Mysterious spike in radioactive particles across Europe baffles scientists

Published time: 10 Oct, 2017 14:56 Edited time: 11 Oct, 2017 12:07

Germany’s Office for Radiation Protection reported increased radioactivity in parts of central and western Europe over the past week. The heightened levels were detected at several trace measuring stations in Europe, and at six locations in Germany.

The particles are ruthenium-106, an isotope used in radiotherapy for eye tumors, and at times in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) which provide power to satellites. An increase of ruthenium-106 has been detected in the air in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

While officials say there is no need to panic, they don’t know where the material has come from. The elevated radiation levels do not present a threat to human health.

“New analyses of the source of the radioactive material are likely to indicate a release in the southern Ural,” the Office for Radiation Protection said, “but other regions in Southern Russia can not be excluded.”

It said that because only ruthenium-106 has been detected, a nuclear power plant accident can be ruled out.

The Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, however, rejected the report, saying that “the radiation situation around all Russian nuclear facilities is within the norm and corresponds to natural background radiation.”

The Wednesday statement also noted the data of Roshydromet ,Russia’s meteorology service, indicated that ruthenium-106 hasn’t been detected on Russian territory, only excluding St. Petersburg, from September 25 to October 7. However, the ruthenium-106 concentration in St. Petersburg last week was “insignificant,” and was four times lower than the allowed level, it added.

Russian nuclear facilities cannot be seen as the source of the reported release, Rosatom said, calling the speculation about a Russian origin “invalid.”

Similar spikes in radioactive particles have occurred across Europe in the past, but they are rare.

In February, trace amounts of radioactive iodine-131 were detected across parts of Europe. The iodine faded, and the source of the radioactivity wasn’t identified, Motherboard reports.

France’s IRSN institute announced the trace amounts were detected over Norway, Finland, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, France and Spain.

Read more on RT

Needs, Wants and Art in Florence

Hi everyone,

This is my first "real video" and I made it for One Day on Earth Project!

Gemma my intern and I worked on this together and she did a ton of work, plus all of the editing!

Clap Clap Gemma!

Please view the video at this link, share to spread the work and provide feedback!

Also, the CB Project is now preparing to conduct workshops with homeless men and sheltered women in Portland, Oregon!  We have a total of 18 participants.

Needs, Wants and Art in Florence from Susan Brannon on Vimeo.

Wedding Fashion Show Florence, Italy

This is off the direction of this blog, but as a past war photojournalist I have started to move on to Happier Moments! For example, photographing a wedding fashion show!

Remember G8 Genova

Susan Brannon
20 April 2012
On the night of July 21, 2001 more than 400 peaceful G8 demonstrators who came from all over Europe to protest the G8 meeting, were either hospitalized, beaten, arrested and jailed. Carlo Giuliani of Genoa, was shot dead by Mario Placanica who was released of any "wrong doing" in the case. It was determined that he fired his weapon in self defense after being hit by a stone. The European Union requested an investigation of the Italian police and what occurred on that day. Italy, with its new Prime Minister, Berlusconi, denied to investigate. At least seven of the injured have live long disabilities and say that the police had the intent to "kill". Mark Covell, an Indy-Media journalist was also brutally attacked, with six broken ribs, a punctured lung in three places, massive destruction on his spine and neck. He has had to undergo several surgeries and is still ongoing.

Mark decided to file a lawsuit against the Italian government and for him, it has been a long haul that costs him thousands of British pounds for representation and travel, and promotional awareness campaigns. The Italian legal system has much to be desired and it takes years to complete any legal action. As of May 18th, 2010, senior police officers and 44 policemen have been given jail sentences for up to five years for what the prosecution called a terrible attack on the demonstrators and an attempted cover-up.   

The Reports of Torture and the Case More than 150 masked police officers wearing unnumbered uniforms attacked a school "Scoula Diaz" being used as a "safe house" and a place to sleep for the foreigners who came for the demonstration shortly before midnight. One commander said that the school was "left like a Mexican slaughterhouse". Ninety-three people were sleeping in the dormitory and after the slaughter 76 were taken to the hospital for multiple injuries and later taken to the Bolzaneto jail where a total of 252 demonstrators were tortured. This continued for three days and nights along with systematic denial of human rights and degrading treatment. Some women reported being raped. The Ligurian Appeal Judges chaired by Maria Rosaria D'Angelo did not mince words about what had happened at the Bolzaneto police barracks during the sentencing.

One of the victims said, "Many of the victims who were detained and beaten in the barracks of Bolzaneto reported phrases and hymns sung by the Nazis and Fascists during and after the police torture that the detainees were subjected." A turning point for the case was when two police officers confessed, “When we dragged them from the cells inside the Bolzaneto police barracks, we beat them”. Many of the victims reported that they were forced to stand for more than twenty hours in feet legs apart facing wall. Most were preventing from going to the toilet. A few however had their heads shoved down a toilet full of police shit in a crude form of 'waterboarding' for the pleasure of the accompanying police. One of the police who admitted the crime was Barbara Amadei who beat and forced the head of Ester Percivati down the infamous Bolzaneto toilet. Amadei received a sentence of only 10 months.

A welcome sign greeted the prisoners, and when they entered they were forced to walk in single file, suffering brutal kicks, beating from the batons, punches, while their injuries were left untreated. Some reported that the police urinated on them. Others reported being thrown into a room, then they closed the door after throwing tear gas into the small room and left there. One infamous case is that of Massimo Pigozzi who sprayed teargas into the face of Joseph Azzolina and then broke every finger on both of his hands. Pigozzi got three years 11 months for this crime and ordered to pay compensation.

Senior GOM mobile commander Antonell Gaetano, beat a French demonstrator fracturing two of his ribs forcing him to sign a document to waver rights to a lawyer. He forced another victim to get down on all fours and bark like a dog and say, ""long live Il Duce" he received one year and four months. Not only were the policemen involved in the torture, the medical staff at the Bolzaneto prison were also involved. James Toccafondi was convicted of breaking the EU convention on medical ethics. He took part in several beatings, denied medical treatment and cut off the hair of females to be used as "trophies". He received three years and six months. Two other doctors were involved but were not sentenced.

Photo by Massimo Sestini

The cover up was so criminal, that an officer stabbed himself with a knife to try to "validate" and justify the attack. The Italian courts ruled that none of the victims had been violent, and Molotov cocktails had been planted by the police in the school before the attack. Among those convicted was Francisco Gratteri, the head of criminal investigation, Giovanne Luperi who was promoted to a senior position in the Italian intelligence both men were given four years. The head of the squad unit who was commander of the riot unit in Rome ,Vincenzo Canterini, was given five years. The two policemen who planted the Molotov cocktails,Gilberto Caldarozzi and Spartico Mortola, were sentenced to three years and nine months.

The ruling overturned any of the previous conclusions in the 2008 trial. However, the policemen charged for their crimes did not go behind bars because the case took so long, that the sentencing was "timed out" according to the Italian statue of limitations. Despite most of the original charges being spent, two charges of false arrest and false statement have statute of limitations of 12 1/2 years so they still carry a prison sentence. Most of the 25 are convicted of these two offenses and have received sentences of three to four years.   

The Politicians The politicians involved were Ginfranco Fini and Castelli, while Berlusconi was only in office for one month as Prime Minister. There is little or no evidence that Berlusconi approved or authorized the events. There is evidence that links Fini and both Diaz and Bolzaneto. Fini was fortunate because he was saved from questioning because of the 9/11 raids on America. All eyes in the world were turned to the events in America. Fini has always had immunity from prosecution during the years of the investigation, indictments and trials in Genoa. Fini was involved in the day to day events of the protests, and the planning for the Diaz raid before G8.  At that time, Fini was the head of the Facist Party, "Alleanza Nazionale" (National Alliance) that later united with the Berlusconi called, "Popolo del Liberta" (People of Freedom)

Alleanza Nazionale started in 1994 as the successor of the "Movimento Sociale Italiano" (Italian Social Movement) begun by Benito Mussolini's supporters after he died in 1945 and his fascist movement was outlawed.  Fini once described Mussolini as the greatest statesman of the 20th century.   

Infiltrators 
There are many reports and video's that capture infiltrators that were dressed up in plain clothes who pretended to be part of the protest.  They were seen talking to the Italian police, and entering in and out of the "red zone"  (The boundary set by the city, the protesters were not allowed into the red zone, close to the G8 meeting)  They were also seen to intimidate the police by throwing stones, and thought to have possibly brought inside the "yellow zone" (the area where the protesters were supposed to be allowed to march) Molotov cocktails to throw at the police. There was also a group of people dressed in white clothes wearing blue helmets that would march among the protesters, grab and beat them before arrest. There is another group called the "Black Block" that is reported to be a group of protesters that destroyed many of the buildings, infrastructure and cars.   However, it is also reported that some of the Black Block people have been seen talking to the police, entering in and out of the red zone, and issuing instructions to their peers.  (more on the Black Block)

A Short Film - Italian and English
 

Le spettacolari immagini dell'Etna, un misto di lava e neve

Volcano Etna, in Southern Italy, where I offer Photo Workshops is bubbling! Activity of the new crater southeast, lasted a few hours, but the images are spectacular, paerchè the lava meets the snow and the result is all to watch.

Profile: New Italian PM, Mario Monti

In English

Maurizio Crozza a Ballarò su Mario Monti, Governo, crisi 15 11 2011 - Ur...

In Italian, comedian

parlamento europeo benigni

This is in Italian for those who know Italian! It is great!

Italy in Crisis

Susan Brannon
13 August 2011

Florence - Italy has been under duress with it's economy for quite a while now.  However, most Italians take a month long holiday in August and Berlusconi did not want to discourage the Parliament members to stay in Rome.  After everyone jotted off to the local beaches and private boats, the  European Union and European Central Bank started to put pressure on Berlusconi that now was not the time for a sunny holiday.  Italy is in a crisis.

Berlusconi cut his holiday short under the pressure and met with the Minister of Economy Robert Calderoni and Maurizio Sacconi.  After many long nights and busy days, they announced the proposed plan that will be set before the Senate on August 22 and before the aula on the 5 and 6 of September.  The process is not like the American process with not really deciding anything but passing along the responsibility to the new

The cabinet of ministers passed the new budget on Saturday 13 August.  The Minister of Finance said, "It is vital that we balance our budget"  Berlusconi said, "Our hearts are dripping with blood, we never put our hands in the pockets of the Italians, but the crisis is global, look at the U.S."  He also thanked Tremoniti, "They worked day and night."  Twenty billion in 2012 to 25.5 in 2013.  Knight responded that "It is a balanced decision"

The committee's decision will affect just about everyone in Italy, from the retirement holders, to the rich. Here is the latest rundown:

Taxes

    * Increase of payroll tax: by 5% to those that make 90,000 Euros to 150,000 Euros and 10% to those that make 150,000 Euros or more for the next two years.

    * Increase in personal income tax from the current 41% for income above 55,000 Euros

    * Robin Hood tax - A tax on the energy sector, details are not given as of yet.

Government

    * Parliament contributions:  10% for incomes above 90,000 and 20% for those who make over 150,000.  Reducing the Parliament members privileges (not including economy class airline tickets)  The removal of around 54,000 parliament seats.

    * Public workers: Must meet the goals to reduce costs otherwise they can loose the 13th month of payment

    * TFR payment with a 2 year delay for the severance pay of public workers.

    * Ministers - Are expected to cut 6 billion euros in 2012 and 2.5 in 2013

    * Localities:  Money transfers will be cut to 6 billion in 2012 and 3,5 in 2013. The health budget will not be touched.  The Regions will have to cut 1 billion less than the Localities.

    * Providences:  Suspend provenience with populations under 300,000 (total of 38) to be imposed after the next census.  and merge with the municipalities for under 1,000 population.  This will reduce the amount of state workers by 50,000.

    * No Cuts to salaries of civil servants.

    * Public Services:  Privatization and liberalization of public services will be encouraged.

    * FAS Fund - One year reduction of Fas, for underdeveloped areas.

    * Welfare reform:  For 1012 attend to achieve a savings of 4 billion is possible.

Social

    * Raise retirement age for women: From 2015 raise the age of retirement to 65 to those who work in the private sector

    * Retirement age:  by 2027 slowly raise the retirement age to 65.

    * Midweek Holidays - Will be moved to Monday as in the rest of Europe.

Business:

    * Receipts:  The receipts need to be traceable, for those issued over 2,500 euro, if they failure to issue receipts, the business with be threatened to close.

    * Reduce the amount of Looses to a maximum of 62.5 %

    * Self Employed - Increase personal income tax from 41% for incomes over 55,000 euros.  It is scheduled for 2-3 years, but may remain permanent.

    * Games and Tobacco - A new excise tax on games and tobacco, to what extent has not been decided.

    * Investment income:  Increase to 20% of all taxes on investment income, excluding interest of bonds that remain at 12.5%.

    * No taxes on real estate assets


The Italian response to this proposal is not a positive one it seems that everyone from every sector is complaining; from the ministers, the mayors, companies and public employees.  The public employees plan a union strike on September 9 for two hours. Minister Calderoli does not agree with abolishing the provinces.  Nicola Zingaretti, the president of the province of Rome says, "The move will affect the economy well beyond the Roman planned cuts to transfers to local authorities.  All the measures provided for the public service which are added to those already made in recent months in particular it will weigh on our economy as less liquidity available for many families"  Bonelli, of the Green Party feels that the maneuver will be a social disaster "that will take over the poverty line to more than a million Italian households."

For two to three years the white and blue collar workers have lost their jobs, with factories closing and outsourcing, many small businesses close their doors on every city street and more and more shops are empty.  Tourism is way down this year and the shop owners that were depending on tourism to make it through the year are watching over their empty shops.  University students cannot find work after graduation and have held many protests throughout Italy and are worried that this bill does not help them  with their plight.

Some Italians feel a bit patriotic with the removal of provinces' they are historical and they are territorial, in fact the Province of Benevento is a year older than the unity of Italy.  The province of Siena is under threat because they have close to 300,000 inhabitants, but it is not quite enough.

In the months to come, I expect turmoil and conflict between the government, the cities leaders, the general public and the public workers.  It is not easy cutting down from flying first class to economy.

ECB Spanish & Italian bond move calms market

Another Bailout. Italy

'Euro on edge, will collapse by November if no new crisis plan'

America, China, Europe, Italy debt crisis

No Berlusconi Day 5 Dec Rome, Italy

CAN NOT 'BE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
No Berlusconi Day
P.zza della Repubblica - 14.00 hours
December 5, 2009 Una national demonstration to demand the resignation of Silvio Burlesconi
WHY 'WHO:
Denies the equality of citizens before the law
OUTRAGE public ethics and the dignity of Italy
Prepend their interests to the common good
WALK freedom of information
ATTACK Constitution
Harnessing the peaceful and independent from the parties, the first step towards a more dignified leadership!
The public, beyond political affiliations, outside parties, to the streets calling for the resignation of Silvio Burlesconi.

Silvio Berlusconi: Telivision, Power and Patrimony. By, Paul Gensborg

Berlusconi's Italy: Mapping Contemporary Italian Politics. By, Michael E. Shin, John A. Agnew

6 year limit for the criminal court system and Berlusconi

In a thousand polemics, criticism, fighting on numbers and calls for no vote "laws ad personam" (so to President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano) the bill for short processes (establishing a six-year maximum duration of procedures) begins in the Senate on its passage through Parliament.

So Pier Luigi Bersani, secretary of the Democratic Party: "That is certainly an issue of justice for citizens given the length of trials. We not only are willing to discuss it, but we've already submitted four draft bills. But now weWithdraw these rules are a punch in the eye - he insisted Bersani - because with this law is abolished only white-collar jobs and for us it is not possible. "

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from Doha does not yet know who wants to talk about justice, but that will come proclaiming the 'right time' to do so. And it will come on television, in front of all Italians. The reform and the political controversy in recent days, Berlusconi announced that Italians will explain "what is the situation where we are."

Capezzone - "What happened yesterday on the networks of public service broadcasting would be literally unthinkable in any other advanced Western countries," said Daniele Capezzone today, spokesman of the PDL, about the intervention of Judge Spataro transmission "In 1 / 2 hours. "" The idea that a judge be allowed to determine what government, parliament, majority and opposition can, can not, should or should not do, is simply the moon. And the most disturbing - he concludes - is that the left, blinded by hatred antiberlusconiano not even capable of posing the problem. "

And here is the Italian Parlement, fighting, talking, broadcasting and never really getting anywhere in the real world. There are discussion on all the talk shows, the people talk in the streets what they think about the limitation of the court system. Some wonder about the murders, the real crime, the mafia. But most importantly, it is the immigrants who will not be held by the new law. Their process can last as long as it needs to. So be it. If you are not born Italian, but have the right to live and vote in the country, you are defined by the rule of your birthright. Like it or not.

Berlusconi, has a lot going against him as far as lawsuits are concerned...he passed the law that he cannot be touched by the law while ruling the country. This is his way of trying to get out of the mess he made when his time runs out.

The court system here can lag on for decades...and even more. The Italians have the ability to stretch out just about anything, from a quick snack to enforcing and fighting over justice and lawsuits. Justification is the rule here. It is said that anyone can justify any action, or so it is tried.

H1N1 in Italy

The victims so far in Italy caused by influenza A/H1N1 virus were 82, according to reports by the Ministry of Health in the gazette today, and Campania, with 25 deaths, remains the region where there are the most deaths.

The regions that have been more deaths linked to the virus - which in the week ended November 15 is estimated to have affected 752,000 people - is Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Lazio and Calabria (seven victims), Piedmont, Umbria and Sicily (five).

The most affected are children and adolescents from birth to 14 years, with an incidence of 3.6%. For youth and adults between the ages of 15-64 is at 0,7%.People 65 and over is at 0,1%.

Until November 20, says the Ministry, about 333,366 people were vaccinated, and vaccine doses delivered are almost four million.

Ferrari's Nice Red Ones

A few weeks ago, the main "fashion" shopping street was closed to traffic so people could walk around and view the new fall collection's in the shops.  At the same time, one could meander through the Ferrari collections parked in the middle of the street.  Do the upscale fashions go hand in hand with Ferrari's? I heard comments from the local Italians who are having a difficult time putting food on the table, and paying their bills, say that the exhibition was like a kick in the face, or spit in the eye.  The economy is horrible everywhere, yet at the same time, they make a big extravaganza of things that no one can afford.  Sure, wouldn't everybody want to buy a $700,000 red Ferrari Enzo?  Wouldn't most women like the opportunity to buy a 2,000 Euro blouse?  However, most of us who walked down this street, cannot even consider of buying such luxuries.  We can only dream of such things.

I have to admit, the cars were beautiful, and I mean beautiful.  To listen to the Ferrari engine roar made me think of the best sexual experience...Actually, I could see myself sitting on the front leather seat with my hair blowing through the wind and a really hot guy sitting right next to me.  He was giving me the look of love with a big smile on his face.  When I finished strolling through dreamland, I woke up and decided that I needed to play the lottery more often.  I wonder how many of the other people were dreaming like I was.

Just about everyone was taking photographs with their cell phones, or small digital camera's.  I saw some professional looking folks bouncing around in the attempt to get that perfect shot.  I took some images myself, just look at them, are they not good?

While glancing around, I had to take a shot of the "model" looking girl standing in front of one of the shops, just look at her stance, is she a professional?  I took a shot of a sweet looking foreign young man with a glint in his eyes.  He was standing proudly by a Ferrari looking as though he just made it to heaven.

I also noticed many "single" women wondering around all dressed in fancy clothes.  A person told me that they are hoping to find some rich man.  I think to myself as a response, "Can money really buy happiness, how can a women be with a person just for money and live with herself?"  I know that I sound a bit naive, and I know that people really do live that way, I just cannot imagine it for myself.  It seems to be a plastic world of unreality.

I know that if I won the lottery, I would not buy a Ferrari, I would pay off my children's and my student loans, pay cash for a nice home...or two.  I am torn between two places, Florence and the states, if I were lucky enough  I would buy two.  Then, I would invest some and continue with my passion of photography projects.  Now that is a dream!

Books:  Ferrari:  "A complete guide to all models" by, Leonardo Lcerbl
Lottery:  "Lottery Master Guide" by, Gail Howard
Student Loan:  "The Student Loan Scam: The Most Oppressive Debt in the U.S. History - and How We Can Fight Back" by, Alan Michael Collinge
Student Loan: "Zero Debt for College Grads: From Student Loans to Financial Freedom" by, Lynnette Khalfani
Student Loan: "How to Wipe Out Your Student Loans and Be Debt Free Fast:  Everything You need to Know Explained Simply" by, Michele Burgh

The Alarm Arrives in a Nutshell H5N1 Virus

Rome, Italy - The Alarm of the Virus in Europe is that the H5N1strain that can be transmitted from birds to human from feces droppings into the sand then transferring into the air. This is how the avian virus can spread from animal to human, and then from human to human. My attempt to see what is happening and the risk for Italy is quite difficult because Italian is not my forte of languages. When I attempted to search on the internet about the virus and Italy, I find only the accounts for the UK, Scotland andIreland, which are the European English speaking countries.

Concern about the spread is evident in Italy because the newspapers are flooded with maps of the bird migration routes and the bird virus explanations and antiviral possibilities. This concern may be due to the fact that in Italy during 1999- 2001 the H7N1 virus mutated within 9 months to a highly pathogenic form and more than 13 million birds died or were destroyed.

The viral spread occurs when the combination of the normal flu and the avian virus exists at the same time.[1] It is not known for sure if the virus is transmitted from migratory wild birds. Scientists believe that on species of bird may contain the virus and has a natural immunity to it then when they come into contact with other birds, the virus is transmitted to them. Many birds have been found dead not because they are the transmitters but because they lack the immunity to the virus.

A dead bird cannot fly; a sick bird cannot fly 200 kilometers then die. The problem lies in how do they find the carrier? What birds are infected? First, they need to find the carrier in order to know how to stop or restrain the virus from spreading. In the meantime, there are cross border controls not allowing any live produce into Germany from Romania where a strain of the virus was found.

FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) states that the virus spread from Siberia and may carry the virus to the Caspian and Black Sea. The regions are the Balkans and could be a gateway to central Europe. The migration also runs across Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine and some Mediterranean countries. FAO also is concerned that India and Bangladesh seems to be uninfected, but may be at risk because India harbors a large number of domestic ducks and are along one of the major migratory routes.

FAO also states that “the bird flu has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003 and more than 140 million birds have died or been slaughtered.” Between April and June 2005, more than 6,000 migratory birds died due to the H5N1 at the Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve in Qinghai Province, China.

There are estimates that up to 50 million people can be killed from the virus with 50,000 in Ireland and the UK alone.[3] WHO spokesman on influenza, Dick Thompson, told a news conference in Geneva that the WHO's official estimate of the number of people who could die was between two million and 7.4 million[4] in a BBC article titled, “Bird Flu could kill up to 150 million people.” There is a bit of confusion here over the estimates in numbers of possible deaths. Either the news agencies do not want a widespread panic, or the pandemic researchers do not really know what they are up against.

If we really do not know what we are up against, then how to we attempt to restrain the spread of the virus? Scotland’s attempt to stifle the spread is by developing an emergency plan for health and security. They have decided that the health boards will have the power to request a medical examination and could force detention in a hospital for quarantine. The authorities could forbid individuals from going to and from work or the children from attending school if they have been exposed to the virus.
The Netherlands are established a month long quarantine on domestic bird to go outside, the chickens and the ducks had to be released into fenced areas with roofs to protect the birds. France is planning to have 14 million doses of antiflu drugs available by 2006 and is stockpiling 200 million protective face masks; 50 million masks have already been delivered to the French hospitals.
On Monday the virus reached Greece and they are banning exports of live poultry, meat and other poultry products. Croatia, Macedonia and Bulgaria are testing possible virus cases. The virus was located in Turkey where 50 turkeys fell sick and died on Money, and another 100 died the next day. So far, 5,000 turkeys have been killed in Turkey.

To calm the situation and the concern for the spread of global panic, Jack Straw chaired an emergency meeting of the EU in Luxembourg reminding everyone that “to date there is no evidence of any transfer of the virus to human beings.”[5]

[1] “The disease could jump species if a person became infected with avian and normal flu at the same time.”http://www.rednova.com/news/health/272539/h5n1_its_here
__killer_strain_of_bird_flu_virus/index.html?source=r_health
[2] “Wild birds expected to spread bird flu virus further”http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/107405/
[3] see link for note one

[4] BBC article: “Bird Flu could kill up to 150 million People”http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4292426.stm
[5] Spiegel Online: “Europe Struggles to Combat H5N1”http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,380362,00.html

Polermo, Sicily

Polermo, Sicily fit the Italian image that I have always seen in the movies.  Narrow streets, a beautiful sea, people talking in the streets and the best food one can imagine.  Compared to the Northern part of Italy, the people are friendly and even smile!  They are patient with your attempt to speak Italian and listen as though they understand you, even though they may not.  After landing at the airport, it was easy to take a bus into the center.  Along the way, I was informed at the exact place where the famous judge "Giovanni Falcone" was killed by the Mafia, who was fighting against Mafia crime...which by the way is everywhere in Italy and that is not a joke.
     While I was walking down the Polermo streets, I would imagine corruption going on everywhere.  I noticed how the local women would wear their purses under their coats.  I can imagine that I lived there for a while, I would feel the undercurrent of tension that exists for the locals.
     Rumors are:  that every shop, has to pay some money to the Mafia, for "protection" to keep the shop open, not get burned to the ground, and the owner alive.  Compared to Florence, the laws do not seem to be inforced.  I roamed the streets for five days, and only saw three policemen walking together.  I stopped and asked them for directions, and they were very nice.  Otherwise, I did not even see a police car, not a one.  Yet, you do not see any violence or strangeness going on in the city.
     People park their cars where they want to, on the sidewalk for example or in the road.  Motorcycles drive down the sidewalks when the traffic is bad, which seemed like all day long.  They are not very organized and there are many cars.  In fact more cars than motorcycles, unlike Florence.
     The prices were about 1/2 of what they are in Florence.  I could buy a nice sweet and a coffee for 2 Euros.  I purchased a to die for fresh grilled fish dinner for about 20 us dollars, including wine, water, and a side dish.  My hotel room was only 30 Euros, a private room with its own bath, tv and a terrace including breakfast.  Not bad!
      My first hotel was near the bus and train station, and it is not a really desired area.  It never is in Italy.  However, one block from my hotel, was a more "desired" area, clean, quiet and with nice shops.  Along the street near the station, I saw tons of Chinese Stores selling clothes and furniture.  I needed a winter coat and went inside to see what they had.  The woman said that they only sell in large quantities.  My mind went whirling to the story of Gamorrah, the Italian Mafia in Naples (Napoli).  "Oh, this is where the smuggled goods come to", I thought.  I imagined tons of items inside of the shipping boxes getting unloaded with cranes, and moved to another boat for Sicily.  Only a block away from the wholesale shops, were the nicer shops, selling exactly what the wholesale shops were selling but at about four times the amount.

     I found a store, that had good prices for decent products.  I purchased a long winter coat, with a hood and the nice "fur" along the sides for 40 Euros!  When I came back to Florence, the same coat was 180 Euros.  Wow.  The same coat.

Judge Falcone

Mafia fighter, Judge Falcone was killed when he was going home from the airport in Polermo, Italy. Several of those who conspired to assissinate him were released from prison in March 2002, in return for cooperated with the state as "pentiti" by turning in state evidence to convict other Mafia members.


In 1986 and 1987, Falcone and others presided over the "Maxi Trial" of 475 alleged Mafiosi in Palermo. The case, a parallel to the Pizza Connection trial, drew international attention by bringing the Mafia out into the open, but sadly, most of the 338 criminals convicted served little more than token sentences before being released under Italy's lax penal code, with its extremely high burden of proof. It did, however, result in the conviction of Mafia kingpin Michele Greco and, eventually, Salvatore Riina, Greco's successor from Corleone.

The Mafia's shadow, whether in the form of the drug trade, money laundering, political corruption (payoffs and kickbacks) or the pizzo (protection money), permeates every facet of the Sicilian economy, and statistically the problem is far worse in Palermo than in Catania. Giovanni Falcone knew this, and so do most Sicilians. Apart from cases of localised interest, Falcone dealt with important narcotics cases, then the Mafia's stock and trade internationally.

Shangai Restaurant, Polermo Italy

Piazza San Marco, Polermo Tree