Blog Feed: Wind Rose Hotel

I wrote this note for a Group at Goodreads.com called “The reasons why you wrote your book or books,” but I think it fits here, too. There is no specific reason why I wrote Blessed Are the Contrarians, nor was there ever even any decision to w

A Review of Blessed Are the Contrarians: Diary of a Journey Through Interesting Times

Published on 2013-01-06 08:53:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by

Blessed Are the Contrarians

Published on 2012-12-24 08:48:00

All right, that’s it, I’m done with this job. My new book is out just in time for Christmas. Here is the Preface to Blessed Are the Contrarians: Diary of a Journey Through Interesting Times. I wish you all

The Infinite Quest

Published on 2012-12-03 01:49:00

Hold tight, dear readers, what this note is all about is nothing less than the Infinite. Tough topic, I know (and how could it be otherwise?), but it’s time, if not past time, because yesterday was not just an ordinary day. In fact yesterday we cel

Tipping Point and the Seven Deadly Sins

Published on 2012-11-10 11:50:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by

The Desire for God

Published on 2012-11-07 16:48:00

Benozzo Gozzoli, St Augustine Departing for Milan (between 1464 and 1465) Apsidal Chapel of Sant' Agostino, San Gimignano, Italy Pope Benedict XVI (from this week’s Wednesday audience in Rome): Continuing our catechesis for the Year of Faith,

A Defense of Bores

Published on 2012-11-01 04:43:00

“ There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person. Nothing is more keenly required than a defence of bores. When Byron divided humanity into the bores and bored, he omitted to not

500 Years of the Sistine Chapel

Published on 2012-10-31 17:50:00

“ Without having seen the Sistine Chapel one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving. ” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Rome, August 23, 1787 Today the Sistine Chapel celebrates 500 years. Click here if you wa

Ralph Waldo Emerson: How I 'Met' Him

Published on 2012-10-29 10:52:00

[Warning

Montaigne: A 16th Century Blogger

Published on 2012-10-15 17:19:00

Michel de Montaigne's library-tower Someone says the best way to read Montaigne is by sitting under a tree along a small river, as the ancients used to do. Someone else says the only one place in which you can read Montaigne is a library, if possible one of those large 16th or 17th century libraries which adorn abbeys and aristocratic palaces throughout Europe. I personally tend to agree with the second opinion—well, lack of anything better, I think my own small library must be enough… Bu [..]

431st Anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto, Oct. 7, 1571

Published on 2012-10-07 06:16:00

The Battle of Lepanto, H. Letter, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich/London. On October 7 the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, but the feast has its origin in an event, the battle of Lepanto, that took place on Oct. 7, 1571, when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of southern European Catholic maritime states, decisively defeated the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire on the northern edge of the Gulf of Corinth, off western Greece. According to some histori [..]

Truth Will Out

Published on 2012-10-05 08:51:00

Photo courtesy The New York Post - EPA There is a saying in Italian which literally translated means “lies have short legs” (so they don’t go very far), and which roughly corresponds to “Truth will out” in English. This seems to particularly apply to what happened Wednesday night at the first presidential debate. John Podhoretz in the New York Post: Mitt Romney’s spectacular debate performance Wednesday night was the result of a parlor trick only Republicans get to play — the sam [..]

There Is a Harmony in Autumn...

Published on 2012-09-22 17:53:00

...[T]here is a harmony In autumn, and a lustre in its sky, Which through the summer is not heard or seen, As if it could not be, as if it had not been! ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty” I have been very busy the past few weeks—and will be so in the days to come—so I haven’t been blogging much lately. Sorry about that, but believe me, I have a good reason… I’ll let you know more in due course. In the meantime enjoy the full text of the beautiful [..]

Why the Obama Administration is Wrong About the Embassy Attacks

Published on 2012-09-13 14:03:00

(Photo: AFP/Getty Images) A few simple, but very appropriate, remarks by Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School: The White House and diplomats may wish to believe a distasteful, provocative, and inflammatory film motivated the violence in both Egypt and Libya. It is comforting for politicians and officials to ascribe the root cause of Islamist terrorism to grievance because if grievance motivates terror, t [..]

If Only They Could Have Imagined

Published on 2012-09-02 21:19:00

“ A new knighthood has appeared in the land of the Incarnation, a knighthood that fights a double battle against adversaries of flesh and blood and also against the spirit of evil. This new knighthood is worthy of all the praise given to men of God. The knight who protects his soul with the armor of faith, as he covers his body with a coat of mail, is truly without fear and above reproach. Doubly armed he fears neither men nor demons.” ~ St. Bernard of Clairvaux, De Laude Novae Militiae [..]

The Metric of Freedom

Published on 2012-08-27 16:25:00

As my readers know, I’m not very good at economics, but I definitely want to keep up-to-date on this matter. And that’s why—after asking one of my favorite economics gurus for advice—I’m currently reading the following very special books (which I highly recommend to anyone interested in that kind of reading). The Clash of Economic Ideas: The Great Policy Debates and Experiments of the Last Hundred Years, by Lawrence H. White, Professor at George Mason University. An easy to read a [..]

Torcello: The True Pearl of the Lagoon

Published on 2012-08-13 08:29:00

Torcello (Venice), Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral You don’t need to be a globe-trotter, or at least a passionate lover of Venice and its surrounding lagoon islands, to know or have heard about Torcello. You just need to have read Ernest Hemingway’s Across the River and Through the Trees, which he wrote during his stay there—at the famous Locanda Cipriani, which after that became a literary legend along with the island of Torcello itself, to which the great American writer devoted whole pa [..]

The Secret Book of Dante

Published on 2012-08-12 16:33:00

Ok, I have not posted anything for quite some time, but I have been reading and reading and reading—then again, isn’t summer the best time for reading? My latest read was a novel written by Francesco Fioretti: Il libro segreto di Dante (“The Secret Book of Dante”). Unfortunately it’s not translated in English yet, but there’s already a Spanish translation, just in case you’d be interested. The basic hypothesis of the book is that Dante didn’t die of malaria—as it has been know [..]

Road Journal: Budapest

Published on 2012-07-25 14:41:00

Yes, Budapest—the “Pearl of the Danube,” as it has been called due to its geographical location along “the Beautiful Blue Danube”—didn’t fall short of our expectations. It is really a wonderful city. And yet, in my own view, what’s perhaps most amazing about this rather cosmopolitan city is that… people seem to take their time in doing everything. Something I had forgotten since the times when I was a child—another Europe and, above all, another Italy. In other words, in Buda [..]

Road Journal: Cracow (Some More Pictures)

Published on 2012-07-23 16:57:00

(July 11, 2012, in a beautiful sunny day)COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

Road Journal: Cracow

Published on 2012-07-17 16:27:00

Beautiful city, kind people, a pleasant stay (some days ago).COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

Road Journal: Jasna Gora

Published on 2012-07-12 09:28:00

Our Lady of Częstochowa The Jasna Gora (Bright Mount in Polish) sanctuary in Częstochowa is the holiest place of Poland. Its most valuable treasure is the famous painting of Our Lady, also known as the Black Madonna. The strange thing about this sanctuary is that it was not built after a Marian apparition—as is usually the case for major holy sites—of which the painting is the representation, no, this place exists because of the painting. Why? Here is an explanation about this mystery: [..]

Going East

Published on 2012-07-05 07:53:00

Black Madonna of Częstochowa, Poland Hello dear readers, I always appreciate your time and comments, but blogging will be light (or nonexistent) over the coming weeks—as it has been in the past few days—because summer has well and truly arrived, with temperatures rising all over the old continent, with what this brings for better or for worse, depending on tastes and circumstances. In other words, it’s vacation time, time for your truly to hit the highways and the byways of Europe once a [..]

A Pilgrim at Euro 2012

Published on 2012-06-27 09:07:00

Cesare Prandelli Even though I love this game, I’m not a big soccer fan, except for international tournaments such as the Champions League, the European Championships, and the World Cup. That’s why I’m watching—and enjoying—Euro 2012, and not just because Italy are doing very well, though that helps, of course—by the way, hey German friends, how do you feel about next Thursday? The Camaldolese Monastery near KrakowPhoto courtesy:

"Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down"

Published on 2012-06-18 07:50:00

Kris Kristofferson Perhaps, in a sense, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” is not a politically correct song, or at least it’s not a philosophically innocuous one, if I may say so about a country music song, because much more than many other country hits, it (intrinsically) celebrates traditional values—though in its own way and despite its author being a liberal!—as the lyrics show. Even though it was written by Kris Kristofferson and first recorded by Ray Stevens in 1969, it was Joh [..]

The Lady: Twenty-one Years After

Published on 2012-06-16 16:55:00

Aung San Suu Kyi gives her Nobel lecture DANIEL SANNUM LAUTEN/AFP/Getty Images “ Often during my days of house arrest it felt as though I were no longer a part of the real world. There was the house which was my world, there was the world of others who also were not free but who were together in prison as a community, and there was the world of the free. Each was a different planet pursuing its own separate course in an indifferent universe. What the Nobel Peace Prize did was to draw me once [..]

Surviving New York City's Summer (Without Air Conditioning)

Published on 2012-06-16 10:59:00

Photo: The New York Sun Hey, fellow Europeans, have you ever been in New York in July and/or August? It’s unbearably hot and muggy, even to those who are familiar with the sweltering, humid summers in the Po Valley, Italy. As far as I am concerned, I will never forget that August day when streams of sweat were flowing down my fingers while I was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge—I had never seen anything like that before and thought I was going to die of …desiccation! Well, have you ev [..]

Roman Britain

Published on 2012-06-14 18:42:00

Hadrian's Wall - Picture: Alan Novelli / Alamy A look at the ruined reminders of the Romans’ time in Britain. In the Telegraph. COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

How the Wild West Really Looked

Published on 2012-06-13 11:22:00

Shoshone Falls, Idaho - 1868 - Timothy O'Sullivan photo (Mail Online) In the Mail Online a magnificent series of 19th century sepia-tinted pictures show the American West as it looked when it was charted for the first time. The photos, by Timothy O’Sullivan, one of the most famous photographers of his time, are the first ever taken of the rocky and barren landscape. Timothy O'Sullivan, who had earlier covered the U.S. Civil War, worked with the Government teams as they explored the land in [..]

Tornado in Venice (Yes, You Read It Right!)

Published on 2012-06-12 18:31:00

Wow, I wish I were there—well, er, I never got to see one “in the flesh”… Venice, June 12 - A dramatic funnel cloud swept over Venice on Tuesday and narrowly missed the center of town, striking instead the outskirts and uprooting trees and overturning dozens of boats. Read the full Ansa report here. Eyewitness report by Cat Bauer at Venetian Cat - Venice Blog.COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

Oooops, Backfire and Disarray

Published on 2012-06-10 16:31:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by

Englishness

Published on 2012-06-09 17:25:00

Recent years have seen an increased interest in issues of national identity throughout Europe. The United Kingdom is no exception, even though in that country multiculturalism may have been abandoned as government policy, but its legacy is everywhere. In this post Norman Geras enters the debate recently started by the Labour Party’s Hilary Benn and Ed Milliband, ans shows why, in his opinion (and on the basis of “general philosophical considerations”), those who think there is no such thin [..]

Here Are the Gates of Paradise!

Published on 2012-06-08 16:37:00

Lorenzo Ghiberti’s “Adam and Eve” (The Gates of Paradise,

One and Triune God

Published on 2012-06-05 12:35:00

Andrei Rublev, Trinity - Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow “ Does not wisdom call,

Happy Republic Day!

Published on 2012-06-02 10:40:00

(Photo courtesy

Sweet Police

Published on 2012-06-02 10:22:00

By A.F. Branco (ConservativeDailyNews.com) COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

Is This Where New Yorkers and Americans in General Are Heading?

Published on 2012-06-01 12:20:00

Both Michelle Obama and Michael Bloomberg want people to eat healthy. That’s why their restaurant of choice might look like the one shown in the video, where Brian tries to order lunch at “Nou Nou D’Enfer”… H/T John PodhoretzCOPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

Emmylou & Willie

Published on 2012-05-31 18:50:00

Take one of the best (if not the best) female country singer of all time—who is also a wonderful woman—and a true country music genius, put them together on a stage, make them sing a very special song and you have the answer to the question, “What is country music?” The first is Hammylou Harris, the daughter of a career military family; the latter is Willie Nelson, born during the Great Depression to a poor family of English, Irish and Cherokee descent. The song, by Rodney Crowell, is � [..]

Keeping Central Park Safe

Published on 2012-05-30 08:39:00

John Podhoretz in the New York Post: The most important transformation of New York City over the past 20 years has come in the worst neighborhoods, where the crime drop has made an astonishing difference. As many as 10,000 people may be alive today who would’ve been killed had the policies of 1992 remained in place. But the most visible public example of the transformation has been the salvation and revitalization of Central Park, whose 843 acres had grown positively fearsome in the 25 years [..]

Troubles Never Come Alone

Published on 2012-05-29 14:53:00

A man walks in front of a collapsed church in Mirandola (AP Photo/Marco Vasini) Troubles never come alone. As if an economy on life support (in many respects) was not bad enough, 9 days after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit northern Italy, another powerful earthquake (magnitude 5.8) killed at least 15 people and left 200 injured this morning in the same area. Factories, warehouses and churches collapsed, dealing a second blow to a region where thousands are still homeless from another tembl [..]

And the Editor Said...

Published on 2012-05-26 16:26:00

“ You all know what Thomas Jefferson said of the press— that given the choice of a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, he wouldn’t hesitate for a second to choose the latter. Of course, Jefferson said that before he became President. You know, it reminds me of a particular editor who just wouldn’t admit to any mistakes ever in his paper. Everything in his paper had the weight of Scripture. And then early one morning he received a call from an outraged subsc [..]

Brits Abroad

Published on 2012-05-25 16:09:00

There are lots of British expats in southern Europe, especially in France. What do they miss most from home? And how does an expat feel when a neighbor calls him from the small village in south-western France where he owns a house while he is, say, in London to break the news that his rural idyll has been ransacked by burglars? Well, you’ll find the answers to both questions in The Telegraph: What do you miss from home? Thieves have spoilt my expat dream Have a good read, and, above all if [..]

Coincidence or Causal Connection?

Published on 2012-05-23 13:27:00

Okay, I know, I know, after reading this and this (in chronological order) you might think that there is some sort of tacit agreement between the NYT and your’s truly, but I can assure you it’s just a coincidence. Well, as far as I know, but I could be wrong of course…COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

Beppe Grillo's Cultural Revolution

Published on 2012-05-22 19:34:00

Beppe Grillo and Federico Pizzarotti Despite claims of victory by Pierluigi Bersani and his Democratic Party, after the second round of local elections in Italy, there is no doubt that, once again, the big winners are Beppe Grillo and his Five Star Movement: Grillo’s 39-year-old candidate Federico Pizzarotti—who pulled in 60.22% of the vote against 40.1% for the Center-left’s Vincenzo Bernazzoli—will be the new mayor of Parma. Beppe Grillo, with obvious reference to Hitler’s decisi [..]

The Art of Plucking the Feathers without Killing the Bird?

Published on 2012-05-17 04:10:00

“ I’ve been told that some Members of Congress disagree with my tax cut proposal. Well, you know it’s been said that taxation is the art of plucking the feathers without killing the bird. It’s time they realized that the bird just doesn’t have any feathers left. Maybe some of you heard me put it a different way on several occasions when I’ve said that robbing Peter to pay Paul won’t work anymore, because Peter’s been bankrupt for some time now. ” ~ Ronald Reagan, Remarks at [..]

Switching to English

Published on 2012-05-16 20:26:00

News like this are exactly what makes me hope for the best for the future of Italy: one of the country’s leading universities, the Politecnico di Milano, has announced that from 2014 most of its degree courses—including all its graduate courses—will be taught and assessed entirely in English rather than Italian. “Universities are in a more competitive world, if you want to stay with the other global universities—you have no other choice,” says the university’s rector, Giovanni Azz [..]

The Failure of Arab Liberals

Published on 2012-05-15 14:50:00

Game On

Published on 2012-05-12 16:28:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by

A Journey of Malavasie

Published on 2012-05-12 10:00:00

A map of the island fortress of Monemvasia in the 17th century Malvasia, have you ever heard this before? If so, not many words are needed, if not take the time to check Wikipedia, where the history of this family of wines is told. But if you are in Venice these days—for the America’s Cup World Series or any other reason—take the time to pay a visit to “A Journey of Malavasie, the Wine of Kings, From Karst to Sicily” (Il Viaggio delle Malvasie, Vino dei Re, dal Carso alla Sicilia). S [..]

Beppe Grillo? Lost in Translation...

Published on 2012-05-08 18:12:00

Beppe Grillo Beppe Grillo emerged as the big winner from yesterday’s local elections in Italy. The list of articles below should help you get an idea about what is going on. If anyone is interested in my opinion, I’d say that’s okay, I’m not worried about that. On the contrary, I think this might turn out to be a good thing. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about here. There’s something a bit more curious—and less binding… I’ve always thought that Italian politics is oft [..]

For Many or for All?

Published on 2012-05-03 13:45:00

Cod. Bruchsal 1, Bl. 28r -

The Love Affair between Italy and Shakespeare

Published on 2012-04-26 12:04:00

Speaking of Italy, “Anyone who claims Shakespeare’s poetry is lost in translation might have to think again.” At least, this is what the Guardian says in this article by Sonia Massai, Reader in Shakespeare & Early Modern Studies at King’s College, London—but frankly I think there’s no doubt about that. At the same time, there should be few doubts about the (reciprocal) love affair between Italy and Shakespeare: Crucial to establishing Shakespeare's reputation in Italy has been th [..]

The Global War on Christians

Published on 2012-04-22 08:14:00

I know, time is precious, but please take an hour and a half to watch the video (see below) of a talk given by John L. Allen, Jr., at the recent Los Angeles Religious Education Congress 2012 on the global war on Christians. A senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and a vaticanologist of CNN and NPR, John L. Allen, Jr. carefully explains—on the basis of facts and evidence, not opinions—that what is at stake today for Christians worldwide is nothing less than their own surviv [..]

How Hard It Can Be to Make the Change from Democrat to Republican

Published on 2012-04-20 20:25:00

“ I know from personal experience how hard it can be to make the change from Democrat to Republican. I also know that there comes a time when you look in your heart and realize that it may be hard to change, but it’s just something that you’ve got to do. Party loyalty can be mighty fierce, though. We all know that story about way back when—probably one of the first Republicans was running here in the South for office, out soliciting votes, and he was rejected by one gentleman who said to [..]

RIP Levon Helm

Published on 2012-04-19 19:52:00

Levon Helm died today at 71.COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

The Way They Do It in Washington?

Published on 2012-04-19 18:10:00

“[S]ometimes there are two ways of doing things: the right way, and the way they do it in Washington.” ~ Ronald Reagan (Cenikor Foundation - Houston, Texas, April 29, 1983) When “the Great Communicator” uttered that famous sentence, he probably made a mistake—he should have said, the way they do it in Rome. The first link of the list provides an illuminating example of this. [Italian Politics Updates - 3] The Complicated Toils of the Most Despised Tax (The new “municipal” p [..]

David Axelrod: A Revealing Moment of Truth

Published on 2012-04-17 09:19:00

John Podhoretz in the New York Post: On Sunday, the most important person in the Obama campaign aside from President Obama himself inadvertently gave the 2012 game away in one of the more revealing political moments of our lifetimes. David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, deserves enormous credit for having fashioned one of the most brilliant national campaigns in American history in 2008. But that was then, and this is now — and now Axelrod has gone on “Fox News Sunday” and offered [..]

Italian Politics Updates - 2

Published on 2012-04-16 16:47:00

Cold winds blew through Italy this week, and clouds obscured the unseasonably blue skies under which the country had long been basking....

Mantua: A Cultural City Guide

Published on 2012-04-15 16:45:00

Do you remember Virgil, the ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period who wrote the Bucolics, the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid? Well, if so perhaps you remember where he was born and the verse inscription—supposedly composed by the poet himself—at his tomb in Posillipo, near Naples: “Mantua me genuit; Calabri rapuere; tenet nunc Parthenope. Cecini pascua, rura, duces” (“Mantua gave birth to me, the Calabrians took me, now Naples holds me; I sang of pastures, country and leaders”). O [..]

Only Growth and Employment Can Stop the Markets’ Crisis

Published on 2012-04-14 16:41:00

Gian Maria Gros-Pietro Perhaps it is true that, as many analysts think, what’s behind the new major crash of European markets –the umpteenth black Friday—is the slowdown of the Chinese economy, but that’s neither the only nor the main trouble we have. The problem that needs a solution in Europe and especially in Italy is different and broader. It concerns the role emerging economies are increasingly playing in the international division of labor and wealth. To remain competitive, Europ [..]

Conservative Republicans for Romney

Published on 2012-04-14 03:25:00

Credit: R.J. Matson

Italian Politics Updates - 1

Published on 2012-04-12 14:41:00

This is the first of a series of semi-weekly updates on Italian politics—no much to be said, just read and get an idea, freedom of opinion is a right, not a privilege … ;-) Main parties agree to funding transparency measures - ANSA India: Italian released by Maoist rebels - Adnkronos CultureAndMedia Threatened mayor retracts resignation - ANSA Plan to slash MP numbers approved (ansa.it) Monti to Tackle Italy Corruption as Scandals Topple Politicians - Bloomberg Euro Zone: Italy 3-Year Yiel [..]

Rick Santorum Drops Out

Published on 2012-04-10 19:32:00

(Credit: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Rick Santorum drops out, but claiming a victory of sorts. “Against all odds,” he said after leaving the race, “we won 11 states, millions of voters, millions of votes.” Paraphrasing what Charles Krauthammer wrote after Ron Paul’s impressive performance in New Hampshire three months ago, I’d say that there are two stories coming out of this Republican campaign: the big story is Mitt Romney, the bigger one is Rick Santorum. Perhaps the former senato [..]

Italian Politics: Latest News

Published on 2012-04-10 17:24:00

Elsa Fornero, Mario Monti, Emma Marcegaglia They say sarcasm is the lowest form of humor, and that’s definitely right. As for me, I don’t like it, but when the topic is politics, here in Italy, it’s often almost impossible to escape it. Take this news—related to the president of the leading organization representing the manufacturing and service industries in Italy—for example: (AGI) Confindustria’s president Emma Marcegaglia, whose mandate expires in May, has said she is extremely [..]

Work in Progress

Published on 2012-04-08 11:43:00

This blog is in transition (from windrosehotel.blogspot.com to windrosehotel.com). Since it takes time for this new address to be available all over the Internet, in the meanwhile Google/Blogspot will redirect readers from the old address to the new one. I’m also experiencing some other problems (e.g. the blog lists have become empty). I hope everything will be fixed soon. Thanks for your patience.COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative C [..]

Let There Be Light!

Published on 2012-04-07 17:49:00

Benedict XVI - Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday on April 7, 2012 (Getty Images) “ At Easter, on the morning of the first day of the week, God said once again: “Let there be light.” The night on the Mount of Olives, the solar eclipse of Jesus’ passion and death, the night of the grave had all passed. Now it is the first day once again – creation is beginning anew. “Let there be light,” says God, “and there was light:” Jesus rises from the grave. Life is stronger than death. Good is [..]

Let There Be Light!

Published on 2012-04-07 17:49:00

François Hollande and the Power of the Media

Published on 2012-04-05 18:18:00

François Hollande It was Oscar Wilde—not a short-sighted anti-freedom-of-speech reactionary—who said, back in 1890, “In the old days men had the rack. Now they have the Press.” “That is an improvement certainly,” he continued, “[b]ut still it is very bad, and wrong, and demoralising. Somebody—was it Burke?—called Journalism the fourth estate. That was true at the time, no doubt. But at the present moment it really is the only estate. […] We are dominated by Journalism. In Am [..]

François Hollande and the Power of the Media

Published on 2012-04-05 18:18:00

A List of Sites on Churches and Religions

Published on 2012-04-03 15:31:00

A resource page by Sandro Magister. Definitely worth bookmarking and consulting for future (and current) reference.COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

A List of Sites on Churches and Religions

Published on 2012-04-03 15:31:00

The Clash

Published on 2012-04-01 20:46:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by

The Clash

Published on 2012-04-01 20:46:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by

How Marvellous the Power of the Cross

Published on 2012-04-01 16:08:00

St. Leo the Great

How Marvellous the Power of the Cross

Published on 2012-04-01 16:08:00

St. Leo the Great

Mario Monti's Big Challenge

Published on 2012-03-27 18:31:00

Mario Monti (Reuters) To boost growth and overcome its protracted debt crisis, the eurozone needs to undertake “ambitious structural reforms” aimed to reduce restrictions on labor mobility, ease job protection and change the wage bargaining system, says the OECD in a report released today. In Italy, the call for further reforms comes as a big help to Mario Monti in the wake of opinion polls showing a steady decline in support for the Italian prime minister—an ISPO poll for Sunday’s Corr [..]

Mario Monti's Big Challenge

Published on 2012-03-27 18:31:00

Lathe Biōsas - Live Secretly

Published on 2012-03-24 19:53:00

Ernesto Galli della Loggia Photo: Silvia Crupano “ Italy’s elite has lost the noble taste for that disdain which is the reverse of affectation, a taking pleasure in, and appreciating the elegance of, sobriety. The celebrated apple that President Einaudi once asked if anyone wanted to share with him at an official dinner is perhaps no longer even on the Quirinale Palace menu. Nor does Einaudi’s famously snobbish, and more than a tad stingy, publisher son have many emulators nowadays of his [..]

Lathe Biōsas - Live Secretly

Published on 2012-03-24 19:53:00

The Brueghel Dynasty

Published on 2012-03-22 18:16:00

Pieter Brueghel the Younger, "The Bird Trap" (Private collection) What do the small Scottish town of Montrose (Angus) and the Italian town of Como (Lombardy) have in common? Well, seemingly very little, but over the next few days things will change, because both of them will become “Brueghel cities.” Better still, Montrose is already a Brueghel city, since the local Museum is currently hosting the “Pieter Brueghel The Younger” exhibition, which runs until April 14, while Como will have t [..]

The Brueghel Dynasty

Published on 2012-03-22 18:16:00

Et Tu, Google? (A Little Help for Blogspot/Blogger Users)

Published on 2012-03-21 19:29:00

And so Google, the owner of Blogspot/Blogger, has crossed the Rubicon of good manners by deciding to play a nasty trick—to say it as politely as possible—on bloggers outside the United States: now if you click on windrosehotel.blogspot.com (and any other blogspot.com blog) from your non-U.S. country, instead of the blogspot.com domain extension, you will see your country specific domain extensions. In the last few days, this change had been rolled out in India only, but over the last weekend [..]

Et Tu, Google? (A Little Help for Blogspot/Blogger Users)

Published on 2012-03-21 19:29:00

Trees

Published on 2012-03-20 08:43:00

I think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. ~ A. J. Kilmer, “Trees” It’s Spring Equinox. Happy Spring Everybody! COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All ori [..]

From the Thames to the Tiber

Published on 2012-03-19 15:54:00

Benedict XVI and Archbishop Rowan Williams

Obama's Administration's Policy on Birth Control for Religious Groups: Another Blow to Religious Liberty

Published on 2012-03-18 10:13:00

In March 16, 2012 New York Times: The Obama administration took another step on Friday to enforce a federal mandate for health insurance coverage of contraceptives, announcing how the new requirement would apply to the many Roman Catholic hospitals, universities and social service agencies that insure themselves. Just one more gaffe, you might say, but that’s what I call a long-term strategy against religious liberty. (Via Fr. Philip Powell)COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [..]

Blind to Beauty

Published on 2012-03-16 16:38:00

Giotto, Lucifer Cappella degli Scrovegni - Padua This comes at the right moment: after my latest post, the subject of which was Dante’s Divine Comedy and its politically correct opponents. But this time there are neither opponents nor enemies, just people of good will trying to learn from that literary and philosophical-theological masterpiece. Like Fr. Robert Barron, who recalls that Dante places Satan, encased in ice, at the center of the earth (Inferno, Canto 34). Thus, Dante’s Satan is a [..]

Dante? Racist and Homophobic!

Published on 2012-03-13 17:17:00

Domenico di Michelino, Dante and his poem (detail) Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence “Therefore, we call for the removal of the Divine Comedy from school programs.” Thus spoke Valentina Sereni, president of Gherush92, Committee for Human Rights—a scientific research organization which has been granted the special consultative status with UN Economic and Social Council—in an interview to Italian press agency Adnkronos (in Italian). Whence does such a blatant “call to arms” come? “F [..]

A Time to Listen, a Time to Speak

Published on 2012-03-12 20:41:00

There is a time to speak and a time to listen. There is a time for everything, and what may be good at one time may be evil at another... COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All original content of this blog [Wind Rose Hotel] is subject to Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa)

The U.S. Adds the Holy See to Money-Laundering Concern List

Published on 2012-03-08 20:20:00

This is a news that you wouldn’t really know whether to cry and laugh. It sounds crazy and it is crazy, but also it is serious, it seems incredible but it is true… (Reuters) - The Vatican has for the first time appeared on the State Department's list of money-laundering centers but the tiny city-state is not rated as a high-risk country. The 2012 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report

Never Trust Friends!

Published on 2012-03-08 12:27:00

F. Hayez, portrait of Alessandro Manzoni Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan “ One of the greatest comforts of this life is friendship; and one of the comforts of friendship is that of having someone we can trust with a secret. But friendship does not pair us off into couples, as marriage does; each of us generally has more than one friend to his name, and so a chain is formed, of which no man can see

Welcome Back to Reality, Folks!

Published on 2012-03-08 08:14:00

Credit: la Repubblica Okay, let’s talk once again about the rating agencies. But this time positively—well, not that much, to be honest, but I’m trying to do my best… Let’s put it this way: Yes, usually they are months late, but in the end they get it right. That’s exactly what happened yesterday, in Cannes, with Standard & Poor’s chief economist for Europe, Jean-Michel Six, who speaking at

Great Poetry: 'Invictus'

Published on 2012-03-07 05:26:00

William Ernest Henley A couple years ago I posted about Clint Eastwood’s movie Invictus, the title of which comes from the homonymous poem by William Ernest Henley. I come back to this subject again to propose a comparison between two renderings of the poem: that of English actor Alan Bates, in the video below, and that of Morgan Freeman, in another YouTube clip showing an excerpt from the

Quaerere Deum (To Seek God) - Updated

Published on 2012-03-05 20:00:00

A. Mantegna, St Benedict Brera - Milan As the saying goes, and as this post proves, “All good things come in threes,” in fact this is the third post I’m writing this year about the Benedictine monks—which is, needless to say, a good thing from my point of view, and I’m sorry for those who think otherwise, namely that Benedictine monasticism is an irrelevant or boring subject: they simply don’t

What Would Fr. Richard Neuhaus Say?

Published on 2012-03-05 05:51:00

Father Richard John Neuhaus, the man who redefined the church-state debate in America and introduced the phrase “public square” into the national vocabulary, died three years ago. Yet, says George Weigel in a piece in National Review Online, he left such a voluminous body of work behind that it’s not impossible to suggest some answers to the question, “What would Father Richard say?,” were he

Once a Nominal Catholic, Now a Clarion of Faith

Published on 2012-03-04 15:44:00

Rick Santorum and his wife Kare Santorum Credit: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0) I have no idea what the average NYT reader thinks, or might think, about this piece. Nor do I have any idea what my non-Christian readers’ opinion is. What I’m sure about is that I found the story it tells very inspiring and, in a certain degree, familiar. It’s about how Rick Santorum, once a “nominal Catholic”

Ciao Lucio!

Published on 2012-03-01 16:49:00

Lucio Dalla Lucio Dalla, one of the greatest Italian singers and songwriters ever, died of a heart attack this morning in Switzerland during a European concert tour at age 68. A great loss for us all—especially for those of my generation—because he was nothing less than a living legend. And I say this even though my musical tastes were rather different from his. But a genius goes far beyond the

Google Doodle and Signor Crescendo

Published on 2012-02-29 14:28:00

Today’s Google doodle celebrates Gioachino Rossini, the great Italian composer who was born on February 29, 1792, that is exactly two hundred and twenty years ago today. By the way, a characteristic mannerism in Rossini’s orchestral scoring is a long, steady building of sound over an ostinato figure, creating “tempests in teapots by beginning in a whisper and rising to a flashing, glittering

Isn't Everything Better than Hell's Fire?

Published on 2012-02-29 07:29:00

Richard Dawkins “I’d go to church just to reduce the probability of spending eternity in Hell with Richard Dawkins.” Fr. Z is absolutely right, that’s a great, attention-grabbing title. And as it was not enough, there are many other possible applications in addition to the one mentioned in the title: just substitute Richard Dawkins with some other guy’s/gal’s name/surname … there might turn

They (We) Will Not Comply

Published on 2012-02-29 02:11:00

Okay, this is a rather concise and straightforward way to say it, but more complex and nuanced arguments are welcome!

Dust and Ash

Published on 2012-02-27 13:05:00

Lent has begun. Last Wednesday—or yesterday, at the Sunday Mass, as it happened to me and many other latecomers as well—we took the blessed ashes upon our foreheads and accepted the invitation of the Church to go into the desert with the Lord. “And straightway the Spirit driveth him forth into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days …” (Mark 1: 12-13). That’s why Ash Wednesday is

There They Go Again

Published on 2012-02-23 21:09:00

Rick Santorum has been under fire in recent days. The latest controversy surrounding the current Republican front-runner involves no more and no less than a speech he gave back in 2008 and which was posted on The Drudge Report on Tuesday. Well, it was no ordinary speech, since he dared to say that… Satan had “set his sights set on the United States of America.” “The Father of Lies,” he said, “is

Apropos of Symbols

Published on 2012-02-21 18:11:00

Apropos of symbols (see two posts ago), here is a small bas-relief depicting a bearded semi-naked man (Venice Daily Photo) : A door jamb depicting St. Jerome (Sestiere di Dorsoduro, Venice) Click to enlarge The presence of some interpretative keys suggests that this figure represents St. Jerome: the skull, the crucifix, the lion, and his holding in his right hand a stone. In fact St. Jerome

Those Catholics with Some Ifs and Buts

Published on 2012-02-20 20:29:00

In the HHS mandate debate, we are enjoying at times the “erudition” of certain Catholics who use it as an opportunity to voice the predictable “I’m a Catholic, but…” whinge. They talk about and react to “the bishops’ extremism,” of course from a non-partisan point of view. Needless to say, they presume that “extremism”—and this is a little monument to freedom of speech and press!—is now to be

Founded on the Rock of Peter's Faith

Published on 2012-02-20 04:18:00

Altar of the Chair of St. Peter - St. Peter's Basilica Paul Ricoeur’s aphorism, “the symbol gives rise to thought” (“le symbole donne à penser”), which is the title he gave to the epilogue to his masterpiece Finitude and Culpability, should be written on the walls and pillars of the churches. Because unlike a technical “cipher,” the meaning of which remains fixed and thus transparent, the

It's Santorum Time!

Published on 2012-02-16 18:58:00

Rick Santorum is joined by his family at the CPAC Washington, D.C., February 10, 2012 Looks like things are changing fast in the Republican race for the presidential nomination. Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum has emerged as a new star for the Republican Party and the conservative movement. Some three months ago, Santorum barely registered with voters, the Gallup poll had him

George Weigel: An American Catholic Patriotic Association?

Published on 2012-02-15 17:24:00

George Weigel “Who speaks for the Catholic Church in America?” The answer to this question should be obvious: “The bishops’ conference.” Yet, according to the U.S. Administration that’s not exactly the way things are, because, first and foremost, primacy in the Catholic Church is not conferred by the pope, but by the White House. This is, in short, George Weigel’s J’accuse—in the National

Another Tibetan Monk Sets Himself on Fire in China

Published on 2012-02-14 09:33:00

Tenzin Choeden Another Tibetan monk, the 19-year-old Lobsang Gyatso, from Kirti Monastery has set himself on fire in Ngaba Town, in south-western China, say Free Tibet and the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). He is the second teenager to set himself on fire in Ngaba in the last three days, following Tenzin Choeden, who died last Saturday. (See also here and here). In the last year, at

Venetian Bloggers

Published on 2012-02-14 06:08:00

The Sestriere of San Marco seen from Dorsoduro - Photo: Venice Daily Photo How many times I ha have told myself, “I haven’t gone there for a long time—two years? Three years? I can’t remember…—and to think that it takes only 30 minutes by train from where I live to Venice!” It’s a crying shame, I know, I have no excuses. How many memories of my life as a university student and a free-spirited

The Name of Santorum

Published on 2012-02-12 12:54:00

Rick Santorum can trace his roots back to Riva del Garda, Italy Photo courtesy: BBC Do you like stories about famous people’s origins? Here is an interesting story about one of the four remaining Republican candidates running for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination, the former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. This is, of course, also a story about the vast opportunities

Obama to Change Contraceptive Rule

Published on 2012-02-10 10:37:00

An announcement from the White House: The White House said Friday it would address the controversial decision that would require religious-affiliated institutions to provide health insurance that includes coverage for birth control. At 12:15 p.m. ET, President Barack Obama will deliver a statement from the White House press briefing room. According to a source who has been briefed on the matter

Obama's Kulturkampf

Published on 2012-02-09 19:29:00

Kulturkampf (editorial cartoon), Kladderadatsch, May, 1875 Here I am on Obama’s contraception mandate again. But this time I suspect I’m going to surprise you. In fact, this is just an invitation to undertake the reading of this thought-provoking post at Fr. Z’s Blog. Well, actually it’s a Guest entry from Fabrizio, a Roman friend of F. Z, but there is also a comment by the blog’s owner and

Why the Obama Administration’s Contraceptive Rule Is Twice Wrong

Published on 2012-02-07 17:59:00

White House spokesman Jay Carney defends the new HHS rule:"The President concurs in the decision" (January 31, 2012) In his column today, David Brooks—a political and cultural commentator for the New York Times who considers himself a moderate, not a conservative, despite what the NYT thinks of him—criticizes the Obama Administration’s Contraceptive Rule (see my previous post). Yet, unlike

Obama Administration's Contraceptive Rule: Much More Than a Gaffe

Published on 2012-02-06 15:33:00

President Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius A number of conservative commentators and pundits said that with the healthcare vote in March 2010, President Obama had crossed the Rubicon—a “Socialist Rubicon,” so to speak. He now believes—and acts—as if he is above the law; the Constitution no longer applies to him, they said. Well, now we can officially say that the Obama administration,

On Silence and Prayer

Published on 2012-02-03 13:02:00

St. Benedict delivering his Rule to St. Maurus and other monks Monastery of St. Gilles, Nimes My previous post lead me to this one. This is just so that you can have a better sense of what The Rule of St. Benedict is all about. Enjoy and meditate: “ Let us act in accordance with that saying of the Prophet; “I have said: I will keep my ways, that I offend not with my tongue. I have been

Deconstructing Independence on Independence Day

Published on 2011-07-02 09:36:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~ "It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and as they would be the

“The Shot Heard Round the World”

Published on 2011-07-01 01:05:00

When the bullet that began the American Revolution was fired at Concord, historians called the event “the shot heard round the world.” Autocratic rulers heard that shot, and things that had not been questioned for millennia were now open to chall

Aung San Suu Kyi at Risk, Once Again

Published on 2011-06-29 21:29:00

Dark clouds are gathering over pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Burma’s government has warned the Nobel peace prize laureate—who has remained in Rangoon since her release from house arrest, but she has said she soon plans to travel to the c

Top Blogs and Websites on Religious Studies

Published on 2011-06-23 12:33:00

I’ve just received an email from Catherine Elson informing me about an article, titled “Top 15 Blogs on Religious Studies,” she just posted on The Divining Blog. I’m glad to pass the information along. Catherine firstly reminds readers that r

Smith, Wesson and Me

Published on 2011-06-22 16:39:00

What would you do if someone tried to kill you by shooting a kind of rocket at you? Of course I wish you not to face a similar situation, but then again, as you know, everything is possible in life. Therefore it’s important to be ready! That’s wh

George & Emmylou

Published on 2011-06-17 01:14:00

Country music scholar Bill C. Malone writes, “For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics, and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved.” Neve

New Beginning

Published on 2011-06-14 00:48:00

Eugene Delacroix, Study of Sky: Setting Sun Everything in life is temporary. Everything has an end. Winter ends, snow melts, spring ends… But, as the old proverb goes, every end is a new beginning, and when spring ends summer starts. Or, if you pre

Pentecost on Mount Athos

Published on 2011-06-12 12:13:00

Fresco in Koutloumoussiou Monastery Mount Athos Mount Athos is not for everyone, at least it isn’t for women—the last authorized female pilgrim set foot there sixteen centuries ago, and her name was Galla Placidia, the daughter of Theodosius,

Where Nothing Is Impossible

Published on 2011-06-03 13:48:00

Yesterday, here in Italy, was the festival of the Republic, but the Italian Prime minister had few reasons to celebrate after his ruling center-right coalition was resoundingly beaten in runoff administrative elections last Monday. He lost Milan (44

Our Memorial Day

Published on 2011-05-28 08:07:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~ This Monday is a national day of remembrance for US military Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors that have given their lives in defense of this country and freedom. Memorial Day shoul

May 26: Saint Philip Neri

Published on 2011-05-26 16:24:00

“ O God, who never cease to bestow the glory of holiness on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself, graciously grant that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire with which he wonderfully filled the heart of Saint Philip Neri. ” [Or

Welcome to the 21st-Century Food Wars

Published on 2011-05-19 19:54:00

From the Middle East to Madagascar, high prices of food are spawning land grabs and ousting dictators. The food crisis of 2011—which is real and serious—may bring with it yet more bread riots cum political revolutions. What is worse, if until a f

The Long Fall of Silvio Berlusconi

Published on 2011-05-18 15:43:00

You may say that the round of Italian elections that closed Monday—which went badly for the center right ruling coalition—were only for local administrations, but Silvio Berlusconi emerged as the biggest loser as the outgoing mayor of Milan, Leti

Draghi Is in Poll Position

Published on 2011-05-11 18:23:00

A former Goldman Sachs banker and the current Governor of the Banca d’Italia, Mario Draghi is now in pole position in the race for the European Central Bank’s presidency. In fact, besides having been already endorsed by French president Nicolas S

Economic Survey of Italy 2011

Published on 2011-05-11 07:29:00

From the OECD: Italy’s economy has passed the deep recession triggered by the global crisis and seems set for a gradual recovery. The strength of this recovery is uncertain: it would be wise to plan for no more than the rather sluggish growth seen

When a Cloud Covers the Sun

Published on 2011-05-08 12:22:00

“My life,” says the Dalai Lama, “has not been an altogether happy one; I have had to pass through many difficult times.” Of course hard times include losing his country to Chinese Communist invaders, and trying to promote and preserve Tibet

“Must’ve Been Drunk”

Published on 2011-05-08 07:55:00

Merle Haggard & George Jones This song reminds me of two old friends of mine years ago, when they met a young lady from Des Moines who made a great impression on them, in one way or another. For lovers of country music only: two living legends

Why?

Published on 2011-05-06 15:09:00

The cover of the May 4/10, 2011 issue of The Stranger I have just learned that Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of Osama Bin Laden. Well, I’m not what is usually referred to as a “conspiracy hunter,” but if I were, I suppose I couldn’t help

Weren't They a Bunch of Assassins?

Published on 2011-05-04 16:23:00

Hypocrisy Watch: as everybody knows, Osama bin Laden was killed by SEAL Team Six, officially known as Naval Special Warfare Development Group or DevGru. Yet, when GW Bush was president the media called them “Cheney’s assassination squad.” Now t

A Man of God

Published on 2011-05-02 17:02:00

Yesterday in Saint Peter’s Square the late Pope John Paul II was proclaimed Blessed—the next-to-last step before a Catholic is formally declared a saint—before one million and a half faithful. Yet another show of strength from an extraordinary

Bombing Libya

Published on 2011-04-26 21:28:00

Credit: Reuters/Yannis Behrakis Certainly it was quite unavoidable, but Italy’s decision to send its warplanes on missions to bomb Libya “has not been easy,” as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi admitted during a joint press conference in Rome

“I Have Seen the Lord!”

Published on 2011-04-24 03:31:00

Giotto, "Noli me tangere," Cappella degli Scrovegni, Padua “ Now on the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb. She runneth therefore, and cometh to Sim

Have a Blessed Holy Week!

Published on 2011-04-20 07:31:00

Giotto, The Kiss of Judas, Cappella degli Scrovegni, Padua I wish all my readers a blessed Holy Week and a glorious Easter!

Going Kindle

Published on 2011-04-18 20:44:00

Even the last few days have been very busy for me, and as it was not enough I have been mostly off-line lately (new ISP, new modem-router) and still have troubles with Internet connection. Hence the light or no blogging at all. Once again, too bad,

Breakin' the Law

Published on 2011-04-16 08:59:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~ Last year the Democrats controlled the legislature and executive branches and did not pass a budget as required by law. That left the Republicans with the task of passing that budget f

What Sharia Law Is All About

Published on 2011-04-08 17:55:00

Ok, perhaps this is nothing new, but, as the old saying goes, repetita iuvant: Islam is far more than a religion; it is a complete culture which includes a political system and legal code, known as Sharia law. Sharia law is based upon the Qu’ran a

A Huge Theological Issue

Published on 2011-04-08 05:56:00

Masaccio, St. Paul, Museo di S. Matteo, Pisa I’ve been very busy these days, that’s why I haven't blogged lately. It’s really too bad because I had a lot of stuff to talk about. However, the below is my first attempt at trying to make up for

Praised Be the Bridge

Published on 2011-04-02 10:47:00

Photo courtesy of Venice Daily Photo (click to enlarge) “ Let every man praise the bridge that carries him over.” ~ English proverb.

Benedict XVI, Hans Küng and Fr. de Lubac

Published on 2011-04-01 15:25:00

Is contemporary Europe a religiously-barren place? Maybe, maybe not. What is certain is that two books, written by two Catholic theologians, recently rocketed up Germany’s best-seller list. One of the theologians is Benedict XVI. The other is Fr.

If Hillary Calls Assad a Reformer

Published on 2011-04-01 08:53:00

Assad & Ahmedinejad Yet another interesting point of view on the U.S. administration’s policy towards the Arab revolution. This time the focus is on Syria (after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Why Obama’s Libyan Adventure Is Already a Failure

Published on 2011-03-30 10:50:00

Well, you may agree or disagree with the core argument of this article—it is high time to replace the U.N. Charter (and its obsolete procedures), in whose eyes North Korea, the most brutal totalitarian government in the world, is the equal of the

Found the Original King James Bible

Published on 2011-03-30 07:22:00

CNN A little English village church has just made a remarkable discovery, a rare 400-year-old book...

“Courtyard of the Gentiles”

Published on 2011-03-30 04:14:00

Photo courtesy of radiovaticana.org Both the idea and the name—“Courtyard of the Gentiles”—came from Benedict XVI himself, the Pope-philosopher. The meeting, promoted by the Pontifical Council for Culture and launched with major internati

Trees Have no Dogmas

Published on 2011-03-27 19:43:00

“ The vice of the modern notion of mental progress is that it is always something concerned with the breaking of bonds, the effacing of boundaries, the casting away of dogmas. But if there be such a thing as mental growth, it must mean the growth i

Don’t Give to France What Is not France’s

Published on 2011-03-24 11:55:00

The story may be told in different ways. One (and the most likely, in my opinion) is that French President Nicolas Sarkozy, with his popularity languishing at a record low and facing a presidential election next year and a revived National Front, the

Spring

Published on 2011-03-21 17:46:00

Primula (Primrose), messenger of Spring. Courtesy: Stelvio Nat. Park “ It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ” ~ Charles Dickens, Great Expec

A Farewell to Knut, the Polar Bear Who Charmed the World

Published on 2011-03-21 11:57:00

Knut, Berlin’s world-famous polar bear who died on Saturday, wasn't just a product of the age of celebrity, he had charisma, and will be very sorely missed. David Crossland in Spiegel Online International: Knut was a special bear because he had re

A Rare Encore

Published on 2011-03-19 20:03:00

A couple of quick updates to my previous post on the 150th Anniverary of Italy’s Unification. Valerie, at 2 Baci in a Pinon Tree, has a good post and interesting links to other bloggers’ views—including my own (grazie!)—of the same event.

Does Soccer Really Need Characters Like Balotelli?

Published on 2011-03-19 15:07:00

"Super Mario" Balotelli at work It was Roberto Mancini who wanted the so-called Super Mario to join Manchester City, now he has finally figured out who the former Inter Milan striker really is, and not just who he wanted him to be. Yet, it seems t

Happy Birthday, Italy!

Published on 2011-03-17 02:12:00

Italy is a long country—about 745 miles from the northern to the southern border—running from the mountainous north down to the sunny south “kissed by the Mediterranean,” and so on. Ok, it’s an old refrain, but, as Denis Mack Smith puts it,

The Obama Doctrine

Published on 2011-03-16 16:04:00

Notable Presidential Rhetoric (c) Jack Ohman “The problem with Obama’s Middle East policy is that there is no policy...” Victor Davis Hanson at The Corner (National Review). Thanks: Sandra Kennedy Schimmelpfennig.

WikiLeaks: Japan Was Warned by the International Atomic Energy Agency

Published on 2011-03-16 13:31:00

Photo: AP It’s sad to say it, and this for several (and quite obvious) reasons, but the news cannot be ignored or simply swept under the carpet: WikiLeaks reveals that Japan was warned more than two years ago by the International Atomic Energy

O'Reilly Factor - Is The Nuclear Threat Growing In Japan?

Published on 2011-03-16 10:25:00

Is the worldwide media hyping the nuke situation in Japan a bit too much? The truth is no one knows how bad things are.

Nero Has Nothing on This Guy

Published on 2011-03-15 21:14:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~ The Middle East is in chaos. Libyan dictator Khadafy is murdering his people. An American female reporter is beaten and ganged raped by Egyptian thugs. Saudi’s are moving into Bahrai

Italy’s top 15 cultural exports

Published on 2011-03-13 16:54:00

Petrarch, by Andrea del Castagno (Uffizi Gallery, Florence) I must confess that debating on what is typically English or French or Italian, etc., is something I like less and less as time goes by and I get older. And this for the simple reason that

Pope Benedict's New Book

Published on 2011-03-12 13:25:00

Benedict XVI’s new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection—published in English by Ignatius Press—is the sequel volume to Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration,

That's Where I Am Now

Published on 2011-03-08 15:25:00

The hermitage of Fonte Avellana

Meanwhile, Lebanon Is Already Lost

Published on 2011-03-04 18:47:00

Hezbollah Do you remember the famous quote by Titus Livius, “Dum Romae consulitur, Saguntum expugnatur” (Ab Urbe Condita, XXI, 7) This could be translated in a much updated version as While Washington (and Rome, London, Paris, etc.) debates what

Venice: It's Carnival Time!

Published on 2011-03-02 15:47:00

Photo courtesy of www.carnevale.venezia.it Though not a huge fan of Carnival at large and the Carnival of Venice in particular (I hate crowded places where you're always bumping into people…), I certainly love Venice—how could it be otherwise?—

Gaddafi Between History and Chronicle

Published on 2011-03-02 11:19:00

Oriana Fallaci interviewing Gaddafi It’s always difficult to find wide-ranging, truthful and reliable information on the major issues of today’s world. Generally speaking, the information provided by mainstream media is almost always inaccurate a

Poland Über Alles

Published on 2011-02-27 14:18:00

Twenty years ago, the deeply Catholic Poland was a backward agricultural and provincial country. Yet, since then, it has experienced an almost nonstop boom. Even during the 2009 recession, which we’re still recovering from, Poland’s economy grew

English Identity: A New Report

Published on 2011-02-27 09:49:00

An interesting new report (“Fear and HOPE”), commissioned by Searchlight Educational Trust, explores the issues of English identity, faith and race. With 5,054 respondents and 91 questions, it is one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys

The Rubicon is a River in Wisconsin

Published on 2011-02-25 21:22:00

Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post The magnificent turmoil now gripping statehouses in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and soon others marks an epic political moment. The nation faces a fiscal crisis of historic proportions and, remarkably, our mud

An Afghanistan in the Mediterranean?

Published on 2011-02-24 16:21:00

Two scenarios of the Arab revolution. That of Egypt, with an unprecedented alliance between Christians and Muslims. And that of Libya, where the collapse of the regime paves the way for radical Islamism. Take a look at the analysis of Khaled Fouad Al

When the Privileged are Angry

Published on 2011-02-23 13:12:00

James Taranto’s piece in the WSJ’s Opinion Journal is well worth a careful read. He addresses the Wisconsin thing, the main issues at stake—including the differences between public and private sector unions and between Tea Party and union prot

If Gaddafi Vows to Die a Martyr

Published on 2011-02-23 03:23:00

That the Arab revolution might reach Libya was regarded as out of the range of possible (or desirable) things. And if one leader could survive the storm, it seemed to be Kadhafi, with his broad security apparatus, his elite military units and his own

True Grit. Much, Much More Than A Remake

Published on 2011-02-20 19:16:00

First off let me say that, speaking of movies, as a lover of Westerns I have been a lifelong fan of John Wayne—it is not by chance that Rio Bravo is perhaps my favorite movie ever, though no small part of the credit for this is due to Dean Martin.

Lenin is Alive and Well in America

Published on 2011-02-18 17:40:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~ That tactics are toned down, the bloody militarism is too, but the mindset is the same. In 1917 the Bolsheviks couldn’t get their way, so they just started a reign of murder and terr

Neoconservatism: An Obituary?

Published on 2011-02-16 12:34:00

Glenn Beck said that C. Bradley Thompson’s new book Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea is “a must-read for all Americans interested in defending the founding fathers vision of a free and just society.” Actually, as far as I have seen unt

Egypt: Another Iran In The Making?

Published on 2011-02-13 04:29:00

Now that Mubarak has stepped down, what will happen in Egypt? That’s the question we all are asking ourselves. More precisely: What will the new Egyptian government look like? And what will be the role of the Muslim Brotherhood? Needless to say, as

Lincoln, Reagan, Poltical Parties and the Current Political Power Shift

Published on 2011-02-12 11:57:00

~ “LETTERS FROM AMERICA” - by The Metaphysical Peregrine ~ Last weekend, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan, and this weekend we celebrate the 202nd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln, the founder of the modern Republican Party.

Why Big Government Doesn’t Work

Published on 2011-02-09 11:59:00

The latest video released by the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation (CF&P) highlights the “four reasons why big government is bad government.” This is the eleventh video of CF&P’s Economics 101 series, which is designed to exp

Ronald Reagan: A Fan’s Tribute

Published on 2011-02-06 16:23:00

This fan is also a good friend of mine and a valued contributor to this blog, and his tribute is a genuine and heartfelt one, with a couple of moving quotes at the end. I truly loved it, almost as much as I loved, and still do love, what President R

Goggle Introduces Art Project

Published on 2011-02-02 15:07:00

Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy—with a view on Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” Wow! This is absolutely astonishing, brilliant, and breathtaking! Believe me, I’m not exaggerating. By using the same process as the Street View vans tha

Learning From Reagan

Published on 2011-02-02 03:40:00

What today’s leaders can learn from Reagan (in view of the approaching 100th anniversary of the birth of President Ronald Reagan). Mortimer Zuckerman, in U.S. News & World Report: He had an instantaneous grasp of the main issue or the tru

The Great Stagnation

Published on 2011-02-01 21:52:00

Tyler Cowen To be honest, I don’t usually read books on economics, but Tyler Cowen is one of the few economists whose … blog posts I read (or try to read!) quite regularly, in fact, he also runs, along with Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution, a

The Beatitudes

Published on 2011-01-30 20:16:00

Fra Angelico, Sermon on the Mount. San Marco Church, Florence Yesterday’s Gospel was the opening section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:1-12), which is called the Beatitudes, that is, the characters and situations which our Lord emphatica

Death Was a Small Price to Pay

Published on 2011-01-30 13:32:00

The Dalai Lama flees Tibet Tibet is, in the West, a story of a weak nation taken over and occupied by a more powerful one. But “this is the American theme, the theme of 1776, when we threw off our own band of occupiers,” says Stephan Talty, the

Obama Channeling Reagan? Hardly

Published on 2011-01-28 18:22:00

The story that he is modeling his presidency on Ronald Reagan’s is “one of the least credible tales to come out of President Obama’s recent ideological makeover,” says the Washington Times. And here is a handy list to remind people how lit

The Loneliness of Silvio B.

Published on 2011-01-28 16:57:00

Ok, the character may not be one of your favorites—and as for me I have already expressed many times both my personal dislike and my “political acquittal,” so to speak. But this piece by Beppe Severgnini is worth reading: Some men need an aud

Chesterton on Dogma

Published on 2011-01-27 14:55:00

A collection of forty-nine essays which first appeared in June of 1910, G.K. Chesterton’s What’s Wrong With The World is still a fresh and fascinating book, whose message is as applicable in today’s world as, if not more than, when it was first

How Liberal Journalists Think

Published on 2011-01-26 05:50:00

An aspiring liberal journalist tries to explain why she thinks the Tea Party is dangerous, or the liberal mindset in one easy video. Via Ace of Spades HQ.

Escape From The Land of Snow

Published on 2011-01-23 18:35:00

The strangest fact about the Dalai Lama’s strange life, writes Jeffrey Paines in his Washington Post review of four books on the subject, is that it remains largely untold. “Most books promoted as biographies of him hardly qualify as such and are

Top 10 Composers

Published on 2011-01-19 17:45:00

Some candidates: above, from left, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Mozart, Schoenberg, Haydn, and Stravinsky; below, from left, Schumann, Brahms, Schubert, Handel, Bach, and Debussy. Anthony Tommasini Are you a fan of classical music? Then, don’

Liberty's Lifeline

Published on 2011-01-19 07:44:00

Though I haven’t had the chance to read it yet, I guess Liberty’s Lifeline: Engaging the Grassroots Movement to Stop the Erosion of American Freedoms is one of those books that readers will either love or hate, according to their political orient

In One Word, It’s “Boccaccesco”

Published on 2011-01-17 19:46:00

Min. from Boccaccio, De Casibus Virorum Illustrium, Paris, 1467. Glasgow University Library Special Collections. The right word in Italian is “boccaccesco,” which derives from the Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio (= in the style of Boccaccio)

“The Glory of American Discourse”

Published on 2011-01-15 17:03:00

What’s the lesson of the heated debate—often rancorous and occasionally defamatory—that ensued over the Tucson shooting? Well, that there is much to admire about political discourse in the U.S. And this is precisely what Americans take for gran

In a World Turned Upside Down

Published on 2011-01-10 17:09:00

Was the reading of the U.S. Constitution in the House the other day “uncalled for?” Well, yes, of course it was, in a world turned upside down … [Thanks: Sandra Kennedy Schimmelpfennig]

“He Must Increase, I Must Decrease”

Published on 2011-01-09 13:44:00

Giotto, The Baptism of the Lord, Cappella degli Scrovegni, Padua Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This brings to an end the blissful season of Christmas. The Church recalls Our Lord’s second manifestation

What's New In Italy For 2011

Published on 2011-01-08 12:12:00

You won’t believe it, but visitors to Italy will find less anarchy in 2011. That’s what you’ll discover by reading this report in MSNBC Today Show. Take Rome, for example, where the Colosseum is being cleaned from top to bottom and given perman

A Man's Best Friend

Published on 2011-01-07 17:55:00

“ The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and o

Constitutionalism, or Why America Is An Exception

Published on 2011-01-07 15:30:00

There was a highly symbolic moment at the opening of the House of Representatives yesterday with a reading of the Constitution. This had never been done before. Why? Perhaps, as Charles Krauthammer puts it in today’s Washington Post, for the simple

A Watershed Event in the History of Christianity

Published on 2011-01-05 18:50:00

The attack of a suicide bomber that took place in Alexandria, Egypt, as worshippers were gathering for a service shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve marks a watershed event in the history of Christianity. And this not so much for its brutality

If California Leads The Way

Published on 2011-01-04 22:14:00

Victor Davis Hanson Economist and political commentator Thomas Sowell has a very good commentary for the quietly chilling (and somewhat long) article in the NRO by historian and columnist Victor Davis Hanson about the disturbing decline of rural Cali

Just a Simple Reminder

Published on 2011-01-01 10:12:00

Happy New Year Everybody!

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