Art and Barb Live in Italy! (House for Sale in Umbria Italy)
In 2003 Barbara and Art moved from Kentucky to Umbria. These are their adventures.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
LT DAN CHOI NEEDS YOUR HELP AGAIN!
On Tuesday, a military board told Lt. Dan Choi -- an Iraq War veteran and Arabic linguist -- that it was recommending his discharge from the Army for "moral and professional dereliction" under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Despite this setback, Lt. Choi is not giving up. Dan is taking his fight to repeal the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to Congress and he needs your help as soon as possible.
I just signed the letter below to Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Lt. Choi is going to personally deliver to her. The letter is being launched on Lt. Choi's behalf by the Courage Campaign, Knights Out and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
We need Speaker Pelosi to take leadership now and speak out publicly in favor of current legislation in Congress that would repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Will you join me in signing Lt. Choi's letter and urge your friends to do the same? Just click on the link below to add your name:
Yesterday's post featured a short video by ARTTRAV.COM. This site helps the traveler learn more about the art and history in and around Florence and Rome. While wandering around on the site I was naturally drawn to the mention of chocolate. Apparently there's a fantastic chocolate shop in Cortona called COCOA. I wish I'd known about this place when we were in Cortona earlier this month, but I have a sneaking feeling that a trip back to Cortona might be in our future!
If your travel plans include Cortona, you might want to check out COCOA!
I've learned so much since we came to Italy! I've discovered new foods, learned about wine, and so much more. I'd never even heard pf pecorino cheese, much less eaten it! Pecorino cheese is made from sheep's milk, mostly in Sardinia. Many Sardinian farmers came to Tuscany in the 1950's when times were tough, hoping to find work. Of course they brought their traditions with them, and now Tuscany and parts of Umbria are blessed with local sources of pecorino cheese. You can read more about pecorino cheese here, and you can also watch the video below, showing how it's made. This short film was made by arttrav, a site dedicated to helping you find art and history during your travels in Italy, especially in and around Florence.
We invited friends to join us for a night of nostalgia and fun - "In Canto d'Estate" was hosting a Beatles tribute band, The Beaters! There are lots and lots of Beatles tribute bands. Some dress in clothes from various eras - the collarless jackets for the early years and Sgt. Pepper regalia for the later years. They use vintage instruments, or replicas - the Hofner bass, the Ludwig drums. They've learned how to stand and move just like the Beatles, and often assume Liverpudlian accents and joke just like the Beatles did. Some bands even have a left-handed "Paul" to make the illusion complete. For better or worse though, the one thing all these bands have in common is a love of the Beatles and their music. And of course the fans they attract share this love.
Naturally some bands are more proficient musicians than others, and some manage to capture the movements and gestures better than others. Some are better singers than others. No matter at what level each band performs, most fans like me aren't too demanding. We're just happy to hear the songs that brought us so much joy, and happy to spend time with others who share our passion for the Beatles. If we can squint our eyes and somehow believe that we really are seeing the Beatles once again, well, that's great, but really, we're all aware that those days are gone and are just happy to re-live that time if only briefly.
I'm writing all this so that you know I'm not super-critical of Beatles tribute bands, even those that aren't the greatest singers or musicians. I'm happy that others share my love of the Beatles and their music, and I appreciate their efforts. Which brings us to Saturday night's performance by an Italian band called The Beaters.
Yes, I believe that these guys really are Beatles fans. I appreciate their use of vintage instruments, and the way they introduced each song, in the style of the Beatles. As the band jumped into it's first number I was happily singing along, tapping my toes and smiling with joy. After a few songs though, a puzzled look came over my face. At first I wasn't sure that I was hearing correctly, but after several songs it became more and more apparent: they didn't know all the words!!!! Sometimes they would sing the wrong words, while other times it seemed as if they just sort of hummed/mumbled their way through, much as you or I might do when we've forgotten the words to a song.
After the first few numbers I was thinking to myself that what this band really needed to do was to go back and listen, really LISTEN to the original recordings, just to get the pronunciations correct. I realized that these guys weren't native English speakers, and I thought if they would listen to the recordings again, that might help. Once I realized that they were getting the words wrong I once again tried to excuse them because they're not native English speakers. But then I thought about how I like to listen to music in a foreign language, especiall if I want to learn the words. I listen to the music while I'm reading the lyrics. That's how I found out that "Let's Forget About The Money" was really "Let's Forget About Domani"!
Anyway, the show was a lot of fun, but I was really disappointed that these guys who supposedly love the Beatles wouldn't take the time or effort to learn the words and the correct pronunciations. Yes, maybe it is a mean thing to say, but in my opinion, when you bill yourselves as a Beatles tribute band, you've raised the stakes just a little. A Beatles tribute band sets itself to a higher standard than a band who just covers a few Beatles songs. A Beatles tribute band, even a foreign-speaking one, should really want to take the time to listen to the songs, to get the words right and learn the correct pronunciations!
Here are a few videos from that night, but for your benefit I haven't included the ones where the words were forgotten or mumbled! ("Roll Over Beethoven" and "Lady Madonna" come to mind) All the videos from the various bands who performed at our festa, "In Canto d'Estate" are on OUR YouTube PAGE. The Beaters have their own YouTube page HERE.
Sign a personal letter of support for Dan before Tuesday's trial and help him fight "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
Lt. Dan Choi, from Orange County, California, is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an Iraq War veteran. On Tuesday, he will face a panel of colonels who will decide whether or not to fire him -- to discharge him from the military for "moral and professional dereliction" under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
An amazing 141,262 people signed Lt. Choi's letter to President Obama a few weeks ago. Now he needs your help again. Please sign the letter of support and add your own (optional) personal message. Lt. Choi will submit your signatures and your comments to the Army at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. It only takes a minute! Show your support for the brave men and women who serve our country by clicking HERE .
Sandi, another friend from the SLOW TRAVEL MESSAGE BOARD is always posting great recipes on her WHISTLESTOP CAFÉ BLOG. The other day she posted a risotto recipe that sounded so good I tried it that same day for lunch - and it was really, really yummy! Check out Sandi's BLOG for other great recipes and ideas, but here's the recipe just in case you can't wait.....
Poppy Seed and Sweet Onion Risotto
2 Tbs poppy seeds 2 slices bacon (I used thick slices of pancetta) 1 sweet onion diced 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups arborio rice white wine - maybe 3/4 cup 1 Tbs butter 3 cups chicken broth simmering on a back burner.
In a small bowl soak poppy seeds in just enough white wine to cover. In a deep frying pan, fry bacon- fry a couple of small onion rings for garnish. Reserve a small amount of the bacon grease and pour off the rest. Saute onion until translucent, add rice and stir for a couple of minutes.
Continue making the risotto as you normally do... add wine to deglaze the pan. Add the broth one cup at a time.
Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. ( I set the time for 15 minutes, then reset for about 10 minutes more. Check the risotto often!)
When all the broth is used and the risotto is tender, add the poppy seeds and wine, crumble the bacon into the pot, add 1 Tbs butter and stir until creamy.
This pasta salad has been a favorite of mine for years.
GREEK ROTINI SALAD
6 cups (uncooked) rotini 1 cup olive oil 4 Tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper ½ tsp oregano 1 oz (26 gr) garlic powder (2 Tbsp + 1 tsp) (according to taste) 2 cups pepper strips (red, green and yellow) 36 black or green olives, pitted 3 cups feta cheese, crumbled 16 radishes, thinly sliced ½ cup green onions, sliced 8 Tbsp parsley, chopped
Cook rotini and rinse in cold water to cool quickly. Do NOT overcook!
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Chill.
In a large serving bowl combine rotini, peppers, olives, feta cheese, radishes, green onions and parsley. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.
This makes enough to feed quite a few, so when I want to make a smaller batch I use 4 cups of rotini and HALF of all the other ingredients.
The highlight of Friday night's festivities in San Venanzo was The Swingle Kings. Here are two clips of their perfomance, and more are on our OUR YouTube PAGE.
Bossy, opinionated, and impatient. Determined and stubborn. Quick tempered.
Fiscally conservative and politically liberal. A realist, not a dreamer. A detail person and a planner.
On Tuesday, a military board told Lt. Dan Choi -- an Iraq War veteran and Arabic linguist -- that it was recommending his discharge from the Army for "moral and professional dereliction" under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
