Thursday, July 13, 2006

France: Hey, You, American.
Yer Yella

But that's a good thing!

American Floyd Landis takes the yellow jersey after the 11th stage of the Tour de France. Landis finished third behind stage winner Denis Menchov of Russia and Levi Leipheimer of the U.S., all having the same time. Six hour and six minutes over 128 miles in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. This mountain stage contained four category one climbs and one climb without category. This roughly translates to a ride 3/4 of the way to the moon straight up.

Landis took the yellow jersey from Frenchman Cyril Dessel by eight seconds. Leipheimer jumped from 58th place to 13th overall. Other Americans are not doing so well. The American Discovery Channel team also is faltering. Landis rides for Phonak, while Leipheimer rides for Gerolsteiner.

Floyd Landis, a Mennonite, suffers from osteonecrosis of the hip and will require hip replacement surgery after the Tour. This is the same disease with which Bo Jackson suffered, ending his football career.

5 comments:

JesusIsJustAlrightWithMe said...

He is a recovered menonite.

Anonymous said...

Today, Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych of Discovery Channel wins the stage. As he approached and crossed the finish line alone, he made the sign of the cross and lifted his hands to heaven.

During his post-race interview, he stated that this would raise his team's morals.

He is a recovering Commie atheist.

JesusIsJustAlrightWithMe said...

How sad that he has to attribute all of his hard-earned success to his imaginary friend. What evidence do you have that he:
1) Was ever an athiest?
2) Was ever a communist?
3) Is no longer a communist?

Communism and Atheism are completely unrelated by the way. Capitalism and Atheism have a lot more in common.

Steve Burri said...

No evidence, but it tweaked you pretty good, didn't it? (Popovych did say moral, but his English isn't very good- he meant morale.)

In what I've seen in your commenting, there have been no epistemological foundations offered, only questions about that of others.

Communism is a subset within atheism. Saying capitalism and atheism have a lot more in common would be a matter of faith. Max Weber didn't see it that way.

JesusIsJustAlrightWithMe said...

"but it tweaked you pretty good, didn't it?"

Not really. I rarely get "tweaked" by anything.

"In what I've seen in your commenting, there have been no epistemological foundations offered, only questions about that of others."

I suppose this is true. It's probably because my world view rests on being comfortable not knowing lots of things and never asserting that I know something that I can not and do not know. If there is a hole in an idea of mine, I leave it there. I don't fill it in with bullshit.

"Communism is a subset within atheism. Saying capitalism and atheism have a lot more in common would be a matter of faith. Max Weber didn't see it that way."

Perhaps historically prominent communism has been featured alongside atheism but there is nothing abbout the two philosophies that links them. I read "The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism." Weber certainly argues that the Protestant's need to show proficiency in his calling led to Capitalism in America and he is certainly right. But the atheist's desire to be successful in this life should lead to the same result. There are just so few of us that there has never been a society grounded in Atheism. Both Atheism and Capitalism rest on the idea of lots of freedom. Capitalism requries minimal government influence on the market. Atheism requires no influence from imaginary men in the sky.