For me, the key question is "did you believe Lance used performance enhancing drugs"? If you, like me, believed that he did, then you accept he is a winner as a result of being an incredible athlete who hid drug use better than everyone else. Further, you also implicitly accept drug use in cycling and implicitly support it. None of these things I can resolutely say I'm proud of. If, however, you believed that he was clean - like he wanted you to believe- then you have been deceived. No one likes being deceived and for that it is only to be expected he is receiving this destruction of his character. So, how do you answer this question?
36hrs in Vilnius, Lithuania
Tucked away in the south east of the
Baltic region, Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania is a little gem just waiting
to be explored. Sometimes a little rough around the edges, the city can be
excused for needing more time to re-establish itself. For the past 60 years
Lithuania, along with its Baltic friends Estonia and Latvia, have borne the
brunt of a bitter bloody violent pan-European struggle between the Soviet Union
from the east and ze Chermans from the west. However it is that very mix of
influence left behind from both directions that underscores the charm of this
lovely city and country.
Vilnius, Lithuania. Smiles and Raw Food
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania. I didn't know this before Friday.
However I also can't be accused of the common mistake of saying that
Riga is the capital of Lithuania, because of course Riga is the capital
of Latvia. Whatever, i'm here and on my first wander around I have found
it to be a lovely little city.
Before take-off I read up on Wikitravel: http://wikitravel.org/en/
"Lithuanians may appear sad, depressive (suicide rates in Lithuania are among the highest in the world), a little bit rude and suspicious, so talking about your good health, wealth, and happiness could be sometimes taken negatively. Smile at a Lithuanian in the street and most likely they will not respond in kindness. Smiling in Lithuania is traditionally reserved for friends; smile at a stranger and they will either think you're making fun of them and there's something wrong with their clothes or hairdo, or that you must be an idiot. Furthermore, an automatic Western smile is widely regarded as insincere. "
So, plenty of Lithuanians must think i'm an idiot. The problem is now every time I pass someone in the corridor or in the street I want to smile at them. This only means I bail out at the last minute and give a half-assed face scrunch. Yep, a real idiot.
I did try and stare down some people. This worked really well. I got 'stared down' back and felt I had connected. When in rome....as they say.
Of all the Lithuanians I have interacted with, whether that be working with them or a waitress at a restaurant or a cab driver, I can say (admittedly on a small sample size) that they are lovely people with very warm smiles. And this is important.
I just had dinner at a place called RawRaw. The food was....yep...raw. Which would be fine because I love steak tartar, except it was vegetarian. Which is also fine because they did some amazing things with veges and nuts and berries. Beetroot ravioli with cheese filling - where the beetroot was sliced to make the top and bottom of the ravioli and in between the cheese filling was not cheese but rather a cashew paste. Dessert was titled parfait. And being a parfait fan I was attracted to it immediately by name. This version was not brutally chocolatey nor flammable nor bad for my health. It was indeed a mousse of pumpkin, raisins, and orange covered with a cranberry mash topped with crushed cashews, haselnuts and almonds. And it was delicious.
Before take-off I read up on Wikitravel: http://wikitravel.org/en/
"Lithuanians may appear sad, depressive (suicide rates in Lithuania are among the highest in the world), a little bit rude and suspicious, so talking about your good health, wealth, and happiness could be sometimes taken negatively. Smile at a Lithuanian in the street and most likely they will not respond in kindness. Smiling in Lithuania is traditionally reserved for friends; smile at a stranger and they will either think you're making fun of them and there's something wrong with their clothes or hairdo, or that you must be an idiot. Furthermore, an automatic Western smile is widely regarded as insincere. "
So, plenty of Lithuanians must think i'm an idiot. The problem is now every time I pass someone in the corridor or in the street I want to smile at them. This only means I bail out at the last minute and give a half-assed face scrunch. Yep, a real idiot.
I did try and stare down some people. This worked really well. I got 'stared down' back and felt I had connected. When in rome....as they say.
Of all the Lithuanians I have interacted with, whether that be working with them or a waitress at a restaurant or a cab driver, I can say (admittedly on a small sample size) that they are lovely people with very warm smiles. And this is important.
I just had dinner at a place called RawRaw. The food was....yep...raw. Which would be fine because I love steak tartar, except it was vegetarian. Which is also fine because they did some amazing things with veges and nuts and berries. Beetroot ravioli with cheese filling - where the beetroot was sliced to make the top and bottom of the ravioli and in between the cheese filling was not cheese but rather a cashew paste. Dessert was titled parfait. And being a parfait fan I was attracted to it immediately by name. This version was not brutally chocolatey nor flammable nor bad for my health. It was indeed a mousse of pumpkin, raisins, and orange covered with a cranberry mash topped with crushed cashews, haselnuts and almonds. And it was delicious.
Take-aways: Why I am leaving Goldman Sachs
Why the article written by Greg Smith has gained so much traction, at least in my view, is that it is completely emotionally driven. In the same way a whistleblower communicates what everyone knows, but no one says, he has caught the attention of the mass media in a big almost viral way.
I have my views on the content of his letter to the editor. Each person is entitled to take a position on this - whether it be a) he's a courageous person for speaking up against something he doesn't believe in or b) what a sour puss - he probably didn't get the promotion or make the millions he had hoped for. In the end, as a rowing coach of mine once said "you are the master of the spoken word, however the written word is the master of you". Greg is now bound by his words, something that will probably make his future difficult.
Having something interesting or important to say, together with a willing and hungry audience is a powerful combination. More often than not, the barrier to not saying what you think is a certain rationality recognising the ramifications of speaking up. However to break the silence, there are only two things that can achieve this - 1) torture although even then it's not certain you'll find the truth and 2) an emotional drive to capitalise on the power given to you by your audience. The same emotional drive that wants retribution.
I would love to know the full story behind this letter to the editor!
Knowing when it is time to leave an organisation is usually an epiphany. It comes at a time when you realise you have moved on or things have moved on around you or you don't have the influence you once thought you had. For right or wrong. In a rational mindset it is easy to say c'est la vie, realise the situation and either try to do something about it or walk away. More often than not you can't do anything about it and out of principal don't want to walk away. This is where rationality gets throw from the window. This is where there the search for power starts to play out. This is where an inner burning for retribution is kindled. Subsequently this is where the trouble starts and the opportunities for those who wish to capitalise on their power -of speaking out to an audience who wants to hear- are realised.
Have we gained anything from this story? I would argue not. We have read a sensational piece of news, supporting what we already knew, what we already subscribed to (knowingly or unknowingly) but not moved forward. Soon, Greg will be forgotten, another story of GS will appear but again be swept away and the crux of the issue, bankers allegedly behaving badly, will be left to the markets and associated regulators to deal with.
I see the real takeaway from this article being the average readers' ignorance as to the inner workings of the world we live in and also the wasted opportunity that a, now former, employee had to change things that he once believed in.
I have my views on the content of his letter to the editor. Each person is entitled to take a position on this - whether it be a) he's a courageous person for speaking up against something he doesn't believe in or b) what a sour puss - he probably didn't get the promotion or make the millions he had hoped for. In the end, as a rowing coach of mine once said "you are the master of the spoken word, however the written word is the master of you". Greg is now bound by his words, something that will probably make his future difficult.
Having something interesting or important to say, together with a willing and hungry audience is a powerful combination. More often than not, the barrier to not saying what you think is a certain rationality recognising the ramifications of speaking up. However to break the silence, there are only two things that can achieve this - 1) torture although even then it's not certain you'll find the truth and 2) an emotional drive to capitalise on the power given to you by your audience. The same emotional drive that wants retribution.
I would love to know the full story behind this letter to the editor!
Knowing when it is time to leave an organisation is usually an epiphany. It comes at a time when you realise you have moved on or things have moved on around you or you don't have the influence you once thought you had. For right or wrong. In a rational mindset it is easy to say c'est la vie, realise the situation and either try to do something about it or walk away. More often than not you can't do anything about it and out of principal don't want to walk away. This is where rationality gets throw from the window. This is where there the search for power starts to play out. This is where an inner burning for retribution is kindled. Subsequently this is where the trouble starts and the opportunities for those who wish to capitalise on their power -of speaking out to an audience who wants to hear- are realised.
Have we gained anything from this story? I would argue not. We have read a sensational piece of news, supporting what we already knew, what we already subscribed to (knowingly or unknowingly) but not moved forward. Soon, Greg will be forgotten, another story of GS will appear but again be swept away and the crux of the issue, bankers allegedly behaving badly, will be left to the markets and associated regulators to deal with.
I see the real takeaway from this article being the average readers' ignorance as to the inner workings of the world we live in and also the wasted opportunity that a, now former, employee had to change things that he once believed in.
Ciao
Interesting takeaway from the weekend: the word "ciao" meaning both hi and bye in italian is derived from the word "schiavo" meaning "slave". So entomologically speaking each time you say ciao you are (generously) saying "i am you slave / at your service".
The other takeaway is that the mountains in the north of Italy are spectacular. Photos to come!
Ciao ciao!
384 hours in Australia (16 days)
Day 1: arrive long haul flight. But it's all worth it as the sun is shining and a dry warm wave of air greets you together with the embrace of family at the terminal exit. That and breakfast at the Adelaide Central Markets - eating Green Eggs and Ham (by Dr Seuss) and a flat white
Day 2: Find a spot to sit (The Adelaide Uni Boat Club is the best vantage point) and watch the "Tour Down Under" the only UCI Pro Tour in the southern hemisphere and the start of the season for the riders who will soon be tackling the long lumpy roads of France.
Day 3: Head down to Aldinga, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, for a bite to eat the Victory Hotel and then have an icecream at the Star of Greece over looking some of the most glorious beaches in South Australia
Day 2: Find a spot to sit (The Adelaide Uni Boat Club is the best vantage point) and watch the "Tour Down Under" the only UCI Pro Tour in the southern hemisphere and the start of the season for the riders who will soon be tackling the long lumpy roads of France.
Day 3: Head down to Aldinga, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, for a bite to eat the Victory Hotel and then have an icecream at the Star of Greece over looking some of the most glorious beaches in South Australia
My tastebuds loved Amsterdam
Amsterdam is known for many things. My experience has revolved around great food. The Dutch do pride themselves on excellent food. I've put together a short list of some great eats in Amsterdam.
Le Restaurant was the highlight. It provided for a flaw-less culinary experience. While all the dishes and matched wines were soft (making it easier to avoid a palette clash) each course flowed exceptionally well. Le Garade, De Kase and those on the Great food list we went back to often...
Enjoy - and remember to stay away from the tourist canals. Amsterdam will reward you handsomely for simply wandering the canals with the goal of making the bright lights an ever distant glow in the background.
Le Restaurant was the highlight. It provided for a flaw-less culinary experience. While all the dishes and matched wines were soft (making it easier to avoid a palette clash) each course flowed exceptionally well. Le Garade, De Kase and those on the Great food list we went back to often...
Serious Food
- Lastage (http://www.restaurantlastage.
- Le Restaurant (http://www.lerestaurant.nl/)
- Bussia (http://www.bussia.nl/)
- Restaurant Lute (http://lute.nu/)
Great food
- Pata Negra (http://www.pata-negra.nl/)
- Cafe de Engelbewaarder (http://www.cafe-de-
- Stout! (http://www.restaurantstout.
Good websites for getting around Amsterdam
www.iens.nlEnjoy - and remember to stay away from the tourist canals. Amsterdam will reward you handsomely for simply wandering the canals with the goal of making the bright lights an ever distant glow in the background.
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