Stories and News

Stories and News No. 61 The Story : The room is chock-full. There are all the most important men of italian government. A tense silence is in the air. President Fini goes ahead and starts to make an imitation of Berlusconi, just to decrease nervousness. Some people laugh, probably the most peaceful. Many smile. Only Gasparri neither laughs nor smiles. At that moment Berlusconi arrives and Fini returns to his place, receiving a bad look from the premier. "Gentlemen," he says, "as you well know Lazio former governor Piero Marrazzo maybe not the only one politician frequenting the transvestites , but also one of you. If this were true, it would be a shame!" "Someone tells that there is another one of centre-left…" Minister La Russa polemically comments. "I do not care if they make out with transvestites!" Silvio screams. "The newspapers speak about a golden butt! Right people are ever active, do you understand?!" New silen...

Today I read that during a conference vice minister Fazio said: " Italy, with Spain, is the country with the largest number of swine flu cases ". Why Italy and Spain ? And why he does not say Greece and Poland or Finland and Belgium? It is bad luck? I was born in Naples, but I'm not superstitious. Above all I am convinced that everywhere there is a lot of money around, few things may be left to chance. With the sale of Pandemrix , the vaccine against swine flu, the company that produces it, GlaxoSmithKline , will earn billion, no one can deny. It is a fact. A company, a small one or a large multinational company such the Glaxo is, must make profit. It is its primary purpose. When Fazio announced that Italy and Spain will have the largest number of flu cases, more or less unwittingly, he makes a terrific spot for Glaxo . By chance - or maybe not… - as I wrote in a previous post , this powerful company has three main offices: one in the United States, one i...

While Berlusconi and his ministers blather about terrible red left judges , brilliant university reforms , precious civil mediators and prior foreign “peace missions” refinancing , the important statistic organization Istat publishes very worrying data. The government blathering : Economics Minister Tremonti commends the brilliant university reform by Minister Gelmini, who announced her next marriage. This last event is so essential that we all were anxiously waiting for it. Justice Minister Alfano proudly presents the precious new civil mediator to resolve matters on bank insurance contracts but also unacceptable condominium disputes. A cry of joy was sincere exclaimed by each Condominium administrator in Italy. Minister Ignazio La Russa proudly announces the approval of the last decree to increase the fund for our vital peace missions. Since today we all sleep more comfortable. Last but not least Silvio Berlusconi telephones to Ballarò tv talk show because - his ...

Let’s be honest. I do not want to seem moralist, here. It is reasonable that a person who wishes to work in politics, desire to be elected, and above all to maintain this privilege, whether in Parliament rather than in the Senate. Apart from the natural economic theme, it is obvious that with an authoritative seat under your butt, rather than a standard lounge chair, you consider your personal ideals and aspirations achievable. Of course, everything depends on what these personal ideals and aspirations effectively are... Today news say that Francesco Rutelli , after Bersani victory on Democratic Party primaries, officially confessed " to start a different road, combining different people who have diverse cultures… " It is easy to interpret these words as a sort of farewell, even for the coincidence with the release in these days of the new Rutelli book: La svolta (The turning point). What prophetic title… Where will this change bring him? Some people suggest th...

Stories and News No.60 The Story : Rome. October 2009. A cell vibrates. Nothing special, it happens to many people. The phone belongs to the now former president of the Lazio Region. "Hello?" "Piero?" "Yes?" "It’s me, Silvio Berlusconi." ... "Go kid someone else!" Click. The phone vibrates again. This also happens often to a lot of persons. "Hello?!" "Piero, I am the true Silvio Berlusconi, this is not a joke…" "I memorized the number and if you don’t stop, I will report it to the police!" Click. Once more a cell vibrates. This is common to most of us too. "Hello…" "Piero, do not close, otherwise I will say to all about the trans…" ... "Who are you?!" "Ah! Now you’re listening to me, don’t you? I am Silvio Berlusconi!" ... "Is it really you?" "Of course I am. Pay attention, I have to tell you something very important…...

Original post Stories and News No. 59 The Story : Letter to the Secretary-General of the Italian Episcopal Conference (Cei) Dear Bishop, my name is Pio Buonsignore and I am writing from Rome. I've always been a believer. I did it for better or for worse, especially in the latter, as a sincere faith lover should. I am Catholic, not just Christian. So what it means, I've always known. I am not like those who say I am Christian , not Catholic … I believe in Jesus Christ, not the Pope . It is easy to do so. Many times I could do the same too: a fast read to the New Testament and then everyone does what he wishes, totally free. Free?! Free to love as you please? Free to interpret the word of God as you like? Free to individually choose your moral? Oh no, this is not freedom but chaos, an opportunist disorder in which people may wallow in utter ruin. Men need a guide, it is written in their history, a guide that accompanies them as a father in their journey to...

Original post Clemente Mastella is more than any other politician a point of intersection between the italian government and its opposition. Briefly explaining to a foreigner how the politics of my country works, it would be easy to suggest a careful study of former Ceppaloni mayor career. Mastella is the centre , in its worst meaning. Mastella is ever in the middle , but at that point where you are anywhere or nowhere, depending on where it convenes more. Mastella is half way to everywhere that matters, but never closes enough to get the slightest accountability. In the last years, Mastella has moved from one centre to the other one , proving with his story which is the true difference between The People of Freedom and the Democratic Party . Obviously, if there is one… Here is the dance: From 1976 to 1994 : Christian Democracy , centre-left party. From 1994 to 1998 : CCD , centre-right party. In 1998 : CDR , centre-right party. In 1998 : UDR , centre-left party...

Original post Giulio Tremonti is back in these days to eulogize the permanent employment . Today he was supported by Berlusconi too. However, tomorrow, Silvio could change his opinion or think still like that, we all perfectly know his coherence. Nevertheless, the thing that the minister does not say is what he really thinks when he talks about permanent employment. You know, there are many forms of it. Working life as a longshoreman and a top manager are not exactly the same job, especially to our politicians. But then, what is the permanent employment praised by Tremonti and certainly every member of Italian parliament? Simple, it is their permanent seat. I am talking about those who no one has ever been able to permanently lay off. They are on TV..     In the newspapers...   And above all, they are in politics...     I am sure they agree with Tremonti… Share the post:

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Original post Stories and News No. 58 The Story : Once upon a time there was a school with many rules, equal to all students. The young people enjoyed the privilege of receiving appropriate lessons, but also they had to respect the institution and all who share the lessons with. The behaviours considered as misconduct were: Rudeness or arrogance... Use of mobile phones during school hours... Inadequate dressing… However, the school management thought that it was not enough and that it was necessary to restrain the growing sexual disorder in today young people. So the following comportment was also prohibited: Too many kisses and hugs... Because you must learn from school the rules for civil coexistence… The News : New rule in a school of Romeo and Juliet town: no more kisses! Stories and News , “invented” Stories, fruit of my imagination, inspired by “true” media News. Share the post: What do you think of this article? Leave a comment . Subs...

Original post A few days ago I heard the Italian Vice-Minister of Health Ferruccio Fazio proudly saying that Italy is the first country in Europe to distribute the vaccine against the swine flu . Maybe we are the first to go, but - as usual - we are the last to know where we are going… So, I made a little search on the net about this vaccine, or Pandemrix . On the website of the EMEA (European Medicines Evaluation Agency), it is possible to read the reasons for issuing the vaccine. In particular, I post here two of them that are a little bit worrying: Why has Pandemrix been approved? The CHMP (Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use) decided that, based on the information obtained with the mock-up vaccine and the information provided on the strain change, the benefits of Pandemrix are greater than its risks for the prophylaxis of influenza in the officially declared H1N1 pandemic situation. The Committee recommended that Pandemrix be given marketing authorisation....

Original post Today is the World Food Day , an event established by FAO to raise awareness of the issues behind poverty and hunger. The 14th of October the UN organization presented the 2009 Report on the hunger situation in the world. It tells that more than one billion people , one sixth of world population , lives in a condition of intolerable undernourishment : I could write an easy post denouncing the shame of our political leaders, because no one has found time to pay public attention to the news… However, I prefer to propose you a simple consideration, just comparing the numbers of two categories which, admittedly, are poles apart in the scale of priorities of our world: human beings and money . On the one hand, one billion people , more than 600 million in Asia and the Pacific, 265 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, 53 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, 42 in the Near East and North Africa and 15 in developed countries suffer from hunger . On the other ...