Thursday 30 August 2012
Italians are wily like that
This is pretty much how Berlusconi convinced a nation to elect him PM. Four times.
Wednesday 29 August 2012
Tuesday 28 August 2012
Monday 27 August 2012
Football - the one with the feet
Back at the stadium, I saw my first US football game this weekend.
(Football of the associated kind, the one actually played with the feet).
The Atlanta Silverbacks, bottom of their league, played the Carolina Railhawks, 3rd to the bottom of the table. (as an aside: what are these names? What's a Railhawk? I'm used to teams just having colours, at most.)
This was great fun. It wasn't quite a Serie A or EPL calibre game, but was football nonetheless and the atmosphere was terrific. This is another of those reasons we love America: everything was clean and comfortable and simple. Supporting a team with the colours red and black takes a little bit of getting used to, but I managed.
(Red and black are the colours of AC Milan, also known as "rosso neri". I'm a supporter of Fiorentina, known as "viola". Are there are any purple-shirted teams here?)
They even had Ultras. They looked like this:
In other, unrelated news: today is the first day of school at the new Taylor Institute in Lugano. Because if you are going to get a masters in business it really should be in Lugano, Switzerland. This handsome guy is the Executive Director. Best thing about the TI for me? This profile has finally explained what my father does as a profession. It's always been a bit of a mystery.
(Football of the associated kind, the one actually played with the feet).
The Atlanta Silverbacks, bottom of their league, played the Carolina Railhawks, 3rd to the bottom of the table. (as an aside: what are these names? What's a Railhawk? I'm used to teams just having colours, at most.)
This was great fun. It wasn't quite a Serie A or EPL calibre game, but was football nonetheless and the atmosphere was terrific. This is another of those reasons we love America: everything was clean and comfortable and simple. Supporting a team with the colours red and black takes a little bit of getting used to, but I managed.
(Red and black are the colours of AC Milan, also known as "rosso neri". I'm a supporter of Fiorentina, known as "viola". Are there are any purple-shirted teams here?)
They even had Ultras. They looked like this:
In other, unrelated news: today is the first day of school at the new Taylor Institute in Lugano. Because if you are going to get a masters in business it really should be in Lugano, Switzerland. This handsome guy is the Executive Director. Best thing about the TI for me? This profile has finally explained what my father does as a profession. It's always been a bit of a mystery.
Tuesday 21 August 2012
Monday 20 August 2012
Expendables II
I saw it. And I enjoyed it. I laughed out loud and, yes, at one point yelled at the screen in excitement.
I also, with aid from my trust husband, devoured the largest bucket of popcorn I have ever seen. When in America, never order a large.
So that was exciting.
In other news: brunch at Cafe Joy, Pharr Road - recommended.
And parties in the faaar suburbs with Italian groups. I always thought of suburbs as areas where people live and they drive "into town" to work. What's a suburb that's 45 minutes away from said "town"?
I also, with aid from my trust husband, devoured the largest bucket of popcorn I have ever seen. When in America, never order a large.
So that was exciting.
In other news: brunch at Cafe Joy, Pharr Road - recommended.
And parties in the faaar suburbs with Italian groups. I always thought of suburbs as areas where people live and they drive "into town" to work. What's a suburb that's 45 minutes away from said "town"?
Friday 17 August 2012
My SuperHero Profile: Anchovy
Simply because that is what my mother has always called me.
If you have seen The Dark Knight Rises, and you know me well, you will understand my new obsession with this:
If you have seen The Dark Knight Rises, and you know me well, you will understand my new obsession with this:
Men are useless?
You know those women who sit around and talk about how men are just "no help" and completely clueless about anything useful and you have to train them and men this and men that? I've always found that, well, quite sexist. Coupled with women who assume men are somehow incapable or less capable of taking care of their own children. I don't have children, but if I did and anybody implied my husband was any less capable than I, there would be a reckoning.
In fact I have always seen this as the whining of women who have chosen not to aspire to much in life because settling is easier, and by painting a picture of their own perfection against their partner's faults they are trying to cover up their own feelings of inadequacy. I doubt I will ever be able to believe men are biologically set to be less able around children, household objects or every day chores than women.
Anyway, turns out I have been defending some men who also decided that settling for ignorance is an easier way to mask their own inadequacies
In fact I have always seen this as the whining of women who have chosen not to aspire to much in life because settling is easier, and by painting a picture of their own perfection against their partner's faults they are trying to cover up their own feelings of inadequacy. I doubt I will ever be able to believe men are biologically set to be less able around children, household objects or every day chores than women.
Anyway, turns out I have been defending some men who also decided that settling for ignorance is an easier way to mask their own inadequacies
Tuesday 14 August 2012
Random note I found
From some time in 2010:
"There are two types of people in this world: those who seek compassion and those who seek respect. And I respect you for never offering me compassion.
To my parents
To my brother, my rock
To my husband, my best friend
To my Nonna and her life
To my college advisers, especially Rachel Friedman for making me cry.
To the friends who set a standard for me to live up to. There are few but they count for much.
To Mrs. Fleming, for making love and joy subjects of respect."
It's a little sentimental to be me, but I guess that happens about once a year or so.
"There are two types of people in this world: those who seek compassion and those who seek respect. And I respect you for never offering me compassion.
To my parents
To my brother, my rock
To my husband, my best friend
To my Nonna and her life
To my college advisers, especially Rachel Friedman for making me cry.
To the friends who set a standard for me to live up to. There are few but they count for much.
To Mrs. Fleming, for making love and joy subjects of respect."
It's a little sentimental to be me, but I guess that happens about once a year or so.
Neglect much?
I'm still here!
I was in Portland 2 weeks ago for the Mair Affair - family reunion extravaganza.
This is difficult to say, because I love any excuse to go to Colorado and my memories there are all great - but I think this may have been the best reunion to date. All events were great, well organised, well run, etc. Plus, hey, the Mairs are a fun bunch.
The Gebhardts, reunited for the first time in forever years, look like this:
I was in Portland 2 weeks ago for the Mair Affair - family reunion extravaganza.
This is difficult to say, because I love any excuse to go to Colorado and my memories there are all great - but I think this may have been the best reunion to date. All events were great, well organised, well run, etc. Plus, hey, the Mairs are a fun bunch.
The Gebhardts, reunited for the first time in forever years, look like this:
On a wholly unrelated note: two books I was sad to finish reading and after which I missed the characters were Atlas Shrugged and Terms of Endearment.
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