Formula 1 Racing - Monaco GrandPrix - Update on Michael Schumaher incident

Michael Schumacher apologised on Sunday, while still protesting his innocence, to anyone who suspected he had tried to manipulate Monaco Grand Prix qualifying in his favour. Speaking after salvaging a fifth position after starting last, the Ferrari driver said he had a clear conscience.

"Anyone who thinks that I deliberately wanted to wreck Alonso's lap is wrong," he told Germany's RTL television. "And to those who think that, I can only say 'I'm sorry that it happened'. "But that was certainly not the intention because I was not even aware of where Alonso was. We didn't have radio contact and I did not have any knowledge of who was driving out."

Race stewards ruled on Saturday that the seven times world champion deliberately stopped at the slow penultimate corner of the track in the dying seconds of qualifying to prevent rivals from beating his time. He was stripped of pole position and Alonso, who qualified second, promoted in his place.

"I'm used to living with criticism and in certain situations you just have to live with it," continued Schumacher. "I think that there is a lot of prejudice involved, because no one was really sitting in that car and knew how and why everything happened as it did. Without knowing the situation we had and what I felt, no one else is really in a position to accurately judge what happened from the outside," added the 37-year-old. "I have to admit that certain things must have looked a bit curious from the outside but there were reasons for that and I don't really want to elaborate on it. It's not really anyone else's business either."

Schumacher, five times a winner in Monaco and the most successful driver in the history of Formula One with 86 wins, recognised that his career was a chequered one with lows to match the highs.

"Everyone's got some spots on their clean vests," he declared. "I believe that I've had for the most part a clean vest in the 15 or 16 years that I've been in Formula One and there are perhaps a few darker points in there where some may dispute or criticise things. But I can live quite well with that."

Schumacher's manager Willi Weber had spoken earlier about envious enemies and the driver agreed that there were plenty of rivals in the paddock eager to see him punished. He did not expect a reconciliation any time soon.

"Those who opened their mouths and made their snappy comments are now certainly too chicken to come to me and talk to me one on one," he said. "The others who are more reasonable have come up to talk to me about it. It's like anything else in life. You can't only have friends. You've got those who envy you and are foes. You've got to come to terms with that. Why should it be any different than in real life?"

Source: Eurosport
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a completely unfair decision and I completely agree with Schumacher.

The stewards, having the authority to go either side, decided that it was more important to satisfy the needs of the large envious and foe camp rather than go with what they believe to have happened.

I didn't expect anything less from the people who are completely blinded by rage (check the quotes on Saturday - there are some, who made comments as if they were going to take the pole position, went there and opened their mouths with the aim of just critizing Michael Schumacher). Unfortunately, almost none of those will be able to win any championship until the end of their life as opposed to someone who has already won the championship 7 times.

10 Great Rock Albums of the Dai

Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys (1966)

The best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," "Caroline No," and "Sloop John B" (the last of which wasn't originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as "You Still Believe in Me," "Don't Talk," "I Know There's an Answer," and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." It's often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). Massively influential upon its release (although it was a relatively low seller compared to their previous LPs), it immediately vaunted the band into the top level of rock innovators among the intelligentsia, especially in Britain, where it was a much bigger hit. [AMG]

Billion Dollar Babies - Alice Cooper (1973)

With 1973's Billion Dollar Babies, Alice Cooper refined the raw grit of their earlier work in favor of a slightly more polished sound (courtesy of super-producer Bob Ezrin), resulting in a mega-hit album that reached the top of the U.S. album charts. Song for song, Billion Dollar Babies is probably the original Alice Cooper group's finest and strongest. Such tracks as "Hello Hooray," the lethal stomp of the title track, the defiant "Elected" (a re-write of an earlier song, "Reflected"), and the poison-laced pop candy of "No More Mr. Nice Guy" remain among Cooper's greatest achievements. Also included are a pair of perennial concert standards — the disturbing necrophilia ditty "I Love the Dead" and the chilling macabre of "Sick Things" — as well as such strong, lesser-known selections as "Raped and Freezin'," "Unfinished Sweet," and perhaps Cooper's most overlooked gem, "Generation Landslide." Nothing seemed like it could stop this great hard-rock band from overtaking the universe, but tensions between the members behind the scenes would force the stellar original A.C. band to split up after just one more album. Not only is Billion Dollar Babies one of Alice Cooper's very best; it remains one of rock's all-time, quintessential classics. [AMG]

Forever Changes - Love (1967)

It wasn't a hit, but Forever Changes continues to regularly appear on critics' lists of the top ten rock albums of all time, and it had an enormously far-reaching and durable influence that went way beyond chart listings. The best fusion of folk-rock and psychedelia, it features Lee's trembling vocals, beautiful melodies, haunting orchestral arrangements, and inscrutable but poetic lyrics, all of which sound nearly as fresh and intriguing upon repeated plays. One of rock's most organic, flowing masterpieces, every song has a lingering, shimmering beauty, including the two penned by the band's other talented songwriter/guitarist/singer, Bryan MacLean. [A 2001 expanded CD reissue on Rhino/Elektra adds lengthy historical liner notes and seven bonus tracks: the 1968 single "Your Mind and We Belong Together"/"Laughing Stock," the genuine Forever Changes outtake "Wonder People (I Do Wonder)," the demo "Hummingbirds" (essentially an instrumental version of "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This"), and alternate mixes of "Alone Again Or" and "You Set the Scene."] [AMG]

Shine on Brightly - Procol Harum (1968)

After the multi-million selling "A Whiter Shade Of Pale," Procol Harum coalesced around a new line-up and cut a debut album in two days, the sales of which (because the hit song wasn't on it originally) were only fair, and a couple of new singles also failed to sell. Then they did Shine On Brightly, which initially drew on recordings going back to late 1967 — in the course of preparing their first proper LP, the band junked an entire side of blues-based numbers in favor of the 18-minute suite "In Held 'Twas I," which rivaled anything yet heard from such established progressive rock outfits as the Nice or the Moody Blues in length and surpassed them in audacity, with an extensive spoken part surrounded by virtuoso classical and psychedelic passages (and even a featured spot for Dave Knights' bass). It all proved that they were more than a one-hit wonder and, released in late 1968, the album extended the definition of progressive rock, even as it kept much of the music rooted in established rock genres. "Skip Softly," for all of its grand piano pyrotechnics, was also a showcase for Robin Trower's bluesy, high-energy guitar attack, and "Wish Me Well" was an even better vehicle for his instrument, while "Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)" was an interesting exercise in nostalgia highlighted by Matthew Fisher's organ. [AMG]

Hot Rats - Frank Zappa (1969)

Aside from the experimental side project Lumpy Gravy, Hot Rats was the first album Frank Zappa recorded as a solo artist sans the Mothers, though he continued to employ previous musical collaborators, most notably multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood. Other than another side project — the doo wop tribute Cruising With Ruben and the Jets — Hot Rats was also the first time Zappa focused his efforts in one general area, namely jazz-rock. The result is a classic of the genre. Hot Rats' genius lies in the way it fuses the compositional sophistication of jazz with rock's down-and-dirty attitude — there's a real looseness and grit to the three lengthy jams, and a surprising, wry elegance to the three shorter, tightly arranged numbers (particularly the sumptuous "Peaches en Regalia"). Perhaps the biggest revelation isn't the straightforward presentation, or the intricately shifting instrumental voices in Zappa's arrangements — it's his own virtuosity on the electric guitar, recorded during extended improvisational workouts for the first time here. His wonderfully scuzzy, distorted tone is an especially good fit on "Willie the Pimp," with its greasy blues riffs and guest vocalist Captain Beefheart's Howlin' Wolf theatrics. Elsewhere, his skill as a melodist was in full flower, whether dominating an entire piece or providing a memorable theme as a jumping-off point. In addition to Underwood, the backing band featured contributions from Jean-Luc Ponty, Lowell George, and Don "Sugarcane" Harris, among others; still, Zappa is unquestionably the star of the show. Hot Rats still sizzles; few albums originating on the rock side of jazz-rock fusion flowed so freely between both sides of the equation, or achieved such unwavering excitement and energy. [AMG]

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and The Dominos (1970)

Wishing to escape the superstar expectations that sank Blind Faith before it was launched, Eric Clapton retreated with several sidemen from Delaney & Bonnie to record the material that would form Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. From these meager beginnings grew his greatest album. Duane Allman joined the band shortly after recording began, and his spectacular slide guitar pushed Clapton to new heights. Then again, Clapton may have gotten there without him, considering the emotional turmoil he was in during the recording. He was in hopeless, unrequited love with Patti Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison, and that pain surges throughout Layla, especially on its epic title track. But what really makes Layla such a powerful record is that Clapton, ignoring the traditions that occasionally painted him into a corner, simply tears through these songs with burning, intense emotion. He makes standards like "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" and "Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out)" into his own, while his collaborations with Bobby Whitlock — including "Any Day" and "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?" — teem with passion. And, considering what a personal album Layla is, it's somewhat ironic that the lovely coda "Thorn Tree in the Garden" is a solo performance by Whitlock, and that the song sums up the entire album as well as "Layla" itself. [AMG]

Tommy - The Who (1969)

The full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy that launched the band to international superstardom, written almost entirely by Pete Townshend. Hailed as a breakthrough upon its release, its critical standing has diminished somewhat in the ensuing decades because of the occasional pretensions of the concept and because of the insubstantial nature of some of the songs that functioned as little more than devices to advance the rather sketchy plot. Nonetheless, the double album has many excellent songs, including "I'm Free," "Pinball Wizard," "Sensation," "Christmas," "We're Not Gonna Take It," and the dramatic ten-minute instrumental "Underture." Though the album was slightly flawed, Townshend's ability to construct a lengthy conceptual narrative brought new possibilities to rock music. Despite the complexity of the project, he and the Who never lost sight of solid pop melodies, harmonies, and forceful instrumentation, imbuing the material with a suitably powerful grace. [AMG]

Remain in Light - Talking Heads (1980)

The musical transition that seemed to have just begun with Fear of Music came to fruition on Talking Heads' fourth album, Remain in Light. "I Zimbra" and "Life During Wartime" from the earlier album served as the blueprints for a disc on which the group explored African polyrhythms on a series of driving groove tracks, over which David Byrne chanted and sang his typically disconnected lyrics. Remain in Light had more words than any previous Heads record, but they counted for less than ever in the sweep of the music. The album's single, "Once in a Lifetime," flopped upon release, but over the years it became an audience favorite due to a striking video, its inclusion in the band's 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense, and its second single release (in the live version) because of its use in the 1986 movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills, when it became a minor chart entry. Byrne sounded typically uncomfortable in the verses ("And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife/And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?"), which were undercut by the reassuring chorus ("Letting the days go by"). Even without a single, Remain in Light was a hit, indicating that Talking Heads were connecting with an audience ready to follow their musical evolution, and the album was so inventive and influential, it was no wonder. As it turned out, however, it marked the end of one aspect of the group's development and was their last new music for three years. [AMG]

Avalon - Roxy Music (1982)

Flesh + Blood suggested that Roxy Music were at the end of the line, but they regrouped and recorded the lovely Avalon, one of their finest albums. Certainly, the lush, elegant soundscapes of Avalon are far removed from the edgy avant-pop of their early records, yet it represents another landmark in their career. With its stylish, romantic washes of synthesizers and Bryan Ferry's elegant, seductive croon, Avalon simultaneously functioned as sophisticated make-out music for yuppies and as the maturation of synth pop. Ferry was never this romantic or seductive, either with Roxy or as a solo artist, and Avalon shimmers with elegance in both its music and its lyrics. "More Than This," "Take a Chance With Me," "While My Heart Is Still Beating," and the title track are immaculately crafted and subtle songs, where the shifting synthesizers and murmured vocals gradually reveal the melodies. It's a rich, textured album and a graceful way to end the band's career. [AMG]

The Artist of the Dai! Changin' My Life

Changin' My Life consists of Myco, Tanabe Shintarou, and Henmi Noritaka. The group debuted in 2001 and disbanded in 2003. Changin' My Life is widely known for the efforts they displayed in the soundtract to the anime Full Moon wo Sagashite (満月をさがして) .

My favorite songs for the band include:
Eternal Snow, Myself,
Focus, New Future, Confidence, Smile,
Love Chronicle, Sayanora, Nostalgia, Embraced Love,
from the albums:
[Caravan]
[Changin' My Life]
[満月をさがして フルムーン・ファイナル・ライヴ].

I also suggest you to check the acoustic versions of the songs Myself, Eternal Snow, and New Future.

Music Update - Anime - Major

After talking about the Major series, it would be unfair to not mention about the songs related to the series. The intro songs for both the season 1 and the season 2 have been done by Road of Major: Kokoroe for Season 1, and Saraba Aoki Omokage for Season 2. If you are interested in Road of Major, I strongly suggest you to check their first album - that shares the band's name, Road of Major [1] [2], which includes very good songs(春雨, レールの行方, 足跡, 日付けのない日記, 大切なもの).

The last ending song for the Major series is also a good one: Shoboikaosunnayo Baby by The Loose Dogs.

Anime Update - Major Episode 45

Finally, episode 45 is subbed.

Episode summary: Goro starts pitching after they are down by 10 points. In the next inning, they score first 4 points, mainly thanks to Toshi's hit. Around that time, the varsity level pitchers appear, which include Goro's rival at this point, Mayumura.

Goro asks Mayumura to start playing but he tells him to make him so. In the last episode, the goal was to show the strength of the dream island survivors. Now, the goal has become to thrash the junior varsity team to make them bring out their best pitcher, Mayumura.

After the appearance of Mayumura and Goro's intelligent play, the Dream Island survivors score two more points and reduce the gap to 4 points. After that, the bitch, sorry, the female coach announces a player change: change of the pitcher and they bring out one of the varsity-level pitchers - Akutsu -, whose specialty is throwing Knuckle balls (ball thrown by the fingers). Akutsu's non-Knuckle ball was hit and Goro's run earns one more point for the Dream Island team. After that Akutsu starts throwing Knuckle balls, which results in consecutive outs.

The episode ends with Toshi's attempt to break the Knuckle ball, by exploiting its biggest weakness - the danger of throwing consecutive Knuckle balls which applies too much pressure on the fingers. Toshi tries to hit fouls to each Knuckle ball and render Akutsu's main weapon useless.

Harry Potter

Interesting stuff related to the story, movie and book mixed:

- An animagus that turns back to animal by getting rid of his clothes, but when change form again, it retains the clothes. I guess the transformation recalls the clothes?

- The insects and bugs related to the magical world is assumed to not exist in the non-magic world. Maybe this was mentioned in the earlier books. After I read and see some explanation related to that, I will change this part. Until then, it is really not logical to keep them confined within magic-folk's houses only.

- The surname-firstname stuff. This reminds me the japanese culture. Although I don't know about the Brit culture, that doesn't seem right to call people with surnames in a culture that still keeps royal-families.

- The time-travel clock: How come none of Death Eaters (Snape for instance) thought of using it the night Voldemort was killed to prevent his death? For instance, by killing the children in question before Voldemort does. Maybe in the early books, it talks about that, we'll see...

- The room of requirement: Why didn't Harry just say "I want to meet or talk to Malfoy" when he made sure he was inside the room?

Harry Potter Book 7 continued.

Kreacher and Dobby, will they play a significant part in the last book?

Griffindor sword, is there any use for it, in the future since it is a magical item that is highly related to Harry?

Did Dumbledore leave a will that is related to Harry?

The paintings of previous headmasters, will they help Harry in his quest?

The last word of the book scar, will it be erased after Voldemort's death?

Will Harry continue to make use of Snape's book? Will there be any signs in the book related to Snape's past? For instance, since there is a speculation about that, will there be anything related to Lily?

The locked room in the Ministry of Magic. Will Harry try to enter there?

Lily, what is the significant truth about her? Is it about the locker room, some unbreakable vow, some promise, some kind of will?

Draco Malfoy and the vow his mother made? If Malfoy changes sides, will the vow still be effective?

Snape and Harry's meeting? What will be Snape's choice? Will he protect Harry from Voldemort?

JKRowling has mentioned that Snape has been loved by someone before. Who is that person?His family or someone he has admired although not showed outside. Why Lily comes up to a person's mind?

Godric's Hollow? Who else was there when Voldermort attacked Lily? If Dumbledore was aware of that, then was Hagrid there? Since Snape mentioned about the prophecy to Voldermort, was there a relationship between Voldermort's giving Lily a choice and Snape's possible request? If Voldermort puts Snape into high place, which is the case, did Snape beg for Lily's life?

The other member(s) of the Order of Phoenix that we haven't met yet, which was again mentioned by JKRowling?Aberforth, for instance.

Since Aberforth will enter the picture in the last book in more details, will we observe a strong a wizard like his brother?

The 6th book seems to have clues about the Horcrux, maybe specifically. Any guess on that?

RAB? Is that person Sirius's brother? If that is the case, Kreacher, do you know the place to one of the Horcrux?

If Sirius was killed for the sake of the development in the 7th book, what was the reason other than making the hero go alone?

Harry Potter Book 7

I don't know why I hadn't felt a desire to read Harry Potter books, until a few days ago. I was highly mistaken. Although I skipped the first 4 due to movies, the last 2 were a fantastic ride for me. I guess everybody wonders what might happen in the 7th one, which will unfortunately wrap the series for good.

The following can be considered as the most interesting question about the 7th one.

1- Severus Snape - What will he choose at the end? Is he good or evil? What did Dumbeldore mean by the "please" at the end of book 6?
I guess we need to first choose the most powerful wizard in Legimency, Voldermort or Dumbeldore? The most powerful one can be able to see the deepest thoughts of Snape. Even though Snape can be considered to be skilled in Occlumency, I don't think it is near perfect. Harry could be able to tap into Snape's memories with luck or ease. So, keeping the actual thoughts hidden seem to be not very likely. So, a good question comes regarding Snape, can Snape's memories regarding one side can be temporarily modified? We know that Voldermort is a very powerful wizard in modifying people's memories. Can Dumbeldore do the same? Possibly. We also know that Snape's loyalty towards Voldermort was not hidden when he was in Hogwarts. It would be risky to keep that loyalty not-hidden. If Dumbeldore is not good in Legimency, it is possible, but I don't think that is the case. In that case, Dumbeldore should be able to see the real Snape. And, considering Snape's options as a two-sided player, the most logical option is to hide his real feelings regarding Dumbeldore when he is near Voldermort.

Another interesting theory is related to the unbreakable vow that Snape made with Malfoy's mother. That took place before Snape did return to Hogwarts. Dumbeldore was aware of the situation Malfoy was in. And I assume Dumbeldore was also aware of the mission that Malfoy was assigned to. If Dumbeldore was also aware of the vow, then Snape's loyalty should have required a re-evaluation. But, Dumbeldore still insisted on Snape's loyalty. That can only mean Dumbeldore was completely aware of Snape's double-play. If you are not sure about his loyalty, why insist on it?

Now that I read the last part of book 4, I came across Snape's going to Voldemort on Dumbeldore's orders. If Dumbeldore was sure of Snape's loyalty, why send to him to Voldemort who can easily detect where his loyalty lies? Again some memory charm or unbreakable vow come to my mind. What can be the unbreakable vow - e.g., one that is made to Dumbeldore to ask Snape to help the chosen one in his final quest to kill Voldemort - meaning a last second help to Harry to finish Voldemort.