#Dreaming's LTAs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kingsvk · 5 months

Text

Ivan King Kráľ - interview (December 2023)

How are you doing? How does it feel having this epic retrospective album come out?

IVAN KING KRÁĽ - Retrospective 1993 - 2023. This is the title of a personal digipak CD compilation - release date October 31, 2023 by Sliptrick records (LTA). This compilation charts my 30 years on the music scene as a composer, keyboardist and lyricist. I have been present at everything important that has happened on the Slovak metal scene. I have influenced bands like Protest, Editor, Mystic Death, Galadriel, Lunatic Gods, participated in recording of their debut albums as a member of the band or as a guest. Over time, these names have become legends. With my music project King SVK, I keep the imaginary metal flag flying.

When I recall the events of the past, I realize how deeply they have affected my being. I know that the past was not an illusion and through the present I will draw from it the knowledge, strength and inspiration to shape a successful future. It is wonderful to become aware of yourself, your words and actions - your SELF. To evaluate whether dreams, desires have come true. The past must therefore be seen as a stepping stone.

2. Where did the idea originate? It reminds me of how I put together my "favorites playlist" of musicians and all their works.

Exactly. Something similar is going on with this compilation. The goal was not for me to become a collector of my own CDs, but for my work over the last 30 years to be sorted out by the fans, or made known to the general public.

3. Let's start with the Protest song, "Abandoned Love," this was such a unique album, the artwork as well- what was it like being a part of this?

The term - artwork is very apt - it describes a lot. Since the beginning of my career I have been trying to make valuable material within music. Protest was created in 1989. Death metal and keyboards - this combination is fascinating. We were influenced by bands like The Gathering, Nocturnus. CD What For Name, When Hunanity Is Dying... (1995) was one of the first in the death metal genre in Slovakia and for some time the best seller on Metal Age Productions (SVK). The lyrics of this song were written by me. The band managed to release 3 studio albums.

4. How did you come to guest on the debut full length for Galadriel?

It's an interesting life story. It was 1994 and I was working as a teacher at the Secondary vocational school of polygraphy in Bratislava - Rača. This was attended by a then 16-year-old pupil Dodo Ďatel (vocal & bass guitar). We talked about music and became friends. He mentioned to me that he founded the band Trojan Warrior, which he later renamed tolkien's GALADRIEL (1995). Spontaneously, the decision to collaborate was made. I helped my friends considerably by playing the keys. Also with valuable advice during the recording & mixing of the songs. Empire Of Emptiness (1997) was released on Unknown Territory (UK). The band has released 7 studio albums. The musical direction was doom - dark metal.

5. Mystic Death was more of a change in style, with the black metal sound what was it like working with them?

I like black metal and I try to incorporate its elements into King SVK's work even today. When I heard that the agile Metal Age productions label is planning to release an album by another Martin band, I was intrigued. I had created sequencer intros at that time and I was wondering how to use them. When I offered the guys to use them, the deal was immediately done. During rehearsals we adapted everything as needed. I helped a lot in arranging the songs. Some of the songs were long, the riffs were pointlessly repetitive. That's why they were edited - shortened. The Voices Of The Obscure World album was released in 1997. I remember Blackmoon's review in Spark magazine (CZ). He shouted in amazement: "This is food! Great keyboards, those melodies!" Big Boss, frontman of ROOT, had this to say about the band: "In my opinion, MYSTIC DEATH is the only band from the CS scene whose music sounds like black metal." The album has not been surpassed to this day and has become a cult hit. However, the main reasons for the band's break-up were: personal problems and lack of time to devote to the band. Track Deathbreath In The Northen Sky is included on the exclusive compilation Ivan King Kráľ - Retrospective 1993 - 2023 at https://kingsvk.bandcamp.com/.

6. Let's discuss Editor and their place in Slovakian thrash metal history. Why was "Escape" chosen as a cover?

The beginnings of EDITOR (1988) were marked by Thrash metal, Hardcore and the band was one of the pioneers of this musical style in Slovakia. Only Milan "Doctor" Jakubík (vocals) remained from the original line-up. The group has released 8 studio albums to date. Metallica's cover song Escape was exclusively recorded in Shaark studio, Bzenec for TAGA records (CZ). It was released as a compilation CD, as a tribute to Cliff Burton - 10 Years After... (1996). I participated in the recording as a guest musician and friend of the band. Escape is one of the underrated tracks, this version makes a fresh impression. It is part of the exclusive Ivan King Kráľ - Retrospective 1993 - 2023 compilation at https://kingsvk.bandcamp.com/.

7. I was always a fan of Lunatic Gods and appreciated the original sound and creativity of the band- how did you help establish their career and get them going?

While recording Inhuman & Insensible (1996) in the studio, it began to dawn on us that an unusual record was being made. We put the energy from our fans into further work and the second album, Sitting By The Fire (1998), was born. As time went on, differences of opinion surfaced among the band members as to what direction the band should take in the future. I was pushing for a radical move upwards, but this was not met with understanding. I was disappointed. I felt at the time we had a chance to break into the metal elite. In 2000 I left the band after 7 years. The decision was not easy. The band has released 8 studio albums. Today L.G.'s work is oriented towards Slavic folk-metal. There are two original members. The drummer Martin 'Marthus' Škaroupka (Cradle Of Filth) is an interesting addition.

8. You worked with Pavel 'Hirax' & Fero 'Psycho' in different bands please inform our readers what it was like collaborating with them?

Yeah. I must commend you for this knowledge. These bands were Editor, Protest and Bestialit - Lunatic Gods. Hirax (guitar) & Psycho (drums) were self-taught and inseparable friends from the Priekopa housing estate in Martin. They came from a bunch who were fans of metal music and together they used to buy records of metal bands. In the 1980s they used to go to stock exchanges and buy vinyl records. Hirax wrote about this time and the different experiences - he published a book: Always ready! I put together an internet project: The history of Martin's metal in interviews (1985 - 2010).

The musical collaboration with the two of them was good. They took me in and together we plunged headlong into making music. Gradually we got better and better. We had a good momentum going, we were great together. Personally, I wanted to make punchy, fast songs with keys: something in the style of Slayer. Hirax, on the other hand, had a plan to start making complex, multi-minute epic songs (he liked progressive rock - a band from Brno, Progres 2). In 2000 we had a difference of opinion on this issue. Today Hirax has his own band called RAMCHAT (Pagan death metal). Psycho is no longer musically active, he lives a solitary civilian life and carries his soul with him in a leather bag.

9. Then of course we have the King SVK albums how would you describe your work and the sound you have established?

The album New Aeon was not made in haste. A lot of time and effort was devoted to the arrangement of the songs, sound direction and mixing. The songs from this album have the potential to win many fans. All the reviews for the album have been fantastic. The album was released on CD by Sliptrick records, an Italian label based in Latvia, on 22 October 2019. The possibilities to work with the sound are great, guitarist Norbert Ferencz has a lot of credit for the final sound version. We want to continue to be original in this.

10. I love the New Aeon album- have you written new songs since its release? When will you have new music coming out?

New Aeon is a great album and to top it will be a challenge. There are 10 original songs and 2 covers by Death: Voice Of The Soul & Crystal Mountain. The themes of the lyrics will deal with Greek mythology, WW2. The new, 4th in line album will be released in 2025. It will be preceded by a single with a music video. I'm currently in talks with singer Tim 'Ripper' Owens as a guest vocalist. Hopefully a deal will come together and he will agree to collaborate.

11. Looking back on your career - what are you most proud of? What is your biggest accomplishment so far?

I've performed at big festivals, e.g. Dynamo North Power Jam Litoměřice (1998). I have played 200 live shows with Lunatic Gods and Metal Hammer CS magazine named the best metal band in the Czech republic and Slovakia (1997). To date I have a total of 9 full-length albums with various bands. With the King SVK project I am constantly going up in quality.

To conclude the quote from Nikola Tesla: "Everything is light. And think of this: The man who ever existed did not die."

#kingsvk #Ivankingkráľ #Ivankingkral #metal

0 notes

b2bcybersecurity · 2 years

Text

Webinar 16. November 2022: Bulletproof Recovery

Veeam und FAST LTA laden ein zum gemeinsamen kostenlosen Webinar am 16. November 2022 ab 10:00 Uhr zum Thema „Bulletproof Recovery“. Denn ohne funktionierendes Recovery ist das beste Backup keinen Pfifferling wert. Backup ist ein feines Konzept, bei dem leider allzu oft die entscheidende Komponente vernachlässigt wird: ohne funktionierenden Recovery nutzt ein Backup gar nichts. Deshalb müssen Unternehmen und Behörden die Funktion und Zuverlässigkeit ihrer Backup- und Recovery-Strategie regelmäßig unter Realbedingungen testen. Alles ist nichts ohne Recovery: Machen Sie Ihre Veeam-Backups immutable! Die Maßnahmen, die zu einer hundertprozentigen "bulletproof" Recovery-Strategie führen, bestimmen maßgeblich Komplexität, Performance und Kosten der Backup-Infrastruktur. Gemeinsam mit dem Marktführer für Backup- und Recovery-Software, Veeam, stellen wir Ihnen die aktuellen Entwicklungen im Bereich Datensicherung vor. Das Dream Team in Sachen Backup & Recovery Im kostenlosen Webinar zeigen Ihnen die Experten von Veeam und FAST LTA, wie eine „bulletproof“ Recovery-Strategie mit Veeam Software und Silent Bricks aussehen kann und welche enormen Vorteile Sie aus dieser bewährten Verbindung ziehen können. Unter anderem beantworten wir auch folgende Fragen: - Ist Ransomware immer noch ein Thema? - Wie schütze ich meine Backups? - Wie kann ich mein altes Tape-Backup ablösen – und warum sollte ich das tun? - Was gibt es Neues in der Veeam V12 in Verbindung mit FAST LTA Silent Bricks? Außerdem stellen wir uns Ihren Fragen und gehen gerne auf Ihre spezielle Problematik ein. Unsere Referenten Die Registrierung und die Teilnahme am Webinar ist kostenlos. Passende Artikel zum Thema Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel

0 notes

criticallycritiqued · 7 years

Text

Let’s Talk About [Shimoneta]

R/N: 3/6 Halfway there!

While I was sick, I managed to finish two anime. Shimoneta or Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Don’t Exist, is one of my favorite, anime, easily making it into my Top 20. This show was honestly a joy to watch, even if I did feel that some of the nudity could be just fanservice without the framing behind it all. (Plus we get plenty of guyservice as well as chickservice, so I was happy either way) Shimoneta, and No Game No Life. We’ll get to NGNL in the next post, so let’s focus on Shimoneta.

Shimoneta looks like this:

For further reference if you care about stuff like this. ^

Plot: Shimoneta takes place sixteen years after Japan passed severe censorship laws making it illegal to talk about anything obscene. This means that any foul language, pornography, sexually explicit images, or even mention of the correct medical terms for certain "obscene" body parts have been outlawed. We follow our protagonist (who is refreshing to me, I’ll get to that in a bit) Tanukichi Okuma who meets up with an “ero terrorist” as he tries to haul his ass to school. This ero terrorist is named "Blue Tundra" AKA Ayame Kajou- one of the girls on the student council. She recruits Tanukichi into SOX (her terrorist organization) via a bit of blackmail, and shenanigans occur, such as: showing video of fly porn to a student body to get them into sex, standing up to panty thieves that have hijacked 42 buses, and a scavenger hunt for porn, which has become extremely valuable. So the plot of Shimoneta is fucking hilarious, and the show delivers. The dirty jokes can be a little tiresome for some, and I understand that, but for me, Ayame’s random blurting out of dirty jokes while Tanukichi straightmans her is fucking great. Now the anime hints at a romance between Ayame and Tanukichi, but they don’t get together, so don’t hope for it. Still, the plot was easily a 9/10.

Characters: The characters are great. Ayame’s interactions with Tanukichi are some of the best I’ve seen in awhile. Alone, Ayame suffers without Tanuki in my opinion, but her scenes with Saotome and Anna are still great, but her scenes with Kosuki and Gosuki aren’t the best. Ayame’s dirty jokes are funny because she doesn’t actually know anything about sex, she just wants the freedom to day them. Her schemes are hilarious, and her chase scenes are some of the best I’ve seen in media. It’s the same with Tanuki, who while is bland, is that specific blandness that he gets better as the show goes on, like Makoto from Danganronpa. He was also super refreshing, having walked off the heels of Sora from NGNL (who is fun, but too OP) and protagonist-kun from Kakeguri (who is so bland I forgot his name) His sense of morals pre EP 4 is annoying, but Post EP 4 is funny because it’s juxtaposed against Anna, who is absolutely insane- so it doesn’t detract from his performance the main characters make this anime in ways that are so enjoyable. 8.5/10

Art:

The art was inoffensive, not the best thing I’ve seen, (my awards for art go out to Nanbaka/Jojo’s, Orange, Kimi no na wa, Kakegurui, and Made in Abyss) but it’s far from the worst. 5/10

Sound: My opinions of the music are the same as the art pretty much, but whoo boy, the ED is great! I would play that on loop for awhile because it’s just. So. Good! The OP isn’t as good, but I did let it play as I watched instead of skipping over it, which is funny because normally this situation is reversed. 6/10

Overall: Shimoneta was a funny and engaging show, that’s I’m sorry I hadn’t watched earlier. 8/10

#LTA [A]#Dreaming's LTAs #LTA [T]#Let's Talk About {Shimoneta}#CC's Anime Reviews #Anime Review: Shimoneta #2015 Show Reviews #Dreaming's Top 20 #Score: 8/10

3 notes · View notes

creativia10 · 2 years

Text

Navigation/Master post

To help get my blog more organized

Some of my current fanfic ideas I may write.

-post about a current TSS fanfic idea

Note: Please let me know if any of the links to fics on my list here aren't working. It can be through an ask. I'll redo them and see if that helps. (9/30/23)

General Prompt Guidelines (recent update)

-Owl House prompt guidelines (in addition to general guidelines)

For Beta reading:

*What I am willing to beta-read is similar to the prompt guidelines' I list

Beta Reader Inquiry (recent update as of 4/9/2023)

Polls: 1, 2

Fanart:

(My first one) Plushy Janus

Tuliptober (2022) Fics :

Endnote for End of Tuliptober

Fics:

*From Request(s):

TSS- When Virgil Can Share His Spider Love

Owl House- A Witch Bean's First Birthday

Itty Bitty Storyteller (AO3)

Playing Pretend the Human Way

Titan Dream Talk

Chaotic Reunions

Merge

From Guest to Family

Bewere the Inner Otter

Becoming a Werecat

Luz Scare-Cams

What Howls Can Also Caw

(Toh Halloween Fics) Willow versus Fear

When Supermoons Bring Forth the Bat-Fox within (Raine x Eda)

Owl House:

Ghost Caleb and Hunter series-

An Unexpected Specter Watching Over

Hexside Starts and Locker Haunts (continued from 'An Unexpected Specter Watching Over')

Retaliation and Discovery

A Cozy Movie Night with Head Scratches

Looking out for Hunter

Hunter wants Bi culture

The Flowers Tradition

First Night in the Same Room

A Duet after all these years- (Owl House au with TS characters)

The Cartoon Therapist- Cartoon Therapy/Wednesday crossover

If Rainbow Colors Shown on Soulmates

Sushi can go with Honey Mint Coolers too- Wylde Flowers (video game) fic, a note about this fic

The Effects of Bakery Aromas- Wylde Flowers

(mainly) Sanders Sides:

Recursive Fics}

Emile in the Fae Garden

Laoft Fics

The Kindness of a Glow

Patton and the Remus Plushy

Janus doesn't need a Plushy

Patton Overthinks Plushy Courtesy

Cookies, A Big Cat, and Conversations

When Quitting is Hard

Effect of Roman being in a cult job series-

When Roman Gets Into a Job Cult (part of series)

The Next Day (sequel)

(From Loceit Week 2023)- The Merits of Scientist Lab coats

Another Way (Valentine's Day)

Others in Working Through Intrusive Thoughts

From Dukeceit Week 2022:

Tattoo Trade for Damage

Hunter Janus/ Creature Remus

From Dukeceit Week 2021:

House Rivals are Just Exciting

A siren of a Black Skirt (sfw vs)

My first drabble

Better Vampire (drabble)

Project Partners (drabble)

Janus on his cameo in RSWR (drabble)

A Dance of Thought (drabble)

Logan vs Sales (drabble)

About wips

First Wip: Dukeceit Vs

Wip 2 (Avatar lta au)

Wip 3

Wip 4 (Roman and Logan switch)

#masterpost

16 notes · View notes

downlowjoe · 3 years

Text

A tale from my old LTA profile

LATE NIGHT AT THE OFFICE

I know I can get any girl at the office... especially the married ones. Ever since I started last week they've been swooning over me in one way or another, either gossiping or directly flirting, and I've rolled with it. My boss doesn't seem to like me much, or does a little too much, but the other guys are pretty chill and have similar interests so picking up a conversation comes generally easy. All things considered, this new job was turning out to be my best one yet. And I never would have had this opportunity had I decided to stick it out in my hometown for another who knows how many years. I was out here on my own dollar, but that was fine. I was my own man.

At least, I used to think that. Things have changed considerably since the last time I've been to the office; I'm yet to return. The official story is that I'm taking care of a conference overseas for Mr. Sykes, and am expected back some time next month. Something tells me that bridge'll collapse before it comes time to cross it, but I'm getting off track.

Sheila Flannery is the owner of the company, and while she's been said to stop in every now and again to check on her main office here in Gronsville, she's usually out of state co-designing or promoting the next article of clothing from her fashion line. So far out of my realm I'd be bored to tears listening to the intricacies, but as long as my boss's boss wasn't breathing down my neck all the damn time, she could be selling pet rocks for all I cared.

Mr. Sykes is the one who hired me and the one I report to. My official job description is 'personal assistant'. Sometimes I work the phones with the others, sometimes I work the desk when Amy habitually calls out sick, but most of the time I'm going back and forth, fetching Sykes this, doing that for him, usually the dirty work he doesn't feel like doing. I was working the floor the day it happened, cranking those calls out till late at night. Was so focused on making that caller's commission that I hadn't noticed everyone was gone until Johnny tapped my shoulder to give me a fist bump on his way out.

I checked the clock as he strolled down the hall and disappeared into one of the elevators. 12:54. How?? I peeked over the tops of the cubicles and saw that I was indeed the last one left. Well, all except for Mr. Sykes. That's when I decided I ought to take off too. I'd had a pretty weird encounter with Sykes in the men's bathroom earlier that day and didn't need to make those types of experiences a habit. However, I wasn't exactly in the healthiest of mind states when I left Oakwood to come to the big city, what with everyone I knew making me feel like a freak for having dreams and aspirations outside of living the clearly unhappy life my parents led. I had no one, and was still regaining my confidence, and so really knew no one either. I was on my own out here, and if I lost that job, I didn't know what would happen.

There was no escape for me though. Sykes must've knew his little promise of bonus commission would give me more than enough incentive to work until way late. He had me right where he wanted me. And I was too foolish, or spineless, to simply walk away from that job and leave my fate to chance. He called me into his office and I followed his orders. In retrospect, that dynamic seemed to have existed between us since my first day there. Sykes knew what he was doing the day he hired me.

There was a leather couch in his office that he was known to sleep on when he was too tired to drive home. He'd leave the office early in the morning, then return freshly showered and ready to go. I'd probably do the same thing if I was the manager. For whatever reason, the couch was pushed up against the wall so that the back was facing his desk on the other side of the room. Maybe it was so he didn't fall off during one of his power naps. Who knows? All I do know is that he said something about having dropped his company ring and seeing it roll under the couch, and if I could try to reach it.

I thought about moving the couch to check, but decided against it. Last thing I needed was some outburst about scuffing up the hardwood or some other BS. I got down on my hands and knees and angled my head for a peek. Nothing. Well, it was kinda dark wasn't it? Maybe I should try my phone. Sykes got up from his desk as I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell and hit the button for the light. There was a click of him locking the door, but I didn't think much of it. Was so focused on angling the light underneath the couch that I hadn't noticed him draw the blinds closed either. Then the light bounced off something shiny.

"Hey, I found your ri-"

Sykes was suddenly on top of me. I struggled to get out of his grasp, but he was a lot stronger than he looked. There was no way I could get leverage with his knees on the back of mine and his hand pinning my head against the floor. I tried to scream, but he stuffed his sweaty socks in my mouth and everything came out muffled. He worked like an expert in removing his own tie and using it to bind my hands behind my back. As if to make matters worse, there was a mirror on his wall. I watched in detached disbelief as his reflection unzipped its pants and pulled out a fully erect, throbbing white cock.

He already had my pants and boxers pulled down to my ankles. No one was coming to save me, I realized. This is really happening. No one cares what happens to me. With these thoughts came less and less of an urge to fight, and by the time he was about to enter me, I was just sitting there like an obedient personal assistant. I guess this is what I was hired for. He wasted no time with a condom, seeing as how he basically owned me now. Sykes penetrated me slowly. First the head, then back out. Then back in, halfway down the shaft, and out again. The third time he went balls deep and stayed there.

I was ready to leave at 12:55. By 1:05, I was getting slammed by my boss in the back office. I thought it would never end. He never pulled out, just kept thrusting into me over and over again, like a jackhammer. Then, after his pace had sped for a few beats, he froze. He came... and I could feel everything. His hard, pulsating cock inside my asshole, pumping me full of hot seed. He leaned in close.

"You're coming back to my house. Unless you want everyone hear to know how much of a gay little slut you are, that is. Now get up, pull your pants up, and get in the car. We're not done yet. Not by a long shot."

With that, he pulled out of me and left me there leaking.

"Don't make me tell you twice," he warned.

"Yes sir," I tried to say through the socks still in my mouth.

This was gonna be a long month.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Support the author! Cashapp ---> $DLJoeWrites

1 note · View note

jennicolaljo · 4 years

Text

Lyhyt-Pitkä Maanantaina

Viikko seitsemän

Suomen juhlapäivät:

Johan Ludvig Runeberg (5. Helmikuutta) oli suomalainen runoilija. Hän on Suomen kansallisrunoilijana.

Aleksis Kivi (10. lokakuuta) oli suomalainen kirjailija. Hän kirjoitti kansallisromaanin aseman saavuttaneen romaanin “Seitsemän veljestä”.

Eino Leino (6. Heinäkuuta) oli suomalainen kirjailija, lehtimies ja kriitikko.Leino on yksi Suomen merkittävimmistä kirjailijoista.

Tänään opin “ Missä ja Mistä” ja lla ja lta:n käyttö. Se on vahan vaikea koska en tiedä kun käytto ssä/ssa tai lla/llä ja sta/stä tai lta/ltä mutta yritän opiskella lisää.

Asiat muistaa:

MISSÄ (in the place) - (+olla, istua, asua, ja seisoa)

es. Minä asun Helsingissä. Minä asun Vantaalla.

MISTÄ (from the place) - ( tulla, matkustaa, lähteä, ja muuttaa)

es. Minä tulen kaupasta. Minä matkustan Rovaniemelta.

Perusmuoto Missä? Mistä?

Tampere Tamperella Tampereelta

Vantaa Vantaalla Vantaalta

Rovaniemi Rovaniemella Rovaniemelta

Riihimaki Riihimaella Riihimaelta

Imatra Imatralla Imatralta

Kiurevesi Kiuruvedellä Kiuruvedeltä

Koti Kotona Kotoa

Uusii sana tänään:

Hämmentävä-Confusing

täydellinen-perfect

tehty - made

huolellisesti- carefully

unelma - dream

ostoskeskus - shopping center

terveyskeskus - health center

virastotalo - public authority office

autonpesu- car wash

neuvola - maternity clinic

kultuuritalo- Culture House

tavaratalo- department store

1 note · View note

kelkkamonologi · 4 years

Text

Tuli saatua tägäys @homospeksuaali ’lta!

Nickname: Lissu, LISBE, Lisbet, Liz... The list goes on

Real name: Liisa

Zodiac sign: ??

Height: 163

What time is it: 22:33

Favorite musician(S): JVG, G-Eazy, Gasellit, ABBA, Spekti. Eminemiäkin ja RS & Koirat on tullu viime aikoina luukutettua

Favorite sports teams: Ilves Tampere, Washington Capitals, Die Mannschaft. Pakko sanoo Suomen ringettemaajoukkue kans

Other blogs: ei oo

Do I get asks: En :( Olis kiva saada

How many blogs I follow: ei käryä

Any tumblr crushes: ei oo

Lucky number: ei oo mut pelinumero on 13. Ennen mun pelinumero oli 20. 13 on syynsä, 20 ei

What I’m wearing right now: oversized huppari, t-paita, leggarit, Nuuskis-sukat, rillit

Dream vacation: Varmaan 5 vuotta ollu bucket listillä päästä kattoon Capitalsin peliä... Olis kans kiva käydä Saksassa kattoon futista!

Dream car: Tesla Model S. Lexus olis kans kova!

Favorite food: Iskän tekemä makarooniloora. Ei äiten vaan iskän.

Drink of choice: Pepsi (Max)

Languages: suomi, enkku

Instruments: suunsoitto... Joskus ala-asteella soitin klarinettia mut se on jääny

Celebrity crushes: liikaa mut sanotaan vaikka Samuli Vauramo, Kai Havertz, Tom Wilson, Ronen Rubenstein ja Shayan Sobhian to name a few

Random fact: Osaan imitoida mm. Heath Ledgerin Jokeria, Matti Näsää, Christopher Waltzia ja Donald J. Trumpia

Pallo @sadistinen-salami @too-spoopy-to-be-frukd @violasmirabiles ja @neroushalvaus

#me #challenge

5 notes · View notes

markalina748 · 2 years

Text

What to Expect from the Best Short Term Car Lease Service

Short-term car hire is a concept that allows an individual to hire a car for a short term, such as less than one year, or go for a trip. Multiple automotive companies provide a car for short-term lease. However, not all of them are as good as Ethos.

ETHOZ Group is an automotive as well as financial solution company based in Singapore. They have been in the business for over 40 years. They have one of the best car collections, from small sedans to luxury MPV. With their diversified car collection, they furnish all the classes of society. So whether you are looking for a cheap short-term car lease or a luxury MPV, they have it all. But that’s not all, and there are multiple reasons why they are the best.

When it comes to experience, every other trust issue eliminates itself. We have often heard that experience brings quality, which is 100% true as ETHOZ Group is regarded as the best short term car lease Singapore company. With 40 years of experience, they bring the best-in-class values. As we mentioned earlier, they have cars for all the classes of society. They have cars from Small Sedan, SUVs, and MPV up to Big Sedan, Luxury series, and Luxury MPVs. Therefore, whether you want a car for a short trip or a luxury party, they have the solution for your car needs.

A rental package is a package of benefits the company provides to its customers. Their rental package includes a customized solution, Motor insurance, Road Tax, LTA inspection, Unlimited mileage, Maintenance & Servicing, Accident reporting & claims, 24-hour breakdown, and a Replacement vehicle. So many benefits for so little service charge, no wonder they are the best short term car rental company in Singapore.

ETHOZ Group is one of the best short-term car rental Singapore companies that understand your requirements and aim to provide a solution. With minimalistic paperwork and an affordable price structure, you could have the moment to ride your dream car. You can visit their website, i.e., E ETHOZ Group, to learn more about their services, pricing, benefits, and process that lead to your dream car.

0 notes

solradguy · 8 months

Note

I had a dream you translated LtA all the way and for some reason Ky Kiske’s dialogue was all in archaic language formatted in iambic pentameter and you refused to answer any questions about it as it ran rampant across the fandom.

ASW America tweeted out that they thought this interpretation was accurate and they were going to dub Ky Kiske like that from now on and that was the new discourse. Goodbye Brisket Gender Discourse, hello Should Ky Kiske Recieved Pronunciation Iambic Pentameter Debate.

I didn’t really get it, but I think the idea was that Ky had a French accent but you didn’t want to write a stereotypical French accent?? So it got translated as RP Iambic Pentameter for some reason?? This is not me saying you should do that, I just woke up and was so disoriented by Ky Kiske saying Prithee, Sol

Oh my god this is hilarious. I forwarded it to my British friend and he was SO MAD that the French character got translated using the very English iambic pentameter. He proposed that Ky should use antibacchius meter instead because it's rare and difficult. I joked that he should use alliterative meter because a lot of Arthuriana stories use that and Ky's got a lot of those motifs.

This is an amazing dream though. I love the idea of iambic pentameter Ky Kiske discourse. Going to think about it while working on Ky's dialog in LtA later

#asks

25 notes · View notes

calacuspr · 2 years

Text

Sarah Borwell: The former pro supporting student-athlete dreams at every step

From her stateside home in Washington D.C., Sarah Borwell spoke to Calacus candidly about her mission to support student-athletes to pursue both their academic and athletic dreams at every step, through her recently acquired agency – Tennis Smart.

In years gone by, talented young tennis players have had to choose between pursuing their tennis careers or remaining in education.

Ex-professional player Sarah Borwell has helped to shift that.

After retiring, Borwell, who attended the University of Houston before forging a successful career on the WTA Tour, founded an agency – Tennis Smart – to make hopeful tennis players and parents aware of the pathways and opportunities available to them.

The aim of Tennis Smart was to help a choice of two to become a choice of four, with promising talents able to now choose between the UK university system, the US college pyramid, staying in the tennis industry and going pro.

Former British no.1 Heather Watson has previously lamented the lack of support youngsters receive as they transition through the ranks, and expressed concerns at the funding policies and the politics within the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

In 2020, she said: “I think personally that more players need to get help rather than just helping your selected players, I don’t know how many there are, but a handful of players. I feel like there needs to be a bigger pool of support.

“That way you’re not spoiled and not given everything at a young age. You need to work for it, learn the grind and the hard work of the tour, what it takes. It would give more people the opportunity.”

Borwell completely agrees and is keen to stress the rigours of trying to make it as a professional tennis player, based on her own experiences: “The tour is hard. It was a really fun 10 years [for me], but it's a very, very hard kind of workplace to be in. And there's lots of other opportunities.

“I think I'd probably struggle now, just with the cost of everything. I was no.199 in the world and no.2 in Great Britain and I was about $15,000 in debt.

“Probably 0.01% are going to actually be good enough to go pro and maybe make any money on the tour. So that's kind of the beauty of going to college first. There's just all these pathways which are kind of exciting to highlight.”

Tennis Smart aims to remedy this by facilitating players along a progressive pathway that allows them to stay in education at every stage of their tennis development.

Borwell seeks to find and nurture young players and help them develop as people, as well as athletes, through their formative transitional years.

“I'll go around and do presentations to talk about the pathways and all the academic requirements you need. We also have brochures and webinars,” she says.

“Then once a player gets to 15 years old, we set up a zoom with them and talk through their academics and give them a clear pathway to make sure they don’t lose eligibility.

“Once GCSE's are over, that's when we tend to start a two-year process, because you've got to sit the entrance exam and create a recruiting video for colleges.

“You've also got to have time to compete and move your UTR [Universal Tennis Ranking] higher and we take them all the way through that placement process to make sure that they find the right fit for them.”

However, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the declining college-aged student population and impact of the pandemic have contributed to an evolving enrolment crisis in the US, with total undergraduate enrolment decreasing by 6.6 percent since autumn 2019.

This trend is expected to continue over the next decade, with many institutions potentially required to shift their recruitment focus, leaning more heavily on international student recruitment to sustain enrolment numbers.

Therefore, Borwell was naturally elated when she was approached by Keystone Education Group, an organisation with a huge educational platform.

The company acquired Tennis Smart as part of their long-term growth strategy focusing on student marketing and recruitment services, aiming to help rebuild the enrolment gap in the US and other markets internationally.

Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Keystone is backed by Viking Venture and Verdane, two leading Nordic venture firms. With offices across the Nordics, Germany, and the UK, Keystone has an international staff of more than 550 employees.

They are trusted by more than 110 million unique prospective students every year and helps over 5000 educational institutions reach, recruit, and enrol prospective students in more than 190 countries, across 460 student websites, including Masterstudies.com, Bachelorstudies.com, Educations.com, Studentum.se, and FindAMasters.

She said: “[Keystone] wanted to get into the placement side of things and within a year they've grown so rapidly they bought six placement companies.

“I was really excited because their college network is as strong and as helpful as the placement support. So when players now come to us, they’re going to get some amazing placements and know where they are going.”

Keystone Sports – a division of Keystone Education Group – will shape a central part of this, with 63 employees in 7 countries, most of whom are former college student-athletes themselves, and agencies have sent over 9240 international student-athletes to over 820 Colleges in the US and Canada, securing over $582 million worth of scholarships.

Together they form Europe’s strongest college sports recruiting solution for student-athletes looking to study in the US and Borwell is optimistic about the potential of the partnership to redefine athlete placement and create a streamlined solution to the college enrolment crisis.

“Together with Uniexperts – the biggest company for tennis in Germany – and AGM, which is the biggest company in Spain – our bread and butter are tennis players. So the big thing now for us is how we can work together as one.

“Our first task is to make it as streamlined as possible for the [college] coaches, so then they always come to us for our players. Then players will see this and we'll grow from there.”

Together, they aim to keep doors open for young players instead of boxing them into the pressure cooker that is the road to pro.

This is not a new problem for junior tennis – for decades swathes of promising young talent have struggled to materialise their promise into success as senior players.

With a choice of two pathways – going pro or prioritising education and a career – naturally and understandably, the pressure to transition to playing at the top level has proved too much for many.

Borwell concludes: “We've all grown over the years, but now we're working together to change the face of placement and how it all works.

“At the end of the day we just want to make it simpler for the players, coaches, and parents.”

This process will result in Tennis losing less talent to other sports and will create a regenerative positive placement system, where players graduate while pursuing their individual athletic dreams, are encouraged to pursue the right pathway for them and then bring fresh talent back into the system later along the line.

Making every tennis hopeful aware of the four pathways –and how they can attack each of them – is vital to moving the game forward positively and constructively.

Learn more about Sarah Borwell and Tennis Smart at https://tennissmart.net/

#Tennis Smart #Sarah Borwell #Keystone Sports #College Tennis #USA #University #LTA #Heather Watson #Junior Tennis

0 notes

your-dietician · 3 years

Text

British 18-year-old debutant Emma Raducanu beats Marketa Vondrousova to reach Wimbledon third round

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/sports/british-18-year-old-debutant-emma-raducanu-beats-marketa-vondrousova-to-reach-wimbledon-third-round/

British 18-year-old debutant Emma Raducanu beats Marketa Vondrousova to reach Wimbledon third round

Wimbledon debutant Emma Raducanu knocks out Marketa Vondrousova to reach third round – GETTY IMAGES

A new star is among us. Move over Sir Andy, there is another Brit clamouring for a share of the Wimbledon headlines and the former men’s champion would be the first to salute the magnificent achievement of 18-year-old wildcard debutant Emma Raducanu making a mockery of form and status in defeating Marketa Vondrousova 6-2, 6-4, a player ranked 296 places above her to go through to the third round, the lone British woman flag-bearer.

And she will fulfil that honour with nerve and gusto as well as the occasional cheery smile as was seen flashing across her face during her one hour and 12 minutes out on court, toppling to the turf in exultation at the finish as well she might.

Two months ago Raducanu was sitting her A-levels, unknown and unheralded. Those days of anonymity are gone. This was her sporting matriculation. From sixth-former to prodigy in the spotlight. The wheel is turning and Raducanu is enjoying the ride as well she might given that her hobbies include go-karting and motocross. As with tennis, so with her life, multi-layered.

She was asked afterwards if she would rather A* in her exams or round four.

“That would have to be round four,” laughed Raducanu. “It feels quite incredible, like as if I’m on a holiday and I want to stay here as long as I can. I’ve got high standards of myself and go out there feeling as if I’ve got nothing to lose. I play every point as if it were to be my last at Wimbledon. This is my opportunity to show that I’m here. I’m so appreciative of the support and I want to do everyone proud. I’m trying to make the most of it.”

She had wandered onto court in the watery early evening sunshine on her own, giving a self-conscious wave to the scattering of fans who had gathered on Court 12, a late switch of courts from No 18 so as to ensure that the game got played. As she waited for a few minutes for her opponent to appear she sat in her chair all alone, ear-buds in, a study in nonchalance.

As Coco Gauff has shown, it is up to us to get used to precocity, not the other way around. These are youngsters, self-evidently, but they are here on merit. Even if Raducanu benefitted from a wildcard, it was her prowess that got her to that point, not nepotism. Appearances only matter out in the middle and Raducanu’s body language was positive, even affording herself a rueful smile as she leathered the first point way over the baseline from the back of court. At least she was up for the fight. And it soon showed, Raducanu securing an early break of serve in the third game with a delightful whipped cross-court forehand.

Story continues

There was nothing flighty or naïve in Raducanu’s game. If you knew nothing of the CVs of the two players, you would have assumed that the British player was the higher ranked and more experienced. She dictated play, pounding shots, dinking others, showing the nerve of a veteran. The opening game went to Vondrousova on serve, an unsurprising state of affairs given that the Czech is ranked 42 in the world and has been as high as 14.

But that was pretty much it for the 22 year-old, a bracing, serve-breaking start to the second set apart but Raducanu dealt with that too, scrapping to overcome that 0-3 deficit.

The early nerves didn’t last long. Rudacanu survived a couple of break points in her first service game but fought to hold, levelling at 1-1, the first of five games in a row that she took. It was supremely impressive stuff, a young talent with faith in her ability and the strength of character to put it all out there. Why should we be surprised given the exploits of the likes of teenagers Jadon Sancho or Jude Bellingham in England football colours? At this rate it won’t be long before Raducanu is operating at a similar commercial level to the footballers.

Emma Raducanu leaves the court after her victory – PA

Her season’s prize money coming into this tournament was barely into four figures although she does benefit from LTA support. Winning through to the third round guarantees her £115,000. Wimbledon was probably also echoing last night to the sound of agents and sponsors beating a path to her door.

Saturday’s likely showcourt contest with another surprise winner, Sorana Cirstea of Romania, who knocked out two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka, will be a far more public affair.

There will be no clash of loyalties for her Romanian father who moved his Toronto-born daughter and Chinese wife to London when Emma was aged two. It was a shrewd move. Prepare to cheer Raducanu to the rafters.

Vacuum at summit of women’s tennis crying out to be filled

By Oliver Brown

World No 1 Ash Barty is forced to work hard for her victory – SHUTTERSTOCK

Ashleigh Barty is a world No 1 yet to reach a Wimbledon quarter-final, and one who toiled here to vanquish a Russian Centre Court debutant better known for her chess prowess. Aryna Sabalenka is a No 2 seed making her maiden third-round appearance on these lawns, having struggled to overcome a British wildcard. In just four days, six of the top 10 seeds have been scattered to the wind, sparking no little concern about what life after Serena Williams will look like.

This state of flux was in stark evidence at last month’s French Open, where Barbora Krejcikova, once known primarily as a doubles specialist, was the last woman standing. It is becoming a recurrent theme at Wimbledon, too, with Williams’ withdrawal through injury, allied to the absences of Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep, producing arguably the most open draw in living memory. Barty, long mentored by Evonne Goolagong Cawley, the last ladies’ champion from Australia, will never have a better chance to end her country’s 41-year wait for a repeat.

She is the most deferential of proteges, wearing a scallop dress to honour the outfit chosen by Goolagong for her first Wimbledon triumph half a century ago. The two also share indigenous heritage, with Goolagong a celebrated trailblazer for her remote Aboriginal community and Barty tracing roots to the Ngarigo people of New South Wales through her father, Robert.

There, perhaps, the similarities end. Where Goolagong was famously outgoing by nature, dubbed by Londoners as the “Sunshine Supergirl”, Barty is an instinctive introvert, betraying negligible emotion on court and even less off it. Her fellow Australians adore her for her lack of pretension, but she shows limited warmth in post-match interviews, using the royal “we” to describe her performances and leaning on phrases that belong more in a self-help manual. Twice this week she has spoken of “going out there and putting your dreams out to the universe”.

Barty has held her sport’s No 1 spot for two years, a reflection both of her surprise French Open title in 2019 and of a decision by the women’s tour to freeze the rankings once the pandemic struck. But she scarcely looked like the alpha female against Anna Blinkova, the precocious Muscovite renowned also for her chess skill and her mastery of six languages. During an error-strewn 6-4, 6-3 win, she committed 33 unforced errors and nine double faults, raising doubt as to whether the hip injury she sustained at Roland Garros had fully healed.

“A few things didn’t feel quite right,” Barty acknowledged. “It wasn’t my best serving day, and I felt like I was out of rhythm a little. Some days you feel like you’re eight-foot-tall and can’t miss the box. Other days, you feel like you’re three-foot-nothing, where just getting over the net is a bit of a battle.”

While this transition phase for the women’s game might be bewilderingly unpredictable, it is still producing matches of lustrous quality. The latest highlight was a riveting, 3hr 20min duel between Angelique Kerber and Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, edged by the German 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Rarely can the 2018 champion have been forced to grind so relentlessly at her strongest tournament.

Given the dearth of multiple champions left, the stage could yet be seized by 17-year-old Coco Gauff, already proving decisively that her inspired run to the fourth round in 2019 was no false dawn. She was poise personified against Elena Vesnina, dismantling the former semi-finalist with her power and accuracy, weapons that the leading contenders have still to demonstrate with any consistency this week.

On her Centre Court return, Gauff was no longer the giddy sensation, but the versatile talent who recognised that she belonged. “Walking out here feels like you’re walking through a museum,” she said. “I don’t really like the word ‘expectations’. I use the word ‘belief’. I believe that I can win. My goal is always to win the tournament, regardless of my ranking or what people think of me. Everything is much clearer than it was in 2019. My belief is a lot stronger now – the feeling that I can go far.”

03:21 PM

Gael Monfils is out

02:58 PM

Daniil Medvedev a set to the good

Against Carlos Alcaraz. The world No.2 takes the first set 6-4.

Daniil Medvedev

02:49 PM

It’s taken her 70 minutes…

…But Angelique Kerber has finally taken the first set against Sara Sorribes Tormo.

02:28 PM

Queen’s champion Matteo Berrettini is through

The Italian No.7 seed beat Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.

02:25 PM

Can Barty go all the way?

02:20 PM

Cam Norrie speaks after his straight sets win over Alex Bolt

On being through to the the round for the first time…

“Unbelievable to be back here – the fans were amazing it made it feel more special. I couldn’t be more pleased to be through to the third round.”

On beat Alex Bolt…

“It was a tricky start, he came out firing. But I could trust the foot today and I was pleased with everything and there was a lot of improvement [compared with first round win].”

On possibly playing Roger Federer in the third round – he faces Richard Gasquet later today…

“Come on, Gasquet! It will be special to play Roger or Richard, they’re both experienced players. I suppose now is the best time to play Roger, [but] he’s still a decent player. He can play!”

02:13 PM

Ash Barty speaks

On playing again at Wimbledon…

“I love the surface and happy to be back.”

On Blinkova…

“She pushed me incredably hard. She played a great match today so I am happy to get through.”

On her season so far…

“It’s been a great year so far and it’s nice to have the fans back in the stands.”

02:11 PM

BARTY WINS THE MATCH 6-4, 6-3!!

Barty has two match points on the Blinkova serve and plays a winner on the second of those – it was called out but Barty successfully challenges. They replay the point and Barty wins the match.

Barty was well bellow her best but she’s through. Blinkova played her part in the match and gave the world No.1 plenty to think about.

02:06 PM

Barty 6-4, 5-3 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Blinkova’s backhands are deep into Barty and from 40-15 up the world No.1 is up against it on her serve at deuce. Again Blinkova goes deep with a backhand, setting up an excellent crosscourt winner. That earns her a break point which she cannot take. She earns another break point with a delightful forehand crosscourt winner which again she cannot take. On the third deuce Barty serves up another double fault to gift Blinkova her third break point. Again Barty plays a backhand winner to save and take it to another deuce. Blinkova has another break point and it’s deja vu all over again as she cannot capitalises. From there Barty holds. That was a nine-minute game.

Blinkova will now serve to stay in the match.

01:56 PM

Barty* 6-4, 4-3 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

Blinkova’s serve is on the blink again as Barty earns a break point. The Russian is under pressure but throws down a good second serve to save the break point. Barty gets another break point thanks to a wonderful lob – brilliant shotmaking. The world No.1 then makes no mistake with a backhand winner on the run to take control of the second set.

01:50 PM

Confirmation Svitolina is out

The third seed’s championship is over.

01:49 PM

Barty 6-4, 3-3 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Better service game from Barty but the errors elsewhere remain – a sliced backhand into the net an uncharacteristic mistake from the Australian. She does just enough to hold to 30 and the second set stays on serve.

01:46 PM

Classy Cam

From 0-3 down in the first set the Briton has dominated against Alex Bolt and has won in straight sets.

01:45 PM

Barty* 6-4, 2-3 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

Much better from Blinkova on her serve – she’s been under pressure most of the match on serve but holds to 15. That’s three games in a row for the Russian.

01:43 PM

Barty 6-4, 2-2 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Barty is taken to deuce after a fine forehand passing shot from Blinkova. Under pressure the first seed then plants a forehand into the net and her opponent has a break point. Another double fault (her seventh) gifts Blinkova the game. Just when you think Barty is about to go up a gear she falters…

01:36 PM

Barty* 6-4, 2-1 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

Barty has had 22 unforced errors so far – a sign that she’s well below her best at the moment. But Blinkova’s serve is even more erratic than some of Barty’s groundstrokes and at deuce is in danger of being broken once again. She wins the next two points, though, and holds.

Barty

01:31 PM

Barty 6-4, 2-0 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Barty is brilliant when on song and she’s showing signs of that the further this match goes on. She moves Blinkova around the court with some powerful groundstrokes before coming into the net for a volleyed winner. That gets her to 40-0. But the errors are lingering and her sixth double fault allows Blinkova to get back into the game at 40-30. A forehand winner, however, gets her the 2-0 second-set lead.

01:27 PM

Barty* 6-4, 1-0 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

Barty is dominating the Blinkova serve and has three break points. Blinkova, though, is a battler and gets in back to deuces – the errors are still coming from Barty. The Aussie then earns her fourth break point of the game and this time a drive backhand is backed up with a forehand winner down the line and she’s got the early break in the second set.

01:22 PM

Third seed Elina Svitolina is out

Linette beats one of the favourites 6-3, 6-4.

01:19 PM

BARTY TAKES THE FIRST SET 6-4

Barty’s well below her best but she’s managed to find the shots when she’s needed them this afternoon. She holds to love and takes the first set.

01:16 PM

Barty* 5-4 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

It’s Blinkova now forcing the errors from Barty – the Aussie missing a sliced backhand (one of her weapons) early on. At 4-4 30-30 Blinkova has a great chance to put some scoreboard pressure on the world No.1 but sends a forehand wide. Barty then can’t capitalise on the break point as another backhand hits the net. The Australian earns another break point and this time a blistering forehand does the trick and the first seed will serve for the first set.

01:11 PM

Barty 4-4 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Barty has already had four double faults (during her first round win she only had three all match). She’s down 0-30 early on in this game BUT a Blinkova error and another forehand winner allow her to reach parity. 30-30 soon becomes deuce and the Russian has a break point thanks to a Barty long forehand. She converts it and both players are looking on edge and unsettled.

01:06 PM

Cam is in control

01:05 PM

Barty* 4-3 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

Both players are proving to be error-prone at the moment – Barty is showing the better touch and a delicate drop shot gets her to 0-40. She had three break points last Blinkova service game and couldn’t convert any of them. She makes no mistake this time and breaks to love. She’s just starting to settle.

01:02 PM

Barty 3-3 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Barty is making a few uncharacteristic errors, but she has a fine forehand. It’s a heavy shot that takes opponents out of position and two forehands back-to-back allow her to hold to 30.

12:58 PM

Barty* 2-3 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

Barty is hitting some good groundstrokes from the back of the court and waiting for Blinkova to make the error, which she does twice on the way to the Aussie getting three break points. The Russian is under pressure but two wayward forehands gets Blinkova back into the game at 30-40. And Barty then uncharacteristically plants a backhand into the net. The Russian wins five points in a row for a gutsy hold.

12:52 PM

Barty 2-2 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Barty is starting to look more comfortable after that nervy start. She sends down the first ace of the match to get to 30-15. She follows that up with the second two points later and holds to 30.

12:50 PM

Norrie has taken the first set having been 0-3 down

12:49 PM

Barty* 1-2 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

Blinkova has strapping on her right hand (the one the holds the racquet) that cannot be good. It’s not obvioulsy affecting her but Barty, thanks to some unforced errors, earn two break points. And another wide forehand from Blinkova allows the Aussie to break straight back.

12:46 PM

Barty 0-2 Blinkova* (*denotes next server)

Barty’s golf swing has been praised by Tiger Woods and it’s no shock that her serve is also efficient and effective as well. She mixes her serves and makes her opponent think. She does just that while show a lovely touch – playing a backhand drop shot winner. However, she’s looking a bit nervous and a double fault gifts Blinkova a break point. The Russian had a fine chance to go 2-0 up but fires a forehand on the run into the net. She, however, earns another break point next up and a double fault from Barty gives the Russian the early break.

Barty looked edgy in that game.

12:41 PM

Barty* 0-1 Blinkova (*denotes next server)

The Russian serves first and misses her first two first serves – not a great omen. Barty is a fine strokemaker and she hits a wonderful forehand winner to take the second point of the match. The first few games are always about trying to settle into rhythm and Blinkova has done just that holding to 15. She looked at ease there – a solid start.

12:34 PM

Barty and Blinkova are out on court

How will US Open semi-finalist Blinkova deal with the world No.1?

12:32 PM

French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova into the third round

12:27 PM

John McEnroe on Norrie

The BBC commentator (and all-time great) has just said…

The pressure is on Norrie – the seed, the favourite, the Brit. Bolt’s tricky though – I have watched play a number of times – he’s not a guy that’s going to beat himself.

As I type that Norrie has broken back and it’s now 3-2 to Bolt.

12:21 PM

Norrie down a break already

Bolt has stormed to a 3-0 first-set lead. Plenty of time to go, though, so no need to panic.

12:15 PM

Fourth seed Zverev is through

12:13 PM

Cam Norrie is having a great year and…

…he’s just got his match against Australian and fellow lefty Alex Bolt under way on Court One. He’s up to a career high of 34th in the rankings and I’ll keep you posted on how the Brit is doing. The winner of this match could face Roger Federer in the third round…

Cam Norrie

12:10 PM

So let’s talk about the slippery Centre Court surface

It’s dominated much of the talk surrounding these championships so far having claimed the title tilt of Serena Williams and helped Roger Federer through to the second round after his opponent Adrian Mannarino fell and hurt his knee.

So what is going on? It’s apparently more slippery than usual and the number of falls we’re seeing – Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are just two two big names to fall on the lush turf – must be making players, coaches and fans worry ahead of every point.

Our very own Tom Morgan looked into the slippery shame…

“There has been speculation that Centre Court’s state-of-the-art ventilation system may have been a factor in failing to dry the surface. Over 600 air distributors pump dry air into the space when the roof is closed as part of a roof design led by Populous, which also led the regeneration of Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium.”

READ: Wimbledon Q&A: What is causing players to slip on court? And how can it be stopped?

Novak Djokovic falls on Centre Court – PAUL GROVER

12:01 PM

Who is Anna Blinkova?

The Russian is ranked No. 89 in the world and hasn’t been able to translate her great junior form on the senior circuit. The 22-year -old was runner-up at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships in girls’ singles and was ranked the No. 3 junior tennis player in the world in August 2015. She has a career high ranking of 54 back in February last year.

11:29 AM

The talented Ash Barty is the one to beat at SW19

Ash Barty is one of those really annoying people. Not because of her personality, or any grating habits, no, she’s really annoying as she’s one of those people who can turn their hand to any sport and seemingly be very, very, very (I could carry on, but that too would be annoying…) good at it.

During lockdown she got her golf handicap down from 10 to four and became the Brookwater Golf Club women’s champion in the process. Louis Dobbelaar, a two-time Queensland amateur champion, is in no doubt Barty could make it as a professional. “She’s got all the tools if she wants to pursue it. If she put her mind to it, I’m sure she could,” she said. Barty also had a certain Tiger Woods gushing about her swing – I am not jealous, not at all.

Added to that she’s also played for the Brisbane Heat in the women’s Big Bash League – multi-talented doesn’t really do her justice.

Why do I mention this other than to remind myself it doesn’t seem fair that someone can be world-class in three sports? Well, the world No.1 faces Anna Blinkova on Centre Court this afternoon and it’s clear that the Russian will need all the luck she can grab on to.

Barty is the No.1 seed and, in the absence of Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka, favourite to win her second grand slam. Her first round match will have done her title bid no harm at all.

Having been given the “honour” of opening the women’s singles in the absence of reigning champion Halep, Barty came through a nervy start against Carla Suarez Navarro before really finding her stride in the third set. Whether she can carry that momentum over into her second round clash with Blinkova remains to be seen.

But the ultra talented Australian says she’s feeling good and is fully recovered from the hip injury that blighted her Roland Garros title defence.

”I think there was a little bit of nervousness, probably not knowing exactly how my body was going to feel genuinely. I know that I had full trust that we’d done absolutely everything that we could [but] you just never know. To be able to go out there today and play the way that I did was really nice.” Good luck to Blinkova, she may need it.

Stay here for all the action.

Source link

0 notes

xiaxue · 6 years

Photo

🌈 Some of you may already have seen my new car wrap on my ig stories... I still can’t believe that I now have an IRIDESCENT CAR!!! 😱 As you guys know I’m obsessed (to put it lightly) over iridescent stuff so it’s always been my dreammmmmm to wrap my car with this rainbow 🌈 wrap!! My only concern is that this isn’t legal because chrome wraps aren’t legal... so I actually sent an email to LTA first to check! I sent them both a picture and a video (of someone else’s iridescent that looks the same) and asked if this is considered a chrome wrap. I thought confirm cannot one lah you know Singapore is so strict... LO AND BEHOLD LTA SAID NO PROBLEM!! It’s true ok please swipe left to see the email omg!!! . Then I no wait liao i zitao go and wrap hahaha... Here’s the end result! I love it so so so much! People are always snapping pictures of the car... makes things a bit awkward when I’m trying to get back in the car and someone is doing a full blown photoshoot there lol... and must remember not to dig my nose at stoplights coz the pedestrians will literally be snapping as they cross the road. 😂 Thank you @dream_stylez35 for making my dream come true 💕 They said this is one of the toughest cars to wrap coz it’s so rounded and the iridescent sticker is not as stretchy as other stickers. I think they did a perfect job! . Ps: this is a Mitsuoka Viewt and yes there are My Little Ponies on my dashboard . #carwrap #rainbowchrome #iridescent #iridescentcar #holographiccar #mitsuoka #cargoals #rainbowcar (at DREAM STYLEZ PTE LTD)

#rainbowcar #rainbowchrome #cargoals #mitsuoka #carwrap #iridescent #holographiccar #iridescentcar

4 notes · View notes

criticallycritiqued · 7 years

Text

Let’s Talk About [No Game No Life]

R/N: 4/6

No Game No Life...is a special little thing. I enjoyed it, yeah, but man it is...special.

Plot: Another isekai anime where the characters are sucked into a fantasy dimension and they’re suddenly OP. WITH FANSERVICE! 3/10

Characters: Sora and Shiro were honestly a joy to watch, though the side characters with the exception of Stephanie were annoying to me. They all felt like fanservice bait. Still, their antics were fun to watch, even though Episodes 10 and 11 were...aggravating to fucking watch. 7/10

Sound: Mostly forgettable, but the OP was really nice, though I didn’t care much for the ED. 5/10

Art: The art in NGNL is pretty nice, easily bagging my best for the Light Novel Adaption category. So yeah, 8/10, though the fanservice was more than a little annoying.

Overall: Good for some mindless fun, but it’s not for people who hate OP characters and isekai. 6/10

#LTA [A]#Let's Talk About {No Game No Life}#CC's Anime Reviews #Anime Review: No Game No Life #Dreaming's LTAs #6/10

1 note · View note

chtaime · 4 years

Text

“being in love is waiting”

I forgot where I heard that... who said it...

but it’s true.

I can still feel my iron grip on him tight as ever. it’s gotten a little bit better, but not a day goes by that I don’t think of a way to reach out to him. which obviously isn’t a bad thing, there are times, most of the time, when it just feels natural and organic, we just end up hanging out and it’s nice, perfect. but if it doesn't happen, I can spiral pretty quickly. sometimes I think I have an unhealthy reaction to love, or love brings out the worst in me. which turns into self-sabotage. Love creates an unloveable version of me, an unloveable person. being pure-OCD doesn’t help. I really need to get back into therapy. would love to talk to a professional about my addiction to being in love or whatever it is about me that I can’t be alone for long. I can’t decide if the kind of alone I am is good enough - is what I set out for. because while I am single, and financially stable, I am already emotionally dependent on and attached to a new man. the only difference, and I can’t tell if this is big or small, is that we are not in a relationship. I mean I guess the situation with him is pretty unique. but I am definitely dedicating a majority of my time and effort on ensuring that we will someday. simply put, I am completely pre-occupied with him, and I feel I am sacrificing my life yet again. I feel like I'm just staring at a phone screen waiting for a text, trying to will it into existence while the world passes me by. I try too hard to control the future, and other peoples feelings. I have a newfound infatuation with his culture and his language and the urge to immerse myself in them has become overwhelming. I worry it probably annoys him, or creeps him out (although deep down I know that’s not true - he indulges me). I just I don’t know, I can’t decide if any of this is actually bad or I am overthinking it. I mean, I definitely have been neglectful I would say as a result of my obsession. to my friends, to my health... but I just brush it off as it will all have been worth it or I'll take care of these things once I can rest assured that he loves me too. but what if that never happens? how can I try to.. be with him and take care of myself. I have to be at peace with however things happen between him and me, everything will be okay. I feel like I always climb Mount Everest of love and devotion, just creating the highest height for me to fall spectacularly.

I'm learning to manage my expectations of him. I had a pretty shitty day, I felt kind of sick all day. bad headache, laid around a lot felt kinda blah. and I hadn’t heard from him, all day. and I didn’t really feel the need to hit him up, wasn’t feeling well, and I was busy with chores. I wasn’t very... my usual self of obsessing over why he hadn’t reached out or whatever. I mean, I was definitely waiting to see if he would message me, obsessively, but wasn’t upset that he had not done so thus far. the literal version of staring at phone waiting for that text... my head was hurting so bad but I still kept my phone at hands reach in case, just in case, and if he did, I would just hang out with him in pain. when there’s an opportunity to hear his voice, it’s hard to think any power in the ‘verse stopping me from doing so. I know he would hate that. I hate it. anyway, I think it’s an improvement that I don’t get upset anymore, and make him feel bad for not telling me what he’s doing every second of the day and justify why he isn’t spending time with me. but I actively avoid hanging out with anyone if it means preventing me from hanging out with him. even though he would never be disappointed if he didn't get to hang out with me anyway. not because he doesn’t like me, but because he respects my freedom and how I choose to spend my spare time, and would just find something else to do. but when I see him playing a game and hasn’t asked me to join, or is busy doing something else, I still freak out, internally. I feel my emotions boiling. I thankfully haven’t done anything too crazy and brash, but it’s bad enough to feel these things, feel so out of control.

but tonight was very nice. my headache was getting better, and I had been watching a quebecois show while I did laundry. I had been watching Quebec shows all day on Netflix, just to casually try to practice my French audio comprehension. I didn't really feel the need to message him, I was preoccupied. basically I had no plans of talking to him. but I was watching M’entends-tu and I couldn't believe it, they mentioned Les Trois Accords on the show. then they played LTA, an emotional song during an unexpectedly emotional part.. so I just sent him a clip of them talking about LTA, again, with low expectations on how he would react (I just expected like “can you believe?” or something) and he seemed very interested, responded almost immediately asking me what show this was, what season/episode had LTA in it, etc. He sent me a link to the show’s website asking if I could watch it there, I said no. so I told him to stream it for us on discord. even at this point, still, I figured chances were low, and it wasn’t even my intention to inspire these events. I was prepared and content with him saying “it’s late” or that he was simply not interested in the show. he asked if I minded watching it from the beginning again. I said of course not. well, we watched three episodes. it was interesting, it’s a good show and it’s fun to watch it with him. he of course encouraged me to continue to watch without him when he needed to go to bed. I said I might, I might not, but either way I would want to keep watching with him, I didn’t mind watching some twice. and I don’t even ever worry about how that sounds anymore, I am very transparent about the fact that I want to spend copious amounts of time with him and share things like this. and he often sounds incredulous, “really? you do?” in the sweetest innocent tone. and I say of course. and he sighs and says “I'd like that too” or something. and my heart feels so soft. we wish each other have a good night and even though I'm always so happy to just have heard his voice and get that fix of being with him, I still feel empty and incomplete having not been able to tell him I love him, or say something endearing like “sweet dreams mon chéri”. instead I will lay myself down and say it to my pillow, and squeeze it tightly into a restless sleep filled with dreams of him.

anyway, enough ruminating for now. look how long this shit is what the fuck is wrong with me

#df

0 notes