sam around the world

Members of Parliament around the world gather in Rome to find a solution to the Tibet issue

2009-11-22T22:52:00.004-05:00

Rome, 19 November

Yesterday, Matteo Mecacci, the President of the Italian Parliamentary Inter-Group for Tibet, Gianni Vernetti, the Vice-President of the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet and the former under secretary of State of the Italian government and Gianni Alemanno, the Mayor of Rome, welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama and around 200 parliamentarians from around the world to participate in the 5th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet.

Matteo Mecacci said, “I welcome you to the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament on the occasion of the 5th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet. I am doing this because in the past, the Italian Parliament expressed full support for the Tibetan people’s struggle for human rights. Human rights is an inalienable right of all people. As we say in Italy, if constant and consistent, a drop of water can dig a hole in a stone."

[Read the entire article]

The Barbies, the Brainies and (me), the Bitch

2009-11-22T16:10:00.009-05:00

While I was almost celebrating one year away from my blog, I had a second thought. So I quit what basically one of the two causes of my desertion: an Italian mommies forum.

Since I was pregnant with my second child (now my 20-month-old Emma) I was eager to follow instructions on introducing solid foods in a structural way just like a real Italian - which probably I am no more - so I joined this small community, I confess, as a little research.
I found sympathy right away from almost everybody and I did enjoy the ride. I gave my contribution with a little of American way and I learned a lot. What was my goal in introducing Emma solid foods, turned out a real blast: all these women wrote down food introduction tables from their doctors so basically it was like having 40-50 Italian pediatrician with all their advices, concerns and the comfort you feel when consoled in times of confusion. In no time I made my reputation in a virtual world of true and fake kindness and love, sometimes also do-goodery, there comes Sam, the straightforward down-to-earth bitch.
People who know me are well aware I am the less consistent woman in town and also I get annoyed by nonsense baby talking all the time. Of course, I take the blame, I was the one who signed up on the forum, but I did find some kind of balance even when things looked to me (let's say) pretty "weird". When a conspicuous number of women got pregnant for the second time and wanted to talk about pregnancies all over again, well, that was the right time for me to go.

Nine-teen months. It was the longer baby-based experience I ever had in my life and between a bunch of what we called Barbie Girls I made good and brainy friends with whom I still share much of my life, not only poopy diapers.
In this Thanksgiving season, I am also thankful for having met these wonderful women.

French (Gay) Kiss

2008-12-05T22:52:00.003-05:00

The Catholic Church, a body that has been opposed to the death penalty (despite American-CathoRepublican say) does not wish to include international protections by the United Nations for gay people who face death penalty charges in countries where homosexuality is illegal.

The Vatican is plan to go against the French proposal that is introducing this piece of human rights resolution, scheduled to be proposed this week and which is supported by all 27 members of the European Union; it recommends protecting gays and lesbians from being jailed or killed because of their sexual orientation and is being introduced to the UN on behalf of the European Union. Basically it wish for ending jail and death penalty sentences gays yet face in more than 80 countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen where you can still be killed for being homosexual.
But this genius Archbishop Celestino Migliore said that if adopted, this resolution would create new and implacable discriminations and also said that states which do not recognize same-sex unions will be made under pressure. I wonder if this man can read: in the resolution there is absolutely nothing-nada about gay marriages!
Maybe they are against the death penalty but don't want to be on the record opposing it for gays and lesbians... Or maybe American Catholics are just right here: the Roman Church is not at all against capital punishment... Or maybe they were just shocked by the words "gay" and "decriminalization" in the same sentence...
As for me just three small words: SHAME ON YO'ALL! (alrighty, those are four!!!)

Thanks America

2008-11-27T09:50:00.004-05:00

I'm still thrilled.
This Country is a one of a kind Country, a Country where a virtually unknown, multiracial, 47 yo senator can become President, a Country where people make drastic decisions and changes in its most dramatic moments. America has guts, I am so proud to live in the US and I am proud my kids belong to this great Country. This is actually the first time I say that.

Thank you America; the man who is been my dream President for 2 years, now he is your real President. WOW!

Moderation needed

2008-11-20T23:07:00.001-05:00

Because of recent pretty strong comments (way beyond appropriate) in my last posts, I have finally decided to moderate this blog. I didn't want to do it but, believe me, I have enough. I was about to close it and then I thought "Should I let this only person make me destroy my thoughts and writings of 4 years?". No, I won't let him, but I can keep him away from here.

Good luck, Barack

2008-11-04T09:47:00.007-05:00

"It doesn't make any difference!".
I've been told by many Italian friends in the last weeks. That's the main difference: Italian people are so fed up of politics, of politicians who let them down, no matter who they vote for. And I guess that's why Berlusconi is for the third time, at the tender age of 72, once and again, their Prime Minister.

"What is Election Day, mommy?"
"It's the day people decide all together"
"People who loves Obama?"
"Everyone!"

I saw hope for this Country since the day I have read the first article about Barack Obama about 2 years and a half ago, I was in Belgium and Obama wasn't even a candidate. I immediately had the feeling he was the right one, the one who could really change something, the one who can make America regain the face it used to have towards the world, lost years ago. When I first heard him talking, I was like "There he is, that's HIM!"
I am living here for almost eight years and I have never seen such a great popular mobilitation in my neighborhood, people of every age volunteering, smiling at me and at my Tshirt, my pins, excited and also nervous, crossing a finger as a sign of calling good luck, it's great to see how much people care. Even if I can't vote this time, I am not a citizen yet and for some I shouldn't give a shit, I still would feel like a loser if I didn't contribute at all, I feel like this is not only an American matter, it's a matter of everyone so I did what I could, volunteering a little bit, discussing and talking to people, spreading the word but - considering my past - in a way I feel a little guilty for not have done more. I feel this is the first time in my life where I feel this is MY Country, not only the Country of my kids, not only the Country where I pay taxes, I feel like I do belong here, this is my home, but I don't belong in this particular era of American history and I know there is a better America out there, somewhere. I don't want to pay my taxes again to another creepy and tacky cowman with a rifle (of 72 yo, dammit!!!), so let me have the illusion that Barack Obama is the answer - even only because the others are not for sure. I am feeling very excited and nervous too. I care a lot.
The world is watching and waiting now, this is the chance for the rest of the world to see it for the great country America can be, a Country who takes care of its citizen for health, education and security (and I do believe the best security is NOT putting guns in the hands of our kids), a Country who cares for minorities, who gives them a real, tangible hope to make their lives better, to be in a better place. It is really the chance of our lifetime... we gotta not blew it, if we miss this, bye bye, gone!

So, today it DOES make many differences. For my kids, for me, and also for the rest of the world. Like the world, I'm here watching today and I am not gonna go to sleep until I KNOW FOR SURE. We might be OK, but I don't believe it until I don't see it with my own eyes on facts, not only polls... Good luck, Barack :)

Debts are due

2008-10-27T12:57:00.006-05:00

I don't know anything about economy. Nothing, nada, zero.
I should read "Ecomomics for Dummies". It might become a best seller in this very era of weak economy.

Coming to America I found out soon how easy is getting credits for buying everything you like, clothes, TVs, even a new pair of boobs (my girlfriend G. was about to get a $7000 loan for boobies!).
Europeans don't like buying things that they can't afford, at least they used not to like it. Financing companies are blooming in Italy lately, especially for electronics, furniture... never happened before.
But still, the vast majority of Europeans don't like to live on debts and pay the entire credit card bill by the end of the following month instead of having loan shark monthly interests on it to pay. Here people can pay credit cards companies for years. Even passing debts to their offspring.

Having an "old fashion" Italian mentality on money, I am not that comfortable on buying stuff that I can't pay cash for. I am a shopper, yes, I'm good on "helping the economy" (that's my excuse when I over-shop!), but what's the point on buying a new $700 purse if I don't have the money this month? I'll wait the next one, right?
Even when we bought the house we wanted to pay almost 60% down for having this - maybe idiotic - feeling that our house belongs more to our family than the bank's.

School and kids might be one of the first problems.
In Europe where we have a social system, State university tuitions are about $1000-2000/year (give or take...), and families can easily afford to pay for it. In America... well, let's keep it low, let's say you wanna go to a non-expensive College and just try and multiply by 10-20. I have to say I wouldn't be confortable on putting a $60.000 college loan to my kids' shoulder at age 18 as many Americans do. In a way, yes, this makes the kid more responsible about money, but having such debts way before to even start working and building something for themselves and teaches from a very young age how easy and normal is to be in debt.

Restaurants are another problem. Americans eat out or take out an average of 70% of their meals. Do the math. In money, calories, fats. I hope the crisis will take back people in kitchen and cook everything from scratch.

"It's not real. They haven't paid for it!" is what my Italian girlfriend Francesca always tells her 12yo daughter when she points out that her schoolmates have a 40-inches plasma TV in their room or the ultimate 400 dollar videogame!
In most of the times she is right: it's not real :).

Ehmmmm...

2008-10-17T08:25:00.003-05:00

It's unbelievable: this reminds me a bit of George W. Bush and a bit of Silvio Berlusconi...

The John (the Katie and the David)

2008-09-25T11:57:00.001-06:00

Click here for the video!

Words are very unnecessary...

2008-09-22T19:03:00.006-06:00

Two similar cases with very different endings:

Ehud Olmert, investigated for corruption, Prime Minister of Israel.
"I'm proud to be a citizen of a Country in which a Prime Minister can be investigated like any other citizen".
Then he thought it was better to present his resignation since he thinks that criminal trials are not compatible with his public position. He resigned on Sept 21st, 2008.

Silvio Berlusconi, investigated for corruption, Prime Minister of Italy.
Silvio thinks too that criminal trials are not compatible with his public position, so... (from wikipedia) In July 2008 a bill, named "Lodo Alfano", was approved by the Parliament. Under the "Lodo Alfano" act, immunity is guaranteed for the four highest public servants: President of the Republic, Speakers of the Houses of Parliament and - guess who - the Prime Minister.

Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm (Depeche Mode).

Virginity auction-off, best offer!

2008-09-21T09:40:00.010-06:00

I hate reality shows and luckily I have never seen any Big Brother edition, not the Italian one and not the US one.

My legendary House MD once quoted that it's in human nature that people choose the paths that grant them the greatest rewards for the least amount of efforts. That's what Italian Big Brother star Raffaella Fico, 20, a super beautiful brown-eyed, is planning to do: she offered her virginity for 1 million euros (or U.S. $1.5 million) to buy a house in Rome and pay for acting classes. She added "If I don't like him, I'll just have a glass of wine and forget about it,"and with narcissism said also "I can't wait to see who's going to pull out the money to have me." In her family looks like no one is that shocked by the indecent auction she put on and her brother says "She's a vergin, I swear on my mother's grave. She's a devout Catholic and prays every night." (How can he said this without burning into laugh???!!!). Well, so far she had an offer for €500.000, but she didn't accept it yet, she aims higher.

Considering that prostitution is not yet legal as a career in Italy, I can't imagine what would Minister Mara Carfagna say about this since lately she's condemning women who sell their bodies for money claiming that she doesn't understand how someone can sell their body in the street for money... This deserves a little note: Mara is a former calendar girl and if you browse on the internet her name you won't get the Italian Parliament but many pair of boobs and butts. Not to mention the allegedly erotic phone calls between Ms Carfagna and Mr Berlusconi intercepted by magistrates during other investigations (you know, Mr. B. has many "stuff" going on...). She is planning to have a bill approved that outlaws prostitution in public places such as streets and parks, defining it as a serious offense causing “social alarm”.

See, the key word of her anti-prostitutes battle is "in public places"... so selling sex on the streets, that's no good, but if are a whore in TV or in the Parliament, you're doing just fine! Be aware, girls!!!

Don't touch no butt in America

2008-09-19T11:32:00.005-06:00

Europeans use suppositories, Americans do not.

This is something that I have learned in the last few months when my baby girl with fever spitted so much Tylenol drops that I thought carelessly, "Well, no big deal, I will just put a paracetamol suppository". I did it for a couple of days and the fever went down, then I went and see the ped, he asked me, with big shocked eyes, "SUPPOSITORIES?". He made me feel like I had violated my daughter physically, you know. And when I told him that I think they are much better since the medication - plus colorants and artificial flavors - does not go in the digestion system and it's more effective, he was like "Yes, that's true.... but.... are you feeling comfortable in inserting a suppository???" I mean, comfortable??? I clean her ass every single day for months, damn!!!
No wonder I have found only one brand of infant acetaminophen/paracetamol suppositories in the whole pharmacy, doctors discourage to use them, and also the price discourage it: 6 suppositories for 9 freaking dollars. Shit, it's glycerine!

I do think it is a left over off puritanism, "you cannot touch no ass in America" :-))))

Lost in Facebook...

2008-09-17T13:35:00.004-06:00

That's all Facebook's fault. I am deserting this blog because of it, I'm completely addicted on finding people and being found. I recommend to go and check it out, you'll be pretty surprised...
Anyway besides facebook, I think I got into back-to-school stuff, into my-newly-separated mom who stayed with us in August and into the cute winter girly dresses for Emma. Too much pink, definetely.

Just the weekend before...

2008-07-30T20:45:00.002-06:00

The Bat in the Bra

2008-07-22T07:50:00.003-06:00

LONDON (AFP) - A British woman spoke of her surprise Wednesday after finding a baby bat in her bra.

Abbie Hawkins, 19, harboured the creature in her bosom for over four hours and had felt a slight twitching but thought it was her mobile phone vibrating.
Eventually, though, she checked and found the creature nestling in the padding pocket of her 34FF bra. "Once I realised it was a bat I was shocked, but then I felt quite sorry for it really," Hawkins, a hotel receptionist from Norfolk, eastern England, told the Eastern Daily Press. "It looked very snug in there and I thought how mean I was for disturbing it."
The bat survived unharmed and has been released back into the wild.

[Source: AFP]

Impunity is trash and trash is gold

2008-07-21T19:35:00.015-06:00

Just a little note, I am so physically tired (my 4-month-old daughter has fever) and I am sick too about reading such a scum every given day. Everything has a limit but limit seems never ends here...

Tomorrow the Italian Parliament is due to vote an impunity-granting bill for the four highest jobs of the State, the so-called Lodo Alfano (named after the brainless incumbent Minister of Justice, 37 yo, Sicilian, Angelino Alfano), probably unconstitutional and is also well known the Lodo is custom-tailored to Mr. B., for letting him do his job and get him out of Courts as long as he will be Prime Minister. He strongly wanted this voted in 48 hours while for other laws which concerns more the Italian citizens just take forever and sometimes even never discussed.
Even the name "Lodo" which in Italian means "a praise/an award", is shameful itself. Democracy has long gone with this decrete and people are clearly not all the same in front of the law. This is what Angelino Alfano has written on his first term as Minister earning the high title of Moron of the Year.

Some might say 'but he did clean Naples from trash!'.
Well, he has to do something. I'm pretty sure he has used his Mafia connections and paid millions out of his own pocket to get rid of all that junk... and I am not talking about the Mafia you see in American movies here: they wear suits and go to college. For the Camorra trash is gold and Mr. B. always pays his bribes. Thing is, I wonder how much those millions are gonna cost to Italian people in a long term.

Video: Controversial Italian reporter Marco Travaglio describes the "Lodo Alfanos" in other Countries (IT). There are practically none.

Funari is dead, long live Funari!

2008-07-17T21:08:00.010-06:00

Gianfranco Funari, controversial but always honest TV presenter whose worked pretty much for every Italian channel, died last week in Milan at age 76.
For Italian speakers I found by chance this video from the satirical show Le Iene where Enrico Lucci (a crazy reporter) goes to Funari, dresses him as a dead man, lays him in his bed with candles and flowers and asks him questions about his life and death.

Sabina, Mara & Mr B, up close and personal

2008-07-09T07:53:00.018-06:00

Super-censored comedian Sabina Guzzanti, 44, at No Cav Day, a demonstration against this Government and its late agenda - "Cav" is short for "cavaliere", knight, title of Berlusconi - attacked in her speech Mara Carfagna, former showgirl now Minister for Equal Opportunity.

I'm no moralist. Moralism has a meaning. They call theirselves "moralists" Casini who is three-times-divorced and Cosimo Mele who gave bad cocaine to a prostitute who got sick in his hotel room!
I'm no moralist. I don't give a damn about Berlusconi's sexual life... but you can't give someone the Ministery for Equal Opportunity only because she sucks your dick!!! You can't give her any Ministery in your cabinet and in particular you can't give her the Equal Opportunity because is bullshit!!!

Well, I have always defended sweet Mara and I give her credits... I mean: she did someone that gross, she had a strong stomach, we need strong women in our Country you know, she does deserve the damn Ministery!!!

In the meanwhile the White House apologized to Mr B about the biography distributed on the Air Force One on the way to G8 in Japan (like Bush doesn't know him enough...) which gave a profile of the Italian Prime Minister as
- “one of the most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for governmental corruption and vice”,
- “hated by many, but respected by all, for his 'bella figura' or charismatic style, and for his force of will”,
- “considered by many an amateur in politics, he conquered his high office only thanks to his substantial influence in the national media”,
- “his business acumen and his influence to create a personal empire which produced Italy's longest-lasting government, and to become the richest man in the country”
- “He earned money by organizing puppet shows and making people pay a ticket, he sold vacuum cleaners, worked as a singer on cruise ships, made photographic portraits, and did the homework of other students in exchange for money.”
[Integral version here]

... for all the above the White House and the President of the United States himself express sincere apologies for those six-pages of slandering and false informations.

---
Watch all No Cav. Day videos

Happy and drunk

2008-07-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you are pregnant here in the US they tell you from day 1: not a drop of alcohol. But how come my girlfriends in Italy never gave up drinking during their pregnancy?
Talking to my OB doctor he explained that the majority of people in the US drink for getting drunk, so the women, and it's easier and safe to tell them not to drink at all and avoid the whole "quantity" problem (which is hard to manage). Right, my girlfriends never drank for getting drunk...

U.S. policy on alcohol is, for what is my culture, a left-over off prohibitionism.
The drinking age here it is 21, since 1984 and is one of the highest in the world. Though, the effort to stamp out alcohol use has failed, creating a culture in which kids just binge in secret and this is pretty dangerous. Today's news stories are high school parties that end in gruesome wrecks and college kids killing themselves by consuming, say, 100 shots as a contest.
Parents I think have help to create this: officially most say they oppose any drinking by those under 21 but unofficially many also seem to just think that "kids will be kids", just like they were not so long ago and few of them let their kids having big drunken parties at home.

I grew up in a place that, just like France, consider alcohol like part of regular quotidian family life. Definitely not this big deal. I never liked wine but if I would my parents wouldn't have seen any problem to let me drink along with them during family dinner and let me taste different kinds of wine, beer, liquors.
I know this may sound a little nutty to the average American but I really would suggest to drink with your kids before they go binge-drinking with someone else... I mean, that's a mostly European approach to alcohol and I really don't see any reason why it wouldn't work here.

Like pimping... but different!

2008-06-30T16:41:00.008-06:00

"Berlusconi is a pimp!". That's how Antonio Di Pietro talked about the Italian Prime Minister last weekend.

Di Pietro took issue with wiretaps leaked to the media, which showed Mr. Berlusconi asking RAI's soap opera chief for TV roles for actress "friends"; one of this girls - Berlusconi said in the wiretap - was requested to him by a senator who Berlusconi needed for having majority to defeat then-Prime Minister leftist Prodi at the Senate - which happened last January 23rd. For this wiretap Mr. B. has a trial going on in Naples for corruption; of course, he is working very hard lately on making wiretapping illegal that's why Di Pietro also accused Berlusconi of working for his own interests, misleading the people and tends only to personal matters (Dahhhh, it's been 10 years, hellooo?!).
As usual now the issue here is the insult of Antonio Di Pietro, not whether Mr. B was way off the line with his work as Prime Minister.
All right this Di Pietro guy is no gentleman, every Italian knows that elegance is not his best gift, but, whatever you wanna call it, here we have someone who is providing girls for someone else who is actually paying him political favors...

And , I'm sorry, this it is pimping!

"Power wears out those who don't have it"

2008-06-27T10:11:00.002-06:00

That was a good quote.
So good that Francis Ford Coppola wanted to use it in one of his Godfather movies, the last one, ironically just before a character modeled by Giulio Andreotti was killed with his own glasses.

I went to a school run by nuns for more than a decade - so you can understand the drama of my life :-) - and I do still remember in early 80s the Christian Democracy Party fliers all around the front desk during elections. I was like 5 and I already hated them without even know what their message was for. I hated that red shield, and I didn't even know who Giulio Andreotti was.
For the little I remind of those years at the news you could learn all about the Red Brigades - an Italian Marxist-Leninist terrorist group who made lots of noise with kidnappings and bombs - and about the young people dead of heroin overdose, the heroin boom of the 80s in Europe.

Then-Prime-Minister Giulio Andreotti was all busy trying to save fellow P2 Mason Michele Sindona - a banker who started his first bank laundering and managing the proceeds of heroin trafficking for many Mafia families and was eventually convicted in 1980 in the United States on 65 counts including fraud, perjury, false bank statements and misappropriation of bank funds; this sweet guy also got a life sentence in Italy for ordering the murder of the lawyer hired to wind-up his companies. Andreotti and other Sindona's political allies tried to engineer the rescue of his banks - of course in order to recuperate the mafia’s money.

Ironically, one of the nicknames of Andreotti was Giulio "Lavazza" (Lavazza is a leading Italian coffee brand); this was a hint of an alleged involvement of Andreotti in the assassination of Sindona, poisoned with cyanide-espresso in jail. And strangely a journalist who had published allegations that Andreotti had connections to the Mafia was murdered in 1979 and the Prime Minister was investigated for his role in the crime.

Guilty, not guilty, untouchable? But isn't is weird that in every given Italian scandal of those years his name was always up in the sky?
As for his involvement with the Mafia, the court officially established that Andreotti had indeed had strong ties to the Mafia until 1980 but only on "grounds of expiration of statutory terms". The prize for his fake victory was a seat in pole position in Parliament as a lifetime senator. He lucky duck!

Note: Indirectly lately he got another prize. The movie Il Divo deals on Andreotti's ties to the Mafia and won the Prix du Jury at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Japanese 33-inch waistline

2008-06-16T09:10:00.002-06:00

Japan is now under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. The government will impose financial penalties on companies and local governments that fail to achieve targets for reducing the overweight population.
Those exceeding government limits - 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, and having a weight related ailment will be given dieting guidance if after three months they do not lose weight. If necessary, they will be steered toward further re-education after six more months.

It's sounds to me a little extreme considering that Japanese people are one of the thinnest people in the world. Japan is not exactly the first country I would put on diet...

Farewell, Bush (Addio, Cespuglio)

2008-06-10T02:09:00.000-06:00

Romans, be ready and dust off your antiwar banners and your "peace" flags: Mr. Bush is coming to town!
The US President will be in Italy from Wednesday evening through Friday morning and he will meet with Italy’s President (Napolitano), its Prime Minister (Berlusconi... who? Never heard of this one before ...) and Pope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger).

The visit could generate some unwelcome news for pacifist Italians: topping the agenda is bulking up Italy’s troop presence in Afghanistan. The new administration may also speed up the controversial expansion of the Caserma Ederle, the American military base in the northern city of Vicenza which will become America’s largest European military base. Last but not least, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that sending Italians back into Iraq "is to consider".

What should I say... good luck with that in the next years! PEACE!

Wiretapping Silvio

2008-06-09T13:25:00.008-06:00

Still Berlusconi today.
I know I am boring, but this worth a couple of words about.

Our honest Prime Minister - not happy to have put Italy in a sort of mediatic manipulation - has a great brand new idea for keep saving his own ass and many of his friends': restricting wiretaps to probes of terrorism or organized crime (Mafia, Camorra and N'drangheta) and banning wiretapping for all of the other crimes. So bye-bye to the use of wiretaps like few years ago in Italy when high-profile leaks of wiretaps, involving the former governor of the Bank of Italy, the son of Italy’s last king, and the country’s soccer elite leaded to many investigations.
Berlusconi said there would be a 5-year prison sentence for carrying out other types of wiretaps or and 5-years prison for publishing their results. Of course, one more time, the crime is reporting and publishing, not doing the crime itself.
This law is made for criminals, custom-tailored for the Prime Minister. Is it maybe a weird coincidence that he has an investigation going on in Naples for corruption with the former director of the RAI fiction, Agostino Saccà? That wiretap (Dec. 2007) makes me throw up: Saccà licking Berlusconi's ass such as "you are like the Pope, Italian people needs you!" and then in the second part Berlusconi asks him to find a job as an actress in one of the RAI fiction to one of his favorite girls. On public television, so people can pay her... if he hires her at Mediaset, he would be the one who gets to pay, smart, uh?! He also said to Saccà to hire another actress in exchange of a helpful hand in the next financial activities of Saccà. "It's not for me this time, - told him Berlusconi - I am trying to have the majority at the Senate [for getting ex Prime Minister Prodi to resign] and this girl was requested to me by a Senator I am dealing with right now". Nice, uh?

If this law would pass (which is possible since he has a comfortable parliamentary majority now), magistrates would have their hands tied in many cases. Like in this one.

Note: Luckily most conversations of Berlusconi and his friends are still online for us to enjoy... or cry.

Liberals and Communists, points of view!

2008-06-08T23:50:00.007-06:00

Italy is probably the only Country in the Western civilized world which Prime Minister is also the owner of three private national tv channels and has the political control of the public ones. Berlusconi is an eager reader, he really loves books and papers, in fact he owns the Milan daily, "Il Giornale" and he makes you believe the owner is his brother... He also owns a very important Italian publishing company, "Mondadori" and he makes you believe the owner is his older daughter.

In past comments on this blog I have been called a communist - actually I have been called an "elitist communist", which does not sound that good either ;)! For instance, I am a liberal since I remember. But also Mr. Berlusconi calls himself a liberal sometimes (and sometimes a conservative. I don't think he doesn't even know the difference, actually) so if I think really really hard about this, if Berlusconi is a liberal... oh, then I am a communist!

Very painful to find this out on my 32nd birthday eve!!! Happy birthday to me!

HAPPY!

2008-06-06T20:44:00.000-06:00

Here we are, the epic battle is finally over and we have the Democratic nominee, that's my man! :-)

I am happy like a dog with two tails since my support to the guy is dated even before he actually decided to run for the White House. The more I read about him the more I am confident that this one is the right one.

I really do believe in HOPE and CHANGE for America.

Our Banana Republic

2008-05-19T20:17:00.027-06:00

Banana Republic is one of my favorite stores in America, simple, sober style, not too pricey. Unluckily I'm not gonna talk about the spring-summer fashion season today but I would like to give you an idea of what my home Country is turning to.

It's pretty hard to give you an idea of Italian politics especially if you are American. Marco Travaglio once claimed Italy is actually a "Banana Republic". Truth is not that far. And he's now experiencing more than ever how tough is to be an investigative reporter in Italy nowadays.

People from an anglosaxon culture are less - much less - prone to break rules and play tricks than Italians do.
Let me a little silly stereotype... Larry is a senior colleague of my husband who, in my very first month in America, was explaining me how the turkey hunt license does work: basically you buy the license for a number of these freaking turkeys and that's it, no one will ever control how many turkey you did hunt. "So - I asked with a sneaky smile - you can buy the license for 3 and actually hunt for 20...?" He wouldn't believe his ears, took an icy glance at me and replied "But if I bought the license for 3 turkeys I'm gonna hunt only 3 of them!".
I felt like a criminal! But it was very enlightening because in that very moment I knew Americans are more rule-abiding than we are. If I tell anyone where I live that in my Country there are a number of MPs who are convicted for having broken the law in many different ways, I sure get weird looks; truth is, not many Italians actually care about it and they keep voting them. I do believe that this kinda tolerance towards legal issues of their leaders and representatives has something to do with this type of culture where 'you are smarter if you trick the system before it tricks you' and our bureaucracy doesn't help at all. I'm not here to say that all Italian population break laws but this might mean something.
The so called Italian "independent newspapers" are strongly tied to the Government, politicians & Co. Whether the Italian population is actually getting impartial news is not really clear but it gets the idea when the majority of Italian citizens actually think that Mr. Giulio Andreotti is been found "not guilty", maybe this worth a little thought. (This guy, instead of escaping to Congo for the shame, stayed in Rome and got the maximum sentence: still sits in the Senate as a lifetime senator. Cheers!) And I stop here.

Yesterday I've being sarcastically told that there is no better place like Italy, where you drink, you eat, you go tanning, you laugh, you joke all the time but then, well, then there's Italian politics...

The last adventure of this Travaglio guy - an infamous character for some, a hero for others - were comments on Renato Schifani's election as President of the Senate that one should "simply ask him to explain those relationships with those men who have subsequently been sentenced for association with the Mafia" on the talk show "Che tempo che fa", aired on a public TV channel on May 10th. Now, just to be clear, it is widely reported that actually Schifani had (or has?) Mafia connections. And this is serious: in another Country, not only one man who once was connected in any way with a criminal organization wouldn't be President of the Senate... he wouldn't even take a walk in the neighborhood of the Parliament. But in our beautiful sunny motherland, instead of stop and think about the incumbent President, the statement of Marco Travaglio resulted in fierce and almost universally negative reactions from both right and left wing, calling him a "slanderer" and starting shooting excuses to the Mafia guy - opps, to the President.
As I recall, the definition of slandering is 'oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation'. Nothing in that statement is being proved to be false, so there is no slander at all. The only one who is taking the pity and the shit was the bad reporter, no one in 10 days ever asked Schifani if it is true that he made partnership with people who were convicted for Mafia association. No one.
About this Travaglio-Schifani's infamous affair, even Italian Nobel Prize Mr. Dario Fo wanted to express himself but, since the expression would have been in favor of the bad reporter, not in favor of the Mafia guy, he found no "independent newspaper" to give him a voice. Now even a Nobel Price for Literature has been shut up, outrageous, bad, bad journalism. And I stop here.

Let's try another example.
In America there are Michael Moore, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter. You love them or you hate them but you are free to watch Moore's movies and Coulter's or Hannity's TV show on public TV if you wish, right? It's written in the Constitution, the First Amendment, after all. And in Italy? Dream on. Italian media tycoon and Prime Minister Berlusconi is a master in censorship.
In 2003 Andrea Cairola and Susan Grey directed an hour long documentary on his life and legal problems for PBS public TV; the short movie was never aired by any of the Italian TV channels, never showed in theaters, silently censored.
Berlusconi had previously had two journalists (Michele Santoro and Enzo Biagi) and a comedy actor (Daniele Luttazzi) removed from RAI by saying explicitly that the new board of directors, which his majority had just appointed, should not allow their "criminal ways" of using the television.
Then he also censored the satirical show Raiot series by comedian Sabina Guzzanti after the first broadcast on RAI, arguing that it was plain vulgarity and disrespectful to the government; as his company Mediaset threatened a lawsuit for €21,000,000, the RAI board of directors (appointed by Berlusconi's political majority) closed the show effective immediately, claiming that such a lawsuit was an economic liability for the company. Ms. Guzzanti eventually went to court and won the case, but the Italian government and RAI refused to follow the court order and the show was officially dead. Amen.

And this time I REALLY stop here.
I'm so glad that I am not paying a dime of taxes in "Banana Republic", I rather go shopping at Banana Republic!

YouTubing:
- Che tempo che fa - part I / part II / part III (IT only)
- Citizen Berlusconi, directed by Andrea Cairola and Susan Grey, 2003 (EN w/subtitles)
- How information is manipulated in Italy, 3 techniques (IT w/subtitles)
- The only episode of Raiot of Sabina Guzzanti (1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6)

------------
"The worst crime nowadays is to tell bad things, instead of doing them. Like the guilt is in the mirror, not in the person who looks into it."
(Enzo Biagi - legendary Italian journalist, kicked out from RAI public TV in 2001)

Is that acupuncture, man?

2008-05-09T20:56:00.004-06:00

Pictures taken at an army base in Shenyang, Liaoning province, show a paramilitary policeman with head erect. Should he move from the approved position his flesh will come into contact with the needles, causing some distress and blood to cascade over his white shirt. And troubles.
There’s another picture of the soldiers marching with a wooden cross tucked into the back of each of their shiny black belts.

Have those pins really been placed in the collar of the Chinese soldier’s shirt deliberately from the "compassionate" communism of China?

Well, I do not really think those are from an acupuncture therapy!

Take a (good) look at the Minister

2008-05-09T11:17:00.018-06:00

Mara Carfagna, 32, is the new Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities (whatever it means...) in Berlusconi's new up next Government.

She turned to politics after a career on TV as show-girl following her sixth-place finish in the 1997 Miss Italy contest.
Honestly, as far as I'm concerned, I don't accept much the idea of the beautiful-but-dumb since by experience I have seen many more handsome-but-stupid men than women with all boobs and butt and no brain. As much as she is criticized only on the basis of her good looking, we have no clues that can let us think her IQ is less than 110 ;-).
And if Italian people are willing to pay a quite good salary to asslickers/assholes Ministries like Calderoli, Sandro Bondi and the Minister of War (opps, Defence) Ignazio LaRussa, I don't see where the problem is to pay a good one to Mara, who - I quote many newspapers - "kept Berlusconi's eyes already in 1997 at the Miss Italy contest".
So, after taking a look at her, please, also take a good look at him and if she really did someone that gross, she had a strong stomach, gosh! Let's face it, she does deserve the place she got. I mean others did him for a little tiny contract with one of his channels, but her... man, this one is way smarter, she used her brain and got one of his Ministries. Not bad, not bad at all, chapeau!

Congrats, girl, I'm with you (and with your new bob you really look very "ministrish". Adorable, love it! ).

-------
Sadly, the concept of "show girl" in Italian television is a good piece of woman, who stays still and half naked by the anchor man's side. The anchor man is of course completely dressed up!

Finally...

2008-05-09T10:03:00.002-06:00

... someone else besides me pointed out the concept!

Amazing Race

2008-05-08T19:22:00.006-06:00

I'm kinda surprised by the race they are playing. Hillary is like an addicted gambler to me. I'm sorry to say that, I used to like her after all.

Clinton did loan herself for several millions: she already gave her campaign $5 million in February and now she gave other $6 million. Joint ticket? Well, if only six months ago I was thinking having Obama as President and Hill as VP would have been a great match, I am not that sure at this point. She does not quit the nomination rally no matter what, it takes guts to lose and quit, she has no guts for instance. And also she is playing a little dirty lately... If she becomes his Vice President, Obama wouldn't just have to deal only with Hillary but also with Bill. So I would suggest Barack a good way to keep him busy and out of the game: hiring a chubby brunette as White House intern... You know, old habits die hard :-))).

So, is Hillary stubborn or persistent? Is she uniting the party or dividing the party? We'll see; after all, the Dem Party has to say something one day or another on her keep battling a battle already lost. George McGovern, the Democrats' defeated presidential candidate in 1972, urged the former first lady to step aside as he threw his support behind Obama.

The war in November is for Obama, at this point there are few doubts about it.
-
"100 years in Iraq would be fine with me," John McCain, Jan 3rd, 2008
... Good luck with that in November :-)

Alrighty...

2008-04-28T10:11:00.005-06:00

... I know: I am deserting my blog lately. I have a good excuse, though: three different schedules, Nicholas', Emma's and mine (yes, also the one of mine, I am still a person!).

In the meanwhile things happened in the political scene both here and in Italy. Not good news actually. As I already wrote, the dwarf won the elections in Italy and here in our very State of Pennsylvania, my Barack lost over Hillary last week. Not that it wasn't expected but still, you know, when it comes to Obama, I really got HOPE.

:-)

The Nano strikes back...

2008-04-14T20:41:00.007-06:00

"Nano" is Greek (and also Italian) for dwarf, that's why Apple Inc. called its smallest iPod like that... Today my brother in-law made me get at the Apple Store a pink iPod nano for his girlfriend and I gotta tell I am very jealous! And right there I saw and touch the most beautiful thing I ever seen and touched...

Unluckily here I am not talking about iPods.

ROME - Conservative billionaire Silvio Berlusconi won Italy's general elections by an unexpectedly wide margin on Monday, securing a third term as prime minister but warning of tough times ahead for the country in the grip of an economic downturn. "I will govern for five years," the 71-year-old media magnate told public television after his centre-left rival Walter Veltroni conceded defeat. "We have difficult months ahead that will require great strength." He offered "an affectionate kiss to all Italians" before ending the telephone interview. [...]"

Note: Due to Berlusconi's very limited height Italian citizens often call him il nano: the dwarf.

Milan to host Expo in 2015

2008-03-31T18:41:00.004-06:00

Milan just won the right to host the Expo 2015, beating out the Turkish city of Izmir in an announcement by the International Exhibitions Bureau that sparked jubilation in Italy. Its location in Europe as a major hub and city officials had said they were confident of drawing 30 million visitors to Expo 2015.

There are some facts of this city nowadays that it made it the perfect candidate for a world fair: is situated at the centre of an area of about 10 million inhabitants, such as London or Paris; produce 10% of the Italian GDP, and have a per-capita revenue that is almost twice the Italian one and an unemployment level as low as half of Italy’s as a whole; sell 10 million tickets yearly for art, music and cinema shows; is the house 650 fashion show-rooms, in competition with Paris and New York.

As a all-milanese-girl - born and raised in Milan - I can't help but being happy about this city having won the bid and I will go see for sure the fruit of those 25 billions of euro investments from here to 2015.
I am a huge fan of my birth city. Can't deny it. Every time I go back there, as I get crazy for all the chaos and those outrageous prices, I sure recognize the charm and the convenience of a metropolitan city where you can get what you want at anytime of the day or of the night.

You'll never get bored in Milan, that's for sure. Well, I never did :-)

Carla et la Reine...

2008-03-26T19:00:00.003-05:00

... and like Italians say: "Class is not water" :-)!

Big girls don't cry

2008-03-26T14:21:00.008-05:00

While Emma Julia never cries, it's been a tough time for me lately: my condition as a postpartum woman in addition with the Tibetan crisis in the same week I gave birth just devastated me. I used to be a good Buddhist once, now it's been a while I don't see a monk or I don't go into a temple; I guess that's what they call a long lasting mystic crisis, but in the very moment I gave birth to my daughter 20 days ago, I did it with the picture of the Dalai Lama under the pillow of my bed in the delivery room. I may not be a perfect Buddhist but I still believe that the man can put to people a sort of aura of protection.

Six decades on Chinese oppression should have taught Tibetans at least one thing: ask for a little tiny help to the world and expect even less. Poor people.
Although the Tibetans have won at least the moral support of many nations, looks like no one has enough guts to stand and call for a boycott of the Olympic Games, too scared about the consequences of the trade with China, no matter if the assignment of the Olympics to Beijing is supporting a regime of death, oppression of many cultures with the lousy try to joke the entire world with words like peace and dignity.
The only one who took a sort of position towards this awful situation is the French President Sarkozy who said he might consider to boycott at least the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympic Games if things are not evolving in better ways and who does not hide at all the contacts between his office and that of the Dalai Lama.

Oh yes, the Dalai Lama... tough times for the guy lately.
He is facing the hardest challenge of his life since he escaped from Tibet in 1959. He has to deal with PR China propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the Chinese public that he was the one who instigated the violence in Tibet and that China was a victim of separatist terrorist activity. Too bad every footage taken from foreign press and visitors in Tibet from March 14 tells a very clear truth about who are the bad guys but due to the strict censure in China it's not easy for Chinese people to be aware of the actual situation in Tibet. Also China's government also has sharply criticized foreign reporters here over their coverage of the riots in Tibet, accusing them of biased reporting and preventing them from traveling to Tibet or neighboring provinces to report on the unrest.

As for myself from now on I will try to check labels on clothes and things: no more "made in China".
I said I will try... is this really doable without being an hypocrite? Everything is made in China nowadays.

Special delivery!

2008-03-08T17:29:00.006-05:00

Emma Julia
March 6th, 2008
7.4 lbs - 3.300 kg

Hurricane "Emma"

2008-03-03T13:14:00.002-05:00

Looks like a joke in the very week of the birth of my Emma...
At this point I just hope she won't be a hurricane as well:-)

VIENNA: A winter storm called Emma with winds of more than 150km/h cut a swath of destruction across Europe from Britain to the Czech Republic, killing at least nine people.
In Europe, where the storm was named Hurricane "Emma", airports were shut, transport networks were snarled and power lines cut.
In The Netherlands, the storm delayed planes at Schiphol international airport in Amsterdam. The dikes that keep the North Sea from flooding much of the country were being watched because of high water levels, Radio Netherlands reported. In Germany, trains were delayed by uprooted trees and an intercity express collided with a fallen tree between the cities of Cologne and Koblenz, injuring the driver. Nearly 130 flights to or from Frankfurt airport were either cancelled or diverted, when Emma, packing winds of between 155km/h and 180km/h lashed parts of central Europe.
The storms left a mounting death toll across the region. Austrian media reported that four people had died as a result of the storm, three of them foreigners on holiday. In the Czech Republic, an 11-year-old girl was killed by a falling tree north of Prague, and flying metal sheets struck and killed an 80-year-old priest in a town east of the central European country's capital.
Europe began feeling the effects of Emma late on Friday night, local time, according to Germany's national weather service. German authorities were urging residents to stay indoors until the worst of the storm had passed.

Reuters, agencies

La derniere rose

2008-02-24T22:57:00.004-05:00

Los Angeles, Feb 24th 2008
French actress Marion Cotillard has won her first Academy Award for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose," a role in which she spoke no English. "It is true, there are some angels in this city," Cotillard exclaimed.

[from CNN.com]

Just beautiful.

Want her OUT!

2008-02-20T13:41:00.012-05:00

When some women tell me that pregnancy is great and it makes you feel good and even powerful... well, I have my doubts: 37 weeks and 20 lbs/9 kg later, and I can tell with absolute confidence that this is definitely a handicap state. I think I forgot about all this discomfort from the first time. Now I am so tired of this "basketball under the shirt", like my OB called my all-in-front pregnant belly, I just want my baby girl out of here way before the induction I have scheduled for the 6th... two weeks to go looks like an eternity to me right know.

Besides everything is ready, we just set up the nursery (1/2), washed baby bottles, I found some time for sewing and re-upholster an old rocking chair plus making a custom reversible fleece blanket for her car seat.
I even ordered online custom printed M&Ms with her name and I am gonna put them in little organza pink pouches, as favors. I thought M&Ms are funnier and a little different from the Italian Confetti candies - called "Jordan Almonds" here - that we use in Italy as tradition... never liked traditions :-)!
Even the basement is finished finally by tomorrow; I am very excited to have had this project done since it was designed by myself and having it realized it's a huge thing for me... so we went from that, to this...quite different, uh?

... well, it seems like only baby-Emma is missing in the scenario here :-)

"... when I am President!"

2008-02-13T09:18:00.008-05:00

"... when I am President of the United States" is becoming a new slogan for Barack Obama, along with "Yes, we can!", "Stand for change" and "Hope".

I think this guy is just perfect right now for this Country, perfect timing and perfect President for 2008.
Only one thing I don't really agree in his program, the energy bill, I guess (see, nobody's perfect, eh eh !). But there are too many other things to fix in the US and the energy issue as far as I am concerned is dwarfed by everything else.
Well, also I see HOPE and CHANGE all around me lately. It's ecstatic, really. And if some people can change, if some things can move, so there is hope for America for a new start and changes too.

Listen to his speech of yesterday night in Wisconsin.
Primary in WI will be held on Feb 19th, along with Hawaii (c'mon, we've already won Hawaii!)

«Si tu reviens, j'annule tout»

2008-02-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

... you gotta be kidding me!!!
(and where is the freaking privacy, BTW???)!!!

A French magazine claims to have an SMS text message from Nicolas Sarkozy which begs his ex-wife, Cécilia, to return. Sarkozy, who married Carla Bruni last Saturday, is reported to have texted "If you come back, I'll cancel everything" (Si tu reviens, j'annule tout). The message, published in the left-wing Le Nouvel Observateur, is claimed to have been sent only 8 days before his marriage to Carla.

If this is true, he's gonna become a freak-show very soon, I'm afraid... and I can't help but wonder: are some men able to make one (I mean 1) decision in their entire life??? And also - always in case this is the truth - what the new Mrs. Sarkozy is gonna do about it? Be a lady and look it over with a smile or be Carla Bruni and change companion every other season? Well, spring is coming up soon! :-)

Source: Liberation.fr

Dems speeches on Super T

2008-02-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama:

Hillary Clinton:

Enfin, le mariage...

2008-02-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy married supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, just three months after they started dating. "Ms Carla Bruni Tedeschi and Mr Nicolas Sarkozy would like to announce that they got married this morning in the presence of their families and in the utmost privacy," a statement from Sarkozy's Elysee office said. The pair tied the knot at a low-key, civil ceremony conducted by the mayor of the Paris district that houses the president's grandiose official residence.
[keep reading here]

Well, they did it, apparently.
I like her, I like him but, considering her past with the Enthovens, and considering that Carla's 20 year-old stepson Jean actually looks like this, I would strongly suggest to Mr. President to watch out his new wifey!!! :-)))
(... Oh, Gosh, I'm THAT bitchy???!!!)

Super Tuesday

2008-02-04T09:36:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is gonna be a big day.

It's the day on which the largest-ever simultaneous number of state U.S. presidential primary elections will be held; 24 states, the American Samoa and Democrats abroad are scheduled to vote caucuses or primary elections. Coincidentally, Super Tuesday falls on Mardi Gras - Carnival for all the Italians - this year. And yesterday the Giants won the SuperBall... What a week!
I'll be stuck on CNN keeping my fingers crossed and supporting my man. I liked him one year ago when I "found him", and I LOVE HIM even more now... why? Just listen to his speeches and you'll know why!

The cord is "MINE MINE MINE"!

2008-01-28T11:51:00.001-05:00

Coming from Europe where everyone can choose at the moment of the delivery if donate the cord blood and hospitals are well prepared at it, I actually found very odd - and disappointed - that I had to spend some time on the Internet before find out how to donate Emma's cord cells when it's time. Here you need to be prepared way before, look by yourself because, and this is my case, no one told me the know-how thing on cord blood public bank. No OB, no nurse.
Truth is, there are tons of ads of private cord blood banks out here, on magazines and at the OB's office, the ones which you spend about 1500$/year to conserve your baby's stem cells, but none which talks about "donation", for everyone who might need them. In fact, even hospitals are not really prepared on the issue and my hospital, for instance, is the only one that participates the initiative in the State of Pennsylvania. Also you need to request a special kit from the national bank yourself, and take it with you at the hospital at the moment of the delivery. I found ridiculous with capitol R that in my doctor's office there are no brochure, no infos, no nothing on the subject. After all it doesn't cost a think, it's painless and 2 minutes of a simple procedure (to store the unit) during the most important day of your child's life could also save other lives, so your very special day could be the special day of someone else who would find in your baby's stem cells a perfect match.
Even my doctor when I asked about it for a moment he thought I was meaning the private banking and he was - happily - surprised that I wanted just to give my girl's blood cord. I said that for me, in my mind, everyone's good is my good too and if everyone (really everyone) would donate the cord, it would be virtually impossible not to find a match donor when needed. He explained that this 'donate cord blood thing' is not yet into the culture here because in general, when it comes to health, people are "thinking private" and not social... well, I am so glad to "think social", you know?

---------------------------------

National Marrow Donor Program
Look for participating hospitals in the United States
Donate cord blood!

Italian Prime Minister resigns

2008-01-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

ROME (AFP) — Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned on Thursday following 20 rocky months in office after the centre-left leader lost a vote of confidence in the Senate.
President Giorgio Napolitano asked Prodi to continue in office as the head of state holds consultations with political leaders, beginning Friday afternoon with the speakers of the Senate and the lower house Chamber of Deputies, the president's office said in a statement.
Prodi, 68, crippled by the defection this week of the centrist Catholic UDEUR party, had decided to go ahead with the Senate showdown despite appeals from top leaders, including Napolitano, to resign instead.
The mild-mannered former economics professor appeared resigned to the near certainty that he would lose the vote but determined to carry through with it on principle.
"I am here because you cannot hide from the judgement of those who represent the people, and our people are watching us," he said beforehand.
Despite a last-minute change of heart by one of UDEUR's three senators and the support of five of Italy's unelected senators for life including 98-year-old Rita Levi-Montalcini, Prodi fell five votes short in the upper house. [... read the entire article]

That divided Rome

2008-01-20T08:04:00.000-05:00

My First Amendment hero is Larry Flynt. No contest.
I was very impressed when I read his story and strength years ago and lately it the story of Larry made me think about the pope... Sacrilegious! - some might say - how you dare, you little Italian without a God, comparing a pornographer with a saint? :)))
Well, actually there is a point here...

Here's the story from last week.
The Vatican has cancelled the proposed visit of pope Ratzinger on 17th to the most ancient University of Rome, 'La Sapienza' (meaning: the Wisdom) owing to the protests of a section of professors and students of the University. The visit to the University was planned on the occasion of the Official inauguration of the Academic Year. But the refusal to welcome Ratzinger rises from the fact that "the pope is against science" since in 1990 in a speech, the once Cardinal Ratzinger said 'In the era of Galileo the Church was more faithful to reason than Galileo himself. The process carried out against Galileo was right and reasonable'. These comments had infuriated the scientists, university professors and students who now are up in arms against the intrusion of religion into the religion and 'desecration of science'. The recent proposal of a moratorium on abortion made another issue and around 67 professors of the University signed a letter opposing the visit and the students organized demonstrations and eventually Ratzinger gave up on his speech.

I am probably the last person who would be interested to listen to a speech of Ratzinger, for free or for money, since I think that he's mind is as older as the one of Methuselah when it comes to be open on science and modern life: what I read on the paper is already enough for my tastes. I support science and I'd certainly rather do something else instead of listen to one of his lectures but I support the freedom of speech even more and there is a huge difference in refusing to go and see someone's speech and wanting him to shut up because your views and his are not the same.
If Liberation and Communion (very strong in Italian Universities) would, for instance, demonstrate and try to shut up a speech of Umberto Veronesi, internationally known Italian oncologist, atheist and activist for euthanasia... well, I believe that the same people who didn't want the Pope talk would be very, very pissed off.

What I would like is to live in freedom where I can choose to attend or not a speech of the Pope, listen to him and follow him if I like it, or just, you know, take all his writings and throw them in the garbage, if I think they better belong there. But at least, it's my choice, not some professor or a committee of students.
If not... dude, where is the freedom???

---------

Note: On 2004 to Michael Moore happened basically the same thing when he was invited to talk at the University of Utah. The invitation brought student petitions circulated, demonstrations and even a local citizen who offered $25,000 to the Utah State College to cancel the engagement with Moore. For the vast majority of the citizens Mr. Moore were representing a "danger to their values" in a place were the citizens are mostly Mormons. In that case, the attempt to shut Moore up didn't work and the speech did take place, but in the try to calm some controversy on that event, the conservative opinion-leader Sean Hannity was then invited to speak. That was ridiculous. (Watch the movie-documentary This Divided State and see how did it go.)

And doctor says

2008-01-18T08:58:00.000-05:00

The time I realized how easy was to get drugs from your doctor in the US was when I went to the dentist four years ago: even if you have had a tooth extraction they routinely give you a narcotic as pain reliever, the Percocet, which, don't take me wrong, is good (is good, is good!) but I am not that sure that Percocet is the right kind of pain medication you really need in a case of tooth extraction.

Besides, with this system, being a doctor in the United States sounds to me like a big pain in the ass: MDs are between the patient (who wants to sue you), the insurance companies (which don't want him to run too many tests) and the pharmaceutical companies (pushing him to prescribe their miracle drugs). What a stress, no wonder they are payed that much!

In my experience all my doctors have always done what I've asked them, I am not getting much suggestions from them, ever.
They give you several options, with the lousy excuse that "this is a free Country", in order of not being sued and eventually say I did give you that option, you chose another.
I come from a culture where if a doctor tells you that you need, let's say, a surgery, you trust him and you do the surgery because you trust him. You trust him also in the way that you are sure if there would be a better option for you to fix your problem, he would have chosen that one.
And if your cholesterol is high, your doctor scold you on your bad nutrition and bad cholesterol scores, he does not say, "well, take this red pill every morning, don't change a thing about your life and you'll be fine", just to keep you happy with your McDiet.

In a universal healthcare system no doctor needs to cover his ass from being sued or being fired because he's running too many tests on that patient and he's pissing off the insurance companies. I believe that man can work much better in the best interest of his patient not to be that pushed. Of course it's not a system based on economical efficiency but I would rather have some waste of money rather than physicians who treat me with a sort of conflict of personal interest. Luckily I need a doctor once a year only...
What my gynecologist calls - quoting him literally - a patriarchal culture, I only call it good sense.
I hope as someone yelled lately, "Time for change has come".

Height of the f...

2008-01-18T08:13:00.000-05:00

... fundus! Height of the fundus (uterus)! :-)
Never heard before getting pregnant in America, BTW!

Fundal height , measured from the top of the pubic bone, is routinely measured in pregnancy to determine growth rates.
When I explained how the monthly appointment to the OBs goes around here, that they take a tailor measuring tape and they run it up to your belly, like in the picture, my Italian girlfriends are like... 'really?!' - since usually in pregnancy while in Italy your OB have the ultrasound machine in his own office and measures the fetus basically every time giving an estimate weight from the 20th week to the delivery.

The height of the fundus in my experience was never accurate and eventually it always took an ultrasound to determinate the growth. But I wonder: how can it be accurate when different women have different shapes, different body height and different quantity of amniotic fluid... I bet a petite woman has a different size abdomen and so it is different the way she carries in pregnancy, and it's not that if your belly is huge it means that the baby is huge!
My measurements are always off; with my first baby they kept telling me it's small, it's small and then that small thing was born 7 pounds and as plumpy as he could get.
This new OB of mine was also concerned that the baby could be smaller than normal at her stage, considering my size and my "little" weight gain and he sent me for an ultrasound... 17 pounds in the eighth month is perfectly normal where I come from, but... whatever. Actually in a way, he did ask *me* if I wanted to go for an ultrasound, and I was like you are the doctor, *you* tell me if I need to go for another ultrasound, then I'll go! But judging from the measures at the sonogram, turned out that baby Emma is even bigger for her gestational age and her weight was not exactly what I call a lightweight, you know? Now it's clear here that I don't make small babies...

So, basically, in my opinion, the height of the fundus is bullshit!
:-)

"Ask your doctor about..."

2008-01-15T16:09:00.000-05:00

Although I do believe that with a correct nutrition and seasonal fasting and body cleansing you can help a lot in many ways for many diseases, there is a huge difference in claiming that AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus and muscular dystrophy can be cured with all-natural remedied as Kevin Trudeau says in his book, without any medical degree.

There are no doubts that American society has a strange (and I think, very wrong) approach towards medicine and nutrition and that MDs hardly give a damn about what's your daily diet - as they probably give a damn about their own. I've been here for about 6 years and no doctor ever asked me what do I eat. My son's pediatrician is a good exception since he is a Jewish guy and he says he always eat fresh at home with his family. But basically, when you have a medical problem, even the smallest one, they tent to fix you with a pill, which is temporary fixes the symptoms but hardly fixes the real causes of the condition and, often, generates even more troubles.
The writer of this book also claims in his book that the FDA are pushed by drug companies not to promote natural remedies for a matter of money... Ehmmm... Dah! Man, what a secret! I mean, it didn’t really take a whole book, thank you!
No drug company would, let's say, support those studies which claim that ADHD – “oddly” most widely spread in the United States than in every other Country in the world – could be caused by poor nutrition, additives and some kind of colorants in food (some of them largely used here are not even legal in other countries)... not convenient to say this, because otherwise a mother could not go and “ask the doctor about Adderall” (quoting from the commercial), instead of taking care of them in a different way. I'm that sarcastic this issue because I am so tired to see all these scum ads on every given parenting magazine I look while I'm waiting in the hall of my son's pediatrician. It's just ridiculous to put a child on amphetamines because he does not listen in class! That's the right way I think to ruin a whole new generation. Seeding a very bad seed, wait and see.

Well, while I think this Kevin guy is an extremist, I also think that it's possible to read between his lines and get the better from this book... After all, it is possible - before using medications - to try to improve something like an acid reflux disease, chronic fatigue, constipation and obesity just changing (radically) the way you live, not only the way you eat.
It's hard and it needs commitment and self discipline but the "ask your doctor about the miracle pill" could be avoided and it's priceless, I think.

Pablo, oh Pablo...

2008-01-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

Being a legalization advocate I've been often accused to be on the "side of drugs, not of the kids", wanting to "spread a disease" when what anti-prohibitionists want is take out from the illegal market something that is been always wide available but not always wide controlled, more information (scientific information, not hoax) and separation between the drugs. Whether the actual policy is working, is controversial and lately was well proved wrong.

When Pablo Escobar died - gunned down by Colombian police in 1993 - ironically he knew so much more about what DEA doing than the DEA knew about what he was doing. The agents found in his house (La Catedràl) shelves and shelves filled with confidential DEA reports in extraordinary detail. He might have laughed so much and teased these people for years, drinking Colombian liquor and snorting his own product!
After his death DEA agents claimed that they might have reached "an endgame" to the War on Drugs. But it didn't go exactly like they wished, actually.

The United States has spent so far an estimated $500 billion to fight drugs with very little results to show. Cocaine is now as cheap as it was when Escobar died and more heavily used. Meth, barely a presence in 1993, is now used by 1.5 million Americans, may be more addictive than crack.
There are about 500,000 people behind bars for drug crimes - a twelvefold increase since 1980 - with no discernible effect on the drug traffic. Researchers were surprised to find out that imprisoning the addicts are the least effective way to decrease drug use and the only way that works is treatment; but still today the war on drugs marks military efforts and police work while treatment and prevention and information received barely a third of all federal drug spending.
From the mid-20s, when the cannabis was included in the "International Opium Convention", the War on Drugs and its costs raised as hell and virtually the only success the government can claim is the decline in the number of Americans who smoke marijuana - and even on that count, it's not clear that federal prevention programs are responsible. The weed-war was the most ridiculous ever.
The biggest mistake of the latest years of the Bush administration was targeting pot literally ignoring the rise of crystal meth, who spread epidemically around the Country starting from the West and that can be produced basically everywhere, with a cold medication, shitty chemicals and a simple recipe on the Internet. A real disaster.
Without counting that the US-sponsoring of heroin production and smuggling through the multibillion dollar budget from the Government to fund the Mujahideen in their fight against the Soviet army. As a result, the CIA got to generate funds through the poppy-rich Afghan soil.
Same old friends who took down the Twin Towers on 9/11 and started the War against terrorists.

Seems like a dog chasing its tail to me... They clearly lost this war... y Pablo está riendo aún más :)

I love my pink Flip

2008-01-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

Not available yet in Europe, this is a great product if you like to make little movies or shooting scenes of every day's life. I got it for Christmas from my in-laws, they know my passion for home movies but they also know how lazy I am when it comes to remember to "bring the camera, bring the camcorder". I always forget.
This one, the Flip Ultra camcorder, is small as a packet of cigarettes and it fits in every purse, has an internal memory of 60 minutes and it downloads the movie in secs, even directly on YouTube or MySpace.

That's my new toy... Fichissima!!! :)

Iowa Caucus

2008-01-03T09:54:00.000-05:00

I still remember how funny was when Dean, a Swiss friend of mine, told me about some little tiny towns in Switzerland where people would elect candidates by raising their hands in a public square; in Iowa is not that different, unless Iowa is not a small town but a State of 99 Counties :)

The Iowa caucus sounds like a real fun. While in the Republican caucuses, each voter casts his or her vote by secret ballot, in the Democratic process is peculiar: the vote is literally determined by where each voter stands (I mean, physically!); an area is also be designated for undecided participants. Then, for about 30 minutes, participants try to convince their neighbors to support their candidates.
"After 30 minutes - I quote a Wiki - the electioneering is temporarily halted and the supporters for each candidate are counted. At this point, the caucus officials determine which candidates are "viable". Depending on the number of county delegates to be elected, the "viability threshold" can be anywhere from 15% to 25% of attendees. For a candidate to receive any delegates from a particular precinct, he or she must have the support of at least the percentage of participants required by the viability threshold. Once viability is determined, participants have roughly another 30 minutes to "realign": the supporters of inviable candidates may find a viable candidate to support, join together with supporters of another inviable candidate to secure a delegate for one of the two, or choose to abstain. This "realignment" is a crucial distinction of caucuses in that (unlike a primary) being a voter's "second candidate of choice" can help a candidate." And when the voting is closed, a final (head) count is conducted.

And wait, this is not the election of an honorary mayor in the middle of nowhere, we are talking about the first step in the United States Presidential nomination process! Aren't we just in 2008? Or maybe it was just a dream? :D

www.stopbuyingbabycrap.com

2007-12-28T15:23:00.000-05:00

With the Euro at almost $1.5 it was nice to receive money gifts from our families from Italy and buy extra stuff for the house and the new baby... Right, the new baby.
Between the 2 international moves we went through in 18 months, I gave away most of the baby gear I have bought for Nicholas at the time, his old crib went rotten down in the muddy Belgian storage room and - when it comes to clothing - I gotta tell you, shopping for girls is a real fun time for one real shopaholic like I am.
Amazon.com is becoming my best friend lately because, basically, the only thing I kept was Nicholas' stroller (actually bought it only few months ago), his orange Quinny Zapp for which we just got the infant Maxi-Cosi car seat and making a nice travel system for "the peanut".
And yes, I know, I really need to stop buying baby shit, but having a girl makes my shopping urges even more irresistible and, you know, hard to stop a Milanese woman on shopping!. But if you look at some stuff it's really hard to resist!

If Emma will be like me... oh, my poor husband :-)

Rocking Santa!

2007-12-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

Quelqu'un m'a dit...

2007-12-19T13:27:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well, everything you can say about him but he does not have a good taste in women!

While Gianfranco Fini left his wife for - I'm sorry to say that - a pretty tacky woman, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy left his wife, yes, for Carla Bruni, an Italian heiress, naturalized French, ultra sophisticated, 39 looking 25, ex supermodel and now hit singer in France. The President even already proposed to her, quoting her mom from newspaper of Turin.

Look at her, how can we blame him? If my husband would leave me for someone like this one, I would say, "You know, alrighty, fair enough" :-))))) (Just kidding)

Note: "Quelqu'un m'a dit" (en: somebody told me) is one of the most famous songs by Carla Bruni - here on youtube. Ehmmmm, not really what I call my style :-)

UN support death penalty moratorium

2007-12-18T13:44:00.000-05:00

I remember last year, this time of the season, there was a lot of talking about Saddam's execution. It didn't go well in the end but today...

December 18, 2007:
The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty with a view to abolishing capital punishment.
The vote in the 192-member world body was 104-54 with 29 abstentions.
The resolution is not legally binding but it carries moral weight and reflects the majority view of world opinion. The vote capped a heated debate in the General Assembly's human rights committee that continued before and after the final vote. It saw the United States taking the unusual step of siding with countries such as Iran and Syria in opposition to the resolution.
The resolution calls on those countries that still allow capital punishment to respect international standards that safeguard the rights of condemned inmates and to "establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty."

The way is still very very long but at least, we have something here to begin with.
This is the first day in decades (after legalizations of divorce and abortion in late 70s in Italy) that the radicals really have made something remarkable and to remember.
Even bigger than the last ones.

------------------------------------
More infos on Hands Off Cain website.
Thirteen years of battles (from La Repubblica), IT
The Vatican on UN resolution

The gender factor

2007-12-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

My babydoll was a girl. I guess that's why I have never really felt the "mother of a boy", I'm now more than ever a girly-girl rather than a tomboy so I always thought that I could relate much easier with a daughter.

When I was pregnant with Nicholas and I went for the ultrasound - the one in which you have good chances to find out the sex - I didn't even consider that I could carry a boy: the idea of growing a penis in my belly represented such an odd thing to me :-))). The night before the ultrasound I had this weird dream about a baby with a blue hat asking me if I would have loved him anyway even if it would have been a boy. I felt really guilty but in that very moment I kinda knew! And the day after, when the technician told me the gender, I was like "Ehi, check again!" (I thought: OK, last chance, maybe it's just the cord!!!) but there was no doubts about, THAT was a penis. I adjusted to the idea in actually not so little time but I did pretty well in the end - I think this had something to do with the fact every woman I knew was having a boy that time.
And so came Nicholas, the mellowest baby I could conceive: sleep, eat, sleep, eat. He was almost boring, he never cried. Still my cuddling little thing. Well, I am the mom of a boy and now I am so proud of it.

I know with this new one will be different, everyone is saying to me that 'girls are a pain'. The fetus-Emma is starting to wake me up with her 3am kicking habits and I know already it's not gonna get better in times (especially with her hyper-protective big bro she's going to have).
On Saturday I have the 3D ultrasound, so we'll be able to see her actual face... sometimes I think: what if the other ultrasound technician was wrong, what if "Emma" is a boy? I don't even have a name for a boy!

Oh gosh, I can't think about this: we have so much pink in the house already, it makes me sick :-)))

Dec. 22nd: 3D Ultrasound technician said "It's still a girl, no penis, still your Emma!"
What a relief.. imagine taking back all those pink stuff... :))))

... and NJ makes fourteen!

2007-12-15T20:03:00.001-05:00

New Jersey became the first US state in four decades to vote to abolish the death penalty last Thursday when the Democratic-controlled state assembly passed the law by a vote of 44 to 36.
In Rome there is a tradition since 1999: every time a death sentence is commuted somewhere in the world or a country abolishes capital punishment, the Colosseum in Rome is dramatically lit up (and it's quite spectacular, actually). So the Colosseum will be lighting up in honor of New Jersey which - for my point of view - really saw the light this week.

I believe that breaking the ice after 40 years might be a great step and maybe a new beginning even for the rest of the United States to join the civilized world. I repeat: the civilized world. This because the United States is still one of the very few countries who live in democracy and give death to its citizens as a legal form of punishment. Most people who support death penalty call themselves pro-life since they are against abortion and euthanasia for sick poor ones; these people feel even safer knowing that criminals could end up in a gas chamber... an irreversible miscarriage of justice (no pun intended, for God's sake!).

I like the number 14.
Welcome to New Jersey, the second Christmas miracle of my week.

An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind
(Mahatma Gandhi)

The Dalai Lama talks in Rome

2007-12-13T21:25:00.000-05:00

The Dalai Lama called on Italy today to support Tibet for its religious autonomy, in a speech to Italian parliament members. "We do not want independence for Tibet, but only to preserve our cultural traditions, which enrich even those of China" the Dalai Lama said. Looks like he gave up on the total autonomy of his Country after so many years.
China made already very clear its disapproval of the trip to the Italian foreign affairs ministry saying that "The Dalai is not a pure religious figure but a political exile under the cover of religion who has long been engaged in activities aimed at splitting the motherland and national unity. Therefore, we are opposed to any country in any form to support or sympathize with the Dalai's activities".
In the meanwhile Fausto Bertinotti, said he supported both Tibet's right to cultural autonomy and strong Italy-China relations. Of course he does...

My thoughts and love today are for His Holiness and for this other wonderful man, without whom not even this semi-official speech would not have been at all possible.

A little Christmas miracle.
-----
Two reasons why this man is rightly recognized by Buddhists the wisest man alive :
- Tenzin Gyatso on homosexuality: "If the two people have taken no vows [of chastity], and neither is harmed, why should it not be acceptable?"
- Tenzin Gyatso on abortion: "Of course, abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking. But it depends on the circumstances. If the unborn child will be retarded or if the birth will create serious problems for the parent, these are cases where there can be an exception. I think abortion should be approved or disapproved according to each circumstance."

Remembering John

2007-12-11T14:36:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I think the world would have been a little bit better with him still around...

John Lennon, MBE
(9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980)
English songwriter, singer, musician,
graphic artist, author and peace activist.

And this is still the best song ever written.

SATC Trailer Released

2007-12-10T16:43:00.000-05:00

My favorite TV show is turning into a movie.
The worst part is that I already know that this 120 minutes won't be as good as the HBO series I followed for years, but I won't miss for sure the premiere movie night in May.

Savoy vs. Italy, Jews vs Savoy

2007-12-07T09:59:00.000-05:00

I woke up today, reading the papers and I couldn't help but laughing.
Some things only happens in Italy, anywhere else would have been considered a joke made up on April's Fools Day.

Some history in a nutshell: Italy had once a royal family, the Savoy, whose king co-signed laws that allowed nearly 8,000 Italian Jews to be deported by the occupying German forces starting in 1943 and the royal family well benefited financially from the Fascist regime. Let's put it this way: without the king's signature, the racial laws in Italy not have existed. When the Republic was established, the royal family was sent in exile and later the rest of the uncrowned Italian royal family choose to grow in a huge villa just outside Geneva. In the last years you would hear from them once in a while when they literally begged the State to change the Italian constitution and allow them to visit their original Country. Fine for me, actually. The last of Savoy, Emanuele Filiberto, now 35, did look like a nice guy, helping communities and children in the Third World with his foundation and gossip magazines adored him; while his 70yo father, Vittorio Emanuele, let's say it, is a jackass and a kinda pig, but Italy is fulfilled of jackasses and pigs. One more, no harm, right?
So, after years of struggling controversies, the Savoy family arrived with a private jet from Switzerland in 2002, landing in Rome, with a hint of tears... oh, what a touching moment!

After 5 years from that, the astonish joke: a demand from the House of Savoy for compensation from the Italian state for their 56 years of forced exile. 260 million euros + interest. They are also seeking the return of assets that were confiscated by the Italian state after 1946 (!).
Where's no spot of decency here. The Jews called the demands offensive "to the historical memory of Italy" for our history, and they are so damn right. What happened was a shame, I am still ashamed, actually. Decency would be to stay in silence as a sign of respect for all Italians, including and especially for the Jews; shut up and - why not? -enjoying ski on the other side of the Alps and the Tuscan sun in summer.

The latest news is the fight back from the Italian Jewish Community: suing them for their responsibility over the racial laws.
In another situation I would have find the demand likewise nonsense since I do believe the Emmanuel II's descendants have nothing to do with what he did with racial laws and if they would need to pay the debt, so every Italian would need to pay since our ancestors at the time brought Mussolini at power... But in this totally absurd case, well, I can only agree: joke for a joke :-) !!!

Today

2007-12-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

Today it's one of the very rare days I am actually missing Milan.

In this week will take place nice Christmas events like the Sant'Ambroeus Fair ("O' bej o' bej") - one of the oldest Christmas Milanese traditions - and the Artisan's Fair with expositors from all around the world. I use to buy ethnic jewelry and lots of stuff for my house there.
The opera at La Scala theater also open its season.
Then, least but definitely not last, the speeches and teaching of the Dalai Lama.

Milàn, bela Milàn...

A Smart Exchange?

2007-12-05T10:32:00.000-05:00

I was 15 and I was literally dragged by one of my schoolmates "to see Richard Gere". She saw Richard Gere, I saw the Dalai Lama. Gere literally disappeared comparing to Gyatso and I fell head over heels for him. And from that point my life changed and also, from that point is basically impossible to have me seated next to a Chinese without talking about Tibet ("Ah Tibet: China!" "NOOO, fuck, Tibet: TIBET!").

Ten days ago I was speechless toward the current Pope Ratzinger's decision not to give audience to the Dalai Lama, coming in Italy for a round of conferences. John Paul II had never did such a thing in his leadership on purpose. The purpose, apparently, is the try in improving relations with China despite the recent conflicts and it was clear from the start that Beijing was not happy about this meeting.
In 2006 for the first time in more than five years, an official Vatican delegation visited China and met with government officials. In sending diplomats to Beijing, the Vatican, under Pope Ratzinger, is publicly expressing interest in improving relations with China despite the recent conflicts. In the meanwhile yesterday the Beijing-recognized Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association appointed a new bishop, Reverend Joseph Gan Junqiuas - who has publicly declared his loyalty to the Pope.

But ten days ago I didn't get *that* speechless as I am right now as Italian politicians also are divided over the nice man.
Romano Prodi - man with no spine - already turned down an audience last year and has been consistent on doing the same this time. Roberto Formigoni, President of the Region Lombardy eventually will meet His Holiness, but at his own Milanese home with nothing official: it will be probably just like a private cocktail party! The only one who formally invited the Dalai Lama for a meeting is Fausto Bertinotti, one who - whether you like his communist ideas or not - everyone credit him as a man who does not like exchanges much. And he keeps proving this right.

Looks like everyone lately is well engaged in steps to improve relations with PRC by avoiding the Tibetan Lama... And they are actually very good at it!

P.S.: Just one thing is still wandering my mind... where the fuck is that Bonino bitch?! This one is an article written last August by Mauro Suttora who gives well the idea... today Bruno Mellano, radical advocate for the Tibet cause, in a press release said "I hope the Council of Ministers will be able to do the interests of our Country without giving up on its constitutional values. Emma Bonino, as Minister of International Trade as well as radical non-violent militant, won't miss to meet officially the Dalai Lama in Rome in the occasion of the meeting of the Nobel Prizes." Said so, for now, silence...

My picks, my tricks

2007-12-02T19:31:00.000-05:00

When you are pregnant either you are always looking for advices or everybody wants to give you some and this is freaking you out pretty much.
I belonged to first category in my first pregnancy (since I didn't have any girlfriend who had already lived the experience) and now all my pregnant friends are asking me for some tips. Things like knowing at what stage exactly is right to wear maternity clothes, the anti-stretch marks lotions, what stroller is the best.
Truth is, is different for everyone, and every advise is a kinda waste of time: people make their own experience in pregnancy and baby care nad find very often the moms and friend's tips useless and
Although, I have some stuff I would like to share, thing that with me worked very well (warning: I'm not being paying for advertising... I wish!!!) :)

- Palmer's Cocoa Butter - cream. Indispensable, indispensable. Don't trust books who say that there's no way to prevent stretch marks because is all genetics. There's something written in the DNA, I'm sure, but you can also help nature a lot. This cream is very good, no greasy and helps prevent marks with a special combination of Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E, Collagen and Elastin. Might not be available outside the US but, for the price under $5 it worths an order on the Internet.
- Bella Band and Belly Belt. I hate maternity pants. I really do. They are not only made for women with belly but also they have extra room for a supersize butt. If you don't have it chances are you will look like a jackass or (and that's worst...) your not-that-big ass eventually will look huge. Don't want that, so these items have been my best friends for months and still are! With these stuff you can wear your regular jeans, trousers, shorts and skirts throughout pregnancy and afterwards. I have both of them and I love especially the Bella Band, with which I still use my regular GAP jeans even if I'm already in the seventh months. A hair band tied in the hole of your jeans buttons is working great to expand them a little bit, they'll be half unbuttoned but if you put a long tank top on them no one will see the difference.
- Best thing is going to the gym but if time is an issue just buy a couple of prenatal yoga and pilates DVDs. I bought these: 1 - 2 - 3. I still have my membership at the gym but I have rarely time to go so I exercise at home with a little help of my son, who also do "the silly moves" :)
- Diaper bags suck! I am a handbag girl, definitely. I have dozens of bags and I also had two diaper bags: I'm telling you, if you don't buy luxury designer diaper bags like the LV one (which is $1800) or a Coach ($500), regular diaper bags -the one you buy at Babies'r'Us or those baby stores - are mostly ugly and less likely to go with nice dresses; they'll give you the soccer-mom look all along. There are instead the tote multi-functional leather bags which are pretty, don't look full of baby-crap and you can also use them for your laptop or for a weekend once you don't need them anymore for the little one. Give them a try.
- Postpartum support. Midwives would tell you that they are useless... well in my experience without the postpartum binder I wouldn't have been able to wear my regular stuff after two weeks I gave birth to my son, and even if with that pregnancy I had some extra weight to lose, at least I had no floppy belly to deal with. So, this time too, I will make sure to pack one in my hospital bag when I go.
- I have a good experience in strollers. I had 6. Yes, SIX. But I stopped looking around when I found the Quinny Zapp, a British "pushchair" now available also in the US, with some differences (the American one has 4 wheels instead of 3, like the original Brit) . Is the dream stroller: the smallest in the world when folded but wide and fancy when open.
No more changes for me :)

I'm sure there's something else to say here, but I'll leave the post open for later... Bye!

Sleepiness in Pittsburgh

2007-11-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

I feel like I was sleeping for months. It's true, I don't read the papers as often as I did when I had my laptop, so I went into archives of European newspapers and found juicy gossip.

After riveting France for the past two years, the political soap opera of President Nicolas Sarkozy's marriage is over. Mr. Sarkozy - handsome man, nothing to complain - and his wife, Cécilia, announced last October that they plan to divorce. Too bad, despite the fact I thought she should go for a Botox treatment, I liked the woman...
In the meanwhile in Italy AN leader Gianfranco Fini - not that handsome - was busy getting his 30-something TV starlette lover pregnant, leaving his wife of 20 years and planning a new life with a brand new family. A kinda late middle age crisis and looks like satire is very hard on him lately for that. Poor guy, I don't blame him... after working like a dog for years with Mr. Berlusconi-the dwarf (must be a hard job for everyone) he deserved some distractions, did he? Just a hint: next time use the condom.

They don't write those news on the Pittsburgh Post Gazette apparently :-)

Doc, do ya think I am a whale?!

2007-11-16T11:26:00.000-05:00

Let's get this straight before I start again on the subject "pregnancy and weight": I don't want to offend anyone, I just want to try to analyze something that during my first pregnancy has been a little problem with US doctors since I have been literally forced to gain 35 lbs, almost 16 kilos (I actually was in size S maternity but still, I was feeling HUGE and swollen!)!!!
So, if you are one of those cases in which you gained more than 30 pounds while you were expecting, please take it ironically :-)

Every woman with more than a child always point out that, no matter what, with the second pregnancy you are gonna be bigger, much bigger than with your first. Not for me, apparently: I was looking into my ex maternity pants, size S, lately and I just don't fit in them, I really did look like a jackass in all that extra floppy fabric... So I went out and bought XS with a big fat smile :-)
There are lots of US pregnancy forums out on the Internet, and when you go on the weight issue, well, if you are European you really can get shocked how for US people it is "completely normal" to gain 40-50 lbs during their pregnancy, a number which in the old continent it's close to ridiculous - especially if you deal with a French or Italian doctor, unconsciously culturally obsessed with weight and fashion (and women).

Once I met a chief of a hospital maternity wing that was actually losing patients for being too strict about their weight gain. I would be grateful for a doctor like that and when I got pregnant again I was sure he was the one for me... too bad he moved in Saudi Arabia and he won't be back for a while. Shit!
Based by my Google researches it wasn't always like that because American women in the 70s were dealing way differently with weight during pregnancy. These baby-boomers were gaining in the average 18 to 20 pounds and still their pregnancy and babies were healthy when nowadays most people packed-up the same amount of pounds only in the first half of the pregnancy. But for instance, those are women who saw their own mothers spending more time in the kitchen making meals for their family and eat properly homecooked since their early childhood. Do the math.
In Europe doctors usually take you very accurate blood tests every other month to check levels of nutrients in your blood and gives you only what you lack of. Here there are the prenatal vitamins in which you find 100% (or 200%) of every vitamin conceivable.
My story with these supplements is peculiar: taking prenatal vitamins I developed kidney stones just because, getting already enough calcium by myself from dairy products, my kidneys weren't able to drain the 100% additional calcium I was getting from the pills. Well, due to that experience, this time I showed my OB-GYN my regular diet and I asked him to test my blood first if he thinks I need supplements but don't give me anything 'by default'. However, prenatals are not such an idiotic idea in the USA: while in Italy or in France or in Spain is easy to give a pregnant woman a balanced written diet according to her body needs since people eat basically the same food, in America with different heritages and cultures, nutrition regimes is so different that it's virtually impossible to do the same thing. So I guess it's kinda responsible of doctors to prescribe these poli-vitamin pills just in case, so the baby has its ass covered - which makes sense.

"Cravings" (le famose "voglie", IT), I gotta tell you, are a hoax. A very good excuse to eat everything you want at anytime you want and literally force your poor husband out to get you "that" thing in the very middle of the night. Of course, he deserves it: it was him who got you pregnant :-). Anyway, I believe pregnant women don't crave more than others with nothing 'in the oven'. Let's put it in this way: it's like having a huge box of Oreo cookies in your kitchen cabinet, you think about it and you have this big temptation... the only difference is that when you are expecting a baby you think you have excuses to indulge this temptation. I mean, once in a while is fine, but some too much people "indulge themselves" while pregnant almost every day packing up pounds on waist and ass of nothing nutritious for their offspring...
Well, with the gynecologist I wanted off in Saudi Arabia then I chose one guy convenient for location to follow this new pregnancy but I got everything straight right away: I don't find nothing that funny in turning my ass in a cottage cheese trunk so I'm not gonna pack up more than 22 lbs. I'll keep you posted on that...

PS: See Eva Herzigova in the picture? You ain't see one like that around here, girls... well, right, hard to find anywhere! :-)

Hands off, dude!

2007-11-15T09:35:00.000-05:00

OK, OK, I won't let this blog to become a preggie-blog for anything in the world, I swear, but this worth a little note.

I don't know where does f@#$%g come from the myth of touching pregnant belly but I still remember five years ago that I could get really upset when strangers would touch my preg-tummy without even asking.
I know basically people mean well but - I wonder - would be OK to stop people and touching their ass only because it's bigger than the others around? Of course not! On the contrary: the bigger ass you have, the less people is tempted to touch it, right?!
Strangers ARE really strange, after all.

PS on Nov 16th: I've been asked by several girlfriends to write about pregnancy. I'm not crazy about turning into a preg-blogger and I'm not gonna do that, but I guess it might be interesting comparing medical questions, personal stress and differences between US and EU in this subject. For this I have made a special part of this blog, on the right column, my Preggie-Blog. Let's see what's comes out...

Really Sicko

2007-11-13T14:11:00.000-05:00

I believe that no country deserves to be called a Great Country if it does not provide a good universal education and a good universal health care to all its citizens.
In a way I am proud that my native country, Italy, was listed #2 (following France) as best health care provider for people who lives on its sole.

Social vs. private... I've seen and lived both ways so far. But I am a privileged to be able to have such a good health care here in the US and basically I don't count much.
When I used to live in Italy I've almost gone private for everything, blood tests, specialist MDs, routine check ups. Not that social provides bad service but, let's admit it, the chance that you have to wait forever to get an appointment with a specialist is very high, so you pay those f@#$%g 100-200 euros and you get to be seen by the same doc the following week. That sucks.
What is very good though is that Italian system has "priority tickets" for whom needs care right away, doctor's discretion. My dad, a third-type diabetic, never waited for tests or visits since he was diagnosed. Actually he is one of those who really thought social health care in Italy wasn't that good until he got something that was worthing a real good care from hospitals and doctors.

I can say with no doubts that if you have a good job or - like in my case - your spouse has a very good job, health care attentions are better in the USA. Thing is, is all about business, it does nothing to do with helping people I think. If your health care provider (the insurance, for instance) is good and willing to pay, hospitals tent to check on you very scrupulously - Italians would say that "they would count your ass' hair" :-) - until they find what's wrong and charging $3000 or so to your insurance... this is the case when you have a good insurance. But if you work for MacDonald's, well, sorry: no ass-hair counting for ya! :-)
What I found really disappointing is that doctors in America doesn't care much about prevention of illnesses. Being so pushed by pharmaceutical industries has its weight. Beside different nutrition culture, I believe that in Italy or in France government wouldn't allow all the junk food ads of the American TV (followed by 20 different ads of meds for cholesterol control most of the times), exactly how they don't allow cigarettes ads. One of the first things I noticed just arrived was that "take a pill" is a very typical American approach; in America you'll get pills prescribed for everything. Cholesterol? Don't change your nutrition, take the pill... Headache? It's a symptom, not an illness, but if you take a pain reliever, you'll be fine... Lack of vitamin C? Don't bother going get a couple of oranges - that is no big gain for Glaxo, you know? - take the supplement, instead... Don't wanna get pregnant? Auch, sorry, we are in a so Christian country so most insurances does not pay for that pill :-) ! Well, I'm being ironic but the reality is not that far and nutrition around here is not definitely "the first medicine" as in the mediterranean countries.

This Michael Moore's movie is very interesting.
It does show the worst of the American health system but also, and foremost, I think he shows the worst of the social system too, interviewing women on maternity leave for 1 year or more, or early pregnancy leave at 3 months - in those days all the pregnancies are risky-pregnancy in Italy! - and an American cancer survivor abroad who, feeling tired, obtained extra 6 months of sick days and went off in the South of France having fun with his friends by the ocean... Michael Moore thought it was amazing. Sure, it's an amazing wasting of social money - if you ever wonder when they (partially) go! :-)

On the other hands, you take the best of everything you can especially when you travel or live abroad. It's the best rule to be well everywhere.
And who wouldn't like to give birth or have surgery in an expensive hotel-like hospital - the ones in Italy almost only the footballers wives can afford - with cable TV, restaurant room service, sofa bed for your guest and a nurse coming in the minute you knock your fingers and all paid by your great insurance?? But my husband, for instance, is not a Wendy employee and even a Wendy employee deserve to have a decent health care, if we were in a Great Country as people reckon...

This woman, my hero

2007-11-10T13:57:00.000-05:00

CHICAGO - For bleary-eyed new moms, the image of Paula Radcliffe celebrating her astonishing New York marathon victory just nine months after giving birth is more than slightly surreal. There she was, one sinewy arm holding a baby, the other victoriously waving a British flag, ribs visible beneath a washboard-flat torso, not an ounce of visible fat on her sleek body.
"Running whilst preggers? Winning 9 months after? Yo!" read one blog comment. "She is phenomenal and a role model to all new Mums!" said another. Radcliffe's triumph Sunday, running 26.2 miles in two hours, 23 minutes just 291 days after childbirth, inspires equal amounts of awe and envy. But it also highlights a medical debate about just how gung-ho women should be about exercise during pregnancy and afterward.
Some doctors believe women used to rigorous exercise can continue it at least early in pregnancy and resume soon afterward, but that this is not the time for inactive women to suddenly decide they want to try a marathon. Their advice is often that it's OK to continue what you're used to, but don't push it.

Keep on reading the article here

Halloween surprise

2007-11-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

I went for the ultrasound and I finally got what I wanted:
Emma Julia is on the way!

House, M.D.

2007-09-26T16:42:00.000-06:00

Ok, ok, it's official, I'm an addict.

Time ago I saw one episode by chance and I thought that House MD was the best TV show I've seen in years, the guy is genius and so whoever wrote the character. I promised myself I would have bought the first seasons to catch up the fourth in America.
Well, three seasons are like 70 episodes, right? It's been one month that me and Luca don't do anything else than watching House every given night (and sometimes sneaking one during the afternoon, I admit it...), putting the kid in bed earlier than usual, starting House at 8pm and not going to bed until late... I mean, like crazy!!!

This is a very bad addiction, don't start with House, I'm telling you... (Tuesdays, 9pm on Fox... shhh..) :-)

Reaching 11 days hunger strike

2007-09-25T09:10:00.000-06:00

Hi dear all!
My laptop's broken so I am neglecting this blog for a while now. If the freaking HP will solve the worldwide warranty soon, I'll be able to come back writing my bullshit again in no time...

But today there's no time for bullshit, actually.
"Following the hunger and thirst strike for “Hands Off Saddam” and the indefinite hunger strike (which started on April 16th and was suspended on June 18th), from midnight on September 2nd, directors and militant from the Radical Party have started a new hunger strike. The hunger strike is “to defend the right/duty of the 62nd UN General Assembly (beginning September 24th) to present and debate the proposal for the Universal Moratorium on Capital Punishment.” "

We can also join the hunger strike and support the promoters and authors of the campaign for the moratorium.

Now, for these kinda initiatives, I always join the hunger strike for 11 days but since I'm currently pregnant, I can't really do it this time due to my conditions so I'm gonna ask you to 11 of you to do only 1-day hunger strike on my behalf, which - c'mon - it's not that hard to do and also is gonna give a rest to your body a little.
If you are willing to do this for me, please register here (Italian here) for 1 day hunger strike and also send me an email (or a comment on my blog) so I can actually see if we can reach the count of my usual 11 days.

Thank you to everyone who would help me to reach my goal.
Sam.

Possibilities, possibilities...

2007-09-07T09:55:00.000-06:00

Hungry men

2007-08-08T10:28:00.000-06:00

I needed to adjust, this was for sure.
Going back in America was relieving in a way but since I'm back the problem nutrition came out again.

When my girlfriend Karla traveled last year down in France and in Italy, then came to see me in Belgium and one of the first thing she told me was how she noticed that "everybody in Europe is thin", "there's something in the water","even 50 yo women wear size 2" and how she believed that what's called the "Italian shape" - plumpy, rounded - was the regular women shape in Italy, but that's actually is the Italian-American shape :-)

I was so eager to come back in the US that I almost forgot how - no offenses - very few people here know what a proper meal is. Looks like the two nutritional keywords in this country are snacks and take outs. As for kids, it is for sure more convenient to give children a microwaveable hot dog or a pretzel and order a delivery rather than cook a real meal and eat it at the table with the whole family.
Back in 2003, when my former neighbor told me all excited that her appetiteless (then-9-month old) child ate a hot dog as snack, saying "it's good for his anemia". Considering a hot dog 100% cow junk, her statement was sounded pretty hideous to me, you know, I guess there's something better than a hot dog for his anemia!
This McDonald's commercial tells it all, comparing a Happy Meal with a homecooked meal; I was speechless learning that they call a cheese or ham sandwich, a "homecooked meal". And when you see a 60-yo woman eating at McDonald, that is something that always reminds me that we have reached the bottom here.
Taking vitamins is a must in America, no wonder why... Tums , on the other hand, is something else that never misses in the medicine cabinet of almost every American family - Tums commercials are disgusting: plenty of food greasing of sauces, gallons of soda, the most super-frosted cakes ever and a guy who says "I have heartburn!". Ehmmm... it's a miracle you're still alive, dude! :-)

Dieting, dieting, dieting. I haven't seen in my life so many people constantly on a diet. Every diet. There are tons out there: Zone, Low-fat, low-carb, the grapefruit diet, celebrity diet, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig... Dr. Atkins, then, had his special role in screwing up all the rules of good nutrition and diet in the USA, literally turned upside-down the food pyramid, putting fats and protein on the bottom! Coming from Italy where we have a strong sense of good food (and good carbs) and where quality is way better than quantity, I couldn't stand what he was trying to sponsor: no carbs but all you-wanna-eat protein and fat. For instance, hot dogs and sausages (no bun, of course!) were better than a small plate of pasta with fresh tomato and basil.
No dietitian here seems to teach the more basic rule of diet "the less you eat, the more you lose" since, I do believe, no American likes the concept "less is more", and they wouldn't sell a book.

Bless Zapatero who wants the Mediterranean Diet on the UN treasures list! :-)

Moron of the Month: July 07

2007-08-06T11:18:00.002-06:00

I couldn't help but having the moron this month after almost a year. But this is a farce.

Cosimo Mele, 50 (but looking 65), a Christian Democrat UDC Member of Italian Parliament, was caught out when he had to call an ambulance to the hotel in Rome after one of the girls suffered breathing problems. This Italian politician whose party represents Christian values has been embroiled in a scandal involving two prostitutes, a hotel room and a large amount of cocaine. To make matters even more comical, the parties in the right coalition agreed to stage a voluntary doping test for its members, although a small percentage agreed to do this anti-drug test.
"I did nothing other than go to dinner with a friend who introduced me to this girl. Since it was late, she came to bed with me. How many politicians go to bed with young girls?" (Ehm... hello???). He then claimed: "So politicians in the UDC do not make love? Of course I recognize Christian values. But what has that got to do with going with a prostitute? It is a personal matter."
He also said that he didn't know she was a hooker as she claimed she got paid that night. What he gave her money for? As a birthday present?!
The hypocrisy that represent this case is unacceptable and sounds like a farce. Everyone can do with his own body and lifestyle virtually whatever he wants, in the respect of other people's freedom, that's why I don't think the drug and hooker acts in themselves are immoral or particulary displeasing, it would have been a personal matter, as he said, *if* the man didn't represent the UDC, a right wing party who supports and bases all his political battles on the more traditional Christian values, Catholic principle and not so long ago organized the Family Day, supporting the "traditional family", role-model-moralist moms and dads, against the favor of straight or gay civil unions, ready to criticize the immorality of laicism.

This is disgusting. At least he resigned. Congrats, moron!

Emergency USA

2007-08-05T12:52:00.001-06:00

In today’s conflicts 90% of victims are civilians. Every year war destroys the lives of millions of people around the world.
Emergency is an independent, neutral and non-political Italian organization founded in order to provide free, high quality medical and surgical treatment to the civilian victims of war, landmines and poverty.
Emergency promotes a culture of solidarity, peace and respect for human rights.
The work of Emergency around the world is possible thanks to the help of thousands of volunteers and supporters.
Check out the website of the American branch of Emergency, born in Pittsburgh (thanks to Dr. Alberto Colombi in 2003) and now present in several different cities of the USA.

CLICK TO MAKE YOUR DONATION!

In the Thirties one intelligent Jewish man said: "War cannot be humanized, it can only be abolished" (Albert Einstein).

When speaking Italian was a crime

2007-08-03T07:50:00.000-06:00

Talking about the "Broccolino" or "Broccolinese"...

It happens to me pretty often: Americans ask me what language I speak with my son at home. I always find it a really weird - if not a stupid - question. I'm Italian, what language I suppose to speak with him, Slovakian?!

Well, yesterday I found something very interesting about this, that explains partly why this question: it's been told that the loss of spoken Italian among the Italian American population can be tied to US government pressures during World War II. In various parts of the country, the US government displayed signs that read, Don't Speak the Enemy's Language!
Such signs designated the languages of the Axis powers, German, Japanese, and Italian, as "enemy languages". It's been claimed also that many Italian language schools closed down soon after the US declaration of war on the Axis powers. Many immigrants, clubs, and stores made a point of not using Italian in public, while others stopped teaching the language to their children. The result brought many Italian American immigrants felt it as never before, and their children felt it too: their language had become the "enemy's language," their heritage one that was not only alien, but inimical to the American way. It seemed best to abandon both, and thousands did just that.

Nowadays there is, however, a little dilemma for Italian Americans who consider re-learning the language of their ancestors since the formal "Italian" that is taught in colleges and universities is generally not the "Italian" with which Italian Americans are acquainted (which sometimes is called Broccolino/Broccolinese). Eighty percent of Italian Americans are of Southern Italian origin; therefore, the languages spoken by their families who arrived between 1880-1920 were most likely variations of the Neapolitan and Sicilian dialects with perhaps few degree of influence from standard Italian.
It's funny how the woman at the Children's Museum who yelled to her daughter "Ashpett, ashpett" - wait, wait, in an undefined South Italian dialect - thought that *she* actually was speaking Italian while I was speaking Spanish - she may never have listened before the standard Italian (nor Spanish!).

Yet, the US is not for sure the first country when it comes to foreign languages.
It well known that the vast majority of English speaking people I know don't speak anything but English - and abroad you can see this problem as amplified as ever: Anglophones living in a foreign country for years and not speaking the local language at all is not uncommon. Sadly, I noticed how American kids often don't give any value to foreign languages - so I guess their parents, presuming everybody would understand English anyway, "so, why bother?".

More than for language democracy, I believe that learning another language can change your way of thinking: the same exact concept in 3 different languages comes out different in words, politeness, texture, scale of emotions. As for Italian, there are some words which are useful but can’t quite be translated into English. Italian is pretty good for emotions, for example. There are two Italian translations of “to love”: “amare” (romantic passionate love) and “volere bene” (brotherly love, more like “caring” best translated as “I care for you”... For instance if your partner says “ti voglio bene”, well, you better worry!).
I believe for kids learning naturally another language is more useful than ever for their minds: they learn unconsciously how to express themselves differently, being open and see instantly that people around is not necessarily all the same, they talk different, they think different and everything has different shades.

Luckily today's generation of European immigrants are smartly raising their kids bi-language, giving a priceless value in speaking more than one language, due also to their different education and culture than the immigrants of the WWII: virtually all the Europeans coming to America nowadays are researchers, doctors, engineers and scientists... you know, research industry in Europe sucks.

Picture: The super-funny and original sign appeared in post offices and in government buildings during WWII.

That glow, doesn't show

2007-07-31T13:41:00.000-06:00

Since my first pregnancy I learned that American expecting mothers are literally crazy about being pregnant. I was told that pregnant women have "that glow". When I look around it's like, hysterical: suddenly they don't read nothing else but on pregnancy and on babies, they go to pregnancy classes, Lamaze, do the pregnancy-talking-only, can't do this, can't do that, can't eat this, can't eat that.
I was talking to Giulia today and she feels the same about Italy; when she was pregnant she felt like all the other expectant mothers were in a bubble of absolute happiness, nothing could touch them, nothing could ruin that "walking-on-the-moon" mood, so confident about their pregnancy that nothing else matters in the world no more.

And it was while we were talking that we suddenly realized that this was something we never experienced. So we asked ourselves and wondered: if we don't have that glow... are we cynical monsters?

"AHHHH, that's SO exciting!", "I can't believe it!!!", "Oh my God, REAAAALY???". These are typical reactions when people learn about a pregnancy. Last week I responded to a "Ahhhh!!! Aren't you happyyyyy????!!!!" with "Yes, I'm glad".
Oh, oh, wrong answer! The woman almost fainted, she was like "Ohhh, I'm SO sorry you're NOT happy...". It wasn't even the last one to react this way, actually! Like I can't be only content about my pregnancy and I ought to be HAPPY in capital letters jumping like a kangaroo in my very own seventh heaven - that does not exist.

Looks like it's hard to explain my position. Truth is people do have different sensitivity about things and some might not find it conceivable and, apparently, I am not excited enough for people on having a baby.
I've already had a baby before and for me it's not "that" great being pregnant. I have never daydreamed about the baby, kept diaries, I don't even see this "big miracle" or "romantic" thing (what's romantic in puking like hell, anyway?!) or "feeling blessed" in growing a future baby in my belly. I guess it's easy to call me insensitive.
I see pregnancy as a biological state and though my last one was stress-free, I can't really say that it is a comfy condition, you know? I'm a female and almost all females of every specie give birth, so, if you take this as a general concept, there is nothing that special in giving birth. According to me, well, biologically much better be a man. But if you say something like this to the majority of the pregnant women or mothers, they look at you like you are the most tactless and thoughtless person in the world. And yes, actually seeing women acting like they are the only ones on the earth to have "the gift" to deliver and only talk about that for 9 months, makes me a little uncomfortable, I don't really know what to say and what to do, I just don't share their feelings.

Mari today were dying laughing at me, saying that I sound like Miranda from Sex and the City... but I'm not that cynical as she is, am I?! At least it felt good to hear that I am not alone in this, anyway.
Thank you Giulia, thank you Miranda.

When a man kisses a man

2007-07-31T08:12:00.000-06:00

Imagine one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Rome.
Imagine one of the most famous and visited greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering, the Colosseum.
Tourists and lovers are never missing in this great scenario.

But what happened when the lovers kissing in front of this beautiful monument are not a man and a woman, as in every picturesque postcard, but two men? Well, they get charged with "lewd conduct", rush to a police station, held for several hours and, if convicted, the pair can be sentenced up to two years in prison.

I love my native Country...

Being a foreign...

2007-07-27T12:48:00.000-06:00

Being a foreign is funny everywhere.

I remember when my son was 1 or something being at the supermarket trying to manage one of his tantrumy days... "Basta, Nicholas, basta, stop!". An old woman approched me kinda shocked and asked me "Why did you call your baby a bastard?". I tried to explain her that basta means "stop" in Italian before having social services coming to my house!

Yesterday I visited for the first time the Children's Museum, with Nicholas' friend Garrett and his mom, Karen. It's a nice place for kids, it offers a wide selection of educational and exciting products for children of all ages and Nikka and Garrett had lots of fun.
Well, in one exposition room I hear a 30-something woman speaking some words in Sicilian dialect, "Gabriella, ashpett, ashpett!". I know she listened me speaking in plain Italian with my son since she keeps looking like she wanted to understand what I'm saying... After more or less one hour, we met again in another floor of the museum, she smiles at me, I smile back and, before I go chasing Nicholas around, I hear her saying to the girlfriend who were sit next to her - while pointing at me: "She's Spanish!". Por lo menos Italia y Espana estàn en el mismo continente!

Donkie n.2: Hillary (Clinton)

2007-07-25T15:36:00.000-06:00

Hillary Rodham-Clinton

(born in Park Ridge Ill, Oct 26 1947).

On Church and State: In a 2005 speech, Clinton said that religious political officials should be able to "live out their faith in the public square." During her 2000 Senate campaign, Clinton argued that allowing teachers to post the Ten Commandments in schools was a violation of the constitution.
On Abortion: Clinton says abortion rights are protected by the Constitution but that there is "an opportunity for people of good faith to find common ground in this debate." She says the government should actively try to minimize the number of abortions through better sex education and improved access to birth control. Clinton has praised religious groups for promoting abstinence. She opposed the Supreme Court's March 2007 decision to uphold a ban on late-term abortions, calling the decision an "erosion of our constitutional rights."
On Death Penalty: Clinton has been a longtime advocate of the death penalty. Clinton cosponsored the Innocence Protection Act of 2003 which became law in 2004 as part of the Justice for All Act. The bill provides funding for post-conviction DNA testing and establishes a DNA testing process for individuals sentenced to the death penalty under federal law. As first lady, she lobbied for President Clinton's crime bill, which expanded the list of crimes subject to the federal death penalty.
On Health Care: Clinton has been a long-time supporter of universal health care that would provide government health insurance to all Americans. While first lady, she chaired an ultimately unsuccessful National Task Force for Health Care Reform. She has called universal coverage "a moral and health imperative" and says that she hopes to make health care "the No. 1 voting issue in the 2008 election." In the April 2007 Democratic debate, Clinton said that "we've got to control and decrease costs for everyone" and that the health care problem "is not just about the uninsured."
On Gay Marriage: Clinton opposes same-sex marriage and favors civil unions but said she would not stand in the way if New York passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage. In the U.S. Senate, she opposed amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage. While she has solicited and received the support of gay and lesbian groups, many gay activists were alarmed over her March 2007 comment that the morality of homosexuality was up "to others to conclude." She later released a statement saying that she does not believe homosexuality is immoral.

[mostly from www.pewforum.org]

I admit it: being a woman I am proud she's running for Presidency, and being a European I am proud about all the efforts she did and does for a better healthcare system in the USA. On the other hand her position about death penalty would make me very very reluctant on voting her. Thank God I don't have to.

Elephant n.1: Rudy Giuliani

2007-07-25T15:09:00.000-06:00

Rudolph Giuliani

(born in New York, May 28 1944).

On Church and State: As mayor, Giuliani emphasized that believers and atheists alike must tolerate each others' views. During his 2000 senate campaign against Hillary Clinton, Giuliani said the Ten Commandments are ''part of Western civilization,'' and ''if teachers want to emphasize what is in it and talk about it, there shouldn't be some kind of inquisition that they can't do that.''
On Abortion: Giuliani says he "hates" abortion, but adds, "I believe in a woman's right to choose." In a May 2007 debate, he said it would be "OK" if Roe v. Wade were overturned and "OK" if not, but later clarified his stance, calling a woman's right to choose one of his "core beliefs." As mayor of New York City, Giuliani approved government funding for abortion and opposed a ban on partial-birth abortion, saying he wanted to "preserve the option for women." He also donated money to Planned Parenthood, a group that advocates for abortion rights. Prior to his first campaign for mayor in 1989, however, Giuliani opposed abortion rights.
On Death Penalty: Giuliani favors the death penalty and has advocated for capital punishment for those who commit treason against the United States. He testified in convicted terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui's death penalty trial and urged prosecutors to pursue the death penalty against American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh. Giuliani has said the death penalty is "justified and [an] effective deterrent for other people doing the same thing."
On Health Care: Giuliani advocates expanding access to health insurance through "free market principles." He has criticized proposals for universal health care, saying that "socialization" is not the solution. As mayor, he implemented a program called HealthStat, which identified and enrolled uninsured children in health insurance programs.
On Gay Marriage: Giuliani opposes gay marriage and has stated that "marriage should be between a man and a woman." He does not, however, support a federal amendment banning gay marriage. As mayor, he signed legislation recognizing domestic partnerships, marched in gay pride parades, actively supported gay rights and temporarily lived with a gay couple during his divorce.

[mostly from www.pewforum.org]

P.S.: Though this blog and I have nothing in common with these views above, I decided to recap every candidate for these upcoming Presidential elections. I think it is interesting to compare them all.

Donkie n.1: Barack Obama

2007-07-25T09:41:00.000-06:00

Barack Obama

(born in Honolulu, Hawaii, August 4 1961).

On Church and State: Says he believes in the importance of the separation of church and state, but says that a "sense of proportion" should guide how it is enforced. He says that the phrase "under God" in the pledge of allegiance and voluntary student prayer groups on school property are two examples where conflict between church and state has been alleged, but should be less strictly policed.
On Abortion: Obama supports abortion rights. In the Illinois State Senate, he voted against a bill to ban late-term abortions. Obama said that he did not support the ban because it did not contain a clause to protect the life of the mother. During the April 2007 Democratic debate, Obama said that he trusts women to make their own decisions about whether or not to have an abortion "in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy."
On Death Penalty: Obama says the death penalty "does little to deter crime" but he supports it for cases in which "the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage." While a state senator, Obama pushed for reform of the Illinois capital punishment system and authored a bill to mandate the videotaping of interrogations and confessions.
On Health Care: When he formally declared his run for the presidency, Obama said his goal is to implement universal health care, or government health insurance for all Americans, by 2012 or "the end of the first term of the next president." He has called the "belief in universal health care" one of the "core values" of the Democratic party.
On Gay Marriage: Obama says that he believes "marriage is between a man and a woman" but he wrote in The Audacity of Hope that he remains "open to the possibility that my unwillingness to support gay marriage is misguided ... I may have been infected with society's prejudices and predilections and attributed them to God." He supports granting civil unions for gay couples and opposed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. In March 2007, Obama initially dodged questions about the morality of homosexuality. He later went on to say on national television that he did not believe homosexuals are immoral.

[mostly from www.pewforum.org]

CNN-YouTube Democrats Debates

2007-07-25T07:48:00.000-06:00

I just found a very interesting link in Hillary Clinton official site. It's the recap from the debate featuring the Democrat candidates which was broadcasted a couple of days ago on CNN.

WATCH IT

I think it's amazing how this kind of video sharing or social networking websites such as YouTube or MySpace are becoming a new source of information for this Presidential election, how people can question the candidates, promote and support.

- Upcoming September 17th, the Republican Debate, send your questions HERE.

No wonder...

2007-07-24T14:05:00.000-06:00

(AGI) - Rome, Jul 24
'The candidature of Marco Pannella as secretary of the Democratic Party is in open contrast with PD rules and constituent spirit which envisage a serious, lasting and highly motivated adhesion to the party.' This is the decision made by the PD president's office (whose members Maurizio Migliavacca, Antonello Soro, Mario Barbi, Vittoria franco, Patrizia Toia and Lella Massari) which had a meeting this morning. According to the president's office, 'Marco Pannella is an authoritative representative of the Radicals and a promoter of the project 'Rosa nel Pugno'. But he proposes within the centre-left a political project which is different from the one of the Democratic Party'.

What does Pannella has to do with anything democratic, anyway? It would be a huge contradiction running as the PD chief...
The decision to not admit his candidature, though, is still not definitive at the moment and he says, as in his style "I don't give up" .

Here I am, in America

2007-06-21T18:02:00.000-06:00

Well, here I am, in my brand new and kinda empty house in the Jewish neighborhood of the city of Pittsburgh. I've been alone with my 3-yo kid - with Luca in the UK - all along basically the time we moved back in America but I am settling pretty good so far, I have the essential. Now I am waiting for my stuff to come from Europe. We bought few things to start with, a couch, our first big plasma TV, a Polynesian armoire and some Moroccan lamps from Adam's store, who imports furnitures and one-of-a-kinds from all over the world.

I love this house, I love this area.
Some might have said or thought that I was obsessed with Squirrel Hill while we were looking for a house to buy... I've always thought of Squirrel Hill as a very good place to live, friendly and, in a very special way, chic. Then, I am European, I like to walk to the grocery store, to the library, to a coffee shop. I rather using my legs than wheels and I don't like being stuck in a car even to go and get a carton of milk, it is just not me.
Just met my new neighbors, Jennifer and Daniel. He's an attorney and she's an ER doctor - after 13 years watching the NBC show, I finally met a real ER doctor! Their family's huge and perfectly fit in a 5000 sq foot house: 4 children, 3 dogs, 3 cats, 2 aquariums, 1 turtle. Jen and Dan welcomed us with a nice "Welcome on the best street in Pittsburgh! We live here for four years now and never regret it!". That was a good start.

Today I put away my high heel shoes for a while and I bought a pair of Crocs for me and a pair for Nicholas too. In Europe I would never ever wear them ;-). It's liberating. In Pittsburgh I have found my inner peace years ago and I lost that snobbish cynicism and individualism typical of people coming from cosmopolitan cities. Which brought me to be a little too naive and trusty when I come back in Milan. But it's OK, I am definitely happier the way I am now.
If Pittsburgh had always been like this, Mr. Warhol might ever have left and he would wear Crocs too ;-)

Bye Bye Belgium

2007-06-06T09:36:00.000-06:00

I don't really have much to say right now, I am busy enough packing and sorting out, don't have time to cry... Today Katia, my wonderful French teacher asked me what I'm gonna miss of this place more. I said the language without even think, but actually there is lot more.
Belgium was a very good experience, though, but, in the end... well, I think it's time to go back home.
One sure thing: everytime I'll listen to the Abba I'll remember my beautiful and huge house in Belgium.
Au revoir, Waterloo!

"Waterloo"

My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo

My, my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger
Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight
And how could I ever refuse
I feel like I win when I lose

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo

So how could I ever refuse
I feel like I win when I lose -

Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo

Free Concert in Bologna against Death Penalty

2007-06-05T12:31:00.001-06:00

Lettera di Capezzone [IT]

2007-05-30T01:03:00.000-06:00

An Italian post today basically because I didn't find the translation of this following letter from Daniele Capezzone, I have no time to translate it myself, so I post it the way it is.

"Carissime compagne, carissimi compagni, care amiche e cari amici radicali,
da sette mesi, con zelo forse degno di miglior causa (dopo che, per cinque anni consecutivi, 26 mozioni da me presentate sono state sempre – e pressoché unanimemente - votate dal gruppo dirigente radicale, Marco Pannella in testa!), vengo sottoposto ad un fuoco di fila di attacchi, con punte di comicità ai limiti del surreale (ancora domenica mattina, Marco mi ha sobriamente paragonato al Mussolini anni '20). Entro breve, di questo passo, temo che possano essermi addebitati anche il programma nucleare iraniano, la violazione del trattato di Kyoto, il rischio-Vesuvio e i fatti di Rignano Flaminio. E apposito dossier (si capisce: con documenti inediti e prove schiaccianti!) vi sarà tempestivamente inviato via email. [continua...]"

Capezzone at Markette, a satirical-political show hosted by Piero Chiambretti on La7 tv:
- on DICO
- on financial bill
- on soccer and violence
- on weed, finance and Radical Congress

Déjà-vu

2007-05-29T23:06:00.000-06:00

It was really scary how this news last week sounded to me like a déjà vu. This is another awful Laci Peterson-like crime.

Perugia, May 29 - Roberto Spaccino, the husband of Barbara Cicioni, the 33-year-old with an 8-month fetus in her womb killed the night of the 24th has been taken to the prison of Capanne, in Perugia. While the woman's funeral is under way in the church of Morcella, the prime suspect after 5 days of investigations left the Marsciano base wearing the impenetrable expression he has had since the beginning. Outside the base he was greeted by the insults of dozens, while lawyers Michele Titoli and Luca Gentile declared: 'Until we read the ordnance and the grounds for the arrest, we can say nothing.' The ordnance of preventive custody was ordered by investigating magistrate of Perugia Marina De Robertis on the request of public prosecutor Antonella Duchini; the suspect's lawyers cannot meet their client yet, in accordance with the law.

Angels with boots

2007-05-29T07:01:00.000-06:00

Back in the 90s the British boots Dr. Marten's were a must-have in the punk and brit-pop culture.
Dr. Marten's are perfect with jeans, long skirts and punk-up a too serious dress. Recently I bought a new pair but I can't really separate and put in retirement my black 8-holes boots in which I hold sweet and sour memories of my teenage times in Milan and tons of songs of this late era.
Well, Dr. Marten's looks like not forgetting at all the old times and its commercial agency wanted to communicate that Dr. Martens boots are made to last, cleverly "employs" four dead rock stars - Kurt Cobain, Sid Vicious, Joey Ramone and Joe Strummer as Doc Martens endorsers as these idolized musicians wore them in life. Showing them still wearing their Docs in heaven dramatized the boots' durability perfectly.

It's true, they last forever, but this is very bad taste...

"Red Hot Catholic Love"

2007-05-28T02:25:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time there was an episode of South Park who made fun of and dealt with the Roman Catholic sex abuse cases (titled "Red Hot Catholic Love") who received bans. But that one was actually a cartoon.

Today there's the BBC's documentary Sex Crimes and the Vatican, aired in the UK in October and lately subject of controversies in Italy.
RAI television journalist Michele Santoro has asked - and obtained last week - to purchase the rights of the film to broadcast it on his talk show. Now, the heads of RAI's oversight committee has asked the public television to prevent its transmission. In particular, Mr. Mario Landolfi claimed that the show should not be screened "to avoid public service television becoming a media execution squad ready to open fire on the Church and the Pope". A sort of preventative censorship.

In April 2002 John Paul II told cardinals there was "no place in the Roman Catholic Church for priests who sexually abused children". At his death Joseph Ratzinger was elected as his successor... the same Ratzinger who reviewed and enforced when he was still a cardinal, Crimen Sollicitationis a confidential document written in 1962 from an Italian cardinal.
In a nutshell, Crimen Sollicitationis which was given to Catholic bishops worldwide who are ordered to keep it locked away in the church safe, is an instruction booklet on how to deal ("cover-up" is probably more appropriate) with priests who solicit sex from the confessional, with "any obscene external act ... with youths of either sex.", imposes an oath of secrecy on the child victim, the priest dealing with the allegation and any witnesses. Breaking the oath means excommunication from the Catholic Church.

It is extremely repellent that the document do not mention in any of its sections the safety of the children or their mental recover from the abuses. And it is not only irresponsible of the Church the failure to report criminal acts to competent authorities but also do not admit that a link exists between mandatory celibacy for priests and clergy sexual abuse and talking over the issue.

Sex Crimes and the Vatican has been Google Italia's most popular online video choice since a version with translated subtitles was put online and Italian Catholic newspaper l'Avvenire said the bloggers who posted the documentary online have committed "wicked slander"...

- Watch: "Sex Crimes and the Vatican" (EN w/IT subt., 49mins), from BBC website (EN)
- Read: Sex Crimes and the Vatican, the transcript (EN)

Dead man fasting

2007-05-09T03:24:00.000-06:00

Just hours before his execution by injection, Philip Workman death row prisoner (who was convicted of killing a police officer) ordered his final meal: pizza for a homeless person requesting a vegetarian pizza to be delivered to a homeless person in Nashville.
That would be a very good example to everybody but looks like, as they can get some special things for the inmate, they can't ("the taxpayers don't give us permission to donate to charity") to feed a poor for a night.
This is outrageous, a hideous pattern of injustice.

The new President

2007-05-09T03:10:00.003-06:00

I would have probably voted for her, with few doubts. In a way, I'm feeling lucky not to be French for not having had to make this choice.

At the face-to-face debate last week Ségolène Royal, which is closer at least for social issues on my political beliefs, did look to me as a hysterical housewife in sleep deprivation who's losing her mind when people criticized her most famous cake :-)
On the other hand Sarko was calmer, he knew what he meant and transmitted much more confidence, security and charisma than his opponent. Plus, his victory speech was outstanding, having his "thoughts and respect to Mme Royal". Chapeau! Really.

And I couldn't help but notice that the hysterism of Ségolène was contagious to her supporters since France saw yesterday its third consecutive night of protests on election victory of Sarkozy as President, burning 10 cars, looting two stores including a supermarket and smashing windows. All acts of undiscussed civility... Liberté, egalité, fraternité don't seem really their motto.

Vive la France, alors!

Showing "sins"

2007-05-03T05:31:00.003-06:00

An Italian magazine, Oggi last week published paparazzi photographs of media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi relaxing with 5 young women at his Sardinia villa.

The 70 yo ex-Prime Minister looks to me in those pictures like an old rich uncle with his nieces - screaming "show me the money, old man!", far from the sultan in his harem!
Beneath the headline Berlusconi's Harem, Oggi said the "incredible" photos would "be talked about for years to come"... Bullshit: now, only one week later, there is no debate on them. This is no surprise at all.
The same magazine was well criticized last month for failing to publish photos showing the spokesman for the current Prime Minister Prodi, talking to a transvestite streetwalker from inside his car. I guess the photos are likely to refuel a debate about the interaction between paparazzi and public figures in a country where politicians have been discreetly protected.

Personally I see that the average Italian don't give a shit about a politician's private life and they care much more about his political program; even when it comes to coherency. I mean, some Catholic MPs from both Italian left and right wings are always talking so firmly about "family values" despite the fact that each of them have at least a couple of families :-) That's why they're so strong about the issue!
For Americans, on the other hand, is a matter of "trusting". They need to trust, personally, the candidate. So empirically the perfect American politician has to be married with kids, no sleeping around, no smoking around, no drinking around. Let's face it: if someone would bust Mr. Bush with one of his lovers, he would resign Presidency in seconds - or fight another phantomatic war somewhere to distract the attention :-)! But I wonder if it is kind or cruel having people to pretend to be that perfect...

So... where's the Berlusconi scoop here? I wonder how much they sell those pictures for, they are nearly worthless considering the audience: looks like people are more interested in the love life and silly press releases from The Big Brother's contestants after all.
And this is not a compliment for sure.

P.S.: One of my friends once told me "Nobody is without sins. And who's without sins mind his f!@#$%g business anyway!". Keep and treasure.

VA tech shooting

2007-04-16T21:21:00.000-06:00

Thirty-one people were killed today in a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, according to university officials, making it the deadliest school shooting incident in U.S. history, "a tragedy of monumental proportions." (CNN.com)

Do not doubt that the National Rifle Association is preparing its "this-had-nothing-to-do-with-guns" press release...

Home

2007-04-14T12:30:00.000-06:00

As soon as I saw this Squirrel Hill house in the real estate website, I knew it was gonna be my house.
I wasn't surprised when walking in I really felt like home.

My American mission is done. Cheers! ;)