http://www.citizensugar.com/ Breaking News, Together. en http://www.citizensugar.com/2473272 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/45_2008/95592c5f5532170c_83499407.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center xlarger" height="255" width="400"></span></p> <ul> <li>The US unemployment reached a 14-year high of 6.5 percent today. About 240,000 nonfarm jobs were lost in October alone. So far this year 1.2 million US jobs have been lost.— <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&amp;sid=ahUhUD7lCy7s&amp;refer=home" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a></li> <li>The still being recounted Minnesota Senate race between Al Franken and Senator Norm Coleman came within a margin of 236 votes at the end of Thursday. — <a href="http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/34024274.html" target="_blank"> Minneapolis Star Tribune</a></li> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/45_2008/5d1cb8ab37dca7ec_Friday_Front_Page" alt="" title="" class="image left larger" height="179" width="240"></span> <li>Georgia's claims that it acted in defense against Russian aggression last summer are being called into question. — <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/world/europe/07georgia.html?_r=1&amp;hp&amp;oref=" target="_blank">New York Times</a></li> <li>Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi started "suntan-gate" yesterday when he called Barack Obama "young, handsome, and tanned." When asked if the comment might have been misunderstood as undiplomatic or even racist, the Prime Minister told his opponents to get a sense of humor.— <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7715016.stm" target="_blank"> BBC News</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2473272#comment Al Franken Front Page Georgia Italy Jobs Norm Coleman Russia Silvio Berlusconi Unemployment Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2473272 http://www.citizensugar.com/2446068 <p>This week Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced his <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/world/europe/30briefs-PREMIERSEEKS_BRF.html?ref=europe" target="_blank">plans to outlaw graffiti</a>. The Prime Minister hopes to take well-precedented steps toward forbidding citizens to write on public buildings without permission. The <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/30/europe/italy.php" target="_blank">new law</a> would make defacing historical monuments punishable by €30,000 ($38, 871), as well as 40 days in prison.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/44_2008/681da895dd869b8e_Grafitti-Italy.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="352" width="550"></span><br /> Berlusconi says he wants to make graffiti punishable by fines or prison time "because in some of our cities, it looks like we’re in Africa rather than Europe." Considering Italy has spent years dealing with a <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/tags/Naples" >massive trash problem</a> that's caused a toxic stench and piles of refuge in Naples, maybe the graffiti makes Italy look like . . . Italy. </p> <p>In addition to cleaning unwanted art off the street, yesterday the Italian government faced tens of thousands of school workers who marched through Rome to <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/30/europe/EU-Italy-School-Protests.php" target="_blank">protest school reforms</a>. In Florence, 100 students stopped trains by occupying the tracks. One high school student said, "We are so many people, and if we can't change anything then it means this is a form of dictatorship." A dictatorship that cleans up graffiti! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2446068#comment Headline Italy Silvio Berlusconi Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:01:01 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2446068 http://www.citizensugar.com/2365254 <p><span class="inline left"><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/2365192?page=0,0,0" ><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/Bush-and-Berlusconi.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="377" width="300"></a></span> <ul> <li><b>Italy</b>: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2008/oct/14/italy-georgebush" target="_blank"> Friends forever? Italian PM Berlusconi falls over himself and his podium to praise President Bush. Watch video.</a> — newsblog</li> <li><b>Palin</b>: <a href="http://donklephant.com/2008/10/14/anchorage-daily-news-palin-is-lying/" target="_blank"> Sarah Palin's reaction to the Legislature's Troopergate report is an embarrassment to Alaskans and the nation? Palin's hometown paper writes a strongly worded editorial.</a> — Donklephant</li> <li><b>Economy</b>: <a href="http://www.savvysugar.com/2362327" > Bankers seeking support from a floating church? London bankers attend short lunchtime services on St. Peter's barge.</a> —SavvySugar</li> <li><b>McCain</b>: <a href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/mccain_if_i_bring_up_ayers_at.php" target="_blank"> Whose fault? McCain says if he brings up Ayers at Debate, it's Obama's fault.</a> — Talking Points Memo</li> <li><b>Michelle Obama</b>: <a href="http://jezebel.com/5063077/" target="_blank"> Michelle's great-great-grandfather worked on a plantation now owned by Anderson Cooper's cousin? While Barack Obama does not have slave roots, Michelle would be first First Lady who does.</a> — Jezebel</li> </ul> <p><p><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-45762 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 active" href="http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/2365192?page=0,0,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/83255234.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-80632 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/2365192?page=0,1,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/83255296.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-83007 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/2365192?page=0,2,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/83256380.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-57680 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/2365192?page=0,3,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/83258627.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-41563 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/2365192?page=0,4,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/83255161.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div></p><br clear="all"></p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2365254#comment Briefing Book George W Bush Headline Italy Silvio Berlusconi Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:30:07 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2365254 http://www.citizensugar.com/2348126 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/41_2008/Columbus-Day.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="372" width="300"></span>The second Monday in October historically has been celebrated as Columbus Day in the US. But not every place in the country, or the rest of the world, marks Columbus's arrival to the new world the same way due to unsettled feelings about celebrating a historical figure attributed with the suffering of native people. </p> <p>In South Dakota, the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-giago/native-american-day-came-_b_66642.html" target="_blank">day is called Native American Day.</a> In cities like Boston, New York, and San Francisco, the Italian-American community <a href="http://www.sfcolumbusday.org/parade/index.html" target="_blank">celebrates their native son</a> with an Italian heritage parade. Find out what you know about the historical event marked today!</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/2348126">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2348126#comment Columbus Day Italy Quiz Nation Spain Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:15:37 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2348126 http://www.citizensugar.com/2136786 <p>When Spike Lee adapted the novel <b>Miracle at St. Anna</b>, he intended to celebrate the memory of African-American soldiers trapped in an Italian village during World War II. He also ended up offending a whole different set of veterans. Italian World War II anti-Fascist partisans <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4853669.ece" target="_blank">have denounced Miracle at St. Anna</a> as full of lies, and insulting to the Italian Resistance.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/40_2008/Spike-Lee-in-Italy.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="385"></span><br /> In August 1944, Nazis killed 560 civilians in the village of Sant' Anna di Stazzema. The tragic episode is featured in the film, which suggests that the anti-Fascist forces indirectly caused the attack by hiding in Sant'Anna, but then fleeing when the Nazis descended. In addition, one character is shown collaborating with the Nazis. The author of the novel answered to the controversy:<br /> <blockquote>I am very sorry if I have offended the partisans. I have enormous respect for them. As a black American, I understand what it's like for someone to tell your history, and they are not you. But unfortunately, the history of World War II here in Italy is ours as well, and this was the best I could do . . . it is after all a work of fiction, not a history book.</p></blockquote> <p>Spike Lee seems to think he has fact and fiction on his side, saying to the Italians: "I am not apologizing for anything. [There's] a lot about your history you have yet to come to grips with . . . This film is our interpretation, and I stand behind it.” Since the movie was <a href="http://buzzsugar.com/2088540" > epically disappointing to BuzzSugar</a>, perhaps the controversy wasn't worth it. </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2136786#comment Headline Italy Miracle at St Anna Spike Lee World War II Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2136786 http://www.citizensugar.com/2058452 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/39_2008/50891634.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="433" width="300"></span>He may have become more beautiful with age, but Michelangelo's David <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7626093.stm" target="_blank">needs some serious work done</a> if he's not to collapse. </p> <p>Engineering experts say that restoration work of up to 1 million euros ($1.45 million) must be done to save the Renaissance statue. David's nemesis isn't Goliath this time, but rather the masses of tourists who have walked past the warrior too many times, causing damage. </p> <p>Only four years ago, David received an extreme makeover for his 500th birthday. Unfortunately the cracks that were filled have already opened. Should Italy keep putting money into David, or instead close him off to close-up, and hazardous, viewing?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyiamges.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2058452#comment Art David Headline Italy Tourism Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2058452 http://www.citizensugar.com/2031527 <!-- no strip poll --><!-- no rss --><div id="epoll-view-2031527"></div><script type="text/javascript">new Ajax.Request('/epoll/view/2031527',{method:'get',onSuccess:function(transport){var epoll=$('epoll-view-2031527');epoll.update(transport.responseText);}});</script><noscript><!-- /no rss --><p><p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/38_2008/article-0-02B065D100000578-30_468x286.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="195" width="320"></span>I guess hard times call for desperate measures? Italian supermodel and reality show star Raffella Fico, 20, is planning to <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/2971511/Italian-model-plans-to-sell-virginity-for-1m-euros.html" target="_blank">sell her most precious of treasures</a> — her virginity. How much does something like that fetch in the marketplace? One million euros. Rico told an Italian magazine of her plan, "I can't wait to see who's going to pull out the money to have me." Swearing she's never had sex before, she was unfazed by the idea of a less-than-attractive . . . patron. "If I don't like him I'll just have a glass of wine and forget about it," she said. </p> <p>Would that Rico was the first person to hatch such a scheme, but others <a href="http://dearsugar.com/1982130 ">have cashed in</a> on their "charms" before. Last week an 18-year-old San Diego student <a href="http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=34c9b723-7b79-416d-a2f9-f2c63242c262" target="_blank">offered her first time</a> for a million bucks to fund her education, saying, "We live in a capitalist society. Why shouldn't I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?" Similarly, in 2005 a Peruvian model considered selling her first time for $1.5 million to pay family medical bills before reconsidering. </p> <p>Whether a tougher economy, a new tough brand of feminism, or a more permissive culture, what's behind this selling of self?</p> </p><!-- no strip poll --><form action="/2031527" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Italian Supermodel Offers Her Virginity For a Million: Why?</label> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="0" class="form-radio" /> Why not? It's her decision and if she can make a million more power to her.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="1" class="form-radio" /> This is a devastating effect of a tough economy. Maybe she has no other choice?</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="2" class="form-radio" /> Our culture is entirely too permissive. Girls think stunts like this are cute. It's so sad.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="3" class="form-radio" /> Publicity. We're reading about her now, right? It's a stunt for attention.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="4" class="form-radio" /> Other. I'll tell you what I make of this in the comments.</label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="2031527" /> <input type="submit" name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --></noscript><!-- no strip poll --> http://www.citizensugar.com/2031527#comment Citizen Poll Economy Feminism Italy Poll Raffella Fico Virginity Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:15:38 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2031527 http://www.citizensugar.com/1983241 <p>Before it was the national language, Italian was just the regional dialect of Tuscany. But, since it went on to become the official language in the 1800s, Italy is ready to protect it from an English invasion. The influential Dante Alighieri Society, similar to <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1909508" >France's Académie française</a>, wants to erase words like "le weekend, "cool" and "OK" from conversational and written Italian.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/37_2008/sb10068003ae-001.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" height="337" width="506"></span></p> <p>Some Italians consider English words chic (er, wait what's the English word for chic?); but, the cultural institute is making a push for pure Italian, instead of "Anglitaliano." In a globalizing word, such protection may be crucial to maintaining the integrity of a language. Then again, languages are first of all a mode of communication and maybe the meaning behind "cool" just can't be translated. </p> <p>Italians should know that Americans use Italian words, too! . . . at least at Starbucks. But Americans beware — if you order a "latte" in Italy, you'll get a glass of milk! </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1983241#comment English Headline Italy language Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:00:55 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1983241 http://www.citizensugar.com/1906863 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/36_2008/full-gustav-satellite082608_0.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="180" width="320"></span> <ul> <li><b>Hurricane Gustav Makes Landfall:</b> The storm, varying in reports between a Category 2 and Category 3, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/09/01/gustav/index.html" target="_blank">made landfall</a> in the area of Port Fourchon, Louisiana around 9 a.m. ET. Grand Isle, directly in the storm's path is covered in water. Between preparations and a smaller storm than expected, the fallout in terms of property damage is estimated to be a quarter of what was expected yesterday.</li> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/36_2008/Monday.larger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left larger" height="179" width="240"></span> <li><b>Japan's PM Resigns:</b><br /> Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has announced his <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7591969.stm" target="_blank">surprise resignation</a> at a news conference after serving less than a year. His government has been plagued by unpopularity. He said, "If we are to prioritize the people's livelihoods, there cannot be a political vacuum from political bargaining, or a lapse in policies. We need a new team to carry out policies."</li> <p><br clear=all></p> <li><b>Italy Agrees to Reparations:</b><br /> Italy has agree to pay Libya <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/world/africa/31libya.html?ref=middleeast" target="_blank">$5 billion in reparations</a> for its 32-year occupation of the country which ended in 1943. Silvio Berlusconi is set to sign the package which includes construction projects and pensions for Libyans who served with Italy in World War II. In return, Italy wants Libya to monitor illegal migrants turning up on Italy's shores.</li> </ul> <p><a href="http://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1906863#comment Front Page Hurricane Gustav Italy Japan Libya Yasuo Fukuda Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:34:20 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1906863 http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1842157 <a href="http://townhall.com/news/world/2008/08/04/italy_soldiers_deployed_to_fight_street_crime">New Sheriff? Italian Soldiers Deployed to Fight Street Crime</a> Hundreds of soldiers were deployed Monday in cities across Italy as part of government measures to fight street crime. In Rome, an initial 400 men and women were stationed at subway and railway stations and at an immigrant center. In Milan, some 150 soldiers were patrolling the Duomo cathedral and sensitive sites such as the US consulate and the city's synagogue. Soldiers were also deployed in Naples, Bologna, and Palermo, Italian reports said. http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1842157#comment aside Italy Military Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:23:56 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1842157 http://www.citizensugar.com/1804135 <p>Photographs published yesterday showing Italian sunbathers going about their sun soaking <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=5418811&amp;page=1" target="_blank">despite the nearby corpses</a> of two drowned Roma children are causing a splash across all of Italy. The two girls, both younger than 15, drowned Saturday in strong currents despite rescue efforts, and the bodies were laid in the sun awaiting emergency services.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/30_2008/roma.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" height="300" width="450"></span><br /> One of the ambulance drivers said, "we picked up the bodies amid total indifference." An Italian newspaper <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/21/italy.drowning/" target="_blank">says</a>, "while the lifeless bodies of the girls were still on the sand, there were those who carried on sunbathing or having lunch just a few meters away." Lunch.</p> <p>The incident is a graphic pictorial display of tension between the ethnic Romas (also called Gypsies), and other locals. Recent <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484" >crackdowns on the population</a>, combined with the controversy surrounding <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1797055" >the current census</a>, has <a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2008/07/200872118514633141.html" target="_blank">led to a visit</a> by a European human rights group who heard of the plan to fingerprint all Roma, including children. Some have compared this idea (which is on hold for now) to the Nazi treatment of the Jews. </p> <p>What's behind the tension? To find out, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1804135">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1804135#comment Drowning Gypsies Headline Italy Roma Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:00:54 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1804135 http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1797055 <a href="http://www.townhall.com/news/world/2008/07/18/rome_begins_gypsy_census_without_fingerprints">Rome Begins Gypsy Census Without Fingerprints</a> City officials and Italian Red Cross workers began a census of Rome's Gypsy population but said Friday that they will not participate in a national push to fingerprint all Gypsies unless they encounter someone suspected of a crime. Premier Silvio Berlusconi's government has drawn a stream of criticism from the European Union and human rights groups since announcing last month it wanted to fingerprint the tens of thousands of Gypsies, children and adults alike, who live in hundreds of encampments built mainly around Rome, Naples and Milan. http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1797055#comment aside Gypsies Italy Rome Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:25:34 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1797055 http://www.citizensugar.com/1791363 <p>With Italy's <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/2304015/Rome-mayor-Gianni-Alemanno-bans-sleeping-on-street.html" target="_blank">new laws</a> against sleeping, eating, drinking, and singing in public all aimed at making the place more pleasant (or less, if you fancy a chianti and snooze al fresco) you'd think it'd be in the top two European countries with the best quality of life. Not so amigos, as <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1771597" >Bush would say</a>.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/29_2008/81137691.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="367" width="550"></span></p> <p>Let's start at the bottom: The poor UK has the lowest quality of life in Europe — even though Brits earn the most — <a href="http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2397812.0.UK_is_now_almost_the_worst_area_to_live_in_Europe.php" target="_blank">according to research</a> released yesterday.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/29_2008/78603041.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" width="300"></span>That money can't buy them happiness — they pay a king's ransom for essential goods: 18 percent above the average for diesel, 49 percent more for gas, and 5 percent more for electricity. Life expectancy in jolly old England is the third-lowest at 78.9 years, and the constantly gray sky might be a culprit: Britain gets 80 percent less sunshine than Spain, leading more than 40,000 people to flee in 2006.</p> <p>They might have run right to Spain, which claims the number one slot among those studied, offering the best quality of life in Europe — even though salaries are below average. Old number two is France thanks to their unbelievably great vacation policy, at 40 days per year.</p> <p>Where would you live in the ol' EU? Does France's commitment to time off strike your fancy?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1791363#comment France Italy Laws Lists Spain United Kingdom Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:00:13 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1791363 http://www.citizensugar.com/1722313 <p>Are race-y issues heating to a boiling point? Yesterday, Chinese-South Africans were <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/2008/06/19/in-south-africa-chinese-is-the-new-black/?mod=yhoofront" target="_blank">given a surprising notification</a>: according to a high court they're not any sort of Asian — they're actually black. The classification is supposed to make them eligible for government affirmative action policies aimed at making amends for apartheid. The term "black" also refers to Indians, making it a confusing system of taxonomy when instead of race, it seems they really mean to describe oppression.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/race.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="402" width="536"></span></p> <p>Like the South African court, July's issue of <b>Italian Vogue</b> is making a black statement of its own. Aiming to call attention to and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/fashion/19BLACK.html?_r=1&amp;oref=slogin" target="_blank">reverse the pattern of a dearth of darker faces</a> in fashion, the magazine's upcoming issue only depicts black models. The photographer of the issue says of the decision to make the statement, “I thought, it’s ridiculous, this discrimination. It’s so crazy to live in such a narrow, narrow place."</p> <p>Perhaps <b>Vogue</b>'s point is a good one: certainly the inclusion of minorities in television is a pale example. According to an <b>Entertainment Weekly</b> <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20206185,00.html" target="_blank">study of scripted programming</a>, casts for the upcoming fall 2008 season, each of the five major broadcast networks is whiter than the Caucasian percentage (66.2 percent) of the United States population. The only minority character anchoring a new series on a major network is a cartoon: Cleveland Brown from <b>The Family Guy</b> will get his own spinoff. No word if he gets the biggest dressing room.</p> <p>The creators of the Obama-shaped monkey toy (or monkey-shaped Obama toy?) ran a letter in the <b>Salt Lake Tribune</b> criticizing the public uproar over the doll. To see what they said, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1722313">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1722313#comment Barack Obama Check This Fashion Italy Race television Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:15:41 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1722313 http://www.citizensugar.com/1716216 <p>Italian authorities <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/world/europe/17italy.html?ref=europe" target="_blank">discovered a woman</a> who has been kept in a locked room in her family’s home for 18 years, immediately drawing comparisons to the <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/tags/josef+fritzl" >Josef Fritzl story</a> out of Austria. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81553914_0.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="413" width="550"></span></p> <p>After receiving a tip authorities freed the 47-year-old woman, Maria Monaco, from her befouled living quarters. Her 80-year-old mother, a sister, and a brother have been accused of kidnapping.</p> <p><p><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-47724 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 active ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,0,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81553914.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-77228 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,1,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81553919.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-219 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,2,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81553944.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-81720 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,3,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81553951.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-57451 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,4,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81553975.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-59487 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,5,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81553988.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-6459 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,6,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81555482.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-89742 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,7,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81575545.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-47249 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,8,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81575562.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-34355 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1716191?page=0,9,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/25_2008/81575621.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p><br clear=all></p> <p>After becoming pregnant out of wedlock, Monaco was kept locked up at home. when she was found the police said, “she could barely walk, and instead of speaking she emitted a sort of wailing sound.” She was immediately transferred to a psychiatric ward in a Naples hospital.</p> <p>Though the parallels to the Austria case were quick to fly, a lawyer representing the family said the comparison was false. To find out why, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1716216">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1716216#comment Headline Italy Maria Monaco Prisoner Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:00:51 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1716216 http://www.citizensugar.com/1713956 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/25_2008/TEMP-Image_1_75.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="450"></span>Tom Hanks is a persona non grata in all of the churches of the Vatican and Rome. The Vatican has banned the filming of <b>Angels and Demons</b>, Dan Brown's sequel to <b>The Da Vinci Code</b> because it is "an offense against God."</p> <p>The head of the Vatican's Prefecture For Economic Affairs <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4147839.ece" target="_blank">said</a>:<br /> <blockquote>[The stories] turned the Gospels upside down to poison the faith. It would be unacceptable to transform churches into film sets so that his blasphemous novels can be made into mendacious films in the name of business.</p></blockquote> <p>The Church did not even read the script, as the name Dan Brown was enough to merit a ban. In <b>The Da Vinci Code</b>, <a href="http://buzzsugar.com/movie/The_Da_Vinci_Code" >Brown suggests that Jesus married Mary Magdalene</a> and had children, and <b>Angels and Demons</b> paints a picture of corrupt leadership in the Catholic Church.</p> <p>I'm still trying to decide whether viewers are sophisticated enough to distinguish between fiction and accepted theology. Still, while modern moviegoers may wish the Catholic Church lightened up for the sake of art and entertainment, it's hard to imagine the Church freely giving its stamp of approval. Would it not lend credibility to the theology created by Dan Brown? Do you approve of the Church's disapproval?</p> <p><a href="http://www.wireimage.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1713956#comment Catholic Church celebrities Dan Brown Italy Religion Rome Tom Hanks Vatican World of Faith Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:30:21 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1713956 http://www.citizensugar.com/1684045 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/23_2008/81380803.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="250"></span>The world must produce 50 percent more food by 2030, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jtFqRVL1zLJZWOfQuDRQ-ihVYBOgD912IJA81" target="_blank">told world leaders yesterday</a> at a summit hosted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. </p> <p>The UN leader urged nations to minimize trade barriers, and to produce more food. Pope Benedict XVI had a slightly different message, noting that the world already has the means to solve the problem. The Pope said: "hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world which, in reality, has sufficient production levels, the resources, and the know-how to put an end to these tragedies and their consequences."</p> <p>While they meet about how to solve the immediate hunger crisis caused by rising food costs, world leaders don't want to look like a bunch of foodie hypocrites. To see what they'll be eating, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1684045">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1684045#comment Ban Ki-Moon Food Food Crisis Italy Pope Benedict XVI Rome United Nations Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:00:21 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1684045 http://www.citizensugar.com/1673365 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/22_2008/53043879.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" width="300"></span>Italy's famous leaning tower of Pisa has <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7423957.stm" target="_blank">stopped moving</a> for the first time in its 800-year history, say the engineers who are trying to take the "ever more precariously leaning" part out of the tower's slump. </p> <p>Taking more than 10 years to fix the tower and moving 70 tons of dirt to the sinking side encouraged it to stand up a little straighter. The man in charge of the $40 million project says the tower should be comfortable for another 200 years. As the project went on, the tower started to straighten a bit, but special monitors in the ground show it's solid as a rock now, and not moving anymore.</p> <p>Has the Leaning Tower always been such? Yup. Even while it was being built, in the late 12th Century, workers saw it starting to tilt. Trying to fix as they went resulted in the completed tower being very slightly bent. Oh, and it's not the crookedest building anymore. That honor <a href="http://spluch.blogspot.com/2007/11/crooked-german-church-leans-more-than.html" target="_blank">now goes</a> to a slouching steeple in Germany.<br /> <p><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-51340 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 active ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1673346?page=0,0,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/22_2008/1351922.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-21801 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1673346?page=0,1,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/22_2008/1352396.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-29556 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1673346?page=0,2,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/22_2008/56205655.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-85271 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1673346?page=0,3,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/22_2008/821592.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-24163 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1673346?page=0,4,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/22_2008/821603.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p><br clear=all></p> <p>Well that's one thing in Italy that's been straightened up. . . I wonder how Naples<a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/tags/naples" > is doing</a> with their trash situation?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1673365#comment Architecture Headline Italy Leaning Tower of Pisa Fri, 30 May 2008 03:00:00 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1673365 http://www.citizensugar.com/1670106 <!-- no strip poll --><!-- no rss --><div id="epoll-view-1670106"></div><script type="text/javascript">new Ajax.Request('/epoll/view/1670106',{method:'get',onSuccess:function(transport){var epoll=$('epoll-view-1670106');epoll.update(transport.responseText);}});</script><noscript><!-- /no rss --><p><p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/22_2008/81243588.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="200"></span>Amnesty International's <a href="http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Homepage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">latest report assails the US for its human rights record</a>, and calls for the immediate closure of Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.</p> <p>The <a href="http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/introduction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">report says</a>: <blockquote>As the world's most powerful state, the USA sets the standard for government behaviour globally. With breathtaking legal obfuscation, the US administration has continued its efforts to weaken the absolute prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment. [. . .] These actions have done nothing to further the fight against terrorism and a great deal to damage the USA's prestige and influence abroad.</p></blockquote> <p>The international human rights group also calls out China and Russia, as well as the European Union's complicity in the <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/tags/Rendition" rel="nofollow">rendition of terror suspects</a>. Recent <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484" rel="nofollow">attacks against Roma encampments</a> in Italy, were also <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7423165.stm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">condemned</a> by the group. </p> <p>In the past, the US State Department has <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/28/europe/29amnesty.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">deflected responsibility by accusing</a> Amnesty International of using the United States as “a convenient ideological punching bag." We're still waiting on an official statement regarding the latest report.</p> <p>Is it a worse when the world's superpower abuses human rights? Is America's moral authority weakened when it is called out by international watch groups? What human rights advancements been made in the 60 years since the adoption Universal Declaration of Human Rights?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source</a></p> </p><!-- no strip poll --><form action="/1670106" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Should the US Listen to Criticism of Its Human Rights Record?</label> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="0" class="form-radio" /> Yay! Americans owe respect for human rights to themselves and the world.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="1" class="form-radio" /> Nay. These groups will always have something to complain about.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="2" class="form-radio" /> The US should change because it's the right thing to do, not because a group says.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="3" class="form-radio" /> Other. I'll tell you in the comments.</label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="1670106" /> <input type="submit" name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --></noscript><!-- no strip poll --> http://www.citizensugar.com/1670106#comment Amnesty International China Citizen Poll European Union Guantanamo Bay Human Rights Italy Russia Wed, 28 May 2008 15:45:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1670106 http://www.citizensugar.com/1655796 <ul> <li><b>Myanmar Accepts All Aid: </b> Myanmar's junta agreed this morning <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-myanmar-cyclone1.html" target="_blank">to admit</a> cyclone aid workers "regardless of nationalities" said UN officials. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reached the agreement with junta supremo during mission to help 2.4 million left devastated by the storm three weeks ago. The move is positive, if not late. Disaster experts say that unless the doors to aid were opened, thousands more people would die of hunger and disease, adding to the nearly 134,000 reported killed or missing.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/Friday-350x260.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" height="260" width="350"></span></p> <li><b>McCain Rejects Hagee:</b> US presidential candidate John McCain <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7416257.stm" target="_blank">rejected the backing</a> of Rev. John Hagee after an audio recording of the preacher saying that God sent Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land was published on the Huffington Post. Rev Hagee then withdrew the endorsement, saying he had been misrepresented and did not want to figure in the presidential campaign. McCain faced criticism for seeking the endorsement — he's now described Hagee's comments as "crazy and unacceptable."</li> <li><b>Italy Goes Nuclear:</b> Italy announced yesterday its five-year plan includes resuming the building <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/world/europe/23nuke.html?ref=europe" target="_blank">nuclear energy</a> plants. A public referendum resoundingly banned nuclear power and deactivated all its reactors 20 years ago. Growing concern over energy contributed to the decision. The minister of economic development said, "by the end of this legislature we will put down the foundation stone for the construction in our country of a group of new-generation nuclear plants. An action plan to go back to nuclear power can not be delayed anymore. Only nuclear plants safely produce energy on a vast scale with competitive costs, respecting the environment.”</li> </ul> http://www.citizensugar.com/1655796#comment 2008 Presidential Campaign Ban Ki-Moon Cyclone Front Page Italy John Hagee John McCain Myanmar Nuclear Energy Fri, 23 May 2008 06:56:21 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1655796 http://www.citizensugar.com/1639613 <p>Italy's <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1611202" >garbage problem</a> reached its flashpoint overnight as trashed-out residents set <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7408399.stm" target="_blank">fire to piles</a> of the the 3,500 tons of uncollected refuse. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/81145853.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="380" width="550"></span>Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's newly reelected prime minister, may force local councils to accept new rubbish dumps, despite protests. He says, "I am no longer prepared to wait until everyone is in agreement, while the piles of rubbish become mountains of trash."</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/81138324.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" width="300"></span><br>One city official said local authorities were managing to remove more than 1,000 tons of trash a day while waiting for the decision on where to put it all. He begged residents to be patient and not become vigilante trash removers by setting the rubbish on fire. <br><br /> <blockquote>Thanks to the additional collections, we should be able to overcome this emergency in four or five days, but people must collaborate. They have to stop throwing bags of rubbish out on to the streets, and, above all, they mustn't burn them.</p></blockquote> <p>Would piles of trash for months on your streets inspire you to a firey protest? Is setting the stinky mess on fire just adding to the woes? Is the problem of where to put the trash a troubling sign for global garbage? Are we out of space?</p> <p><p><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-42273 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 active ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1639603?page=0,0,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/81145831.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 2 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-35509 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1639603?page=0,1,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/81145833.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 4 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-55222 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1639603?page=0,2,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/81145849.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 3 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-59996 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1639603?page=0,3,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/81145865.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 3 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-24225 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1639603?page=0,4,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/21_2008/81145870.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 3 Views</div></div ></p><br clear=all></p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1639613#comment Eco Headline Italy Naples The Daily Planet Trash Mon, 19 May 2008 07:40:14 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1639613 http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484 <p>Italian authorities <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7402602.stm" target="_blank">arrested hundreds</a> of alleged illegal immigrants yesterday, in a crackdown that included a raid on a Roma (Gypsies) housing camp. Earlier this week, many Roma living in Naples fled the city, after their homes were set on fire by residents. Immigration authorities target the Roma population, a group that carries the <a href="http://www.romebuddy.com/givesadvice/crime2.html" target="_blank">perception of criminality</a>. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/20_2008/56418847.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="360" width="550"></span></p> <p>The Roma people, Europe's largest minority, are often <a href="http://www.refugeesinternational.org/section/publications/stateless_europe" target="_blank">stateless </a>— meaning they are without citizenship documents from <i>any</i> country. Their ancestors migrated from modern day India at the beginning of the second millennium. They have their own language and distinct cultural traditions. You may know them as the people who suspiciously linger around Europe's tourist attractions. Since their migration, those who have not successfully assimilated have been the victims of enslavement, forced sterilization, genocide, discrimination, and overall marginalization.</p> <p>Fortunately, increased <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26570&amp;Cr=balkan&amp;Cr1=" target="_blank">attention</a> given to the Roma population by international organizations has decreased human rights violations. Of course, more can be done.</p> <p>Do you think the arrests in Italy are an appropriate law enforcement response, or are the authorities giving into a hostile and prejudice majority? Do immigration solutions become more complicated when there is nowhere to send undocumented residents? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484#comment Europe Gypsies Immigration Italy Roma Fri, 16 May 2008 03:00:28 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484 http://www.citizensugar.com/1625884 <p>Citizens all over the world are not safe from Peeping Toms. Venice police just caught a man who had <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7397426.stm" target="_blank">photographed the backsides</a> of over 3,000 women, as they strolled around San Marco square. The man tailed the women wearing short skirts, carrying a bag with a camera, and filming their tails through a small hole in the bag.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/20_2008/sb10067068g-001.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" height="337" width="506"></span></p> <p>Apparently, the Peeping Tom wasn't who you would imagine — authorities say he is a working professional with two young children and a wife. The man faces six months to four years in prison. The Venice case might be the tip of a Peeping-Tom trend. To see who else has been sneaking around, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1625884">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1625884#comment Canada Headline International Italy North Carolina Politics of Love Sex Offenders Sexuality Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:57 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1625884 http://www.citizensugar.com/1611202 <p>The European Commission (EC) has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/world/europe/07italy.html?_r=1&amp;ref=europe&amp;oref=slogin" target="_blank"> filed a suit against Italy</a> in the European Court of Justice. The EC thinks a lawsuit will clean up Naples, Italy, which has been enveloped in piles of trash and a toxic stench, as seen in the pictures below. The EC hopes that potential harsh fines will prompt politicians to take more serious action to end the massive years-long <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1073108" >garbage crisis</a>, brought on by organized crime. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/19_2008/80973867.preview_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="336" width="550"></span><br /> Meanwhile in San Francisco, residents recycle 70 percent of their waste. Recycling-obsessed Mayor Gavin Newsom wants to give city residents an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/us/07garbage.html?ref=us" target="_blank">incentive</a> to take their recycling prowess to the next level — either they recycle, or they don't get their trash picked up. </p> <p>Mayor Newsom is proposing legislation that would make it mandatory to recycle cans, bottles, paper, yard waste, and food scraps. So it looks like recycling may no longer be something you do to feel good about yourself — it will be the law. Newsom told the <b>New York Times</b> what's behind his plan:<br /> <blockquote>It’s purposefulness that could otherwise be construed as ego. You want to be the greatest city. You want to be the leading city. You want to be on the cutting edge. I’m very intense about it.</p></blockquote> <p>Should recycling be mandatory? Will the Newsom's proposal make San Francisco the next Naples, if residents get lazy about recycling? Can a lawsuit clean up Naples, or is it just a waste of time?</p> <p><p><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-10369 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 active ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1611185?page=0,0,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/19_2008/78736811.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 32 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-74519 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1611185?page=0,1,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/19_2008/78759563.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 1 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-75840 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1611185?page=0,2,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/19_2008/78759625.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 2 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-98830 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1611185?page=0,3,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/19_2008/78759638.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 33 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-65110 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1611185?page=0,4,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/19_2008/74321864.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 32 Views</div></div ></p><br clear=all></p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1611202#comment Eco Gavin Newsom Italy Naples San Francisco Trash Wed, 07 May 2008 11:00:14 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1611202 http://www.citizensugar.com/1571313 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/17_2008/79759556.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="275" width="400"></span>Nearly 70 percent of Italian gynecologists <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080422192609.lcpkej77&amp;show_article=1" target="_blank">refuse to perform</a> abortions. Taking refuge in the "conscientious objection" clause of the abortion law, doctors are increasingly denying abortions, making it difficult for women to find a provider.</p> <p>Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978; but there has been a recent surge in doctors refusing to conduct them. Between 2003 and 2007, the percent refusing rose from 58.7 percent to 69.2 percent. Around Naples the number is 83 percent, and in Sicily 84.2 percent. </p> <p>Between 2006 and 2007, the number of legal abortions decreased 3 percent to 127,000, and illegal abortions also went down to around 15,000. </p> <p>The Vatican, a strong political force in Italy, loudly opposes abortion. According to <a href="http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Cronache/2006/01_Gennaio/17/cattolici.shtml" target="_blank">estimates</a>, around 87 percent of Italians identify as Roman Catholics; but only 36 percent are practicing.</p> <p>Does the morality clause significantly compromise the law legalizing abortion? What do you think is behind the <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1052484" >recent surge</a> in "conscientious" doctors? What sort of pressure does it put on the doctors that do provide the legal procedure?</p> <p><a href="http://legacycreative.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1571313#comment Abortion Italy Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:00:49 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1571313 http://www.citizensugar.com/1552307 <ul> <li><b>Plane Crash:</b> Moments ago a DC-9 <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6F7lR7unAjBkWwmcjZi1xD_yiOQD902AQA00" target="_blank">plane crashed</a> into a residential neighborhood in the eastern Congo town of Goma. CNN is reporting at this moment, 78 have died in the crash.</li> <li><b>Bombings:</b> More than 50 people have been killed in <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7348089.stm" target="_blank">car bomb explosions</a> in two Iraqi cities. At least 40 people were left dead and another 70 were injured in a blast outside a restaurant in Baquba, north of Baghdad. Baquba is the capital of the Diyala province. It has been an insurgent stronghold, where militants linked to al-Qaeda are said to have regrouped after being driven away from Baghdad. Shortly after the bombing in Baquba, police said a bomb in the city of Ramadi had killed an additional 13 people.</li> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/16_2008/Tuesday-350x260.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" height="260" width="350"></span></p> <li><b>Berlusconi:</b> As we reported yesterday, Silvio Berlusconi and his center-right alliance have <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3db1f1f2-0ad9-11dd-8ccf-0000779fd2ac.html" target="_blank">returned to power</a> after two years in opposition. For the first time since World War II, Italy’s parliament will not have any communist representatives in part because of the disappearing support for the communist-green Rainbow Left alliance. The failure of many small parties like this to win even a single seat leads to a sharp reduction in the number of parliamentary groups and a greater possibility of stable government. <li> <li><b>Airline Merger:</b> Rival airlines Delta and Northwest have <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7347731.stm" target="_blank">agreed to a merger</a>, creating the world's biggest air carrier. The $5 billion deal ends in a new airline to be called Delta, which will have annual revenue of more than $35 billion and employ about 75,000 people. The new CEO says, "merging Delta and Northwest is the most effective way to offset higher fuel prices and improve efficiencies, increase international presence and fund long-term investment in the business."</li> </ul> http://www.citizensugar.com/1552307#comment Airlines Bombings Congo Delta Front Page Iraq Italy Merger Northwest Plane Crash Silvio Berlusconi Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:53:56 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1552307 http://www.citizensugar.com/1548473 <p>Earlier today we took a peek at a little history <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1547514" >behind the curtain</a> of Italian politics. While <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/world/europe/14italy.html?_r=1&amp;ref=europe&amp;oref=slogin" target="_blank">we wait for the results</a> in their election (notoriously inaccurate <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D901M9186&amp;show_article=1&amp;catnum=0" target="_blank">exit polls</a> show Berlusconi with a lead for now) let's crack open some Chianti and meet the candidates.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/15_2008/italy.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="430" width="300"></span></p> <p>Silvio Berlusconi, the would-be three-term premier, is known for his off-color humor. How off? Like, I don’t know, maybe <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4857226.stm" target="_blank">once saying</a>, “Chinese communists used to eat children”? He later apologized, of course, and is widely considered Italy’s most entertaining politician. Funny r&eacute;sum&eacute; tidbit? The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3034600.stm" target="_blank">self-made man</a> was once a cruise-ship singer. While the tips were probably great, he made his real euros as a businessman, in particular an empire of privately-owned television stations. But for an Italy teetering on the edge of recession, his business acumen is what the people want.</p> <p>His opponent may sound familiar to those following the US elections. To see why, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1548473">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1548473#comment Elections Global Totals Italy Voting Bloc Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:00:03 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1548473 http://www.citizensugar.com/1547514 <p>Think Italians are best known for hot cars and delicious food? How about their wild and wooly politics? Italians <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7344958.stm" target="_blank">head to the polls</a> again today in a second day of voting to elect Italy’s 63^rd prime minister since the end of World War II. Keeping score at home? We’ve only had 11 presidents in that window. How about a break from the US election? Let’s take a peeksy at what the Italians have been up to — and then meet the top two candidates later today.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/15_2008/80656460.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="293" width="550"></span></p> <p>The Italians called early elections in January after the prime minister up and quit. This is not as sensational as it sounds: In the last 50 years, all but one government — that of conservative Silvio Berlusconi’s from 2001-2006 — have dissolved before their time. Why the revolving door? To find out, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1547514">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1547514#comment Elections Global Totals Italy Voting Bloc Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:14 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1547514 http://www.citizensugar.com/1085214 <p>Italian officials arrested 15 people involved in <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7269774.stm" target="_blank">selling imitation Ferraris online.</a> Wannabes could buy the knock-offs for only $30,000, a fraction of what the real thing would cost. Predominately made with pieces from American Pontiacs, included only a few pieces from the real 328 GTB. 14 cars, along with altered authentication papers, have been sold.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/09_2008/79983717.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="379" width="550"></span><br /> This story makes me ponder why people buy luxury goods. Is it only important that everyone thinks you're driving a Ferrari? Or is the real thing worth the price tag? </p> <p>Do you think you could spot a counterfeit sports car, as well as you could spot <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1075879" >counterfeit Gucci sunglasses</a>? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1085214#comment Cars Counterfeit Crime Ferrari Italy Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:01:16 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1085214 http://www.citizensugar.com/1081363 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/09_2008/50891638.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="450"></span><br /> Italy's highest court ruled that Italian men can no longer grab their genitals in public. The defendant in question, according to the <b>New York Times</b>, argued that he was innocently adjusting his overalls. Regardless of the reason, discomfort or display, the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/world/europe/28briefs-genital.html?_r=2&amp;ref=europe&amp;oref=slogin&amp;oref=slogin" target="_blank">court put an end</a> to an age-old Italian tradition of warding off bad luck by touching one's genitals.</p> <p>The court ruled that the practice was contrary to "socio-ethical behavioral rules requiring everyone to abstain from conduct potentially offensive to collectively held feelings of decorum.” </p> <p>Since offensiveness is inherently objective, do you think it's possible to outlaw bad manners? Are there collective feelings of decorum? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1081363#comment Italy Law Men Politics of Love Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:00:30 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1081363 http://www.citizensugar.com/1073108 <p>Naples, Italy is still in the midst of a garbage crisis. Thanks to mafia control of the waste-management system, mixed with government incompetence, 200,000 tons of piled waste sits in the southern Italian city. </p> <p>Last December, garbage collectors stopped picking up trash, as there was nowhere to put it. Last week, outgoing Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said the <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/20/europe/EU-GEN-Italy-Naples-Garbage.php" target="_blank">trash will be gone by May</a> as a result of new dumps and the creation of three incinerators. May! Naples reached an agreement with a German waste-management company and piles of garbage will be sent to Germany to be burned.</p> <p><center><object width="425" height="350"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://citizensugar.com/v/1073097"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://citizensugar.com/v/1073097" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></center></p> <p>According to Greenpeace, incinerators will result in <a href="http://forum.greenpeace.org/int/showthread.php?t=4000" target="_blank">irreversible environmental damage</a>. If fact, schools have been forced to close a few days, as the smell from festering trash made it unsafe for children to go outside.</p> <p>Check out the video above of Vespas floating in a sea of trash, narrated in beautiful Italian. You're safe from the stench on this side of the camera. How do you say recycle in Italian?</p> <p><a href="http://www.beppegrillo.it/eng/2008/02/sorry_naples.html" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1073108#comment Italy Naples Trash Strike Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:45:10 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1073108 http://www.citizensugar.com/1052484 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/08_2008/79759502.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="205"></span>Elections in Italy are only two months away, and an unexpected issue — abortion — <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/world/europe/16italy.html?ex=1360818000&amp;en=bb42cc573b2f3cf3&amp;ei=5088&amp;partner=rssnyt&amp;emc=rss" target="_blank"> has now taken center stage</a>. Thirty years ago, the Catholic country legalized abortion. But just last week, an intense situation at a Naples hospital sparked pro-choice rallies across the country.</p> <p>In what is being described as an anti-mafia type raid, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/14/italy.abortion.inquiry" target="_blank">Naples police stormed a hospital</a> after getting word that a woman had had an abortion after the legal cut off. Police interrogated the woman who was still under anesthesia from the procedure, and seized the terminated fetus. In fact, the woman was only 21 weeks along, within the 24 week cut off.</p> <p>Pro-choice Italians are not the only ones getting fired up about the issue. Giuliano Ferrara, a conservative journalist and close ally of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, recently began using his newspaper as a platform for his pro-life position. He announced that he will seek election to parliament in April, and will be running on an anti-abortion platform.</p> <p>Obviously abortion is a controversial and touchy subject spurring passionate opinions. But, how do you feel about how police handled the situation in Naples? Is there any way to police alleged late abortions? And, also — what do you think about politicians running on a single issue, whether it be anti-abortion, or anti-war? Would you vote for a politician who promised to address the issue most important to you, even if you disagreed with him or her on the rest?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1052484#comment Check This Italy Politics of Love Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:09:51 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1052484 http://www.citizensugar.com/999963 <p>Popular Italian comedian Beppe Grillo combines Michael Moore and Stephen Colbert, Italian style. The latest issue of <b>The New Yorker</b> chronicles <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/04/080204fa_fact_mueller" target="_blank">Grillo's quest to cure the Italian government of epidemic corruption</a>. At massive rallies, Grillo calls out the 29 convicted criminals currently serving in the Italian Parliament or representing Italy in the European Parliament. Past crimes range from aiding and abetting murder to perjury and tax evasion. These leaders have approved an annual budget for Italy's symbolic presidency four times that of Buckingham palace. And legislators recently voted on their own perks such limousine chauffeurs, free air travel and haircuts, and generous pensions.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/05_2008/Picture-10.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" height="226" width="395"></span></p> <p>Grillo has galvanized Italians with his irreverence. By simply talking about the corruption, he has the potential to change popular attitudes. Mainstream Italian press is controlled or owned outright by political parties, and journalists constantly face libel suits. As a result, Grillo uses his blog, <a href="http://www.beppegrillo.it/" target="_blank">beppegrillo.it</a>, to communicate with his followers. </p> <p>Referring to the latest <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&amp;sid=aYWdiNOIfSc4&amp;refer=home" target="_blank">parliamentary crisis</a>, Grillo told the magazine:<br /> <blockquote>"I was watching on television, and I saw legislatures spitting at each other. [...] Then I turned to 'The Simpsons,' and it seemed like a real parliament. It's surreal. We've gone beyond all decency."</p></blockquote> <p>For more of Beppe's insight, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/04/080204fa_fact_mueller" target="_blank">read the article</a>. Do you you think combining outrage with humor can mobilize enough people to bring real change?</p> <p><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/999963#comment Beppe Grillo Colbert Europe Italy On the Newsstand The New Yorker Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:02:32 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/999963