Blogging in Yahoo!

I guess i shall start blogging using yahoo 360, yet another social networking site with yet another blog option. Not that i dont like to use blogger. com, but i guess the one thing that might tilt me towards yahoo would be the smileys. Yahoo smileys are simply unbeatable. They are thoroughly funny and at the same time help a person express himself clearly. Afterall at times actions help better than words.

But it remains to be seen whether yahoo blogging allows as much customization as blogger.com allows. For example setting the cricket update box and the weather updates and the myShoutBox thing. I guess i'll evaluate this for some time before i shift entirely.

Adios!

The Fastest Indian!!!

I have been a Formula One fan for many years now. But this season evokes a lot more passion than any other has in the past barring 1994. The simple reason being that this would be the very first time that one could wave an Indian Flag at a Formula One race. And do so with a reason. Narain Karthikeyan has achieved the distinction of being the first Indian in world of Formula One.

Formula One is a fascinatingly different sport. I choose to call this a sport in itself and would not club it under "Motor Racing". The reason is quite simple. If a cricket player were to start at the District Level tournaments and then moves on to County Levels and then makes his International Appearance, he has a footing. For he knows how fast a bowler can bowl and the average speed that the ball travels with, when he strikes with the middle of his bat. And in Cricket, the dimensions of the pitch or the quality of the wood that is used in the Bat or the material used to make the balls donot differ much.

But in Formula One, the equations change drastically from the lesser rated Formula 3 or NASCAR races. Suddenly, drivers find it difficult to control beasts in slim armors roaring like a thousand lions. It is like nothing that they have ever driven before. The least of the mean-machines, a Minardi, is about twice as fast as a Formula 3 car. And not to mention that the aerodynamics, the engine technology and the fuel used make a Formula One car a ground-level rocket. It is for this reason that one cannot club it under "Motor Racing". No amount of experience in any other form of racing would be of any value when you sit in the cockpit of a Formula One car. And when you cannot draw parallels, then the sport becomes a new one, and more ruefully an unfamiliar one.

If controlling the car is one beast, then there is another. A beast that is clothed in a three-piece suit and carries a suit-case. And the beast demands that the suitcase be filled with cash, if one wanted a Formula One drive. It is said that Formula One car runs on money rather than on petrol. It is an unarguable fact that Money takes pole position ahead of talent when it comes to this 21st century sport. And when you come from India, all your money gets divided by that magic figure "forty-five" and your pockets become shallower and dissapear even before you can knock on the door of the measliest of Formula One bosses.

The path that Narain has taken has been a tough one. For in any sport, the first is the one who suffers the most. Because there are no examples and no one with similar background and experience to guide them. And when one does not have guidance, it results in experimentation. And needless to say, experimentation and time are two things that are inextricably hitched to each other. When Narain tested for the Jaguar's and the Minardi's in 2001 and 2002, he was 24. It wasnt the best age to begin a Formula One career, but it still gave him atleast ten good years of life in the fastest Lane. But to his frustration, Narain could not find the sponsors to support the demands of the measliest of Teams on the biggest arena.

Finally, in 2005, Twenty-eight year old Narain signs up for the Jordan-Midland F1. It is a team that holds sentimental value to many of the old fans of Formula One. For it is the car in which the great Michael Schumacher made his debut. And i would have been happier had the team still remained with the mercurial Eddie Jordan, the master talent-spotter. Had Eddie spotted Narain, i would have sat back and waited for Narain to find his way into better teams. It would have been a matter of a few seasons. All said and done, Narain starts racing.

If two beasts weren't enough, there was a silent third. A beast who would hybernate till Narain would win the fight with the other two beasts and secure a drive. This beast is tougher, larger and has the power of a billion people. And if the first two beasts are atleast predictable, the third one isnt. For it is called "India".In a country starved of original sporting heroes, Indians in sports find themselves at the wrong side of the stick way too often and for reasons they can hardly fathom. I was alarmed to see a title page in a local newspaper say, "Narain closing in on Schumacher". I shuffled in my seat uneasily and mopped my forehead. If Narain had seen this, he sure would have had a minor heart attach. For Schumacher, the son of a German Brick-layer, went on to become a legend in one of the most demanding sports on earth. And this huge, out of the world headline for the small fact that Narain had clocked just a few seconds slower compared to Schumacher in a testing session. If this were to be the expectation that Indians had for Narain karthikeyan before the season started, then wonder how it would be once the races start.

Before we start mounting our expectations on Narain who is barely a couple of races old, let us keep in mind that Fissichella who won the Albert Park GP is 144 F1 races (approx 13 seasons) old but with only Two wins and 126 points. Jarno Trulli has raced in 132 GP's with only 2 wins and 125 points.Webber started 53 races but has had just 30 points and no podiums at all. Heidfeld's been in 87 races with just two podiums and 34 points till date.And mind you, these drivers have been in F1 since their early 20's. And Narain is already 28. I seriously donot expect him to do very well. As long as he can be quicker than the Minardi's and his own team-mate, i am satisfied. Afterall one cannot expect a Jordan to win the race even if 'macher the immaculate were piloting it. Afterall each driver is only as good as the machine he is strapped into. I donot expect anything more from him this season. All he has to do for now is to complete races and look to impress rival team bosses who might be on the lookout for better talent. Webber, inspite of his seemingly poor record has done just that.

This is a good beggining for India in Formula One. Perhaps one day we might get to hold an Indian flag in one hand and a Scuderia Flag in the other. Not with Narain in the cockpit, but with some other Fresh talent who sure would know that it was a legend named Narain who broke the barrier for him to enter into the Sanctun Sanctotum of the best of Formula One cars.

Adios!

Fernando the formidable

Fernando and Flavio

"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!" - those were the words on the lips of Flavio Briatore when his young colt Fernando Alonso took pole at the Sepang GP. And as the Spaniard went flying from pole to podium, the smirk on Flavio's face metamorphosized into a smile and then into an all-knowing grin. A tell tale grin that said that red-hot Renault were the team to beat in 2005.

Alonso flew from the start and increased the gap between himself and Trulli and went on to win the Sepang GP hands down in front of a packed crowd. A third at Albert Park and a first here moves him to the top slot on the drivers' points table. As for Renault, it would have been even better had Fissichella fired too. Unfortunately a lapse of concentration from the young Italian cost himself and the promising Webber a few valuable points. Fissichella braked a millisecond slower, thereby crashing into Webber who was trying to overtake him on the outside.

Toyota's Trulli, in a truly remarkable performance came second and gave Toyota one of its first podiums. The fact that Ralf Schumacher came in fifth proves that Toyota racing is going to be a force to reckon with in 2005.Heidfeld in a display of mastery proved that he is a capable enough driver, coming third for BMW Williams. David Coulthard and his minion Klein seem to have done really well. Red Bull have landed in the points yet again!

Unlucky is thine middle name. Kimi Raikonnen could have landed in the points were it not for a blown tyre. It was a sad picture to see the Finn limp into the pits on three tyres and a rim.For the second time this season, Kimi has been denied a podium position by the Gods of Luck. I only hope that a fine driver like him shines well.

Good old Narain seems to have hung on there and getting a respectable eleventh inspite of a bird-hit qualifying and half a race sans radio. Due to the radio problems, Karthikeyan came into the pits a lap behind schedule with only half a litre of fuel in the tank.

As for Michael the Great, his car seems to have been outclassed. But only a man of Michael Schumacher's finesse could have nursed the F2004M to the finish line. If Bridgestone does not come up with a better set of tyres, no matter how good the F2005 is, Ferrari wont go anywhere. And i sure did pinch myself when Alonso lapped a Ferrari. It truly is a humbing thing to be lapped. And an ashaming one when you are in the cockpit of a Scuderia Ferrari Malboro.

All eyes will be on Italian constructor at the desert grand prix as the opposition will wait with bated breath as the knight mounts the brand new prancing horse christened "F2005". But i only hope that the Stallion is given a good set of hooves. I believe that to be the achilles heel of the Scuderia team.

Ironically, in mythology, a horse with only two legs on the ground means a martyr who died in battle. I donot know why this suddenly came to my thought, but this sudden "Prancing Horse" realization sure does send shivers down my spine. And not to mention that the "creator" of the prancing horse logo, an Italian pilot from World War I who painted the first ever prancing horse on his craft died in action and his mother suggested that Enzo use the logo for "Good Luck" !

Waiting for "Operation Desert Storm" a.k.a Ferrari F2005 :-)

Adios!

love sans eternity

The tired and worn out soldiers staggered into Dusseldorf, still wary and looking out for lone gunmen who might be hidden in the forlorn and broken buildings. It had been a tiring day like anyother but today was different. It was a day with an end. The end of the Battle of Dusseldorf. Dusseldorf was the last bastion of the German soldiers in the soon to be British Sector. Initially the regiment had started with fifty-seven on board. Now twenty kilometers and twelve days later just seven of them walked into dusseldorf.

Private Stentham tottered along, his lips parched and bleeding from a freshly burst boil. His leg was broken from falling in a deep trench just outside the city. It hurt. He was sure that every bone in his body was broken. He would have fallen there and slept had he not noticed the vultures looking encouragingly at him. The scene around him was one of absolute devastation. Broken buildings lined potholed roads. Rotting bodies were strewn all over the place. The Captain, who was wallking a few feet in front said something . Stentham turned to the soldier next to him and gestured to him as to what the Captain had said. The solider shook his head. Months of fierce fighting had left most of the soldiers almost deaf from the continuous sound of artillery firing and air-planes shreiking abovehead. Stentham lowered his head and walked on.

That night there was no tent set up. Partially because there was a dearth for camping equipment and partially because none of the soldiers could lift themselves, leave alone a pole. The soldiers kneeled on the harsh concrete floor and dropped to the floor. They had no spare clothing and no beds. Some stuffed hay into their helmets and used it as a pillow. Stentham curled himself up in a corner and hugged his rifle whose barrel was still warm from the day's action. He quickly fell into a state of deep sleep. When the grenade exploded, none of the soldiers gave so much as a cry.

When Stentham woke up, he saw a smiling white face mouthing something to him. It was a white figure dressed in a white blouse and a white skirt. He could not hear what it was saying. Stentham was sure that he had died and it was his fairy god-mother who was tending to him. He closed his eyes in bliss and fell back. wWhen he opened his eyes again several hours later, the same figure was still trying to tell him something. He could hear a few muted sounds now. But when he tried to prop himself up on the pillow, his elbow and back hurt. He fell back unconscious. The first word that he heard when his hearing returned was "Matilda". He could feel someone feeding him when he felt hungry but couldnt express his hunger, clean his almost unliveable body at regular hours and sing songs when he shivered with wild nightmares of white children with blonde hair and blue eyes and no skin asking him when their parents would return.

Three months later, Captain Robin Stentham MC was ready to leave the military hospital. The doctors had told him that he had been lucky to have escaped the war with nothing more than a partial limp and a half-deaf ear. Robin waited expectantly for his Matilda to come.She was the only hope that he could see for up to the horizon was filled with burnt buildings and charred remains of human beings. He had told her several times that he could not fathom as to how she maintained a smiling face amidst such devastating ruin. He had fallen in love with her the instant he had seen her. She was beautiful beyond words. He could not think of any words to describe her. Nor could he remember any word while she was in his presence. When he came back from his trance, he saw Matilda standing before his bed, checking on his blood pressure. He blurted out, "Will you marry me Matilda?"

Captain Stentham returned to Dusseldorf a month after he had gone back from Germany after his wounds had healed. He was now in-charge of the knowledge transfer from German Scientists to their British counterparts in the field of radios. Stentham had returned to Britain a month earlier. When he went to his small village in Yorkshire, he had found that his house was destroyed. Ang with it had perished his parents. After days of crying, his senses numbed, Stentham walked into the General's office with a cold face, demanding that he be posted to Germany. He now had one aim. He wanted her. He decided on a plan of action. He asked for Dusseldorf in particular. The General found the request peculiar but did not question Stentham's intentions. He already had a queue of officers waiting to return from Dusseldorf. Afterall nobody wanted to live in a ravaged city.

Stentham pondered on what had happened that fateful day at the Military hospital. Matilda had refused to marry him. She told him that she loved him. But she loved him as a mother would love her children. She told him that she marvelled him because he was one of the very few she had ever seen who had escaped such severe physical traumas. He had pleaded with her like a child. She told him, "I'm married". Stentham looked at her hand. She bowed down and said, "With the pawn broker. My husband...."

Stentham was given a huge apartment in one of the posh areas in Dusseldorf. It was a city that had put the war behind it and was rebuilding itself at a fast rate. Stentham walked into his apartment and without even removing his coat, he lifted the unlisted phone off its hook and murmured, "The Dean, Dusseldorf Military Hospital. Use an alias". A sober voice on the other end said, "Yes Captain." A few minutes later the dean of the hospital came onto the line. Stentham said, "Wonder if i could speak to one Ms.Matilda of Ward-F?"

"I am sorry Herr Greffold. I am afraid she has left the hospital" came back a broken voice. Stentham waited silently for more explanation. The dean continued, "She gave the reason that her old and ailing husband required continuous attention. They have shifted from Dusseldorf to their village house somewhere in the vicinity of Wesel."

"I see. Could you give me her present address please? I believe we at the American Embassy have some information about her relatives in our sector" he said.

"Just a minute Herr Greffold" came the reply.

That night a sleek looking officer came into Stentham's private quarters. Stentham, in his night gown and sitting by the fire with a glass of fine French Clarinet studied the man. Stentham wondered if the man in front of him had so much as seen a dead body. These were one of the new generation of youths who in their jingoisitc fervor had signed up for the army without knowing about its hassles. Stentham knew that such officers would go to any extent to please a high ranking officer such as himself. Just the kind Stentham needed.

The officer saluted him and stood at attention. Stentham said, "We have information about a certain Mr. Hans Kruger who headed the third Panzer division that invaded Greece. He lives off Wesel in a small village. The man is not concerned with radios. But he poses the threat of organizing a resistance network. I want you to take him out. And do not attempt to capture the man alive or make contact with him. Just take him out." The officer nodded and walked away.

The next morning Stentham's maid came rusing out of the house, screaming at the top of her voice. When the officers rushed in, they found Captain Stentham lying askance on the carpet with a gun in his hand and fresh blood was oozing out of his forehead. On the floor beside him was a newspaper that read:

Fire in Wesel kills two
July, 1945
------------------------

" An ailing man Hans Kruger and his wife Matilda Kruger were killed in a fire yesterday night. It apears that the fire broke out in the couple's barn in the little village of wesel. Both of them died on the spot from third degree burns. No further investigations are to be made as the officers have concluded that the fire was accidental. A service will be conducted for the late couple today afternoon"
Source: Reuters, Dusseldorf

Formula 1 Season KICKS OFF!!!

This year i looked forward for the Australian GP even more that i have ever before. Two reasons for it. The first one being that - for the first time i would be able to support an Indian in Formula One. The second being that the R25 and the MP4-20 from the Renault and McLaren stables respectively showed a lot of promise in the winter testing sessions.

I was pretty amazed to see Narain race with so much confidence in the first qualifying session. And that too in the rain. And coming 15th wasnt that bad. Infact i did not expect him to finish the race. And it did warm my heart to see that he wasnt just intent on finishing the laps. He actually tried to be fast. Those few times when he actually put his tyres on the grass proved that he was trying to push the machine beyond its limit. Am sure he would do well this season and in the seasons to come.

I think Narain has potential. I just wish he had gotten to drive that Minardi way back in 2001 when he first tested for them. But for Indians in alien sports like Golf and Formula One, sponsorships have always been a problem. Had Narain gotten to drive that Minardi,i am sure i would have been holding an Indian flag in one hand and a BMW/McLaren flag in the other for this season. I atleast hope those who succeed him(eg: Karun Chandhoke) would get the right sponsors at the right time. And for those of you who have watched Formula 3000, you sure know that this isnt the empty babbling of a patriotic Indian. We have seen Narain beat the likes of Jensen Button and Alonso in races in Britain.

Coming to more Formula season centric talk, this season holds a lot of promise. McLaren seem to have delivered a good car and Renault have leaped leagues ahead with the R25. So i see a challenge from these legendary teams rather than a prostration ceremony before the prancing horse.

The rain gods smiled on the young Fissichella and for the first time in some seasons, we heard the Italian anthem being played for the winning driver rather than for the winning constructor. Though i would have to agree that young Fissi had the best track conditions during Q1he did hold on to that luck and capitalized on his pole position, losing the flag for only a lap or two to Rubens Barichello who came a good second. A pretty promising display for the young champion groom. He and Alonso are a great pair. Look out for them this season and for aeons to come :-)

For the young Kimi, things just go wrong at the most important moment. The MP4-20 wouldnt select any gear just before the right lights went out. He and Montoya may have landed in the points table, but they sure havent proven to the crowds that they are a dream pair. I think Kimi is unlucky with the McLaren and should change teams. Perhaps he could fill into Michael's great boots after the German great retires for good.

David Coulthard was the one surprise package - as the whole Formula One contingent went drowsy after a shot of RED BULL. And Christian Klein proved to the onlookers that it wasnt just the driver but also the car :-P. Finally Jaguar Racing has come of age :-P

DC's succesor Jensen Button (laughs) and his team BAR made a real good decision by retiring at the fag end of the race. BAR HONDA sure has a couple of good strategists amidst them. Watch out for them at Sepang!

As for the phenomenon called Michael Schumacher, things could not have been different from the last Australian GP, thanks to Nick Heidfeld and his unmaneuverable BMW. A 1-2 pole conversion to a 1-2 podium finish was indeed a dream start for them Ferrari last season. But behold, Schumacher with the advantage of a fresh engine for the Sepang GP should not find it difficult to wrap up the proceedings. And the F2005 sans its ocupant sure must have made a lot of McLaren's switch loyalties for this season :-P

See you after Sepang...