May 06, 2013
Words To Live By
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May 05, 2013
F1 On NBCSN: Spain 2013!
It has been a while since Formula 1 has graced the digital pages of The Pond, but the first long break of the season has come to an end and F1 is back! The high-horsepower Circus has made its way back home to Europe and what many consider the real beginning of the season. The first race on The Continent is, as always, the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcalounger. Let's take a look at the track map, shall we?
If there is an "average track" in Formula 1, this is it. The teams have tested here so much, they know it like the back of their hand. There are no surprises in store, nothing they aren't aware of, leaving it down to the cars, the mechanics and the drivers. Having said all that, it's because there are no surprises in store at Barcalounger that races here can often have the appearance of being a parade. Not last year, though, when Pastor Maldonado won his first race, Williams won their first race in years on Sir Frank's birthday, and then their pit garage exploded into flames. Yes, that counts as memorable.
The biggest news going into the race is that Pirelli folded under the pressure from Red Bull and has changed the tire compound on their Hards. It's now going to be closer to the 2012 rubber, longer lasting and ohbytheway, something that the Red Bull chassis loved. The rest of the compounds have not changed, but give it time. We'll find out just how much difference it'll make this weekend as Pirelli brings the Hard and Medium tires to Barcalounger.
As far as the race goes, the good folks at NBCSN will be providing their usual sterling coverage all weekend! Here's the broadcast schedule:
FRIDAY
Practice 2: 7a - 830a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 7a - 830a live
SUNDAY
2013 Grand Prix of Spain: 63a - 9a
As usual, NBCSN's schedule is online via the excremental Zap2It, so it should all be taken with a grain of salt the size of a salt lick.
As is also usual, F1Update! will be all over the race, and by "all over," we mean we'll watch it and give it the writeup it deserves. Because that's what we do now. See ya then!
If there is an "average track" in Formula 1, this is it. The teams have tested here so much, they know it like the back of their hand. There are no surprises in store, nothing they aren't aware of, leaving it down to the cars, the mechanics and the drivers. Having said all that, it's because there are no surprises in store at Barcalounger that races here can often have the appearance of being a parade. Not last year, though, when Pastor Maldonado won his first race, Williams won their first race in years on Sir Frank's birthday, and then their pit garage exploded into flames. Yes, that counts as memorable.
The biggest news going into the race is that Pirelli folded under the pressure from Red Bull and has changed the tire compound on their Hards. It's now going to be closer to the 2012 rubber, longer lasting and ohbytheway, something that the Red Bull chassis loved. The rest of the compounds have not changed, but give it time. We'll find out just how much difference it'll make this weekend as Pirelli brings the Hard and Medium tires to Barcalounger.
As far as the race goes, the good folks at NBCSN will be providing their usual sterling coverage all weekend! Here's the broadcast schedule:
FRIDAY
Practice 2: 7a - 830a live
SATURDAY
Quals: 7a - 830a live
SUNDAY
2013 Grand Prix of Spain: 63a - 9a
As usual, NBCSN's schedule is online via the excremental Zap2It, so it should all be taken with a grain of salt the size of a salt lick.
As is also usual, F1Update! will be all over the race, and by "all over," we mean we'll watch it and give it the writeup it deserves. Because that's what we do now. See ya then!
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May 04, 2013
Random Anime Picture #77: Just Because
-Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S, Ep04
-Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S, Ep04
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May 03, 2013
I Truly Did NOT Expect This...
Via Robert's Weekly Newsletter came this little bit of information:
North American video distributor Media Blasters announced on Friday that they had acquired the license for the Rio Rainbow Gate! anime series.
Of all the things I expected to hear, that was waaaaaaaaay down the list. I mean, WAY down the list. "Marianas Trench"-level down. On the other hand, Media Blasters has just become my favorite anime company ever... or the company I hate the most, one of the two, and I'm not sure which. Y'know what's even more amazing?
THIS is going to make me buy a LCD TV and a Blu-Ray player. Rio Rainbow Gate! is my killer app! How screwed up is that? And yet, I can't help but feel like I had something to do with it... it's my own damn fault, in other words. Longtime readers will remember, of course, that RRG! was the second series I'd done writeups for, and I think the most successful. Certainly it turned out to be better than I expected, though since I had expectations as low as whale snot, that's not saying much. Media Blasters has set no release date yet, but one might expect that I'm going to preorder the deluxe set as soon as possible.
Rio Rainbow Gate! has been licensed. I never thought I'd live to see the day. I didn't think ANYBODY would live to see the day. Thank you, Media Blasters, for showing us how to love... again.
North American video distributor Media Blasters announced on Friday that they had acquired the license for the Rio Rainbow Gate! anime series.
Of all the things I expected to hear, that was waaaaaaaaay down the list. I mean, WAY down the list. "Marianas Trench"-level down. On the other hand, Media Blasters has just become my favorite anime company ever... or the company I hate the most, one of the two, and I'm not sure which. Y'know what's even more amazing?
THIS is going to make me buy a LCD TV and a Blu-Ray player. Rio Rainbow Gate! is my killer app! How screwed up is that? And yet, I can't help but feel like I had something to do with it... it's my own damn fault, in other words. Longtime readers will remember, of course, that RRG! was the second series I'd done writeups for, and I think the most successful. Certainly it turned out to be better than I expected, though since I had expectations as low as whale snot, that's not saying much. Media Blasters has set no release date yet, but one might expect that I'm going to preorder the deluxe set as soon as possible.
Rio Rainbow Gate! has been licensed. I never thought I'd live to see the day. I didn't think ANYBODY would live to see the day. Thank you, Media Blasters, for showing us how to love... again.
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May 01, 2013
Something Strange And Wonderful
So the other day I was searching for pictures of the USS Liscome Bay when the contents of a thumbnail caught my eye and made me do a metaphorical doubletake. I simply could not for the life of me figure out what I was looking at. Of course I had to click on it.
It reminds me of the C-130 landing on a supercarrier: sure, it works, but man does it look weird.
Click the pic for much bigger
And then I started to laugh. The USS Thetis Bay, CVE-90, with deck-parked PBY Catalinas as she ferries them back to California in 1944. I've never seen anything like that before! I looked a little closer, and realized there was also a J2F Duck on deck, to boot! The Hellcats pale by comparison. I guess it makes perfect sense to ferry PBYs like this... it's not like they could fly the entire way on their own, particularly when they've been beaten up like these ones... but you just don't expect to see them dwarfing the carrier they're on.It reminds me of the C-130 landing on a supercarrier: sure, it works, but man does it look weird.
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April 30, 2013
Announcing The Next Episodic Review Series...
Now that I've finished Vividred Operation, I've sort of been at loose ends as far as what show I wanted to do next. Waiting until next season didn't really appeal to me, and currently airing series are so hit-and-miss anyway. Case in point: Vividred Operation. If I hadn't've been doing writeups for it, I would have let it go long before. the end. But something longtime reader Avatar said in a comment for the last episode writeup made me raise an eyebrow (metaphorically... I can't actually do that without duct tape or staples) and stroke my chin pensively. Then I realized that over in Japan, a particular movie was being released soon, and my course became clear. The next series I will be doing Episodic Reviews for is...
Evangelion. Really, it's an obvious choice... a decent show that's more screwed up and broken and just begging for my gentle touch would probably be impossible to find. "But Wonderduck," I hear you say, which as usual I respond with "How did you get in here?" "But Wonderduck, what about the 'no 26 episode series' rule?" Simple... I'm going to do the movie version. The third film just came out on BD in Japan. If I break each film into three "episodes", that's nine writeups; I can also make do six, with two per movie if I feel like it. Depends on the flow of each one, I guess. I suspect fewer of my readers have seen the movies than the series anyway.
This is gonna be epic. So whaddya think?
Evangelion. Really, it's an obvious choice... a decent show that's more screwed up and broken and just begging for my gentle touch would probably be impossible to find. "But Wonderduck," I hear you say, which as usual I respond with "How did you get in here?" "But Wonderduck, what about the 'no 26 episode series' rule?" Simple... I'm going to do the movie version. The third film just came out on BD in Japan. If I break each film into three "episodes", that's nine writeups; I can also make do six, with two per movie if I feel like it. Depends on the flow of each one, I guess. I suspect fewer of my readers have seen the movies than the series anyway.
This is gonna be epic. So whaddya think?
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April 29, 2013
BEHOLD!!!
TOAST!
TOAST!
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April 28, 2013
Cheesecake!
It's not like I have any lack of things to write about, it's just that I have a lack of interest in doing so right now. As in, "I really don't want to do this. REALLY don't want to." So I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to post some cheesecake for you to enjoy.
Yes, yes, I know it's some fruit-based dessert, not cheesecake. Just play along, huh? Imagine there's some cheesecake underneath there, okay?
more...
Yes, yes, I know it's some fruit-based dessert, not cheesecake. Just play along, huh? Imagine there's some cheesecake underneath there, okay?
more...
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April 26, 2013
I No Longer Need Any More MilHist Books...
...for I have just obtained the final word in Military History titles. My friends, cast your gaze longingly upon the newest, and perhaps final, addition to The Shelf:
If ever proof was needed that good things can come in small packages, Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers by Paul M Somers is that proof. Clocking in at 128 pages, over three-quarters of them photographs, LMAC tells the story of the USS Wolverine and USS Sable, the world's only fresh-water paddlewheel aircraft carriers. I first wrote about these two training carriers back in 2010, long before I knew about this valuable work, which was released in 2003. It's actually a little sparse on the actual history, beyond simple numbers, but that's okay. We're not here for the numbers, we're really here for the pictures, many of which I've never seen before, and all in excellent quality.
To be honest, however, I can't recommend that you rush out and purchase this book, because I really doubt that you're as insane as I am. If you are, well heck, go crazy... er... I mean... oh, you know what I mean. In any case, it's a fun little addition to The Shelf, and I'm happy I've gotten it. How many people do YOU know that can say they've got a book on freshwater paddlewheel aircraft carriers in their collection?
If ever proof was needed that good things can come in small packages, Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers by Paul M Somers is that proof. Clocking in at 128 pages, over three-quarters of them photographs, LMAC tells the story of the USS Wolverine and USS Sable, the world's only fresh-water paddlewheel aircraft carriers. I first wrote about these two training carriers back in 2010, long before I knew about this valuable work, which was released in 2003. It's actually a little sparse on the actual history, beyond simple numbers, but that's okay. We're not here for the numbers, we're really here for the pictures, many of which I've never seen before, and all in excellent quality.
To be honest, however, I can't recommend that you rush out and purchase this book, because I really doubt that you're as insane as I am. If you are, well heck, go crazy... er... I mean... oh, you know what I mean. In any case, it's a fun little addition to The Shelf, and I'm happy I've gotten it. How many people do YOU know that can say they've got a book on freshwater paddlewheel aircraft carriers in their collection?
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April 25, 2013
Right, Giving Up!
I've just discovered how hard it is to write something interesting on a subject you thought would be fun to write about, but was horribly wrong. So instead here's a picture of a flat-out beautiful ship.
That's the HMS Enterprise. Darn, that's pretty.
I've just discovered how hard it is to write something interesting on a subject you thought would be fun to write about, but was horribly wrong. So instead here's a picture of a flat-out beautiful ship.
That's the HMS Enterprise. Darn, that's pretty.
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April 23, 2013
Meet My Newest Duck
As the title says, I'd like you to meet my newest duck!
I know he looks like a racing duck that you'd find in a river somewhere, and to be honest, that's why I picked him off the shelf in the first place. It wasn't until I got him home that I discovered his true purpose in life and the skill that sets him apart from all of my other rubber duckies.
He glows! Now, to be sure, I have other light-up duckies, but they all flash or color-cycle; none of them just glow brightly enough to show up on camera without a ridiculously long exposure. Because of this, I've named him Cherenkov, or "Cherny" for short. I've got Frank next to him, just so you can see that he gives off light... and since Frank already glows, no worries!
I know he looks like a racing duck that you'd find in a river somewhere, and to be honest, that's why I picked him off the shelf in the first place. It wasn't until I got him home that I discovered his true purpose in life and the skill that sets him apart from all of my other rubber duckies.
He glows! Now, to be sure, I have other light-up duckies, but they all flash or color-cycle; none of them just glow brightly enough to show up on camera without a ridiculously long exposure. Because of this, I've named him Cherenkov, or "Cherny" for short. I've got Frank next to him, just so you can see that he gives off light... and since Frank already glows, no worries!
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45
Today is English Language Day at the UN. It's also the honored Independence Day for the Conch Republic, first declared in 1982. Japanese composer Kenji Kawaii was born today in 1957, as was Roy Orbison in 1936. Today is an important day for the navy of the Netherlands, as both Karel Doorman and Maarten Tromp were born on April 23rd. New Coke debuted today in 1985, leading Vaucaunson's Duck and myself to scurry around Duckford trying to find as much "old" Coke as we could. The confusingly named People's Liberation Army Navy was founded today in 1949. And 45 years ago, in a hospital somewhere on the North Side of Chicago, a Wonderduck was unleashed upon the world.
Birthday candle!
Nobody is more surprised than myself.
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April 21, 2013
F1 Update!: Bahrain 2013
Remember when you could watch a Formula 1 race and expect that Hannibal Vettel was going to win? It was only two seasons ago that he dominated the sport, so we're not talking that much time. Remember how much fun that year was? You do? Good. THIS is your F1 Update! for the 2013 Grand Prix of Bahrain!
*BACK IN THE BAD OLD DAYS: It took two laps, but Red Bull's Hannibal Vettel passed the Mercedes of polesitter Nico Rosberg for the lead. He then proceeded to run away and hide. The only car that seemed to have the guts to hang with him, the Ferrari of HWMNBN, managed to stay in contact for eight laps. At that point, his DRS flap stuck in the open position, requiring two unscheduled stops to close permanently and the last possible challenger was gone. Vettel ran away with the race.
*OH SO CLOSE: For most of the race, Force India's Paul di Resta had a podium position. For a few laps, in fact, he led the race while Vettel pitted. Eventually the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen passed him for second. Then, alas, with five laps remaining, Lettuce Grosjean's newer tires took him past for third. It would have been Force India's second ever podium, and di Resta's best finish ever.
*THE REST: Meh. Sergio Perez apparently thought that Red Bull thing of a few weeks ago was cool, so he decided to run into his teammate, Jenson Button. Felipe Massa had two right-rear tire failures to kill any chance he had. We here at F1U! just couldn't be bothered, to be honest.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: HWMNBN. His DRS system stuck open twice in two laps. It looked like it would open, then for whatever reason, it would get caught in the airflow and open wider than it was supposed to. After it happened the second time, Ferrari told him "don't use it anymore." Racing from last, he managed to drive a crippled car back up the grid to finish eighth. Amazing job. Honorable mention to Paul di Resta for a heckuva weekend.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Lotus. Kimi in second, Lettuce in third, and the team is now second in the Constructors Championship. Yeah, not bad.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 20, Lettuce Grosjean passed Nico Rosberg for third. To do so, he took advantage of McLaren's Jenson Button having passed Rosberg mere moments earlier, as Rosberg was out of position. It was a slick move, but completely unphotogenic. Still, here's your award, Lettuce! Nice job!
*MOOOOOOO-OOOVE OF THE RACE: Oddly enough, the only Moooooo-ooove-worthy thing that occurred today was on Lap 1, which means it isn't eligible to win the award. It also wasn't on camera, so Giedo Van De Garde gets away with it. Barely. We've got our eyes on him, though. So this week's award goes to Pirelli for Felipe Massa's right-rear tire failures. They claim it was due to debris, but there were no other failures all day. Methinks Pirelli just had some bad rubber in the mix.
Look how close that hull came to coming off the rim altogether. Great job, Pirelli! Here's your Moooooooo-oooove!
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
*BACK IN THE BAD OLD DAYS: It took two laps, but Red Bull's Hannibal Vettel passed the Mercedes of polesitter Nico Rosberg for the lead. He then proceeded to run away and hide. The only car that seemed to have the guts to hang with him, the Ferrari of HWMNBN, managed to stay in contact for eight laps. At that point, his DRS flap stuck in the open position, requiring two unscheduled stops to close permanently and the last possible challenger was gone. Vettel ran away with the race.
*OH SO CLOSE: For most of the race, Force India's Paul di Resta had a podium position. For a few laps, in fact, he led the race while Vettel pitted. Eventually the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen passed him for second. Then, alas, with five laps remaining, Lettuce Grosjean's newer tires took him past for third. It would have been Force India's second ever podium, and di Resta's best finish ever.
*THE REST: Meh. Sergio Perez apparently thought that Red Bull thing of a few weeks ago was cool, so he decided to run into his teammate, Jenson Button. Felipe Massa had two right-rear tire failures to kill any chance he had. We here at F1U! just couldn't be bothered, to be honest.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: HWMNBN. His DRS system stuck open twice in two laps. It looked like it would open, then for whatever reason, it would get caught in the airflow and open wider than it was supposed to. After it happened the second time, Ferrari told him "don't use it anymore." Racing from last, he managed to drive a crippled car back up the grid to finish eighth. Amazing job. Honorable mention to Paul di Resta for a heckuva weekend.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Lotus. Kimi in second, Lettuce in third, and the team is now second in the Constructors Championship. Yeah, not bad.
*MOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 20, Lettuce Grosjean passed Nico Rosberg for third. To do so, he took advantage of McLaren's Jenson Button having passed Rosberg mere moments earlier, as Rosberg was out of position. It was a slick move, but completely unphotogenic. Still, here's your award, Lettuce! Nice job!
*MOOOOOOO-OOOVE OF THE RACE: Oddly enough, the only Moooooo-ooove-worthy thing that occurred today was on Lap 1, which means it isn't eligible to win the award. It also wasn't on camera, so Giedo Van De Garde gets away with it. Barely. We've got our eyes on him, though. So this week's award goes to Pirelli for Felipe Massa's right-rear tire failures. They claim it was due to debris, but there were no other failures all day. Methinks Pirelli just had some bad rubber in the mix.
Look how close that hull came to coming off the rim altogether. Great job, Pirelli! Here's your Moooooooo-oooove!
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
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April 20, 2013
F1 Quals: Bahrain 2013
So... Bahrain. Not much to say about it. Here's the provisional grid for the 2013 Grand Prix of Bahrain:
There are penalties all over the place here. Webber has a three-spot penalty from last race. Esteban Gutierrez gets a five-place penalty from last race, too. Shiv Hamilton is taking a five-spot hit for a gearbox change. The upshot of all of it is that Felipe Massa is promoted to 4th place, and he's the only car on the Hard tires. THAT might be really important.
But probably not. Pirelli has brought the Hard and the Medium rubber to the circuit this race. The Medium compound has proven to be nearly as long-lasting as the Hard, but still gives a measurable bonus to traction. Maybe Massa's going to try a 1-stop strategy?
We'll find out Sunday morning. See ya then for F1Update!
There are penalties all over the place here. Webber has a three-spot penalty from last race. Esteban Gutierrez gets a five-place penalty from last race, too. Shiv Hamilton is taking a five-spot hit for a gearbox change. The upshot of all of it is that Felipe Massa is promoted to 4th place, and he's the only car on the Hard tires. THAT might be really important.
But probably not. Pirelli has brought the Hard and the Medium rubber to the circuit this race. The Medium compound has proven to be nearly as long-lasting as the Hard, but still gives a measurable bonus to traction. Maybe Massa's going to try a 1-stop strategy?
We'll find out Sunday morning. See ya then for F1Update!
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April 18, 2013
Vividred Operation Ep12
The final episode of a series is usually accompanied by one or more
emotions. A sense of relief? A feeling of accomplishment? Sadness?
Joy? I know I've felt all of these at the end of shows, good and bad.
However, when it comes to the type of show that I do writeups for, an
approaching final episode does nothing but fill me with dread. "Saving
the best for last" is not what Rio Rainbow Gate! or High School of the Dead are known for (Ga-Rei Zero was actually a good show, and therefore exempt from these statements).
And, if we must be honest with ourselves, it's not like we're expecting
much of anything out of Vividred Operation, right? So when last episode ended with Hot Dark Girl Rei and her kickarse scarf being swallowed whole by
Croooow!, it's not like there was any feeling of dramatic tension or
anything. Of course Team Aquos will rescue her, and of course there'll be a VividBlack appearance, and of course it'll kick Croooow!'s feathery tail into next week. None of this is in
doubt, the Production Staff isn't creative enough to do anything else.
The only question in my mind going into Ep12 was "Will Gendo
Plushyferret be put back into his human body, and how will they manage
it?" Well, let's find out, shall we? Welcome to the final episode of Vividred Operation!
Huh. Looks a lot like the end of the penultimate episode of Vividred Operation. That's Ascended Croooow!, after swallowing Hot Dark Girl Rei and her kickarse scarf, and there's still absolutely no resemblance to one of Evangelion's Angels. None at all. Purely coincidental. Please don't sue us, Gainax.
RHF has gone into mental BSOD, crying about how she couldn't protect Hot Dark Girl Rei, while the other three just look at her like she's gone insane. To be fair, that's pretty much how I feel about myself regarding this entire show, so I can't honestly hold that against them. Y'know what? I just wrote that sentence, and I honestly can't claim there's that much vitriol behind my words. Vividred Operation doesn't create the sort of WTF levels that, say, High School of the Dead or Rio Rainbow Gate! caused in me. It's just sorta there, and that's a bad place for a show to be. It's a dead fish wrapped in newspaper of a series, lying on your doorstep, slowly beginning to smell in the midday sun, and perhaps you need to clean that up.
MegaCroooow! proves to be even more powerful than the Alones... conventional weaponry could at least whittle away at them, but the Black Bird of Doom proves to be impervious to everything thrown at it, short of N2 mines, or whatever it is they call those here in this Eva wannabe. But then, just when all hope seems lost and more, Gendo Plushyferret discovers that M-m-m-m-monsterCroooow! has the exact same energy signature as Hot Dark Girl Rei and her kickarse scarf... she's still alive, and inside that thing.
Well, yeah. Seeing how this show has been more about Rei and less about the nominal main character, RHF, you'd kinda expect her to be alive, wouldn't you? I also expect to see Vividscarf by the time this is all over. Heh. Vividscarf Operation... I'd pay good money for that.
more...
Huh. Looks a lot like the end of the penultimate episode of Vividred Operation. That's Ascended Croooow!, after swallowing Hot Dark Girl Rei and her kickarse scarf, and there's still absolutely no resemblance to one of Evangelion's Angels. None at all. Purely coincidental. Please don't sue us, Gainax.
RHF has gone into mental BSOD, crying about how she couldn't protect Hot Dark Girl Rei, while the other three just look at her like she's gone insane. To be fair, that's pretty much how I feel about myself regarding this entire show, so I can't honestly hold that against them. Y'know what? I just wrote that sentence, and I honestly can't claim there's that much vitriol behind my words. Vividred Operation doesn't create the sort of WTF levels that, say, High School of the Dead or Rio Rainbow Gate! caused in me. It's just sorta there, and that's a bad place for a show to be. It's a dead fish wrapped in newspaper of a series, lying on your doorstep, slowly beginning to smell in the midday sun, and perhaps you need to clean that up.
MegaCroooow! proves to be even more powerful than the Alones... conventional weaponry could at least whittle away at them, but the Black Bird of Doom proves to be impervious to everything thrown at it, short of N2 mines, or whatever it is they call those here in this Eva wannabe. But then, just when all hope seems lost and more, Gendo Plushyferret discovers that M-m-m-m-monsterCroooow! has the exact same energy signature as Hot Dark Girl Rei and her kickarse scarf... she's still alive, and inside that thing.
Well, yeah. Seeing how this show has been more about Rei and less about the nominal main character, RHF, you'd kinda expect her to be alive, wouldn't you? I also expect to see Vividscarf by the time this is all over. Heh. Vividscarf Operation... I'd pay good money for that.
more...
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April 16, 2013
Random Anime Picture #76: Uhhhh... Should We Be Seeing This?
-Hataraku Maou-Sama! Ep01
The best I can say about HMS is that it didn't stink. That's about it. Still, that's better than a lot of shows.
-Hataraku Maou-Sama! Ep01
The best I can say about HMS is that it didn't stink. That's about it. Still, that's better than a lot of shows.
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April 15, 2013
F1 On NBCSN: Bahrain 2013
So. Here we are again, going into Bahrain for the oh-so-popular Grand Prix of Bahrain. Here's the track map:
There are still protests occurring on this tiny island country. Reports are that the Government rounded up dozens of pro-Democracy leaders and imprisoned them last week. The most intense protests are, unsurprisingly, still centered around our little sport and the intense media circus that follows along. Also unsurprisingly, F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone is clueless: "What’s happened? They’re demonstrating now? I didn’t know that. There’s nobody demonstrating." The ridiculously loose collective of individuals calling themselves "Anonymous" are saying that they'll be targeting F1 this weekend as well, due to "Mr Ecclestone's blood race." Last year, they took down the official F1 website on race day.
All of this for a race that, quite honestly, is not very good. The track is used only rarely each year, it's dusty and sandy, which means it's horribly horribly abrasive as well. According to Pirelli, it's the circuit that's hardest on tires, due to a combination of grippy asphalt and gritty sand. I've often joked of circuits being made of "sandpaper and razor blades", but it appears that Bahrain really is.
We're not likely to experience much in the way of weather. There's always the chance of a sandstorm, but rain is almost certainly not going to happen. Building your track out in the middle of a desert provides you with one benefit over circuits like, say, Singapore: you've got a LOT of run-off room. It's probably the safest circuit on the calendar that way. Never mind the rioters.
Still, the Legendary Announce Team will do their usual bang-up job on race coverage. Here's the schedule:
FRIDAY
6a - 730a: Practice 2 live
SATURDAY
6a - 730a: Quals live
SUNDAY
630a - 9a: 2013 Grand Prix of Bahrain, live
As with the past few years, though we here at F1Update! don't think that F1 should be racing in Bahrain, since they are, we'll be covering the race. The past two have been dominated by Seb Vettel... let's hope for something different this year. See ya then!
There are still protests occurring on this tiny island country. Reports are that the Government rounded up dozens of pro-Democracy leaders and imprisoned them last week. The most intense protests are, unsurprisingly, still centered around our little sport and the intense media circus that follows along. Also unsurprisingly, F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone is clueless: "What’s happened? They’re demonstrating now? I didn’t know that. There’s nobody demonstrating." The ridiculously loose collective of individuals calling themselves "Anonymous" are saying that they'll be targeting F1 this weekend as well, due to "Mr Ecclestone's blood race." Last year, they took down the official F1 website on race day.
All of this for a race that, quite honestly, is not very good. The track is used only rarely each year, it's dusty and sandy, which means it's horribly horribly abrasive as well. According to Pirelli, it's the circuit that's hardest on tires, due to a combination of grippy asphalt and gritty sand. I've often joked of circuits being made of "sandpaper and razor blades", but it appears that Bahrain really is.
We're not likely to experience much in the way of weather. There's always the chance of a sandstorm, but rain is almost certainly not going to happen. Building your track out in the middle of a desert provides you with one benefit over circuits like, say, Singapore: you've got a LOT of run-off room. It's probably the safest circuit on the calendar that way. Never mind the rioters.
Still, the Legendary Announce Team will do their usual bang-up job on race coverage. Here's the schedule:
FRIDAY
6a - 730a: Practice 2 live
SATURDAY
6a - 730a: Quals live
SUNDAY
630a - 9a: 2013 Grand Prix of Bahrain, live
As with the past few years, though we here at F1Update! don't think that F1 should be racing in Bahrain, since they are, we'll be covering the race. The past two have been dominated by Seb Vettel... let's hope for something different this year. See ya then!
Posted by: Wonderduck at
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April 14, 2013
F1 Update!: China 2013
There are races that are nailbiters from start to finish, where you have the leaders racing mere feet from each other, while the rest of the grid hovers just carlengths behind, hoping for an mistake. Then you have the races where one or two cars dominate the field, running away over the horizon, leaving the field fighting for second or third. Today was neither of these. THIS is your F1 Update! for the 2013 Grand Prix of China!
*GRAPHS AND CHARTS: There were actually two races going on today: the one on-track, and the one on the tires. Those who started on the Soft tires and got off them at the beginning of the race, i.e., most everybody, had one race going on. Those few who started on the Medium tires and chose to pit late in the race for the Soft rubber (Vettel, Button, Hulkenberg) had the other race, which turned out to be for the fastest non-podium position. That meant that we had the weird image of Hannibal Vettel leading the race on track, but in fourth position on the pit rotation.
*THE RACE IN GENERAL: Meh. Once the first pit stop to get off the Soft tires occurred, it became something of a processional. HWMNBN passed Shiv Hamilton on Lap 5 using the DRS system, and though we didn't realize it at the time, that was the end of the race right there. The Ferrari was just awesome today, pretty much dominating the field. Vettel would take the lead on the pit stops, but when the Ferrari wound up passing the Red Bull despite the difference in tires, it was clear who had the best car. When Vettel finally stopped to get his Soft tires, he was nearly eight seconds behind HWMNBN on track... but nearly 30 seconds behind on paper. He re-emerged in fourth, 12 seconds behind Shiv Hamilton. While he would eat that up, closing to less than an half-second behind in five laps, but the Soft tires turned into the legendary jelly donut just as he was getting ready to make a move for the podium. HWMNBN led Kimi Raikkonen by 10 seconds at the checkered flag, and the Finn led Shiv by two seconds to complete your podium.
*FINAL JUDGEMENT: What was the race like? We here at F1U! kept falling asleep. In the middle of the day.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: HWMNBN got his first win in 13 races. Just hugely dominant.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Ferrari. They finished 1st - 6th, closed the gap to Red Bull in the constructor's championship to just a few points, and generally dominated the day. What more could you want?
*MOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 5, we had the image of HWMNBN and teammate Felipe Massa behind the Silver Arrow of Shiv Hamilton as they turned onto the start/finish straight.
The Spaniard made quick work of the Brit with his DRS advantage (the FIA added a second DRS zone late; the front straight), clearing the road for his Brazilian teammate.
While Shiv did everything he could to keep Massa behind, weaving across the track (legally!), the result looked inevitable.
...and sure enough, Massa outmuscled the Merc into Turn 1, slapping Hamilton in the face and handing him a two-position loss... to the SAME TEAM... in one straightaway. Bravo, Ferrari. Here's your shared Move of the Race!
*MOOOOOO-OOOOVE OF THE RACE: There can be only one.
Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez, in a odd attempt to get past the McLaren of Sergio Perez, decided that he didn't really need to break for a turnOHCRAPFORCEINDIA!!! The Sauber was out on the spot, Adrian F'n Sutil managed to make it back to the pits with a deranged rear wing, at which point the hydraulic fluid for the DRS dripped onto the hot brakes and caught fire. Nicely done, Gutierrez! Welcome to the big show, here's a Mooooo!
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
*GRAPHS AND CHARTS: There were actually two races going on today: the one on-track, and the one on the tires. Those who started on the Soft tires and got off them at the beginning of the race, i.e., most everybody, had one race going on. Those few who started on the Medium tires and chose to pit late in the race for the Soft rubber (Vettel, Button, Hulkenberg) had the other race, which turned out to be for the fastest non-podium position. That meant that we had the weird image of Hannibal Vettel leading the race on track, but in fourth position on the pit rotation.
*THE RACE IN GENERAL: Meh. Once the first pit stop to get off the Soft tires occurred, it became something of a processional. HWMNBN passed Shiv Hamilton on Lap 5 using the DRS system, and though we didn't realize it at the time, that was the end of the race right there. The Ferrari was just awesome today, pretty much dominating the field. Vettel would take the lead on the pit stops, but when the Ferrari wound up passing the Red Bull despite the difference in tires, it was clear who had the best car. When Vettel finally stopped to get his Soft tires, he was nearly eight seconds behind HWMNBN on track... but nearly 30 seconds behind on paper. He re-emerged in fourth, 12 seconds behind Shiv Hamilton. While he would eat that up, closing to less than an half-second behind in five laps, but the Soft tires turned into the legendary jelly donut just as he was getting ready to make a move for the podium. HWMNBN led Kimi Raikkonen by 10 seconds at the checkered flag, and the Finn led Shiv by two seconds to complete your podium.
*FINAL JUDGEMENT: What was the race like? We here at F1U! kept falling asleep. In the middle of the day.
*DRIVER OF THE RACE: HWMNBN got his first win in 13 races. Just hugely dominant.
*TEAM OF THE RACE: Ferrari. They finished 1st - 6th, closed the gap to Red Bull in the constructor's championship to just a few points, and generally dominated the day. What more could you want?
*MOVE OF THE RACE: On Lap 5, we had the image of HWMNBN and teammate Felipe Massa behind the Silver Arrow of Shiv Hamilton as they turned onto the start/finish straight.
The Spaniard made quick work of the Brit with his DRS advantage (the FIA added a second DRS zone late; the front straight), clearing the road for his Brazilian teammate.
While Shiv did everything he could to keep Massa behind, weaving across the track (legally!), the result looked inevitable.
...and sure enough, Massa outmuscled the Merc into Turn 1, slapping Hamilton in the face and handing him a two-position loss... to the SAME TEAM... in one straightaway. Bravo, Ferrari. Here's your shared Move of the Race!
*MOOOOOO-OOOOVE OF THE RACE: There can be only one.
Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez, in a odd attempt to get past the McLaren of Sergio Perez, decided that he didn't really need to break for a turnOHCRAPFORCEINDIA!!! The Sauber was out on the spot, Adrian F'n Sutil managed to make it back to the pits with a deranged rear wing, at which point the hydraulic fluid for the DRS dripped onto the hot brakes and caught fire. Nicely done, Gutierrez! Welcome to the big show, here's a Mooooo!
*SELECTED DRIVER QUOTES OF THE RACE:
more...
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April 13, 2013
F1 Quals: China 2013
As I mentioned yesterday, Friday Practice sessions for Formula 1 almost always consists of two
things: cars turning lots of laps, and cars turning lots of laps. Not to be outdone, Saturday Quals almost always consists of a decreasing number of cars turning lots of laps. Here's the grid for the 2013 Grand Prix of China:
In the 20-minute long Q1 session, we didn't see a car on track until nearly the half-way point. See, here's the problem... the tires Pirelli has brought to China are the Medium and the Soft compounds. We already know that the Mediums last forever, but we haven't seen the Softs until this weekend... and HOOBOY, do the teams have a conundrum. See, they have nearly a 1.5 second time difference over the Mediums... but they last for about two hot laps before they die screaming, and that's when the cars are light on fuel. With a full 300lbs of gas on board? They might make it to the end of the pit lane before they fall off... it depends on where your pit box is located. Since the teams know that they've got to use a set of these jelly-filled donuts during the race... well, you can see why they weren't out there, pounding out the laps. Almost nobody bothered taking the covers off the Mediums in Q1... what's the point? Kill off the Softs in Q1, maybe you'll get to Q2.
In the 15-minute Q2 session, again people didn't come out until the session clock had been going for a while. Again, the jelly-donuts were the rule of the day, and everything looked to be as boring as Q1 until we saw this sight:
While he had managed to set a time, Mark Webber couldn't make it back to the pits. The team called it a "fuel pickup problem." Yes, the problem was that there was no fuel for the fuel pickup to pick up. A problem with the fueling rig left him about six pounds of gas short of the planned amount. A dumb mistake, but it happens. However, the Stewards take a dim view of that during quals, as cars have to present one liter of fuel to scruitineering after the session. Webber wasn't able to do so: no fuel left. So the Stewards DQ'd him from Quals. While he was 14th, he'll be starting from the back of the grid on Sunday. I'm absolutely sure that there aren't any conspiracy theories flying around about how Red Bull "accidentally" shorted Webber for his anger after the last race. None whatsoever.
Then came Q3. Hannibal Vettel was first out, but didn't set a time and never moved from the garage again. McLaren's Jenson Button went out and drove the entire lap with his turn signal blinking... a 2:05.673 was the result, as he tiptoed around, taking care of the rubber. Those two will be starting on the Mediums; everybody else is on the Soft rubber.
So the race is going to be one of alternating tire strategies: most will go Soft Medium Medium. Most will be going Medium Medium Soft. From where I sit, that seems to be the best plan... but that's why they race the race, isn't it? It's supposed to be dry and warm on Sunday, we'll see you then!
In the 20-minute long Q1 session, we didn't see a car on track until nearly the half-way point. See, here's the problem... the tires Pirelli has brought to China are the Medium and the Soft compounds. We already know that the Mediums last forever, but we haven't seen the Softs until this weekend... and HOOBOY, do the teams have a conundrum. See, they have nearly a 1.5 second time difference over the Mediums... but they last for about two hot laps before they die screaming, and that's when the cars are light on fuel. With a full 300lbs of gas on board? They might make it to the end of the pit lane before they fall off... it depends on where your pit box is located. Since the teams know that they've got to use a set of these jelly-filled donuts during the race... well, you can see why they weren't out there, pounding out the laps. Almost nobody bothered taking the covers off the Mediums in Q1... what's the point? Kill off the Softs in Q1, maybe you'll get to Q2.
In the 15-minute Q2 session, again people didn't come out until the session clock had been going for a while. Again, the jelly-donuts were the rule of the day, and everything looked to be as boring as Q1 until we saw this sight:
While he had managed to set a time, Mark Webber couldn't make it back to the pits. The team called it a "fuel pickup problem." Yes, the problem was that there was no fuel for the fuel pickup to pick up. A problem with the fueling rig left him about six pounds of gas short of the planned amount. A dumb mistake, but it happens. However, the Stewards take a dim view of that during quals, as cars have to present one liter of fuel to scruitineering after the session. Webber wasn't able to do so: no fuel left. So the Stewards DQ'd him from Quals. While he was 14th, he'll be starting from the back of the grid on Sunday. I'm absolutely sure that there aren't any conspiracy theories flying around about how Red Bull "accidentally" shorted Webber for his anger after the last race. None whatsoever.
Then came Q3. Hannibal Vettel was first out, but didn't set a time and never moved from the garage again. McLaren's Jenson Button went out and drove the entire lap with his turn signal blinking... a 2:05.673 was the result, as he tiptoed around, taking care of the rubber. Those two will be starting on the Mediums; everybody else is on the Soft rubber.
So the race is going to be one of alternating tire strategies: most will go Soft Medium Medium. Most will be going Medium Medium Soft. From where I sit, that seems to be the best plan... but that's why they race the race, isn't it? It's supposed to be dry and warm on Sunday, we'll see you then!
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April 12, 2013
F1 Practice: China 2013
Friday Practice sessions for Formula 1 almost always consists of two things: cars turning lots of laps, and cars turning lots of laps. Today was just like that, only moreso.
In other words, it was dull. The track at China doesn't help matters a whit, because even down the long straight, it doesn't like the cars are going particularly fast. In fact, the big news out of today is that Seb Vettel, the man who wants to win so badly that he'll break team orders to do it, has apparently decided to drop the facade and turn full Hannibal Lecter:
"Had I understood the message and had I thought about it, reflected on it, thought what the team wanted to do, to leave Mark in first place and me finishing second... I think I would have thought about it and I would probably have done the same thing... ...There is quite a conflict, because on the one hand I am the kind of guy who respects team decisions and the other hand, probably Mark is not the one who deserved it at the time."
He then ate a reporter's liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti. Reportedly, Red Bull has decided to do away with team orders; they're kinda pointless when neither driver is going to follow them anyway. The real loser in all this is the Team Principle, Christian Horner. Clearly he isn't the boss of the team, Hannibal Vettel is. Just like Webber said, no repercussions. Should be extremely interesting to see how this plays out down the road...
Meanwhile, over at Mercedes, Hamilton and Rosberg are having no problems, despite their little brush against the team orders thing last week. Unless you think that Hamilton's eye-and-nose problem on Thursday was caused by something other than Shanghai's air pollution... conspiracy!
Quals in the morning. Unfortunately, I'll be at the Duck U Bookstore until mid-afternoon. See you then!
In other words, it was dull. The track at China doesn't help matters a whit, because even down the long straight, it doesn't like the cars are going particularly fast. In fact, the big news out of today is that Seb Vettel, the man who wants to win so badly that he'll break team orders to do it, has apparently decided to drop the facade and turn full Hannibal Lecter:
"Had I understood the message and had I thought about it, reflected on it, thought what the team wanted to do, to leave Mark in first place and me finishing second... I think I would have thought about it and I would probably have done the same thing... ...There is quite a conflict, because on the one hand I am the kind of guy who respects team decisions and the other hand, probably Mark is not the one who deserved it at the time."
He then ate a reporter's liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti. Reportedly, Red Bull has decided to do away with team orders; they're kinda pointless when neither driver is going to follow them anyway. The real loser in all this is the Team Principle, Christian Horner. Clearly he isn't the boss of the team, Hannibal Vettel is. Just like Webber said, no repercussions. Should be extremely interesting to see how this plays out down the road...
Meanwhile, over at Mercedes, Hamilton and Rosberg are having no problems, despite their little brush against the team orders thing last week. Unless you think that Hamilton's eye-and-nose problem on Thursday was caused by something other than Shanghai's air pollution... conspiracy!
Quals in the morning. Unfortunately, I'll be at the Duck U Bookstore until mid-afternoon. See you then!
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