Iran: what should the West think & do?

What’s going on in Iran isn’t that different from what happened in Eastern Europe just before the wall fell. It also reminds us what happened in South Africa just before P.W. Botha decided that he must cede power to avoid a civil war and national bloodbath, or 1992 and Boris Yeltsin facing down the tanks prepared to overthrow the regime. Yet, at the same time, it could also be China just

Merry Christmas!

Imagine a snowy Christmas Eve, a small church in a little mountain village, deep inside a pine forest. Inside the church a kids choir is singing an unknown but amazing song … It might just have been better if I hadn’t already told my readers the wonderful story of Silent Night, because I could still have the chance to tell it right now! Yet, there is still something to be done to complete the

The winter of our discontent? No, it's Christmas time...

It has been snowing these last few days in North-Eastern Italy, and Christmas is a-coming. And to be sincere I would have no wish to talk about politics, but, just like nature, politics has its own times and seasons, and these are special and challenging times—no way to escape from the battlefield (believe me, you people who don’t like war movies, the term is not exaggerated!), nor would I wish

Changing how we view Islam

How sad! The civilized world is exposed to the truth of the brutality of Islam. Meanwhile many Muslim converts in the West are finding it more and more difficult to find excuses for the actions of their fellow Muslims. Well, never say die! Here is a handy reference for our Western Muslim readers to help them deflect the charges leveled against Muslims and to help convince others that Islam is

The US at the End of the Year 2009

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~This has been a mean and combative year in the US.It didn’t get into full meanness until late summer. The House of Representatives tried to ram their takeover of the health insurance and health care industries before their summer recess, and failed. The reason they wanted to hurry up and get it done was because the American people were

What spiritual freedom is all about

I have a great story to share with you today, dear readers. It’s a simple quote, but it truly speaks volumes about what freedom, in a spiritual sense, is all about. But please allow me a few lines to introduce the Source and Author (both not very well-known).

The Book of Ecclesiasticus, also known as The Book of Sirach or Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, or the Wisdom of Ben Sira, is a work from

La Toscana

         
        Italian souvenirs by Mirino

I alluded to the spontaneously generous way we were welcomed on our second day in Tuscany (Lavane) on Viewfinder. Such natural trust and generosity reinforces one's own believe in the essential goodness of human nature, hopefully still of the majority. Such 'random meetings', that in reality can never be qualified as such, are more often than

Something’s rotten in Denmark (but also in East Anglia, Asheville, and New York City)

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” So spoke Marcellus in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, first performed between 1600 and 1601, at the start of the Little Ice Age. Four centuries later things haven’t changed that much, according to Joseph D’Aleo, who is Executive Director of ICECAP, a former professor of meteorology and climatology, the First Director of Meteorology at the Weather Channel, and

It's A Climategate Christmas

“Oh Climategate Oh Climategate those hacked emails have sealed your fate

Oh Climategate Oh Climategate micheals trick was really great

Medieval Warming now is done, Also the Maunder Minimum

Oh Climategate Oh Climategate maybe now we can debate. […]”


Minnesotans For Global Warming announces their new Christmas Album “It’s A Climategate Christmas.” Actually there is no album: all they have

A glorious Revolution?

Can you read French? Mirino has a thought-provoking piece on the (glorious?) French Revolution. Personally, if you ask me what I think about it, I’d say that my favorite revolution is the American one… Sounds like I’m dodging the question? Nah, I never do that, I’m just taking my time (terrible question, you know…).

And science became a casualty of politics

Cathy Young has a fair and balanced piece on Climategate:

There is no doubt that refusal to accept human-made climate change is often self-serving. But the other side has blinders and selfish motives of its own. "Going green" has turned into a vast industry in its own right—as well as a religion with its own brand of zealotry. For many, global warming is the secular equivalent of a biblical

Berlusconi attacked. The day after

Yesterday, along with many other commentators, I argued that what happened to Berlusconi in Milan was strictly correlated to the political hatred which is intoxicating the public debate in Italy. (Silvio Berlusconi himself, reportedly, had a premonition that he would be attacked: In fact, he confided to Paolo Bonaiuti, his spokesman, on the way to Piazza del Duomo that he feared “something might

Where democracy ends and non-democracy begins

He was just leaving a political rally in Milan when his assailant got through security and hit him in the face. Then he was seen looking dazed and bloodied with what appeared to be a number of cuts. The attacker—a 42-year-old man who has received treatment for mental health issues for the last ten years—was holding a small statue of the Duomo, the city’s world-famous cathedral, in his hand.One

Apologizing to God and the world

Pope Benedict XVI has expressed “outrage, betrayal and shame” over the sexual abuse of children by priests in Ireland, and the Irish bishops have apologized as a group for the same. As a human being and an “observer of life” I can’t even imagine how they must feel, as a Christian and especially as a Catholic, well, I have no words for this. That’s why I call upon the apostle Paul to speak—a

Denmark: a farewell to Tibet

Do you remember what Barack Obama said soon after his meeting with China’s president Hu Jintao some three weeks ago? “We did note that while we recognize that Tibet is part of the People’s Republic of China, the United States supports the early resumption of dialogue between the Dalai Lama’s representatives and Beijing.” Well, now the “recognition” is running the risk of becoming a very popular

Look to the Star...

This post comes with a delay of one day (and some hours), in fact it was scheduled for the feast day of Immaculate Conception, which occurs on December 8. But yesterday something went wrong with my time management skills.., so I had to postpone the publication of this note. I hope She will forgive me for this as well as for my laziness in everything has something to do with my “contemplative life

Beyond any reasonable doubt?

As (almost) everyone already knows, Amanda Knox, the 22-year-old American college student who had been accused of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007 in the medieval town of Perugia, Italy, was found guilty of the crime in question and sentenced to 26 years in prison by an Italian jury. The trial took nearly a year. The court also convicted Knox’s co-defendant and former

Sanremo

       
          Italian souvenirs by Mirino

It's revealing how memories are so often 'punctuated by the palate'. Or is this limited to only those more orientated by their stomachs? Whatever, quite a few places spring to mind and make me close my eyes and smile blissfully again. 'Fisherman's wharf' in San Francisco, for example, where we ate lobster and 'sour bread' (as good as Parisian bread

The white cross and the minarets

Voters in Switzerland passed on Sunday with 57.5% of the vote a referendum banning the construction of minarets on mosques. Of course the referendum could have repercussions throughout the continent. In Italy, for instance, the anti-immigrant Northern League celebrated the surprising result with glee. “The forest of minarets, a dangerous symbol more of the threat of Islamic terrorism than a

Climategate - 5 (updated)

I - Derek Lowe offers a working scientist’s view (Via Glenn Reynolds):

I've been on long-running projects, especially some years ago, where people start to lose track of which numbers came from where (and when), where the underlying raw data are stored, and the history of various assumptions and corrections that were made along the way. That much is normal human behavior. But this goes beyond

How to pronounce Italian wine

This is a recent discovery of mine—via my new Twitter friend Pina (@Vino_Italiano)—and very welcome because I am a lover of wine, especially the best red Italian ones (of course I also love their famous French competitors, I’m not a chauvinist after all, even though it seems that, for instance, more wine is currently exported to the U.S. from Italy than from any other country..), wines to be

And Berlusconi kept his promise to the earthquake victims

Sorry, I missed it, but it’s time to redress the omission:When Silvio Berlusconi returns to L'Aquila tomorrow for the removal of the last of the tents put up to house the victims of the earthquake that struck the city on 6 April, he can expect a hero's welcome.The Italian prime minister may be under pressure over his private life and his attacks on the judges trying him for corruption. But,

Climategate - 4

There has been no particularly relevant news item in the last few days, except Christopher Booker’s superb summary of the Climategate story so far, and the fact that the reaction to the Climategate scandal has grown exponentially in the US, mainly thanks to Fox News, Barack Obama’s Nemesis, and the blogosphere. At the same time the silence of the MSM has been deafening.

Furthermore, James

First Sunday of Advent

“Veni, veni, Emmanuel” is one of the most solemn Advent hymns, whose melody was quoted by Ottorino Respighi in “The Gift of the Magi” in his Trittico Botticelliano. It is believed that the traditional music stems from a 15th Century French processional for Franciscan nuns, but it may also have 8th Century Gregorian origins.Today is the first Sunday of Advent. To live it properly, I thought the

Milano

  Italian souvenirs by Mirino

We arrived in Milan like lost babes in the wood, carefully driving the little, French number-plated Peugeot, crawling along, obviously unsure of where we were. My girl friend was engrossed in trying to understand the part of the inadequate map that didn't seem to correspond with reality. We were looking for the hotel where we had already made our reservation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“ I have always believed that this anointed land was set apart in an uncommon way, that a divine plan placed this great continent here between the oceans to be found by people from every corner of the Earth who had a special love of faith and freedom. Our pioneers asked that He would work His will in our daily lives so America would be a land of morality, fairness, and freedom.Today we have more

Climategate - 3 (updated)

Yet another update on Climategate. As we have already learned from the previous episodes of the series, CRU hacked emails reveal a pattern by prominent climate alarmist scientists of concealing evidence contradictory to the theory of man-made global warming, manipulating scientific data, preventing conflicting reports from being published in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Climategate - 2 (updated)

“This is not a smoking gun; this is a mushroom cloud,” said Patrick J. Michaels, a climatologist who has long faulted evidence pointing to human-driven warming and is criticized in the documents.

A short supplement and a marginal note on what could turn out to be the greatest scandal in modern science. The following case, in my opinion, shows that there is something suspect about the media’s

Climategate. The conspiracy behind the Anthropogenic Global Warming myth

“If you own any shares in alternative energy companies,” writes James Delingpole in his blog for the Daily Telegraph, “I should start dumping them NOW.” Why on earth? Just ask Anthony Watts of Watt’s Up With That? and Stephen McIntrye of Climate Audit, who broke the story this morning of the hacking break-in at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit. The story of how the

Tibet: a dialogue about what?

Speaking at the 5th World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet, held in Rome yesterday, the Dalai Lama expressed his appreciation for the support given to him by Barack Obama, who on Tuesday discussed Tibet with China’s president, “making clear his respect for the Dalai Lama as a cultural and religious leader, and his intention to meet with the Dalai Lama at an appropriate time.” “We did note

More control of the health-care system?

The White House reports thatThe federal government made $98 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2009 […]. The 2009 total for improper payments—from outright fraud to misdirected reimbursements due to factors such as an illegible doctor's signature—was a 37.5 percent increase over the $72 billion in 2008, according to figures provided by Peter Orszag, director of the White House Office of

A miracle in Arizona

Finally, a stimulus success story? Yes, if you trust the website set up by the White House to track stimulus spending. In fact, according to the above mentioned website, in Arizona’s 15th congressional district 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending. Wow! Wouldn’t it be great if it were true? There seems to be one problem, though: There is no 15th

Venezia

        Italian souvenirs by Mirino

It sometime happens. Dreams coming true. A wonderful gift from a dear friend. A carnival weekend in Venice.
We arrived very early having taken the night train. The sun, pale orange-carmine, gloriously magnified, was rising to greet us, but it was very cold. The fresh wind whipped our faces. And that first cup of cappuccino in the cosy, fragrant bar was so

What we can learn from the Scandal of the Cross

There was an interesting piece in yesterday’s WSJ op-ed page on the issue of crucifixes in Italian schools (see my previous posts). In particular, after taking note—in line with the most common reactions, here in Italy, to the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights against crucifixes—that “anyone who cares about Italy’s national identity and distinctive traditions […] must give serious

"The language of Europe is translation"

As Umberto Eco once perceptively observed, “the language of Europe is translation.” Linguistic diversity, in fact, is a defining feature of Europe, whose cultural heritage includes masterpieces written originally in different languages, but common to us all thanks to a long-standing tradition of literary translation. Eco’s famous statement reappears in Leyla Dakhli’s interesting review (in

"Christophobia," a wall that hasn’t fallen yet

Yesterday, the world celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and I would have liked to write about that historic event. Yet, browsing the blogosphere, I realized that there was such a quantity of wonderfully written tributes that I decided to give up. But today I would like to somehow make up for the lost opportunity. In fact, what this post will be all about is another

Roma

         
        Italian souvenirs by Mirino

My unique visit to Rome was for a long weekend in September, nine years ago, for the wedding of a most worthy nephew and his beautiful and intelligent bride tedesca-italiana. It was a magical stay, not only because of the wonderful wedding, officiated in the Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Miranda (by an excellent, Liverpudlian priest) followed by a

Da Pacem Domine - Monastic Gregorian Chant

Yes, I love Gregorian Chant. Ever since I was a young boy I have been fascinated by the whole world around it. I love when the monks glide softly into the church, their white or black cowls—depending on which monastic order they belong to—billowing behind them, when they line up in silence, facing each other in long choir stalls. I love when “bells peal and the chant begins—low at first, then

Strasbourg: capital of muscular secularism

It is by no means an uncommon experience (for me, at least) to read a well-crafted piece on Italy in a foreign newspaper or magazine, whether European or American. And that’s why I feel like I have to mention this one in Time magazine. It provides a concise, yet thorough, coverage of the issue of the display of crucifixes in public school classrooms after the ruling by the European Court of Human

A blow against Europe's Christian heritage? Well, yes, actually

So the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the use of crucifixes in classrooms in Italy last Tuesday, and this because, according the seven judges ruling on the case, the compulsory display “in premises used by the public authorities” of a particular religious symbol “restricted the right of parents to educate their children in conformity with their convictions, and the right of children

The Afghan democracy

            Opinion, by Mirino 
Is it not suspiciously strange and even hypocritical that there is no international support in favour of the conditions that Abdullah Abdullah requires in order for him to participate in the second ballot of the Afghan elections?
It's not as though he doesn't represent a considerable proportion of Afghans. It's not as though a man of his stature is of no

Verona

          
        Italian souvenirs by Mirino

In the 'old days' artists had a bound duty to defend their copyright more than might appear to be the case today- thanks to the generous miracle of Internet.

It was signalled to me on one of those 'old days' that someone in Verona was pirating my work in various forms of stationery. I was even given the address. So after writing several

"The spirit of Ronald Reagan is alive and well in America"

Washington-based foreign affairs analyst Nile Gardiner in his blog for the Daily Telegraph:Last November, liberal commentators wrote off conservatism in America as dead and buried. As the latest Gallup poll shows they were spectacularly wrong. It is no coincidence that the most watched news network, the top selling national newspaper, and the most listened to radio shows in the United States are

Not one of those evasive Christians..

They say that big surprises come in small packages, and that’s the plain truth. In this case the package is an article on Slate, written by a guy whose first name is Christopher, but you can bet that he would have preferred a different name—“Christopher,” as it is well known, is of Greek origin, and its meaning is “bearing Christ inside”—had he had the choice. Oh, sorry! I hate people who beat

He who lives by the sword..

You’ll remember in Matthew 26 when the man who drew his sword and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest was told by Jesus, “Converte gladium tuum in locum suum. Omnes enim, qui acceperint gladium, gladio peribunt” (“Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”). Hence the famous proverb “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword

Bolzano

          Italian souvenirs by Mirino

My very first visit to Italy was from the North, travelling down from Munich to Bolzano. It was during the winter many years ago and I was with a girl friend. It was to be my initiation to skiing. She, a Bavarian, had helped me to buy second hand skis. Long, dark red 'Atomic' ones. Too long, too heavy and too fast for a total beginner who thought skiing

Italian life under Fascism

The only place where I’d really appreciate coming across something called (or similar to) Fascism is.. in a history book held in the Rare Books & Special Collections section of a library. Well, this online exhibition—maintained by the Fry Collection, which is based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA—of books, posters and other printed material relating to Mussolini’s regime from 1922 to

Italian souvenirs

Rob made a recent suggestion that surprised me because I was musing about the exactly same thing. Recollections of visits to Italy, starting with an introduction, to kick off, of course.
The one that will begin this modest series, to be written in chronological order, could have taken place in any location where there was reasonable amount of snow and a good slope, but it was my first visit to

What permits a democracy to survive? The Italian case

There are many ways to look at the main political issues—such as for instance the freedom of the press, which is very timely, both here in Italy and in the U.S.—as much as there are many ways to look at the social, economic and cultural ones, but only a few of them are compatible with democracy. Apart from the obvious need, for a democracy, of the dialectic confrontation between two or more

Against the great march of mental destruction

In the last few weeks I happened to quote a couple of thoughts of G.K. Chesterton, who is perhaps one of the most unjustly neglected writers of the 20th century—although his “common sense for the world’s uncommon nonsense” seems “more timely than ever here in the 21st century,” as the American Chesterton Society fairly puts it. In fact, it would be hard to deny that he was a prophet of the

Swords will be drawn

“ Truths turn into dogmas the instant that they are disputed. Thus every man who utters a doubt defines a religion. And the scepticism of our time does not really destroy the beliefs, rather it creates them; gives them their limits and their plain and defiant shape.

We who are Liberals once held Liberalism lightly as a truism. Now it has been disputed, and we hold it fiercely as a faith. We who

The Health Care Battle - Free Choice or Submission to the State?

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~Obama and Congress are making yet another push to force Americans onto Nationalized Health Care. This past week the Senate passed the Baucus bill. All Democrats and one Republican voted for it. The Republican, Olympia Snowe, is a RINO (Republican In Name Only) that votes most of the time with the Democrats. From that and the House bill,

Political Correctness Run Amuck in American Football

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~

It’s frequently said that baseball is America’s pastime. That may have been true once, but the sport we truly have a passion for is football. One would like to be able to have a seat on weekends to watch, and during the week discuss the strategies and people of the teams, and get away from politics and political correctness. This week,

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (Y,Z)

Y is for Yesterday

'Another year gone,'
The old yak yawned
As he combed his shaggy hair

He was not as young
As he used to be,
But he still had his hairy flair

He still had his horns
And enough teeth left
To chew the yellow hay

And as long as a yak
Has his memories,
He's as young as yesterday.

____




____

Z is for Zebra,

The zany, zoophobic zebra
Played a zither with great zeal.
He wore

Tony Blair for president!

I haven’t ever been an euro-enthusiast, and this not because of any prejudice against the thing-in-itself, but rather because of the ways and means of bringing about European political integration. Yet, among doubts and uncertainties, there is one thing I am certain about: Tony Blair is the perfect candidate for the role of president of the European Council as set in the Lisbon Treaty (the EU

The new tyranny

Among its main contributors, L'Osservatore Romano, the newspaper of the Holy See, has a famous convert. He is the Spanish and former non-believer writer Juan Manuel de Prada, whose latest book collects the combative articles that he has been writing in recent years in defense of Catholicism and against the subtle and pervasive deception—the “progressive Matrix,” in Prada’s own words—which is at

But that was not Obama's fault

“Let’s face it: this prize is premature to the point of ridiculousness” (Joe Klein, Time Magazine). Well, perhaps there would be little or nothing to add to this synthetic definition of the Nobel Committee’s decision to award President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, I feel like saying more, and this for the simple reason that it seems to me that it would be unfair to be too negative towards

Italy’s top court rejects Prime minister’s immunity

Some weeks ago, a State legal service memorandum stated that if the Constitutional Court would throw out the so-called Lodo Alfano, namely, the law passed a few weeks after Berlusconi took power last year to block legal action against the four highest offices of State, then “there would be damage to elective functions, which could not be exercised with due dedication, and resignation from office

Obama's paradox

It was Nathaniel Hawthorne who said that grand schemes have perverse effects: “We miss the good we sought, and do the good we little cared for.” And it is thanks to the current President of the United States, according to Rich Lowry, the editor of National Review, that the theory proves true. In fact, even though for Obama, proving that the US is a center-right country presumably isn’t a “good”

Power and Grace

“Power and Grace – The Patron Saints of Europe” (October 8 through January 10, 2010, at Rome’s Palazzo Venezia), as Italian Foreign minister Franco Frattini pointed out at the exhibition preview, offers an opportunity to “re-advance the theme of the Old Continent’s Christian roots,” which is made all the more topical by “the persistence of the Union’s crisis of identity.”Promoted by the Italian

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (W,X)

W is for Wish

"I grant you three wishes,"
The wizard declared,
"Think wisely and note
That a wish can't be shared."

"I wish for peace for all people,
Their happiness and good health,
Then three more wishes,
Just for myself."

___



X is for Xenophobe

Alex was an xenophobe
Who never went abroad.
He was born in Sutton Coal Field
And so was his wife Maud.

Alex had an xylophone
A Xmas gift from

No time for the Dalai Lama

Who remembers how, on the last January 17th, the Dalai Lama greeted the outgoing President of the U.S., George W Bush? He chose these words: “I love President George W Bush.” Leaving the audience stunned—he was delivering the Madhavrao Scindia Memorial Lecture in New Delhi—the Tibetan spiritual leader recalled how he and the then US President instantly struck a chord in their first meeting. Of

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Just don’t forget what day this is: October 4, St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day..From Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972), by Franco Zeffirelli:

“How Would You Introduce Jesus?”

I watched this video today—thanks to my FaceBook friends Kim and Alan—and loved it. It’s absolutely amazing. This is Steve Harvey, a secular comedian, actor and entertainer, addressing a secular audience on the subject of “How Would You Introduce Jesus Christ to a Room Full of People?” As someone noted, “it’s hard to imagine that this is a comedian and not a preacher, and this is an audience

The Polanski Case, or The Double Standard (Updated)

To prove that nowadays, in America and Europe, we can argue about anything, there is the heated debate over whether to prosecute a man who drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl. Ok, the crime occurred so long ago—more than 30 years ago—and the victim, now a 45-year-old mother of three, has asked authorities to drop charges against the man who sexually abused her.

“But seriously:” as Howard Kurtz

Ah, Fidel!

Hey, you might think that all powerful men are equal, but then again you realize that some of them are more equal than others..

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (U,V)

U is for UnicornI once saw a unicornQuite unexpectedly.It stood upon a mountain sideUnder a eucalyptus tree.Unable to contain myselfI uttered words of joy,Aware of the enchantmentThat I was once more a little boy.The unicorn looked at meAnd seemed to understand.The dream was unforgettable,A utopian wonderland.___V is for VisionThe vulgar vultureWas very vainUntil he viewedHis reflectionIn a

'A Great Good Man'

Irving Kristol, who died one week ago at the age of 89, was undoubtedly one of the most important American political thinkers of the second half of the twentieth century. Yet, for me, as well as for most of my fellow countrymen who have been following American politics for years and happened to follow a similar political path—from liberal to (neo-)conservative, to tell it in a few words—he was

One or two good reasons for supporting The Green Children

As the old proverb goes, “Tell me whom you associate with, and I will tell you who you are.” That is also why I think The Green Children are worth encouraging and supporting. In fact, they work in association with 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, the father of microcredit, namely the extension of very small loans (microloans) to those in poverty—too poor to qualify for

Autumn Equinox

“ O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stainedWith the blood of the grape, pass not, but sitBeneath my shady roof; there thou may’st rest,And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe;And all the daughters of the year shall dance!Sing now the lusty song of fruit and flowers.”—William Blake, “To Autumn,” 1783Tomorrow is September 22nd, the first day of Fall.I wish you all, dear readers, a pleasant and

Apostasy in Islam

The American Thinker has a piece today about the issue of apostasy in Islam. According to Andrew G. Bostom, both the preamble and concluding articles of the Cairo Declaration, or so-called “Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Islam,” which was drafted and subsequently ratified by all the Muslim member nations of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), make plain that that document

Neo-Racism, The Left, and Opposition to Obama

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~Political discourse has reached a vile and disgusting low. The view from Conservatives is that Obama and the Democrats are fully ramped up to have the government take over every aspect of the lives of American citizens. In just a few hundred days, huge segments of the insurance sector are now controlled by the government, including the

Speaking Ill of the Dead

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~Traditionally it shows poor form to speak ill of the dead. In the case of Ted Kennedy, it’s necessary. Statists of course love him. This is the guy that was born into wealth and privilege and spent his life legislating taking money from some people to give to others. He started his career being drunk, driving off a bridge and killing a

Against Anti-Americanism

“Ours is a better world because of America. The world is safer because of the American soldier. The world is wealthier because of American enterprise. The world is healthier because of American technology. No nation is perfect, but imagine the world without America. I reject anti-Americanism. I declare myself a friend of the United States of America.”That’s what is stated in the Global

Honor to the fallen

Lieutenant Antonio Fortunato, 35; Corporal Matteo Mureddu, 26; Corporal Gian Domenico Pistonami, 26; Corporal Davide Ricchiuto, 26; Sergeant Major Roberto Valente, 37; and Corporal Massimiliano Randino, 32. They were paratroopers of the “Folgore” brigade.Thursday’s suicide attack in Kabul was the single heaviest loss of life to be suffered by Italy since two car bombs in Nassiriya, Iraq, killed

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (S,T)

S is for SimpleSailor Simon went to seaIn a ship with a single sail.When a salty storm shook the shipThe sail was slit by the gale.So when all seemed lostAnd the squall shrieked onHe was seized by a shylock squid,'If I take you to shore and save your soul,It would only cost you a quid.'(When sailor Simon went to seaHe only took sixpenceHe surmised that if he offered thatThe squid would take

'Your "allegria," the true one, has just begun!'

Mike Bongiorno has passed away. An American-born Italian television host, he was undoubtedly one of Italy’s most enduring and beloved TV personalities, the man who popularized quiz shows for generations of Italians. He was also known by the nickname il Re del Quiz (The Quiz King), and his gaffes—real or presumed—were legendary almost as his trademark greeting to viewers—“Allegria!” (“Cheers!”).As

'Standardization by a low standard'

“ To put it shortly, the evil I am trying to warn you of is not excessive democracy, it is not excessive ugliness, it is not excessive anarchy. It might be stated thus: It is standardisation by a low standard. ” ~ Gilbert Keith Chesterton, “Culture and the Coming Peril” (lecture delivered at the University of London, reprinted in the “Chesterton Review,” Vol. 18, No. 2, August, 1992).

Dino Boffo steps down

Epicureans showed little interest in participating in politics, since doing so leads to trouble. So they preferred to live without pursuing glory or wealth or power, but anonymously, enjoying little things like food, the company of friends, etc. Now one might think that their favorite saying, Lathe biōsas (λάθε βιώσας, meaning “live secretly,” “get through life without drawing attention to

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (Q,R)

Q is for QueenThe queen was in a quandaryAnd as querulous as can be.She was locked up in her bedroomAnd no one could find the key.The knave climbed up a ladderTo the queen's balcony,But so quarrelsome she quibbledThat he quivered fearfully.The king was playing croquetEnjoying the quiescent calm.The key was in his pocketAnd he, quite without a qualm.___R is for RatThe rat ran into the

In the woods...

That's where I was yesterday, a little before noon, walking on a mountain path (Cima Sappada, Dolomites).

“ In the woods, is perpetual youth. Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years. In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in

Have a good vacation, Mr. President

I must confess I am a little embarrassed raising doubts and/or writing critically about U.S. President Barack Obama, and this for two reasons : first because, to be honest, this has been a rough summer for him and I do not want to be sadistic or something, and second, far less nobly, because these days, as much in Europe as in the U.S., it seems to have become unfashionable and “uninspired,” if

Old and new treasures

With this I complete my trilogy of religious & spiritual posts of middle summer.. Father Philip Neri Powell, OP, an American friar and a fellow blogger whom I deeply admire and respect (I love his humor almost as much as his homilies..), has been working on Treasures Old and New: Traditional Prayers for Today's Catholics until last June. Now the book—which is due out on September 15 August 21,

Entering into Joy

“ If to any man the tumult of the flesh were silenced—silenced the phantasies of earth, waters, and air—silenced, too, the poles; yea, the very soul be silenced to herself, and go beyond herself by not thinking of herself—silenced fancies and imaginary revelations, every tongue, and every sign, and whatsoever exists by passing away, since, if any could hearken, all these say, “We created not

A silence "inhabited" by God

Thomas Merton once wrote: “We are so obsessed with doing that we have no time and no imagination left for being. As a result, men are valued not for what they are but for what they do or what they have—for their usefulness.” We tend to apply the same scheme of reasoning to God Himself: If God exists, people often argue, then He must busy Himself, otherwise He is a false god. We cannot accept the

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (O,P)

O is for OgreOrid, the ogreWas a villainous rogueWho ate owls and oxenAnd pies made with toad.___P is for PigThe polyglot pelicanSpoke to the pigWho wore pink pantsAs he danced a jig.'Your pants have the hueOf a plump, ripe peachAnd you proudly prance.It's beyond all speech.'(The pelican's pouchWas so full of fishThat his pronunciationWas not as he would wish)But it mattered notA purple plumFor

Living “La Vita Bella” in ancient Rome

That is “Luxus. The Pleasure of Life in Imperial Rome” (“Il piacere della vita nella Roma imperiale”), a show to be staged in Turin’s Museum of Antiquities (ANSA, see also here). It will offer visitors a taste of what life was like for Ancient Rome’s rich and famous (September 25, 2009 through January 30, 2010).

Under the Sharia Law

In case you were in doubt as to whether or not the world is a village, you should pay attention to this post. The author, who is a regular contributor of Wind Rose Hotel, is an Anglo-Scottish artist living in France (and speaking a little Italian) who happened to be on vacation in Italy last July. During his time over here he used to be a regular reader of the Corriere della Sera newspaper, in

There is no justice in Burma

What to say about the guilty verdict and three year jail term with hard labour—commuted by Senior General Than Shwe to 18 months under house arrest—handed down to Nobel Peace Laureate and Burma’s democratic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi? My point is merely that the trial has been yet another travesty of justice perpetrated by the regime since it illegally assumed power in 1988, and that, as

Summer readings

As everybody knows, Summer is a great time for reading (more than writing, at least in my case). What I’m reading these days is an Italian translation of The Limits of Liberty: American History 1607-1992 (“Short Oxford History of the Modern World”), by historian Maldwyn A. Jones. As the “product description” states it’s a major survey of the American past from the earliest colonial settlements

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (M,N)

M is for Moon
"I have made a mistake,"
Said the man in the moon,
"For the sun is still shining,
I've arisen too soon

But then I am mad
So it's best I eclipse,
I shall go down to Margate
And buy fish and chips".
___

On Monday Mr. Murgles
Sold some melons to my mummy.
This may have caused the gurgles
That meander in my tummy.

____


N is for Noah

Noah was a naval man
Who made a naval ark
And

With the Mistral wind blowing

Hello everyone! I am back but blogging will be light the next week or two, because it is still summer, so vacation is not exactly over yet..This is where I have been the past days, with the Mistral wind blowing (La Maddalena Island, Sardinia, I loved it ..):

Three Ring Circus

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~The last two weeks or so have been a three ring circus. The center ring producing the biggest event, but certainly not the most important, is Michael Jackson’s death. In a side ring is the health care (aka Obamacare) non-debate. The third ring is the “wise Latina” Sonia Sotomayor, being nominated for a life tenure to the US Supreme

Happy Holidays!

The last few days have been quite busy for me, and the next won’t be much different. Until Friday, when I’ll be free from work, but not from preparations for holidays.. So let me get this straight, folks, I am taking a temporary leave from this blog. Yet, before saying goodbye to you, I would like to thank once again Mirino—who took his leave wishing “happy holidays” just one post ago—and The

Rainbow

In the same way that rainbows often give way to clear skies, children close their school books to enjoy their summer holidays.So 'let's leave the last letter and lessons at least' until early August and join the Harvest mouse, Nicholas, to bask and play in the sunshine.Happy holidays!___Swinging on a wheat stalkSwaying in the breeze,With braces and catapultTo shoot at bumblebees.No school for

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (K,L)

K is for KiteIf a king can eat a kipperAnd a queen can kiss a knight,Then a knave can kick a kettleAnd a kid can fly a kite.___L is for Laugh"I like to laugh",Lord Lovelock lisped,"And leapfrogOn the lawn,Learn Latin whilstI lie in bedAt least from duskTo dawnIf lingering longIn lonely lanes To me is quiteDelightful,For others suchLeisures in lifeMight likely lookQuite frightful."

Iran: this is no time for hesitation

Former prime minister of Spain José Maria Aznar in today’s Wall Street Journal: (thanks: Teresa Gomez)If there hadn't been dissidents in the Soviet Union, the Communist regime never would have crumbled. And if the West hadn't been concerned about their fate, Soviet leaders would have ruthlessly done away with them. They didn't because the Kremlin feared the response of the Free World.Just like

The “necessary” blog

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks. Glenn Reynolds asks whether there is one for inappropriate apostrophes, too—ah the “human insatiability”!

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (I,J)

I is for ImmodestInside, outsideUp and down,The inane KingCan't find his gown.His courtesansHave no right to frownBecause he wearsHis royal crown.___J is for JumpJack was a judicious manAnd just the job as a judge,Although he joked and jumpedAbout at each trial,His wig never seemed to budge.___Mother made a jelly,Jimmy jumped for joy.Mother, joltedDropped the jelly.Jimmy is a clumsy boy.Text &

UK Embassy workers arrested in Iran

— BREAKING NEWS —— Staff working at the British embassy in Iran have been arrested: — Iran “must free UK embassy staff.” EU ministers meeting in Greece warned that “harassment or intimidation” of embassy staff would be met with a “strong and collective” response (BBC).— Riot police clashed with up to 3,000 protesters..Riot police clashed with up to 3,000 protesters near a mosque in north Tehran

'Killing Me Softly'

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~“Killing Me Softly” was a hit song popularized by Roberta Flack back in the ‘70’s. It can now be the theme song for what the Democrat Party and Barack Obama is doing to Liberty in America.This past Friday, June 26, 2009, the soft tyranny of Statists was strengthened. Even though there was no public support for it, and massive opposition (

Italy's Dolomites a new World Heritage site

Well, of course I’m not neutral about this particular issue, and therefore I feel like I am not responsible for any exaggeration I might be guilty of in dealing with the decision taken yesterday in Seville, Spain, by the United Nations agency’s World Heritage Committee: Italy’s Dolomite mountains have been added to the World Heritage list!I think it’s simply great that one of the most beautiful

Ahmadinejad, a dreadful video

In his Facebook page French philosopher and writer Bernard-Henri Lévy has a video, which was clandestinely shot and brought out of Iran, showing “president-non-elect” Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—as Lévy himself calls the Iranian despot—while announcing to his most loyal followers and in the presence of his mentor and spiritual adviser, ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, “un grand bouleversement sur la planète” (a

Who is shaking the Iranian regime?

Not Obama, nor Bush, nor Twitter, nor Facebook. It’s women who are shaking the regime, wrote Anne Applebaum in last Tuesday’s Washington Post. Years of work and effort lie behind this public display of defiance, as much as “there is a connection between the violence in Iran over the past week and the women’s rights movement that has slowly gained strength in Iran over the past several years.”

Good luck mediating, Mr Pottering!

—Hans-Gert Pottering, president of the European Parliament, has offered to lead a mission of EU lawmakers to Iran. “We are willing to offer our support and mediation to bring about a peaceful solution,” he says. Meanwhile, eye witness reports from Tehran indicate that the Police are assailing unarmed protestors with axes. As Emanuele Ottolenghi puts it, “Good luck mediating, Mr Pottering!”—An

How to win elections while losing them

Just a quick update on the results of Italian local election runoffs at the weekend (30 cities and 62 provinces), with both the government and the opposition claiming good results—a classic case, no doubt, but this time it should have been much harder than usual for one of the two sides (the center-left) to do so, given that the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the winner is, once again, the

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (G,H)

G is for GhostI once played hostTo a ghastly ghostAnd offered him some tea.With a gruesome voiceHe refused my choicePreferring eau-de-vie.___H is for HeavyHoggish HarrisHad heaps of pastaOn his holidaysIn RomeAnd becameSo huge and heavyHe had a hard timeGetting home.___Text & image © Mirino (PW) image © Claire. June, 2009_____I and JE and F

Do you know the land where the lemon trees flower?

“See Italy and Die” (Voir l'Italie et mourir. Photographie et peinture dans l'Italie du XIXe siècle), Musée d'Orsay (Exhibition hall), Paris, April 7th through July 19th, 2009.Images of Italy based around several recurring themes and fantasies: archaeological and antique remains, major sites of European culture and the continued presence of the ancient world among today’s population.What the

The Iranian Tempest

By an artist friend of mine, the petition that only needs one signatory.

Letters from America - 1

I had thought there could be no one more self obsessed and camera hungry than Bill Clinton; or a Press that could be so supportive and such apologists. Was I wrong. We now live in the “Age of Obama”. All Obama all the time. This guy is in every news story all day every day. He infects every aspect of our lives.ABC news has been dubbed the ‘All Barack Channel’. It’ll be doing a special from the

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (E,F)

E is for Empty Empty, fullEarly, lateEasy, hardLove or hateEast or WestBeginning, endOdds or evensBreak or mendEver, neverDislike, enjoyEnter, exitGirl or boyExpand, retractEnemy, friendEase, discomfortEarn or spend___F is for FindFat, thinFuture, pastFront, backFirst or lastTrue or falseFoolish, wiseFact or fictionFall or riseLost, foundFriend or foeSucceed or

An Age of words

“ An education in things is not. We are all involved in the condemnation of words, an age of words. We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for ten or fifteen years & come out at last with a bellyful of words & do not know a thing. We cannot use our hands, or our legs, or our eyes, or our arms. We do not know an edible root in the woods. We cannot tell our course by the stars, nor

Hope and Change -- but Not for Iran

Charles Krauthammer in today’s Washington Post (also here):Millions of Iranians take to the streets to defy a theocratic dictatorship that, among its other finer qualities, is a self-declared enemy of America and the tolerance and liberties it represents. The demonstrators are fighting on their own, but they await just a word that America is on their side.And what do they hear from the president

Service

I am not an expert on voluntary service, unless I consider what I’m doing a service, and I must admit that I am often tempted to do so. I am a blogger, and blogging is not only a voluntary form of self-expression, it may also be a voluntary form of service, a way of contributing to the common good. But that’s not what I want to talk about this time. I’ll talk about “service” in the strict sense

The fresh breeze of change..

Witnessing the unfolding of events such as those of Iran. Having this increasingly sophisticated access of information, one is aware of the velocity in which the world is changing.To try to block this access as part of a futile attempt to perpetuate unsubtle myths such as the clumsy scenario of 'Iranian democracy' only increases one's awareness of this fresh breeze of change. Naturally it also

When Left is right & Right is left

Roger L. Simon on President Obama’s reaction to the current situation in Iran:What Obama wants more than anything is not to be seen as treading in the path of George W. Bush. Democracy promotion is not his game. That’s neocon stuff. Barack’s not going there, no how, no way, as he made clear in his Cairo speech. It would undermine everything he pretends to stand for, everything he proclaimed in

Rainbow alphabet doggerel (C,D)

C is for CucumberThe crazy cook would prepareHis favourite dish with great care-Curried crab with cold custard,Crumble cake with Colman's Mustard,Chocolate and cheese with codAnd sliced cucumber (which seems odd)All clumped together with clammy rice,The taste of which he claims is nice.___D is for DoThe little riddle of exampleIf I doWhat you doAnd he doesThe sameThen they doWhat we doWho first

And ‘The Doctor’ said ‘mamma mia!’

Okay, I’m 24 hours late here, but it’s just for those who might have lost it.BBC:Of course there will be people who say otherwise, but, honestly, after that race, and that incredible performance by Rossi, can anyone seriously argue against Rossi being the greatest ever?That last lap had me jumping up and down screaming. My heart rate went into the red. Utterly fantastic. The Times:“In Italy, for

Breaking (good) news from Iran

Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader and the man who has the final say on all strategic matters, has reversed his earlier decree that the disputed election result was fair—urging the country to unite behind Ahmadinejad—by ordering the powerful Guardians Council an investigation into the vote count, thus carrying out Mousavi’s (the defeated candidate) allegations of vote-rigging.In the

Iran. And yet something has changed

Notwithstanding the doubts and concerns the United States and other Western governments expressed, and in spite of the fact that several leading reformists have been arrested on Saturday night, after violent clashes following the disputed election result, les jeux sont faits in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This was not, of course, the result the West was hoping for: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won

Mirino's Rainbow alphabet doggerel

Alphabet poems written for young French children to widen their vocabulary and help them with their English pronunciation. Young Italians might also be interested to use them to practice their English, provided their English teacher is with them to listen and correct them when necessary.

(Click on the above titles to go to the next two letters, or use the links below)


A is for Anagram

An

Scuola d'inglese

Con il prossimo post Mirino inaugura la sua collaborazione con questo blog. Si tratta di una doppia novità, in effetti, essendo la prima volta che la firma non è quella del sottoscritto, e poi la finalità, e soprattutto il target, cioè, rispettivamente: insegnare l’inglese e i bambini (ma non esclusivamente, perché se degli adulti si vogliono aggregare non sarò certo io a vietarlo, anzi, direi

"Italy's Obama"

“To tolerate illegal immigration above all harms those who enter our country with the desire to work and integrate themselves and to have a normal life.”“The problem is that these people don’t have papers, they are very poor, so either they must steal to eat or they are exploited by employers who give them very little money and don’t care if they die.”The person who spoke those words is Sandy

'We're understanding what Obama is...'

“I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God.” —Evan Thomas, editor of NewsweekImagine for a moment that Limbaugh or O’Reilly or Malkin had uttered these little bits of adoration about Dubya. And now guess what the New York Times and CNN (or the Guardian if you are a Brit, or la Repubblica if you are an Italian, etc.) would do…

How to lose elections while winning them (and how to win them while losing them)

This time the lefty Guardian is right about Italy: in any other country the fact that the prime minister’s Freedom People movement took just over 35 per cent of the vote—only a couple of points below the party’s showing at the last general election and nine points ahead of the main opposition group, the Democratic Party (while in other countries the governments lost their consensus)—might be

Born Again American

Born Again American, which started at the beginning of this year, is “committed to the rebirth and re-expression of citizenship through informed and thoughtful activism.” Through its interactive website it offers visitors the opportunity to pledge themselves to be “their country’s keeper” and to reaffirm their belief in American values that hark back to the Declaration of Independence.The Born

The Greatest Among You

“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” This famous statement by Jesus has been adopted by Steven Dexter, a longtime friend of this blog, as the leitmotif of his new blog, whose title echoes the motto itself: The Greatest Among You. In fact the new blog is about Service. “My intention—wrote Steven in the first post—is to create an environment that will be used by organizations

Sharks (and other underwater creatures)

I must admit that I was not pleasantly surprised, but rather quite disappointed, when I heard that Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini, with reference to the muckraking campaign orchestrated by some British newspapers (the Guardian, Times and Independent) against Silvio Berlusconi, had said the country could not ”leave the last word to the network of those who hate Italy.” It was, in my

When life was simple...

“ The object of education is to give man the unity of truth. Formerly, when life was simple, all the different elements of man were in complete harmony. But when there came the separation of the intellect from the spiritual and the physical, the school education put entire emphasis on the intellect and the physical side of man. We devote our sole attention to giving children information, not

The vengeance of the Shark

Just a quick update on the Berlusconi-Noemi Letizia issue. Not that I have any wish to look after this, and besides I think I said everything I had to say about this subject, but, you know, The Times is the Times, even under Mr. Rupert Murdoch, isn’t it? Er, actually, I am not that sure anymore, but who cares? What matters is the substance of their comments, and the substance is a shower of

Il Berlusca e il mentecatto

Dove eravamo rimasti? Con i post in italiano, intendo dire…, dall’ultimo essendo passata tanta di quell’acqua sotto i ponti che quasi non riesco a capacitarmi di come abbia potuto lasciar passare tutto questo tempo. Il fatto è che è più difficile di quel che pensassi tenere in piedi un blog bilingue: questione di atteggiamento mentale, di frequentazione e reperimento delle fonti online, di

Character

“ There is in every man a determination of character to a peculiar end, counteracted often by unfavorable fortune, but more apparent the more he is left at liberty. This is called his genius, or nature, or his turn of mind. The object of Education should be to remove all obstructions & let this natural force have free play & exhibit its peculiar product. It seems to be true that no man in this is

64 Words for Aung San Suu Kyi

Today marks a very sad anniversary for Burma’s pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi: 19 years since the vote in which she led her party to a victory the military refused to recognize. Since then this woman, who has been detained for over 13 years by the Burmese regime for campaigning for human rights and democracy, symbolizes the struggle of Burma’s people to be free.As

Robert Imbelli : Conflict and Hope at the University of Notre Dame

As everybody knows the degree “honoris causa” given on May 17 to President Barack Obama by the Catholic university of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, has produced many protests. In particular, the most drastic have been Michael Novak (see here) and George Weigel (see here), namely the standard-bearers of neoconservative Catholic thought.Yet, amid the storm of controversy, Obama’s speech has

Whom Obama should apologize to

Clive Crook in the Financial Times:Critics in his own party and Republican opponents are attacking Barack Obama’s emerging stance on national security with equal ferocity. Many Democrats are furious that the president has broken his promise to abandon the Bush administration’s war-powers approach to fighting terrorism. Dick Cheney, the former vice-president, and other conservatives attack him

The Hyphen

There is a quote by Margaret Thatcher that I have always treasured: “Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy.” In fact, as a European by birth and an “American by philosophy,” what I really think, along with Theodore Roosevelt, is that “Americanism is a matter of the spirit, and of the soul.” Another great quote to ponder, which is about—however strange it may seem—the

Memorial Day

“Honor them by ensuring that our future was worth the sacrifice of their tomorrows.”—Matt Burden (thanks:  Michelle Malkin)Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. I want to join all my American friends in celebrating this day. Because this isn’t just an American thing : All free

Rotterdam, Eurabia

The Essalaam Mosque in Rotterdam, the largest  of Western Europe“Listen up, crazy freaks, we're here to stay. You’re the foreigners here, with Allah on my side I'm not afraid of anything. Take my advice: convert to Islam, and you will find peace.”One year ago, when the newspapers published the letter containing such a friendly message, sent to his non-Muslim fellow-citizens by Bouchra Ismaili, a

Frattini cancels Iran visit

Italy’s foreign minister Franco Frattini canceled a trip to Iran for talks on regional security issues. Though the Foreign Ministry statement made no mention of Iran’s test Wednesday of a missile capable of reaching Israel and U.S. Mideast bases, it is practically certain that Frattini’s decision was provoked by the missile test itself. Officially the Foreign Ministry said the decision—which

Why do you suppose someone would like to be a liberal?

Did you ever wish you were a liberal? Well, not only are you probably in good company, but you might also find out a lot of reasons why you should. What about me? Nah, I used to be that way myself : you have to have been one of them to know how good it is to not be a so-called liberal anymore. (Thanks: Steven)

GM : approaching the moment of truth

“There’s no rose without a thorn,” as the proverb goes. About three weeks after Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York, it looked as if the Obama administration would pull off its goal of completing the carmaker’s restructuring by June, allowing it to emerge as a smaller, more viable contender in the global auto market. Yet, unfortunately, as the New York Times puts it,

More Americans pro-life than pro-choice

There is a good news for pro-life people: according to the new Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, conducted May 7-10, 51% of Americans declare themselves “pro-life” on the issue of abortion and 42% “pro-choice.” This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995. The new results represent a significant

The normblog Posterity Collection poll

Imagine that civilization is approaching its possible doom—it’s just a joke, of course, though…—and that someone has been assigned the task of assembling for posterity “a representative collection of the Arts of Humankind, to be preserved in a sealed container so that some future beings of intelligence, discernment and taste can discover it and be impressed.” Well, Norm devised a super-duper, 12

What a good man should be

“ Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one. ”—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, X, 16, AD 167 All politicians of all parties should take note, says Robert at Expat Yank. Correct. But what about every man of good will?

So please don’t call me a Berlusconist...

Okay, Silvio Berlusconi’s statement that he is against “the Left’s idea” of a “multi-ethnic Italy,” besides being erroneous (actually, like it or not, Italy is already a multi-ethnic country), is a bit harsh, and yet it is apparently coherent, since his center-right coalition, which includes the anti-immigrants Northern League, made immigration and security its main platform in last year’s

I thought that thou wast silent ...

“ Then whose words were they but thine which by my mother, thy faithful handmaid, thou didst pour into my ears? […] These appeared to me but womanish counsels, which I would have blushed to obey. Yet they were from thee, and I knew it not. I thought that thou wast silent and that it was only she who spoke. Yet it was through her that thou didst not keep silence toward me; and in rejecting her

Hand of Hope: ten years later

Samuel Armas is a child who had the singular privilege of gaining worldwide notoriety before being born, on December 2, 1999. In fact he was shown in a famous photo taken on August 19 of the same year by Michael Clancy during a very delicate surgical procedure aimed to fix Samuel’s spina bifida lesion. In that picture he seemed to grasp his surgeon’s hand from a hole in his mother’s uterus. As a

What the Fiat-Chrysler alliance teach us

So, like it or not, American car makers will change their basic philosophy of car building as much as Americans will change their lifestyles—way of thinking about cars included, of course. And the change, though inevitable and necessary, won’t likely be painless. That’s just common sense, or, if you prefer, what the Fiat-Chrysler alliance teaches us. But that’s also one of the paradoxes of our

Fiat-Chrysler alliance (according to GB Vico)

“We’re confident a deal will be struck but we have to wait until Thursday and respect any decision which is made. It’s always hard to weigh probability just ahead of a deadline, but in important negotiations a lot is accomplished at the very end,” said yesterday Fiat Deputy Chairman John Elkann. In turn, says Chrysler Chief Executive Bob Nardelli, the US carmaker continues to make progress in its

Tell that to the Pilgrims of Victimhood

Before those nearly lethal winter weeks in Ravensbrueck and some months spent “working”— “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Makes You Free), do you remember?—in Auschwitz, Esther, Sara’s grandmother, was a bright, active young woman with bad hay fever, living somewhere near the Czech border. A small town, a big house with an orchard and a vineyard. A large, warm family. All of which, says Sara, have since

Traditional prayers for today's Catholics

Father Philip Neri Powell, OP, is an American friar who teaches Theology at the Angelicum (Pontificia Università S. Tommaso d’ Aquino), in Rome, and a fellow blogger. I enjoy reading his blog, and love his humor almost as much as his homilies. That’s why I guess I might like the new book he has been working on in recent times: Treasures Old and New: Traditional Prayers for Today's Catholics. Yet

The 'superhero' in whose hands are the partnership negotiations between Fiat and Chrysler

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is the car industry outsider and the “superhero” who, against all expectations, pulled the Italian automotive group back from the brink collapse since taking over in 2004, and now it is also him in whose hands—according to the chairman of Fiat, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo—are the partnership negotiations between the Turin automaker and Chrysler.The two carmakers are

She dreamed a dream ... and fulfilled it!

It was clear since the first three or four notes that her performance on Britain’s Got Talent would be something amazing and even … absolutely incredible (she received nearly 20 million hits on YouTube after she became an overnight star in the United States). She started singing “I dreamed a dream in time gone by/When hope was high,/And life worth living,” and both the judges and the public were

There is a guardian angel in L’Aquila

Can you read French? If so, and if you are interested in the after-earthquake, please check out this article in today’s Le Monde. The subject is Guido Bertolaso, the head of Italian civil protection, l’homme qui fait l’ange gardien à L’Aquila:"On n'apprend pas à faire ce métier, dit-il. Il n'y a pas d'université pour cela. Il faut être un leader et en même temps savoir partager." Médecin

And Tax Day becomes Protest Day

Is it an American Revolution? Today American taxpayers in more than 300 locations in all 50 states are holding “tea parties” to protest higher taxes and increased government spending.Who's behind the Tax Day tea parties? Here is what Glenn Harland Reynolds has to say in the Wall Street Journal.P.S.: Check also the special edition Tea Party page on NetRight Nation.

Obama's economy speech: 'He spoke eloquently, but ...'

“Clarity in Need of Courage” is the title of an editorial in today’s Washington Post about yesterday’s speech on the economy by President Obama. A very good speech, according to the WP, on many fronts, but Obama “overstates” his case in one crucial area and “loses all candor and courage” in another. The overstating comesin linking his policy agenda to the economic recovery. The agenda focuses on

Obama's 'post-material economy'

Robert J. Samuelson wrote a very interesting piece in yesterday’s Washington Post—sorry for the delay, I was on vacation the past few days—about President Obama’s vision for America’s 21st-century economy:What Obama proposes is a “post-material economy.” He would de-emphasize the production of ever-more private goods and services, harnessing the economy to achieve broad social goals. In the

Happy Easter!

Happy EasterJoyeuses PâquesBuona Pasqua Frohe OsternFeliz PascuaBoa Pascoa

The Last Supper

Among the masterpieces representing the Passion of Jesus, the Last Supper frescoed by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Milan, is perhaps the most famous in the world. Many people know it, but few know a) the precise moment of the last supper that it represents, b) how to interpret the meaning of Jesus’ actions, and those of the apostles,

Not even an earthquake

Up until a few hours ago I was kind of suspecting this might be the case, but now it’s a certainty: not even an earthquake can stop them. I mean, not even an earthquake can keep both Silvio Berlusconi from making embarrassing gaffes and my beloved British newspapers from reporting them to the public with great emphasis. Needless to say, it’s not a criticism, it’s an observation: we are facing

The Kinights Templar and the Shroud of Turin

Now we know the true story behind what was once a mystery and a field in which there have been all kinds of theories, conjectures and hypotheses. And this, thanks to L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, which on Sunday published a preview of the forthcoming book, I templari e la sindone di Cristo, by Barbara Frale, a researcher in the Vatican Secret Archives.The Knights Templar, as it is

Earthquake in central Italy (updated)

BREAKING NEWSA powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck at 3:32 am (0132 GMT) near the medieval city of L’Aquila, in the mountainous region of Abruzzo, 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Rome. At least 20 people, including five children, were killed and many buildings (3,000 to 10,000) in the city’s historic center were severely damaged or destroyed. The quake was the latest

What I dislike most ...

“ “What terrifies you most in purity,” I asked? “Haste,” William answered. ” 

—Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose


What I dislike most about the political attitudes and behaviors of a certain kind of “political activists” is the way some people tend to extremize their views, which often leads them, in the best cases, to a certain Manichaeism or, in the worst cases, to what I would call the

Trusting to the future

They seem to be quite happy with the end result (“a turning point in our pursuit of global economic recovery,” said President Barack Obama). Let’s all cross our fingers and pray that they are right.

The new neocon alliance with Obama

Is there a “neo-isolationist” tendency on both the left and right wings of the American political spectrum? As Foreign Policy’s Laura Rozen has reported, the founders of Foreign Policy Initiative, a new advocacy group, think so—and it would be naïve, as far as we presently know, to think differently. So some prominent neocons such as former Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan

Obama links Chrysler aid to Fiat (Updated)

BREAKING NEWS:For Chrysler, America’s third biggest car manufacturer, the clock is ticking. The Obama administration has told the deeply troubled automaker it has 30 days of financial aid in which to complete its proposed deal for an alliance with Italy’s Fiat. And Chrysler has responded that it has reached an agreement on a framework of a global alliance with Fiat.Chrysler’s troubles worsened

Here is The People of Freedom

The three-day founding congress, with about 6,000 delegates gathered in Rome to baptize the Il Popolo della Libertà (People of Freedom) party, the new conservative party which is a merger of Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and the rightwing Alleanza Nazionale, is over. It’s an important event, but not an absolute novelty, since the two parties ran together and won under the PDL label in last year’s

SMS Venice

SMS Venice (Saint Mark’s Square) is a campaign launched last year and aimed to help save Venice’s art heritage by receiving SMS and Internet funding. This year’s goals are to restore the city’s famed Rialto Bridge and three historic churches: San Giorgio Maggiore, San Giuseppe and the Chiesa dei Gesuiti, as well as the Scuola di San Rocco with its famed Tintoretto paintings.The fund raising

Harvard researchers agree with Pope Benedict on condoms in Africa

Well, I know, this is a minefield, but shouldn’t blogging be, in itself, a continuous challenge to prevailing views of what is worth debating and how (with what purposes and inclinations) it should be debated, of what is arguable and what is not, and so on? So, here we go and let’s strike a blow for a man who dared to say that “the scourge [of AIDS] cannot be resolved by distributing condoms,”

Doctor in mid-surgery heart scare

Claudio Vitale, a 59-year-old brain surgeon, was carrying out a delicate operation to remove a brain tumour in a Hospital in Naples, Italy, when he began having chest pains. Well, even when he realized, some minutes later, that he was having an angina attack, he refused to stop the surgery, despite his team’s urging and the pain worsening. “I couldn’t leave the patient at such a delicate moment

Together around Mary

Today is the Fest of Annunciation, that is the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus, by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. In the occasion Lebanon’s government launches a joint Christian-Muslim celebration in honor of Mary, who is venerated in both communities: the first “Islamic-Christian Day.” “Together around Mary, Our Lady,” is the title chosen

Twice a year, the miracle ...

Holy Trinity Church in Barsham, Suffolk, England: it is not a scene from an Indiana Jones film, but a stirring piece of visual synchronicity that dates back to the 1300s, when a narrow window was built in the church tower … At the spring and autumn equinox, the setting sun hits the window and illuminates a carving of Christ on the Cross for a few unforgettable minutes. This spectacle was only

What A Wonderful World

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom, for me and you.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white.
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world...

The Louis Armstrong classic “What A Wonderful World” was the song with which Eva Cassidy closed the set in her final public performance, on

Islam and the West: lines of demarcation

Some twenty days ago, in a post about the Crusades, I recalled the black legend according to which the Crusades were “Holy Wars” (and as such, by consequence, the antecedents of every religious and ideological wars), and the Crusaders themselves were ruthless, blood-thirsty fanatics. I also observed how today, in the Western countries, that black legend, imbued with a collective sense of guilt,

Springtime

“ The spring over there takes you by the throat, the flowers blooming by the thousands over white walls. If you strolled around for an hour in the hills surrounding my town, you would return with the odor of honey in your clothes. ”—Albert Camus, The Misunderstanding (Le Malentendu), act 2, sc. 1.

Twitter's the fastest-growing social-networking service

Twitter “is growing really, really, really, really fast,” according to Nielsen. A new survey about the five fastest growing “member community destinations” in the U.S. reveals that Twitter is at the top: from February 2008 to February 2009, it clocked in at a whopping 1,382 percent growth rate …

'Why the GOP Can’t Win With Minorities'

Just a quick post to thank Tom for linking to a very interesting and insightful article by Shelby Steele (and to follow his example). Tom is absolutely right: this piece is worth reading “regardless of your political orientation.” Shelby Steele is an award-winning author, columnist, documentary film maker, and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He, as well as

Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you

You think this is just another day in your life.It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that is given to you today.It’s given to you. It’s a gift.Yet another amazing video (thanks: Emmanuelle). The voice is that of Br. David Steindl Rast, a Benedictine monk who has been regarded as Thomas Merton’s successor in the Christian contemplative tradition, and whose books have been translated into

For a better understanding of Obama’s policy on human cloning

There has been considerable discussion over the last week in the media and the blogosphere about President Obama’s decision to reverse George W Bush’s policy of denying federal funding to stem-cell research that requires killing human embryos. Expectedly, Obama has been praised and criticized in equal measure, mostly depending on whether the “judges” were Republicans (especially religious

Schismatic Bishops, Holocaust Denial and Christian-Jewish Relations

Fr John McDade SJ, Principal of Heythrop College, University of London, on schismatic bishops, holocaust denial and the Church’s understanding of Christian-Jewish relations (thanks: Anna Arco). Here is how he concludes: Modern Christians have inherited a version of Christianity in which there has been a negative relationship to Judaism […]. A considerably darker legacy is the hate-filled

500 Years of Female Portraits

“500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art”—nominated as Most Creative Video at the 2nd Annual YouTube Awards—is an awesome video, submitted by Philip Scott Johnson on April 22, 2007, but I discovered it only now (thanks to my wonderful friend Sandra), and I am more than glad to share it with my readers.Be prepared to have an amazing viewing experience and to enjoy La Scapigliata (The Lady of

Waiting for the Etonians

At The First Post Oliver Kamm reviews Nick Cohen’s new book, Waiting for the Etonians: Reports from the Sickbed of Liberal England. Nick Cohen is the author of What’s Left?, which has been one of the most powerful denunciations of the manner in which the Left has lost its way (and I loved it for that).

Which is the best Islamic state?

Has Sweden become the best Islamic state? What is certain is that Muslim influence is growing over there, Pamela Geller reports. But Pamela has something to say about Denmark, too, whose disintegrating social conditions in urban areas are under everybody’s eyes. See also: Islam in Europe  and Alamo City Pundit.

'Wrong You Are, If You Think You’re Right'

Luigi Pirandello’s classic, “Right You Are, If You Think You Are,” is the leitmotif of a thoughtful and insightful post by Roger L. Simon at Pajamasmedia.com. The famous play, he says, “came immediately to mind when I read the results of the new Rasmussen poll reporting 53% of Americans see our country headed for a Depression similar to the 1930s.” Now, he continues, “the question is whether

Look, Mr. President, priority No. 1 is to create jobs!

“Forget Rush Limbaugh,” writes Patrick O’Connor, in fact “for all the focus on the king of conservative talk, Democrats may have found a more important villain in House Minority Whip Eric Cantor.” And here is why (via Gateway Pundit):House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) seized on the opportunity to criticize the president Tuesday for over-reaching in his first 50 days on the job.Following the

Embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning

Melissa Clouthier has some important clarifications on President Barack Obama reversing of Bush Administration’s restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. Yet, there must be something in that piece I wasn’t able to understand. It’s when she quotes Katherine Jean Lopez :[A]s Katherine Jean Lopez notes, “Notice the qualifier. Cloning is fine for research — ‘therapeutic cloning.’ In other words,

Dalai Lama's statement on the 50th anniversary of Uprising Day

Here are some excerpts from the Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day:Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the Tibetan people's peaceful uprising against Communist China's repression in Tibet. Since last March, widespread peaceful protests have erupted across the whole of Tibet. Most of the participants were youths born and

Those rose-colored glasses of embryonic stem cell dogma

President Obama, they say, is determined to insulate scientific decisions across the federal government from political influence, and “to use sound scientific practice, responsible practice of science and evidence, instead of dogma in developing federal policy.” But what about if, for instance, among the “dogmas”—or “principles,” as someone might prefer to call them—there is one, called respect

Italy's stimulus spending

In 2008 the Italian economy contracted 1.0 per cent, its worst showing since 1975, and last Wednesday the Bank of Italy predicted that the economy would likely shrink by 2.6 per cent this year. There is absolutely nothing to be happy about, but, as common sense suggests, if there is something that can make things even worse, it is to paint this crisis as a tragedy, and that is exactly what the

A bridge to the future?

Italy’s government has revived plans to build the Strait of Messina bridge, linking Sicily to the mainland. The single-span suspension bridge, with a central span of 3,300 m (about 2 miles), would be the longest in the world. The project is part of a massive 17.8bn-euro public works program to create new jobs and boost the economy.

Italy’s Foreign minister delays Iran visit

In light of the “unacceptable statements” made by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “against the state of Israel and the American administration,” Italy Foreign minister Franco Frattini has delayed a visit to Tehran. Yesterday Ali Khamenei described Israel as a “cancerous tumor,” and criticized Washington’s “unconditional support” for Israel. He also said that the Holocaust was used

Italy pulls out of UN racism conference

Soon after Israel, Canada and the United States, Italy decided today to withdraw its delegation from the preparatory negotiations ahead of the upcoming United Nations World Conference Against Racism known as the Durban Review Conference, which is a follow-up to the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.The conference is due to take place

The mistery of Fr. Giussani

Today Communion and Liberation, the movement founded by Fr. Luigi Giussani, is present in more than 70 countries. There are about 100,000 people belonging to the Fraternity. Then there are the members of Memores Domini (men and women under vows), the priests of the Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, the Sisters of Charity of the Assumption, and the Companionship of Works

'Pope Ratzinger’s solitude'

Italian vaticanist Luigi Accattoli has written a very interesting piece, “La solitudine di Ratzinger” (“Pope Ratzinger’s solitude”), published today in Liberal. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf has had the great idea of providing an English translation of it on his What Does The Prayer Really Say? If you don’t know Luigi Accattoli yet, just read the article and you will understand why he is one of my favorite

The Crusades: myth and reality

The following post is a very modest attempt to pay tribute to one of the most controversial issues in Western intellectual history. Thanks to Steven, who wrote some very interesting posts on this subject, making me willing to tackle this admittedly difficult task.While the events known as “Crusades” remain one of the most misinterpreted aspects of medieval history, “Crusades” and “Crusaders” are

Bye bye bishop Williamson

The “absolutely unequivocal and public” taking of distance from his positions regarding the Shoah, which the Vatican was expecting from bishop Williamson, has not come to pass. Which is perhaps no surprise, given the nature of the case—a desperate one, indeed.What is surprising is, in my opinion, that Richardson felt the need to perform an attempt to apologize for the interview he gave to a

March 10, 2009: Display the Tibetan flag

Next March 10 will mark a double anniversary for Tibet: 50 years since Tibetans rose up to protest China’s illegal invasion of their homeland, and one year since unprecedented protests broke out across the Land of Snow showing China and the world that Tibetans are determined to be free. The images in March 2008 of Tibetans in Tibet bravely displaying Tibetan flags is an image that none, among

Moving backwards?

Moving backwards on the foreign policy front with Barack Obama in charge? Perhaps they forgot Machiavelli's lesson …From this arises an argument: whether it is better to be loved than feared. I reply that one should like to be both one and the other; but since it is difficult to join them together, it is much safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.

Slaying Leviathan

“Slaying Leviathan envisions an approach to tax policy rooted in natural justice. To achieve this goal, Ms. Carbone first traces the historical evolution of U.S. tax policy, from the 1765 Stamp Act to the 1997 tax cut. She then assesses the current American tax burden and former president George W. Bush’s tax cuts and explores the fundamental problems with U.S. tax policy. After providing a

'It is written . . .'

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter. I thought these “few provisions for your Lenten trek,” by Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP, might be a very appropriate way to celebrate this day. P.S. Ah, don’t worry about the title of the post to which I linked ... a thorough reading and understanding of this piece is required

Carnival of Venice

I don’t have any particular feeling for or against this period of the year, but I generally refrain from going to Venice during these days, when the Carnival—the famous Carnevale di Venezia, first recorded in 1268—is whooping it up in the streets (my misanthropic side’s fault?). But nothing prevents me from enjoying these beautiful pictures.

Geert Wilders in the US (updated)

“Oriana has always been my idol, my point of reference, and I am proud to receive this award,” Geert Wilders said in an interview with Il Giornale (in Italian) the day before receiving the “Premio Oriana Fallaci” (Oriana Fallaci Award, see here his acceptance speech). Asked how he felt about the UK government’s decision to ban him from entering the country, he said: “It was a scandalous event and

The Wager

While browsing my Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, I found an effective synthesis of the famous Pascal’s wager, so I thought it might be useful—above all for my younger readers—to share at least a portion of the item. Here it goes:The ancient and popular (or vulgar) view that belief in God is the ‘best bet’, given its classic formulation in the Pensées of Pascal. Suppose that metaphysical

'Giotto and the 14th Century'

“Giotto e il Trecento” (Giotto and the 14th Century), the major exhibition opening on March 6 at the Vittoriano in Rome and running through June 29, will be the first ever realized outside of Florence—the latest one was at the Uffizi Gallery in 1937—and one of the artistic highlights of the year.An event not to be missed by anyone who loves art. Ok, I’m not what you’d call a neutral witness,

'I need a beachfront condo, Mr. President!'

Some hundred people protesting against the the $787 billion stimulus package, signed by President Obama Tuesday in Denver, gathered outside Dobson High School in Mesa (Az) at 10 a.m. and expressed their frustration with signs. Nice pics of the event at Michelle Malkin’s blog.

All books are equal!

Librarians are being told to move the Bible to the top shelf to avoid giving offence to followers of Islam.Muslims have complained of finding the Koran on lower shelves, saying it should be put above commonplace things.So officials have responded with guidance, backed by ministers, that all holy books should be treated equally and go on the top shelf together.This means that Christian works,

The debacle of the Italian left

So, now that most of the ballots have been counted, there is no doubt that the center-right candidate Ugo Cappellacci has won—with about 52 percent of the vote against 43 percent—regional elections in Sardinia against a left-wing coalition led by the outgoing governor and Tiscali internet company-founder, Renato Soru.It’s quite a surprising result, since most pre-election surveys had predicted a

Is the flag of Shariah already waving over the US?

When the hard part of what you are trying to do or to understand or to investigate is in the many small details, you can say, along with the old saying, “the devil is in the details.” So, it may happen that an apparently minor news might turned out to be much less insignificant than anyone thought.Take, for instance, the case of the beheading of a woman whose husband, Muzzammil Hassan, an

Under the Tuscan stars

This is great: Filmed in Cortona, with the Tuscan city setting the background for a romantic evening, and the outdoor atmosphere matching the charm of violin virtuoso André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra … “La donna è mobile,” “The Carnival of Venice,” La Traviata (the drinking song), Carmen, Aida, Nabucco (“Va pensiero,” which is almost a national Italian anthem) and more.

But they should never have banned Geert Wilders

About the UK government’s decision to ban the anti-Islamist Dutch MP Geert Wilders from entering the country (see my two previous posts on this) there is an interesting piece up at Pajamas Media by Mike McNally, a British journalist who blogs at Monkey Tennis Centre. He says he recently changed his mind about the war against the extremist Islamists, a war which he believed his country could

A crime against God and humanity

The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah was ”a crime against God and humanity” and it was “intolerable” for anyone to deny it, said Thursday Pope Benedict speaking to American Jewish leaders at the Vatican. “How can we begin to understand the enormity of what happened in those terrible prisons? The whole of humanity feels deep shame for the savage