Firenze - home.
Siena - Rain and wind, my first gelato, green stripes, discovering the grandeur of European churches.
Milan - beautiful people, confusing train station with three floors, taste of modernity.
Venice - festive masks, confetti, pedestrian alleyways, afro wigs and Baci treats, sunshine, great new friends.
Napoli - Dominique, heavy traffic, danger, magnificent castles, ocean.
Amalfi Coast - Israeli friends, pink pants, children playing, waves crashing against the pier, "Attenzione!", delicious pizza, limoncello, smooth stones, Texan couple.
Pompeii - Ruins, massive lemons and limes, metro-ride, gazing at Mount Vesuvius.
Rome - perfectly groomed poodles, pasta alla carbonara, endless dinner, wandering into the best piazza before the group & before the rain.
Vatican City - art, gold, cameras, vodka.
Torino - long lines, odd older couple, being alone, no english, seeing the Shroud, picnic in the park, green landscape.
Bergamo - airport, mountains, wet backpack, tired.
Pisa - yummy dinner, excitement, sweaty palms, independence.
Fiesole - countryside, hills, understated charm.
Chianti - speeding along on a motorino, pretending to know how to drive, cold wind, brooding sky.
Panzano - cute, and cold.
Bologna - snow, playboy taxi, exhaustion, pizza, too many euros.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
A bit obsessed with this blog I found... An expat living in Edinburgh:
http://scottybecca.wordpress.com
"It’s one of the things I love best about reading – the worlds I can never experience first hand come to life on the printed page. Amazing how such a one-dimensional medium can add so much to my every day experience."
http://scottybecca.wordpress.com
"It’s one of the things I love best about reading – the worlds I can never experience first hand come to life on the printed page. Amazing how such a one-dimensional medium can add so much to my every day experience."
Saturday, February 12, 2011
My Column from the TCU Daily Skiff
Sex, drugs and homeroom — all just a day in the life of the characters of MTV's scandalous new show, "Skins."
When these high school teens aren't scribbling notes in class or munching on some tater tots in the cafeteria, they're busy "getting busy," popping pills and partying into the morning. This depiction of reckless teen behavior by MTV is morally irresponsible and cause for controversy.
The raunchy storyline of "Skins" depicts the antics of nine teenagers as they lead supremely hedonistic lifestyles and indulge in countless vices. The content is borderline pornographic, and the 16- and 17-year-olds live life seemingly without consequences.
The show debuted last week to an audience of 3.3 million viewers, 1.2 million of whom are under 18, according to the Nielsen Co.. Since then, MTV has faced its share of controversy. Parents Television Council President Tim Winter openly criticized the show's content and warned advertisers to stay away.
"Every single advertiser who sponsored the premiere episode of ‘Skins' is not only endorsing but glorifying teen drug and alcohol use," he said in a statement to Fox News.
As a result, Schick, Subway, H&R Block, Taco Bell, Wrigley and General Motors all have pulled their ads from the show, according to an article by CBS News.
MTV executives have raised concerns about the amount of explicit content in the show and fear scenes in upcoming episodes may violate the federal child pornography statutes, according to The New York Times. These same executives have since ordered producers to modify some of the show's most provocative scenes. The decision came after the network executives realized criminal prosecution was a possibility if changes were not made, according to the article.
Apart from this move, MTV has remained largely defensive of its new series. MTV spokesperson Jeannie Kedas said in an article in The Baltimore Sun the show "addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way."
"We are confident that the episodes of ‘Skins' will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers," the network presented in a statement.
Their "responsibilities to viewers" must be very loosely defined.
The first two episodes of this series are morally reprehensible, especially with regard to the promotion of sex. Not only are the underage actors scantily clad and participating in destructive sexual behavior, they also collect pornography and refer to virginity as an embarrassment.
Teenagers look to popular media sources like MTV for both entertainment and guidance. These impressionable adolescents observe the behaviors and mentalities of their favorite television characters, like those on "Skins," and often begin to emulate these behaviors in real life. MTV should consider how the promotion of immoral acts and unrealistic ideals will affect its eager young audience to which it has such a "responsibility."
Michelle Altenberg is a junior strategic communication major from Joshua.
When these high school teens aren't scribbling notes in class or munching on some tater tots in the cafeteria, they're busy "getting busy," popping pills and partying into the morning. This depiction of reckless teen behavior by MTV is morally irresponsible and cause for controversy.
The raunchy storyline of "Skins" depicts the antics of nine teenagers as they lead supremely hedonistic lifestyles and indulge in countless vices. The content is borderline pornographic, and the 16- and 17-year-olds live life seemingly without consequences.
The show debuted last week to an audience of 3.3 million viewers, 1.2 million of whom are under 18, according to the Nielsen Co.. Since then, MTV has faced its share of controversy. Parents Television Council President Tim Winter openly criticized the show's content and warned advertisers to stay away.
"Every single advertiser who sponsored the premiere episode of ‘Skins' is not only endorsing but glorifying teen drug and alcohol use," he said in a statement to Fox News.
As a result, Schick, Subway, H&R Block, Taco Bell, Wrigley and General Motors all have pulled their ads from the show, according to an article by CBS News.
MTV executives have raised concerns about the amount of explicit content in the show and fear scenes in upcoming episodes may violate the federal child pornography statutes, according to The New York Times. These same executives have since ordered producers to modify some of the show's most provocative scenes. The decision came after the network executives realized criminal prosecution was a possibility if changes were not made, according to the article.
Apart from this move, MTV has remained largely defensive of its new series. MTV spokesperson Jeannie Kedas said in an article in The Baltimore Sun the show "addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way."
"We are confident that the episodes of ‘Skins' will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers," the network presented in a statement.
Their "responsibilities to viewers" must be very loosely defined.
The first two episodes of this series are morally reprehensible, especially with regard to the promotion of sex. Not only are the underage actors scantily clad and participating in destructive sexual behavior, they also collect pornography and refer to virginity as an embarrassment.
Teenagers look to popular media sources like MTV for both entertainment and guidance. These impressionable adolescents observe the behaviors and mentalities of their favorite television characters, like those on "Skins," and often begin to emulate these behaviors in real life. MTV should consider how the promotion of immoral acts and unrealistic ideals will affect its eager young audience to which it has such a "responsibility."
Michelle Altenberg is a junior strategic communication major from Joshua.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Homage to a Beautiful City
La vera Firenze. The melodic conversation of shop keepers as they open their stores in the early a.m. The revving of engines and whirling of a distant ambulance. Putting back the shutters, opening the windows, letting the yellow sunshine streak across the room. Preparing pasta while listening to the soft and sudden rain pattering down onto the cobblestones outside. Craning your neck as you admire the intricate beauty present in every inch of perfectly crafted architecture. Taking refuge in a pasticceria or bar to avoid the feisty Italian following you home. Where the five euro wine from the corner tabacchi is better than the finest drink at home. Men walking arm-in-arm. Baci in abundance. La vera Firenze, unknown to tourists and day-trippers. La vera Firenze, veramente vivente.
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