The year of Retirements - An ode to Schumi - the Regenmeister

Statutory warning : This post contains sports, sports and more sports. Those who hate sports or Schumi, better not continue further.

Yes, I know. I am pretty late to write about this. But better late than never.

As you might have guessed, i am talking about the number of people retiring from sports arena, and no i am not talking about cricket. I have somehow lost my interest in it. I am talking about other sports. First there was Zidane, who retired from all levels of football. Then a whole bunch of footballers like Totti, Roberto Carlos et al announced their international retirements. ( One retirement which amazed me the most is that of Riquelme. But i am not gonna talk about that here). Then we had Agassi and Navratilova who announced their retirements from tennis and finally a week ago Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula1 at the end of the season( And it is about him that i wanna write).

Schumi, as he is popularly known around the world is one of the greatest racing drivers i have ever seen and i know not many people actually think so. He actually began kart racing in a wooden kart at the age of 4, in the karting track managed by his father. And by 12 he was racing competetively. Now lemme see, at the age of 12 i think i was learning how to ride a cycle and there is this guy who has obtained a licence and is racing competitively. Now that is amazing.

The story of how he gotta drive his first race is even more amazing. When Bertrand Gachot was imprisoned before the 1991 Belgian GrandPrix, Eddie Jordan was trying to find a replacement driver. It was then that Schumi approached Eddie Jordan and asked for the drive. To impress Jordan, Schumi also said that he knew the track like the back of his hand, but the fact was that he had just been round the track once that morning, that too on a borrowed bicycle. Jordan gave him the driver's seat and he impressed all by qualifying 7th. Actually he finished 1992 in third position ahead of Ayrton Senna.Now according to me, that is greatness.
What i find amazing is his capacity to get out fast laps at crucial moments in the race. His exploits in wet weather is well known. That is the reason he is known as "Regenkönig" ( Rain king or king of wet weather) or "Regenmeister" (Rain master).

After Ayrton Senna's death, Schumi is regarded as the fastest driver in F1 and the most dominant one. And like him he is having more than his share of controversies.

The first Controversy, which most people point out is the championship deciding collision of 1994. Schumi was leading Damon Hill with 1 point going into the last race. He was leading from the start, but when Hill started applying pressure, he made a mistake, ran wide and hit a wall. Nobody knows if his car was damaged as a result of that, but he lost momentum after the recovery. Hill tried to seize this opportunity, by going for the overtaking manouver and tried the inside line for the next corner. Schumi turned his car into Hill's car taking out both of them. He won the championship that year. He did try a similar thing on Jacques Villeneuve 2 years later, but it ended with him out of the race and Villeneuve finishing third and winning the championship. Schumacher's second place in the championship was stripped off him.

For the people who don't know about it, Aryton Senna had done something similar to his rival Alain Prost a couple of years ago. He had actually proclaimed before the race that he will take Prost out of the race and did take him out. Actually i find it amusing that people who blame Schumi for this controversy also praise Senna for what he had done.

His move to Ferrari was a fruitful one. He won 5 back to back driver's championship with them (and in the process of winning a 6th one this year). This had to do more with his driving skills combined with the strategy of Ferrari. Actually he is the first driver in F1 to win a race in the pit lane. In the British grandprix, he was given a "stop-go" penalty ( in which he has to come into the pit lane and stop for 10 seconds and then continue) with 3 laps to go. Once this penalty is given, the driver has 3 laps in which he has to come into the pits. Now since he had just 3 laps to go, he just picked up his speed and dived into the pitlane on the last lap. Ferrari pit garage was after the finish line and the chequered flag, shown to indicate the end of the race, can be shown in the pit lane too. Thus he became the first driver to win the race from pitlane. McLaren, their nearest rivals, complained about this, but it was found that what ferrari did was within the law of the race.

The number of records he has tumbled is amazing.

• Most championship titles: 7
• Most consecutive championship titles: 5
• Most race wins: 90
• Most consecutive race wins: 7 (in 2004 - European GP, Canadian GP, United States GP, French GP, British GP, German GP, Hungarian GP) This record is shared with Ascari, which won the last 6 races of 1952 and the first one of 1953. The following race was the Indianapolis 500, in which he did not participate. Afterwards he won other two races, but since the Indy 500 was officially part of the F1 World Championship, his winning streak was already over.
• Most race wins with one team: 71 with Ferrari
• Most race wins at the same GP: 8 at the French Grand Prix (Magny-Cours)
• Most time between first and last race wins: 14 years, and 12 days and counting
  
• Most second place finishes: 43
• Most podium finishes: 153
• Most consecutive podium finishes: 19 (from the 2001 United States Grand Prix, until the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix)
• Most points finishes: 188
• Most laps leading: 4726 (with a total of 22,072.693 km in 130 Grands Prix)
• Most pole positions: 68
• Most starts from first row: 108
• Most fastest laps: 75
• Most doubles (pole position and race win): 40
• Most hat-trick (pole position, race win and fastest lap): 22
• Most championship points: 1,354
• Most consecutive race finished without retirement: 24 (from the 2001 Hungarian Grand Prix, until the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix)
• Most race wins in a season: 13 (out of 18 races)
• Most fastest laps in a season: 10 (out of 18 races; tied by Räikkönen in 2005)
• Most championship points in a season: 148 (out of a maximum of 180)
• Most podium finishes in a season: 17 (out of 17 races)

(Source : Wikipedia)

Schumi we'll miss u. Schumi Rulz

And Stier means...

I got a few queries as to what stier in my user name actually means. As it was a long time, since i had written anything, i thought i'll better create a new post to tell what it means.

The thing is when i was searchin for a funky name for my blog(Yes, i was tired of having a permutation and combination of arun ks), i thought i'll use my sunsign. I am a Taurean. But i didn't want my blogname to be something like taurus.blogspot.com. So in comes the good old Google with its great language tool option. Taurus in English, when converted to any language other than German, was pretty similar. Then i tried German and voila, here comes my blogname :)

Don't Quit

Just found this poem some place and it struck to me to be so valid. Many a times we try really very hard to achieve something. If the things aren't going our way, we try for sometime and just quit doing it when we really are the closest to achieving it. If we had not quit, we might have achieved it. This poem addresses the same thing.

What really struck me was the last 5-6 lines of the poem which starts with "And you never can tell how close.....". How many times have we stopped doing something coz we are hit reallybad at it?? It can be in anything thing right from sports, down to exams. Hope it can serve as an inspiration for some of us atleast. So here goes the poem.

When the things go wrong
as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging
seems all uphill;
When the funds are low
and the debts are high;
And you want to smile,
but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you
down a bit ...
Rest if you must,
but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out,
the silver tint
of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell
how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so afar,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit...
It's when things go wrong,
that you must not quit.

The hyped world

What has inspired me to write this piece is the main story in today's paper. "BPO Staffer murdered", "IT City horrified" screamed TOI. "BPO firm emloyee murdered" announced Hindu. What is it with the BPO employees that cause these papers and the news channel to hype the news??. Well, atleast in the previous case, it was a cause of concern.The lady was picked up from her house in a company van to take her to work, but was duped and killed. It was a shock.

But in this case, it is more like a family fued. The lady went on her own will with her boyfriend after work. She was found murdered the next day. There are just too many ppl who are murdered in this way. Theyleave their work place and never return home. Do the news channel or the paper even mention about all of them, let alone hype it. But once they see the title 'BPO', they go on to great lengths to just hype the news and make sure of their monetary collections for the day. And moreover, it is not a news to cause the IT city to be horrified. When mumbai has the courage and bravery to fight back from a bomb explosion which rocked it, do u believe that a city like Bangalore will be horrified, just because a person killed another for some personal reasons??

As far as I know ( and I know very little), this is not in the spirit of journalism. You are not supposed to sensationalize an issue, just to gain some mileage out of it. But that is what is happening in India atleast (I do not want to talk abt the world media as i know not much abt them). This, when coupled with the dumb witted, self centered politicians who care abt nothing else but themselves, is a classic recipe for a disaster. Dunno, what will save India now from disaster

Vote Bank politics

Last week, a news item in the paper caught my eyes. It was regarding the central government wanting to scrap the "Right to Education Bill". Reason : Lack of funds. While the govt is ready to pour funds upto 300 crore into higher education to see that the quotas are implemented, it just doen't want to make sure that the children, who are the citizens of tomorrow, get the basic education.

Of course, what else to expect. These 17 crore children are in no position to vote for the government. But if they implement the quota, they are sure to get much more votes. This just goes to show the lack of interest which the present govt has towards anything else, other than vote bank politics. Or is it one more plot by the govt to make sure that the quota system go on unabated?.

If we do give proper basic education to these children, they will be in a position to compete with the so called upper caste people(Which i think just means ppl who are willing to work hard). Then there will be no need for a caste based reservation system, which implies this hot topic, which the politicians use to divide the ppl and increase their vote bank, will not survive. So they are making pretty sure that the caste based reservation system does go ahead, if not for the well being of the country(as they claim), atleast for the well being of themselves (which is the truth). Well, the supporters of the quota system, the so called leaders of the backtrodden, are just keeping quite. Why can't they make sure that the bill do get passed and implemented properly?? The so called secular parties, which goes ahead to divide the country on caste (now i am really confused. How are they secular, when they are basing their politics on caste??), doesn't even make a sound. Reason, if these ppl do come ahead, then the leaders of the downtrodden( so called leader atleast) and these petty politicians wont have any issue to fight on and become a pseudo hero.

This just goes on to show that the utter lack of respect which the politicians have for the country. Sometimes it makes me wonder, if having autocracy is better than having democracy and choosing these dumb twits.

Inspiration

Often your tasks will be many,
and more than you think you can do
Often the road will be rugged
and the hills insurmountable, too

Always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with faith in your heart start upward
And climb 'till you reach your dream,

Nothing in life that is worthy
Is ever too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the faith to believe...

Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will

Faith is a mover of mountains,
There's nothing that God cannot do,
So start out today with faith in your heart

And Climb Until Your Dream Comes True

---Source: The Internet

Ways to Live Success - Part II

Hi, here i am back with my latest musings. The book which i was talking about in the last post has really got me thinking a lot. It had a chapter titled "How to look irrestitibly attractive". And of course as any normal guy o fmy age will do, i went thru the chapter eagerly. But, unfortunately it didn't have any self-help tips or procedures to become " Irresistibly attractive". However, it did mention something amazing.

I brief, it said that being attractive is about energy. It is about our energy and the energy of the people with whom we interact. Like energies attract and unlike energies repel ( Don't confuse with ur Magnetic attraction theories). If u r pretty close to someone, then it is because both of u are giving out similar energies. As far as the people who seems to continuously suffer from one or the other problems are concerned, that is because they are attracting it by giving out similar energy, knowingly or unknowingly. Now that explains why some students continuously gets into trouble. The trouble they create for others, attracts the trouble to them.

I usually have an unpleasant feeling when i see someone or when in somebodies company. For no practical reasons I will be abhoring the person. In such situations, a few of my friends do ask me as to why i hate that person so much and what (s)he has done. It was really puzzling. Why so i hate them?? Most of them haven't harmed me. I have no reason to hate them. But still i do. I just couldn't explain it. It was like, i hate them thats it, full stop. No reasons. Coz even i didn't kow what the reason was. Well now, i do have an explanation for it. So people, now u got the answer why i hate a few people without any reason :)

Going on with the book, it tells that if we listen to the inner conscience, it does alert us when there are troubles lurking around. It might be like some unknown feeling in urself, or in form of some pain or the other. It knows whatever we are planning is not good for us and it does give out an intimation. I do agree with this part of it. I believe all of us does have an inner conscience which keeps on telling usif something we are doing/about to do is not right. But, most of us would have closed our doors to it, not listening to it even if it is informing us.

Reasons for my belief ... simple, i have experienced it. So many times, if what i am planning to do is not right in some way, or if there is some serious trouble, i do get this sickening feeling, something like a knot in the stomach. Earlier, i used to ignore it, but paid a price for it. Later on too, I used to dismiss the previous incident as just a co incidence and go on with whatever i was planning, but used to pay a heavier price for it. Finally, when it almost came to life/death situation ( few may remember my experience/adventure of 2nd yr), i learnt that I do have to listen to it. I have done from then onwards, aborting my plans whenever, i felt the wierd feeling or doing something to get out of it. Touch wood...from then on I haven't had any troublesome situations. Now i do know sceptics won't agree with that, but do i want them to concur with me on these?? No way. It is my belief and i will listen to it as long as it keeps me away from trouble

Ways to Live Success

Well got hold of a book called "52 ways to Live Success" by Jeanne Shatbuno. A good inspirational book. Well it has got me thinking.

According to this book, the formula for a jouful and successful living is INSIDE OUT, i.e : Be + Do+ Have = Success.
While most ppl have an OUTSIDE IN approach, i.e: Have + Do + Be = Success. Makes me wonder what mine is. Dunno...Well i don't even have a formula of success explicitly, but internally i think i follow a mixture of both of them.

To have a joyful and successful life, it is essential to first :

1. BE

Be yourself, Know what u really are. Know what is important to u.Know what makes u unique. Know what u do best.

2. DO

Do the things u do best. Use ur talents in a way that is helpful to others. Touch ppl in meaningful ways. Leave a lasting legacy.

3. HAVE

Have a life, not a lifestyle. Life should be oriented around what is most important to u. A life spent with those who really matter most to u.

Another interesting thing i discovered is abt clearing the stuffs which are draining energy out of us. All of us are bothered by a number of things. If u think abt it a bit, i think u can make out that it is these things which are draining the energy of life out of us. There are so many stuffs which we have to put up with. The priority is to get these stuffs cleared, if possible. Yes, few of the stuffs are not easy to clear off. But we need to make an effort in clearing it.

Lemme ponder over these stuffs right now. I'll be back in a short while with more "stuffs". U will have to bear up with it until i finish this book

Moving

Hmm.. Finally got an id on blogspot. So moving my blog from livejournal to here. Hoping to start blogging more often now, than earlier.