Italy Banks Say: Give Us The Money, and No Questions !!!!! Similar to US.

The Epitome of Chutzpah!!!!

The Banks don't want any Regulation, and any Government Interference, EXCEPT when the GREED of the Banks has put them in a HOLE, then the Banks want a BAILOUT,( non dare call it Corporate Welfare or Socialism) , AND the Banks tell the Government that just because the Taxpayers are giving them Treasury Money, that The Government has NO RIGHT to Put any STRINGS on this Money.

My View point is that the Government should instead of Preferred Stock, which is better than Common Stock, that they instead expect BONDS, and those that have Priority, otherwise, there is Great Risk, and little Reward, since the Bank Assets and Deposits are HIGHLY LEVERAGED. with KNOWN TOXIC LOANS

A Bankruptcy could let the Banks off the Hook, and the Taxpayer Stock worthless.

Don't Nationalise Banks, Italy Trade Body Tells Govt

Reuters

By Robin Pomeroy

Thu Oct 30, 2008

ROME - The trade body for Italy's banks warned the government on Thursday against trying to have a say in how the industry is run, as the country waits to hear details of a state-sponsored rescue package for the sector.

Although the topic is not on the agenda of Friday's cabinet meeting, Italian financial media are expecting the government to announce in the coming days exactly how it will implement a bank rescue decree it passed in outline form on Oct. 9.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is due to meet bank chiefs later on Thursday to discuss the situation.

The government has passed emergency laws giving it the power to take stakes in banks with non-voting shares with preferential dividend rights, but the banking system is still waiting for details of how the measures will be implemented.

Berlusconi has hinted that further steps could be taken to help banks.

"It is necessary to underline the crucial importance of having a system which, if public capital is injected into banks or if the government intervenes to strengthen capital ratios, guarantees the full continuity of the private sector nature of (that) system," the head of the Italian Banking Association ABI, Corrado Faissola, told a parliamentary hearing.

In common with most other European countries, Italy took steps earlier this month to shore up its banking sector.

But no bank has so far come forward to accept the government's offer for a capital injection in exchange for non-voting shares, a scheme the state will implement on a case-by-case basis.

Banks say they are solid enough and are unwilling to risk the stigma of asking for help. They are also thought to be wary of allowing the state to gain more control over their actions.

But with neighbouring countries injecting vast sums of cash into their banks, some Italian lenders are being left with lower capital ratios, raising concerns that Italy's banks might look at cutting back on lending as a way to conserve funds.

NEW MEASURES BY THE WEEKEND?

Financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore said the government had already reached agreement with the Bank of Italy and major banks on how to proceed and said the new policies would be unveiled "by this weekend".

"The range of instruments available for the state intervention is wider than the 'shares with preferential dividend rights' mentioned in the (Oct. 9) decree," it said, repeating widespread speculation that the state could underwrite convertible bonds or bonds with an equity component.

"They will be instruments that are closer to debt than equity to alleviate the fear in banking circles that the state intends to enter banks' capital to take possession, to exert power, to dominate governance," Il Sole wrote.

Italian media have speculated that the country's top three banks -- Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), UniCredit (CRDI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) -- could be candidates for a government capital injection.

Investment bank Mediobanca (MDBI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), one of the banks Il Sole said might also take part in the scheme, played down that option.

Board member Tarak ben Ammar told journalists it had a Core Tier 1 ratio -- which measures capital available against risky assets -- of over 10 percent.

Italian banks' average Core Tier 1 ratios -- which measure the amount of capital a bank has against its risky assets -- are around 6 percent, compared with 8 percent and more elsewhere in Europe.

Berlusconi has said it is vital banks continue to lend, especially to individuals and small and medium-sized companies and the government is likely to require banks subscribing to the new measures give guarantees that they will do that. (Reporting by Robin Pomeroy; editing by John Stonestreet)

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSLU19881520081030

Italians Caution About Debt Will Help lt Through Financial Crisis

Italy will perhaps ride out the current financial storms better than some for two very obvious reasons linked to the "real economy". Firstly, Italy has a relatively low level of private debt, and secondly there has been no significant real estate boom here in recent times.

Ordinary Italians are careful and ultra-cautious when it comes to money matters. A 2007 Nielsen Consumer Panel Survey shows that the British, French, Spanish and Germans (and the Irish if they had been included) all have a much higher level of family debt than Italians.

'Sick lady of Europe' in Surprisingly Good Shape for Downturn

Irish Times Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008

ROME LETTER:Italians' careful attitude with money may serve the country well as financial storms blow, writes Paddy Agnew

AND, IN these times of economic crisis, how is dear old Italy and how does she stand? Curiously, as the icy blasts of recession and crisis blow, "the sick lady of Europe" is, for once, not looking quite so bad. When you ask people about the economic crisis, you tend to get a stock, jocose answer: "Crisis? Recession? Sure, how could we tell? We've been in crisis for years now." The bottom line would seem to be that if you have never had a boom, then the level of your letdown and recession will be much contained. Even expert economists are making noises in this direction. According to Giuseppe Sacco of Rome's Luiss University, "Italy will continue to float rather better than some others".

At a briefing with the foreign press corps the other day, Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti suggested that Italy will perhaps ride out the current financial storms better than some for two very obvious reasons linked to the "real economy". Firstly, Italy has a relatively low level of private debt, and secondly there has been no significant real estate boom here in recent times.

The minister has a point, or indeed, two points. In more than 20 years of living in Italy, I have never ceased to be impressed by the extent to which ordinary Italians are careful and ultra-cautious when it comes to money matters. A 2007 Nielsen Consumer Panel Survey shows that the British, French, Spanish and Germans (and the Irish if they had been included) all have a much higher level of family debt than Italians.

Basically, Italian private debt represents 43 per cent of earnings as opposed to 66 per cent in France, 100 per cent in Germany, 112 per cent in Spain and 148 per cent in the UK.

No surprise, here. I can immediately think of a number of friends who prove the point. Take "Paola", for example. She is a senior civil servant who deals with foreign commerce. She got her first credit card at the age of 48. She almost never uses it in Italy but uses it only when on holiday. She and her husband have had bank loans but only of the 10-year variety, promptly repaid on schedule.

Or take "Federico". Even though he is in his late 30s and runs his own small building company, he has never had a credit card. When he is not busy working for clients, he is currently building a house for himself. He has been at this for years, building bit by bit as his earnings allowed. Yet, he would never dream of taking out a bank loan to speed up the process, indeed he has never been in debt to a bank in his life.

Or take "Francesca". She is an old family friend. A couple of years ago, she accompanied the Baroness on a trip to Portugal. For the purposes, she decided to get her first ever credit card. We are talking about a 45-year-old mother of one and a government employee, not a penniless student.

The Nielsen survey confirms the point. While 52 per cent of Brits, 43 per cent of the French and 39 per cent of Spaniards use credit cards regularly, only 17 per cent of Italians use them. Overall, 66.8 per cent of all Italian transactions are done in cash. Italian bank UniCredit estimates that of EU countries, only Poland effects more cash transactions.

What does all this mean? Well, that Italians are a canny lot. They might suffer from a staggering public debt (108 per cent of GDP, or thereabouts) but they are pretty careful with the home accounts. This could be an attitude that will stand by them, too, in these difficult times.

Then there is the real estate question. Speaking of Spain (but it has relevance for Ireland), Prof Sacco says: "We're not going to have the dramatic collapse that Spain will experience. The Spanish boom has been based on housebuilding. In 2006 for example, they built 800,000 new houses, more than France, Germany and the UK put together. You simply can't sell many of these houses or apartments today." Sounds familiar? Prof Sacco also points to another Italian anomaly. He argues that international markets are moving ever more towards a "social injustice". This means that certain top of the range products will continue to do well, despite everything. Witness, he says, the long queues of potential buyers of million-euro yachts at the Genoa Boat Show recently or the fact that while both Opel in Germany and Nissan in Japan have basically had to close down for two weeks, Ferrari and Maserati in Italy are doing just fine.

All of this is, of course, very relative. Yet, Italians are good at belt-tightening. When George W's daddy opted for the 1991 "Desert Storm" invasion of Iraq, some Italians thought the third World War was on the way. All of a sudden, you could not find sugar for love or money. Perhaps, this was an expression of the hard times experienced during the second World War, hard times ingrained into the Italian collective psyche. Could be a useful attitude to have these days.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1029/1225197273902.html

Life for Italians is so Different from Ours in US

How do Italians seem to live such healthy lives so effortlessly when Americans have to battle our bulges by working out, dieting, carrying water bottles everywhere and eating energy and protein bars by the ton?

Part of it has to do with Italians love for walking. small breakfasts, less stressed lifestyles, most days lots of salads, fruit is served with the evening meal instead of desert, etc , etc.

Life for Italians is so Different from Ours

Vineland Daily Journal - Vineland,NJ,USA By Carolyn Vinci October 29, 2008

When I became a member of The Daily Journal's Food Advisory Board, I agreed to write articles about food and most times I try to include an interesting recipe.

After returning from a two-week tour of Italy, I'll tell you that writing a recipe about a great new dish certainly would not be hard to do.

I have new ideas for future columns about ways to prepare food based on what was served to us in various cities. But I hope you will forgive me if I write about another kind of recipe that I learned in my short time there -- one for good health.

I did a lot of people-watching in Italy. As I walked the streets of cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice, Sorrento and Capri, as well as Milan, Como and Lake Lugano in Switzerland, I never spotted a gym or fitness center.

In fact, I only saw one jogger and he looked like he was training for a marathon. People there are trim and fit. They wear form-fitting clothes and beautiful shoes. I didn't see anyone in sweats or sneakers, except for tourists -- myself included at times.

How do Italians seem to live such healthy lives so effortlessly when Americans have to battle our bulges by working out, dieting, carrying water bottles everywhere and eating energy and protein bars by the ton?

Our tour guide, Irene, patiently answered my many questions about the Italian lifestyle and their way of cooking and eating. We had lots of time to chat as our group of 46 people traveled to each city by bus.

Italians do a lot of walking. The streets are crowded with cars and those cute scooters, so it is sometimes quicker (and safer!) to walk places.

They eat a small breakfast and enjoy a late morning snack. Lunch in the late afternoon is the big meal and dinner starts about 8 p.m. and lasts for perhaps two hours.

The lifestyles there are slower, too; they seem much less stressed than Americans. One of the few things I saw them do quickly was drink their coffee or espresso.

Coffee, whether ordered at a street side café or in what they call self-serve, comes in a real cup and saucer. It is enjoyed standing up near small tables in stores that are their version of a Wawa.

Our guide said it's like a quick shot -- no lingering with a cup of coffee or lugging it in a big cup onto the bus. You drink it down and are on your way.

After dinner, the natives have what is called a "Café Correcto," which is espresso with a shot of liquor, usually Sambucca or Grappa, which is distilled grape juice.

Gelato is big in Italy. In the cities, it's not unusual to see three or four "Gelaterias" in one block.

But even that is healthier than our ice cream because gelato contains much less butterfat.

Dessert is mostly enjoyed on weekends, our guide Irene explained. Most days, fruit is served with the evening meal.

And forget what you heard about cheesecakes, cannoli and biscotti. I only saw one place selling cannolis and after a week of not seeing any cheesecake, I learned they don't have what we think of as cheesecake, but rather a "Torta di Ricotta." This is a mixture of ricotta and dried fruit served in a pastry crust. Biscotti is any kind of hard cookie, not what we think it is. They dip their hard cookies in wine, also popular here in the states.

Italians also eat a lot of olives and have olive oil in most savory dishes. They love their fruit (they grow a lot of kiwi) and eat their salads as a last course to help the digestion. Wine is everywhere and there is no minimum drinking age. Irene said kids don't have that curiosity about drinking but they do smoke at an early age. Whatever they are doing, it seems to be working for them and everyone is having a good time in the process.

http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20081029/LIFESTYLE17/810290301

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito Finally Indicted in Karcher Murder in Perugia 1 yr ago

On Tuesday, Amanda Knox, 21, of Seattle and Raffaele Sollecito of Italy were indicted on charges of murder and sexual violence in the stabbing death of Meredith Kercher of England, with the trial to start on December 4. Italian law permits suspects with sufficient evidence to be held up to a year in jai before having to release or indict them.

A third suspect, Rudy Hermann Guede of the West African nation of Ivory Coast, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on the same charges in a fast-track trial requested by his defense,

I speculate that Guede will become a witness against Knox and Sollecito, in return for a reduction of sentence, and that Guede requested a fast track trial expecting a guilty verdict, but having a lessor degree of responsibility, and making himself available for the case against his co conspirators.

American, Ex-Italian Beau Indicted in Italy Murder

Assoociated Press By Marta Falconi October 29, 2008

PERUGIA, Italy (AP) — An American college student and her former boyfriend were ordered Tuesday to stand trial in last year's slaying of her roommate, while the judge also convicted an Ivory Coast man in the killing, lawyers said.

The judge indicted Amanda Knox, 21, of Seattle and Raffaele Sollecito of Italy on charges of murder and sexual violence in the stabbing death of Meredith Kercher of England, said Francesco Maresca, a lawyer for the victim's family. Trial for the two, who deny wrongdoing, will start Dec. 4.

A third suspect, Rudy Hermann Guede of the West African nation of Ivory Coast, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on the same charges in a fast-track trial requested by his defense, Maresca said. Prosecutors asked for life in jail.

Knox's attorney, Luciano Ghirga, said his client "was quite disappointed" by the ruling. "She is ready to start again," Ghirga told reporters. "The (first) hearing is very close, we have to reorganize our defense line in time."

Judge Paolo Micheli emerged with a verdict after almost 12 of hours of deliberations. All the proceedings were held behind closed doors and the three suspects awaited the ruling in separate cells at the courthouse.

Lawyers for Knox and Sollecito, who were jailed shortly after the slaying last Nov. 2, had asked that their clients be granted house arrest if indicted. Lawyers leaving the courthouse said Micheli did not rule on the request and a decision was expected in the coming days. If convicted, Knox and Sollecito could face life in prison.

Kercher's family, including her mother, father, two brothers and a sister attended the hearing.

"We are as pleased as we can be with the decision. At the end of the day, we are here because our sister Meredith was murdered," brother Lyle Kercher said at a news conference.

The victim's other brother, John, said he was "overwhelmed" when the judge handed down the guilty verdict for Guede.

Knox's divorced parents, Curt Knox and Edda Mellas, said in a statement they were "extremely disappointed and surprised" by the judge's decision, "given the weakness of the evidence against" their daughter.

"We believe that she will eventually be proven innocent of all charges against her and we will support her in every way possible as we work toward her complete exoneration," the parents said.

Kercher, a 21-year-old student from England, was found dead in the apartment she shared with Knox. She had been stabbed in the neck.

Prosecutors allege Kercher died during what began as a sex game, with Sollecito holding her by the shoulders from behind while Knox touched her with the point of a knife and Guede tried to sexually assault her. Prosecutors say Knox then fatally stabbed Kercher in the throat.

Guede, also 21, admitted being in the house, but denied any part in the killing. He said that he was in the bathroom when Kercher was attacked and that he rushed into the bedroom to try to rescue her. He said he fled Italy after the slaying because he was frightened. Guede's defense said it would appeal the verdict.

Sollecito, 24, has said that he was in his own apartment in Perugia at the time of the killing and that he doesn't remember if Knox spent part or all of that night with him.

Knox initially told investigators she was in the apartment when Kercher was killed and covered her ears against the victim's screams. Later, Knox said she wasn't in the house.

Prosecutors say Knox's DNA was found on the handle of a knife that might have been used in the slaying, while Kercher's DNA was found on the blade.

They say they found Sollecito's DNA on the victim's bra, although Sollecito's defense team says the bra bore multiple DNA traces and argue the evidence might have been inadvertently contaminated during the investigation.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hUwNJptZbnCIsu90VqOzxS7S2fzQD9440IHO1

Italian Speeders Get Stopped in Style, with Lamborghini Gallardo

I want to grow up to be a Lambocop !! :) :) A uniform and this car, I'd have to fight the women off.

Lambocop Stalks Italian Speeders

New York Times

By Jerry Garrett

October 27, 2008

A Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, in Italian state police trim.

Italian motorists have a reputation for driving well in excess of posted speed limits on the country's highways, byways and autostradas.

It seems only fair that the Italian version of the highway patrol has been armed by Lamborghini with the world's fastest police car. The automaker has just presented the latest version of its Gallardo LP560-4 sports car, all tricked out in law enforcement trim, to the Italian state police.

In addition to catching speeders, the 2009 Gallardo has been outfitted with a video surveillance camera, gun racks, GPS, organ transplant cooler (in the luggage compartment) and defibrillator.

This version of the Gallardo produces 560 horsepower and has a top speed of 203 miles an hour. It actually replaces an older, slower (just 180 m.p.h. or so) Gallardo that had seen some 87,000 miles of service around Rome since 2004. No doubt all of those miles were used on official police business, right?

Well, it seems the car did somehow manage to show up in New York City in 2005 for the Columbus Day parade.

A third blue-light Gallardo has been patrolling in the Bologna region of north central Italy the past three years. It only has 62,000 miles on its odometer.

Informant's tip: Watch out for the new Gallardo patrolling the A3 Autostrada between Salerno and Reggio Calabria in southern Italy.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/27/lambocop-stalks-italian-speeders/?ei=5070&emc=eta1

Italians Evade 100 Billion Euros in 2007 : US Evades $345 Billion

Tax evasion in Italy amounts to a 100 million euros, whereas In the United States, the IRS estimated in 2007 that Americans owed $345 billion, or about 14% of federal revenues for FY2007. the tax gap. ^{[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_evasion}
Of course the US has more Corporate Subsidies, Tax Waivers, off Shore Havens, Tax Loop Holes, etc, to the degree that only Half of US Corporations pay ANY Taxes, and Oil Corporations with Record Tax Profits get a Bush Tax Cut. The Italians have long held their politicians in contempt, and are not as naive as Americans, so they are convinced that Taxes paid to the Government are a Donation to Mainly Corrupt Thieves, so it becomes a challenge to give as little to the Politicians as Possible.

100 Billion Euros Slip Through Taxman’s Fingers

Total annual cost of tax evasion in Italy. Thousands of scams used to dodge taxes.

The figure for 2007 was a record. Inspectors recovered a total of 6.3 billion euros in a single year from tax evaders, up 50% on 2006. There was another record in the first four months of 2008 as the tax agency clawed back 800 million euros, an increase of 24% over the previous year. It sounds like a lot but in fact it is very little, considering that according to official figures from the ministry of the economy, total annual tax evasion in Italy amounts to a 100 million euros. Naturally, the figures underestimate the reality. According to the ISTAT statistics institute, the black economy accounts for at least 20% of the country’s gross domestic product, or 280 billion euros. Other sources put the figure even higher. Whatever the truth, tax evasion in Italy is three times the level of those countries in Europe that combat the informal economy most effectively, and twice the European average. If Italy managed to make everyone pay taxes, or even to collect only half of the 100 million euros evaded, it would be a very different country.

For example, Italy could double the amount spent on research, which is lowest of all the industrialised countries, or increase every single pension by 45%. Sadly, it is likely that all this will remain a pipe dream. The scale of the phenomenon, and the incredible ingenuity expended by Italians on dodging the taxman, do not leave much room for hope. Cunning and chutzpah are the main weapons used in the battle with the taxman and over the years, Italians have applied their proverbial imagination to a range of scams, swindles and expedients that has is unrivalled anywhere else. The range is embarrassingly vast and neatly described by Roberto Ippolito in his book “Evasori. Chi come quanto” [Evaders. Who, How, How Much], published by Bompiani, which will be in the bookshops tomorrow. It’s an anthology of tax evasion and avoidance, compiled by searching through hundreds of newspaper articles but with no attempt to draw conclusions.

In any case, there is little to be added to some of the cases Ippolito mentions. What can you say about the free mattresses given away with a magazine at a cover price of 2,000 euros, to exploit the special tax regime enjoyed by publishing and pay VAT at 4% instead of 20%? Or the social clubs that leverage their privileged tax status to act as fronts for business enterprises with an annual turnover of 800,000 euros, like the Oristano customs police social club? Italian creativity knows no bounds. When a business needs customers, it simply makes them up. At Giulianova, a mobile phone company managed to evade 26 million euros thanks to false invoices. And to look credible in the taxman’s eyes the business claimed a tax rebate for a cool five million euros. This sort of brass–necked cheek is far from unusual. It goes on even in the best families.

Ippolito tells the story of a couple in San Donà di Piave who faked a gift to their daughter of two plots of land. The value was the same as the taxable capital gain, 250,000 euros. It was a shame that only a few days later, the astute young women sold the land on for the same amount without generating any capital gain or tax liability. The homemade scam was uncovered, but only because the trio deposited the cheques from the final purchasers straight into mum and dad’s bank account.

In Italy, it’s not hard to find casual workers who drive Porsches, or a 75-year-old pensioner with a declared income of 1,000 euros a month who has just ordered a 30,000-euro swimming pool, or a plumber declaring 3,000 euros a year who turns out to be pocketing 350,000. Perhaps these are isolated cases. Nevertheless, the sector studies used to make the self-employed pay taxes on the basis of presumed income tell a different story.

They report, for example, 100,000 taxpayers who claim for the purchase of capital goods but apparently do not own them. Among them are 3,329 restaurants with no kitchen or tables, 480 chemist’s shops without shelves, 555 laundries with no washing machines, more than 5,000 installation engineers with no pliers or screwdrivers and 360 analysis laboratories with no equipment. There are even 137 taxi drivers with no taxi. Tax inspectors are also honing their wits to staunch Italy’s haemorrhaging tax revenue. In Liguria, almost 10,000 taxpayers ended up in the cross-hairs of the tax authorities, which are completing checks at the moment. How were the “suspects” identified? Income tax returns were cross-checked against customer databases gleaned from 33 travel agencies and the region’s auction houses, flying clubs and beauty centres.

The not-so-indigent poor can be unmasked by blanket checks, like the one carried out by the Liguria tax agency, but targeted investigations offer another option. A check of 250 doctors in Sicily revealed that 100 were guilty of tax irregularities. The customs police also regularly makes similar checks on receipts issued by shops but there was little to be done in the case of the Sardinian pastryshop owner who always gave his customers a receipt. He couldn’t be faulted except for one tiny detail: he had omitted to present a tax return for fully seven years, evading half a million euros in the process. It has to be said that the likelihood of a visit from the taxman is small. Some studies say that tax evaders run a serious risk of inspection once every sixteen years. Nor is there any social stigma attached to tax evasion. This was shown again last spring, when the authorities published details of every Italian’s tax returns on the web. The information was immediately blacked out to protect confidentiality.

In other words, there is no civic conscience to aid the taxman. The inspection machinery is making enormous progress but it still can’t keep up with evasion. We only have to look at the legal backlog. Even when the taxman wins in court, it takes an inordinate amount of time to get the money. A final verdict in tax-related cases emerges after an average of four years and when the figures are totted up, they are pitiful. Out of 44 billion euros of evaded taxes, the authorities actually managed to recover only 7.3%. Or to put it another way, 92.7% of evaders who are caught still get away with it.

Mario Sensini

All Italy and Europe Roots for Obama

Italy may have voted Bush's buddy Belusconi back into power, BUT Italians and Europeans are overwhelmingly in favor of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. They want change, and they want it now.

Italians blame George W. Bush for the world's current economic woes, the war, and maybe even a proliferation of terrorist groups. The sentiment that America is the land of opportunity is no longer valid. That mentality is something out of the history books for them. Today's United States, many of them say, is floundering, and it is taking the rest of the world down on the way.

Italians are thoroughly impressed with OBAMA, especially his confidence, speaking abilities, and promises. They are pleased that he would like to speak with world leaders, even dictators and the so-called evil-doers

Italy Roots for Obama

George W. Bush's buddy Silvio Berlusconi may be back in power in Italy, but the public is still hoping that the more liberal Barack Obama is the United States' next president

Italians R Us

Our Paesani by Francesca Di Meglio October 26, 2008

Wherever I went in Italy last month, I talked about the upcoming presidential election in the United States. It was all anyone wanted to discuss with me, an American, who can speak Italian fluently. The majority of Italians with whom I spoke are hoping Barack Obama is the next president of the United States. They want change, and they want it now.

In June, a survey covering Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Italy, showed that Obama would have won in Europe at that point by a landslide, according to the Telegraph. Americans in Italy have organized to support Obama. After speaking with my family and friends and even strangers in the airports, I can safely say that many Italians blame George W. Bush for the world's current economic woes, the war, and maybe even a proliferation of terrorist groups. The sentiment that the streets are paved with gold, and America is the land of opportunity is no longer valid among Italians. That mentality is something out of the history books for them. Today's United States, many of them say, is floundering, and it is taking the rest of the world down on the way.

You kind of get the feeling that they are just hoping for the candidate that is the least like Bush. Still, that's not all that draws them to Obama. They are thoroughly impressed with him, especially his confidence, speaking abilities, and promises. They are pleased that he would like to speak with world leaders, even dictators and the so-called evil-doers. One of my friends told me he truly believes that Obama can make change. The hope is that Obama can get money back in the pockets of Americans, which help get it back in the pockets of Italians and others.

Despite their desire to see Obama in the Oval Office, many Italians with whom I spoke have little faith in the people of the United States. They believe many Americans are racist and will not vote for Obama because of his race. They fear that there will be serious threats to his life should he win.

Change, however, is notoriously difficult in Italy. Although the government changes as frequently as a man changes his underwear, the individuals running Italy often have trouble getting things done because of bureaucracy and the many political parties. Even though the country as a whole seems to despise Bush, they still let Berlusconi, a great friend and ally to Bush, return as prime minister when Romano Prodi was unable to deliver. The irony is that they want the complete opposite of Bush in the next American president but they have the same ol' thing in Berlusconi.

It certainly will be interesting to see what happens after Election Day. The Italians can have all the opinions they'd like, but they don't get to vote in the American election. It will be the American people who decide the country's - and some would argue the world's - fate

http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/ourpaesani/electionsus.htm

Jews Wake Up to Threat of Christian Zionists

Many Jews have long known the expectations and efforts of Christian Zionists that not only believe, BUT will take ANY efforts to hasten that end time by promoting conflict in the Middle East which will set the stage for Armageddon, and the return of Jesus Christ to Earth, this will lead to the death of all non-Christians, including Jews, through apocalyptic warfare or divine judgment" (except for Jews who convert to Christianity).

Jews have long thought that these "crazies" could be effectively exploited as allies, and never for a moment thinking these "crazies" could achieve an Apocalypse in Israel.

It is however becoming apparent to more and more Jews that these Christian Zionists are obstructionists to Peace Treaties in the Middle East, fomenting hatred and fighting, encouraging continued US Military action in the Mid East, creating the exponential mobilization of Terrorists/Freedom Fighters, and introducing instability along with the potential use of Nuclear weaponry obtained from Pakistan, India, Korea, Russia,...

Sometimes we can be Too Clever by Half, with Serious Unintended Consequences. Hamas was created by Israel as a undermining influence to the PLO/Arafat. How did that turn out ??? Beware of Christian (mostly Evangelical) Zionists !!!!!

Effort Aims to Counter Christian Zionism

Association will distribute a brochure saying the movement fosters hatred of Muslims and opposition to Mideast peace. A movement leader says the brochure presents a stereotype of Christian Zionists.

Los Angeles Times

By Nathan Olivarez-Giles
October 24, 2008

Before the year is up, nearly 45 million people will get more than a sermon at their churches -- they'll get a brochure titled "Why We Should Be Concerned About Christian Zionism."

The brochure says Christian Zionism "fosters fear and hatred of Muslims and non-Western Christians" and "can lead to the dehumanization of Israelis and Palestinians." Its distribution reflects the concerns of Christians who are trying to combat what they call the growing influence of Christian Zionism in the U.S.

"If we don't speak up against it -- Christian Zionism -- then people will think we don't care or that we agree with it," said the Rev. John Hubers, supervisor of mission programs in the Middle East and South Asia for the Reformed Church in America.

The Reformed Church in America is one of the 35 Christian church bodies that make up the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, which wrote the brochure and began distributing it this month.

"To say we're dehumanizing Israelis and Palestinians with our support for Israel dehumanizes us," said David Brog, executive director of Christians United for Israel, one of the most prominent Christian Zionist organizations in the United States. The group was started in 2006 by controversial televangelist John Hagee, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio.

But what exactly do Christian Zionists believe?

Christian Zionists say they believe that the creation of Israel was ordained by God.

Detractors say Christian Zionism fosters the belief that the return of Jews to Israel has fulfilled one of the steps that will set the stage for Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ to Earth. These detractors say Christian Zionists want to hasten that end time by promoting conflict in the Middle East.

About 20 million to 40 million people in the U.S. are Christian Zionists, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The National Council of Churches includes more than 100,000 individual churches, made up of about 45 million churchgoers, and is hoping it can use its membership to curb the political and social influence of Christian Zionism, said Antonios Kireopoulos, the group's director of interfaith relations.

The brochure will be handed out in member churches.

As a resource for those churches, the council is also creating an analysis of parts of the Bible that Christian Zionists use to justify their views, he said.

"We have to wake up Christians," said the Rev. Gwynne Guibord, of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, also a member of the council.

"We have to show Christians and others that there is another way of looking at these things, a way that isn't so antithetical to who Jesus was," she said.

Guibord and other Christian and Jewish leaders in Southern California formed Christians Concerned About Christian Zionism, which held a conference on the issue Oct. 4.

The conference, "Christian Zionism: Rapture and the Holy Land, Theology and Politics," was held at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Among its speakers was Rabbi Haim Beliak, who teaches at the Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles and spoke on the influence of Hagee and Christians United for Israel.

"My religion and my Zionism have been hijacked by Christian Zionists and their Jewish friends," Beliak said. "Most of us have the view that the outline for the possibility of peace has been sitting in a drawer ready to be implemented for at least 15 years, and most of us think Christian Zionism is an impediment toward peace in the Middle East."

Beliak said at the conference that Hagee and other Christian Zionist leaders are using Israel to further their own Armageddon agenda.

The brochure, which was passed out for the first time at the conference, says Christian Zionism leads to a conclusion that "involves the death of all non-Christians, including Jews, through apocalyptic warfare or divine judgment" and "is not based on traditional teaching or doctrines of the Church."

Brog said Christians United for Israel rejects the brochure.

"I would say the whole flier seems to me to be describing a stereotype of a Christian Zionist," Brog said. "There are some Christian Zionists who are opposed to the peace process in the Middle East, but that does not define a movement of millions of Christian people."

He said the group believes simply that Israel should make all decisions regarding its land use and peace effort -- not the U.S., Palestinians or anyone else.

"Once we start discussing how we go about supporting Israel is when the disagreements come in," he said. "When you get beyond that, there are lots of disagreements, and that's why we don't really speak about that."

As for the argument over Israel's status as political body or godly appointment, Brog said, there is room for disagreement.

"America is a shining city on the hill ordained by God. We have that tradition right here in America, and we do see Israel's promise in the Scripture," he said.

Brog said that one way the group urges the federal government to support Israel is through "A National Night for Israel," in which members of Christians United for Israel gather in Washington to meet with lawmakers. In 2007 about 3,000 members made the trip, he said.

Brog, who is Jewish, said that he's always felt "complete comfort" working with Christians United for Israel and that the group has the best interests of Israel and Jews at heart.

"I wish [the council] would be more fair and respectful of our teachings," he said. "If they have a problem with us, shouldn't they be the ones to invite us to a debate? We've never attacked the National Council of Churches, and I think it would be fair for them to start that dialogue if they really want it."

Brog said a debate might surprise those who oppose Christian Zionist beliefs.

"If we were sitting in a room together, we might find we don't disagree as much as they might think we would," he said.

nathan.olivarezgiles@latimes.com

Fiat Offering Zero Interest Financing - Six years - to Boost Sales

Fiat is offering zero interest financing over six years to encourage Italians to buy its small cars. That is how bad the situation is in the Italian, and for that matter, European car market.

Carmakers challenge Brussels

Financial Times October 23 2008

Fiat is offering zero interest financing over six years to encourage Italians to buy its small cars. That is how bad the situation is in the Italian, and for that matter, European car market.

The Italian group also warned on Thursday that its net income could fall as much as 85 per cent next year if the financial crisis continues to depress consumer confidence and, inevitably, car demand. After all, most cars are bought with financing packages.

The warning sent Fiat’s shares crashing to around €6 from a high of nearly €21 barely 12 months ago. The Italian group’s share price is now drifting close to its all- time low of around €4.5 when many thought Fiat was on the verge of collapse before chief executive Sergio Marchionne stepped in and revived its fortunes.

Fiat is not alone in watching its shares being hammered. All the other European carmakers have in recent days been suffering sharp sell-offs, pushing down the valuation of these groups – with the possible exception of Volkswagen – to unrealistically low levels. VW shares have also been plunging this week but partly for different reasons. Indeed, the shares of the German volume carmaker, which many now describe as Europe’s Toyota, are still about 70 per cent higher than at the beginning of the year, driven up by hedge fund speculators and Porsche’s takeover move.

Anxieties are certainly running high in the boardrooms of Europe’s large volume carmakers. Executives are all keeping their fingers crossed that the sales slowdown on this side of the Atlantic will be much more gradual and far less drastic than in North America. They argue that the situation is different in Europe.

Unlike their US rivals, European groups have not faced the triple problem of coping with the general financial meltdown, their own financial difficulties and the need to change their product range radically as Americans keep switching from SUVs to smaller, more efficient cars.

That said, the pressures on European carmakers are mounting on several fronts. Those reliant on emerging markets such as Brazil, India, China and Russia, are now starting to feel the effects of a downturn in these regions as the financial crisis and the economic slowdown spreads there too. Those, such as Fiat, which have managed to offset the car sector decline with continuing demand for their farm machinery and civil engineering heavy vehicles, are starting to worry that the financial squeeze in the US will also hit these businesses.

European executives are hoping that the inevitable recession will be short and sharp. Reviving consumer confidence remains the main issue. But during the last industry crisis a decade ago, car manufacturers had to deal with high rates of inflation. This is not the case this time and most expect euro rates to fall gradually to around 2 per cent.

The producers of small and more environmentally friendly cars also believe their downsized product ranges will give them a competitive edge in coming years.

The industry’s grim prospects have sent car companies on both sides of the Atlantic clamouring for state help. Washington was the first to agree to rush to the rescue of its domestic carmakers. European executives, in private at least, concede that Washington’s intervention is perfectly understandable given that US carmakers are now on their knees. But if things are still no way as dire in Europe, why are the European car manufacturers calling for even more state financial support?

The reason has little to do with the current market situation. It is rather one of those typical confrontations between European industry and the European Commission. European carmakers feel Brussels seems to be out of touch with the hard realities of the market. They argue that the draconian plan Brussels is trying to push through to reduce CO2 emissions is a luxury the industry can hardly afford. If the Commission insists on going ahead with its tough new regulations, then the industry says Brussels should put up the money to enable it to adapt, or shut up.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/22f4bd7c-a133-11dd-82fd-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

"Paradise by the River" revisits Internment of Italians in Canada during WWII

While it took a long time for the Internment of Italian Americans during WWII to come to light, the Italian Canadians took even longer, but Canada has produced a critically well received play.

Shedding Light on a Difficult Time in Country’s History

Tandem

Canada's Cosmopolitan Newspaper

By Donya Abdulhadi

October 26, 2008

Italian-Canadian playwright and actor Vittorio Rossi’s drama, Paradise by the River, which is about the internment of Italians in Canada after World War II, received rave reviews and has been a topic of great inspiration for the Italian-Canadian community leaders in Canada.

The play’s assistant producer, Grace Stanisci, a first generation Canadian of Italian descent, talks about Paradise by the River, the hardships that Italian-Canadians suffered during the internment, and reminds us that being Italian is not just about pasta, pizza, and soccer.

What was Vittorio Rossi’s objective when writing the play?
“I think he really just wanted the event to be told. The play really shows the Italian-Canadians’ energy when they came to this country and their will to just do the best that they could… and how a lot of this went away when Canada tagged Italians as the ‘enemy alien.’ ”

What makes Paradise by the River unique?
“Firstly, it is performed in three languages: Italian, English and French. Secondly, it is relatable to everyone and it also speaks to a lot of nationalities; it wasn’t just Italians that were persecuted after World War II, there were persecutions toward other nationalities as well.”

Can you tell us more about lead character Romano Dicenzo?
“Romano is the main character of the play who comes from Calabria looking for a chance to start his own company, which he wanted to name after himself. He buys lead and trucks, but there were big obstacles, but the end of the show...without giving anything away....is all about ‘Let’s get back to work; let’s get up on our feet, let’s have no hard feelings, no resentment, just get back to do what you love.’ It’s the strong resilience that makes him unique, and speaks about how in general Italians reacted to the event.”

The concept of the estranged family comes out vividly in Rossi’s play. Why did he choose this theme?
“I am Italian, and I can tell you from experience that Italian culture is a very family-oriented one! My father, for example, always used to tell me that the family is the one you identify with first and foremost. In the play we see that Romano’s wife Maria really tries to help protect the family in any way she can. Vittorio Rossi shows the Italian community in its most authentic state, and family is a core value of Italian culture.”

Who was the target audience for this play?
“Well, we’ve made this play super accessible to everybody. This play is for the Italian-Canadian community. It is for those of my generation and younger; it is for those people that saw it or lived it and feel it wasn’t done any justice.”

How long have you worked on this project?
“Our artistic producer, Alex C., started about a year ago with a grant application to The Ontario Trillium Foundation. Upon receiving the grant the project started right away, and as soon as I heard about this project I jumped [at the opportunity]. That was on May 1 and from then we’ve been working on the casting and the play, which is set to debut in November.”

If you were to write a play about Romano Dicenzo in Canada today, what are the three biggest hardships that he and the Italian community would face?
“The first is retaining the language. The second is battling the stereotypes such as anyone who is Italian is from Woodbridge or that Italians are all about pizza, pasta, and soccer. The third hardship is that we are fragmented.”

Are you hopeful for the Italian-Canadian community’s restoration and unity?
Absolutely.

Paradise by the River plays on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Vaughan City Playhouse, 1000 New Westminster Dr. For tickets call 905-882-7469.

Story Location: http://www.tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=8690

Pizza Political Power

A Detroit suburb Pizza owner, Diana Franzoni offered a Free Pizza for every person turning in a McCain -Palin Yard sign, after the McCain campaign left Michigan to focus on battleground states."We put out a sign that said 'McCain gave up on Michigan. Michigan should give up on McCain. Turn in your McCain lawn sign.

Three hundred yard signs were turned in before the offer expired Tuesday.

Franzoni was harassed over her offer and the poster in her restaurant that reads: "Want to hear a joke? Sarah Palin."

Thanks to Pat Gabriel

Free pizza exchanged for GOP yard signs
Restaurant poster reads: 'Want to hear a joke? Sarah Palin'

---

WorldNetDaily

From The Detroit Free Press

October 23, 2008

A pizzeria owner in a Detroit suburb received death threats after offering free pizzas to anyone who turns in a McCain-Palin yard sign.

Diana Franzoni, owner of Salvatore's Pizzeria in Warren, Mich., complained about harassing phone calls over the anti-GOP promotion, the Detroit Free Press reported

"They've been actually calling here and threatening my life," Franzoni said. "It's just ridiculous. People have blown something completely innocent completely out of proportion."

McCain supporters have also expressed outrage over a political sign posted in the pizzeria that says, "Want to hear a joke? Sarah Palin."

Franzoni, 33, said callers have accused her of being an "N-word lover" and a "communist" for offering the promotion after the McCain campaign left Michigan to focus on battleground states.

"We put out a sign that said 'McCain gave up on Michigan. Michigan should give up on McCain. Turn in your McCain lawn sign for one free, mini pizza with topping,'" she said.

According to the report, 300 yard signs were turned in before the offer expired Tuesday. McCain-Palin supporters began calling police to report their signs had been stolen for the promotion. McCain campaign volunteer Ruthann Dawley told the Free Press a thief stole her sign out of her front yard

"I'm really hopping mad about this," Dawley said. "To me, it's like rewarding vandalism."

The pizzeria owner said she didn't intend to encourage thieves to steal political signs.

"We would never advocate theft nor would we ever put a promotion up for such a thing."

Jewish Banks Masterminded Crisis - Zionist Plot

ADL National Director Abraham Foxman is concerned about claims circulating.

'Jewish Banks Masterminded Crisis'

As world financial crisis continues to show little improvement, websites continue to be flooded with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories accusing financial leaders of Jewish heritage of orchestrating global economy to tune of all-encompassing Zionist plot

YNet News Yonit Mozes October 21, 2008

The global financial crisis has brought with it a tidal wave of anti-Semitic sentiments, much of which has led to full-blown conspiracy theories postulating the crisis is part of a Jewish plot. While usual suspects Hamas and Iran have both put in their expected two pennies - with Hamas blaming the Jewish lobby in Washington and Tehran opting for a more far-reaching Zionist plot to control the entire world's economy.

That Israel's economy seems to have emerged relatively unscathed from the crisis has leant much ammunition to enemies of the Jewish state. As does the fact that many of the world's financial leaders are of Jewish descent. Figures such as US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, his predecessor Alan Greenspan, World Bank President Robert Zoellik, UK Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and the 2008 recipient of the Nobel Prize for economics, Paul Krugman, have all come under attack due to their heritage.

However the traditional extremists are not alone in their peddling of anti-Semitic diatribes. Content historically associated with the most virulent of racists has, it would seem, gone mainstream online.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported early in October that discussion boards and blogs dealing with the meltdown on Wall Street are being flooded with hate speech.

In hundreds of messages echoing rhetoric found on neo-Nazi and white supremacist websites, posters to mainstream forums promote centuries-old stereotypes and conspiracy theories alleging Jewish control of the economy, banking and the government.

The all-powerful Rothschilds

One such popular 'study' asserts that banking giant Lehman Brothers transferred inordinate sums of money to Israeli banks shortly before its collapse . The work, hosted on a website maintained by a German-American holocaust denier, cites publications that reported Lehman lost properties worth over $400 billion in the months prior to its collapse.

On 'rense.com' the conspiracy hinges on the nationalization of insurance colossus AIG. Bernanke, who the website refers to as an extremist Zionist, coerced the American taxpayer into rescuing "the gang of Zionists behind 9-11," referring at least in part to the company's former CEO, Maurice Greenberg.

Another Bernanke-related allegation finds its home on 'realjewnews.com,' a website maintained by Nathanael Kapner, who identifies himself as a former Jew who converted to Orthodox Christianity.

According to Kapner, Bernanke reports to Greenspan, who in turn reports to the Rothschild family. "The Jewish House Of Rothschild has been in control of the world for a very long time, their tentacles reaching into many aspects of our daily lives beginning with their global financial power," writes Kapner.

The bailout, proponents of his website are told, was orchestrated by wealthy Jewish banks to their advantage by manipulating "their puppet" - US Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson.

Again, such tales are to be expected in these dank corners of the internet. What is worrying is that they are being quoted and linked to on legitimate news sites, which are struggling to delete problematic comments at the rate they are being posted.

'Myths resurrected after crises'

Articles published by news sites have also made anti-Semitic claims. The Russian Pravda News reported that French, German, and Italian leaders are bailing out European banks for the sake of the Jewish bankers' families, again evoking the Rothschild name.

A Spanish news site said the crisis was masterminded by "the cruel capitalism of Milton Friedman's Zionist students."

The ADL, which is responsible for bringing the worrying phenomenon to light, is concerned.

"We know from modern history that after any global financial crisis there is a surge in anti-Semitism, and this is what we are witnessing now," ADL National Director Abraham Foxman said.

"The ancient tales of Jews and money are always lying just beneath the surface. As we saw after 9-11, every time there is trouble and uncertainty in economics or worldwide events Jews become scapegoats, and ugly anti-Semitic myths are resurrected."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3611260,00.html

David Beckham to Join AC Milan

The Los Angeles Galaxy Schedule is over , so Beckham anxious to keep up his Soccer Skills will play for AC Milan, BUT what happens, when the AC Milan schedule overlaps the beginning of the Galaxy next season?

Beckhams Move to Italy!

BBC News

David Beckham joins an Italian football team and will stay in Milan on loan for a few months.

David Beckham and Victoria Beckhams will move to Italy, as David joins AC Milan on loan from LA Galaxy in January 2009.

The American soccer season ends this weekend, anyway.

While David and Victoria have been enjoying the Californian lifestyle, it is thought that David Beckham is keen to keep up his footballing skills with a European team

"Beckham has chosen Milan. He'll stay here in Milan on loan for a few months,” Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said.

And I suspect that Victoria's love with Dolce&Gabbana and the rest of Italian style gang also played a significant part in the decision!

http://toronto.fashion-monitor.com/news.php/toronto_celebrities/2008102208beckhams

Pasty Faced Effete British Tory Reinstated after Likening Italians to "Greasy Wops"

Alun Cairns, a Welsh assembly member, was suspended from the position of the Vale of Glamorgan candidate, when he likened Italians to "greasy wops" during a BBC radio show on June 15, 2008.

He has now been reinstated.

Italian Row Tory is Re-instated

BBC News

October 22, 2008

A Conservative politician who likened Italians to "greasy wops" during a BBC radio show has been reinstated as a general election candidate.

Alun Cairns, a Welsh assembly member, was suspended from the position of the Vale of Glamorgan candidate.

But on Wednesday, he was re-instated and also appointed as the party's local government spokesman in the assembly.

Mr Cairns said he was pleased the issue was resolved and hoped people would now "judge me on my actions".

He resigned as education spokesman and chair of the assembly's finance committee in June after apologising for "inappropriate comments".

Mr Cairns likened Italians to "greasy wops" in a radio discussion on Euro 2008.

His general election candidacy was suspended while the Conservative Party held an investigation into the comments.

Following the news that he was a candidate and party spokesman again, Mr Cairns said: "I am pleased this issue has been resolved and hope people will now judge me on my actions.

"I know I have a huge amount of work to do in the Vale of Glamorgan and look forward to working with the community to explain how Conservative policies can make a positive difference to their lives.

"I am also looking forward to resuming frontbench duties in the assembly and to holding the Labour-Plaid Cymru (assembly) government to account for the woefully inadequate way in which it is funding councils across Wales next year."

'Nasty party'

Welsh Conservative leader Nick Bourne said Mr Cairns was "a politician of considerable experience and talent who has the respect and confidence of assembly colleagues and the wider party".

Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan praised Mr Cairns for having "a proven track record of getting things done".

"He has worked tirelessly in the Vale of Glamorgan and the national assembly to serve the interests of local people," she said.

But a Labour spokesperson said the decision "shows the true face of the Conservative Party under David Cameron, which is the same old nasty party we know them to be".

"Cameron is incapable of taking tough decisions - as this decision proves," he said .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7685168.stm

Italian Cuisine US Favorite by a Margin of 26% to 16% American!!

The 2009 Zagat Survey reported that of Favorite Cuisines: Italian remains the nation's favorite cuisine according to a 26% plurality of surveyors. Following close behind is American cuisine (16%), Japanese (12%), French (11%), Mexican (9%) and Thai (8%).

2009 Zagat America's Top Restaurants Survey Is Out

Market Watch

Wall Strreet Journal

October 23, 2008

NEW YORK,/PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Economic Downturn Leads To Changes In Dining Habits

Americans Favor Italian Over Other Cuisines; Diners Seek Greener, Healthier Options; In Tough Times, Customers Seek Value, Improved Service and 'BATHs'

Zagat Survey today released the results of its 2009 America's Top Restaurants survey. The guide, covering 1,516 eateries in 45 major markets, is based on 25 million meals experienced by over 145,000 surveyors (53% men, 47% women). The average surveyor ate out 3.3 times per week and spent an average $34.21 for a typical dinner, a 2.8% increase over last year. While this year's survey reflects current hard times, the attached list of top rated restaurants reflects enormous progress in the industry by way of both quality and diversity since Zagat Survey started in 1979.

Given the nation's current fiscal woes, grim news from the restaurant front would be no surprise. However, it has so far exhibited a great deal of resilience. As the survey shows, eating out has become a way of life for many Americans, with 50% of all meals prepared outside the home. In short, restaurants have become the family kitchen for the busy two-career families and long working hours mean businesses as often as not foot the bill for eating out. Of course, having business meals be largely tax deductible doesn't hurt.

According to Zagat Survey CEO Tim Zagat, "Americans are still eating out in restaurants, they are just making smarter choices. They're dining in high-end restaurants for lunch instead of dinner, seeking out value prix fixe meals, and taking advantage of more causal neighborhood eateries. Regardless of how the economy is doing, people still have to eat."

Changing Habits: Still, the financial uncertainty has had an effect: When asked what effect the weakening economy had on their dining habits, 33% said they are eating out less and being more sensitive to menu prices; 28% said they are eating in less expensive places, and roughly 20% said they are cutting back on alcohol, appetizers and desserts. Only 34% of surveyors report being unaffected by the economic downturn.

Taking BATHs: One result of the economic downturn is an upturn at what we call "BATH" (Better Alternative to Home) restaurants: casual, modestly-priced eateries (pasta-rias, burger joints, BBQs, upscale diners, noodle shops and myriad ethnics) as well as family dining chains. This genre buys wholesale and produces meals far more efficiently than home cooks. In city after city, our surveys show that BATHs are by far the fastest growing dining segment. That also helps explain the industry's low overall inflation rate. As we measure it, the average cost of a meal increased by less than half of the Consumer Price Index since 1979.

Value Openings: The current downturn will no doubt pressure restaurants to offer an even greater value proposition. Expect to see more low-priced prix-fixe meals. In New York, over 100 restaurants, including such revered places as Jean Georges, Asiate, and Le Cirque, offer fixed price lunch menus in the $20 range. Another approach is the small-plates menu, which allows the customer to eat less and pay less. Also plan on seeing more bargain-priced blue-plate specials.

Less expensive Spin-offs: In response to the current economy, many high level restaurateurs and chefs are expanding their empires with mid-priced or even inexpensive spin-offs like Atlanta's Holeman and Finch, Atlantic City's izakaya, Boston's Alta Strada, Denver's Osteria Marco, Minneapolis' Heidi's, New York City's Bar Boulud and Seattle's Txori. Formal expensive restaurants are also gradually shifting their styles to become casual less expensive brasseries.

Going Green and Health Conscious: Across the country, more and more chefs are using fresh, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. This trend spans high-end restaurants to casual local eateries. It's a smart move, since 69% of our surveyors - especially those on the West Coast - say that locally grown fare is important to them, and 59% say they'd actually pay more for sustainably produced food. In cities like Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco, some places are even banishing bottled water - and diners seem to approve: only 10% are ordering bottled water and 11% have switched to tap. When it comes to low fat, heart-healthy food items, 69% of diners say they are important to them and 65% agree that trans fats should be banned. In New Orleans and Las Vegas, two of the last major cities not to have banned smoking, this is still a major issue. Recent smoking bans will offer welcome relief to health-conscious diners.

Dollars and Cents:

This year, Las Vegas leads the pack as the most expensive city to dine in across the U.S. with the average meal costing a whopping $44.44. New York City ($40.78) is next in line, followed by Miami ($38.86) and San Francisco ($38.70). At the other end of the spectrum are New Orleans ($26.18) and Austin ($26.74). Across the pond a meal in London ($72.39) and Paris ($80.50) may leave US diners in sticker shock. Although dining in the States is far more affordable, inflation at the most expensive restaurants at 5.4% is almost double the overall inflation, and should prove to be a big issue this year.

Service and Tipping: If restaurants want a remedy for the slowing economy, they should teach their staffs to be nicer. When asked what irritates them the most when dining out, a staggering 68% of surveyors said service. Noise/crowds (13%), prices (6%) and food (6%) complaints follow. Despite poor service, diners in recent years have become increasingly generous. The nationwide average tip is now 19%, having inched up from approximately 17% ten years ago.

Favorite Cuisines: Italian remains the nation's favorite cuisine according to a 26% plurality of surveyors. Following close behind is American cuisine (16%), Japanese (12%), French (11%), Mexican (9%) and Thai (8%).

Online Reservations: While 72% of our surveyors make reservations by phone and only 16% reserve online, this is rising fast. Witness San Francisco and Minneapolis, where 49% and 30% of diners reserve via the Internet.

To celebrate its 30th birthday, Zagat has launched zagat.com/celebrate, which offers a look back at the dramatic changes in dining over the past 30 years. To lend a hand in tackling global hunger, Zagat is teaming up with Action Against Hunger this year.

The 2009 America's Top Restaurants guide ($15.95) was edited by Bill Corsello and Shelley Gallagher and is available at bookstores and other retail outlets, through Zagat.com or by calling 888-371-5440.

About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the "burgundy bible," Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, resorts, shopping, spas, and a range of other entertainment categories in over 100 countries and has been lauded as the "most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published" and as "a necessity second only to a valid credit card." Zagat content is available in print, on the Web, on the Palm and Windows Mobile operating systems, on BlackBerry, on mobile phones, and on TV. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.

SOURCE Zagat Survey, LLC http://www.ZAGAT.com

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/2009-Zagat-Americas-Top-Restaurants/story.aspx?guid=%7B3C0A7DEC-CACA-4F51-B9F6-7E2E9C6DBAEF%7D

Vatican Pans Spike Lee's Film as No Miracle

The Vatican criticizes "Miracle at St Anna" as a failing "miraculous fable".

Lee complains about what he perceives as distortions or dilutions of Black contribution to WWII in films, Lee then chastises others for not engaging in his same exaggerations, and then proceeds to take insulting and derogatory literary license in "Massacre at Santa Anna (aka "Miracle at Santa Anna)

Spike Lee seems to be so myopic that he doesn't realize that almost as many innocent Italian civilians were massacred by Nazis at Sant’Anna di Stazzema in ONE DAY than the number of Black Soldiers that died during the ENTIRE WWII. (560 Italians vs 773 US Black Soldiers).

Further, the there were FOUR HUNDRED Massacres in Italy that Totaled more than 15,000 Italian victims !!!!!!!!!

In WWII, 450,000 US White soldiers died, while only 773 US Black soldiers died, out of 500,000 in the service in overwhelmingly NON COMBAT Service units, ie drivers, loaders, clerks, etc.

Spike Lee tries to "revise" History with a FICTIONAL tale of FOUR (4) Black GIs, while making all the Villagers as Negative Stereotypes of Italians, with some being turned into Traitors where None Existed in this Incident, AND Makes the Massacre of 560 Italian Civilians as a mere "backdrop", and somewhat incidental.

A Pox on Spike Lee for this and his other Anti Italian American Movies "Do the Right Thing", "Jungle Fever", and "Summer of Sam".

Spike Lee's Film is No Miracle says Vatican Newspaper

Top News

Nina Sahu on

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Vatican City - The Vatican's newspaper has panned Spike Lee's Miracle at St Anna as "confused," saying that the film's story of black US soldiers in Italy during World War II, "slides into sentimentalism and superficiality."

The daily Osservatore Romano, in its edition published Monday, says US director Lee, maker of "noteworthy films like 25th Hour" in 2002 "fails to convince" in his latest effort.

But the article written by Gaetano Vallini, described as "excessive" accusations made by many among Italy's political left, that Lee had re-written history in a "revisionist" manner.

Miracle at St Anna has stirred controversy with Italian anti- Fascist resistance veterans angry at Lee for his portrayal of a fictional resistance fighter-turned Nazi collaborator.

The character, Rodolfo, is shown through his treachery as having had a hand in the real-life 1944 Nazi massacre of some 560 civilians in the Tuscan town of Sant'Anna di Stazzema.

Lee and the film's script-writer James McBride could have made the distinction between fiction and reality more clear, but the films main faults lie elsewhere Vallini contends.

The Italian characters, consisting of partisan and villagers are often "reduced to stereotypes," while the portrayal of the black US soldiers is "more convincing" the article noted.

But ultimately Lee's attempt to denounce the racism in the US military by attempting to tell a "miraculous fable" fails, according to the Osservatore Romano article. (dpa)

http://www.topnews.in/light/spike-lees-film-no-miracle-says-vatican-newspaper-217959

Raffaello Follieri Blames His Problems on ... Anne Hathaway?

Oh My!!! Raffaello Follieri's attorney in attempting to receive a shorter sentence, is attempting to shift the blame for Follieri's Embezzlement on persons such as Actress Anne Hathaway !

The Basis? Because Follieri's attorney claim he was a young 24 year old successful international entrepreneur befriended by the rich and famous, that was socializing with some of the wealthiest and most successful people in the world. He was surrounded by movie stars and celebrities.

Oh now I see. And I thought the Homeless/Jobless had problems. Silly me !!!

Added Note; Senator McCain spent his 70th birthday aboard Follieri's yacht, off Montenegro in the Adriatic sea. Follieri had discussions with Rick Davis, McCain's Campaign Manager apparently hoping to get financing from Pegasus Capital Advisors, a hedge fund in Connecticut that Davis represented. "Follieri's proposal to Davis had two dimensions to it--first, as an investment opportunity for Davis's fund; but secondly, there was the political dimension, in which Follieri offered to help deliver Catholic votes to McCain," http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080929/berman_ames

Raffaello Follieri blames his mistakes on ... Anne Hathaway?

Los Angeles Times

Elizabeth Snead

October 16, 2008

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”

That's what Raffaello Follieri's lawyer had the gall to write in a letter to the judge on his client's behalf.

But maybe he should have written, "Anne Hathaway and her celebrity devil friends made him do it."

Follieri is due to be sentenced for various nefarious financial dealings on Oct. 23. His legal team is desperately trying to get a reduced sentence of three years.

So natch, they have gotten lots of of folks speaking on his behalf about what a great dude he is and how he's got a sick mom. Yada, yada, yada.

But check out the letter with his character references and his lawyers' explanation about what happened to poor Raffaello when he fell in with the wrong rich-and-famous crowd.

His attorney writes:

“When he was only 24 years old, this young man from a small city in the South of Italy found himself a successful international entrepreneur befriended by the rich and famous. In a brief period of time, he was socializing with some of the wealthiest and most successful people in the world. He was surrounded by movie stars and celebrities and this young man, who neither drinks nor smokes, became intoxicated with it all. Unfortunately, he lacked the resources to maintain the opulent lifestyle of his new friends. Even more unfortunately, he had almost unfettered access to hundreds of thousands of dollars with few controls on his spending ability, until it was too late. Soon he succumbed to the temptation. The result was a colossal error in judgment which has had a devastating impact on Raffaello and those around him.”

Oh, puh-lease. His "new friends," those darn movie stars and celebrities, made him embezzle money?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2008/10/raffaello-folli.html

Chicago Columbus Day Parade Broadcast on ABC-TV for 2 Hours

The 56th Chicago Columbus Day Parade was Televised for the Second year on ABC -TV for 2 hours with 100 Multi Ethnic Entries, and was presented Commercial Free.

It is available in Video, in 7 parts on the ABC Web Site. It is Not the Rose Parade, BUT it was heart warming to see both the young and old Italians celebrating and taking pride, and Non Italians alike.enjoying the occasion.

Click here: ABC7 presents Columbus Day Parade - 10/13/08 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com

Or: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=6443239&rss=rss-wls-snippet-6443246

It may be my computer, but I had to repeatedly click between the sound and enlarge buttons to "unstick" the Video

Thanks to Walter Santi for the "heads up"

ABC7 presents Columbus Day Parade

Monday, October 13, 2008 | 5:15 PM

ABC 7 Chicago to feature live, HD broadcast of Columbus Day Parade at 12:30 PM on 7.2, Monday October 13th

ABC 7 CHICAGO, the official station of the 56th annual Columbus Day Parade, will broadcast the parade, live, Monday, October 13th, from 12:30-2:30 pm. on ABC 7's 7.2 (Comcast Channel 217 and Wide Open West Channel 101). ABC 7 will also stream the parade live at abc7chicago.com. An encore presentation of the Columbus Day Parade will air on Saturday, October 18th at noon on ABC 7. The parade will be presented commercial free.

ABC 7's Feature/Entertainment reporter Janet Davies; Sports Anchor/Reporter Mark Giangreco; and President Emeritus, Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, Dominic Di Frisco, will serve as co-hosts during the station's two-hours of HD coverage. ABC 7 Meteorologist, Phil Schwarz will capture the pageantry from the street. Scheduled to ride atop the ABC 7 Chicago float will be members of the station's news team-- Jerry Taft, Sylvia Perez, Ravi Baichwal, Steve Dolinsky, Kevin Roy and Evelyn Holmes.

ABC 7 President and General Manager Emily Barr said, "We are proud, for the second consecutive year, to be a part of such a great Chicago tradition honoring this city's rich Italian-American heritage."

According to Jo Ann Serpico, president Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, "We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with ABC 7 as the official station of the 2008 Columbus Day Parade. This year, the salute to our heritage will have even more exposure with two hours of commercial free Columbus Day Parade coverage. Another exciting aspect of the celebration will be a huge 'after the parade' reception in Grant Park from 2:30-5:00 pm."

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=6443239&pt=print

Italian Culture Beyond Mob Movies Taught in New Jersey to Students Delight

The teaching of Italian Culture goes far beyond the Italian Renaissance, to include Italian Classical Composers, Inventors, Writers, Explorers, Language, Family Values, etc.

The K-12 curriculum was developed by the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission. The Commission was established in 2002 as a result of legislation drafted by Angelo Morresi, a North Jersey lawyer.

Of the state's 616 school districts, already 111 use the curriculum.Furthermore in the last few months, about 500 copies of the curriculum have been distributed to teachers around the country by the National Italian American Foundation, said Serena Cantoni, education programs director, who added that she knew of no similar lessons plan.

Italian Culture Class Finds Amore in N.J.

The popular curriculum has gained national attention.

Philadelphia Inquirer By Rita Giordano Inquirer Staff Writer Mon, Oct. 13, 2008

In Caterina Dawson's Italian-language class at Glassboro High School, they don't study the verb to whack.

There are no goodfellas, wiseguys, godfathers or dons. Conspicuously absent, too, is Tony Soprano, New Jersey's most infamous fictional native son.

Instead, Dawson's students talk about Italian art and architecture. They sing Italian songs. In their curriculum, they're learning how to make pasta and do the tarantella, an Italian folk dance. The students say they're having a blast.

"If you throw yourself into a culture, you learn so much more than watching a movie," said Ezekiel Olumakin, a 16-year-old junior. "If you watch a movie, you hear: 'Yo, whack that dude.' When you look at real life, there's so much more."

Those words would be music to the ears of the people behind this, an Italian-heritage curriculum working its way around the state and, recently, starting to be distributed around the country.

Launched last year, the curriculum is the work of the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission, which was established by 2002 state legislation to promote understanding and awareness of Italian history, culture and contributions.

The legislation got support from Italian Americans who said basta - enough - to what they felt were the largely negative and often mob-related images of them in popular culture.

"The Sopranos was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Angelo Morresi, a North Jersey lawyer who drafted the legislation and found support for it especially among state leaders of Italian American descent.

The commission worked with the state Department of Education in forming the K-12 curriculum, which is available free of charge to any school or district. It is not mandatory, and its content is meant to be incorporated into existing curriculum.

"It can be infused in your world history course or any course," said John Dougherty, state coordinator of social studies who worked on the curriculum.

People of Italian ancestry make up a sizable chunk of the Garden State - nearly a fifth of the population, according to U.S. census data.

But Dougherty said the curriculum has broad relevance.

"You don't limit the teaching of the Renaissance to areas with a large number of Italian Americans," he said.

The commission members hope the curriculum gets picked up far and wide.

"We want everyone to use it," said Gilda Rorro Baldassari, head of the commission's curriculum committee. "We just want to get the word out."

(Baldassari, for the record, did catch a few episodes of The Sopranos when it went to reruns on A&E. She found the acting good, but the violence was not for her.)

Of the state's 616 school districts, 111 use the curriculum, she said. Training sessions have been held in central and North Jersey. Last month the first was held in South Jersey.

It may get even broader play. In the last few months, about 500 copies of the curriculum have been distributed to teachers around the country by the National Italian American Foundation, said Serena Cantoni, education programs director, who added that she knew of no similar lessons plan.

She noted something about New Jersey's curriculum that may surprise: "It's not ethnocentric."

At the recent training session at Camden County Community College, some educators said they found the curriculum strong on Italian contributions and much more.

"It shows interdependence has been happening for centuries," said John Gamble Jr., director of instruction in the Westampton School District.

Kevin Brady, president of the American Institute of History Education and author of the curriculum, talked about lessons that cross disciplines and encourage inquiry.

One assignment he discussed was challenging students to investigate who really invented the telephone. Was it Alexander Graham Bell, or was it Elisha Gray of the United States or Antonio Meucci of Italy?

Ruth Pelfrey, a Washington Township music teacher, told how she used the curriculum to infuse her classes on Antonio Vivaldi with information about the composer's life and times. They drew to his music.

"It was really exciting because the kids were listening to classical music and actually enjoying it," Pelfrey said. "I got a couple letters from parents asking, 'What did you do in class?' The kids wanted to buy classical CDs."

The curriculum covers a lot of ground. Kindergartners and first graders receive character education through the story of Pinocchio - the original one and the Disney version.

Fourth and fifth graders can learn about explorers like Cristoforo Colombo and today's holiday that has become a celebration of Italian American pride. Older students may examine anti-immigrant movements.

In Glassboro, Dawson, whose family moved from Italy when she was teenager, chatted gaily with her students in Italian last week as they created mosaics inspired by those at a church she visited in Ravenna.

She's also teaching them about the value Italians put on family. In her classroom, each table takes a family name.

At student Olumakin's table the name is De Rossi, after Italian soccer player Daniele De Rossi. Olumakin, whose family came from Nigeria when he was 2, said he wanted to learn Italian because he'd like to play soccer in Italy.

Now, he said, he is also getting a better understanding of the people.

"There's more," he said, "than meets the eye."

---

Contact staff writer Rita Giordano at 856-779-3841 or rgiordano@phillynews.com.

For more on the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission, contact the commission at 732-932-0670 or at www.njitalia.nj.gov.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/30881139.html

Italian American Football Players

Want to bring back fond memories, or be more informed about Italian American Football Players?

Not only Does "Italians R Us" provide a substantially complete list of 125, but the players are also broken down by position. Quarterbacks, Running backs, Receivers, Offensive Lineman, Defensive Linemen, Linebackers, Defensive backs, Kickers , and Coaches.

Molto Italiano a free newsletter from Italiansrus.

Molto Italiano

Vol. 7, No. 41:

* Football Players

Throughout history there have been many American football players of Italian heritage. This list is in no way complete, but it is a pretty extensive list of players.

http://www.italiansrus.com/resources/fb_list.htm

Shame on Tommy Lasorda - Choses Dodgers Over Grand Marshsall of SF Columbus Parade

Despite the Strong Rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, San Francisco graciously selected Tommy Lasorda as its Grand Marshall for the San Francisco Columbus Day Parade.

However, when the Dodgers reached the Playoffs, and it appeared that appearing as the Grand Marshall in San Francisco might possibly result in Lasorda getting to the Dodgers-Phillies third game in Los Angeles late,
Lasorda bowed out of the Columbus Day Parade, with short notice.

Tommy, merely filling your big belly with pasta is Not the proper tribute to your Heritage !!!!!

Tommy Lasorda Chooses Dodgers over Parade

UPI

Oct. 11, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, -- The Giants-Dodgers rivalry and a tight schedule means ex-LA skipper Tommy Lasorda is out as grand marshal at San Francisco's Italian Heritage Parade.

Lasorda was unsure he could attend Sunday's parade and then get to Los Angeles in time to watch the Dodgers play the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the National League championship, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Michela Alioto-Pier, San Francisco supervisor and Giants fan who described Dodgers fans as "boastful and smug," responded by calling Lasorda "Enemy No. 1" and threatening introduction of a resolution calling for Lasorda to be fired as grand marshal. Lasorda took the hint Friday.

"I'm not going to go. They made a big thing out of it," Lasorda said Friday in Los Angeles as he watched batting practice.

Lasorda, who joined the Dodgers in 1961 as a scout and served as manager from 1976 to 1996, said his withdrawal was nothing against the city or Italian-Americans.

"I wanted to do it because I love San Francisco, I really do," he said. "We have a rivalry there. That's the way it is."

Joe Garbarino of Marin Sanitary Service, known for his promotion of recycling, is to serve as grand marshal in his stead.

http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2008/10/11/Tommy_Lasorda_chooses_Dodgers_over_parade/UPI-57211223760499/

Columbus Day Parades , Celebrations All Across US -Denver Grabs Spotlight

In Cities both Large and Small, across the US either Parades or Banquets Celebrated Columbus Day.

Of course, Denver CO, while far from the Largest parade, usually gets the greatest attention, because of the annual protests of Indian Americans, who are so very misdirected that they attribute all tribulations of Indian Americans to the Explorer Columbus, although Columbus never set foot on continental America, let alone Colorado. Further Irony was that those transgressions were the same type the Indians performed on each other, PLUS Human Sacrifices!!!! The Indian indignation is hypocritical.

If the Indians wanted to target those who originally challenged them, they should look to the Spanish, and then the French, and English. Their "symbolic" anger is way off target. Their logic makes as much sense as blaming Henry Ford for All Drunk Driving Accidents, because he invented the common man car.

Not Everybody Loves a Parade

American Indian protest light as Italian-Americans celebrate Columbus

The Denver Post

By Annette Espinoza

October /11/2008

Denver's annual Columbus Day parade was once again met with protests Saturday, but police said no one was arrested compared with a year ago when 83 protesters were jailed for blocking the parade route.

"It was very peaceful," said Denver police spokeswoman Sharon Hahn. "Both sides got to express their views in a peaceful manner."

A steady drizzle of rain kept parade watchers to a minimum while dozens of uniformed police and barriers along the nearly 3-mile parade route separated the sides.

Parade participants blasted car horns and revved motorcycle engines to drown out a small group of protesters who had gathered along the route.

Don Bruno viewed the parade as it passed along Broadway.

"It's democracy in action," Bruno said, "as long as they don't interfere with the parade." He was referring to American Indians who believe Columbus' voyage to the Americas in 1492 led to genocide against the natives.

Dozens of Italian-Americans proudly waved American and Italian flags. A float belonging to Tirolesi Trentini del Colorado was painted with a mountain scene found in Dolomiti, Italy.

Phil Antonelli, 84, is president of the social organization. Antonelli was joined by his wife, Romana, who grew up in Dolomiti. The couple said they participate in the parade every year to honor their Italian roots.

"We want this to be our day. We want to celebrate our heritage, our culture. We're very proud," Romana said.

The parade began at 10 a.m. at 14th Street and Colfax Avenue, then traveled down to 15th & Stout streets before winding its way up 17th Street to Broadway, where it ended in front of the state Capitol. There, parade participants were greeted by about 100 anti Columbus protesters with banners.

The parade was then stopped briefly when a group of 13 indigenous women tried to present parade organizers with a "Treaty of Transformation," but the offer was declined.

"We have tried many times to hand them a proclamation only to have backs turned on us," said Mano Cockrum, a member of the American Indian Movement of Colorado's leadership council.

"We're not against anyone's heritage, only those who worship a slave- trading Indian killer," Cockrum added.

Many on both sides agree that they would like someday to see a peaceful parade on the streets of Denver without police presence, street barricades and protests.

"I would love to see it take place in Civic Center park where everybody could enjoy the Italian heritage," said Tom Ligrani, president of Italians of America in north Denver.

Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10699500

The Ferocious 2009 Maserati GranTurismo - An Aural Fixation?

Sinful, sexy, horsepower, handling, and oh yes, it creates a female aural fixation. Seriously, Experts found that 100% of female participants showed a "significant increase in testosterone secretion" while listening to a Maserati engine revving. Instantaneous sparking of a woman's arousal hormones? Hmmm.

Meet the Ferocious 2009 Maserati GranTurismo

Our columnist discovers that driving a Maserati - no joke! - can increase a woman's testosterone.

Fortune

By Sue Zesiger Callaway, contributor

October 8, 2008

(Fortune Magazine) -- I have been accused of many biases in my car-critiquing life. My supposed German addiction usually tops the list, but lately a British prejudice is showing, some readers tell me. And now, it seems, I'm besotted by the Italians. Their cars have always been sinful and sexy - but now they're on a quality and performance roll. Specifically, Maserati has giant-stepped up with the limited-edition 2009 GranTurismo S.

When a blindingly red model appeared in my driveway, I noted the normal kit: side skirts, rear spoiler, blacked-out grille. But then I looked again, intrigued by the powerful, hunkered-down stance and the audacious 20-inch wheels, on which seven massive tridents (Maserati's symbol) bulge outward as if barely able to contain the massive brakes.

Inside was pretty fine too. Alcantara seat inserts, silver-tinted carbon-fiber trim, and the melodic sound of an Italian V-8. And then it happened. I innocently hit two more buttons: auto, to turn automatic mode off, and sport, to give me a stiffer ride and quicker shifts.

Before my hand was back on the sport wheel, an automotive snarl unlike any other I've heard reverberated through the exhaust. Technically, I had disengaged the pneumatic valve that controls a bypass on the exhaust system allowing unrestricted airflow - and another eight horsepower. Emotionally, I had awakened the beast - and it's a screamer.

With that kind of siren song calling to my right foot, I ate up some deserted twisties around Camp Pendleton, a massive military base north of San Diego. The GT S took hard corners with grace and skill. I discovered the existence of yet another gem: The sublime new electro-actuated Graziano gearbox (the same hardware as in the Ferrari 599 GTB) can change gears in a blurring 40 milliseconds. Plus, the unit sits just ahead of the rear axle, giving the car a unique-in-its-class rear weight bias of 47% front, 53% rear - hence the extra touch of oversteer. Yum.

Yet nothing was tastier than the raging symphony pouring from under the hood and out the exhaust. My addiction grew. I wouldn't move an inch until I was in full-volume setup. I burbled up and down the streets in my hilly neighborhood, the car's ferocious growls echoing against the canyon walls.

"We wanted a very male sound, the deepest voice, at low rpms," says Benedetto Orvietani, Maserati's head of vehicle integration. "At higher rpms, we wanted a lion's roar." Can you nominate automotive engineers for a Grammy?

Just how far did my aural infatuation take me? To the curb, twice in one day, to meet and greet the local authorities, for starters. Oh, and I made the howls of the GranTurismo S my new ringtone.

Just as I seriously began to question my own health, I read about a study recently conducted by Hiscox, a British-based luxury-car insurer. Experts found that 100% of female participants showed a "significant increase in testosterone secretion" while listening to a Maserati engine revving - in fact, measurably more so than for any other sports-car sound.

I'm not sure I want to know what the marketing minds in Italy will do with that information, but it did at least explain my condition - I had been chemically altered! - and my newfound fondness for receiving phone calls. Instantaneously sparking a woman's arousal hormones? Now, that makes $135,000 start to seem like a bargain.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/06/autos/Aural_fixation_callaway.fortune/?postversion=2008100810

Call Me a Naive Italian American Jew: A Love Letter to Obama

It's reassuring to see that America's youth are very involved politically, rather than merely self indulgent, and even more so that in spite of the debacle of the Bush years, they have not been paralyzed by cynicism

Call Me Naive: A Love Letter

The Brooklyn Rail by Alex Gallo-Brown October 2008

....My mom grew up Jewish among Jews; my dad Italian among Italians; and I grew up an Italian-Jewish kid with little connection to either heritage, ...

I know I’m supposed to be cynical about Barack Obama. The political process is broken, the cynics say, crushed by three decades of Republican rule, undermined by a stupefied—or stupid-fried—electorate, and sabotaged by a media industrial complex the likes of which Dwight Eisenhower could never have imagined.

The naysayers tell me that Barack Obama is just another politician, motivated by ego, programmed to manipulate. “Change,” they scoff, is simply another slogan cooked up by the politicos in Washington and the greed-is-good guys on Wall Street, and Obama is as beholden to special interests as George W. Bush. Even if he does manage to convince the American people to overcome hundreds of years of ingrained racism to elect him, what will he really do?

There is some truth to this, of course. The system is broken—not least, in my view, because of the so-called Chattering Class, those venal, egomaniacal babblers who occupy cable television; ostensibly watchdogs of our government, they are actually daily betrayers of the public trust—and Obama is most certainly a politician.

Even so, I believe in him. And to explain why, ........

Call me naïve. But two years ago, Barack Obama came to speak in my high-school gym, the same gym from the Martin Luther King Day assembly. (I had long since graduated, but my brother was a student there now). At the time, Obama was the junior senator from the state of Illinois, and he had come to support his colleague, Maria Cantwell (and also, I suspect, to dip his toe into the mucky waters of presidential campaigning). In 2003, Cantwell had famously voted to authorize military action against Iraq, and there was a prickly contingent of anti-Cantwell folk in attendance. As Obama began to speak, his baritone voice rumbling over the packed crowd, the protesters started to squirm and squawk from the sidelines. Soon, he couldn’t finish a sentence.

And so he began to speak directly to the people who had come to mock him. He spoke in a voice filled with respect and sadness, and also a kind of cautious optimism. It was an expansive voice, encompassing both the sniping of the protesters and the good will of his supporters—not a drowning out, but a bringing in. It was a voice that spoke to that same joy I felt standing in those bleachers as a freshman, to that gratitude of inclusion—and to the pain I experienced as an outsider with my head in the woodchips. It addressed the paralyzing disappointment I felt when Bush was reelected. It wasn’t so much a voice as a signal, a signal that it was all right to care again, to consider the future of our society. To harness that awesome power.

If Barack Obama is elected president, he will no doubt, in certain regards, be just another politician. I may be naïve, but I can acknowledge this much. Politics is a game of compromise and navigation, and the president has only so much power to control policy. Things will not just magically get better.

But the election of Barack Obama is not about a new array of policy positions. It is not about the Iraq War or our plunging economy, though there is little doubt he will work toward troop withdrawal, establishing a national healthcare system, and a framework for green energy.

The election of Barack Obama instead would be a signal to all of us in this country who are tempted by cynicism and by nihilism, those of us prone to half-hearted criticism and full-hearted despair, that while now is the time to shift the government’s course, it’s also an opportunity for a more important kind of change—in our attitudes towards each other.

Call me naïve, but the election of Barack Obama would be a signal that we are remembering how to love.

http://www.brooklynrail.org/2008/10/express/call-me-naive-a-love-letter

Alex Gallo-Brown is a Seattleite living in Brooklyn.

"Renaissance Italy: Art and Love" at NY Met Museum - Nov 18- Feb 16

150 objects and paintings from the Italian Renaissance that celebrate love and marriage, dating from 1400 to the mid-16th century, is scheduled for Nov. 18 through Feb. 16 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Renaissance Italy,...

New York Times

By Hilary Howard

October 12, 2008

There’s something for everyone when it comes to art appreciation in the city this fall. “Art and Love in Renaissance Italy,” an exhibition of about 150 Italian Renaissance objects and paintings that celebrate love and marriage, dating from 1400 to the mid-16th century, is scheduled for Nov. 18 through Feb. 16 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (www.metmuseum.org).....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/travel/12COMart.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

"The White War" - Farewell to Arms, but Hello to Fascism

The miserable General Luigi Cadorna, Italy's supreme commander, during WWI, who presided over one fiasco after another until the ultimate debacle of Caporetto, led to his demise. On the other side of the Alps, "doing a Cadorna" "became British soldiers' slang," for "perpetrating an utter fuck-up and paying the price."

The shambles at Caporetto, in which tens of thousands of Italians threw away their rifles and surrendered without a struggle, cemented their reputation as "a wretched people, useless as fighting men", said General Haig.

"The White War" reveals how unjust the stereotype was. Despite leadership that was out-of-date, sluggish and sadistic – the Roman practice of decimation, shooting one soldier in ten as punishment for insubordinate behaviour, was re-introduced by Cadorna – millions of Italians fought like lions at the war's most impossible front.

"Imagine the flat or gently rolling horizon of Flanders," Thompson writes, "tilting at 30 or 40 degrees, made of grey limestone that turns blinding white in summer". Throughout the war, the Italians were at the bottom, the Austrians at the top. Those who had the good fortune to be captured by the enemy often died of starvation

The White War, By Mark Thompson

Farewell to Arms, but Hello to Fascism

FABER & FABER (444pp)

Independent - London,England,UK Reviewed by Peter Popham
Friday, 10 October 2008

It is extraordinary that nobody has written a narrative history of Italy's Great War in English before. For this was not a minor sideshow in the First World War: Italy entered it more or less gratuitously, without the imperatives of survival that animated the other combatants, and was duly sneered at in London and Paris for being both venally calculating and lacking in military fervour. But once it got stuck into the vertiginous task of trying to dislodge the Austro-Hungarian empire from its strongholds high in the Alps, its soldiers began learning inch by inch the same lessons about barbed wire, trenches, grenades, poison gas, cretinous leadership and jingo journalists as were being learned hundreds of miles to the north in Flanders.

As in the rest of Europe, the industrialised savagery of the war laid the beastly foundations for the rest of the 20th century. Yet Italy, though late to the fray and late also to the vicious games of nationalism, had in important ways anticipated those lessons. In the grotesque demagogue Gabriele D'Annunzio, one of several anti-heroes in Mark Thompson's marvellous book, modern warfare had found its pornographer and prophet. With the Italian invention of Futurism in 1909, the lust for blood, speed and annihilation exhibited in D'Annunzio's works went on to infect painting, design and architecture, too. Nor did the cruelty and misery of the war bring Italy to its senses. On the contrary, the humiliations inflicted by the Central Powers and the perceived insults at Versailles led swiftly and directly to the rise of Mussolini and the creation of Fascism.

Thompson's book is beautifully written, and he skilfully interweaves vivid accounts of military progress with telling vignettes about the more extraordinary figures caught up in the fighting: from the poet Giuseppe Ungaretti, Italy's answer to Owen, Sassoon and Rosenberg, to the precociously brilliant German Lieutenant Rommel; from Ernest Hemingway, whose A Farewell to Arms sprang from his brief experience as a volunteer ambulance driver at the front, to the miserable General Luigi Cadorna, Italy's supreme commander, who serenely presided over one fiasco after another until the ultimate debacle of Caporetto, which led to his demise. On the other side of the Alps, "doing a Cadorna" "became British soldiers' slang," Thompson writes, for "perpetrating an utter fuck-up and paying the price."

The shambles at Caporetto, in which tens of thousands of Italians threw away their rifles and surrendered without a struggle, cemented their reputation as "a wretched people, useless as fighting men", in the words of General Haig. But The White War reveals how unjust the stereotype was. Despite leadership that was out-of-date, sluggish and sadistic – the Roman practice of decimation, shooting one soldier in ten as punishment for insubordinate behaviour, was re-introduced by Cadorna – millions of Italians fought like lions at the war's most impossible front.

"Imagine the flat or gently rolling horizon of Flanders," Thompson writes, "tilting at 30 or 40 degrees, made of grey limestone that turns blinding white in summer". Throughout the war, the Italians were at the bottom, the Austrians at the top. Those who had the apparent good fortune to be captured by the enemy often died of starvation: alone among the combatants, Italy refused to send food parcels to POWs, believing that to do so would encourage more to surrender.

If Italian war fever was stoked by the ravings of D'Annunzio and the mendacious reporting of Luigi Barzini for Corriere della Sera, the unspeakable brutality had the same paradoxical effect as in Flanders, of stimulating great literary art. The greatest, however, did not like its British equivalent condemn the war, but distilled from the hell minimalistically mystical perceptions such as those of Ungaretti. They still sound modern today: "In this gloom/ with frozen/ fingers/ making out/ my face... I see myself/ abandoned in endlessness."

Peter Popham is Rome correspondent of 'The Independent'

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-white-war-by-mark-thompson-956434.html

Berlusconi's Honeymoon with the Italians

Berlusconi's popularity among the Italians, has now reached 60%.which must be shocking.

On Berlusconi's desk, immediately after the elections was : a stagnant economy, unemployment, the problem with Alitalia, the garbage in Naples, security and justice. It was a quite difficult situation to face.

Berlusconi's Honeymoon with the Italians

L'Occidentale - Roma,Lazio,Italy Andrea Holzer and Brittany Toscano 8 Ottobre 2008

They call it "honeymoon". This is no romantic movie, though, it's the nickname that Italian newspapers gave to a new political phenomenon: Berlusconi's personal degree of favor among the Italians, his popularity has now reached 60%. For people that are used to all kinds of promises coming from politicians before any electoral campaign, current results must be shocking; as if, suddenly, Santa Claus would arrive carrying presents in October.

There were a few very important issues on Berlusconi's desk, immediately after the elections: a stagnant economy, unemployment, the problem with Alitalia, the garbage in Naples, security and justice. Generally speaking, it was a quite difficult situation to face. Speaking about the economy, according to a Ipr Marketing poll made for La Repubblica, 86% of Italians think that inflation should have priority in this government's agenda. Citizens cannot afford the soaring costs of living. The house market, the food sector, transportation and school have become too expensive during the recent years, salaries, on the other end, have not followed the same trend. The result? People were scared to death about the future and when that happens, the economy tends to suffer.

One of the first moves of the new government was eliminating the so called Ici, a homeowners' tax. This tax does, however, still exist when it comes to secondary properties such as a country house or a second apartment in the city. People who only have one house though, will not have to pay a dime for it. To help older people keep up with soaring prices of energy, this government has introduced what they call the Robin Hood tax. It is an adjustment that forces oil and gas companies to demonstrate their revenues in order to keep prices of gas at an acceptable level.

The second concern, according to the same poll, is unemployment, which 78% of Italians described as their first concern. As everyone knows, Italy has been a country for trade unions since its creation as a Republic. At the end of WWII, the communist partisans who fought against the Nazi-fascist occupation created the Italian constitution with a model in mind: the Russian empire with its bureaucratic apparatus of State owned industries. As a result, over the past four decades, entrepreneurs like Berlusconi have found it very difficult to create their own businesses, since they were oppressed by a scary prototype of the man, the opposite of Alexey Stakanov: the "fannullone". Sluggards have dominated the scene of the Italian economy until the arrival of Berlusconi. They have been stealing from the State by working for the minimum amount of hours they could, while getting paid like others colleagues that were actually working. This cancer has been fought with passion by Berlusconi's government and by ministers like Renato Brunetta, the sluggards' worst nightmare. The Minister of Public Administration wanted to make one thing clear once nominated: there will be no more space for idlers in Italy. The reason this government wants to get rid of such people is quite simple: they keep the job market full and prevent real workers from getting in. Workers' rights were too rigid and in favour of trade unions before, now they have changed and young people are able to find jobs more easily. It is also true that they now have to prove their skills much more than before, but that's globalization. If the world is flat as Friedman argues, than the toughs get going when the going gets though, right?

Alitalia is a quite good example of how a State owned firm can be irreparably ruined by sluggards. Fifteen years ago, before the privatization, Alitalia was a black hole for money. The State would provide the flagship company with huge yearly surges of cash on the grounds that it was... the flagship carrier. My father has been working for Alitalia for 35 years and I personally witnessed the development of his career. During the early nineties he was sent to Nicosia (Cyprus) were they had a local office as an Area Manager. He went alone, because my mother decided that it wasn't a good idea to move the entire family unless really necessary. I was 17 when I went to visit him for the first time. He came to pick me up at the airport with a car generously supplied by Alitalia (it was a Honda Accord). I remember my father telling me that they were also paying for the gasoline for the car. So, say that he wanted to go out for a trip in Paphos, he wouldn't have paid a penny on his own. Once we got home, I discovered another marvel: the apartment. It was a five room home with one huge kitchen and a huge living room, two bathrooms and two terraces at the top floor of a residential building near the center of Nicosia. Of course I was quite happy with that: I could even play soccer in the living room. Although I remember I couldn't help asking myself why they would give a single man such a big apartment. Well, my father was a hard worker, he deserved to be treated well, but that was too much even for him. I also remember that we went out for a dinner together with some people from the embassy and some other friends. At the end of that my father signed a piece of paper and claimed that it was up to Alitalia to pay for the bill (800 dollars). Ok, it was a business dinner, but it gives you an idea of how the flagship carrier was: carrying too much weight on its wounded wings.

Multiply those expenses by the number of Area Managers that were around the world at that time and you'll have an idea of how the revenues of the company were spent, no wonder the situation now is so critical.

Berlusconi has provided a group of buyers for the company, even in spite of all odds. Of course he did not want Air France to buy Alitalia because that would lead to a shift in tourism. France is a direct competitor of Italy when it comes to vacation, the money would follow the tourists. It could have been very easy, in fact, for the French government and Air France to create an advantageous path across the Alps for tourists that would have chosen Italy. But if they gave you the choice between going to Paris for $400 or Rome for $600, where would you go?

Regarding the messy situation in Naples, everyone remembers what it was like to be in the city a few months ago: it was practically like Venice only, instead of water, there was garbage. Berlusconi had sworn to get rid of that pile of trash before the elections. I remember him saying something like "I'll spend some time in Naples, the amount of time sufficient for me to understand what is going on and to find a way out". A couple of weeks later, Naples came back to normality. It wasn't a miracle though; it was just about using the right means to get rid of the garbage once and for all.

Security was another issue on the table. Italy has never been a dangerous place to live, nothing compared to the U.S. or Great Britain. In our country there has been no bloodshed in schools but things are beginning to change. With the great number of immigrants that have come to Italy from Eastern Europe and Africa, people that, usually, do not have stable jobs. Italy has changed a lot. We have witnessed the anger of a Muslim father who buried his young daughter in the backyard for no reason; we have seen soccer supporters beating each others to death during a game; and a Romanian immigrant raping a women on her way home. The government has opted for a "surge". Not that they wanted to emulate anyone, but it makes sense to have more soldiers when you need them. There are now roughly 3000 troops helping out the police and the Carabinieri in their everyday job. It feels good to spot them somewhere around the city, I have to say. It is still too early to draw conclusions about whether or not the surge has been successful. We don't know yet but two things are for certain: it can't be bad, and the soldiers would otherwise just be spending their time being bored in their headquarters.

Last but not least, the reform of Justice. Italian citizens are used to a very slow legal system. In fact there is a joke about (courts) tribunals: when you want to make sure your enemy wins, just sue him. The joke illustrates how long it takes for a court to examine the case and take a decision; about seven years. Indeed, for an ordinary everyday case, that's the amount of time it takes a judge to hand down a decision. The government has been trying to introduce a new law, called Lodo Alfano, that will speed up the process by organizing the trials in a logical way. As of now, it's sort of running a scan disk when your PC is too slow.

We don't know for how long this honeymoon will last for the Italians, but so far so good.

http://www.loccidentale.it/articolo/berlusconi's+honeymoon+with+the+italians.0059264

Italy's Measures Can Deal with Any Bank Crisis

Italy's package of measures to tackle financial turmoil is among the most complete of any government response and means it can deal with any crisis its banks may suffer.

Italy 'Can Tackle any Bank Crisis' - Cenbank's Visco

Thomson Financial News

Reporting by Gavin Jones; writing by Robin Pomeroy
October 10, 2008

WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Italy's package of measures to tackle financial turmoil is among the most complete of any government response and means it can deal with any crisis its banks may suffer, a senior Bank of Italy official said on Thursday.

Ignazio Visco, a member of the BOI's executive board, told reporters ahead of Friday's G7 finance ministers' meeting that Italy's banking sector was solid but that contagion could not be ruled out because 'the winds of crisis are very, very strong'.

'We can tackle any crisis for Italian banks,' he said, stressing that the measures were for possible future protection and that he did not envisage their immediate use.

The Italian cabinet passed a decree late on Wednesday which allows the state to inject capital into banks in exchange for non-voting shares. It also makes the state guarantor of last resort for bank deposits of up to 103,000 euros.

http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/10/10/afx5534202.html

Italy Pledges to Insure Deposits to S140,000, and Aid Banks if Needed

Italy also plans to follow Britain example to buy Preferred Shares in Weak Banks to strengthen Recapitalization.

Italian Bank Shares Recover

Conde Nast Portfolio

October 9, 2008

Italy's pledge to aid banks in case of need was designed to rebuild confidence in markets and keep the financial system running, not because of worries that deposits would be lost, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Thursday.

Among the emergency measure passed Wednesday night, the government would step in to guarantee deposits up to the currently insured level of euro103,000 (US$140,900) should a bank be unable to repay the sum. The move gave bank stocks a boost in Milan trading Thursday, with shares of Italy's largest bank Unicredit rising as much as 8 percent to euro2.65 (US$3.63).

Speaking at a news conference with his Romanian counterpart, Berlusconi said the measure wasn't taken "to protect depositors, because that isn't a worry. The main reason for our intervention was to allow banks to operate" in a way that keeps the country functioning.

Italy's main business lobby Confindustria has been emphasizing the need for banks to continue to extend credit to businesses.

Berlusconi repeated that no Italian bank would be allowed to fail and no depositors would lose their savings because the banking sector remains solid.

He said nationalizing Italian banks was not foreseen as a necessary measure, but added that if the government were to intervene it would receive preference shares without voting rights.

That statement follows Britain's announcement on Wednesday that it would buy stakes in its national banks in order to recapitalize the financial sector.

Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti told Parliament on Thursday that the government would be able to aid the banks without violating its pledge to keep the deficit within 3 percent of GDP.

http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/national-news/ap/2008/10/09/italian-bank-shares-recover

NY "Little Italy" Museum Opens, Italian Maps of NY Bouroughs Announced

October, Italian -American Cultural Month is celebrated by the Opening of NY Manhattan "Little Italy Museum, and the announcement of the creation of NY Borough Maps, starting with Queens, identifying the birthplaces and graves of the famous, to notable buildings.

A Big Chunk of History at Little Italy Museum

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS By Cat Contiguglia and Christine Boyle
Thursday, October 9th 2008

New York's Italian-Americans now have a place to call home in the heart of the neighborhood where their ancestors' first set foot.

A museum dedicated to telling the experiences of the immigrants who arrived in Little Italy opened its doors Wednesday at the corner of Mulberry and Grand Sts.

Located inside the community's former bank, which operated from the 1880s to 1932 and was known as Banca Stabile, it will display exhibits and documents found in the building's storage basement and safe deposit boxes, including old passports, deeds and bankbooks.

"It gives you insight into the history of this area," museum curator Nancy Cataldi said.

"It's very important because Little Italy has changed so much. There's nothing authentic over here anymore.

"At least you can give people the history of what it was like down here - give people a feeling of this area," she said.

The museum opening comes as the NYPD also celebrates Italian heritage with a concert ...tonight.

The Italian National Police Band will perform, and proceeds go to the Columbia Association, which provides grants and scholarships to Italian-American children. cboyle@nydailynews.com

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/10/08/2008-10-08_a_big_chunk_of_history_at_little_italy_m.html

===============================================================================================

CUNY Puts Italy on Borough Map

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS By Lisa L. Colangelo Wednesday, October 8th 2008

The rich history of Italian-Americans in Queens is so extensive it deserves its own map, is the belief and the plan of CUNY's Calandra Institute, based at Queens College.

It would detail Italian-American history in the borough, ranging from the birthplaces and graves of the famous to notable buildings. With enough funding, the map could be expanded to all five boroughs.

"We're not knocking Chicago or Boston or San Francisco, but the center of Italian-American culture really lies in New York City," said the president of the Central Queens Historical Association. "And it's not just in the Village and the lower East Side - it's in the boroughs."

It was noted that Giuseppe (Joe) Petrosino, a pioneer in the New York City Police Department, is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens. Petrosino, an Italian immigrant, was appointed by then-NYPD Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, and led high-profile probes targeting the Italian Mafia, and was killed during an undercover sting in Sicily.

A number of other prominent leaders from Queens, included Gov. Mario Cuomo, vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro and three generations of the Vallone family.

Queens also produced notable entertainers - famed crooner Tony Bennett grew up in Astoria and celebrated film director Francis Ford Coppola attended Jamaica High School....

The Italian-American map is to be accessible and not overly academic.

"It would map out an overview of the history and contributions of Italians and Italian-Americans in the New York area, It really helps re-create part of a history of New York." lcolangelo@nydailynews.com

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2008/10/08/2008-10-08_cuny_historian_puts_italy_on_borough_map-2.html

Italian American Leaders Endorse Obama/Biden

Perhaps with a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress, the US will be able to recover from the Deep Abyss the Bush Years, and his "Greed is Good" Republicans have plunged the US into. Times are Desperate. The Future is in EACH of your Hands. Please NO McSame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PRESS RELEASE

*Italian American Leaders Endorse Obama/Biden*

In the week before Columbus Day, the national organization of ItalianAmerican Democrats announced their endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President and Senator Joe Biden for Vice President.

"Senator Obama, the son of an immigrant himself, understands the values of Italian Americans -- family, hard work, and education," said Bob Blancato, national Chair of the Italian American Democratic Leadership Council (IADLC).

"With our families threatened with job losses, reduced retirement incomes, and denial of health insurance, now more than in decades we need a team like Senators Obama and Biden who put working families first.

"We enthusiastically endorse their candidacies and are working hard to elect them."

The 15-year old IADLC (IADemocrats@gmail.com) is a membership organization of community leaders from across the country who work to promote Italian Americans to high elected and appointed office and promote the interests of Italian Americans in the Democratic Party. Its advisory committee includes all the Italian American Democratic members of Congress and the three Italian American Democratic governors.

Chair Blancato operates a small business in Washington D.C. and is former Executive Director of the White House Conference on Aging. The Vice Chair is Maryland Senator Jim Rosapepe. Treasurer is Fred Rotondaro, former Executive Director of the National Italian American Foundation.

*Honorary Co-Chairs* The Honorable Mario Cuomo, The Honorable Geraldine A. Ferraro, The Honorable Vic Fazio, The Honorable Frank J. Guarini, The Honorable Leon Panetta

*Italian American Congressional Democrats* Hon. Michael Arcuri, Hon. Robert Brady, Hon. Mike Capuano, Hon. Peter DeFazio, Hon.Diana DeGette, Hon. Rosa DeLauro, Hon. Mike Doyle, Hon. Mary Landrieu, Hon. Nick Lampson, Hon. Patrick J. Leahy, Hon. George Miller, Hon. James L. Oberstar, Hon. Frank Pallone,Jr, Hon. Bill Pascrell, Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Hon. Tim Ryan, Hon. Mike Thompson

*Italian American Democratic Governors* Hon. John Baldacci, Hon.Joe Manchin III, Hon. Janet Napolitano


Contact: Bob Blancato, Chair 202-789-0470
rblancato@matzblancato.com
IADemocrats@gmail.com

Italian Finance Minister Proposes US Type Bailout Plan for Europe

It is incredible that the Wall Street and Banking firms who have cried out for a FREE Economy, and have railed for Government to get out of the way of these Entrepreneurs, so they could practice their Unbridled Mantra of Greed is Good, should then when their over leveraged house of cards built from fabricated documents crumbles , should INSIST that the GOVERNMENT SAVE them by buying their Toxic Securities. INCREDIBLE !!

Bush pushed Fear of Domestic Security to Launch an unjustified War on Iraq, then

Bush uses Fear of Economic Collapse to Buy up Financial Firms Losses, from firms who Rejected Regulation.

Europe, mostly wisely gave only lip service to Bush's Iraq and Imperialistic Designs,

but the EU Politicians in the "pocket" of the Oligarchs, may not be able to resist the pressure of this give away!!!!

Schioppa Says EU Needs "Big" Bank Bailout Fund

London Guardian

From Reuters

By Giselda Vagnoni and Gavin Jones

Friday October 3, 2008

* Supervision must be reformed, co-ordinated more closely

* EU budget deficit limits should take back seat during crisis

* ECB should keep rate policy separate from crisis management

ROME, Oct 3 (Reuters) - As Europe debates how to handle the growing financial crisis, a former European Central Bank board member and Italian finance minister said it must urgently set up a US-style bail-out fund and unify its supervisory mechanisms.

In an interview with Reuters, Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa said he hoped the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy who meet in Paris on Saturday to discuss the crisis will take bold steps to head off a growing risk of financial contagion in Europe.

"(French) President Sarkozy is to be praised, and I am very hopeful the meeting will constitute the kernel of a European handling of the crisis," he said in the interview conducted late on Thursday.

Padoa-Schioppa, who was Italy's finance minister and head of the International Monetary Fund's steering committee until the fall of Romano Prodi's government in May, said Europe's fragmented regulatory structure made it highly vulnerable.

"Maybe Europe is in better shape than the United States in terms of risk and the structure of the financial system but it is in a much more difficult position in terms of supervision and policy instruments."

He strongly supported the setting up of a European fund to bail out banks in difficulty, a proposal reportedly aired by France but rejected by Germany and also shunned by Padoa-Schioppa's former boss, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet.

"We have seen injections of capital by the public sector in the United States, Britain and in the Fortis crisis, but we need a system that can respond this way at the European or euro zone level," Padoa-Schioppa said.

"And it must be a European instrument, not a national one, otherwise it will create a scenario of conflict."

He declined to say how much public money should be poured into such a fund -- 3 percent of gross domestic product has been one suggestion -- but said it must be large to be effective.

"To overcome a crisis of confidence requires amounts that will reassure that there is no scarcity of money," he said.

A long-time advocate of fiscal rigour, Padoa-Schioppa said concerns about public finances had now become secondary and suggested that during the crisis the terms of the EU's Stability Pact on budgets could be effectively suspended.

"It would be much more dangerous for any stability, including budget stability, not to take extraordinary action to to solve the crisis," he said, adding that Italy, which has the euro zone's largest debt pile, could also find the resources.

STATUS QUO "UNACCEPTABLE, DANGEROUS"

Padoa-Schioppa, who has also served as head of Italy's bourse watchdog, said a single Europe-wide banking supervisor was a desirable medium-term project, but much could be done immediately to improve co-ordination.

Europe's regulators should share key information, new directives should be translated into the same requirements in different countries and decisions should be made on the basis of collective assessments -- all lacking at present.

"The status quo is unacceptable, untenable and dangerous; there is no single rule for European banks," he said, noting the Basel 2 accord translated into completely different requirements in different countries.

"The French supervisor oversees French subsidiaries, the German supervisor oversees German subsidiaries and no-one has the full picture of the major EU-wide banking groups. This supervision is neither 'super' nor 'vision'".

Padoa-Schioppa said the Financial Stability Forum headed by Bank of Italy Governor Mario Draghi had produced some worthy proposals but was not the right venue to propose the reforms he was urging.

"If Europeans want to improve their cooperation that must be decided among Europeans and not in a more global forum like the FSF."

Padoa-Schioppa praised the way the ECB had supplied markets with huge liquidity injections while "holding the line" on monetary policy by not lowering interest rates in the face of high inflation.

This separation of policy was "very wise and probably shouldn't be abandoned," he said.

Trichet said after the ECB left rates on hold at 4.25 percent on Thursday that it had considered a rate cut, leading markets to price in monetary easing as early as next month.

(Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7843491

Italy to Appoint Culture Czar to Maintain All Its 1500 Museums

Italy has finally determined that it must seek a chief curator to run all the museums in a country that boasts more masterpieces and archaeological treasures than anywhere else in the world.

Italy has about 1,500 museums and is home to more UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites than any other country.

Wanted: Culture Czar to Dust off Italy's Museums

Reuters By Stephen Brown

Wednesday October 1, 2008

ROME (Reuters) - As museum jobs go, it's a whopper: Italy seeks a chief curator to run all the museums in a country that boasts more masterpieces and archaeological treasures than anywhere else in the world, but fails to exploit them properly.

Italy has about 1,500 museums and is home to more UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites than any other country.

The headhunter for the new position of Director General of Italian Museums is Culture Minister Sandro Bondi, who has opened up the contest to Italians and foreigners.

"This person will be at the heart of a major project to look after, and add value to, Italy's museums by ensuring they get the proper resources, both public and private," Bondi told Reuters in an interview carried out by email.

The job is part of a drive to halt the decay of some of the icons of Italy's heritage -- notoriously, the ancient Roman town of Pompeii, one of Italy's top tourist attractions, which was frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

The government has declared a "state of emergency" at Pompeii and appointed a special commissioner, "to show that we will not stand by idly while faced with the decay of one of the most important archaeological areas in the world", Bondi said.

Once Pompeii is returned its former -- well, ruin -- he will hand its management as a tourist attraction to a private firm.

IMPACT ON ECONOMY

Bondi has also named a special commissioner to help Rome and Milan modernise their transport systems without wrecking their heritage. New metro lines are often delayed for months or even years while archeologists pore over ruins bared by bulldozers.

Resolving conflicting demands of conservation, tourism and infrastructure would help improve Italy's economic prospects.

Tourism accounts for 10 percent of economic output but the industry body Federturismo complained to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that Italy had "slipped to 28th place in the World Economic Forum's ranking of competitiveness in tourism".

The turnover of Italy's top five museums equals just "12.7 percent of the British Museum, 6 percent of the Metropolitan Museum and 13 percent of the Louvre", Federturismo pointedly told Berlusconi in an open letter this week.

The government of Berlusconi, a media mogul whose TV channels are known for soaps and showgirls, is an easy target for accusations of philistinism.

Bondi, a communist-turned conservative who is now a senior figure in Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, may be a published poet but he appalled the arts establishment in August by saying that he "didn't understand" modern art.

http://in.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idINIndia-35749820081001

Berlusconi Promises to Protect Italian Banks Against Speculators

Unicredit, Italy's largest bank by assets, lost nearly one-quarter of its stock value this week.after being subjected to a speculator onslaught. Unicredit will spin off a portion of it's real estate to maintain margins.

Unicredit Trading Suspended After Stock Falls
Associated Press

October 1, 2008,

MILAN, Italy -

Trading in shares of Unicredit, Italy's largest bank by assets, was suspended several times Wednesday on the Milan Stock Exchange after the stock lost nearly one-quarter of its value this week.

Shares were trading at 2.55 euros ($3.65), down nearly 2 percent, after being suspended several times for excessive losses.

Unicredit CEO Alessandro Profumo was meeting with top managers, but the company said it was a scheduled meeting and not in response to the stock market moves on Wednesday.

Italian news agencies quoted Premier Silvio Berlusconi as saying he would not allow speculative attacks on Italian banks.

"I will not allow speculative attacks on our banks and I will not accept having Italian citizens lose even a euro of their deposits," Berlusconi said from Naples, the news agencies ANSA and Apcom reported.

The bank announced on Wednesday that it was spinning off a portion of its real estate portfolio in a transaction that is aimed at raising its Tier I capital ratio, a key measure of a bank's financial strength, to its goal of 6.2 percent by the end of the year.

Unicredit is Italy's biggest bank by assets, with more than 1 trillion euros ($1.43 trillion) in assets. It is among Europe's top 5 banks as ranked by assets, but the loss in share value puts it only among the top 10 for market capitalization.

Italy Unfazed by Global Economic Crisis

"America and the U.K. used to say the Italian banks were backwards, but it turns out we were the smart ones."
Tuesday, Governments in Britain, France, Denmark, Germany and elsewhere are in a panic re the liquidity crisis

In Italy, banks are relaxed, having long faced more stringent government oversight than their U.S. counterparts. Italian banks stayed away from complicated derivatives and maintained higher standards on who they chose to lend money to, demanding more collateral on home loans, for example.

That approach was widely derided as outmoded socialism during Wall Street's boom years. Now it looks as if the U.S. financial system might become more like Europe's.

Economic Anxiety Circles Globe with U.S. Recovery Plan in Limbo

The financial earthquake that started in the USA reverberated throughout the world Tuesday, from shoe factories in China to day traders in Hong Kong to the banks of Italy.

USA TODAY By Jeffrey Stinson October 1, 2008

....MILAN, Italy — On Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after the biggest one-day point drop in Wall Street history, Italian banker Oscar Castoldi calmly sipped an espresso in a café in the heart of Milan's financial district.

"America and the U.K. used to say the Italian banks were backwards, but it turns out we were the smart ones," Castoldi said.

Not everyone in Europe was so calm Tuesday. Governments in Britain, France, Denmark, Germany and elsewhere are spending billions of dollars to counteract the liquidity crisis spreading from across the Atlantic. However, concern here has mixed with a sense of vindication.

In Italy, banks have long faced more stringent government oversight than their U.S. counterparts. Italian banks stayed away from complicated derivatives and maintained higher standards on who they chose to lend money to, demanding more collateral on home loans, for example.

That approach was widely derided as outmoded socialism during Wall Street's boom years. Now it looks as if the U.S. financial system might become more like Europe's.

"Perhaps we don't have the light touch in regulating our financial sector, but apparently that light touch or no-touch didn't work very well for America," said Luigi Spaventa, the former chairman of the Italian Securities and Exchange Commission.

The tone is less celebratory for Europe's housing market. Dominic Agace, managing director of Winkworth, one of Britain's biggest real-estate firms, had expected renewed buyer interest after British housing prices fell 6.2% during the past 12 months.

Now, Agace says, "many people cannot get the money to (buy)."

Back in Italy, unemployment and inflation are rising and the central bank predicts just 0.4% growth in gross domestic product this year. Regardless, Castoldi is confident that when he finishes his espresso, he'll be heading back to a secure job.

"That's more than many employees at American banks can say," he says.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-09-30-financial-world_N.htm

Sabina Sciubba leads "Brazilian Girls" at Lollapalooza 2008

Vocalist Sabina Sciubba, keyboardist Didi Gutman, and drummer Aaron Johnston first came together on the Lower East Side in 2003, they've released three strong albums of such gleefully provocative fare, including "New York City," issued a few days after the band's gig at Lollapalooza.

Sciubbia is the daughter of Italian and German parents, she was born in Rome, grew up in Munich and lived in Nice for a time before immigrating to the U.S. and starting her career with two jazz albums. With the Brazilian Girls, her lyrics are an intoxicating mix of German, Spanish, French, Italian and English.

Talking with Brazilian Girls

Chicago Sun Times

By Jim DeRogatison

September 29, 2008

One of the few real alternatives and a definite highlight amid the corporate blandness of Lollapalooza 2008, New York City's Brazilian Girls took the stage early on Sunday afternoon last August and woke a sleepy crowd with its joyous mix of jazz, bossa nova, reggae and other exotic rhythms, sensuous melodies and absurdist humor.

Wearing a puffy white dress that made her look like a floating cloud, vocalist Sabina Sciubba shimmied, sashayed, seduced and cooed her way through the set as a multicultural, modern-day electronic version of the girl from Ipanema, building to a climax by prompting the crowd to join her in a life-is-good chant celebrating, um, the female sex organ and Cannabis sativa.

"A lot of people really think we're singing about p---y and marijuana, but obviously it's a metaphor," Sciubba says, breaking into a hearty laugh as the words leave her mouth. "That sounds like a joke, but the song is really an irreverent provocation.

"For me, live performance is about making people feel really together, regardless of their age, race, faith or anything. That remains for me a good concert, when people are really all singing together in the end, and there's a community feeling and a collective joy."

Since Sciubba, keyboardist Didi Gutman and drummer Aaron Johnston first came together on the Lower East Side in 2003, they've released three strong albums of such gleefully provocative fare, including "New York City," issued a few days after the band's gig at Lollapalooza. When I note that I love the disc and consider it the group's strongest yet, Sciubba laughs once again.

"With that I agree--with all the humility of the great geniuses of our time! But, seriously, I do think that the record is more mature. We had always followed the working philosophy that if something--if it is a real effort--it is not good. Not that I completely disagree with that now, but I know that there have been a couple of songs, like 'St. Petersburg,' where there were moments we wanted to give up, because we hadn't found a nice middle section, for example. Our friend and producer Hector Castillo insisted: 'Come on, give it one more try,' and it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the record. Sometimes pain is gain."

The roots of Sciubba's philosophical bent and her wicked sense of humor both can be found in her remarkable upbringing. The daughter of Italian and German parents, she was born in Rome, grew up in Munich and lived in Nice for a time before immigrating to the U.S. and starting her career with two jazz albums. With the Brazilian Girls, her lyrics are an intoxicating mix of German, Spanish, French, Italian and English.

"On these different stations of my life, I made friends, and so I speak very different languages between my friends," the singer says. "It's nothing that I want to be pretentious about, or a show-off; it's really just natural to me, and I don't think I'm the only one. Every language is very characteristic. English is a great language for pop music; it's monosyllabic: 'I love you/You love me/Let's be friends forever.' Whereas French immediately draws you to something that has an older feel to it."

Of course, Sciubba could croon about a sewage plant in French and it would still sound irresistible. She laughs once more.

"I must agree with that! French is really one of my favorite languages; it's very beautiful. But if you live in France, you also discern that there can be an ugliness, depending on who speaks it. There's a type of French person that can be unbearable. But it's the same with English--it can be so different, depending on the slang or who is speaking." For example, Sciubba says, nothing sounds good coming out of the mouth of President Bush.

As lulling and seductive as the band's music can be--and despite the protestations that "We just want to have a good time" in another tune on the new album--there is a serious core to these sweet sounds, and another of the most striking new tracks is "Nouveau Americain," an homage to Presidential candidate Barack Obama.

"This song came up during the recording sessions of our first record"--a self-titled release in 2005--"and it was an outtake when we were just jamming. Didi and Aaron were playing this really fast, punk rhythm, and I was singing very incoherent lyrics, half in German, half in Italian, half in French, with the refrains 'Nouveau Americain.' When we first came up with the idea, we were in the thick of the darkest period of our collective life in America, but I already had this hope of a new identity coming out of this terrible crisis." When the group revisited it during the recent recording, the song became a celebration of Obama's message of hope and change.

"I'm not a nationalist, and I think that people should never identify themselves with a country or a religion or with anything external, really," Sciubba says. "But I do think that Americans are very curious people: They combine this great openness and naiveté and readiness for change and willingness to do good things, but they can also have this monstrous stubbornness, as we have observed. I do think this other side, the positive aspects, could really help during these next couple of years through extreme hardship and economic crises."

The current tour will be the Brazilian Girls' last for some time--Sciubba is five months pregnant--but she believes the band has several more exciting records in its future, including a radical new project with an orchestra. Meanwhile, she's especially looking forward to coming back to the Windy City.

"For a European, I find Chicago to be a very strange city to come to, because it's very American. It's just my perception, but I think it is the capital of America. It is so different from New York or Washington or Los Angeles or any other city. This is the best of America."

FACTS

Brazilian Girls : House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, MI : 7 p.m. Friday

Tickets $24.50 : (312) 923-2000; www.hob.com

http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2008/09/talking_with_brazilian_girls.html