Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Paragraph of Note

An interesting new title by Petter Robb called Midnight in Sicily: On Art, Food, History, Travel and la Cosa Nostra.

"Every transaction in Naples, every social act, requires a complex and at times exhausting social trafficking, a subtle and insidious play whereby the socially weaker player contrives to ingratiate himself and at the same time take the piss out of the stronger, to catch the other wrong-footed, but delicately, imperceptibly, to introduce some subliminal sense of social unease that may then be used as leverage. To create if possible a sense of obligation, of gratitude, even dependency. There isn't necessarily any malice in this. It's an old art of creating strength out of weakness and Neapolitan amiability itself is part of it. In Naples it has always been a necessary art of survival. If respect is the crucial concept in social relations in Sicily, the Neapolitan counterpart is its opposite, disrespect."





subscribe Subscribe to HetPer

subscribe Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

Tip of the Hat to Vegas


Since I travel a good deal, I pay attention to airports. One of the first things that's important to me is free WiFi. Another thing is wider access to healthier food choices. Aesthetics and tidy spaces matter too.
Having these things in mind, the star of the year goes to the Las Vegas airport. I was amazed by how spacious, clean, well-kept, with-the-times, and overall interesting it was.
The last time I passed through the Vegas airport was in 2006 but at that time the airport was under construction and new repairs. Plus, since I used to get to Vegas by car when I lived out West, I didn't have much experience with it.
One thing I'm especially appreciative is the free WiFi.
Granted, it is Las Vegas and things and signs Las Vegas aren't everyone's bag of chips, as it were, but the overall quality of the newly updated airport is indeed impressive.
So, I give it my tip of the hat today.
Ah, yes, there are also tons of Barry Manilow, Penn & Teller, Bette Midler et al., posters around as well as gambling machines but as the saying has it, when in Vegas....






subscribe Subscribe to HetPer

subscribe Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast