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."

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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