#i am being dramatic it's not that big a deal

[champagnepodiums]

hey maureen how can roger penske even own indycar in the first place my researches have been inconclusive and I trust you for storytelling of historical narratives better than anyone whether they're a century old or not

hi anon, I'm so glad you asked! buckle up while I give you the briefest, most straightforward history of sanctioning bodies for American Open-Wheel motorsport and you'll definitely be like "why is this even relevant" but it (mostly) is, I promise (the stuff that isn't relevant is just interesting and makes you realize that motorsport history does generally just operate on a time loop basically) (Adding this: I do talk about motorsport deaths in here so if that’s something that bothers you, pls keep scrolling. Fwiw, I do stay as vague as possible)

So in the very beginning, (1899!) a group of rich men formed a little club called the Automobile Club of America (otherwise known as ACA). Now don't let the name fool you because it was more or less, a small, local organization. The ACA was a founding arm of the American Automobile Association (otherwise known as the AAA), which happened in 1902. The AAA formed a contest board and sanctioned the Vanderbilt Cup (which was like The Big Race at this point).

Well, in 1907, AAA raised their dues and that pissed the ACA off so their response was essentially, "I see your Vanderbilt Cup and we're going to do the American Grand Prize" which pissed the AAA off and there was a Whole Thing that eventually ended up with an agreement that AAA would sanction all American races while the ACA would sanction all international events held on American soil (think like modern day F1 type races).

SO that essentially meant that AAA was in charge and oh boy, they were IN CHARGE. Bless their hearts, if a driver did a non-AAA sanctioned race (like say, a local dirt track race or a hill climb), the AAA would SUSPEND the driver from all AAA races, often for a full year (which was a big deal because it would prevent that driver from participating in the Indy 500 and if they continued to participate in 'outlaw' races, the AAA would just straight up revoke the driver's racing license). Essentially what started to happen is that young drivers would start to race on the local dirt tracks, gain 'outlaw' status and when they were ready, they would ask AAA for forgiveness and to gain their racer's license because AAA was more lenient to drivers who didn't already have a license.

Anyway, alls that to say is that the AAA was completely separate from everything, including (and especially) the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

So what changed?

Well. 1955 happened.

I am not even being dramatic when I say that it is no less than a miracle that motorsport as a whole survived 1955.

May 1955 saw Manny Ayulo die in a crash while practicing for the Indianapolis 500 (mind you, he was found to not be wearing his seatbelt), then ten days later, Alberto Ascari, Ferrari F1 World Champion was killed in a test session. AND THEN, Bill Vukovich, defending two-time Indy 500 champion (he had won the two previous) was leading the race and he was involved in a chain reaction crash that killed him and that -- listen, I think there is a misconception that in the past when drivers died, there was no backlash but there absolutely was and the public was horrified that this had happened.

And then -- because things weren't going badly enough -- approximately two weeks later, the racing world turned to watch Le Mans and at approximately 6:20 pm, at the end of the 35th lap, there was a (admittedly much smaller than Indy) chain reaction wreck that launched Pierre Levegh and his Mercedes towards the crowd. The car slammed into an embankment and there was so much force that a lot of the pieces of this car just kept going... right into a stand of spectators, killing at least 80 and injuring at least 120 more. I can talk more at length about the Le Mans disaster (which is what it's generally referred to as) but I do want to caution everybody because there are gruesome pictures on the internet, including ones where Pierre Levegh's body is more or less visible.

This triggered a whole chain reaction of events that had (and in some cases continue to have) long lasting impacts on all motorsports (which again, I would love to dig into if people are interested but for the sake of this essay, I will be brief and focused -- two things I'm really good at LMAO).

But the impact that I'm going to highlight here is that the AAA decided that at the conclusion of the 1955 racing season, they would no longer sanction any events.

WELL that is a Big Problem because AAA didn't only sanction the Indy 500, they sanctioned A LOT of races of various motorsport disciplines (not NASCAR though, they are completely separate). So Tony Hulman, owner of IMS, along with other midwest promotors formed what was initially called the "Temporary Emergency Committee" which ultimately ended up being called the United States Auto Club (USAC). And guess who owned it? Tony Hulman!

So USAC essentially becomes the be all, end all of what they called "Championship Car Racing" which is now what we think of as IndyCar. So USAC and IMS are owned by the same person. What could go wrong?

Well obviously lots go wrong and really the main reason that there even is the IndyCar Split (and the reason things got so bad) was because the same people owned IMS AND the Sanctioning Body. There are other things at play including Tony Hulman's sudden death and Elmer George's justified homicide and a plane crash but the core issue did ultimately boil down to the fact that the same person owned IMS and the sanctioning body and the Indy 500 was being placed above everything else to the detriment of everybody else (basically)

Anyway so like when Tony George forms the IRL (Indy Racing League), that takes over as the sanctioning body for the Indy 500. When IRL and Champ Whatever it was called by then merged back together in 2008, it was all done under the IRL stuff which meant the Hulman-George family still owned IndyCar, the series, as well as IMS/the Indy 500.

So in 2019, they sold both IMS/Indy 500 AND the IndyCar Series to Roger Penske. I wish they would have not done that because I think it would be better for American Open Wheel Racing if there was somebody independently looking out for their interests BUT things are so intertwined and the Indy 500 is such a powerful chip to have, I guess I don't know if it would ultimately matter who owned IndyCar?

So yeah, that is how Roger Penske could even buy IndyCar.

I hope this is clear enough and as always, I am willing to clarify anything/everything!

[snixx]

[redacted] oda kovil pohardu edhuku vidhanuma irundhai ippo thaan nyaavum vandhudu:')

[ghost-proofbaby]

so is reader gonna move in with eddie :(

well, between you and i, eddie’s secretly enacting a plan so he’ll have her moved in before she even realizes it. it starts with the drawers of things, then the spare toothbrush just becomes her main toothbrush, then she’s keeping leftovers in his fridge and her shoes by his door and bam! he’s locked her in 😎 no takebacks. and he was so sneaky about it too!! (he absolutely was not and reader knew what he was doing the entire time. it’s cool though, his mattress is so much comfier than her dorm bed and not just because she gets to cuddle him every night)

[niishi]

It's so wild to think your abusive childhood is normal until you start telling ppl about it rlly flippantly bc its so normal to you, and they look shocked.

[wowowwild]

Devastating: Can't call Mikeko a bastard in a T rated fic.

[krshush]

I know I've made myself permanently worse this time. I Know it. I just know it.

[mars-ipan]

Ya got any rants stored up? Long-burning hatred?

i FINALLY found one i’ve been holding onto this ask waiting for the opportunity.

i HATE how people treat people with anxiety disorders. it’s endless pity mixed with complete incompassion

like ok. obligatory i have generalized anxiety disorder here. a lot of things make me stressed and when i’m having bad anxiety attacks (which can last days and sometimes put me into month-long spells of misery) i get physically sick, to the point of throwing up and fever. i also tend to go nonverbal/low-verbal during these periods of time (usually bc i’m nauseous.) i’m also very prone to migraines and have a tic and wear a night guard due to jaw clenching etc etc you get the point it affects me.

when i share these symptoms with people (assuming they don’t have similar symptoms) i get a lot of frowny faces. “owh i’m sorry :( that must be awful how horrible“ and the like. and it’s never said in a way that’s actually kind. it’s said in the way people talk about those aspca commercials. and it’s never actually come from a place of genuine concern- it’s superficial pity apparently meant to placate me. i hate it

and that’s assuming i even get that reaction at all! usually when i try to explain to someone that i’m experiencing symptoms of some sort like “hey i’m sorry i can’t really be productive right now, i’ve got a lot of brain fog” i am ALWAYS dismissed. EVERY time. maybe it’s because i’m quite skilled at coping and masking. maybe it’s because my panic attacks don’t (always) look like wailing and thrashing and choking on air. but for some reason people don’t seem to understand that yes my anxiety disorder is actually disabling for me sometimes. i will ask for an accommodation i need, be compared to someone else with different needs from me, and then be told i need to just suck it up and deal with it. and i am SO! TIRED! OF! IT!!!! the amount of times i’ve told people “hey please don’t say that to me i’m prone to paranoia about xyz” and then been yelled at because “it’s not that serious take a joke” is ABSURD. hey maybe stop telling me my cough is covid bc now i have to spend the next 3 hours reminding myself that i don’t have any other symptoms asshole!!! jesus

and THEN when i actually DO find a way to cope or utilize the way my brain works or god forbid crack a fucking joke about it people get mad at me. “see i knew it wasn’t a big deal” or “so you’re actually fine” or “that’s not funny” i am. so tired of it

and then i go online and see people saying that disorders like anxiety and depression have been destigmatized and we’re treated basically the same in neurotypical society. motherfucker i did not go undiagnosed for 17 years with several doctors telling me it “wasn’t anything to worry about” despite my family history and clear signs from a young age just to be told my disorder is respected. if i say my anxiety is a disability i get called dramatic and am told to stop taking attention away from people who need it- or not to call it a disability because “it’s not that bad” and i’m fine because clearly having a disability makes every second of your life miserable of course of course. hell anxiety is demonized too! not as badly as many other illnesses but it’s still demonized!!! if i tell people “hey i have anxiety so please be careful with xyz” they act like i just asked them to let me do anything i want without consequence. there’s literally a whole fucking stereotype of people using “anxiety” as an excuse to be lazy or an asshole or entitled. as someone whose anxiety manifests in depressive spirals (freeze response) and rejection sensitivity (doom spiraling) this is Not Great!!!!! like i am hypervigilant about enough things i do not need to add “will these people get mad if i explain how my brain works” to the list

and about the rejection sensitivity. i HATEEEEE when people judge me for crying because they’re upset at something i’ve done wrong. “mars if you’re in the wrong then you’re not the victim” who the fuck said i think i’m the victim???? i cry because my brain takes “can you pls stop doing this it genuinely bugs me” and turns it into “you’re a horrible person how could you do this to someone they hate you.” but just because that happens doesn’t mean i’m not capable of rational thought!!! i KNOW realistically that my friends are good communicators and share that stuff because they like my company. i just need to cry about it as well. that doesn’t negate my logic or say i won’t actually try to improve myself. i’m just upset that i made the mistake. obviously i’m gonna fix it. that one REALLY pisses me off esp when i warn someone in advance that i do that. like calm the fuck down i’m not even pointing out that i’m crying rn this isn’t about me stop making it about me.

ANYWAYS. it’s really frustrating to deal with this shit from nts and then go to an online nd space for community and hear people talk about anxiety disorders like we don’t face ableism. just because it’s quieter doesn’t mean it isn’t there. that AND the “it’s barely an issue” girlie i was told i wasn’t disabled enough by doctors my whole damn life i am NOT about to start hearing it from you too. you can drown in the ocean or a swimming pool or a puddle. doesn’t fucking matter. the hypocrisy irritates me so bad

[hilsoncrater]

in a state of perpetual confusion 👍 i feel like i am three steps behind in any conversation i have 👍

[blueberryrock]

Me: *explains multiple times that I'm in PAIN and it HURTS to walk around and get up or down* i should do the easier thing that doesn't require me moving my legs much

My brother: nah you can just walk all around while i do the easier thing

[eldin-tower]

real conversation i had with my friend the other day. this was the first time i really had a conversation about being asexual with someone.

her: since your asexual does that mean you don’t like kissing?

me: yeah, i didn’t realise until a while into the relationship with my ex that it wasn’t supposed to feel the way i felt

her: *laughing* oh wow that’s so sad i feel really bad for her that suck for her

me: yeah but it’s a part of me i can’t change it and she understood i think

her: but imagine kissing someone and them not liking it that must be so awful for them that must make them so insecure

me: ….haha….

her: *cannot stop laughing*

[july-19th-club]

infuriated outraged upset boss in the building on a saturday . at the DESK on a saturday. observed and overseen . in the panopticon and i dont even have a little coffee drink

[snailnap]

i’ve never outright hated a ship b4 cus usually i just don’t care abt ships i don’t like but jeffannie has caused a plague upon my house fr there are so many locus outside this must be the cause

[living-for-fiction]

Ah, how to tell someone very important to me that their pithy comment, intended to be cute I'm sure, made me super uncomfortable?

Basically I quote-tweeted a picture of Lady Nagant on Twitter and captioned it "Wife!!!" Under which my girlfriend commented "yes?" You know, responding to me making a statement about wife as though I was referring to her.

Thing is - and I have been upfront about this since before we started officially dating, as I did not want to waste her time if she was looking for a relationship that led to marriage - I will never get married. The idea of being married makes me feel ill. There's nothing wrong with marriage - it's a beautiful thing for many people - but it's not for me. When I refer to a fictional character as my "wife," I do so in the same manner as when I refer to a character as my "son" despite being childfree. I do not actually have any wives or sons (or spouses or children of any title) and I like it that way.

This has come up since then. My girlfriend asked me a while back when she would stop being my girlfriend and start being something "more," and that made me feel, honestly, pretty hurt. Because I have been very clear that there is no "more." There is no marriage equivalent where we get married in all but legal certificate and she gains a new title. Being in a romantic relationship at all is weird enough, but I know the romance aspect is important to her, so I deal with the weirdness. This isn't something I've kept secret; I certainly don't go around talking about how weird I find it all the time, but yes, it has come up in conversation when we've discussed my aromanticism and how she fits into it. And I've been honest that it's weird and that I find the feelings I have for her weird. I would never seek out feeling this way, and while I love her in a way I think is romantic, I'd be happy to go the rest of my life never feeling that way for anyone else (and it's not a monogamy thing; we aren't monogamous. I just don't enjoy romantic feelings, and if I didn't also have a strong platonic bond with her, I wouldn't want to act on them).

So tl;dr, I've made it really clear that the idea of being married makes me uncomfortable and the idea of using any kind of spousal term makes me uncomfortable. This only applies to real people. Fictional characters, by nature of being fictional, I enjoy referring to by spousal terms - there is nothing real about that interaction. And so my girlfriend responding to me saying the word "wife" as though she is my wife, even in a pithy and playful manner, honestly made me uncomfortable in a way I think she'd be hurt if I vocalized. I do think I need to tell her it made me uncomfortable though; I would like for her to not do it again. I don't find it cute or sweet, I find it borderline dismissive of the comfort zone I laid out and have been consistent about since before we started officially dating. But I think telling her that will hurt her feelings. But it hurts MY feelings that she would disregard my comfort zone, even on accident.

Damnit.

[brother-genitivi]

can I please have one day where I don't hate my art please pleeeaaase

[just-miru]

me when polynomials

[starberry-skies]

[Image Description: A screenshot of early access footage from Splatoon 3 on Salmon Run (next wave). The next screenshot is zoomed in on the D-pad communication button, with the only two options being "This way!" and "Booyah!". /End ID]

i am devastated. my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. i do not care about the new weapons or maps or specials or lockers or idols. splatoon has let me down