Comparable scenes have been occurring in piazzas all over Italy, with young and old citizens rising up and standing for an end to xenophobia, radicalism, and “to boorish, vulgar politics cultivated by selfies and fake news,” Continue reading Call Me a Sardine— Italy’s anti-Fascist, anti-Hate Response to Matteo Salvini’s League Party
When choosing a place to eat, whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner, my inner Goldilocks algorithm runs through a well-trained series of decisions and “if/thens”. Will I splurge? Mostly, no. Budget? Usually, yes. It’s a short response that eliminates restaurants serving crab, great cuts of beef, roasted chicken, amazing salads and anything organically-grown-and-flown-in-today-from-Sweden. In fact, options edge toward the pedestrian but aim still for tasty. American? Breakfast is … Continue reading Dining Out with Niccolo — Picking the Perfect Dinner Companion
Every fall, thousands of colleges throughout the United States welcome international students who have traveled great distances to gain entrance to an American education. F-1 visa in hand, a proven source of funds documented in banks, and more luggage than astronauts took to the moon, they arrive to begin a real-life academic experience. Often their studies begin with courses in English language skills. Picture these … Continue reading The Digital Enclave: How Tech Devices Can Inhibit Language Learning
There is no where and nothing like Venice. The fact that it still exists is a miracle. Due in part to its well-earned reputation as a tourist mecca, Venice is best experienced with a bit of forethought. Hence these tips for travelers. Book ahead – Don’t count on finding anything reasonably priced if you arrive without reservations during any of the high season periods. I … Continue reading Tips for Traveling to Venice
Teaching at a university an hour from Fes is as fascinating as one might suppose, but it is not exactly handy in terms of travel. In order to get out of Ifrane, one has to choose to take a bus or grand taxi to Fes or Meknes, then continue on the bus, hop into another grand taxi, or take the train to the larger cities. … Continue reading Morocco to Italy: Magical, Merry Christmas Meet-up in Venice
The University of Washington has a course that is SRO (standing room only) every term it is offered. It is called “Calling Bullshit: Data Reasoning in a Digital World.” The brain child of professors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, “Calling Bullshit” is designed to “ help students navigate the bullshit-rich modern environment by identifying bullshit, seeing through it, and combating it with effective analysis and argument,” says the … Continue reading “CALLING BULLSHIT!” — Spotting and Defying Falsifications, Lies, and Twisted Facts
In this season of hopes for peace, tolerance, and joy for all living beings, it is heartening to learn that long ago, one divinely-inspired man drew up treaties to achieve that very thing. Here is the link to my article in Islamicity: Islamic Treasures: Treaties of the Prophet Muhammad with Christians of His Time View at Medium.com Continue reading Islamic Treasures: The Treaties of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of His Time
Eight years of attending TEDx Seattle (formerly Rainier) has prepared all-day-speaker marathon fans to expect the unexpected and hope for the truly inspiring and innovative. This year’s TEDx Seattle, Nov. 18, 2017 was masterful, exhilarating, and informative from the first speech by Jevin West, PhD, co-creator of “Calling Bullshit”, a new University of Washington course in spotting fake news and calling out deceptive journalism, politicians, … Continue reading TEDx Seattle (2017) — Changing Places and Blowing Minds
No one would be surprised to see people fleeing a burning building, many with the smell of smoke and cinders still enveloping them. In such circumstances, neighbors, municipalities, charities, and organizations would immediately coordinate relief measures, including food, clothing, housing, and counseling. The conflagration of anarchy, genocide, warfare, and constant danger that has been the real world in east Africa, Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya has … Continue reading Village Life — REFUGEES — Plucked from the Sea and Deposited on Italy’s Shores — Part 10
Unexpected treasures and sights are around every hairpin turn here in Italy. On the corner of Strada Provincial 6 and a country lane near Bagnoregio sits a gallery of delightful, durable, re-purposed dragons, monsters, and demons and an ark for them to sail in. On Google maps, where I found the self-same cross-streets circa 2011, none of the sculptures existed. August 2017, there they are, a herd … Continue reading Village Life — Savoring: A Lake You Can Drink and Other Singularities — Part 7
BARBBYTES 