Not Intent on Arriving

Stories covering all aspects of la vita italiana have made international headlines over the past couple of days. Some of the highlights:

1) It’s snowing: Across Europe, frigid weather conditions hampered travel plans and forced many cities to shut down. Italy was no exception.

2) Berlusconi Survives…To Protests: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi won a no-confidence vote.… by three votes. In spite of the narrow margin, the success allows the premiere to continue governing.  Young people immediately took to the streets of Rome in protest, burning cars and fighting with police officers. The Guardian called the riots “the worst in 30 years.”

3) Then, More Bad News for Berlusconi: The Italian Prime Minister addressed a European Union meeting in Brussels. Organizers decided to create a “Tweet Wall” that would publish status updates from the popular social media site in real-time. Once critics of Berlusconi realized anything tagged #EUCO would appear on the screen, they published scathing condemnations of the Prime Minister. The summit quickly took the wall down.

4) Finally…a Controversial TV Advertisement: The publicity strategy might have worked after all. A new television commercial for the Renault Twingo (what a name?) was banned by Italian authorities because of its lesbian undertones. See the controversial piece below:

It’s official. The Senate voted 65-31 on Saturday to end the 17-year old policy that forced gay and lesbian military members to hide their sexual orientation. The bill will go President Obama next week.

Houston businessman Farid Seif made a really stupid mistake when rushing for his plane at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Earlier that day, he tucked away a .40 caliber gun into the side of a computer bag, which he carried onto his flight. Security did not notice the loaded weapon.

Of course, Seif didn’t realize his mistake until he landed later. Once he did, he was alarmed.

“I mean, this is not a small gun,” Seif said. “It’s a .40 caliber gun.”

Despite his alarm, investigators claim the mistake occurs more than you might think. Random federal screenings at major airports reveal breaches over 70 percent of the time, according to sources.

His name is Qamar Hashim Sultan and he lives in Iraq. The Huffington Post brings the heartwarming story of Qamar to people worldwide. He started taking pictures at the age of 4, using his father’s equipment. Now, he hangs out in literary cafes and takes pictures of daily life in the country. Fortunately, he does not take photograph the violence that continues to plague his country.

Some good news from Iraq is always welcome.