Sorry, I won’t be uploading a rant about today’s Grand Prix as I’ve spent the day trying to resurrect my blog! It’ll live here for a few days while I work out what I want to do.
I’m seriously considering upping sticks and moving to another web host tbh. What a mess…. š
I was very pleased to read on the ITV F1 website that Ferrari have bitten the bullet and are going to ditch those stupid fairy lights in favour of the lollipop for the Fuji race.
Now maybe their drivers can get on with racing instead of picking up fines, penalties and broken pit crew members! š
The Age of the Five Trilogy is second created by Trudi Canavan (The Black Magician trilogy being the first) and although it explores similar themes, it tackles to a small extent religion within the fantasy genre.
Canavan seems to be drawn to strong female lead characters that possess huge potential for greatness. In this case, the primary character you are introduced to is a High Priestess call Auraya who is elected to become an immortal religious leader to compliment the existing four others. The White, as they are known rule through diplomacy and guidance, forming treaties where possible to promote the teachings of their five gods (Huan, Chaia, Lore, Yranna and Saru). Through the course of the three books, you read as Auraya gets to know the other White, learns to be one herself then grows beyond her existence as a mere servant of the gods.
Canavan has always been able to pace her books well, she manages to write chase scenes that you actually find yourself reading quickly and can convey the calm and serenity that would surround an immortal leader with an ease that I’m sure doesn’t come easily. She manages to convey that being immune to the ravages of time and serving beings of pure magic, the White areĀ more patientĀ thanĀ any mortal would comprehend. To Juran for example (the eldest of the White characters), the collapse of talks with another nation are almost shrugged off as a first attempt. Its a pretty powerful idea, an exploration of theĀ premise that although national leaders change, the belief systems of the populace and the overlords of those nations do not.
The White do however have enemies. Throughout the trilogy the protagonists remain the same.
Through invasions, attempted assassinations, subterfuge and just plain conversation, you learn the histories and motives of these protagonists. Once again Canavan handles the characters very well to ensure you don’t dismiss any as the cookie cutter bad guy type.
In my opinion, these books are slightly better written than the Black Magician Trilogy and show that Canavan has obviously moved forward as a writer. Few can forgive the painfully clunky treatment she gave one of her characters in those books, outing him as gay then treating him to every stereotype imaginable. She also seems to have progressed her storytelling to push to the end as well. The Age of the Five hints at another few stories still to tell and she leaves you satisfied this story is ended but another is sure to follow.
In short, a reasonably good read if you can stick with it through some slightly slower sections.
More info can be found here but watch for the spoilers!
Let me make this clear from the outset, although a Ferrari fan and a supporter of all our British drivers, I’m a fan of F1 first and foremost.
With the various swords hanging over the head of Hamilton I felt I shouldn’t really post anything as my opinion would a: mean nothing and b: just read like a Ferrari fan slagging off a driver for making an honest mistake. Discussion about the bus stop chicane over.
Well almost. Did anyone else get pissed off with them callingĀ the whole debarcleĀ “chicanegate”? A gate in a chicane, are you completely mad?!? And please stop putting -gate at the end of everything, its not big, its not clever, it screams wanker!
Anyhoo, back to the plot…..
Alonso’s drive to the win at Singapore will definitely go down as one for the history books. Whatever you think of him (and many think less of him forĀ his tumultuous seasonĀ at McLaren), Alonso drove incredibly well to achieve the win in Singapore’s inaugural race. Having qualified 15th on a street circuit, he needed a miracle to make it to the podium. Given that he was driving a Renault it was even more impressive! Safety car periods of course help in such endeavours but it was impressive nontheless.
Ferrari however…. I just can’t understand why they continue to use the traffic light system for pit lane release. So far its injured two members of the pit crew, resulted in two dicisions of unsafe release into the path of another car and the best one, the complete separation of a fuel hose from the refueling system. Although the fuel rigs do have a cut off system, you can clearly see FUEL being thrown over the pit crew as the hose passes them.
When are the team going to admit that their latest toy is costing them a constructor’s and a driver’s championship? When will the FIA step in, say enough’s enough and ban the thing. Its dangerous, it risks lives and its costing the team little things like WINS THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD. Buy a fecking lollypop for God’s sake!!
I was checking out YouTube the other day, looking for the legendary I’m f**king Matt Damon song (very funny I might add) when I found this….
I know that kind of thing has been done a million times before, I was just very impressed with what they’d managed to achieve!