'Riccardo Giacconi, 87, Explorer of the Universe Through X-Rays, Dies'

[Right: The astrophysicist Riccardo Giacconi at a symposium at Stanford University in 1962. His specialty was studying the universe through X-rays.]

'Riccardo Giacconi, 87, Explorer of the Universe Through X-Rays, Dies'

By Dennis Overbye - New /York Times - December 13, 2018

Riccardo Giacconi, an astrophysicist who won the Nobel Prize for pioneering the study of the universe through the X-rays emitted by the most violent actors in the cosmos, including black holes, exploding stars and galumphing clouds of galaxies, died on Sunday in the La Jolla section of San Diego. He was 87.

The National Academy of Sciences, of which he was a member, announced his death.

Dr. Giacconi was one of the great captains of Big Science, leaving lasting imprints on major astronomical institutions like the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which runs the Hubble Space Telescope, and the European Southern Observatory in Germany, where he oversaw the building of the largest telescope on Earth. He helped set the pattern for how large scientific projects are run today.

“If you need to do something big, Riccardo was up to the task,” Robert Kirshner, an astronomer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in Palo Alto, Calif., said by email. Ticking off the observatories Dr. Giacconi directed, Dr. Kirshner called them the “great tools of discovery in the 20th (and 21st) century.”

con't....

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BIOGRAPHY OF GIACOMO PUCCINI - FULL AudioBook | Greatest AudioBooks

Greatest AudioBooks

This biography of Puccini was written while the composer was at the height of his career. Besides the usual biographical information, the author summarizes and discusses Puccini's works to this point, including Le Villi, Edgar, Manon Lescaut, La Boheme, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly (which was in production at the time of this writing). - Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi


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Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini; 22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) was an Italian opera composer who has been called "the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi."

Puccini's early work was rooted in traditional late-19th-century romantic Italian opera. Later, he successfully developed his work in the realistic verismo style, of which he became one of the leading exponents.

Puccini's most renowned works are La bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), and Turandot (1924), all of which are among the important operas played as standards.

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Halloween In Venice

Halloween In Venice | Italy

Broshar's Adventures





Halloween in Venice, Italy

Dr Kakoon

Touristing around the island city. Wanted to upload this earlier, but too busy traveling. The whole place is photogenic. Old, weathered architecture and materials. Original frescoes, hundreds of years old.  Wish I could have gotten to Poveglia island.  I needed another day or two, and probably bribe money to get there.  A licensed water taxi will not go there.  It was off limits while owned by the government. Now that Poveglia is sold to a developer, it could be even more of a challenge if they have security. So close, and yet........ so far.

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Poland, Czech Republic, Italy All Stand by Hungary Against the EU

Poland, Czech Republic, Italy All Stand by Hungary Against the EU

Styxhexenhammer666

Four brave states: https://tinyurl.com/yb6mm5lk
and: https://tinyurl.com/y8bmv4la
and: https://tinyurl.com/y8dpuy8m

Support my work via donation:
https://www.patreon.com/Styxhexenhammer666

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The EU Will Not Break Hungary

Nationalist Right Lega Becomes Italy’s Most Popular Party!!!

Northern League Wins Again: Italy Continues Its Turn to the Right!!!

Basically there is no longer any political "Left".... not since Wall Street banker/war profiteers and upper middle class street anarchists started holding each others hands... with a similar socio-political dynamic taking place all over the Western world. If there is such a strong pull to the far left, then why is there virtually no labor movement?... because of the people at the top string pulling all of these controlled opposition groups. You can't get an anarchist to protest a military industrial plant, you can't get a gay activist to support a strike, you almost literally cannot get any of these people to even think for a split second about a protest against geoengineering... but oh boy, you sure can get them excited about allowing a man to use the same bathroom as a little girl !!

In addition, this climate where the  political right is the only game in town has it's own tremendous logistical problems. For example, Paleo-Conservatives can and have used this contrived crisis to push some of their old favorite issues, such as right-to-work. It's not especially helpful to have a nationalist political party like the Northern League to be perceived as far right only. What is the opposite of Nationalism?..... Globalism aka Plutocratic Internationalism! In the current condition, a person could basically have their full belief system centered around at least what used to be a left-of-center set of issues... but if that person also opposed open borders, men using the same bathroom as little girls, or having the words "mother" and "father" banned in the public schools... well, then you must be a Fascist. However, it's okay for them to support Democrat candidates who adhere to Fascist-Globalism within a much more logical and defined definition. To the unthinking masses, Globalism is just about cooperation and trade; rather than what it actually is, a vicious and distinct plutocratic world politic.

Prior to the 1999 WTO protest in Seattle, the only people who opposed Globalization were certain comparatively small segments on the right. After the Seattle protest, the plutocrats focused and invested a massive amount of resources to corralling the liberal masses under their wing, with disastrous consequences for all decent people regardless of politics or socio-economic status. For example, now we have an entirely fake environmental movement replacing the real one... with the end-goal being a WORLD TAX. Then they can save the world by forcing all of the poor people of the world to pay money to a front for international banking cartels who have a combined wealth the equivalent of many hundreds of trillions of dollars... and that comes straight from their own biographical books.

Everything is based on perception today. During the Seattle anti-Globalization protests, Rush Limbaugh condemned it while Michael Moore praised it... all based on what how they perceived it on the surface. Today, in a painful example of intellectual dishonesty, both of them have switched sides on this issue.... and all based on how it is perceived socio-politically. In other words, when President Trump took direct action against Globalization, the controlled opposition left screamed bloody murder; however, if a hypothetical say President Cynthia McKinney had done the exact same thing, an equally mindless pack of right wing controlled opposition masses would have screamed bloody murder as well. How do we defeat this unprincipled and staged madness!??

The profession of Lawyer has slowly became known as an Attorney. The real root of this word comes from an older profession known as an Attorn. The Attorn (or Attournen, Aturner, Atorner) was the one who arranged for the transfer of wealth from the worker, farmer, or shopkeeper over to the monarchy. Isn't that wonderful!!? No, there effectively is no Left anymore, but largely rabid packs of little narcissistic self-appointed Attorns... ignorantly fighting tooth-and-nail for the transfer of wealth from the working poor over to the Global Elite.... not to mention the coming WORLD TAX. What if it wasn't Trump wrecking their plans?... what if somehow though a twist of fate, Ralph Nader or Cynthia McKinney became President and did at least many of the same types of things to drive these bankers crazy?.. such as getting rid of TPP or NAFTA? The answer is obvious! Right wing controlled opposition groups would suddenly spring out of nowhere and call for their heads! In other words, something similar to what's happening now. You cannot fix this problem by treating its symptoms, but you must get at the cancer itself!

Back in the 60s and 70s, the Global Elite used so-called left wing controlled opposition groups to commit acts of terrorism in the U.S. and in Europe. I really don't know if there's any way out've this. If there were some actual grassroots movement that really unified people, it would be infiltrated and destroyed in no time. All they had to do was threaten Ross Perot's life and he ran for the hills. They're always 2 or 3 steps ahead of us. Obama was CIA from day one, then they formulated a fake past and identity, and out of nowhere he's the sitting President and bombing country after country so that the same Wall Street bankers and war profiteers---who developed him for his role, financed him, and praised him though the mainstream media---could then cash in.... making hundreds of billions of dollars.. and the signing of NDAA... bailing out the bankers..... the stimulus package (the banks largely sat on the money instead of loaning it out to stimulate the economy)...... doubling the debt..... signing over millions of acres of Navajo sacred land over to the mining companies via executive order... destroying the water infrastructure in Libya (which brought massive amounts of free water to the people from deep under the Sahara desert)... and after all of this, he still gets to be a liberal icon!! Forget about fake news, we have fake human beings now.





EU Wants to Force Internet Firms to Remove "Extremist" Content Within One Hour

Styxhexenhammer666

But it will certainly be misapplied and only the largest firms can posssibly micromanage like that and then only with AI: https://tinyurl.com/y8ttlc7y

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Total Wine - The glamour of the agricultural estate

Total Wine and More

Total Wine and More--or "Total Wine Superstore" as it shows on its store banner--is a chain of 130 stores nationwide. They specialize in wine, as well as all other types of alcoholic beverages and accessories. The owners are David and Robert Trone, who started the company as one small store in Delaware in 1991. I found the store to be very interesting just to walk through. It was large, spacious, and decorative to start with. Perhaps 60% of the store was wine-oriented; usually separated by country or region. There's a wide range of pricing, and I can say that the prices are comparatively good. When they first opened here, I thought that I would like it despite an over-saturation of the market locally.

Of course, there are many wines from nearby Napa and Sonoma counties; but the store features all other chief wine-producing regions, with an emphasis on France.. as well as Piedment. There's a large beer section, as well as all types of alcohol and accessories. There is also a temperature-controlled cigar room... adding a further touch of class... or at least perceived class. There is also a temperature-controlled fine wine section, a very nice large wine tasting room, and an education room where one can sign up for classes. Beverages and More is more beer oriented, with many non-alcoholic beverages. I know of a few particularly interesting and top notch liquor stores with a large selection, as well as small stores with a separate wine room it the back. In this market, personally, I don't think that I prefer either larger chains like Total Wine, or top notch smaller businesses.

Each store currently offers a free 230 page complimentary 'Guide to Wine'. The guide is filled with photos, the history of wine making, including separate histories such as in America, and all aspects of wine past and present. There's an interesting map of the chief wine-producing regions of the world. The tropics are not at all known for wine production. It's only in certain northern climates, many with hot summers and cold winters. South and central Europe, California and up through central Washington, most of New England, the northern part of the cone of South America, the Maghrib coast of northwest Africa, west and southeast Australia, northern New Zealand, and in a small area of southwest Australia, a part of the Chinese coast near North Korea, small pockets of central Japan, and a part of southwest South Africa.

www.TotalWine.com

Our own Cisalpine people were major pioneers, going back a long time, of the wine production in northern California, the cone of South America, and South Africa. As it is stated next to the map: Just over 19 million acres of the world's surface is planted with grape vines. Total Wine has a lot of business with French vintners from the famous wine-producing regions there; and the guide shows a lot of these chateaus. The guide states: Historians believe Italian wine has been produced for some 4,000 years. Italian wines are also featured to a large extend in the guide. The vast majority of Spain is of prime climate and soil for wine production; more per capita than any other country in the world it appears. Then it goes onto Portugal, Germany, Austria, and of course California.

Another wine producing region that has grown a lot in recent years is the state of Washington. I've been seeing a lot more Washington wines on the market lately. It then featured a few pages each on Oregon, New York and Virginia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Greece, and Israel; then it went into sparkling wine and dessert wine. There are a very large number of photographs within the guide. One thing that struck me is the many photos of the Trone family visiting with the families of these various vintners. I don't know if glamour is really the word, as it's something more than glamour, more than prestige; but there is a certain warmth surrounding the wine industry in general... much more so than any air of snobbishness. Vintners are essentially farmers living on farm estates. I suppose it could be said that wealthy vintners could represent the rural high socio-economic class... the old concept of a country gentleman.

I remember one time I was traveling with a couple of friends through Lake County, California--a growing wine area--during the the twilight hour. We stopped at Ployez Winery and discovered that it was closed. However, the owner Gerard invited us in anyway and we visited. He was originally from France; drawn to Lake County for it wine producing potential. There's still a particular good nature surrounding the industry. The Nichelini family winery near St. Helena--a winery with deep roots in the area--is another good example of this gracious spirit.

The old Cisalpine family wineries of northern California

There was a certain glory, at least in my perception, to the history of the Cisalpine vintners in northern California... largely of Ligurian or Tuscan descent. Even back to the 19th century, our pioneer ancestors were--by opportunity, will, and hard work--able to form, or help form, new communities in rural areas. That's just about the polar opposite of the modern urban sea of strangers. Most often, these clans did all of the work themselves, and enjoyed the benefits of their toil. They lived on beautiful estates, could propagate themselves and their own culture, and had the freedom to control their own destiny. They were their own boss. Of course, this would also pertain to all areas of farming as well.

Agriculture and the Sicilian immigrants in Louisiana

I recall one time listening to a man, from one of the Italian-American associations in Louisiana, speaking on the distinct history of Sicilian immigrants who settled in Louisiana and took over the agricultural work from the slaves who had done with work before the Civil War. Some of these Sicilians soon became small farmers themselves, and made do in difficult to farm wetlands. He was describing how the French/Catholic or European/Latin culture of New Orleans and south Louisiana was largely the same as from what they remembered, and how it was easy for them to adapt. Basically what he was saying is that there was a certain glory (he didn't actually use that word) to this time period... from that perspective. We have to remember today that this was a totally different time. It could be harsh, so family and community were important.

German farming communities in the Midwest

During roughly the 20 years following the Civil War, about 6 million German immigrants (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Prussia) emigrated to the United States... largely to the Midwest. They formed farming communities in what was then a large frontier region. Of course, these communities reflected German language and culture. There certainly was a particular glory to this time period, and for a long time after that, from a their perspective. Unlike today, these family clans also did all of the work themselves. According to Thomas Sowell, the more research he did, the more he realized just how much German immigrants detested the institution of slavery. These farmers lived by a certain code of honor surrounding their business and work, and slavery was against everything they believed in.

My favorite white wine: Beringer White Zinfandel

White Zinfandel is a great option for someone who doesn't really like wine. It is sweet and light, and leaves none of the sour or bitterness that some wines create. Beringer does a great job of delivering a quality product for an awesome price.

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South African government begins seizing land from white farmers; Cisalpine-Afrikaner farms and wineries to be confiscated by ANC black nationalist government

South Africa to expropriate land from whites without compensation

RT

South Africa's ruling African National Congress committed on Tuesday to amending the constitution, to allow the state to seize land without paying compensation.

READ MORE: 'South Africa to change constitution to legalize taking away white farmers' land'


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South Africa begins seizing land from white farmers

The End of South Africa, Prepare Yourself | Stefan Molyneux

'South Africa farm seizures 'could become next ZIMBABWE', warns expert'


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The thousands of murders of white South African farmers has been a major under-reported news story for many years; as well as numerous other problems which are so extreme that most people probably wouldn't believe the statistics if you told them. Some of those farm communities are older than the United States. The truth is that most of the land which is now South Africa was uninhabited when Dutch colonists first arrived; and the 90% black majority today are descended from Bantu ethnic types who had migrated there in large numbers. The actual native were little frail Capoid and Bushman ethnic types, who have long been brutalized and replaced in many regions.

This is shaping up to be a repeat of what happened in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) under Robert Mugabe, only on a much larger and destructive scale. One of the main groups pushing for "land reform" (aka "confiscating farm properties from those of European descent without compensation") is the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Their outspoken president is Julius Malema, a self-styled Marxist-Leninist donning an ice cream outfit; who, to me, just looks like some cream puff who probably has never held a job or done any hard work in his life. He's probably really more of a political entrepreneur whose party has indeed garnered the necessary votes to be part of the power structure.

Included in this land confiscation will be Cisalpine-Afrikaner family farms and vineyards, which are numerous. Those are our people, regardless of nationality. It's not unlike our Cisalpine people who migrated to southern Brazil and were much more intelligent, creative, industrious, and hard working than those living there in hapless, shiftless, abject poverty. Our people weren't just some immigrants; they were founders of great endeavors. We are a truly great people.

The USA, it's original name, was founded as specifically a Democratic-Republic. A pure Democracy was described by Benjamin Franklin as "two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." While China today is practically National Socialist, South Africa is more pure Democracy. It's amazing that Serbia was bombed by many countries for it's role in an ethnic struggle of which there was a similar amount of violence on both sides. Yet Indonesia is engaged in an ongoing racial/ethnic genocide in Irian Jaya, and the world couldn't care less. Politics and media is garbage. it's never just, it's never logical, it's never evenly applied, and it's never consistent.

What is the South Africa planning on using for food?

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'EU is FILTH' Salvini lashes out at Brussels....'

' "EU is FILTH" Salvini lashes out at Brussels as he threatens to STOP funds to 'useless' EU '

ITALIAN Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has launched an attack on the European Union claiming the "filthy" bloc has once again turned its back on Italy when the nation most needed its support, amid clashes over migrant rescue ships docking in southern Italian ports.

By Alessandra Scotto di Santolo - Express (UK) - August 27, 2018

Speaking from Pinzolo, Trento, the die-hard eurosceptic leader sent a stern warning to Brussels claiming Italy should start making cuts to annual funds sent to the European Union.

Mr Salvini criticised the Brussels bloc for its lack of support over the latest migrant rescue boat docking in the Sicilian port of Catania last week.

The Italian Interior Minister refused to give an authorisation for most of the migrants to disembark the boat until Italy received guarantees from other EU countries they would share the burden of asylum seekers.

He told supporters in Pinzolo: “Europe has demonstrated once again to be unprecedented filth that doesn’t deserve our money.

“From the first to the last one of them, no one cared.

“And I ask for your mandate to re-discuss the billions Italy sends to Brussels every year.

“I think the time has come to make some cuts to funds given to a useless institution that turns its back when we most need it.”

con't....


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'EU WARNED: Italian senator outlines SCHEMING plan to break Italy's ties with Brussels'


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Spain: Tourists shocked as illegals arrive at beach

gemini48

A semi-inflatable Zodiac carrying nearly 50 Moroccans including around ten children beached near a purpose-built luxury hotel area on Spain’s Costa de la Luz.

Two people are said to have been held by police called to the scene and several of the teenagers on the boat were assisted by workers at nearby hotels and restaurants.

The incident happened around 3.30pm yesterday at Barrosa Beach, considered to be one of the best beaches on Spain’s southern coast and near a purpose-built residential and tourist resort called Sancti Petri.

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'Tourists shocked as migrant boat speeds to Spanish beach before Africans dash for cliffs'

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Prime Minister Salvini blames Genoa bridge collapse on EU budget constraints

 ' "We are told we cannot spend money." Italy's firebrand Deputy Prime Minister Salvini blames Genoa bridge collapse on EU budget constraints as he vows to make those responsible "pay for everything" '

* Matteo Salvini said EU spending limits were preventing his country from keeping its ageing motorways safe
* He said Italy needed to spend more on infrastructure and would ignore EU budget constraints if necessary
* Italy's anti-establishment government has long campaigned as populist Eurosceptics to win election in June
* The collapse of the Morandi highway bridge in Genoa, blamed on poor maintenance, killed at least 39 people
* Mr Salvini vowed to find 'the names and surnames of those who are guilty of unacceptable deaths'
* Investigation centred on Autostrade, which operates the section of highway that includes the bridge

By Nick White - Daily Mail - August 15, 2018

taly's Deputy Prime Minister claimed European Union spending limits were preventing his country from keeping its ageing motorways safe for the millions who use them.

Matteo Salvini said the country needed to spend more on its dilapidated infrastructure and would ignore EU budget constraints if necessary to prevent another disaster like Tuesday's bridge collapse in Genoa.

'Many motorways need maintenance but often we are told we cannot spend money because of European constraints - limits, deficits, the GDP, debt,' he said.

'We should ask ourselves whether respecting these limits is more important than the safety of Italian citizens. Obviously for me, it is not.'

Mr Salvini's government, which won a surprise election in June as a coalition between his far-right League party with anti-establishment group 5 Star, has long campaigned as populist Eurosceptics.

'We should ask ourselves whether respecting these limits is more important than the safety of Italian citizens. Obviously for me, it is not.'

Mr Salvini's government, which won a surprise election in June as a coalition between his far-right League party with anti-establishment group 5 Star, has long campaigned as populist Eurosceptics.

con't....

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The financial and economic juggernauts behind the EU are the farthest of the farthest of the farthest of the extreme plutocratic right. According to their ever-self-slanted ideology, an individual could be on the far left on every issue with the exception of preserving one's people and culture... and that automatically qualifies that individual as "far right" in their press.

Here in the United States, we also have a similar problem sometimes referred to as "painted rust." Our infrastructure is in bad need of repair, You may recall the shocking bridge collapse in Minnesota eleven years ago. That should have been a wake-up call.

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'The engineer who designed the Genoa bridge that collapsed and killed 43 people warned of its corrosion risk 39 years ago'

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Financial/economic elites behind EU become first globalist institution to begin process of eliminating free speech on the internet

'Wikipedia Italy goes dark to protest EU copyright reform'

'The Local' (Italy) - July 3, 2018

Italian Wikipedia was blacked out on Tuesday in protest at a new EU copyright directive that the online encyclopedia says will restrict internet freedom.

Attempting to access any page on the Italian-language Wikipedia directed users to a statement on the EU's Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, a package of proposed reforms that would extend the rights of publishers to claim copyright fees on even short extracts of material reproduced online – for instance, snippets of news articles that appear under search results.

It would also oblige online platforms to scan all content that users try to upload – to YouTube, for example – and automatically block anything that risks infringing copyright.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, has joined freedom-of-internet activists in opposing the directive, which is to be put to a vote in the EU Parliament this week.

"If the proposal were approved, it could become impossible to share a newspaper article on social networks or find it via a search engine," Wikipedia Italy's statement said.

"Wikipedia itself could be forced to shut down."

 The Italian Wikipedia community has decided to black out its content in protest, the statement said. The blackout applies to all Wikipedia pages in Italian, whether accessed from Italy or abroad.

con't....


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Translated letter from Italian Wikipedia

Dear reader,

On 5 July 2018, the European Parliament in plenary will decide whether to speed up the approval of the Copyright Directive. This directive, if promulgated, will significantly restrict the freedom of the Internet.

Instead of updating copyright laws in Europe to promote everyone's participation in the information society, it threatens online freedom and creates obstacles to network access by imposing new barriers, filters and restrictions. If the proposal were approved, it may be impossible to share a newspaper article on social networks or find it on a search engine. Wikipedia itself would risk shutting down.

The proposal has already met the firm disapproval of more than 70 computer scientists, including the creator of the Web Tim Berners-Lee (here), 169 academics (here), 145 organisations working in the fields of human rights, freedom of the press, scientific research and Computer industry (here) and the Wikimedia Foundation (here).

For these reasons, the Italian community of Wikipedia has decided to obscure all the pages of the encyclopedia. We want to be able to continue to offer a free, open, collaborative and verifiable content encyclopedia. We therefore call on all Members of the European Parliament to reject the current text of the directive and to reopen the debate by examining the many proposals of the Wikimedia associations, starting with the abolition of articles. 11 and 13, and the extension of the freedom of view to the whole EU and the protection of the public domain.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/SaveYourInternet

The Italian Wikipedia community


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Apparently Google is opposing this, which is something to monitor. Generally the UK, or at times Canada or Europe at large, has served as the elites' testing ground for the more long-range related goals for the slightly more independent-thinking Americans on their various "totolitarian tip toe" movements. As usual, I expect the elite-financed "fake left" to stand down on this issue. Rather than relying on the UN, the globalists perhaps believe that it's better to hold their UN construct as a decoy while they start eating away from a more local angle.

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'The Truth About Italy's Populist Revolution...'

The Truth About Italy's Populist Revolution. Prepare Yourself.

Stephen Molyneux

We Need Your Support: http://www.freedomainradio.com/donate

MP3: https://www.fdrpodcasts.com/#/4114/the-truth-about-italys-populist-revolution-european-union-migration-and-the-euro

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/stefan-molyneux/fdr-4114-the-truth-about-italys-populist-revolution-european-union-migration-and-the-euro

Italy is on a collision course with the European Union and the European Central Bank, and while many celebrate the rise of the new “populist” government coalition, the stability of both the Euro and the European Union once again gain the spotlight on the world stage.

Italy is now led by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte – a relative unknown – and the government coalition between The League, led by Matteo Salvini, and the Five Star Movement, led by Luigi Di Maio.

Italy’s debt currently stands at approximately €2.17 trillion - or 132% of gross domestic product (GDP). To put things in perspective, Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio was “only” 127% when they were bailed out in 2010.

Includes: The European Migrant Crisis, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, The League led by Matteo Salvini, Five Star Movement led by Luigi Di Maio, George Soros, Asylum Applications, United Nations Migration Estimates, Italy Population Figures, Unemployment, Foreign Students In Italy, attitudes Towards Refugees, The Truth About The Euro, Debt to GDP Breakdowns, Government Debt Per Capita and much much more!

Sources: http://www.fdrurl.com/italy-revolution


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The Truth About Italy

Slovenia Joins Italy, Hungary, and Poland, Elects for Populist Parties


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The typical migrant boat mix of North Africans and Sub-Saharan Africans

'Italians First! Italy’s new Interior Minister blocks two more migrant ships'

Voice of Europe - June 16, 2018

Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Interior Minister refused two more migrant boats to dock in Italian ports. The NGO boats, sailing under the Dutch flag did not receive permission to enter Italy, The Local reports.

Salvini said on his Facebook page:
“Two more ships with the flag of the Netherlands, Lifeline and Seefuchs, have arrived off the coast of Libya, waiting for their load of human beings abandoned by the smugglers. These gentlemen know that Italy no longer wants to be complicit in the business of illegal immigration, and therefore will have to look for other ports [not Italian]where to go.”

Last week Italy already barred the Aquarius, a ship that carried 620 migrants. Later Spain offered to accept the ship in its port and allowing the migrants into the country. It is expected to arrive in Valencia on Sunday.

During his election campaign, Salvini vowed to put Italians first and protect the country against illegal immigration. He promised to deport 500,000 migrants within 5 years.

About the Islamisation of Italy the leader of the Lega party said:

“We are under attack. Our culture, society, traditions and way of life are at risk. The colour of one’s skin has nothing to do with it, but the risk is very real. Centuries of history risk disappearing if Islamisation, which up until now has been underestimated, gains the upper hand."

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Waldensian Heritage Winery Story 2

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125th Celebration!

May 26, 2018: 10am Festival at LPDA & Valdese Family Splash Park that will have family-friendly activities for all. Activities will include: bocce lessons, courenta, grape-stomping, basket weaving, with special food and music by Whitewater Bluegrass Company and much more! Festival Di Birra: 3-7pm at Waldensian Mill
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May 28-June 1, 2018: Waldensian Archives/Genealogies and special events at the Waldensian Heritage Museum. Meet with a representative from the Achivio Tavola Valdese of Italy to learn more about your heritage. For more information call 828-874-1111.
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June 1-2, 2018: A Cultural Symposium- Four Faces of Waldensianism. Four Faces of Waldensian Witness: Italy, France, Germany, and South America. Special presentations by: Claudio Pasquet: Pastor and Historian of the Waldensian/Methodist Church of Italy. Gabriel Audisio: Writer and Historian of the Southern French Waldensians of the 15th & 16th Centuries. Albert de Lange: Writer and Historian of the Waldensian Settlements in Germany. Javier Pioli: history teacher and graduate in theology from Uruguay on the settlements in Argentina and Uruguay and their ongoing witness today

June 1-July 20, 2018: The Rock School Arts Foundation is collecting photos of Early Valdese for exhibition in the Rock School Arts Galleries in June and July, 2018 for the 125th celebration. They will be accepting pictures of Valdese from the first 85 years of settlement. Three categories of the first 85 years will be displayed: groups, individuals, and places in Valdese or the Valleys. Each person is limited to submit 5 photos. The Rock School Arts Foundation will be receiving photos at the Old Rock School on May 29 & 30th, 2018. Reception June 3rd.
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June 25-28, 2018: Community-wide Vacation Bible School at the Trail of Faith. Themes covered: Waldo and his movement of preaching starting with the 12th century; The importance of education to the Waldensians; What Waldensians believe; Arnaud and the Glorious Return; The Settlement of Valdese. Churches participating in the Valdese Ministerial Association will work together to present this educational opportunity each night. Begins at 6:30pm.
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July 13-August 11, 2018: “From This Day Forward” Historic Outdoor Drama of the Waldenses- tickets available for purchase at Fred B. Cranford Amphitheatre box office or at the Old Rock School.
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August 10-11, 2018: Annual Waldensian Festival to celebrate The Glorious Return. Regional Bocce Tournament at the LPDA.
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December 1, 2018: Valdese Annual Christmas Parade - Wear your Waldensian outfits to celebrate the 125th year of Valdese!

December 9, 2018: Community-Wide Moravian Love Feast Service. 5:00pm at Waldensian Presbyterian Church.


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The Train is Coming...

In honor of Valdese celebrating 125 years since their founding in 1893, the Valdese Public Arts Commission and the Town of Valdese have come together to create a commemorative art piece that will be located across from Valdese Town Hall on Massel Avenue. The art installation will depict the arrival of the original Waldensian settlers who came to Valdese on May 29th, 1893 as they departed the “No. 11” train at the Valdese Depot.

The installation will be created by the artists of Oak Hill Iron & Wood of Morganton and was designed by local artist Greg Mastin. The project will feature a full scale train and silhouettes of original settlers made out of iron. Standing between twelve and fifteen feet tall and extending parallel to Massel Avenue for over thirty feet, the installation will honor those who founded Valdese. The original settlers will be listed on a bronze plaque which will be created by the Waldensian Heritage Museum. The project will be installed during the summer months of 2018 and will make its debut at the Waldensian Festival on August 11th, 2018.

The cost for the installation has been pledged by the Valdese Public Arts Commission, the Town of Valdese, and Waldensian Heritage Museum. The Valdese Public Art Commission would like to request your support for this tremendous project. Your contributions will be used for landscaping, lighting and a boardwalk extension. Those interested in making a donation can mail or bring check or cash to the Waldensian Heritage Museum or the Valdese Community Affairs Office located at the Old Rock School. No donation is too big or too small and any support you provide will be greatly appreciated. Your tax deductible contributions will add additional features to the installation and will help to make this project even more of an iconic image for the Town of Valdese. Help us celebrate 125 years of our hometown!

Project updates will be available at www.valdese125.com | Call 828-879-2129
Donations can be made by:
Checks payable to: Waldensian Heritage Museum

*Please note - 125 TRAIN ART - in the memo line | Mailed to: Valdese Tourism Dept. - P.O. Box 655 Valdese NC 28690


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Heritage

In May of 1893, a group of Waldenses, from the Cottian Alps of Northern Italy, settled on land located near the Catawba River in eastern Burke County in North Carolina, between the towns of Morganton and Hickory.  The center of this community became the town of Valdese.

The Waldenses were pre-Reformation Christians with a religious ancestry that dates back to at least the 12th century. For centuries these Waldenses were persecuted by armies from both the governments of Italy and France and the official church. This tiny religious sect was forced to take refuge in the Valleys of the Cottian Alps of Northern Italy and remained secluded in the rugged mountains until they received their religious freedom by the Edict of 1848.

With this new peace their number grew rapidly until their Alpine farms could no longer support them. They looked elsewhere and began establishing colonies in other parts of Europe, South America, and the United States. They migrated to New York City, Chicago, Missouri, Texas and Utah, as well as Valdese. The Valdese colony became the largest Waldensian colony in the world located outside of Italy.

In the beginning, the Valdese settlers tried to make their living off the land as they had in Italy, but the poor soil would not produce. They turned instead to manufacturing, and with the same spirit of survival and determination of their ancestors, began to prosper. Today, Valdese has a solid manufacturing economy because of their efforts.

The Town of Valdese incorporated in 1920 and elected its first mayor, John Long, who was also the groom in the first Waldensian wedding in Valdese.

The story of the Waldenses is vividly told in the outdoor drama, "From This Day Forward" presented by Old Colony Players each summer in the Old Colony Amphitheater in Valdese.

Learn more about the history of Valdese and the Waldenses by visiting our local tourist attractions: the Waldensian Heritage Museum & Gift Shop, Waldensian Heritage Winery, P&W Railroad Museum, Village Park Mural, Rock School Art Galleries I &II and the Trail of Faith.

Valdese celebrated its Centennial in 1993 and the Centennial Park and Fountain was opened on Main Street to commemorate the event.

At the 2001 Waldensian Festival, a clock tower was dedicated to commemorate the new millennium.

Visit the American Waldensian Society Website


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Waldensian Gospel Songs

Angrogna Valley - Waldensian cave
(Piedmont; Singing inside one of the caves the Waldensian people used to hide in, to escape religious persecution.)

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Waldensian Heritage Winery Story

Waldensian Heritage Winery Story

WMNCNews

Dennis Powell: Co-owner of the Waldensian Heritage Winery in Valdese, NC.


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http://www.waldensianwinery.com/


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125th Celebration!

April 29, 2018: Tour of the Past. Spend a Sunday afternoon strolling through many buildings and homes of Valdese that were built by the Waldenses in the early 1900’s. This fundraising event will include transportation to each site with a tour guide and will conclude with a reception at the Waldensian Winery. Tickets will be available to purchase on February 1, 2018 at the Waldensian Heritage Museum. Tickets will be $40 per person or VIP for $60. Event is limited to 100 tickets. Beginning at 2pm at the Old Rock School.


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As of the this posting date kicks off the start of the 125th anniversary festivities of the town of Valdese, North Carolina. If you needed a good excuse for a Southern vacation, or even just a weekend, this might be it. Particularly if you are of Piedmontese ancestry. The Piedmontese Waldensians were openly persecuted by Italian and Papal authorities in the 19th century, and they migrated out.

The town of Valdese is a direct result of this migration. At that time, America was the hope of persecuted people who needed no special coddling and pampering; but achieved a living by hard work and self-determination. "Valdese" were among the Voortrekkers in South Africa who headed north into the unknown to form farming communities in the 1830s. When blood-crazed Zulus from the northern tropical zone (what is now South Africa was uninhabited then) attacked and began killing every settler that they could find; a young Piedmontese Waldensian woman named Theresa Viglione took off on horseback and rode through very dangerous territory, risking her life to warn others of what was happening. She no doubt saved the lives of thousands of settlers, any which way you see it. The Valdese Carolinians were the same people as the Valdese Voortrekkers, and part of our people.


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Visit Valdese NC

mwalker1028

Tour the Town of Valdese with our Attractions, Events & our Available Tours!

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Flag and anthem of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1840-1860)

Flag and anthem of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1840-1860)

TheFlagAndAnthemGuy

ITALIAN: Granducato di Toscana

ANTHEM: "La Leopolda"

Flag from wikipedia: "Flag of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1840)" by Flanker. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

made using Flag 3D screensaver, available here:
http://www.3planesoft.com/holidays-screensavers/flag-3d-screensaver/

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FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/TheFlagAnthemGuy-1385863208300909/
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USA Women's Hockey Team steals the show.... according to many casual followers

'2018 Winter Olympics: Team USA women's hockey scores historic wins on and off ice'

The gold medal victory was an absolutely perfect ending to a landmark year for the program

Pete Blackburn - CBSSports.com - February 22, 2018

The last 12 months have been a roller coaster ride for the United States women's national hockey team, but on Thursday in Pyeongchang, that ride reached its ultimate peak -- an Olympic gold medal.

Team USA defeated Canada, 3-2, in a thrilling shootout win in South Korea to earn their first gold medal in 20 years. It was the third consecutive Olympics in which the American and Canadian women faced off in the final, and this one came 38 years to the day of the "Miracle On Ice."

For the American women, there was no miracle necessary. Thursday's gold medal game was earned on the strength of skill, execution, perseverance, heart and fearlessness. It was a perfectly fitting way to wrap up what has been an incredible last year for the Team USA women, who have earned major victories both on and off the ice.

con't...


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Dani Cameranesi

One of the numerous important role players for the USA team--I almost want to say "fighters" due to the manner of last evenings game--was 22 year old Dani Cameranesi from Minnesota. She was one of six ex-Minnesota Golden Gophers on the team. "Cameranesi" is of Marchese origin, like a famous Minnesota native Robert Mondavi. There was a sizable migration Lombards and Marchese to eastern Minnesota way back when, from Duluth to Minneapolis-St. Paul.

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"Italia and Germania" (1828)

Reddit: "Italia and Germania"

Italia und Germania (1828) by Friedrich Overbeck. The two girls are personifications of the countries and symbolise their common heritage and friendship.

Here in Italy there's an adage:
Italians hold Germans in high regard, but don't love them; Germans love Italians but don't hold them in high regard.

Just pointing out the Italian landscape to the left and the German Gothic town to the right.

I love how , when you have pictures of German women in Art, there hair is often braided and Italian women have their hair tied with leaves.

well, the leaves are usually laurel leaves, the plant used in classical antiquity to crown athletes, writers, and so on. It just works as a reminder of our classical past



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I like Germania and Austria more

[Not my comment, but I thought it made for an interesting concept in its own right]

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Is it a coincidence that each one's clothes hint at the other's flag? The green-white-red color scheme was already in use in Italy at the time, not sure about Germany.

Both nations were struggling to create their own state at the time. If anything, it represents nationalism.

Friedrich Overbeck, the painter did want to express both heritage and friendship between these cultural spheres and their common wish for unity.

Italy and Germany have always been very similar (except culturally) in their history (divided politically, then unification, WWII...), and economically (east/west, north/south divide), well at least until not that long ago.

Nah, at that time Italy and Germany weren't countries, but a bunch of small loosely knit duchies, free cities, princedoms, republics, bishoprics and what not. That was also the time that nationalism and a national consciousness was being formed. So this picture, among other things, is supposed to be a fairly nationalistic one. So, if anything, EU is against nationalism and for a more supranational approach to things.



'Italy and Germany: A peaceful meeting of opposites'

Rosemarie Fruehauf - TheEpochTimes.com - December 5, 2010

It is a meeting of dark and bright, yin and yang, of introvert and extrovert. The harmony of this painting is so compelling because it shows a peaceful connection of opposites, a talk between two different realms and approaches toward life.

Leave everything aside—German stereotypes, Italian stereotypes, and the story of the Nazarene movement—and you are looking at a timeless painting about friendship.

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The Nazarenes

The two ladies, Italia and Germania, in the painting by Johann Friedrich Overbeck, (1789–1869) represent two ideals of art: the art of the early Italian Renaissance as found in the young Raphael, and the German late-Middle Ages paintings like those of Albrecht Dürer. These were the ideals the painter Overbeck venerated and from which he drew his artistic inspiration.

The two girls can also be seen as symbolizing the church and the state. Overbeck and his artist friends of the Nazarene movement postulated that the partners of art should be the church and the state, a view that was regarded as old fashioned and reactionary in a time when art suddenly had to search for reasons to validate its existence.

The industrial revolution was dawning, and both the bourgeoisie and artists were growing ever more independent. In these days at the brink of the 19th century, Overbeck and some fellow students of the Academy of Vienna were dissatisfied with the lack of heart and soul in the prevalent Neoclassicism and with the conventional art education in the academy system.

In the meetings and discussions they held in a loose circle from 1808, they found their Christian ideals manifesting in the earlier European art. Four of them, including Overbeck, left the academy in 1810 and traveled to Rome. In Italy, they hoped to live a life in the way of the old, “true” artists. Making an impact in Rome. They called themselves the “Brotherhood of St. Luke” (St. Luke is the patron saint of painters) and after occupying the abandoned monastery of San Isidoro, conducted a quasi-monastic life, dedicated to praying and painting.

Soon they became known among their detractors as well as supporters by the quizzical nickname “Nazareni” (for their long-haired, biblical appearance) and were joined by other like-minded personalities. The greatest achievement of the group was the reviving of the old fresco technique that had almost been forgotten.

With two major commissions, the wall paintings of Casa Bartholdy and the Casino Massimo in Rome, they could establish an international reputation. By 1830, all the Nazarenes had returned to Germany, where many of them became acclaimed teachers and chairmen of art academies.

Overbeck, as the figurehead of the movement, rejected all offers and stayed in Rome, where he lived his dream until his death in 1869. Though admired by fans and followers, he was ridiculed by his more practical-minded contemporaries.

The Nazarenes were disillusioned over the rationalism of the enlightenment movement that had discredited itself in the terror of the French Revolution.

They preferred a society based on belief. That is why they saw the Middle Ages in a very positive light. With its simplicity and honesty, the Middle Ages became their favorite period of history.

“Italia und Germania” was especially seen as the Nazarenes’ programmatic painting, as it extols the two branches they considered to be the highest ideals of art—the early Italian Renaissance in the spiritual and introverted Madonna-like figure, together with the natural, yet proud German Middle Ages artistry represented by the blond girl.

The Nazarenes were the first art movement in a modern sense—a group of people who met to formulate an ideology of what art should be like and then worked for it. This painting exemplifies and convincingly broadcasts what they sought in art. The painting works perfectly in iconography, technique, and compositional style. Here, their dream and message is given a shape.


The Painting

The painting becomes more meaningful and beautiful the longer one looks at it. Its clear and simple coloring, supported by the stunningly smooth surface, which hardly shows a brush stroke, attracts one’s eyes naturally.

The girls are in the midst of an intimate talk. They seem to be very close, peacefully and lovingly connected. This comes mainly through the composition, as there are a lot of oval forms, which echo each other.

There is the big oval going from their shoulders to their arms and conjoined hands. There are also the ovals of the necklines that Overbeck made the same size, the similarities in the dresses, like the belts and white sleeves of their blouses as well as the floral wreaths corresponding to each other. The pink wrap that drapes the lower part of Germania’s body with its soft pleats frames and emphasizes this big oval dynamic of the setting.

It looks like a religious painting on first glance due to the strong triangular composition in which the two figures are rendered. This is what we have seen in countless saintly images, especially in the Raphael Madonna paintings. The two figures become like saints.

As in Renaissance art, Italia and Germania fill the well-balanced format, and the landscape becomes secondary. With its humble green and blues, it just illustrates a surrounding. Details tell us about the ladies’ identities: Italian architecture and the Mediterranean sea feature the background of Italia; a Gothic city and the Alps decorate Germania’s side.


Sacred Friendship

Their friendship is idealized and made sacred in the way Overbeck depicts the girls because of the harmony, dignity, and quietude of the composition. Their strongly idealized faces cannot count as portraits. Their skin is amazingly white, shimmering like porcelain. Yet this seems to be more than just a conceptual work, as it features a very natural and human conversation.

Although the two are connected, they are independent of each other; their eyes do not meet. They are conjoined by their hands, the compositional triangle shape, and multiple round forms. Each woman has her own personality and emotional quality that goes beyond the idealized portrayal. As a profile portrait, there is almost breezy cuteness in the way the blond Germania stretches her nose in the air. The blooming floral wreath comes across as extroverted and friendly. Its blooms are repeated as golden buttons on her sleeve. She leans toward the dark-haired one and holds both her hands around the others hand. She’s obviously talking to her. Some feel that she’s comforting her friend.

The image of the dark-haired Italia, with its classical three-quarter perspective and the red and blue garments she’s wearing, repeats countless Madonna portrayals. We perceive her to be introverted and almost melancholic as she holds one of her hands in front of her body as if protecting herself. She looks humbly down to the ground while her blond companion curiously looks into the landscape while talking.

The dark lady’s dress is in comparison much simpler; there are no ornaments on it. The laurel wreath she wears is the only thing that gives an idea of her Mediterranean origin and adds a little peculiarity to an otherwise perfect image of Mary.

The two become a symbol for the possible union of opposites and a peaceful dialogue of different temperaments.

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