Ramblings of a Roman Wanderer

Silly Music

2009-10-27T18:36:00.004-04:00

I've been listening to Italo-dance and other Eurodance music and just being crushed under the weight of memories. Way to waste a day! I did manage to write a few paragraphs so I must be getting somewhere. But you know you're feeling melancholic when Gigi D'agostino's Come Fly With Me makes you tear up!
I need to visit Italy before I completely fall apart.

I've been reading my previous posts from 2004-2005 and it feels as if another person wrote them. I had some talent.

Lemon Quest

2008-10-16T14:19:00.002-04:00

... so I walk into the kosher liquor store and say "Hi, do you have any limoncello?" the store owner stares at me questioningly. "Limoncello" I repeat "do you have any?" - "Oh, lemon-se-llo?" - "Yes..."

(they didn't have any)

Yuppie Tunes

2008-08-17T20:14:00.003-04:00

We visited Pottery Barn because I saw some affordable glassware on their website. I had never entered the store before because I thought it was an extremely overpriced yuppie hangout. We did see $1500.00 armchairs but some of the housewares were perfectly affordable and I'm afraid I'm going to have to go back again and buy more, more more.

Beautiful Things

2007-11-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

My beautiful girl is now four months old. She grasps objects and tries to suck on them, getting frustrated when they are too large. Baby girl is a constant wonder.

Meetings

2007-01-10T15:52:00.001-05:00

I picked up my laptop from the repair station this morning. On the way out, the guy who checked my bag noticed I was all bundled up (it snowed earlier this morning) and asked if it was still very cold outside.

Me: Oh yes, it's cold.
Him: Do you like it when it is this cold?
Me: I like the cold, but not when it's too cold. Where I come from, it doesn't get this cold.
Him: Oh, where are you from?
Me: Italy
Him: Belize?
Me: Italy
Him:Ahh...
Me: Well take care, have a nice day

As I exited the store, a well dressed middle aged man came running after me.

Man: (In Italian) You're from Italy?
Me (mildly surprised) Yes...are you?
Man:Yes, where from?
Me: Rome.
Man: Me too...well I've been in Venice for some time but I'm from Rome. Piacere....Renato (I didn't give my name, why do people bother to introduce themselves while knowing they'll never be seeing you again?)
Me: Nice...do you live in NY?
Man: No, just here on business. And you, you live here?
Me: Yes
Man: I see... so what brought you here?
Me: (shrugging)Work....got married... (I am about to turn the corner)
Man: Ah well, good luck and have a nice day as they say here!
Me: Thanks, you too...

Roma vs. Milan

2006-11-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

AS Roma is once again showing its true face, with Totti back in shape. Milan is defeated 2-1! VAI!
See Totti's GOL. Watch the faces of defeat:
Video

Tasty Tilapia

2006-11-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

Juden Raus

2006-10-19T15:16:00.000-04:00

As seen opposite my parent's home in Rome.

Flags and Neighbours

2006-10-01T11:12:00.000-04:00

Our Brooklyn apartment's front door now proudly sports a small Italian flag. What do our neighbours think of this addition? Read on for part I of this exciting new series.

I meet Neighbour 1 in the elevator(Apartment facing ours. Middle aged woman):
1: (Barrage of Russian words)
Me:Ne ponimayu, sorry.
1: The flag on your door. What is it?
Me: Italian.
1: Italian! But you look Russian!
(I do look slightly slavic, but nothing to write home about)
Me: I'm from Italy.
1: You don't look Italian!
Me: That's because my parents are not Italian. But I was born there.
1: So you keep flag for memory of place you were born? )sic)
Me: Yes. I grew up there as well. I'm going for a visit soon.
1: You look Russian!

Today, elevator, Neighbour 2 (lives on same floor, other side of landing):
2: You're Irish?
Me: No, Italian.
2: Ohhh, so that's an Italian flag on your door.
Me. Yep.
2: You're the only one with a flag!
Me: Really? That's interesting.
2: Well, have an easy fast.
Me: Thanks, you too.

Actually, our flag is a gang signal.

The Wanderers Go to Rome!

2006-09-21T08:50:00.000-04:00

October, hasten your coming.
This here RomanWanderess will be taking her husband to ROME to visit the PARENTS, followed by stops in POMPEII, FIRENZE-PISA, SAN-GIMIGNANO and MORE!
Camera will be working around the clock.

Here is me man:

Oriana...

2006-09-15T08:06:00.000-04:00

...Is gone
I cry into my coffee
as I read
and listen
I think of her influence
I see my stumbling country
I sigh
Oriana

Oriana posts:
Hear The Other Side
Now We're Talking
Senatore a Vita
Silencing Oriana
Oriana Told You So
Extra, Extra, Read all about it...

The One With The Updates

2006-09-04T10:21:00.000-04:00

So...Lebanon: major failure? I don't know, but Olmert the posh lawyer must go, and the military must do some thinking and upgrading.
In Italy: Pakistani honor killing, Senegalese killing young female churchgoer (it was a big mistake!), Padova Ghetto one big holdup pen, National team not doing as well as it should (you could have taken Lithuania, you idiots!)I would like to visit this fall, show the husband what Rome really is like.

What else... trying to adapt to the fact that I will be living in America for the rest of my life. My children will obviously speak 15 languages and be better than the rest.

My husband is threatening to take a picture of me and I'm in pj's and bad morning hair, so I will now sign out. Pace e guistizia.
Be true to yourself and don't live for the acclaim of others. You know who you are.

Abbiamo Vinto....

2006-07-05T09:58:00.000-04:00

I wasn't expecting the Azzurri to beat Germany... I don't think they had any faith in their victory, either (did you know that Podolsky is a Jewish name? He's one of the best German players. And let's not forget Borowsky)...
But WE DID IT! Wouldn't it be great if we won the cup, what with all the soccer scandals the country is seeped in right now. We'll show the world (minus the US, which doesn't give a rat's a@@ about us as long as we continue to make delicious dishes for them to copy and distort).

Buffon, greatest goalkeeper in the WC (the German Lehman was pretty good, too. But he missed two GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!)

From corriere.it

Gooooooooooooool!

2006-06-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

That's all I have to say right now.
I don't think Italy will manage to win the cup (especially if it plays Brazil) but so far the team has been pretty good and Inzaghi is sweeeeeeet.......

Prada and Poland

2006-05-29T10:08:00.000-04:00

Pope in Auschwitz wearing his flaming red Prada shoes.
Something is terribly wrong with this picture.

(credit)

Dumb Article of the Month

2006-05-21T20:05:00.000-04:00

Exploring Tuscany's Lost Corner
Did you know that the best way to keep a corner of Tuscany away from invading tourist is to write about it in the NYT? Welcome to Trassilico, rowdy college brats.

The absurd:

Enough of the Tuscan sun. Enough with the cypress trees, the ochre-colored villas and the knots of tourists draining every trattoria of oxygen and charm. A Florentine friend bemoaned that his beloved city had become a Renaissance theme park. Ditto the countryside, though the theme is different.

And so, our reporter decides to explore the 'Apuan Alps' ,an obscene translation of le Alpi Apuane.

The trick was convincing my family to follow that call. The teenagers liked the idea of spending midday in the mountains; it was the execution that wore them down, so far from the instant gratification of gelato bars and Internet cafes. Hiking alone can be boring. Hiking with a brood is a carrot-and-stick act requiring logistical dexterity. But over the course of a few days of walking we found Tuscany's lost corner.

And proceeded to tell the whole freakin world about it.
Ah, I'm cynical.

Rome, the Village

2006-04-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

Over the past twenty years, foreign journalists stationed in Italy have made a habit of writing books on the ills of the republic and its residents. They frequently point out the differences between the Italians of old and the current lazy good for nothings, conveniently forgetting that the nature of these people has not changed very much (as a quick perusal of Luigi Barzini’s ‘The Italians’ would prove).

I won’t cover up the facts. Italians are inefficient and costumer service is nearly inexistent (an Alitalia worker recently hung up the phone on my brother who was desperately trying to find out why his wife’s suitcase was still in Florida). Bureaucratic processes are unbelievably slow (try gaining permanent residence) and public transportation is not always reliable. Rome is covered with Graffiti and there are too many national holidays on which all stores must be closed (or pay a $1000 fine).
Some of this is changing. Rome’s mayor Veltroni (soon to be reelected for the third time) has cleaned up monuments, released new buses and planned new subway branches, widened sidewalk corners and much more.

Life in Italy could be frustrating if you go with the flow. When you ‘know people’ or are owed a favor, you can easily obtain a job, a doctor’s appointment, a cheap gym membership, a discount in your friend’s aunt’s boutique, a free table at the bar. Otherwise, waiting lists are long and functionaries will hem and haw at you for the next 5 years.

But all this loses its importance once I walk out into the streets of my Rome and notice how people all seem to know each other, in this city of 3 million residents.
In the nearby pharmacy, people call us by name and inquire about the health of other family members. Fruit vendors in the local open market save people’s favorites, gleefully pulling them out when a specific costumer shows up.
I walk up a main street, and notice a middle aged couple pass by a beggar from Eastern Europe. The man tosses a few coins. They miss the beggar’s dish. ‘You always do that to him’ says the woman. ‘That’s alright, Anna’ smiles the beggar, in heavily accented Italian. Anna sighs and follows her husband into the nearby building.
In a different part of the city, near the Ghetto, Carlo S. the optician serves costumers in his shop. Carlo is from an old Jewish Roman family. In mid afternoon, his 88 year old uncle walks in at takes a seat, silently observing the via-vai. Twenty minutes pass and he gets up and leaves, continuing on his walk.
A friend wanders in for a chat, followed by Carlo’s daughter home from school. The place is like a local bar. Relatives and neighbors come and go in between costumers.

Back on my block, my neighbour the retired cardiologist looks up as he passes by: ‘Buonasera, Signorina’ he beams.

I’ll take slow buses and cheerful hellos over punctual but falsely friendly people, any day.

2006-03-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

Some good-looking, geniusly gifted dude has been crazy enough to put a ring on my finger and proclaim his love. I tried telling him how psychotic I could be, but it was no use. It's a done deal. The Wandereress is getting married.
Stay tuned for approx. date and continent.

American Alarmists

2006-03-04T22:25:00.000-05:00

American culture is torn when it comes to sex. Everyone is doing it, everyone is talking about it, but nobody is supposed to cross the invisible line. I am of the opinion that the invisible line stretches every few years, but it is still there, hovering over film directors, warning them to 'Show it, but not too much. Talk about it, but use other words'.
Don't get me wrong, I happen to be a bit of a foul-word-hating modestly-attired prude myself, but I can see hypocrisy when it hits me in the face.

Europeans are much more uninhibited when it comes to cinema, ad billboards, photos allowed on tabloid magazines, etc. I don't know if that's good or bad -(Expose your children so that they will be immune, or shield them from all so that they will sneak behind your back and crash? And there's always the middle ground...)- but it is at least truthful.

Sex wasn't the original subject of this post. It was supposed to lead to alcohol. Free sex is here to stay, for better or for worse, but mention the word 'bartender' and people throw you into rehab.
I know, I know that alcoholism is a serious condition. I know that American college students drink too much (is it because they had to wait so long?), I know that drunk drivers crash their cars, I know that drunk parents ruin their families.

I'm aware of all that.

But I also know that occasional drinking does not one an alcoholic make.

You know how it works. I'll say that in Europe people drink every day, you'll tell me that Europe is full of drunkards. I'll say yes, there are many drunkards, but there are many people who could have 2 or 3 drinks every night without getting affected by the alcohol. It happens in America too, right under your nose.
So why the alarmism?

My Czech coworkers in Prague, young healthy women, would always have a few shots of Vodka at social gatherings. Conversation continued as usual, and they were back in school the next day, fully sober and without traces of a hangover.

I dare say I hold alcohol pretty well for someone of my proportions. I usually attribute it to my Russian blood, although that may be plain nonsense.

The bottom line is, lighten up! Not every beer lover is a raging alcoholic child-beater.
So shut up and let me enjoy myself.

Cities We Live In

2006-02-16T18:39:00.000-05:00

Islam in Italy, an update

2006-01-13T07:27:00.000-05:00

Walking around central Rome on a regular day, watching the fashion shoppers or the businessmen on motorini, life doesn't seem to be that bad. Romanaccio is heard from the marketstall vendors, Ccarabinieri sip coffee while eyeing the Scandinavian tourists, and all is well in the world.

You think of Oriana Fallaci, and say to yourself 'Maybe she really is crazy. Italian life does not seem to have changed.
But then your thoughts turn to the north. Milano and Torino have apparently become veritable Suks.
My sister tells me that Milan Jews refrain from taking the N.95 bus, because it has become a walking Mosque. Police has been trying to crack down on Al Qaeda operations in the city.
And Torino, city of elite snobbish Piemontese intellectuals, has seemingly fallen prey to Islamization as well.

This is real folks, and as much as we all hate Italian inneficiency, you've got to admit that they are a funny, warm people that sadly is going to be swallowed up in a couple of generations.

Esther, a convert to Judaism, spent a weekend with my family. She lives in Centocelle, an outer, quasi-suburban Roman neighbourhood. Rent is cheaper there, but commute to Rome proper is murder.
She described the changes in her native neighbourhood. Muslims moved in, and Italians are quickly moving out (In my mother's words,gotta love how Italy and France are quick to [diplomatically] open their arms to immigrants, but God forbid they should live with them!)
The local mosque is so packed on Fridays, people spill out onto the street. The Public school has a very large percentage of Muslim students, so the school stayed open on the Friday before christmas, when all other PS were closed.

Esther works in school kitchens, and she related the following episode:

An Italian teacher, a friend of Esther's, has a little Muslim girl in her class. When teaching about christmas, the teacher tried to keep the girl otherwise occupied, knowing christianity wasn't her religion. But when the other kids constructed their own mangers, the Muslim girl felt left out and insisted on making one herself, despite the teacher's attempts to dissuade her.
Sure enough, the very next day, the girl's father marched into the classroom and shouted loudly at the teacher, making threats in front of the 2nd grade students, and then proceeding to throw all the handmade mangers onto the floor, destroying them.

I don't think this episode made it into the news...

Arrivederci, Roma

2006-01-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

Alas, it is time to go back.
I never thought the time would come when I would be excited to return to Brooklyn, but this time HE will be waiting at the airport, and HE is all I can think of.
Life is suddenly a lighter burden.

Random

2006-01-02T17:11:00.000-05:00

'Via Delle Vergini'

Menorah at Piazza Barberini. The Barberini family famously bought the papacy.

Columns at Piazza del Popolo

Getting me a culture

2005-12-28T06:21:00.000-05:00

I went to see an exhibition called Il '700 a Roma. It was the best decision I've made in quite some time. The mostra was breathtaking, from the portraits of nobels to scenes from the Eneide, from the busts dating back to Hadrian's times (apparently restored in the 18th century)to the two restored dresses dated 1750 and 1770 (uncomfortable and itchy looking, of course.

Let's not forget the fancy travel-silverware/dishware-set which belonged to an Italian Duchess, neatly placed in a large green velvet covered case.

The exhibit was held in the Palazzo Venezia, with it's incredibly high ceilings, exquisitely decorated and marked with stems.

The reduced 6 Euro ticket (under 25)was a true joke compared to the treasures shown... words are poor.

I took some pictures in the hallways leading to the exhibit. Nothing compared to the actual rooms, of course....

Palazzo Venezia, with Mussolini's balcony:

Staircase leading to the exhibit:

Midget door: (servants?)

More of Rome

2005-12-22T15:36:00.000-05:00

Before the Spanish Steps (which have nothing to do with Spain):

Guy doing a bird show on Via Del Corso. It was quite good, he got some of my Eurocents:

Hidden corner near a Chinese store, behind Piazza Vittorio:

The famous 'Smart' car, near home:

Rome

2005-12-21T14:48:00.000-05:00

Photos for the readers I no longer have.

Somewhere near the Trevi Fountain:

Fontana di Trevi in the rain:

Church of S. Maria Maggiore:

Via Ostiense:

She writes

2005-12-18T05:30:00.000-05:00

This is the Wanderer reporting from Villa Torlonia,on a cold but sunny December morning. In front of me is a marble column, dedicated to who-knows-whom. To my left, the huge main white villa, and 3 obese Roman cats. On the right, the bright green grass slopes down towards the trees.

A little girl chases a cat, talking gibberish. Sunday joggers pass by.

The hill of my childhood secret-police games is only a few meters high. What a disappointment. And the deep dark forrest has been cleaned out and pruned.

Underneath me are the Jewish Catacombs, more ancient than the Christian ones because the Pagan Romans cremated their dead.

My fingers are about to freeze off. Pics in next post.

2005-11-28T22:54:00.001-05:00

South Street Seaport

Wifi and Marble Columns

2005-11-26T19:31:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be in Rome in a week, so I was really excited to find out that ROME HAS GONE WIRELESS!
That's right folks, no longer will tourists be able to say that Italy is backwards. A few of the parks and piazze are already rigged, and there's more to come.

The following hotspots are currently available:

Villa Borghese

Villa Ada

Villa Torlonia (not too far from my parents')

Villa Pamphili

Soon to come:

Trevi Fountain

Campo de' Fiori

Campidoglio

Auditorium (new music hall)

Circo Massimo

Piazza Colonna

And more!

(From Comune di Roma)

Words- by the Bee Gees

2005-11-22T00:45:00.000-05:00

Smile an everlasting smile, a smile can bring you
near to me.
Don't ever let me find you gone, cause that would
bring a tear to me.
This world has lost its glory, let's start a brand
new story now, my love.
Right now, there'll be no other time and I can show
you how, my love.

Talk in everlasting words, and dedicate them all to
me.
And I will give you all my life, I'm here if you
should call to me.
You think that I don't even mean a single word I
say.
It's only words, and words are all I have, to take
your heart away
---------------------------------

Yeah, I like old music.
So sue me.

Park Slope

2005-11-15T19:13:00.000-05:00

Typical brownstones:

Detail:

This building reminded me of Rome....

Charming courtyard:

One of many Gothic-style churches in the area:

Mulberry Street

2005-11-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

(The pictures are mediocre because there were too many crs and people and I have no patience).

A word from the (now) wise: Do not walk down Mulberry St. when your stomach is doing its lunchtime rumble and there are dozens of tourists gleefully digging in to their delicious-looking pasta dishes at outdoor reaturant tables....

I stopped at Caffe' Roma for an Espresso ($2.50 vs. 0.70 in Rome)

Vinny's Nut House:

Ristorante 'Da Gennaro':

The Washington Mutual Bank on Canal Street....Chinatown version:

Get a grip, men.

2005-11-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

Today's sleezeball was the exterminator.

Him: So you need a job? Give me your number in case I hear something.
Me: Thanks, but that's okay. I'll manage.
Him: Seriously, what's your number?
(Dead end)

Landlord steps out for a few minutes. Sleezmenator moves in.

Him:You're beautiful, you look 18, how old are you?
Me: Are you done here?
Him: (Looking ay my wristwatch and extending his hand, trying to touch my arm) What's that, let me see?
Me: It's just a watch, please move away.
Him: Are those empty beer bottles yours?
Me: Yes, from a while ago.
Him: Don't be embarassed. You look like a good girl, are you a good girl?
Me: (Praying for the phone to ring) You're just fishing. Uhm, listen here....
Him: (Interrupting me) You look like you like to have fun.
Me: I think you're married.
Him: So?
Me: What do you mean, 'So'?
Him: Can't married people have fun?
Me: Depends what kind of fun.
Him: I just want to have fun with you, no strings attached. You look like you like to have fun.
Me: I really think you should go.
Him: What are you afraid of? I'm not getting attached. I just want a (ommited).
Me: Excuse me?...Just go.
Him: (Leaving his card on the kitchen counter) Call me, okay?
Me: Bye.
Him: Are you calling me?
Me: No. Go please.
Him: At least I didn't hide that I'm married. So what's the big deal? I told you I'm married, right? So lets take it from there.

-----------
I kid you not.

Dolce Far Niente

2005-11-09T14:22:00.000-05:00

But don't tell anyone.

2005-11-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

I had a typical NYC subway encounter the other day. Typical, but amusing.

Monday was a day off, because I had a dentist appointment and didn't feel like crossing to the other side of town to get to work after the procedure. I did have plenty of energy to take the train to lower Manhattan though :)

The Broadway line trains have interesting L shaped seating patterns, like so:

The passenger sitting on the last seat on Bench B will usually touch knees with the long legged passenger sitting on the outer seat of Bench A:

My knee-toucher boarded the train and sat on bench B, but I didn't pay too much attention to him. The dentist had given me bad news that I am still finding hard to handle (Finding $2000 for a root canal with uncertain success probabilities is just a tad overwhelming), so I was in antisocial depressive mode.
Kneetoucher didn't seem to mind. He kept stealing glances, in an innocently curious way, but I really wasn't interested in making conversation. Which is exactly what he was trying to do.

After a few stops, the tall 30 something y/o guy mustered the courage to ask 'Does this train stop on 4th St?' I said I didn't know, because I had never been on this line before. He then inquired about my accent ('It's funny to hear you say that, because most people wonder why I don't have an accent') and when I asked about his, he said he was from Israel.
He turned out to be a chef who has been working in NYC for the past 11 years. I immediately switched to Hebrew, and we discussed Brooklyn, work, the documentary I was going to see in Soho (Protocols of Zion, by Marc Levin), and more.

Then the train stopped on Broadway and Lafayette, and I ran off the train, mumbling a garbled goodbye seeya in English and Hebrew.

And that was myMonday knee-touching story.

The documentary was nicely done and not at all surprising. I'm a wary Jew.

The things we do...

2005-10-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

I went to see a studio apartment.
It turned out to be extremely affordable.
That's because there is almost no 'apartment' to speak of.

The entire place consists of a very small bedroom, and a bathroom. I could squeeze a mini fridge and my bookshelves-used-for-sweaters into the room, but I don't know where a stove would go, or my bike, or more shelving space. And I would have to wash dishes in the bathroom, unless I set up some kind of pipe-to-basin contraption.

There is a small entrance space which could be used for additional storage, if it turns out to be part of the deal.

I'll have to think it over. This is no regular studio apt., just a tiny room-con-WC.

What to do, what to do.

Bike.

2005-10-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

I sold a few things and purchased an affordable exercise bike, assembled by yours truly.
I rock.

If Only.

2005-10-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

Oh, to be simple minded and carefree.

A Stroke of Luck

2005-10-08T19:50:00.000-04:00

I purchased a softcover copy of Elie Wiesel's 'Memoirs: All rivers run to the sea' through Amazon.com, for a mere $2.26.
The book arrived on Friday morning. I opened it after work, and,to my great surprise, noticed an autograph on the very first page of the book.
Did the last owners of the autobiography fail to notice inscription? Or did they simply not care enough? Who knows.
But to me, this is a treasure, and the book won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Crazy Thursday

2005-09-30T07:33:00.000-04:00

Work was pretty busy yesterday, and I had to repeatedly resist the urge to tell people 'I'm not doing that for you, I quit, you hear me?'

Earlier that morning, I asked little sis if she liked chicken soup, and gave her money and a shopping list with the ingredients. Little sis is staying with me temporarily, she's attending HS here and she will be boarding with friends of our family. But more about her later.

We had been eating pasta every night for the past week, because I've been too exhausted to cook anything else. Plus, my sister makes a wonderful tomato sauce and we both don't mind pasta. But I felt guilty about it and resolved to cook up a mommy-style soup.

I got home at 7 PM, eager to get the soup started. I opened the fridge and found myself staring at....chicken breast cutlets.

'M., where's the regular chicken?' I asked. 'This is all I found' she said. I asked her to go back to the store and exchange the cutlets for whole chicken parts, but she said she hadn't seen any, which is possible on a Thursday night.

My chicken-soup-excitement started to make room for practicality, and I said 'Do you like Schnitzel? Good, please take $3 and go buy some Matzo-Meal'.

I decided to steam the vegetables that were originally meant for the soup, and have my sister cut up a small cucumber-tomato salad.

That's when the kitchen light acted up. My basement apt. is a hall of wonders. When the neighbours walk upstairs, my lights flicker on and off. It's great really, better than The House of Horrors in any amusement park.
So, the kitchen light went off, and I flicked it back on with a towel. This went on repeatedly for a few minutes, until he light refused to cooperate and stayed off. At this point my sister had returned and there was schnitzel frying in the pan, and vegetables cooking in the pot behind it.

I called my landlady and explained the problem. She called one of the neighbours, who took a look around, tried a thing or two, and told me he'd be back tomorrow to work in daylight.

Fine, go.

We finished cooking in the dark, moved the food to the front hall table and had a delicious dinner, sans chicken soup.

And that was my Thursday.

Resolution

2005-09-29T08:12:00.000-04:00

I'll give them notice today.
I've been saying that for the past month or two, but maybe writing it down will finally make it happen.

I know what everyone will say: Don't quit until you find another job! You've made that mistake before!

Well, with all due respect, &^$* you.

I'm miserable at work, m-is-e-r-a-b-l-e. You know it' s time to move when you start snapping at everyone, making faces and getting migraines.
I'd rather be short on rent than go to work in that area and come back at 7.
So save your preaching and go buy another Prada bag, or move out of your parent's house and see what it's really like out here.

I'll find something else, hopefully part time, which will leave space for a translation course.
Dream

Stay out of my Bathroom.

2005-09-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in a previous post that men in my office tend to use the lady's room.
They gave us a key so that we would have our own clean bathroom. yet they still use it.

Is there a law against that? If there isn't, there should be.

Yesterday afternoon I went to 'powder my nose' and found urine sprayed all over the toilet seat and beyond. Things like that leave me with a feeling of disgust for the rest of the day.

I promptly put up a sign:

This morning, the door was WIDE OPEN. And the bathroom was far from clean

So I added:

WOMEN.

SENORAS.

What will I have to add tomorrow?

Simon Wiesenthal

2005-09-20T08:03:00.000-04:00

He was one of those people I thought would live forever.
What a great loss to the world.

We need more heroes.

City Birds

2005-09-15T18:53:00.000-04:00

Pigeons sharing my lunch:

Work Conditions

2005-09-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

Since I’ve lost most of my readership due to sporadic posting, I might as well just talk to myself and childishly rant away about life as I know it.

I always hear people talk about their jobs, decent jobs with health benefits, coffee breaks, and cubicles. Some of these people couldn’t find Morocco on a map or spell ‘moot’.

I am not a stupid person and I spell better than my American supervisors.

So why can’t I land one of those jobs???

The only ‘health benefit’ we get here is the key to the Lady’s Room, which is supposed to be off limits to the men, although for some reason they still tend to use it, even though the Men’s Room is more easily accessible.

Coffee Break? Hmm well when I feel like it I can make some Nescafe’ and walk back to my desk with it, then sip in between typing.

Sick days? No such thing. I feel extremely guilty whenever I call in sick, because while the bosses have the right to go out to the mountains for an entire week, we lowly girls are supposed to be workaholic robots.

Suggestions? Not from me. They won’t listen to me. I’ve tried to tell them about the complaints I’ve been receiving about the company. But they didn’t pay attention. Their loss.

Last week, the manager emailed me saying he wanted me to slowly take over a large account, because he didn’t have time to follow up with it.

In the normal world, that would have been a promotion. You know those nice things where you get a higher salary and a better name for what you do.

But here it’s just another thing for me to do on my low wages.

So I told him I would have to discuss something with the boss first.

I went over to the boss and laid out the situation in plain words. I told him, similar jobs usually start with such and such salary, but you are paying me xx (pitiful sum).

When you first hired me, you said my pay would increase after the trial period, but it didn’t, and it’s been a while. Now, Steve (manager) usually gives me extra work to do, and I don’t mind doing it, but for what I’m getting paid, I don’t think it’s fair. (Excuse the syntax).

I also told him that I spend $80+ per month on travel.

I was half hoping he would say he can’t afford to give me a raise. I needed a good excuse to quit. Instead, he said they are extremely happy with me and so he will think it over.

This was last Thursday.

Yesterday, the boss called me over and said he will give me an extra $50 per week.

That is a good start, but he made it clear that he usually gives people a raise after one year only, so I won’t be expecting more money anytime soon.

$50 dollars is nice but I’m still not making a decent salary compared to other people in my position, and I feel used.

I’m looking for something else, but I can’t afford to quit until I find it.

I need a real vacation, all expenses paid. I just need some time, and I haven’t been to a doctor in years.

Nobody understands. They don’t understand that independent, smart 20+ year olds need some TLC sometimes as well.

/end pathetic rant.

After Labor Day

2005-09-08T22:38:00.000-04:00

First day of school. What a beautiful morning, what beautiful sights.

Children sit on their front steps, waiting for the school bus.

Further down the road, a father tells his 3 year old son about the big, big yellow bus that will pull up very soon.

High school girls walk up the block, catching up on the latest news

I walk to the bus stop, I am going to work like every morning, but today there is a thrill in the air, the excitement in the children’s faces gives the day a new meaning.

Down another block. A mother fixes her daughter’s pony tail.

An inner-city school yard. Children in uniform mill around, while proud parents look on.

For a moment, everything else is forgotten. Katrina, Gush Katif, work, health… they all step aside to watch this pure morning in September.

Give it up for Tintoretto

2005-08-27T22:20:00.000-04:00

Leonardo is not the only artist to have left mysteries that historians and art connoisseurs are still trying to solve, and probably never will.

For four centuries experts and critics have pored over Venetian paintings by Tintoretto and other artists, attempting to catch the secret to the mysterious 'brilliance' or 'glow' that some of the paintings emanated.

Read here how a scientist from the Washington National Gallery of Art discovered the source of the glow:

Tiny bits of Murano glass mixed into the color.

Pretty ingenious, huh? This put a smile on my face and as usual, brought a wave of nostalgia.

Additional source: Corriere.
----------------------------------------
Must Have links:
Live Science , PaleoJudaica.

Live & Active Cultures

2005-08-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

I was quietly staring at my Yougurt this morning (new form of meditation, don't ask) when the following phrase caught my eye:

...With Live and active cultures.

Now I don't know about you, but when I see the word cultures I don't think of The cultivation of soil, seeing as I am not an agricolture expert. I naturally think of: The predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize the functioning of a group or organization or: # Intellectual and artistic activity and the works produced by it.

However, seeing the words 'live' and 'culture' on a yougurt container is a creepy experience. You imediately envision dozens of live piano players crawling around your yougurt, or worse, tiny insects.

Now, I'm not one to be bothered by insects. I have 'taken care of' many (non-poisonous) mini scorpions, roaches, bees, and other unidentified creepy crawlies. But I don't appreciate them in MY YOUGURT.

So off I went to my best friend Mr. Google:

Q What are live and active cultures?

A Live and active cultures refer to the living organisms Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, which convert pasteurized milk to yogurt during fermentation. All yogurts are required to be made with these two cultures. In addition, some yogurts contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus and other cultures. In heat-treated yogurt, these cultures are killed during post-fermentation heating.

I feel much better knowing that Live and Active cultures translates into scientific gibberish, as opposed to miniature sopranos, Van Goghs,or farm ants.

Roman Earthquake

2005-08-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

I was informed this morning that there had been an earthquake in Rome. I didn't really know about it, because I haven't been following European news lately, my focus has been on Israel. (In reference to Israel, my mother stated that it's impossible to buy a newspaper other than Libero because of the heavy bias). I do know that there have been deadly floods in three countries but that's about it.

The epicenter of the quake was in the sea somewhere between Anzio and Nettuno (small towns/sea resorts a few miles from Rome proper) and Anzio residents feared a Tsunami.

Earthquakes in Rome are rare as far as I know. The city usually feels aftershocks from large earthquakes in the south, but no more than that.

This last one was felt a bit more. A family friend who lives a few floors off the ground said her furniture was dancing, but my sister who has a ground floor apartment said she thought her very active toddler was shaking the desk.

From Wanted in Rome:

The earthquake measuring 4,5 on the Richter scale ( 6-7 on the Mercalli scale) that struck Rome for ten seconds on Monday afternoon was the strongest earthquake to hit the area since 1919.

The epicentre of the quake was in the sea a few miles off the coast of Anzio, to the south of the capital, it was felt along 200 kms of the Lazio coastline and some holiday makers and surfers left the beach fearing the arrival of a tsumani. Damage has been slight and inspections have already begun on the historic monuments considered most at risk, particularly the Roman columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius which stand on relatively small bases. The Colosseum will be carefully checked, as will all the buildings on the Palatine hill and on the Appian Way. The fire brigade has already inspected the tunnels on the underground and the Olympic stadium. All state school buildings will be looked at for damage before school opens in mid- September.

Letter from Kfar Darom

2005-08-21T13:03:00.000-04:00

The Roman Jewish community has always been active in pro-Israel organizations. After the start of the 2000 Intifada, my father started a fundraiser for the Israeli victims of terror. The funds have gone towards medical treatment, toys clothes and food, trips abroad and yearly shabbatons in Tveriah (Tiberias).

The cover of last year's booklet featured a thank-you drawing by Yonathan Na'or a young victim from Kfar Darom. I found the booklet while sorting out a drawer, and the drawing gave me the chills because the village that Yonathan so accurately depicted is now empty...

The top says 'Kfar Darom', and underneath it: Shabbat Shalom to the Jewish community of Rome and to xxxxx (my father), from Yonathan Nahor, Kfar Darom.

A Slight Difference...

2005-08-19T17:34:00.000-04:00

JPost Headline:Abbas credits 'martyrs' with Israel's Gaza withdrawal

In the article: ...In his Friday speech, however, Abbas praised the "martyrs and their patience" for Israel's withdrawal.

Corriere Headline: Abu Mazen: «Ha vinto la nostra pazienza»- Our patience has won.

In the corriere article: No mention of martyrs, only of 'our sacrifice', which doesn't quite translate as martyrs, but is taken to indicate the conditions they have endured, at least that is what it sounds like to me in that context.

Uncertain Times.

2005-08-14T00:53:00.000-04:00

Essays: 'What Israel Means To Me'

The Terrorist Cells will hit here:

2005-08-12T11:21:00.000-04:00

A memo points out the Al Qaeda targets for the units in the West. Source: ‘Maaskar Al Battar’, military journal of Al Qaeda.
(Translated from the 8/11 paper edition of Panorama).

1) Hitting economical targets in order to cause withdrawal of foreign capital from local markets, and annulment of all economic procceds in the areas where the attacks will occur (Ex. According to Al Qaeda the Madrid attacks served to damage the European economy).

The attacks would hit:

a. The ‘Occupying Forces’ in Islamic countries.
b. Multinational Associations.
c. Experts and economy personell.
d. Sources of income for the ‘Crucified Nations’.
e. Suppliers of raw material ‘Robbed from the Muslims’.
f. Jews who work in the economy sector.

2) Human Targets:

a. Jews.
b. Christians, in the following order: Americans, Brits, Spaniards, Australian, Canadian and Italian.
Amongst these, the targets will be: men who work in the business sector, diplomats, politicians, intellectuals, annalists, places ‘where politics take place’, scientists, Officers and military in general, tourists and vacation spots.
c. ‘Muslim Traitors’, in particular those who support Jewish and Christian governments, like the Egyptian Hosni Mubarak, the intellectuals, the spies and the security forces.

3) Religious Targets. They are generally discouraged, aside for a few cases:

a. When they try to suppress Islamic societies
b. When there are cases of espionage, disguised as religious activity
c. When priests or nuns preach against Islam or Muslims.
d. When Jews and Christians begin to support economically, militarily, or even only morally those who fight Muslims.

City Scenes

2005-08-09T13:21:00.000-04:00

I finally obtained a day off. No bus, no obnoxious supervisors, no pressure.
I woke early out of habit, and spent the morning in Lower Manhattan, running errands and trolling around with my camera. By the way, I didn't see any bag-checks at the subway stations.

Costume shop in the East Village:

Ghandi at Union Square:

Some Numbers

2005-08-04T07:21:00.000-04:00

David Romano, secretary of 'Friends of Israel' and journalist for La Repubblica, brings some interesting statistics from the Corriere... I am breaking them up into points:

'In Italy there already are Islamic Fundamentalist schools. And amongst the converts, there are many Fascists... '

Islamic Centers in Italy: 370 in the North, 96 in the South, and 145 amongst the Islands.
What are these centers? Many of them are probably Madrasse (from Arab 'madrassa' religious school) which alarms the authorities.

Risk of Islamic ideology preventing integration: High.
Possibility that the second generation will grow up with militant ideals: Very likely.
What are Italians worried about: Agents are concentrating on the activities of some Imams in Northern Italy, who are busy as well as keeping track of integration activism (infiltration?) in the Lombardia area, activities which seem to encouraged by the militant Islamic nets.
Authorities are also focusing on the . (Quotes are form the Corriere).

Romano adds:
Some of the converts are ex-communists (like Adel Smith, Oriana's accuser). Radical Ismal seems to be mainly attracting Fascists. Coincidence?

A Son at Sharm-al-Sheik

2005-07-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

Dear Severgnini,

Last night, my son returned from Sharm. He was in the marketplace when the first bomb exploded right before his eyes, and it changed his life forever. The son who departed was a young man of 21, a happy globetrotter, always ready to pack a suitcase and jump on an airplane. The one I "got back" last night at Malpensa was exactly what the terrorists want to turn our children into: an apathetic and frightened person full of hatred.

Soon after September 11, he dared to say, "I hate all Arabs," and he got a dirty look from me because, seated at the table with us was Amina, a young Moroccan lady who has lived in our home for eight years , ever since my youngest daughter was born. It is thanks to her, to her devotion and her sacrifices in taking my place in the home that I was able to become a journalist and was able to carry out my work without ever having to refuse a last-minute assignment.
And thanks to this young Muslim lady, (not an Islamist, who suffers from hatred more than we do on account of those who want her to wear a burqa) I can be far away from my family but, at the same time, peaceful and serene because I know that my family is in good hands. mani. It is thanks to her that I can be both mother and working woman.

My son's words not only offended her, but offended me as well in my role as a mother who was unable to raise him according to my principles of respect for every human being.

I asked myself many times where I went wrong And I have never been able to come up with an answer. [That is,] until 12:13 a.m. on July 23, 2005 when I received the following message from my son: "Everything's o.k.; don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry." The bomb had just gone off, and he was fleeing a horror that I can only imagine, but that he saw with his own eyes.
In that moment-and until I know that he was safe inside the village, I only felt hatred. Hatred of the Arabs, of terrorism, and a way of life that keeps me from being the mother I want to be. I understand his anger towards those who, since September 11, had forever taken from him the pleasure of traveling and knowing the world. I don't want to justify his reaction, but now I don't know if I would still be able to give him a dirty look for it.

They have undermined my convictions and changed my son. I hope that this is only a passing reaction, but even being asked to go on vacation in Sardinia scares me to death.

Cristina Mello-Grand

------------------
This letter was first posted on the forum 'Italians' on corriere.it . I immediately emailed Cristina (a journalist for modaonline.it) and obtained her permission to translate it and publish it here on the blog. She said she would like to spread the word, so feel free to link to this post or copy it.

Someguy very kindly (and quickly!) translated the letter. Thanks someguy, awesome job.

Cristina's son's account of the Sharm al Sheik bombings can be read at his blog .
And here is a picture of Tommy at Sharm.

The Girl and The AC

2005-07-24T19:41:00.000-04:00

There once was a girl who was very very hot.
No, I didn't mean it that way. Rinse your brain with soap.
The girl was very hot, because she didn't have a fan or Air Conditioner.
So the girl ventured into CL:

And found a reasonably priced AC. She secured delivery for a few extra dollars, and sat back and waited.
Finally, after many hours, there was a knock on the door.

'Hi girl', said Patrick 'I have your Air Conditioner'.
'Why, thank you!', exclaimed the girl, 'Please leave it right here by the stairs'.
So the girl paid Patrick and off he went.
Gathering her strength, the girl dragged the AC down the steps, into the apartment, past the hallway and into her bedroom.
The girl tried to lift the AC, but it was too heavy.
'Oh no!' said the girl. 'Now what?'
The girl thought and thought, when all of a sudden, she remembered something.
"I know!' she said. 'The next door neighbors owe me a favor'.
So the girl circled the house and knocked on Ruthie's door.
"Hi Ruthie!' She said politely. 'Is your husband in? You see, I bought this AC...'
Ruthie was very kind, and said her husband was resting, but would help the girl in the evening.

The girl returned home, a bit dejected, when suddenly Ruthie's husband showed up 'I figured you'd need the AC now, it's very hot', he said.
The girl was very grateful. The neighbor hauled the AC up onto the window, but then he said 'There is a piece of metal here, and the AC won't fit'.
"Wait,' said the girl. 'Here's a screwdriver. Could you remove the metal strip?"
So the neighbor tried to unscrew the strip, but the screws refused to cooperate, although the screwdriver was of the right size.
'It's no use' he said,'it won't fit'. And away he went.

The girls windows were missing the bottom part of the frame, because a previous tenant had removed them to make place for air conditioners. This made the girl's bedroom very cold in the winter, so the landlord's son in law added metal strips (thou shalt not mind the dust, for it has been removed):

That was what had to be removed. So the girl gathered her many tools...

... and attemped to deal with the screws, but they were as stubborn as her people.

Finally, the girl went up to the second floor to borrow plyers.
'Don't work so hard' said the landlady, 'The downstairs neighbor is very handy. He will help you'.
'But he's resting' said the girl 'I wouldn't want to bother him once more. Besides, he gave up on my AC. He said it won't fit in the window'.
'Psha!' said the landlady 'Don't worry about it.' So she picked up the phone and called the neighbor.
The girl thanked her and ran all the way down to her apartment. The neighbor brought his plyers, and started to remove the screws.
'It won't help' he said, 'because behind this metal sheet, there is the window frame.
'No,' said the girl ' the strip replaces the frame! You will see!'
So the neighbor removed the metal, and lo and behold, there was nothing!
The girl went out to the alley to help lift the window while the neighbor pushed in the AC.
It was a perfect fit!
The girl thanked the neighbor for his kindness and patience, and tried not to look as smug as she felt.

Then she temporarily blocked the spaces with some cartons..

...turned on the power, and leaned back to enjoy the cool fake air coming out of her very first Air Conditioner, which was on the window above her dorm-style wall decorations:

Bag Searches in NYC

2005-07-23T22:20:00.000-04:00

How does NY feel about the subway bag searches? Some commuters are grateful and accepting. Others are just accepting. And others still have very intelligent things to say about VIOLATION OF PRIVACY, FOURTH AMENDMENT, and of course the everpresent RACIAL PROFILING.
Human stupidity at its best.

The cops don't check every single bag. And we don't know how prepared they are, either. I'm confident that a mall security guard in Israel knows exactly what to look for. Are NYC guards up to par? I sure hope so. *
To some extent, the whole procedure could be seen as not very effective in the big picture. But we don't really know if it's an unnecessary precaution, so it's silly to write it off immediately and cry about privacy.

I have a feeling that those who complain don't know what we're up against. They live in a world of black and white. If the faucet drips, the plumber will fix it. If the boss harasses you, a lawsuit will console you. Everything is fine, just as long as nobody touches your handbag.

Because we all know they're not doing it to protect you, they're just doing it to 'invade your privacy' because they're paranoid about some radical in Saudi Arabia, oops he's already made his way to Paris, oh he's now living the good life in Milan, oh wait, the radical has moved to London and integrated really well. Hum, what's that explosion? A bomb? In London? What's that you're saying...a radical???

*edit- I read that NYC is now consulting Israelis about security.

Keynote Address

2005-07-21T10:36:00.000-04:00

Dearest Wanderer of Rome,

We don’t know what you’ve done with your primary set of keys. Yes, the keys, remember? We know you do- they were attached to your favorite SPQR keychain with the colors of the A.S. Roma soccer team that is only successful once in 20 years.

They disappeared one day, (the keys, not the team) and are now cohabitating with your brand new sunglasses in the realm of Unsolved Mysteries.

You chose us as substitutes, digging us out of a pile of junk mail in a basket and assigning us to the Usual Place.

The Usual Place is sacred, because it’s where you find your house keys when you most need them. You know better than putting them in Another Place. Or at least, you usually do.

This morning, we were not in the Usual Place. It was time for you to leave the house, but as you passed by the table and swept your hand across it to grab the keys, you noticed something was wrong.

We were not on the other side of the table. Nor were we in your handbag’s front pocket, inner secret pocket or Main Messy Area. We were not in the bedroom, not in the kitchen, not in the garbage can.

You know how nervous you get when you’re running ‘late’. ‘Late’ being the wrong word, because you’re never really late. You’re just late according to your schedule. If you’re not out of the house by 8:15 and at the bus stop at 8:30, you get nervous. And nobody likes nervous. You don’t like nervous, do you? But that’s how you get.

So, it was already 8:15 and we, your house keys, were nowhere to be seen. You finally decided to leave the house and deal with the problem after work (your landlord probably has a set).

You grabbed your bag, water bottle, calcium pill, opened the door, stepped out, closed the door and…there we were! Right there in the door, on the outside. How thoughtful of you to leave us out there all night. This is not a safe village in the Midwest you know.

Go on now, run to your bus. This evening we expect to be stored in the Usual Place, please don’t disappoint us.

Openly Yours,

Your House Keys.

Extra, Extra, Read All About it!

2005-07-21T07:45:00.000-04:00

Oriana is 'back' on the Corriere Della Sera. She had a disagreement with one of the directors a while ago (the paper does NOT share her views on the Italian government and Islam and countless other things) after having been on the Corriere team for years.*

Now she is back with an article on London, in part due to pressure from friends and fans.
I will try to find it later on today.

*Oriana is quoted to have said: "I will no longer write for 'that newspaper', I will not even send in my obituary"

Note: I found the article, I will read it later.

Once upon a marble mountain

2005-07-14T22:45:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, I wrote about the world famous marbles of Carrara.

'...I've been to Massa Carrara a few times, on camp trips, and yes, there are pieces of rough marble just laying around, waiting for you to pocket them. There are also plenty of exhausted quarries, which makes sense after over 3000 years of mining.
The small towns in that area, with small houses all layered up on the hills, have staircases made of marble, in between roads and levels. One such town had a bar, where the locals sipped on wine and played cards, and the ever present town square- this one with a monument commemorating one of the town's sons who had died in WWII.'

Back to the present, this insert from WantedinRome confirms the end of a long, long, era.

"The supply of marble in the historic quarries of Massa Carrara is close to being exhausted. The quarries in north-east Tuscany have provided some of the most highly-prized white marble for sculpting for hundreds of years.

La Henraux, a French quarrying company, which for almost 200 years has worked marble in this area, has now asked for permission to extract marble from the top of Monte Altissimo – the mountain from which Michelangelo took the stone for some of his most famous works, such as the “Pieta”. This request has sparked sharp divisions between supporters of the Parco archeologico delle Alpi Apuane, in which the quarries, lie and the unions that are anxious to protect the jobs of the 147 employees of the company. Supporters of the park argue that the remaining marble should be reserved for work in Italy, and not exported in large blocks around the world."

End of the Week

2005-07-14T22:17:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, almost Friday. Another humid weekend, food and relatives and books. Another to-do-list to go through and leave 3/4 incomplete.

Two and a half days of leisure, usually dedicated to thoughts of change, but never practical solutions.
Is it getting too late? Tic toc.

Born in the wrong decade.

Did You Know...

2005-07-10T18:53:00.000-04:00

...that Abbas funded the Munich murders?

Esther blogged about Spielberg's upcoming film, apparently it's not what we've all been expecting.

JPost's Uri Dan tells us a little something (a little something??? Brooklyn is bad for my writing skills) about the actual terrorist operation:

...However, and for the historical record, an important Palestinian participant in the Munich massacre is still alive: Abu Daoud, Arafat's close aide, is currently living in Jordan. In a book he published in France, Abu Daoud boasted of his responsibility for the crime, and even revealed that Mahmoud Abbas, the current president of the Palestinian Authority, funded the terrorist group sent to Munich. This is the very same Abbas who received a doctorate from Moscow University for a thesis that denied that the Holocaust took place

Oriana Told You So

2005-07-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

In a June interview following her indictiment by the Italian court for '"vilification of a religion admitted by the state", Oriana Fallaci once again reminds us to open our eyes.

"Ms. Fallaci speaks in a passionate growl: "Europe is no longer Europe, it is 'Eurabia,' a colony of Islam, where the Islamic invasion does not proceed only in a physical sense, but also in a mental and cultural sense. Servility to the invaders has poisoned democracy, with obvious consequences for the freedom of thought, and for the concept itself of liberty." Such words--"invaders," "invasion," "colony," "Eurabia"--are deeply, immensely, Politically Incorrect; and one is tempted to believe that it is her tone, her vocabulary, and not necessarily her substance or basic message, that has attracted the ire of the judge in Bergamo (and has made her so radioactive in the eyes of Europe's cultural elites).

"Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder," the historian Arnold Toynbee wrote, and these words could certainly be Ms. Fallaci's. She is in a black gloom about Europe and its future: "The increased presence of Muslims in Italy, and in Europe, is directly proportional to our loss of freedom."

How fitting. Whaddya say, Europe?

More on Paris

2005-07-08T16:10:00.000-04:00

No security in secondary airports!

As mentioned in my previous entry, my parents were just in Paris for a few days. I would like to repeat my mother's description of the security conditions at a small airport about 90 minutes from the city proper. I forget the name of the airport.

My parents and sisters left from the Ciampino airport, which is Rome's secondary airport, very small but fairly modern nontheless. They landed near Paris, and there was no passport control. They just strolled right into France. The same thing happened on the way home. There was no security, and my mother said that the airport was like something out of the 1940's. Again, no passport check, and people just walked straight onto the plane from the airport, like in those old movies.

Basically the place was more like a bus terminal than an airport, and it didn't seem like the French were too worried about who was entering their country.

Are we next?

2005-07-08T08:04:00.000-04:00

There apparently have been Al Qaeda internet threats written in bad Italian, but I can't find the actual website and message. Truth be told, they've been threatening England and Italy ever since the war started.

Yesterday my mother said: "Maybe I shouldn't take the Metro anymore'. I answered 'Ma', they targetted buses in London too'.

So you never know, but we learn from Israel that life goes on no matter what 'could happen'.

----------------------------
On another note: my parents were just in Paris for a wedding, and they told me that our Israeli cousins (family of the groom) were trying to get taxis to drive them to the wedding hall, but each time a taxi driver drove up, he would take one look at them and drive right off. It took them over an hour to get a ride. Moral of the story: Antisemitism in Paris is really out there.

PC

2005-07-07T23:57:00.000-04:00

PC this, PC that.

I used to think a PC was a Portable Computer.

Now PC is what you are when you're too weak to speak out for your true beliefs.

But Spades are still Spades, so take your PC and
head elsewhere.
(PC^)

London

2005-07-07T07:18:00.000-04:00

Islam is a peaceful religion, and the radicals are few and far between. The only attack if treated unjustly.

/anger.

Quote of the day: 'This is deja vu.....and deja future'- Gravel Rash in the chat box at It's A Matter of Opinion.

Synagogues Without Jews

2005-07-06T23:13:00.000-04:00

Italian Jews are proud of their beautiful synagogues, (which in some cases were inspired by the architecture of the time, as is the case with the syngagogue of Florence that strangely resembles a cathedral...)* but most of them go unnoticed, because Jews no longer live in what are now considered smaller cities, -such as Mantova, Ferrara, Lucca- but in the past were centers of the universe.

I sometimes worry about all that heritage being forgotten, but tonight I somehow came across a site that is based on the book Synagogues Without Jews.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the communities that once were, like Mantua (Mantova):

"Jewish physicians in Italy were esteemed for their medical ability. The most famous family of physicians in Italy was the Portaleone dynasty that loyally treated Italian nobility in Mantua and Padua for 300 years."

"Dramatizations of Purim's scroll of Esther provided the earliest Jewish theater experience; they were so popular that Christian neighbors keenly followed the performances in violation of Church interdiction. As groups expanded their repertoire, they were invited to perform secular productions at the Gonzaga Court and other palaces. The first theatrical producer in Italy was the Jewish Judah Leone de ÂSommi (1525-1590), who also became a prolific playwright. In 16 manuscript volumes, deÂSommi wrote pastoral comedies in Italian and some in Hebrew. "

The book itself focuses on a various European countries.

*More on Florence.

Self Haters

2005-07-04T17:47:00.000-04:00

I understand people who are not always 100% happy with their country and/or with the decisions their government makes. Democracies have political parties and you can't always have the cake and eat it too.

And I understand why Americans would want to criticize America, particularly because I criticize it myself, albeit from an outsider's point of view.
But I can't easily forgive 'fraternizing with the enemy'. You don't like your country, fine, work on accepting the status quo or do something about changing it. But don't go to Europe and tell Paris and Berlin that your country is going down the drain and is governed by rednecks.

At the Live 8 concert in Berlin, Green Day managed to capture the attention of the local crowd with a barrage of 'F' words, followed by the much acclaimed song 'American Idiot'. Some of the lyrics, for your reading pleasure:

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation that's under the new media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mindfuck America.

[...]
Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along in the age of paranoia.

Circo Massimo

2005-07-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

Watching the replays of the Live8 concerts that took place all over the world earlier today, I notice that the million or so Romans who went to Circo Massimo for the concert do not seem to appreciate Duran Duran. I can't blame them really. I'm just a freak who likes 80's music, but I wouldn't expect a regular 18 year old Italian to know much about this 20 year old band that has suddenly decided to make a comeback.
As I listen transfixed, I try not to wince when I notice the lack of crowd-partecipation.
Oh well. They should perform in London next time.

I don't really know if a million Romans stood at Circo Massimo today, but the place looks pretty full, and 1.5 million people filled the same arena a few summers ago when Roma won the Coppa D'Italia in football (soccer for the American heathens).

I was in Israel or Prague at the time, so I missed the week long celebrations. According to my parents and siblings, the entire city was one big party. I flew over in time to catch the last of the banners, strewn all over the city. But the real party was at Circo Massimo, where the Romans once held the corse alle bighe, chariot races.

What's left of Circo Massimo is its oval shape (and the strange story/legend of the rape of the Sabine) and nearby ruins.

The arena seated a quarter of a million people in Rome's days of glory*. A reconstruction from Encyclopaedia Romana on the left.

Click to see part of the arena in its current desolate state.

*I always feel a twang of guilt when speaking proudly of the fallen empire. Despite the fact the Romans were the fathers of modern plumbing, highways, and much more, most of them were not exactly the picture of morality as we know it. And let's not mention the conquest of, ahem, Judaea, and subsequent exile of the Jews which we still find ourselves in now.

So, back to live8- Tim McGraw was another nonsuccess-who in his right mind would sing Country Music in Rome???
But I guess it didn't really matter that much, since the concert was part of a global event and everyone got to tune in and watch their favoritre singers.

I enjoyed Bon Jovi (Philadelphia?) but Def Leppard are positively ancient, though they tried their best.

Natality is Increasing- Or is it?

2005-06-27T06:54:00.000-04:00

There have been more funerals than births in Italy for quite a while, but according to a recent survey the population has seen a rise of 1% between 2003-2004, mostly thanks to legal immigrants.

Which immigrants, I wonder? Hmm, let me think, this is a tough one...

The Kids

2005-06-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

Inspiration is nonexistent at the moment, so I figured I'd scan some pictures of 'my' Prague Kids (yes, I live in the past). I tried to cover part of the faces, so as not to go against my own rules.

The Hibernation Cave we made after learning about what bears do in the winter:

Nathan watches as his Volcano 'erupts' (homemade volcano: 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp vinegar, two drops red food coloring, slowly pour grape juice into mixture and...kaboom!):

The chart we made together to understand how volcanoes erupt [some waves are in the wrong place :) ]:

Reflections

2005-06-24T07:02:00.000-04:00

I have a room in my house, full of mirrors.
Sometimes I go there to reflect.

(From Reader's Digest, via my sister).

Maturita

2005-06-22T06:45:00.000-04:00

Esami di Maturita' (lit: maturity exams) are the difficult state exams that Italian students take after 5 (!) years of highschool. I don't think they're as difficult as in France, but France is known for it's long school hours and impossibly hard tests.

The educational methods in Italy are antiquate (although a reform is underway as far as I know) but the average middle school student knows more than the average American High School student.

Some of the topics studied for the first day of this year's Maturita': (written test).

Dante Alighieri (XVII canto del Paradiso)
Freedom in artistic-literary notions,
Travels as a life metaphor,
The collapse of nationalistic regimes and the European integration process.
Natural catastrophes,
Europe and the US as elements of Western civilization,
Einstein the physicist.

Allow me to specify that there are different types of public highschools: Classic, Scientific, Linguistic, Human Sciences ([?]that's a new one) and general ones. The Linguistic and Classic will get you translating lots and lots of Latin and Greek texts late into the night, amongst other things.

A small percentage of kids who had a hard time handling Middle School exams sometimes choose a vocational school instead of a regular highschool. I have a friend who went to Culinary school. I didn't go to HS in Italy, but I sometimes wish I had.

Borowitz Report

2005-06-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

I told someone that I won't be writing about Wacko Jacko, but this is too funny to pass up:

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein startled the international legal community today by requesting that the jury in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial be empanelled to sit in judgment of him when his trial gets underway in Baghdad.

The Iraqi dictator made the extraordinary request in a special hearing today, telling the judge in his case, "There is no jury in the world better qualified to hear my case than those twelve people who just let Michael Jackson walk."

In addition to requesting the Jackson jury, Saddam also requested that the mother of Mr. Jackson's accuser be called upon to testify against him in his trial.

The Iraqi madman, who had been gloomy and depressed in recent months, reportedly "perked up" when the Jackson verdict was announced earlier this week, sources inside his prison said.

"When the verdict was read and it was not guilty on all counts, Saddam practically jumped out of his chair," one source said. "He was like, 'I've got to get that jury — they're awesome!'"

Jewishworldreview.

NYC Transit Preachers

2005-06-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

They are everywhere. On the subway train on late weekend afternoons, at the subway stop in a central location and on the bus. In the morning. When all you want is for people to shut up and feel miserable about having to go to work.

Buses are the Hyde Park Speaker’s corners for the enlightened.

Good Morning Ladies & Gentlemen, Jesus loves you! He loves you and he is coming soon, very soon! The world…shape…sins…repent…it’s never too late…he is here…I know you think I’m crazy. But I am NOT crazy… Jesus loves you and he is coming…

These people sound like they have a built in microphone. Especially when they’re sitting right next to me, the only white Jew on the bus (I wrote that in case the PC police were to come and say: what if some of the African Americans on the bus were Jewish?).

I’m all for freedom of speech, expect for when it comes to satire at the President’s expense, and preachers on the bus in the morning when I want the world to be quiet for 40 minutes.

Intelligent life form?

2005-06-16T07:23:00.000-04:00

I haven't been posting anything intelligent because I've been a bit tired.
My deepest apologies, do check in soon.

Toscana

2005-06-15T06:19:00.000-04:00

I really wouldn't mind being there right now, you know. Not at all. Just in case you were wondering about it.

from webshots.com

'Musement Parks

2005-06-15T05:41:00.000-04:00

I was watching a commentary on the Disneyworld tragedy, where a four year old boy passed away after going unconscious on a space-ride.
They said that while most rides have height restrictions, they will now have to rethink the age restrictions.

I'm used to this country being a child-friendly place. Why would an amusement park allow four year olds onto such a ride in the first place?

Streaming Travel

2005-06-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

The self-named Intrepid Berkeley Explorer is not your typical backpacker, but he sure has been around.
If you feel like going away for a little while, all you have to do is go to his website and click on any country for a streaming WMP video. The quality of the stream is not the best, but the homevideos are definitely viewable and the Berkeley Explorer is one funnily crazy guy. Especially when you're having a work-&-weather-related nervous breakdown.

Intrepid Explorer's Videos

His Geocities page.

Lunch Break Photos

2005-06-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge

Spelling Bee

2005-06-07T23:05:00.000-04:00

The 13 year old who won the national speeling bee is a smart boy, no doubt about that. But why were so many anglicised words used? Shouldn't the focus have been on good ol' English alone? He did spell out some really tough words like 'sphygmomanometer', but there were loads of words like 'prosciutto' and 'appoggiatura' (I think that was the winning word).

You all know that what I'm really saying is, any Italian or French pisher could have won the spelling bee ;). Ok, maybe not. But almost.

Oy

2005-06-07T22:10:00.000-04:00

Why would a 30 something Polish woman who works in Rome try to commit suicide by ingesting half a bottle of Sulphuric Acid?

I don't know. But she did.

B. has been cleaning our house a few times a week for the last 2 or three years- enough time to get on friendly and trutworthy terms with our family.

I don't know if she is working to support a family back home. I think she has/had a boyfriend in Rome. I don't know enough about her to draw any conclusions as to why she did it, so we'll have to wait.

On the 6th at 4:00 AM, B's roommate found her in the bathroom. She called the ambulance, and she called my mother. My mother immediately went to Ostia, where B lives.
It's still early to tell if she will live, and how she will live. But nobody really saw it coming. Her roommate mentioned that B had spoken about being in trouble with 'them', and my little sister said that she sometimes spoke about annoying cellphone messages from 'them', so it's possible she had stalkers of some sort. It's also possible that she is schizofrenic, but it's wrong to make these conjectures.

How did the roommate know to call my mother?

B. is a very strong woman, in the physical sense. She moves heavy wooden closets. I don't know if a weakling would have survived.

Wanted, wanted, hear all about it

2005-06-07T07:42:00.000-04:00

Lost: One pair of Sunglasses
Last seen: Being taken out of case by rightful owner.
Possible location: Anywhere in the house.
Last search: Everywhere in the house.
Level of importance to owner 1-10: 15.4
Description: Black glasses, children's size.
State of owner: Owner has been known to get really nervous when misplacing an item, and to shout at family members or friends. For the sake of humanity, please find these glasses.
State of the Union: Hey, what's that got to do with this?

Communism

2005-06-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

I went to usps.com to check out the rates for Parcel Post from here to Italy. Along with the rates, they have an entire list of prohibited items, some of which I omitted. Sentences in bold are mine.

-Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.). I guess grandmas should really work on developing their digital camera skills then.

-Arms and weapons. (Gee, I was hoping I could send a Berretta to Uncle Tony).

-Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them. I would have loved to send my Venetian friend a glass fruit bowl, made in Taiwan.

-Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof. Gosh, where do you think farmers get their cow bells from? We need more smugglers.

-Cartridge caps; cartridges. We knew that already.

-Clocks and supplies for clocks. Is it because they make a ticking sound? Because you know, you prohibition guys are starting to sound paranoid.

-Compound medicaments and medicines. Accepted.

-Exposed photographic and cinematographic films. This is just a way to get the movie studios to spend their money on FEDEX.

-Footwear of any kind.

-Haberdashery and sewn articles of any kind, including trimmings and lace; handkerchiefs; scarves; shawls, needlework including stockings and gloves; bonnets, caps, and hats of any kind.

-Hair and articles made of hair. My name is Bond, James Bond. I'm wearing a wig 'cause I couldn't ship it via USPS.

-Human remains. (Thanks for that. I'm trying to eat here).

-Lighters and their parts, including lighter flints.

-Live bees, leeches, and silkworms. What about live Black Phanters? I need to know these things.

Live plants and animals. Oh.

-Parasites and predators of harmful insects.

-Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap).

-Playing cards of any kind. Say WHAT?

-Postage stamps in sealed or unsealed letter-post shipments.

-Radioactive materials. (Darn, there goes my Einstein II Bomb)

-Ribbons for typewriters. But not keyboards for word processors? (I actually laughed out loud)

-Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory.

-Salted, smoked or otherwise prepared meats; fats; and lard.

-Tobacco.

-Toys not made wholly of wood. Ok, we know you have the monopoly on Pinocchio.

-Treated skins and furs.

-Weapons of any kind and spare parts for them. Again? I got it the first time, gee whiz.

The Beer and the World

2005-06-04T22:37:00.000-04:00

A che ora e' la fine del mondo? Che or'e', scusa ma che or'e' che non lo voglio perdere l'ultimo spettacolo, Fine del mondo in Mondovisione.

What time is the end of the world? What time is it, excuse me- what time is it, because I don't want to miss the last show. End of the world on International Television.

Lyrics from one of Ligabue's song (Italian rock star, trust me: you don't want to hear him sing).
The words seem appropriate at the moment, because I was doing my nightly news-surfing and thinking about the current situation. Not my situation, which is something I won't discuss here, but the world's.

This is 2005. Sure, we have flying cars and MRIs, and people are going into outer space because they have nothing better to do with their money (hint hint, rich man: Third World Hunger), but things aren't looking better in the peace and sanity department. Or aren't they? We all know what they say about bad situations- sometimes they get so bad, the gold must be just around the corner.
Round and round goes the wheel.

We're all insane, aren't we? Or at least most of the Big Guys are. For shame, look at the EU, with Chirac the buffon and other unmentionables. Italy is in bad shape but then, that's how Italy is supposed to be, so I'm not complaining. I am complaining about the pro-Palestinian sentiment though, and the academics who are training generations of young Italians to hate Israel and the 'Israelites'.

Is the middle east looking better? I won't be diplomatic about it. If women in certain Arabian countries are finally getting a break, I'm happy for them- but that doesn't mean that the rest of the mentality will change so quickly. Jewish American soldiers are not welcome in Saudi Arabia, that's a fact. Kids in Iran watch television shows in whicn Israeli doctors kill Iranian children for their eyeballs. That's another fact.

Forget about the Jews, that's old news and we're used to it.
There are a lot of strange things going on out there right now. Far more important than runaway brides and Paris Hilton's cellphone (I can't think of Paris Hilton without feeling nauseous).

You know what they say, there are small villages that are so remote, the people there think WWII is still on. I think we all envy those people to some extent. The simplicity of an undisturbed life is a comforting thing to think about.

I think I mentioned once, in an old post about willpower, that I stay away from Beer because I know how easy it is to slip when you like something like that too much.
Well, please remind me that I'm not supposed to touch any beer, in the house or elsewhere. Thank you kindly.

Belgian Star

2005-06-03T19:00:00.000-04:00

People have been telling me to try some Stella Artois (Belgian beer, since Anno 1366) because I am constantly bragging about Czech beer.
So I did.
And it ain't all that.
Ok, so it's good. But it's not better than Budvar and Pilsner and the brand with a K, memory fails me.
The jury has reached its verdict.

Something I heard

2005-06-02T21:41:00.000-04:00

(Approximate quote)

"I was on the C__ Ship and this British reporter came up to me crying. He said:
-"I was expecting 'Animal House meets ______, but I found 'Braveheart meets Saving Private Ryan' "

Stephen Mansfield, Author of The Faith of the American Soldier to Laura Ingraham on 77 WABC, on Iraq.

(Sorry, I don't have the full quote. I don't think the show's site offers transcripts).

He's Tryen

2005-06-01T19:23:00.000-04:00

But is he succeden?

Transit Weather

2005-06-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

Transit weather is what hits you when you enter a packed NY Transit Subway car.

No it’s not.

Transit weather as we know it seems to be having a ball this year. As far as I recall, summer in NY usually sets in by the end of May.
But not this time.
No, this year the weather is out to get us, no doubt about it. Three weeks ago, the weather was quite nice. Last week (or was it the week before?) it rained incessantly and was pretty cold(But cold is not always pretty). Cold enough for winter clothes and a light jacket.
It all changed on Friday, when the wonderful end-of-May sun shone on Brooklyn and surroundings. Yesterday was as nice as the long weekend, with kids rollerblading all over the place and babies smiling in the sun.

So this morning I assumed that the weather would be nice again. I even prepared something white and light to wear.

Right before leaving the house, the radio cheerily announced: “Hurricane season is here!”
Hurricane what? Lady, this is July! Sun, beach, summer, you know the drill. Don’t you hurricane me now.
People outside were wearing closed shoes and Jean Jackets or sweaters. Boy was I underdressed.

It’s important to note that the area which I work in is colder than the area I live in, because it’s a block away from the water.
I sometimes choose to overlook that.

But us European eccentrics can get away with anything, so quit staring.

Please note that romanwanderer.blogspot.com is now your weather channel.

Oppression.

2005-05-30T19:36:00.000-04:00

Shed a tear for their sad fate.

Modern Times

2005-05-29T23:01:00.000-04:00

When we were of highschool age, we looked at old pictures and said: "Mom, why on earth did you dress me that way? I looked ridiculous!"

Today's children will face their busybody mothers in a few years and say: "Mom, who gave you permission to post my pictures on your blog?"

Signed,
MyMotherAintGotNoBlog.

Splurging on Amazon

2005-05-29T09:14:00.000-04:00

The latest Bocelli CD, 'Andrea', is a bit of a disappointment. The songs all sound the same, as if he was coerced into putting out another album but wasn't really 'into it'.
The day I'll see him sing live, I'll be a very happy person.

Imagine, he travels all over the world but his eyes don't let him see. Why am I saying 'imagine'- we cannot begin to imagine it.

I also purchased a Panasonic portable CD Player, to replace my troglodyte walkman that has survived Israel, Prague and NY, don't ask me how. I'm always losing jewelry, but some things I have just last forever.

What else? Oh yeah- this is a big one: Digital Camera is on the way! It's about time I owned a digicam, and I didn't have to get a fancy one because I rarely take pictures anymore (although I'm dying to photograph the view of Manhattan from the office) so I settled for a small Olympus Stylus with a $20 instant rebate.
I have lots of new clothes from Italy with the tag still on them, so I am going to try to Ebay them, hence the need for a Camera. I have to stop buying stuff that I never end up wearing, but go predict the future...

The Rome pics were taken with a disposable camera btw- can you tell?

Silencing Oriana

2005-05-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

What does Italy do when an ailing and dying world-famous journalist exposes radical Islam for what it is? Simple, it brings her to trial. Head-in-the-sand Italians never liked Oriana, but while I have never heard of journalists being tried for having called Israel a terrorist country, Oriana seems to have incurred the wrath of the Big People for her free thoughts on Islam. (via Backspin)

So, what did Oriana write that was Oh So Terrible? Why is our heroine being sent to bed without supper? This blog cites 18 points from Oriana's writing that may have triggered the trial/farce/fascist get-together.

Among them:

2) while occupying Constantinople in 1453, the Turks led by Mohammed II “decapitated even newborns. And extinguished candles with their little heads.”

3) “In a woman the Koran sees above all a womb to give birth.”

4) “In the dream that the sons of Allah have been nurturing for years, the dream of blowing up Giotto’s Tower or the Tower of Pisa or the cupola of St. Peter’s or the Eiffel Tower or Westminster Abbey or the cathedral of Cologne and so on . . .”

Now, I pause at Point 5, because this is the only passage that disturbed me in her book:

5) “…halal butchery is barbarous” just as “shechita butchery is barbarous. That is, the Jewish version which is carried out in the same way and consists of slitting the animals’ throats without dazing them

Shchita is known to be quick and painless, and it has been proven in recent years by numerous researches. Commenters on Dagger In Hand's blog explained the topic quite well, also raising questions: Did Oriana write that out of ignorance? Typical Italian grandmotherly talk? And if so, did she write about Muslim practices out of ignorance as well? No, say some commenters, we are familiar with Islam and her points are valid. They are poisoned.
But read it all and decide for yourself.

il manifesto

2005-05-27T07:31:00.000-04:00

Look what I've done. I've gone and snuck a peek at the communist 'Il Manifesto'. Naughty, naughty!
My findings, from the May 26 edition:

1. First Page, first segment: Giulia Sgrena! (was I expecting otherwise?). Lonzano wasn't the only one who fired on the car. The bullets that killed Calipari and wounded Sgrena came from two different American weapons. (USA is lying, Manifesto rocks the world).

2. The 'Belpaese' is in decline: no economic growth and lots of social uneasiness. (So what? The tourists are still coming in packs. Put up a good face and give them plenty of 'mamma mia's).

3. Page 4: According to Amnesty International, the world is no longer a safe place, thanks to the War on Terror triggered by the Bush Administration.
In addition, some of Israel's actions are to be considered crimes against humanity and crimes of war.

Bah, I've had enough. Off to work.

Canaletto

2005-05-25T07:08:00.000-04:00

It seems like there's a Canaletto (1697-1768)show in Rome (March through June) and I wasn't aware of it when I was there. Too bad, I would have loved to see his paintings of Venice live.

Piazza San Marco, by il Canaletto:

Scum

2005-05-22T20:19:00.000-04:00

Dictionary.com: 4 entries found for scum.

n.

1. A filmy layer of extraneous or impure matter that forms on or rises to the surface of a liquid or body of water.
2. The refuse or dross of molten metals.
3. Refuse or worthless matter.
4. Slang. One, such as a person or an element of society, that is regarded as despicable or worthless.

That's it.

More on Islamization of the West

2005-05-22T16:02:00.000-04:00

Nothing about France surprises me anymore (where were French Fries really invented???), but an article on frontpage puts us on red-alert under the title 'Leaving No French Islamist Behind'. It seems like our French friends are doing their best to accomodate 'religious expression', particulary when it comes to Muslims, but are not too good at admitting it, despite the clear evidence presented in a report carried out by the Ministry of Education.

-the inspectors report two consistent findings: a marked increase in religious expression, especially Muslim expression, in schools; and denial on the part of officials at all levels--from the classroom, to the principal's office, to the regional administration--that this phenomenon is occurring.

-...In primary schools, the report cites instances of first grade boys' refusing to participate in coed activities and Muslim children's refusing to sing, dance, or draw a face. In one school, restrooms were segregated: some for Muslim students and some for "French." Some lunchrooms were segregated, by section or table. Some students required halal meat; at one school, the principal provided only halal meat for everyone.

And the expected:

-Inevitably, the report records rampant "Judeophobia," to use the term in vogue in France. Among even the youngest students, the term "Jew" has become the all-purpose insult. Obin deplores the fact that principals and teachers do not strenuously object to this, treating it simply as part of the youth culture. Even more serious is the increase in assaults on Jews or those presumed to be Jewish. Usually the assailants are Muslim students. Sometimes the victims are, too: One Turkish high-school girl was relentlessly harassed and bullied at school because her country is an ally of Israel. The section of the report on anti-Semitism winds up with this sad conclusion: In France today, Jewish kids are not welcome at every school. Many are forced to switch schools or even conceal their identity to escape anti-Semitism.

Tax Return

2005-05-20T16:43:00.000-04:00

Awesome!