Clowns in Cool Britannia

I don't know.  I think politicians should be people we look up to.  People who set an example to us all, not crooked rip off merchants. Now, it may come as some surprise to hear that I'm not on about the latest corruption scandal flooding the pages of the Italian newspapers.  No, instead … [Read more...]

More Proof that the UK is Sicker than Italy

The Great British Bulldog has heart problems. After writing a post entitled The UK is Sicker than Italy, alas, I then read of this recent and particularly horrific crime in the UK. The title of the BBC story says it all 'Horror descends on quiet street'. The story seems to indicate that the do … [Read more...]

The UK is Sicker than Italy

Over on Man of Roma's thoughtful blog, I made a bold statement. What I said is that the UK is in a greater state of decline than Italy. Now, I can't go around saying things like this without giving some evidence, so here it is. Senseless violence - stories of knifings and shootings seem to be an … [Read more...]

How much do Italians earn?

Back on the 29th May, Epolis, one of my favourite freebie newspapers here in rainy Milan, ran an article on how much the average Italian found in his or her pay packet in 2007. I kept a copy of the newspaper because I thought a few of you might be interested in seeing this information in English, so … [Read more...]

Yes, Prime Minister

For the uninitiated, which means most of my Italian readers, Yes, Minister was a comedy (as in funny), which appeared on BBC tv in the UK for good few years. Basically, this wonderful series, which became Yes, Prime Minister ran for a good few years, and can probably be regarded as being British … [Read more...]

I Segreti di Londra – Corrado Augias

Thanks to Man of Roma, who quoted a section from Italian journalist, writer and TV presenter Corrado Augias' book describing the English, I bought a copy of Augias' book 'I Segreti di Londra' yesterday. While I've yet to really dig in to this book; I've made it to page 26 so far; what I've read … [Read more...]

Anglo-Saxon

Being from the UK, I am considered by Italians to be someone from an Anglo-Saxon culture. This makes me chuckle because for me 'Anglo-Saxon' sort of conjures up images of a people clad in fur and who rally to the war cries of a queen going by the name of Boadicea. Before anyone corrects me, I know … [Read more...]

The Dark Side of the UK, and the Free Press

The Times in England was one of the papers to have written an article stating that Italy is in a bit of a mess at the moment. In some ways, this article was a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black, as the old saying goes.  Indeed, if you take a look at The Policeman's Blog, you may … [Read more...]

I’m a Virtual MEP

A week or so ago I got an email through this blog from a certain Jonty who, I think, goes to Shrewsbury school.  Shrewsbury school, if you did not know, and those outside of the UK probably will not know, is one of England's oldest public schools.  I should perhaps explain that 'public' schools … [Read more...]

Sarkozy likes the BBC, possibly!

UPDATE: 14.01.08 - Having now read more of the articles in Il Sole, I can now understand why the paper used the headline saying that 'State TV without advertising would not work'.  The article basically argues that just about all TV and Internet, is only possible due to advertising.   Whilst this … [Read more...]

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