Felice Anno Nuovo, Tutti Gatti Selvatici!
I hope all is well and your Holidays have been wonderful. In that regard, FSHS Teacher J. Stewart Williams (FSHS 1969-1972 / Akedeniz56@aol.com) sends this angelic example of Baroque Italian ceramics…
Natale in Italia
Anita Bova (FSHS 55 / arc920@optonlin.net) and Phil “Filippo” Paqualino (FSHS 55 / PPASQUALINO@cox.net) sent info that led me to these two YouTube links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMAOV5tF5DM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dj1fooADj4&feature=related
Very nice, indeed. Grazie!
And, speaking of “How does he do it…?”
Wildcat Consort Debby Witt provides this explanation of the physics of Santa’s Sleigh (courtesy of David Zucchino the Los Angeles Times, 24 December 2010):
A North Carolina team of scholars takes a look at the aerodynamic and thermodynamic challenges of delivering toys, sorting out the naughty/nice list and handling the heat from all those chimneys.
Several professors in the school's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently asked their students to explore the aerodynamic and thermodynamic challenges of delivering gifts to millions of children worldwide in a single night from an airborne sleigh. The results, posted at web.ncsu.edu/abstract/tag/science-of-santa, posit that Santa Claus is a brilliant engineer and physicist.
One of the professors, Dr. Larry Silverberg, said the students concluded that Santa has expanded Einstein's theory of relativity to take advantage of "relativity clouds" that stretch time and bend the universe. "Relativity clouds are controllable domains — rips in time — that allow him months to deliver presents while only a few minutes pass on Earth," he said.
The site reports that his sleigh must be an advanced aerodynamic design made of honeycombed titanium alloy, capable of altered shape in flight and yet stable enough for landings on steep roofs. Laser sensors would help select the fastest route, and a porous, nano-structured skin outfitted with a low-pressure system reduces drag up to 90%, Silverberg said.
Silverberg confessed that he really didn't understand all of it, even though he's an expert in unified field theory. "The man is a genius," Silverberg said of Santa, whom he described as "jolly, but learned."
What about figuring out who is naughty and nice? Theory: A mile-wide antenna of super-thin mesh relying on electromagnetic induction principles picks up brain waves of children around the world. Filter algorithms organize desires and behaviors, and microprocessors feed the data to an onboard sleigh guidance system. Also, Santa must be checking kids' Facebook and Twitter accounts.
And does Santa carry all those presents in a single sleigh? Not possible, according to Silverberg. More plausible: He creates them on-site, i.e., on each rooftop, using a reversible thermodynamic processor — a sort of nano-toymaker known as the "magic sack." The carbon from chimney soot would be a common building block.
One of the professors, Dr. Larry Silverberg, said the students concluded that Santa has expanded Einstein's theory of relativity to take advantage of "relativity clouds" that stretch time and bend the universe. "Relativity clouds are controllable domains — rips in time — that allow him months to deliver presents while only a few minutes pass on Earth," he said.
The site reports that his sleigh must be an advanced aerodynamic design made of honeycombed titanium alloy, capable of altered shape in flight and yet stable enough for landings on steep roofs. Laser sensors would help select the fastest route, and a porous, nano-structured skin outfitted with a low-pressure system reduces drag up to 90%, Silverberg said.
Silverberg confessed that he really didn't understand all of it, even though he's an expert in unified field theory. "The man is a genius," Silverberg said of Santa, whom he described as "jolly, but learned."
What about figuring out who is naughty and nice? Theory: A mile-wide antenna of super-thin mesh relying on electromagnetic induction principles picks up brain waves of children around the world. Filter algorithms organize desires and behaviors, and microprocessors feed the data to an onboard sleigh guidance system. Also, Santa must be checking kids' Facebook and Twitter accounts.
And does Santa carry all those presents in a single sleigh? Not possible, according to Silverberg. More plausible: He creates them on-site, i.e., on each rooftop, using a reversible thermodynamic processor — a sort of nano-toymaker known as the "magic sack." The carbon from chimney soot would be a common building block.
But the students theorized that he still delivers presents the old-fashioned way, climbing down chimneys, dressed in a fire-resistant halocarbon polymer suit. [Works for me….]
It’s Not too Late!
Gatti Selvatici Napoli Mini-Reunions...
Two FSHS/NAHS Wildcats get-togethers on 15 January 2011:
Wildcats "Wring" in the Anno Nuovo 2011
Cucina Vivace, Crystal City/Arlington VA
7PM to Close...
Cucina Vivace Chef and Owner Gordon Vivace and I are working up a sumptious, well-proportioned (you won't go home hungry!), squisito three-course dinner plus dessert, with several alternatives for each course, including gluten-free dishes. Check out the ritorante's website, www.cucinavivace.com, for offerings and directions (it's a stone's throw from the Pentagon and Reagan International airport). The all-inclusive cost (all courses, tip and tax) will be $70 per person, which will also include non-alcoholic beverages (San Pelligrino, ice tea, soft drinks, regular coffee and tea). Wine, beer, liquor and specialty coffees will be extra. The Cucina can accommodate about 40 people, and if we can get 30 people confirmed he'll close the ristorante for us. We did this last January, and it was great. Several of us have gone back several times...it's really excellent!
I'll need your checks by Monday, 10 January, please, and I'll work up the menu with Gordon. If you have suggestions based on the current menu, please let us know. Make checks out to me and send to:
Scott Truver
281 Wilderness Road
Severna Park, MD 21146-2124818
FSHS/NAHS Cohort
Regional Overseas Brats Brunch
Bloomington, Minnesota
11AM-3PM
Chantelle Kiphuth Hilliard (FSHS 71 / CKiphuth@aol.com) alerted me to this Overseas Brats brunch get together at the Harvest Cafe, Holiday Inn, 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington. Event organizer Joe Condrill (joeosbpres@sbcglobal.net) notes that the total cost is $25 per person before 9 January and $30 per person thereafter. Visit www.overseasbrats.com for more information.
Speaking of FSHSWACD
Co-conspirator Pat Carter Bryant (FSHS 68 / pat0804@gmail.com and I will be updating the FSHS Wildcat Alumni Contacts Database in January and will send out in Word and Excel formats. (I sent the latest Word file attached to the 9 December FSHSGRAM. If you’d like again, let me know.) Please send any updates needed. And if you're not in it but would like so to be, there's a "notional FSHSWACD record" at the end of the Word file. We welcome as much or as little information as you'd like to share. We send these only to FSHS/NAHS people, by the way.
That’s about it for 2010. I greatly appreciate the feedback about the FSHSGRAMs, even the complaints that I have too much “news” about the Napoli trash situation or Burlesconi’s escapades…). Best wishes for 2011!
Looking ahead: In addition to the two 15 January “Wildcats Wring in the Anno Nuovo 2011” events, there are rumors of a Columbus Day 2011 FSHS/NAHS reunion in Las Vegas (Geeze…Vegas?? Not again!?) or Flagstaff, AZ.
More to come, I’m sure. Let me know and I’ll get the word out.
Napoli News below...
Ciao,
Scott T FSHS 68
Napoli News
Maltempo Italia: la situazione
Domenica 26 Dicembre
Maltempo sull'Italia, aggiornamento delle situazioni più critiche.
Veneto
In Veneto la situazione migliora dal punto di vista meteorologico, ma restano ancora 24 ore di allerta a causa della piana di molti fiumi. Da quanto affermato dal Governatore Zaia la situazione va lentamente ma progressivamente migliorando, anche perché il mare sta ricevendo bene gli apporti dei fiumi. Ciò nonostante il livello di allerta verrà mantenuto ancora per tutta la giornata di oggi e nella notte, aggiungendo che le strutture della protezione civile regionale e gli uffici del Genio civile di Padova ed Este rimangono quindi pienamente operative e continueranno a monitorare minuto per minuto l’evolversi della situazione.
A detta del vicecommissario Mariano Carraro il Veneto rimane con la guardia alta anche se il quadro complessivo sembra evolvere per il meglio. Il fiume Fratta infatti, che era arrivato ad una ventina di centimetri dalla sommità arginale, sta scendendo di livello, e l’acqua scorre veloce verso il mare, e questo è un fatto positivo. Inoltre precisa che al momento si registrano ancora molti ettari di campagne allagate, ma non risultano interessate aree residenziali.
Lombardia e Piemonte
Continua a nevicare, seppur con minore intensità lungo la fascia prealpina e pedemontana nonché sulle Orobie. In particolare nevica su alto bresciano, alto bergamasco e lecchese, con oltre 4-6cm al di sopra dei 500m; imbiancata Bergamo e localmente Brescia. Piove, invece, su tutte le medio-basse pianure lombarde. Nevica ancora nel Cuneese, mentre a Torino la neve si è tramutata in pioggia, sciogliendo in parte la lieve coltre bianca della mattinata.
Toscana
In provincia di Prato stamani chiusa per due ore, dalle 10 alle 12, la galleria della Madonna delle Tosse sulla ex statale 325 della Val di Bisenzio, bloccata a causa di una frana all’uscita del tunnel in direzione Vaiano. Sul posto sono intervenuti vigili del fuoco e polizia provinciale. Dai sopralluoghi effettuati e’ stato valutato che lo smottamento si era fermato: cosi’ e’ stata decisa la riapertura del tunnel, tenuto comunque sotto stretta vigilanza. Intanto la protezione civile della Provincia di Firenze informa che e’ stata ripristinata la viabilità’ sulla sp 125 tra Certaldo e Montespertoli. Il raccordo autostradale Firenze-Siena e’ chiuso in entrambe le direzioni all’altezza di San Casciano per una frana particolarmente rilevante; come viabilita’ alternativa tra Firenze e San Casciano si puo’ utilizzare la SR 2 Cassia. La SR 302 (Faentina) e’ chiusa al transito in localita’ Polcanto a causa di una frana di notevole entita’, con tempi per il ripristino della viabilita’ non ancora stimabili. La SP 130 di Monte Morello non e’ percorribile per un cedimento della sede stradale al km 7. Ripristinata la viabilita’ sulla SP 125 (km 2-8.700) tra Certaldo e Montespertoli. Tutti i fiumi sono discesi al di sotto dei livelli di guardia e non destano preoccupazioni. E’ in corso l’allerta meteo per fenomeni nevosi, anche a quote collinari, che potrebbero interessare le aree dell’Alto Mugello e del Valdarno per tutta la giornata odierna. Nevica su l'Appennino emiliano-romagnola, cosi come su quello marchigiano sino a quote di medio-bassa collina.
Campania
La neve torna a fare la sua comparsa sulla cima del Vesuvio. Sul vulcano che domina Napoli, infatti, e’ comparso un piccolo cappellino bianco che in questi minuti si svela agli abitanti di Napoli. Al momento anche nei comuni alle pendici del Vesuvio le temperature sono piu’ fredde ma non si registrano particolari disagi. Piove intensamente tra Benevento e Avellino con nevicate copiose sui rilievi. La quota neve si mantiene al momento superiore ai 900 metri.
Friuli
Santo Stefano all’insegna della bora a Trieste. Dopo le piogge dei giorni scorsi, infatti, il tempo e’ migliorato nel capoluogo giuliano, ma dal tardo pomeriggio di ieri il vento da est-nord-est ha cominciato a soffiare con una certa intensità. Oggi la media delle raffiche, e’ intorno ai 60 km l’ora, con un picco registrato verso le 11 di stamani di 95 km orari. Una decina sono stati, nella mattinata, gli interventi dei Vigili del fuoco per intonaci, vetri e alberi pericolanti.
Liguria
Critica anche la situazione in Liguria: Ameglia, Fiascherino, Lerici e Tellaro ma anche Carrodano e i paesi della Val di Vara: sono questi i luoghi delle frane che, dalla vigilia di Natale, hanno anche interrotto strade di comunicazione, isolando interi nuclei familiari. A Tellaro, la frazione delle Cinque Terre isolata da tre giorni da una grande frana, riceve ancora le derrate alimentari dal mare grazie all’impegno di Capitaneria di porto e della protezione civile. I vigili del fuoco hanno ripristinato il pontile per l’ormeggio dei gommoni per garantire l’ approvvigionamento del cibo ai paesi isolati. Posti di comando avanzato dei vigili del fuoco sono presenti nei comuni interessati dal maltempo in modo da garantire soccorso e velocità di intervento. Sul posto stanno operando ancora, oltre al Comando dei vigili del fuoco della Spezia, alcune Colonne mobili di pompieri provenienti da tutta la Liguria e dal vicino Piemonte. Squadre di Sommozzatori e Vigili del Fuoco sono intervenute per ispezionare numerosi corsi d’acqua sotterranei che presentavano pericolo di esondazione. Anche Lerici ha la sua frana che ha travolto la passeggiata a mare. Un traghetto trasporta chi voglia arrivare alla Spezia. Frane ad Ameglia, a Sarzana, a Rocchetta Vara e a Carrodano.
Americans might be visited by tax inspectors in Naples
Stars and Stripes
December 9, 2010
NAPLES, Italy – Italian judicial police in the Licola suburb of Naples are conducting random inspections of residential buildings to verify tax records, U.S. housing officials said.
The inspectors are ensuring that documents accurately reflect the number of rooms in the house, said Israel Melendez, housing director at the U.S. Navy base in Naples.
American and NATO personnel don’t have to show the inspectors anything other than their lease documents, if the inspectors request them, and should refer anything else to their landlord or the housing office, Melendez said.
Italy:
Fausto Sarli, 'master of the perfect cut' has died
Italian fashion designer Fausto Sarli, whose hand tailored fashions took him from his native Naples on to dress stars such as ElizabethTaylor and Carla Bruni has died in Rome. He was 83 years old.
Born in Naples in 1927, Sarli came to be considered the 'master of the perfect cut'. He took his tailored styling to Florence in 1957 where he presented his first collection at the age of 29. He then went on to establish his own house in Naples one year later before moving to Rome's via Veneto where he established an atelier.
In 1965 the designer began to work for international clients, starting in Canada, the US as well as Japan. Sarli's simply styled long sleeved dresses were greatly appreciated in the Middle East.
To celebrate his own half-century in fashion, Sarli held a dual fashion show in Naples and Rome in 2004.
Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno said Sarli's death has "deprived Rome of an authentic, man of refined style."
Italian authorities seize fireworks
UPI.com
NAPLES, Italy, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Italian authorities have seized nearly five tons of illegal fireworks near Naples, officials said.
The Chinese-made fireworks were confiscated Thursday from a company in Caserta, ANSA reported.
The seizure is the result of increased scrutiny ahead of New Year's celebrations, when tons of black-market fireworks are sold, the report said.
One mortar now being sold packs a blast that can cause serious damage to people or objects within a "very wide" radius, police said.
Young fireworks fans have given some of the products names, including "The bin Laden," "The Maradona Bomb," "Desert Storm" and "Red October."
Overdrawn and over here: European cities also threatened by debt crisis
Guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 December 2010 20.21 GMT
Naples:
The credit rating on this historic city in southern Italy is just one notch from junk level. If two thousand years ago the nearby town of Pompeii was a model of public administration, today's Naples has one of the lowest tax-collection rates in Europe – and the worry is that not enough is being done to change it.
In a recent report by Standard and Poor's, analysts expressed concern that 30% of the debts owed to the city in 2008 were of "doubtful collection" as some of the bills are too old to collect. With higher unemployment and a greater dependency on state and EU help than other Italian capitals, Naples faces increasing delays in paying for some of its running costs. The city could also face liabilities from some of its controlled public companies, S&P said. Overall, the town's liquidity position is "less than adequate", the ratings agency said. At least the city – with a population of almost a million – has a higher percentage of children than the national average and a lower percentage of over 65s, limiting the costs of its care for the elderly.
Leading crime boss collared near Naples
UPI.com: Dec. 20, 2010 at 11:42 AM
NAPLES, Italy, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The third-ranking boss of a notorious Neapolitan crime family was caught Monday, Italian police said.
Sigismundo Di Puorto, 38, was captured in Casal di Principe, the town near Caserta north of Naples that gave his Casalesi family its name, ANSA reported.
Di Puorto, a fugitive for a year from an arrest warrant issued in Modena, was taken by surprise in a Camorra safehouse and was caught after trying to escape over rooftops. Police said he had been running extortion rackets in northern Italy.
The Casalesi family's co-leader, Antonio Iovine, was arrested Nov. 18 after 14 years at large. Authorities say the Casalesi are now being led by the fugitives Michele Zagaria and Mario Caterino.
The Casalesi empire was exposed by writer Roberto Saviano in his bestseller "Gomorra" and the film of the same name. In the last two years, Italian police have executed a series of successful operations against the Camorra, the Cosa Nostra in Sicily and the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta.
Italian students demonstrate against education reforms
BBC Mobile, 22 December 2010
Protests in Rome remained orderly, though students clashed with police in Palermo, roads were blocked in Turin, and rubbish set on fire in Naples.
Police prevented a repetition of last week's violent clashes in Rome by blocking off parts of the city centre.
The government says university education has become bloated and inefficient, and needs streamlining.
But critics say Italian universities are already severely under-funded.
On the march
In Rome, students in the thousands marched peacefully through the streets.
"We are in the square to protest against [Education] Minister Gelmini and to show that after the 14th of December we are not divided, we are not violent, we are simply here to demonstrate and to validate our ideas," a student called Franco told Reuters TV.
The demonstrators avoided a so-called "Red Zone" created by police blockades to avoid a repeat of last week's violent protests sparked by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi survival of a no-confidence motion.
But clashes were reported in Palermo, Sicily, where some students allegedly threw stones at police and tried to enter a local government building.
In the northern city of Turin, protesters attacked a publishing house owned by the prime minister, while in Naples students reportedly brought traffic to a standstill. Demonstrations also took place in other cities across Italy, including Milan, Venice, and Perugia.
Reforming the system
The reforms will cut the number of university courses, merge some smaller universities, reduce funding for grants, increase the role of the private sector and limit the duration of rectorships.
The BBC's David Willey, in Rome, says there is excessive power in the hands of ageing professors and teachers.
But while many agree that reforms of the education sector might be needed, there has been criticism of the swingeing cuts, thought to total around 9bn euros (£8bn, $12bn).
Italy spends less than 5% of its Gross Domestic Product on education - lower than many developed countries.
But the cuts are part of wider austerity measures that the government is introducing in order to reduce its public debt.
Job losses
Students have held a number of demonstrations in recent months over the cuts, which some estimate will lead to the loss of about 130,000 jobs in the education sector.
"We are asking for this bill to be blocked and for the whole public education system to be refinanced," the Student Network said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini said she was open to talks on the reforms. But she has insisted the measures were urgently needed to equip Italian students for employment.
"It is essential to restore dignity and usability to Italian university degrees," she said in an open letter to the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
Our correspondent says there is heavy youth unemployment in Italy and many university graduates take years to find jobs.
Taking Napoli seriously in Serie A
Michael Cox, Special to ESPN.com 22 December 2010
Now, as we head into the winter break, Napoli is tied for second in Serie A, just three points behind league leader AC Milan.
Taking into account the Calciopoli (match-fixing) scandal of the past decade, which saw Juventus stripped of two Scudetti, we haven't seen a club other than Inter win Serie A since 2004. Such dominance has not necessarily created boring seasons, but it's fair to say that Italian football would benefit from a different champion this season.
In the summer, the usual suspects were expected to compete for the title -- Milan and Juventus had new coaches, while Roma enjoyed a superb second half of last season. But it's safe to say that few had Napoli on the top of their list to mount a serious title challenge. The Blues had a decent 2009-10 season. After an awful start under former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, they replaced him with Walter Mazzarri, who guided the club to a respectable sixth-place finish.
Of course, Napoli is not a small club. Naples is the third-largest city in Italy and is football-crazy. In fact, the Blues are estimated to be the fourth-most supported club in the country after the traditional northern powerhouses of Juventus, Inter and Milan. This season, Napoli's average attendance is the third-highest in Serie A behind the Milan clubs.
Napoli is also no stranger to success. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it frequently challenged at the top of the league, winning two league titles and a UEFA Cup primarily thanks to the brilliance of Diego Maradona, who played for the club from 1984 to 1991.
That's 20 years ago, of course, and Napoli's summer-transfer business didn't suggest it was about to take a leap forward this season. The only major change was up front -- the Blues lost Neapolitan Fabio Quagliarella to Juventus and replaced him with Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani.
But not making any big moves in the transfer window has fostered stability, which has turned out to be one of Napoli's biggest strengths. With the exception of Cavani, the team's regular first XI were playing alongside one another for the majority of last season. The understanding and positional discipline they've developed is clear to see, and it's been vital in allowing Napoli to use a 3-4-2-1 system, an unusual formation among top European clubs. (Barcelona also uses the three-man back line from time to time.)
The three-man defense is interesting in itself, considering it fell out of favor across Europe in the middle of the past decade. The problem was the popularity of one-striker formations, meaning the side with a three-man defense was overstocked at the back, and created a shortfall elsewhere on the pitch.
Mazzarri has been wise -- or fortunate, depending on your point of view -- in deploying his three-man wall at a time when two-striker systems have returned to favor across Italy, particularly with the sudden re-emergence of 4-3-1-2. Against two strikers, the three-man back line works brilliantly; Napoli have two man-markers and a spare player ready to sweep up behind. Ahead of the defense, the Blues combine two solid, reliable central midfielders in Walter Gargano and Michele Pazienza with two energetic wingbacks who get up and down the line tirelessly, Christian Maggio on the right and Andrea Dossena on the left.
Fluidity is the key for Napoli up front. Cavani and Marek Hamsik play behind the main striker, Ezequiel Lavezzi, in the channels between opposition center backs and fullbacks. This forces the fullbacks to come inside and therefore opens up space on the flanks for Maggio and Dossena to get forward and whip crosses in.
That seems like an attacking style of play, but once Hamsik and Cavani (or Lavezzi) drop back to defend the wide zones when Napoli loses the ball, the wingbacks can retreat into defense, and suddenly Napoli looks like an ultradefensive 5-4-1 shape.
Mazzarri has the right philosophy tactically. He maintains his basic formation from week to week to give his side structure and stability but varies small details to make sure Napoli isn't outnumbered in certain areas. Against Fiorentina on opening day, his team was up against a lone striker in Alberto Gilardino. Mazzarri didn't need three center backs permanently, so he pushed Hugo Campagnaro forward to make up the numbers in midfield. Against Palermo, Napoli was faced with a three-man defense, so Mazzarri instructed his forwards to take turns moving out wide, constantly stretching the opposition defense. Against Genoa, opposition attacking midfielder Houssine Kharja was playing almost as a third striker, so Mazzarri split his central midfielders -- moving Pazienza deeper so Napoli still had a spare man at the back -- and used Gargano further forward.
Mazzarri has put on a master class of X's and O's. But tactics isn't the only thing that's helped Napoli. The players are also mentally tough and physically fit. Three times in the past seven games, they've won 1-0 thanks to a goal in the 90th minute, most recently a superb 27-yard strike against Lecce from Cavani, who is proving to be one of the best signings of the season.
As we head into the second half of the season, Napoli deserves to be taken seriously. Although the side is in second place, most bookmakers still regard it as fifth-favorite to be crowned champion. For the sake of variety -- both tactically and in terms of the recent list of Serie A champions -- let's hope Napoli beats the odds.