Built in 1847, Como Historic House is an intriguing mix of Australian Regency and classic Italianate architecture.

Established by Edward Eyre Williams as a new home for himself and his wife Jessie Gibbon, Como has been immersed in glamour and romance since its early beginnings.

A romantic tale suggests that Edward had proposed to Jessie at Lake Como in Italy, and they named their new home in honour of this happy occasion.

Edward and Jessie were members of the colonial elite, and hosted many a gathering of the social set of Melbourne. The couple and their four children, however, did not reside at the property for long, selling it to investor Frederick Dalgety in 1852.

Less than a year later, Dalgety onsold the property to Scotsman John Brown and his wife Helen.

John and Helen spared no expense and got to work adding a second story, tower and new outbuildings. It was the Browns who engaged renowned gardener, William Sangster, to transform the bush land into five acres of breathtaking gardens

However, in 1861 John's financial situation changed drastically for the worse and he was forced to mortgage Como to the Bank of Australasia.

In 1864, Charles Armytage bought the estate at auction for £14,000 and, with his wife Caroline, raised his ten children in its gracious surroundings.

Charles died in 1876 and Caroline in 1909, but their daughters Leila, Constance and Laura lived on at Como and left an indelible impression there.

In 1906 the legacy of romance at Como was continued when Constance Armytage married the Aide-de-camp of the Governor of Victoria, Captain Arthur Fitzpatrick. The Table Talk magazine described the wedding as the "social event of the year."

The Armytage family were to remain at Como for over 95 years, until they handed it over to the National Trust in 1959 to preserve a beautiful representation of colonial Victoria and its prosperity.

The house still remains furnished with Armytage family furniture and provides a glimpse into the lives and times of a dynasty.

The National Trust has also worked hard to restore the gardens to their original glory, including replicating the vegetable gardens once used by the household.

Today the Trust presents the property as one of Melbourne's top attractions, where visitors can come and appreciate the late 19th century architecture and landscaping, while still enjoying the creature comforts of the 21st century.

So pack your picnic rug and join us at Como Historic House and Garden for a gourmet

 SOURCE:

http://www.comohouse.com.au/about_como

The gleaming cloud tops and fragrant spring air would have invigorated most travelers leaving Jerusalem that Sunday afternoon. But these two began their trek to Emmaus staring grimly at the trail, forcing leaden feet up the steep path to the ridge, where they would follow the road down the Judean slopes.

Cleopas and his friend were going over and over the events of the weekend that had climaxed with their Leader hanging limp, pale, lifeless on a stained wooden cross. Then a hurried burial -- and despair.

Hearing the crunch of footsteps behind them, Cleopas glanced back. A traveler was rapidly climbing the grade, as if to join them. But he had caught only fragments of their conversation. "What are you talking about?" he asked, as he caught up to them.

Cleopas stopped. "Where have you been?" he asked. "Everybody in Jerusalem has been talking about Jesus of Nazareth." He told of their excitement. Of the arrest and crucifixion. Of the women's tale of a stolen body and of angels. "We had hoped that he was the Messiah," Cleopas said, "but now...." His words drifted off in sadness as he resumed the journey.

They were at the summit, and as the road began its downward incline, the traveler shot a strange challenge: "Don't you know what the Scriptures say?" Cleopas just shrugged and gestured with his hands as if to say, "We don't know."

So for the next several miles, the traveler began to talk, patiently explaining each of the Scripture passages that spoke about how the Christ, the Messiah, would have to suffer. Then he explained about Messiah's glory to come.

Cleopas and his friend walked with amazement. It was as if Scriptures that they had heard, but never understood before, began to click into place. Their steps quickened. Their hearts were pounding, but they didn't notice.

The miles seemed to melt away. Then suddenly, just around the bend was their village, Emmaus. They were home. The traveler thanked them for their company and turned again to the path, but they didn't want to let him go. Not someone who could bring them such hope, such understanding from the Scriptures.

"Won't you stay overnight?" Cleopas called. "It'll be dark soon. You must! Please!"

He did stay. As they reclined around the table, Cleopas handed a fresh round loaf to the traveler. "Would you honor us by offering the blessing tonight?"

The traveler lifted up the bread and repeated the familiar the Jewish blessing:

"Blessed are you, O God, King of the Universe,
Who brings forth bread from the earth."

And then he began break it, handing a piece to each of them in turn. Cleopas caught his breath. His eyes met the man's. Suddenly, in that moment, he knew! Who knows how? -- but he knew. It was the Lord! He saw the faintest glimmer of a smile on his face, and then Jesus simply vanished.

All they could do was stare at each other for a moment in stunned amazement.

 Then Cleopas jumped up. "It's true! The women were right. Jesus is alive! He has risen!"

Their food and drink lay untouched on the table, but both men were bounding out the door and away, running. "No wonder our hearts burned within us while he was talking to us on the road," his companion said later, as they paused briefly. They ended up running, then walking, then running again nearly the whole way back to the city.

Cleopas pounded on the upper room door. "We have seen him! We have seen Jesus!" Peter opened the door a crack, but Cleopas couldn't contain himself and pushed his way in. Then their story tumbled out. "He's alive!" Cleopas concluded. "The moment he broke bread with us, all of a sudden, we knew him."

Like these two men on their way to Emmaus, many have come to the same startling conclusion. Unrecognized, Jesus begins to walk the road with us, to talk to us. And if we think to, if we care enough to ask Him in, we come to realize who He really is -- the Christ, the Son of God, the Risen One.

This story has been adapted from Luke 24:13-35. Copyright © 2009, Ralph F. Wilson. All rights reserved. Originally published as "A Companion Along the Way" in The Evangel, April 3, 1988, pp. 4-5. Revised April 8, 2009.

The Carnival of Viareggio is one of the most famous in Italy: it lasts a month with night and day celebrations, floats, parades, district celebrations, masked dances and other shows. In 2001 the new "Citadel" (Carnival town) was inaugurated: a polyfunctional and a great architectonical value structure that includes new hangars for the creation of the floats, the papier-mâché school and a great arena where, during the summer, "Citadel under the stars" review is held, including shows, concerts and cultural initiatives.

The carnival in Venice was first recorded in 1268. The subversive nature of the festival is reflected in the many laws created over the centuries in Italy attempting to restrict celebrations and often banning the wearing of masks.

Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian carnival; traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) at the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday. As masks were also allowed during Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, people could spend a large proportion of the year in disguise. Mask makers (mascareri) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and their own guild.

In 1797 Venice became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio. The Austrians took control of the city on January 18, 1798 and it fell into a decline which brought carnival celebrations to a halt for many years. It was not until a modern mask shop was founded in the 1970s that a revival of old traditions began.

Ivrea

Another important Italian carnival is the Historical Carnival of Ivrea, mostly known for its Battle of the Oranges. It is valued as one of the most ancient carnivals in the world: during the year 1000 a miller's wife killed the tyrant of the city, King Arduino; from that episode began a civil war between the oppressed people and the king's supporters, finally won by people, and until now every year the citizens remember their liberation with the Battle of the Oranges. Here, teams of "Aranceri" by foot shoot oranges representing ancient arrows and stones against Aranceri on carts, representing Arduino's allies. During the French occupation of Italy in the nineteenth century the Carnival of Ivrea had been modified by adding representatives of the French army who help the miller's wife.

Others

In Milan the Carnival lasts four more days, ending on the Saturday after Ash Wednesday, because of the Ambrosian rite.

SOURCE:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival

Name:

The lake's name in Latin is Larius, Italianized as Lario, but this name is rarely used; it is usually called Lago di Como (literally "Lake of Como"). In guidebooks the lake may be variously described as "Lake Como", "Lake of Como", or "Como Lake."

While the town of Como is referred to as "Como", the lake itself is never referred to solely by this name. (This is not true of another lake in Italy, Lake Garda, where "Garda" may refer to either a town on its shores, or the lake). 

Geography:

The lake is shaped like an upside-down “Y”. The northern branch begins at the town of Colico, while the towns of Como and Lecco sit at the ends of the southwestern and southeastern branches respectively. The small towns of Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna are situated at the intersection of the three branches of the lake: a triangular boat service operates between them.

Lake Como is fed in large part by the Adda River, which enters the lake near Colico and flows out at Lecco. This geological conformation makes the southwestern branch a dead end, and so Como, unlike Lecco, is often flooded.

The mountainous pre-alpine territory between the two southern arms of the lake—between Como, Bellagio and Lecco—is known as the Larian Triangle, or Triangolo lariano. The source of the river Lambro is here. At the centre of the triangle, the town of Canzo is the seat of the Comunità montana del Triangolo Lariano, an association of the 31 municipalities which represent the 71,000 inhabitants of the area.

 SOURCE: http://www.cpmitaly.net/index.cfm

My fellow citizens:  I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. 

     I thank President Bush for his service to our nation -- (applause) -- as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

     Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.  The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.  Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.  At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents. 

SOURCE:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/

On Jan. 20, change will come to Washington. To part of it, anyway. Barack Obama will take office, but another Washington fixture, the press that covered George W. Bush, will still be there: a whole roster of newly minted network White House correspondents, yes, but the same apparatus behind them.

Come Jan. 21 and beyond--after nearly three months of offering the President-elect free advice and producing stories about his struggles to choose a puppy and keep his BlackBerry--the press will need to cover the fact, not the idea, of President Obama. As long as we're asking what he might do differently, it's only fair to ask the same of the media that cover him. Has the press learned anything from the past eight years? And if so, will those lessons stay learned? (See pictures of Barack Obama's college years.)

We have to go back, as with so much concerning Bush, to Sept. 11, 2001. After 9/11 the press failed in some big ways. Not everywhere, not everyone and not always. But there was too credulous reporting and cheerleading--from the erroneous WMD speculation to the cable-news screens festooned with American flags to the anemic press conference before the Iraq war in which Bush fielded hardballs like "How is your faith guiding you?"

By James Poniewozik

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1871916,00.html

None of which is to say the media need to pick fights with Obama just to prove their relevance. But they will have to work all the harder to cover the Obama Administration for what it is and not just what their audience wants to hear. For all the controversy over whether the press has a political bias, just as insidious is the bias in favor of being liked--and keeping an audience. Amid all the change, this is one thing that stays the same.

Diecimila soldati e 700 chioschi per hot dog
Ecco i numeri dell'Obama day a Washington

York, 15 gennaio 2009 - Continuano i preparativi per l’insediamento del quarantaquattresimo presidente degli Stati Uniti, Barack Obama, che si preannuncia come il più atteso e seguito di tutti i tempi. Ecco alcuni numeri e curiosità sull’avvenimento. A garantire la sicurezza, insieme agli agenti di polizia della capitale, ci saranno 10.000 soldati della Guardia Nazionale.

Nello storico Mall di Washington che dal monumento a George Washington porta al Capitol Hill la cerimonia sarà proiettata su 22 megaschermi dislocati lungo tutto il viale.

La piattaforma in legno costruita di fronte al Capitol in cui si terrà il giuramento misura quasi 1000 metri quadrati e ospiterà oltre 1600 persone, tra cui i membri del Senato e della Camera dei rappresentanti, i membri del governo di Obama, gli ex presidenti, i governatori dei 50 Stati, i capi di Stato Maggiore delle forze armate e i corpi diplomatici.

Sono invece 700 i venditori ambulanti di souvenir e hot dog che hanno ottenuto una licenza speciale per quattro giorni, dal weekend fino al martedì dell’inaugurazione. Le postazioni sono state attribuite mediante una lotteria. Per l’occasione è prevista una temperatura media di poco superiore allo zero.

Continua a leggere l'articolo!!!

Fonte:

http://quotidianonet.ilsole24ore.com/

National Hot Dog & Sausage Council Says President-Elect Obama's Historic Trip to Famous DC Hot Dog Restaurant Reflects Excellent and All-American Tast

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President-Elect Barack Obama's visit to the DC landmark Ben's Chili Bowl for a half-smoke yesterday reflects his excellent and all-American taste in cuisine.

According to National Hot Dog & Sausage Council President Janet M. Riley, "His stop yesterday shows that while the most sophisticated chefs in America may be vying for his palate, American hot dogs and sausages were the 'wieners' this weekend in Washington."

As a result of the stop, the Council is optimistic about hot dog and sausages' potential places on the White House menu. "Hot dogs have a rich and bi-partisan history at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," Riley said. President Franklin D. Roosevelt served hot dogs to King George VI in 1939. Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush also served them.

Because President-elect Obama seemed confused about the half-smoke on the menu at Ben's Chili Bowl, the Council offers a clarification about this local DC delicacy. A half-smoke is a sausage that is similar to a hot dog but is larger in size, contains more coarsely ground meat and is slightly spicier.

Given Obama's Chicago home, the Council is optimistic that he will adhere to one of the Councils' -- and the Windy City's -- cardinal etiquette rules: no ketchup on hot dog after the age of 18. Under Council rules, First Children Malia and Sasha are exempt from the ketchup restriction -- at least for a few more years.

For more hot dog and sausage facts and figures -- including the Council's highly rated hot dog etiquette video -- visit www.hot-dog.org or www.YouTube.com/hotdogcouncil.

SOURCE National Hot Dog & Sausage Council/American Meat Institute

Israel's strike on Gaza had been expected for days, but it was still a surprise when it finally came. Taking advantage of good weather, which is forecast to last at least three days, Israeli planes bombed some 40 Palestinian police stations, posts and other targets early Saturday morning, killing more than 150 people including a number of senior Hamas military leaders. The first strikes came in a coordinated three-minute blitz.

Israeli officials say the strikes were necessary to force an end to the rocket attacks from Gaza, which is ruled by the radical Islamist group Hamas after it split from the Palestinian Authority run by President Mahmoud Abbas out of the West Bank. Palestinian militants in Gaza have long launched Kassam and other rockets at Israeli towns across the border, and in the past six weeks the number of attacks has increased dramatically. After the attack, Israeli officials said the number of Palestinian rocket attacks could now spike to 200 a day. Hamas announced that it had sent a rocket toward Askelon; one man in the Israeli town of Netivot, east of the Gaza strip, was killed. Israel also expects Hamas to launch suicide attacks against Israel. A Hamas leader promised as much Saturday.

But Israel is prepared to ratchet up the pressure still further in the hope that it will force a workable ceasefire. Saturday's attack was authorized two days previously, and though no Israeli ground troops have crossed into Gaza so far, that remains an option according to Israeli officials. Dozens of Israeli air force planes remain in the skies above Gaza. "If they retaliate they will feel it stronger and the number [of casualties] on the Gaza side will rise", a senior Israeli military source told TIME.

But Israel will need to move carefully. Air strikes that kill large numbers of Palestinian civilians are only likely to fuel support for Hamas, and ramp up international pressure to end the operation quickly. (See photos of Gaza border tension.)

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in June. Israel wants the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and is extremely wary of becoming embroiled in a military operation in Gaza with no clear exit strategy. Hamas needed the truce to relieve the catastrophic economic strain imposed by the Israeli siege and to consolidate its control over Gaza. And so, for very different reasons, the two sides found themselves negotiating — not directly, because neither side recognizes the other — but through an Egyptian mediator. But in the past few weeks the ceasefire has all but broken down.

Indeed, even as the Israelis said the operation was continuing, Egypt was among the diplomatic casualties. Cairo had played host to Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Dec. 25. She took the opportunity to criticize Hamas for its rocket attacks. The silence of her Egyptian hosts is now being seen by Palestinians as indirect collusion with Israel, damaging Cairo's ability to play mediator. Furthermore, in the contest for primacy between Hamas and Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA), Hamas, as the "victim" of this episode, emerges as the victor in the eyes of Arabs and Palestinians. Already, elements of Abbas' own Fatah Party, the bulwark of the PA, are campaigning against the security cooperation with Israel and talking about boycotting meetings with the Jewish state.

Both Israel and Hamas have their reasons for a return to open hostilities. Livni and her allies face a looming election against the more hawkish former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas may be pushing for tactical gains, like doing away with a 600-meter no-man's land established by the Israeli military on the Palestinian side of the boundary fence. The recent rocket attacks were also well timed because of the political vacuum in the U.S. In Washington, officials have been urging Israel to refrain from an invasion or other operations in Gaza during the White House transition. The air attack on Gaza has shattered that hope. With reporting by Jamil Hamad/Bethlehem

Israele pronto a entrare a Gaza
Hamas può rispondere con i kamikaze

Blindati e fanteria sono già sul confine. Ma il lancio dei razzi contro le città non è diminuito

Prima di lanciare la probabile offensiva di terra, Israele vuole neutralizzare la struttura di “comando e controllo” di Hamas. I devastanti raid aerei, con centinaia di vittime, hanno sicuramente provocato danni ma non hanno impedito – come altre volte – che i militanti riuscissero a lanciare dei razzi. Alcuni missili – probabilmente forniti dagli iraniani – hanno raggiunto la cittadina di Ashdod, a 38 chilometri dalla striscia di Gaza. Una conferma delle segnalazioni dell’intelligence che aveva avvertito: Hamas ha allungato il raggio d’azione dei suoi ordigni.

LE PROSSIME TAPPE - In questa fase si possono segnalare i seguenti punti. 1) Israele ha iniziato ad ammassare forze terrestri attorno alla striscia ed è imminente un richiamo di riservisti. Chiare indicazioni della volontà di “entrare” a Gaza con blindati e fanteria 2) I palestinesi continuano con i lanci di razzi e, se riusciranno, cercheranno di colpire con gli attentatori suicidi. 3) Verrà intensificata da parte israeliana la caccia “agli uomini dei missili” palestinesi. E’ tuttavia possibile che Hamas, imitando l’Hezbollah, abbia costituito cellule autonome di lanciatori. Una tattica facilitata dalle caratteristiche tecniche degli ordigni. Quasi rudimentali, sono facili da usare, si nascondono bene. 4) E’ probabile che l’eliminazione di alcuni capi militari palestinesi sia seguita dall’uccisione di quadri politici. Un modo per accrescere le difficoltà del movimento. Non bisogna dimenticare che la leadership di Hamas non è compatta e sono note le rivalità tra i capi che risiedono all’estero (Siria, Iran, Libano) e quelli che vivono sotto le bombe a Gaza.

Guido Olimpio
28 dicembre 2008