Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Wimbledon Update

Novak Djokovic defeats Father Time and Flavio Cobolli and advances to the semi-finals with a 6-7, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win.  So the semi-finals look like this:

MEN'S SEMI-FINALS:
(1) Jannik Sinner (ITA) v. (6) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
(2) Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) v. (5) Taylor Fritz

LADIES' SEMI-FINALS:
(1) Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v. (13) Amanda Anisimova
(8) Iga Swiatek (POL) v. Belinda Bencic (SUI)

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

The Music of 2025 So Far Featuring The Weeknd

Inferno Ascendant by Neural Forge Innovations


 

Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd


This is The Weeknd's 6th album since releasing his first in 2013.  Four of those albums made it to number 1 on the US charts, the other two made it to number 2.  He has been extremely successful and when you put this album on you immediately know it's The Weeknd.  He has a sound.  A sound that works very well for him and he sticks with it.  There is variation in the sound, slight changes, enough to make it not get repetitive, but definitely a sound.  

As much as a part of me wants to knock this album for it sounding so The Weeknd, I can't because it's a consistently solid album.  No bad tracks, a few that really are hard to turn off and that gets us to a place where it's featured here on the Heath Post.

The one thing about The Weeknd that I find interesting is his ever dark moods.   He makes electronic, R&B infused music that has a dark edge to it always.  This particular album is 22 tracks and according to The Weeknd closes out a trilogy of albums with his last two:  After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022).  I will admit I was unaware that the first two albums were connected and certainly didn't know this was the finale of a trilogy.  He has also said this may be his last album.  

If you like The Weeknd, definitely give the album a listen.  If you've never heard him before, well maybe should start with After Hours and do the trilogy.  I have to admit now I'm curious to try and connect these albums.  

 

 



Monday, July 7, 2025

Wimbledon Update

The quarter-finals at Wimbledon are set.  Here are the men's and ladies' draws (numbers in parenthesis represent seeding).  The Americans have two competitors left in the men's draw, and one left in the ladies' draw:

MEN'S SINGLES:
(1) Jannik Sinner (ITA) v. (10) Ben Shelton
(22) Flavio Cobolli (ITA) v. (6) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
(5) Taylor Fritz v. (17) Karen Khachanov (RUS)
Cameron Norrie (GBR) v. (2) Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)

LADIES' SINGLES:
(1) Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v. Laura Siegemund (GER)
(13) Amanda Anisimova v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)
(7) Mirra Andreeva (RUS) v. Belinda Bencic (SUI)
(8) Iga Swiatek (POL) v. (19) Liudmila Samsonova (RUS)

The FIBA U19 World Cup

Since 1979, FIBA has hosted 17 iterations of the Under-19 World Championship.  The latest iteration took place last week in Lausanne, Switzerland.  The Americans won the title.  It was their ninth win in 17 tries, and their sixth in the last nine.  It was a pretty easy tournament for the Americans, who were challenged only by Canada.  Here are the scores from the knockout stage:

ROUND OF SIXTEEN:
New Zealand 99, China 86
Switzerland 86, France 79 (OT)
Canada 100, Mali 75
United States 140, Jordan 67
Slovenia 81, Argentina 80
Israel 86, Cameroon 82
Germany 92, Serbia 83
Australia 106, Dominican Republic 96

QUARTER-FINALS:
New Zealand 84, Switzerland 70
United States 108, Canada 102
Slovenia 79, Israel 55
Germany 80, Australia 67

SEMI-FINALS:
United States 120, New Zealand 64
Germany 84, Slovenia 72

FINAL:
United States 109, Germany 76

Sunday, June 29, 2025

IMDB and the 21st Century

According to IMDB, here are the ten highest rated movies of the 21st Century (which began in 2001):

1.  The Dark Knight (2008):  9.0 (3d highest movie of all time)
2.  The Lord of the Rings:  The Return of the King (2003):  9.0 (6th highest movie of all time)
3.  The Lord of the Rings:  The Fellowship of the Ring (2001):  8.9 (9th highest movie of all time)
4.  The Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers (2002):  8.8 (12th highest movie of all time)
5.  Inception (2010):  8.8 (14th highest movie of all time)
6.  Interstellar (2014):  8.7 (18th highest movie of all time)
7.  City of God (2002):  8.6 (26th highest movie of all time)
8.  Spirited Away (2001): 8.6 (31st highest movie of all time)
9.  The Pianist (2002):  8.5 (32d highest movie of all time)
10.  Parasite (2019):  8.5 (34th highest movie of all time)

Last week, The New York Times picked Parasite as the best movie of the 21st century so far.