DENVER--How fractious is Italy’s political left?

Senator Francesco Rutelli, former candidate for prime minister in Italy, who is attending the Democratic National Convention, said Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton provided a valuable lesson in unity for him and his fellow Italian politicians.

“This is one of the important lessons America gives us,” said Rutelli, speaking to Italian reporters after a panel on transatlantic views on national security at the Sheraton.

(After yet another government collapse by a left-leaning Italian government in January, the raucous factions have tried to meld into a new “Democratic” Party. Its candidate, Walter Veltroni, who took to saying “yes we can” -- in English -- on the campaign trail, lost to conservative Silvio Berlusconi.  read more »

From the Wall Street Journal this morning, about the 142-year effort to build a bridge between Sicily and the Italian mainland:

The late marine explorer Jacques Cousteau helped with research. At one point, a study was commissioned to study the effect of the bridge's shadow on fish. None was found.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/water-shadows-concern-italy-little-italy#comments Real Estate Brooklyn Bridge Park fish Hudson River Park Italy Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:40:33 -0400 Tom Acitelli 67685 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/2007/como-dice-strike

Italy's screenwriters, acting in solidarity with their American counterparts, are threatening to strike, according to Variety...

"Prompted by their overseas WGA colleagues, Italy's screenwriters are rattling sabers and threatening strike action over new media residuals," the magazine reports. "TV scribe Andrea Purgatori, who is the screenwriters' rep within Italian artistic copyright association SIAE is sounding a call to action, lamenting a lack of royalties pertaining to Italian film and TV drama product sold for web and mobile phone use."

Insert your own, aren't-Italians-on-permanent-work-stoppage-anyway? joke here.

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/como-dice-strike#comments Media Italy strike Variety Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:11:23 -0500 Felix Gillette 60562 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/39303 Overlooked in the culture wars, a new phenomenon has been emerging: domesticity without family, or w  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/39303#comments Style Canada eBay Inc. Italy Martha Stewart Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:00:00 -0400 Ann Marlowe 39303 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/35057

BK in a box

• The sleazy bustle of Chinatown may soon be transformed into the distinctly refined serenity of Little Italy. How? By banning cars--turning the double-parked delivery trucks on Mott and Bayard Street into "alfresco dining and sidewalk tea shops." The chairman of the Chinatown Partnership says "it could happen soon"--and even taxi-happy Councilman John Liu is in on the action. Close your eyes and think of Nassau Street! (Newsday)
• "Mood" is the official 2006 keyword of the real estate biz. And the official mood of American homebuilders, according to CNN, hasn't been as bad since 1991. That means, of course, that the industry is "rolling over." So what does the chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders have to say? That the real estate industry will only "worsen before it improves." Sounds good. (Money/CNN)
• Red Hook and Barbara "Good Morning America" Corcoran aren't as perfectly matched as one might think. Her purchase on Van Brunt Street was once hyped in the Times, though today her building's storefront is empty, even though its rent has been slashed from $2500 to 18. Get out of Brooklyn, Barbara, while you still can. (Curbed)
• A 113,000-square-foot mass of concrete and steel in Williamsburg has been sold for $26 million. You might never have guessed, but the Hope Street building was once a warehouse, and it will one day be a six-story condo. Those hip Brooklynites love their warecondos. (Globe St.)
• Donald Trump gets a very sensual ego massage via Steve Cuozo's Post column, which gives the Trump Tower credit for valiantly setting up shop on Fifth Avenue. Flattery aside: the building has a very forlorn 37,000-square-foot hole where Asprey's big shop had been. Who might head there? Madison Ave. jeweler Graff, the luxuriously Italian Loro Piana, or Mr. Ralph Lauren. (NY Post)
- Max Abelson]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35057#comments Real Estate Cable News Network LP LLLP Chinatown Partnership Italy John Liu Wed, 16 Aug 2006 04:30:00 -0400 Observer Staff 35057 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/52525 DR. SELMAN: Good to see you. What’s up?

HILLY: Nothing.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/node/52525#comments Style East Hampton Italy Rome Siberia Sun, 06 Aug 2006 20:00:00 -0400 George Gurley 52525 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/33410 Papers around the world are covering Day 2 of the Materazzi insult. The Times includes the leading favorite, promoted by Zidane's brother, that Materazzi called Zidane, who is Algerian by descent, "the son of Harkis"—a slur, referring to Algerians who fought on the French side in the war of independence. But Gazzetta in Italy undermines this claim. Quoted in the IHT, the paper reports that Materazzi called his insult an "insult of the kind you will hear dozens of times and that just slips out on the ground."

"I certainly didn't call him a terrorist," he added. "I am ignorant. I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is; my only terrorist is her," he said, pointing to his 10-month-old daughter, who was sleeping next to him on the plane that took the Italian team back to Italy.

The best story is from the Guardian, which does not hold back on its language in reporting:

Materazzi has not elaborated on what he did say, but one report suggested he responded [to Zidan'es challenge to take his shirt later] with: "I'd rather take the shirt off your wife." He has, however, denied that he insulted Zidane's mother or called the son of Algerian immigrants a terrorist. A lip reader employed by the BBC claimed Materazzi said: "I wish an ugly death to you and all your family," and then told Zidane to "go fuck yourself". Paris-based anti-racism group, SOS-Racism, had earlier said that "several very well informed sources" suggested Zidane was called a "dirty terrorist". "I did not call him a terrorist," responded the Italian World Cup winner. "I am not a cultured person and I don't even know what an Islamist terrorist is. For me the mother is sacred, you know that."

Journalists should take a cue from the Guardian and not censor themselves. The story deserves linguistic candor. (C.f., Earl Butz, Agriculture Secretary under Nixon, who lost his job for a racist joke that none of the MSM would repeat in full...)]]> http://www.observer.com/node/33410#comments British Broadcasting Corporation Earl Butz Italy Paris Tue, 11 Jul 2006 05:05:12 -0400 Observer Staff 33410 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/32484 In Madison Square Park the other day, in heavy rain, Harlequin heartthrob Fabio presided over a peculiar press event; a competition that pitted three soap stars in a quest to become the new spokeshunk of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.

Four judges, under a small tent, crowned Greg Vaughan, of General Hospital, the new margarine king. Their decision was based on the enthusiasm of the large crowd; the audience was composed mainly of soap-obsessed out-of-towners dressed in yellow ponchos.


Won't it be upsetting if new spokesmodel
Greg Vaughan later comes to think
it actually is butter?
As the contest wound down, Fabio and some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter executives remained on stage holding on—if only for a few final moments—to the glorious past.

"What makes Fabio special," said an ICBINB VP, "is that he is really part of the family, he is a true champion of the brand and that makes a huge difference in the relationship that we've had—it's a different relationship ship than you have with many top celebrities."

Fabio returned the love: "For me it's easy because I believe in the product. You know, so it's easy. When you believe in something it's easy to promote. And my parents," he said, smiling broadly, "are the biggest, you know, user of the product. Every time—and they got every people in Italy addicted, okay?—every time they come, they at least bring back 200 tubs to Italy."

"You might want to mention that one on Letterman," the VP said.

Fabio had large calluses on his hands. Why?

"You know what, this is more for lifting. I used to use gloves, and you know gloves, after a while, you use it you have to wash it, and you always forget it, to put it back in your gym bag," he said. He nodded at the executives as if to say, 'You know what I'm talking about.'

"So when you go back to the gym," Fabio said, "and you have to start from point zero because your hands don't have the calluses. And gloves after a while, they fall apart. And so I decide no, no. No more gloves, just bare handed, so that way it doesn't matter if I have the gloves or not the gloves."

Later Fabio and Mr. Vaughan posed for a photo. "He is and always will be a role model and I look to him for guidance," said Mr. Vaughan.

"He likes motorcycles," said Fabio, clapping a large arm around his smaller successor. "We're gonna go riding motorcycles," said Mr. Vaughan, "so that's even better." —Spencer Morgan]]> http://www.observer.com/node/32484#comments Style Greg Vaughan I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Italy Fri, 16 Jun 2006 04:40:56 -0400 Observer Staff 32484 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/52117 ROME—Exactly how scared am I supposed to be over here?  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/52117#comments Style Iraq Italy Rome U.S. Department of State Sun, 23 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400 Bill Tonelli 52117 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/node/38718 ROME—Exactly how scared am I supposed to be over here?    read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/38718#comments Style Iraq Italy Rome U.S. Department of State Sun, 23 Apr 2006 20:00:00 -0400 Bill Tonelli 38718 at http://www.observer.com