#expect next post in 2026 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

f1crecs · 2 months

Text

Fic Rec List - Fics with 500 Kudos or Less!

we wanted to post this as a thank you for 500 followers and to highlight some of the fics we think are underrated!

if your fic is on this list and you don’t want it to be, please let me know and we will remove it immediately, no questions asked. we have contacted most of the authors on this list, but sometimes people fall through the gaps - just pop us a message🤍

have a pairing you want us to do next? please read the faqs and then head to the inbox.

don’t forget to give the authors featured on this list some love in the form of kudos, bookmarks, and comments!

like we're the last people on earth by @pessimisticidealist | Lando/George | T | 17.6K

Lando joins Mercedes alongside George Russell for the 2026 season. George expects it to go poorly, incredibly so. And he's correct. The characterizations in this one are clear and feel very real, the tangled emotions and the potential catastrophes falling slowly into something terrible and wonderful and complex. Alex's involvement in the whole ordeal turns it into a wonderful exploration of the 2019 rookies.

Lewis was right, ultimately, George thinks; his only consolation is that it isn’t Alex who he’s going to destroy, who’s going to destroy him. Maybe Lando is a little more oblivious, but — no, no, he knows they will consume each other and themselves, if not this year then next, if not the next then not long after. Nico still floats around the paddock on race weekends like a lost moon, still interviews Lewis with longing heavy in his voice. Lewis speaks to him like he would any other reporter. George doesn’t want to do that to Lando, either. He doesn’t want Lando to do that to him. “Thrilled, of course, Lando’s a good mate,” he tells the press, with vacant eyes and a fixed smile. “No one deserves the Merc drive more than him.”

plant new seeds in the melody by @lellabella | Lando/Oscar | T | 20k

In this magical realism AU, Lando and Oscar are both still McLaren drivers, with one small twist: they both have powers. The worldbuilding in this fic was exceptional: vivid and so well developed, I could picture it all unfolding before my eyes. Both Lando and Oscar's powers fit them so well, and I love how the author carefully built the development of their relationship around them becoming more comfortable with each other's abilities. Despite all powers, though, they are still so very Lando and Oscar at the core of this fic, and I loved the characterisation and writing so much.

But now that Lando is the senior driver, he's supposed to be the one who handles his feelings with maturity, not hopelessly crushing on a younger rookie. This isn't ogling handsome Carlos from afar; he wants to wrap Oscar in a blanket and make him hot chocolate and know that he's okay. He wants to see Oscar smile not just because it's pretty but because he genuinely cares about his happiness. That part is new.

nsfw: live in five by @danifesting | Daniel/Max | E | 25k

Daniel discovers Max's Twitch stream and quickly becomes obsessed with them. This fic explores Max and Daniel getting to know each other and learn each other. I really liked the Max characterisation in this. Very direct but also very open to learn. One of my favourite parts is the mod group chat and how it serves as extra information for the reader, set's the tone nicely and helps you understand the overal context of Max and Daniel.

“I should probably explain my different set-up. This is not permanent. I will be back to my normal room at home in two weeks but for now, I am visiting my boyfriend.” electricsld: oh! a boyfriend! andpussycats: say more max dr3rd: yeah maxy, say more “Well, he is very sweet and he does not mind that I need to stream while I visit him. We live in different places, so we, of course, do not get to see each other very often, but it has been very nice to visit.” dr3rd: is he handsome? Max wants to roll their eyes at Daniel fishing for compliments but they contain themself. “Yes, very handsome. So handsome I cannot believe he picked me.”

I Know Your Name (But Not Who You Are) by @wanderingblindly | Charles/Max | T | 7.7k

Charles isn't in Monaco anymore, instead, now he's in Arizona. He's suffered loss at the hands of racing. Max turns up unexpectedly. Great fic if you want to cry and sob and scream into your pillow at 2 am! Amazing writing that just makes you want to lie in bed and contemplate life :) this is such an underrated fic!

There’s not another soul in the desert, just the brief rustle of an autumnal breeze ghosting along the loose earth. But behind Charles’s eyelids, in the space between him and the world above, it’s them. It hasn’t been them in a long time, he hasn’t let himself think of it. He isn’t running from anything, fluttering from city to city, crossing oceans he never touched as a boy. He’s searching, maybe, for a place where the wind can blow it all away. The sun feels warm as he raises his arm, fingers outstretched as he tries to hold that boundless blue in his palm.

nsfw: Everybody Wants to Rule the World by @kaytheologiearchive | Nico/Sebastian | E | 23k

It's 2022, Sebastian is driving for Aston Martin when their new team principal is announced – Nico Rosberg. The author said it best herself – this fic is all about "the absolute fantasy of being the villains favourite girl". And Nico makes a lovely villain, snarky and a bit pretentious but with the ability to back up his words and make his promises reality. I especially love Seb's character arc, starting with 2022!Seb, reluctantly forced to accept that his world champion days are over, to then finding his spark again under Nicos guidance and returning back to his charming, selfish, index-finger-in-the-air ways. Really they are both absolute assholes in this but thats what makes them perfect for each other.

“I’m here for the same reason you are,” he says, megawatt smile back on his face. “To win you a title.”Seb sits back in his seat, grinning bitterly. “Don’t let Stroll hear you say that. The only reason he bought this team is to try to get a title for his son. I’m just here to play mentor until they build us a car one of us can win with, and then he’ll turn me loose.” He doesn’t add, just like Ferrari did. He doesn’t have to.Nico scoffs. Seb’s met so few people who actually scoff in real life. “Lance Stroll,” he says, disdain dripping around every consonant, “is never winning a title. You still could, though, and you know it. You’d have retired if you didn’t think so.” Seb opens his mouth, prepared to contradict him, and Nico silences him with a wave of his hand. “Don’t give me your go-to line about the love of the sport. You’ve only ever been here for one reason. The media might forget, you might even want them to forget, but I know what you’re really like.”“And what’s that?” Seb asks. Against his better instincts, and even though he knows Nico can’t have a single good motive for being here, he’s intrigued by whatever Nico’s about to say. Nico’s always been an enigma to him, Nico’s opinion of him doubly so.“You’re ruthless,” Nico says, almost in a whisper. “You’re brutal, and ambitious, and you’ll do whatever you have to to take everything you want.”

Rabbit, Rabbit (it takes a village) by @481boxboxbaby | Lando/Oscar | M | 25k

Oscar wakes up to find four baby bunnies in his shower. In the world of this story, that's as good as peeing on a stick. This boy is knocked up, and there are six possible baby daddies. This is a sweet, funny and heartfelt fic that takes a cracky idea (magic bunnies means you're pregnant) and treats it seriously. Oscar is definitely a bit of a pillow princess and good time guy - that's why he has bunnies - and the fic follows his journey of self discovery, growing as a person along the way and learning that knowing himself is far more important than knowing who the daddy is. The guy who steps up, and who Oscar chooses in the end, is maybe a little unexpected but it absolutely worked for me.

“Oh,” Oscar blushes a fierce shade of red. “We’re not a throuple. They’re just friends. I mean, maybe one of them is the other father but - um - that’s sort of the thing.” The midwife raises an eyebrow and cocks her head to the side, waiting for him to go on. Oscar instead looks at Liam and Logan, desperate for one of them to bail him out. “You see, there’s a roster,” Logan says, his expression awfully serious like he’s trying to be as tactful as possible, even if he did just start off by outing Oscar as a hoe.

THREE SCENES IN A CITY by @loveisworry | Alex/Charles | T | 6.8k

Charles and Alex and a party. This is the kind of fic that you read, and then you remember for the rest of your life. This is a truly stunning urban fantasy, very immersive and atmospheric.

'Charles, the city’s chosen son, knows these streets better than the backs of his hands, which are often smeared with ink. There’s a scar where his left thumb joins the meat of his hand that he always forgets about. He’s had it since he was a child, and doesn’t remember it’s there because he doesn’t remember how he got it. Without a story to hang onto it disappears'

147 notes · View notes

spacenutspod · 4 months

Link

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has put out a call for international and industry partners to contribute science payloads to its Chang’e-8 lunar lander, set for launch to the Moon in 2028. The mission, which will involve a lander, a rover, and a utility robot, will be China’s first attempt at in-situ resource utilization on the Moon, using lunar regolith to produce brick-like building materials. Just like NASA’s Artemis plans, the CNSA’s plans for the Moon are targeted at the Lunar south pole, which is expected to be rich in useable resources, especially water. The presence of these resources will be vital for long-term human activity on the lunar surface. Possible landing sites for Chang’e-8 include Leibnitz Beta, Amundsen crater, Cabeus crater, and the ridge connecting the Shackleton and de Gerlache craters, according to a presentation by Chang’e-8 chief deputy designer in October 2023. Chang’e-8 will be the last CNSA robotic mission to be launched before construction begins on the International Lunar Research Station, China’s crewed moonbase being planned in collaboration with Russia’s Roscosmos. That makes Chang’e-8’s attempt to create building materials out of regolith a vital proof-of-concept for their lunar aspirations. In order to make moon-bricks, the lander will carry an instrument that uses solar energy to melt lunar soil and turn it into useable parts at a speed of 40 cubic cm per hour. Alongside the regolith processing equipment, the lander will be equipped with an array of science instruments, including cameras, a seismometer to detect moonquakes, and an x-ray telescope. Part of the mission will focus on moon-based Earth observation, with several instruments designed to monitor Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere. The rover, meanwhile, will carry ground penetrating radar, cameras, a mineral analyzer, and tools for collecting and storing samples (leaving open the possibility of future missions to retrieve the samples). The utility robot is a key piece of the mission, but CNSA isn’t developing it in-house. Instead, the space agency is seeking proposals from partners interested in developing it as a piggyback payload to ride alongside the rest of Chang’e-8. According to the call for proposals, the 100kg, battery-powered robot will need to be able to “capture, carry and place items, shovel, and transfer lunar soil.” It will also need to be able to travel at 400m per hour. There is room for an additional 100kg of piggyback payloads besides the robot, for which full proposals are expected to be submitted later this year. While planning for Chang’e 8 is ongoing, the CNSA has two additional robotic moon missions in the works for the near future. The first, Chang’e-6, will launch this spring, and aims to return a regolith sample from the lunar far side (a never before accomplished feat). The next mission is planned for 2026, when Chang’e-7 will carry out a geological examination of the permanently shadowed craters scattered around the Moon’s south pole. The post China's Chang'e-8 Mission Will Try to Make Bricks on the Moon appeared first on Universe Today.

#space #astronomy #news #science

95 notes · View notes

avatar-news · 2 years

Photo

Update 2: We finally figured out what happened with this whole Kyoshi movie mistake, and it has a pretty mundane explanation lol. Read an in-depth explanation here if you’re interested!

Original post below:

Update: Aang movie is first now in schedule shuffle!

Paramount and Avatar Studios’ slate of animated Avatar movies coming to theaters: Kyoshi (2024), Zuko (2025), Korra (2026)

It’s the post you’ve all been waiting for. I’ve finally compiled, confirmed, and cross-referenced enough sources to feel confident in posting what Avatar Studios’ first three movies are about, in what order, and (with a big grain of salt, okay?) when they’re coming.

You might be aware that there’s been a flurry of Avatar Studios news out of the 2022 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the last few days-- they revealed that three movies are actively in the works right now, they confirmed my report on the director of the first movie, and they showed the first teaser for it to the press in attendance.

Let’s tackle that teaser first. After checking with a couple of sources who were in attendance, we’re pretty sure that what was shown was General Fong’s fortress, which was first visited by Aang and the Gaang in Avatar: The Last Airbender Book Two: Earth, Chapter One: The Avatar State.

It was either this exact clip/screencaps from the original, or something very similar. That visual was followed by text saying “the Avatar returns” (a popular tagline these days) and the earthbending symbol. Which brings us to...

The first animated movie coming from Avatar Studios is the prequel I reported on before, and it’s a “prequel” because it stars the most recent earth Avatar before Aang and Korra: Avatar Kyoshi.

Next, I can confirm that the second movie will be the one I exclusively revealed last month: a story focused on Fire Lord Zuko.

Lastly, and this is a brand-new reveal, the third movie is set in the era of Avatar Korra, after the end of the animated series.

I should note that these are all very high-level descriptions, for example I don’t know the exact focus of the Korra era movie, although I’d personally be willing to bet it will be Korra herself. But ultimately, I guess I should put a disclaimer that I don’t know that level of detail, except for the specific case of the Zuko movie being about Zuko himself. Technically, I don’t know that the Kyoshi movie will “star” her, but I can’t really imagine it won’t, you know?

AS FOR THE DATES. I debated whether to put them or not, but I decided to make things spicy and go for it this time. I want to make it clear that these are NOT my estimates, they are legit info cross-referenced from at least two sources, but...... it’s really early info subject to change and not meant to be any sort of commitment from anyone. I just figured that by the time we get to these years, no one will remember this post. 😂 Release dates could shift around as they almost always do in this day and age, but it’s just because that’s a natural thing that happens. So with all that being said, you can very vaguely look forward to animated Avatar movies coming to theaters once a year starting in 2024, with the first three being:

Kyoshi (2024)

Zuko (2025)

Korra (2026)

(Obviously those are not the movies’ titles.)

This next part is my estimate: I would personally expect LATE 2024 for the first one. Again, it’s super early. As for the rest: again, big grain of salt. As production goes on, maybe they’ll decide they want to do every two years instead, or any number of things that could lead to the slate changing.

It’s just really important to understand that this is just a snapshot of Avatar Studios’ CURRENT plans-- their NOT announced, NOT confirmed plans. I wouldn’t announce or confirm anything this early either, and there’s a good reason they aren’t-- they haven’t even revealed their first ever movie yet, much less committing to a slate. So please keep all that context in mind; don’t expect them to reveal anything about any Korra movie any time soon-- there are two movies before that that probably won’t even reveal anything any time soon. That being said, this is legit info and not just speculation/guessing, and it also might NOT change. I think release dates are honestly highly likely to change, but I don’t think it would be unlikely if the three high-level concepts of Kyoshi/Zuko/Korra stay the same. Assuming my sources are correct about those in the first place of course. :)

Alright, that’s enough disclaimers, I’ll let you run amok now. And yeah. KORRA’S BACK.

#news #movie #prequel movie #kyoshi movie #zuko movie #korra movie #annecy 2022 #avatar news exclusive

2K notes · View notes

thef155 · 6 months

Text

Note: this was posted prior to the LH->Ferrari news

I really, really hope the rumors that Carlos might have only a short-term contract extension (i.e. until the end of 2025) are true. That may be a blow to his pride, and I feel for him deeply, but breaking away from Ferrari by 2026 would be the absolute best thing for him.

If you don’t know, Carlos and Charles are both currently contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2024, and both are now currently in talks for extensions. According to La Gazetta (grain of salt required), Charles is taking a five year extension to 2029 (whyyyy Charles? why do that to yourself?). Meanwhile, Carlos has asked for a 2-year extension, but Ferrari reportedly only want to offer him 1 year for now. Carlos potentially becoming a free agent for 2026 is very significant because that's the start of the next regulations era in F1; a new formula and new rules come into play, ushering in new engines and new cars and opening up the field for new contenders. It’s also when Audi will be stepping onto the grid as they take over at Sauber (currently Alfa Romeo). Importantly, Audi have been long-rumored to be interested in Carlos as the driver they want to sign and build their new team around.

I'm not going to delve into how much Ferrari has treated Carlos like shit, because we all know that story, and none of us are actually surprised to see the team undervalue the man who keeps them afloat when all else fails and gives them their only win in a season. I don't think Ferrari ever expected Carlos to be so competitive and push il Predestinado the way he has, and now it's bit awkward for them. But the fact is that Ferrari have now gone all in on Charles with this 5-year deal, and now they have no choice but to make every other decision around that. It makes sense that they would offer just a 1-year extension if Carlos is asking for 2 years because they know a 2-year contract would be no more meaningful than a 1-year if other teams are seriously interested in Carlos. If Audi (or McLaren, if Lando leaves) really want to get Carlos for 2026, they will have no qualms about swooping in during the 2025 silly season to buy Ferrari out of Carlos’s last contract year. They know what they have with Carlos even if they aren't going to publicly recognize it, so it's in Ferrari’s best interest to keep their options open for shopping if they don’t want to risk being caught out dry in 2026.

But let’s forget all that and talk about the most interesting part of all this to me: that Carlos asked for something as short as a 2-year extension. He knows Charles is getting 5 years, so why?

This tells me that Carlos has finally begun to lose faith that Ferrari is the best place for him. That’s a pretty damn big deal, because—although this gets overshadowed by Charles’s love story with the Scuderia—Carlos’s passion for Ferrari and the Tifosi is no small thing. I think he smiled bigger on the third step of the podium at Monza than he did at Silverstone for his maiden win. Winning a WDC with Ferrari is (or was) his life’s dream.

But maybe 2023–his best year ever—is what Carlos needed to stop ignoring the writings on the wall. Maybe he’s starting to admit to himself that he’s never going to get the support (or competence) he needs from Ferrari to achieve his dreams. Maybe he's understanding that he's found success not because of Ferrari, but in spite of them.

Carlos is too good to be a No. 2 driver. We know it, Ferrari definitely knows it (and that’s their problem), and—most importantly—Carlos knows it. Ferrari can go ahead and search for someone this talented who's also willing to roll over and be their next Rubens Barrichello. Because it sure as hell won’t be Carlos Sainz, Jr.

#I will honestly be so sad if he doesn’t get out by 2026 #my vote (i have none) is not extending at all and just going to sauber for 2025 #then he can play midfield whisperer again for a year before audi comes in #and then come out swinging #carlos sainz #carlos sainz jr

91 notes · View notes

texasthoughtsaboutnothing · 5 months

Text

The Stranger and my thoughts on where each LCB Sinner is at (Long)

Hey, I actually sat down and read L'etranger, Meursault's source novel. I've got some fucking feelings about it, especially relating it to Limbus Company and what it might mean for his Canto in like 2 years.

Firstly, you should read or listen to this book. It's short, surprisingly punchy, and easy to follow. I (probably) don't have autism but I can absolutely see a read of this where the character does or is neurodivergent in some other way; beyond his relationship and evaluation of social queues and norms he also seems to deal with sensory issues. There are better people than me who should talk about this and I'm probably not adding a lot to the conversation but keeping this reading in my head for the climax added an extra layer of discomfort (intentional discomfort for the benefit of the story's message, I should say) to the whole book. But It's worth experiencing even if you disagree with that reading or have a different one.

Limbus Brainrot/Spoiler stuff from here on in.

There's always the question of where exactly each Sinner is in their story as they're on the bus. Their stories have been reinterpreted and/or jumbled in ways that make it fun to guess, so to go over each Sinner and where they are based on what we know or my theories:

Yi Sang - I'm not gonna front, I don't really get The WIngs, but this seems like a Good End AU for him. He already escaped his "Wife's" control and the sunless room and is now flying again (metaphorically, or maybe literally? i dont know help me).

Faust - Likely in the middle of the part where she's using Mephistopheles' power to do good in the world and prior to her being damned to hell. Side note, she's last to get a Canto and I bet it's not a coincidence that (afaik) she and Dante are the only two with Hell in their stories directly. My long shot call is that Faust is also Beatrice and there will be so much DantexFaust ship art in 2026.

Don Quixote - The biggest enigma. La Sangre de Sancho has gripped the imagination of the fandom and I am no exception. She's next after Heathcliff so we'll get her some time in August at the latest and I can't wait. My best guess is she's currently gallivanting and will be forced home in her Canto, assuming Don is Sancho theory isn't true. Praying her Canto is called The Impossible.

Ryoshu - In Hell Screen, the reason the painter is obsessed with torture is that he can only paint what he has seen and is trying to paint the Buddhist Hell. In his quest for his art he destroys his life and those around him, and ends up committing suicide over it. But there is a villain in the form of the Lord who beyond driving the story by requesting the screen in the first place is guilty of SA and murder. I'm expecting we're post story; the Lord is related to the five fingers, the daughter might be recast as a friend or something, and the sword Ryoshu carries is likely the screen. Nothing revolutionary in my guesses here, but it's either going to be that straight-forward or insanely abstract, where she's the lord and the painter and the daughter and the screen and the sword is the monkey or some shit.

Hong Lu - I have not yet read Dream of a Red Chamber, it's next on the list. Forgive me!

Heathcliff - Oh boy. Like many, I expect he is post-spurning by Catherine and is on his journey for his fortune on the LCB. So, his Canto will be about coming home to a beloved who is with someone else. Yes, the beloved blorbo will suffer for my amusement. Let's go 3 hours Heathmael sex scene!

Ishmael - We now know her story already kinda happened, as many expected, making this a bizarre sequel to Moby Dick. I think it gave PM a lot of room to do whatever they wanted to while still sticking to the themes of the story. Already wrote about what I loved about this and the recontextualizing of Ahab as a whale unto herself (which I don't actually know if it's in the original novel, but it wouldn't surprise me).

Rodion - A weird one. Her inciting incident happened, the murdering of the landlord/pawnbroker, but the unintentional death of the innocent sister was shifted to the entire damn block. So if I had to guess she's in the period after her crime trying to avoid being caught, but no police officer allegory has really been introduced yet. I read Crime and Punishment years ago so I can't say for certain but it feels the most loosely adapted and suffers a tad for being part of the intro. Rodya's story is in no way finished so it's up in the air. Praying for a Petrovich just so people can meet the OG Columbo.

Sinclair - Still need to read Demian, but I have a rough understanding of the plot. Also unfinished in his story, Sinclair has a long way to go to his self-realization. This feels more intentional however, I remember someone made an observation of Cinqlair as representative of his drunken college years where he's popular but unfulfilled, and I think we can extend that to all of his IDs. He seems to have the most potential of all the Sinners, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if there's a mirror world where he's a Color unto himself. I digress, the point is he's pre Frau Eva (who if she turn's out to be the Purple Tear I will lose my mind) who is also called Beatrice at some point so what's up with that PM?

Outis - Another big mystery, especially as she isn't Odysseus but Outis, a name referencing a particular part of the Odyssey with the Cyclops. I have to imagine she's on the Odyssey, journeying home after the Smoke War (which might have some parallels with the Trojan War beyond the obvious). It's interesting all the Greek myth named Abnormalities are Hospital themed, might be something there but nothing I can parse from my limited knowledge of Greek society and folklore. While she' might be a traitor, I'm thinking she's joined Limbus Company to hide while on her journey; she might be wanted dead by something and is concealing her identity after what happened in the war.

Greg - Again, a character post-story. He was locked in a room, he metamorphized, and... well he's alive? So we've diverged from the source novel, as it's taken the allegorical meanings and made them more literal, but Hermann is still around and a major player so who knows where this will go?

Meursault - I have so many thoughts. Meursault could be anywhere in his story, but I'm going to guess it's one of two places. First guess, we're completely pre story. His Canto opens with him getting a message that Maman died today, or maybe yesterday, he doesn't know. So the whole story plays out over the course of the Canto. But more likely, and my prediction, is that he's currently in "jail" awaiting his execution or acquittal. He has already murdered a man (or done some other crime) and instead of being tried for that, he has been tried and sentenced for his peculiarities of character. Bound in the chains of others, the multitudes have tightened their hold (I'm very clever and not cringe at all).

So I have to wonder what light blinded him, overwhelmed him so much that it led to his crime? The Bright Nights and Dark Days are an obvious choice, and I'm not the first to suggest it. Perhaps he distorted? Anyway, his story ends with him having given up on acquittal and instead hoping for a crowd of people hating him as he approaches the guillotine. I'm super interested in how this will play out in Limbus, especially as he must survive for gameplay purposes.

Also, Meursault is so horny. Like, oh my god. Half of his thoughts are of Marie, specifically of wanting her and all the connotations that contains. He spurns God in the face of a Chaplain, saying that He is worth nothing compared to a single hair on a woman's head. Meursault is not a romantic but not just some horndog either, his desire for sex and women and their bodies feels like an extension of his worldview centered on the immediacy of life and not just debauchery or hedonism. It's a part of the idea life is lived as today, yesterday, and tomorrow, and there is joy and happiness in that simplicity. I feel like this will get cut for Limbus but I hope it isn't, I want Meursault to casually admit he desires every Sinner on the bus carnally (yes the men and NB too, probably just a HC but I do believe that the City is a binormative society based on its already loose relationship to gender identity).

So uh, that's the thoughts so far. Merry Christmas, I guess.

#limbus company #project moon #the stranger #this was meant to be a paragraph

48 notes · View notes

lonestarbattleship · 3 months

Text

February 4, 2024 Update from the Battleship Texas Foundation

"Battleship Texas just after sunset.

DRY DOCK TOURS

Tours in February are SOLD OUT. We will announce if new dates become available.

A Dry Dock Tour just for our volunteers and their friends and families!

A quality control check was conducted on January 30th, 2024. Leaks were expected and the team has successfully located them. Work will continue to ensure that Battleship Texas is leak free.

Above the boot top (above the black band) the ship has been painted Navy Blue 5-N. This color was matched from existing examples found aboard (both internally and externally) the vessel.

Battleship Texas with a new paint job on the hull. The rest of the ship will be blasted, repaired, and painted at a later date.

The ship was painted in the Measure 21 camouflage scheme prior to deploying to the Pacific Theater during World War II. At this time Battleship Texas is the ONLY museum ship painted in this camouflage scheme and only one of two battleships in their WWII measure.

The ship’s hull has been coated with PPG SIGMASHIELD 880 GF. Historically the ship would be coated with an anti-fouling coat that is red in color, but that coating is no longer needed as the ship is not in service.

The new hull numbers have been extensively researched so each number is not only the correct font, but applied in the appropriate position as it was in 1945. The numbers have been applied to both bow and stern.

Yes, the rest of the ship will receive a new coat of paint once repairs conclude at a later date.

Work continues on and in the ship’s aft fire control tower.

Looking forward from aft fire control.

Looking aft from main battery control in the ship’s aft fire control.

Looking to the starboard side from secondary battery control in the ship’s aft fire control.

Looking to port while in the second battery control in the ship’s aft fire control tower.

Mullions have been installed in secondary battery control level within aft fire control for preparation of the windows needed to present the ship to its 1945 configuration.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

WHAT’S NEXT? - Battleship Texas will remain at Gulf Copper Shipyard for the time being. Additional steel work, removal and replacement of the ship’s deck, and superstructure/aft fire control restoration will continue.

SPLASH! - The ship will be put back into the water in mid to late February 2024.

KEEL BLOCKS - Yes, the keel blocks supporting Battleship Texas can be moved. Each block is moved so the area atop of them can be blasted, repaired (if need be), and coated.

WHAT ABOUT THE RUDDER? - The rudder will remain where it is. Funding is best spent elsewhere.

WILL THE SHIP RUN AGAIN? - No, the ship will never be able to run under its own power again.

TOURING? - The Battleship Texas Foundation is working on new touring opportunities before the ship reopens.

REOPENING? - There is a lot to be done before the ship is ready for touring at its new home in Galveston, Texas. Reopening is projected to happen sometime in 2025 or 2026.

Live, Laugh, And Flood your Torpedo Blisters.

To donate to the preservation and operation of Battleship Texas, please visit: https://battleshiptexas.org/

Support Battleship Texas by making a purchase through the ship's store: https://store.battleshiptexas.org"

Posted on the Battleship Texas Foundation Facebook page: link

22 notes · View notes

chussyracing · 6 months

Text

fresh batch of f1 news and info from the past few days

(side note: i didn't have time to catch up with my fave gossipers so it's just news that made it to media outlets)

Red Bull confirmed they will be paying off Verstappen's fees (and that is a massive amount of money with how many points he scored in 2023)

F2 and F3 drivers may face consequences for purposefully caused red flag in qualifying from 2024 on - it's testing of the new rule which could be later introduced in F1 if it turns out to be decent addition

People from Guiness world record book came to give MCL staff the official certificate for their fastest F1 pit stop ever

Mercedes is in legal exchange with fia (they can sue them for damaged reputation)

Abbi Pulling will continue in F1 Academy with Alpine (she will drive for Rodin Carlin)

Fia gala next yeah will be in Rwanda

there are some rumours about Ferrari livery release date for 2024 being 13th Feb

Este is planning a French civil war for 2024 in the team, because he thinks he has been too nice this year (it will be so much fun)

Gasly said in some Frnch interview that it's not just Alpine where drivers aren't friends and to look at others like Ferrari (lol)

Verstappen is planning to leave F1 in 10 years time at latest (nobody keeps you here king feel free to leave NOW)

Bruno Famin will continue as Alpine's team principal unless he is asked to leave

FIA is considering proposing a standardized floor plank for 2026 onwards

There is a discussion between F1 and FIA about race cap for team workers besides drivers which could be 20 races (meaning no worker could do more than 20 races in a single season)

Ferrari strenghten the partnership with Vista in WEC to introduce Vista AF Corse line up with two Ferrari cars in LMGT3

Alpha Tauri will use pull-rod suspension like Red Bull from 2024 onwards

Pourchaire will drive for Impul in Japanese Super Formula in 2024

FIA partnered with International Esports Federation to fight online abuse which is one of Ben Sulayem's main agenda points

Some FTX cryptocurrency users want to sue Mercedes for promoting a company that went bankrupt (not just Mercedes too but also Brady, Ronaldo, MLB etc.)

Also if you wanna laugh look up the mess of fia gala altogether (the scheduled interviews where only Lewis sat down for, the Lewis trophy saga, Ben Sulayem asked if he supports Ferrari in Le Mans or something and his weird ass response)

Callum Illot will be racing for Team Jota in WEC in 2024

And from fan point of view someone tell me why is Lando cancelled this time (something about onlyfans during his twitch stream and liking single women's posts on instagram?), watch the new c2 challenge (I have 0 expectations but Charles is supposed to giggle a lot there so it can only be a positive surprise) and you can now vote for your overtake of the year

#f1 #e #gossip night

27 notes · View notes

usafphantom2 · 5 months

Text

Japan starts sea tests of its second modified helipter carrier for F-35B jets

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/28/2023 - 22:22 in Military

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) began sea testing for its JS Kaga (DDH 184) helipter carrier after undergoing significant modifications to accommodate F-35B fighters, as announced by JMSDF on December 25.

New images shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), by the service's Escort Flotilla Four depict JS Kaga leaving his pier at the Japan Marine United (JMU) shipyard in the city of Kure, Hiroshima province, to undergo tests at sea.

The Escort Flotilla Four post expressed enthusiasm, stating: "Today's post is about JS Kaga during the sea tests. There is only a little time left until the special modification of JS Kaga is completed! We can't wait!"

The port of origin of JS Kaga is the JMSDF Naval Base of Kure, where the Fleet Four Escort Division is stationed. Although the official date of the sea tests was not disclosed by the JMSDF, an officer confirmed to Naval News that the initial sea tests took place on November 13.

JS Kaga left the JMU shipyard pier in Kure on April 20, marking its first departure in more than a year, after undergoing modifications that transformed its appearance into that of a light aircraft carrier. Notable changes ?? included the modification of the bow section of its cockpit from a trapezoid to a square shape, similar to those of the Wasp class and America-class amphibious assault ships of the U.S. Navy.

JMSDF plans to complete the modification of its two Izumo-class helipter carriers, JS Izumo and JS Kaga, into aircraft carriers capable of supporting the operations of Lockheed Martin F-35B fighters until fiscal year 2027.

For JS Kaga, the renovation work at JMU's Kure shipyard began in March 2022, involving initial modifications, such as cockpit reinforcement, installation of additional guidance lights, marking of yellow lines in the control cabin for F-35B launches and landings, and incorporating heat-resistant systems at points on the deck for vertical landings. Fiscal year 2023 will see the acquisition of Raytheon's Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) and additional modifications to the satellite communication system.

Subsequent and final modifications during the next revision of the Kaga, scheduled to begin at the end of fiscal year 2026, will include changes to the ship's interior compartments.

F-35B during testing on JS Izumo.

Meanwhile, Izumo is expected to undergo modifications to the bow section of its cockpit, transforming it from trapezoid to square during the next fiscal year of 2024, starting in April. The JMSDF allocated $287.3 million for the modifications of the bow section of Izumo in fiscal year 2024 and an additional $4.2 million for the installation of a landing navigation system, which is expected to be Raytheon's JPALS. The Izumo class ships, measuring 248 meters in length and moving 26,000 tons at full load, are the largest Japanese military ships built since World War II, with the capacity to carry up to 14 helicopters.

Tags: Military AviationJMSDF - Japan Maritime Self Defence Force/Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force - Japanese Navyaircraft carrier

Sharing

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

Related news

MILITARY

New jet coach for the Russian Air Force

28/12/2023 - 17:00

MILITARY

Elt Group and Leonardo collaborate in the update of the C-27J Spartan electronic warfare set

28/12/2023 - 16:00

HELICOPTERS

Korea Aerospace Industries guarantees contract for second batch of LAH helicopters

28/12/2023 - 14:00

MILITARY

Turkey's ANKA-3 combat drone performs inaugural flight

28/12/2023 - 13:00

INCIDENTS

Indian MiG-29K hunting tire bursts while taxiing

28/12/2023 - 09:00

MILITARY

South Korea signs contract to purchase 20 additional F-35A fighters

28/12/2023 - 08:27

11 notes · View notes

beautifulpersonpeach · 3 months

Note

Sorry if you already said something, but do you have any thoughts on sm losing both baekhyun and now taemin as soloists? Is this snowballing likely to continue, and what do you see sm being in five years?

***

Hi Anon,

I've answered the question of where I see SM in 5 years here <- that's from about a month ago.

My view of Baekhyun and Taemin both jumping ship is that they were overdue. It was always a question of when not if. SM has a long, prolific history of bleeding talent and abusing their idols - that company is quite literally the worst offender among the Big3 just going by the number of lawsuits filed every 3 - 5 years from idols under their management. And this is aside the fact that SM is the only major company that compels their artists to sign 10-year contracts using a legal loophole, where the industry standard is 7 years. The reason SM's known practices aren't talked about more in fact, is because SM also has the largest amount of company stans in the wider k-pop fandom who strongly influence where scrutiny is placed.

And that reason is why even if this snowballs, it won't change anything dramatically for the company, because nobody is more committed to keeping illusion of SM's legacy/prestige alive more than fans of SM groups.

That said, based on debut dates, the group next up for contract negotiations is NCT. Because most of the founding members have promoted outside Korea (the legal loophole SM uses), this means they have 10-year contracts and so they'll only begin negotiations from the latter half of this year through 2026. As some of the members are due to enlist starting this year (Taeil, Jaehyun, Doyoung and Taeyong are the four oldest Korean members), it's assumed they are speedrunning negotiations ahead of that deadline, and it could be why we've seen solo and sub-unit projects for Taeil, Taeyong, Jaehyun and Doyoung in the last year. I'm highlighting those four in contrast to a member like Mark, who is easily NCT's most prominent member (alongside Taeyong) who still doesn't have a solo EP, and it's probably just a coincidence that he's Canadian and not up for military service. And so his negotiations can happen much later. Given the state of SM's dwindling idol portfolio and how they've been handling NCT so far, I expect almost all the members to re-sign (WayV is the wild card here), but I expect more bleeding from EXO and other legacy acts.

Anyway, I'm already rambling.

Baekhyun/Taemin have been associated with SM for a decade and that's not going to change even with them leaving the company, for two reasons:

They are still signed under SM for group activities.

SM stans won't relinquish that connection no matter how hard those idols attempt to rebrand their image. Like I've been saying, most fans of SM groups are actually company stans despite what they'll tell you.

So long as the make-up of k-pop fandoms remain dominated by SM stans, nothing is changing significantly for SM in this space in the next 5 years. Their new girl group will debut to much fan fare, Taemin and Baekhyun will continue being included in conversations about SM talent and influence, and SM company norms will continue as they have like every other time a high-profile talent has left their company - just fine.

The one caveat I didn't include in my prior post (linked above) but feel compelled to include now, is that the non-compete HYBE placed on Lee Sooman in 2023, expires in 2026. Given everything I've mentioned about how SM operates and the cult-like following LSM has both with his staff and k-pop stans generally, if he establishes a competing agency in the next 5 years, that could dramatically impact the life of SM Entertainment beyond any of the expected M&A scenarios I mentioned in point 3 of my linked post.

Overall, expect more of the same but there's a chance we get more fun times ahead. :)

#kpop #sm entertainment #hybe #kpop fandoms #sm stans #baekhyun #taemin

10 notes · View notes

vro0m · 9 months

Note

I agree with your speculation that it was their original plan to put Daniel back into the Red Bull seat. Honestly, I wouldn't even have been shocked if they had made some excuse about performance and actually replaced Checo at the end of this year if Daniel didn't injure himself and his performances were at least matching or better than Yuki's. The hand injury really did come at the worst possible time for him since there'll (rightfully) always be skepticism about his performance after his mclaren stint and he has less time to prove the naysayers wrong now. Liam performing so well as Daniel's replacement also complicates things too.

I'm curious about why you think it's not a good move for him? Is it because of Max? idk I'm not a fan of red bull but I am a fan of Daniel and I can't think of another place for him that would give him what he needs or wants as a driver. What do you think would be another option for him (besides retirement lol 😭)?

I'm also anticipating the 2024 silly season. I looked it up and there are at least 10 drivers that have expiring contracts next year, so I feel like surely there has to be at least one big or exciting move that happens.. Especially with some big seats opening up like Ferrari, Red Bull and Mclaren. Hopefully I didn't just jinx it lol

Lemme preface this by saying this is only my opinion, I'm not always right, and I can't see the future.

(long post)

First of all as I said, it is the best option for him. In reality it's his only option. Because of his difficult past few years, the teams willing to sign him were backmarkers (namely Haas) and it's very difficult to come back in F1 once you're out of a seat, especially when it's not out of your own free will (understand : retiring then coming back). It's honestly kinda unhoped-for that they're giving him another shot. I'm not sure he'd have had half a chance if Nyck had done better.

The problem is Max indeed. Say he does get the RBR seat in 2025 : he's not gonna beat Max. Then what? As we've touched on before on this blog, you always always have to do better than your teammate (nice essay, go read it!). Doesn't matter if they're still top of the standings, doesn't matter if he manages to finish 2nd himself, he'll be the new Perez sooner or later. All second drivers become Perezes sooner or later. And! That's imagining he's gonna manage to keep up with Max better than Perez, which we don't actually know at this point. Might be worse than being second behind Max. Might be third or fourth or fifth etc. In any case, he's most probably not gonna get a real shot at the title at RBR, except if he suddenly exceeds all expectations which, again, all due respect, but his track record isn't convincing at this point. I truly don't see him – but tbf I don't really see any of them – beating Max in the RB. Maybe if they get it awfully wrong Merc-style in 2026 but like. They have Newey so there's no way it's gonna happen. So?

Say he got the seat. He probably doesn't want to be a second driver to the end of his career right? He wants to win. Otherwise he could have just taken Gunther Steiner's offer, cashed in the check, and done. But he doesn't have a shot at RBR. So he needs another seat. But who's gonna sign him? Again, he's 34. He'll be 36 in 2025 if he gets the RBR seat, so he probably wouldn't be looking for a seat elsewhere before, at best, 2026, at 37. He's getting old, he's running out of time. Ferrari have their own plans for the future with Charles. Mercedes have their own plans for the future with George. Depending on his form then, he might or might not have a better chance to beat another first driver in another car than Max in the RB, but he'll always be considered as a second driver for the team signing him. And, once again, that's if he performs well enough that other teams might want to sign him, whatever his age.

Or maybe there's a sudden unicorn event happening and an unexpected team suddenly makes it to the top and he's conveniently signed there when it happens, but I mean if we're gonna speculate that far-off why not imagine Max retiring at the end of 2024 and actually it's his seat Daniel gets?

When I'm saying I'm not sure it's the best move for him I mean for him. It's the best – it's the only – move for his career in F1. But the way I see it, best case scenario he gets a few more years as a second driver here or there, maybe he even wins a few times with RedBull, then he can retire on his own terms. Hopefully he's okay with it, hopefully he's not beating himself up for not living up to unrealistically high expectations. Hopefully Marko doesn't start bullying him like he did the others.

Worst case scenario, he doesn't fare much better than he has this past couple of years and it's another painful failure.

I understand he wanted more, I understand he can't really realistically be like "okay you're right I'm not worth a seat I'll retire", but I'm not sure it's gonna be the comeback he's wishing for and I hope he's prepared to deal with whatever comes mentally if it's not.

Or maybe I'm completely wrong and he beats Max out of nowhere ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#don't start sending me hate if you disagree I'm really not all that invested #f1 #2023 #essay #vro0m's asks

13 notes · View notes

apollotarot · 1 year

Text

🪐 What Can We Expect from the 2026 Saturn-Neptune Conjunction?

Are you curious about the upcoming Saturn-Neptune conjunction in 2026 and what it means? Astrologers and enthusiasts are buzzing about this rare celestial event expected to bring significant changes and challenges to our personal and collective lives. This blog post will delve into the Saturn-Neptune conjunction and how you can prepare for it.

☌ What is the Saturn-Neptune Conjunction?

The Saturn-Neptune conjunction occurs when the two planets, Saturn and Neptune, align in the sky at the same zodiac degree. This alignment happens approximately every 36-37 years; the last time was in 1989-1990. The next one will occur in 2026.

Saturn is the planet of structure, boundaries, and responsibility. It represents the father figure and authority and teaches us lessons through hard work and discipline. Neptune, on the other hand, is the planet of dreams, illusions, and spirituality. It represents the mystical and the creative, reminding us to connect with our higher selves.

When these two planets come together, their energies can create tension between the material and the spiritual: Saturn's need for practicality and discipline clashes with Neptune's desire for freedom and transcendence. This tension can result in confusion, disillusionment, and uncertainty, as we try to reconcile our inner and outer worlds.

👀 What Does the 2026 Saturn-Neptune Conjunction Mean for You?

The 2026 Saturn-Neptune conjunction will bring significant changes and challenges to our personal and collective lives. While the exact effects will depend on your birth chart, there are some general themes to be aware of:

Letting go of illusions: The Saturn-Neptune conjunction can bring a time of disillusionment, where we will have to face reality and let go of illusions and fantasies. This process can be challenging, but ultimately it allows us to see things clearly and move forward more authentically.

Building new structures: While the Saturn-Neptune conjunction can bring a time of dismantling old systems, it also offers the opportunity to make new ones. This moment can be excellent for setting new goals, creating new habits, and establishing new boundaries that align with your values and aspirations.

Finding your spiritual path: Neptune's influence during this conjunction can help you connect with your spiritual side and find deeper meaning in your life. This period can be ideal for exploring your spirituality through meditation, yoga, or other practices that resonate with you.

Reconnecting with nature: Neptune is also associated with the natural world, and this conjunction can be a reminder to reconnect with nature and appreciate its beauty and power. Spending time in nature can help you find peace and clarity during this tumultuous time.

🔖 How to Prepare for the Saturn-Neptune Conjunction

While the Saturn-Neptune conjunction can be challenging, it also offers growth and transformation opportunities. Here are some tips for preparing for this event:

Get to know your birth chart: Understanding your birth chart can help you understand how the Saturn-Neptune conjunction may affect you personally. You can consult an astrologer or use online resources to learn more about your chart.

Practice self-care: During this conjunction, it is essential to take care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Make time for rest, exercise, healthy eating, and activities that bring you joy.

Reflect on your values: The Saturn-Neptune conjunction can be a time to reflect on your values and what is truly important to you. Use this time to assess your priorities and make necessary adjustments to ensure your actions align with your true beliefs.

During this period, we can expect a heightened sense of spirituality and creativity and a greater emphasis on empathy and compassion towards others. People may feel drawn towards artistic and creative pursuits and spiritual practices such as meditation and yoga. There may also be a renewed interest in social justice issues and a desire to impact the world positively.

However, the Saturn-Neptune conjunction can also bring about feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and disillusionment. It may be when people struggle to find their place in the world and question their beliefs and values. It is essential to remain grounded during this period and to avoid getting lost in fantasy or escapism.

On a global scale, the Saturn-Neptune conjunction can bring about significant changes in political and economic systems. It may be a time of upheaval and transformation as old structures dismantle and new ones are replaced. There may also be increased tensions between groups and an intensified focus on environmental issues.

Overall, the 2026 Saturn-Neptune conjunction is a time of great potential and challenge. It is when we will feel prone to connect with our spiritual selves and work towards creating a more compassionate and just world. At the same time, we must remain grounded and focused on navigating the uncertainty and upheaval that may arise during this period.

25 notes · View notes

beardedmrbean · 3 months

Text

SpaceX’s next-generation mega rocket launched Thursday morning, thundering into orbit on a key test flight meant to demonstrate new technologies and techniques that will be crucial on future missions to the moon and beyond.

The flight, held on the 22nd anniversary of SpaceX's founding, was the rocket’s third and most ambitious such test, according to the company. The event was closely watched because the nearly 400-foot-tall booster, known as Starship, is expected to play an important part in NASA’s return-to-the-moon program.

The rocket lifted off at 9:25 a.m. ET from SpaceX’s Starbase test site in Boca Chica, Texas. On this outing, SpaceX achieved two major milestones over previous Starship tests: The spacecraft successfully reached orbit, then re-entered Earth’s atmosphere for the first time more than 40 minutes later.

“This is the furthest and fastest that Starship has ever flown,” SpaceX officials said during their live broadcast of the event.

However, data suggests the spacecraft was lost while it returned to Earth, before it reached the splashdown in the Indian Ocean that SpaceX had hoped for.

Still, the company called it a “phenomenal day.”

Although SpaceX adjusted the targeted liftoff time Thursday morning, Starship’s launch got off to a smooth start. Roughly three minutes into flight, the first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, successfully separated from the upper-stage Starship spacecraft.

However, Super Heavy did not accomplish a final burn as it fell back to Earth, causing it to splash down “hard” in the Gulf of Mexico, SpaceX said during its webcast.

SpaceX had also hoped to demonstrate several other processes and capabilities during the flight, including opening and closing the vehicle’s payload door and transferring propellant between two of Starship’s tanks in orbit. The company said it will need to analyze post-flight data to determine if those objectives were completed.

SpaceX also intended to fire one of Starship’s Raptor engines while in space, but it ultimately opted to skip that portion.

Many of the techniques attempted during Starship's third flight would help SpaceX carry out future missions to deploy satellites, as well as set the stage for moon missions as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

The company also said many of the objectives would help develop Starship into a fully reusable system. That is SpaceX's eventual plan, but it was not the intention for this test flight.

Starship was selected by NASA to carry astronauts to the lunar surface in the upcoming Artemis III mission, which could launch in 2026.

Starship's debut flight last April ended when the rocket exploded several minutes after liftoff. A second Starship launch in November achieved several milestones, including separation of the first-stage booster and upper-stage spacecraft, but the company lost contact with the vehicle shortly after.

#nunyas news #another success

3 notes · View notes

bunnieshoneys · 10 days

Note

That one meme from The Office that goes “this is the worst” except it’s Sainz rejecting the Audi offer only to be a potential Williams driver if no one else picks him up (silly season is truly alive) 💀

giggled. a more serious rambling about sainz's contract below the cut.

on a serious note, i really don't expect sainz to reject audi. it would be astronomically stupid to do so right now, given that the top seats are all filled for the forseeable future, apart from potentially the second red bull seat, which i think would kill his career. Sainz, numerically, WITH priority in 2022 and a car built to his feedback in 2023, plus horrific luck on Charles' part, still was off Charles' pace/points tally in both years. Max, right now, is much more complete and arguably more consistent than charles, and on top of that, max wiped the floor with carlos in 2015 when they were both rookies. I doubt that would change now, especially with Carlos' aversion to oversteery/strong front end cars. mercedes, post-imola, is reportedly not interested in him anymore. going to williams would be incredibly stupid in my opinion since the car is ... not great and the team very clearly is behind albon.

Sainz wants to be a top driver in a team. Ultimately, that's the reason he's leaving ferrari. He was reportedly offered a one year rolling deal (similar to bottas at merc), and rejected it, wanting a deal closer to what charles was reportedly being offered at the time (2+1). There were whisperings of albon, norris, being replacements in 2025. This tension with charles is the reason that they were ultimately looking to replace him. im of the opinion that he would be leaving the scuderia even if lewis hadnt made the decision to come in.

its been very, very strange to witness sainz being somewhat of a team player in Monaco this weekend but i have to think that its for one of two reasons:

PR. Charles winning in Monaco was a universally popular outcome and getting in the way of that would make him come across negatively. Not a great look when you're actively looking for teams.

Him not being a team player in Imola / Miami / China has negatively affected his contract talks.

theres also a secret third reason: charles being expected to return the favour at the spanish GP, which i think charles will be happy to do if Sainz qualifies ahead, but i also dont think he will.

at audi, he gets a serious chance at being top of midfield, and a chance of being a no1 driver, which he won't get anywhere else in the paddock right now. even if a seat becomes available in mclaren or mercedes, or red bull want him, he will be expected to play second fiddle to the top driver (i would very much argue that norris and piastri are both better than him now, and so is verstappen... obviously.)

in 2018, him and hulkenberg WERE teammates in renault, and hulkenberg out performed him, but sainz is potentially better now than he was then... he'd have equal status and due to the fact he has family in audi the nepotism and politicking might actually work in that team structure in a way it will never work in redbull or mercedes.

i think signing to williams to wait for contracts to free up in 2026 is stupid. mclaren have a team for the future, so does ferrari, assuming ollie bearman comes into haas in 25, he will likely be at the team in 27 alongside leclerc. mercedes is hedging its bets on antonelli, who will likely come straight to merc in 25. those seats in the top teams (and i wouldnt even call merc a top team) arent going to magically free up in 26, and audi is his best shot with his level of performance, which isnt good enough to be a top driver with the levels of talent in norris, leclerc, verstappen, hamilton.

i am biased, but i do want to see him stay in the sport and i think his performances in the midfield were solid. I fully expect him to go to audi / sauber next year.

#bunny answers #bunny talks f1

3 notes · View notes

janjmoz · 2 months

Text

Girona to Almería

An early start today. Technically we should have been able to catch a 9:30am train from Girona to Alicante, however from Girona to Barcelona was already fully booked. This meant we had to catch a slower local train to Barcelona to meet up with the train we couldn’t get on in Girona.

The first leg went fine and before we knew it we were having breakfast in Barcelona. When it came time to catch the next train I swear the train pretty much emptied in Barcelona 🙄

While we were waiting to catch the train in Barcelona we got chatting to a lovely couple from Sierra Nevada (US not Granada). They’ve walked a lot of the Camino routes and after visiting with a friend in Valencia are heading up to France to do a Rhône cycle trip staying on a barge (bucket list trip for 2026).

Aside from one anxious moment when it looked like we might have a lengthy delay, the train trip to Alicante passed pleasantly enough reading, enjoying the passing scenery and a picnic onboard for morning tea and lunch.

A glass of rose in the Alicante train station and then onto the next train to Murcia. In Murcia we had a short walk to the bus terminal for the last leg of our journey, a 3.5 hour bus ride that felt like 3 days.

We were very happy to finally be in Almeria. It’s been a long day but I guess that’s to be expected given we’ve travelled pretty much the whole east coast of Spain.

About a 10 minute walk and we had located our apartment. Happily there was a bar across the way where we had a glass of bubbles and some tapas to celebrate finally being here. It’s now close to midnight and once I post this it’s lights out 😴

6 notes · View notes

paradox-gaming-network · 3 months

Text

youtube

If you are a fan of Archeage and you were hoping to play Archeage II in late 2024 as originally planned by XL Games and Kakao Games, the bad news is that you are going to be waiting a little while longer, and by a little while I mean 2026 at the earliest.

In the 4Q 2023 Earnings Release from 8 February 2024 Appendix on New line-ups, Archeage 2 is planned as a PC/Console MMORPG but is not scheduled until Post 2025. Now while it is possible that development timeline could speed up, with the proposed design shift as reported last year, with Archeage 2 making a shift “ to cater to the western market’s familiarity with action-packed, single-player-based console games.” XL games has decided to remove the large scale faction vs faction PVP, instead focusing on solo and small group PVE content tackling dungeons and shifting the focus of the PVP to be guild vs guild focusing on escorting (or ambushing) trade runs.

XL has stated that caravans (trade runs) will be able to be set up alone, in small groups, or in large raids. They have also promised that housing is going to be expanded.

The next time we expect to get an update about Archeage 2 is Gamescom 2024, and there may be some closed Beta testing late in 2024.

With these changes to Archeage 2, does this make you more likely or less likely to play it when it launches. Or, given the history of Archeage, including how Kakao basically ripped off players credits (https://youtu.be/SAhjjkdreDg) are you just done with this franchise? Leave a comment below.

Credit Citations for material used in this video:

ArcheAge 2 Leaves Large Scale PvP Behind to Appeal to Western Console Players, Focusing on PvE and GvG Instead by Alessio Palumbo 8 Nov 2023 https://wccftech.com/archeage-2-leaves-large-scale-pvp-behind-to-appeal-to-western-console-players-focusing-on-pve-and-gvg-instead/

ArcheAge 2 confirms another delay and a focus from large-scale factional PvP to small group PvE and guild PvP by Chris Neal 8 Nov 2023 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/08/archeage-2-confirms-another-delay-and-a-focus-from-large-scale-factional-pvp-to-small-group-pve-and-guild-pvp/

#archeage #archeage 2 #archeage 2 update #Youtube

2 notes · View notes