Take the world’s smallest political quiz and find out where you fall on the political spectrum. The quiz says I am Liberal (which in Europe actually means “economic conservative”).
Are you liberal, conservative, or libertarian? Take the quiz
Posted: 15 November 2010 in Current events0
Eat Pray Love travel guides to Bali, Rome and Naples
Posted: 18 August 2010 in Books and Writing, TravelTags: Travel
I have just posted a series of travel guides to Bali, Rome and Naples, following the footsteps of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat Pray Love”, now showing in the cinemas with Julia Roberts in the role of Gilbert.
I went to Bali in September last year, Rome in October, Naples and the Amalfi Coast a few years ago. As a result, I put together a short and sweet travel guide listing hotels, restaurants and things to do in those places. More to come with the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravello and Capri).
Eat Pray Love Bali Travel Guide
Eat Pray Love Rome Travel Guide
* * * * *
You can get the book at Amazon.com: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Contador wins Tour de France 2010, Cavendish sprints to stage finish
Posted: 25 July 2010 in SportsTags: cycling, tour de france
Contador wins Tour de France, Schleck 2nd, Menchov 3rd (LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)
Alberto Contador has won the Tour de France for the third time; Andy Schleck is in 2nd place and Denis Menchov in 3rd. Mark Cavendish sprinted to win the final stage in Paris, making it his 5th stage win in this Tour.
Cavendish wins last stage of Tour de France 2010 (PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images)
Cavendish sprints to finish line (PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images)
Green jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
Red peas jersey: Anthony Charteau
White jersey: Andy Schleck
Team: Radio Shack
Most significant moments in this year’s Tour:
- Cobblestones stage in Belgium causing many riders to crash including Frank Schleck, Andy’s brother, who broke his collarbone and had to leave the Tour.
- Disqualification of Mark Renshaw who was caught on camera headbutting Julian Dean at the finish of stage 11 (Mark is Cavendish’s teammate and the one who had been protecting him at the end of each sprint). However, it did not matter in the end. Cav won just about every sprint after that including the final in Paris.
- The chain that caused Andy Schleck to lose the Tour: Andy’s chain fell off in stage 15 as he was attacking up the mountain. Contador saw Schleck in trouble and counterattacked and that was more or less the end of Andy Schleck’s chance to win the Tour.
- End of Lance Armstrong’s TdF adventures: Armstrong announced this is his last Tour. After crashing several times and finishing in the middle of the peloton, it’s time to hang up the bike.
Disappointments of this year’s Tour:
- Why is it Cav wins the sprints and he does not get the green jersey?
- How can a guy like Contador not win a single stage and still win the Tour?
- Why, after a very exciting start, did the Tour become boring in the middle and final stages, except for the Andy-Alberto battle? There weren’t enough attacks, the riders seemed to be kicking back too much.
Andy Schleck congratulates Alberto Contador (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Tour de France peloton rides into Paris (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)
The peloton rides towards the Arc de Triomphe (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)
See great Tour de France 2010 last stage photos:
http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/gallery
Bad luck for Andy Schleck, Contador gets yellow jersey
Posted: 19 July 2010 in SportsTags: cycling, tour de france
General classement Stage 15 Tour de France 2010
Luck plays a huge role in winning the Tour de France and Andy Schleck’s bad luck may determine the winner. Today, as Andy Schleck (yellow jersey holder as of the start of this stage) was making his way almost at the summit of the Port de Balès suddenly his chain came off. What horrible timing! Contador was right behind him. Seeing Schleck in mechanical trouble, Contador just took off and naturally, finished ahead of him, taking the yellow jersey. Now, Schleck is 8 seconds behind Contador in the general classement. There are still two stages in the Pyrenees so the race is not yet over. Debate is raging as to whether he should or should not have waited for Schleck. However, when Schleck did get his chain back on, he attacked like a madman, showing what an amazing rider he is.
Thomas Voeckler (BTL) won this stage 15; Alessandro Ballan came in second.
Cultural divide over Mark Renshaw disqualification in Tour de France 2010
Posted: 16 July 2010 in SportsTags: cycling, tour de france
If you read UK and US blogs and commentaries, you’d think most people find the disqualification of Mark Renshaw (head-butting Julian Dean at the stage 11 sprint of the Tour de France 2010 – see video below) to be excessive and unfair. But that’s not the case.
I’ve been reading the comments submitted by readers on Dutch and German cycling websites, and the vast majority agree with the Tour de France’s decision to expel Renshaw. The French and the Belgians, however, are divided on the issue.
