Bleeding Espresso

Did you know that it is now illegal for Italian men to touch their genitals in public?

So ruled Italy’s highest court, which wrote that such touching “has to be regarded as an act contrary to public decency, a concept including that nexus of socio-ethical behavioral rules requiring everyone to abstain from conduct potentially offensive to collectively held feelings of decorum.”

Such big words for a simple act!

As all of us living with Italian men know, a man’s touching of his, ahem, nether regions is a well-established and time-honored method of warding off malocchio.

And I don’t just mean someone giving someone else the Evil Eye–I’m talking about the mere mention/implication/thought of death or other bad things happening (I can see P “protecting” himself even as I type this!).

So, Italy’s highest court, until you’re willing to outlaw bad luck, I’m thinking gratuitous crotch-grabbing in the Bel Paese is here to stay.

I’m just sayin.

And speaking of cannoli . . . hah!

Buon weekend!

P.S. Thanks Carol for the tip on the news piece!

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Technorati Tags: malocchio, italy, italian men

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Part of our Sicilian adventure included a quick, rainy stop in the medieval hilltop village of Savoca in the province of Messina.

It reminded me a lot of my own beloved town except that Savoca happens to have been where parts of Il Padrino (The Godfather) was filmed.

Yes, I will tell you more about Savoca and share photos soon, but since today is Love Thursday here are some of the many symbols of love that were literally everywhere in this village.

Isn’t it interesting that Savoca is probably most famous as a setting for a movie with violent and gruesome undertones (to say the least), and yet love is all around?

I even found a small gate with a message for P and me:

Happy Love Thursday!

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Technorati Tags: savoca, sicily, sicilia, love thursday, hearts, the godfather, il padrino

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I’d love to give you a great recipe for today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday, but although my traveling buddy Cherrye and I are physically back from our Sicilian adventure, my mind, heart, and stomach are still in Palermo:

We took the cannoli. Get it?

And in case you wondered, no, you have not eaten cannoli until you’ve had cannoli in Sicily. They shouldn’t even be allowed to be called cannoli anywhere else. Seriously.

More details soon.

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Technorati Tags: palermo, sicily, sicilia, cannoli

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Brian Vaszily of IntenseExperiences.com has written about how every calendar day has a holiday attached to it–from the biggies like Christmas (Dec 25) and U.S. Independence Day (July 4) to more, ahem, minor celebrations for Cable Cars (Jan 17) and Holding Hands (Aug 9).

Unfortunately, we just missed Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day on February 18, but today? It’s apparently National Pistachio Day so grab a nut and get crackin’! Hah!

Anyway, based on the idea that “We need more celebrating of the universe and every marvelous thing within it” (right on!) Brian came up with International You Call the Holiday Day and asked his readers to create holidays.

His questions to consider are these:

• If you could designate your own holiday, what would that holiday celebrate?

• Consider what you cherish that doesn’t get the attention you feel it deserves — that which you feel should be recognized and celebrated more — and perhaps go with that. Or go with whatever your heart tells you to go with.

• What would you name your holiday?

• In the way that chocolate and love notes are exchanged on Valentine’s Day and turkey is consumed at Thanksgiving, what actions would you want people to take to honor and reflect your holiday’s theme? Why?

• In the way that green equals St. Patrick’s Day and orange and black equals Halloween, are there certain colors you’d want to associate with your holiday? Why?

• Specific food and drink you’d want consumed on the day?

• Any existing songs, films, poems or the like that would be a good fit for your holiday?

• Famous personalities that come to mind who best embody the spirit of it?

• Particular stuff we’d all stick up in our windows and inside and outside of our house to celebrate it?

I’d love to hear what you come up with, so if you don’t mind, please post your ideas here and then again (copy and paste is your friend!) over at Brian’s in the form at the bottom of this page and you just might see your holiday appear in his free IntenseExperiences.com newsletter.

What would your holiday be?

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Technorati Tags: IntenseExperiences.com, Brian Vaszily, International You Call the Holiday Day, holidays

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OK Italian food lovers (and legal U.S. residents), here’s your chance to show just how deeply your passion flows and possibly win a trip to Las Vegas in the process.

That’s right! I said Vegas!

Carrabba’s Italian Grill recently announced the “Profess Your Love” contest in which Italian food lovers can submit a short love note to their favorite food or dish, expressing how it has made time with friends and family more special for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including a trip to Las Vegas.

One grand prize winner to receive the “Ultimate Love Escape” including:

• Airfare for two to Las Vegas
• A romantic dinner for two at Carrabba’s
• Tickets to The Beatles LOVE Show by Cirque du Soleil
• A two-night stay at The Venetian and private gondola ride

Nine runners up will receive dinner for four at Carrabba’s, an apron, and signed cookbook.

Entries can be submitted online here until March 31, 2008.

See official contest rules here.

Now Profess Your Love–and in bocca al lupo!

P.S. And although I’ve mentioned wanting to go to Vegas, if you win, I really won’t expect an invite. Really. Enjoy yourself. I’ll be fine. I’ll just go to the real Venice to spite you.

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Technorati Tags: Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Profess Your Love, Profess Your Love contest, contests, Las Vegas, Ultimate Love Escape

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