S GOT BIG THINGS GOING FOR HER)

Seeing people I love leaving because they’ve completed all their years of school… we’ll miss them 🫡

COMING UP THIS NEXT YEAR

on the next episode of band events leading up to marching season…

Community band patriotic concert, with one of our pieces being the famous Stars and Strips Forever

Leadership meetings over the summer giving out sponsorship papers to try and get sponsors, learning the exercises and getting music for band camp, and going over more expectations probably

Leadership TRIP to an arcade and BEACH

Music Festival (that also has an HONOR BAND) at another school towards the end of June

Marching and Leadership Camp at a university in the first week of July. I signed up for this so I look better when our school’s band camp comes around and it’ll be a fun experience

Our school’s band camp towards the end of July where we meet the new kids that are joining band this year

MARCHING SEASON STARTS

and so does school…

Weekly rehearsals for marching drills and breaking out the saxophone for jazz band

(this doesn’t really count as marching band itself but it’s during marching season) Auditions for a very very prestigious concert/honor band in September (the actual event isn’t until January of 2025 🤡)

Marching competitions and MPA in October and marching in the local Homecoming Parade

The transition from marching season to concert season in November, aka breaking out the bassoon

Christmas concert in December

Hopefully marching in the local Christmas Parade

AND CONCLUDE THE 2024 YEAR

[ddkdus]

“Road of the Ace: A literary Journalism of Lee Heeseung”

-Ayeon Jeong

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I watched a K-pop survival show called “I-Land,” which altered my life. Specifically, "I-Land" is a survival show that eliminates trainees who aren’t able to make it into the top seven, chosen by professional music producers of BELIFT Lab or global citizens through a voting app. It was a collaboration between the Hybe label, the entertainment company behind BTS and TXT, and TVN, a Korean broadcast system. Lee Heeseung was one of the candidates, a twenty-two-year-old Korean man born on October 15, 2001. Now. He is a member of the famous K-pop boy band “Enhypen.”

Lee Heeseung was an ordinary Korean junior high school student preparing to attend senior high. However, since his father knew he had an ambition to become a singer, he urged him to apply to an art school for senior high. He listened to him and went to the school for his entrance exam and audition. That is when he got scouted by various entertainment companies. Among all, he chose BigHit as it was the company that desired to contract with him as soon as possible.

Since then, he began his journey of becoming a K-pop idol. After three years of training, he got an opportunity to debut through the audition/survival program I-Land. In the first episode, he mentioned that he trained alongside the present TXT members, which made the viewers interested in him. The other candidates defined him as the ace among the trainees and even put him as a role model, which raised expectations among the viewers. Moreover, he became famous for his deer-like eyes, powerful dance gestures, sweet voice, leadership, and proficiency he showed during the missions. Heeseung was able to obtain many votes from the public, acquire the first choice from the producer, and secure the fifth-place position at the end. Being at the show was not painless, but he always did his best.

Right after he officially became part of the debut team Enhypen, he experienced new wrangles. He had his own songs to practice, artist manner lessons, foreign language lessons, and most importantly, his own fans he must amuse. Unexpectedly, he is the eldest member of the group. Though he was suggested to become the team leader, he denied it, as he thought becoming the leader and eldest at the same time meant more responsibility, and said he would do his job as the eldest member.

November 30, 2020, when he debuted, his life was more than he expected. He had a hard time preparing for his debut, but the love he received from his fans made it worth it. He may not interact with his fans that much, but his love for the Engenes is vivid. Enhypen then received a lot of titles like “The 4th Gen Hot Icon” and “K-pop’s present and future.” Additionally, they received awards from big awards shows like the Rookie award from MAMA and AAA awards and the main prize from the Seoul Music Awards.

In conclusion, Lee Heeseung's journey from an ordinary student to a member of the successful K-pop group Enhypen showcases his determination, talent, and humility. Despite facing challenges along the way, such as the rigorous training process and the pressures of the debut, he has remained grounded and grateful for the support of his fans and family. His contributions to Enhypen's success have earned him recognition he would never forget. Now, he is maintaining his journal with a few new aspects in life like producing a music.

[lacoonawalk]

[babymonster's debut date: will they do well from that time on?]

i am not professional astrologer, i am doing this for fun; i am also checking their vedic/sidereal chart rather than their tropical one but briefly, i won't talk about these yogas and most of the typical things the vedic astrology is usually used for and talked about

since their debut is in a few hours, i can see their debut will be more interesting to the girls' home countries (korea, thailand, even japan; possibly southeast asia as a whole) rather than in foreign lands. the conjunction between sun and mars strikes the group's ego and the girls will be noticeably more confident. however, the conjunction can show some conflicts and challenges here and there if there are in good position towards it (such as challenging aspects and so on, which i personally think they have). although their mercury is in the same house mars and sun are in, it's so far that mercury is closer to sagittarius and the fifth house and that's noticeable because it's a sign that they will be talked about a lot when they debut.

the other aspects sun has with a distance of 5 degrees (in my opinion, pov and experiences the bigger orbs are just weaker if there are any such as sun opposition moon) is square saturn, square the first house and in opposition with the tenth house.

1) sun square saturn: since ahyeon is in hiatus and won't debut with the rest of the girls, the aspect is challenging due to the group's circumstances. (also the company's founder being in prison now?, he might've had some influence over babymonster) due to the company's challenges now such as blackpink's future as a group, it makes the girls' first rookie year unsure. there can be some more challenges except these ones we've seen until now. at the same time babymonster have no choice but to stand up and debut as 6-member group, plus minus one other girl (because ahyeon is in hiatus). they seem to have hard moments with their relevance and if they do get viral, might not be for the good. also, they might not have another release(s) until the end of november 2024 (it is possible). i can see yge can have if not the same then similar tactic as blackpink's activity-wise in the music industry.

2) sun square ascendant: babymonster's idea as a group is still raw. unfortunately, it looks like the girls' dynamics is unstable - if not between themselves, then between them and their company, which to me seems more likely. i start to wonder, is the image of babymonster is actually genuine? because with the rest of the aspects, i am not sure if it's sincere! they might not have freedom to do what they want in lives, vlogs and some other activities, therefore if such a thing happens, babymonster's existence can happen to be questionable in no time: if there are plans and ideas for baemon now, in few months they will just be making no sense, so they can rebrand in the span of one year.

3) sun opposite mc: babymonster might be more focused in local activities (south korea) rather than worldwide ones. the girls can have less interactions with their colleguaes, so yge might rely to internet-related activities such as lives, vlogs, covers, sns activity and similar stuff. yge are pushing the girls a lot which they might have no choice but to promote themselves in a way they will become more and more famous. the aspect by itself is beneficial in the long-term future but only if babymonster is approachable to the audience. therefore, the company might have to be innovative in the way baemon will be promoting in order to be relevant from their debut.

mars has the same aspects as the sun:

1) mars square saturn: the girls seem to receive critisicm from the audience such as they're (mainly) too young or the foreigners are way too much and so on. they really seem to have like one comeback in a year and/or will be too criticized from their company. there can be unrevealed secrets (from the company to the girls, from baemon to the company or in another way) and they can be seen with the time. the girls seem to not gain more fans like blackpink in their rookie days and if they will be as successful as them, it will be slow but steady. the tense is actually.. there :(

2) mars square ascendant: babymonster will be very work-oriented, very motivated and very passionate! however, this might 'scare' the audience in a way, especially the one in southeast asia. they might have the touch from the second generation's vibe (i mean 2ne1) at least in the way how babymonster is treated. the girls' fans will critice the company A LOT and i can see baemon will be even more mistreated than blackpink. unfortunately, i am not sure if that will change.

3) mars opposite midheaven: it really looks like yge's founder has more influence than expected (or another person from the company). depending on the way that person is learning the girls about the idol life, like a teacher, they are holding onto unsaid things such as actual creative freedom, individual activities, even freedom of speech if it's safe. (i am aware asa wrote and compose batter up with other people but there can be more than that). if that person helped the girls for the good, then they'll be very confident in themselves. this aspect is relying on that person and their intention towards baemon, so i wouldn't know that much but if not only one, both things are possible.

mercury sextiles venus, south node/ketu and trines north node/rahu.

1) mercury sextile venus: the girls' dynamics seems to be actually great but mainly focused on money and other possessions. this aspect doesn't mean that the girls aren't close with each other because it also mean that but due to the other apsects it seems that baemon is focused on how much they will earn rather than their idol experience. they seem to be fine that they will suffer together, so their bond can be actually genuine.

2) mercury trine rahu + sextile ketu: the girls will know everything. they will search for any gossip about them and they will know. no matter in public or in private, even if it's some sasaeng shit, they will be aware. their communication will be on different level and they will be open to experiment with different concepts, activities and etc.

saturn opposites the rising and squares the mc.

1) sarurn opposite ascendant/conjuct descendant: this shows controlling issues towards babymonster, such as the company deciding their future in front of the girls but also i can see their fanbase being younger: the fans mainly might be under 18. babymonster should not criticise anyone unless if they want to be called out. usually this aspect can indicate long life. however, with the other aspects, unless if they rebrand, they might not survive as a group for at least 7 years.

2) saturn square midheaven: similar to sun square saturn, due to their circumstances, they won't be secure financially because of the founder's case which is solved now and blackpink's future (plus some others). the girls will rely on each other and might have only themselves.

the moon being in conjunction with the midheaven is about their image - warm, sensitive, young, caring and the girls' ambition to be singers.

the venus being in opposition with rahu and conjunct ketu shows the talent babymonster have evem from now. however, they have to be cautious when interacting with men because they seem to be more prone to dating scandals (i saw similar thing with ningning from aespa from what i remember?). the aspect is more focused on the harmony between the desires and the possesions (money includes).

jupiter in trine with the ascendant shows growth and good fortune. they will get over everything. it's just a hard challenge.

now, the planets in the signs.

the stellium in the fourth house is related to the home environment. despite on the challenging aspects, with mars, sun and mercury being there shows their first year relying more on domestic activities. with scorpio in the same house, the environment surrounding yge is not supportive at all and the girls will survive alone.

the aquarius saturn in the seventh house shows restriction towards the girls' bond with the company. it can make the situation getting difficult, especially with the aspects.

the jupiter in the 9th house is actually beneficial as it shows the girls exploring their popularity and relevance. however, with the rest of the difficult aspects this placement just won't make any sense if yge decides to focus babymonster internationally from the first year because their popularity will not be reaching to the company's expectations.

rahu and ketu being on the 9th and 3rd houses is about babymonster's relevance and reaching their popularity. i would say to possibly expect fashion-related and music-related activities tbh;

the moon in the 10th house is about the girls' feelings in this journey. they might feel conflicted at some point but will be thankful and loved.

the venus being in the second house is about the focus on finances and other possesions, so i see that more money is better for the girls.

the rising in leo is about their creativity and them feeling the greatest while on stage/in front of people. sun being in the fourth house can show that they're more comfortable in asia rather than in another continent.

the midheaven being in taurus shows that the girls' career is focused on the creativity and more or less, the money (especially when venus is in the second house, i would say more)..

with these aspects i would say that the debut really seems to be rushed and unless if they don't reform, they will disband earlier than expected. batter up might not do as well as blackpink's debut title tracks overall but there will be some talks, mainly from southeast asia. i hope you enjoyed the blog!

[michigantopnews]

After Loss to Detroit, Chicago Bears Fire Head Coach Matt Eberflus; Thomas Brown Takes Over as Interim Coach

The Chicago Bears have fired head coach Matt Eberflus following a string of defeats and a lackluster 14-32 record over nearly three seasons. Bears Fire Eberflus After 6-Game Losing Streak CHICAGO, IL — November 29, 2024 - The Chicago Bears have made a significant move in their quest for success, firing Head Coach Matt Eberflus following another disappointing season. The decision comes after a heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday, a game emblematic of the team’s struggles under Eberflus’ leadership. The Bears announced the decision Friday morning, naming Thomas Brown, the team’s offensive coordinator, as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2024 season. Eberflus’ Tenure Ends Amid Mounting Losses Standings NFC North - Courtesy chicagobears.com Matt Eberflus, who joined the Bears in January 2022, departs with a 14-32 record across nearly three seasons. Hopes were high when Eberflus, a defensive-minded coach, took over the team, but his tenure was marred by inconsistency and an inability to win close games. His 5-19 record in one-score contests is the worst in NFL history for a coach with at least 20 such games. The Thursday night loss to the Lions marked the Bears’ sixth consecutive defeat, dropping their season record to 3-9. In a pivotal moment late in the game, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams led the offense with 32 seconds left, but mismanagement of time and the failure to call a crucial timeout doomed their chances to tie the game. The loss was emblematic of broader issues that plagued the Eberflus era: poor situational awareness, missed opportunities, and a lack of late-game execution. “This morning, after meeting with George , we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head-coaching position,” said Bears General Manager Ryan Poles in a statement. Thomas Brown Steps Up as Interim Coach Thomas Brown The Bears have promoted Thomas Brown, the team’s offensive coordinator, to interim head coach. Brown, known for his leadership and rapport with players, now has the challenge of stabilizing the team for the remainder of the season. The move provides an opportunity for Brown to showcase his vision and approach, both of which could influence the Bears' search for a permanent head coach. The Bears will now focus on finding a leader who can guide the franchise into a new era, fostering a winning culture and developing young talent, including Williams, the team’s promising rookie quarterback. A Franchise in Transition The decision to part ways with Eberflus reflects the Bears’ commitment to resetting their leadership structure and charting a path toward sustained success. General Manager Ryan Poles and the organization have emphasized the importance of accountability, discipline, and strategic decision-making in building a championship-caliber team. Despite the challenges of the 2024 season, the Bears remain optimistic about their future. With young talent on the roster and a high draft position likely on the horizon, the team has the building blocks for a brighter future. The offseason will be pivotal, starting with the hiring of a new head coach who can unify the team and maximize its potential. What’s Next for the Bears? As the Bears look ahead, the organization is focused on identifying a head coach who can bring innovation, leadership, and a winning mentality. The next coach will inherit a team in transition, but also one with significant opportunities for growth. For now, Thomas Brown will lead the team through the remainder of the season, with hopes of rallying the players and setting a new tone for the future. The Bears aim to finish the year on a positive note while laying the groundwork for a transformative offseason. Stay tuned as the Chicago Bears begin their search for a leader who can bring a winning culture back to one of the NFL’s most storied franchises. Find More Interesting Feature Stories From ThumbWind

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[waitingona-mirabel]

Saturday, November 23 — The Final Labor: Based on the final task for the labors, write an AU featuring all your characters in a role. Choose an AU, set out a list of goals for yourself based on tropes within that AU (ex. a red shirt has to die if you’re doing Star Trek or someone in the group gets bitten by a zombie and doesn’t tell the rest if you’re doing an apocalypse), then write to your heart’s content! To count, each character must have a role and your tropes must be laid out beforehand.

SPORTS MOVIE AU

Inspired by High School Musical, Challengers, Miracle, that football book I read recently, that other amazing baseball romcom I read it's called You Should Be So Lucky, A League of Their Own TV Show, you get the idea

ROLES

Phineas: The announcer 

Tiana: Veteran of the team

Aquata: The scary opponent 

Annie: The sidekick

Mirabel: The underdog/protagonist

Lightning: The parent who doesn’t understand!

Smee: The opposing team’s asshole coach

Roz: The reluctant coach

Giselle: The love interest of the protagonist

TROPES

Down and out underdogs

For The Love Of The Game

Reluctant coach

Old rivalry

Unconventional coaching methods

Motivational speech

Star player gets injured

Rookie has a natural gift they never realized

The Game Winner

It’s Not My Dream, Dad, It’s Yours

Told with the framing device of a single game

Warnings: a minor injury, me TRULY messing up sports/soccer rules and terminology plz don't come for me, uhh complete lack of a setting is this high school is it college is it professional sports is it an adult rec league truly who knows!, anyway enjoy

LET'S GO!

Coin toss

The coin somersaulted through the air, almost as though in slow motion. 

“Tails!” called Aquata Triton, earlier than she was really supposed to, but Mirabel didn’t expect the Sharks to play fair.

The coin landed on Heads. Out of the corner of her eye, Mirabel could see the smallest hint of a smile from Tiana.

Luck had never really been on the Phoenixes’ side. And Coach Roz always said that was a good thing, because it meant they didn’t have to be reliant on it. But today, Mirabel was going to take every smidge of luck she could get.

180 Days Before The Big Game 

“No! Absolutely not. I’m retired,” Roz insisted, already rising out of her seat. 

Headmaster Chairmouse sighed and rubbed his temples. “Please, Coach. If you still blame yourself for what happened in ‘99…”

“It’s not about ‘99! But yes, that was entirely my fault-”

“It wasn’t, Coach. You took a calculated risk. That’s what coaches do. Just because it failed doesn’t negate twenty years of great work. A lot of that is luck. And besides— I’m not asking you to win a championship this year. I’m just asking you to give these kids a coach that gives a shit. Which I know you’ve got in you. Teach ‘em some skills, get ‘em trained up for the next year, and maybe by the time that rolls around, I can find someone to step in who actually wants to be there. Six months. Just give me six months.”

Roz didn’t really believe him. She was certain he was only asking out of desperation. But, even after all these years, it was hard to resist the call of the game that had once been her whole life…

“And I’ll throw in a bonus,” Chairmouse added. “Money that I’m sure you could use right now.”

“Chairmouse!” Roz said hotly, but his expression remained neutral. 

Chairmouse had her there, unfortunately. Two kids in uni…

“Fine,” Roz grumbled. “I’ll do it.”

Kickoff

“Aaaand, the Phoenixes will start off with possession, with Truitt taking the ball forward, now to Madrigal…”

Mirabel tried her best to block out the sound of Phineas Flynn, the ever-bombastic announcer. She knew he meant well, but his commentary always seemed to get her in her head. Mirabel just needed to focus. This was just like any passing drill. Just like practice.

“Madrigal passes back to Sommers on the left wing!”

Just like practice.

90 Days Before the Big Game

Mirabel didn’t really know what she was doing here. She wasn’t a soccer player, that was for sure. These weren’t even her cleats— they were Annie’s, and Annie had much bigger feet than her. Mirabel had to wear two extra pairs of socks just to keep them somewhat on her feet, and she was starting to think they might cut off her circulation.

WHEEEET!

The whistle pierced through the thick August air, and everyone jogged over to center field where Coach was waiting with her clipboard. She was an imposing woman, despite her short stature, in a pantsuit with a faded Phoenixes shirt. Annie had filled Mirabel in— she used to be the school soccer coach in the nineties, but after the team got completely walloped in the semifinals, she announced her retirement for good.

Apparently, she was back. Mirabel didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. But it didn’t matter much either way, because Mirabel didn’t expect to actually play for her. With any luck, Annie would. But Mirabel was just here for moral support.

“Alright, we’re going to start off with a simple passing drill. Pass and weave, pass and weave, you should all know this by now. Sound good?”

Everyone nodded. Even Mirabel nodded, though she had no idea what “pass and weave” meant. And she was too afraid to ask at this point. Again, she reminded herself. You’re not actually trying to make the team. Just don’t embarrass yourself too badly.

Thankfully, Mirabel was able to meander toward the back of the pack, since there were other girls much more eager to show off their skills. The drill didn’t look too complicated— one player would pass the ball to another, then they would switch places while the receiver passed to a third player. As long as Mirabel followed the other two, she would be alright.

Finally, it was Mirabel’s turn. Pass. Weave. Pass. Weave.

It only occurred to Mirabel by the third rotation that she was�� kind of having a blast?

WHEEET!

“Okay, we’re going to try something new,” Coach interrupted. “We’re going to add in defenders.”

05 minutes

Mirabel, Tiana, and Anna didn’t maintain their momentum for long— within a few minutes, the Sharks had possession again, and Triton was charging down the field. Annie approached from her position behind the strikers, chasing Triton down and leaning into her to slide-tackle. Triton went tumbling to the ground, cursing all the way down.

“Bitch,” she muttered.

Annie just smiled and tapped the ball back over to Truitt.

88 Days Before the Big Game

Was that… Mirabel’s name at the top of the roster?

It didn’t make any sense. She’d never played organized soccer in her life; she just tapped a ball around the backyard with her cousins or with Annie now and then. Sure, Mirabel thought she’d actually made it through tryouts decently enough not to embarrass herself, but certainly not well enough to make the team. 

Maybe Coach really was crazy. Everyone was saying it at practice.

“No way…” Annie gasped, coming up behind Mirabel.

“I know,” Mirabel agreed. “Has to be a mistake.”

“What? No! You were amazing!” Annie insisted. “I just- well, I can’t believe Aquata Triton didn’t-”

As if on cue, Triton appeared, too, looking furious. She shot Mirabel a fiery look before storming off. Yikes…

Now Mirabel realized the problem. Aquata Triton had been the starting center striker for the past three years at Swynlake High. And now she was cut from the team, and taking her place was…

Oh. Oh shit.

25 minutes

Unfortunately, the Phoenixes didn’t hold onto the ball for long. By the twenty-five minute mark, it was becoming clear that they couldn’t win this game on luck alone. Maybe they wouldn’t win this game at all— although Mirabel was really trying not to let her mind go there. 

“At only twenty-five minutes into the game, everyone’s still looking pretty fresh,” Phineas Flynn commented as another Sharks striker tussled with the defense by the corner kick line. “But how long can they keep it up? There’s been a lot of talk about Coach Roz Peterson’s conditioning drills…”

85 Days Before the Big Game

“Alright, everybody listen up,” Coach announced, pacing the sideline as the newly-selected Phoenixes watched from the bleachers. Mirabel sat up straight, hands folded, like this was the first day of class. Some of the more seasoned veterans of the team lounged, skeptical of Peterson’s selection as their leader.

Truitt, the captain, leaned forward, elbows on her knees, her expression entirely inscrutable. 

“Odds are, I didn’t choose you because you’re the greatest player at this school. So get that idea out of your head right away, if it’s still in there,” Coach said bluntly. “I chose you because you seemed willing to put in the work. The hard, ugly, unglamorous work of conditioning your bodies and building up your strength. I don’t know if I’m taking this team to the championship. I’m probably not. But what I am hoping to do is set you up for success down the line, in years to come. So you may hate me for this, but just remember, you only get one year with me.”

Truitt’s shoulders betrayed the slightest movement. Was she disappointed that Coach was only sticking around one year? Everyone else seemed skeptical of her, or to think she was an unbelievable hardass.

Mirabel didn’t know how she felt. Scared, maybe.

“Alright, five laps around the field! Everybody go!”

Halftime

Roz glanced over at the Sharks’ bench, just in time to meet Smee’s gaze. Her eyes narrowed. While the players headed off to the locker rooms and doused themselves with water and Gatorade, the two coaches stared one another down.

Then Smee’s expression twisted into a smile, and Roz’s into a scowl. Absolutely not.

65 Days Before the Big Game

“I’m starting to think something is seriously wrong with her,” Annie commented as she and Mirabel approached mile four. “She’s got some kind of obsession with running.”

Today was a “long run,” which was different from the typical running-laps warmup. And it was different from the postgame-punishment-laps (which the Phoenixes had now experienced three times now— even after they’d won that third game. Apparently it wasn’t good enough for Coach Hardass).

“Well, soccer does involve a lot of running,” Mirabel pointed out, snickering. While she didn’t want to badmouth the coach, one look at her expression would tell the whole story. Mutual horror at Coach’s method had bonded Mirabel and Annie far more than anything else that had previously happened in their friendship.

“Y’all want the truth?” The voice came out of nowhere. Mirabel and Annie’s heads whipped around to see the captain behind them. 

Their eyes went wide. This was exactly what Mirabel had been trying to avoid. What if word got around? The new girl, who probably didn’t even deserve to be here, already complaining.

“I- we weren’t-” Mirabel stammered.

“It’s fine. I know Coach is crazy. Everyone does,” Tiana said breezily, which caused Mirabel and Annie to exhale cautiously. They didn’t let their guard down entirely, but… was their famously aloof captain actuallty going to be real with them about this? It looked like it. “It’s this weird rivalry she has with the Sharks’ coach. Apparently, they’d been the best in the league back in the nineties, always trading the title back and forth. And then something happened in ‘99. Not sure exactly what. I think someone got hurt, and the Sharks won in a blowout. Coach retired, and the Sharks have basically dominated the league ever since, while our team has been shit. I don’t know if she’s expecting a championship win, but I do know she’s determined not to let ‘99 happen again.”

And then Tiana was off, putting on the jets once again. Annie and Mirabel exchanged a glance. And Mirabel knew they were thinking the same thing.

Coach? Blaming herself?

It didn’t change how scared of Coach Mirabel was. But it did prove she was human.

Mirabel sped up, just a little bit. She could stand to push a little harder. Just a little bit.

48 minutes

“After a scoreless first half, we’re looking at a free kick right in the zone! Looks like this is Triton’s chance— she’s got an excellent scoring record on those.”

Mirabel knew Annie was fuming about that call. The Sharks had come running back onto the field with a vengeance, and only three minutes later Mirabel could count on both hands the number of penalties that should have been called. But it was Annie’s slide tackle that drew the whistle.

Mirabel joined the lineup. On a kick like this, it was all hands on deck, regardless of position…

“Tiwari dives for the ball and… a miss! The Sharks are on the board!”

The Phoenixes groaned as their opponents jumped all over Triton to congratulate her. But there wasn’t much time to mourn the loss of that point. Mirabel could feel Coach’s pensive stare from all the way across the field.

Then she looked in the other direction, where a pretty redhead was siting in the bleachers, giving her a thumbs-up. And that, combined with the righteous frustration with the penalty and the goal, was all Mirabel needed to get going again.

48 Days Before the Big Game

“Oh- my bad,” Mirabel apologized as she ran right into someone coming around the corner. The stack of books the girl had been carrying spilled to the floor, and Mirabel quickly knelt down to help pick them up. You would think weeks of training would make her less of a klutz, but it seemed like all hand-eye coordination completely left her body as soon as she stepped off the field. Or maybe she was just extra distracted today, by the Phoenixes’ seemingly unshakable losing streak.

When Mirabel reached for a book and the girl’s hand brushed hers, Mirabel looked up to see-

Oh. She was quite pretty, wasn’t she?

“I-” Mirabel stuttered.

“Sorry,” the girl said at the same time. They both giggled awkwardly. 

Mirabel blushed. “No, no, you’re good,” she said, studying the book. “Gabriel Garcia Marquez?”

“He’s my favorite. The worlds he creates…”

“I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t understand a lot of this book. But I thought the writing was really pretty,” Mirabel admitted, tripping over the word “pretty.” Oh, she was just hopelessly obvious, wasn’t she?

“It is really pretty,” the girl said, holding Mirabel’s gaze. “Sorry, I’m being rude. You’re Mirabel Madrigal, right? The new starter on the soccer team?”

“I- you know me?”

“Not really. But you are kind of famous now. At least around here. Apparently you’re the future of the team.”

The stars of the team, Tiana and all the others who had graduated now, had always felt famous to Mirabel. But she’d assumed that was because she and Annie were the only ones who paid attention to that stuff. Maybe not.

“Wow,” Mirabel said. “Uh, I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your-”

“Giselle,” she replied with a smile.

Giselle. It really did suit her, a name that sounded like singing.

“Nice to meet you, Giselle.” Mirabel held the book out, smiling shyly. 

“You can hold onto it,” Giselle said. “I’m sure I’ll run into you again.

And then she left Mirabel standing there, clutching the book to her chest, wondering what had just happened.

Something told her that everything was about to change.

62 minutes

Mirabel tried to steer her mind away from the other person she had thought might be in the crowd. The problem was that he might not, and that was really going to get her in her head. After all, the last time they had spoken, it had turned into a fight…

UMPH

“Aaand Madrigal’s down! That’s gonna leave a mark…” Phineas Flynn commented.

The ground hit Mirabel’s face as a Shark barrelled into her, and now she understood what people meant when they talked about “eating shit.” Well, whoever was watching in the crowd, they’d definitely just seen Mirabel embarrass herself.

But she picked herself up and chased after the ball, like she always did. There was no time to waste. 

37 Days Before the Big Game

The Phoenixes hadn’t lost every game. They’d tied the Gryphons and the Firebees, and even beaten the Tigers and the Lions. Granted, the Lions had all of their best players on the bench for that game since it was so early in the season and didn’t mean much. But it was still a win.

And then October happened, and the Phoenixes just. Kept. Losing. 

Mirabel was beginning to think it impressive. How could they be that bad?

She didn’t think they were that bad, after all. Tiana was a brilliant playmaker, and Annie was relentlessly quick. Tanya was a decent goalkeeper, too. But it seemed like every time they went out on the field, they made some improbable error, like shooting the ball into their own goal or running right into the referee. 

“We’re going to try something new,” Coach said as the Phoenixes stumbled into yet another practice, looking discouraged and exhausted from yet more conditioning. “I want you all to get out there and scrimmage. And don’t try to impress me. I’m not going to be watching. I’ll be in my office. Don’t even keep score. And don’t dictate positions. Pretend you’re eight years old and you don’t understand the rules of soccer.”

And then she was off. 

The Phoenixes stared at each other, as though unsure Coach was actually serious about that. But she disappeared into her office, just like she’d said she would. And then the blinds fell down, blocking her view out of the window.

“Alright, you heard her,” Tiana announced. “Scrimmage. No rules.”

Annie looked skeptical. “Shouldn’t we do some drills? Work on our passing?”

“Or our footwork, it was atrocious last season…”

The group descended into squabbling about what the real problem was, and Tiana looked like she was on the verge of giving up. That scared Mirabel. If they didn’t have Tiana taking charge… 

“Guys,” Mirabel began, but nobody listened to her. “Guys!” she tried again. “EVERYONE SHUT UP!”

The team froze, and now it was just Mirabel, looking a little bit terrified.

“What?” Tiana asked skeptically.

“Let’s just give it a chance.”

And, strangely, everyone… listened? They nodded and made their way out to the field, and Tiana even patted Mirabel on the shoulder and mouthed, Thank you.

Had Mirabel really just done that? She’d never seen herself as a leader, as someone who took charge. But everything was strange lately. She saw Giselle in the hallways and smiled at her. She got home late from practice and shoveled dinner in her mouth before cramming in as much studying as she could, barely seeing her father. And now, it seemed, she yelled at people at practice.

Mirabel didn’t know what to make of it. But she did know how to lace up her cleats and get back out there. 

70 minutes

The pressure was starting to mount. By Mirabel’s estimation, they were more than halfway through the second half of the game. Scoring was a tall order. Scoring twice was a taller order. But Mirabel was trying not to think about that. 

Coach always said not to look at the clock. That if you looked while you were ahead, you played cautiously or lazily. And if you looked when you were behind, you got panicked. Just breathe, Mirabel reminded herself.

“Hey,” Annie whispered, jogging over to her as they reset for a throw-in. “Just remember. Like we’re eight.”

And that day at practice came flooding back to Mirabel, the day Coach had abandoned them to play the most chaotic scrimmage they’d ever played. There was offsides and bunching and wildshots that had no chance of making it in the goal. And in the end, they’d all wound up lying on the ground, laughing harder than they’d ever laughed before. 

The Phoenixes had won after that practice, and it felt like a new beginning, even though they’d won once or twice before. 

The Shark threw the ball in, and Mirabel did something reckless that she rarely did: she leapt for the ball, positioning her forehead right under it, without much regard for where it was going after that. Mirabel trusted Annie to get it. And she did, charging down the field past the Sharks. 

It didn’t take long for the rest of the players to catch up, but one of those players was Tiana, and she was deadly in the end zone. When she slipped the ball past the goal line, the world seemed to erupt. 

Tied. With… actually, Mirabel had no idea how much time they had left. It was just like being eight years old, playing in the backyard.

25 Days Before the Big Game

“The good news is that we’re in contention for the divisional match, now that the Panthers are out,” Coach explained, crossing the word off of the whiteboard in the locker room. The team watched, laser-focused. 

“What’s the bad news?” Annie piped up. 

Coach looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well,when people say there’s good news, there’s usually bad news, too.”

“Oh…” Coach said, frown deepening. “Well, the bad news, I suppose, is that you shouldn’t get too excited. Anything can happen at any moment. We can only control the things we can control. Which is practice, practice, practice, and most of all…”

“Conditioning!” everyone groaned.

Coach smiled a rare, mischievous smile. “Now you’re getting it.”

84 Minutes

A single goal stood between the Phoenixes and the divisional title. The Sharks were starting to flag, and Mirabel knew, she just knew, that it would only take one perfect opportunity. She darted back and forth around the goal line, trying to give Tiana an opening to pass her the ball.

But that didn’t happen. 

The whistle blew, and an awful shriek pierced the air. 

“Truitt is down! Oh, that looked painful…”

Mirabel’s heart dropped, and she tore across the field toward her captain. “Tiana,” she breathed.

Tiana’s face was contorted in agony, and she held her knee tightly. “I’m okay,” she whispered, even though it was obvious that nothing could be further from the truth. “I’m okay.”

“You’re not,” she said. “It’s okay. We’re going to win this. We can do it.”

Coach was already making her way across the field, and Tiana just kept shaking her head. “No,” she mumbled. “I’m fine.”

But she wasn’t. When Coach helped Tiana to her feet, she could barely put weight on the knee she’d injured. She could barely walk, much less run. 

“Wait,” Tiana said, pausing to take her captain armband off and holding it out to Mirabel. “Here.”

Mirabel stared at Tiana in shock. The captain armband? But Mirabel was just a rookie, and there were plenty of other talented people on the team! “I can’t-”

“You can,” Tiana said through gritted teeth. “Do it for me.”

14 Days Before the Big Game

One match stood between the Phoenixes and the big game. If they won on Saturday, they were in. And it was all Mirabel could think about. Coach always said to go one day at a time, one practice at a time, one game at a time. To stay focused in the moment.

But all Mirabel could think about was Saturday. And the Saturday that could, maybe, follow.

“Mirabel? Are you even listening to me?” 

Mirabel’s eyes snapped up from the plate of spaghetti that she was shoveling into her mouth to meet her dad’s gaze. “Huh?”

He sighed. “That’s what I thought.”

“What?” Mirabel said, confused at his obvious irritation. “What is it?”

“I was saying that I think you’re a little too focused on this soccer thing. I know the plan was to get in shape before track season, but tryouts are coming up, and I haven’t seen you practicing.”

Mirabel’s eyes went wide. It was true. She’d been so focused on soccer that she hadn’t even thought about track. Or when she did think about it, she was thinking about how much more she liked soccer. Mirabel had only ever gotten into track because of her dad— because he’d been a track star, the incredible Montgomery “Lightning” McQueen, before an injury in college had ruined his career before it really got off the ground.

Maybe track wasn’t her dream after all. Maybe it was his.

“Dad…” Mirabel said hesitantly. “I might… want to stick with soccer.”

The hurt registered on Lightning’s face. “What? Since when?”

“Since… well, a while now. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Mirabel said quietly. “Look- if we make it to the divisional game, will you come? Then you can see what I’m talking about. If we don’t, I’ll get right back to training for track. But I really want you to see this.

But Lightning’s expression was inscrutable. “I’ll try,” he said. 

89 Minutes

Mirabel had no idea how much time was left. The whistle was going to blow at any moment, she knew. The pressure was on, the crowd was riotous, and time was ticking. Somewhere on the sideline, Tiana and Coach were watching. Out in the bleachers, Mirabel could see Giselle watching, too.

And then she locked eyes with him. Dad, Mirabel thought. 

A new energy seemed to infuse her, and Mirabel charged at Aquata Triton, who was racing down the field with the ball. Not so fast, Mirabel smirked at her silently. She pretended to miss a swipe for the ball with her foot, then quickly pulled the ball backward with her cleat just when Aquata had thought she’d won the mini-battle. The momentum did throw Mirabel off her balance, but she only hit the ground once she’d managed to tap the ball back to Annie, who charged forward with it. 

The crowd roared. Mirabel picked herself back up, ignoring the dirty look Triton had shot her, and raced after Annie to give her another opening. Annie expertly navigated the defense, practically running circles around them.

The goalie dove too early, and a defender closed in to block Annie from the net. But Mirabel had made it to the penalty line without anyone noticing her, and Annie passed her the ball.

Mirabel closed her eyes. She said a little prayer. 

“AND JUST AS THE WHISTLE BLOWS, MADRIGAL GETS THE JOB DONE!” Phineas Flynn announced, and once again, Mirabel was on the ground— but this time, it wasn’t her own doing. Mirabel’s teammates piled on top of her, a loud, sweaty, jubilant tangle of limbs. Mirabel wanted to stay in this moment forever.

2 Days Before the Big Game

“Giselle!” Mirabel jogged over to her in the hallway. “Here’s your book. Finished rereading it. Somehow.”

Giselle turned around, grinning. “I’m surprised you had time, with all the practices.”

“Me too,” Mirabel admitted. “I guess I make time for important stuff.”

“Good to know.” Giselle paused, once hand on the book, just looking at Mirabel. Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the artificial lighting of the hallway. “When’s the big game?”

“Two days.”

“Good luck.” Giselle kissed her on the cheek and walked away, and Mirabel just stood there, dumbfounded once again. 

Stoppage Time

The next thirty seconds built up slowly but steadily, pressure building like a firework getting ready to explode. They just had to hold off the Sharks until the whistle blew again, and that knowledge seemed to fuel the team with a new fire. They’d already done the hard work. They couldn’t lose now.

And when the whistle did blow, and Mirabel saw her father jump up off his seat and Coach Peterson throw her clipboard in a rare show of emotion and Tiana burst into tears, the world seemed to move in slow motion. Mirabel’s teammates crowded around her again and hoisted her onto their shoulders as the sun started to dip down, bathing everything in a beautiful golden light.

From her vantage point, Mirabel could see one more person she’d been looking for.

“Okay, okay,” Mirabel chuckled. “Put me down!”

And once her cleats hit the grass, Mirabel managed to get her jelly-legs to run to the bleachers, ignoring her exhaustion. She didn’t have to make it much further than that, because Giselle ran down the steps and kissed her while Mirabel’s teammates whooped.

It wasn’t a championship. There was no trophy. There wasn’t even a medal. But Mirabel didn’t care. She didn’t need a physical memento to remember this moment. She knew she could never forget it.

[annyeojin]

IU: K-pop의 공주와 한국의 여동생

(IU: The Princess of K-pop and Korea's Little Sister)

(a research paper I did for extra credit)

"If you work hard, eventually you will succeed and have people support you," Says Lee Jieun, known as IU professionally, is your idol’s idol. The Princess of k-pop, and “Korea’s little sister”. But who is she actually? 

IU was born in Songjeong-dong, Seoul, South Korea. When she was very young, her parents, struggling financially, sent IU and her younger brother to live with their grandmother. The three of them, along with IU's cousin, lived in a one-bedroom, cockroach-infested apartment. Reflecting on this difficult time, IU shared in an interview:

"In this tiny room, I lived with my grandmother, cousin, and brother. It was always cold, and we never had enough to eat." Despite her challenging circumstances, IU was determined to be a beacon of hope for her family. She dreamed of becoming a famous singer to provide for them.

IU pursued her dream with relentless dedication. She attended every audition she could, often using the little money her grandmother earned from selling clothes on the streets. However, the road to success was far from smooth. 

"I went to about 20 auditions," IU recalled in an interview. "I failed all 20 times."

Despite the repeated rejections, IU remained undeterred. After one particularly disheartening audition, she declared, "Even if I fail here, I’ll keep going until I get accepted. Thank you!" 

Unfortunately, IU’s perseverance made her a target for scammers. Her grandmother had saved a substantial amount of money, only to be duped by a fraudulent "company."

In 2007, IU’s hard work finally paid off when she was accepted into LOEN Entertainment (now KAKAO M Entertainment) as a trainee. She made her debut under the stage name "IU," which stands for "I and You become one through music," on September 18, 2008, at just 15 years old. While it’s not uncommon for 14-year-olds to debut in idol groups today, IU was one of the few to do so at such a young age back then. Her debut album, Lost and Found, with its title track "Lost Child," earned her the "Rookie of the Month" award in November, but the album was not a commercial success. IU herself later admitted that it was a failure.

Despite her powerful and emotional vocals, it was difficult for IU to gain popularity and attract a fanbase. She performed wherever she could, even at a horse racetrack, in an effort to get her name out there.

"Who is she?" remarked two spectators at one of her racetrack performances. "I think she’s that singer, IU."

In an interview, IU admitted that the harsh criticisms she faced sometimes made her want to quit.

"I started singing my songs, but as soon as I began the first line, curses flew at me. They shouted, 'Did you even practice?' and someone even yelled, 'You are a pig!'" she shared on the show Seungseung Janggu.

However, IU chose to focus on the few fans who supported her rather than on her detractors.

"A lone girl cheered me on, screaming her lungs out," IU said after winning an award. "I would like to thank her for her support!"

As IU continued to show appreciation for her fans and maintained her determination to succeed, she gradually became a household name in Korea.

The year after her debut, IU changed her concept and released two albums: Growing Up in April and IU...IM in November. The title tracks "Boo" and "Marshmallow" were upbeat and sweet, contrasting with the melancholy ballad "Lost Child." Both albums were well-received, and IU began to gain more recognition, even appearing on entertainment shows. She also recorded her first soundtracks for the K-dramas Strike Love and Queen Seondeok.

In December 2010, IU released her fourth album, Real, featuring the title track "Good Day," which became one of her most famous songs. "Good Day" topped the Gaon Digital Charts for five consecutive weeks and was named the best K-pop song of 2010 by Billboard Magazine. The song remains one of the best-selling singles in South Korea to this day.

"Good Day" is particularly known for the three high notes IU sings in semitones during the song's climax, a feat that many other singers find challenging to replicate. IU received widespread acclaim for her vocal talent, which she continues to showcase in her music.

In November 2011, IU nearly surpassed the success of Real with her new album Last Fantasy. Eight of the thirteen songs from Last Fantasy placed in the Top 10 of the Gaon Digital Charts, and the album itself topped the Gaon Album Charts. The title track "You & I" sold over 5.5 million digital copies, almost a million more than "Good Day." It also topped both the Gaon Charts and the newly introduced Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 Charts.

Over the following years, IU continued to release hit after hit, including "The Red Shoes" from Modern Times (2013), "Friday" from Modern Times - Epilogue (2013), and "My Old Story" from A Flower Bookmark (2014). Her B-side tracks also frequently placed in the top 10 of the charts.

IU's album Cat-Shire, released on October 23, 2015, marked a new milestone in her career. She was more involved in the creative process than ever before, writing the lyrics for all nine tracks, composing the music for five of them, and being listed as a producer. The album's title track "Twenty-Three" reached the top of the Korean charts, and several other songs from the album placed in the top 10.

IU's album Love Poem was originally scheduled for release on November 1, 2019, but it was postponed to November 18 after the passing of her close friend Sulli, a former member of the girl group f(x). Sadly, just a few weeks later, another close friend of IU, Goo Hara, also took her own life on November 24. IU was performing a concert when she received the heartbreaking news.

Fans were understandably concerned for IU, especially since another close friend, SHINee's Jonghyun, had also taken his own life in 2017. Despite these tragedies, IU remained strong. She confirmed a film role in January 2020 and released new music in February, including a soundtrack for the hit drama Crash Landing On You.

On May 6, 2020, IU released the single "Eight," co-produced and sung with BTS's Suga. The song conveys a nostalgic mood, with lyrics that reflect on memories and longing. The partially animated music video features IU tearfully watching a girl fly away on a dragon. Many fans interpret this as a tribute to her deceased friends, with the dragon representing Jonghyun, often referred to as "Dino," and the girl symbolizing Sulli. Although IU has not confirmed this interpretation, "Eight" remains a song that deeply resonates with her fans.

On March 25, 2021, IU released her album Lilac, with the title song of the same name. In the language of flowers, "Lilac" means "memories of youth," symbolizing IU's farewell to her twenties and her embrace of her thirties.

In October 2021, IU released the single "Strawberry Moon" before closing the year with the special album Pieces. Released on December 29, Pieces features five previously unreleased songs, some of which IU had written two to three years earlier but had not yet shared with her fans.

IU's acting career began in 2011 when she starred in the K-drama Dream High. Filming took place from December 2010 to February 2011, just as IU's song "Good Day" was taking off. In the drama, IU played a student at Kirin High, a school for aspiring idols. She also recorded the song "Someday" for the series, which topped the charts and became one of her best-selling soundtracks.

IU's acting talents were soon recognized, leading to numerous cameos in movies and dramas, including the second season of Dream High. She continued to build her acting career, starring in films like Shades of the Heart (2021) as Mi-Yeong, Broker (2022) as So-Young, and the four-episode series Persona, which features four different storylines written and directed by four different directors. Her notable dramas include the historical fantasy romance Moon Lovers and the fantasy drama Hotel Del Luna. Hotel Del Luna, which aired in the second half of 2019, remains her most recent acting role, and fans eagerly await her return to the screen.

In addition to her music and acting careers, IU has been a dedicated ambassador for various causes. In 2013, she was appointed the ambassador for South Korea’s National Police Agency in its anti-bullying campaigns and was made an honorary member of the police force. She is also the honorary ambassador for EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea and serves as a brand ambassador for Estée Lauder, among others.

IU has also received an impressive total of 25 awards, including three Daesang awards, which are considered the highest honor bestowed upon a solo artist or group. Among the awards she has earned are:

- The 2018 Asia Artist Awards' StarPay Popularity Award (TV/Film)

- 2018 Asia Hottest Award (TV/Film)

- 2018 Artist of the Year Award (TV/Film)

- 2018 Best Actor Award

In addition, she won the 2021 Best Female Artist Award and the 2021 Best Vocal Performance Award for her hit song "Celebrity.".

IU’s story is proof that with perseverance, kindness and determination, one can achieve success.

NOTES:

•Playlist with all of the albums and songs mentioned to be added

•Citations in progress at this exact moment

[news4usonline]

‘Disruptive’ Jared Verse is Rams' first pick

HERMOSA BEACH - The Los Angeles Rams got it right last year. After doing some home purging of their roster, the Rams went the way of the NFL Draft to shore up their personnel. The Rams went with the youth movement.  The strategy paid off for head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead.  The Rams had 14 draft picks in 20223. All 14 of those draft picks wound up making the team. Several players, including defensive tackle Kobie Turner, offensive lineman Steve Avila, and wide receiver Puka Nacua produced stellar rookie debuts. 

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 04: Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) rushes on defense during a college football game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on November 04, 2023 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire) The challenge for the Rams has been magnified with the retirement of star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Even at the quarterback position with starter Matthew Stafford and backup Jimmy Garoppolo, another signal-caller would add more youth to that quarterback room.  The Rams came into the 2024 draft coming off a year in which they made a surprising playoff run, losing out to NFC Conference runner-up Detroit Lions. And so with the 19th overall pick in the draft this year, the Rams made Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse their selection.  “It’s a dream come true,” Verse said duing a Zoom press call with reporters. “You work your whole life for this moment. I talked to the Rams throughout the process. Last week I got to meet with them again and do one last interview with them and it felt like the right thing. As you go on, as you go through the whole process and hear them call my name with that Los Angeles Rams attached to it. Woo! Dream come true.” The hole on the defensive line created by the retirement of Donald simply called for the Rams to fill that void immediately. In his two seasons playing for the Seminoles, Verse recorded 18 sacks and 29.5 tackles for losses.  At 6-foot-4 and 254 pounds, Verse has the size to play at the NFL level.  His ability to create havoc in the offensive backfield could be attributed to the motor he has thanks to his track background. At the NFL Combine, Verse posted a 40-yard time of 4.58 seconds.  “It helps your footwork a lot because you can't make false steps,” Verse said. “If you make false steps in track, they don't care how fast you are, but in high school you might be able to get away. When you face top level competition your form has to be perfect, especially on the later runs like the 100 to 200 to 400, your strides become very important.”  “That's why when a quarterback or a running back gets of out the pocket, I have faith in my speed and my form to be able to catch up to him and do something like that. Even if they may be faster, their form is not better than mine,” he added.  Verse is the first player to be selected by the Rams in the first round since 2016. That was the year the Rams made Jared Goff, now the starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions, the face of their franchise.  The Rams have moved on from the Goff experiment and have won a Super Bowl since then with Matthew Stafford manning the quarterback position.  "The way he plays the game, from the first snap to the last snap of the game, he wears people down." ?? Coach McVay on @JaredVerse1 pic.twitter.com/Dpmsi4TFxm— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 26, 2024 The Rams want to make another Super Bowl run with Stafford. That means surrounding the veteran quarterback with all the right pieces to enable that to take place. Filling in the gap left behind by Donald was of the highest priority for the Rams. According to the overview of his draft profile, Verse is described as being “twitchy and compact, with explosiveness featured at the point of attack.” Translation: Verse is a disruptor, which McVay likes.   “He's got great hands. He's violent,” McVay said. “He's got a versatile arsenal of moves that he can activate, but he plays the game the way that we want it to be played. We're looking for grown men on defense and I think you've seen a lot of the guys that we've added through free agency and then with the first pick tonight, he was one of the guys that we had targeted and feel really good coming away with him. He's going to make a big impact.” One of the things that has Snead impressed with Verse is his passion for the game.  “The cool thing about him is where he started (at) Albany, transferred to Florida State," Snead said. "Might have gone about where he went tonight last year, but he decided to stay back. I can tell you about him. He's just one of those guys that you want to just watch another game on because you can tell he cares about football. He has fun playing football and oh, by the way, he's pretty disruptive, violent. You think defense, the way he plays is next to the word in the dictionary.” Top Image Caption: CHESTNUT HILL, MA - SEPTEMBER 16: Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) in action during the college football game between Florida State Seminoles and Boston College Eagles on September 16, 2023, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire) Read the full article

[digitaltariq]

Kari Lake, a Trump Acolyte, Struggles to Discover Her Path

Kari Lake opened her Senate run in Arizona displaying each intention of shedding the trimmings of the Trumpism that made her a star in conservative circles however price her the governor’s race two years in the past: unfounded claims of election fraud, ruthless assaults on fellow Republicans and obsequious tributes to former President Donald J. Trump. Ms. Lake, a former tv anchor, has reached out to her critics. She has sought to attraction to the Republican institution in ways in which Mr. Trump has not, framing his Make America Nice Once more motion as a pure evolution of Reaganism, which attracted legions of voters to the get together extra 40 years in the past. And he or she has moderated her message on abortion, opposing a federal ban on the process she as soon as referred to as “the last word sin.” However after six months as a Senate candidate, she is struggling to stroll away from the controversial positions which have turned off independents and alienated potential allies, lashing out in ways in which Republicans now backing her marketing campaign have warned will lead to one other defeat. At a marketing campaign occasion final week in Cave Creek, Ariz., she introduced plans to proceed her authorized challenges to her 2022 election loss, castigated Republicans as cowards who didn't help her struggle and claimed, with out proof, that Democrats have been orchestrating illicit voting schemes involving undocumented immigrants. “That’s the one means they will win — with illegals voting,” Ms. Lake stated. Ms. Lake constructed a nationwide political persona in remarkably quick order with applause traces that electrified each nook of MAGA Nation. Now, in her second high-profile battleground marketing campaign in as a few years, her try and mood her method sufficient to win a Senate seat is proving to be a tough activity, even for somebody with communication abilities polished after a long time within the native TV information enterprise. Many reasonable Republicans in Arizona stay against her bid, criticizing Ms. Lake’s overtures as insufficient and insincere. Some conservatives who supported her in 2022 have voiced considerations about her authenticity and questioned her capacity to win in November. “Kari Lake is making a variety of rookie errors, and also you simply don’t know what you’re going to get along with her or the place she’s going to land,” stated Dan Farley, the president of the Arizona Tea Social gathering and a former supporter who's now backing her major opponent, Sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County. “She’s a strong power however form of like a bazooka missing intention. She’s blowing up her personal storage as a substitute of enemies within the driveway.” Public polls present Ms. Lake as a transparent favourite in opposition to Mr. Lamb. She can be inside hanging distance of Consultant Ruben Gallego, the front-runner for the Democratic Senate nomination. The race for the seat, which is being vacated by Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an unbiased, is considered one of solely a handful this yr anticipated to find out management of the carefully divided chamber. Republicans in Washington, desirous to win again a seat the get together held for 14 years earlier than Ms. Sinema gained it in 2018 as a Democrat, have rallied round Ms. Lake, who has been endorsed by get together leaders within the Senate. Mr. Trump has additionally backed her marketing campaign. However Ms. Lake nonetheless faces a tricky promote inside her personal get together. In a poll final month from Noble Predictive Insights, 27 p.c of Republicans stated that they had a detrimental view of Ms. Lake, greater than double the share of Democrats who stated the identical about Mr. Gallego. Amongst all Arizona voters, 49 p.c had a detrimental opinion about Ms. Lake in contrast with 40 p.c who seen her positively. Ms. Lake’s workforce highlighted her public attraction and her profitable fund-raising efforts. She raised about $2.3 million in her first three months as a candidate, one of many strongest showings for any Republican. A lot of that complete got here from small donations, signaling sturdy grass-roots help. “We've got a tremendous alternative to deliver our nation collectively below conservative beliefs,” Ms. Lake stated in an interview. “I’m assembly with folks on a regular basis who haven't been Trumpers. I sit down with them, and I’m not altering who I'm. I’m saying, ‘Look, we agree on this, this and this.’” The open query is whether or not Ms. Lake can forgo the conservative crowd-pleasers lengthy sufficient to speak that message convincingly. Jeff Fleetham, an Arizona Republican who was a Trump delegate on the previous two Republican Nationwide Conventions, backed Ms. Lake two years in the past however stated he didn't suppose she may transfer on from previous fights. If she wins his get together’s nomination, he stated, he is not going to vote within the race, which might be the primary time he has skipped voting in a contest with a Republican candidate. “She appears to only need the limelight,” stated Mr. Fleetham, who's backing Mr. Lamb within the major. “She will be able to’t be trusted in something she says or does.” Mr. Lamb, who gained nationwide consideration by refusing to implement stay-at-home orders in the course of the coronavirus pandemic, stated in an interview that he was campaigning on his expertise as a sheriff of a county on the U.S.-Mexico border, including that Ms. Lake’s endorsement from Washington Republicans would backfire. “To have the individuals who screwed up this nation backing you shouldn't be taking part in nicely in Arizona,” Mr. Lamb stated. Ms. Lake has reached out to considered one of Mr. Lamb’s supporters, former Consultant Matt Salmon, who ran in opposition to Ms. Lake in 2022. Mr. Salmon stated he ignored a textual content message from Ms. Lake final month, which got here days after she mocked him throughout a radio interview for refusing to fulfill along with her. “There’s nothing genuine about her,” Mr. Salmon stated. “She touts her endorsements, however two years in the past she would have criticized anybody with those self same endorsements and declared them swamp creatures.” At her rally in Cave Creek final week, a few of Ms. Lake’s supporters stated she ought to drop her false claims that she had been cheated out of the governorship in 2022. “It alienates lots of people,” stated Julee Miller, 47, of North Phoenix. “It’d be good if she tries to tone down slightly bit, compromise right here or there.” However others stated the problem demonstrated her combating spirit. “Amp it up — we like that,” stated Gary Savage, 67, of Cave Creek. “The alternative of an election denier is anyone in the dead of night.” Read the full article