Italian Business Strategies [via David Adashek]



 
Luigi (the father) says to his son ...'I want you to marry a girl of
my choice.'

The son says, 'I will choose my own bride!!!'

Luigi says, 'But the girl is Bill Gates' daughter.'
 
Son answers, 'Well, in that case ....ok.'

Next Luigi approaches Bill Gates and says, 'I have a husband for your
Daughter.'

Bill Gates answers, 'But my daughter is too young to marry!!'

Luigi says, 'But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank.'

Bill Gates answers, 'Ah, in that case ...ok.'

Finally, Luigi goes to see the president of the World Bank.

Luigi says, 'I have a young man to recommend as a vice-president.'

The president answers, 'But I already have more vice-presidents than I
Need!'

Luigi says, 'But this young man is Bill Gates' son-in-law.'

The president answers: 'Ah, in that case ...ok.'

And that, my friends, is how Italians do business!

Humor [via Alex Cord]


After twelve years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes. He said, "No hablo ingles." --Alex Cord

DON'T PUNK WITH PUTIN

Russian Band Given 2-Year Term for Stunt Deriding Putin

A Moscow judge delivered a two-year prison sentence on Friday against three members of a punk band who staged a protest against Vladimir V. Putin in an Orthodox cathedral last February and whose jailing and trial on hooliganism charges have generated worldwide criticism of constraints on political speech in Russia.



The case has become a touchstone in the political conflict that began in Russia after disputed parliamentary elections last December. That is partly because of the sympathetic appearance of the defendants — two are mothers of young children — partly because their group uses music to carry its message, and because it has pitted them against a united power-structure: the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church. 


Details Here

Are You Being Watched? [Nina Reznick]

From the Bell Tower
By Steven Bell

As an academic librarian who remembers quite well those days when the Patriot Act was a newly enforced law, there was real angst in the library community about the implications it would have on maintaining the privacy of patron records. Within the academic community, while there was a fair amount of information exchange on responding to and preparing for this new era in national security, there was also a shared perception that our public library colleagues would bear the brunt of whatever challenges these new laws created. Now the burden may shift to academic librarians. A revival of student activism is combining with growing spy paranoia on campus to raise new worries for colleges and universities – and more specifically their police forces. National security experts are sounding an alarm portraying the campus as incubator for revolutionary radicals and terrorist organizations. The possibility that this new atmosphere of fear could extend itself into the academic library is an issue that should have librarians thinking and preparing for how they will respond to privacy threats.
Big Brother on Campus

Institutions of higher education should be bastions of free speech and intellectual freedom. More recently both external and internal police forces are making colleges and universities look more like Big Brother than defender of individual rights. In one highly publicized case, the New York City Police were accused of spying on Muslim student associations at twenty colleges, since 2006, in an effort to connect students to terrorist groups.  At multiple institutions, campus police resources were targeted for monitoring Occupy Wall Street groups. Colleges certainly have the right to protect their property and keep campuses civil, but it’s shocking to learn of clandestine agreements with Homeland Security and the FBI to keep tabs on student groups. Equally unexpected is how some campus police forces are arming themselves to the teeth in ways that go way beyond pepper spray. One can only wonder what Armageddon campus police are preparing for that requires them to acquire water cannons, tasers, bean bag guns and assault rifles.



Our Patriot Act experience will remind us that federal agents with subpoenas or warrants are not so easily deterred. All librarians have an ethical commitment to protect the privacy of their community members, but resisting government efforts to tap our records for information could prove a futile endeavor.


Read More

 
Anybody who believes that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach flunked geography. — Alex Cord

Teddy Bear’s Picnic [via Nina Reznick]




The sweet-toothed bear would grab a mouthful of candy and walk it outside where he'd eat it up only to come back in for more and more helpings. 7News reports that the bear made seven trips outside to eat the chocolatey delights during his twenty minute raid. 

 According to Estes Park News, the bear's favorite treats were chocolate covered Rice Krispie Treats, peanut butter cups, the store's special "Balls of Joy," English Toffee and -- wait for it -- giant chocolate covered cookies called "Cookie Bears." Naturally.

The 15 Hottest Pizzerias Across the Country [via Katherine & Russel Taylor ]

Here is a list of the fifteen hottest pizzerias across the Eater universe. Among this crop of newish restaurants are the Neapolitan spots (800 Degrees in LA, Antico in Atlanta, Pizaro's in Houston), places for an East-coast-style slice (Gioia in San Francisco), the return of a grunge-era favorite (World Pizza in Seattle), examples of pizzaiolos bringing deep-fried montanara to the U.S. (Forcella in NYC), and options from established chefs that have freewheeling menus but a strong emphasis on pizza (Balena in Chicago, Oven & Shaker in Portland). Many thanks to the Eater city editors for their nominations. And please remember, these are in no particular order. Tried any of the places on the list or feel there are any glaring omissions? You know what to do. 


1

Miami: Harry's Pizzeria

3918 N Miami Ave Miami, FL 33127 (786) 275-4963
Michael Schwartz, whose direct, market-driven cooking at the Genuine Restaurants in Miami and the Cayman Islands has been a total hit, turns his attention to pizza at
2

Seattle: World Pizza

672 S King St Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 682-4161
After a 15 year absence, this popular 1990s, rock-and-roll pizzeria returns in a new Chinatown address. The space has changed, but the gorgonzola, rosemary, and roasted
3

Houston: Pizaro's Pizza

14028 Memorial Dr Houston, TX 77079 (281) 589-7277
The owners of this popular new pizzeria brought in a 900-degree oven straight from Naples, which has been a key factor in drawing people to the west Houston location. The
4

Dallas: Il Cane Rosso

2612 Commerce St Dallas, TX 75226 (214) 741-1188
A no-bullshit Neapolitan pizzeria that continues to bring them in with a simple but rigorous formula: pizza made according to the AVPN tenets, a badass oven, and salumi
5

Boulder: Pizzeria Basta

3601 Arapahoe Ave Boulder, CO 80303 (303) 997-8775
There is a serious refinement to chef Kelly Whitaker's food at Basta, where he uses his experiences cooking in Naples to make some of the best pizza in the state. But the
6

Las Vegas: Due Forni Pizza & Wine

3555 S Town Center Dr Las Vegas, NV 89135 (702) 586-6500
Due Forni may be off the strip, but just listen: two ovens here cook up Roman and Neapolitan pizzas with an ingredient list showcasing some of the best products from
7

Atlanta: Antico Pizza Napoletana

1093 Hemphill Ave NW Atlanta, GA 30318 (404) 724-2333
] Giovanni Di Palma went to Naples five years ago, reconnected with his family roots, and fell in love with pizza tradition. He brings it all to Atlanta at Antico, where
8

Los Angeles: 800 Degrees

10889 Lindbrook Dr Los Angeles, CA 90024 (424) 239-5010
This perennially packed pizzeria comes from an owner of the Umami Burger chain, but the approach here is considerably more traditional — and Neapolitan, to be
9

Cambridge: All Star Pizza Bar

1238 Cambridge St Mid-Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 547-0836
This pizzeria has just opened in Inman Square, diagonally across from its sibling restaurant, the hipster favorite All Star Sandwich Bar. The menu is straightforward,
10

Chicago: Balena

1633 N Halsted St Chicago, IL 60614 (312) 867-3888
Balena, the new restaurant from the pros at the Boka Group, may not be a pizzeria per se, but the pies here are a serious draw. That's thanks to Chris Pandel, the man
11

Washington, DC: La Forchetta

3201 New Mexico Ave NW Washington, DC 20016 202-244-2223
La Forchetta could have been a more under-the-radar opening, but it earned a instant buzz upon the hiring of longtime Washington chef Roberto Donna. Though Donna is
12

Philly: Nomad Pizza

611 S 7th St Philadelphia, PA 19147 (215) 238-0900
Founded in Hopewell, NJ, Nomad is the newest addition to Philly's high-end pizza roster. The company started as a mobile operation running out of a converted REO
13

New York: Forcella

334 Bowery New York, NY 10012 (212) 466-3300
This is the bigger outpost of pizzaiolo Giulio Adriani's spot, which originally popped up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Here you will find traditional, beautiful Neapolitan
14

San Francisco: Gioia Pizzeria

2240 Polk St San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 359-0971
Karen and Will Gioia have brought Berkeley's cultish, East-coast-style slice shop right to the heart of Polk Street foot traffic. But this Gioia is a sit-down, stylish
15

PDX: Oven & Shaker

1134 NW Everett St Portland, OR 97209 (503) 241-1600
The Pearl gets an uber-buzzy pizza and cocktail bar from an all-star team: Nostrana's Cathy Whims heats up the oven while Aviation's Ryan Magarian shakes things up behind

A Novel's Polestar [via David Angsten]



"A long-exposure photograph of the night sky will show you something that you never see, however often you look at the stars: thousands of perfect curves, concentrically arranged around an invisible pinhead. Everything is wheeling slowly about a single point.

"A good book or a great adventure, fictional or real, often does the same.  There is a fulcrum: a still, quiet centre to the tale."

Matthew Parris