July 2006

Foresight

July 26, 2006

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” H.L. Mencken, July 26, 1920

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Someone Remind Me – Why Am I Paying US Taxes?

July 26, 2006

The US is one of the few countries in the world that requires its citizens to pay income tax no matter where they are actually living. I’m beginning to wonder why I bother. I am dubious that the Social Security system will be worth much by the time I retire, and I won’t be in [...]

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Young Lives Online

July 26, 2006

A recent New York Times article discussed how some American companies, before employing young people just out of college, are looking at how they present themselves in online communities such as MySpace and Facebook. Not surprisingly, many kids in high school and college use these “protected” online spaces to try on personas, indulging in the [...]

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Education – What Skills Should We Build for a Lifetime?

July 16, 2006

I have written about my vast and varied experiences with education. I haven’t reached any firm conclusions about what education should be, I just know that a lot of what I endured didn’t work for me, and much of our daughter’s schooling to date has hasn’t worked for her. And it’s very hard to say what will work for [...]

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Finding a Toilet in Italy

July 14, 2006

Exploring an exotic new place is wonderful and fascinating – until you need a toilet. Then the strangeness can be intimidating, and cause delays at the worst possible moment. Italy doesn’t have many public toilets. You will find them in the larger railway stations. Expect to pay, e.g. 70 euro cents in Milan’s Central Station. [...]

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Watching Football

July 4, 2006

I have been living in Italy long enough for this to be my fourth World Cup. And, to my own surprise, I’ve grown to enjoy it and actually care about who wins, even though most of the finer details still escape me. Aside from a passing interest in Olympic equestrian events (when I can get them) [...]

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Flowers in the Windows

July 2, 2006

One of the many things I enjoy about Italy is the flowers. Italians love flowers, and not just in gardens: they grow them in every available corner. Particularly in the mountains, the displays can be spectacular. Bormio Red geraniums are a favorite. Bergamo, June Even shop windows can be decorated with flowers. Varenna, April And lakes. Varenna And [...]

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