It’s not the most original of behaviours for a visitor just returned from Italy to trill arias of enthusiasm for the lifestyle of the peninsula. However, what struck me, despite my friend (who actually lives there) confirming the stories that the economy is in the pits, was the seeming unshakeable prosperity of the place. Of […]
I was hoping to post the following (very) roundabout appreciation of Updike’s latest novel a few days ago, but I’ve been kinda busy the last few days clearing the decks before tomorrow’s trip to Bologna. I’ll be meeting up with some fellow Three Monkeys scribes and college friends. Nothing out of the normal, just your […]
I’ve always said that bipolarism is dangerous and the absolute majority anti-democratic. We irritate them. We’ve created a short-circuit
A.Mussolini, 15.03.2005
The Mussolini in question, is not il Duce, but rather la nipote, or grand-daughter, Alessandra Mussolini, speaking in Rome today, where she has started a hunger-strike. The reason? Her new party has been barred from standing in the upcoming regional elections in Lazio, due to alleged irregularities in their paperwork*.
I’ve always said that bipolarism is dangerous and the absolute majority anti-democratic. We irritate them. We’ve created a short-circuit A.Mussolini, 15.03.2005 The Mussolini in question, is not il Duce, but rather la nipote, or grand-daughter, Alessandra Mussolini, speaking in Rome today, where she has started a hunger-strike. The reason? Her new party has been barred […]
I had the chance to interview David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas, yesterday. Despite the fact by this stage he’s probably sick to the back teeth of talking about his novel (this very entertaining book has just been released in paperback), he was still willing to seriously engage with the questions. Hope to have the […]
It seems President Bush is living up to his promise to spend the “political capital” he believed he earned by winning last November’s election. Today’s New York Times reported that the controversial Republican-championed Bankruptcy Bill is set to pass. In the current situation, if someone declares personal bankruptcy in the United States, banks and credit […]
The following comment was received in response to last week’s post:Knowing that this particular blogger is not preoccupied with political correctness, I’m curious as to why he decided to assign the feminine gender to the “leftish reader”? Is it because this blogger believes that the “leftish reader” is happy to complacently identify with any criticism […]
Did I somehow imply that I would resume my argument contra Todd on Friday? I meant Sunday�Friday was not a convenient day for critiquing the Weltanschauung of a leading French intellectual.To recap: Emmanuel Todd in After the Empire has introduced us to this strange little device for predicting the shape of societies as they enter […]
American soldiers killed Italian secret service agent Nicola Calipari. That much is fact. While transporting released Italian hostage, Giuliana Sgrena, to the airport outside Baghdad, the car in which he was travelling came under US fire. He died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
According to American Military officials, the car was travelling at high speed and failed to stop, despite flashlight and hand signals. According to Giuliana Sgrena, and an Italian carabiniere (Army policeman) also travelling in the car, there was a strong flashlight followed immediately by gunfire (around 300 shots). Who do you believe?