tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72964775539102354722024-02-20T20:17:05.314-08:00Irreverent ItalyIrreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-60587777560304763852015-01-27T12:03:00.000-08:002015-01-27T12:03:58.799-08:00Italy launches Change Your Life - Change Italy program <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZpN-9rh2cM6YappYzRxS4AW2flvPC_-mDTkMg_lUim9d5BiLtFJnjDuE0Nlfi5MU9h2xbgjjsPCSzVVeExecKo5hp5DLYGgmWcxfC3W84IZXuFkrhoCqY5eu2arafh1NrqQwlfwDpMZH/s1600/best-program-150126111005_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZpN-9rh2cM6YappYzRxS4AW2flvPC_-mDTkMg_lUim9d5BiLtFJnjDuE0Nlfi5MU9h2xbgjjsPCSzVVeExecKo5hp5DLYGgmWcxfC3W84IZXuFkrhoCqY5eu2arafh1NrqQwlfwDpMZH/s1600/best-program-150126111005_medium.jpg" height="370" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An esteemed panel of mystical elders descended upon Italy to announce the <b>BestProgram2015</b> - a sort of twinning program to bring some of Italy's brightest potential entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley - and then...to hope and pray and chant so that they actually come back home to Italy as successful entrepreneurs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">The program, called </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-weight: bold;">Change Your Life - Change Italy </span><span style="color: #444444;">showed Italians precisely what they needed to make it in Silicon Valley: Balls, to be precise. Judging from our panel and the notorious chauvinism of Silicon Valley, this meritocracy need not have any XY chromosomes.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Taking place just one day after the <i>Economist </i>went full frontal vagina, and Samantha the Italian astronaut, sent amazing photos from the Space Station, the group of elders made their announcement: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We chose to announce this grand program right on the doorstep of the Vatican - a fine institution that has been run by men-only for centuries. That is what we stand for: where algorithms are our religion, we think that by taking their example, we, too, can be around for centuries as well. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As for the participants, they said they couldn't wait to get over to the USA and learn to be successful innovators so they could stop those 'uppity women' who now lead the CERN particle accelerator, Facebook (<i>of all things!)</i></span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and - heck - even General Motors. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They also said they couldn't wait to get back to Italy where they could then drop 54% of earnings on taxes in order to pay the politicians' bribes (they will consider it a donation), employees who can never be fired, and five times the cost of gas for their cars. <i><span style="color: #783f04;">"But, hey, one optimistic participant beamed...at least cappuccino will still be a buck fifty". </span></i></span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-45272812703840183162014-12-07T10:31:00.000-08:002014-12-07T10:31:16.128-08:00The Grinch(ess) who Stole Christmas <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbr9lulscrAyvX0pDjKUzDbNTNDSRTFqNPPkwGfW-PoNxou0jdF17SXtEN-mHw9KgB_Ce0LCSDzh0RSlhmPoHRFnP4tUPKCJ-EjZ4RzSlual5OI0I_q9dL4K02Jwt7TGSa00t3kfvhx22s/s1600/piazzanavona2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbr9lulscrAyvX0pDjKUzDbNTNDSRTFqNPPkwGfW-PoNxou0jdF17SXtEN-mHw9KgB_Ce0LCSDzh0RSlhmPoHRFnP4tUPKCJ-EjZ4RzSlual5OI0I_q9dL4K02Jwt7TGSa00t3kfvhx22s/s1600/piazzanavona2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iAfsguxpJwblhjTpEiPA-qpNOVmAzWuakTdGkmCQ-afJSPlylzaE7o6sWuPjdMoxksRZQeoz2UkpL2Fg3ZJ_IPWOua9ngOXZYQyYfL4uaht-scaODGb4VDLAoCFOxC_5_usVdqfbNvLp/s1600/Bancarella+di+Natale+a+Piazza+Navona+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iAfsguxpJwblhjTpEiPA-qpNOVmAzWuakTdGkmCQ-afJSPlylzaE7o6sWuPjdMoxksRZQeoz2UkpL2Fg3ZJ_IPWOua9ngOXZYQyYfL4uaht-scaODGb4VDLAoCFOxC_5_usVdqfbNvLp/s1600/Bancarella+di+Natale+a+Piazza+Navona+(3).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Don't let the scenery fool you...<br />almost all of the Christmas stands in Rome's<br />idyllic Piazza Navona are filled with crummy<br />tchotchkes from the dollar store</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rome, currently in a veritable tsunami of scandals, has one more reason to be down and out. Or at least, in some circles, that is. Mayor Ignazio Marino's transparent administration decided this year to employ Best Practices and actually ask the market stall vendors to participate in a legal bid to sell the wares this holiday season. Instead, thinking it was business as usual, they were a no-show. And people are bemoaning this (potential) absence of their beloved 100-year holiday tradition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But, for the rest of us who have ever spent time at a proper Christmas market <i><span style="color: #e69138;">(and you don't have to travel too far to find hot spiced wine and gorgeous handicrafts from Tuscany on over to the Dolomite area or Aosta), </span></i>the news was truly joyous. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was as if the Grinch had come down off the Capitoline Hill himself, and, instead of weeping over our loss, we all joined hands in singing out the newfound Christmas spirit -- without the schlock. It's as if this administration was going to take a stand against the creeping of Chinese capitalism right down to the lead-painted figurines and stuffed animals probably made from dogs hair thrown live into boiling vats of water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, here's a shout-out to one Dott.ssa Alfonsi -- the woman behind the attempt to regulate the Christmas marketplace. Take a trip (on us, the taxpayers who pay your salary) and ride up to Bolzano. Enjoy a nice hot pretzel with your hot wine. And then, re-write a bid system that disallows any item that isn't crafted by hand in the Bel Paese <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">[and I don't mean the hand of tiny Chinese children enslaved in sweat shops on the outskirts of Napoli].</span></i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2Y2SoZ_gIXr_K4plpThqKVQJ9Apv3S8cdWccTtJDVwoDXb1fWMi6OkWalI8ZzuoLbmqkNciwey_hbaCbLV2fGuDM2ZzxuGrIXFMWqZq8_WmDc5H7CVWWIL1tzJDVpqAFmglst_E-lHD8/s1600/IMG_3240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2Y2SoZ_gIXr_K4plpThqKVQJ9Apv3S8cdWccTtJDVwoDXb1fWMi6OkWalI8ZzuoLbmqkNciwey_hbaCbLV2fGuDM2ZzxuGrIXFMWqZq8_WmDc5H7CVWWIL1tzJDVpqAFmglst_E-lHD8/s1600/IMG_3240.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Take a look: <br />This is what Christmas markets look like</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-16235016366484957472014-11-02T12:36:00.000-08:002014-11-02T12:36:39.519-08:00Religious Figure Barbie & Ken Dolls Upset Church<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In September 2014, the artists <i style="color: #a64d79; font-weight: bold;">Pool & Maria Lena</i> launched their provocative art show showing their own vision of religious icons and what they may mean today. With Jesus Ken and Virgin Barbie, they proposed a number of figures reinterpreted from scripture, much to the consternation of the Catholic church.*</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH2jOdKk6x3IE5wKhgwRpmsbfqImL5GoA1d2lSZImy7M0qHR2IRflWrVY8-DWQc_qB4n1GrWBuKeNXXXUbpe6GlbIX7Ks3eCB11K-DA2Hw5iIGMI9OzLqFtmsTK9-dP9ByxXDwbpOgqPZ/s1600/barbie-madonna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH2jOdKk6x3IE5wKhgwRpmsbfqImL5GoA1d2lSZImy7M0qHR2IRflWrVY8-DWQc_qB4n1GrWBuKeNXXXUbpe6GlbIX7Ks3eCB11K-DA2Hw5iIGMI9OzLqFtmsTK9-dP9ByxXDwbpOgqPZ/s1600/barbie-madonna.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vJGzofd6HWMsVlojmXj7PSr1TdbefkIBRiISYY1Sp6imXLoVtV-pRctwjFKX7E9RjxZCPyKLcorEd_PZGThQw2kAojh1BGjlE1Ahic1hRzxNRzUjawYY-Y7BpkrJCCjW7XTrFbY5GPDZ/s1600/ken+jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vJGzofd6HWMsVlojmXj7PSr1TdbefkIBRiISYY1Sp6imXLoVtV-pRctwjFKX7E9RjxZCPyKLcorEd_PZGThQw2kAojh1BGjlE1Ahic1hRzxNRzUjawYY-Y7BpkrJCCjW7XTrFbY5GPDZ/s1600/ken+jesus.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Representatives from across the Catholic clergy protested as a mockery of their faith this "art installation" - one depicting a Ken/Martyred Saint Sebastian with the colors of the gay rainbow. Citing the blaspheme of presenting such figures, a spokesman said, "<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">We do not think its right for people to use likenesses in this way. We don't care if Barbie and Ken are the most-sold figures in the history of mankind. Clearly the toy industry is not taking into consideration the billions of cheap plastic figures sold right in St Peter's Square and in gift shops of the Virgin, the Holy Family, and pretty much every other figure in the gospels. Not to mention at Christmastime, when you can even have a teddy bear holy family in your manger."</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another bishop added, <span style="color: #660000;"><i>"These dolls contribute to the loss of innocence of children the world over. Only those of us - men of the cloth - should be allowed to defile our church and the tender lambs in our midst."</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRF64I2KPLiaRLV1-lEm0maTy0DyjJ_eodi11Po1U5ZQQtpcTEioT0G_2Xmd3H2VIChyphenhyphen4hzHDO68bzOHOzX2wZFywIFFK5brtlnDwkrkPv8CrIRpBywR3waNs9jE1q7r60odU5aJxVM-A/s1600/182314403-58e00fca-0e0d-41a7-9774-e720065290d1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRF64I2KPLiaRLV1-lEm0maTy0DyjJ_eodi11Po1U5ZQQtpcTEioT0G_2Xmd3H2VIChyphenhyphen4hzHDO68bzOHOzX2wZFywIFFK5brtlnDwkrkPv8CrIRpBywR3waNs9jE1q7r60odU5aJxVM-A/s1600/182314403-58e00fca-0e0d-41a7-9774-e720065290d1.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As for the artists, they believe that they have served art well; through their figures, they openly ask if religion can be reduced to a few icons. In response, the faithful the world over just made a collective shrug of their shoulders -- indicating clearly, that they had no idea what these artists were on about... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As one person put it, with no irony whatsoever, <i><span style="color: #990000;">"Despite all our efforts and our global sales of literally millions of these items, we've got nothing on the Colosseum-it's still the most-sold item in Rome."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">* While the artists actually depicted religious figures from many different faiths, it was pointed out that they neglected to produce a figure of Mohammed...</span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-84470394286109207552014-09-19T10:24:00.001-07:002014-09-19T10:24:45.266-07:00Italy discovers hot water --Or, that being a Mammone is bad for your relationshipIn an unprecedented move, a judge annulled a couple's marriage because the husband couldn't cut the apron strings with his mamma. As his young wife discovered, that's not actually true. It's not that they couldn't cut the strings. It's that the apron was hanging in his kitchen - with the mamma in it.<br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">A Norwegian advert cleverly depicting a 'mammone'</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">in Life imitating Art</span></div>
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The judge's ruling was seen by many long-suffering wives as long overdue. One woman outside the courthouse was overheard saying, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>"Recognition of the problem is the first step toward recovery -- Now maybe, we can all start the healing process of putting mothers-in-law back in the rightful homes."</i></span></div>
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In fact, according to sociologists, mothers-in-law are the cause of 30% of separations in Italy, after mistresses and casual after-work sex with trans. In another 40% of the cases, the cause for separation of course is death. Not of elderly men who succumb to nature at a ripe old age, but the thousands of wives and exes who are killed at an astonishing rate by their partners.</div>
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For the court (and I am not making this up), the wife can consider her marriage invalid, since the husband was not in a position to stop being a bambino, even after moving out of the home - to the upstairs apartment.</div>
Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-68397786697009897582014-09-04T11:12:00.001-07:002014-09-04T11:19:07.385-07:00Italy's Prime Minister Renzi goes for a Triple Dip<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Photo from l'<a href="http://espresso.repubblica.it/palazzo/2014/09/01/news/un-gelato-al-limone-tutti-gli-spot-di-matteo-renzi-alle-aziende-amiche-1.178309">Espresso Magazine</a><br /></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As news of Italy entering a Triple-Dip Recession came in on the economic front, Italy's Prime Minister Renzi decided to celebrate by offering scoops of gelato to the clearly stressed & distressed employees of Palazzo Chigi, the seat of Italy's President. Citing that they <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Only earn 2.4 times the salary of Barack Obama</span></i>," they needed some cheering up. After all, Renzi continued, <span style="color: #b45f06; font-style: italic;">"To get a triple dip is as difficult as those triple flips dynamic gymnasts do at the Olympics. My people work hard to get us where we are today. It takes guts to gut a country - just see what Silvio did - so here's some buon gelato helping to help those who need it least." </span>A Renzi spokesperson added, <span style="color: #660000;">"We're humanizing government. These poor State employees have to face 'il rientro' from their 6-week holidays. It's tough the first day back. I mean, the traffic! Our poor chauffeurs! It's a jungle out there."</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9inRFBCArPuB6FYORPW1MaguMLFkYa9zzTYuXVbrYM6cK2-LUz7F6F9mKhIjYGmya2v6BpbCGE10P2ZLbofQDQZy_cxBvMCFhBVKTyqYdhXvb5XzSGYNzw8Ph4DTtw7EzWaQe4MuwjsGO/s1600/cookingchanneltv.com.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9inRFBCArPuB6FYORPW1MaguMLFkYa9zzTYuXVbrYM6cK2-LUz7F6F9mKhIjYGmya2v6BpbCGE10P2ZLbofQDQZy_cxBvMCFhBVKTyqYdhXvb5XzSGYNzw8Ph4DTtw7EzWaQe4MuwjsGO/s1600/cookingchanneltv.com.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since his ice cream man stunt which was lampooned across social media left, right and center, Italy has since entered into a full-scale depression. In response, Renzi, for his part said, <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Depression? Isn't that the lovely recess where they put those lovely scoops of ice cream to make a fabulous sundae? Sounds delizioso!"</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Despite all the criticism, people close to the Prime Minister remarked: <span style="color: #990000;">"I'd rather see ice cream dished out here in cones than lathered upon call girls or another sort of cone in the private quarters of our Last Emperor, Silvio."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And, in case you're wondering where he got the inspiration, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZeEkXyq6z0">click here to hear Paolo Conte's excellent song, <i><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Un Gelato al Limon.</span></b></i></a></span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-27976760957103412972014-07-27T10:16:00.000-07:002014-07-28T04:30:43.789-07:00White Nights - The Costa Concordia Crew pulls an All-nighter<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The amazing salvage operation of righting the downed cruise ship, <b>The Costa Concordia</b>, that had it looking like a beached whale since that fateful night when the Captain, showing off to his on-board hooker, finally came to a close as it pulled into the Genova (Genoa) harbour. Crews worked day & night to first perch the ship on a ledge so it would not slide down onto the sea bed, destroying the natural habitat, and then righting the ship and finally, getting it to float - to then move up the coast to where it will be dismantled.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An amazing simulation video of the entire operation is here: </span></div>
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<a href="http://video.ilsole24ore.com/SoleOnLine5/Video/Notizie/Italia/2013/concordia-rimozione/videoremoval.php" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://video.ilsole24ore.com/SoleOnLine5/Video/Notizie/Italia/2013/concordia-rimozione/videoremoval.php</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The French stirred up a fuss when they heard that Italians would be dragging the ship near the Corsica coast. And so they sent out a pollution containment boat to "monitor" the process, as if yes, that would do the trick if the Concordia started leaking god knows what hydrocarbons <i>(no, I'm not smarter than a 5th grader) </i>and muddying up the Mediterranean. To put things in perspective, the boat is 60000 tons of steel - the Empire State Building is 57000.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So in this 24/7 and 2 1/2 year rescue operation came to a close, the Captain of the party ship decided he would celebrate the completion in the best way possible: By attending a White Party on the island of Ischia. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYKAqwcMh16fC1V4MWMuPRIK1YvhWVzIgLhgd7kaQqIsYiqUdy1shnuXGFYQhawcWJIS82fBlVv7YQAdCz603_hnvJuRRTRZRF8rVbSWcInSmUiFiIsSURhs7mPUwz7Bq-zwvEWXZV0q8/s1600/Schettino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYKAqwcMh16fC1V4MWMuPRIK1YvhWVzIgLhgd7kaQqIsYiqUdy1shnuXGFYQhawcWJIS82fBlVv7YQAdCz603_hnvJuRRTRZRF8rVbSWcInSmUiFiIsSURhs7mPUwz7Bq-zwvEWXZV0q8/s1600/Schettino.jpg" height="204" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture by Ischia Online Newspaper, <b><a href="http://www.ilgolfo.info/prima-pagina-de-golfo-oggi-in-edicola/">Il Golfo</a></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Issuing a statement as he wound his way thru the crowd, Schettino said that <i><span style="color: #783f04;">"Being on an island was as close as he could come to actually being near the island of Giglio" </span></i>and <i><span style="color: #783f04;">"Wearing white is a sign of respect for those poor people who died so needlessly that night."</span> </i>Schettino went on to say that by showing he was ready to move on with his life, and others (except, of course, those who perished) should do the same. In short, by 'living it up' he was an example for all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To the rest of us, left wondering what happened to House Arrest, Schettino said <i><span style="color: #783f04;">"House music, Arrested Development, just mix it in like a Buon Mojito, and all troubles will pass."</span></i> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EdgbRgc0AQ2vJd4I2eEbNbsMrNW9EySXEwLYqMJfMP8CTWZhHUSYQRZBIje_9LoMJbzHzfZPRY45GJSjcGA92zlMYqPLUAE77LuFjO9ttQLQSF_mgHgvlk90RbH8FrNzgM1h5YweyozX/s1600/Schettino2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EdgbRgc0AQ2vJd4I2eEbNbsMrNW9EySXEwLYqMJfMP8CTWZhHUSYQRZBIje_9LoMJbzHzfZPRY45GJSjcGA92zlMYqPLUAE77LuFjO9ttQLQSF_mgHgvlk90RbH8FrNzgM1h5YweyozX/s1600/Schettino2.jpg" height="203" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">Schettino bares his soul...<br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*White nights or, <i>Notte Bianche</i> are what Italians call all-nighters.</span></span></div>
Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-66453549144091117332014-07-15T12:27:00.000-07:002014-07-16T10:56:42.832-07:00Italy wins for recycling most in Europe - The Costa Concordia...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">in one fell swoop (both literally, and figuratively). Already the largest ship salvage operation in history, crews finally floated the massive cruise liner as the first phase toward </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">its final voyage </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Destination: The Breakers.</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Although the nearly-beached ship (resting on a platform built to protect the environment in case the ship slid down into the bottom of the sea) made for a nice tourist attraction, the Costa Concordia who lost 32 passengers that fateful night, will leave its resting place to be sent up the coast to Genova to be taken apart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saving the ship in order to save the environment has come at a price tag of 1.5 billion euro - yeah, that's <i><b>billion</b></i> with a B. The company is hoping to make their hapless Captain Coward, Mr. Schettino, pay for it. <i><span style="color: #990000;">"Maybe he can work it off, you know, by polishing the brass on a new boat - for the next 3000 years," </span></i>one executive suggested. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But Costa, operator of the very popular Costa Aquarium and other tourist attractions says they might just prop the ship up in the harbour in Genova. <span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;">"I mean, people have been flocking to Giglio island for the better part of two years...imagine the crowds this could draw!" </span>said another marketing executive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Certainly, it'd be one way to make the money back on the loss of their luxury liner.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLqqwwLrm_VilvHDnWz9JMUdjtSoUPd-uP4ULAtyxZ3Kz2vQLF139UD6koTlm7R6ZfYQy0a2G5MjZ0NPefu9dxMIT7Ti1BYxlIIOot0wjfD4mN2fmQDPUi7lVG2Q3ttHZfSywLN9JOYnT/s1600/concordia+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLqqwwLrm_VilvHDnWz9JMUdjtSoUPd-uP4ULAtyxZ3Kz2vQLF139UD6koTlm7R6ZfYQy0a2G5MjZ0NPefu9dxMIT7Ti1BYxlIIOot0wjfD4mN2fmQDPUi7lVG2Q3ttHZfSywLN9JOYnT/s1600/concordia+pic.jpg" height="222" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10966265/Costa-Concordia-shown-being-refloated-in-timelapse.html">A time-lapse from the Telegraph on refloating the ship</a></span></td></tr>
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</span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-51221914710024155332014-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:002014-07-06T10:17:45.736-07:00Garbage in your park? Rome decides if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn6Wh1Lu7StAIUBB2v9rww3oZYZSBh7fjTos-B23NLLMYEhV22TS6nC1126KU3CxUBnNi8b7pq-_7JfqKzHhdc-BinmkAIJp1ZrA22EbOW808ed3iQpqTKmIAx8MXSaZhnidM3dsJLcwm/s1600/Rifiuti+Caffarella+post+primo+maggio+2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn6Wh1Lu7StAIUBB2v9rww3oZYZSBh7fjTos-B23NLLMYEhV22TS6nC1126KU3CxUBnNi8b7pq-_7JfqKzHhdc-BinmkAIJp1ZrA22EbOW808ed3iQpqTKmIAx8MXSaZhnidM3dsJLcwm/s1600/Rifiuti+Caffarella+post+primo+maggio+2-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">'La Bellezza sulla Monnezza'</i><br /><i style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">Beauty wins over the Garbage Beast</i><br /><a href="http://sangiovanni.romatoday.it/appio-latino/caffarella-primo-maggio-senza-cestini-campagna-meno-monnezza.html">photo from RomaToday</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In an audacious move by Roma Capitale - or the Rome Municipality, the City decided to seriously 'think out of the box' and take on a new approach to garbage collection. By removing all the garbage cans* from one of its rather large parks. This experiment was launched on May 1st, and for the most part, was deemed somewhat successful. While more people brought their garbage out of the park nearer the large containers, they did see a larger accumulation around the canisters still left standing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #660000;">"The fact that people actually bothered to bring the garbage to one place rather than just leave it where they were picnicking for us is a huge success," </span></i>remarked the AMA Garbage guys. We hope that it catches on and more and more people who enjoy the park, actually take out what they put in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Two months on, however, residents are reporting more and more garbage going uncollected than ever before. To the point that one of the rivers feeding into the Tiber has its very own garbage dam - <a href="http://sangiovanni.romatoday.it/appio-latino/rifiuti-parco-della-caffarella-fausto-bonafaccia.html">made entirely of plastic bottles and reeds. </a></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>"If nothing else, we've lightened the load on our work hours and workers. I mean, driving around the park every once in awhile and pretending we were doing it on a weekly basis was really maddening for all concerned. Now we just don't do it. This is one for transparent government."</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*True story - only the quotes are made up (as usual)</i></span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-57612207678719556482014-06-16T12:45:00.004-07:002014-06-16T12:45:59.547-07:00European Taxi Drivers Uber-challenge: Beat them at their own illegal tricks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWT3XV_X53Bce4refGdcthq6H5neYKfccT0Ji1UHTR7HdX-QmYnC_8SQaanR-6ttfycEWqiqxMnF0sR1BtzFHe0gD6hTTt3ZHILjYkEuHFyUq6dTRqDUouy1xzzRGkKrVk7adONNx4xXW/s1600/uber_vince_uberpop_perde_i_taxi_privati_vengono_confiscati_26489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWT3XV_X53Bce4refGdcthq6H5neYKfccT0Ji1UHTR7HdX-QmYnC_8SQaanR-6ttfycEWqiqxMnF0sR1BtzFHe0gD6hTTt3ZHILjYkEuHFyUq6dTRqDUouy1xzzRGkKrVk7adONNx4xXW/s1600/uber_vince_uberpop_perde_i_taxi_privati_vengono_confiscati_26489.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In a bizarre twist of karma, Taxi Drivers throughout Europe staged a strike to express their dismay with potential passengers, who, in their opinion, are not respecting the law. Uber, the car sharing app was launched in Europe, but no one knew about it until the taxis decided that passengers actually paying the right price for trips around town might threaten their monopoly on shaking down customers outright. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">As one taxi driver put it, </span><i><span style="color: #666666;">"Are you kidding me? They pay only about 30 bucks to hop all in one car from the airport. We charge over 100 for that kind of service - and with it, we give you a tour of all Milan or Rome before getting you to your destination. Beat that, Uber!"</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In Italy, taxis were on strike, but no one even noticed, since they sit at their stations all day instead of actually carting passengers around town like in many other metropolises. Another driver put it simply, <span style="color: #666666;">"<i>We can sit around all day if we like. We just keep raising the rates. You know, it helps us offset the lack of passengers - we don't know why they'd prefer low-cost, heck, even air-conditioned vehicles. That's not what urban mobility is about, ya know what I mean?"</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another added, <span style="color: #666666;"><i>"Look--I make my living out of cheating customers. It's just how it's done. Foreigners? I double the meter. Sometimes I turn it off altogether. Or tell 'em it has to be a fixed rate for short distances. Bags, extra. Inside the city, outside the city, if you can double the meter at least three times a day, you're making it good. But it's not that easy. You think we're going to let these guys come in and provide a fixed low-cost price list for transport services?" </i></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNwXCHcUSHYk1SP0q5_zhuYiD1cIsnu3_RebXkh3Zkg86pzF7srNIVUD4L8APIhO_DIq55wA1DZI11-BjqQg4Z0cSQszLRAhWdd21AoOnp_hePf-bOXCcol9VZi1Z_dTQa9EEGawVT7d4/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNwXCHcUSHYk1SP0q5_zhuYiD1cIsnu3_RebXkh3Zkg86pzF7srNIVUD4L8APIhO_DIq55wA1DZI11-BjqQg4Z0cSQszLRAhWdd21AoOnp_hePf-bOXCcol9VZi1Z_dTQa9EEGawVT7d4/s1600/images-1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">UBER is a pusher in corrupt Milano - Outlaws<br /><i>(irony not included)</i></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But UBER, had the last laugh. I had no idea 'til today that the service even existed in Europe. Post-European wide strike, subscriptions went up by 850%. And just to show the taxis that they are a company well-versed in supply & demand, they even decided to <u>lower</u> their tariffs by 20%. After all, everyone knows that taxi cab advertising garners the greatest number of hits. </span><br />
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<br />Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-78986118363997698412014-06-01T14:18:00.000-07:002014-06-01T14:18:10.379-07:00Italy's Prime Minister Renzi and the Million Euro Giveaway!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, make that 80 euro. But, if you multiply that figure by the number of people who received some extra dosh in the mail, well, you're pretty much feeling like the recipient of a Nigerian Prince's bounty. But in the interest of <i>Par Condicio</i>, since I took Berlusconi to task for the same practice <span style="color: #783f04;">[See </span><i style="color: #783f04;">Burnt by the Tuscan Sun's - <a href="http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.it/2013/02/berlusconi-buying-votes-with-public.html">Buying Votes with Public Money]</a>, </i>I thought I'd give you the inside scoop on what, exactly, is going through Renzi & Cos. minds after conjuring up the <b>Big Giveaway</b> (of course, after counting the votes up that'd he'd get in response):</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy86q0x1k9SlkofYAnXo5BSABB055e4MOTUMfezNIUBD6pbw8i3f04j_wJa_v8H_AguLONMw1eMOgxv_d63V_-9kteG6Jhjq0JtSnJR_ai-ZN5o8xL3xgrJ_X5eEh0du8RBljafQ9GuNCn/s1600/Renzi+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy86q0x1k9SlkofYAnXo5BSABB055e4MOTUMfezNIUBD6pbw8i3f04j_wJa_v8H_AguLONMw1eMOgxv_d63V_-9kteG6Jhjq0JtSnJR_ai-ZN5o8xL3xgrJ_X5eEh0du8RBljafQ9GuNCn/s1600/Renzi+photo.jpg" height="298" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Photo by Bern as published in<br /><a href="http://www.liberoquotidiano.it/news/politica/11597269/Taglio-Irpef--Matteo-Renzi-.html">Libero Quotidiano</a></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>80 Euro! Do you know what you can buy for that...! Why, you can buy 10 pizza pies -- that's nearly one per month! That'll really get the economy rolling...</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>80 Euro! That's nearly a one-way trip on a super-fast (well, okay..not-so-fast) train from Rome to Milano. Too bad, you won't be able to get out, but the 80 would take you as far as say...Parma! And, they have terrific prosciutto to boot. Imagine the taste of that prosciutto after you've been buying lowcost counterfeit prosciutto from Albania all these years just to save a few bucks. It'll melt right in your mouth.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>80 Euro! Well, since I'm about to raise the garbage tax and a few others...it actually, will come out in the wash...but, don't tell anyone I said so. Especially that guy Grillo. He'll go ballistic.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>80 Euro! By my calculations, that's roughly one and a half tanks of gas. Now, that may not sound like much, but think about it--In those terms, you'll start riding a bicycle and that's good for the environment! So, it's a Win-Win-Win kinda deal...I win election, the environment wins, and you win too - as long as you don't spend it on gasoline...that is.</i></span><br />
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Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-73236162671216708412014-05-17T06:23:00.000-07:002014-06-02T02:03:26.523-07:00Italy still Denying that Women can Rock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFTtEWZ_v9wE_s1HXWRqikS22wzVPbnsdQvM7dkbj1UL1GPVPM93e02ZoRuf6HAupd1UpbHRt_SK2BFTwfJiY7h5OwDBy71EFecHjqcPNeBZclRM59suYW1a6x2XRZV7c2unHcYYk4C1R/s1600/PostePay+Site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFTtEWZ_v9wE_s1HXWRqikS22wzVPbnsdQvM7dkbj1UL1GPVPM93e02ZoRuf6HAupd1UpbHRt_SK2BFTwfJiY7h5OwDBy71EFecHjqcPNeBZclRM59suYW1a6x2XRZV7c2unHcYYk4C1R/s1600/PostePay+Site.jpg" height="205" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Touting itself as, <b><span style="color: #660000;">"The best major festival in Italy" </span></b><span style="color: #666666;">[</span><i><span style="color: #666666;">I know, I know, damn that GoogleTranslate!!]</span> </i>every summer our <b><span style="color: blue;">Italian Post Office</span></b> sponsors a total man-fest <b><a href="http://www.rockinroma.com/cast-rock-in-roma-2014.html">Rock in Roma</a></b> concert series, blatantly keeping women out of the program, six years running. Clearly, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Italy, d</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">espite gifting us a string of hugely talented and successful women rockers, including awesome voices like </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Gerardina Trovato - </b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the Tracy Chapman of Sicily - </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Georgia </b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Fiorella Mannoia, </b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">still</span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">prefers the comfort of a caveman existence, <a href="http://www.rockinroma.com/cast-rock-in-roma-2014.html">highlighted by the playlist coming out of the Rock & Roll show.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Organizers state, "</span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Well, we need to keep up with Mali and Saudi Arabia. Their concert series attract thousands." </i></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Before adding,</span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <b><i>"With this new Pope, even Vatican concerts are more inclusive. Someone's gotta keep women out of the picture. And besides, Madonna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga act too much like divas. They want to sing, let 'em go to Perugia Jazz Festival.</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrx7-0D8EUWPMcsl0dX9GbMdnWtRR0YB2UHoamnhTHecWv8-r1qDYwiy7WkHMjAq2-ot8lk-1kLlw51EtNq78j3SWaYE5GKWJ77Qm1YiGqOYs6kibdumnunKvHhe0og3ZmwN2Cg7Hf2nuI/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrx7-0D8EUWPMcsl0dX9GbMdnWtRR0YB2UHoamnhTHecWv8-r1qDYwiy7WkHMjAq2-ot8lk-1kLlw51EtNq78j3SWaYE5GKWJ77Qm1YiGqOYs6kibdumnunKvHhe0og3ZmwN2Cg7Hf2nuI/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once you get your head around the fact that the bankrupt Post Office should be sponsoring anything, (clearly taking a cue from the U.S. Post Office sponsoring the Tour de France bicycle race, an event that went out of the American public's consciousness about when letter-sending did), you wonder what form of machismo is their artistic director made of. Heck, with photos like this, they could even take the daring step and invite Conchita Wurst, the Eurovision contest winner, and keep to their XY chromosome entry bar.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are the <b>2013 and 2014 Rosters</b> - Y<a href="http://www.rockinroma.com/storia-rock-in-roma.html">ou can go back even further here -- <i>and try to find the girl groups</i></a><i> (in bold below). </i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Of course, with names like <i>Smack my bitch up and Symphony of Destruction, obviously it's a guy-thang.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbksqRAL9w6zbjX-EILaKemHXJP_VCaxZEJlaRI6h4G3q_itet_TPXP88XQF11URp4iWAC62jjb7JFUQiAJpvR993y-5Bh_Ojq0P2bz22LRR9X9GyeNOh8bbhxVSwwj7diWzEsMggboNL/s1600/postepay+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbksqRAL9w6zbjX-EILaKemHXJP_VCaxZEJlaRI6h4G3q_itet_TPXP88XQF11URp4iWAC62jjb7JFUQiAJpvR993y-5Bh_Ojq0P2bz22LRR9X9GyeNOh8bbhxVSwwj7diWzEsMggboNL/s1600/postepay+logo.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000;"><b>2014 ROCK IN ROMA LINEUP</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">GIUDA + THE CYBORGS </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE + WE ARE SCIENTISTS </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">BILLY IDOL + JESUS WAS HOMELESS </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">AVENGED SEVENFOLD</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">PRODIGY / <b>DIE ANTWOORD </b> </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">ARCADE FIRE</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">ROB ZOMBIE / MEGADETH </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">DAVID GUETTA</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">METTALICA + ALICE IN CHAINS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">THE BLACK KEYS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">THE LUMINEERS + PASSENGER</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">PAOLO NUTINI + THE RAINBAND</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">EDITORS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">CAPAREZZA</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>PLACEBO </b><i>- well, they have one woman on stage</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">BASTILLE + GEORGE EZRA</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">AFTERHOURS </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">FRANZ FERDINAND + THE CRIBS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>201E ROCK IN ROMA LINEUP</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">MY BLOODY VALENTINE</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">GREEN DAY</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">THE KILLERS </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">STEREOPHONICS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">TOTO</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">KORN</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">IGGY & THE STOOGES</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">MAX GAZE’</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">RAMMSTEIN</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">ARCTIC MONKEYS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">MILES KANE</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">SPRINGSTEEN</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">MARK KNOPFLER & BAND</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">SMASHING PUMPKINS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">MARK LANEGAN BAND</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">ATOMS FOR PEACE</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">SKA-P</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">DEEP PURPLE</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">ZUCCHERO </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">DANIELE SILVESTRI</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">NEIL YOUNG</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">DEVENDRA BANHART</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">SIGUR ROS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">BLUR NEGRITA</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">THE CURE </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">GARBAGE</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">NINA ZILLI </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And, lest you think it's because women don't rock hard, even names like <b>Neil Young</b> and T<b>he Beach Boys </b>are listed. So where's <b>Blondie, Pat Benatar </b>or even,<b> Tracy Chapman? </b></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And, just to fool you into thinking there are women groups, they've added groups like Nigrita or Devendra (pictured above) - but, no, if you're a woman rocker, better to be out of sight, out of ear shot for <b>PostePay, </b> <b>Live Nation</b> and co-sponsors <b>City of Rome, Corriere della Sera, </b>and others.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Look, we're sponsored by the Post Office. All those women tellers stand behind thick glass windows so you can't hear a word they're saying. And in Italy, we still call them PostMen - il Postino - just like the movie. And besides, have you ever seen a woman delivering mail? </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We're just upholding a long-standing tradition."</span></i></b></div>
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Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-16142296664215148942014-05-07T10:13:00.000-07:002014-05-07T10:13:00.939-07:00Buon Giorno, Putin! Have we gotta deal for you!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDKN5w6Gt6sQPSSXbiMDktBW9HelZnUwgZaMaZSrIvXJb0pnZjOYGEqKebVEyOnQBrxp3HbsHcdozloI7EAIVRPR1QXJ4KDWvTc-LvnHi-qeMYZE95wSTFvEDrYHhcHz7rdkqXNjpiRIG/s1600/maserati_governo_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDKN5w6Gt6sQPSSXbiMDktBW9HelZnUwgZaMaZSrIvXJb0pnZjOYGEqKebVEyOnQBrxp3HbsHcdozloI7EAIVRPR1QXJ4KDWvTc-LvnHi-qeMYZE95wSTFvEDrYHhcHz7rdkqXNjpiRIG/s1600/maserati_governo_640.jpg" height="332" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2014/05/05/auto-blu-le-maserati-volute-da-la-russa-non-si-vendono-zero-offerte-su-ebay/974126/">Photo from <b>Il Fatto Quotidiano</b></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the middle of Italy's prolonged economic crisis, which is still ongoing, Berlusconi's Defense Minister <b>La Russo</b> decided to throw motor oil atop the festering flames of a population forced to hear "we don't have the money" for nursery schools or hospital toilet paper or school repairs. He did what any despotic dictator would do, and purchased 19 Maserati's for his <strike>cronies</strike> errr...commanders to the tune of 2.2 M euro. Saying they were low budget items, like no-name brand toothpaste, he said that he not only saved the country money vis-a-vis Audi's, but that it helped create jobs for those poor folks slaving away on the Maserati assembly line. After all, it was a world economic crisis and those cars just weren't in high demand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year, many of these infamous <i><b>auto blu - </b>dark blue sedans for politicians - </i>went up for auction, as part of an austerity program instigated by, I believe, former short-term Prime Minister, Monti. And while most of the standard cars (about 200) went for sale, it seems no one - not even the idly rich political class wants to pay the VAT (Value Added Tax) on a used vehicle.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEBU66Kv7lYnelHmbwLNmsluLXbRNkavqKF7UnL1g0NiLDbu035v9reNWaMr4KSDuapAcaDKfyM9dEayYsPSpDxPN8B0IvQTFwazlEVq1SINm8N3WKaaNntDpGyN13gYgaMqxtAlJUWIX/s1600/Berlusca's+Escort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEBU66Kv7lYnelHmbwLNmsluLXbRNkavqKF7UnL1g0NiLDbu035v9reNWaMr4KSDuapAcaDKfyM9dEayYsPSpDxPN8B0IvQTFwazlEVq1SINm8N3WKaaNntDpGyN13gYgaMqxtAlJUWIX/s1600/Berlusca's+Escort.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, the government went to ebay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, it appears that the dark windows and bullet-proof doors aren't for everyone. Not even the mafia nor the camorra. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, Silvio? You're good friends with Putin...why don't you play the middleman? I'm sure these kinds of cars are in big demand over there. And maybe the Italian government would even give you a percentage on the deal. </span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-47151534916366336412014-04-11T13:03:00.000-07:002014-04-11T13:03:01.354-07:00Berlusconi Does Community Service<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5sXlkat8p-isUOLJtMkiYbP78u8DpT7UUyb5CAnckRw9oSnTBYrycwHn92EBdji0iVkgQdIzBbteTGbCUReWBsgv_0GRkmlrXpabmR1PoZkxbhslGKs2KS9ZMyu1shJXhgRd1kDYv40M/s1600/What+would+Silvio+do%3f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5sXlkat8p-isUOLJtMkiYbP78u8DpT7UUyb5CAnckRw9oSnTBYrycwHn92EBdji0iVkgQdIzBbteTGbCUReWBsgv_0GRkmlrXpabmR1PoZkxbhslGKs2KS9ZMyu1shJXhgRd1kDYv40M/s1600/What+would+Silvio+do%3f.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A new media petition asking, </span><b style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>What would you have Silvio do?</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silvio's cool <b>'Get out of Jail Free'</b> card got him closer to his wish of community service - he has asked to work in a geriatric home or disabled center. So, finally, after 20 years in politics, someone will actually see the benefits; albeit only once a week (am or pm). Or will they? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">I think the septuagenerian Berlusconi will provide a public service by paying for face lifts - boob jobs - and penile implants for all.</span></b> Here, I've compiled the best of Italian humor on how he's going to be spending his time...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGMBVSfKkXGraMyLU-92_XqalHDzSXpeHp9PdWoX_5GQnkjvXr2mUmZH1WlTePybBKkAl20DuvV6hRU-HwFjV8ytXZjxeWb9sF_tl-n3-xvo6XGR7Bl5-1NyiNUrxg7J9a5CG_mQH0ZKz/s1600/Silvio1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGMBVSfKkXGraMyLU-92_XqalHDzSXpeHp9PdWoX_5GQnkjvXr2mUmZH1WlTePybBKkAl20DuvV6hRU-HwFjV8ytXZjxeWb9sF_tl-n3-xvo6XGR7Bl5-1NyiNUrxg7J9a5CG_mQH0ZKz/s1600/Silvio1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cleaning the halls of one of his villas</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCFO1EejAoeoVOuOrIBDmVWdOEzPQCTwsjma63GIsebTbpd622QutKbyX7KLPlObLJB3BLXeQuknf-cvT-yz4qlw5sMQdfvxi9hmjBe6KcW3MvyWRlz-Mq50CFvyL07u1wuxeMkjOKr_R/s1600/Silvio3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCFO1EejAoeoVOuOrIBDmVWdOEzPQCTwsjma63GIsebTbpd622QutKbyX7KLPlObLJB3BLXeQuknf-cvT-yz4qlw5sMQdfvxi9hmjBe6KcW3MvyWRlz-Mq50CFvyL07u1wuxeMkjOKr_R/s1600/Silvio3.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Silvio the crooner - known for his 'entertainments'</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zLtum4RwXj5sKFgNhNN_qBrqiRMLRqWHFR_ztLXk34PDakXAESf6Tp5Sq2rlZ9a8h0j1aqXwDGwUfrlPzcHTQdk1E7VXNqUNFr066iAbF9bsrnQQHAWQXvEAokGCt-oBABTSNem85cEs/s1600/Silvio2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zLtum4RwXj5sKFgNhNN_qBrqiRMLRqWHFR_ztLXk34PDakXAESf6Tp5Sq2rlZ9a8h0j1aqXwDGwUfrlPzcHTQdk1E7VXNqUNFr066iAbF9bsrnQQHAWQXvEAokGCt-oBABTSNem85cEs/s1600/Silvio2.jpeg" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Italy's near-90 yr old President<br />hopes that Silvio gets to assist the elderly</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBY8BquSbGjTOYQ5QBi2VuugGWtin1ExWN4R2leDluS4DOMROrnN5CfTLCKQ2ACwx34qHTL0OgHiV0sMZsTl8TXh2mQyjSY6thBewFCrNPG5x0iY1tC77pTIA6s56oGsAFNEO-iV5aPtZf/s1600/Silvio4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBY8BquSbGjTOYQ5QBi2VuugGWtin1ExWN4R2leDluS4DOMROrnN5CfTLCKQ2ACwx34qHTL0OgHiV0sMZsTl8TXh2mQyjSY6thBewFCrNPG5x0iY1tC77pTIA6s56oGsAFNEO-iV5aPtZf/s1600/Silvio4.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>[Italians use 'sweep' to signify to 'screw']</i><br /><i>So, here...</i><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b>You loved to sweep, so enjoy!</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZJjhCdyFYhvImUwyZVDnpppHAHjs5wgfU1fjEGB1LuVAnPw8G-mfoPKw_OM5ADl4kKrzdgi3ZCqWk7j9USIOLXEV1qWSSW5ZKYQk49RM-8EJTQ3wWes_cYM8UtPgVH9lUe_U0aXWAYOa/s1600/Silvio+final.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZJjhCdyFYhvImUwyZVDnpppHAHjs5wgfU1fjEGB1LuVAnPw8G-mfoPKw_OM5ADl4kKrzdgi3ZCqWk7j9USIOLXEV1qWSSW5ZKYQk49RM-8EJTQ3wWes_cYM8UtPgVH9lUe_U0aXWAYOa/s1600/Silvio+final.jpeg" height="320" width="231" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBY8BquSbGjTOYQ5QBi2VuugGWtin1ExWN4R2leDluS4DOMROrnN5CfTLCKQ2ACwx34qHTL0OgHiV0sMZsTl8TXh2mQyjSY6thBewFCrNPG5x0iY1tC77pTIA6s56oGsAFNEO-iV5aPtZf/s1600/Silvio4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-42888332996047922502014-04-02T08:33:00.000-07:002014-04-02T08:33:24.062-07:00Mussolini loses his citizenship<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In what some people thought was an April Fool's joke on the part of city administrators of Torino (Turin), <b><span style="color: #660000;">Benito Mussolini was stripped of his place of honor </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">of nearly a century </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">as an upright citizen of Torino. </span></b> </span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"And you people thought that giving keys to the City was just a matter of pomp. Just know, we can give you the keys and generations later, when we re-write history, we can take them away,"</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> remarked Torino's Mayor.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fascism - </b>from the Etruscan & later<br />Roman Empire idea<br />that bound together (with fasces)<br />we are strong</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While they 'whited out' Mussolini's citizenship from the storied ledgers and restored their place in history as anti-fascist, officials chose to whitewash Torino's birthplace of the Kings of Italy. <b>Victor Emanuel III</b> of the <b>House of Savoy</b> is the guy who brought Mussolini to power after WWI, appointing him Prime Minister at the age of 39 and with no prior experience in politics. When the monarchy was voted out after WWII, Victor fled to live out his last days in Alexandria, Egypt, a bit like Marc Anthony back in better times. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The House of Savoy was exiled and its male descendants not permitted to re-enter Italy -- until 2002 -- after Italians realized that, due to </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">centuries of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in-breeding, the family was pretty much innocuous -- And besides, they couldn't inflict much more damage than the Italian politicians themselves (from either party), including Berlusconi, Prodi & Co.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clearly suffering an identity complex, no sooner was the heir, Victor Emanuel, allowed in the country than he took a cue from Berlusconi, and was arrested for abetting prostitution and corruption. Not to be outdone, the Savoys then tried to sue Italy for damages done to them following their 20th century reign. Italy counter-sued for damages, and, the Italian courts expect a decision sometime in the year 2167. The Jewish community, almost exterminated entirely under the Savoy reign, is still waiting for damages as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When asked about Mussolini's place in history, showman and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and Putin pal, put it best:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFssjf2HPhw">"Mussolini never killed anyone. </a></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFssjf2HPhw">At most, he just sent people for vacation on the border." </a></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the vote, and in a rare moment of sheer lucidity, some of the Torino cabinet from the extreme Lega Party demanded that Torino change the name of one of its major thoroughfares, the <b><span style="color: #666666;">Avenue of the Soviet Union.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seeing how events are unfolding in Crimea, the Mayoral office decided to take a 'wait and see attitude' - citing, <span style="color: #b45f06;">"You never know, like Alessandra Mussolini, or Alemanno, the fascist Mayor of Rome, there's always time for a comeback-just ask Putin. Or Berlusconi."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>*Veritas Check: </b> Incredibly, everything in this post is entirely true except the quotes from the Torino Mayoral office.</span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-68398960006613209242014-03-23T08:08:00.001-07:002014-03-23T08:18:32.133-07:00La Grande Bellezza Receives Pulitzer Grand Prize - Journalism's Highest Honor <div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.lastampa.it/modulo/slideshow/jsp/video_embed.jsp?v=aHR0cDovL3BzdHJlYW0ubGFzdGFtcGEuaXQuZGwxLmlwZXJjYXN0Lm5ldC9sYXN0YW1wYS8yMDE0LzAxLzEzL21zM05XNkNQLm1wNA==&w=480&h=270" width="480"></iframe>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>§ La Grande Bellezza §</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Sorrentino's Oscar-winning & film and tribute to Fellini has been recognized by cultural commentators the world over for giving the world a new nauseating description for italophiles of the 21st century. The title of his film, displacing the hackneyed <i style="font-weight: bold;">La Dolce Vita</i> when referring to every single aspect of Italian life, sweet or not, we now have a new term of phrase. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">According to Google, </span><i style="color: #444444; font-weight: bold;">La Grande Bellezza</i><span style="color: #444444;"> has already been used in the English and Italian press to describe everything from a night out in Rome to walking tours to Italian runway models and even the Detroit Auto Show - </span><i style="color: #444444;"><b>Really?!</b></i><span style="color: #444444;"> - over </span><b><span style="color: #660000;">6.789.438.000 times</span></b> <i style="color: #444444;">(and counting)</i><span style="color: #444444;">. So much so, the NYTimes is considering mounting a fast-paced time clock just ringing up whenever someone - anyone - from Saskatchewan to Seattle uses the phrase in a blog, article, newsletter, profile, you name it. A spokesperson for the <i>Times</i> commented, </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Well, this is so much more important - I mean, it took centuries for <i>Et Tu, Brutus?</i> to die out. We think <i>La Grande Bellezza</i> won't even become nauseating until at least 2340."</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">It's been said that Fellini can stop shouting from his grave, </span><span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>"Ironia! Ironia! Ow many times must I cry out in desperation, Irony!"</b></i></span><span style="color: #444444;"> and rest <i>finalmente </i>in peace. As for the Pulitzer committee, starting this April, they have decided to rename their esteemed prize, <b><i>La Grande Bellezza.</i></b></span></div>
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Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-53496578801195439382014-03-14T11:06:00.001-07:002014-03-14T11:06:40.916-07:00Italy...And the Art of the Impossible<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Italians love to use the expression that they are experts at the Art of the Impossible, and...judging from history...there's a lot of truth to that. But now, the announcement by British model and Social Enterprise Entrepreneur Lily Cole to launch her life's mission, </i><b style="font-style: italic;">Impossible.com </b><i>well, Italians see that they must step up to the plate.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJdZcQ4b3rZUMAVg1bylFJ8SAPAfMEPZQen0curSgaSPOVcDQ-s14ZSXT7hLEwRdK6BjmShfeHiXQNiUWBrbiHpHPrqgEbOXvDVyznGOfzo5HUrVP9IeERnYLmuKyLwIxmJ8dwcRTpWvk/s1600/Lily+Cole.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJdZcQ4b3rZUMAVg1bylFJ8SAPAfMEPZQen0curSgaSPOVcDQ-s14ZSXT7hLEwRdK6BjmShfeHiXQNiUWBrbiHpHPrqgEbOXvDVyznGOfzo5HUrVP9IeERnYLmuKyLwIxmJ8dwcRTpWvk/s1600/Lily+Cole.jpeg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gu.com/p/3kpea"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Click here for full webcast from <i>The Guardian</i></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surprisingly articulate for a blonde model, Lily Cole took the Italian press by a storm with her announcement to launch a social enterprise that will help people achieve their dreams. But for Italians, the real story behind her activism was that this youthful Lily sits on boards or donates time, energy and funds to over 20 social foundations. This sparked an outrage amongst Italian models, first among them, Carla Bruni, who stated,<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> <i>"Why would anyone want to actually work, when they can just marry the President of a country? It does wonders (along with plastic surgery) for the staying power of your failed career."</i></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not to be outdone, Berlusconi's Friends with Big Benefits [which includes monthly stipends, jewelry, private planes and hush money], said they were announcing a new online site, too, called "<b><span style="color: #660000;">Possibile</span></b>" - <i>written in Italian so no one can ever find it - </i>where they would teach other aspiring call girls how anything is possible </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">if you just </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">'know the right people."</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Ruby Rubacuore </b>(in English, Ruby Heartstealer) </i>said she'll teach women how to revive a flacid member in 6 minutes or less. She says that she'll offer unique workshops on working a penis pump so even an octogenerian Lothario can believe he's all in. The amount of money you can make is obscene; enough to buy your own sportscars or Rolex watches. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUFV69024SQi7fMRyuslZDyBeQ5n2xCrVklsy4OrAuxY3hhV4lf7pHyXVkxAqf6QfiQXvcVp8oAWEJ-J9zvCKeAA2TRiG-qYb0lmNiDMeqA7JY3B2Y5H2C9DlsKhXlNWKSBGMYtzOXsZn/s1600/Minetti.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUFV69024SQi7fMRyuslZDyBeQ5n2xCrVklsy4OrAuxY3hhV4lf7pHyXVkxAqf6QfiQXvcVp8oAWEJ-J9zvCKeAA2TRiG-qYb0lmNiDMeqA7JY3B2Y5H2C9DlsKhXlNWKSBGMYtzOXsZn/s1600/Minetti.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Nicole Minetti </b></i>will work the angle of teaching organizational skills for any aspiring Madam. Her motto? Why give away money if you don't get something in return? She'll show women the ropes of sleeping your way around the houses of the European Parliament as well. <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">"The amount of money politicians are willing to throw your way? Ridiculous. I'm so glad I can actually do something worthwhile with my riches. By showing others how to suck at the public teat </span></i></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">so to speak </span></i><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">(after getting your own blown up to epic proportions) will be terrific."</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDBfi9TuqjltijtvEo4YTSvsvZv65Tw0G4JHibimZ_S0xXwtF-jUpz0ayy7urrsfAomm9Z1p1eRapgr7bDQuPD4DtfNijwPcmuB71Us8B2fGCsbuTxY5mWvdCFB1jNFuv8CCv8YmmpgDt/s1600/noemi-letizia-risponde-microfoni-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDBfi9TuqjltijtvEo4YTSvsvZv65Tw0G4JHibimZ_S0xXwtF-jUpz0ayy7urrsfAomm9Z1p1eRapgr7bDQuPD4DtfNijwPcmuB71Us8B2fGCsbuTxY5mWvdCFB1jNFuv8CCv8YmmpgDt/s1600/noemi-letizia-risponde-microfoni-1.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Noemi Letizia </i>who is remembered by having a visit by Silvio at her 18 yr birthday party says she's been able to capitalize on her "friendship with Papi" by finding the ideal plastic surgeon who will keep her looking like all of the President's women - with those big fish lips and ironed blonde hair. <i><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Anything is possible if you just close your eyes when you suck him off and dream of the gifts that will be on your way."</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dama Bianca</i>, <b>Federica Gagliardi </b>(arrested today while trying to import 24kg of coke from Venezuela) will show you how to <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Just ask for favors in a quick elevator pitch (my secret: It helps to look like the Silvio 'Type' - blonde & big-lipped). I told Papi I wanted a private jet to the G20, before you knew it, I had half a dozen men to sleep with and ply me with cocaine. I'm so happy I can show women how to blow through the blow, so to speak. So they can be a model for others and show that they, too, can make riches and not do anything noteworthy with them (well, buying a nice villa is, of course, always a good thing in this day & age - you never know when you're under House Arrest). </span></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhn9Mj62yeFS8Q_BiOpCl4fOEe4Mi-Nvv0czS8bvvJ2NbdC3l9ZhrPAU7dIZzgdQoozxmJBCH1TM-tDM1hOH_ZrS6q4-Q5fD8Ijgw2M8GhvIsBtJRZyHsVE1_n-5AcZi8IntMGXABU66s2/s1600/Gugliardi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhn9Mj62yeFS8Q_BiOpCl4fOEe4Mi-Nvv0czS8bvvJ2NbdC3l9ZhrPAU7dIZzgdQoozxmJBCH1TM-tDM1hOH_ZrS6q4-Q5fD8Ijgw2M8GhvIsBtJRZyHsVE1_n-5AcZi8IntMGXABU66s2/s1600/Gugliardi.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People will understand that with our new endeavor, anything is <i>Possibile</i>. Anything. So just take it lying down if someone tells you otherwise.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUENJz7TEU519nhQpj8EpaA3VIvHSIvuyHhoDwK9bVRuqFIy0DpMKoUCv-v69LHJwhOvJMZ9A2YgrlAjTbyuA66sYQhXCSxM4WNFckJ0cNV1-lIyQCZz2vZoeqpju5NGzwzEXFLu2P69En/s1600/Veronica.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUENJz7TEU519nhQpj8EpaA3VIvHSIvuyHhoDwK9bVRuqFIy0DpMKoUCv-v69LHJwhOvJMZ9A2YgrlAjTbyuA66sYQhXCSxM4WNFckJ0cNV1-lIyQCZz2vZoeqpju5NGzwzEXFLu2P69En/s1600/Veronica.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Veronica" Lario - Mrs. Berlusconi 2</td></tr>
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Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-21697180491590505642014-03-04T13:17:00.005-08:002014-03-05T00:53:15.687-08:00Italians Flip Out over Women Cabinet Members in New Renzi Govt<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Italy's youngest Prime Minister decided to take a very bold step - not in campaigning against government corruption, the mafia, and a bingo card of problems that beset Italy in the 21st century - but in his appointment of an unsightly crowd to help solve Italy's most severe problems: Women. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Italians, in response said that it "might be fine for Pope Francis and the Holy See" <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/10008833/Pope-Francis-to-appoint-more-women-to-key-Vatican-posts.html">to put women in plum jobs</a>, but, asserted that Italy is a Catholic country -- where women are reserved for only one high office: The Assumption of the Virgin, celebrated each August 15th. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some observers from Berlusconi's government were indignant, stating that <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Women, especially the young ones, need to be seen in the back seats of limos with darkened windows or at plastic surgeons' waiting rooms and after, in centerfolds or the Pirelli Calendar"</span></b> - but <u>not</u> standing in broad daylight with the President of the country. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To keep octogenarian President Napolitano's blood pressure in check, he was told that the women were there to take measurements for new drapes and posed happily for the 'before' pictures in the reception room.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wrOSuxMJcHOlSKQNhjelk6Iv9uCw7qmefx-ImtQB3CmxAyck0yg0F2RucPK-Tg4yLCcsGibcDjytJxTiJ4F3Xk9o7xuG1MmNsfB6BYq614vLZETG3ljuyfMrHdpRWepsaGkvCSlpSJJV/s1600/article-2567193-1BBA36F600000578-726_634x414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wrOSuxMJcHOlSKQNhjelk6Iv9uCw7qmefx-ImtQB3CmxAyck0yg0F2RucPK-Tg4yLCcsGibcDjytJxTiJ4F3Xk9o7xuG1MmNsfB6BYq614vLZETG3ljuyfMrHdpRWepsaGkvCSlpSJJV/s1600/article-2567193-1BBA36F600000578-726_634x414.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Others from the Left -- clearly unhappy that the women were so green they hadn't yet conceived of lining their pockets with bribes in order to sport the latest fashions at top euro prices -- complained that the Cabinet members should have "Put in a call to Armani" </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">like Berlusconi's hooker-hookerupper, Nicole Minetti.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kU3GinfK6rHtS0LoDd5dBxf54hA7tKaiV2nrJVU8_CbLc2ZQmZZI2LX8_9zBTLha5PtA2aP0OKUFKrI1ndcOvl5pvgwyGtjKszCjpjxWWr3RQQ2NSI8lZ_xLw-AdnoTkdbvnM318EoQ6/s1600/maria_elena_boschi1-640x513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kU3GinfK6rHtS0LoDd5dBxf54hA7tKaiV2nrJVU8_CbLc2ZQmZZI2LX8_9zBTLha5PtA2aP0OKUFKrI1ndcOvl5pvgwyGtjKszCjpjxWWr3RQQ2NSI8lZ_xLw-AdnoTkdbvnM318EoQ6/s1600/maria_elena_boschi1-640x513.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After an all-male film crew then sexually harassed the neo-Minister Boschi; taking it so far as to not addressing her with the formal "Lei" reserved for men in power only, they said they wanted to teach her a lesson. "How dare she wear a color not found in nature - and during fashion week, of all things!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Observers remarked that sadly, Italians truly hate change. They much prefer men in black and grey suits while their mistresses can sport any color of tanga produced by <i>La Perla. </i>That way, they stay distracted by the 'eye candy' while the millions stuffed in leather cases are passed from one to another, without anyone noticing. "Now with women in high office, where is she going to stuff all the bribes? In her bra?" one developer, who asks to remain anonymous, commented in disgust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">More on the Sexist Fixation from <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2567193/Sexist-fixation-clothing-Italys-female-cabinet-members-Italian-press-saying-female-ministers-need-Giorgio-Armani-call.html">The Daily Mail</a></span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-48254190435117635762014-02-15T05:55:00.000-08:002014-02-15T05:55:51.032-08:00Advertising Age: Swiss Style<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On my original blog, <i style="color: #b45f06;">Burnt by the Tuscan Sun, </i>every so often I post <a href="http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.com/search?q=Advertising">the ridiculous ad campaign</a> that catches my eye. I rate them by the age of the mental faculties of the person who most decidedly thought it up. While visiting Switzerland, however, I discovered that it isn't just the Italians who are brand-challenged. <span style="color: #666666;">[This is not to say that the Swiss don't usually excel in outstanding graphics and ads to promote any cause - so let's just say, it may be the exception that proves the rule].</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, I give you, <b>Migros Stores private label fab toothpaste:</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXCi6tmYXIjlPbSrwCM2OWOx2LIO_DBTz09bk1Fz-52XmX1EJhqWszMcWxSZZva1-6XDjX6rFxOvMUYgc5ArdB4eFu94xJ-jzRcwlNuMkPjIqMcFcDng7-xxAloPwSeIDAguU00JGTa78/s1600/03_S4_candi_pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXCi6tmYXIjlPbSrwCM2OWOx2LIO_DBTz09bk1Fz-52XmX1EJhqWszMcWxSZZva1-6XDjX6rFxOvMUYgc5ArdB4eFu94xJ-jzRcwlNuMkPjIqMcFcDng7-xxAloPwSeIDAguU00JGTa78/s1600/03_S4_candi_pack.jpg" height="155" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yes, it's true..that <i>Candida </i>is Latin for stark white. And a Nova is a cool star, but it still means "NO GO" and as such, a bit ridiculous for a car brand. Candida as any woman over the age of 14 knows is...a yeast infection. Finding this tube of white cream on any bathroom counter provokes an acute case of head scratching; in an effort to determine just - <i>what, exactly</i> - this treatment is for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few other faithful expat bloggers have caught the <i>Candida</i> branding fever too. Here they are, putting the rub on the dear ol' Swiss:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bvduck.wordpress.com/life-in-switzerland/">Life in Switzerland </a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mikethemadbiologist.com/2013/12/16/toothpaste-company-get-thee-to-a-mycologist/">Mike the Mad Biologist</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://livepaola.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/naming-fail-only-in-switzerland/">Live Paola's Name Fail</a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Regardless, I still offer my hand in holy matrimony to the Italian ad-guy who thought up <i style="font-weight: bold;">Soffass Toilet Paper. </i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://marriedtoitaly.com/2013/06/25/italian-marketing-mistake-2-soffass-toilet-paper/">Click here</a> for blogger <b>Married to Italy's </b>quick review of what may now be rebranded as <b>Sofis...</b></span></span></div>
Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-75826370766649488192014-02-09T10:58:00.001-08:002014-02-09T10:58:42.712-08:00Italian Corruption: Going where (sadly, every man) has gone before<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We barely finished celebrating Italy's first astronaut in space, when, the head of the <b>ASI - Italian Space Agency</b> has been caught with his hands (allegedly) in the multi-million euro till. Their offices have been sequestered along with those of their suppliers - from their travel agency to their events planners. Investigated for issuing false bills and taking multi-million euro junkets to Californian conferences that were not taking place; so much for being the pride and joy of Italy - in a year that saw their CERN researchers identify the Higgs Boson particle and sent a man into space. Or is it, that, as a symbol of Italy, Enrico Saggese - an engineer with a whole lot of political ties - is just that? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In his defense, he claims that these mysterious expenses were "an internal matter" and needed to be treated as such. Nonetheless, <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">it brings to mind that old joke about an International Space Agency - set in Geneve - looking for the right astronaut to send to a Mission to Mars:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>They comb the world for an astronaut who could take on this mission. It would last years. You had to be nimble, ready for anything, and be a top scientist and in superb physical shape. The Americans, the Chinese, India, S Korea, Canada...everyone is considered. They are down to their last three candidates.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The American Astronaut comes in and says...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, of course, NASA has the no. 01 Space Program on earth. I've been training for years. I know every part of that ship, and could handle anything that's thrown at me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will do it for $600,000.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The Russian Cosmonaut sits down and states...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><u>We</u></i> were the brains behind the MIR Space Station. In the name of mother patria, we will make sure it is the best mission ever accomplished. I am willing to leave my family, my motherland for this mission. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I will do it for $700,000.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Next, comes in the Italian astronaut. </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">He sits down, and with little fanfare, blurts out:</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Three years? Away from la famiglia? I will do this job for $1 million.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Aghast, the committee Chairman says...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What? What are you talking about? Sure, your researchers are top-notch, but you don't even have any spaceships...You just sent your first man up in space! The Americans have a space program that's been going on for decades! The Russians have just as much experience! What do you have to say for yourself?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The Italian gets up, shuts the door, and leans forward. In hush tones he says...</i></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QIzfkRK3lzbLrf0DXbi48q1dZVU1pHpYO4po3z2PuScwUcA7D12_R-jc-e9Y-4WBWSlj_Ty85lFGbznI-m24ZmLO57ydxbDBRip8iVTqoxeHzdzTVLwfl0ILBu7CZh74Kp-m9hyphenhyphenK9jbY/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QIzfkRK3lzbLrf0DXbi48q1dZVU1pHpYO4po3z2PuScwUcA7D12_R-jc-e9Y-4WBWSlj_Ty85lFGbznI-m24ZmLO57ydxbDBRip8iVTqoxeHzdzTVLwfl0ILBu7CZh74Kp-m9hyphenhyphenK9jbY/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Don't you get it? Two-hundred for me / Two-hundred for you / and dee American goes to Mars!</span><br />
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Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-6504684899918651692014-01-24T13:16:00.001-08:002014-01-27T05:36:09.143-08:00To ESL Learners Everywhere: Why does Gate have to be synonymous with Scandal<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I admit it, I have been fully relishing in the day by day revelations of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's alleged bullying rampage. Only Illinois seems to be more corrupt, and we won't get into a Chicago / New Orleans showdown. But what I can't tolerate is the moniker most of the press have haplessly attached to a scandal about a bridge: <span style="color: #660000;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">BridgeGate.</i> </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">It makes my skin crawl just to type the word.</span> Must we be condemned to add the suffix -<i style="font-weight: bold;">Gate</i> to every scandal that crosses our collective radar? By now, most people interested in the news have no idea what or why this is. I can just imagine dictionaries today, adding this suffix to the list of possible word endings. I can see foreigners the world over scratching their heads, <i><b>"Those are toll lanes, not gates!"</b></i> or <i><b>"Monica-Gate? How many people was she bonking?"</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While in an Italian language forum one woman cast her plea out into the world...<i><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">"Can someone <u>please</u> tell me what is Watergate?!"</span></b> </i>A few years ago, the online press, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Il Post</i> took it on themselves to explain, in no uncertain terms, the bizarre practice with the Italian press, posting this headline: <b><i><a href="http://www.ilpost.it/2012/06/17/perche-tutti-gli-scandali-si-chiamano-gate/">Why all scandals are called Gate.</a></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But what is an even more audacious commentary on American marketing prowess, <b>is the fact that even Italian scandals sport the Gate ending</b>, which always makes me wonder if they pronouce it,<i> Gah-teh</i>; which confuses them more than ever. <b>Rubygate / Batman-Gate / Sexy-Gate </b>(the scandal covered in "Vesuvian sauce") <b>-- </b>they even relished in New York City Mayor's eating his pizza in true Italian style, with a fork = <b>Fork-gate. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">I need to take a break because I am writhing in pain.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But, it didn't start with the Italians. If I am to trust my web sources <i>(hah!)</i>, it is the fearful English-hegemony French that started it all in the first place. In 1978, a scandal broke which was quickly dubbed, <i><b>Winegate.</b> </i>From there, it was a slippery slope straight down to the bottom. Today, we are treated to <b>Hollande-Gate</b> or <b>Gayet-Gate</b>. <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Help me. Please. Someone. Anyone. </span></b> Although I must say, European "Gate" scandals tend to be more associated with sex scandals than with corruption. Maybe because they're more used to brushing off the bribes?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When will another scandal be so great as to stop the gate verbage cold? <i><b>Enron - Madoff -</b></i> </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">Parmalat</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmalat">.</a></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmalat"> </a><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmalat">Parmalat was the largest financial scandal in history.</a> </b>Berlusconi's Ruby Heartstealer could be called Rubyalat (which just happens to rhyme with "a lot") or Hollande's First-Lady problems would be Premier Dame-alat? <span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Anything but Gate. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For those of you who don't know what, in reality, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal">Watergate even stands for</a>, it was the name of the hotel complex situated on the Potomac where President Nixon's guys broke into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recently, the President of Rome's regional government found a bug in his office underneath a chair, which garnered almost no mention in the press. Most of Berlusconi's convictions rest upon wire-tapping of his inner circle and his adversaries alike. People don't think twice anymore. It's no wonder that Gate may be here to stay. <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Aiuto.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-61041278111348616402014-01-15T13:34:00.001-08:002014-01-15T13:34:34.539-08:00Italian: A phonetic language, after all<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And it kills me to think of how difficult learning English must be for poor Italians, with our <i>bear, bare's </i>or our <i>threw, through, thru</i> and so on. And if I lived in France, I for one would be on that committee to make French phonetic. I mean, who needs all those unpronounced consonants, really? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But this sighting at Rome's newly vamped, multi-million euro train station & bus terminal just took the piss right out of me...I mean, you have to hand it to the Italians, who do offer for all the rest of us, much signage in multi-languages. The USA or UK could only be so accommodating. But, prior to Google Translate, we'd all get a big kick out of the Italianish. Post Google Translate it's even all the more risible. But this picture, showing the way to the Metro - otherwise known as a Subway in the USA, and the Underground in London well...</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU8bKnl8MjA-arBOlJbPGoU0GFJoUJmMI6p_m5oF2XGLs8OdFcW7a7Lw4YZHuYxXoF5VUPVDdwbUwPzci7X1xB8Hb2PRpvAbeYrW0ZkaeelhMUIit4Km5sSSzSq8TqTSAC0YV-1F_5AOR/s1600/20111014_stazio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU8bKnl8MjA-arBOlJbPGoU0GFJoUJmMI6p_m5oF2XGLs8OdFcW7a7Lw4YZHuYxXoF5VUPVDdwbUwPzci7X1xB8Hb2PRpvAbeYrW0ZkaeelhMUIit4Km5sSSzSq8TqTSAC0YV-1F_5AOR/s1600/20111014_stazio.jpg" height="139" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture & full article from <i><a href="http://www.ilmessaggero.it/roma/cronaca/la_metropolitana_diventa_anderground_stazione_tiburtina_inglese_con_la_pecetta/notizie/166430.shtml">Il Messaggero</a> </i>Roman<i> </i>newspaper</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And just to confuse you English speakers, when you do, indeed, go to London and see signs for a subway, well, that'll just take you down underneath the busy streets and up to the other side of the road - a subway in fact (or a semi-private toilet, depending on how you look at it).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Check out my latest post on Burnt by the Tuscan Sun! </span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Helicopter Parents meets HR.</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.it/2014/01/finding-job-in-italy-what-not-to-do.html</span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-38710124180655484472014-01-08T11:24:00.000-08:002014-01-08T11:24:29.891-08:00Name Games of Italy<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A bambino by any other name...will still poop its pants. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That Italy is a male-chauvinist society is fairly common knowledge. I often bring into the blog the latest in keeping women feet on the pedals of their SUVs and on their cellphones to mamma [after all, going barefoot even in summer is barbaric, and pregnant? No one can afford kids anymore]. But in the name game, as one commentator told the press, Italy isn't in the 20th century, they're in the 1800s. Well, as of today, all that changed. Thanks to a dynamic couple from Milan, who refused to take "No" for an answer when told that their child could not bear the mother's last name. <span style="color: #666666;">[For purposes of this post, I'll ignore the obvious - that even women's last names eventually lead back to a patriarch somewhere].</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An Italian friend who had four kids 40 years ago with the woman who would become his life partner, was told that because they were unmarried, he would have to list on the birth certificate, '<i style="color: #660000;">Padre Sconosciuto' - Father Unknown. </i>Fast forward to our Milanese couple in 2012, and they were told that their offspring, if the were to sport the mom's name, would have to be listed the same way. Outraged, and with the rest of the world on their side, they took their case to the European Union - and won.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not so long ago, Italians decided that women could, indeed, change their own names. But the laws drew the line on the kids. I always liked the fact that women kept their own last names in Italy - but I've seen plenty of times, when the father is not part of their lives, how strange it is for the kids and their mom to have different identities altogether. Gladly, that's not the norm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, Italy, one hyphen at a time, is allowing for names to be joined, for women to take their partner's last names, for children to take hers. The last bastion is, in naming them strangely like Wednesday Addams, or Apple and such. In one instant, and I believe it was a person who wanted to call their kid Adolf Hitler, or something like that, the judges intervened and refused to allow the name to go through. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Moreover, middle names still cause problems. I was actually not admitted to hospital once because I had filled out all the forms in the spaces provided: LAST NAME / FIRST NAME. Not thinking of my (largely unused) middle name. When they took one look at my i.d. card, they said I'd have to start all over from scratch, months away, in order to get admitted properly. I took the papers out of their hands and swiftly added my middle name to them...offering politely, that I had no idea what they were on about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What would the Italians have done if they had gone the route of the Spaniards, and offered up a half dozen last names for every child birth? Most of whom hail from the matriarchal side of the family? I shudder to think of the bureaucracy that would ensue.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few more fun posts on the Name Games of Italy:</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.it/2013/08/et-tu-brute-italian-names-their.html">Italian Name Origins</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.it/2011/02/attn-all-italian-passport-carriers.html">How (not) to correct your dual last names </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.it/2011/06/whats-in-name.html">Fun Italian names</a></span>Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-2986016544461085442014-01-06T11:25:00.000-08:002014-01-24T12:33:45.789-08:00Day of Epiphany<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-381493828244564680" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 570px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEp71Xsu5jdeRKN8D9K_sLpBOZtC94Dlsy2s4K_JT2-lWmQWNWrnWcNj4cpioLfnYdRwE96O29GnqMlQj1EuRT7vfnCHDr6qS2FwYN5hrCZFd8BzexpYZXHUyx65AiSBPCvjm6Oa_bDvh/s1600-h/befana.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEp71Xsu5jdeRKN8D9K_sLpBOZtC94Dlsy2s4K_JT2-lWmQWNWrnWcNj4cpioLfnYdRwE96O29GnqMlQj1EuRT7vfnCHDr6qS2FwYN5hrCZFd8BzexpYZXHUyx65AiSBPCvjm6Oa_bDvh/s200/befana.jpg" height="149" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152461005459715794" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4;">Today is the celebration of the Epiphany. Or rather, it’s the day the old kitchen witch brings gifts for good kids or fills stockings with coal for the naughty ones. And traditionally, this has been the Big Day for little kids, up until not very long ago when Good St. Nick finally overtook her market share. After all, who could make it against a rosy-cheeked guy with reindeer </span><span style="color: #222222; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4;">and</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4;"> elves? Even though I thought </span><span style="color: #222222; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4;">La Befana</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4;"> might make a comeback post-Harry Potter, with her broomstick and all.</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4;">But, I think La Befana’s image issue is actually representative of a deep-seated marketing problem which besets all of Italy. Sure, everyone associates Italy with beautiful things, fast cars, and Pavarotti’s voice, but luxury goods aside, the Italians still haven’t quite caught the hang of brand imaging for everything else. Think about it: Jolly ol' St. Nick? Although originally hailing from Myrna (by some sources), he became </span></a><a href="http://www.lifeinitaly.com/religion/st.nicolo.asp" style="color: #888888; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration: none;">Italian</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4;"> and gained sainthood there </span><a href="http://www.lifeinitaly.com/religion/st.nicolo.asp" style="color: #888888; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration: none;">after all</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4;">. And yet, the guy’s gift-giving habit will forever more be associated with Laplanders and the North Pole. All because of shrewd branding by the guys who gave us Nokia [although it was Antonio Meucci or even Innocenzo Manzetti who actually </span><a href="http://www.telephonetribute.com/telephone_inventors.html" style="color: #888888; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration: none;">invented the telephone</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4;">]. Heck, even Google owes its engine to an Italian inventor.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Take our long-nosed Befana, for example: </span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">A scary old gift-bearing witch is the figure they chose to symbolize the arrival of the </span><b style="color: #222222;">Three Wise Men</b><span style="color: #222222;">…and to announce that God had come forth in the body of Jesus? My friend’s son here for a visit couldn’t sleep all night – not from anticipation, but from abject fear. Those wily Olde Englishmen - the forefathers of our mass-advertising execs -- already defying the Church with their divorce decrees, caught on to this story, and rebranded her for Halloween. And now trick or treating has taken Europe by a storm. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">[And dare I mention what happened to her when she reached America? Having already turned Halloween into practically a 2-month event including movies, Harry Potter book launches, yard decorations fit for MGM, haunted houses and so many costumes </span><b style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">there actually exists a Dept of Halloween in China</span></b><span style="color: #222222;">, it then took the witch, put her in the kitchen so she could stay (and they could sell her) year round.]</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">And those poor Sicilians steeped in tradition? They didn’t even get the scary witch and her treats to look forward to. Those kids only get </span><i style="color: #222222;"><b>'I Morti'</b></i><span style="color: #222222;">, that night between Nov 1st and 2nd when they would be visited by dead relatives in the night. In the morning (if they hadn’t died of fright from boogeymen), they’d find scattered about the balconies or windowsills chestnuts, almonds, nuts, and dried up figs. It’s no wonder the practice never quite took off in the rest of the world despite centuries of migration to and occupation from dozens of other countries. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-weight: bold;">Branding, my dear Watsonini. Branding.</span></div>
Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-38227555445867142642013-12-31T11:19:00.000-08:002013-12-31T11:19:34.666-08:00Christmas in Naples - Guess who's coming to the Manger?<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2838183303128909844" itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 570px;">
You gotta hand it to the Neopolitans...centuries of subjugation from foreign overlords, drug lords, and local kings has imbued them with a terrific modus vivenda: a strong sense of humor in the face of so much adversity. Now I'm not sure how many residents are truly laughing about the garbage crisis redux (excepting the dirty contractors laughing all the way to the banks), but here's the <b>Best of the famed Neopolitan Nativity Scenes</b> has on offer -- even Julian Assange - pc in hand -- has made the grade:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UAuKX8Dl6-6PpGMbo2QxvSxi-JzUyIaJyCK3etEpG6D_kwNB-SdMZw06fXwagfopbMGQPagrG1FO0qxP0E21Of00fA5cBS3625FxDRaBhIGmqpu0i2gHFpCtz0NTZ3FchJOAimOxxBXX/s1600/e70e6df6636c8327a0a23c216aee431e_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UAuKX8Dl6-6PpGMbo2QxvSxi-JzUyIaJyCK3etEpG6D_kwNB-SdMZw06fXwagfopbMGQPagrG1FO0qxP0E21Of00fA5cBS3625FxDRaBhIGmqpu0i2gHFpCtz0NTZ3FchJOAimOxxBXX/s1600/e70e6df6636c8327a0a23c216aee431e_small.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;">The Magi bringing trash to lay at the feet of Bambin Jesù</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nOUdtP0ty0WWDFayf1QYHriMoitiWs7WXhZcf1QSC8spNtPIUEPKSKmjR2BalFbdAV8m4qI38_RrppUJZVg5tvTNyoNnfzOks2UAPUT5hOozpKemuyyx8WvM3wYd3ybkBFM1ozVuEdp_/s1600/julian-assange-accanto-ad-hillary-clinton-nel-presepe-di-napoli-90x90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nOUdtP0ty0WWDFayf1QYHriMoitiWs7WXhZcf1QSC8spNtPIUEPKSKmjR2BalFbdAV8m4qI38_RrppUJZVg5tvTNyoNnfzOks2UAPUT5hOozpKemuyyx8WvM3wYd3ybkBFM1ozVuEdp_/s200/julian-assange-accanto-ad-hillary-clinton-nel-presepe-di-napoli-90x90.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;">Julian, not yet handcuffed, alongside Hilary & Barry</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH4p-Xnt9U7cABG9t2kJvtKhzKuAdWl7WdwfVdON8opqB6X7ZeHBzoKetVb4SBX-S1ydQtVM6g7Ymfg7jl3oqA-J-2n8uSqQz8JEc88-Fvy4Xp1F6MJZsz0cmG2-gsCtJ2t9NIJTQMwwC/s1600/napoli_pastorimascherina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH4p-Xnt9U7cABG9t2kJvtKhzKuAdWl7WdwfVdON8opqB6X7ZeHBzoKetVb4SBX-S1ydQtVM6g7Ymfg7jl3oqA-J-2n8uSqQz8JEc88-Fvy4Xp1F6MJZsz0cmG2-gsCtJ2t9NIJTQMwwC/s1600/napoli_pastorimascherina.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;">The Holy Family stops for air on the flight from Egypt (clearly, the oxygen masks have dropped due to low cabin pressure)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Some have commented that perhaps it's all a bit blasphemous, but the fabricators on via San Gregorio Armeno say in their defense that forcing this situation on the residents is altogether blasphemous. As for me, I like the ones depicting Berlusconi in any number of positions; not that I'd put him in my manger scene, however.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AkszO8nBmAAS6miGXyUnASNic3u9eZJI46EqxEr0BV-ur2Rx7TfdT2DVGdpbbF8xpCVQDlXF7ZxyaUBeyMZRJXjdTbQya8Q7zknJP6PE6mfmF3cM433mpeeo2XH59nBC3NoJ27ywNisw/s1600/berlusconi-spazzatura-pastore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AkszO8nBmAAS6miGXyUnASNic3u9eZJI46EqxEr0BV-ur2Rx7TfdT2DVGdpbbF8xpCVQDlXF7ZxyaUBeyMZRJXjdTbQya8Q7zknJP6PE6mfmF3cM433mpeeo2XH59nBC3NoJ27ywNisw/s320/berlusconi-spazzatura-pastore.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Let's hope that as we celebrate <i>Natale</i>, it's a Rebirth or Renaissance for Bella Napoli.<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">To read more about via San Gregorio Armeno, <a href="http://www.portanapoli.com/Eng/naples/san-gregorio-armeno.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">click here</a></span><div style="clear: both;">
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Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296477553910235472.post-55381191021830558642013-12-23T08:23:00.000-08:002013-12-23T08:23:32.907-08:00Life in Italy: What to get the Italian Lover who has everything?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJLrl3XxHszfWrWmpQFvgPAK-b4NMgOMTm7kjXmUJSmFa29Q0_TSpQMjUMJK83lQuoGWQlzQyipLN3UvUdX1EpEbK_jQBmAzM4LHaNWk-Dl4VrfqtR3fit4jFWF_m4cpuBTvuM7cO5KIB/s1600/Copertina_definitiva_B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJLrl3XxHszfWrWmpQFvgPAK-b4NMgOMTm7kjXmUJSmFa29Q0_TSpQMjUMJK83lQuoGWQlzQyipLN3UvUdX1EpEbK_jQBmAzM4LHaNWk-Dl4VrfqtR3fit4jFWF_m4cpuBTvuM7cO5KIB/s320/Copertina_definitiva_B2.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What to get the Italophile in your life? </span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A User's Manual to Life in Italy!</span></i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Francesca Maggi takes off her rose-colored glasses and takes on Italy's world-renowned </span><b style="color: #666666;"><i>Quality of Life</i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">. Starting with her </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">X Commandments of Life in Italy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> [</span></b><i style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">Thou shalt not covet thy customer, Thou shall hold La Mamma as your one true omnipresent and omniscient lord of the household</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">], she tackles Italian bureaucracy, drivers, superstitions, traditions, La Mamma and more. Readers will get a hilarious insider's guide from an outsider's perspective, taking us through the trials and tribulations of life in </span><i style="color: #666666;">Bell'Italia.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">About the author...</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Francesca Maggi first came to Italy at the tender age of 4 months. A return visit at age 6 sealed her fate as she endured the agony and enjoyed the ecstasy of this country of contradictions. She has been working with Italy for nearly 30 years, 20 of them as a resident while traveling the entire swathe of the Boot and taking in the sights, sounds &amp; society's peccadillos from Trapani to Trieste, from Trento to Taranto.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 12px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">Illustrations by...</span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Each chapter is introduced by the inimitable witty vignettes of Gianni Falcone, or GianFalco...<b>www.gianfalco.it</b> which are part &amp; parcel of the humor of the book...(including the cover image). You can see more by Gianni by clicking the main tab on the blog page, <b>Cartoon of the Week...</b>or visiting his blogs on <b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_493635438">OpenSalon (</a></b><i><b><a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/gianfalco" target="_blank">Just a few Pixels)</a></b> </i>or <b><i><a href="http://www.gianfalco.it/" target="_blank">Diario Acido.</a></i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>What they're saying...</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Francesca Maggi is brilliant -- a modern day critic following in the footsteps of Luigi Barzini's </i>The Italians.<i> Her stories are at once funny, irreverent and poignant.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>OMG - i just read the first few paragraphs of the ''</i>B<b>aby on Board' </b><i>part of your book! that was hilarious..... i'm still laughing ROFL!</i></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Been reading your book and LOVE it!! Great insight and funny, FAMILIAR </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">anecdotes!</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica;">Get a signed copy if you purchase the book off the <a href="http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.co.uk/p/buy-my-book.html">Official Home Page </a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Burnt by the Tuscan Sun</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>http://burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.com</b></span></span></div>
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Irreverent Italyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15104487411073849736noreply@blogger.com0