Monthly Archives: July 2007

Vade retro, empiricism

Posted on July 14, 2007 by Charles Lambert

One of the few areas in which fundamentalist Islam seemed to offer a less obscurantist view of the world than fundamentalist Christianity was that of evolution. Alas, no longer. An article in today’s Independent reveals that a bunch of Turkish … Continue reading →

Posted in blair, crank, evolution, islam, religion | Leave a comment

The price of Eggs

Posted on July 13, 2007 by Charles Lambert

I got it wrong in my earlier post. Eggs Benedict’s jaunt with Georg in the Dolomites – because clearly his lakeside retreat at Castel Gandolfo just isn’t sufficiently close to God – isn’t costing the Italian government €40,000 at all. … Continue reading →

Posted in ratzinger | 2 Comments

What’s in a name? The same old cop-out

Posted on July 13, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Forget PACS (What do you mean, you already have?) Forget DICO (Eat more fish!). The latest acronym to tantalise and tease us, as Dame Shirley Bassey might have put it, is CUS. It stands for Contratto di Unione Solidale (Solid … Continue reading →

Posted in civil union, DICO, homophobia, PACS | 4 Comments

Fuoco, fuoco

Posted on July 12, 2007 by Charles Lambert

The day has been punctuated by an intermittent mechanical rumbling as helicopters pass backwards and forwards over the house. Great scoops of water dangle beneath them like the thoraxes of those hornets found round here, called mule-killers for the potency … Continue reading →

Posted in fire, fondi | Leave a comment

A place for everything and everything in its place

Posted on July 12, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Ever thought you’d like to insert George W. somewhere dark and warm and moist? Well now, thanks to Celebrity Butt Plugs, you can. And if you’d rather have Paris Hilton (with assquake battery effect!), or L. Ron Hubbard (with hypno … Continue reading →

Posted in bush | 2 Comments

McCourtesy, or Egg’s Revenge

Posted on July 11, 2007 by Charles Lambert

I got to Rome station yesterday morning an hour earlier than I needed, slightly hungover and hungry, with five hours of exam invigilation ahead of me. A McMuffin seemed just the thing. I went to the McDonalds by the Ricordi … Continue reading →

Posted in customer care | 2 Comments

Cole Porter Tribute

Posted on July 11, 2007 by Charles Lambert

I can’t seem to embed youtube stuff any longer, so I’ll post this as a link. It’s wonderful. Don’t ask. Click. 1965. Judy. Let’s do it.

Posted in judy garland, music | Leave a comment

Butchery

Posted on July 10, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Of the 93 protesters beaten to a pulp, pissed on, verbally abused and then framed by the Italian police after being woken from their sleep at the Genoa G8 summit in 2001, at least 59 were foreign. It’s well known … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, human rights | Leave a comment

The Emperor’s Old/New Clothes

Posted on July 10, 2007 by Charles Lambert

From today’s Independent, by Peter Popham: The magnificent papal wardrobe has been steadily modified since Vatican II. Pope Paul VI symbolically laid his splendid tiara on the altar of St Peter’s at the end of the council; it was sold … Continue reading →

Posted in ratzinger | Leave a comment

Going, going, gone….

Posted on July 8, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Encouraging news today, as Eggs Benedict goes all Latin. No, we’re not talking Ricky Martin (Calm down, Eggs!), but the opportunity given the faithful to return to the Latin mass, thrown out at the modernising Second Vatican Council. Now Eggs … Continue reading →

Posted in church, ratzinger, religion | 1 Comment