Month: April 2006








  • Jeff Zelevansky/Reuters
    A Gutenberg Bible (the Morgan has three) enclosed in a glass case in the original library, which has been spiffed up.

    April 28, 2006
    Art Review
    The Morgan’s Treasures Bedazzle in Their New Jewel Box
    By HOLLAND COTTER

    IT has been 2 years, 11 months, 3 weeks and 6 days since the Morgan Library closed for its expansion by Renzo Piano. Not that I’ve been counting; I have a life. Still, the time has not sped by. We revere the Met, we adore the Frick, but the Morgan is extra special, in a class of its own. No place looks like it, feels like it or has what it has: namely some of the most sensationally compact art treasures anywhere in this treasure-loving town.

    Now the counting can stop. At 10 o’clock sharp tomorrow morning the Morgan will reopen. And all concerned parties — you, me and everyone else in New York — can dash over to see what’s new and what’s not.

    What’s new: a Madison Avenue entrance into Mr. Piano’s splendid four-story glass and steel court, a sort of giant solarium with see-through elevators. Mr. Piano has also created two good-size second-floor galleries, and a neat strong-box of an enclosure, called the Cube, for the Morgan’s famed reliquaries and altar vessels, medieval objects made with so much silver and gold that they seem to give off heat.

    In addition the library’s former reading room is now a gallery for drawings. And Pierpont Morgan’s baronial private study, where shrewd minds and expensive cigars once gathered, has been refurbished and Lemon-Pledged. I’ll skip over the auditorium, new dining room and expanded gift shop, but will note that the Morgan Library has acquired a semi-new name; we must now call it the Morgan Library and Museum.

    Of course the Morgan has always basically been a museum. That brings me to what is not new: almost everything in the celebratory exhibition “Masterworks From the Morgan,” which fills every gallery. Regular visitors will spot old favorites, like the ninth-century Lindau Gospels cover, encrusted with agates that glow like nightlights; Dürer’s pen-and-ink Adam and Eve; Michelangelo’s smudgy sketchlets of David and Goliath; and a good-as-new Gutenberg Bible. (The Morgan has three.)

    But there are also things on view for the first time; a suave drawing by Juan Gris is one, a recent arrival. And some are fresh from a long vacation, as in the case of a set of 35 Milanese tarot cards hand-painted with allegorical figures. The work of a 15th-century master — Bonifacio Bembo seems likely — they haven’t worked a room at the Morgan for 20 years, but they’re certainly working one now.

    Is there any logic to such eclecticism? Not really, though there is a binding thread, and it’s proprietary. Much of what is on view — the Gris is an obvious exception — was bought and owned by the library’s founder, J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), or his heirs.

    Morgan was born in Hartford. He went to school in Europe, came to New York City as an apprentice banker at 20, inherited family money and made more on his own. A lot more: enough to help bail out the federal government twice. In 1895, the year he established J. P. Morgan & Company, he provided Washington with $62 million in gold to reverse an economic depression. To avert a similar crisis 1907 he scared up $25 million in an afternoon.

    He was a prodigious personality in a high-rolling age. By the late 1800′s New York was what London had been, the financial capital of the Western world. What it lacked was European-style culture, so its robber-baron citizens started buying some and bringing it home.

    In short order we got the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Opera, and Carnegie Hall, along with Ignace Paderewski and Marcella Sembrich, as well as the occasional Raphael Madonna. It was around this time that Morgan, well into middle age, began buying art, in part from a sense of patriotic duty, in part because that was what grandees did; and in part, I suspect, to lift himself out of bouts of despondency, to which he was prone. His first wife died from tuberculosis four months after their marriage, and he never fully recovered from the loss.

    He wasn’t an especially picky shopper, at least at first. He bought a bit of everything — Egyptian sculpture, Renaissance paintings, Gothic tapestries — often from a distance in odd-lot bulk: art by the box, the peck, the estate, tossing what he didn’t want and keeping what he did. In 1899 he picked up the tremendous Lindau book, outbidding the British Museum for it. With that his interest in medieval art, in the form of books and devotional objects, took hold.

    Most of that art of princes and prelates was modest, even miniaturist, in scale. Over time Morgan gave his larger acquisitions away; thousands of objects went to the Met. But he kept the small-to-tiny stuff for himself. And the library that Charles Follen McKim designed in 1902 as an annex to the Morgan home was tailored to them: it’s a cross between a bank vault and a wonder cabinet.

    What does this passion for reverse monumentality, for gorgeous smallness, for the imperialism of the minuscule mean? Does it represent a psychological return to a childhood world of controlled fantasy? An exercise in connoisseurial trophyism? A tacit acknowledgment of the fragility of beauty? Freud had many thoughts on this subject; so did Shakespeare, Einstein and Emily Dickinson. So did Morgan, through the objects he held dearest, many of which the library still has.

    In the Marble Hall, for example, at the former 36th Street entrance, you can see a sample of his prized collection of ancient Near Eastern cylinder seals. These incised stone sculptures are so tiny, you can’t make visual sense of them until you make an impression, which as often as not turns out to be a panorama of muscle-bound gods and half-human beasts engaged in cosmic wars.

    Of the European paintings that line Morgan’s study, the very smallest — three Hans Memling panels — are by far the best. And the most spectacular of his medieval pieces, the Stavelot Triptych, a reliquary of the True Cross, is only a foot and a half high.

    What this piece lacks in height, it makes up for in metaphoric depth and breadth. A miracle of metalwork and enameling, it is actually composed of three triptychs in different sizes, two of Byzantine origin contained within a larger Gothic one. Here Eastern and Western cultures meet. And as the reliquary draws your attention inward toward the two splinters of wood nested at its center, it also releases a spiritual ripple effect, as energy radiates from the relic, to its container, to the Cube, to the library, to the city and beyond.

    Illuminated gospel books, some the size of a computer motherboard, work on a similar principle of worlds-within-worlds amplification. The Evangelist Luke, with a wrestler’s neck and prehensile toes as portrayed in the Morgan’s Reims gospel book, is a man, a saint and an embodiment of sacred history. The heavenly Jerusalem depicted in the earliest surviving complete copy of the “Commentary on the Apocalypse” by Beatus of Liébana, is seen in God’s-eye aerial view. But with flattened walls that look like carpets and a checkerboard floor, it’s an ornamental view of the End of Time, distilled to pocket size.

    Finally, a similar sense of compressed vivacity comes through in the autograph manuscripts Morgan started buying even before he collected art. In one major purchase, he acquired all 40 volumes of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden journal, along with the pine box Thoreau made to hold them. The two pages open for view in a new gallery devoted to literary and historical manuscripts are filled, top to bottom and edge to edge, with stream-of-consciousness words. In them, acute, you-are-there observation is inseparable from philosophical speculation. That’s also the case with Galileo’s doodly sketch of the satellites of Jupiter.

    Since Morgan’s death nearly a century ago, other handwritten material, less exalted though still notable, has found its way into the holdings. My favorite acquisition, which came to the library in 1969, is a cluster of poems and stories written in feverish, eye-punishing minuscule by the four teenage Brontë children: Bramwell squeezes 2,500 words on a page; Charlotte binds her stories into books an inch wide. And bringing the Morgan more or less into the present is a Bob Dylan souvenir: lyrics for “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” scratched on a sheet of hotel stationery. It dates from 1962 and arrived at the Morgan in 1999.

    “Museums are cemeteries,” Mr. Dylan once said in an interview, though his presence here suggests that the Morgan is, at least, a cemetery in active use: pages will be turned during the course of the show to avoid light damage. And the Morgan will be presenting more contemporary manuscript shows, including one of Dylan material, in coming months. Actually for the Morgan, the analogy I prefer is to a reliquary, once a carved casket of solid stone, now also a vessel of translucent crystal, thanks to Mr. Piano and Beyer Blinder Belle, the architectural firm he worked with. With reliquaries, size means nothing; the energy inside means all. It’s a super-radiant energy; an entire city can be soaked in it, though, naturally, the closer you are to the source, the more you get. And transmission is instantaneous: no fuss, no worry, no wait.


    Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

     



















    Reggie Bush Is Seeking High Ground










    April 28, 2006
    Sports of The Times
    Reggie Bush Is Seeking High Ground
    By HARVEY ARATON

    REGGIE BUSH couldn’t put an exact figure on how many people had volunteered to represent him, market him or arrange the cleats in his closet these past few months. He settled on a conservative round number.

    “Infinity,” Bush said, earnestly. Perhaps he confused the question with how many yards he expects to gain once he begins carrying and catching the football next season, in Houston, if the Texans choose him tomorrow over defensive end Mario Williams with the first pick of the N.F.L. draft.

    These past few months as the rarest of cuts the next Barry Sanders or Gale Sayers among the prime beef on the football meat market have seemed longer than any of his three seasons at Southern California, Bush said. He has worked out for the world and been subjected to unremitting wooing by so many people with fancy business cards, including one who hinted at being a messenger from God.

    “He said he could help me in a spiritual way,” Bush said. “He gave me his card and said I should send him a check.”

    Lord knows how Bush or any of the chosen few prospective draftees invited to work on their news media skill sets in Manhattan yesterday had found time to be college students. (Da-dum.) Eventually, Bush chose as his agent one Joel Segal, no relation to the ABC film critic or, more important, to the aspiring marketing guru Michael Michaels, in whose home near San Diego Bush’s mother and stepfather reportedly lived, until recently, for an undisclosed period.

    When asked yesterday to explain why the story has been, as he put it, “blown out of proportion,” Bush said not now. When?

    “It’s on our time,” he said, referring to himself and his parents, LaMar and Denise Griffin. “We’re not going to let anyone dictate to us.”

    Based on what Bush’s lawyer told The Associated Press earlier this week, there is probably not much more to say beyond oops. “As is the case with most 20-year-old college students, Reggie was not aware of personal or financial arrangements related to his parents or their home,” the lawyer, William David Cornwell Sr., said.

    Vouching unflinchingly for Bush’s character yesterday was Matt Leinart, the Trojans’ all-American quarterback during Bush’s three years at U.S.C. “Reggie’s the perfect example of a freak athlete on the field and the best kid off the field,” Leinart said. “He’s going to be fine.”

    Of course he is, now that Mike Ornstein, Bush’s marketing representative, has landed him a recently announced deal with Adidas. Meanwhile, Segal, the agent, is on the clock, talking turkey with the Texans should they soothe fan frustration over the snubbing of the Texas luminary, Vince Young, by importing another Bush who could run for at least another eight years.

    But back on the West Coast, Tom Hansen, the Pac-10 commissioner, has said that an investigation by the conference could force U.S.C. to forfeit last season’s games. And if the Pac-10 and the N.C.A.A. become hysterical over this, if Bush’s 2005 eligibility winds up being annulled, would the Downtown Athletic Club be justified in stripping him of his Heisman Trophy?

    Right. As soon as it figures out what to do about O. J.

    Some perspective would seem to be in everyone’s best interests here. The last thing the bureaucrats need when college football’s popularity is soaring is to make a mountain out of a misjudgment. If Bush’s family did get ahead of itself, if it drew on the vast earning potential that has been forecast for Bush since he and Leinart began making Coach Pete Carroll a wealthy genius, restitution for the cost of residency could easily be made.

    Who doesn’t believe that such arrangements are not rampant in the seamy underside of big-time Division I sports? If college football looks nothing like anyone’s vision of amateurism from the outside, imagine what it must look like from within.

    “It’s tough, it’s cutthroat and you learn about how people are, how they try to jump on the bandwagon,” Leinart said, referring to his own experiences these past few months, fighting the cling-ons.

    Leinart was widely praised for completing his eligibility, but Bush jumped at the opportunity to turn pro and just might have gone sooner had the N.F.L. not prevailed in a federal appeals court two years ago over Maurice Clarett in its case to bar players until they are out of high school three years.

    “A touchy subject,” Bush said when asked if he’d had a rooting interest in that showdown. “I just watched from a distance and learned from it.”

    Just what, exactly, cynics will ask. They will wonder how Bush could not have known if something shady was going on with his parents. But even if he did, can we expect a college football star to police his family when coaches are seldom held accountable for the behavior of their players?

    While Bush and Leinart loomed large in New York, it was reported yesterday that Mark Sanchez, U.S.C.’s redshirt freshman quarterback, was released from police custody after being arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. The Associated Press said it was the third run-in with the police by a Trojans player in a little more than a year.

    One last thought: Maybe Pete Carroll could make better use of the spiritual adviser’s card than Bush. (Da-dum.)

    E-mail: hjaraton@nytimes.com


     







    Today’s Papers


    Running on Empty
    By Joshua Kucera
    Posted Friday, April 28, 2006, at 5:44 AM ET


    The New York Times and Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal world-wide newsbox all lead with Republican senators proposing a package of measures aimed at reducing the burden of high gas prices, including cutting taxpayers a $100 check. The Los Angeles Times leads with the normally apolitical Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani saying that Iraq’s militias should disband. USA Today leads with the Transportation Security Administration offering bonuses of up to $1,000 to airport screeners to keep them working over the busy summer travel months.


    The GOP gas plan would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil production and raise taxes on oil-company profits, but the promise of free money was the major attraction. As the Times dryly puts it, the plan “could strike a public chord, particularly with its promise of a $100 check to millions of taxpayers.” The checks would come at the end of the summer and would be available to anyone under a certain income level, whether they drive a Hummer, Prius, or Schwinn. Democrats countered with their own proposals, including a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax, and President Bush asked for the authority to raise mileage standards on cars.


    All this came on the same day that Exxon Mobil declared huge quarterly profits, 7 percent more than last year and the fifth-highest by any public company in U.S. history, according to the AP.


    No one takes the proposals seriously, especially not the editorial pages, where words like “silly,” “pander,” and “stunt” are used liberally. (A good history of bipartisan “stupidity” on the issue was in Slate this week.) The new Fed chairman suggested that, of all things, conservation might be the answer.


    Gas prices aside, the U.S. economy is trucking along: The government is expected to announce today that the economy grew 5 percent in the first quarter of the year, the highest rate since 2003, the NYT reports on the front page.


    The LAT focuses on the political fallout of Sistani’s anti-militia statement: Sunnis worry that Sistani’s foray into politics could signal a more active role for the Shiite leader. The NYT and WP, which both stuff the story, emphasize the jockeying between Iraq’s major Shiite leaders. The prime minister-designate, Nouri Maliki, another Shiite, traveled yesterday to visit Sistani and another influential cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr. Sadr was “noncommittal” about the militias (unsurprising as he controls a vast militia himself), and now Maliki is stuck in the middle. Also in Iraq, the sister of one of Iraq’s vice presidents was assassinated. The same VP had a brother assassinated in April.


    The Post has a colorful account of the visit to Iraq by Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld. In contrast to the jovial show put on by Rice and her U.K. counterpart, Jack Straw, earlier this month, this duo was decidedly less dynamic. “During a joint meeting with reporters traveling with the secretaries, Rumsfeld frequently doodled with a black felt-tip pen or stared absent-mindedly at the ceiling when Rice spoke. Rice would occasionally cast a nervous glance at Rumsfeld as he prepared to respond to a question,” the Post reports.


    President Bush disagrees with a Senate report that proposes the dismantling of FEMA, he said as he toured Gulf Coast areas hit by Katrina last year, the Post and LAT report. And he does plan to allow a Dubai-based firm to take control of nine U.S. military parts plants, the NYT writes in an apparent scoop.


    The L.A. Times fronts news of a dirty war in Pakistan, where Taliban types are killing suspected spies for the United States53 in the last two years, according to a local human rights group, while residents say it’s closer to 150. The paper links the killings to its earlier reporting on the flash drives being sold in Afghanistan bazaars that included sensitive U.S. military data, including names of local U.S. spies, though it says none of the people killed are named in any of the drives it bought.


    The Journal fronts an interesting look at Mexico’s changing demographics. The average Mexican woman in 1968 had just under seven children; the figure today is slightly more than two, similar to the United States. This could portend a rising middle class and much lower immigration to the United States in the coming decades.


    In other immigration news, a Spanish-language version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is set to be released today, the Post reports on the front page. Apparently the first stanza is fairly faithful to the original, but translators took some liberties with the second, which includes the phrase “we are equal, we are brothers.” Naturally, there are critics, who, as the Post puts it, “sketch a nightmare scenario of a Canada-like land with an anthem sung in two languages.” Curious to hear it? It’s scheduled to be played on Spanish-language radio across the country at 7 p.m. ET tonight.

    Joshua Kucera is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.

     







    NYC; Yankee Fans Only a Brewer Could Love









    METROPOLITAN DESK


    NYC; Yankee Fans Only a Brewer Could Love
    By CLYDE HABERMAN (NYT) 723 words
    Published: April 14, 2006

    FOR the planned new Yankee Stadium, attention has focused mostly on concerns like gobbled-up parkland, parking garages, a Metro-North station and team spending in the Bronx. One matter has not been raised, not in public anyway, but it does seem worth mentioning.

    It is called jail. How many holding cells will the new ballpark have to contain the hopelessly oafish fans who will inevitably be arrested through the course of the baseball season?


    This is not an idle question. Unruly fan behavior, some of it going beyond merely crude to plainly criminal, is a constant worry at sporting events everywhere. It has been so for many years, and Yankee Stadium is no exception. Even if we accept that Yankee fans are not necessarily the worst in the major leagues — try Fenway Park in Boston, some say — they will do for loutishness.

    That point was underlined in dozens of e-mail responses to an NYC column at the end of the 2005 season about the tendency of way too many stadiumgoers to be drunken bozos — foul-mouthed, hostile, misogynistic, spoiling for a fight.

    Not all fans are that way, obviously. The Yankees drew a remarkable four million spectators last year; most arrived sober and stayed that way through nine innings. But on any given night, enough belligerent, beer-stewed men fill the stands that, as one letter writer put it, ”the joy is taken out” of going to the game.

    That mid-October column drew an unusually large reader response. For sure, there were dissenters, including one fellow who thought that the appeal for more fan self-control qualified as ”neo-fascist.”

    Another writer, Jesse Adelman, a musician living in Brooklyn, said of drinking fans, ”Maybe they cherish the opportunity to blow off some steam at the ballpark, which is possibly the only public space left where it’s acceptable for grown men to do so.” Bruce Schoenberg, the owner of day spas in Manhattan, wrote that he had in fact ”seen the behavior improve in the last several years.”

    But they were a distinct minority. Overwhelmingly, readers who weighed in agreed that the Yankees, their security guards and the New York Police Department could all be doing more to rein in the unpleasant number of fans who believe that ballgames are where you go to get royally plastered, scream obscenities, pick fights and yell at women to take their tops off.

    ”I have traveled with my kids to Baltimore, Boston, Shea, both fields in Chicago and San Francisco, and we go to baseball games frequently,” wrote Arthur Lowenstein, a lawyer who lives in Hastings-on-Hudson. ”In my experience, there is no park anywhere that is as bad as Yankee Stadium in terms of safety and security.”

    Philip Darrow, a New Jersey restaurateur, suggested that the Yankees’ successes over the last decade might have had the unfortunate side effect of feeding bad behavior. While they are clearly not a majority, ”these idiots actually feel entitled to win every year,” Mr. Darrow said, ”and when they don’t, they just can’t handle it, not unlike spoiled children throwing temper tantrums.”

    SHORT of waving a magic wand, is there a way to ease the problem?

    Jim McNamara, a university director of development, favored the potentially civilizing effect of showing ”great fielding plays by the other team” on the center field television screen — something that happens at Yankee Stadium about as often as Halley’s comet swings by. Don’t bet the ranch on change any time soon.

    The October column raised the possibility of cutting off beer sales earlier than is done now, after the seventh inning. But many e-mail writers said we would see world peace before that happens.

    With the oafs, wrote Marty Appel, a former Yankees public relations director, it may be that ”you just have to look the other way and pretend that they are not part of the show.”

    But not everyone can turn a blind eye, especially when so many fans, even before passing through the ballpark turnstiles, have more sheets to the wind than a three-masted schooner. ”The answer is zero tolerance toward unruly behavior,” said Dr. Mark Horowitz of Brooklyn. ”Perhaps after the police eject and/or arrest unruly fans more promptly and more consistently, such behavior would be curtailed.”

    Which brings us back to the original question. How many holding cells will the new ballpark have?

    Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company


     







    The Crony Fairy












    Paul Krugman

    April 28, 2006
    Op-Ed Columnist
    The Crony Fairy
    By PAUL KRUGMAN

    The U.S. government is being stalked by an invisible bandit, the Crony Fairy, who visits key agencies by dead of night, snatches away qualified people and replaces them with unqualified political appointees. There’s no way to catch or stop the Crony Fairy, so our only hope is to change the agencies’ names. That way she might get confused, and leave our government able to function.

    That, at least, is how I interpret the report on responses to Hurricane Katrina that was just released by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

    The report points out that the Federal Emergency Management Agency “had been operating at a more than 15 percent staff-vacancy rate for over a year before Katrina struck” that means many of the people who knew what they were doing had left. And it adds that “FEMA’s senior political appointees … had little or no prior relevant emergency-management experience.”

    But the report says nothing about what caused the qualified people to leave and who appointed unqualified people to take their place. There’s no hint that, say, President Bush might have had any role. So those political appointees must have been installed by the Crony Fairy.

    Rather than trying to fix FEMA, the report calls for replacing it with a new organization, the National Preparedness and Response Agency. As far as I can tell, the new agency would have exactly the same responsibilities as FEMA. But “senior N.P.R.A. officials would be selected from the ranks of professionals with experience in crisis management.” I guess it’s impossible to select qualified people to run FEMA; if you try, the Crony Fairy will spirit them away and replace them with Michael Brown. But she might not know her way to N.P.R.A.

    O.K., enough sarcasm. Let’s talk about the history of FEMA.

    In the early 1990′s, FEMA’s reputation was as bad as it is today. It was a dumping ground for political cronies, headed by a man whose only apparent qualification for the job was that he was a close friend of the first President Bush’s chief of staff. FEMA’s response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 perfectly foreshadowed Katrina: the agency took three days to arrive on the scene, and when it did, it proved utterly incompetent.

    Many people thought that FEMA was a lost cause. But Bill Clinton proved them wrong. He appointed qualified people to lead the agency and gave them leeway to hire other qualified people, and within a year FEMA’s morale and performance had soared. For the rest of the Clinton years, FEMA was among the most highly regarded agencies in the federal government.

    What happened to that reputation? The answer, of course, is that the second President Bush returned to his father’s practices. Once again, FEMA became a dumping ground for cronies, and many of the good people who had come in during the Clinton years left. It took only a few years to transform one of the best agencies in the U.S. government into what Senator Susan Collins calls “a shambles and beyond repair.”

    In other words, the Crony Fairy is named George W. Bush.

    So what’s the point of creating a new agency to replace FEMA? The history of FEMA and other agencies during the Clinton years shows that a president who is serious about governing can rebuild effective government without renaming the boxes on the organizational chart.

    On the other hand, the history of the Bush administration, from the botched reconstruction of Iraq to the botched start-up of the prescription drug program, shows that a president who isn’t serious about governing, who prizes loyalty and personal connections over competence, can quickly reduce the government of the world’s most powerful nation to third-world levels of ineffectiveness.

    And bear in mind that Mr. Bush’s pattern of cronyism didn’t change after Katrina. For example, he appointed Julie Myers, the inexperienced niece of Gen. Richard Myers, to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement an agency that, like FEMA, is supposed to protect us against terrorism as well as other threats. Even at the C.I.A., the administration seems more interested in purging Democrats than in improving the quality of intelligence.

    So let’s skip the name change for FEMA, O.K.? The United States will regain effective government if and when it gets a president who cares more about serving the nation than about rewarding his friends and scoring political points. That’s at least a thousand days away. Meanwhile, don’t count on FEMA, or on any other government agency, to do its job.


    Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
     







    Online Activities


    Online Activities & Pursuits

    Online Dating: Americans who are seeking romance use the internet to help them in their search, but there is still widespread public concern about the safety of online dating


    3/5/2006 | MemoReport  | Mary Madden, Amanda Lenhart


    There is now relatively broad public contact with the online dating world. Some 31% of American adults say they know someone who has used a dating website and 15% of American adults about 30 million people say they know someone who has been in a long-term relationship or married someone he or she met online.

    Yet, dating websites are just one of many online avenues that can facilitate a romantic connection. Three out of four internet users who are single and looking for a romantic partner have done at least one dating-related activity onlineranging from using dating websites, to searching for information about prospective dates, to flirting via email and instant messaging, to browsing for information about the local singles scene.

    Some 11% of all internet users and 37% of those who are single and looking say they have gone to dating websites. A majority of them say they have had positive experiences and believe their use of such sites helps them to find a better match. A notable number of these online daters have found firsthand that lasting romance can be forged online; 17% of them say they have entered long-term relationships or married someone they met through the services.

    At the same time, while online dating is becoming more commonplace, there are still concerns in the wider public about the dangers of posting personal information on dating sites and about the honesty of those who pursue online dating.


    View PDF of Report
    View PDF of Questionnaire

     


    Other Online Activities & Pursuits Resources


    MemoMemo  | Surfing for Fun


    MemoMemo  | About 25 million people have used the internet to sell something


    MemoMemo  | Big jump in search engine use


    MemoMemo  | Use of web cams


    MemoMemo  | Online sports fantasy leagues


     















  • Tweenage Riot












    Disney love scene

    Tweenage Riot
    How “High School Musical” ruled the charts As Bryan Adams once warned, THE KIDS WANNA ROCK. That’s why High School Musical has become the year’s biggest pop sensation, without meaning jack to anybody born before Tupac died. When the Disney Channel movie debuted in January, it became a kiddie smash, aimed at the six-to-thirteen age group who love “Hollaback Girl” but aren’t allowed to use that kind of language at home. Yet nobody expected the soundtrack to blow up into 2006′s biggest hit, selling twice as much as James Blunt in half the time. They’re already buzzing about a film sequel, a stage tour, a TV series and, no doubt, High School Musical on Ice! Just think: At this moment, Donald Trump’s next wife is strapped in the back of a Suburban practicing the dance routine to “Breaking Free.”
    High School Musical has your basic kiddie version of teen romance. Troy and Gabriella meet and fall in love singing karaoke over Christmas break. Except they find out they go to the same school — OMG! — and belong to two different cliques — LOL! — and thus their romance is doomed — WTF! — unless they go out for the school musical together. Unfortunately, this is the one school in the galaxy where the popular kids rule the drama club. The head theater queen decides Troy and Gabriella aren’t cool enough, since she’s an “Einsteinette” and he can’t tell “a Tony Award from Tony Hawk.” Aw, snap! Looks like everybody needs to sing some show tunes and learn some important lessons, pronto! Director Kenny Ortega is a veteran of Eighties teen flicks — he was choreographer on Pretty in Pink and Dirty Dancing. He doesn’t miss a trick: My favorite is the skate-punk dude who secretly yearns to play the cello.

    High School Musical is a kiddie uprising against Britney and Justin, the way Brit and J.T. were a kiddie uprising against Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Disney must have asked, “Hey, where did all our Britneys and Justins go?” You can’t trust those real-life teen stars; they always end up getting tattoos or shaking their Laffy Taffy on the tables at Bungalow 8 with Good Charlotte. You spend years grooming those Mouseketeers, training them to sing and dance, putting up with their stage moms. And what happens? They break your heart and go solo. Why not just create an imaginary high school where Britney and Justin are well-behaved classmates who keep their hands off each other? Why build up little Hilarys and Lindsays, just to let them walk off with the franchise? High School Musical is a franchise Disney can own outright. None of the kids come with any baggage — they’re all unknowns, just happy to be here. Heartthrob Zac Efron’s gushiest public statement: “The fact that we could fuel so many downloads…is just amazing.” And that’s an eighteen-year-old boy talking. By summer vacation, expect a host of knockoffs. I await Hello Kitty: Harajuku Nights and Dance Ten, Looks Three, Bedtime Seven.

    ROB SHEFFIELD

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 3:29 PM


     







    Cunningham Is Suspected Of Asking for Prostitutes



    Prosecutors May Widen
    Congressional-Bribe Case


    Cunningham Is Suspected
    Of Asking for Prostitutes;
    Were Others Involved?

    By SCOT J. PALTROW
    April 27, 2006; Page A6

    Federal prosecutors are investigating whether two contractors implicated in the bribery of former Rep. Randall “Duke” Cunningham supplied him with prostitutes and free use of a limousine and hotel suites, pursuing evidence that could broaden their long-running inquiry.


    Besides scrutinizing the prostitution scheme for evidence that might implicate contractor Brent Wilkes, investigators are focusing on whether any other members of Congress, or their staffs, may also have used the same free services, though it isn’t clear whether investigators have turned up anything to implicate others.

    [Randy Cunningham]

    In recent weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have fanned out across Washington, interviewing women from escort services, potential witnesses and others who may have been involved in the arrangement. In an interview, the assistant general manager of the Watergate Hotel confirmed that federal investigators had requested, and been given, records relating to the investigation and rooms in the hotel. But he declined to disclose what the records show. A spokeswoman for Starwood Inc., Westin’s parent company, said she wasn’t immediately able to get information on whether the Westin Grand had been contacted by investigators.


    Mr. Cunningham, a Republican from San Diego, was sentenced March 3 to more than eight years in federal prison after he admitted taking $2.4 million in bribes. The bribes were taken in exchange for helping executives obtain large contracts with the Defense Department and other federal agencies. Mr. Cunningham, who resigned from Congress in November, pleaded guilty to two criminal counts, one of tax evasion and one of conspiracy.


    In documents filed in federal court in San Diego, prosecutors listed four “co-conspirators” in the bribing of Mr. Cunningham. The two who allegedly played the biggest role, listed as co-conspirators No. 1 and No. 2, have been confirmed by Justice Department officials and defense lawyers to be Mr. Wilkes and Mitchell Wade, the founder and former head of MZM Inc., a software and computer-services firm that Mr. Cunningham helped to gain federal contracts.


    The charges against Mr. Cunningham had alleged that “Co-conspirator #1″ — Mr. Wilkes — had given the congressman more than $600,000 in bribes, including paying off a mortgage on Mr. Cunningham’s house.


    Mr. Wilkes hasn’t been charged with any crime, and people with knowledge of the investigation say he recently decided he would fight any charges that might be filed rather than plead guilty and cooperate with the investigation. Michael Lipman, Mr. Wilkes’s lawyer, denied his client had been involved in procuring prostitutes. “There was no such conduct. It did not happen,” Mr. Lipman said. The lawyer added that “Mr. Wilkes and ADCS strongly believe that all of their actions have been proper and appropriate. They are confident that the government will come to the same conclusion.”


    Mr. Wilkes, of Pohway, Calif., founded a series of companies that obtained federal contracts, including ADCS Inc., which won contracts to convert paper military records to computer images.


    Mr. Wade in February pleaded guilty to giving bribes of more than $1 million to Mr. Cunningham, including cash, antiques and payment for yachts. Mr. Wade, who hasn’t been sentenced yet, is cooperating with prosecutors. According to people with knowledge of the investigation, Mr. Wade told investigators that Mr. Cunningham periodically phoned him to request a prostitute, and that Mr. Wade then helped to arrange for one. A limousine driver then picked up the prostitute as well as Mr. Cunningham, and drove them to one of the hotel suites, originally at the Watergate Hotel, and subsequently at the Westin Grand.


    Mr. Wade told investigators that all the arrangements for these services had been made by Mr. Wilkes and two employees of Mr. Wilkes’s company, according to people with knowledge of his debriefing. He said Mr. Wilkes had rented the hotel suites and found the limousine driver, who had “relationships” with several escort services. Mr. Wade told prosecutors that sometimes Mr. Cunningham would contact him to request these services, and he would pass on the request to Mr. Wilkes or his employees, who then made the actual arrangement. Mr. Wade said that other times Mr. Cunningham called Mr. Wilkes directly to make the requests.


    If investigators find that any other members of Congress or their staffs received services at so-called hospitality suites, that could help make a case that they had illegally taken action to benefit Mr. Wilkes in return for favors from him. Mr. Wilkes, his family members and his employees were heavy campaign contributors to several members of Congress. But prosecutors so far apparently haven’t found any evidence that other members of Congress had been bribed.


    Mr. Wade told investigators that he had knowledge only of the service being provided to Mr. Cunningham, not anyone else, and has said he doesn’t know whether Mr. Wilkes may have provided prostitutes or other free entertainment to anyone besides Mr. Cunningham.


    K. Lee Blalack II, Mr. Cunningham’s lawyer, said, “I have no comment on that” when asked about his client’s alleged use of prostitutes. Mr. Cunningham, 64 years old, currently is undergoing a routine medical evaluation at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina.


    People close to the case said prosecutors had hoped that Mr. Wilkes, like Mr. Wade, would plead guilty and turn over information relevant to the investigation. Now that he has indicated he won’t do so, prosecutors are hunting for evidence to bolster any potential case against him.


    Meanwhile, prosecutors are looking at whether they can make corruption cases against other lawmakers based on Mr. Wilkes’s campaign contributions to them. But lawyers expert in campaign-finance and criminal law say such cases are far more difficult to prove than those involving outright bribery. The government must show a direct “quid pro quo” that a lawmaker has taken action on a particular bill solely because of a campaign contribution.


    Proof of the prostitution scheme, on the other hand, could provide potentially damaging evidence that Mr. Wilkes had taken illegal steps in exchange for legislative favors, people involved in the investigation said.


    Write to Scot J. Paltrow at scot.paltrow@wsj.com



     







    Stuck With Bush










    Bob Herbert.

    April 27, 2006
    Op-Ed Columnist
    Stuck With Bush
    By BOB HERBERT

    If George W. Bush could have been removed from office for being a bad president, he would have been sent back to his ranch a long time ago.

    If incompetence were a criminal offense, he’d be behind bars.

    But that’s just daydreaming. The reality is that there are more than two and a half years left in the long dark night of the Bush presidency nearly as long as the entire time John Kennedy was in office.

    The nation seems, very belatedly, to be catching on to the tragic failures and monumental ineptitude of its president. Mr. Bush’s poll numbers are abysmal. Republicans up for re-election are running from him as if he were the bogyman.

    Callers to conservative talk radio programs who were once ecstatic about the president and his policies are now deeply disillusioned.

    The libertarian Cato Institute is about to release a study titled “Power Surge: The Constitutional Record of George W. Bush.” It says, “Unfortunately, far from defending the Constitution, President Bush has repeatedly sought to strip out the limits the document places on federal power.” While I disagree with parts of the study, I certainly agree with that particular comment.

    In the current issue of Rolling Stone, Sean Wilentz, a distinguished historian and the director of the American Studies program at Princeton University, takes a serious look at the possibility that Mr. Bush may be the worst president in the nation’s history.

    What in the world took so long? Some of us have known since the moment he hopped behind the wheel that this reckless president was driving the nation headlong toward a cliff.

    The worst thing he did, of course, was to employ a massive campaign of deceit to lead the nation into a catastrophic war in Iraq a war with no end in sight that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and inflicted scores of thousands of crippling injuries.

    When he was a young man, Mr. Bush used the Air National Guard to hide out from the draft in a time of war. Then, as president, he’s suddenly G. I. George, strutting around in a flight suit, threatening to wage war on all and sundry, and taunting the insurgents in Iraq with a cry of “bring them on.”

    When the nation needed leadership on the critical problem of global warming, Mr. Bush took his cues from the honchos in the oil and gasoline industry, the very people who were setting the planet on fire. Now he talks about overcoming the nation’s addiction to oil! This is amazing. Here’s the president of the United States scaling the very heights of chutzpah. The Bush people and the oil people are indistinguishable. Condoleezza Rice, a former Chevron director, even had an oil tanker named after her.

    Among the complaints in the Cato study is that the Bush administration has taken the position that despite validly enacted laws to the contrary, the president cannot be restrained “from pursuing any tactic he believes to be effective in the war on terror.”

    This view has led to activities that I believe have brought great shame to the nation: the warrantless spying on Americans, the abuses at Abu Ghraib, the creation of the C.I.A.’s network of secret prisons, extraordinary rendition and the barbaric encampment at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in which detainees are held, without regard to guilt or innocence, in a nightmarish no man’s land beyond the reach of any reasonable judicial process.

    The sins of the Bush administration are so extensive and so egregious, they could never be adequately addressed in a newspaper column. History will be the final judge. But I’ve no doubt about the ultimate verdict.

    Remember the Clinton budget surplus?

    It was the largest in American history. President Bush and his cronies went after it like vultures feasting in a field of carcasses. They didn’t invest the surplus. They devoured it.

    Remember how most of the world responded with an extraordinary outpouring of sympathy and support for America in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11?

    Mr. Bush had no idea how to seize that golden opportunity to build new alliances and strengthen existing ones. Much of that solidarity with America has morphed into outright hostility.

    Remember Katrina?

    The major task of Congress and the voters for the remainder of the Bush presidency is to curtail the destructive impulses of this administration, and to learn the lessons that will prevent similar horrors from ever happening again.

    Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company


     







    Rituals of Grief Go Online










    Katie Knudson, 24, killed on Feb. 23 in a shooting in Fort Myers, Fla., is memorialized on her Web page at MySpace.com.










    Steve Dixon for The New York Times
    Her step-father, Bob Shorkey, monitors postings from friends and acquaintances.


    April 27, 2006


    Rituals of Grief Go Online


    By WARREN ST. JOHN


    Like many other 23-year-olds, Deborah Lee Walker loved the beach, discovering bands, making new friends and keeping up with old ones, often through the social networking site MySpace.com, where she listed her heroes as “my family, and anyone serving in the military thank you!”


    So only hours after she died in an automobile accident near Valdosta, Ga., early on the morning of Feb. 27, her father, John Walker, logged onto her MySpace page with the intention of alerting her many friends to the news. To his surprise, there were already 20 to 30 comments on the page lamenting his daughter’s death. Eight weeks later, the comments are still coming.


    “Hey Lee! It’s been a LONG time,” a friend named Stacey wrote recently. “I know that you will be able to read this from Heaven, where I’m sure you are in charge of the parties. Please rest in peace and know that it will never be the same here without you!”


    Just as the Web has changed long-established rituals of romance and socializing, personal Web pages on social networking sites that include MySpace, Xanga.com and Facebook.com are altering the rituals of mourning. Such sites have enrolled millions of users in recent years, especially the young, who use them to expand their personal connections and to tell the wider world about their lives.


    Inevitably, some of these young people have died prematurely, in accidents, suicides, murders and from medical problems and as a result, many of their personal Web pages have suddenly changed from lighthearted daily dairies about bands or last night’s parties into online shrines where grief is shared in real time.


    The pages offer often wrenching views of young lives interrupted, and in the process have created a dilemma for bereaved parents, who find themselves torn between the comfort derived from having access to their children’s private lives and staying in contact with their friends, and the unease of grieving in a public forum witnessed by anyone, including the ill-intentioned.


    “The upside is definitely that we still have some connection with her and her friends,” said Bob Shorkey, a graphic artist in North Carolina whose 24-year-old stepdaughter, Katie Knudson, was killed on Feb. 23 in a drive-by shooting in Fort Myers, Fla. “But because it’s public, your life is opened up to everyone out there, and that’s definitely the downside.”


    It’s impossible to know how many people with pages on social networking sites have died; 74 million people have registered with MySpace alone, according to the company, which said it does not delete pages for inactivity. But a glib and sometimes macabre site called MyDeathSpace.com has documented at least 116 people with profiles on MySpace who have died. There are additions to the list nearly every day.


    Last Thursday, for example, a 17-year-old from Vancouver, Wash., named Anna Svidersky was stabbed to death while working at a McDonald’s there. As word of the crime spread among her extended network of friends on MySpace, her page was filled with posts from distraught friends and affected strangers. A separate page set up by Ms. Svidersky’s friends after her death received about 1,200 comments in its first three days.


    “Anna, you were a great girl and someone very special,” one person wrote. “I enjoyed having you at our shows and running into you at the mall. You will be missed greatly … rest in peace.”


    Tom Anderson, the president of MySpace, said in an e-mail message that out of concern for privacy, the company did not allow people to assume control of the MySpace accounts of users after their deaths.


    “MySpace handles each incident on a case-by-case basis when notified, and will work with families to respect their wishes,” Mr. Anderson wrote, adding that at the request of survivors the company would take down pages of deceased users.


    Friends of MySpace users who have died said they had been comforted by the messages left by others and by the belief or hope that their dead friends might somehow be reading from another realm. And indeed many of the posts are written as though the recipient were still alive.


    “I still believe that even though she’s not the one on her MySpace page, that’s a way I can reach out to her,” said Jenna Finke, 23, a close friend of Ms. Walker, the young woman who died in Georgia. “Her really close friends go on there every day. It means a lot to know people aren’t forgetting about her.”


    More formal online obituary services have been available for a number of years. An Illinois company called Legacy.com has deals with many newspapers, including The New York Times, to create online guest books for obituaries the papers publish on the Web, and offers multimedia memorials called Living Tributes starting at $29. But Web pages on social networking sites are more personal, the online equivalent of someone’s room, and maintaining them has its complications. Some are frustratingly mundane.


    Amanda Presswood, whose 23-year-old friend Michael Olsen was killed in a fire in Galesburg, Ill., on Jan. 23, said none of his friends or family members knew or could guess the password to his MySpace account, which he signed onto the day before he died. That made it impossible to accept some new messages.


    “There’s a lot of pictures on there that people haven’t seen,” Ms. Presswood said. “His parents have been coming to me for help because they know I know about the Internet. They even asked if I could hack it so I could keep the page going.”


    The Walkers correctly guessed the password to their daughter’s page, and used it to alert her friends to details of her memorial service. They also used it to access photographs and stories about their daughter they had missed out on.


    “It’s a little weird to say as a parent, but the site has been a source for us to get to know her better,” Mr. Walker said. “We didn’t understand the breadth and scope of the network she had built as an individual, and we got to see that through MySpace. It helped us to understand the impact she’s had on other people.”


    At the same time, Ms. Walker’s mother, Julie, wrote in an e-mail message, the family was overwhelmed by unsolicited e-mail messages from strangers offering platitudes and seeking to advise them on how to handle their grief. The family found such offerings unwelcome, however well intentioned.


    “The grief of our own friends and family is almost more than we can bear on top of our own, and we don’t need anyone else’s on our shoulders,” Mrs. Walker wrote.


    Mr. Shorkey said he and his wife remained in touch with their daughter’s friends through MySpace. And they visit her Web page daily.


    “Some days it makes me feel she’s still there,” he said. “And some days it reminds me I can never have that contact again.”





  • The Rolling Stones and Brian Jones gather moss in lackluster Stoned




    Screen Media Films

    ABOUT FACE: Leo Gregory as Brian Jones in Stoned

    Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll


    The Rolling Stones and Brian Jones gather moss in lackluster Stoned


    By Felicia Feaster


    Published 04.26.2006
    http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=66023




    While the rest of the Stones prance around global concert stages in advancing codgerdom, original bandmate Brian Jones took the Deborah Harry-championed final exit in 1969 at the tender age of 27.


    “Die young, stay pretty,” Blondie purred, and Jones did just that, staying beautiful forever. After co-founding one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands, Jones ended up bobbing face down in a swimming pool.


    Stoned is a strange — and deeply unsatisfying — exhumation of the Brian Jones legend. Most biopics argue that even if their subjects were no great shakes in the parenting/professional/fidelity department, they are at least charismatic enough to rate a film. Stoned isn’t especially persuasive on this count, inarticulate in expressing why Jones is more than of middling interest. Half the time Jones barely registers as a presence, and the rest of the Stones front men — Mick Jagger, Keith Richards — are almost as vaporous. The only figure who absorbs a fair amount of the film’s attention is Jones’ gloomy personal assistant, a man named Frank Thorogood (Paddy Considine) whose life became enmeshed in Jones’.


    Director Stephen Woolley’s scattered biopicture unearths little beyond the well-known fact that Jones was a drug addict and renowned sex machine. Like other directors rattling around in the ’60s bone yard, he injects the requisite sex and psychedelia into his mise en scene.


    When in doubt, Woolley cues a montage. And though the acid trip montages of sadomashochistic sex, Nazi uniforms, animal sacrifice and the all-purpose ditty “White Rabbit” suggest depravity, it’s mostly just posturing. The post ’60s generation that has tried to evoke that era in film often reduces it to fashion, style and attitude so that the actual people who inhabited those flashy, androgynous get-ups become secondary.


    The best that can be said for Stoned is that it looks good, in the same way music videos do, with its grainy, retro, perpetually moving montages obviously influenced by films of the time, from Nicolas Roeg’s psychedelic Performance to Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blowup.


    And like Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line, who made a conventional biography far more appealing in his eerie impersonation, Leo Gregory does a great physical mimicry of Jones. He has perfected a classic Jones-ian attitude — of peeking in a half-boyish/half-demonic way out from under his bangs in a way women no doubt found irresistible.


    The central fascination of screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade’s (Die Another Day) scrambled story is the inadequately developed relationship between Jones and working stiff Thorogood hired to babysit and cater to the musician’s every whim while he is ensconced in his East Sussex country manor with his girlfriend.


    Though there is potentially interesting material here: Thorogood is obsessed by Jones’ decadent lifestyle and at times seems sexually obsessed by the androgynous rocker — no idea seems compelling enough for longtime film producer and first-time director Woolley to stick with for very long. Woolley sashays from one idea to the next, alighting momentarily on Jones’ obsession with the Satanism-dabbling rock muse Anita Pallenberg (Monet Mazur) who Jones may or may not have been devastated to lose.


    What Stoned does seem to nail quite well is the snobbery of arriviste rock and roll bohos like Jones, who despite escaping the notoriously rigid British class system, set up their own brand of elitist cool to keep slobs like Thorogood out. One of the creepiest scenes is the one where Jones appears to gift Thorogood with his goddess girlfriend.


    “Frank, ever heard of free love?” he smirks, as his lady slouches with legs spread nearby.


    In the end, Jones is just vapid and cruel. The film’s re-enactment of his death is hardly a shock, just a sorry death in what Woolley makes a pretty sorry scene.


    info
    info


    Stoned
    2 stars


    Directed by Stephen Woolley. Stars Leo Gregory, Paddy Considine, Monet Mazur. Rated R. Opens Fri. April 28. Landmark Midtown Art


  • Maureen Dowd



     


    Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

    Maureen Dowd.


    April 26, 2006

    Op-Ed Columnist

    A Prius in Every Pot


    By MAUREEN DOWD


    It’s taken over five years, but George W. Bush finally made a concession speech to Al Gore.


    He conceded that America needs to conserve, by buying hybrid vehicles and developing new energy sources.


    Trying to calm the yips in his party and the country over exploding gasoline prices, the president sounded a bit like a wild-eyed Ozone Man himself yesterday, extolling the virtues of alternative fuel derived from cooking grease, sugar, grass, wood chips, soybean oil and corn.


    But then he got ahold of himself. “You just got to recognize there are limits to how much corn can be used for ethanol,” he said, standing in front of a bucolic mural. “After all, we got to eat some.”


    You could run a fleet of S.U.V.’s on the gas that W. was spewing about fuel. Bill Clinton would have been more likely to crack down on fast food than W. and Dick Cheney would be to crack down on Big Oil.


    Even the usually supportive Wall Street Journal editorial page chastised Republicans for putting on “Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi fright wigs” to shout about corporate greed and market manipulation.


    W.’s big move was to ever so slightly beef up a federal investigation into oil company price manipulation that’s been under way since Katrina. “It’s a great idea,” said the Democratic leader, Senator Harry Reid. “So good that we passed a law last year calling for that.”


    Price manipulation could explain the marginal why gas went from, say, $2.70 to $2.90 but not why gas went from $1.40 to $2.70. That’s more about fundamental forces: Chinese and Indian demand, markets spooked by Iran’s threats, Nigeria’s unrest, Venezuela’s talk of nationalizing its oil industry, and the Pentagon’s bungling of the restoration of Iraq’s infrastructure.


    Gasoline prices may be hurting average folks, but the oilers who helped put the Boy King and the Duke of Halliburton in office with lavish donations are enjoying record profits and breathtaking bonuses.


    The Oilmen in the Oval, incompetent in so many ways, have brilliantly achieved one of their main objectives: boosting the fortunes of the oil industry and the people who run it.


    All those secret meetings the vice president had back in 2001, letting the energy and oil big shots help write our energy policy one that urged more oil and gas drilling worked like a charm. In all their years in government, Mr. Cheney and the Bushes have never done anything to hold the oil companies’ feet to the fire, or get Americans’ feet off the gas pedal.


    As Representative James Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina, noted, “The Republicans are the party with the keys to the executive washrooms of Halliburton, Exxon and the big oil corporations.”


    Consider Lee Raymond, the recently retired chairman and chief executive of Exxon. Recently, we learned about his stunning secret compensation: he got more than $686 million from 1993 to 2005, according to a Times story, which calculated: “That is $144,573 for each day he spent leading Exxon’s ‘God pod,’ as the executive suite at the company’s headquarters in Irving, Tex., is known.”


    The only oil baron who isn’t cashing in these days is Saddam. We pulled up to the pump in Baghdad and plunked down $10 billion a month, and we’re still not getting any gas out of it. Instead of easing our oil dependence and paying for Iraq’s reconstruction, the bungled invasion and subsequent nuclear sparring with Iran have left even Republicans looking for Priuses.


    The last time W. began wringing his hands about our addiction to oil in the State of the Union address the vice president was dismissive about the notion of sacrifice afterward. And the energy secretary clarified the president’s words, saying they shouldn’t be taken literally and that the idea of replacing Middle East oil imports with alternative fuels was “purely an example.”


    Even if W. shows up on TV in a gray cardigan, it’s patently preposterous for the Republicans to make this argument, after selling us on the idea that it’s our manifest destiny to get into giant cars and go to giant Wal-Marts and giant Targets and buy more giant bags of stuff. Now they’re telling us to squeeze into tiny electric cars and compete for precious drips of oil with the Chinese and Indians who are swimming in enough of our dollars to afford cars.


    The U.S. could have begun developing alternative fuels 30 years ago if Dick Cheney hadn’t helped scuttle an ambitious plan in the Ford administration.


    By the time these guys get gas from cooking grease, global warming will have us cooked.





  • Formula One Grand Prix Driver’s Profiles

    Formula One Grand Prix Driver’s Profiles


















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Kimi made his controversial Formula One debut at the start of the 2001 season. The young Finn had competed in just twenty-three car races before catching Peter Sauber’s eye, and despite concerns from fellow drivers and FIA president Max Mosley he was eventually awarded a provisional super-license.

    An impressive Australian GP debut saw Kimi finish seventh, (later promoted to sixth), and he scored a further three points finishes during his debut season, helping Sauber to achieve its most successful season to date.

    A number of strong performances saw Kimi catch the eye of McLaren boss Ron Dennis, and after much speculation it was announced late in the 2001 season that he would leave Sauber to replace the departing – and fellow Finn – Mika Hakkinen at McLaren (much to team mate Nick Heidfeld’s frustration).

    Described by his former boss as ‘arrogant and egotistical’, Kimi has outlined his ambition to become formula One’s youngest champion, surely two of the characteristics that make World Champions. Unfortunately the MP4-17 was not one of McLaren’s finest, though its tendency to oversteer certainly suited Kimi’s style, whereas team-mate Coulthard hated it.

    The Finnish youngster got his season off to a great start thanks to a superb third at Melbourne, spoiled only by the fact that he was narrowly out-qualified by his Scots team-mate. When you think that this was the youngster’s second season, you realise that Ron Dennis must have been feeling pretty chuffed with himself at having signed what must surely be a future World Champion.

    Despite not having the best package, Kimi demonstrated that he has the raw speed and courage of which champions are made. His battles with Montoya in Germany and Hungary were short but oh so sweet, the Finn refusing to be intimidated by the hard-charging Colombian.

    At Magny Cours it so nearly came together, with the Finn just a few short laps away from a historic victory, however bad luck and inexperience meant that Kimi and his fans would have to wait just that little bit longer for that all-important first win.

    In Belgium, Kimi’s qualifying performance was awesome the youngster coming close to achieving his first pole, while in the latter stages he regularly out-qualified his illustrious team-mate.

    At Malaysia, the second race of the 2003 season, Kimi took a sensational win, the first of his F1 career, and following on from his third place at Melbourne this meant he now led the World Championship.

    A string of second places meant that the Finn went to Canada with a four-point lead over Michael Schumacher, even though the German had won three consecutive races. A victory for the reigning champion in Canada meant that Kimi lost his World Championship lead and sadly was unable to regain it.

    As the season wore on it was clear that the McLaren was no match for the WilliamsF1 or the Ferrari, despite the best efforts of the Finn. Furthermore mistakes on his ‘hot lap’ in qualifying meant that Raikkonen started from the back of the grid on two occasions.

    Nonetheless he took the championship down to the wire in Japan and gave Schumacher a real run for his money.

    Despite the fact that he finished a distant seventh in the 2004 drivers’ championship, the young Finn served notice of what he is truly capable of.

    The MP4-19 was a dog of a car, and even though the sight of Kimi, and teammate David Coulthard, abandoning their (often smoking) cars, became the norm, the youngster never gave less than 100%.

    Where other drivers would have exploded – along with their engines – or merely gone into a sulk, the worse things got, the more resolute the ‘iceman’ became.

    Therefore, when McLaren finally delivered the MP4-19B (in France), Kimi was ready, and in no time at all he was back challenging the best of them. A fine second at Silverstone was followed by a well-deserved win in Belgium and finally another second – to future teammate Juan Pablo Montoya – in Brazil.

    When the going gets tough, the tough get going, that’s the adage, and it certainly applied to Kimi in 2004.

    According to the record books and statistics, Fernando Alonso was the undisputed 2005 Formula One World Champion, however, according to race fans who voted in numerous magazine and website polls – including that of Pitpass – Kimi Raikkonen was the people’s champion.

    In the opening races the McLaren, hampered by a poor aero-chassis package that left the team struggling in qualifying, Kimi lost ground to his Renault rivals that he was never going to make up – though that didn’t stop him trying.

    That said, the problems at the start of the year, which saw Alonso build a 29 point lead in the first four races, weren’t entirely down to he car. There was the mistake in Melbourne which resulted in damage to his bargeboards, and the qualifying cock-up in Bahrain.

    Then there were the antics away from the track, which culminated in the Finn receiving a written warning from his employer.

    For the most part however, the Iceman staged one of the most dramatic fight backs in the sport’s history, refusing to surrender the title to his Spanish rival.

    Despite the numerous mechanical failures which cost grid positions and points, the Finn always gave 100%.

    Who will ever forget the dogged determination at the Nurburgring, resulting in that last lap suspension failure, caused by having pushed his tyres beyond the limit? Then there was the cruel hydraulic leak at Hockenheim, which eliminated him whilst leading.

    Ron Dennis believes that the title(s) were lost at the beginning of the season, when Renault and Alonso built such a commanding lead, however the mechanical failures during much of the summer didn’t exactly help.

    Nonetheless, Raikkonen fought on, and perhaps his season, indeed his attitude to racing, can be summed-up in that monumental move on Giancarlo Fisichella on the last lap of the race in Japan. He took the victory, keeping his team in the running for the Constructors’ Championship, even though Alonso had taken the drivers’ title two weeks earlier.

    With Alonso heading to McLaren in 2007, talk prior to the start of the 2006 season centred on the future of the Finn, with many claiming that a deal with Ferrari has already been done.

    Whether he remains with McLaren to partner Alonso, or ups sticks to Maranello, is irrelevant at this time, for right now Kimi will be focussed on the championship fight, and the title that he lost out on in 2005.

    Providing McLaren can start the season well, and maintain the momentum, there is no reason why the Finn shouldn’t have the number ’0′ on his car in 2007. It merely remains to be seen which make of car that might be.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 5
    Grand Prix: 86
    Wins: 9
    Points: 281
    Poles: 9
    Fastest Laps: 16

    Best result in 2005: 1st (7 times)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (6 times)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 17th (Japan)
    Average grid position: 4.10
    2005: Out-qualified Juan Pablo Montoya 12 times
    2005: Out-qualified Alexander Wurz 1 time

    2005: Completed: 1021 out of 1107 laps (92.23%)
    2005: Finished 16 times from 18 starts (89%)


















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Widely regarded as the best driver of his generation, Michael is also one of Formula One’s most controversial figures.

    The talented German made his F1 debut with Jordan at the 1991 Belgian GP after convincing team boss Eddie Jordan that he had experience of the Spa circuit (in fact he had only driven around it on a bicycle!). Having qualified an impressive eleventh, Michael’s F1 debut lasted just a few hundred yards before his clutch gave out, however this was more than enough to impress Benetton boss Flavio Briatore who promptly snatched the German driver from the Irish team.

    His first victory came at Spa, exactly a year after his debut, and Michael went on to claim his first world title in 1994. A second title came the following year, and Michael moved to Ferrari for 1996 relishing the challenge of making the Italian team world champions again.

    Despite his success, controversy has never been far from Schumacher’s door, with accusations of bad sportsmanship dating back to his championship battle with Damon Hill in 1994. Michael was involved in a number of incidents during the season, and a collision with Hill in the Australian GP secured him his first world title.

    A similar incident in 1997 involved Jacques Villeneuve, but this time Schumacher was forced to retire from the race and the Canadian went on to take the title for Williams. Michael was heavily penalised by the FIA, enduring a one-race ban and losing his second place in that year’s championship.

    1998 saw Michael again battling for championship glory, this time with McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen. The pair took the fight down to the wire at Suzuka, but the German’s chances of victory were destroyed when he was forced to start the race from the back of the field having stalled on the grid.

    It was clear Ferrari was getting closer to the title however, and high hopes were pinned on Schumacher for the following season. A first lap accident at the British GP put Michael out of contention however, as he was forced to sit out the following six races as he nursed a broken leg.

    Michael finally delivered in 2000, winning the Drivers’ title in Japan before completing the double a fortnight later. Ferrari were world champions for the first time in 21 years, and Schumacher had finally achieved what at times he must have felt was impossible.

    Things got even better the following year, with Michael taking a total of nine victories. The title was wrapped up in Hungary in August, and he went on to break Alain Prost’s record for the most number of Grand Prix wins, as well as records for scoring the most victories and points in a single season.

    For several years the fear had been that Ferrari would finally produce the best car on the grid and hand it over to arguably the best driver, Michael Schumacher. If this wasn’t the case in 2001 then it most definitely was in 2002.

    The F2002 was without doubt the class of the field allowing Schumacher, Barrichello and Ferrari to set records that might never be broken.

    The German was at one with his car and in return his machinery never let him down, indeed the German not only finished in every race, he completed every lap of every race and finished in the points in all 17 events.

    It was a tour-de-force and Schumacher relished every moment of it.

    Unfortunately as has so often been the case throughout his career there were blemishes on the German’s record. In Austria just yards before the finish line, race leader Barrichello slowed to allow Schumacher to take the victory and thus extend his championship lead. The public backlash rocked the sport to its very core.

    Then at Indianapolis Schumacher slowed in an effort to recreate the Ferrari finish at Daytona in 1967 when all three cars crossed the line together. Unfortunately Barrichello misread the situation and took the victory.

    Despite taking his fifth title, Schumacher and indeed Ferrari appeared to be toying with the public, manipulating the results at will. With the Championship settled mid-season fans found better ways of spending their Sunday afternoons and consequently deserted the sport, seemingly taking the sponsors with them.

    In a clear attempt to stifle another runaway season for Michael and Ferrari the FIA introduced a number of controversial new rules for 2003, including a complete overhaul of the points system.

    Ferrari described its F2003-GA as the best car it had ever built, but it was soon clear that the Italian team had a serious fight on its hands. At first it was McLaren that challenged the supremacy of the red cars, then, as the season progressed, it was the WilliamsF1s that seemed to be the class of the field.

    Schumacher too was under pressure, not only from his brother Ralf and Juan Pablo Montoya in the BMW powered WilliamsF1s but also young pretenders Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. Furthermore Bridgestone was clearly struggling against its French rivals resulting in an embarrassing performance in Hungary when Schumacher was lapped by Alonso who went on to become the youngest race winner in F1 history.

    The new points system meant that although Kimi Raikkonen had only won one race compared with Michael’s six victories, the title fight went down to the wire.

    Despite a lacklustre performance Schumacher brought his car home in eighth and thus became the most successful driver in the history of the sport having won six World Championship titles, a feat we are never likely to see equalled.

    Pre-season testing suggested that Michael and Ferrari faced another long struggle in 2004. However, from the opening practice session in Melbourne, it was clear that neither the German nor his team had lost ‘the edge’.

    Formula One didn’t know what had hit it as Michael and Ferrari launched a tour de force that resulted in five straight wins – split by a hiccup in Monaco – and then another seven successive wins.

    Once the championship had been wrapped-up, the German eased off – in China alarmingly so, and to a lesser extent in Brazil – however, he took another win in Japan just to prove it could still be done.

    It might not have been good for TV viewers, fans of rival teams and drivers, or the British media, but what we were witnessing in 2004 was a phenomenon.

    When Ross Brawn announced, at its launch, that the F2005 was the best car that Ferrari had ever built, there was an understandable groan, not merely from the media and race fans, but from almost everyone involved in the sport, for it is doubtful whether F1 could withstand another season of Schumacher/Ferrari domination.

    With no disrespect to either Michael or Ferrari, we’ll never know how good the F2005 really was, because the new tyre and aerodynamic rules meant that the Italian team struggled.

    The F2005 was introduced two races earlier than planned, and at first it looked as though the team had indeed produced another winner, such was its pace at both Sakhir and then Imola. However, these were to prove highlights in a (relatively) poor season.

    Yet despite the limitations of the equipment at his disposal, the German gave his all. Yes, there were moments of madness, the attacks on his teammate at Monaco and Indianapolis, not to mention another disastrous weekend in China. However, for the most part, Schumacher was superb, absolutely refusing to surrender.

    Whilst McLaren and Renault fought for the titles, Schumacher did his best, with typically superb drives at Imola, Canada, Hungary and Japan, proving that there is life in the old dog yet.

    2006 marks his fifteenth full season in F1, and his eleventh with Ferrari. Although – ahead of the start of the season – there is widespread speculation as to whether the German will announce his retirement, there is also great anticipation, that, providing he is given the right equipment, he can give Messrs Alonso, Raikkonen and Montoya a real fight.

    Sooner or later every reign has to come to an end, however, despite his age, despite the titles, in 2005 Michael proved he still has the hunger to win, indeed he is remorseless in his quest not just for victories but for every single point.

    He has made it clear – to the disgust of some – that he has no interest in statistics, then again it’s easier to talk about great racers than be one. However, the fact is that he is history, living history.

    Like him or loathe him – let’s just enjoy him while we can, and hope that this season he has a car which enables him to fight for wins. And let us enjoy the fact that in years to come we’ll be able to say, “I saw him race”.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 7
    Seasons in F1: 14
    Grand Prix: 232
    Wins: 84
    Points: 1248
    Poles: 64
    Fastest Laps: 69

    Best result in 2005: 1st (USA)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Hungary)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 18th (Australia)
    Average grid position: 8.3
    2005: Out-qualified Barrichello 12 times

    2005: Completed: 1009 out of 1180 laps (85.51%)
    2005: Finished 13 times from 19 starts (68%)


     


     
















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    The younger brother of Michael Schumacher, Ralf had a lot to live up to when he made his Formula One debut with Jordan in 1997, but the young German has now established a name for himself in his own right.

    He earned himself a bit of a reputation as a ‘crasher’ during his debut season, and even managed to knock team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella out of second place in the Argentine GP.

    He showed he had the speed to succeed however, and was kept on for the following season, this time racing alongside Damon Hill. A second place behind his team-mate at the Belgian GP was the highlight in a difficult season, and Ralf moved to Williams for 1999.

    Eleven points finishes in sixteen races demonstrated just how far Ralf had come since his debut, and better things were around the corner, when he finished 5th in the 2000 Drivers’ Championship.

    2001 saw the arrival of Juan Pablo Montoya at Williams, and it was not long before rumours of tension between Ralf and his new team-mate began to do the rounds. Despite this, the German took his debut victory in the San Marino GP, before winning twice more later in the season.

    Although Montoya pushed him hard towards the end of the year, Ralf came home third in the Drivers’ Championship, and looked set to build on that in 2002.

    Unfortunately although BMW’s engine was the class of the field, the FW24 was not the perfect compliment, and quite often neither were the Michelin tyres.

    Ralf’s season got off to a great start with a fine win at Sepang but from then on the Ferraris simply pulled further and further away.

    Although Montoya got most of the attention for his seven pole positions and third spot in the drivers’ championship, Ralf certainly held his own. The German out-qualified his Colombian team-mate on eight occasions and finished the season in fourth, just eight points behind.

    That said, Ralf tended to be a little too impetuous and incurred Patrick Head’s wrath – never a good thing to do – when he took out his team-mate at Indianapolis, just two weeks after almost doing it at Monza. In addition, there was been widespread criticism of his apparent failure to ‘take on’ his brother.

    In 2003 it was a case of ‘a season of two halves’ for Ralf. After Austria – round six – he was the only driver to finish in the points in every race, indeed the German scored points in ten consecutive races.

    Although the FW25 had been disappointing in the first couple of races, by mid-season it was clearly the class of the field and though Juan Pablo was the first WilliamsF1 driver to climb to the top of the podium in 2003 – having won in Monaco – it was Ralf that really re-established the Grove outfit by taking back-to-back wins at the Nurburgring and Magny Cours.

    In the last part of the season it all appeared to fall apart for Ralf, culminating in a horrendous crash on the first day of testing at Monza. The German turned up at the Italian track a week later ready for the Grand Prix but subsequently withdrew from the event complaining of headaches.

    After a rest he was back in action at Indianapolis but was caught out by the changeable weather conditions.

    Fifth in the drivers’ championship is something of a step back for Ralf, especially since team-mate Montoya finished third, and indeed came very close to winning the title.

    Ralf went part of the way to silencing his critics, most notably for the way in which he finally ‘took on’ his brother on a number of occasions, indeed the titanic fight at Suzuka could well have ended in tears.

    In 2004, with Juan Pablo Montoya’s move to McLaren already confirmed for 2005, the way seemed clear for Ralf to establish himself as team leader at Grove. However, it wasn’t long before rumours linking the German with a move to Toyota were surfacing, and by mid-summer this was confirmed.

    2004 was a strange season for Ralf, who once again delighted and infuriated in equal measure. Granted the FW26 was a major disappointment, but that cannot be wholly blamed for some of the German’s lacklustre performances. Then, in Canada, just as we are beginning to think that Ralf has lost his edge, he give a pluperfect lesson in how it should be done, taking a fine second to his brother, only to be disqualified, through no fault of his own.

    A week later, at Indianapolis, the world looked on in horror at the wrecked WilliamsF1 in the middle of the track, with Ralf slumped in the cockpit. Thankfully the German was nowhere near as badly injured as we’d feared, though complications with his vertebrae left him sidelined for the next six races.

    There was talk the Ralf might quietly retire – though it was during his convalescence that Toyota announced the three-year deal with the German – while others feared that his second major crash in just over a year might cause him to lose his edge.

    However, the Ralf Schumacher that re-appeared in China, was the same Ralf Schumacher we’d seen in Canada, clearly up for a fight. In Japan he gave a stunning performance, finishing second, seemingly sparking a WilliamsF1 revival which was to lead to Juan Pablo Montoya taking a fine win in Brazil.

    For much of the early part of 2005, Ralf was firmly in the shadow of teammate Jarno Trulli, the Italian giving the Japanese team its first (and second) podium.

    Toyota appeared to suit Ralf far more than WilliamsF1, particularly during the Montoya period, and though the German was unable to match Trulli’s qualifying pace, he seemed much more competitive when it really mattered, on race day.

    That said, there were no real fireworks from the German, and there were times when one could have been forgiven for forgetting his existence, as little was seen of him. Yet there he was, completing the laps and taking the points. While Trulli appeared to hog the limelight, Ralf was quietly getting the job done, finishing five points ahead of his teammate to take sixth position on the Drivers’ Championship, and proving to be the most consistent finisher.

    At Indianapolis, for the second successive year, he crashed heavily, and though he only missed the one race, the accident was to have a major fall-out, as it ultimately led to one of the darkest days in the sport’s history.

    The introduction of the TF105B, at the end of the season, clearly suited Ralf, for he was immediately on the pace, and even took pole position in Japan.

    In 2006, providing Toyota keeps up the momentum, Ralf must improve his qualifying performances, for though he was often the better racer within the Japanese team, his (relatively) poor grid positions, which usually saw him start behind Trulli, placed him at a distinct disadvantage and meant he had to work that much harder.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 9
    Grand Prix: 145
    Wins: 6
    Points: 304
    Poles: 6
    Fastest Laps: 8

    Best result in 2005: 3rd (Hungary and China)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Japan)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 17th (Monaco)
    Average grid position: 8.8
    2005: Out-qualified Jarno Trulli 3 times

    2005: Completed: 1076 out of 1107 laps (97.20%)
    2005: Finished 17 times from 18 starts (94%)

















    [Official Website] [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		   

    It’s a name straight out of Hollywood, Scott Speed.

    Those of you, of ‘a certain age’, will remember the cartoon character ‘Skid Solo, then there was Scott Stoddard and Pete Aron of Grand Prix fame. However, compared to Scott Speed they pale into insignificance.

    To add to the ‘legend’, Scott is from California, and in many ways his progress towards F1 does read like a Hollywood script. Basically, he appears to be a born-winner.

    As is (nearly) always the case, Scott started off in Karts, participating in his first event aged nine. Two years later he picked up his first national championship title going on to win numerous titles and championships between 1996 and 2001. Indeed, Scott became the only Karter to ever win two Super Nationals, which he achieved consecutively in 2000 and 2001.

    That same year (2001), Scott made his single-seater debut, contesting the Jim Russell Racing Championship, winning the series at the first attempt.

    In 2002 he ran with great success in the Skip Barber National Championship as well as contesting a number of rounds of the Formula Mazda Championship, this brought him to the attention of the Red Bull Driver Search, the programme instigated with the intention of discovering American racing talent.

    In (seemingly) no time at all, he was in the run-offs, up against some of his country’s leading youngsters and going on to win the inaugural programme.

    Part of his prize for winning the Red Bull Driver Search was a season in the highly prestigious British F3 Championship with Alan Docking Racing. Unfortunately, illness meant that he missed a number of races.

    In 2004, Scott contested the Formula Renault championships in both Germany and Europe with German-based Motopark Academy. In addition to winning both championships, thus becoming the first ever American to win a European Junior Formula Championship, Scott was given the opportunity to test with the Red Bull Cheever IRL Racing team and contributed valuable feedback.

    In 2005, the young American moved up to the new GP2 series, joining British-based iSport International. In pre-season qualifying at Paul Ricard he helped win his team the coveted numbers ’1′ and ’2′ on its cars for the inaugural season.

    Although he never won any rounds of the championship, Scott was a regular visitor to the podium, eventually finishing third in the title race behind Nico Rosberg and Heikki Kovalainen.

    In late March, Scott made his F1 test debut, when he tested the Red Bull car at Barcelona. He topped the timesheets, outpacing established WilliamsF1 drivers Nick Heidfeld and Antonio Pizzonia, as well as fellow Red Bull tester, Neel Jani.

    Following another short but successful test in early June, it was announced that Scott would drive the third car in the Friday free practice sessions at both the Canadian and United States Grands Prix, the first American to drive an F1 car ‘in anger’ for a decade.

    Over the winter, Scott added to his CV by taking part in a number of rounds of another inaugural series, the A1 Grand Prix World Cup of Motorsport, his best result being fourth in the Feature Race at Estoril.

    Although it is good to see the United States represented in F1 once again, there are some who believe that Scott is not the real deal, and will struggle when push comes to shove. Indeed, there are some who believe that Scott’s F1 career will be as short-lived and unfulfilling as his predecessor, Michael Andretti.

    In 2006 Scott lines up alongside Tonio Liuzzi for Toro Rosso, the only team running (restricted) V10 engines.

    Until the FIA finds a way to create a fair balance between the V10s and V8s, it is going to be difficult to see how Scott compares to his rivals, though it will be interesting to see how he measures up to the Italian ‘hot-shot’ Liuzzi.

    Thus far it reads pretty much like a Hollywood movie script; can Scott go all the way and emulate the achievements of fellow-Americans Phil Hill and Mario Andretti, or is he destined to be remembered merely for his name?


















    [Driver Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Jacques Villeneuve was just 24 when he became the youngest ever Indy 500 winner and CART champion. Two years later and he was F1 World Champion.

    Son of the late, great, Gilles Villeneuve, the French Canadian quickly went about creating a legend of his very own. He went first to Italy, then Japan to get his racing education, before returning home to impress in the Formula Atlantic category. The logical next step for 1994 was Indycars, and Jacques won his first race at Road America en route to being named Rookie of the Year.

    The following year saw Jacques dominate CART as he became champion with five victories including a famous Indianapolis win, but a summer test for Williams hinted at where his future lay. Within weeks, it became clear that he would emulate his father by moving to the pinnacle of the sport, the world stage of F1.

    He certainly entered F1 with a bang – pole position in his first grand prix at Melbourne confirmed that he would successfully bridge the CART/F1 divide like no one before. He won his first GP in just his fourth race at the Nurburgring.

    Three more grand prix wins came in 1996, and Jacques even managed to push team-mate and eventual champion Damon Hill to the final race of the year in Japan.

    The following year, Jacques became the undisputed number one at Williams, and he enjoyed a titanic struggle with Michael Schumacher for the world championship.

    A controversial collision with the Ferrari driver at Jerez saw Jacques crowned World Champion, and he remained with Williams for 1998.

    The defence of his title was fraught with difficulty, as Renault’s F1 exit left Williams lagging behind McLaren and Ferrari. Long before the season was over, Jacques had quit Williams to rejoin his former Indycar boss Craig Pollock at the start of a brand new F1 venture – BAR.

    1999 was not an easy year for either BAR or Jacques as the team struggled with reliability, but the constant development began to pay off in 2000 as Jacques started to be a regular points-scorer, ending the season in seventh place.

    2001 proved to be a tough year for JV, which began in the worst possible way when he was involved in a horrific accident in Melbourne. Despite struggling with his car, and receiving criticism from his team at various points in the season, Villeneuve did put in some strong performances which culminated in BAR’s first podium finishes in Spain and Germany.

    On the eve of the 2002 launch BAR team boss, and Jacques close friend, Craig Pollock was dropped in favour of Prodrive boss David Richards. Right from the outset it was clear that the relationship between the Canadian and Richards would be ‘strained’. To fuel to the mix, Pollock was still his manager and retained a stake in the team.

    Unreliability was a major factor in 2002 and though Jacques wasn’t affected quite as badly as team-mate Olivier Panis, he didn’t score his first points until Silverstone, round ten of the championship.

    Although Jacques seemed to perform better in the latter part of the season, at a time when his future with the team was under close scrutiny, the Honda simply wasn’t reliable enough.

    2003 was always going to be difficult. In the summer of 2002, Richards had signed Jenson Button, a driver with whom the BAR boss enjoyed a long friendship going all the way back to the English youngster’s karting days.

    Already aware that there his role within the team was being undermined, the arrival of Button was the further bad news for Jacques, who felt he was slowly losing his team.

    Sadly, Jacques reacted in the worst possible way, launching a string of verbal attacks on Button, who to be fair hit back whenever he got the opportunity.

    Although Jacques had dismissed Button as a ‘boy band’, as the season progressed, and Button performed, the Canadian’s attitude gradually changed.

    However, dreadful reliability was taking its toll, that and behind the scenes chicanery aimed at unsettling the Canadian. In late summer, there were strong rumours of Villeneuve being dropped by the team and replaced by Takuma Sato. Furthermore, Richards didn’t appear eager to sign a new deal with the former champion.

    It is well documented that at the time Villeneuve was the second highest paid driver in F1, yet he finished the season with 6 points compared to Button’s 17. However, let’s not forget that the Canadian’s car only finished on 7 occasions.

    The long roller-coaster ride with the Brackley team finally came to an end in late 2003 when Jacques opted to miss the Japanese GP and was replaced by Takuma Sato, who ironically scored 3 points.

    The 1997 world champion was linked with a number of teams during the off-season, but in reality all the best seats were taken. As a result, when the cars lined up in Melbourne, Villeneuve was thousands of miles away, leaving F1 with just one active world champion.

    Over the next few months there were many rumours – usually starting out on Internet message boards – linking the Canadian with a return to the grid. Then, in mid-September, Jacques made a little bit of F1 history when he signed two contracts within 24 hours.

    First off, he signed a deal to replace Jarno Trulli at Renault for the last three races of the season. Then headed off to Switzerland to sign a contract which would see him race for Sauber in 2005.

    The Renault drives were inconclusive the Canadian wasn’t 100% fit and was also unused to the 2004 cars. Furthermore, in the latter stages of the season the French outfit had clearly lost its way… just a little.

    Looking ahead to 2005, Villeneuve’s legion of fans clearly believed that this might be the beginning of the greatest come-back in the history of motorsport. The truth is, that after just a handful of races, it seemed as though the Canadian might not retain his drive for the remainder of the season.

    Ignoring Jacques’ grid position in Australia, which (like many) was the result of the lottery that was the new format, the first few races were a nightmare, with the former World Champion well off the pace, certainly compared with his teammate.

    However, this wasn’t entirely due to the Canadian. The C24 was not a good car, furthermore there were major set-up issues, and it wasn’t until JV was given free reign regarding set-up that his performance improved.

    While Villeneuve, in the early races, struggled, teammate, Felipe Massa, looked far more comfortable. However, a determined drive at San Marino, kick-started the former champion’s season, and from thereon he got closer and closer to the Brazilian’s pace.

    The Imola result was much needed, for days earlier, team boss, Peter Sauber, a man not known for making waves, described his relationship with his driver as “strained”.

    Much of the ‘animosity’ appeared to be media led, with the first blow taking place a month earlier, when British magazine Autosport claimed that the Swiss team had already held talks with Anthony Davidson, a claim the team subsequently denied.

    Villeneuve subsequently took the unprecedented step of issuing a personal statement regarding his general feeling regarding the lack of progress the team was making, whilst also taking a swipe at the media, admitting that the situation would “fire a new set of rumours”.

    The Imola result appeared to make all the bad things go away, and it wasn’t long before attention turned to 2006. Even before BMW had purchased the Swiss team, there were media claims that Villeneuve’s time in F1 was at an end. However, the Canadian insisted that he had a valid contract for 2006.

    He continued saying this even once BMW had purchased the Hinwil-based team, leading many within the paddock to suggest that the former World Champion was in for a rude awakening.

    However, on December 1, the day BMW officially took control of Sauber, the announcement was made, Villeneuve would partner Nick Heidfeld in the German team’s debut season.

    This will be the Canadian’s eleventh season in F1, and contract or no contract he is going to have to work hard if he is to remain in F1 for a twelfth season.

    His many fans will be delighted to see him on the grid this season, and remain convinced that he can still add to his tally of wins.

    The same cannot be said of former boss David Richards, who in a season review for a British F1 magazine wrote that the Canadian is long “past his sell by date”.

    If that’s not enough motivation for JV, we don’t know what is.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 1
    Seasons in F1: 10
    Grand Prix: 152
    Wins: 11
    Points: 228
    Poles: 13
    Fastest Laps: 9

    Best result in 2005: 4th (San Marino)
    Best qualifying 2005: 4th (Australia)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 18th (Turkey)
    Average grid position: 12.3
    2005: Out-qualified Felipe Massa 6 times

    2005: Completed: 1033 out of 1107 laps (93.32%)
    2005: Finished 15 times from 18 starts (83%)


     





















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Mark Webber began his racing career in karts, and became the New South Wales state champion in 1992. He made his Formula Ford debut in 1994, and won the Formula Ford Festival two years later.

    Mark graduated to F3 with Alan Docking Racing for the 1997 season, and went on to claim five podiums as well as a Brands Hatch victory.

    He was signed as official Mercedes works junior driver for 1998, and went on to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1999.

    Mark’s first taste of Formula One came in 1999 when he carried out a two-day test for Arrows at the end of the year. Having signed as the Leafield team’s official test driver for the following season, Mark was disappointed when contract problems prevented him from getting back behind the wheel. Despite this, he came third in the F3000 championship driving for Eurobet Arrows, and went on to complete a test for Benetton who were quick to sign him up for 2001.

    Mark remained in F3000 for 2001, and continued as Benetton test driver, unfortunately he was dropped by the team in favour of Fernando Alonso for 2002, before being signed to race alongside Alex Yoong for Minardi.

    Mark. Minardi, and probably most of Australia will never forget the afternoon of March 3 2002. Against all the odds the Australian took the under-powered, under-financed Minardi-Asiatech and finished fifth in his maiden GP, narrowly pipped to fourth by Jaguar star Eddie Irvine.

    So what if Coulthard, Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher had fallen by the wayside, all the Australians cared about was that one of their own had finished fifth in his home GP, and in a bloody Minardi!

    Following the Melbourne madness it was back to earth with a bump, literally because a few races later both Minardis were withdrawn from the Spanish GP due to front wing failure.

    Lack of money meant virtually no testing, other than promotional outings in the Minardi two-seaters, while Asiatech which was having problems of its own made little progress with the V10.

    Late in the summer however came the news that Niki Lauda had signed Mark, along with Brazilian hot-shot Antonio Pizzonia to spearhead Jaguar’s challenge in 2003.

    Sadly Mark was unable to repeat his 2002 feat when he returned to Australia in 2003, however right from the outset it was clear that Webber was going to be on to watch.

    Poor reliability meant that Mark didn’t score his first points until Spain, though by that time his pace was clear and had indeed led to Jaguar making its dissatisfaction with team-mate Antonio Pizzonia public, the Brazilian having been regularly out-performed by the Australian.

    Seven points finishes meant that Mark finished tenth in the Drivers’ Championship, and contributed all but one of the points that led to his team finishing seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, one of its best results to date.

    In early-summer Jaguar announced it had signed a new deal with Mark keeping the Australian until the end of 2005, however it’s clear that several team already have their eye on him. When Montoya was linked with a short-notice move to McLaren for 2004, there was widespread conjecture that Webber would be the obvious replacement at WilliamsF1, such is the regard in which the Aussie is held.

    The most striking thing about Webber in 2003 was his pace and consistency, it was merely the shortcomings of the Jaguar package that prevented him achieving more.

    Sadly the 2004 car was little better, but from quite early on in the season it was clear that Mark wouldn’t have to suffer the frustration for much longer, since he was being linked with a move to WilliamsF1. In mid-July one of the pitlane’s worst kept secrets was out, when the Australian signed a deal with the Grove outfit for “2005 and beyond”.

    The team is also known to have made a bid for Giancarlo Fisichella, which came to nought, while the tug-of-war with BAR over Jenson Button is well documented. That said, Webber has many of the characteristics that Frank Williams finds attractive, strength of character, loyalty, team spirit and speed.

    Despite the inherent problems at Jaguar, Mark continued to give 100% and did his best to build the team, taking his cue from the driver he most admires in F1, Michael Schumacher.

    In spite of the car’s limitations, there were some great moments, most notably qualifying second in Malaysia and third in Japan.

    Seven world championship points doesn’t go anywhere near telling the true story, for Webber continually impressed, however as the season progressed the Cosworth became less and less competitive.

    Once Ford announced that it was pulling out of F1, and the future of Jaguar, and its workforce, hung in the balance, Mark actually moved up a gear, and became a source of inspiration for all those around him.

    Only Mark will really know, ignoring the performance of the FW27, whether 2005 lived up to expectations.

    Being his first season in a (relatively) front-line team, all eyes were on the Australian, just as they were on his teammate, Nick Heidfeld, who was also experiencing his first season with a potential race winner.

    With the BMW/WilliamsF1 marriage reaching the end of the road, and the German manufacturer, once it had made the decision to jump ship, clearly failing to maintain development, the season was never going to be easy.

    However, as far as Webber is concerned, the Australian doesn’t appear to have made things easy for himself. As ever, his qualifying performances were superb, he is one of the few drivers who really revels in the ‘hot lap’ format. Unfortunately, his outstanding qualifying performances were rarely converted into decent race finishes.

    For Webber, the 2005 season can be summed up in one word, ‘frustration’. Be it problems with the car, problems with his own performance, the frustration was always evident, and often resulted in the former Jaguar star over-driving.

    In Heidfeld – possibly for the first time – he was under pressure from a teammate determined to prove himself, and this too added to the frustration.

    The drive in Monaco was superb, but even then, Webber’s performance was over-shadowed by that of his German teammate.

    Then there was the Nurburgring, where, in spite of a heavy fuel load, Webber qualified third only to throw it all away at the first corner.

    Whether it was as a result of the frustration or not, we don’t know, however, we hear talk, from reliable sources within the team, that the Australian’s attitude deteriorated during the season, with some team members losing patience and referring to him as a Prima Donna. How different from the Jaguar days.

    In 2006, Webber is retained by WilliamsF1, which has a one-year deal with Cosworth, pending a rumoured partnership with Toyota in 2007.

    Much is expected of the Grove team, which it is hoped will be spurred on to beat former partner, BMW, which enters F1 in its own right.

    Webber will be partnered by Nico Rosberg, the highly rated German, who is making his debut, and this will mean that the Australian will bear the brunt of the responsibility for the team – though testing veteran Alexander Wurz will no doubt ease the load.

    Webber is a typical Aussie, he calls a spade a spade and doesn’t give a **** whether it causes offence, a rare thing in F1 these days.

    Whether he can emulate two previous Australians remains to be seen, however there are certain characteristics that remind one of Alan Jones, who took his 1980 title with Williams. Could we see history repeat itself?

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 4
    Grand Prix: 68
    Wins: 0
    Points: 62
    Poles: 0
    Fastest Laps: 0

    Best result in 2005: 3rd (Monaco)
    Best qualifying 2005: 2nd (Spain)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 16th (Hungary)
    Average grid position: 8.2
    2005: Out-qualified Nick Heidfeld 9 times
    2005: Out-qualified Antonio Pizzonia 5 times

    2005: Completed: 947 out of 1107 laps (85.55%)
    2005: Finished 13 times from 18 starts (72%)






















    [Driver Website]  

    Biography

    		  

    On December 1, 2005, Robert Kubica became the first Pole to drive a Formula One car in anger, having been given a test by the Renault, part of his reward for winning the 2005 World Series by Renault.

    Less than three weeks later, days after his twenty-first birthday, he was confirmed as third driver for the BMW Sauber F1 Team in 2006, supporting regulars, Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve.

    Inevitably, Robert’s racing career began in karts, aged six, and by the age of ten he was Polish champion.

    In 1998 he became the first non-Italian to win the prestigious Italian Junior Kart Championship, in addition to finishing second in the European Kart Championship.

    In 2001 and 2002 he competed in the Italian Formula Renault series and the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup, finishing runner up in the Italian series in 2002.

    2003 marked his debut in the Formula 3 Euro Series, famously winning his maiden race (Norisring). He also contested two rounds of the British F3 series.

    In 2005 he represented the Spanish team, Epsilon Euskadi, in the 3.5 litre V6 World Series by Renault. With four wins, and a total of 154 points, Robert romped away with the title ahead of Adrian Valles and Markus Winkelhock.

    Announcing Robert’s signing as BMW’s third driver, Mario Theissen said: “We have been following Robert’s progress and are very impressed by his performance in recent years. He has worked hard to achieve his success without major support. We are convinced that he has the potential and the will to make the leap into Formula One and are delighted to be able to give him the opportunity to do so.”

















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  
    Like nearly all of his contemporaries, Christijan Albers began his racing career in Karting.

    In 1997, in addition to winning the Dutch National Kart Championship (ICA 100cc), the youngster (still only 18), won the Benelux Formula Ford 1800 Championship, in addition to the Renault Megan Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort.

    In 1998, Christijan moved up to the prestigious German F3 series, finishing fifth overall, courtesy of five podium visits, which included two wins.

    A year later, the Dutch star clinched the title, with an impressive six wins and ten pole positions.

    For 2000, the youngster made the switch to F3000, contesting the championship with the European Arrows Junior Team.

    Rather than remain in F3000 in 2001, Albers made the move to DTM, he also took part in his first Formula One test with Minardi, subsequently being appointed reserve driver for the Italian team.

    For 2002 he remained in DTM, driving a Mercedes for Team Rosberg, in addition to taking part in further tests for the Minardi F1 team.

    For 2003, he moved to the Team HWA DTM team, going on to take his first win, at Adria, followed by additional wins at the Nurburgring, Norisring and Zandvoort. At season end, Christijan was runner-up to Bernd Schneider, and despite having won more races, missed out on the title by just four points.

    Surprisingly, despite talk linking him with a number of F1 teams, Albers opted to remain in DTM for 2004, this time finishing third behind Mattias Ekstrm and Gary Paffett. It’s believed that rather than pay for an F1 drive, Christijan preferred to further develop his talents in DTM, and at the same time be paid for his services, which is surely what being a professional racing driver is all about.

    In mid-November 2004, it was announced that Christijan was to test for the Jordan team, raising hopes that he could make his F1 race debut in 2005. A month later, on December 23, the youngster signed to rivals Minardi, on reflection this might have been the best move.

    To some it may have appeared that Christijan’s decision to sign for the underperforming Italian outfit was a major step backwards, however, let’s not forget that Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber all attracted the attention of the bigger teams whilst driving for the perennial backmarkers.

    Furthermore, following the departure of Eddie Jordan and the arrival of Alex Shnaider the situation at Dadford Road throughout much of 2005 was one of confusion and, to a certain extent, despair.

    Despite the limitations of the equipment at his disposal, Christijan gave a fairly good account of himself in 2005, though he definitely found the competition a little harder once Robert Doornbos arrived.

    For the first eleven rounds of the season, the Dutch driver was partnered by Austrian Friesacher, who, in qualifying, kept the Dutchman on his toes. However, in the races it was Christijan who appeared to hold the upper hand, getting the car home, when not sidelined by technical failures, whilst Friesacher frequently ended up in the gravel.

    When the Austrian’s money ran out, Minardi called on the services of Jordan test driver Robert Doornbos, making it a case of ‘Double Dutch’ for the Faenza outfit.

    Doornbos was an altogether different kind of driver, and pushed his fellow ‘Dutchie’ hard very hard. Although Albers had the qualifying pace, Doornbos invariably drove the better race.

    The highlight of Christijan’s season – other than fifth in that pathetic excuse of a race at Indianapolis – was his mammoth qualifying effort at Montreal where he put the black and white car fourteenth on the grid.

    Like Friesacher and Doornbos, Albers spent much of the 2005 season fighting with the Jordans of Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan, enjoying a series of mini-Grands Prix with the Silverstone-based outfit.

    In 2006, the Dutch driver heads to Midland F1, formerly Jordan, with every likelihood of spending the season enjoying more mini-Grand Prix, this time with Super Aguri.

    There’s no doubting that Christijan has pace and enjoys a scrap. However, if there’s a downside to his character it became apparent post season when he used the media to criticise his former teammate, Doornbos. It was unnecessary, and in actual fact untrue, for Robert had performed well, and according to sources at Minardi was far easier to get along with.

    Christijan is a proven winner, if his F1 career is to flourish he will have to abandon the sniping at other drivers and concentrate on doing the best possible job, no matter how bad the equipment.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 1
    Grand Prix: 19
    Wins: 0
    Points: 4
    Poles: 0
    Fastest Laps: 0

    Best result in 2005: 5th (USA)
    Best qualifying 2005: 13th (Japan)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 20th (5 times)
    Average grid position: 17.47
    2005: Out-qualified Patrick Friesacher 5 times
    2005: Out-qualified Robert Doornbos 6 time6

    2005: Completed: 956 out of 1180 laps (81.02%)
    2005: Finished 13 times from 19 starts (68%)


     





















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Giancarlo began racing at the age of eleven, and he competed in various karting championships during the next seven years.

    He progressed to compete in the Italian F3 championship in 1992 where he stayed for three seasons, eventually becoming champion in 1994.

    Giancarlo then moved to compete in the International Touring Car series where he stayed for two seasons. 1996 also saw him make his F1 debut when Gian Carlo Minardi signed him to drive for the Italian team.

    He competed in eight races for Minardi that year, catching the eye of Benetton boss Flavio Briatore in the process. Briatore arranged for Giancarlo to test for Jordan, and despite his relative inexperience he was signed to Eddie Jordan’s outfit for the 1997 season.

    As Fisichella found his stride, he began to outpace team-mate Ralf Schumacher, and in the German GP he narrowly missed out on pole, and was on course for victory when a damaged tyre caused him to crash with just seven laps of the race remaining.

    Fisichella moved to Benetton for 1998 after Briatore went to court in order to take up his option on the Italian, and Giancarlo claimed his only ever pole at the Austrian GP that season. Although he had hoped for an improvement, niggling mechanical problems hindered his results, but he did manage to score back-to-back podiums in Monaco and Canada.

    He stayed with Benetton for four years, and although his relationship with Briatore publicly soured during 2000, he continued to score points for the team when the car allowed.

    2001 found Giancarlo continuing to struggle with competitiveness, but the highlight of a difficult season saw him take his ninth career podium at the Belgian GP.

    For 2002 Giancarlo ‘swapped’ drives with fellow countryman Jarno Trulli, but it’s hard to say who got the best end of the deal. On paper, and in pre-season testing, the EJ12 looked good, but the fact that designer Eghbal Hamidy parted company with the Silverstone outfit just a few weeks into the season is a good indication of the problems facing the Roman.

    The Honda was under-powered at the start of the season, and due to reliability power was actually reduced round about the mid-season mark. Poor weight distribution meant handling was difficult while the car was notoriously tough on tyres.

    However Giancarlo continued to give it his all, despite the fact that an over-enthusiastic team-mate almost took him out of the Malaysian GP while a heavy crash during practice for the French GP left him sidelined for the rest of the weekend. In the wet at Imola on the Saturday morning, Fisi was magnificent while some of his qualifying performances were plain awesome.

    Sadly Giancarlo’s 2003 World Championship result (12th) was his worst since he came into F1 in 1996 with Minardi. Despite a fortuitous – but well deserved – win at Interlagos, 2003 was a season the Roman will want to forget as soon as possible.

    The Jordan EJ13 simply wasn’t up to it and despite his best efforts the Italian was lucky to add a further two points – courtesy of his seventh in America – to the ten he won in Brazil.

    It was clear that Giancarlo was very unhappy yet still he continued to give 100%, as he has done throughout his F1 career.

    He makes no secret of the fact that his ultimate aim is to drive for his beloved Ferrari, even though the Maranello outfit has shown no interest in signing him. That said he partly realised his dream in 2004 when he joined Sauber which of course used the Ferrari V10.

    Despite teammate Felipe Massa’s undoubted speed, Fisichella soon proved the dominant force, out-qualifying the Brazilian twelve times during the course of the season.

    For once, Sauber maintained its pace throughout the year, and having begun the season qualifying 12th or 11th, by season’s end, Fisichella was regularly in the top 8.

    It was in the second half of the season also that Giancarlo amassed his points tally. By the time the F1 ‘circus’ arrived in Canada, the Italian had just five points, although reliable, indeed one of the most reliable, the C23 wasn’t scoring points.

    However, strong performances in Canada, Britain and Belgium saw the Italian amass 22 points and end the year 11th in the drivers’ championship.

    Apart from Fisichella’s determination and commitment, the other reason for the team’s (relative) success in 2004, was due to its qualifying strategy, whereby Fisi would go out on full tanks and still qualify at the right end of the grid. Furthermore, despite (twice) losing ten grid places as a result of engine problems, the Italian managed to make up for the deficit, finishing ahead of his teammate.

    For 2005 Fisichella returned to Renault, where he lined up alongside Fernando Alonso, creating one of the season’s most exciting driver pairings.

    It was never going to be easy.

    The likeable Italian was up against a unique talent, driving for a team which was clearly aware that Alonso was the driver most likely to bring home the bacon. That said, Giancarlo gave it his best shot and got his season off to a dream start with a pole to flag victory in Australia.

    It was good while it last, for from then on, as Fernando roared off into the distance, preparing to meet his date with Championship destiny, Giancarlo suffered the sort of bad luck which has dogged his career.

    In Malaysia he was ‘taken out’ by Mark Webber, while it was inevitable that the Italian would suffer the French team’s only (race) engine failure of the season (Bahrain). At Imola he span off following a mechanical failure, while in Spain a certain second place was lost as a result of a problem with his nose cone, which had to be changed.

    Following his dream start to the season it was Monza when he next returned to the podium.

    At Suzuka it looked as though it was all going to come together, and that a second season victory was on the cards.

    With eight laps remaining, the Italian enjoyed a five second lead over Raikkonen. A lap later the gap was down four seconds as the ice-cool Finn remorselessly closed in.

    The Renault didn’t have the McLaren’s pace, yet Fisichella was leading and therefore it was he who seeminlgy dictated events, especially at a track such as Suzuka. As Kimi closed in, one waited for the ‘alarm bell’ to ring in the Renault cockpit, forcing the Italian to sense the danger, but it didn’t happen, instead he made an error at the final chicane.

    The silver car closed right up on its blue and yellow rival, the gap, at one stage, down to one-tenth of a second.

    Finally, Raikkonen made his move, in the braking area at Turn One he went around the outside of the Italian, who appeared to give in, knowing that he was beaten.

    On the podium Giancarlo looked totally crestfallen and rightly so, no matter the ruthless efficiency of the Finn, and the sheer speed of his car, the Italian appeared to have given in without a real fight. A week later, at Shanghai, Alonso demonstrated that the R25 still had the pace to beat the MP4-20.

    For 2006, Fisi is retained, despite rumours, for much of the season that his drive was in jeopardy.

    In 2006 there can be no excuses, no talk of bad luck or lack of pace. There is a new order of rising talent and if Fisichella is to remain with a top-flight team he must seize every opportunity, fight the fight and demonstrate that Melbourne 2005 was no fluke.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 10
    Grand Prix: 159
    Wins: 2
    Points: 174
    Poles: 2
    Fastest Laps: 2

    Best result in 2005: 1st (Australia)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Australia)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 13th (San Marino)
    Average grid position: 5.42
    2005: Out-qualified Fernando Alonso 5 times

    2005: Completed: 902 out of 1107 laps (81.48%)
    2005: Finished 13 times from 18 starts (72%)

















    [Driver Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Nick Heidfeld first gained widespread attention in 1994 when he won the German Formula Ford Championship with 8 wins from 9 races. The young German was 2nd in the semi-finals of the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch but was forced to drop out following an accident.

    In 1995 he won the German International Formula Ford 1800 Championship and second place in the Zetec Cup. In 1996 Nick contested the German International F3 Championship, finishing third, despite taking three wins. Late in the year he finished sixth at Macau.

    A year later and Nick won the German F3 Championship in addition to winning the prestigious Monaco F3 event. He then stepped up to European F3000 finishing runner-up in 1998 with three wins, he was also appointed official test driver at McLaren-Mercedes.

    In 1999 having won the International Formula 3000 Championship, Nick was snapped up by Prost for the 2000 season.

    Driving alongside Jean Alesi, Nick struggled to get to grips with a difficult car, and after a string of retirements it was no surprise when the German left Prost at the end of his debut season, moving to Sauber for 2001.

    Heidfeld’s fortunes improved dramatically with the Swiss team. Given a competitive car he demonstrated the skills that many within the F1 paddock had been raving about, and along with rookie team mate Kimi Raikkonen, Nick helped Sauber to its most successful season to date, scoring twelve points along the way.

    Although frustrated by Raikkonen’s departure to McLaren, feeling that the team should have called on him to replace Hakkinen, Nick decided to show the Woking team what they were missing out on. The German gave a number of gritty performances, particularly in Spain where he finished a magnificent fourth.

    Sadly, as has often been the case with Sauber, they didn’t keep developing the C21 hence the team was unable to build on the success of 2001. In Austria Nick was lucky to survive a horrific clash with Takuma Sato, while the German also played a part in the first-corner incident in Melbourne.

    Alongside Heinz-Harald Frentzen for 2003, Nick failed to convince. The former F3000 Champion out-qualified his older team-mate 9-7, but on the whole it was Frentzen who dominated, and indeed claimed the team’s first podium (Indianapolis) since Brazil 2001. Frentzen’s reward was to be dumped, along with Nick, for 2004, the decision being made public just hours after the Indianapolis triumph.

    For a while it appeared that Nick’s F1 career could be over, at least for 2004, and then, following a couple of successful tests, it was announced that the young German had secured a seat with Jordan, where he would be joined by Italian hot-shot, and another proven F3000 winner, Giorgio Pantano.

    Nick was one of the true stars of 2004, not that many of us got to see it.

    Away from the TV cameras, the German was giving some great performances, wringing everything out of the EJ14 and the Ford Cosworth.

    Three points – two in Monaco, one in Canada – don’t tell anything like the full story. Despite the limitations, Nick gave his all, giving performances that flattered the package given to him.

    A few years back it seemed that Nick had the world at his feet, and looked certain to take his place at McLaren-Mercedes. That it never happened, is hard to understand, certainly the German appeared to have the right credentials.

    To his credit, Nick never gave up, constantly giving strong performances in cars that didn’t deserve him.

    At the end of 2004 it looked bleak, and another young hopeful looked destined to move on from F1 having never had the opportunity to show his true potential. However, Frank Williams and Patrick Head had spotted that potential and consequently Nick was offered the opportunity to join one of the most famous teams in F1.

    Throughout the winter, Nick took part in a series of ‘shoot outs’ with Antonio Pizzonia, the ‘prize’ being a race seat alongside Mark Webber in 2005. Although the German was consistently quicker, the Brazilian was well known to the team.

    On January 31st, just moments before the launch of the FW27, WilliamsF1′s 2005 contender, ‘Quick Nick’ was told by Frank Williams that he had the job, and would partner Mark Webber, at long last, the German, and his many fans, felt that he would have the opportunity to prove himself.

    Sadly, the FW27 did not live up to expectations, a situation not helped by the fact that BMW was clearly looking to set up its own team, as the ‘marriage’ with WilliamsF1 fell apart. After the debacle of the ‘hammerhead’ in 2004, it was thought that things couldn’t get any worse aerodynamically, but they did. A ‘problem’ with the new windtunnel, together with a number of departures meant that the team struggled for much of the season.

    For the most part, Nick gave a good account of himself, though his pole position at the Nurburgring, had more to do with (light) fuel load than a major leap forward in performance by the driver, chassis or engine. That said, he drove a strong race – at a time when the FW27 appeared to be showing signs of improvement, to take second place. Only two weeks earlier, the German had driven a superb race, as did his teammate, to take second – the best finish of his F1 career – at Monaco.

    The truth is however, that despite the limitations of the WilliamsF1 BMW package, Heidfeld was rarely able to qualify well, making things all that more difficult for him on Sunday afternoon.

    Following the double triumph in the Monaco and Europe events it was ‘slim pickings’ for the German, who picked up a further 3 points in Hungary.

    Then came a heavy crash during testing at Monza in August, and what at first appeared to be a short-term lay-off, was to keep him out of the second WilliamsF1 car for the remainder of the season. He took part in the free practice sessions for the Italian Grand Prix, but subsequently withdrew from the race, complaining of a “strong headache”

    Having missed the Belgian Grand Prix, the hapless German suffered another injury when he fell from his bicycle, cracking his shoulder blade and dislocating several fingers. Thankfully, this didn’t prevent him signing for the all-new BMW F1 team just a few days later.

    He never did return to work at Grove, though he made his debut with BMW during post-season testing in November.

    Therefore, the jury remains out. We still don’t have enough evidence on the twenty-eight-year-old to know whether Germany has another winner or not.

    In its first season in F1, BMW faces a difficult time, and Heidfeld can either rise to the occasion or sink. Time will tell which it is to be.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 6
    Grand Prix: 97
    Wins: 0
    Points: 56
    Poles: 1
    Fastest Laps: 0

    Best result in 2005: 2nd (Monaco & Europe)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Europe)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 18th (Spain)
    Average grid position: 9.7
    2005: Out-qualified Mark Webber 5 times

    2005: Completed: 720 out of 830 laps (86.75%)
    2005: Finished 9 times from 13 starts (69%)


     


     

  • Formula One Grand Prix Driver’s Profiles

    Driver Profiles Formula 1


















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  
    At a time when drivers entering F1 seem ever younger, it’s worth noting that the Spaniard took part in his first kart event at the age of three!

    By the age of seven he was a regular karter and by the age of twelve Fernando was Spain’s Junior Karting Champion, a title he held for four years in addition to winning the World Junior Kart Championship in 1996 at the age of 15.

    Progressing to Inter-A Karting, Fernando won the Spanish (twice) and Italian titles before progressing to single-seaters, the Euro-Open Movistar Nissan Championship, which he won at the first attempt, winning 6 races and starting from pole on 9 occasions.

    The following season, aged eighteen he graduated to F3000, finishing second in Hungary and first in Belgium and subsequently finishing fourth in the championship behind Junqueira, Minassian and Webber.

    In 2001, at that time under the management of Benetton F1 boss Flavio Briatore, Alonso was signed to the Anglo-Italian outfit as test driver. However in a surprise move the youngster was loaned to Minardi with whom he made his F1 debut on March 4 at Melbourne, becoming the third youngest driver to start an F1 Grand Prix.

    In hopelessly under-performing equipment the youngster was sensational, out-qualifying some of his more illustrious rivals. Sadly due to TV directors’ insistence on focussing on the front-runners, much of Fernando’s finest driving went almost un-noticed.

    For 2002 Fernando returned to Benetton, now under the ownership of Renault, as test driver, and in mid-summer it came as no real surprise when it was announced that he would replace Jenson Button for 2003.

    It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Fernando was the sensation of 2003, this came as no surprise to those who spotted his talent back in 2001, but made the rest of the world sit up and take notice.

    Finishing third in Malaysia and Brazil followed by a fine second in his home race it was simply a question of when, not if, he would win his first Grand Prix. In Hungary the youngster went into the history books as the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix, having become the youngest pole-sitter at the start of the season in Malaysia.

    For much of the early part of the 2004 season, Fernando was outshone by teammate Jarno Trulli, certainly in qualifying. Despite his undoubted bravery and ability, the youngster still has much to learn, namely his tendency to over-drive the car, in addition to his Latin temperament. One only has to look back to his 2003 accident at Interlagos which was totally needless.

    Watching him, there are moments when one genuinely fears for him, hoping that he doesn’t have to learn his lesson the hard way. That said, his is an outrageous talent, and a wonder to behold.

    Like Michael Schumacher, Fernando gets all he can out of a car, and often the end result flatters the machinery.

    In spite of his (relative) failure in qualifying, his sheer speed, and the R24′s status as the ultimate in ‘getaway cars’, the Spaniard usually made up for his poor grid position at the start races, mixing it with the front runners by the time they reached the first corner.

    Despite a strong start to the season, Renault clearly lost ground in the second half of the year, though at times it appeared that someone had forgotten to tell Fernando. Although it was Button, and of course Ferrari, grabbing all the headlines, the young Spaniard gave some bravura performances, Japan and Brazil immediately spring to mind.

    It is well documented that the mainstream media – particularly in Britain – has a penchant for building up a person, be it actor, musician or sports star – then knocking them down. And there were times, especially towards the end of the 2005 season when it seemed as though this was the case with Fernando Alonso.

    The young Spaniard had driven a superb season, yet it appeared that the media, and indeed many race fans, regarded him as the villain of the piece, and was cheering for Kimi Raikkonen. Indeed, at the end of the year it was the Finn who appeared to win the plaudits, continuously – even by Pitpass readers – being voted ‘Driver of the Year’.

    However, it would be totally wrong to lose sight of Alonso’s achievements and to forget just how well he drove.

    Yes, there were times in the latter stages of the season when he eased off, and settled for positions rather than going all-out for the win. But by then, the McLaren MP4-20 was the car to have, and the Spaniard, no doubt under advice from his team, opted for the safer, more cautious approach, forcing rival Kimi Raikkonen to do all the hard work.

    Yet in China, having secured the Drivers’ title, Alonso was superb, delivering the killer blow that secured his team its first ever World Championship title.

    Along the way there was another great performances, his raw speed in Malaysia and Bahrain, the way he soaked up the pressure from Michael Schumacher at Imola. At the Nurburgring, sensing that his rival had a problem, he relentlessly hounded Raikkonen until the result was inevitable. Then again, let’s not forget how he nurtured his Michelin’s at Monaco.

    In late 2005 it may have become fashionable, for some, to knock the young Spaniard, but the reality is that his title is well deserved, as is the fact that he takes the mantle of ‘youngest champion’ from another great, Emerson Fittipaldi.

    Though Fernando might not be the media, or indeed the fans’, favourite, he had clearly done enough to impress Ron Dennis, who pulled off the shock of the season when he snapped up the youngster for 2007. Clearly, ‘the Ronster’ hasn’t fallen for the media’s negativity and who would you trust when it comes to assessing talent?

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 1
    Seasons in F1: 4
    Grand Prix: 69
    Wins: 8
    Points: 247
    Poles: 9
    Fastest Laps: 3

    Best result in 2005: 1st (7 times)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (6 times)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 16th (Japan)
    Average grid position: 4.05
    2005: Out-qualified Giancarlo Fisichella 14 times

    2005: Completed: 1074 out of 1107 laps (97.02%)
    2005: Finished 17 times from 18 starts (94%)


















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Rubens made his F1 debut with Jordan in 1993, and remains the team’s longest serving driver.

    A solid first season was marred by a string of technical failures, but Rubens went on to score his first points in Japan, finishing fifth.

    1994 got off to a good start, with a fourth place in the opening race of the season followed by a first podium at Aida, but disaster was to strike at Imola.

    A horrific Friday practice crash put Rubens out of the race, and was an indication of what was to come that fateful weekend. Barrichello’s countryman Ayrton Senna was killed during the San Marino GP and Rubens found himself carrying the hopes of Brazil on his shoulders.

    It was a heavy load to bear, and Rubens struggled at times throughout the remainder of the year. Retirements continued to plague his races with Jordan, and he eventually moved to Stewart in 1997, scoring an impressive podium at the Monaco GP where he finished second.

    Barrichello’s big break came in 1999 when he announced at the end of the year that he had signed to partner Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. Life with the Italian team got off to a perfect start for Rubens, who finished second in his first race for the team, but he was soon to discover the frustrations of being a number two.

    Victory came in the 2000 German GP, and an emotional Barrichello sobbed his heart out on the top step of the podium.

    Life at Ferrari was becoming difficult, and although Rubens was thanked for his part in helping the team achieve its two world championships, many insiders believed that the Brazilian’s contract would not be renewed at the end of 2001, but it was.

    Ferrari again had cause to celebrate in 2001, but Rubens was angered by the decision to make him move over for his team mate during the Austrian GP, adamant that he could give Schumacher a run for his money if it were not for team orders. That said, Rubens was unable to match the pace of his partner for much of the season and was actually under pressure from Coulthard and the WilliamsF1 drivers, eventually finishing third in the championship, albeit it with less than half the points scored by his team-mate. That said the Brazilian suffered some appalling luck and more than his fair share of retirements.

    2002 began with a string of retirements due to technical problems, that never seemed to afflict Michael’s car, and accidents. Ahead of the Austrian GP Rubens surprised everyone by re-signing with Ferrari for a further two seasons, but by the end of the weekend he was probably wishing he hadn’t.

    Despite starting from pole and leading for most of the race, Rubens was ordered to hand the victory to his team-mate just yards before the finish-line. The incident caused outrage in the media and many fans and insiders to wonder at the Brazilian’s apparent lack of self-respect.

    Rather than let its two drivers race, Ferrari issued team orders which favoured Schumacher, though the Brazilian was handed a couple of token wins.

    Many will feel that 2003 was Rubens’ best ever season, the Brazilian taking a couple of very convincing wins in Britain and Japan. On the other hand whilst Schumacher seemed never to suffer mechanical failures – during races at least – Barrichello suffered a number of high-profile failures.

    Rubens’ win in Japan was crucial for it secured Ferrari’s fifth consecutive Constructors’ Championship, somehow it seemed fitting that the Brazilian finally get his moment of glory having played such an important part in the team’s revival.

    Despite talk that Rubens would be dropped for 2004 in favour of fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa, he retained his seat for a fifth season.

    In all honesty, Rubens is a frustrating driver, and one wonders how, in years to come, he’ll look back on his F1 career, and in particular his time with Ferrari.

    Certainly, he has been part of one of the most successful teams in the history of motorsport, but in many ways he’s similar to Brad Dexter in The Magnificent Seven. Everyone remembers him, but its Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn and even Eli Wallach, that everyone really remembers.

    There were a few inspired moments for Rubens in 2004, not just the wins in Italy and China, but also qualifying at Indianapolis, when he out-paced his teammate, despite a heavier fuel load. However, for the most part it was business as usual, with Rubens playing support to the headline act.

    There were many who hoped that in 2005, the popular Brazilian might step out of the shadows, and finally give Michael a fight, or at least be allowed to. That said, even though most F1 people are of the opinion that the German would beat his teammate nine times out of ten, the F2005, and Bridgestone, ensured that we never got to find out.

    The season got off to a promising start when Rubens finished second to Giancarlo Fisichella in Australia, but in many ways this proved to be one of the year’s highlights.

    There were good finishes in Europe and Canada, but despite what the statistics say, Indianapolis is where it all went wrong. The Brazilian was still smarting from a last lap attack from his teammate in Monaco, a move that many would put down to the German’s ‘never-say-die attitude, but Rubens’ believed was unnecessarily risky. Then came the near collision at Indianapolis, when, following his pit stop, Schumacher almost forced the Brazilian off track – this at a time when only six cars were racing.

    A couple of months later, following weeks of rumours, it was officially confirmed that after six seasons, and nine wins, Rubens was leaving Ferrari and joining BAR, soon to be Honda.

    2006 can go a number of ways for Rubens. He can collect the pay-check and opt to take it easy, or he can get to work and prove the critics wrong.

    Having lived in Michael Schumacher’s shadow, it is unthinkable to believe that Rubens might opt to play a similar role to Honda’s ‘golden boy’, Jenson Button. He has a wealth of experience, and in (Sporting Director) Gil de Ferran, a close friend. When Rubens was recruited it was because he is a ‘proven winner’.

    No disrespect, but at Ferrari he lost that sparkle, he lost the edge, got lazy. Honda, and a young-ish ‘hot shot’ like Button might be just what’s needed to give the popular Brazilian a much needed kick up the arse, forcing him to demonstrate that he still has the hunger.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 13
    Grand Prix: 217
    Wins: 9
    Points: 489
    Poles: 13
    Fastest Laps: 15

    Best result in 2005: 2nd (Australia and USA)
    Best qualifying 2005: 6th (France and Britain)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 20th (Canada)
    Average grid position: 10.63
    2005: Out-qualified Michael Schumacher 7 times

    2005: Completed: 1122 out of 1180 laps (95.08%)
    2005: Finished 17 times from 19 starts (89%)


















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Jenson Button burst on to the Formula One scene at the start of the 2000 season, making his debut with Williams.

    Frank Williams was heavily criticised for his decision to sign a relatively inexperienced 20-year-old to partner Ralf Schumacher, but Jenson soon silenced his critics with his performances on the track!

    When Jenson scored a point in only his second race great things were expected from the young Englishman, and for much of that first season he delivered.

    A string of strong drives saw him collect 12 points during his first year in the sport, while an impressive qualifying performance at Spa saw him line up ahead of hero Michael Schumacher on the grid for the Belgian GP!

    Although Jenson had impressed team boss Frank Williams with his maturity, feedback and speed throughout the season, the team was already committed to providing Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya with a 2001 race seat, and as a result Button was ‘loaned’ to Benetton for two seasons.

    His lack of experience meant he struggled to get to grips with the car during his second season, and while the B200 was far from easy to drive, Jenson failed to match the pace of team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, ending the year with just two points to his name.

    For 2002 Jenson stayed with Benetton, now re-named Renault following the French manufacturer’s purchase of the Anglo/Italian team. With Fisichella moving to Jordan, Jenson was joined by another highly successful former-karter Jarno Trulli.

    Things got off to a difficult start for Jenson when he was ‘taken out’ at the first corner of the Australian GP though two weeks later he almost finished on the podium only to be passed by Michael Schumacher on the last lap when his suspension failed.

    In Brazil Jenson was ‘mixing it’ with the McLarens but after that Renault seemed to lose its edge and began to slip further down the field. Button continued to score points, but like team-mate Trulli it was mostly the crumbs from the table when one of the ‘big three’ teams failed to get both its cars home.

    When Renault announced that it was not going to re-sign Button for ’03 instead opting for former Minardi hot-shot Fernando Alonso, there were raised eyebrows along the pitlane. In the weeks that followed there was wild speculation as to where the youngster was heading until finally David Richards moved in and snapped him up for BAR.

    Admittedly Jenson ‘lost the plot’ in 2001, but right from the outset in 2002 we had the highly motivated charger who’d thrilled us in 2000 with Williams.

    The signing of Button to BAR clearly riled Jacques Villeneuve who had already seen his friend and mentor Craig Pollock dumped by the Brackley outfit in favour of Richards.

    Villeneuve used the media to launch a war of words with Button, which thankfully, for the large part, the Englishman ignored. The Canadian claimed that Jenson had yet to prove himself and indeed compared the youngster to a ‘boy band’, style over substance.

    Yet prove himself Button did, scoring all but six of BAR’s points in 2003. They were pretty evenly matched in qualifying, but in the races – despite Villeneuve’s unusually high number of retirements due to technical problems – it was the youngster that had the edge.

    At season’s end Button found himself leading both the American and Japanese events, seemingly destined for his first F1 podium, but it was not to be.

    Looking ahead to 2005, the question on everyone’s lips was; ‘can he deliver?’

    They were referring to the fact that in the wake of Villeneuve’s departure, Jenson now assumed the role of team leader.

    True, he had given some strong performance in 2003, but he had yet to record his first F1 podium, was this really the man to lead an F1 team?

    The answer was a resounding yes.

    From the outset, even though it was clear that the Ferrari’s were untouchable, BAR clearly had a great car, a fine engine, and in Button, a real team leader.

    In Malaysia, the second race of the season he dealt with the first of the mental barriers, finally taking a place on the podium. Two weeks later he was back on the podium again, this time one step higher. By the end of the season, Jenson had visited the podium ten times, though never quite making it to the top step.

    His best opportunity to win came at Monza, but then the Ferraris decided to show what they could really do. However, his finest performance came at Hockenheim, where, despite starting from 13th on the grid as a result of an engine failure, he worked his way up to second, giving some fine lessons in how to overtake, and proving that it can still be done.

    Sadly, Jenson’s season was marred, and his image somewhat tarnished, by the failed move to WillliamsF1, an issue that dominated much of the summer. Leaving aside the rights and wrongs of the episode, it is to his credit that the behind-the-scenes goings on never affected his performance and he continued to give 100%.

    Having made those first trips to the podium, and finished third in the drivers’ championship, albeit 63 points shy of Michael Schumacher, the big question heading into 2005 was could Jenson pick up where he left off in 2004.

    From the outset, it was clear that it wasn’t going to be an easy year for BAR, and indeed Button, however, nobody could have predicted how bad it was going to be.

    Aside from the fuel tank saga, which got his team disqualified from one race, and suspended from a further two, there was the BAR 007′s, poor aero package, which resulted in woeful lack of grip. By the end of the season, the Honda was probably the most powerful engine out there, but the BAR couldn’t handle it.

    However, Jenson Button had his own problems, and for the second year running was involved in a high profile, and rather ugly, contract battle. Trouble is, this time instead of trying to get out of a contract with BAR and move to WilliamsF1, he was attempting to wriggle out of a contract with WilliamsF1 and remain with BAR. Confused? We were.

    In all honesty, there must be times when even Jenson must be wondering whether it was all hype. There were occasions when he was outstanding, however, there were many more when he was simply average. Furthermore, he can no longer rely on the ‘youngster’ label, at 26 he is two years older than the World Champion.

    There is no doubting his raw pace, however, one cannot help but feel that Jenson is carrying just a little too much ‘baggage’. At Imola he surrendered far too easily to Michael Schumacher, while in Canada he crashed out following a needless error.

    As we said, there were some very good performances, but on the whole, and despite the limitations of the BAR, Jenson was a shadow of the driver we saw in 2004.

    After 100 Grands Prix, it is clear that many of those that previously championed him are beginning to lose patience.

    Honda has paid an extortionate amount of money to secure his services for five years, leaving many F1 insiders scratching their heads in disbelief.

    In 2006 he is partnered by Rubens Barrichello, a man, despite the fact that he is eight years older, who still looks likely to add to his tally of nine wins.

    It wouldn’t be overestimating the situation to say that 2006 is ‘make or break’ time for Button. Either he gets down to it and proves that he is a winner, or plays up to the ‘playboy’ image that the media has of him. The choice is his and his alone.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 6
    Grand Prix: 100
    Wins: 0
    Points: 167
    Poles: 2
    Fastest Laps: 0

    Best result in 2005: 3rd (Germany and Belgium)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Canada)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 13th (Europe and Turkey)
    Average grid position: 6.17
    2005: Out-qualified Takuma Sato 15 times
    2005: Out-qualified Anthony Davidson 1 time

    2005: Completed: 871 out of 963 laps (90.45%)
    2005: Finished 12 times from 16 starts (75%)


















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Felipe began his racing career in karts at the age of nine, competing in national and international championships for seven years.

    He won the Italian and European Formula Renault championship in 2000, before progressing to the Formula 3000 Euro-Series for the following year. He won the championship after winning six of the eight races, and was soon behind the wheel of the Sauber C20 at Mugello.

    Having impressed the Swiss team with his feedback and speed, Massa was signed for the 2001 season, and the twenty year old made his Formula One debut as partner to Nick Heidfeld.

    Depending on how you looked at it, Felipe Massa was either the biggest revelation of 2002 or the biggest disappointment. Ever since Kimi Raikkonen, another Sauber discovery, came into F1, there has been concern within the sport that some of the youngsters coming in haven’t served the correct ‘apprenticeship’. Certainly, some of Felipe’s performances in 2002 gave such critics some useful ammunition.

    Basically the Brazilian, though talented, was just a little too wild, getting into all manner of incidents, many of them unnecessary. At one race he span so many times that he admitted to giving himself a headache. As the season went on it was clear that he was getting on the nerves of his rivals, his team-mate, and more importantly his boss. Therefore it wasn’t too surprising when Sauber decided to drop him in favour of Heinz-Harald Frentzen for 2003.

    Sauber was keen to retain Felipe as test driver but the Brazilian wanted to race. As the number of vacant seats diminished it looked as though the Brazilian was out of luck, then suddenly he was being linked with the second seat at Jordan. However just as it seemed the deal was done, it all fell through and Ralph Firman took the final ‘free’ seat.

    Then, twenty-four-hours before Ferrari was due to launch its 2003 contender, the Italian team revealed it had signed Felipe as test driver, somehow nobody seemed surprised. The Brazilian saw regular action throughout the year and was acknowledged by the Scuderia as having made a major contribution to its fifth successive Constructors’ Championship and Michael Schumacher’s record sixth title.

    Throughout the year there were rumours regarding Felipe’s F1 future. Some had him replacing Rubens Barrichello while the more fanciful had him taking Michael Schumacher’s place should the German have opted to retire.

    Ahead of the Japanese GP Sauber finally confirmed what many had believed all along, namely that Massa was returning to the Swiss team where his F1 adventure had begun, to link up with Giancarlo Fisichella.

    Although the year with Ferrari appeared to have smoothed away some of the rough edges, it was clear that Felipe still had a lot to learn.

    Admittedly the ‘mistake-count’ was down but the Brazilian still appeared to be ‘on the edge’ a little too often. As the season progressed however, Felipe appeared to re-discover himself, possibly the result of realising that he was constantly being outshone by his teammate.

    At Monza he gave a strong performance, though the loss of a front wing following a collision with Nick Heidfeld saw him finish a lap down, while at Interlagos he was again on tremendous form.

    In 2005, Felipe remained at Sauber, where he was to be partnered by Jacques Villeneuve, in what (on paper) was clearly one of the most tantalizing partnerships on the grid.

    In the first few races, the Brazilian out-classed the former world Champion, to such an extent that certain sections of the (British) media were claiming that the Canadian might not see out the season, possibly to be replaced by Anthony Davidson, who according to one magazine was (seemingly) having seat fittings on a daily basis.

    The truth is that other than the fact that the C24 was a poor car, Villeneuve was hindered by set-up problems, with the team refusing to allow the Canadian to have his own way. However, once the team relented, and the car was set-up to his liking, Villeneuve’s performances improved.

    Nonetheless, this shouldn’t take anything away from Massa, who was one of the true ‘finds’ of 2005. Set-up or no set-up, the fact is that he out-qualified his illustrious teammate thirteen times.

    Then there were the drives, particularly his progress through the field in Canada, where he finished fourth, despite the best efforts of Mark Webber.

    His average qualifying position was eleventh, which totally flatters the car. Sadly, he was rarely able to convert his grid spots to points finishes, though this was not for want of trying.

    The year with Ferrari did him well, for in 2005 it was clear that the Brazilian has matured, has learned from his mistakes, and basically lost much of the ‘wildness’. Therefore, it came as no real surprise when he was called back to Maranello to replace Rubens Barrichello for 2006.

    Felipe’s deal with Ferrari is for just one season, however, with at least fourteen drivers’ contracts due to end later this year, the Brazilian shouldn’t be too concerned. In Michael Schumacher, the Brazilian will have the perfect racing role model, and providing the car is competitive, 2006 should see the youngster progress to the next stage.

    When he first appeared in 2002, there were moments when the youngster brought back memories of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. Time will tell if he’s the ‘real deal’. In the meantime, as Ferrari searches for a successor to Schumacher – and the Villeneuve legacy – this could be the ideal opportunity for Felipe to prove himself.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 3
    Grand Prix: 52
    Wins: 0
    Points: 27
    Poles: 0
    Fastest Laps: 0

    Best result in 2005: 4th (Canada)
    Best qualifying 2005: 8th (3 Times)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 20th (Australia)
    Average grid position: 11.6
    2005: Out-qualified Villeneuve 13 times

    2005: Completed: 1019 out of 1107 laps (92.05%)
    2005: Finished 16 times from 18 starts (89%)


















    [Driver Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Like many drivers, David began his racing career in karts, before graduating to Formula Ford in 1989. He then enjoyed seasons in F3 and F3000 before being appointed Williams’ test driver in 1993.

    Although he began the 1994 F3000 season, David was promoted to a Williams race seat following the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola. The Scot impressed the team by his performance under difficult circumstances, and although he was replaced by Nigel Mansell for the final races of the year he finished 8th in the Drivers’ Championship and was kept on for the following season.

    His first victory came in the 1995 Portuguese GP, and he went on to end the year third in the championship.

    Coulthard moved to McLaren for the 1996 season, and has remained with the Woking team ever since.

    Although he has impressed at various stages during his F1 career, Coulthard has so far failed to demonstrate the consistency required to take the drivers’ crown. A strong start to the 1998 season saw him fight his team mate Mika Hakkinen before dropping back in to a support role, while a string of strong drives during 2000 put him back in with a chance of championship glory, before he dropped back to end the year in third.

    2001 saw him claim the runner-up spot behind Michael Schumacher, but technical failures and some far from inspiring performances meant that the title was never really within his sights.

    Following the departure of long-term team-mate Hakkinen, David found himself lining up alongside another ‘flying Finn’ in 2002, the highly rated Kimi Raikkonen. Having played what some might consider a support role to Hakkinen, David was determined that it wouldn’t happen again.

    In the opening GP at Melbourne the Scot narrowly out-qualified the Finn, but it was the newcomer that scored the points the following day. It’s to his credit that other than WilliamsF1′s Ralf Schumacher, David was the only non-Ferrari driver to win a race in 2002, the Scot taking a popular win at Monaco, a track he enjoys.

    Following the joy of Monaco, David took another 6 points in Canada, however the rest of the season was spent hoping that the Ferraris would slip up, or at least miss a beat, which they rarely did. The MP4-17 wasn’t a classic car, and its tendency towards oversteer was definitely not to David’s liking, while the Mercedes power-plant was never likely to worry the Ferraris or the WilliamsF1s.

    Much like the sound of the first swallow heralds the arrival of Spring, so each season seems to begin with Coulthard announcing that ‘the gloves are off’, the ‘Mr Nice Guy’ image has been dropped and that this will be his year.

    2003 got off to the perfect start when David took a convincing win in Australia, while Raikkonen’s win in Malaysia seemed to indicate that the McLaren was finally in a position to challenge the Ferraris, albeit with a modified 2002 car.

    Unfortunately David wasn’t to climb on the podium again until the German GP – eleven races later – when he finished second, rounding off the season with another podium in Japan. Eventually finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, this was DC’s worst result since joining McLaren in 1996.

    In all fairness the new ‘hot lap’ qualifying format didn’t suit the Scot and as a result he regularly found himself starting from the middle of the grid. In addition Raikkonen – almost nine years the Scot’s junior – was on outstanding form.

    Bernie Ecclestone suggested that Coulthard should move from McLaren, that a change of scene would revitalise him, while many thought that the Scot’s career was coming to an end, particularly at a time when Juan Pablo Montoya was being linked with a move to Woking.

    Over the course of the Hungarian GP weekend McLaren announced its 2004 line-up and David Coulthard was confirmed for a record ninth season. However, it wasn’t long afterwards that McLaren announced its 2005 line-up, with Montoya joining Raikkonen.

    DC started the 2004 season knowing that if he was to remain in F1 in 2005 he needed to make a good impression, therefore we can only begin to imagine how frustrated he felt on discovering what a dog of a car the MP4-19 really was.

    That said, while Raikkonen was retiring with various problems, usually engine related, the Scot at least managed to bring his car home, often in the points. However, the MP4-19 didn’t give him the opportunity to demonstrate that he still had the potential to win races, and thereby impress potential employers. It says much for Coulthard’s character that he persisted, a point here, a point there.

    Behind the scenes his manager, Martin Brundle, was trying to secure the Scot a seat for 2005. McLaren had said there was a (test) role for him at Woking, but David wasn’t interested, he wanted to race.

    The big teams already had their 2005 line-up arranged, and it was only when WilliamsF1 announced the signing of Mark Webber, that Brundle closed in on the Jaguar seat.

    By all accounts the deal was almost done, with the Scot lined up to lead the American-owned British team, sorted. Then came the devastating news that Ford was pulling out of F1 and putting the Milton Keynes outfit up for sale.

    Despite the obvious disappointment, Coulthard stuck at it, taking points whenever he could, hoping that someone, somewhere was watching.

    At season end – he finished tenth in the drivers’ championship, his worst result since entering F1 – it looked as though it was all over for the Scot. The only seats remaining being those at Minardi and Jordan, while Jaguar’s fate, like DC’s looked bleak.

    Salvation appeared to be at hand, when, in November, Red Bull stepped in and bought Jaguar Racing, however, the door appeared to slam back in Coulthard’s face, when Red Bull owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, announced that the Scot was “not an option”.

    Imagine everyone’s surprise – possibly even DC’s – when a few days later, Mateschitz had a change of heart and said that Coulthard was the man to lead Red Bull in 2005.

    On December 17, Coulthard got the perfect Christmas present when he signed as number one driver for Red Bull Racing.

    In previous years we had all grown sick of the endless “the gloves are off” and “this is my year” soundbites, though if the truth be told with the emergence of Jenson Button, a man forever promising that ‘this will be the year I win my first race’, the Scot had eased off.

    Freed from the corporate shackles that were the norm at McLaren, at Red Bull, Coulthard clearly thrived, he became a different person. He grew his hair, stopped shaving, and even dished out the banter to journalists – all that appeared to be missing was the mockney accent.

    Whereas, at Woking DC had to epitomise the McLaren and Mercedes corporate image, at Red Bull the Scot was allowed to be full-on rock ‘n’ roll, indeed, it was encouraged, and David rose to the occasion.

    Thankfully, this transformation wasn’t restricted to the paddock, on track also, the Scot appeared to have rediscovered his real self.

    At Melbourne, the Coulthard revival got off to the best possible start when the Scot took fourth place, giving his team a massive morale boost exactly when it needed it.

    Points finishes followed in Malaysia and Bahrain, proving the Australia result was no fluke.

    As the season progressed, the weakness of the RBR1 and the Cosworth began to show, and the team struggled. However, that didn’t prevent further excellent performances from Coulthard, most notably at the Nurburgring, where a drive-through penalty ended his hopes of a podium finish. At Monaco, a circuit where the Scot has enjoyed several fine wins, he was looking good for a points finish until a coming together with Michael Schumacher.

    By the time the 2006 season gets underway, the Scot will be 35, which makes him the second oldest driver on the grid. That said, after Schumacher, in terms of wins, he remains the most successful driver.

    We can be thankful that DC didn’t retire at the end of 2004 and that the Red Bull drive came about. However, as we look ahead to the new season it appears that all is not well with the RBR2, with some members of the Milton Keynes based outfit fearing a slide down the grid.

    That said, with Adrian Newey on board, Coulthard, who has previously worked with the Englishman at both WilliamsF1 and McLaren, can already begin looking forward to the RBR3, providing that he continues to perform and that Red Bull is willing to take full advantage of his experience.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 12
    Grand Prix: 193
    Wins: 13
    Points: 499
    Poles: 12
    Fastest Laps: 18

    Best result in 2005: 4th (Australia and Europe)
    Best qualifying 2005: 5th (Australia)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 16th (USA and Brazil)
    Average grid position: 11.26
    2005: Out-qualified Christian Klien 7 times
    2005: Out-qualified Tonio Liuzzi 4 times

    2005: Completed: 878 out of 1107 laps (79.31%)
    2005: Finished 14 times from 18 starts (78%)

















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    In the last week of November 2003 when Christian Klien stepped into the Jaguar R4 at Jerez for one of the final tests of the season, there were a number of people asking ‘who he?’.

    As is often the case these days F1 drivers seem to suddenly appear as if by magic, rather than in the old days when we watched them gradually progress through the ‘lower formulae’. In recent years we have seen drivers such as Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa take their places on the F1 grid after just a handful of previous single-seater outings.

    In reality although still only 20, Christian has served quite a long single-seater apprenticeship, at least by contemporary standards, and come to F1 a proven winner.

    Following the inevitable kart career the young Austrian switched to single-seaters in 1999 aged 16. Competing in the Formula BMW ADAC Junior Cup, Christian won his debut race and went on to take three more wins resulting in him finishing fourth in the championship.

    In 2000 he moved up to the Formula BMW ADAC Championship, finishing tenth overall and third highest placed rookie. The following year he finished third in the championship courtesy of five convincing wins.

    For 2002 Christian switched to Formula Renault competing in the German Championship and the Eurocup. Five wins and five pole positions meant the German Championship was in the bag, while the youngster finished fifth in the Eurocup and best rookie.

    In 2003 the Austrian moved to the F3 Euro Series where four wins, seven poles, four fastest laps and nine visits to the podium resulted in the runner-up position, though the twenty-year-old was awarded ‘rookie of the year’ title.

    Along the way Christian also found time to dominate the prestigious Marlboro Masters event at the legendary Zandvoort track.

    Making his F1 test debut with Jaguar in late 2003, Christian impressed the Ford-owned team: ‘Christian was in as much control of himself as he was the car,’ said Jaguar Racing boss David Pitchforth. ‘He was extremely calm, composed and didn’t seem remotely fazed by his first ever experience with a Formula One car. His technical feedback was excellent and there is no doubt in our minds about the potential of this exciting new young talent. Our decision to employ him as a race driver was based on merit, potential and speed.’

    That said, it is well documented that money changed hands and that Klien was, in effect, a ‘pay driver’, even though he personally wasn’t picking up the tab.

    The shortcomings of the R5, not to mention Jaguar’s off-track problems, hardly allowed Christian to show his true potential, however if Ford hadn’t pulled out of F1 it is unlikely that the Austrian youngster would have been retained.

    That said, he picked up three points in Belgium, and usually brought the car home, though he was roundly beaten by teammate Webber in qualifying.

    Following Red Bull’s purchase of the Jaguar Racing team, Christian was quickly signed up, as were David Coulthard and 2004 F3000 champion Vitantonio Liuzzi.

    One can only hope that Red Bull’s decision to ‘share’ the second seat between Klien and Liuzzi made sense to someone within the Austrian organization, because to the rest of us it made no sense.

    Although Christian drove the majority of the races (14), the uncertainly over the drive wasn’t good for either him or his teammate.

    That said, the Austrian delivered a couple of fine performances, most notably his convincing fifth place in China. There were also a number of very impressive qualifying performances also – helped, of course, by David Coulthard’s unease with the ‘hot lap’ format.

    In 2006, with Red Bull now able to spread its drivers across two teams, Christian looks set to partner David Coulthard full-time.

    Let’s hope that the stability of a full-time drive will enable the young Austrian to give more performances like that witnessed in Shanghai.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 2
    Grand Prix: 32
    Wins: 0
    Points: 12
    Poles: 0
    Fastest Laps: 0

    Best result in 2005: 5th (China)
    Best qualifying 2005: 4th (Japan)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 16th (Canada, France and Belgium)
    Average grid position: 11
    2005: Out-qualified David Coulthard 8 times

    2005: Completed: 641 out of 842 laps (76.13%)
    2005: Finished 11 times from 14 starts (79%)


















    [Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –> [2005 In Pictures]  

    Biography

    		  

    Inspired by his father, Montoya began racing at a young age, and claimed his first karting championship at the age of six. Juan Pablo went on to win a number of Colombian championships before moving to compete in the US at the age of 17.

    In 1996 Juan Pablo competed in the British F3 championship, and it was here that he began to get himself noticed. One pole and three victories helped him earn an F3000 drive for the following season, and Juan Pablo came second in the championship at the end of his first year!

    1998 saw him crowned F3000 champion, and he was signed as a test driver for Williams, gaining his first experience of F1.

    After losing out on a race seat with Williams in 1999, after the team signed Alessandro Zanardi, Montoya switched his attentions to the US, making his CART debut with Chip Ganassi Racing. It was an impressive first season, with the Colombian winning his third race and going on to score a total of seven victories to win the championship at the first attempt. He stayed in America for another year, and proceeded to win the Indy 500, becoming the first rookie to do so for 34 years.

    Montoya finally made his F1 debut in 2001, replacing Jenson Button at Williams, and demonstrated his ability from the off.

    An impressive move on reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher in Brazil saw Juan Pablo take the lead in only his third race, and the Colombian was heading for victory before a mistake by Jos Verstappen saw the pair collide, forcing Montoya to retire.

    It was not long before Juan Pablo stood on the podium for the first time; a second place in the Spanish GP proved to be the first of four visits in his debut season.

    An argument with Jacques Villeneuve during the Canadian GP weekend earned Montoya harsh words from team boss Frank Williams, and the Colombian appeared to take the lesson to heart, improving his qualifying performance and scoring two points finishes in the following three races.

    A well-deserved victory came at Monza and Juan Pablo went on to out-perform his German team-mate for the remainder of the season.

    In 2002 despite starting from pole position seven times, Juan Pablo was unable to convert any of these into victories, team-mate Ralf Schumacher meanwhile took a well earned win at Sepang.

    Although the BMW engine was possibly the class of the field, the FW24 didn’t do it justice, then again that doesn’t fully explain Juan Pablo’s failure to win at least one race.

    In the opening races the Colombian tended to race with his heart rather than his head, and as the season progressed there were some silly clashes with his team-mate, though often it was the German at fault.

    Whereas Ralf is a thinker, Montoya is a racer’s racer who tends to drive through problems. Some of his qualifying laps were sensational and consequently some of those pole positions were against all odds.

    At Monza Montoya made history when he posted the fastest qualifying lap in F1 history. Ahead of the 2003 season much was expected of both Montoya and the BMW-WilliamsF1 FW25, however after just a couple of races BMW was publicly criticising its technical partner whilst McLaren and Ferrari built a comfortable championship lead.

    With BMW appearing to hesitate regarding the signing of a new contract, WilliamsF1 pulled out all the stops and suddenly the FW25 was the class of the field.

    In the press room at Monte Carlo, Montoya got a standing ovation for a fine victory, the second win of his F1 career, in Germany he took another impressive victory, beating Schumacher in his ‘home’ race.

    The Colombian looked set to take the title fight to the wire, until a ‘coming together’ with Rubens Barrichello at Indianapolis resulted in a ‘drive-thru’ penalty. The penalty couldn’t have happened at a worse time for it had just started to rain and Juan Pablo was on the wrong tyres. This meant that in addition to the ‘drive-thru’ he also went off – due to the conditions – thereby losing valuable positions and indeed the World Championship.

    Montoya and indeed most F1 fans and insiders feel that the stewards’ decision that day robbed F1 of an epic duel at Suzuka, a three-way title fight.

    Montoya was clearly maturing, though there were still moments when his Latin temperament rose to the surface. In addition there were a number of silly mistakes, some he got away with, some he didn’t.

    When, in November 2003, McLaren revealed that it had signed Montoya for 2005, there was widespread speculation that the Colombian would either join the Woking outfit a year early or be sent on ‘gardening leave’ by the Grove team. Yet at the launch of the FW26 there was Juan Pablo as large as life, looking relaxed and confident.

    Anyone who had any lingering doubts as to his commitment will surely have appreciated Juan Pablo in 2004.

    Almost from the outset it was clear that the FW26 was no championship winner, far from it.

    As ever however, he continued to delight and infuriate in equal measure, making a ludicrous mistake one minute, then a ball-breaking manoeuvre the next.

    What happened in the tunnel at Monaco was stupid, though Michael Schumacher must accept some of the blame. Then again, there was that wonderful move on the world champion at Spa, the ultimate racer’s circuit.

    It seemed like ironic justice that he signed off at WilliamsF1 with a win in Brazil, the last race of the season.

    Free of WilliamsF1, where he didn’t appear to be happy, especially alongside Ralf Schumacher, we expected to see the real Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren in 2005.

    Unfortunately it was much of the same thing, brilliant one minute, dreadful the next.

    Entering the lion’s den at Woking, where Kimi Raikkonen was clearly the favourite son, was never going to be easy. But why oh why did Juan Pablo make it so difficult for himself?

    Hardly had the season begun, and the Colombian was forced to miss two races as a result of a mysterious tennis accident.

    Granted, there were problems with the MP4-20 at the beginning of the season, furthermore it took the Woking outfit time to get used to the Colombian’s temperament and gradually reign him in. However, by the end of the season there were clear signs of improvement.

    Mind you, along the way we’d had to endure the madness at Monaco when he deliberated ‘brake tested’ his former teammate during practice, and consequently got himself demoted to the back of the grid.

    There were also clashes with Tiago Monteiro (Turkey) and Antonio Pizzonia (Belgium), which despite the protestations, and typical Latin bravado, Montoya was not blameless, far from it.

    Then again, Juan Pablo was badly let down by his team in Canada when it made a strategic cock-up, resulting in Ron Dennis having to apologize to the Colombian.

    When he’s bad he’s a nightmare, but when he’s good he’s brilliant, witness the wins at Silverstone, Monza and Interlagos, not to mention the fight back at Hockenheim, having spun off in qualifying.

    With Fernando Alonso heading to Woking in 2007, McLaren has yet to decide who will partner the highly-talented Spaniard, that’s assuming that the two current drivers wish to be considered for the role.

    Ahead of the 2006 season, Juan Pablo has made it clear that he wants to know what is happening re 2007, and has already made noises about talking to other teams.

    Whether he is to stay at McLaren or move on, 2006 is a vital year for the Colombian. It is a year in which he must ensure that the good times outweigh the bad. It is a year in which he must seize every opportunity and re-establish himself as a potential world champion.

    That means fewer mistakes, no dumb-ass brake tests, and no more ‘injuries’ on the tennis court.

    Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season

    Drivers’ Titles: 0
    Seasons in F1: 5
    Grand Prix: 84
    Wins: 7
    Points: 281
    Poles: 12
    Fastest Laps: 12

    Best result in 2005: 1st (Britain, Italy and Brazil)
    Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Belgium)
    Worst qualifying 2005: 19th (Germany)
    Average grid position: 7.76
    2005: Out-qualified Kimi Raikkonen 5 times

    2005: Completed: 827 out of 988 laps (83.7%)
    2005: Finished 11 times from 16 starts (69%)













  • Developer Accepts World Trade Center Deal










    Spencer Platt/Getty Images
    Larry Silverstein made the announcement today at 7 World Trade Center.

    April 25, 2006
    Developer Accepts World Trade Center Deal
    By CHARLES V. BAGLI

    Larry A. Silverstein said today that he was accepting the economic terms of a new deal at ground zero, which reduces his overall role but still allows him to build three skyscrapers on the most valuable parcels on the 16-acre site, ending nearly five months of struggle over the future of the trade center site.

    “This is a fair deal,” Mr. Silverstein said at a news conference this afternoon. “I trust that Governor Pataki, Governor Corzine, Mayor Bloomberg and the Port Authority will move quickly to finalize this agreement and move forward with the rebuilding.”

    He added: “Make no mistake, we have made real concessions. This is about moving the rebuilding forward as quickly as possible.”

    The deal, if it is ultimately approved by all sides, would also end the uncertainty that downtown executives say has hampered the resurgence of Lower Manhattan, while clearing the way for construction to start on the Freedom Tower.

    But the turmoil at ground zero will not disappear. Rebuilding officials expect that the focus will now shift from commercial development at ground zero to the troubled memorial project. Consultants are expected to deliver a report in the next week showing that the cost of the memorial and a museum has swelled to as much as $800 million from $500 million. Fund-raising has been sluggish at best.

    Under the new agreement, Mr. Silverstein, who leased the World Trade Center site from the Port Authority six weeks before it was destroyed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, would cede responsibility for building the Freedom Tower, the largest, most symbolic and troubled skyscraper planned for the site, to the authority.

    Despite its symbolic role, the Freedom Tower was widely regarded as too big, located in the wrong spot, and unlikely to be attractive to corporate tenants, who view the building as a target.

    The deal is an attempt to put the project on a viable financial footing. The state has pledged to contribute $250 million and round up 1 million square feet of leases, most likely to federal agencies. The tower would also get about $970 million in insurance proceeds toward an estimated cost of $2 billion.

    For the 74-year-old developer, the deal is a capitulation. Mr. Silverstein has long insisted that he has both the right and the ability to develop the entire ground zero site. The new arrangement recognizes that he does not have enough money to do the $7 billion job and, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg argued, that he could have defaulted on his lease, walking away with millions and an unfinished project.

    Officials from the Pataki, Corzine and Bloomberg administrations have said the plan amounts to a blueprint for rebuilding the entire 16-acre World Trade Center site by 2012, with the Port Authority providing $100 million for the Sept. 11 memorial.

    The unified plan was put together and proposed last week by Gov. George E. Pataki, Gov. Jon S. Corzine and Mayor Bloomberg after nearly three weeks of wary negotiations.

    The latest impasse arose with the groundbreaking for the Freedom Tower, which had been planned for this month. There was also a growing realization that there was not enough money to rebuild the entire site, although Mr. Silverstein insisted that he could do the job.

    Mr. Pataki had championed the Freedom Tower, the largest of five proposed towers, as a way of restoring New York’s skyline with a symbol of resilience.

    Mr. Bloomberg raised the possibility that Mr. Silverstein would build only two towers before running out of money in 2009, defaulting on his lease and walking away from the project with hundreds of millions of dollars. Better to deal with the problem now, he said.

    Under the unified government plan proposed last week, the Port Authority would take control of the Freedom Tower project, using $1.7 billion in tax-free Liberty Bonds and about $970 million in insurance money. Mr. Silverstein would be paid to build it. The Pataki administration would provide $250 million and has pledged to secure leases for about one million square feet from federal agencies, which would enable the authority to obtain additional financing. Mr. Schumer said last night that federal customs officials were interested in a large block of the space.

    The authority would also take control of a site on Greenwich Street, which it would probably sell to a residential developer.

    Mr. Silverstein, in turn, would develop three office towers along Church Street, between Vesey and Liberty Streets. To ensure that he builds quickly, the city and the Port Authority are offering to lease 1.2 million square feet at market rates, according to Anthony R. Coscia, chairman of the Port Authority, and Kenneth J. Ringler, the authority’s executive director, and the city would provide Liberty Bonds for financing. But his development fee would be restricted to 2.5 percent, not the 5 percent he originally demanded.

    In the coming months, the authority would design plans with Mr. Silverstein for a shopping mall that would be part of two of his towers, then sell it to him and a retail developer. In addition, Mr. Silverstein would be required to adhere to strict construction schedules and contribute at least $140 million toward the cost of common infrastructure.

    Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company


     







    Today’s Papers


    Death in Dahab
    By Eric Umansky
    Posted Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at 3:07 AM ET


    The Wall Street Journal‘s world-wide newsbox and New York Times lead withand everybody frontsthe approximately 30 people killed at the triple bombing in the Egyptian resort of Dahab. It was third bombing in the Sinai in 18 months. The Washington Post leads with a lawyer for fired CIA staffer Mary McCarthy saying his client did not leak classified info and didn’t tell the Post about secret CIA jails in Eastern Europe. A “senior intelligence official confirmed” that the CIA doesn’t think she played a “central role” in the Post‘s story. “Intelligence sources” told the WP that McCarthy knew generally about the prisonsas did any interested citizenbut didn’t know the prisons’ locations, which is what was new in the WP‘s scoop. USA Today leads with the airline industry, health experts, and the ACLU all miffed about a government plan to battle an avian flu epidemic by quarantining apparently sick passengers (as judged by the flight crew). The plan would also require airlines to log passengers’ travel plans and give them to the government if requested. “What they’re proposing is nonsensical,” said one researcher. “People are going to be contagious without being symptomatic.”


    The Los Angeles Times leads with an official at Guantanamo Bay saying the Pentagon is planning to “release” 141 prisoners from there and bring charges against only about a dozen more. That would leave about 300 prisoners who “face neither imminent freedom nor a day in court.” Reuters has a slightly different take, saying the military has suggested most of those being “released” will be transferred to prisons back in their home countryan issue this TPer raised in the Wash Post last month. Meanwhile, the LAT could have benefited from flagging a few recent studies and reports that strongly suggest, as Slate‘s Dahlia Lithwick put it, that “most of the prisoners are guilty only of bad luck.”


    Yesterday was a holiday in Egypt, so Dahab was packed with Egyptians rather than foreigners. The Post says the local hospital in Dahab had only two ambulances. The NYT notes that ambulances “rushed in a procession from Cairo, more than six hours away.”


    There were no claims of responsibility and lots of denunciations, including, as the LAT notes, “from the Hamas-led Palestinian government“that would be the same one that chose to celebrate last week’s attack on a restaurant in Tel Aviv. A bit of background not in the papers: After the first big bombing in the Sinai, Egypt rounded up about 1,000 locals and reportedly tortured many of the prisoners, who were never charged.


    Everybody goes inside with seven car bombs yesterday in Baghdad, though only 10 people were killed. The police also discovered the bodies of 32 security-forces recruits.


    A piece inside the Post suggests that the tinderbox that is the oil-rich and ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk has just gotten a touch hotter. Hundreds of militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have moved into town. A Sadr rep spoke to a U.S. official who recounted the chat: “His message was essentially that any idea of Kirkuk going to the Kurds will mean a fight. He said that their policy here was different from in other places, that they are not going to attack coalition forces because their only enemy here is the Kurds.”


    The NYT‘s off-lead looks at a key oil pipeline in Iraq that was supposed to be rebuilt as part of a Halliburton no-bid contract. The method planned was just a touch short of insane. “No driller in his right mind would have gone ahead,” said one Army geologist who inspected the site. Halliburton didn’t give the government a clear heads-up about the concerns, and the Army didn’t seem to care much anyway. So, project went ahead … and failed.


    As the NYT alone fronts, there was celebrating in the streets of Nepal as the king agreed to reconvene parliament, which was abolished four years ago. But the partying might be short-lived. The king didn’t mention another demand of many protesters: that he abdicate the throne.


    The WP outs a congressman who’s been quietly holding up a bill to buy land for a memorial to Flight 93. Rep. Charles Taylor, R-N.C., is “a large landowner in the mountains of western Carolina” and doesn’t think the feds should be buying any more land … for anything. Not that he cared to detail his belief: “Neither Taylor nor his press secretary returned phone calls and e-mails yesterday. His chief of staff, Sean Dalton, would not comment.”

    Eric Umansky (www.ericumansky.com) writes “Today’s Papers” for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@slate.com.



     







    Mild Mild Horses










    ESPN2 now features polo

    Mild Mild Horses
    ESPN2′s soothing presentation of polo.
    By Troy Patterson
    Posted Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at 6:01 PM ET



    David McLane is the mastermind of GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (which you may fondly remember from the 1980s), something called Pro Beach Hockey (which I cannot fathom), and sundry other entertainments involving glistening female wrestlers and innovative bastardizations of hockey (but, curiously, never both at once). McLane intends his latest venture, the Triple Crown of Polo, as something grander and more momentous, telling Reuters he has aimed to found a league “similar to NASCAR.” ESPN2which aired a match from Sarasota, Fla., over the weekend and will follow with broadcasts from Dallas (July 15) and Santa Barbara, Calif., (Sept. 17)sought to accommodate him for obvious reasons. “Polo traditionally attracts affluent sports fans,” a PR person told New York, “and that would be of interest to the ad-sales department.” Who competed for the eyes of the rich during commercial breaks? Home Depot, Ruby Tuesday, and Art Instruction Schools.

    This is one of several ways in which the Triple Crown oozed forth its soothing mediocrity. The hour was largely pleasant. The sprinting horses were almost as beautiful as the luxuriant hair on the Argentine studs riding them, and there were occasional thrills to be had in appreciating the dangers of the game. While the announcers did a capable and noncondescending job of elucidating the sport’s nicetieslet’s call it four-on-four soccer on horseback, with mallets, without goalies, and played in a space the size of nine football fieldsthe producers shot the action such that it was much easier to follow than an ice hockey match. It was better than bass fishing, just not by much.

    The press release had promised that the show would lavish attention on the “envious lifestyles” of the players, fans, and horses. Set aside the matter of the word “envious” being employed where “enviable” is desired, and also the question of how many viewers might, in fact, be covetous of the way these horses roll. If we start in with the Triple Crown’s crimes against language, we’ll be here all night. The point is that I had steeled myself for some high-grade nouveau riche nonsense. Reliable sources say that the fanciest polo transpires in Greenwich, Conn., and the more obnoxious precincts of Long Island; therefore, I had hoped not merely for a bonfire of pretentious vulgarity from those assembled in Sarasota but for a second-rate bonfire of pretentious vulgarity, something that would make Paris Hilton look like a Hepburn. Imagine my disappointment at discovering, on the sidelines, only suburban families wearing pleasant smiles and comfortable pants.

    To be fair, there were a few glimmers of hope on this front. When the “priceless” custom-designed Tiffany trophy made its entrance, it did so in a Brinks truck that we spied from the sky, as if this were an L.A. car chase. (Unveiled, it looked like a shiny little merry-go-round.) There was a tribute to LeRoy Neiman, who ranks as the greatest bad painter in America if you don’t count Julian Schnabel. At one point, a gentleman discoursed on the attractions of the planned community that housed the polo field and showed us around some gaudy foyers, fostering the impression that the program’s closest analog is one of those promotional tapes for real-estate developments. A reporter on the sidelines squeaked the day’s most amazing line. Pointing her mike at the mouth of a trainer, she asked, “How important are the horses?”

    Troy Patterson is Slate’s television critic

  •  











    WONDER LAND

    Disinhibition Nation
    When blogs rule, we’ll all talk like —-.

    BY DANIEL HENNINGER
    Friday, April 21, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT

    Kevin Ray Underwood, the repressed Oklahoma cannibal, kept an Internet “blog” of his compulsions for years before kidnapping and killing a 10-year-old neighbor last week. On his blog, Kevin wrote a lot about Kevin: “The reason for my lackluster social life is a severe case of social anxiety and depression. I’m on medication now, which helps a lot. Well, in ways.”

    I don’t think the blogosphere is breeding cannibals. But it looks to me as if the world of blogs may be filling up with people who for the previous 200 millennia of human existence kept their weird thoughts more or less to themselves. Now, they don’t have to. They’ve got the Web. Now they can share.

    Technorati, a site that keeps numbers on the blogosphere, reports that as of this month the number of Web logs the site tracks is 35.3 million, and doubling every six months. Technorati claims each day brings 75,000 new blogs. We know something’s happening here but I’m not sure we know what it is.

    Typically, a blogger creates a Web site and then, in the pale glow of a PC screen, types onto a keyboard what’s on his or her mind. A blog nearly always invites readers to share their “comments,” which they do, and which the blogger posts seriatim. People in my business tend to think blogging is mostly about politics on sites such as Wonkette, the Huffington Post or the Daily Kos. There are highly intellectual blogs, such as the Becker-Posner Blog, run by Nobel economics laureate Gary Becker and federal judge Richard Posner. Their April 16 post is titled “Tax Complexity and the Cost of Compliance,” with comments.

    But in a “Blogs Trend Survey” released last September, America Online reported that only 8% blog to “expose political information.” Instead, 50% of bloggers consider what they are doing to be therapy. Some might argue that using the Internet to self-medicate includes many nominally political blogs, but more on that shortly.



    Not surprisingly, a new vocabulary has emerged from clinical psychology to describe generalized patterns of behavior on the virtual continent. As described by psychologist John Suler, there’s dissociative anonymity (You don’t know me); solipsistic introjection (It’s all in my head); and dissociative imagination (It’s just a game). This is all known as digital identity, and it sounds perfectly plausible to me.

    A libertarian would say, quite correctly, that most of this is their problem, so who cares? But there is one more personality trait common to the blogosphere that, like crabgrass, may be spreading to touch and cover everything. It’s called disinhibition. Briefly, disinhibition is what the world would look like if everyone behaved like Jerry Lewis or Paris Hilton or we all lived in South Park.

    Example: The Web site currently famous for enabling and aggregating millions of personal blogs is called MySpace.com. If you opened its “blogs” page this week, the first thing you saw was a blogger’s video of a guy swilling beer and sticking his middle finger through a car window. Right below that were two blogs by women in their underwear.

    In our time, it has generally been thought bad and unhealthy to “repress” inhibitions. Spend a few days inside the new world of personal blogs, however, and one might want to revisit the repression issue.

    The human species has spent several hundred thousand years sorting through which emotions and marginal neuroses to keep under control and which to release. Now, with a keyboard, people overnight are “free” to unburden and unhinge themselves continuously and exponentially. One researcher quotes the entry-page of a teenage girl’s blog: “You are now entering my world. My pain. My mind. My thoughts. My emotions. Enter with caution and an open mind.”

    The power of the Web is obvious and undeniable. We diminish it at our peril. But what if the most potent social effect to spread outward from the Internet turns out to be disinhibition, the breaking down of personal restraints and the endless elevation of oneself? It may be already.

    Disinhibited vocabulary is now the normal way people talk on cable TV, such as on “The Sopranos” or in stand-up comedy. On the Web and on the street, more people than not talk like this now. What once was isolated is covering everything. No wonder the major non-cable networks are suing to overturn the FCC’s decency rulings; they, too, want the full benefits of normalized disinhibition. Hip-hop, currently our most popular music form, is a well-defined world of disinhibition.

    Then there’s politics. On the Huffington Post yesterday, there were more than 600 “comments” on Karl Rove and the White House staff shake-up. “Demoted my — the snake is still in the grass.” “He should be demoted to Leavenworth.” “Rove is Bush’s Brain, and without him, our Decider-in-Chief wouldn’t know how to wipe his own —-.”

    From a primary post on the same subject on the Daily Kos, widely regarded as one of the most influential blogging sites in Democratic politics now: “I don’t give a —-. Karl Rove belongs in shackles.” “A group of village whores have taken a day off to do laundry.”

    Intense language like this used to be confined to construction sites and corner bars. Now it is normal discourse on Web sites, the most popular forums for political discussion. Much of this is new. Politics is a social endeavor. The Web is nothing if not “social.” But the blogosphere is also the product not of people meeting, but venting alone at a keyboard with all the uninhibited, bat-out-of-hell hyperbole of thinking, suggestion and expression that this new technology seems to release.



    At the risk of enabling, does the Internet mean that all the rest of us are being made unwitting participants in the personal and political life of, um, crazy people? As populist psychiatry, maybe this is a good thing; the Web allows large numbers of people to contribute to others’ therapy. It takes a village.

    But researchers note that the isolation of Web life results in many missed social cues. It is similar to the experience of riding an indoor roller coaster, what is known in that industry as a “dark ride.” This dark ride could be a very long one.

    Mr. Henninger is deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. His column appears Fridays in the Journal and on OpinionJournal.com



     







    Blogosphere






    Henninger: The Blogosphere is a Dark Ride With Crazy People

    You just knew when the news stories about the blogging cannibal killer appeared that somehow they were going to be used in an attack on the blogosphere itself. Well, wait no longer.
    I don’t think the blogosphere is breeding cannibals. But it looks to me as if the world of blogs may be filling up with people who for the previous 200 millennia of human existence kept their weird thoughts more or less to themselves. Now, they don’t have to. They’ve got the Web. Now they can share.

    Technorati, a site that keeps numbers on the blogosphere, reports that as of this month the number of Web logs the site tracks is 35.3 million, and doubling every six months. Technorati claims each day brings 75,000 new blogs. We know something’s happening here but I’m not sure we know what it is.
    James Urbaniak may have the best blog response title so far with If You’re Reading This, You Are a Depraved Lunatic. Doc Searls also has a great roundup of some of the blogs discussing on this Daniel Henninger’s opinion piece. You can see more responses here.

    Posted on April 22, 2006
    Permalink
    Blogs linking to this post: Bloglines | BlogPulse | IceRocket | Technorati

  • What’s Next For Las Vegas








    NEXT

    From politics to food to music: What’s going to happen in this super-growth community? The Weekly predicts the future.



    The Next Urban Battleground


    Let’s get ready to rummmbbllllee! In this corner, wearing the arrogance borne of running the state’s largest municipal entitythe Clark County Commission! And in this corner, wearing a sense of entitlement gleaned from governing the nation’s third-fastest growing citythe Henderson City Council! The prize: control of Las Vegas Boulevard South and Interstate 15, abutting land out to Primm. To the owner will go hundreds of millions in tax revenues as gamers start sopping up parcels for the Strip’s southward expansion. So far, there’s been no jabbing and weavingonly feints and ducks. Henderson brass say they want 3,625 acres of nearby federal land annexed to keep up growth; commissioners doubt Hooterville brass can govern such a large expanse and say they’re only in it for the money. As for the amount of green at stake, consider this: The six-mile stretch of the Strip from Sahara Avenue to Russell Road generated $11.6 billion last year. It’s 32 miles from South Coast, the Strip’s southernmost megaresort, to Primmenough space for six current-sized Strips. Like I said, Let’s get ready to rummmbbllllee!



    Damon Hodge



    The Next Governor


    Just when what we need most is someone to push the state in a progressive direction, the next governor of Nevada will be a middle-of-the-road white man named Jim. He’ll be placidly enthusiastic about a growing economy, get along moderately well with the Legislature and have some forgettable surname like Gibbons or Gibson or Giblets or Guinn, not unlike the middle-of-the-road white man who held the office before him, Ken something.


    The candidates: U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons (R), state Sen. Bob Beers (R), Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt (R), Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson (D), State Sen. Dina Titus (D). Barring another candidate, like, say, the mayor of Las Vegas, to shake the race up, it’ll fall out like this:


    The state is sadly not ready to elect a fireball like Titus, will eventually tire of Beers’ smart(ass) independence, simply won’t elect Lorraine Hunt, will eventually sort out the difference between the names “Gibbons” and “Gibson” and, pushed by the Red counties, pick Republican Gibbonswho had the lead in early war-chest totals by nearly a million bucks over Gibson. (Even Chancellor Jim Rogers reversed his position last week and pitched some cash to Gibbons, which provides some handy foreshadowing, because he secretly runs the entire state and will one day be governor himself.)


    Never mind that down here in Clark County, we’d rather go Blue. That’s four years down the road.



    Stacy J. Willis



    The Next Career for Oscar Goodman


    Motivational speaker. You know, since he’s not running for governor.


    Sure, once he leaves City Hall he could easily take up the law again, and might very well do so. Would he ever lose a case in Vegas? But he’s clearly addicted to the stagehe’s an attention sponge. And the occasional grandstanding at a big-time trial probably won’t be enough anymore. Anyway, it’s not headlines he craves, it’s connectionhe really is a people person. So, to pocket huge sums for plying his shtick to folks who are paying to listen … well, paid speaker seems a natural use of his enormous charm and volubility. So here’s our fearless prediction: He’ll practice law part-time to keep his Rolodex alive, but his heart will truly beat for those times he mounts the stage to address the annual convention of regional Speedee Mart managers. And he will kill.



    Scott Dickensheets



    The Next K-12 Education Focus


    Easy: uncertainty. Education observers suggest keeping your eyes peeled for the following: “With the next bond measure going to voters in 2008, expect to hear dire predictions from district officials of more schools going on year-round calendars because of a shortage of classroom seats. … The district plans to open as many as six new career and technical high schools [the next in the northwest, I believe, in 2007], but may struggle to find enough qualified teachers. … All eyes will be on superintendent Walt Rulffes next summer as his 18-month term draws to a close. The success or failure of the ‘empowerment schools’ will be a key element in the school board’s evaluation of his performance and whether or not to extend his contract. … Science, science, science will be the topic of the day as the district gears up not only for the new statewide standards but the new proficiency test as well.”



    Damon Hodge



    The Next Higher Education Surprise/Disappointment


    Our guess: improvement or the lack of it. One thing’s fairly certain: university system Chancellor Jim Rogers will continue to shape the system how he sees fit. Beyond that, here’s what one observer expects: “The big things in the pipeline for higher education [are] hiring the two new presidents for UNLV and UNR [University of Nevada, Reno] and finalizing the budget request for the 2007 session. A lot will depend on who’s hired there and how they work with Rogers. There’s also the pursuit to develop the medical school. All three Southern [Nevada] institutions are working on possible private-public partnerships to develop their campuses with classes, retail, restaurants, even housing, all right together. All of that is some years down the road. Another ongoing issue is how to improve the quality of student there at UNLV and UNR and how to improve research.”



    Damon Hodge



    The Next Implosion











    Photo by Sam Morris

    Of course, by picking the New Frontier, we’re getting ahead of ourselveswe haven’t yet dynamited the Stardust, which will be blown into the heavens in March 2007, ceding the land for the new, $4 billion Echelon Place, and the Boardwalk is being systematically taken apart.


    But with the north end of the Strip the hotbed of glitzy development, expect the Stardust’s veteran, north-end neighbor to be the next property on the wrecker’s checklist.


    Following intense speculation, New Frontier owner Phil Ruffin has already announced a name for his planned palaceMontreux, as in the Swiss city that hosts the famous jazz festivalbut is still mum on money matters.


    Ruffin, who told the Las Vegas Sun he’s flying solo, sans financial partners, claims his new mega-baby will boast 2,750 rooms and cater to an upper-crust crowd, a la Paris Las Vegas.


    Expect the boom-boom that brings down the New Frontier next year, with the Montreux set to jazz up Vegas in 2010.



    Steve Bornfeld



    The Next Development Disaster


    The monorail wasn’t so much a development as a disaster; the Regional Justice Center was a leaky tragi-comedy. Vertical condos are too obvious a stack of foreclosures waiting to happen to be our pick for upcoming disaster. So the next development disaster will involve McCarran International Airport. It’s been a cherished little transportation gem for Las Vegas for quite some time, welcoming in and ushering out some 40 million visitors every year, and doing so with stylethe D Gates terminal is a beautiful bit of airport, as airports go, complete with cool sculptures and wide, well-lit hallways. But: The number of new hotel rooms is growing at a rate faster than McCarran can handle, even as construction of new gates continues.


    In 2005 more than 44 million people came through McCarran, up from 36.3 million in 2003. The airport’s capacity is projected to be about 50 million people per year. We’re going to pass that number soon, and then some.


    So even with the $2.4 billion in capital improvement projects planned at McCarran through 2011including the completion of the new Terminal 3there will be a stretch of time when the visitors can’t be accommodated. What to do? Fly them into North Las Vegas? Encourage more bottleneck on I-15? Hurry up the construction of another airport south of Las Vegas in Ivanpah? Nobody sees any of these as quick nor broad enough solutions. So, starting shortlywe’ll have not enough room at our airport to maximize our growth potential. That’s a development disaster.



    Stacy J. Willis



    The Next Political Scandal


    For sheer theatrical value, nothing tops G-Sting, the political bribery/corruption/extortion/sex scandal that’s made the Review-Journal readable again (for now). But for sheer extracting-pound-of-flesh value, the Economic Opportunity Board’s free-fall from grace has the potential to fill a cemetery. State and federal investigations. Allegations of fraud and mismanagement. Millions in missing and unaccounted-for funds. Five executive directors in four years. If and when the smoke clears, don’t be surprised at the number of folkshigh profile and not, powerful and otherwisebearing responsibility for the sad devolution of the state’s largest anti-poverty agency. Stay tuned.



    Damon Hodge



    The Next Hot-Button Social Issue


    Immigration is already a hot topic, all across the country and in all certainty right here, in Southern Nevada, where at least 100,000 Hispanic immigrants reside; and it’s bound to, as soon as Washington makes up its mind on legislation, grow even hotter. Perhaps even as hot as air in the ’60s turned when Martin Luther King and civil rights activists argued with unflagging resolve that blacks were worthy not just of first-class citizenship in this country, but also of the responsibility required in earning that citizenship.


    And like gay marriage and the lurid Hard Rock billboards before, and gangster rap music now, the presence of undocumented Latin immigrants is an issue that suffers an iron impasse in Las Vegas. That is, it’s a dichotomous matter with both sides fervent and inconvertible. The fundamental points of the dispute are well known, and it has already shown all the signs of social wildfire: it’s ignited rallies and protests; it resurfaces on the letters section of local op-ed pages; it gets airplay over the television and radio, and lip service in restaurants and coffee shops and anywhere else people gather to complain; and not only is it a reoccurring subject of cyber chat, but even the youth are participating in it.


    And in the near future there doesn’t appear to be any conciliationjust bigger flames.



    Joshua Longobardy



    The Next Homeless Solution


    With a social ill like homelessnessin which we’re talking about actual people and thus invaluable and irreplaceable liveseach and every man, woman and child taken off the streets and placed into a home stirs even the angels in heaven to rejoice.


    Especially in a free country like America, where the attrition of homelessness is contingent upon individual compassion and not involuntary charity; and above all in Las Vegas, where there are more than 8,000 homeless people enduring some of the cruelest and most inhospitable streets in the United States. Which is why some people, like Linda Lera-Randle-El with the nonprofit organization Straight from the Streets, and the good folks at Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, not only give their day’s work to decreasing homelessness in the Valley but also look for new and better ways to be more effective. They have tried outreach and crisis intervention and housing programs, and have had relative success; but, without a doubt, they want more.


    “We’re going to work with the Legislature to help with the chronically homeless, to help advocate and educate [and not to alienate], because we don’t want to just [abate] someone’s homelessness until the next day, we want to end it for good,” says Lera Randle-El. And Kathleen Boutin, executive director of NPHY, says: “In the next 24 to 36 months we’ll begin construction on a $13-million, full-blown adolescent service center on Swenson and Tropicana, where youths will be able to receive anything they need, and it will serve as our main hub.”



    Joshua Longobardy



    The Next Property to Be Dubbed Historical


    Instead of concentrating on such aging, globally known Strip properties as the Stardust, the Riviera and the Tropicanasome, if not all of which, could come tumbling down (already a certainty for the stellar Stardust) in dusty clouds of frustration for preservationiststhe maturing city might be turning to its neighborhoods, now getting old enough to meet or exceed the 50-year requirement for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.


    Berkley Square, originally known as Westside Park, is a post-World War II subdivision that was marketed to African-Americans, described by a 1954 Review-Journal article as “the first minority group subdivision to be approved for construction in the state of Nevada.”


    With its tract houses designed by African-American architect Paul Revere Williamsknown for creating movie-star homes and LA public buildingsit was renamed for African-American Thomas L. Berkley of Oakland, California, a partial financier of the subdivision, as well as an attorney, developer and civil rights advocate.


    Imagine: a city old enough to have historic neighborhoods.


    You’ve come a long way, Vegas, baby.



    Steve Bornfeld



    The Next Vegas Story to Go Hollywood


    There are stories coming out of Vegas every day that seem tailor-made for the movies, but the one most likely to hit the big screen next is the story of a group of MIT students who used card-counting techniques to win millions at blackjack in the 1990s. Bringing Down the House, the book about the group’s massive wins and subsequent banishment from all casinos, has been picked up by Columbia Pictures and has Robert Luketic, best known for mainstream comedies like Legally Blonde and Monster-in-Law, attached to direct. Re-titled 21, the film has no script or cast as of yet, but given the book’s popularity and the fact that Luketic just dropped another project to focus on it, it will probably head into production some time this year.


    Looking a little further ahead, we’ve got two stories all over the local news right now that are ripe for the big-screen treatment. The ongoing G-Sting trial, with its revelations about bribery and sexual favors and Erin Kenny’s vertigo, could make for a great deadpan satire on political corruption and the values that drive our city. And the Titus-Ryan murder trial is guaranteed to at least be a TV movie, since no sensationalistic homicide can escape the fate of an awkward title and a lead performance by someone from a second-rate CBS drama.



    Josh Bell



    The Next Big Slogan


    Like a strip dancer it must be suggestive, scented with innuendo and as bare as possible. And, in reality, the next big slogan must do little more than reflect the essence of Las Vegas, for this incomparable city by itselfwith all of its lights and shows and adrenaline and carnal and sleepless nightsis alluring enough.


    Nevertheless, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority followed up their stellar ad campaign “What Happens Here, Stays Here,” with a shibboleth that heads in a new direction: “Be Anyone.” The best bet is, the new slogan won’t be as effective or resonant as its predecessor, and not just because it suffers the doom of a hit album’s follow-up, but because it forsook the simple formula that made its forerunner great. After soliciting suggestions from various figures who make Las Vegas Las Vegas, we found our best idea for a potential catchphrase from local writer Jack Sheehan, the author of the book Skin City and a man who in his work has excavated the culture of this town many times over. His idea, in parodic accordance with Vegas’ hit slogan, goes like this:


    “Lose your shirt, lose your pants: We won’t tell.”



    Joshua Longobardy



    The Next Mistake a National Publication Will Make About Us


    Who cares, as long as it’s written with the eloquent pizzazz of this blurb on South Florida by New York Times book critic Guy Martin about The Swamp by Michael Grunwald:


    South Florida is a pirate’s refuge, a seething dung heap of con artists and a beloved wellspring of sham. Thousands of Americans are enticed by cartoon characters to live in Orlando; Cuban migrs keep the decrepit forge of the cold war burning bright; the Pulitzer family name is remembered, in Palm Beach anyway, for some really odd bedroom yoga performed with a trumpet by a woman named Roxanne. Why a trumpet? you ask. The South Florida answer is, Why not? Even the gas stations along I-95 try to outdo one another with piles of citrus, seashells strip-mined from other waters and the length of their obligatory stuffed gators. Florida: She walks, she talks, she crawls on her belly like a reptile. Step right up!



    Stacy J. Willis



    The Next Vegas-Based Reality Show


    VH1 clearly loves Vegas, which explains why they’re shooting two of their upcoming reality shows here. The Surreal Life spin-off Fame Games, which features past participants from the show competing against one another, is set to air this summer, and Supergroup, bringing together a batch of hard-rock veterans to form a new band, premieres on May 18. What’s most notable from the Vegas perspective is that neither of these shows specifically hinges on being set in Vegas as part of its core concept. Unlike almost all of our other local reality shows, which have been set in Vegas-centric institutions like casinos, nightclubs and wedding chapels, the two VH1 shows could just as easily have been filmed in LA.


    So the next show after these two could really be anything, as producers looking to put some glamour into their reality programming might just choose Vegas for its inherent flash, even if their show’s concept has nothing to do with gambling or showgirls or anything like that. The one show that will really bring attention to Vegas if it happens, though, is America’s Got Talent, produced by Simon Cowell of American Idol and airing this summer on NBC. Talent, which features variety acts facing off in an Idol-style competition, was initially announced as a search for a new Vegas headliner. The status of the Vegas element is up in the air now, but if it comes through it could be the biggest Vegas-based reality show yet.



    Josh Bell



    The Next Hotel Theme


    Themes are totally over; the new things are sophisticated condo-hotel-shopping-and-entertainment-centers, with nothing so crass as a focus on medieval times or Egypt or the circus. Technically speaking, the next hotel theme will be Hollywood, when the Aladdin transforms itself into Planet Hollywood some time this year. At one time, there was talk of an aquatic-themed hotel opening on the old Wet N’ Wild site next to the Sahara, but that has since quieted. Otherwise, themes look to be on their way out.


    Which means, sadly, that we’ll definitely never get to see Bob Stupak’s legendary Titanic-themed hotel, or any other gaudy, ill-advised conceptual monstrosities. We’ve already got a Paris, a Venice, a New York and now a Hollywood, but what would really be great? The Las Vegas-themed hotel. Someone call Bob Stupak.



    Josh Bell



    The Next Star to Open a Resident Show


    Bette Midler. She’s got a ready-made nickname: “Diva Las Vegas,” taken from her 1997 MGM concert of the same title. Right here in town she’s got a pal (Elton John), a fellow diva (Celine Dion) and the fella she started out with in the bathhouses of Gotham (Barry Manilow), all with long-term deals.


    All she needs is the venuecertainly, some hotel would be game to spiff up its star quality with the type of top-tier talent that requires only a first name to brand itand Vegas could conceivably welcome the Boogie-Woogie Bugle Gal of Company B.



    Steve Bornfeld



    The Next Local Literary Development of National Note


    The mob rule of Vegas is an evergreen topic of endless fascination, and The Battle for Las Vegas: the Law vs. The Mob (Huntington Press, $14.95) Dennis N. Griffin’s second nonfiction effort (his first was last year’s Policing Las Vegas, covering the history of Las Vegas/Clark County law enforcement) is being hailed as a solid and sterling read about the Vegas reign of Chi-Town mob man Tony Spilotro, and his showdown with local law and the feds.


    “Finally, a book about the mob in Las Vegas from the law enforcement perspective,” says Dennis Arnoldy, retired FBI case agent for the Vegas Spilotro investigations, as quoted on authorsden.com. “Dennis Griffin has thoroughly researched and accurately written the story about how law enforcement fought and won the battle to rid Las Vegas of the influence and control of organized crime. It was a pleasure to live through those times again in the pages of this book.”


    A former Pinkerton’s investigator and deputy sheriff in Madison County, New York, as well as now-retired director of the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center, Griffin, a part-time Las Vegan, also has six fiction titles to his credit, including The Morgue and Red Gold.


    The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law vs. The Mob was published locally April 1, and is set for national release July 1. (A book signing with Griffin was held April 19 at the Nevada State Museum in Lorenzi Park.)


    When it comes to Vegas-related booksbeyond those that give amateur gamblers false hopes about beating the housenothing tops a good mob story.



    Steve Bornfeld



    The Next Hot Cocktail


    Just as high-end vodka such as Grey Goose helped revive the martini and all of its variations (such as cosmopolitans, appletinis and lemon drops), look for super premium and high-end premium rum to do the same with mojitos, hurricanes and Cuba libres. Rums such as Moet Hennessey’s 10 Cane, made in Trinidad from virgin sugar cane, pressed without molasses and double-distilled, are so smooth that they can be enjoyed straight just like scotch. Oronoco is triple-distilled from cane grown in Brazil’s mountains and then blended with aged rum, resulting in a rum that’s neither white nor dark but a vanilla-accented hybrid.


    In January of this year, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reported that while value-priced rums lost 10 percent of its market share, the higher quality rums gained more than double that amount. At the Wynn, master mixologist Francesco Lafranconi of Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada has already put pineapple and cucumber lavender mojitos on the menu. Leave it to Francesco to be ahead of the curve.



    Martin Stein



    The Next Strip Entertainment Trend


    A tough one to be sure, trying to guess the future of the nation’s entertainment capital. We’d have Cirque shows up to our gills if we had ‘em, one magician for every 10 citizens, and enough Broadway shows coming and going to make New Yorkers green with envy. But we also have fine dining and a need for top wines because we’re drinking the United States dry. What do then but combine them all?


    Begun in Seattle and now also ensconced in San Francisco is Teatro ZinZanni. Imagine yourself seated in the middle of a Cirque performance, surrounded by cabaret and burlesque performers, while enjoying a gourmet five-course dinner. Perfectly suited for Las Vegas, it combines spectacle, overcomes the language barrier inherent with international audiences, and provides opportunities for super-sizing as only Sin City can do. While the San Francisco show occasionally has (yawn) Joan Baez perform, picture it with (gulp) Celine, (I’m just sayin’) George Wallace and (might as well be local at this point) Kid Rock. Bobby Flay can take over the menu for a few months, followed by Michael Mina, the Keller brothers and Wolfie.



    Martin Stein



    The Next New Wrinkle in Nightlife


    Stripper poles, cryogenics, holograms … what’s next in the Vegas club scene? With millions of dollars at stake, the competition has never been tougher for coming out with the Next Big Thing. I’m putting my neck out and telling you now, it’s going to be (for lack of a better term) convergence.


    By that I mean, club owners are going to start to realize they need something more than great DJs, kick-ass sound and light systems and stunning staff to get patrons lining up around the slots. An interactive bachelorette party theatrical show, such as the one upcoming Polly Esther’s will have, is one example. Beauty Bar’s martini and manicures is another. Clubs may incorporate temporary or permanent tattoo artists; fashion, makeup and hair stylists to redo you while you party; or setups for video-gaming with people meeting over PlayStations or Xboxes, leading to conversations like, “Hey, that hot blonde just kicked my ass in Tekken! I’m going to get her number!”



    Martin Stein



    The Next Celebrity to Cause a Monumental Scene Here


    Sure, Paris will continue to dance on tables, either because she’s celebrating that Stavros Niarchos can finally, legally drink with her or because she really needs to go to the restroom … right … now! But at this point, Paris, Nicky and even Tara Reid are more like Mr. Happiness to us than nutty, visiting celebs. They’re simply part of our landscape.


    Instead, look for a Nick Lachey-related incident. Now, we’re not saying Nick is going to have one too many lap dances and then consider running for city council. But it’s only a matter of time before CaCee Cobb, Jessica Simpson and Vanessa Minnillo run into each other at a club and start a catfight that’ll make the mud wrestling at Gilley’s look like a preschool tussle.



    Martin Stein



    The Next First Friday-Like Scene


    The movers and shakers are moving and shaking on Third Street these days, soon to be followed by the rest of us. From the Triple Georgedig the elegant old style bar decorto the raucous Hogs n Heifers, the buzz on Third is amplyifying. In the daytime, it’s covered in politicos from the Downtown offices; at night, it’s picking up for the see-and-be-seen locals crowd. While First Friday has the arts and crafts and wine-strolling scene covered, something’s brewing on Third and is sure to become the next place to be.



    Staff



    The Next Foodie Sensation











    Photo by Wesley Gatbonton

    Whole Foods Market, having opened a second location in Green Valley, has officially put a pincers movement on the competition. Now you, too, can pay $1.79 for a doughnut, or choose from the best selection of imported cheeses in the city.


    Okay, I’m being cheeky when I mention the doughnut, but truth be told, it is pretty great, and so are the rest of the bakery products, fresh produce, composed salads, rotisserie meats, a fresh seafood bar, the city’s largest inventory of organic foods, and who knows what else. And yes, the price point is somewhat higher here than at, say, Smith’s, but quite often it’s worth it.



    Max Jacobson



    The Next Big Name Chef To Set Up Here


    Guy Savoy, a three-star Michelin chef from Paris, is the biggest name of the year to set up shop in Vegas. His restaurant’s opening in the new Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace, has been set for late May, and is eagerly awaited.


    Like his Paris flagship, it, too, will be called Guy Savoy, and will feature some of Chef Guy’s signature dishes, such as an artichoke soup with black truffles, a creation that some food writers have called the world’s greatest soup. That green color you see on the faces of my colleagues is pure envy.



    Max Jacobson



    The Next National Dining Trend To Hit Vegas


    This one is easy. As American taste becomes more jaded, eclectic and sophisticated, a shift toward increased authenticity in ethnic foods, and artisanal products, such as cheese and milk from boutique producers, is slowly becoming evident.


    I predict the trans-fat backlash is going to hit the fast-food chains hard, and that chains like O’Natural, a New Hampshire- based chain specializing in organic fast food, will grow rapidly, and hit Vegas in a year or two. Meanwhile, our authentic, small ethnic restaurants continue to increase, and get better with each passing year.



    Max Jacobson



    The Next Hipster Hobby


    Home-brewing. Microbrews are so 1997. Imports? Get real. Everyone who’s anyone will be brewing their own beer before you can say Hefewiezen. It can be accomplished almost entirely with a few household itemsboiling pot, plastic pail, bottles, hoseand a few simple ingredients: hops, yeast, water, sugar and malt extract. But you can be sure when it catches on, shops from Williams-Sonoma to Spencer’s Gifts will stack their shelves with designer brewing kits and organic component packs. So don’t be surprised when you find an invite to your first homebrew tasting party in your mailbox. Linda’s pale ale, anyone?



    Spencer Patterson



    The Next Poker


    “The growth of the poker industry … has led some television executives to bet that darts, dominoes or blackjack will be next,” The New York Times intoned grayly, just last week.


    Darts? Really? Doesn’t it seem too British-pedigreed for mass American consumption? (Although there’s always potential entertainment in a pursuit that mixes beer and sharp objects.) Dominoes? Your grandma plays dominoes. (Future spectator: “We’re just hoping to see ‘em topple.”)


    Which leaves blackjack. So says Anthony Curtis, local gaming guru and all-around smart fella. (He publishes the Las Vegas Advisor and runs the Huntington Press.) And he’s stacking a few chips on this idea: He and some partners have filmed 10 episodes of a show called Ultimate Blackjack Tour and are pitching it to networks. “There are something like 10 times more blackjack players than poker players,” he says, citing visitor surveys and reports on table-game revenues. Amid signs that poker is losing some of its mad momentum, blackjack could be the next moderately competitive recreational pursuit to go big.



    Scott Dickensheets



    The Next Local Band to Break Big in Japan


    You haven’t experienced the avant-garde music scene until you’ve heard homegrown trio Meat Over Moscow, comprised of Aaron Thompson and brothers Ian and Wyatt McKenzie. One-time regulars at Southern Nevada’s freak-fest Magnetic Celadon gatherings, the group recently returned from a six-month performing hiatus to reclaim their experimental throne, armed with six as-yet-unreleased full-length recordings. Equally capable of venturing into ambient, psych-rock, free noise or dark industrial realms, Meat Over Moscow is just as likely to play glass bottles backed by tape loops as to blend saxophone, synthesizer and good ol’ guitar. In other words, don’t expect to see them on the cover of a major music ‘zine. Unless maybe it’s printed in Osaka.



    Spencer Patterson



    The Next Local Sports Sensation: In-Bee Park











    Photo by Steve Marcus

    So you’ve heard Southern Nevada isn’t a hotbed for talented athletes? Don’t believe it. At this very moment the area can boast a potential all-pro NFL running back (St. Louis Ram Steven Jackson), a hurler for a likely World Series contender (St. Louis Cardinal Brad Thompson), a driver hoping to follow his brother’s tracks into NASCAR’s series championship circle (Kyle Busch), a Parade Girls Basketball All-America second-teamer (Centennial High’s Italee Lucas) and a 14-year-old tennis phenom ranked among the nation’s top 10 in her age group (Henderson’s Asia Muhammad), among other promising youngsters. Las Vegas is also currently home to one of the most touted pitchers in the minor leagues (the 51s’ Chad Billingsley), along with a top-20 collegiate tennis star (UNLV’s Elena Gantcheva).


    The local product poised to make the loudest splash, however, is golfer In-Bee Park, a Bishop Gorman senior. The Florida transplant captured her second straight Class 4A individual state crown in October, shooting a 5-under 65 to best her closest competitor by five strokes and lead the Gaels to their third consecutive team title. More impressively, Park finished fifth at the LPGA Takefuji Classic in 2005, just four strokes off the lead and ahead of such golf heavyweights as Karie Webb and Lake Las Vegas resident Natalie Gulbis. Park also made headlines in 2004 by knocking out Michelle Wieyes, that Michelle Wiein the match-play U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in 2004. The 17-year-old Las Vegan requested, and was denied, a special exemption that would have allowed her to join the LPGA Tour before her 18th birthday. She is currently participating in the developmental Futures Tour, and is expected to join the LPGA tour this summer. Look out Annika!



    Spencer Patterson



    The Next Movie with A Significant Vegas Theme






    Lucky You, due out this summer, features Eric Bana as a professional poker player and Drew Barrymore as the singer he falls in love with while playing in the World Series of Poker. Directed by Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys), Lucky You spent a month and a half shooting in Vegas in early 2005. By combining the male-skewing sport of poker with the female-skewing genre of romantic comedies starring Drew Barrymore, the film is aiming for a cross-gender marketing bonanza.


    Lucky You will probably be a decent hit, but the most anticipated upcoming Vegas movie is one that won’t open until the summer of 2007. It’s Ocean’s 13, the latest in the series of cool crime-caper movies from director Steven Soderbergh and his all-star cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. 2001′s Ocean’s 11, a remake of a 1960s Rat Pack film, was both set and shot in Vegas, while 2004′s Ocean’s 12 saw the titular thieves decamping to Europe. The latest installment will take place back in Sin City, but logistical concerns over filming in casinos have led to plans to shoot on soundstages in California. Rumors have swirled that the production will end up back in town, though, at the Wynn, and if anyone can lure movie stars back to town, it’s Steve Wynn.



    Josh Bell



    The Next Unexpected Good News


    The housing market will not collapse. Signs are all there that it’s going to happen: We had a gold rush of buying, people were buying over list, and then … it slowed down, followed by talk of the bubble, and tales of previous eras in other communities in which fools were left holding overpriced mortgages.


    But, fear not. We’re going with Keith Schwer, director of UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research: “The reason why housing is less likely to be a bubble in Las Vegas is the expectation for continued job creation. To be sure, job growth could slow for a host of reasons. Terrorism, bird flu and other events are known to have disruptive influences on travel and tourism.”


    Waitdidn’t we say good news?


    Schwer goes on: “Having said that, there is always a possibility of a new round of price increases that could push the market into a bubble situation that could be disruptive.”


    Keith, c’mon! Good news.


    “Nonetheless, we are beginning to see a slowdown. Property is on the market longer. Sale prices are falling below the asking prices. In addition, a number of builders are making plans that are more moderate. I hope that this is a sign we will have a soft landing.”


    Oh, Schwer goes on in his explanation, but we’re clinging to the “soft landing” part.


    A soft landing! Whew.


    However, as unexpected good news goes, that’s hardly racy. So prediction No. 2 is the vastly more sexy assertion that the Las Vegas Weekly will replace Nostradamus as the go-to source for telling the future.



    Stacy J. Willis



    The Next Big Wrinkle Downtown


    Just one? Ask a Downtowner what’ll change the neighborhoodwe picked County Manager Thom Reillyand you’ll get wrinkles galore: the proposed performing arts center; the new condos; the Frank Gehry-designed Alzheimer’s center; the growing music and bar scene; planned municipal buildings. This is one case where a narrowcast prediction may be impossible.



    Scott Dickensheets











  • One Man’s Secret Is Another Man’s Scoop










    TOP SECRET Jack Anderson in 1971, with government documents on the Indian-Pakistan war.

    April 23, 2006

    Word for Word | Extra!

    One Man’s Secret Is Another Man’s Scoop


    By PETER EDIDIN


    THE F.B.I. said last week that it was seeking to go through the files of the reporter Jack Anderson, all 188 boxes of them, to remove classified documents.


    An F.B.I. spokesman said that the bureau had determined the files, which go back decades, contained a number of such documents, and that by law they were government property.


    News of the request, which has been refused by his family, probably would have pleased Mr. Anderson, who died in December at 83.


    He came to Washington in 1947, to work for Drew Pearson on his syndicated column, “Washington Merry-Go-Round,” and became famous for uncovering what the government wanted hidden.


    J. Edgar Hoover once referred to Mr. Anderson “and his ilk” as having minds that are “lower than the regurgitated filth of vultures,” according to “Confessions of a Muckraker,” a memoir written by Mr. Anderson with James Boyd in 1979.


    The book describes the scoops Mr. Anderson helped bring to the column and the methods he used to get them up to the death of Mr. Pearson in 1969. It makes for interesting reading at a time when the proper balance between freedom of the press and the government’s claims of national security are matters of heated debate.


    Following are excerpts.




    Politicians and reporters have always been mutually dependent. Before he began his Communist “witch hunt,” Senator Joseph McCarthy enjoyed conspiring with a hungry young reporter.


    Joe McCarthy and I were on close terms for a senator and a muckraker. … He knew how to make a footsore reporter feel esteemed. Sometimes when we were talking alone in his office, his secretary would interrupt to say that such-and-such cabinet member was on the phone, and Joe, in a violated tone, would protest: “I can’t take any calls. I’m talking to Jack. Tell him I’ve gone to China.”


    With his gift of straightforward deviousness, McCarthy made himself available to us as a source, a purveyor of inside information about his colleagues and their secret conclaves. At my prompting he would phone fellow senators to ask what had transpired this morning behind closed doors or what strategy was planned for the morrow. While I listened in on an extension he would pump even a Robert Taft or a William Knowland with the handwritten questions I passed him. This blot upon senatorial honor was for a reporter a professional coup of high rank and I rejoiced in it, prying out of McCarthy every last morsel of confidential information.


    Another thing that hasn’t changed is the budgetary competition among the armed services, and their use of leaks to protect their interests. In 1948, military budgets were being slashed and a “cruel uncertainty thus clouded the air for the military careerists,” Mr. Anderson writes.


    For the brash reporter, this produced a favorable climate for inducing leaks of classified information that would aid or embarrass this or that branch in the mortal competition. Instead of being scorned, as I had at first feared, I was soon in unseemly alliance with generals, admirals, assistant secretaries, yes, even secretaries. Thanks to their whisperings, I began to bring to Drew one scoop after another: the top-secret Navy arguments for displacing the Air Force as the prime deliverer of atomic payloads in the next war; the suppressed report on the Bikini atomic weapons tests showing unexpected vulnerabilities of navy vessels to distant atomic explosions; the blow-by-blow on the Air Force’s campaign to win Congressional backing for a 70-group air armada instead of the 48 groups back by Truman and Forrestal; indications of shocking unpreparedness on the industrial front.


    Two years later, Mr. Anderson again tapped Pentagon sources to gain sensitive material, this time about Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who commanded the United Nations-sanctioned force, dominated by Americans, fighting in Korea. The general appeared to many to be attempting to usurp President Harry S. Truman’s role in directing the war. Starting in November 1950, Anderson writes, the Pearson organization decided to “cut MacArthur down to life-size….”


    One source would speak only on a theoretical or high-policy plane of the possible differences between MacArthur and the Joint Chiefs. … A second would show me, if I asked the right questions, documents in which those theoretical differences took on the flesh of dispute over combat decisions. … A third gave me access to daily intelligence digests, including from MacArthur’s headquarters, which contradicted his public communiqus. A fourth would let me watch, on occasion, a new-fangled Pentagon screen on which was flashed the secret dialogue between the Joint Chiefs and the supreme commander.


    A dozen times during the tumultuous month of December 1950, our columns and broadcasts featured authoritative, exclusive exposs, based on secret assessments by the Joint Chiefs, smuggled reports of White House briefings and classified cables sent to MacArthur or received from him.


    Intelligence officials eventually met, writes Mr. Anderson, to consider ways to plug the leaks that appeared in the “Washington Merry-Go-Round” column. It was a futile undertaking.


    One of the brainstormers, a general, happened to be a key source of mine, and after the meeting, he phoned to brief me on it. The most popular proposal … was to station intelligence men at every entrance to the Pentagon building so as to spot me whenever and wherever I arrived and initiate an elaborate surveillance scheme. The plan disturbed my source, for it had the potential of being effective. And so he intervened. “Has anyone here counted all the entrances to the Pentagon?” he asked. “Has anyone figured out the number of shifts and the total manpower this will take? Or how we’ll look if this ever gets out?” A less ambitious plan was adopted….


    Among the rewards a muckraker could expect was the enmity of those they exposed. Take this example of florid outrage, from an attack on Mr. Pearson delivered by Senator Kenneth McKellar of Tennessee on the Senate floor.


    While finding his range, McKellar fired off the lesser and obligatory calumnies, calling Pearson a “dishonest, ignorant and corrupt and groveling crook.” But it was the hues and gradations of Pearson’s falsity, its natural and acquired characteristics, that McKellar wished to delineate to his visibly appreciative brethren: “He is a natural-born liar, a liar by profession, a liar for a living, a liar in the daytime , a liar in the nighttime. He is an ignorant liar. A pusillanimous liar. A peewee liar. A revolving, constitutional, unmitigated, infamous liar.”










     



    Schumacher claims victory in San Marino GP









    Racing series   F1
    Date 2006-04-23

    By Nicky Reynolds - Motorsport.com


    Renault’s winning streak and Ferrari’s long spell away from the top step of the podium came to an end when Michael Schumacher scored his 85th career victory at the San Marino Grand Prix. In a reversal of last year’s race, Schumacher had to defend under strong pressure from Alonso in the closing stages, while behind them McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya had a fairly uneventful afternoon to finish third.















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    Michael Schumacher. Photo by xpb.cc.


    It was clear and sunny on race day, with a track temperature in the mid forties at the start. Pole sitter Schumacher got away in the lead, followed by the Honda of Jenson Button. Rubens Barrichello’s Honda lost out two places to Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Alonso and at the back of the field there was a big crash for Christijan Albers.


    The MF1 got tagged from behind by Yuji Ide’s Super Aguri and barrel rolled into the gravel at the Villeneuve chicane, coming to rest upside down. It was a bit of a shocker but Albers emerged unscathed, actually looking more annoyed than anything else. The safety car was deployed while the MF1 was retrieved and Ide went into the pits for a while.


    Albers feels that the Super Aguris are being unnecessarily aggressive in trying to get ahead at of MF1 at the start. “They are taking too many risks and we saw today how dangerous this can be. I don’t understand this tactic because I would have conceded the position to (Ide) had he been in a position to take it,” he commented.


    Barrichello was down to fifth behind Alonso, then came the Toyota of Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, Jarno Trulli’s Toyota and the Williams of Mark Webber in eighth. Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren had a poor start and lost two places to 10th. The safety car period was only a couple of laps and off they went again.















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    Jarno Trulli. Photo by xpb.cc.


    Tonio Liuzzi’s Toro Rosso spun but recovered and Trulli was another early retiree, into the pits with a steering gremlin. “Everything was all right at first,” said the Italian. “But after a couple of laps something failed on the steering column and I had no steering.” So far this season Trulli has ended up on the wrong side of most of Toyota’s misfortune.


    Outside the top 10 the order was Jacques Villeneuve’s BMW Sauber 11th, Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella 12th, Nico Rosberg’s Williams 13th and the Red Bull of David Coulthard 14th. The tail enders were Nick Heidfeld’s BMW, Scott Speed’s Toro Rosso, Christian Klien’s Red Bull, Liuzzi, the MF1 of Tiago Monteiro and Takuma Sato’s Super Aguri.


    Ide had managed to return to the track, for data collection if nothing else as he was a few laps down. The order was fairly static and after a dozen laps or so Raikkonen in ninth was already some 20 seconds behind Michael and Button. Barrichello was the first to pit around lap 15 and Button was in shortly afterwards, apparently on a three-stopper.


    Ralf went in a lap later and on track Massa was holding Alonso behind him while Michael was belting out fastest laps at the front. A little tactical play by Ferrari there perhaps — by the time Massa went in for his stop Alonso was over 12 seconds behind Michael. The German took his first trip into the pits shortly afterwards, leaving Alonso in the lead.















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    Kimi Raikkonen. Photo by xpb.cc.


    Montoya and Raikkonen were then up to third and fifth respectively but McLaren was not really making much of an impression on the race. They pitted in quick succession around lap 23 and Alonso followed suit a couple of laps later. He got out in front of Button and then it was Michael, Alonso, Button, Massa, Montoya and Webber making up the top six.


    Montoya was closing on Massa and the Ferraris seemed to struggle with the tyres in the middle stint of the race. Michael was lapping in the 1:27 area and Alonso in the 1:25, rapidly catching the leader. Button’s chance at fighting for the podium was scuppered by a messy pit stop when the fuel rig got stuck on the car.


    The lollipop man lifted and Button accelerated out but the fuel hose was still attached. A couple of the pit crew got knocked over then the nozzle broke off and was stuck in the car. Button stopped in the pit lane and waited for a mechanic to come and remove it before he could get going. None of the crew suffered serious injury.


    Meanwhile, Alonso was now very close behind Michael — would he try and get past or wait for the Ferrari to take its second stop? Ide eventually retired for good when he went off track with a mechanical problem, which bought out the yellow flags. Alonso was biding his time, having the odd look at Michael but it was a bit of a cat and mouse game.















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    Fernando Alonso. Photo by LAT Photographic.


    Michael was really quite slow by then — backmarkers Klien and Liuzzi, who they had recently passed, were actually catching them up again and in turn a concertina effect was rippling down the field. Massa and Montoya, who had been some 20 seconds behind the leaders in third and fourth, had closed the gap to 14 seconds.


    Alonso was really harassing Michael and Renault tried a tactical switch on the Spaniard’s second pit stop — Alonso went in early rather than run to the end of his fuel load. Massa dived in as well, followed by Michael shortly afterwards. It was a snap decision by Renault that didn’t work as Michael rejoined in front of Alonso again.


    Somewhere along the line Klien retired with a hydraulic failure and it was a bad day for Red Bull as Coulthard was out with a driveshaft problem not long afterwards. “I had a problem getting away in the pits, I don’t know if that was something to do with it,” Coulthard said. “We’re simply not quick enough at the moment.”


    Raikkonen was running third but had another stop to make and Montoya had cleared Massa in his second stop. Once Raikkonen had been in again the points order was then Michael, Alonso, Montoya, Massa, Raikkonen, Webber, Button and Fisichella. Montoya was 14 seconds behind the battle that was going on for the lead.















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    Fernando Alonso chases Michael Schumacher. Photo by xpb.cc.


    Alonso was still on Michael’s rear wing but not finding a way past — naturally the Spaniard wanted to get ahead but second was only ceding two points to Michael in the championship, which was not worth taking any big risks over. He perhaps might have had a chance in the closing laps but it never panned out.


    Alonso clipped the kerb quite hard through the Villeneuve chicane and went wide, which lost him time, then on the next lap he made another little mistake and dropped back further. With only a couple of laps to go he was not close enough to the Ferrari to take chance even if he fancied it. The order held to the chequered flag, to the delight of the tifosi.


    Michael’s 85th win was deserved and Ferrari looked much more competitive at Imola, although there are evidently some issues still to resolve. Really Alonso should have been able to get past Michael, if not in the middle stint then in the second pits stops, but this time around it was Ferrari that got the upper hand.


    “I am very happy!” Michael declared. “The result shows that work pays off and that the effort put in by everyone – the team and our partners – has delivered its reward. The key moment was staying ahead after the second pit stop. As we saw last year, overtaking at this track it’s almost impossible, unless the guy in front makes a mistake.”















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    Podium: race winner Michael Schumacher with Fernando Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya. Photo by xpb.cc.


    Alonso had a fairly feisty drive but knew it was not worth taking too many chances. Renault is clearly still very competitive but are the rest starting to close in? Fisichella picked up to come home eighth after starting 11th but to be honest he really shouldn’t have been that far back on the grid to begin with.


    Alonso admitted the early second pit stop didn’t work out as hoped. “Maybe I should have waited until my normal pit stop, maybe that would have worked better,”he mused. “But who knows? I think this eight points is better for me. Second in the championship were Kimi and Fisichella and I took another four or five points off them, so championship-wise it was a perfect result.”


    Ron Dennis sure likes to talk about Raikkonen, blaming traffic and all sorts after the race for the Finn’s less than noticeable afternoon, yet he hardly mentioned Montoya, who outperformed Raikkonen in both qualifying and the race. It was a decent enough drive by Montoya and Raikkonen, fifth, wasn’t bad either but McLaren lacked its usual flair.


    Montoya was happy enough, though. “I think it was good,” he said. “I had a really quick start. I went onto the inside of Fernando, I think he went to try to pass a BAR (Honda) so I had to lift and I lost a couple of places there when I backed off but on and off it was a really good race. I think we did a lot of work over the last couple of weeks and I think we’re going in the right direction.”















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    Felipe Massa. Photo by xpb.cc.


    Massa didn’t do anything mad for once and finished where he started, fourth. He suffered in the middle stint, which probably lost him his first podium, but it was a clean and confident drive from the Brazilian. Webber perhaps wrestled the most out of his car, bringing the Williams home in sixth. Teammate Rosberg was a vague 11th.


    Button recovered slightly from his pit stop problems to cross the line seventh but it was another disappointing day for Honda. Barrichello, who had performed well in qualifying to start third, went backwards and ended up outside the points in 10th. Button had the pace early in the race but something always seems to go wrong.


    Toyota was also disappointing again, with Trulli’s retirement and Ralf finishing ninth. The BMWs came home nose to tail with Villeneuve 12th and Heidfeld 13th, a rather poor performance after the promise of Melbourne. Both Toro Rossos finished, Liuzzi 14th and Speed 15th and Monteiro was last across the line in 16th. Sato retired with an unspecified problem.


    After the excitement of Melbourne, Imola was fairly sedate by comparison. There were periods of tension when Michael and Alonso were scrapping but really it was more about strategy than track action. However, it’s not a bad thing to see a different team take the win — Renault needs some competition before it gets too far ahead.


    The question remains of whether this is the start of Ferrari’s resurgence or if it’s just something about Imola that gives the team that extra edge. The red revival didn’t happen last year but it’s not wise to count Ferrari out too easily. Final top eight classification: M. Schumacher, Alonso, Montoya, Massa, Raikkonen, Webber, Button, Fisichella. 


    


    

     

    


    

     

    


    

     
    
							
    
					
    
		
    
			
		
    
	
    

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