June 15, 2013
An Explanation
Over at Steven's place, he apologizes for not providing his usual bountiful amounts of free ice cream. I, on the other hand, am not going to apologize for not give you much in the way of deep meaningful free ice cream as of late, because I'm actually doing you a favor by not writing.
Cute duckling picture counteracts the darkness
Collectively I hear your eyes roll like so many 14-pound balls down a well-waxed bowling alley. "Oh look, Wonderduck is going to whine about how bad he is at writing again." Nope, I'm not. What I am, however, is in a rather hideous mood. It was only brought to my attention recently, but enough people confirmed it so it must be true. See? Cute duckling versus evil Wonderduck = cute duckling flawless victory!
In some of my various notes and such, I can see that these people are correct. I do appear to be in something of a snit (or is that a bolotomus?), and I fear that it has leeched into my scribblings. Or will, if I let it... and I would. This is not a good thing, even on an Episodic Writeup, and don't think I don't remember that I'm supposed to be working on the Eva movies.Duckling gotz the moovz.
I'll be in Florida for half of next week... big company shindig. I'll take Wanderduck with me, probably get some "rubber duck at 30000 feet" pictures. Unfortunately, I won't be back until Saturday evening, meaning I'll be missing a good portion of the 24 Hours of LeMans. Drat, etc. So that's the story from my end. It's for your own good. Remember that.Duckling happily contemplating how to kill everybody.
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June 13, 2013
Random Anime Picture #79: Jack, You're DEAD.
-OreImo S2, Ep02
The last thing you'll ever see before she rips your throat out and punches out your blood. All of it.
-OreImo S2, Ep02
The last thing you'll ever see before she rips your throat out and punches out your blood. All of it.
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June 12, 2013
A Pleasant Afternoon
It's a little after four in the afternoon. I'm sitting in my office at the Duck U Bookstore, having just gotten off a conference call with twenty-some-odd other managers. It's warm and kinda humid, but I've got a fan close at hand to keep me from boiling away like liquid nitrogen in a fireplace. And then my Assistant Manager comes in, saying "the tornado sirens just went off. Everybody's heading to the basement."
You might see the white cross next to the word "Rockford" up there... that's roughly where Duck U is located... and that big red splotch directly on top of it is roughly where the multiple funnel clouds were seen. No reports of damage other than branches and flooding yet, but it did get somewhat tense. Okay, a lot tense. "Hand me my brown trousers" tense. We sat in the basement for about a half-hour or so, half the people staring at their smartphones, the other half staring at the people staring at their smartphones. Some gallows humor floated about: "we're all down here so it'll be easier to find the bodies when the building collapses," that sort of thing.
Obviously, we survived. There's more storms coming through... in fact, there's a tornado on the ground as I type this, near Sterling (headed south-east, though)... but the bad stuff is supposedly over for the night. We can only hope.
UPDATE: There was, apparently, another tornado in the same place later. We're not talking Oklahoma-scale things here, mind you, but the National Weather Service is sending out investigators in the morning. Looks like worst is over, but if you're in the way of this storm line, hunker down!
You might see the white cross next to the word "Rockford" up there... that's roughly where Duck U is located... and that big red splotch directly on top of it is roughly where the multiple funnel clouds were seen. No reports of damage other than branches and flooding yet, but it did get somewhat tense. Okay, a lot tense. "Hand me my brown trousers" tense. We sat in the basement for about a half-hour or so, half the people staring at their smartphones, the other half staring at the people staring at their smartphones. Some gallows humor floated about: "we're all down here so it'll be easier to find the bodies when the building collapses," that sort of thing.
Obviously, we survived. There's more storms coming through... in fact, there's a tornado on the ground as I type this, near Sterling (headed south-east, though)... but the bad stuff is supposedly over for the night. We can only hope.
UPDATE: There was, apparently, another tornado in the same place later. We're not talking Oklahoma-scale things here, mind you, but the National Weather Service is sending out investigators in the morning. Looks like worst is over, but if you're in the way of this storm line, hunker down!
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June 11, 2013
Ships, Nothing But Ships
So I've been spending time looking at warship photos as of late, and I've come up with a bunch of good ones for display over at Reddit's r/warshipporn subsite. I don't think I'm tooting my own horn when I say I'm the most clever as far as picture titles go, but this post isn't about that... no, it's about my favorite pictures that I've put up. To start with, I was using my "mystery ship" competition shots, but I've spread out since then. Like this one:
Right in the ol' spud locker! I'm pretty sure that the Hellcat just rolled off the end of the USS Charger's flight deck, but that's not what it looks like!
Want more? Well, click the word!
more...
Right in the ol' spud locker! I'm pretty sure that the Hellcat just rolled off the end of the USS Charger's flight deck, but that's not what it looks like!
Want more? Well, click the word!
more...
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June 09, 2013
F1 Update!: Canada 2013
Despite prayers from the Williams pitbox and rain dances from Ferrari-hired Mi'kmaq DJs, the skies were sunny and clear when the F1 Circus pulled onto the grid for a race that would be unlike any since 2001. THIS is your F1 Update! for the 2013 Grand Prix of Canada.
*THE BEGINNING: The lights went out, and polesitter Hannibal Vettel did what he always does: ran away and hid. By the end of the first lap, he had a two second lead. By the end of Lap 3, when they activated the DRS system, the lead was up to 4.5 seconds and getting larger. Mercedes driver Shiv Hamilton could do nothing to keep in touch with the Red Bull. Sadly and as expected, Williams driver Valtterri Bottas dropped like a stone from his third place starting position, ending up in sixth after the first lap and going backwards the whole race.
*THE BAD OLD DAYS: By the time the first pitstops came around, it was clear that the race was Vettel's to lose. When he stopped for the first time on Lap 16, he handed the lead to Hamilton, and immediately began tracking him down again. Three laps later, Hamilton pitted, relinquishing the lead back to the Red Bull driver. Those three laps were the only ones Vettel didn't lead all day. Vettel wouldn't stop again until Lap 50.
*WHAT'S THE POINT?: When Vettel came in for his second stop, his lead was large enough that he could pit for new tires, get out, use the loo, have some poutine and Tim Hortons, and still rejoin in third. Instead, he just stopped for tires and came back onto the circuit with 15 seconds still in hand. He'd go on to cruise to a 14 second victory.
*SECOND PLACE: Around the same time that Vettel was enjoying a Molsons, Ferrari driver HWMNBN had reached a point where he could legitimately begin to threated Hamilton's second place position. It took 12 laps of the Mercedes driver making his car quite wide, but the Spaniard finally managed to get past with eight laps remaining. Unfortunately, the gap to Vettel was 20 seconds. That it dropped to 14 was simply a case of the three-time World Champion dialing it back a bit to protect the engine.
*AND THEN... TRAGEDY: On Lap 66, Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez made a late pit stop, exited, and for whatever reason went straight into the wall at the outside of Turn 2. He hopped out unhurt, and the mobile crane came out to pick up the car. As the crane brought the car back to the pit lane after the race, escorted by four track marshals. One of the men apparently dropped his portable radio, bent down to pick it up, lost his balance and fell... directly into the path of the crane.
The man was swiftly attended by F1 medical personnel and taken to the trauma department at Montreal's Sacre-Coeur Hospital, where he tragically passed away a couple of hours later. The marshal, who's name has yet to be released, is the first death at a F1 event since 2001. Track workers are the unsung heroes of any race weekend. Without them, the events we watch with such passion could not take place. The job is thankless, pressure-filled, dirty, sweaty, and often dangerous... as any job that takes place in the vicinity of high-powered equipment of any sort can be. Almost all of them are volunteers and fans, wanting to be part of the race. They are almost always invisible, the backstage workers that let the young men and women in their carbon fiber darts, their steel sleds, their fiberglass missiles, entertain us and thrill us with their speed and skill. That one of them should die is terrible, and we here at F1Update! bow our heads and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Paul di Resta started the race 17th on the grid. He didn't make his first and only pit stop until Lap 56, and the tires that came off his Force India looked like they still had a few more laps left in 'em. Even with the late-race stop, he still managed to come home in 7th place, a ten grid-spot pickup from the beginning. Just astounding.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Ferrari. HWMNBN ended up in second, but Felipe Massa, who started in 16th, ended up in 8th to minimize any point damage they could have suffered at the hands of Red Bull. Nice job to a team we rarely have anything good to say about.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: By default, this one goes to HWMNBN for his late pass on Shiv Hamilton for 2nd place. There were few passes to choose from, to be honest. While the Ferrari's pass was DRS-aided, that he did it on the short, short front straight DRS zone, just past the final chicane, came as something of a surprise, if not just to the F1U! crew perhaps to Hamilton as well. There have been dozens of better passes this season, however.
*MOOOOOO-OOOOVE OF THE RACE: We're giving this one to Esteban Gutierrez of Sauber. When he exited the pits late in the race, he apparently hit a bump going into Turn 2, locked up the outside tire, and just floated himself right into the barrier. Just a clumsy, clumsy maneuver, one well worth the MoooootR. (Please note: that a worker died during the clearing of the car has nothing to do with the award. Gutierrez had nothing to do with that. The crash really was one that falls into the "what in the world?" category)
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
*THE BEGINNING: The lights went out, and polesitter Hannibal Vettel did what he always does: ran away and hid. By the end of the first lap, he had a two second lead. By the end of Lap 3, when they activated the DRS system, the lead was up to 4.5 seconds and getting larger. Mercedes driver Shiv Hamilton could do nothing to keep in touch with the Red Bull. Sadly and as expected, Williams driver Valtterri Bottas dropped like a stone from his third place starting position, ending up in sixth after the first lap and going backwards the whole race.
*THE BAD OLD DAYS: By the time the first pitstops came around, it was clear that the race was Vettel's to lose. When he stopped for the first time on Lap 16, he handed the lead to Hamilton, and immediately began tracking him down again. Three laps later, Hamilton pitted, relinquishing the lead back to the Red Bull driver. Those three laps were the only ones Vettel didn't lead all day. Vettel wouldn't stop again until Lap 50.
*WHAT'S THE POINT?: When Vettel came in for his second stop, his lead was large enough that he could pit for new tires, get out, use the loo, have some poutine and Tim Hortons, and still rejoin in third. Instead, he just stopped for tires and came back onto the circuit with 15 seconds still in hand. He'd go on to cruise to a 14 second victory.
*SECOND PLACE: Around the same time that Vettel was enjoying a Molsons, Ferrari driver HWMNBN had reached a point where he could legitimately begin to threated Hamilton's second place position. It took 12 laps of the Mercedes driver making his car quite wide, but the Spaniard finally managed to get past with eight laps remaining. Unfortunately, the gap to Vettel was 20 seconds. That it dropped to 14 was simply a case of the three-time World Champion dialing it back a bit to protect the engine.
*AND THEN... TRAGEDY: On Lap 66, Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez made a late pit stop, exited, and for whatever reason went straight into the wall at the outside of Turn 2. He hopped out unhurt, and the mobile crane came out to pick up the car. As the crane brought the car back to the pit lane after the race, escorted by four track marshals. One of the men apparently dropped his portable radio, bent down to pick it up, lost his balance and fell... directly into the path of the crane.
The man was swiftly attended by F1 medical personnel and taken to the trauma department at Montreal's Sacre-Coeur Hospital, where he tragically passed away a couple of hours later. The marshal, who's name has yet to be released, is the first death at a F1 event since 2001. Track workers are the unsung heroes of any race weekend. Without them, the events we watch with such passion could not take place. The job is thankless, pressure-filled, dirty, sweaty, and often dangerous... as any job that takes place in the vicinity of high-powered equipment of any sort can be. Almost all of them are volunteers and fans, wanting to be part of the race. They are almost always invisible, the backstage workers that let the young men and women in their carbon fiber darts, their steel sleds, their fiberglass missiles, entertain us and thrill us with their speed and skill. That one of them should die is terrible, and we here at F1Update! bow our heads and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Paul di Resta started the race 17th on the grid. He didn't make his first and only pit stop until Lap 56, and the tires that came off his Force India looked like they still had a few more laps left in 'em. Even with the late-race stop, he still managed to come home in 7th place, a ten grid-spot pickup from the beginning. Just astounding.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Ferrari. HWMNBN ended up in second, but Felipe Massa, who started in 16th, ended up in 8th to minimize any point damage they could have suffered at the hands of Red Bull. Nice job to a team we rarely have anything good to say about.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: By default, this one goes to HWMNBN for his late pass on Shiv Hamilton for 2nd place. There were few passes to choose from, to be honest. While the Ferrari's pass was DRS-aided, that he did it on the short, short front straight DRS zone, just past the final chicane, came as something of a surprise, if not just to the F1U! crew perhaps to Hamilton as well. There have been dozens of better passes this season, however.
*MOOOOOO-OOOOVE OF THE RACE: We're giving this one to Esteban Gutierrez of Sauber. When he exited the pits late in the race, he apparently hit a bump going into Turn 2, locked up the outside tire, and just floated himself right into the barrier. Just a clumsy, clumsy maneuver, one well worth the MoooootR. (Please note: that a worker died during the clearing of the car has nothing to do with the award. Gutierrez had nothing to do with that. The crash really was one that falls into the "what in the world?" category)
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
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June 08, 2013
F1 Quals: Canada 2013 (UPDATED)
Rain. Rain changes everything. One moment of distraction, one millisecond of hesitation, and the lap, the race, the car is lost. Just because the pavement is so slightly damp that a Ford Mustang wouldn't notice it. That was what the drivers faced when Q1 began this afternoon at the Ile Notre Dame. Who got bit? Qui a vaincu la pluie? Here's the provisional grid for the 2013 Grand Prix of Canada:
About five minutes before Q1 began, rain started to fall lightly amongst the trees and marmots of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, prompting the first major decision of the day: do we go out on dry tires and hope to get a good lap in before it gets too wet, or do we go right for the intermediates? Most of the teams gave the dry tires a go, with a very few staying in the garage. Those that didn't try the dry rubber made the right call; the first couple of minutes of the session were spent watching multi-million dollar, high-tech, space-age, hand-crafted equipment spin and pirouette like they were driving on ice. Once everybody got back to the pits and put on drizzleshoes, things began to settle down a tad. It wasn't until Q2 that things began to get weird. In the second session, the rain began to fall a little bit harder... nearly enough to switch to full wets, but not quite. I'm betting Felipe Massa wishes he had changed, as he wound up slamming his Ferrari sideways into a tire barrier, for the fourth time in two races. As this occurred very near an important piece of run-off area, a red flag was thrown... with two minutes left in the session, and some very unlikely people on the verge of elimination: Raikkonen, Button, Sutil. When the notification came that the track was about to reopen, we got this scene at the pit-out:
As long as you start your timed lap with one second left on the clock, the lap will count. So there was time... just... to get out of the pits, get around the circuit, and cross the start/finish line for one last chance at moving on to Q3. See Kimi and Daniel Ricciardo there on the far right? They and three others have been summoned to the steward's office for not lining up correctly to re-enter the track. There could be penalties, but I'd not hold my breath. The light went green, the Benny Hill Theme began playing, and everybody managed to make it around without doing grave bodily harm to themselves or others. Some succeeded in their quests to make it to Q3, but Jenson Button couldn't.
In Q3, we had the never-before-seen sight of Valtterri Bottas placing his Williams third on the grid in wet-but-not-as-wet-as-Q2 conditions. Rain is the great equalizer. Always has been, always will be. Vettel, of course, is on pole, while Mr Every-Other-Year-In-Canada, Shiv Hamilton, is next to him. He's won here three times, every other year. In the years he hasn't won? DNF. He won last last year...
All I'm saying is don't put any money on Shiv.
Race tomorrow afternoon... the F1U! crew is praying for rain.
UPDATE: Kimi and Ricciardo were penalized two grid spots for jumping the line. The other three got away as they received no benefit.
About five minutes before Q1 began, rain started to fall lightly amongst the trees and marmots of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, prompting the first major decision of the day: do we go out on dry tires and hope to get a good lap in before it gets too wet, or do we go right for the intermediates? Most of the teams gave the dry tires a go, with a very few staying in the garage. Those that didn't try the dry rubber made the right call; the first couple of minutes of the session were spent watching multi-million dollar, high-tech, space-age, hand-crafted equipment spin and pirouette like they were driving on ice. Once everybody got back to the pits and put on drizzleshoes, things began to settle down a tad. It wasn't until Q2 that things began to get weird. In the second session, the rain began to fall a little bit harder... nearly enough to switch to full wets, but not quite. I'm betting Felipe Massa wishes he had changed, as he wound up slamming his Ferrari sideways into a tire barrier, for the fourth time in two races. As this occurred very near an important piece of run-off area, a red flag was thrown... with two minutes left in the session, and some very unlikely people on the verge of elimination: Raikkonen, Button, Sutil. When the notification came that the track was about to reopen, we got this scene at the pit-out:
As long as you start your timed lap with one second left on the clock, the lap will count. So there was time... just... to get out of the pits, get around the circuit, and cross the start/finish line for one last chance at moving on to Q3. See Kimi and Daniel Ricciardo there on the far right? They and three others have been summoned to the steward's office for not lining up correctly to re-enter the track. There could be penalties, but I'd not hold my breath. The light went green, the Benny Hill Theme began playing, and everybody managed to make it around without doing grave bodily harm to themselves or others. Some succeeded in their quests to make it to Q3, but Jenson Button couldn't.
In Q3, we had the never-before-seen sight of Valtterri Bottas placing his Williams third on the grid in wet-but-not-as-wet-as-Q2 conditions. Rain is the great equalizer. Always has been, always will be. Vettel, of course, is on pole, while Mr Every-Other-Year-In-Canada, Shiv Hamilton, is next to him. He's won here three times, every other year. In the years he hasn't won? DNF. He won last last year...
All I'm saying is don't put any money on Shiv.
Race tomorrow afternoon... the F1U! crew is praying for rain.
UPDATE: Kimi and Ricciardo were penalized two grid spots for jumping the line. The other three got away as they received no benefit.
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June 07, 2013
F1 Practice: Montreal 2013
If we learned anything during today's two practice sessions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, it is these items:
1) Force India might have actually turned the corner. I hate to predict results from practice sessions... in fact, I regularly say to avoid doing precisely that. But the consistent movement of the team up the charts has made it unavoidable. Paul di Resta headed the timesheet in P1 this morning, albeit on a wet-but-drying track, and Adrian Sutil spent a lot of time in the stratified reaches of the top 10 during P2 on a dry track. Are they going to be on the podium this weekend? No, probably not, but I don't believe it would cause any great reaction shot memes to be created if it happened, either.
3) This tire thingy isn't going away. To bring everybody up to speed, immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix, Pirelli ran a tire test with Mercedes. Normally, this isn't a big deal... there was a test with Ferrari, for example, that nobody is complaining about. There was one big difference between the two, however: Ferrari used their 2011 car, while Mercedes used their current chassis. The team got to run 1000km on Pirelli test tires fitted to the same car they used in Monaco... which race, it might be pointed out, they won. More important than the tire runs, though, data from which will benefit all the teams eventually, was that Mercedes got 600 miles of running where they could bolt on any upgrades they wanted to try. In-season testing is expressly forbidden by the Sporting Regulations. So why did Mercedes do it? Because they were asked to by Pirelli, who can run tests during the season. Confused yet?
As you can imagine, the other teams are going slightly apecrap over this. Not because Mercedes got to run on the new Pirelli tires, no, but because they got to do 1000km of live running with their 2013 car while slapping on whatever upgrades they wanted to test... and the other teams didn't. Even if they didn't put upgrades on the car, another 600 miles of running with Nico Rosberg and Shiv Hamilton behind the wheel would give the team a LOT of input that the others didn't get the chance to get. According to Legendary Announce Team member Steve Matchett, everybody up and down the pit lane tends to get somewhat heated when this is mentioned. Red Bull Tire Guy Jon Gates had a tweet that seems to get right to the heart of the matter: "Last flight in has landed in Montreal, good to see our mates from other teams have arrived safe and sound. Mercedes and Pirelli also here." Mercedes and Pirelli are being hauled in front of the FIA's International Tribunal on June 20th, the results of which could be staggeringly severe. I don't think we'll see a repeat of Stepneygate's $100million fine (90% of which was because then-McLaren head honcho Ron Dennis was something of a prat). But Mercedes excluded from the championship? Possible. Their points for Monaco taken away? Likely. We'll see, of course. Just another bump in the road for the team from Germany.
If we learned anything during today's two practice sessions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, it is these items:
1) Force India might have actually turned the corner. I hate to predict results from practice sessions... in fact, I regularly say to avoid doing precisely that. But the consistent movement of the team up the charts has made it unavoidable. Paul di Resta headed the timesheet in P1 this morning, albeit on a wet-but-drying track, and Adrian Sutil spent a lot of time in the stratified reaches of the top 10 during P2 on a dry track. Are they going to be on the podium this weekend? No, probably not, but I don't believe it would cause any great reaction shot memes to be created if it happened, either.
No, I didn't write that entire paragraph just to post this picture. Nice one, though.
2) The FIA's weather forecasters are blind, clueless or incompetent. Why would I suggest such a thing? They're claiming that there's no chance of rain on race day... when there's a tropical storm heading up the east coast of the US that's supposed to be in the vicinity of Montreal on Sunday, though heading away. How can ANYBODY forecast race day to be dry in those circumstances? Plus, it's Montreal: it may as well be named Spa-Francorchamps West. Having said that, they are predicting rain during Quals, so they're not totally insane.3) This tire thingy isn't going away. To bring everybody up to speed, immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix, Pirelli ran a tire test with Mercedes. Normally, this isn't a big deal... there was a test with Ferrari, for example, that nobody is complaining about. There was one big difference between the two, however: Ferrari used their 2011 car, while Mercedes used their current chassis. The team got to run 1000km on Pirelli test tires fitted to the same car they used in Monaco... which race, it might be pointed out, they won. More important than the tire runs, though, data from which will benefit all the teams eventually, was that Mercedes got 600 miles of running where they could bolt on any upgrades they wanted to try. In-season testing is expressly forbidden by the Sporting Regulations. So why did Mercedes do it? Because they were asked to by Pirelli, who can run tests during the season. Confused yet?
As you can imagine, the other teams are going slightly apecrap over this. Not because Mercedes got to run on the new Pirelli tires, no, but because they got to do 1000km of live running with their 2013 car while slapping on whatever upgrades they wanted to test... and the other teams didn't. Even if they didn't put upgrades on the car, another 600 miles of running with Nico Rosberg and Shiv Hamilton behind the wheel would give the team a LOT of input that the others didn't get the chance to get. According to Legendary Announce Team member Steve Matchett, everybody up and down the pit lane tends to get somewhat heated when this is mentioned. Red Bull Tire Guy Jon Gates had a tweet that seems to get right to the heart of the matter: "Last flight in has landed in Montreal, good to see our mates from other teams have arrived safe and sound. Mercedes and Pirelli also here." Mercedes and Pirelli are being hauled in front of the FIA's International Tribunal on June 20th, the results of which could be staggeringly severe. I don't think we'll see a repeat of Stepneygate's $100million fine (90% of which was because then-McLaren head honcho Ron Dennis was something of a prat). But Mercedes excluded from the championship? Possible. Their points for Monaco taken away? Likely. We'll see, of course. Just another bump in the road for the team from Germany.
A three-inch speed bump, to be exact.
So that's about it for Friday from Montreal. Quals in the afternoon... nice to be able to say that for once... with writeup sometime thereafter. See ya then!
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June 05, 2013
Ducks In Anime Can't Be This Cute
-Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2, Ep01
I find OreImo, as this ridiculously long-titled series is called by anybody who has had to type it more than once, to be something of a mixed bag. On one hand, I rather enjoy it. On the other hand, there's Kirino, perhaps the most annoying, spiteful, hateful and nasty teenager ever. Unfortunately, she's something of a major character. As in, "the show doesn't occur without her."
So, yeah, I have some problems with it. I did finish the first series, though. And now I've completed Ep01 of Season 2... this screencap is from about 15 seconds into it. First Duck In Anime since January!
-Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2, Ep01
I find OreImo, as this ridiculously long-titled series is called by anybody who has had to type it more than once, to be something of a mixed bag. On one hand, I rather enjoy it. On the other hand, there's Kirino, perhaps the most annoying, spiteful, hateful and nasty teenager ever. Unfortunately, she's something of a major character. As in, "the show doesn't occur without her."
So, yeah, I have some problems with it. I did finish the first series, though. And now I've completed Ep01 of Season 2... this screencap is from about 15 seconds into it. First Duck In Anime since January!
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June 04, 2013
The Books of Midway
71 years ago the US Navy won the greatest victory at sea, perhaps ever. It will come as no surprise to most of my readers that I've been fascinated by the Battle of Midway for years. Last night, I realized that I had no plans for the annual June 4th post, so my eyes headed to The Shelf. Perhaps one of the books there could give me an idea... and then I realized that the idea was staring me in the face.
Even the books from the first category, such as Gordon Prange's Miracle at Midway, have substantial value. Ironically, the weakest book of the bunch is the very first: Fuchida's. It has been made clear through ongoing research, both here and in Japan, that he played fast and loose with the truth. Well, that's unfortunate, but the truth appears to have come out.
I haven't completed Dallas Isom's book, so I can't say what I think of it yet. What I've read has managed to furrow my brow a few times... not always in a good way, it must be said. It's certainly been worth the $4.95 I spent on it, though.
Of course, I forgot to put my newest addition in the picture... it's sitting on my dining room table. I haven't read it yet; it's going to be my business trip reading in a couple of weeks.
I wonder if any other single battle has generated as many books as Midway has? D-Day, probably, but that isn't really a single battle, is it? The Battle of Britain, likely... except that was less a battle and more of a campaign. Maybe Stalingrad... but probably not.
And that's how it should be.
Click to embiggify.
Not all of these books are excellent, of course. There's really two categories of Midway books: those heavily influenced by Mitsuo Fuchida's Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan, and those that aren't. It's that second group where you get the real meat. All four of the books on the top row fall into that rarefied strata... which is not to say that the above picture has the books in any sort of order! They're just positioned to fit in the picture.Even the books from the first category, such as Gordon Prange's Miracle at Midway, have substantial value. Ironically, the weakest book of the bunch is the very first: Fuchida's. It has been made clear through ongoing research, both here and in Japan, that he played fast and loose with the truth. Well, that's unfortunate, but the truth appears to have come out.
I haven't completed Dallas Isom's book, so I can't say what I think of it yet. What I've read has managed to furrow my brow a few times... not always in a good way, it must be said. It's certainly been worth the $4.95 I spent on it, though.
Of course, I forgot to put my newest addition in the picture... it's sitting on my dining room table. I haven't read it yet; it's going to be my business trip reading in a couple of weeks.
I wonder if any other single battle has generated as many books as Midway has? D-Day, probably, but that isn't really a single battle, is it? The Battle of Britain, likely... except that was less a battle and more of a campaign. Maybe Stalingrad... but probably not.
And that's how it should be.
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June 03, 2013
F1 On The NBC Networks: Montreal 2013
After the slow crawl through the narrow streets of a tiny French fishing
village, the F1 Circus makes its way across the pond (as opposed to
crossing The Pond, which you do at your peril) to Montreal. Here's a
look at the track map for Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, home of the 2013
Grand Prix of Canada:
Oddly, there are many similarities between Montreal and Monaco. Both speak French, for example, but I was more interested in the tracks. Both are hard on the brakes; Montreal is the only place I've ever seen a brake disc explode, for example. Both are relatively narrow with close walls, though Canada has more run-off room in general. It's still no Abu Dhabi, though, and is quite unforgiving. Both tracks will have the super-soft tires on hand, though Canada will also have the mediums available (Monaco had softs).
There are plenty of differences, of course. Where Monaco is a high-downforce circuit, Montreal is just the opposite. Lots of fast bits broken up by slow, slow turns categorize Canada, which is why the brakes get such a workout here. You're just stomping on the clampers here. Also, in Montreal they've got better beer and worse food than in Monaco, unless you like donuts.
Which is to say, Canada is a fun track, arguably the best in F1 (though I wouldn't vote for it). There's always safety cars here, the weather often plays a part (2011: two hour rain delay!), and good races are common. And the Legendary Announce Team will be bringing it to us with their usual je ne sais quoi. Here's the broadcast schedule:
FRIDAY
1p - 230p: Practice 2 live NBCSN
SATURDAY
12noon - 130p: Quals live NBCSN
SUNDAY
1p - 330p: 2013 Grand Prix of Canada, live on NBC
Whaddya know, a race you don't have to get up at 530am for! Yay us! Of course, F1Update! will be all over the race, or something like that, so don't move a muscle. Ever.
See you then.
Oddly, there are many similarities between Montreal and Monaco. Both speak French, for example, but I was more interested in the tracks. Both are hard on the brakes; Montreal is the only place I've ever seen a brake disc explode, for example. Both are relatively narrow with close walls, though Canada has more run-off room in general. It's still no Abu Dhabi, though, and is quite unforgiving. Both tracks will have the super-soft tires on hand, though Canada will also have the mediums available (Monaco had softs).
There are plenty of differences, of course. Where Monaco is a high-downforce circuit, Montreal is just the opposite. Lots of fast bits broken up by slow, slow turns categorize Canada, which is why the brakes get such a workout here. You're just stomping on the clampers here. Also, in Montreal they've got better beer and worse food than in Monaco, unless you like donuts.
Which is to say, Canada is a fun track, arguably the best in F1 (though I wouldn't vote for it). There's always safety cars here, the weather often plays a part (2011: two hour rain delay!), and good races are common. And the Legendary Announce Team will be bringing it to us with their usual je ne sais quoi. Here's the broadcast schedule:
FRIDAY
1p - 230p: Practice 2 live NBCSN
SATURDAY
12noon - 130p: Quals live NBCSN
SUNDAY
1p - 330p: 2013 Grand Prix of Canada, live on NBC
Whaddya know, a race you don't have to get up at 530am for! Yay us! Of course, F1Update! will be all over the race, or something like that, so don't move a muscle. Ever.
See you then.
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June 02, 2013
Intrigue, Danger: Family Version
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June 01, 2013
Taste the Danger. Feel The Intrigue.
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Thank You, Quacked Panes
Back in 2009, I wrote a little post about a new webcomic named Quacked Panes. Written and photographed by a member of the Pond Scum named GreyDuck, it was a little strip about a small collection of rubber ducks trying to make their way
through life. As time went on, it became a twice-weekly staple of my
interweb readings... to be sure, to begin with it was simply because of
the rubber duckies, because I'm nothing if not all about the rubber
duckies, but I very quickly realized there was an extremely snarky wit
behind the cute ducks, too.
I'm proud to say that I played a tiny part in the success that was Quacked Panes, via duck donations and one short, forgettable series of replacement strips while GD was on holiday. I'm glad GD let me play in his world a little bit... he certainly inspired me to do my Halloween Event... thing.
Today, after 400-plus entries and four years later to the day, GreyDuck posted the last Quacked Panes strip. The entire Pond has a gigantic sad, and it just got really really dusty in Pond Central.
Go over there and give the archive a read, won't you? You really won't regret it.
Thanks, GD. Thank you, Quacked Panes. We really did have fun.
I'm proud to say that I played a tiny part in the success that was Quacked Panes, via duck donations and one short, forgettable series of replacement strips while GD was on holiday. I'm glad GD let me play in his world a little bit... he certainly inspired me to do my Halloween Event... thing.
Today, after 400-plus entries and four years later to the day, GreyDuck posted the last Quacked Panes strip. The entire Pond has a gigantic sad, and it just got really really dusty in Pond Central.
Go over there and give the archive a read, won't you? You really won't regret it.
Thanks, GD. Thank you, Quacked Panes. We really did have fun.
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May 30, 2013
I Even Forgot A Title.
It's hard for me to put into words everything that's racing through my brain right now, but I'll give some of it a shot.
I am weary. Bone-tired. I get home from work, and all I want to do is lie down and take a nap. Eating is good, too, and I usually manage to do that, but I'll grab a couple hours of blissful slumber, get up, putter around until midnight, then go back to bed. The next day, I wake up and do it all over again. I suspect that's part of the problem: as of this past Monday, I've worked at the Duck U Bookstore for nine years. That's a long-ish time... it's the longest I've worked in any one place, times two-and-change. Oh sure, I worked in radio for eight years or so, but it was in two installments. If you're talking full-time employment, I ran a different bookstore for three years. So, yeah, long time in one place, looking at the same carpeting, the same ugly cream paint in my office, yadda.
I haven't really had any fun for a few months... oddly enough, it was work related, too. When I was last in Chicago, I had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (as described at the start of this post), and looking back at it, I had a great time. Sure, I've had dinner with The Librarian a few times since then, and that's fun, but for FUN FUN, I have to go back to February. That's depressing.
I haven't even enjoyed Formula 1. Maybe you've noticed? Or maybe you don't, because it feels like nobody is reading the F1U!s anymore... and I'm pretty sure I don't blame you.
*whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnne*
I'm shutting up now. Stuff tomorrow and over the weekend.
I am weary. Bone-tired. I get home from work, and all I want to do is lie down and take a nap. Eating is good, too, and I usually manage to do that, but I'll grab a couple hours of blissful slumber, get up, putter around until midnight, then go back to bed. The next day, I wake up and do it all over again. I suspect that's part of the problem: as of this past Monday, I've worked at the Duck U Bookstore for nine years. That's a long-ish time... it's the longest I've worked in any one place, times two-and-change. Oh sure, I worked in radio for eight years or so, but it was in two installments. If you're talking full-time employment, I ran a different bookstore for three years. So, yeah, long time in one place, looking at the same carpeting, the same ugly cream paint in my office, yadda.
I haven't really had any fun for a few months... oddly enough, it was work related, too. When I was last in Chicago, I had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (as described at the start of this post), and looking back at it, I had a great time. Sure, I've had dinner with The Librarian a few times since then, and that's fun, but for FUN FUN, I have to go back to February. That's depressing.
I haven't even enjoyed Formula 1. Maybe you've noticed? Or maybe you don't, because it feels like nobody is reading the F1U!s anymore... and I'm pretty sure I don't blame you.
*whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnne*
I'm shutting up now. Stuff tomorrow and over the weekend.
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May 29, 2013
Taste The Intrigue. Feel The Danger.
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May 27, 2013
F1 Update!: Monaco 2013
Monaco is one of those circuits where you can always expect to have a not-dull time. Oh, the race itself may not be any good, but you're practically guaranteed to have an experience. So when the Circus formed up on the grid under a brilliant blue sky, the F1U! crew settled back in their comfychairs, Chicago-style pizza from Giordano's at easy reach, ready to experience a race around a tiny French fishing village. THIS is your F1 Update! for the 2013 Grand Prix of Monaco!
*LIGHTS OUT: Despite a desperate lunge by third-sitting Red Bull driver Hannibal Vettel, the two Mercedes cars on the first row kept the lead through Sainte Devote. This allowed Nico Rosberg to begin to pull away while Shiv Hamilton played 'good teammate' and held up the rest of the field... as predicted by many. At any other circuit on the calendar except maybe Singapore, this strategy couldn't work: too much room. But at Monaco... narrow, twisty Monaco... the possibility existed that a determined and skilled pilot could make it work. You may say what you want about Shiv Hamilton, heaven knows we have, but after Mercedes gave him a podium he didn't deserve at Malayasia, he was both skilled and determined to give back to his teammate. So Shiv put on his Jarno Trulli Memorial Engineer cap and began to lead the train through the streets of Monaco. For nigh on 30 laps, Rosberg held close to a five second lead over third-place Vettel, and it was clear that Mercedes had figured out the tire problems that had plagued them all season. The train continued on, until Ferrari's Felipe Massa had a moment.
*SAFETY CAR: During Saturday's third practice, Massa wound up skidding into the barriers at Sainte Devote, damaging his car so badly the team could not get him up and running in time for Quals. Now, on Lap 30 of the race, the same thing occurred. Indeed, the two incidents were so similar in appearance as to be a little frightening.
If anything, the result of this one was even worse. Massa was put into a neck brace and taken to Princess Grace Hospital, where he was held for a few hours and released. However, the long trail of broken car left behind by his inelegant departure from the race could not be cleaned up safely, and we got our first Safety Car of the year. The two leaders, halfway around the track from Berndt Maylander, immediately lean into the gas pedals and rush for the pits. At this point, Mercedes told Shiv Hamilton that they were going to pit both cars on the same lap, and that he needed to hang back a few more seconds so the team didn't stack them up in the pits. This he duly did, and he pulled into the pit stall vacated by Rosberg a mere eight seconds previously. This turned out to be just a couple of seconds too long, as while our Polesitter retained the lead, Hamilton exited the pits in fourth, leapfrogged by the two Red Bull drivers.
*PART II: As the drivers perambulated behind the Safety Car, we got to hear a call from the pitlane to Hannibal Vettel: his rear tires were "marginal" after his first stint, while Rosberg's engineer told him that he still had "half the life" left in his after his stop. That couldn't have been an encouraging call for the Red Bull drivers, but when the Safety Car pulled in on Lap 38, the field gamely set off after the leader. After one lap, Rosberg had a two second lead, making it looked effortless. It wasn't until Lap 45 that something happened to shake things up.
*RED FLAG: Back towards the rear of the Thundering Herd, Cardinal Maldonado was having a lousy race. To be sure, they'd all been lousy this season, but this one seemed particularly bad, and it wasn't about to get any better when he approached Tabac. Max Chilton's Marussia, not exactly known as a speedy vehicle was inside him, looking to pass... and pushing him very very wide in the process. Maldonado, best known for being a dangerous driver last year, moved over as far as he could to avoid contact, but the rookie kept coming... and coming... and coming... and...
The Williams was launched skyward, greatly reducing grip, before slamming at high speed into the TecPro barrier hard enough to peel it away from the steel Armco, leaving it curled in the middle of the circuit... right where Chilton's teammate, Jules Bianchi, could run into it. This he duly did, ruining the front of his car. A red flag was immediately displayed, halting the race on the spot.
*ENDGAME: The remaining cars came to a stop on the grid while the damaged barriers were replaced. Tires were changed, minor damages were fixed, and people tried to figure out just exactly how to get past Nico Rosberg. Once the race was restarted, it was clear that nobody had figured that part out, as the Mercedes driver ran himself back out to a four-second lead, holding there until another Safety Car was brought out (see Moooooo-oooove of the Race, below). The restart did nothing to help the situation as Rosberg owned the restart and was right back to a four second lead almost immediately. Just how frustrating the race had been for Hannibal Vettel became clear on the penultimate lap, when he set fast-lap honors. When his team told him to back down, you get no points for fast lap, he replied "...but satisfaction." That was the only real satisfaction to be had, as he finished behind Rosberg by 3.5 seconds. In an interesting bit of synchronicity, it was in 1983 that Nico Rosberg's father, Keke, won the Grand Prix of Monaco.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Nico Rosberg. He literally did everything right. What more could you ask for?
*TEAM OF THE RACE: We're going to break with the logical answers today and instead give the TotR award to Force India. They finished 5th / 9th (from 17th!), the team's best result in Monaco ever, and Adrian Sutil pulled off some amazing passing moves. Way to go, guys, you deserve it.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: While McLaren is having a lousy season, it's hardly because of Jenson Button. He's clearly doing the best he can with a car that just isn't any good, which isn't much... he's never been the sort of driver who can bring out the best of a bad car. Still, late in the race he was in 8th, behind HWMNBN and Adrian F'n Sutil as they piled into Rascasse, not exactly a common place to try and improve your position.
As they wound their way past the nightclub, HWMNBN found himself outside of the Force India, while Button had the inside line.
To be fair, nobody in their right mind tries to pass in Rascasse. It just isn't done. However, the presence of the Force India actually balked the Ferrari momentarily, lest the red car have its nose removed.
This opened the door for Button to haul his recalcitrant McLaren through the turn slightly faster than the two-time World Driver's Champion could manage, and pull off a pass that usually would end in nothing but tears and carbon-fiber shards. On a day full of impressive passes, this was the best of the lot. It's not much, Jenson, but here's your MotR!
*MOOOOOOOO-OOOOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 63, Lettuce Grosjean was following Daniel Ricciardo, who was racing for points. Coming out of the tunnel, the Lotus driver didn't really bother to brake as they approached the chicane.
Ricciardo was out on the spot, Grosjean pitted for a new nose, turned a couple of laps, then was retired. This was Grosjean's fourth accident of the race weekend. Consider this Moooo a "weekend achievement award." Way to be.
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
*LIGHTS OUT: Despite a desperate lunge by third-sitting Red Bull driver Hannibal Vettel, the two Mercedes cars on the first row kept the lead through Sainte Devote. This allowed Nico Rosberg to begin to pull away while Shiv Hamilton played 'good teammate' and held up the rest of the field... as predicted by many. At any other circuit on the calendar except maybe Singapore, this strategy couldn't work: too much room. But at Monaco... narrow, twisty Monaco... the possibility existed that a determined and skilled pilot could make it work. You may say what you want about Shiv Hamilton, heaven knows we have, but after Mercedes gave him a podium he didn't deserve at Malayasia, he was both skilled and determined to give back to his teammate. So Shiv put on his Jarno Trulli Memorial Engineer cap and began to lead the train through the streets of Monaco. For nigh on 30 laps, Rosberg held close to a five second lead over third-place Vettel, and it was clear that Mercedes had figured out the tire problems that had plagued them all season. The train continued on, until Ferrari's Felipe Massa had a moment.
*SAFETY CAR: During Saturday's third practice, Massa wound up skidding into the barriers at Sainte Devote, damaging his car so badly the team could not get him up and running in time for Quals. Now, on Lap 30 of the race, the same thing occurred. Indeed, the two incidents were so similar in appearance as to be a little frightening.
If anything, the result of this one was even worse. Massa was put into a neck brace and taken to Princess Grace Hospital, where he was held for a few hours and released. However, the long trail of broken car left behind by his inelegant departure from the race could not be cleaned up safely, and we got our first Safety Car of the year. The two leaders, halfway around the track from Berndt Maylander, immediately lean into the gas pedals and rush for the pits. At this point, Mercedes told Shiv Hamilton that they were going to pit both cars on the same lap, and that he needed to hang back a few more seconds so the team didn't stack them up in the pits. This he duly did, and he pulled into the pit stall vacated by Rosberg a mere eight seconds previously. This turned out to be just a couple of seconds too long, as while our Polesitter retained the lead, Hamilton exited the pits in fourth, leapfrogged by the two Red Bull drivers.
*PART II: As the drivers perambulated behind the Safety Car, we got to hear a call from the pitlane to Hannibal Vettel: his rear tires were "marginal" after his first stint, while Rosberg's engineer told him that he still had "half the life" left in his after his stop. That couldn't have been an encouraging call for the Red Bull drivers, but when the Safety Car pulled in on Lap 38, the field gamely set off after the leader. After one lap, Rosberg had a two second lead, making it looked effortless. It wasn't until Lap 45 that something happened to shake things up.
*RED FLAG: Back towards the rear of the Thundering Herd, Cardinal Maldonado was having a lousy race. To be sure, they'd all been lousy this season, but this one seemed particularly bad, and it wasn't about to get any better when he approached Tabac. Max Chilton's Marussia, not exactly known as a speedy vehicle was inside him, looking to pass... and pushing him very very wide in the process. Maldonado, best known for being a dangerous driver last year, moved over as far as he could to avoid contact, but the rookie kept coming... and coming... and coming... and...
The Williams was launched skyward, greatly reducing grip, before slamming at high speed into the TecPro barrier hard enough to peel it away from the steel Armco, leaving it curled in the middle of the circuit... right where Chilton's teammate, Jules Bianchi, could run into it. This he duly did, ruining the front of his car. A red flag was immediately displayed, halting the race on the spot.
*ENDGAME: The remaining cars came to a stop on the grid while the damaged barriers were replaced. Tires were changed, minor damages were fixed, and people tried to figure out just exactly how to get past Nico Rosberg. Once the race was restarted, it was clear that nobody had figured that part out, as the Mercedes driver ran himself back out to a four-second lead, holding there until another Safety Car was brought out (see Moooooo-oooove of the Race, below). The restart did nothing to help the situation as Rosberg owned the restart and was right back to a four second lead almost immediately. Just how frustrating the race had been for Hannibal Vettel became clear on the penultimate lap, when he set fast-lap honors. When his team told him to back down, you get no points for fast lap, he replied "...but satisfaction." That was the only real satisfaction to be had, as he finished behind Rosberg by 3.5 seconds. In an interesting bit of synchronicity, it was in 1983 that Nico Rosberg's father, Keke, won the Grand Prix of Monaco.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: Nico Rosberg. He literally did everything right. What more could you ask for?
*TEAM OF THE RACE: We're going to break with the logical answers today and instead give the TotR award to Force India. They finished 5th / 9th (from 17th!), the team's best result in Monaco ever, and Adrian Sutil pulled off some amazing passing moves. Way to go, guys, you deserve it.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: While McLaren is having a lousy season, it's hardly because of Jenson Button. He's clearly doing the best he can with a car that just isn't any good, which isn't much... he's never been the sort of driver who can bring out the best of a bad car. Still, late in the race he was in 8th, behind HWMNBN and Adrian F'n Sutil as they piled into Rascasse, not exactly a common place to try and improve your position.
As they wound their way past the nightclub, HWMNBN found himself outside of the Force India, while Button had the inside line.
To be fair, nobody in their right mind tries to pass in Rascasse. It just isn't done. However, the presence of the Force India actually balked the Ferrari momentarily, lest the red car have its nose removed.
This opened the door for Button to haul his recalcitrant McLaren through the turn slightly faster than the two-time World Driver's Champion could manage, and pull off a pass that usually would end in nothing but tears and carbon-fiber shards. On a day full of impressive passes, this was the best of the lot. It's not much, Jenson, but here's your MotR!
*MOOOOOOOO-OOOOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 63, Lettuce Grosjean was following Daniel Ricciardo, who was racing for points. Coming out of the tunnel, the Lotus driver didn't really bother to brake as they approached the chicane.
Ricciardo was out on the spot, Grosjean pitted for a new nose, turned a couple of laps, then was retired. This was Grosjean's fourth accident of the race weekend. Consider this Moooo a "weekend achievement award." Way to be.
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
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May 26, 2013
Monaco F1U! Will Be Delayed Until Monday
Recording nightmare combined with a need for sleep and a vague "not feeling very well" sort of thing has put me off my game. It's 907pm, and I've only just now finished watching the Grand Prix of Monaco. I'm still trying to figure out if it was a good race, but it was certainly entertaining. And, heck, Lotus and Daft Punk teamed up for the weekend... no way that can be bad.
While I'm at it, though, let me pay the ultimate respect for the true face of the Monaco Grand Prix... this guy:
Every time the cars went through the tunnel, he was in shot. Every. Single. Time. There was one moment where he wasn't, but he quickly worked his way in, bringing sighs of relief to all viewers. The tunnel was safer because he was there. Thank you Mr Track Worker. Thank you.
F1U! tomorrow.
While I'm at it, though, let me pay the ultimate respect for the true face of the Monaco Grand Prix... this guy:
Every time the cars went through the tunnel, he was in shot. Every. Single. Time. There was one moment where he wasn't, but he quickly worked his way in, bringing sighs of relief to all viewers. The tunnel was safer because he was there. Thank you Mr Track Worker. Thank you.
F1U! tomorrow.
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May 25, 2013
F1 Quals: Monaco 2013
Rain. Rain makes everything better. In Formula 1, rain is called "the great equalizer." When it rains, you throw everything you knew about the cars and throw it all into the wheeliebins. ANYthing can happen, and occasionally does. Now make it rain during qualifying at Monaco, and you can imagine what happened.
Let's take a look at the provisional grid for the 2013 Grand Prix of Monaco:
The rain came just as Q1 was about to begin, and you can see what it did to the times. It was quite a common sight to see names like Valtteri Bottas and Jules Vergne at the top of the timesheet, though eventually it settled down slightly. In Q2, a drying line started to form and the times dropped precipitously, leaving most of the usual suspects in Q3.
In Q3, on a mostly dry circuit, the expected Mercedes massacre occurred, with Nico Rosberg taking his third consecutive pole, and Shiv Hamilton locking up the front row for the German team. Red Bull holds the second row, and Hannibal Vettel looked like he wanted to kill someone in the interview room.
You may notice that Massa got a DNQ: he was involved in a terrible wreck in Saturday Practice, broke both ends of the car, and Ferrari just couldn't get it rebuilt in time for Quals.
Fun Qualifying... maybe we'll have rain for the race, too! That's Sunday morning, we'll see you afterwards!
Let's take a look at the provisional grid for the 2013 Grand Prix of Monaco:
The rain came just as Q1 was about to begin, and you can see what it did to the times. It was quite a common sight to see names like Valtteri Bottas and Jules Vergne at the top of the timesheet, though eventually it settled down slightly. In Q2, a drying line started to form and the times dropped precipitously, leaving most of the usual suspects in Q3.
In Q3, on a mostly dry circuit, the expected Mercedes massacre occurred, with Nico Rosberg taking his third consecutive pole, and Shiv Hamilton locking up the front row for the German team. Red Bull holds the second row, and Hannibal Vettel looked like he wanted to kill someone in the interview room.
You may notice that Massa got a DNQ: he was involved in a terrible wreck in Saturday Practice, broke both ends of the car, and Ferrari just couldn't get it rebuilt in time for Quals.
Fun Qualifying... maybe we'll have rain for the race, too! That's Sunday morning, we'll see you afterwards!
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May 24, 2013
F1 Practice: Monaco 2013
Nothing too big to report on "today". Beautiful day, and other than Lettuce Grosjean scraping the left side of his car clean of any projections in Sainte Devote, nothing impressive occurred. Team Mercedes is being tabbed to take pole on Saturday, and people are saying that, since Monaco is so impossible to pass at, they've got a good chance to win. The famous "Get Pole, Be Slow" technique, I guess.
Maybe. I don't see it, but maybe. There's just way too many ways for that strategy to go wrong around Monaco. But then, that's why they drive and I commentate.
Well, that and I'm not rich and I weigh more than 140 pounds.
Quals in the morning.
Maybe. I don't see it, but maybe. There's just way too many ways for that strategy to go wrong around Monaco. But then, that's why they drive and I commentate.
Well, that and I'm not rich and I weigh more than 140 pounds.
Quals in the morning.
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That's... Quite The Finish
So there was a 100 mile Indy Lights race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today, during the annual "Carb Day" festivities. Indy Lights is like the "minor leagues" of IndyCar, a feeder division into bigger and better. Being a spec series, all the cars are identical 450hp V8 Dallaras, so it's all driver skill. So the race... yeah, it had a close finish. How close?
THAT close. The gap from first to second? .0026 seconds or maybe six inches. The gap from first to fourth? .0443 seconds. You can watch the actual finish here.
Now if we can get Monaco to be that close...
THAT close. The gap from first to second? .0026 seconds or maybe six inches. The gap from first to fourth? .0443 seconds. You can watch the actual finish here.
Now if we can get Monaco to be that close...
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