#India 2014 to 2015

[travelnshit]

The Mildly Pornographic Temples Of Khajuraho

I was hoping I could just sneak in a cheeky little photo blog for Khajuraho and be done with it because I thought it’d just be a bunch of pretty temples adorned with a spot of casual porn and I could simply snigger my way around them like the child I am then upload all the cock shots to my blog and continue on my way. No. Turns out that Khajuraho is a ridiculously interesting place steeped in…

[liatkolink]

For people still in denial whether Israel has committed war crimes, here is a comprehensive list of war crimes Israel has committed both before and after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the list being taken from the Wikipedia article of war crimes with some notable missing examples being the usage of chemical weapons, famine, disease and apartheid. The 7th of October attack did not occur in a vacuum, but is the product of decades of Israel not being held accountable for its war crimes.

Killing civilians:

Israel/Palestine: Unlawful Israeli Airstrikes Kill Civilians by Human Rights Watch on 15/Jul/2014

‘Not a normal war’: doctors say children have been targeted by Israeli snipers in Gaza – The Guardian on 2/Apr/2024

Israeli attack on Rafah tent camp kills 45, prompts international outcry by Reuters on 27/May/2024

Intentionally killing PoWs:

Israel’s Hush-Up Machine in Action: Denying Story Israel Executed Egyptian Prisoners by Washington Report on Middle East Affairs on 8/Apr/2010

Torture:

Israeli government report admits systematic torture of Palestinians by The Guardian on 10/Feb/2000

Israel/OPT: Horrifying cases of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees amid spike in arbitrary arrests by Amnesty International on 8/Nov/2023

Israel: Palestinian Healthcare Workers Tortured by Human Rights Watch on 26/Aug/2024

Taking hostages:

Infographic: How many Palestinians are imprisoned by Israel? by AlJazeera on 17/Apr/2022

The thousands of Palestinians Israel arrests, tortures, holds even in death by AlJazeera on 17/Apr/2024

UN report: Palestinian detainees held arbitrarily and secretly, subjected to torture and mistreatment by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 31/Jul/2024

Unnecessarily destroying civilian property:

Israel destroys Gaza tower housing AP and Al Jazeera offices by Reuters on 15/May/2021

Israel targets infrastructure in Gaza to ramp up civilian pressure on Hamas, report claims by PBS News on 11/Dec/2023

Widespread destruction by Israeli Defence Forces of civilian infrastructure in Gaza by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 8/Feb/2024

Deception by perfidy:

Israeli soldier gives 74-year-old Palestinian woman water then shoots her in the head by Middle East Monitor on 20/Jan/2015

Israeli special forces disguised as doctors kill three militants at West Bank hospital by The Guardian on 30/Jan/2024

NBC News investigation reveals Israel strikes on Gaza areas it said were safe by NBC News on 26/Apr/2024

Wartime sexual violence:

Stripped, beaten and blindfolded: new research reveals ongoing violence and abuse of Palestinian children detained by Israeli military by Save the Children on 10/Jul/2023

Israel/oPt: UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 19/Feb/2024

‘Everything is legitimate’: Israeli leaders defend soldiers accused of rape by AlJazeera on 9/Aug/2024

Pillaging:

The Biblical Pseudo-Archeologists Pillaging the West Bank by The Atlantic on 28/Feb/2013

Jewish Soldiers and Civilians Looted Arab Neighbors' Property en Masse in '48. The Authorities Turned a Blind Eye by Haaretz on 3/Oct/2020

Israeli soldiers boast about looting from Gaza by AlJazeera on 14/Feb/2024

Any individual that is part of the command structure who orders any attempt to committing mass killings:

Netanyahu incites violence by casting protesters as clear and present danger by Middle East Eye on 30/Jul/2020

Israeli minister's call to 'erase' Palestinian village an incitement to violence, US says by Reuters on 1/Mar/2023

Netanyahu cites 'Amalek' Theory to justify Gaza Killings by Times of India on 29/Oct/2023

Database exposes 500 instances of Israeli incitement to genocide in Gaza by TRT World 4/Jan/2024

Genocide:

The Genocide of the Palestinian People: An International Law and Human Rights Perspective by Center for Constitutional Rights on 25/Aug/2016

Genocide Warning: Israel & Palestine by Genocide Watch on 21/May/2021

A top U.N. court says Gaza genocide is 'plausible' but does not order cease-fire by npr on 26/Jan/2024

‘Reasonable grounds’ to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, UN rights expert says by CNN on 27/Mar/2024

Is Israel Committing Genocide in Gaza? New Report from BU School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic Lays Out Case from Boston University Today on 5/Jun/2024

Ethnic cleansing:

UN Human Rights Council: ‘Israel engaging in ethnic cleansing’ by the European Union Parliament on 23/Mar/2011

Israel's ethnic cleansing in Palestine is not history - it's still happening by Middle East Eye on 22/May/2019

UN expert warns of new instance of mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, calls for immediate ceasefire by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 14/Oct/2023

‘Plan for ethnic cleansing’: Israel’s north Gaza siege sets off alarms by AlJazeera on 22/Oct/2024

Granting of no quarter despite surrender:

White Flag Deaths Killings of Palestinian Civilians during Operation Cast Lead by Human Rights Watch on 13/Aug/2009

Investigators: Israel fired on Gaza civilians carrying white flags by The Electronic Intifada on 28/Jan/2015

3 hostages killed by Israeli soldier in Gaza were waving a white flag, Israel says by npr on 16/Dec/2023

A group of Palestinian men waving a white flag is shot at, killing 1 by NBC News on 24/Jan/2024

She was fleeing with her grandson, who was holding a white flag. Then she was shot by CNN on 26/Jan/2024

Two brothers shot by Israeli forces in Khan Younis, white flag ignored by AlJazeera on 29/Jan/2024

Conscription of children in the military: First one where I couldn't find anything. Way to go, Israel!

Flouting the legal distinctions of proportionality and military necessity:

Israel violates the principles of necessity, proportionality in its attacks on Gaza by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor on 13/May/2023

Enough: Self-Defense and Proportionality in the Israel-Hamas Conflict by Just Security on 6/Nov/2023

War Crimes and Accountability: The Case Against Israel’s Military Operations in Gaza by JURIST News on 5/Jul/2024

[dear-ao3]

bucket here

I’d just like to note that the instant I sent the ask I started writing in the hopes you would say yes and I like actually squeaked I was so happy when you did and also I’ve been writing nonstop since then so bear with me:

*takes deep breath* Safety restrictions were famously lax in F1 until the 1990s. The deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna within days of each other at the 1994 Imola GP sparked a huge movement for new safety systems, especially barrier changes. As Senna and Ratzenburger both died in accidents related to the fact that the safety barriers at the edges of tracks were just CEMENT WALLS, this was a huge push for many teams, drivers, and tracks. No one wanted the death of more legends on their hands. These accidents also inspired additions like headrests in 1996 and the HANS system (head and neck support), put in place in 2003. HANS can be seen when drivers get out of the car — it’s that space-age looking neck brace/strap on their shoulders and helmet.

Some safety systems that are much less talked about are things like the accelerometer, first used in 2014 and placed in the drivers ear. This measures the forces during impacts, and its location in the ear allows both for less invasive placement and accurate data on head/neck movement for drivers. This then leads to better safety systems capable of being studied, reasoned for, and implemented. The addition in 2016 of a camera that faces the driver also allows for safety teams to see exactly how the driver is affected during crashes, as well as giving fans a fun camera angle (which I can rant about as well, camera angles in F1 are a huge thing for me). 

Rapid fire safety systems (there will be a quiz):

Helmets were first introduced in 1952, but not required until 1977.

Seatbelts/racing harnesses required starting 1972.

Fireproof race suits have been required since 1975.

The safety car didn’t even exist until 1993 (trial runs in 1992, first seen in 1973 Canadian GP)

Pit lane speed limit introduced in 1994. Yes, before this they just ripped through as fast as they could; no, the pit crews didn’t stand any further away.

Wheel tethers introduced in 1999 after an unholy amount of incidents going back to pre-1950 (AKA official F1 start) where the wheels just came off and smacked drivers, marshals, and fans, usually killing them instantly.

The most notable safety system recently is the Halo and VSC (virtual safety car). The halo was put in place in 2018 and will hopefully never leave. It has been the savior of hundreds of lives throughout Formula series, but most well known in Formula 1 were Lewis Hamilton (2021 Monza GP, stopped Max Verstappen's car from becoming a permanent fixture in the side of his head) and Romain Grosjean (2020 Bahrain GP, pushed the crash fencing up away from his head as he hit the barriers), as well as possibly Zhou Guanyu (2022 British GP, flipped upside down and up over tire barriers into catch fencing) and Max Verstappen (2021 British GP, incredibly hard hit into a tire barrier — 51G impact at 160 MPH/257 KPH). 

There had been a number of close calls that brought up the possibility of halos, like Fernando Alonso almost having his head removed from this world at Spa in 2012 on lap one, and an incident between Michael Schumacher and Vitantonio Luizzi at Abu Dhabi in 2010 that left Luizzi’s Force India inches from Schumacher’s face.

Unfortunately, it took the horrific death of Jules Bianchi in 2014 at the Japanese GP and a number of junior driver fatalities for the Halo to be finally seriously considered and implimented. Bianchi’s incident also led to the Virtual Safety car, which was put in place in 2015 to keep accidents like his from happening. I can talk more about his incident as well if you’d like. It’s a masterpiece of administrative fuck ups and terrible oversights.

(Ask me about it and camera angles I dare you)

HELLO BUCKET

this is wonderful thank u thank u

i did know a little about the senna crash (tho not the concrete barriers) (i do know that when it happened they were trying to revive the drivers union which is awful) and the bianchi crash (i looked at that quite extensively for update post) but Yeesh yeah the safety stuff is Terrifying. pls. pls tell me about the camera angles.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

What do you make of the moment when Kate shrugged William's hand on a Christmas show in 2019? The sugars use this to show how they actually hate each other, but I've always thought Kate just reacted immediately because they never did PDA and she was caught by surprise, as in to say "what are you doing? we're working"

I've been following the BRF since the Sussex drama, so I don't have decades the reflect on, but from what I've seen, it really seemed there was a no PDA rule. They also appeared much stuffy, even towards each other, with Kate standing straighter, making sure she was walking behind William, often keeping her hands in front of her as if to protect herself. But the last years, the seem more at ease in public, allowing some hands on the back here and there. And I've actually been wondering if H&M overdoing it with the PDA meant the BRF could actually relax a bit and allow some touching without looking unprofessional.

There isn’t a “no PDA” rule. The rule is that everyone is expected to be professional at work. And PDA - over the top PDA like the Sussexes - is not professional behavior in any industry, in any profession, in any country in the world.

William and Kate are affectionate and playful with each other. They always have been, long before Meghan had Harry in her claws:

Before their engagement: L - Graduating St. Andrews in 2005 C - Saying hello at polo in 2006 R - Paparazzi catching them making out. Date unknown, suspected sometime 2009 (based on William's hair).

Newlyweds: L - Canada, July 2011 C - Edinburgh, July 2011 R - London Olympics 2012

Early Parenthood: L - Christmas Walk, December 2013 C - Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, July 2014 R - Rugby World Cup, September 2015

Before the Love Bomb: L - Hiking in India, April 2016 (there's a well-known story from royal reporters on the India trip that William and Kate were close and affectionate until they spotted the reporters and photographers. Once they saw the royal rota, they immediately separated and became more formal/professional.) C - Private family ski trip, February 2016 R - Canada, September 2016

Before Meghan made her official debut with Harry and the BRF: L - Heads Together awareness event, February 2017 R - Wimbledon Men's Final, July 2017

And no, I didn't see "the incident" as Kate shrugging off William's hand because it was PDA. I see that moment as Kate adjusting her position in her seat and William briefly touching her. If you watch the clip, you'll notice that Kate's whole body wiggles; her shoulders, her trunk, and her legs. William just happened to touch her in that same moment. If she was shrugging him off, if she was recoiling from his touch, only her shoulder would have moved. It was a harmless, normal moment that happens to everyone.

Others may see it differently, and that's fine.

Harry and Meghan overdoing it with the PDA didn't open any doors for anyone to be more affectionate or show more affection. All they did was highlight the difference between working professionals who a) know they're on the job, b) know their roles for the job, and c) know that their job is bigger than their individual needs and people who think their love and togetherness is more important than the job.

[aq2003]

I've had a vague urge to get more into Shakespeare for years; what are the top 3-5 plays you'd recommend that AREN'T Hamlet or Much Ado? And what version of each is your favorite?

(sorry for omitting two god tier ones but I've already seen David Tennant in each of those and I surmise that you're insane about both so I'm looking for some new plays)

gonna be some basic bitch answers but here:

macbeth - the tragedy of macbeth (2021) movie adaptation starring denzel washington. this movie is fucking stunning and the way they did the witches was SO good. also i have the throne of blood (kurosawa's adaptation) also on my watchlist since i've heard REALLY good things about it

richard ii - 2013 rsc production w/ david tennant (link). he gives me catastrophic gender envy, i need to become more masculine to become more feminine etc. ben whishaw in the hollow crown series (link) is great too

romeo and juliet - romeo + juliet (1996) movie adaptation directed by baz luhrmann. this is like, the most well known romeo and juliet and you might've watched it already but i'm listing this anyway because there will never be a better mercutio and the way they did the setting is SO fucking funny and inspired

twelfth night - so far only saw this one Outside On The Grass Where They Performed This At My College but i liked it a lot... reccing the 2012 globe production with mark rylance (part 1 / part 2) (his hamlet was one of dt's favorites as an aspiring actor) (i'm putting my faith in letterboxd and david's taste for this one)

coriolanus - 2014 donmar production w/ tom hiddleston (on archive.org). this is directed by josie rourke, who also directed dt/ct's 2011 much ado! the staging and the effects are fucking awesomeeee (also peter de jersey and elliot levey are in this, i love them)

also shoutout to the ones i want to watch:

the 2016 production of a midsummer night's dream w/ ncuti gatwa (i have found nowhere to pirate it and i might just crack and pay the 10 dollars to watch it)

the 2015 production of the love's labour's lost w/ edward bennett (he played laertes in hamlet (2009) and he's REALLY underrated, i love his benedick SO FUCKING MUCH even if that production overall was a little dull)

either hollow crown's or greg doran's henry iv (it's two whole plays i need so much time to watch that. and ideally i want to watch both lol)

kurosawa's ran (1985), an adaptation of king lear set in 1500s japan

vishal bhardwaj's omkara (2006), an adaptation of othello set in india

[hulkscannibal]

A random essay that I wrote about nico for school that i thought i’d share, it’s below the cut!!

Word count : 1975

✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦

Nico Hulkenberg, born on August 19th, 1987 in Emmerich, Germany, is a high performing athlete who partakes in the FIA formula1 world championship. Nico holds the record for the most Grand Prix’s started with no podium, currently at 226 as of October 2024. But this does not define Nico’s racing career and I hope to show you why Nico Hulkenberg is still insanely talented, despite his lack of titles and podiums.

In 1997, at ten years old, Nico began his racing career by entering several German karting leagues and championships. He won the German Junior Karting championship in 2002 and won several more in the following years. Nico continued karting for another year until he moved to motor racing to start his journey to Formula one. Though this was a successful move, speaking as Nico would’ve been the German BMW champion until he was deemed of cheating by the Stewards and demoted to a third place finish in the championship in 2005. He moved to formula three after his failure to finish first in the BMW championship, but chose the less competitive German series rather than the European, where he finished fifth after one win. He entered A1 grand prix in 2006-07, where he won 9 races, leading his team from 15th to the champions. He moved back to formula3 in 2007, where he won a few impressive races and overall finished third in the championship with four wins. He followed with another year of formula3, becoming champion while also working as a test driver for the formula1 team Williams. He moved to GP2.

During the off season, Nico scored several poles in the Asian GP2 races, causing an impression on formula1 teams watching the young driver. These pole positions he scored may have been the reason Williams chose him as the first to test the newly modeled FW30. Nico won three consecutive races with ART in the main GP2 series, bringing him to the championship battle with Grosjean, who graduated to F1, leaving Nico to be the first rookie to win the championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2006.

This then led Nico to his debut in formula1 as a full time racer for the Williams team. Nico’s rookie season consisted of him constantly chasing points and performing well, though he was outperformed by his veteran teammate, Rubens Barrichelo, and finished 14th by the end of the season. His best moment of the season was his pole position in Interlagos, which was a complete surprise to everyone, though it did not lead to a win nor a podium.

Nico left Williams after his rookie year and spent one year away from an official seat in 2011, now working as a reserve driver for Force India and usually racing FP1 for the team, then followed by taking a full time seat for the team in 2012. Nico had nearly earned himself several more wins and podiums in his time with Force India, but seemed to always lose them when he was so close to reaching them. Nico finished the 2012 season with eleventh place in the standings before announcing his departure from the team after an earlier signing with Sauber. Nico raced there for the entirety of the 2013 season but had no outstanding moments and finished with a dull season before returning to his previous team, Force India, once again for 2014. The car had benefits from the Mercedes high-classed power unit, and Nico often took it into points but did not get a podium. He finished the season in 9th with 96 points, finishing above his teammate, Sergio Perez, even though the Mexican had stood on the podium that season.

In 2015, Nico continued another season with Force India, where he faced many problems with his car and his own doings. He finished the season in 10th behind Perez, his best finish being 6th in Austria. Nico still failed to receive a podium, but instead won the 24 hours of le mans in a Porsche 919, being the first active formula1 driver to do so in 24 years. 2016 was a similar season where a podium did not come to him, yet again to teammate Perez. Nico finished 10th in the standings, and soon decided to move to a manufacturing team, Renault.

His first season with Renualt was another of the same, followed by constant Q3 qualifying results, trios of sixth place finishes, and DNFs when he was so close to a podium. He finished the season in 10th and scored a total of 43 points. He was a promising contender to help the new Renault team to be a competitive team once again. Nico’s next season with Renault was promising, taking 7th and 6th several times throughout the season, though the pressure from Sainz continued to grow throughout the season. Nico finished the season in an impressive 7th, proving to be the best of the midfielders, finishing just behind both Ferraris, Mercedes and Red Bulls. Nico still was unable to gain a podium, but was beyond ready. For the 2019 season, Nico was no longer racing with Sainz, yet now Ricciardo, who took the higher results for most of the races, where Nico faced pressure from both his teammate and the aggressive McLaren drivers, the rookie Lando Norris and his previous teammate Carlos Sainz, Nico finished the season in an overall 14th with 37 points. A month after Nico had a rough crash, Renault confirmed his departure for the team and their decision to replace him with Esteban Ocon.

For 2020, Nico failed to find an official seat to race with, and everyone had deemed this as his retirement. He returned as a reserve and test driver for Racing Point in this year, and replaced Perez twice after the Racing Point driver tested positive for Covid19. One race was unsuccessful after an issue with the car, and the next he finished 7th. Nico did not race in a formula1 car again, other than occasional testing and reserve, until 2023.

He returned to the sport with Haas, racing alongside Kevin Magnussen. This was a complete shock to everyone both in the sport and watching. He replaced 7 time world champion Micheal Schumacher’s son, Mick Schumacher, who did not receive a seat for 2023. Nico finished the uneventful season in an overall of 16th, his highest finish being 7th. Most of his races resulted in no points, but he outperformed his Danish teammate who finished the season with a mere 6 points compared to Nico’s 9.

The 2024 season, which is not finished by the writing of this document, Nico is tenth in the standings, right behind both Mclarens, Redbulls, Mercedes, Ferraris and one Aston Martin. Nico has had a swell season, constantly making it into the points and having 31 points for the season. He has finished all races, minus Monaco where he DNF’d due to a battle between Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez, where the spinning car of Sergio took Nico out with it.

Now that I’ve given you a full recap of Nico’s career and its lack of wins and even podiums, I’m going to explain why he is a talented driver, if his results didn’t do it for you. Nico was described as “the best driver that never was” by Frederic Vasseur, the team principle of Scuderia Ferrari, which is a lot coming from a person who owns a team with 16 world championships to a driver without a single podium. Haas has been around since 2016, having 6 drivers, and Nico has been the most consistent driver out of all of them, finishing constantly around 10th-5th, which I personally believe is beyond impressive. Even though Nico has just recently stepped up to be a constant Q3 contender, he has always been known as a threat to everyone else in the mid-pack. I also believe it is a matter of the car Nico is driving. Though he has managed to bring all of his midfield cars to their best results, he lacks the powerful car to challenge the Redbulls, Mercedes, Ferraris and no McLarens. It was later revealed that in 2014, if Mercedes hadn’t signed Lewis Hamilton, they would have taken Nico. I think this would have absolutely made Nico a champion. The multi time junior champion was thought to be the next world champion, and could’ve done so just with a faster, more powerful car. Nico has an adaptable and quick driving style, adjusting to anything thrown at him. I mean, it takes a pretty adaptable driver to have driven for 7 teams, right? His driving style in early GP2 days and rookie year was so aggressive and he drove the car to its limits to keep it in its grip limits, but modern tires required smoothness that his driving style did not fit. Nico is an early breaker and is insanely talented when it comes to managing the pedals, though his style changed from aggressive to smooth to be kinder for the tires, he is great at qualifying for his quick one-laps, where he’s constantly on the grip limit.

The difference between Nico and his teammates, Magnussen in specific, is the fact that Nico breaks earlier than the Dane, leaving him with less speed on the turns and giving him a better exit than Magnussen, where he then accelerates faster by a quicker ability to full throttle. Even through the chicane, he can hold out a faster speed through all parts, including the quick turns, which gives him an overall faster time compared to his teammate. He keeps a higher minimum because of this. He decelerates way harder and gets a huge advantage on the turns.

As Nico is a veteran driver on the grid, third oldest behind Alonso and Hamiltom, he is experienced, more so than some of the younger drivers. Nico doesn’t rely on dangerous and harmful driving, yet his smooth and level headed mannerism and his very important adaptability that draws teams in to consider the German as a contender for a seat. If anything changes in the race or doesn’t go how Nico had wanted it to, he is quick to adapt and continue out the race with the challenges or changes that were thrown at him.

While most drivers are described to be all bark, no bite–like Norris, who talks himself up then ;proceeds not to perform in the way he said he would–Nico is quite the opposite, all bite no bark. This goes in the sense that the veteran driver is insanely humble and quiet, doesn’t speak up and is not very boastful. This also goes on the track. Nico is speedy and there’s no telling that he’s behind you until he’s pressuring and takes a late break overtake.

Nico Hulkenberg is seen as a champion in waiting and the career he deserved never came to him. He spent years being crowned champion, winner, podium sitter, then entered the sport he’s been waiting his entire life to be in, to never stand on even the lowest step of the podium ever again. Nico had won Le Mans, and sometimes I start to wonder if his career was fit for WEC instead, and how it would’ve changed if he stays. June 14th, 2015, was the last time Nico had ever sat on a podium, and it wasn’t even for the career he loved most. Nico never succeeded, and his talent was left to waste and rot and never seen for what it truly was. Nico truly was the greatest driver that never was.

[boxboxblog]

Driver Profiles: Esteban Ocon

Updated December 2024

Name: Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane

Age: 28

Nationality: French

Years in F1: 8 (Manor 2016, Force India 2017-2018, Renault/Alpine 2020-2024, Haas 2025)

Number: 31

WDCs: N/A

Driving Style: Known as one of the most aggressive drivers on the grid (up there with Magnussen) Ocon is particularly feisty when fighting for positions and overtaking. He balances this aggression with a rather smooth way of driving, and he is the least jerky driver when coming into the apex. He is also well known for strong performances in the wet, pulling out some stellar qualifyings and race results in these difficult conditions. One downside of his style is that this aggression often leads to on-track clashes. He is rather well known for being somewhat reckless, especially in midfield fights.

History:

(Young Ocon, middle, after wining a karting race)

Born into a standard middle class family, Ocon's family actually had to sell their house to afford his professional carting career. He started when he was 6 years old, and lived out of a travelling caravan for most of that time. In 2006 he finished 8th in the Minime class of the French Championship. He won the championship in 2007 and continued his success by winning the Cadet class in 2008. He then spent three years racing in the KF3 category and competed in the Spanish Championship and Italian Open Masters. He won the French KF3 title in 2010 and finished as 2nd in the WSK Euro Series in 2011 behind, behind future F1 WDC Max Verstappen. During this time he attracted F1 attention, being signed to a sister management company to Renault.

(Ocon in the lead during his karting days)

In 2012, Ocon made his debut in single-seaters, taking part in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. He finished 14th, having won a few points scoring positions and one podium. He also participated in a partial campaign in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps, finishing 7th and achieving two podiums. He remained in the series for 2013, and recorded one pole position and two race wins. He finished the season in 3rd behind future F1 teammate, and rival, Pierre Gasly.

(Ocon during Eurocup Formula Renault days)

Ocon made his debut in F3 during the 2013 season, racing for F3 powerhouse team, PREMA. He continued with them into the 2014 FIA F3 European Championship. He topped the standings at the first round at Silverstone Circuit and remained in the lead of the championship for the rest of the season. With three races left, Ocon clinched the F3 2014 title. He had won nine races and recorded fifteen pole positions. This was one of the most standout seasons of his career, and one that helped ensure a F1 seat later.

(Ocon his F3 championship winning year)

Ocon moved to the GP3 Series for 2015. It was a fantastic year for Ocon, mostly due to his consistantly high results. While he only won one race that season, his regular podium finishes allowed him to win the title that year. The next year he took part in the 2016 DTM season, as well as being a reserve driver for Renault. He was only able to take part in the early season races, as halfway through the year he was pulled up to F1 backmarker team Manor Racing to replace Rio Haryanto.

(Ocon with Manor)

His first season (half season) with Manor was not a standout performance wise, as he never hit points, but it paved the way for Ocon to join Force India for their 2017 season after Manor left F1. His first year with Force India he teamed Sergio Perez and had a relatively solid year. He regularly scored points, even with some high-points finishes, and his highest finish was 5th. That year he experienced significant friction with his teammate (a running theme) and they made contact several times, sometimes resulting in retirements or massive position drops. However, he still had a good year and finished 8th in the championship.

(Ocon and teammate in the 2017 Force Indias)

2018 was a more negative year, as Ocon had a string of bad luck and run-ins with both his teammate and other drivers (memorably a physical altercation with Max Verstappen). He did not finish as high in the points that year, and it was further complicated after Force India went into administration. The team's assets were bought by Lawrence Stroll and it became clear that Ocon would not be returning to Force India for the 2019 season. He did have an informal agreement with Renault for that season, but he was dropped after they signed Daniel Riccardo instead. For the 2019 season, he served as the 2019 season he served as the Mercedes reserve driver.

(Ocon on podium with Lance Stroll)

2020 Ocon finally signed with Renault to partner Riccardo, and had a mixed bag year. He achieved his best result ever and his first podium at the Sakhir GP, but also experienced a lot of mechanical failures during races throughout the year. He ended the season 12th in the championship behind his teammate. 2021 Renault rebranded to Alpine and retained Ocon, now partnering Fernando Alonso. This would be the year Ocon achieved his maiden GP victory at the Hungarian GP. he showed his extreme skill in wet-weather conditions during this race, and solidified himself as a skilled driver in complex weather. The rest of the year was rather normal, as he scored several points finishes. He did match his WDC teammate rather closely, which is a feat.

(Ocon after maiden win)

2022 was a better year with some higher points finishes. He achieved his best championship finish since 2017, ending the season in 8th. 2023 Alonso left Alpine, and he was partnered by childhood rival and fellow Frenchman Pierre Gasly. The two would match each other pretty well, and have similarly middling seasons for both 2023, and 2024 so far. The standout for Ocon's year was a 2nd place finish in Brazil after a stellar drive in teh wet. Toward the end of the season, Ocon was replaced by Jack Doohan for Abu Dhabi. He will be moving to Haas for the 2025 season.

Major Races:

2017 Canadian GP - Ocon's first points finish, he showed he could handle the pressure as a rookie (bar his time with Manor) and showed the first glimpse of the consistent points he would score later.

2017 Mexican GP - A very strong midfield performance from Ocon. He used strong defense against much faster cars and finished the race in 5th place, his highest at the time.

2018 Belgian GP - His most impressive qualifying to date, he was able to achieve a P3 start in extremely wet conditions. One of the earlier indicators of his skill in the wet.

2020 Sakhir GP - Ocon's first podium, he climbed his way up the field from 11th. It was a rather chaotic race, and he kept calm in the face of multiple crashes, safety cars, and pit stop drama.

2021 Hungarian GP - His first victory came in the most chaotic race of 2021. After several frontrunners were taken out by a crash, Ocon battled midfield drivers for the top step, including 4X WDC Sebastian Vettel. His mistake-free race earned him his 1st place finish.

2024 Brazilian GP - An incredible drive from Ocon saw him leading the race for many laps, and by the end secure 2nd right ahead of his teammate. It showed off his great wet weather skills, and was a race to remember.

Cheers,

-B

[yonderghostshistories]

I’m gonna do my own lil tag game, this time…..it’s-

……MONTY PYTHON RELATED!

SPECIFICALLY,

How did you (yes, you, the mutual and/or other Tumblr user reading this) get into Monty Python?

To elaborate, what is your Monty Python Fan Origin Story? To further elaborate, how did you become aware of and become a fan of Monty Python? Tag 6 or more (or less, it’s absolutely fine either way!) of your mutuals!

I’ll start first. I first became (properly) aware of Monty Python when I was (and still am) in the Six Idiots/ThemThere Fandom (if you don’t know who the Six Idiots/ThemThere are, they’re a British Comedy Troupe consisting of the following 6 members; Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond. They were first originally together in the children’s historical comedy sketch show “Horrible Histories” which ran from 2009 to 2014, and since then have went on to create, write and star in the following projects, such as the fantasy comedy “Yonderland”, the Shakespeare comedy film “Bill” (2015) and the supernatural family BBC sitcom “Ghosts”) and I saw a video compilation on YouTube comparing clips/scenes from various Six Idiots/ThemThere projects and their inspirations from clips/scenes from various Monty Python projects, which really cemented in my head (especially after becoming a Python fan) that the Six Idiots truly are the “Monty Python” of this generation, or at least the Six Idiots are like Gen Z Monty Python (imo that is).

Anyway, starting in 2023, when I was on holiday with my family to see my grandparents in India, I started watching the MP films (specifically Holy Grail (1975) and Life of Brian (1979)) for the first time on my (barely working) laptop when both movies were freely available to watch in their entirety on YouTube (shocking, I know right?). And tbh, they were absolutely HILARIOUS! (Plus it was at this time that I had realised my first actual proper bisexual awakening when especially watching LoB, specifically the scenes where both Brian and Judith were naked, and thankfully my parents weren’t there to witness this absolute monstrosity (to them at least) and I have to say, thanks LoB :))👍🩷💜💙)

Then when I came back home to England, I watched The Meaning of Life (1983) (because pirating it on my nearly battered old laptop was really hard cuz it kept annoyingly pausing at random points in the movie) and so I asked either my mum or brother (I can’t remember exactly lol) to rent the movie MoL on Amazon Prime, and after watching it, I have to say, it was also pretty amazing! I think MoL is my personal favourite movie of the bunch tbh, cuz in a weird, surreally Pythonesque avante garde way, it was very emotional and cathartic (to me at least) and it felt fitting as a finale to Python as a whole (at least at the time).

After that, I became REALLY, like, REALLY into Python, I watched some of the sketches, some clips of the films, I bought some of the merchandise, I watched and bought DVDs of some of the Pythons’ other projects, etc.

My first Python crush was Terry Jones, but now my 2 absolute crushes are now firmly Graham Chapman AND Terry Jones, BUT….my 3-way Python crushes are; Graham Chapman, Terry Jones AND Michael Palin (tho I do love them all tbh as (as my mum says) im a diplomat lmao, so I do love Eric Idle, John Cleese, and Terry Gilliam equally too, but for the latter 3 I’m not as attracted to them as the former 3, if that makes sense?). Also, I absolutely STAN Carol Cleveland, Connie Booth and Neil Innes, THEYRE THE BEST FR AHHHH

Plus being in the MP fandom has genuinely made my life better, as I met some of my most WONDERFUL and LOVELY and KIND mutuals of all time, especially my bestest of ALL online bestie friends, @commonguttersnipe !! (Love you Commie darling <33, and she also makes pretty great MP fanfics imo too :))🫶❤️)

Ok, so uhh…..that’s my Monty Python Fan Origin Story.

I now tag: @commonguttersnipe @thehistoryone @michael-palin-is-the-loml

@knoxoverstreet16 @chapmanzz @vilhjalmr

[cryptid-quest]

Cryptid of the Day: New Delhi Serpent

Description: On May 28th, 2008, a passenger aboard a flight from New Delhi to Guwahati, India, took pictures of a strange flying creature. A similar would be seen again on April 28th, 2014, and for a third time on October 30th, 2015.  

[planet-gay-comic]

Historical and Modern Perspectives on Same-Sex Unions

Same-Sex Unions in Antiquity Even in antiquity, there were cultures that recognized same-sex relationships in various forms. Although formal marriages between same-sex partners are rarely documented, numerous examples of love unions and symbolic partnerships exist.

Ancient Greece: In Greek culture, same-sex relationships, particularly between men, were widespread and often socially accepted. These relationships, known as pederasty, had an educational character, where an older man (the Erastes) took a younger man (the Eromenos) under his wing. These connections were often marked by love and affection and played an important role in the education and social life of Greek cities.

Rome: Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138 AD, is an example of a same-sex relationship in Rome. Hadrian had a famous relationship with Antinous, a young Greek man. This relationship was so significant that Hadrian honored Antinous's memory in an extraordinary way after his death in 130 AD.

Mesopotamia: In ancient Mesopotamian cultures, such as the Sumerians and Assyrians, there is evidence of the acceptance of same-sex relationships. Texts and inscriptions suggest that such relationships were part of the social fabric, although formal marriages are not documented.

India: In ancient India, there are also indications of the acceptance of same-sex relationships. In Hindu mythology, there are stories of gods and heroes in same-sex relationships. This spiritual and cultural acceptance shows that such unions were recognized in certain contexts.

Indigenous Cultures of North America: Many indigenous cultures in North America had the concept of "Two-Spirit" individuals, who possessed both male and female qualities. Such individuals could assume ceremonial roles and enter into same-sex partnerships that were considered spiritually and socially acceptable.

Modern Developments: Marriage for All In modern times, the social and legal recognition of same-sex partnerships has significantly improved. Many countries have enacted laws granting same-sex couples the right to marry and the associated rights and obligations.

Switzerland: On July 1, 2022, Switzerland's "Marriage for All" law came into effect, granting same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. This was the result of a referendum in September 2021, where the Swiss population overwhelmingly voted in favor of legalization.

Worldwide: In addition to Switzerland, many other countries have previously legalized marriage for same-sex couples, including:

Netherlands (2001): The Netherlands was the first country in the world to introduce same-sex marriage. Belgium (2003): Belgium followed shortly after the Netherlands and legalized same-sex marriage. Spain (2005): Spain was one of the first major European countries to allow same-sex marriage. Canada (2005): Canada legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. South Africa (2006): South Africa became the first country in Africa to permit same-sex marriage. Norway (2009), Sweden (2009), Portugal (2010), Iceland (2010), Argentina (2010), Denmark (2012), Uruguay (2013), New Zealand (2013), France (2013), Brazil (2013), England and Wales (2014), Luxembourg (2015), Ireland (2015), USA (2015), Colombia (2016), Finland (2017), Germany (2017), Australia (2017), Austria (2019), Taiwan (2019), Costa Rica (2020). The legalization of same-sex marriage in these countries was often the result of decades of activism and social change, leading to greater acceptance and legal equality.

From antiquity to the present, same-sex unions and partnerships have a long and often complex history. While symbolic marriages and stable partnerships existed in antiquity, the legal and social recognition of same-sex marriages is an achievement of modern times. Today, many countries, including Switzerland, have introduced "Marriage for All," taking a significant step toward equality and acceptance.

Text supported by GBT-4o Image generated with SD1.5, overworked with manual inpainting and composing

[sivavakkiyar]

Bharatiya Janata Party after it began an aggressive campaign in 2015 to bring in amendments to India’s Citizenship Act that would allow undocumented migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who had entered India before December 31, 2014, to become Indian citizens – as long as they were not Muslim.

The contentious proposals were seen as discriminatory towards Muslims and sparked widespread protests across the country, many of them led by Muslim women. In Delhi, communal riots broke out as a backlash to the protests, and the state cracked down on several Muslim activists – many of whom are still in prison.

But five years after the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed on December 11, 2019, the law has not been of much use to those like Biswas.

“We were happy when the CAA was passed,” Biswas told Scroll. “We are thankful to the Prime Minister for making the law. But the documents needed under the CAA rules make it harder to apply for citizenship.”

[indizombie]

You may expect All We Imagine as Light to be an angry film—an indictment of the country from the eyes of those who have been marginalised. After all, Kapadia has a right to be angry. She is currently battling a police case that’s dragged on for the better part of the last decade, for participating in protests against the appointment of the actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan as the president of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), where she was a directing student from 2015–2018. The protests against the appointment of Chauhan were part of a larger movement of resistance led by students against an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—the Hindu right-wing party—to curb the independence of educational and creative institutions by appointing compliant ‘yes men’ in positions of power when it came into office in 2014. After she was charged with rioting, Kapadia’s scholarship as a student was suspended. In her first full-length documentary film, A Night of Knowing Nothing (2021), she relayed the truth of the protest movement at FTII and the brutality with which the State cracked down on students. Premiering in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, the film won the Golden Eye award. It still hasn’t seen a release in India. And while her alma mater FTII and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi jumped at the opportunity to congratulate Kapadia on winning the Grand Prix this year for All We Imagine as Light, it’s highly unlikely that even this film will see a wide release in her home country, due to her history of dissent against this government.

Virat Nehru, ‘Review: ‘All We Imagine as Light’ is a Stunning Tale of Intimacy as Dissent’, Rough Cut

[transmutationisms]

original anon here tysm for the recs ! if the marxist frameworks was too limiting im also completely fine w general postcolonial botany readings on the topic :0

A Spiteful Campaign: Agriculture, Forests, and Administering the Environment in Imperial Singapore and Malaya (2022). Barnard, Timothy P. & Joanna W. C. Lee. Environmental History Volume: 27 Issue: 3 Pages: 467-490. DOI: 10.1086/719685

Planting Empire, Cultivating Subjects: British Malaya, 1786–1941 (2018). Lynn Hollen Lees

The Plantation Paradigm: Colonial Agronomy, African Farmers, and the Global Cocoa Boom, 1870s--1940s (2014). Ross, Corey. Journal of Global History Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Pages: 49-71. DOI: 10.1017/S1740022813000491

Cultivating “Care”: Colonial Botany and the Moral Lives of Oil Palm at the Twentieth Century’s Turn (2022). Alice Rudge. Comparative Studies in Society and History Volume: 64 Issue: 4 Pages: 878-909. DOI: 10.1017/S0010417522000354

Pacific Forests: A History of Resource Control and Contest in Solomon Islands, c. 1800-1997 (2000). Bennett, Judith A.

Thomas Potts of Canterbury: Colonist and Conservationist (2020). Star, Paul

Colonialism and Green Science: History of Colonial Scientific Forestry in South India, 1820--1920 (2012). Kumar, V. M. Ravi. Indian Journal of History of Science Volume: 47 Issue 2 Pages: 241-259

Plantation Botany: Slavery and the Infrastructure of Government Science in the St. Vincent Botanic Garden, 1765–1820 (2021). Williams, J'Nese. Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte Volume: 44 Issue: 2 Pages: 137-158. DOI: 10.1002/bewi.202100011

Angel in the House, Angel in the Scientific Empire: Women and Colonial Botany During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (2020). Hong, Jiang. Notes and Records: The Royal Society Journal of the History of Science Volume: 75 Issue: 3 Pages: 415-438. DOI: 10.1098/rsnr.2020.0046

From Ethnobotany to Emancipation: Slaves, Plant Knowledge, and Gardens on Eighteenth-Century Isle de France (2019). Brixius, Dorit. History of Science Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Pages: 51-75. DOI: 10.1177/0073275319835431

African Oil Palms, Colonial Socioecological Transformation and the Making of an Afro-Brazilian Landscape in Bahia, Brazil (2015). Watkins, Case. Environment and History Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Pages: 13-42. DOI: 10.3197/096734015X14183179969700

The East India Company and the Natural World (2015). Ed. Damodaran, Vinita; Winterbottom, Anna; Lester, Alan

Colonising Plants in Bihar (1760-1950): Tobacco Betwixt Indigo and Sugarcane (2014). Kerkhoff, Kathinka Sinha

Science in the Service of Colonial Agro-Industrialism: The Case of Cinchona Cultivation in the Dutch and British East Indies, 1852--1900 (2014). Hoogte, Arjo Roersch van der & Pieters, Toine. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Volume: 47 Issue: Part A Pages: 12-22

Trading Nature: Tahitians, Europeans, and Ecological Exchange (2010). Newell, Jennifer

The Colonial Machine: French Science and Overseas Expansion in the Old Regime (2011). McClellan, James E. & Regourd, François

Colonial Botany: Science, Commerce, and Politics in the Early Modern World (2005). Ed. Schiebinger, Londa L. & Swan, Claudia

Plants and Empire: Colonial Bioprospecting in the Atlantic World (2004). Schiebinger, Londa L.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Journey to the West (2016) ��遊喜

Director: Kazuki Kano Screenwriter: Takashi Matsumoto Starring: Sutchie / Yutaka Yoshida / Shinya Matsuura / Ai Sakai / Reina Ikebata / Koichi Karasugawa / Yasushi Kawabata / Yumi Suenari / Shigeo Tsujimoto / Mr. Okure / Tackle Long / Morisuke / Nobuyuki Takimi / Hiroki Fujimoto / Seiya Watanabe / Masaki Fujiwara / Medaka Ikeno Official website: http://www.shinkigeki-saiyuki.com/ Country/Region of Production: Japan Language: Japanese Date: 2016-01-16 (Japan) Duration: 56 minutes Also known as: 西游喜 IMDb: tt5245792 Type: Retelling

Summary:

This film depicts the sequel to the original play "Journey to the West" by the popular Kansai comedy troupe Yoshimoto Shinkigeki. In search of a scripture that says everyone can be happy, Tripitaka Monk, Son Goku, Sha Gojyo, and Zhu Bajie continue their journey to faraway India, but are sent to the future by the magic of the demon Big Cobra, who is after Tripitaka Monk's blood. When they reach Taiwan in 2015 and are at a loss, Tripitaka and his friends meet a beautiful woman named Ling Ling and, with her help, resume their journey to India, which is supposedly in Taiwan...

Succhie, who has been the leader of Yoshimoto Shinkigeki since 2014, plays Tripitaka Monk, while former leader and veteran Ikeno Medaka plays Big Cobra. The beautiful woman Ling Ling is played by Ikebata Reina, a model and actress who is also active in Taiwan.

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/26680402/

[harrisonarchive]

George taking a photograph from the side of the stage at a Crosby Stills Nash & Young concert at Wembley Stadium in September 1974 (photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty Images); with David Crosby in 1967 (photo by Leslie Bryce); George and Stephen Stills in the studio, 1970 (scanned from the CD liner notes for Doris Troy‘s Apple Records album).

“I first met George in 1959. We kept in touch throughout our lives, meeting up over the years. I miss him very much. He was a good friend. He was a gentleman, and I don’t say that lightly.” - Graham Nash, Liverpool Echo, November 28, 2011

“Some of the stuff we did in the studio [for Troy’s self-titled Apple album], I’d be messing around on the piano and somebody would walk over and say, what is that? I’d say, this is what I got so far. And they’d go, okay, try this, try this, and that’s how come on the [songwriting credits] you see Ringo [Starr] on some of it, Stephen Stills on some of it, and George.” - Doris Troy, Unknown Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll (1998)

"I’d worked on a Doris Troy album for Apple. And I was hanging out with George Harrison, Ringo and Eric Clapton, among others when I made my first solo album, Stephen Stills. Eric was coming by the house for a tickle, and a lot of work got done in between a two-year party at Ronnie Wood’s place. Not that Ronnie ever invited me. Going to Apple while The Beatles were breaking up was heavy for a kid from Florida. I’m in a studio with the fucking Beatles? Huh? It was very affirming when they told me: 'Go ahead and do your thing.' But then they’d say: 'But don’t get too successful. This is a small island, there’s not enough room at the top for everyone.'" - Stephen Stills, Louder, May 12, 2014

“George would invite me over for dinner. Actually, George was the one I connected with the most. He was my best friend in that band, although I'm still really good friends with Ringo.” - David Crosby, Music Radar, February 8, 2014

“[George] was my favorite Beatle” - David Crosby, Twitter, February 20, 2015

Q: “memory of George Harrison?” David Crosby: “Wonderful man” - Twitter, March 22, 2015

“They were much more real than we thought, and they were much nicer to us. And particularly George, who’s like, was just the nicest guy you could ask for. He was tough and he was smart and he didn’t kiss your butt, but he was — he was a kind human being, right? I became friends with George to the point where he started talking to me about stuff that mattered. I had just been turned on to Ravi Shankar. Somebody gave me his record, and I had it in my suitcase. And I gave it to George. And that had repercussions. He goes to India because he loves Indian music, and he meets this teacher, right? The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. […] And I wanted to tell him, ‘Take it with a grain of salt.’ Hell, I wanted to tell him, ‘Take it with a whole shaker full of salt,’ I wanted to say that to George, I wanted to say, ‘Be skeptical.’ […] I was afraid I’d blow the friendship, absolutely. Because he was so valuable to me, and the guy was — he knew everything that I needed to know, he was doing what I wanted to do, he was nice about it, he was, like, my hero. So I couldn’t tell him the truth. Well, so I wrote him a song, I wrote him a song called ‘Laughing.’” - Storytime With Seth Rogen, October 12, 2021 (x) (x)

[charlotte-of-wales]

Happy 10th wedding anniversary to Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo!

The couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony in the Princely Palace of Monaco on 31 August 2013. A religious ceremony was later held in Gstaad, Switzerland, on 1 February 2014.

Their engagement was announced by Princess Caroline in July 2012, following a seven-year relationship. Tatiana gave birth to the couple's first child Sasha Casiraghi, on 21 March 2013. Their second child, a daughter named India, was born in London on 12 April 2015. Their third child, a boy named Maximilian Rainier, was born in Monaco on 19 April 2018.