The “WTF?!” Thread

Xprimentyl

Made you look...
Legacy
Aug 13, 2011
6,207
4,481
118
Plano, TX
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Apparently the rules in Formula 1 during parc ferme (a highly restricted status of the drivers' cars following a qualifying session) don't bend. You're not allowed to adjust, tune or change the cars without FIA permission until parc ferme is over. Championship leader Max Verstappen simply touched his own rear wing and that of his current rival Lewis Hamilton immediately after qualifying Saturday... and got a 50,000 Euro penalty. Not sure what that equates to in real money (dollar dollar bills, y'all,) but it sounds like a lot for just touching a thing. He just touched them! For 50K, I'd have slashed the tyres and cut the brake lines or something! Fortunately for poor ol' Max, he's pulling down the type of salary that makes 50,000 Euros a drop in the bucket, but still... WTF?!?

EDIT: here's what a 50,000 Euro penalty looks like:




DOUBLE EDIT: 50,000 Euros is almost $57,000!!! Fuck that!!! for $57K, I'd have assaulted Hamilton with a hammer!!!
 
Last edited:

SilentPony

Previously known as an alleged "Feather-Rustler"
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
12,050
2,460
118
Corner of No and Where
How the fuck is Royalty still a thing?!

We're in the middle of this great big global equality movement. People are growing increasingly angry at anti-Democratic policies throughout the world, there is growing resentment against stale old political figures, the rich are growing increasingly worried we're not gonna tolerate their bullshit antics, women are taking control of their own voices in the workplace and their own body right, the LGBTQ+ movement is going so strong even weapons manufacturing companies have pride colored war crimes, minority groups are getting the attention they always deserved and past crimes are coming to light and finally seeing justice.

BUT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WITH ROYAL BLOOD? Some humans are simply born superior to others? Their magical blood means they have authority over entire nations? God's chosen families? Fuck me, the Woke crowd has been asleep. How can we be in the middle of the #MeToo movement, and the idea of a Royal Princess wedding is a massive TV event?
And here's the thing. I get Royals are a big tourism draw like in the UK...but they don't have to be alive for it to draw. The Queen doesn't actually do a song and dance. People want to see her palace and a changing of the Guard. You don't need living Royals for that.
We don't need to kill them, but seriously, enough with the Royal blood and families. Its gross. Imagine people who honestly think they're entitled to be called "Your highness" and people avert their eyes and kneel.
Fuck, at least be a Primarch. If I'm gonna bow to someone, its gonna be a 10-foot tall monster Godling Angel Man with glowing golden eyes.
 
Last edited:

XsjadoBlayde

~it ends here~
Apr 29, 2020
3,216
3,354
118
How the fuck is Royalty still a thing?!

We're in the middle of this great big global equality movement. People are growing increasingly angry at anti-Democratic policies throughout the world, there is growing resentment against stale old political figures, the rich are growing increasingly worried we're not gonna tolerate their bullshit antics, women are taking control of their own voices in the workplace and their own body right, the LGBTQ+ movement is going so strong even weapons manufacturing companies have pride colored war crimes, minority groups are getting the attention they always deserved and past crimes are coming to light and finally seeing justice.

BUT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WITH ROYAL BLOOD? Some humans are simply born superior to others? Their magical blood means they have authority over entire nations? God's chosen families? Fuck me, the Woke crowd has been asleep. How can we be in the middle of the #MeToo movement, and the idea of a Royal Princess wedding is a massive TV event?
And here's the thing. I get Royals are a big tourism draw like in the UK...but they don't have to be alive for it to draw. The Queen doesn't actually do a song and dance. People want to see her palace and a changing of the Guard. You don't need living Royals for that.
We don't need to kill them, but seriously, enough with the Royal blood and families. Its gross. Imagine people who honestly think they're entitled to be called "Your highness" and people avert their eyes and kneel.
Fuck, at least be a Primarch. If I'm gonna bow to someone, its gonna be a 10-foot tall monster Godling Angel Man with glowing golden eyes.
Just replace "royal" "magical" and "superior" with "incestuous" and you're golden. Really, we should be keeping them for scientific experiments, not letting them leech off of state benefits while showering them with shiny jewels and gifts as they swoon around in drapery more expensive that a year's worth of survival pennies begrudgingly provided for a disabled person to live, unable to work.
 

SilentPony

Previously known as an alleged "Feather-Rustler"
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
12,050
2,460
118
Corner of No and Where
Just replace "royal" "magical" and "superior" with "incestuous" and you're golden. Really, we should be keeping them for scientific experiments, not letting them leech off of state benefits while showering them with shiny jewels and gifts as they swoon around in drapery more expensive that a year's worth of survival pennies begrudgingly provided for a disabled person to live, unable to work.
I agree. And see I don't care if they want to wear fancy outfits and costumes. Personally I think capes should make a comeback for everyone. But some inbred twit in a cape and crown is about as special as I am wearing a Batman costume.
 

Chimpzy

Simian Abomination
Legacy
Escapist +
Apr 3, 2020
12,189
8,434
118
How the fuck is Royalty still a thing?!
IKR, don't get it either. We got a gaggle of them too, but ours don't bring in tourism. They're also more expensive, at ~3,2 €/year per taypayer, while the UKs is ~1,5 €/year. Bunch of useless out of touch twits. Tho at least they have the sense to not get too involved in politics. But that might just be because their popularity and support is waning, so they're trying not to rock the boat out of self-preservation. Or maybe because the last time one of our kings decided to make a political stand by refusing to sign the law that legalized abortion, our government simply bypassed him by declaring him temporarily "unfit to rule".

Tho honestly, they should've just ditched the lot during the Royal Question after WWII.
 

Asita

Answer Hazy, Ask Again Later
Legacy
Jun 15, 2011
3,198
1,038
118
Country
USA
Gender
Male
And here's the thing. I get Royals are a big tourism draw like in the UK...but they don't have to be alive for it to draw.
I think my single favorite thing to come out of all the hubbub about "the Royal Wedding" (I want to say it was William and Catherine) was a wry comment from a friend expressing his sheer apathy over it and confusion over why everyone was getting so excited about it. It went something to the effect of "I thought we went to war and declared independence so we didn't have to care about this kind of thing?"
 

Zykon TheLich

Extra Heretical!
Legacy
Jun 6, 2008
3,446
777
118
Country
UK
"I thought we went to war and declared independence so we didn't have to care about this kind of thing?"
No one has to care. That's what makes it disappointing when they do.

That said it isn't that much of a surprise, people still like fairy tales.
 

Asita

Answer Hazy, Ask Again Later
Legacy
Jun 15, 2011
3,198
1,038
118
Country
USA
Gender
Male
No one has to care. That's what makes it disappointing when they do.

That said it isn't that much of a surprise, people still like fairy tales.
Of course nobody has to care. By the same token, the American Revolution certainly wasn't fought over how much attention we paid to the royals' romantic lives. It was just a more amusing way of saying "Oh god, won't everyone just shut up about it already?"
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

Thaluikhain

Elite Member
Legacy
Jan 16, 2010
18,576
3,532
118
We're in the middle of this great big global equality movement. People are growing increasingly angry at anti-Democratic policies throughout the world, there is growing resentment against stale old political figures, the rich are growing increasingly worried we're not gonna tolerate their bullshit antics, women are taking control of their own voices in the workplace and their own body right, the LGBTQ+ movement is going so strong even weapons manufacturing companies have pride colored war crimes, minority groups are getting the attention they always deserved and past crimes are coming to light and finally seeing justice.
Nominally, yes. OTOH, a record number of people voted for Trump and thousands of US women are convicted for the crime of having miscarriages.
 

hanselthecaretaker

My flask is half full
Legacy
Nov 18, 2010
8,738
5,905
118
Apparently the rules in Formula 1 during parc ferme (a highly restricted status of the drivers' cars following a qualifying session) don't bend. You're not allowed to adjust, tune or change the cars without FIA permission until parc ferme is over. Championship leader Max Verstappen simply touched his own rear wing and that of his current rival Lewis Hamilton immediately after qualifying Saturday... and got a 50,000 Euro penalty. Not sure what that equates to in real money (dollar dollar bills, y'all,) but it sounds like a lot for just touching a thing. He just touched them! For 50K, I'd have slashed the tyres and cut the brake lines or something! Fortunately for poor ol' Max, he's pulling down the type of salary that makes 50,000 Euros a drop in the bucket, but still... WTF?!?

EDIT: here's what a 50,000 Euro penalty looks like:




DOUBLE EDIT: 50,000 Euros is almost $57,000!!! Fuck that!!! for $57K, I'd have assaulted Hamilton with a hammer!!!
Well those cars are pretty fragile, and he might’ve thrown off the alignment of the wing by .00374mm or so, which obviously affect aerodynamics and such. And let’s not get started on fingerprint drag!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xprimentyl

Xprimentyl

Made you look...
Legacy
Aug 13, 2011
6,207
4,481
118
Plano, TX
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Well those cars are pretty fragile, and he might’ve thrown off the alignment of the wing by .00374mm or so, which obviously affect aerodynamics and such. And let’s not get started on fingerprint drag!
I know you're being facetious, but you're not wrong at all. The cars aren't particularly fragile, but the slightest adjustments can affect performance. In this case, it was discovered after qualifying that Hamilton's rear wing's DRS (drag reduction system) was a whole 0.2mm too wide... to put it in perspective, an open DRS can be a maximum of 85mm. Hamilton was disqualified for this and had to start at the back of the grid despite winning pole position outright for sprint qualifying. Imagine if your local HOA gave you a citation for one blade of grass being "too tall."

That said, I've really come to appreciate just how precise these cars have to be. Teams of engineers work tirelessly to get maximum performance out of these machines, so I guess 0.2mm can be a deal breaker if it might lend even the slightest advantage. My "WTF" is simply for the fact that one of these cars can wreck, be repaired and back out on the track within the same race; I don't think one guy just touching one was worth a $57K fine.

Then there' Sebastian Vettel, an F1 legend and probably the nicest guy on the grid, who loves taking the piss from the sport's ridiculousness.

 
  • Like
Reactions: hanselthecaretaker

hanselthecaretaker

My flask is half full
Legacy
Nov 18, 2010
8,738
5,905
118
I know you're being facetious, but you're not wrong at all. The cars aren't particularly fragile, but the slightest adjustments can affect performance. In this case, it was discovered after qualifying that Hamilton's rear wing's DRS (drag reduction system) was a whole 0.2mm too wide... to put it in perspective, an open DRS can be a maximum of 85mm. Hamilton was disqualified for this and had to start at the back of the grid despite winning pole position outright for sprint qualifying. Imagine if your local HOA gave you a citation for one blade of grass being "too tall."

That said, I've really come to appreciate just how precise these cars have to be. Teams of engineers work tirelessly to get maximum performance out of these machines, so I guess 0.2mm can be a deal breaker if it might lend even the slightest advantage. My "WTF" is simply for the fact that one of these cars can wreck, be repaired and back out on the track within the same race; I don't think one guy just touching one was worth a $57K fine.

Then there' Sebastian Vettel, an F1 legend and probably the nicest guy on the grid, who loves taking the piss from the sport's ridiculousness.

Pretentiousness in that field runs deep it seems!

You know what really throws a wrench into all that “precision” though? Nature, and the limitations of physical space and each racer’s respective positioning on the track. Not to mention track wear and surface tension differences on tires as the race wears on and rubber is laid on. Nothing ultimately ends up being “fair” or “equal”, no matter how much they’d like to pretend otherwise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xprimentyl

Xprimentyl

Made you look...
Legacy
Aug 13, 2011
6,207
4,481
118
Plano, TX
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Pretentiousness in that field runs deep it seems!

You know what really throws a wrench into all that “precision” though? Nature, and the limitations of physical space and each racer’s respective positioning on the track. Not to mention track wear and surface tension differences on tires as the race wears on and rubber is laid on. Nothing ultimately ends up being “fair” or “equal”, no matter how much they’d like to pretend otherwise.
Believe me, they account for ALL of it. Every race involves meticulous strategy, planning and reaction. It's actually quite a thing to behold when you realize it's not just about 20 drivers going out there and "going as fast as they can." Telemetry provides the pit wall for each car hundreds of data points. They watch lap times down to thousandth of seconds to determine when pitting a car is most opportune versus the rest of the field. There's a multitude of tire compounds, and which they put on each car at any given time can be the make or break for final results. It's a very complicated sport, but a very interesting one when you're able to see it beyond the casual "who's leading the race" mindset. And position on track means almost nothing as Lewis Hamilton showed us this weekend when he stormed up 15 places within 24 laps, something that is basically unheard of.

And there's no illusion that every car/driver is on a "fair and equal" playing field. Some teams have more money than others. Better engineers. Better drivers. Mercedes makes a better car than Haas; that doesn't mean Haas is unfairly disadvantaged; they just have to step it up if they want to compete. As it stands they're little more than a farm team, a starting place for talented drives to get opportunities at better teams. Point in case, my driver (Valtteri Bottas) is being replaced by George Russell, a current driver at Williams Racing, who despite being in an inferior car, has shown competitive talent with what he's been given.

Regulations are changing for the 2022 season that are meant to make the midfield teams more competitive, and the big boys at Mercedes and Red Bull aren't particularly happy about them, but it's certainly going to make next season one to watch. I can't fucking wait.
 

hanselthecaretaker

My flask is half full
Legacy
Nov 18, 2010
8,738
5,905
118
Believe me, they account for ALL of it. Every race involves meticulous strategy, planning and reaction. It's actually quite a thing to behold when you realize it's not just about 20 drivers going out there and "going as fast as they can." Telemetry provides the pit wall for each car hundreds of data points. They watch lap times down to thousandth of seconds to determine when pitting a car is most opportune versus the rest of the field. There's a multitude of tire compounds, and which they put on each car at any given time can be the make or break for final results. It's a very complicated sport, but a very interesting one when you're able to see it beyond the casual "who's leading the race" mindset. And position on track means almost nothing as Lewis Hamilton showed us this weekend when he stormed up 15 places within 24 laps, something that is basically unheard of.
To me if it’s unheard of to advance that much, it would seem they’re at an extreme disadvantage. Although true to the sport that’s how pole position is established in lap trials, but then since the best car/fastest driver gets pole position, that’s a huge competitive advantage. I think it would be more interesting if that concept was reversed, or even randomized.

Either that or just have several shorter races between three or four cars at a time so it’s not so damn crowded lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xprimentyl

Catfood220

Elite Member
Legacy
Dec 21, 2010
2,098
357
88
And here's the thing. I get Royals are a big tourism draw like in the UK...but they don't have to be alive for it to draw. The Queen doesn't actually do a song and dance. People want to see her palace and a changing of the Guard. You don't need living Royals for that.
We don't need to kill them, but seriously, enough with the Royal blood and families. Its gross. Imagine people who honestly think they're entitled to be called "Your highness" and people avert their eyes and kneel.
I've long held the opinion that if they are such a draw for the tourism of this country, lets just chuck them in London Zoo and be done with it. Then the people who want to come and see them can come and gawp at them to their hearts content and the rest of us that wish they would all just fuck off can get on with our lives. We can even turn all the palaces into museums of some out dated idea.

The thing that bugs me the most is if one of these people should happen to be getting married or die then there is nothing but coverage of it for weeks. I am dreading the queen dying (which has to be coming soon), I might just live in a dvd, video game, Youtube bubble and avoid all TV and radio. With any luck, I should be able to hide until it all blows over.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilentPony

SilentPony

Previously known as an alleged "Feather-Rustler"
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
12,050
2,460
118
Corner of No and Where
I've long held the opinion that if they are such a draw for the tourism of this country, lets just chuck them in London Zoo and be done with it. Then the people who want to come and see them can come and gawp at them to their hearts content and the rest of us that wish they would all just fuck off can get on with our lives. We can even turn all the palaces into museums of some out dated idea.

The thing that bugs me the most is if one of these people should happen to be getting married or die then there is nothing but coverage of it for weeks. I am dreading the queen dying (which has to be coming soon), I might just live in a dvd, video game, Youtube bubble and avoid all TV and radio. With any luck, I should be able to hide until it all blows over.
The Queen's death is going to be huge, that's for sure. Now she has done good things, like being a nurse during WW2 and the like, and that is admirable.
But she's still "Queen". At state banquets, when she's done eating, the meal is over. She's 95 years old and after a few sips of soup she's off to bed, and the entire banquet people have spent weeks planning and hours cooking and getting dressed for is over. Because her special magical chosen blood gets to determine meal time for political heads of state from other countries.
And when she dies there's gonna be a huge fucking funeral march, with heads of state, celebrities, and fucking members of the Church. Old men in robes carrying golden scepters will declare that God himself has taken a personal interest in the death of this woman, and everyone else who dies today is simply not as important in God's eyes, and people will cheer.
Disgusting.
 
Last edited: