Appropriately‚ it was an overhead forehand smash at the net that clinched the men’s doubles at the Australian Open for the Anglosphere team of Matthew Ebden and Rohan Bopanna. The big man from Bangalore‚ at 43 one of the masters of the doubles game but lacking a Slam‚ concentrated on baseline placement and power while his Aussie partner was clutch at the net in a 6–4‚ 6–5 win over Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Bopanna surely deserved this‚ and so did Ebden‚ a player with a classically handsome style who somehow never got near the top in singles but has proven to be consistently excellent in doubles. READ MORE from Roger Kaplan: Where Are the Israeli Players at the Australian Open? And if you like doubles‚ you had another treat from a great and popular veteran‚ Free China’s Hsieh Su-wei‚ at 38 still working her magical slices and angles to win the women’s draw with Elise Mertens‚ and the mixed with Jan ZieliÅ„ski. Notable too‚ Israel’s Guy Sasson came to Melbourne Park and had a terrific run. Or‚ in a sense‚ ride. The genius of wheelchair tennis was‚ to say‚ basically‚ no handicap for the handicapped. The only concession is allowing the ball to bounce twice. This makes sense because on one bounce the rallies just would not happen on a regulation court‚ 78 feet by 27 inches‚ 36 for doubles. By the same logic‚ the second bounce can be outside the lines. Handicapped athletes at such elite levels as the tennis Slam circuit are paragons of the not-how-you-fall-but-how-you-get-up ethos that rejects the world’s-against-me excuse so common in ordinary (and political) arenas. Sasson‚ a 43-year-old Israel Defense Forces veteran‚ successful businessman in both the U.S. and Israel‚ husband and father‚ made it to the finals in both the doubles and singles quad draws‚ for athletes who‚ in addition to paralyzed legs‚ suffer from additional upper body difficulties — arm‚ hand‚ neck‚ torso. Sasson damaged his spine on a snowboard run‚ walked out of rehab with braces and crutches against doctors’ expectations‚ but requires a chair to move swiftly on a tennis court. Fantastic‚ you would say‚ but‚ no‚ he would answer; you make do with what you have. He reminded me of the last time I was on the slopes a couple years ago and spied a blind man; this was a difficult run‚ mind. He was listening to the sounds of his guide’s skis just in front of his and the clear calm voice. Down below‚ I asked‚ they were having a warm drink in the sun outside; what happens in powder where the ski’s edges are quieter: “Listen a little harder. Love powder!” Anyway‚ Guy Sasson lost in the singles final to Sam Schröder‚ who beat him a few months ago at the U.S. Open. Schröder‚ who is Dutch and has won every major except the French Open‚ is another no-excuses man‚ born with a handicap and living his life with it. Notwithstanding the official ban on flags at the Oz‚ a party of Israeli fans unfurled the blue and white shield of David during Sasson–Schröder‚ without making a big deal of it‚ and evidently the local authorities‚ typically good-natured Aussies‚ let it pass‚ though officially they were banning national flags of countries engaged in conflicts. The women’s singles winner‚ defending champion Aryna Sabalenka‚ did not see any Belarus flags. She was okay with that‚ played fantastic‚ crushing the young star from the other (unfree) China‚ Qinwen Zheng. Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic lost the match of the tournament in the semis‚ going down in four sets to Jannik Sinner‚ who went on to win the other match of the tournament in a five-set thriller against Daniil Medvedev. The man of Belgrade has not lost a set here since 2018‚ so‚ notwithstanding it had to happen sooner or later‚ it shocked. (READ MORE from Roger Kaplan: Racquets Down Under) It may have shocked less if you had been following Sinner’s tournament and remembered that he had just a few weeks ago beaten Djokovic in Davis Cup play‚ twice in one day‚ singles and doubles‚ leading Italy to the final‚ where he led his team to victory over Australia. His baseline game was nearly flawless‚ moving his opponents side to side and going in for the drive down the line for the winner or the passing shot if they tried to advance and cut him off. His serve was beginning to look like Roger Federer’s‚ pin-point shots to get weak returns that give him control of the point‚ or aces when needed. He did not lose a set until the semis. Djokovic got him into a tiebreak after — he said — being shocked in the first two sets‚ 6–1‚ 6–2. He meant he was shocked at how badly he was playing‚ and fair enough; he is No. 1 and has a right to feel that way about it. He won that tiebreak‚ then was shocked again‚ 6–3. The sensational win could only boost Sinner’s confidence; he needed it after losing the first two sets of the final. Daniil Medvedev‚ who usually stays behind the baseline and plays for attrition‚ this time opted for aggression. He had been on the court much longer than Sinner‚ three five setters‚ including against Hubert Hurkacz in the quarters and Alexander Zverev in the semis. He knew he had to jump on Sinner early‚ keep the points short‚ and stay ahead. He played a superb combination of grit and offense and took the first two sets‚ 6–3‚ 6–3. But the tall Tyrolean (the Moscovite is even taller)‚ who looks every bit the junior ski racing champion he was before opting for tennis‚ is unflappable‚ as well as polite and good-humored. He adjusted his game‚ forced lengthier rallies. He won the next two sets with methodical power‚ cruised through the fifth without even a hint of nerves. It was a comeback for the ages. Sinner and Medvedev were about even on points; it was not until the Russian finally showed fatigue in the fifth that anyone could predict the outcome with some confidence. You use everything you’ve got to get everything you need — or as much of it as you can. Holds for tennis. Holds for some other things too‚ I suppose. Jannik Sinner is the youngest Australian Open champion since Novak Djokovic won his first major here in 2008. Sinner is also the first Italian man since Adriano Panatta at the 1976 French Open to win a major in the Open era. He was gracious in victory‚ thanking Daniil Medvedev for making him a better player “every time we’ve played‚” and he sent a message of filial affection across time zones and continents to his parents‚ and to the fans and his team in the stadium. Did they play the winner’s national anthem‚ “Fratelli d’Italia‚” as often happens at ceremonies closing a big sport event? If they did‚ I missed it‚ or it was not streamed. It was a good show‚ and I like to think a fan was humming Toto Cutugno’s charming classic “L’Italiano.” The post It’s a Win for Sinner and Woke Rejection at the Australian Open appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Lions are known as the kings of the jungle. But judging from this coffee order‚ Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell might be the king of caffeine.

Aperol isn't just a great addition to your bar cart - it can also be a worthy addition to your baking cabinet. Here are some benefits of an Aperol cookie glaze.

On some level‚ most people can feel what is coming.  That is why sales of emergency food are at record levels‚ shows about survival are among the most popular on television‚ and Mark Zuckerberg is building a “self-sustaining doomsday bunker” in Hawaii.  Millions of us realize that we are on the brink of an extremely chaotic chapter in human history.  Of course the past several years have already been pretty wild‚ but I believe that the years immediately in front of us will take things to an entirely new level. A few years ago‚ “World War III” wasn’t even on the horizon‚ but now conflicts are erupting all over the planet and the mainstream media is using apocalyptic language to describe what we are facing. For example‚ the following comes from an article posted on Yahoo News entitled “As war creeps closer to Armageddon‚ the end of days doesn’t seem so far away”… From Megiddo’s hilltop‚ there is a great view of the West Bank‚ no more than two miles away. To the north‚ the rockets of Hezbollah – in total about 160‚000 of them – are pointed in this direction while in the south‚ the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are fighting raging gun battles with Hamas in a war that’s almost four months long. Israel is on edge. Standing in Megiddo‚ right in the middle of the country and now home to a vast archaeological site‚ there is a sense of foreboding that pervades the region. To see an article on Yahoo News using the word “Armageddon” really got my attention. When Israel moves into southern Lebanon to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River‚ things will get really crazy in the Middle East. And it is being reported that IDF units in the north have been engaging in “rigorous training” in preparation for the approaching confrontation… The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) engaged in rigorous training in the northern reserve paratrooper brigade to boost readiness along the northern border. The exercises‚ part of ongoing efforts to enhance operational preparedness‚ involved the Northern Parachute Brigade (226)‚ a crucial unit within the ‘Hempetz’ (146) formation. Soldiers faced challenging winter conditions‚ including rain and fog‚ as they practiced tactics for in densely populated areas. The training covered various units‚ from smaller squads to larger battalion teams‚ integrating different forces like tanks‚ infantry‚ engineering‚ and artillery. On the other side of the globe‚ the Chinese have stepped up their “campaign of intimidation” against Taiwan… The People’s Republic has increased its campaign of intimidation in the weeks after this month’s presidential elections‚ which saw the election of pro-US Lai Ching-te. Beijing has sent spy balloons into Taiwanese airspace almost daily both before and right after the vote in a move geopolitical analysts suggest is an attempt to weaken calls for the island’s independence. War is going to cause so much death and destruction over the next few years. And it will make our rapidly growing global food crisis even worse. According to the UN‚ we are now facing a “perfect storm” which has created “a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions”… Conflict‚ economic shocks‚ climate change and soaring prices for food and fertilizer are all combining in a perfect storm to create a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions. Right now‚ in some of the hungriest places around the world‚ there just isn’t enough food to feed the population. Most Americans don’t realize this‚ but we are in the midst of the worst global food crisis in modern history right now. And according to the EU‚ the number of people around the world dealing with acute food insecurity in 2023 jumped 10 percent higher than 2022’s record level… The global food crisis is affecting millions of people around the world. In 2023‚ record levels of acute food insecurity persist due to protracted food crises and new shocks. In 48 countries‚ 238 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity – 10% more than in 2022. Of course this is just the beginning. As global food supplies get even tighter‚ we will eventually see severe famines all over the planet. During the past few years‚ the pestilences that have spread like wildfire around the world have also been a major theme. A few days ago‚ I wrote about the crazy explosion of measles cases that we are seeing in Europe and elsewhere. In this article‚ I wanted to mention the rapid spread of the bird flu in the state of California. In just the past two months‚ bird flu outbreaks have resulted in the destruction of more than 1 million chickens and turkeys in that state alone… A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages‚ the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in California‚ which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest. The highly contagious virus has ravaged Sonoma County‚ where officials have declared a state of emergency. During the past two months‚ nearly a dozen commercial farms have had to destroy more than 1 million birds to control the outbreak‚ dealing an economic blow to farmers‚ workers and their customers. Overall‚ more than 82 million chickens and turkeys have been wiped out in the United States since the beginning of the bird flu pandemic. So if you have been wondering why poultry costs a lot more than it once did‚ now you know. The past few years have also been a time of great natural disasters. In fact‚ it is being reported that the number of billion dollar natural disasters in 2023 was the highest ever recorded… Environmental catastrophes and natural disasters should be a concern for workers‚ especially after these incidents cost the global economy US$380 billion in 2023‚ according to a report from Aon. That figure is 22% above the 21st century average. Overall‚ there were 398 notable disaster events in 2023. And the 66-billion-dollar economic loss events last year is the highest on record‚ surpassing the annual average of 42. Needless to say‚ what we have experienced so far is just a preview of coming attractions. Much bigger and much more destructive natural disasters are on the way. If you live on the west coast‚ the east coast‚ or in the New Madrid fault zone‚ you will want to be on high alert for any unusual shaking from this point forward. We are about to enter one of the most pivotal times in all of human history. And so many of us can feel that disaster is almost upon us. I would encourage you to get prepared while you still can‚ because this is not a game. Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com‚ and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here. About the Author: Michael Snyder’s extremely controversial new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “End Times”‚ “7 Year Apocalypse”‚ “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”‚ “The Beginning Of The End”‚ and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog‚ End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News‚ and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  You can connect with Michael on YouTube‚ Facebook and Twitter‚ and sharing his articles on your own social media accounts is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times‚ and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world‚ that he gave his only begotten Son‚ that whosoever believeth in him should not perish‚ but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so‚ we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today. The post A Time Of Wars And Rumors Of Wars‚ Famines‚ Pestilences And Major Natural Disasters appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

by Amy Mek‚ RAIR Foundation: “They (referring to politicians and powerful individuals) oppose white people and contend that those with light skin should atone for perceived historical injustices by replacing the current population.” – Hans-Georg Maaßen‚ former head of German domestic intelligence agency (the BfV) In a thought-provoking and troubling interview conducted by Austrian television […]

from Brownstone: Midwives in New York and plastic surgeons in Utah didn’t close schools‚ shutter businesses‚ or add trillions of dollars to the national debt‚ yet they are the primary targets of the Biden DOJ’s Covid prosecution. Court documents reveal how the Department of Justice has dedicated hundreds of thousands of dollars in resources to […]

from As Good As Gold Australia: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by Peter Schiff‚ Schiff Gold: Federal regulators are plotting a course that could see America’s sturdiest banks tied to a sinking lifeboat. This plan‚ designed to compel banks to use the Federal Reserve’s discount window‚ aims to normalize the act of reaching for this financial lifeline amidst turbulent seas. TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/ It’s as if […]