People often ask me what the hell the GRANZOTTO'S RADICALINDEX in the sidebar is. Well, it is the most trustworthy tool to measure the popularity of liberal politicians, activists and even dissidents spinning around the so-called "radical galaxy" in Italy, i.e. the various political bodies making up the maverick radical party-movement led by Marco Pannella (see Radical Party in wikipedia).

How does the chart work? Basically, it's the number of times they are mentioned in this very blog. You don't need to be a member of the party nor of its spin-off agencies to be included in the list - for example you may simply be an active poster in its FORUM - as long as you are liberal (even a right-wing one) and alive, with the remarkable exception of Piergiorgio Welby, the poet who passed away two years ago in a struggle for the terminally ill to die with dignity, and whom this blog is devoted to.

The chart takes its name from Mr Granzotto, liberal leader in the Venice region, as at the beginning he was top of the list and thus chosen as a parameter to measure the other contestants, but later he was overtaken first by reporter Mauro Suttora, winner for 2007, and then by young MEP Marco Cappato, who looks set to win this year.