I Am A Swede

I think there should be some clarifying here. Graf did not participate in the vote regarding Seles' ranking being frozen. The WTA held that vote during the tournament in Rome which Graf was absent from. Later, when Seles did return in 1995, Graf had no problem with sharing the number 1 ranking with Seles, but it's true that she opposed Seles only having to count 6 tournaments opposed to the normal 12. Like all the other players did. So why single Graf out for that? Yes, the lunatic that stabbed Seles was a fan of Graf, but she bears no responsiblity for his actions, or the actions/behaviour of any of her fans. ETA: And I think that attack on the Germans was totally unnecessary and uncalled for.

How sad about Jo Kendall. Peggy wasn't on the show very long, less than a year actually, but somehow her memory continued to be a part of it for years. That was the beauty of the old Emmerdale Farm. Stories, and people, lived on for years and there was a real sense of continuity. Now it's just plot after plot. I agree that the deaths of Sam and Sally was such a big mistake. It wasn't that obvious back then of course, but it set a very bad precedent for the future of killing off members of the Sugden family. As for Louise Jameson.... I'm not at all surprised that they don't mention her brief stint as Sharon. They probably don't even know about it, even though it was really one of the biggest stories of very early Emmerdale Farm. Louise herself was only on screen as Sharon for something like 4 episodes but the mystery around Sharon's disappearance, and the final reveal of her fate, played out for months. And the show even re-visited it years later, when her murderer, Jim Latimer, was released from prison and targeted Jack for revenge by kidnapping Sarah.

How can anyone hate Ash Barty?! She's the most harmless, un-controversial and "nice" individual, almost to the point of being a bit bland.....

This is my favourite song by The Supremes

Now Joni Mitchell joins Neil Young in removing songs from Spotify Joni Mitchell wants songs off Spotify in Covid row

A 44-year wait is over! Ashleigh Barty wins the Australian Open and becomes the first home winner in either men's or women's singles since Chris O'Neil in 1978! Australian Open: Ashleigh Barty wins first Melbourne title by beating Danielle Collins

^^

Someone actually compared Anne Frank (and others) hiding from the nazis to the Covid-vaccine??!!

There is that worry, yes. I'm sure there are some who think that I'm too hard on the Dingles, but frankly that's their problem..... I have to concede that there have been times when I have actually (almost) liked some of them, although it pains me to admit that now. Chas was sort of likeable for a while, and Marlon was kind of tolerable when he was with Tricia and with Donna. I also liked Lisa in the beginning. But all that was long ago, and now I can't stand the sight of any of them. I disliked the family right from the start. I mean, there was nothing even remotely appealing about them from the beginning. The pathetic feud with the McAllister family, they destroyed Luke's life and practically drove him to his death, Tina tried to frame Angharad for possession of drugs, Butch terrorized Jessica.... And then the way they gatecrashed Joe Sugden's funeral and acted like the pigs they are. It still makes my blood boil to think about it. And then came the unholy trinity of Cain, Charity and (yuck) Debbie! Three of the most unappealing characters ever created, although they have been challenged in recent years by Aaron and Liv. 🤮 And don't get me wrong. I don't mind characters with flaws. I loved Viv, and she could be the most hypocritical and vicious of bitches. Rachel had affairs with three (!) married men, including Jack, who was the brother of her stepfather, yet I cared about her. (Except when she fought Frank to help the Dingles keep their house. If there was ever a time she deserved to be pushed from a cliff then that was it!). Steph was a psycho, who imprisoned and drugged her own father, and she was still able to arouse some sympathy. Amos could be the most irritating, pretentious man, yet he is one of my all-time favourites. I don't know if it's the writing who fail or the actors, but I have never ever been able to feel any kind of sympathy or empathy for the Dingles. And they don't even have to be Dingles by blood, as Liv has proved in recent years, and Alice did before that. It was probably not the intention from the show, but I was overjoyed when Sam helped Alice to die. She was probably the most insufferable non-Dingle ever. Yes, even worse than Liv! I know that Emmerdale has turned into more of a soap than the realistic dramaseries it was in the beginning, but I miss those years so much. This show used to be so good and special and now it's just a generic soap that stretches credibility to the limit. I mean, there is no way that two characters like Chas and Charity would ever be able to run a pub. With their criminal records they would never get a licence to serve alcohol! But we must have Dingles everywhere so to hell with logic! I sometimes wonder why I even bother with this show anymore, but I have a history with it that goes back to the late 70s, and it's hard to break that kind of bond.

Australian Open: Rafael Nadal to face Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne final

Bridget?

Australian Open: Rafael Nadal beats Matteo Berrettini to reach Melbourne final

^^ Now that would be the perfect way to celebrate the 50th anniversary! The only thing I would change is that I would get rid of all the Dingles, every last member of that horrid clan. Wipe them from the face of the earth, and not even mention any of them again!