Ieri (6 novembre 2009) è andata in onda su Neapolis un’intervista a Flavia Weisghizzi (ubuntu-it), in occasione della recente uscita di Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala):

For various reasons, I have been looking for another job. I have been nannying a little boy in Greenlake…needless to say that is a very long commute for just a few hours. There have been times I was supposed to work and then the mom decided she didn’t need me (most recently for a whole week). I just can’t have that uncertainty in hours….I really need to be making money on a consistent basis. Nine hours a week just doesn’t justify the gas (and time!) it takes to get to Greenlake (at the heighth of rush hour, by the way). I was originally going to try to find another part time position, but I just couldn’t find anything that fit with those hours. She also wanted me to pick him up from school three times a week….I would either have to hang around down there for hours (to then watch him for only an hour) or drive all the way back down there. When I was in Mountlake Terrace, it would have been a little easier. It’s just not going to work. Add that to the fact that the little boy is, um, difficult, and I’m really not liking it. I really don’t think he’s ever heard the word no….which makes my job a little difficult. I’ve also never heard the word “discipline” mentioned.

I had an interview yesterday at a childcare center in Kirkland. The position would actually be at their Lynnwood location, which would be absolutely AWESOME. I would be the teacher for the two and three year olds. It would be full time, I would get paid days off (4 days at Christmas, for example!), and I would have a blast. The interview went really well. When I left the director told me I was her number one choice so far. I’m going tomorrow evening to take a tour of the Lynnwood center. I hope I get it! It is exactly the job I’ve been looking for. I wouldn’t have to worry about hours varying from week to week and I would be doing what I want to go to school for! I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but I think it could work out!

I’ve been spending lots of quality time with my boyfriend, which has been fun. It’s liking like he’s going to be moving at the beginning of October now, so it’s nice that I get a little more time with him. We saw “9″ the other night with his family. I didn’t know what to expect, but I enjoyed it. Also that evening, I had my first Neapolis experience. Neapolis is a restaurant in the town David and I graduated high school in (his family and mine still live here). Somehow I missed out on that restaurant, even though it was a mere 5 minutes from where we used to live. There are very few sit-down restaurants in Lake Stevens, yet somehow I never quite made it. The food was SO delicious! I think it is my favorite Italian food now.

David is putting Linux on his macbook, which I find kind of funny. He likes Mac OS but he feels linux will better suit his needs. I personally use Linux on the laptop I use, and I love it. David got it all set up for me….I was having problems with Windows and really wasn’t liking it. It’s so much faster with Linux! Plus their mascot (or whatever you call it) is a cute little penguin! I mean, what’s not to like about that?

Here’s what our evening has looked like:

David working on the transition to Linux, with King supervising.

"I have to watch Griffey!"

He’s watching the Mariners game at the same time. (As I am writing this, they are sadly behind….)

So cute! Me and King

I love this cat. It’s kind of sad how much I love him, but what can I say, he’s pretty lovable. My mom went out to lunch with her friend (who I am also friends with on Facebook) and she knew all about King! Apparently I talk about him a lot….I think more likely, it’s the fact that I have so many pictures of him on there. That’s kind of pitiful! Sadly King is moving with David, and he’s going to become a Bostonian kitty. Not only will I miss David, I’m going to miss King too (although obviously not nearly as much as I will miss my monkey….).

La Cadena SER va emetre dijous, 11 de setembre, el programa “Hoy por hoy” des de l’auditori de Neàpolis, a Vilanova i la Geltrú. Al final del programa, Carles Francino i els seus col·laboradors van acabar repreduint una particular Comparsa, amb una batalla de caramels.

The events recorded in Acts Chapter 15 took place about 20 years after the day of Pentecost. The meeting that is described is often called the Jerusalem Council. Some Jewish “Christian” theologians had come to the Church – possibly sent by Satan – and they had taught a false gospel: Christianity constrained by Judaism.

The result of the Jerusalem Council was a sort of a compromise. There were two commands: avoid immorality and adultery. And there were two concessions: don’t eat blood, and don’t eat meat from animals killed by strangulation. This result preserved unity in the Church.

Most local churches that wind up destroyed do not get destroyed by outside forces. Most of them split from within.

And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

Acts 15:36-39

Paul and Barnabas got into a fight about Barnabas’s cousin, John Mark. The Greek word for “contention” in Acts 15:39 is a funny word – “paroxysmos” – meaning a paroxysm or a “fit.” Paul ended up taking Silas with him, and Barnabas took Mark. Paul cared for people in the sense of what they could do for the Lord. Barnabas cared for people in the sense of what God could do for them, or what God’s work could do for them. Of course, it could just be that God wanted two missionary teams instead of one.

Acts Chapter 16 describes the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey. At Lystra they picked up Timothy to replace Mark on Paul’s team. Timothy and Titus, Paul’s two main proteges, were both gentiles. Timothy was circumcised, but Titus was not. The reason is that Timothy was going to be working with Jews and gentiles, but Titus’s circumcision would have helped Paul’s enemies (Galatians 2:1-5).

Paul’s personal preference was to go east to Asia, but God wanted him to go west to Europe. He went to Troas, then to Macedonia, then to Neapolis, then to Philippi.

On this missionary journey, Lydia of Thyatira, the seller of purple dye, was saved.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Acts 16:14-15

Paul cast a demon out of a girl who was following them, even though she was proclaiming salvation.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Acts 16:16-18

This young lady’s conversion cost her masters much income, and they had Paul and Silas beaten. Notice how sneaky Satan is! He tried to trap Paul and his team: They could let this girl keep it up and corrupt the message and their separated walk; or, they could oppose her, stir up trouble, get beaten, thrown out, and lose the opportunity to witness. We must wonder if Satan thought he had baited the perfect trap. If Paul and his team let the girl continue, then Satan could use her to start lying. If they silenced her, they would make her masters angry. However, God always makes a way of escape for His people when they are tempted of Satan. So, Paul and Silas were beaten, and then instead of getting thrown out of town, God allowed them to get thrown into prison. Paul and Silas were in prison, singing songs of praise to God!

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Acts 16:25

God shook open the prison doors, but Paul stayed to witness to the Philippian jailor.

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Acts 16:30-31

Here, it is important to note that they are not telling one man to believe by himself, such that his belief would be a substitute for the belief of everyone else in his household. They are telling him that each person of the household must believe on his/her own.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Acts 16:34

Paul and Silas were prisoners, but they were treated differently once they claimed their rights as Roman citizens.

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Acts 16:37-40

::
simple minds álbum neapolis 1998
::

LETRA:

ver las nubes blancas flotando
espirítus mintiendo a mi lado
atrapando las flores salvajes que caen
es la herida que no sangra

escucha las sirenas llamando
hilando a cabo su espectáculo
sostén ese momento cerca de mi
tómalo con mucha lentitud

sean míos
bebés de la guerra

¿es posible seguir adelante?
destrozando las piezas que quedan dentro
para hacer frente al final
hay ciertas cosas que no se pueden ocultar

sean míos
bebes de la guerra

deseas que la fuerza se vaya
o deseas que los fantasmas se queden
deja que el profeta sea tus ojos
se siente como algo que está pasando hoy
algunos se averguenzan como ningún otro
y no se siente lo mismo
nada se siente lo mismo
bebés de la guerra

sean míos bebés de la guerra

9  giugno – Napoli Medievale (dott. Mirko Giordano, Univ. degli studi La Sapienza Roma)

“Da Virgilio Mago alla nascita del Regno di Ruggiero”

9 giugno – Napoli Medievale

Il periodo più oscuro e meno conosciuto della storia di Napoli è in effetti dalla venuta di Virgilio Mago alla nascita del regno che sarà poi detto delle Due Sicilie con Ruggiero il Normanno.

La floridissima epoca ducale di oltre cinque secoli, le famiglie magnatizie, il ruolo della provincia ecclesiastica durante il movimento iconoclasta sono cose, curiosamente, sconosciute agli stessi Napoletani.

Col dott. Giordano e con il prof. Manfrellotti rivivremo quei tempi lontani in cui la città, per legge e per diritto, non era tenuta a pagare le tasse…

Dove e Quando?

Il 5 Maggio 2009, ore 18,  Alla sala conferenze Ubik, via Benedetto Croce n° 28, Napoli.
L’evento è anche su Facebook [Link]

Accademia Medievale nel panorama delle proprie attività propone il ciclo d’incontri, detti Incontri Medievali, con esperti ed appassionati di rievocazione storica medievale e di archeologia sperimentale:

Gli Incontri Medievali

Tema conduttore comune del ciclo sarà la rievocazione storica, in occasione del maggio dei monumenti napoletano, il contesto comprenderà naturalmente la splendida città di Napoli.

Svolta “elettronica” per il festival più grande del centro sud. Dopo mesi di attesa ecco gli headliner, manca solo l’ufficialità, ma saranno confermati a breve. Appuntamento il 15 e 16 luglio presso la Mostra D’Oltremare.

Salta ancora la storica location dell’Italsider di Bagnoli (ancora inagibile), si bissa così nella struttura di Fuorigrotta, dopo il positivo riscontro dell’edizione 2008 con Rem, Massive Attack, Almamegretta, Editors, Bluvertigo, Elio e Baustelle. Dicevamo svolta elettronica: almeno così sembra in base alle prime tre band confermate (di cui 2 headliner): per la prima volta nel meridione (più a Sud di Roma non si erano mai visti) gli incendiari Prodigy, reduci dal successo del loro ultimo, ed esplosivo “Invaders Must Die”. Un live set tra i rave anni 90 dell’acida Inghilterra, la potenza del punk e il flusso dell’hip-hop più duro.

La band di Keith Flint, Maxim Reality e Liam Howlett suonerà il 16 luglio insieme al dance intelligente dei Motel Connection, dopo il live padovano del giorno prima allo Sherwood Festival.

I Subsonica, ancora in giro con “L’eclissi” (pubblicato nel novembre 2007) saranno invece al Neapolis il giorno prima, ovvero il 15 luglio. Il loro tour estivo (solo cinque date) sarà in collaborazione con Legambiente, e la band aderirà al progetto “Per il clima contro il nucleare”. L’associazione ambientalista sarà infatti vicina al palco per coinvolgere il pubblico nelle iniziative sulla bassa emissione (Stop The Fever), appellandosi inoltre ad un sistema energetico pulito.

Il loro show seguirà le recenti date da tutto esaurito in Europa: prima parte con brani storici e seconda virata verso la componente dance. Prima dei Subsonica si esibirà l’electrofunk dei francesi Rinocerose.

Dance che come un fil rouge collegherà anche l’esibizione del progetto laterale di Samuel, ovvero i Motel Connection, con Pierfunk e Dj Pisti, prevista per il 15 prima dei Prodigy . I Motel, dopo la recente esibizione al Duel Beat di Napoli (sold out), hanno aderito ad un progetto di tecnologia a basso impatto ambientale, in attesa del nuovo album di inediti previsto per il 2010.

Dopo aver pubblicato il singolo H.E.R.O.I.N. (Human Environmental Return Output Input Network) lavoreranno sul progetto crossmediale: singolo, fumetto e gioco a basso impatto ambientale. Un progetto realmente ambizioso: il nuovo singolo dei Motel Connection, e’ anche videogioco, scaricabile gratuitamente online su motelconnection.co.uk, e  i 12 brani del prossimo disco diventeranno altrettante missioni di un videogame in grafica 3D realtime, sviluppato dalla X-plored, una delle migliori software house in Italia.

Infine, gli avatar dei Motel Connection, che nel gioco dovranno liberare la società dalle oppressioni, diventeranno inoltre i character di una miniserie a fumetti interamente realizzata da due studenti della Scuola Internazionale di Comics di Roma – Bruno Letizia e Valerio Schiti – che verrà pubblicata in tre episodi, da giugno 2009 a gennaio 2010.

A breve altre info sul Carpisa Neapolis Festival 2009 ed aggiornamenti sul cast.

LF

]]> http://pbaptist.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/cyprus-church-takes-turkey-to-court-to-protect-places-of-worship/ Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:25:41 +0000 Particular Kev http://pbaptist.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/cyprus-church-takes-turkey-to-court-to-protect-places-of-worship/ http://hoyloco.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/al-teatro-il-primo-in-scena-i-menecmi/ Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:23:30 +0000 Hoyloco http://hoyloco.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/al-teatro-il-primo-in-scena-i-menecmi/ http://ammazzablog.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/oggi-invio-di-mail-ad-aprea-e-levi-neapolis-manda-in-onda-un-servizio-sullo-sciopero-di-domani/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:53:13 +0000 Francesco D'Ambrosio http://ammazzablog.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/oggi-invio-di-mail-ad-aprea-e-levi-neapolis-manda-in-onda-un-servizio-sullo-sciopero-di-domani/

3 Dicembre - INVIO DI UNA LETTERA APERTA A VALENTINA APREA E RICARDO FRANCO LEVI
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Neapolis, programma di Rai 3 ieri 2 Dicembre ha mandato in onda un servizio sullo sciopero della rete organizzato per domani 4 Dicembre. Guarda il video!

Domani 4 Dicembre avvieremo la campagna Netizen Clandestino.

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Icon of the Saints celebrated on November 3rd: (first row) Sts. Akepsimas, George of Neapolis, Joseph, (second row) George the Great Martyr (the dedication of his church) and Aethalas (taken

“Saint George, the new martyr of Christ, lived in Neapolis of Asia Minor (Nev-Sechir in Turkish) in the eighteenth century. He was a priest at the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos and served his flock with righteousness and holiness as a true servant of the Most-high. Gifted with the qualities of love and meekness, brotherly love and forbearance, humble and spotless was his support and consolation of the Greek Christians who then lived under the yoke of the Turks. As an angel on earth the divine George willingly served his fellow men cultivating the divine gifts and pleasing to God.

In the year 1797 he was invited to the village Malakopi-located within six hours from Neapolis-to serve at some great feast and to bless their pious Christians, because their priest was ill, and or, in the opinion of others, was hiding from the fury of the Hagarenes [Turks]. The elder George now gladly accepted the invitation without considering the suffering and above all the risks.

Mounting his shabby donkey, he proceeded willing. He approached close to Malakopi, when suddenly at “Kobia Dere “, meaning “ravine”, he experienced a wild attack of Turkish shepherds, who angrily fell on him with an indescribable fury. They robbed him they stripped him naked, and in the end they gave him a martyric death, cutting off his precious head. His body, naked and bloodied, with his head they left in an adjacent canyon, but his soul flew close to its Lord to be numbered among the Righteous and the Hieromartyrs.

Four days passed without the Holy priest reaching Malakopi, but also not returning to Neapolis. Concerned citizens of Neapolis went in search of him. They found his holy body and his precious head and lamenting and weeping at his difficult death, a shepherd hastily buried him, fearing the fury of Hagarenes. Above his grave a stone bore the simple inscription: “The Priest George”.

Some time passed, until one night the holy hieromartyr appeared in a vision to a pious widow relating to her what happened and urging her to inform the Mayor to look to find the location in which he was buried. The woman did not give importance to it, but when after a few days the dream was repeated, she was fearful and did what the saint asked. Without delay the pious citizens of Neapolis led by a priest, called Neophytos, son also of priest Basilios, fellow priest? [συνεφημερίου] of the saint, hastened and excavated that shallow? [πρόχειρο] grave. Oh, the miracle! The relic of the Saint remained whole and incorrupt spreading heavenly fragrance and Grace! After they venerated it with reverence and awe, they placed in a wooden casket and carried it to the home of Fr. Neophytos, according to the desire of the Saint himself, and kept it in a cell.

There many came, locals and foreigners, to venerate the Saint and receive blessing from his venerable relic. Miracles began to occur. The sick and disabled were healed, childless couples bore children, spiritual illnesses disappeared, and further during drought the citizens of Neapolis fled to the Saint, that they might shortly see the blessed rain fall strongly. All confessed how miraculous St. George was shown to be!
In 1924, with the exchange of populations, the Greeks of Cappadocia left for free Greece, each taking with him whatever he considered most precious. The then priest of the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos archimandrite Ignatios, perceiving his first responsibility to safely transfer the miraculous and incorrupt relic of St. George, brought it from the shore of Mersinis by steamer to Attica. During the journey they had very rough seas, but they were lulled with a miracle of the Saint.

In Attica the sacred relic was handed over to citizens of Neapolis, who placed it with reverence in the Church of St. Eustathios in New Neapolis, Perissos. Since then countless are the miracles and the healings which St. George worked to those who call on his name with faith.

Since 2/11/1999, at request of the first Metropolitan Dionysios and noble concession of the Metropolitan of Trifilias and Olympias Stephen, a piece of the sacred relics of the Saint are treasured at the Holy Metropolis Church of St. George of Neapolis, as a permanent blessing of the people of the Metropolis bearing the name of Christ? “

Icon depicting Christ seated, with Saints of Neapolis: (right to left) Sts. George of Neapolis, Athanasios Koulakiotou, Akakios Asvestochoritou, and George the Great Martyr

Στίχοι.

Γεώργιον ἔμψυχον Κυρίῳ ὤφθης,

Γεώργιε ὅσιε, τμηθεὶς τὴν κάραν.

Apolytikion (for a Hieromartyr) in the Fourth Tone

As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr George. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.

I’ve driven by it or walked by it many times since moving to Nablus. One of the main cemeteries here is on the main road between downtown and my university. It sort of reminds me of the martyr’s cemetery in Shatila refugee camp; both have the same trees shading the graves. But this one is much more full. It’s also much older. The caretaker thinks it dates back to the time of the Roman occupation of Palestine. It’s not that it is so big, but after some time, families add their bodies to the graves of loved ones. When I walked into the cemetery this afternoon I was a bit early. I was meeting my friend who wanted to visit his mother’s grave before iftar. I walked around and noticed not only the number of martyrs buried there, but also the number of fresh graves built for the new martyrs. Some were still wet with fresh concrete. Others had tombs, but still were not engraved. Still others were fresh with flowers and photographs. The cemetery was full today; there were many people visiting the graves of their loved ones, sitting, reading the Qur’an, cleaning the headstone, watering plants surrounding the grave. I feel torn about cemeteries. I used to want my mom to be buried in one so that I could visit her. That was many years ago before I learned how to keep her memory alive inside me. In some ways I’m okay with her remains not being buried anywhere, though I wish she were for my grandma’s sake. Instead, her ashes lie in an urn beneath a pile of my father’s dirty clothes in his closet. Or at least that was the case the last time I visited his house about nine years ago. In any case I much prefer the respect people pay their loved ones here after they are dead, and of course, while they are alive, too.

After cleaning my friend’s mother’s grave site and after reading some selections from the Qur’an, we walked into the old city to eat iftar with his family at the Yasmine Hotel. It’s a beautiful, old hotel in the old city of Nablus. As you walk in there is a lovely stained glass (above), though like many beautiful things in Nablus it is blemished with gun shots from Israeli Terrorist Forces (ITF). There are also some beautiful tiles on the floor leading into the hotel and restaurant (below).

The iftar buffet is quite good, though the tendency to fill oneself till one is stuffed is high. It’s nice to spend a night eating iftar with friends and in a room full of people and with the sounds of the old city around you. After dinner my friends went to the mosque and I walked around downtown a bit to capture some of the Ramadan night scenes here. The scene is so lively with people strolling, sitting, snacking. And the city is lit up with lots of bright lights.

What I really wanted to see, though, was an exhibit at the new mall downtown that a friend tried to take me to the other night, but we were too late. It is supposed to highlight products made in Nablus. I was excited to see this exhibit and to hand out boycott flyers to those displaying their products. The unfortunate thing is that there were only a few products–the expected soap, plastic wrap, tahina, and oil (pictures below). It is important to continue to highlight Palestinian-made products so that a boycott here can be coupled with a buycott so that people begin to support Palestinian work.

While there are these snipets of life that are reminders of various modes of life continuing here in spite of the incessant siege, there are also always already reminders of the various ways in which the Zionist state tries its best to make that impossible. Most recently, here in Nablus, illegal Israeli settlers burned Palestinian olive groves:

Israeli settlers, living illegally on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank, burned a number of olive groves belonging to Palestinian families in the villages of Madameh, Burin and Asira al-Kabaliya. In addition, settlers burned a field of crops near the Israeli settlement of Yitzhar, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Meanwhile, the Zionist regime has made plans to build a garbage dump in Nablus:

The timing of an Israeli contractor’s approval by the Israeli government to construct a dump for Israeli garbage on Palestinian land in Nablus coincides with a major archaeological discovery in the area.

The Israeli government did not respond to questions about its approval of the 20-year permit on the same day that an announcement was made of an important Roman-era archaeological discovery in the area.

The archaeological discovery consists of a large water cistern, which connects to a tunnel to the Roman city of Neapolis. In the middle of the cistern is a set of spiral stairs. Palestinian archaeologists say that the find dates from the Roman era, at least 2,000 years ago. The cistern and tunnel may be connected to other, unknown ruins from that era under the city of Nablus.

But while Palestinian archaeologists rush to uncover the latest discovery, an Israeli contractor has been approved to begin constructing a massive dump nearby, which will make impossible any more archaeological work in the area.

These are scenes of life in the face of death and destruction, which are daily here in Palestine. But with each passing day one is not only aware of what is happening here and now, but also of the past. It seems as if there are daily anniversaries to recall commemorating the various Zionist massacres. This week is the anniversary of the Kate’eb and ITF massacre of the Palestinian refugees in Shatila refugee camp and the neighboring Sabra neighborhood:

This week marks the 26th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, one of the bloodiest events of the second half of the twentieth century. A Google search for recent news reports on this year’s commemoration of the atrocity, however, brought up very little. Yes, there were some emotional blog posts, as well as a link to the BBC’s “On this Day” page, featuring quick facts and figures about the massacre, alongside an archival, and iconic, photograph of twisted corpses lying in a heap next to a cinderblock wall, the victims of an execution-style killing.

It has been more than a quarter of a century since more than 1,000 unarmed men, women, and children were raped, maimed and slaughtered. The massacre occurred at the dividing point of the 1975-1990 Lebanese war. Some might say that the killings were the marker or the catalyst of the war’s horrible turning point. Before the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and siege of Beirut in the summer of 1982, the Lebanese civil war had taken many lives and introduced new images and phrases into the Arabic and English languages. The Lebanese war involved many players and funders, not all of them local. But with the entry of the Israeli army and air force, Lebanon witnessed more death and destruction in three months than it had suffered during the previous seven years. Sabra and Shatila, a Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut, marked the site of the Israeli-Palestinian and the internal Lebanese conflicts’ intersection. The front lines of these conflicts slashed through the refugee camps for three dark days and three eerily bright nights illuminated by flares that the surrounding Israeli army fired over the camps to assist their Lebanese client militia, the Phalange, in their gruesome tasks.

And, of course, we are reminded of the massacre in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, by Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s testimony before the United Nations. Reports today show Tutu’s language as much sharper and more aptly critical of why the world remains silent at the Zionist, terrorist regime:

South African Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Thursday accused the West of complicity in Palestinian suffering by its silence, suggesting it did not want to criticize Israel because of the Holocaust.

Tutu spoke after delivering a report to the United Nations about Israel’s deadly shelling of the town of Beit Hanun in Gaza in November 2006, which he said may constitute a war crime.

There is another anniversary this week, too. This is not an anniversary of the death of a Palestinian martyr, nor is it the anniversary of a massacre of Palestinians. It is the anniversary of the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte by Jewish terrorist bands:

The assassination of Bernadotte by Jewish militants disguised as regular soldiers on 17 September 1948, was commemorated in a series of Swedish and UN ceremonies in Jerusalem, Stockholm and New York yesterday. But no blue Israeli plaque marks the spot, as it does for so many military and Jewish underground exploits of the period. It is still the same September sunshine as it was that day, and the contours of the land do not change, of course. You can see how the ambush took place, just where the road starts to level out before climbing more steeply to the north west and what is now the Islamic Museum and Rehavia beyond. But the road, now Palmach Street, is wider and what was then a semi-rural suburb is now a busy middle-class West Jerusalem neighbourhood built up with its five-storey apartment blocks, and a row of little shops opposite the junction with Ha’gdud Ha’ivri Street where Bernadotte was shot. Today, only those Israelis with long memories, such as passing local resident Abraham Yinnon, who was a 16-year-old soldier at the time, even know what happened here. “It was madness,” he says now. “A political murder. Madness. Maybe it stopped something happening, but….”

Although it would be 30 years before any of its personnel admitted it, the “madness” was perpetrated by the most extreme of the Jewish nationalist underground groups, Lehi, more commonly known to the British as the Stern Gang, ordered by a three-man leadership which included the future Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir. What cost the life of the count who ran the Swedish Red Cross during the Second World War and was the nephew of King Gustav V, was not the two Arab-Jewish truces he had managed to negotiate – the second of which was close to collapse when he was killed. It was the longer-term peace plan which sought, however vainly and perhaps naively, to tackle the very issues which still lie at the heart of the world’s most intractable conflict today: borders, Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem. It was on the last point that Bernadotte had most incensed Israeli opinion, by recommending first that the city should be in Arab territory, and then, in a report heavily influenced by Britain and the US and submitted to the UN Security Council the very day before his death, that it should be under international supervision.

What was Bernadotte’s cardinal sin? It was that he authored United Nations Resolution 194, the resolution that demands Palestinian refugees have a right to return to their homes. The Jewish terrorists who were in the process of ethnically cleansing Palestine of its indigenous inhabitants at the time had approved Bernadotte’s work with the UN in Palestine because he supported Jewish refugees in Europe during World War II. But what these Jews did not realize is that he was not doing this because he believed Jews to be more important or that Jewish suffering was more significant than other people’s suffering; rather, he believed that refugee rights in general needed to be protected. Thus, he was assassinated.

And so it goes that refugee rights are continuing to be eroded with Mahmoud Abbas (see my friend Abed’s post below). Meanwhile the new head of the United Nations General Assembly, Father Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann seems to be sending mixed signals to the UN. On the one hand he is calling for reforms, which is fantastic, on the other hand he seems to be thinking that the UN is allowed to partition countries–which goes against its own charter!

Father Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, president of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, on Thursday urged the UN to work toward implementing UN Resolution 181, which in 1947 called for the division of Palestine into independent Jewish and Arab states.

During a speech at the General Assembly auditorium in honor of his election, Brockmann said the UN should work without delay to fulfill its old obligation of creating an independent Palestinian state.

“The greatest case failure of the United Nations is the lack of a Palestinian state,” he said. “Article 22 of the covenant of the League of Nations pledged as a ’sacred trust’ to establish a Palestinian state on a Palestinian territory that was part of the Ottoman Empire.”

Brockmann, 75, is a priest from Nicaragua who served as the country’s foreign minister in the 1980s.

The newly elected General Assembly president continued to lament the lack of a Palestinian state, saying, “At this very moment, people continue to die as a result of our incapacity to implement a resolution adopted more than 61 years ago. As the consequence, today the Palestinian situation is at the lowest, most critical point in its tragic history.”

Brockmann also criticized the UN’s five permanent member nations and claimed that their “veto power has gone to their heads.” He also had harsh words for the UN itself, claiming that the organization needs to undergo a process of democratization.

I’ll assume that Brockmann’s statement about UN Resolution 181 was an unfortunate slip and hope that he is able to make changes that will allow for the implementation of legal resolutions like UN Resolution 194 and 242 for starters.

La vida comiendo

Texto y Fotos Alonso Vera Cantú

La comida es uno de los más grandes placeres y la excusa ideal para emprender un viaje en busca de las historias en torno a su cocina. Desafortunadamente, para una quinta parte de la población mundial comer es más bien un evento esporádico. A pesar de ello, un lujo del cual en rara ocasión privan a sus invitados. Y a petición de mi santo padre me permitiré compartirles algunas comidas que aún dan placer al paladar y la memoria de su servidor. Provecho.

La dolce vita

Lo primero que llamó mi atención al llegar a la capital de Campania fue el aroma abrasador de sus hornos de leña. Y sólo me tomó diez minutos elegir el sitio donde, a diario durante mi visita, habría de prolongar la comida hasta la cena. No suelo privilegiar un solo establecimiento, pero mis sentidos explotaron y se adelantaron al del gusto cuando la vi salir del horno y posarse allí, sola para mí, devorándola mucho antes de siquiera comerla. Era el orgullo de Don Bepe, la tradición que resguarda su familia desde 1934, ya que en el Restaurante Pizzería Marino en el 118 de la Via Santa Lucia no se hacen pizzas, sino historia a cada día.

Se dice que en el siglo XVIII la pizza era ya un platillo típico de los campesinos napolitanos, elaborada con harina, aceite de olivo, mozzarella, albahaca y tomate llegado de América. Pero fue cuando la reina Margarita de Saboya (1851-1926) la probó y sucumbió a su encantamiento que se bautizó. Y fue hasta la segunda margarita que pude disfrutarla con su contexto. Sentado como en un trono, a orillas de su bahía en forma de luna en cuarto creciente, con la espuma del mar de Tirrenio acariciando las faldas del Vesubio. La vista era de un orgullo hecho ciudad por griegos y romanos, cantantes como Caruso y pizzeros como Don Bepe. Esa fue mi primera pizza de verdad, en “la ciudad nueva” o Neapolis que Homero declaró erigida sobre la tumba de la sirena Parténope -muerta por Ulises al evadir sus embelesos- a manos de los marineros que asistieron a su funeral para admirar su hermosura. Yo también morí allí, pero de encanto.

Hasta el fondo

A no más de 15 metros bajo la superficie del Mar de Tazmania habitan los hermosos moluscos que conocemos como cayo de hacha. Su vida es plena y serena, casi siempre escondidos bajo un fino manto de arena que filtran para alimentarse. Y en caso de hastío o acecho se propulsan abriendo y cerrando sus conchas como un niño jugando con la dentadura postiza de su abuelita. He de aceptar que soy un buzo primitivo, ya que cada vez que me sumerjo para admirar lo sublime bajo el manto de cristal, no puedo evitar salivar observando tantos platillos potenciales. Y estos moluscos no fueron la excepción.

Durante algunas semanas trabajé como asistente de un viejo lobo de mar llamado Terry, llevando turistas a las entrañas del Rainbow Warrior: el navío de Greenpeace hundido por terroristas frente a la capital neozelandesa que ahora descansa en la Bahía de las Islas. De madrugada nos acompañaban los delfines, que por cierto nunca se me han antojado, y en mi último día, con los clientes y el equipo de buceo ya devueltos a tierra para no caer en ilegalidades, nos zambullimos libremente en busca de mi último almuerzo. Eso sí, tomamos las del tamaño especificado por la ley en temporada, y sólo las que luego comeríamos vivas con el rocío del mar aderezando su tierna y resbaladiza corporeidad, mientras el sol tostaba nuestros rostros que no cabía de felicidad y tristeza simultáneamente. 

Y ahora en la cima

Proyectos profesionales de corte altruista me llevaron a vivir con los cafetaleros chiapanecos que laboran en la Reserva de la Biosfera de El Triunfo. Es poco lo que puedo decir con palabras del cariño y agradecimiento que les tengo, así como es escaso el decoro que mis letras le harán a éste pedacito de cielo que aún nos resta en el país. Y lo es no sólo por resguardar especies en peligro de extinción como el pavón y el quetzal, sino porque para llegar hay que sufrir una larga penitencia.

Luego de disfrutar la hospitalidad e historias de quienes brindan al mundo el mejor café crecido a la sombra, cosechado con técnicas de conservación para asegurar la salud de su Reserva, me permití acompañar al guardabosques Miguel y su esposa Lupe hasta la estación científica ubicada en la cima de una monte al que los locales le ven cuerpo de cabra. Dos días de lluvia, docenas de resbalones, heridas menores y conatos de delirio nos tomó recorrer a pie los 45 kilómetros de trayecto hasta el único campo abierto en la selva. Y no había logrado sacar los riachuelos de mis botas cuando Doña Lupe desafió cuanta ley de combustión existe para encender un fuego y comenzar a tirar tortillas sobre un comal que cargó hasta la cima como una cruz. La lluvia cedió al fin, y una espesa bruma lo recubría todo, permitiéndonos gozar éste sincero manjar de reyes incitados por el murmullo de las ranas y jaguares que aún tienen a bien bendecir éste lugar.

Nota

Hablando de lujos me duele saber que sólo el 10% de la población consume el total de carne bovina producida en el mundo. ¿Qué no muchos países han talado gran parte de sus bosques y selvas, y lo que implica, para saciar el antojo de un jugoso filete? Sin embargo, duele aún más enterarse de que con los granos con los que se alimentan a éstas vacas que producen placer sólo a una décima parte del orbe se podría erradicar la hambruna del mundo entero. Y es un triste hecho que debo mencionar, ya que muchas han sido las experiencias en nuestro mundo. Ya serán suyas, mientras tanto compartamos la comida de nuestro plato, y dejemos aunque sea un poco a nuestros hijos. Gracias y hasta la próxima.  

Il new style dell’Arenile di via Coroglio passa per l’eclettismo delle serate. Elettronica, reggae, house, chill-out per la rinascita o Reload, appunto, di uno dei punti di riferimento per la musica live dell’estate napoletana.

Dopo il dj set del Kraftwerk Karl Bartos, doppio appuntamento questa settimana. Stasera (giovedì 17), i reduci del Neapolis Festival con Massive Attack, Almamegretta e Raiz, potranno continuare a ballare e scatenarsi all’Arenile.

In programma l’Official After Neapolis Festival, con dj set. Domani sarà invece il turno della reggae-dub band Zion Train, madre del cosiddetto suono “phuture dub sound system”, caratterizzato da esibizioni lunghe ed ipnotiche.

Apriranno per gli Zion Train, la dub della provincia napoletana dei Palkoscenico e 8 bitrate & JRM vjdj set. Prossimi live all’Arenile: 25 luglio Meg, 1 agosto Atari.

Per info ecco il myspace

Ormai sulle guide turistiche hanno aggiunto un piccolo capitoletto: quello dei rifiuti. E il calo degli stranieri in visita a Napoli non può che essere causato dal problema che ci affligge da anni.

Così, gli organizzatori del Neapolis, per veicolare turisti e allo stesso tempo pubblicizzare il festival (che si svolgerà alla Mostra D’oltremare il 17, 23 e 24 luglio), hanno deciso di creare un voucher a soli 15 euro.

“Tutti i turisti- recita il comunicato stampa a cura della Hungry Promotion-che soggiorneranno a Napoli per due notti, in uno degli alberghi convenzionati Easy Napoli, troveranno un voucher che, al costo di appena 15 euro, consentirà loro l’ingresso ai due concerti più attesi della kermesse: quello deiREM, in programma il 23 luglio,
e quello di Bluvertigo, Elio e le Storie Tese e Baustelle,in calendario il giorno dopo.

Alla cassa accrediti, il voucher sarà poi convertito nel mini abbonamento per la due giorni. Ovviamente è esclusa l’anteprima del 17 luglio con Massive Attack e Almamegretta. Per ricevere l’abbonamento è necessaria la prenotazione al numero: 081.240 4276

Questo il programma del Neapolis Festival 2008

7-23-24 luglio – Mostra d’Oltremare, NAPOLI

17 lug 2008 (APERTURA CANCELLI ORE 18 )
Massive Attack + Raiz e Almamegretta (Reunion show) + Paranza Vibes

23 lug 2008 (APERTURA CANCELLI ORE 16 )
R.E.M. + The Editors + These New Puritans

24 lug 2008 (APERTURA CANCELLI ORE 16 )
Elio e le storie tese + Baustelle + Bluvertigo

Costo biglietto:

17 luglio: euro 25 + 3,50 d.p.
23 luglio: euro 30 + 4,50 d.p.
24 luglio: euro 15 + 2 d.p.

Costo abbonamento 23 e 24 luglio: euro 40 + 6 d.p.

www.neapolis.it

hungry promotion

L’estate per i live sta a rappresentare le calde serate, gli show all’aperto, le grandi manifestazioni ed in particolare i festival. Piccoli o grandi che siano, da 10mila spettatori a 500, in Campania c’è un fiorire di eventi live. Almeno in estate.

Nonostante i problemi organizzativi ed economici tipici del Sud, un manipolo di persone volenterose, riesce a portare nella nostra regione artisti che in inverno avrebbero sfiorato al massimo la capitale. Quest’estate sarà caratterizzata dal ritorno col botto del Neapolis e dalla piacevole sorpresa del Caserta Rock, oltre ai già noti Atellana e Farci Sentire.

In ordine cronologico, le prime chitarre hanno suonato presso l’Area 17 di Napoli, vicino il Bowling di Fuorigrotta. Precedentemente previsto a Bagnoli, il Mamamu Rock Fest, si è tenuto il 13 e 14 giugno, e gli organizzatori (gestori di uno dei pochi locali di Napoli con una programmazione seria) hanno chiamato Bugo ed Il Teatro degli Orrori. Ingresso 8 euri. Purtroppo non c’era molta gente. Un migliaio di persone a serata. Il 15 giugno, quindici bands emergenti si sono sfidate al Montewave Festival, nei pressi del Campo Sportivo di Pignataro Maggiore(CE), mentre tutta dedicata al metal è stata la rassegna Rock in Flames al centro sociale di via Cantarela a Salerno con Fabio Lione ( Rhapsody, Vision Divine, Labyrinth)e Savior From Anger e Il Bellona Metal Fest con Pino Scotto, ex Vanadium.

Rock and roll e surf il 28 e 29 giugno con lo Stupid Robot Festival: spicca la serata del 29 con il live dei mitici Dirtbombs. I ltutto presso il campo sportivo di Aiello del Sabato, in provincia di Avellino. Disco Drive e Port Royal, saranno invece i protagonisti dell’Happy Colours for Happy People a Trentola Ducenta(CE) presso lo stadio comunale. Saranno preceduti dall’esibizione di gruppi emergenti il 4 e 5 luglio-

Giuliano Palma e Almamegretta sono invece i primi nomi degli artisti che si esibiranno nella città di Benevento, dopo gli show degli scorsi anni di Subsonica e Afterhours. Il 17 luglio prima serata del Neapolis con la reunion degli Almagretta con Raiz, che precederanno i Massive Attack, già presenti qualche anno fa al festival. Il tutto all’Arena Flegrea.

Dal 9 al 18 luglio Afragola diventa una piccola Woodstock. E’ tempo dell’Afrakà Rock Festival, specializzato in band anni 70, prog e hardrock. Tra gli altri, Eugenio Bennato il 9 luglio, i Platters l’11, Richie Kotzen + Eric Martin “Mr.Big” il 16, Le Orme i l18. Tutto gratuito all’interno della Villa Comunale.

Daniele Sepe e Mau Mau, saranno invece i protagonisti il 18 e 19 luglio all’Agerola World Music Festival, dedicato al folk e alla musica etnica. Caparezza (21 luglio), Afterhours (25), Tricarico e Max Gazzè (26) saranno gli ospiti del Giffoni Music Concept, nato in seno al Giffoni Music festival.

Il Neapolis torna il 23 luglio con il “ritorno” in grande stile dei REM in tour per l’ultimo lavoro Accelerate. Saranno preceduti dagli Editors (unica data al Sud) e dal rock acido e danzereccio dei These New Puritans. Il giorno successivo show italico con il ritorno (again) dei mitici Bluvertigo, il grande show degli Elio e le storie Tese e dei Baustelle.

Si farà, dopo il preoccupante annuncio degli organizzatori di un eventuale annullamento (vedi news), il Six Day Sonic Madness Festival. 25,26 e 27 luglio le date, il Castello di Guardia Sanframondi(BN) la location, Offlaga Disco Pax, Paolo Benvegnù, 24 Grana, Amor Fou, Lombroso tra le band partecipanti.

Ad Agosto spicca invece l’Ariano Folk Festival, che ogni anno si fa sempre più interessante. Dal 19 al 24 agosto si esibiranno Amsterdam Klezmer Band, Balkan Beat Box e Bandabardò .

Come dicevamo, grande sorpresa il Caserta Rock : cast da brividi per un festival campano (oltre al Neapolis) e prezzi contenuti. Solo 10 euri al giorno infatti per assistere ai live di Pennywise, 24 Grana, Linea 77, Punkreas, Casino Royale,Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, Teatro degli Orrori, The Hormonauts, Los Fastidios e molti altri. Dal 31 agosto al 3 settembre presso il Drive in di via Ruta. Chiusura festivaliera con l’Atellana Festival, che da anni è diventato un appuntamento per bands emergenti e non. Dal 5 al 7 settembre presso il castello di Teverolaccio a Succivo, provincia di Caserta, con Lombroso, Yuppie Flu e Atari

Good music

Luigi Ferraro

La temperatura si alza, l’estate è alle porte ed i festival musicali sono in preparazione…bene bene, vediamo cosa c’è di interessante in giro…

• Mi Ami (www.rockit.it): Idroscalo Milano, 6-8 Giugno
  con Meg, Bugo, Yuppie Flu, Sikitikis, Hormonauts e molti altri ancora.
• Traffic Free Festival (www.trafficfestival.com): Torino, 8-12 Luglio
  il cast definitivo ancora non è stato comunicato, per il momento è certa la presenza dei Sex Pistols, il resto è ancora da vedere.
• Spaziale Festival (myspace.com/spazialefestival): Torino, 8-28 Luglio
  con The Mars Volta, Offlaga Disco Pax, The Hives, Siouxsie, dEUS, The Raconteurs, Yuppie Flu, Teatro Degli Orrori.
• ItaliaWave Love Festival (italiawave.com): Livorno, 16-19 Luglio
  con The Verve, Elio e Le Storie Tese, Gnarls Barkley, The Chemical Brothers e molto altro ancora.
• Neapolis Festival (www.neapolis.it): Napoli, 17-24 Luglio
  con Massive Attack, R.E.M., Editors, Elio e Le Storie Tese, Baustelle, Bluvertigo e, naturalmente, molti altri ancora.
• Arezzo Play Art Festival (www.playarezzo.it): Arezzo, 21-27 Luglio
  con Subsonica, Ben Harper, Joan Baez, Goran Bregovic e non solo.

Ok, direi che possiamo iniziare a programmare qualche bella trasferta.

Il programma televisivo Neapolis di Rai3, ha mandato in onda un servizio di presentazione del nuovo sistema operativo Ubuntu 8.04.