#best 2021 electric cars

[lumi-nescentt]

Electric Touch

Part 1 - What Would You Do If I Went To Touch You Now

Pairing: Lando Norris x Reader

Warnings: none

Words: 1.7k

Summary: y/n's affection for Lando hasn't gone unnoticed by the Australians she works with but despite their encouragement, she's convinced that finding things to dislike about Lando is the only way to save herself and her job.

A/N: Well hello there, it's been quite a while. I've been terribly busy with school things but I'm finally free so I'm gonna try and start posting again. Most of my WIP are xmas' themed (that's how long I haven't written for) but I have other ideas so bear with me pls :)

After joining McLaren in 2021 as Daniel’s PR manager, the girl had found a routine in her work with the papaya team, some comfort and calm in a world that always seemed rapid. That had, however, all been blown to pieces when Daniel had announced he wasn’t coming back the year after. With this new piece of information had come the sadness of losing someone she had grown accustomed to calling a friend more than a coworker but also the uncertainty of her place within the team without the Australian.  

Luckily for her, the arrival of a rookie in the team also meant that the PR manager position she was occupying was still available and so she kept her job. If Oscar and Daniel were both Australian, the resemblance pretty much stopped there. Where Daniel was all loud laughs and obnoxious jokes, Oscar was quieter and understanding his humour had taken some time. 

Despite that, Oscar and y/n became friends quickly. The girl was always there for him when the car wasn’t working like Zak had promised it would and even when they had media to attend and her work should have been her priority, she always made sure Oscar was 100% okay before sending him into the lion’s den. It made her a good PR manager and an even better friend. 

Being level-headed was a necessary part of the job and y/n liked to pride herself in how well she dealt with tricky situations without ever losing her cool or at least without showing any signs of it. It seemed like nothing or nobody could crack her. Except one person with a dimpled smile and green eyes that mostly sparkled with a hint of mischief whenever their eyes met.  

Falling for someone who worked for the same team had never been in y/n’s plans, especially not falling for a driver and yet that was the predicament she was in now.

From the moment Lando had grown out of his timid shell, y/n had known she was done for. Lando was everything she liked in a person, he was funny, kind, smart and so beautiful it made her head spin. If the situation had been different, maybe she would have allowed herself to feel like that but she couldn’t risk her job for what she hoped was some silly crush that would pass. 

However, the crush never faded and the more time passed, the more she found to like about Lando. She tried her best to ignore him, to ignore how her stomach felt when he was around and how she seemed to just forget how to act, how to be when he was close. She had hoped no one would notice it but the problem with spending so much time with a driver was that they got pretty good at reading you over time. 

Daniel had caught on exactly as it happened and he had teased her relentlessly for it when he knew she was in the mood for that. When he noticed how she was beating herself up over something she couldn’t control, Daniel offered a reassuring smile and a hug, reminding her that she was only human and having feelings for someone, no matter how great they were, wasn’t worth getting all worked up about and feeling guilty for.  

For the two years they worked together, Daniel tried to convince her to shoot her shot because if the longing glances his teammate was always throwing their way said something, it was that Lando was in the same predicament as her. No matter how insistent the Australian was, y/n never agreed to do anything to make her feelings known or even test the water with Lando.

In the end, Daniel gave up on her side and instead tried to convince Lando to do something. Just like she didn’t believe Daniel, Lando didn’t believe him when he told her that making a move was a good idea. Lando wasn’t confident enough to risk getting rejected, especially by someone he saw every time they were at the track. Before the Australian could make what he thought was a great love story happen, he stepped down from F1 and despite being a reserve driver for half of the season, he wasn’t there or had enough time to play Cupid so he just prayed that the two idiots he called his friends would wake up one day and realise how stupid they were being. 

When Oscar took his seat and started hanging out with the two of them, it didn’t take him long to put two and two together and realise that they were both painfully into each other but too blinded by their fears to actually see the whole picture. He found it sweet at first how Lando would always keep a seat for y/n in meetings, acting like he hadn’t meant to when she came in or how he would always make sure her favourite coffee was available in the McLaren hospitality when she worked trackside. He could tell that despite being scared, Lando desperately wanted something to happen. All the Brit needed was a little push and Oscar was determined to be the one to do it. 

When Oscar had told y/n that he knew about her feelings for Lando, she had wanted the ground to swallow her whole right this instant. Working with a new driver that didn’t know her or Lando had let her hope that she could pretend easily but Oscar wasn’t blind. The girl had immediately answered that her feelings would soon be old news because she had made a plan to be over Lando by the end of the 2024 season. 

Her so-called genius plan was simple: if she managed to find things to dislike in Lando, enough for her to have the ick, her feelings would certainly go away all at once. So this season, she was determined to pay attention to Lando’s every move and find negative things to say about it. Despite thinking that the plan was terrible and wasn’t going to work, Oscar knew he had to somehow warn Lando. He couldn’t break her trust by telling him so he had to convince Lando that he absolutely needed to make a move before somebody else did and stole y/n’s heart away. 

Oscar decided to start his master plan before they filmed a few challenges for McLaren’s youtube channel. Lando and him were hanging out in an empty meeting room, waiting for the shooting to start so it was the perfect opportunity to talk freely.

-“  I think Logan has a crush on someone at McLaren.” Oscar stated out of nowhere

-“ Why do you think that ?” 

-“ He’s always hanging around the garage. He says he’s there to see me but he doesn’t really talk to me when he’s here. He mostly talks to y/n. Actually, he only talks to her.”

-“ So you’re saying he’s interested in her ?” 

-“ I think so. We never really talked about this kind of thing but it looks like it.” Oscar lied, knowing he would have to warn the American about the lie he had just fed Lando

-“ Oh, okay.” Lando paused, toying with the hem of his sleeves “ Do you think she likes him back ?” 

-“ I don’t know if he’s her type but I don’t see why she wouldn’t. She’s always with me and Logan is too so that has to mean that she enjoys his company a little. Otherwise she wouldn’t hang out with us.” 

-“ Did she ever talk to you about her dating life and stuff ?” Lando asked, trying to look uninterested 

-“ Well, I know she’s pretty shy so she’s not one to make the first move, even if she likes a guy.”

-“ Yeah that sounds like her.” he smiled fondly, remembering how she had been her first days at McLaren, all soft spoken and keeping to herself, not wanting to bother anyone

-“ So, let’s say if somebody likes her, he better make a move soon because she’s not going to do it herself and also there’s other people who may be interested…” 

-“ What are you insinuating, Oscar ?”

-“ What do you think ?”

-“ I do not like y/n like that.” Lando argued

-“ So it wouldn’t bother you if I set them up on a date, then ?” Oscar said, pretending to take out his phone to text either of them

-“ Wait !” Lando exclaimed, grabbing Oscar’s wrist before letting go of it like he had been burnt “ Please, Oscar. Don’t do that.” 

-“ See ? I knew you weren’t dense.” 

-“ I’m not. I just don’t want to ruin our friendship or how comfortable she feels at work right now.” 

-“ That’s not going to happen and anyway you won’t know what she thinks until you actually ask her out.” 

-“ What if she says no ?” 

-“ What if she says yes ?” Oscar mimicked his friend with a knowing smile

-“ You’re so annoying.” Lando scoffed, rolling his eyes

-“ Does that mean you’re going to at least try to ask her out before giving up ?” 

-“ I’m going to think about it.” 

-“ No, that won’t cut it. You have to promise me you’ll try.” 

-“ I don’t owe you shit, Oscar. Why are you so persistent anyway ?” 

-“ I’m doing this in the name of love, mate. I just heard through the grapevine that she might like someone and from all the time I spend with her, I’m saying you should shoot your shot.” 

-“ What does that even mean ? Why are you being so cryptic ?” 

-“I can’t explicitly tell you because that would make me a bad friend but you have to trust me on that one. Just ask her out”

-“ Alright, I’ll do it. But don’t you dare pressure me or anything. If I’m doing this, I’m doing it on my own terms and that’s it.” Lando caved in, pointing his finger at the Australian’s face

-“ I’m so glad you said yes. I hope I at least get to be the godfather of one of your kids.” he laughed as Lando became bright red and slapped his shoulder

-“ So you’re going to tell Logan not to go for it ?” 

-“ I don’t need to.” 

-“ What ?”

-“ I don’t need to and you don’t have to worry about him.” 

-“ Oh my God. You lied !”

-“ It was for a greater cause so it’s okay, right ?” 

-“ Greater cause, my ass ! You just like to torture me.” 

-“ Maybe…” 

-“ I’m gonna–” Lando started before being cut off by someone calling them both to start filming, saving Oscar who just smirked and walked away.

He might have lied to have what he wanted but it wasn’t selfish if he just wanted his two friends to be happy so he didn’t feel too bad.

[valexformula1]

Electricity - DR3

Request: No

Summary: Reader and Daniel being fools for each other but not confessing after Daniel heard Lewis is gonna ask reader out

Pairing: Daniel Ricciardo x best friend!reader

Word Count: 1323

Warnings: little sad and fluff, house moving, Daniel and reader being a pair of fools for ice cream, cursing

Author’s Note: Inspired by the song electricity of Silk City, Dua Lipa. Don’t be a ghost reader, it took me a while to write in it.

1996

At your 7 years you got to move from your country because your father got a job offer at Perth, Australia, you got to admin it was scary at first, moving from Peru to Australia was not easy especially when it was a different idiom, people, school, basically everything. Your mother died when you were 4, so it has been you and your dad only until you meet him.

Your dad was a mechanic engineer, and he was working at the Australia track when you meet him. 

It was a very hotness Wednesday when you were looking around for your dad since you got lost looking the other cars when suddenly him bumped you, a pretty boy with big brown eyes and a cheeky smile.

“Sorry, I didn’t see where I was going” 

“Sorry too, are you okey? ” he said cheking on you to see if you were fine

“Yep, I’m y/n by the way”

“I’m Daniel, nice to meet you” he said shaking hands with you “Come on, let’s go for some ice cream” 

Before you could answer he was already running and holding your hand, so you could follow him.

Since that you and him start to hang more and more becoming best friends, you attending to his races and him been for you in every broken heart.

2011

When I'm with you

Ooh, baby

Giving up my ghost for you

“Gosh Daniel, I’m so proud of you debuting for F1” you said

“What you think about the race?” he replied

“That someone is getting an F1 seat soon” 

“You really think so?”

“Absolutely, you’ll see”

“Thanks, changing theme” he said looking behind you “where is Michael?”

“He isn’t coming, actually he isn’t coming anymore we split out, think it wasn’t meant to be”

“What? Why? You okey?”

“Yep, we just wanted different things” you said trying to recover the reality “come on let’s go for some ice cream” you said grabbing his hand.

The truth was that Micheal want to call it quits since he saw how much time you spend with Daniel and you attending to the race and cancelling your date 3 days before was the straw that broke the camel's back. 

He told you that it was clear you and Daniel were in love, so he broke up with you, you didn’t agree with him saying that you got a thing for Daniel when it wasn’t he was your best friend that was all.

2021

All I see is you, lately

Wide awake and in my dreams

I see your face so vividly

I don't know what I'd do

Ooh, baby

If you only saw a friend in me

I'd be bittersweet

That casual kiss on my cheek would have meant nothing up until recently, every time that you saw, hug or touch Daniel there was a feeling, a feeling in your stomach.

This started to happen since that GP 2 years ago when he wins, you watch him get off the stage to hug you and since then you could stop thinking about him. 

Now you weren’t dumb you knew what it meant, but it didn’t matter, today you decided to give it a shot and tell him after the race. 

“Hey Dan, congrats on p4” you said after entering on his driver's room

“Thanks y/n” okey it was now or never

“So, I want to tell you something” said both of you

“Go ahead” he said

“No, you” you said thinking he would say what you think it was, was it that he felt the same? He also likes you ?

“Well, I meet this pretty girl yesterday and I ask her to go on a date tomorrow” he said smiling

After that you learn that online date apps were not that bad at all.

2022

I know you've been treating, treating yourself wrong

So let me care for you

Ooh, baby

I'ma love you differently

I'll give you electricity

“Hey, you wanna grab some ice cream?” you said to him after he opens the door of the hotel

Everybody knew Daniel wasn’t having the time of his life this season with Mclaren treating him like shit.

“Thank but not in the mood” he says a little sad

“What’s wrong?” you could feel something was not fine

“Imleavingmclaren” he whispered 

“What?” you replied confused

“I’m leaving Mclaren y/n” he said more loud this time with tears in his eyes

This past few weeks Daniel was the center of attention on the paddock but not for a good reason, everyone wanted to know where he was going to go or do after the news. Daniel started to push everyone, fake smiling all the time, there wasn’t that smile that you saw years ago anymore, he started to lose weight and cancelled to your friend dates.

“Daniel, talk to me” you beg, this week you found out Daniel wasn’t eating

“I am fine”

“No you’re not, you being skipping foods” 

“Just wasn’t hungry, that’s all”

“What about our Wednesdays of ice cream that you seem to skip now” you replied a little angry now

“Busy”

“Daniel Joseph Ricciardo stop it, I know you since we were 7, and I know you are not fine, and it’s okey not being fine sometimes” you said now hugging him

“It’s just too much for me right now, I feel like my life doesn’t matter anymore, I feel lost” he cried

“You’re going to be fine, let me care for you ”

2023

I feel electric, baby

So electric, baby

Wanna let you know, let you know

I think I'm ready, baby

I think I'm ready, now

It was the Australia GP and you decided to go see it with Daniel, that night at the hotel he started to feel better, it has been a tough way, but now he was the third driver of Red Bull Racing, and he had enough time for Wednesdays of Ice cream.

“Hey Seb, how retiring treating you?”

“Very good, where is your lovebird?”

“Not my lovebird”

“Come on y/n, you two are bound to one another, you always have been, and I know he feels the same” 

“Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t think he feels the same way” you replied

“Who? Daniel?” said Hanna joining the conversation “he is a fool for you” 

“Yep but y/n says he is not” Seb said telling his wife the context 

“I even thought you were dating, there is no way he doesn’t” she said

“Yeah, well he doesn’t” you said 

Max has won the Australia GP, and you’re at the hotel getting ready for the party when you heard a knock.

“Hi Dan” you said opening the door

“So I heard Lewis want to ask you out” he says while entering to the room.

What? Lewis? I mean he was cute, well hot, but you were more into a certain Australian “Really? Who you kn..” you couldn’t finish because you feel his lips against you. 

“Before you said anything I just want you to know I’ve always liked you, from the first moment I saw you at that Wednesday when we went to eat ice cream, and you order vanilla, and ever since that day I have hidden my feelings because I didn’t want to lose you, but now I heard Lewis want to ask you out, so I have to risk now because I know him, and I know that if you say yes to that date I will lose you forever so here I’m telling you everything and hoping you feel the same way y/n”  he lower his head as he finishes saying that, not wanting to look your reaction but instead of a push he feels your lips again.

“That means you like me too?”

“Of course you fool”

He started to smile, grab your hand and run while yelled “Come on, let’s grab some ice cream to commemorate this moment” 

[fatehbaz]

You know about the Fenix nickel project in Guatemala? It’s a massive area where nickel is mined via mountaintop removal. The mines have been in operation since the 1960s. The Fenix mining complex was a major asset for the US-backed military coup leaders and dictatorship during the long and horrific Guatemalan campaign(s) against Maya people. Here, for 60 years, Indigenous residents have stood against environmental degradation and violent reprisals from security forces. In late 2021, to quell Indigenous protestors, the federal military enforced a month-long “state of siege”.

Remember the news from March 2022, when a major investigation from The Intercept and multiple other international researchers and outlets looked into leaked corporate emails? Remember the revelations from the leaked emails, about public officials and police working for the mining corporation to brutalize local communities resisting extraction?

Well, check out this news from April 2023.

The United States has a plan to basically unofficially acquire the mine.

A “substantial discount”.

The way that Newsw**k frames this revelation? Read the exclusive report for yourself, but basically: “The US needs stuff like nickel and lithium so that it can make more money and remain dominant in the future transition to, like, ‘green energy’ and electric cars. But China is outmaneuvering the US. China has better access to some of these resources. The US seeks cheaper sources of nickel and lithium. Therefore, the US has used its sanctions against Russian businesses as a convenient rationale to penalize sponsors/owners of the Fenix nickel project. The US ultimately wants access to the mine, so the US applies financial pressure, and forces the company into a situation where its best option is to simply sell itself to a Canadian mining company. And that Canadian mining company is basically under orders from the US government and US investors.”

And if you want a primer on the Fenix mine? Highly recommend checking out The Intercept’s report from March 2022.

Accessible, clear, well-researched. With input from and interviews with local people. Here: Sandra Cuffe. “The Hidden Story of a Notorious Guatemalan Nickel Mine.” The Intercept. 27 March 2022.

Maddening.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

When the Racetrac chain of convenience stores was deciding whether to install electric vehicle chargers, project lead Rushi Patel started with a blank Excel sheet and a lot of questions. Did the financials make sense? Where is the best to install them? What features should they have? The answers to questions like these could go a long way toward establishing an economic argument for building out America’s public EV charging infrastructure.

“We found our guests using new types of fuels, like electrons, and we wanted to be with them as part of that journey,” said Patel, the diversified energy manager at Metroplex Energy, a subsidiary of Racetrac. But he was clear that “it’s important to have an offer that does make money.” 

Patel slowly started to populate his spreadsheet in 2021, filling cells with EV adoption rates, utility prices, construction costs and a range of other metrics. He also took the company’s executives on a two-hour tour of charging spots in Atlanta, where Racetrac is based. One was tucked behind a shopping plaza, the other was deep within the bowels of a mall garage. It was clear to them that Racetrac could do better.

Two years later, Racetrac installed its first Level 3 fast charger in Oxford, Alabama — complete with the company’s logo and a canopy to shade people from the sun as they pump electrons. It has since opened seven more in three states. So far, he said, “[the business model] is holding up pretty well.”

Those eight chargers are among the 61,000 that blanket the country, a figure that has more than doubled since 2022. The increase comes as mounting evidence shows EV charging stations can be a boon to businesses, and not only by selling electricity. 

A recent study in the journal Nature Communications looked at chargers in California and found that, pre-pandemic, businesses saw an average annual boost of $1,500 when at least one of the devices stood nearby. Another paper examined Tesla Supercharger installations nationally and saw they brought a 4 percent increase in visitors to a business. The effect was particularly pronounced if the chargers were within 500 feet, and if it was the first one in the area. This boon is due to the fact that it can take 30 minutes or more to fully charge an EV, giving drivers plenty of time to shop.

“The places that tend to get the biggest bump, is the place that aligns with how long it takes you to charge your car,” said Gordon Burtch, an author of the paper and a professor of information systems at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. “Sit-down restaurants aren’t benefiting as much as fast-food restaurants.”

[counting-hrt-in-posts]

How many hrt's are in this Wikipedia page?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_electric_vehicle

Thanks for the ask, but lovingly I aint doing.... all that...

This is an 8500 word article of very big words and I am a human being, not a machine. That being said, I'm not outright denying this ask, but I'm not going to do 8500 words of tedious, painstaking work. This is a fun blog and my commitment to the bit is not worth weeks of work. Thanks for understanding <3

The first section, or summary of the article, has 60 counts of HRT

Plug-in electric vehicle

A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical energy within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, to power an electric motor and help propelling the wheels. PEV is a subset of electric vehicles, and includes all-electric/battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).[5][6][7] Sales of the first series production plug-in electric vehicles began in December 2008 with the introduction of the plug-in hybrid BYD F3DM, and then with the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV in July 2009, but global retail sales only gained traction after the introduction of the mass production all-electric Nissan Leaf and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in December 2010.

HRT 11

Plug-in electric cars have several benefits compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. All-electric vehicles have lower operating and maintenance costs, and produce little or no air pollution when under all-electric mode, thus (depending on the electricity source) reducing societal dependence on fossil fuels and significantly decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, but recharging takes longer time than refueling and is heavily reliant on sufficient charging infrastructures to remain operationally practical. Plug-in hybrid vehicles are a good in-between option that provides most of electric cars' benefits when they are operating in electric mode, though typically having shorter all-electric ranges, but have the auxiliary option of driving as a conventional hybrid vehicle when the battery is low, using its internal combustion engine (usually a gasoline engine) to alleviate the range anxiety that accompanies current electric cars.

HRT 16

Cumulative global sales of highway-legal plug-in electric passenger cars and light utility vehicles achieved the 1 million unit mark in September 2015,[8] 5 million in December 2018.[9] and the 10 million unit milestone in 2020.[10] Despite the rapid growth experienced, however, the stock of plug-in electric cars represented just 1% of all passengers vehicles on the world's roads by the end of 2020, of which pure electrics constituted two thirds.[11]

HRT 7

As of December 2023, the Tesla Model Y ranked as the world's top selling highway-capable plug-in electric car in history.[1] The Tesla Model 3 was the first electric car to achieve global sales of more than 1,000,000 units.[12][13] The BYD Song DM SUV series is the world's all-time best selling plug-in hybrid, with global sales over 1,050,000 units through December 2023.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

HRT 11

As of December 2021, China had the world's largest stock of highway legal plug-in electric passenger cars with 7.84 million units, representing 46% of the world's stock of plug-in cars.[20] Europe ranked next with about 5.6 million light-duty plug-in cars and vans at the end of 2021, accounting for around 32% of the global stock.[21][22][23] The U.S. cumulative sales totaled about 2.32 million plug-in cars through December 2021.[24] As of July 2021, Germany is the leading European country with cumulative sales of 1 million plug-in vehicles on the road,[25] and also has led the continent plug-in sales since 2019.[22][26] Norway has the highest market penetration per capita in the world,[27] and also achieved in 2021 the world's largest annual plug-in market share ever registered, 86.2% of new car sales.[28]

HRT 15

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

Why Jeep And Dodge’s Parent Company Stellantis Is Struggling

Merging some of America’s legacy car brands with big European ones made Stellantis the world’s fifth largest automaker in 2021. But just a few years after the merger closed, Stellantis is struggling, and its troubles lie specifically with is North American business – home to Jeep, RAM, Dodge and Chrysler. Critics—including its own dealers—say the company raised prices too high and too fast, and didn’t focus enough on making good products. Its stock has plummeted. Watch the video to learn more.

P.S. Oops! My advice to Stellantis - get rid of too heavy, too expensive, too inefficient, very mediocre quality car brands intended only for Americans as soon as possible. These are not sellable products anywhere outside America and even there you will have trouble selling them!!! American car manufacturers haven't realized that America is no longer the centre of the world and your car fashion passion for uneconomical and badly overpriced cars is completely irrelevant to the rest of the global car market, and buyers are NOT INTERESTED...! We don't want American made ICE vehicles...!!!

I don''t like modern American car designs and technologies behind them absolutely: ugly boxes on whells...overweight, badly overpriced, low fuel efficiency, and extremely expensive to repair...If someone offers you to buy a modern American made ICE car in Europe, especially a used one, run away as far as you can....if you value your well-being and family budget...!!! Ford quality is also very mediocre at best...; GM is already out from car business in Europe, and actually it is a good thing!!! Modern American cars have a bad design and manufacturing quality and and unsuitable for European cities and motorways...huge fuel consumption due to excess weight, premature transmission problems, electrical failures and rust...are the daily life of American car owners in Europe...! There are not many such owners left! So, actually in fact, almost no one buys classic American car brands in Europe anymore....!!!!

[landhoe-norris]

a singapore fic that can be read as a stand-alone but is also part of a bigger fic that started back in 2021

The atmosphere was electric as the Singapore skyline basked in the glow of the setting sun. On pole position was Carlos, his car gleaming under the bright lights, while just behind him, on the second row, Lando was preparing for the race.

The race suit clung to Lando’s body in the humidity of Singapore, even before the race had started. The grandstands were a blur of colour and motion, spectators eagerly awaiting the start. Lando looked in Carlos’ direction and saw him immersed in a last-minute briefing with his engineer. Their eyes met for a moment, and Carlos gave him a small smile which made Lando’s breath shudder.

The lights went out, engines roared, and they were off. The floodlights illuminating the Marina Bay Circuit shimmered off the surfaces of the cars as they roared through the streets. Lando gripped the steering wheel as Lewis went off the track beside him, and overtook both him and George.

The safety car that came out during lap 19 worked out well for both of them, with Lando moving up to P3, just behind George in the Mercedes. Carlos had set a good pace but was still only managing a second ahead of George when a VSC came out, and both the Mercs took a gamble by pitting their drivers. With that, Lando went up to P2, but he knew the fight wasn’t over, with both Lewis and George on new mediums only two and three places behind him.

When both of them overtook Charles with ease, Lando was pretty sure he was done for. But that was before he realised what Carlos was doing. It was brilliant, genius even, but Lando always knew that Carlos probably had the highest racing IQ out of everyone on the grid.

Lando tried his best to stay in Carlos’ DRS, blocking George at every turn and making sure that he didn’t have the speed advantage necessary to overtake. Carlos backed Lando up into the Mercedes again and again, and Lando defended brilliantly. It was taking a toll physically, and he could feel the sweat trickling down his face and neck.

It had turned into a game of cat and mouse, each driver seeking to exploit the other’s smallest mistake—but neither gave in. Right before they crossed the first line, Lando saw George go into the barrier, and he realised that it was over. Carlos had won, and he was second.

As they pulled into parc fermé, Lando felt his heart swell. The race had been extraordinary, not just for the points or the trophies, but for the unspoken connection that he felt had been reignited between him and Carlos.

As they stepped out of their cars, sweaty but elated, Carlos pulled Lando into a hug. It wasn’t a formal, sportsmanlike embrace, but one that seemed to contain years of history, a multitude of unsaid words, and an inexplicable bond that neither time nor distance had been able to break. It lingered longer than any other hug they’d shared recently. And as they stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms amidst the deafening roar of the crowd and the flashing cameras, Lando knew that this race had meant as much to Carlos as it had to him.

“This was incredible, mate,” Carlos said, only for his ears.

“It was,” Lando said back, pulling away but not before his hand grazed Carlos’s hip. Carlos met his gaze, and in his eyes, Lando saw a glimmer of the same hope that was filling his own soul.

The champagne was cold, and the trophies were heavy, but the atmosphere between Lando and Carlos was heavier still. As they stood on the podium, side by side, their eyes met briefly—a flicker of something intense, something unspoken.

The anthems played, and the crowd’s cheers filled the Singapore air, but amidst the festivities, a palpable tension floated between them. Finally, they were handed the champagne bottles, and as the cork popped, spraying liquid over the crowd and each other, there was a fleeting moment where their eyes locked. It was as if time froze, and in that fraction of a second, years of love, rivalry, and complicated feelings seemed to hang in the balance.

Then the moment was gone, carried away by the cheers of the crowd and the click of cameras. They held up their trophies, smiling for the photographers, yet each was acutely aware of the other.

As they left the podium, their team members crowded around them, offering congratulations and praise. But Lando knew what he had to do. Knew what he needed to do, and what he wanted. For the first time in what felt like forever, Lando allowed himself to think that maybe, just maybe, he and Carlos could find their way back to each other.

Sure, there had been others after Carlos. Martin was a fun distraction—a friend who made him laugh and who helped him forget, if only for a short while. But the passion he felt for Carlos was something he couldn’t escape, no matter how much he tried to distract himself.

Lando’s hotel room felt oppressively quiet after the chaos of the race and the post-podium celebrations. He closed the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment as he exhaled deeply. He wandered to the shower, stripping off his clothes and stepping under the stream of water. The heat from the spray seemed to melt away some of the tension in his muscles, but it did little to ease the emotional turmoil inside him.

As the water cascaded down his face and back, Lando found his thoughts drifting to Carlos—his eyes, his voice, the heavy silence that had lingered between them. The unspoken words had filled the air around them, thick and tangible.

Lando turned off the shower, his fingers lingering on the knob. He had been standing under the water longer than necessary, his thoughts swirling as he tried to put off what he needed to do.

He reached for a towel and wrapped it around himself. Water droplets trickled down his skin as the cool air of the room settled around him. His mind flashed back to the text from Max about the offer of a ride to Japan. A convenient escape. He dropped off a text, declining the offer.

He dressed quickly, opting for a shirt that Carlos had always said he loved. He grabbed his room key, slipping it into his pocket as he headed for the door. It was a short walk to the Ferrari hotel, and he was in front of Room 519 before he realised it, his heart pounding like a drum as he raised his hand to knock on the door.

One knock, then two, each resonating through the empty corridor, echoing back to him like a harbinger of something yet undefined. He waited, the seconds stretching out. No footsteps approached the door from inside; no latch clicked open. Carlos didn’t answer.

Frowning, Lando knocked again, harder this time, as if the urgency in his touch could summon Carlos to the door. Yet again, only silence greeted him. Just as he was considering whether to leave or stay, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around to see Rupert.

“Hey, Lando,” Rupert greeted, managing a small smile that did little to hide the sadness in his eyes. “You looking for Carlos?”

“Yeah,” Lando replied, his voice tinged with disappointment and a hint of vulnerability that he couldn’t quite mask. “Do you know where he is?”

Rupert hesitated, his eyes dropping to the floor before meeting Lando’s gaze again. “Yeah, he’s… um, he’s out. Partying with Rebecca.”

Rupert might as well have slapped Lando, each syllable a sharp, stinging reminder of what he was no longer a part of—Carlos’s life. He hadn’t even known she was in Singapore. “Oh,” was all he managed to say, his voice barely a whisper.

Rupert looked as if he wanted to say something more, perhaps offer some sort of consolation, but the words seemed stuck in his throat. Finally, he simply nodded, his eyes filled with a kind of sorrowful understanding.

“If you need anything, you know where to find me,” Rupert offered, before turning and walking away, leaving Lando standing alone in front of the closed door. With a heavy heart, Lando turned and walked away, the distance to his own hotel feeling longer than it had before.

Lando closed his room door behind him, his back sliding down against it as he sat on the floor for a moment, gathering his thoughts. A mix of emotions fell down on him—disappointment, confusion, a flicker of hope, and above all, a burgeoning resolve.

He pulled out his phone, hesitating only for a second before typing a quick message to Max: ‘Still time for me to join?’

Within seconds, his phone buzzed. ‘Sure thing. Wheels up in an hour. You in?’

‘Yeah, I’m in. See you in a bit.’

As he got up to pack his bags, he couldn’t help but replay the events of the evening in his head—the way Carlos had looked at him on the podium, the lingering touch, and the heavy, meaningful silence. There was something there, something that neither time nor distance nor other people could erase.

He made a decision.

He would find a way to bridge the distance between him and Carlos, to bring down the walls that had sprung up over time. It wouldn’t be easy. But the warmth of Carlos’ hug, the glimmer of hope in his eyes and the love that had shone from his whole being as he looked at Lando tonight had convinced him it was worth the risk.

Carlos was always worth the risk. 

[trivialbob]

Last night I went to the auto show at the convention center.

I have been going every few years since I was old enough to drive. The early shows were more fun. Hustle and bustle. All the companies, except Ferrari and Lamborghini, had models there. The Mercedes and BMW vehicles were always locked. Then Lexus arrived on the scene and let everyone sit in their flagship LS400 sedan. The next year the Germans decided it was OK for people to look out the windshield and feel that nice leather on their backsides. This year though a lot of the pricier vehicles were locked.

The show seems to be declining in size and enthusiasm. Porsche was absent. The Thursday night crowd was much smaller than I anticipated. None of the “as sold on TV” types of displays had to be on the upper level. Now the Ginsu knives were in the front hallway. The far ends of the convention center were closed off because nothing was there.

Prices are horribly high. The number of options and their cost are astounding. Some high end pickups and SUVs are comfortably above six figures. There are more electric vehicles every year. Few are what I consider affordable for their size and content.

The Toyota Corolla sure has come a long way. I had a 2005 Corolla that never broke. It was lightweight feeling, but a terrific value. The 2023 Corolla on display was an AWD hybrid. The interior looked super nice for an “economy” car.

KIA got my vote for best designed LED head and tail lights. Those are nice looking vehicles. Mitsubishi had the least appealing vehicles to me.

Toyota and Chevy actually had some cars with manual transmissions. It used to be that sticks got better mileage than automatics. Computers upended that advantage. Now the only advantage of a stick shift is being one of a diminishing crowd of drivers who can operate one.

Some things never change though

There is always a freelance, volunteer salesman. He approaches people sitting behind the wheel taking a mental test drive. “Yeah, my buddy got one of these in 2021. Sweet ride! Acceleration is really good for a car that gets such good fuel economy! You probably want to act soon, because interest rates seem to be on the rise!” The driver nods politely, then crawls out the passenger door.

Some 10-year-old has to sit in every single vehicle, even the boring ones. At the fun cars, this kid takes 17 minutes to touch every button, jiggle the locked steering wheel, and adjust the seats while people wait for their turn.

There are the guys who want people to know they know someone who owns a fun vehicle. Standing near a small group of people around a Camaro, he loudly says to his companion, “Remember my pal Tony? Yep, Tony just got one of these. I think his has the metallic paint though, not this dull stuff.” Oh dude, that is cool. May I touch your arm?

The missing gearshift knobs. The dealerships or manufacturers have to remove them so they don’t get stolen.

[f1]

Aston Martin and in-coming engine partner Honda open to extending Alonso tie-up for 2026

Aston Martin would love Fernando Alonso to still be driving for them in 2026 if he remains competitive, says their Performance Technologies CEO Martin Whitmarsh – with in-coming engine partner Honda saying they would have no objections with him driving despite their difficult past relationship. Earlier on Wednesday at a press conference in Tokyo, Honda announced they would make a full-scale return to Formula 1 with Aston Martin in 2026, having been attracted by new power unit rules introduced from that season that focus on electrical power and the use of 100% sustainable fuel. READ MORE: Honda to make full-scale F1 return in 2026 as they join forces with Aston Martin Alonso, 41, joined Aston Martin for this season on a multi-year deal and is enjoying his best season for a decade, having scored four podiums in five races to sit third in the drivers’ championships behind the two Red Bulls. The Spaniard, who will be 44 at the start of Aston Martin’s relationship with Honda, was not afraid to give his assessment of the Japanese manufacturer’s performance when he drove with that power unit across three seasons with McLaren in 2015-17. He famously called the power unit a “GP2 engine” on team radio when driving at Honda’s home track at Suzuka. Fernando Alonso was not afraid to give his assessment of Honda's performance when he drove with their power unit across three seasons with McLaren from 2015 to 2017 When asked if Honda would have any objections to running Alonso, should Aston Martin stick with him in 2026, Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe said: “We have been accelerating out development during all our recent time in Formula 1, while working with Alonso, and that enabled us to win the World Championship. “The selection of drivers is up to the team to decide. So, if the team decides we’ll have Alonso as a driver again, we will have no objections whatsoever in him driving.” Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies Martin Whitmarsh said Alonso’s presence was not discussed with Honda during the power unit talks – but said it would be “fantastic” if the double world champion was driving for them in 2026. “Clearly Fernando is doing a great job in the team and I’m delighted to have him as part of our team as he’s making a great contribution both on and off the track,” said Whitmarsh. “Obviously I spoke to Fernando a while ago about the direction we wanted to go. Alonso has enjoyed four third-place finishes with Aston Martin in 2023 so far “He’s a very intelligent individual, I’m sure everyone here is referring to some comments that were made in the heat of the battle once, which were quite memorable for some, but I think he understands and respects what Honda is doing. “We’ve got to be aware - and we haven’t said it but we should say it - Honda won the 2021 and 2022 World Championships and unless we can beat them this year they’re going to do it again. So, they are a great partner for us, and I think Fernando sees that. ANALYSIS: How and why Honda and Aston Martin got together for 2026 “Probably 2026, who knows, it’s probably outside his planning, horizon, at the moment. We’ve got to give him a car that is consistently capable of winning races. As I hope you’ve observed, we’ve made a reasonable step forward this year, we’re not yet where we need to be but we’re continuing to develop the team’s facilities and we’ll get stronger. “And we’ll have a discussion before 2026, I’m sure, about where Fernando’s future lies. I hope he’ll be around for a number of years, and it would be great if he’s as fit and competitive as he is today. Then it would be fantastic to have him in the car in 2026 as well.” This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences Breaking news: Aston Martin to switch to Honda power from 2026 via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[whileiamdying]

Rita Lee, Brazil’s long-reigning Queen of Rock, dies 

Brazil’s president declares three days of mourning after country’s long-reigning ‘Queen of Rock’ dies at 75.

Rita Lee Jones, Brazil’s million-selling “Queen of Rock” who gained an international following through her colorful and candid style and such hits as “Ovelha Negra,” “Mania de Você” and “Now Only Missing You,” has died at 75.

Known as Rita Lee, she died at her home in Sao Paulo on Monday evening, according to a statement posted to her official Instagram account.

A cause of death wasn’t immediately disclosed. She had retired from stage performances in the early 2010s in what she later attributed to physical frailty, and was diagnosed in 2021 with lung cancer, though her son announced a year later that she had defeated the illness.

With a career spanning six decades, the Sao Paulo native left a lasting mark with her irreverence, creativity and compositions containing messages that helped introduce Brazilian society to feminism, while also candidly addressing her struggles with drug abuse.

Although she regarded her voice as “weak and a little out of tune,′ like a sparrow’s, she enjoyed a long run of top-selling albums, including “Rita Lee” and “Rita Lee & Roberto de Carvalho,” and dozens of her songs were featured in widely watched telenovelas in Latin America. The behemoth television network Globo used her rendition of the song “Poison Weed” in three of its programs.

“I was not born to get married and wash underwear. I wanted the same freedom as the boys who used to play in the street with their toy cars,” she told the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone in 2008. “When I got into music, I realized that the 'machos' reigned absolute, even more in rock music. ‘Wow’, I said, ‘this is where I’m going to let my fangs out and, literally, give them a hard time.’”

She was a singer and songwriter praised for her versatility, playing at least five instruments: drums, guitar, piano, harmonica and autoharp. She was also one of the first Brazilian musicians to record with an electric guitar.

Eventually, her popularity extended beyond Brazil. She performed in Portugal, England, Spain, France and Germany. In 1988, the British newspaper Daily Mirror revealed that then-Prince Charles admired her song “Lança Perfume” and considered her his favorite singer. She won a Latin Grammy in the best Portuguese language album category in 2001, for her album “3001."

Rita Lee rose to fame with the group Os Mutantes (The Mutants), starting in 1966. Colors and creativity, as well as irony and irreverence, were Lee’s trademarks from the start, evident in the flamboyant costumes she wore in her shows. By the mid-1970s, after selling 200,000 copies of the album “Forbidden Fruit,” Lee began to be called the “queen of rock” on the music scene. Hits on “Forbidden Fruit” include “Now Only Missing You” and “Ovelha Negra,” long played on radio stations and Brazilian soap operas.

She was one of the first public figures in Brazil to popularize feminist themes, such as infusing the lyrics of her 1979 song “Mania de Voce” (Mania for You) with female sexuality and pleasure. Similar songs followed, such as “Amor e Sexo” (Love and Sex), which contrasted the two in detail and “Lança Perfume” (Spray Perfume), an ode to unbridled hedonism.

Later in life, she became a vegan and animal rights activist. For decades, she kept her hair bright red and often wore matching lenses, a popular look that she discarded in recent years as she allowed her gray to grow out. She resolved in 2015 to reinvent herself as a white butterfly.

In her autobiography, published the following year, she didn’t shy from describing the sexual abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of a man who had come to fix her mother’s sewing machine.

She also referred to herself as a “rebel” and “hippie communist," and wrote of sneaking out the windows of her house as a teenager to play, being arrested for possession of marijuana, and her multiple stints in rehab clinics for drugs and alcohol.

“I recognize that my best songs were written in an altered state, and my worst too. I only regret my delay in realizing that the ‘medicine’ had long since expired,” she wrote. “My generation suffered the claustrophobia of a brutal dictatorship, and using drugs was a way to breathe airs of freedom.”

In an interview with the television program "Fantastico" in 2020, she explained that physical frailty had prompted her to leave the stage eight years earlier.

“Getting old, for me, was a surprise, because I’ve never been old in my life,” she told the show. “I was left wanting to live my old age away from the stage, without sharing it with the public.”

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning and lamented the loss of “one of the biggest and most brilliant names in Brazilian music.” He praised on his official Twitter profile “an artist ahead of her time,” and her sense of humor.

She is survived by her three children and her husband, with whom she shared a 44-year musical partnership. In 2021, they released a new song, "Change," together, and a remix of some of the singer’s biggest hits.

Years before, she imagined her future death, as if prophesying:

“I will be in heaven,” she wrote, “with my soul present playing my autoharp and singing to God, ‘Thank you, Lord, finally sedated.’ Epitaph: She was never a good example, but she was good people.”

[e-carlease]

One of the best things about electric cars in 2023 is that we are now seeing 1st generation models from the “early years” being improved, revised and facelifted. For the early-adopters in the UK’s EV market, we are grateful for those consumers and businesses for having the foresight and courage to invest into all-electric technology in 2018 / 2019 / 2020, when little was known on how good this form of transport would be (and when public charging infrastructure was still in its early inception). And VW’s electric Golf replacement, the ID.3, was first shown to the world in 2016 before being pushed into production in 2019 with deliveries taking place around 2020 around Europe (including the UK). As one would expect, the ID3 was fairly popular, amassing some 11,032 registrations in 2021 (it was the 3rd best-selling EV in the UK) followed by becoming the 4th best-selling UK EV with 9,178 registrations in 2022! (see SMMT for more details - https://media.smmt.co.uk/). Launching with a Pure battery (45 kWh), Pro battery (58 kWh) and Pro S configuration (77 kWh), VW’s all-electric hatchback filled a necessary hole in the UK’s automotive market, which was historically dominated by SUVs and luxury / prestige options. Winning awards, like the Which? Best Buy of 2023 (https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/new-and-used-cars/volkswagen-id-3-2020), does prove that this is very much the zero-emission Golf equivalent.   

 But the “future of driving” is not a completed model and the German group have now confirmed a series of external, integral and technological improvements to this popular EV (see VW - https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/en/electric-and-hybrid/electric-cars/the-new-id3.html). As the “evolution of electric mobility” continues, the brand have confirmed some truly existing updates including:

  Exterior - new colours such as Dark Olivine Green,     sharper profile at the front together with new tail light clusters and     dynamic turn signals plus IQ.Light LED matrix headlights set to be     offered. New alloy options including the 19” Wellington and 20” Sanya     alloys, a new Exterior Package will allow drivers to add LED matrix     headlights with automatic lighting control, LED tail lights, illuminated     strip between headlights and tinted rear windows. An Exterior Packages     PLUS includes a panoramic roof and sun blind;   

  Interior - increased options on the dash and door trim,     together with higher quality finish. Ability to upgrade to the optional     electric seats with massage function and high-quality fabric. New     panoramic glass roof with “heavenly views” and sunblind; and

   Technology and safety - 8-colour ambient lighting,     Travel Assist with adaptive lane guidance and predictive cruise control,     Emergency Assist, Area View with 4 cameras, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane     Keeping Assist and Park Assist Plus can all be added to your new ID3.       

 Not unlike many other brands, the ID.3 will be utilising over-the-air updates for continual improvements coupled with the We Connect ID app for synergising your vehicle to your mobile device. Many EV customers enjoy the facility to start and stop charging, or warm their vehicle, from the comfort of the app.  

[mbrainspaz]

I posted 3,907 times in 2022

That's 1,137 more posts than 2021!

565 posts created (14%)

3,342 posts reblogged (86%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mbrainspaz (I feel called out.)

@b1y7h3shifter

@dkpsyhog

@geeneelee

@curlsabroad

I tagged 2,865 of my posts in 2022

Only 27% of my posts had no tags

#tiktok - 154 posts

#funny video - 131 posts

#personal problems - 112 posts

#life of a texan peasant - 91 posts

#funny story - 78 posts

#funny post - 77 posts

#us politics - 75 posts

#gifs - 68 posts

#writer problems - 63 posts

#lmao - 62 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i will continue to enjoy my trash entertainment where everybody comes back to life and nothing makes sense and villains are inexplicably ho

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Can people change?

Yes

Can you change them?

Nope!

85 notes - Posted June 27, 2022

#4

I keep coming back lately to how f*cked up it was that my dad never let me mess anything up. Oh no, don’t climb out the window and sit on the roof--you’ll damage the shingles. So I put out beach towels and was extra careful, and he still got mad. Some of my best childhood memories were sitting out on that roof with my brother or my friends. Man f*ck the shingles. We sold that house a year later anyway. I waited years for him to fix the toilet paper roll holder in an upstairs bathroom--then one day just broke down and fixed it myself. It took me 5 minutes. And he was mad because I didn’t use the right kind of screws. F*ck the right screws. It looked perfect and it worked just fine, at least until I moved out. Now I’ve been out here living with a bunch of rogue ranchers and old engineers and it’s given me a whole new perspective on life. The first day I moved onto this ranch the owner got out an electric saw and cut a hole straight through a sewer pipe. I nearly panicked! Like--YOU CAN JUST DO THAT?!?! Just break something?! It was a horrible job! But BAM--it was done! And that sh*t changed my whole worldview. Last week I helped remodel a bridge with some spare logs and a pickaxe. I’ve sawed open the roof of my house and glued it back together. I’ve torn wall fixtures off and burned them in a bonfire. 

GO AHEAD! BREAK IT. Wear down the shingles. Cut holes through the wall. Get mud on the sofa. Put stickers on your car. Break the world around you just a little instead of living in fear of losing resale value you rarely get back anyway. It’ll be fine. 

198 notes - Posted April 7, 2022

#3

How much did I want a horse?

A totally sane amount. 🫣

406 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

#2

have I mentioned how hilarious it is to me when people ask me about my gender and I tell them I'm non-binary and they go "well I don't believe in all that." Cool beans pal. And I don't give a f*ck about your beliefs. Have a nice day. 😂

448 notes - Posted June 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

mom: It’s so crazy it’s like everyone around me is getting covid.

me: that’s why it’s spiking, mom.

mom: no like your dad was saying I’m the carrier, haha. 

me: Well you might be. You were sick over christmas and everyone else had it after. [and I begged you to wear a mask but you went around kissing everybody instead]

mom: But my symptoms were really mild and allergy meds made mine go away.

me: allergy meds can treat symptoms. My regular ones have helped with covid too.

mom: huh. But your dad’s symptoms are totally different. He’s got a fever and he’s been throwing up. It’s really bad. Same with our friend from church. 

me: Were they vaccinated?

mom: no. 

me: THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU’RE NOT VACCINATED.

mom: But your dad already had covid before the pandemic. 

me: IT’S A DIFFERENT STRAIN MOM. PEOPLE CAN GET COVID MULTIPLE TIMES MOM. THAT’S WHAT THE VACCINE IS FOR MOM. THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN TELLING Y’ALL FOR TWO YEARS MOM.

mom: Well...

675 notes - Posted January 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[mini-yoongers]

My Pace-#1-Staying Feisty With Stray Kids

Welcome to My Pace, a series of articles about the different K-Pop music and songs that have changed my life and perspectives over the last 2 years.

For this first installment, I'm going to be talking about what Stray Kids does for their fans and how they helped me through more than one rock-bottom.

Read On Medium

The funny thing about rock bottom is you don’t realize you were there until months later.

By the time September of 2021 rolled around, the rock bottoms seemed to keep coming. My hip injury was drawing out unresolved for years. People around me were growing impatient. I wasn’t nearly recovered from my surgery, I had no source of income, and my mental health was about as solid as Casper. My relationship with my mother had become strained.

Now, I had to move out of the house she owned.

I know it all sounds very cruel, but I am a grown-arse adult after all. My mom was trying to do what was best for our relationship and future.

But even so: I was scared.

While I had built the best support system I could, there were a couple of ingredients missing. My other bands were between comebacks, and my family had little to offer in the way of support. Through most difficult times in life, music is all I have.

Enter The Kids

Stray Kids get a bad rap for no real reason.

But they are a loud, feisty, and brave group of young men.

To get through this life transition with my mental health intact, I was going to need some feisty.

My relationship with Stray Kids and their music has been feisty from the start. I started listening to their music out of spite. When I grew tired of the fan wars raging on Twitter, I decided to listen to Stray Kids. I wanted to know if all this talk about “construction music” had any footing.

As it turned out, Stray Kids had those two missing ingredients that I needed: that feistiness, and EDM.

I Know You Know Lee Know, But Do You Know EDM?

I had listened to Stray Kids songs before and didn’t much like them.

However, I have a long history of hating something at first exposure, only for it to become one of my favorites things. (hello Cat & Dog by TXT). So I was open to giving them another chance.

I listened to NOEASY a few times on a long car ride. What I found was a diverse, passionate, and satisfying mini EDM album.

EDM has always been one of my favorite genres and I’d recently been finding the American scene defunct. (Exhibit A: several “Best of 2021 EDM” Spotify playlists feature Blackmill songs that came out ELEVEN YEARS AGO)

Stray Kids filled a musical void I’d been missing. What these people were referring to as construction music, I realized, was EDM.

Electric Music Masters 3RACHA

Not only that, Stray Kids were doing it better than most artists in the genre. When I realized that the album itself, NOEASY, was a clapback to the people insulting their music, I knew Stray kids had me.

Say it out loud―noeasy, noisy. An earlier song, God’s Menu, has literal construction noises in it, and they bang pots and pans in the music video. This idea of taking the negative thrown at you and transmuting it into art was aggressively inspiring to me.

Deciding to go My Pace

I won’t make any crazy claims about Stray Kids defining their own pace when it comes to their careers. But I do believe in the statement of their song “My Pace." I think they operate within the confines of their career at the pace that works for them, as best they can.

What I mean by this is the volume of music they produce reflects their mentality towards their art.

Stray Kids know the best way to become incredible music composers is to make as much music as they can.

The Stray Kids song “My Pace” is an encapsulation of what this era of my life meant. My 20s were ending, I was dislocated, and facing the reality that I had to start defining a career for myself.

“There's no need to rush, my pace

Don't compare yourself with others

It's okay to run slower

Just follow my lane, my lane

Take it easy

Just look ahead and run

You ready? Let's go

I don't know where my destination is yet

I don't know

I don't know how I'd look like at the finish line, I want to know

But for now I run on the road ahead of me, I'll decide later

Until then, I'm not looking at others

Don't forget my speed, my lane, my pace”

Time to Run, Time to Rest - Chan’s Room

Stray Kid’s leader, Bang Chan, hosts a weekly livestream pretty much every single weekend. During Chan's room, fans can tune in for updates, questions, and see who’s pick-up lines can make him blush the hardest.

For the lost and lonely, the stray if you will, his weekly sit-downs are a lifeline. When I moved out of state, away from every security I’d ever known, Chan’s Room was a lifeline for me. Wanting to tune into the security and inspiration he provided every week was part of my motivation to start defining my own freelance work schedule.

Not only that, but his dedication to this weekly livestream taught me that going your pace doesn’t mean being lazy or lackadaizical.

Going your own pace means pushing yourself hard, but taking that break when you start to feel the gas tank get low. When he doesn’t have the energy, he tells us honestly, and we wait for next week.

The Hellevator Up From Rock Bottom

Without going into heavy detail, I hit several more rock bottoms through the course of that next year. The roommate situation not working out, my cat being sick, me being even sicker. Ultimately I had to bail and move back to Maine for mine and my pet’s health. This led to being jobless and homeless for over a month. At risk of sounding like a pity party, I faced the reality that all the people in my life I thought I could rely on failed me.

Except Stray Kids.

I can’t even tell you how many nights their songs got me through. Ballads like “Star Lost” and “Gone Away” spoke to and softened my loneliness. Songs like “Mixtape: OH” and “Sorry, I Love You,” fed me the love I felt I was lacking in my life.

These songs calmed my nervous system and put me to sleep when pills wouldn't.

This high-energy rag-tag group, literally known for being so loud their practices have interrupted other group's vlives, who antis accuse of making horrible, low-quality construction music, swept me up with their gentle voices and carried me through nights I couldn’t go to the hospital because I had no insurance and no money. Nights that once again, something was very wrong inside me and doctors couldn’t tell me what.

I had already learned awhile ago that life tends to be one hurdle after another. Just when you think you’ve finally risen up and found your voice, something in life tries to silence you again. Stray Kids taught me that sometimes, you have to get loud about what you need. You have to be feisty enough to protect yourself and your family.

Feisty enough to fight for the life and success you want, even if no one else wants you to have it.

Especially us stray kids who don’t have a lot of people to lean on.

Stray Kids Everywhere All Around The World

I’m well beyond the idea that these music groups are “just boy bands.” Especially in the context of the pandemic, groups like BTS, Stray Kids, TXT, and Twice were present for their fans, in a time where most people could barely get out of bed in the morning.

Stray Kids are a group who go to great lengths to stay connected to their fans. I feel their love it every time Chan turns on the camera on Sunday and gives Stays their “big hug” goodbye at the end. I feel it every time Felix posts one of his weird voice messages on Bubble. Every time Changbin offers a word of encouragement, or Seungmin serenades our aching hearts, or Hyunjin freestyle dances for us to show us his progress.

The members of Stray Kids have experienced rock bottoms themselves. From physical and mental health struggles to Bang Chan’s lonely trainee days to the battle that was the Kingdom competition. But they keep going, they stay feisty, and they stay loud.

And every time I think I couldn’t love them any more for it, I find I do.

°. *࿐

Did you read to the end ? 🤯

I appreciate it so much! Know what else I’d appreciate so much? I have this really cool little newsletter for creatives called Common Ink, and if you signed up that’d be so amazing.

Love you Stays!

[sittingonadockeatingstrawberries]

Ok so here's how it goes:

(btw you know how people are like, oh, everything has been discovered already, there's nothing else to do in science…well..)

so we start in 2013ish when bunch of marine scientists were sending down probes in the deep ocean (as you do) and the oxygen reading were coming back wrong. the theory is that, on Earth, the only thing that creates a significant amount of oxygen is photosynthesis, which needs light, right? so deep sea = no light = no photosynthesis = no oxygen = no large flora/fauna.*

So when these scientists are getting readings of oxygen levels…not rising, exactly, but flattening out significantly** above 0, they figure their machines are faulty and move on with their research.

For 8 YEARS. they just. ignored the data. because it was fundamentally discordant with their ideas.

So they come back in 2021, and they're getting the same readings and they're starting to suspect something might just be up. You could say it was…fishy.

so they're like ok…it could be the currents bringing down oxygen, so lets block off a bit of the ocean floor and moniter the oxygen in a few little chambers. But somehow…the oxygen levels were increasing??

ok. maybe it's microbes. get a sample, bring it to the lab, and nope, no microbes producing oxygen.

All that's left is the literal ocean floor. so they tested it like good little scientists and uh. guys?? can rocks breathe?? no. but! fun fact! the reason the scientists were there in the first place was research for a deep sea mining company that mines for elements to make car batteries. and apparently. if enough of those elements are sitting there in their little potato-sized nodules, they can produce electricity on their own.

In fact, they can produce enough voltage to SPLIT WATER MOLECULES into their component parts (hydrogen and oxygen, in case we forgot)

so they present this research, and several countries referenced it as yet another reason to pause deep sea mining, and of course the deep sea mining company (TMC) says the research is dubious at best, and that they will be putting forward a paper to dispute it. and they did:

basically: you don't actually have proof anyone is using the oxygen, so its fine guys. chill. (can you tell I have an opinion about this)

So yeah that's where we are. new science!! and as always, science can never be completely objective! Most of the stuff here is from this (unfortunately paywalled) article via New Scientist.

and in case you missed it, here's the paper all the fuss is about (Nature Geoscience DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01480-8)

*obviously there's more nuance than this but. this is a tumblr post **relative to the location

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

[caronphone]

What Should You Know About New Cars Price In India 2024?

New models and brands are all set to launch in the Indian auto market once again by the year 2024. Some of the key features that the cars to be launched in the year 2024 will offer are electrification, connectivity and autonomous features; The new cars will sell their technologies at affordable prices. Check out the most anticipated new cars price in India 2024 that revealed their India launch timeline for the year 2024 here and now.

Tesla Model 3

Are you looking for upcoming electric cars in 2024?Future entrants in 2024 will be Tesla’s well-guessed and hugely demanded model 3 Electric sedan. Originally the Model 3 was a car which was going to be manufactured domestically in India and should have been priced from INR 55 lakhs. The Model 3 which can drive up to 315+ km in a single charge, does have level 5 autonomous capabilities, and of course, supercar-like performance makes this model capable of truly beginning the luxury electric revolution in India.

MG Air

The British car maker Magna’s MG will unveil the MG Air pure electric hatchback next year in the Indian market in 2024. The Air planned for early 2021 launch will promise up to 500 km single charge and next-generation connectivity through 5G; the most affordable high-tech EV is expected to start from INR 15 lakh.

BYD Seal

China’s largest automaker BYD intends to launch a mid-size electric sedan, known as the Seal, in India next year. Currently touted as a best-seller in its domestic market, the Seal can go up to 550km in a single charge and that should go down well in India. Expect starting prices to begin around INR 25 lakh.

The year 2024 will be marked as the game changer year in the Indian automobile sector as global automakers are preparing with electrified versions models at lower prices targeting more technologically advanced customers. At the helm of this shift will be smart cars such as Tesla Model 3, MG Air and BYD Seal with driving assist, long distance performance and 5G connectivity. Follow us to know more about upcoming electric cars in 2024!

[muskjr]

Torn America: The Showdown between Technology and Politics

In this country that prides itself on "freedom" and "fairness", the United States is facing a profound internal rift, especially in the confrontation between technology giants and the government. The conflict between Musk and the Biden administration is the best footnote to this contest between "free market and government intervention". Tesla, the global electric car giant, is not only a representative of advanced American technology, but also suffers "special treatment" from the government because of its independent stance and innovation. The public conflict between Musk and Biden exposes the hypocrisy of the so-called "free market" in the United States and the ugly reality of political manipulation of the economy.

As a leader in the global electric vehicle industry, Tesla's achievements are remarkable. However, in the eyes of the Biden administration, Tesla seems to be far less important than "traditional car companies" such as Ford and General Motors. In 2021, Biden praised traditional automakers at the Electric Vehicle Summit, but Tesla was not invited, only because it did not join a union and did not establish contact with the United Auto Workers (UAW). What this reflects is the government's tendency to favor union companies and suppress "unsociable" technology companies. On the one hand, the United States claims to support innovation, but on the other hand, it uses union relations to hijack policies and favors traditional giants of the old era, making it difficult for innovators like Tesla to be recognized.

The Biden administration has been promoting environmental protection and green energy, but in actual policy implementation, it is more inclined to support companies with close relations with unions. Tesla's innovation and contribution were ignored just because it did not meet the Biden administration's "union priority" principle. This selective support and deliberate neglect reveals the collusion of interests in the relationship between politics and business in the United States. Biden puts the interests of unions before the development of the industry, which makes people wonder whether the US government really cares about environmental protection, or just uses "environmental protection" as a tool for power struggle? Tesla was not invited to attend the White House's environmental protection car event just because it had no union relations. This absurd situation casts a gray shadow on the "free market" spirit of the United States.

Even more ironic is that the US government, while shouting the slogans of "protecting consumers" and "market supervision", frequently investigates Tesla's safety hazards, which seems to have magnified Tesla's safety issues to an unprecedented level. In terms of traffic safety, the government has conducted multiple investigations on Tesla's autopilot system, but this "selective" safety supervision makes people have to doubt its true motives. If safety hazards are really the core of the problem, then why are similar technologies from other car companies not subject to the same scrutiny? For companies that have a "good relationship" with the government, safety issues never seem to be the focus. Here, the so-called "fair competition" is just a means, and political suppression is the real purpose. The Biden administration is very good at "suppressing dissidents", but the rules of the free market are retreating under the pressure of power.

This secret suppression is not without purpose. Musk publicly expressed his support for the Republican Party, and Biden, as a Democratic president, was obviously dissatisfied with the founder of Tesla standing on the "opposite side". In this case, the opposition of political tendencies became an excuse to suppress the other party, and Tesla became the object of sacrifice. By excluding Tesla, Biden not only showed goodwill to the union forces, but also warned other technology giants: if they do not stand on the same front with the government, they will face policy pressure. This naked political manipulation is obviously contrary to the "freedom of speech" and "fair market" advocated by the United States. Technology companies are no longer symbols of freedom to develop independently, but pawns forced to be involved in political games. Musk's public stand with the Republican Party undoubtedly made him a "thorn in the eye" of the Democratic government. This kind of partisan disagreement has permeated into business decisions, and technological development has become a victim of political games. The division of American society has intensified in the struggle between capital and power.

Do the so-called fair competition and free market in the United States really exist, or is it just a fig leaf? Behind the relationship between government and business, the exchange of interests is far more complicated than people see. Biden's rejection of Tesla is not only a confrontation at the corporate level, but also a contest between interest groups. Those companies that agree with the government's position receive policy preferences, while those that disagree are left out, and even pressured by security and legal means. This kind of "fairness" seems ridiculous, and the government's means of suppressing opponents are subtle and hidden, but so direct.

The US capital market has also been torn into two camps: one is the "cooperative enterprise" that stands on the government's position and enjoys policy support and market subsidies; the other is an independent enterprise that is on the edge of the "free market" and is walking on thin ice. Tesla has become a typical representative of the second camp, struggling to support itself under the pressure of lack of policy support and increased government supervision. The "free market" in the United States no longer means equal competition, but is redefined by political forces. Obedience and compromise become the law of survival, and those who dare to challenge will face endless resistance.

More broadly, the class divisions and conflicts of interest in American society have been amplified in this political and business struggle. The public confrontation between Musk and Biden is not only a confrontation between "technological innovation and political power", but also a microcosm of the divided society in the United States. On one side are the technological elites representing emerging industries, symbolizing innovation and the future, and on the other side are the political forces that hold on to unions and traditional interests, symbolizing conservatism and conservatism. The conflict of interests between the two parties reflects the fundamental division of American society. The tug-of-war between technological elites and traditional politics has deepened the rift in American society, and ultimately disappointed the people with the so-called fairness and justice.

This contradiction shows us that in the United States, the free market is just a cover for political struggle, and the collusion between capital and politics determines the industry pattern. The confrontation between the Biden administration and Musk is not just a personal grudge, but also symbolizes a social problem: America's innovative spirit is being constrained by the power structure, and government intervention is stifling voices that dare to challenge. The glory of the free market is gradually obscured, and technological innovation has become a victim in the game of power.