KILL THE MESSENGER - a film starring JEREMY RENNER. The story of American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb who told the truth and in cost his life. He was found dead- the official (known) cause of his death was suicide- according to the police he killed himself. The movie is Rated R, for language and drug content. I loved this compelling suspenseful political drama based on the true story of  journalist (writer) Gary Webb. he was a hard-charging investigative reporter (played by Renner). He stumbles (finds it by luck) upon a story of a lifetime when he uncovers (finds, discovers) a link (connection) between US government intelligence (spies) agencies and Central American drug smugglers.

 My son Gianni and I, at the Leo O'Brian federal Bldg., downtown Albany NY.
Io e mio figlio Gianni, presso il palazzo federale Leo O'Brian di Albany, NY. (Italian)

 

My First Peace Rally/Demonstration 
La Mia Prima Manifestazione per la Pace (Italian)
 At the Leo O'Brian Federal Bldg, Albany NY, USA.

WHY DID WE DO THIS? To let senator Schumer know that we agree and support the Iran Nuclear deal. Most people in the world want peace. The European Union has approved it, Russia (remember, Russians fought with us in WWII) China (we buy/sell many things with them! We need their business!). Peace is better than the alternative of a nuclear war. In fact, on 9-3-15, the NY Times reported that diplomats of Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia have unanimously (all of them together) told members of Congress that this deal is the best they could expect, and they have no intentions of returning to the negotiating table (with Iran). These European nations plus China and Russia, are moving ahead with it, and will not join the US in re-imposing sactions (in case the US doesn't approve this deal). 
Why can't the US stick with it, go along, and shows solidarity- work together with them? The US should also approve it since these nations are all in agreement- this must is a good deal- one that can preserve peace instead of increasing the probabilities (chances, odds) of a nuclear confrontation with Iran.

Perche' ho preso parte a questa manifestazione per la pace? (Italian)

Per dire al senatore americano Schumer (che rappresenta lo Stato di NY, negli Stati Uniti) che deve dare il suo voto a favore dell'accordo nucleare con l'Iraq, cosi come ha fatto l'Unione europea, la Russia (che ha combattuto al nostro fianco, con gli alleati nella II Guerra), e la China che vende e compra tanto da noi tutti (USA, Europa). Anche l'inghilterra, il piu' fedele alleato USA crede in quest'accordo, cosi anche la Germania e la Francia. E la maggior parte della gente, di tutto il mondo vuole la pace- un'alternativa migliore di una guerra nucleare con l'Iran.

Events at The Rally

Over 27,500 Petitions were collected (from NY State residents) and were given to Senators Gillibradt and Schumer's aides. Several speaker spoke and touched on various themes why the US should approve this nuclear deal with Iran. Here are some of those points. It would lessen the risk of war with Iran, give Iran incentives not to build a nuclear weapon, it would open up cooperation hence trade/commerce, science, tourism and much more. It would send a signal to the world that the US is a reasonable nation. Iranian have the right to self determination (the right to do what they feel is acceptable) like most other nation on earth, including Israel that has over 200 nuclear weapons, has broken many international non-proliferation agreements (yet it forcefully complains about Iran, which doesn't yet have one! That's Mr. Netanyau  and his friend, while American Jews support this deal!) India, Pakistan, and many other nations like the US have a lot more nuclear weapons, and no one inspects them, no one tells them what to do!

Then  we walked to Mr. Paul Tonko's office, he a NY State Congressman. Lots of cars that passed by sounded their horns in support. It was a wonderful sunny day. We had fun and were glad to be supporting this cause. And of course the group Veterans for Peace support it too.

 Eventi Durante la Manifestazione

Oltre 27,500 petizioni (di cittadini dello stato di NY) sono state presentate e date agli assistenti dei due senatori. Alcune persone hanno parlato e hanno espresso questi punti di vista di appoggio al patto nucleare con l'Iran. Se approvato si apriranno le porte della collaborazione, del commercio, del turismo, la scienza, ecc. Gli Stati Uniti manderebbero un segnale positivo al mondo, quella di essere una nazione ragionevole. Il popolo Iranian ha il diritto all'auto determinazione (in parole povere, stabilire e crearsi un futuro come meglio credono), come del resto fanno quasi tutte le altre nazioni al mondo, come Israele che ha oltre duecento ordigni nucleari, ha rotto tanti accordi internazionali di non-proliferazione, ed e' fortemente contraria a quest'accordo (grazie al signor Netanyau). Hanno armi nucleari paesi come l'Idia, il Pakistan, ecc., inclusa l'America che ne ha migliai, cosi come la Russia, gli USA e la Cina, ma nessuno gl'impone ispettori nucleari e verificazioni mondiali.

Iranians are real people, with real faces, bodies and hearts. No one should be manipulated, eliminated, just because of a few hot heads.Diplomacy is the answer because it creates new opportunities for growth and life, while war is the opposite, it only brings, pain, death and destruction.

Another reason why  went and participated in this peaceful rally is the fact that too much of our wealth (57%, in 2012) and sweat, our tax dollars were are spent on the war/defense machine, in the last two years (2014-15) it was 54% . It's simply immoral because we are not distributing our resources in a fair and just equitable way. There are almost 50 million people in America who live in poverty. That's shameful! Let me show you some graphs/charts and info. that shows us how we spend our tax dollars.

SPESE MILITARY USA DEL 2015

"In fiscal year 2015, military spending is projected to account for 54 percent of all federal discretionary spending, a total of $598.5 billion. Military spending includes: all regular activities of the Department of Defense; war spending; nuclear weapons spending; international military assistance; and other Pentagon-related spending." (Source: www.nationalpriorities.org) 

"The U.S. outpaces all other nations in military expenditures. World military spending totaled more than $1.7 trillion in 2013. The U.S. accounted for 37 percent of the total.

U.S. military expenditures are roughly the size of the next nine largest military budgets around the world, combined." (Source: www.nationalpriorities.org) 

SPESE MILITARY USA DEL 2012

Un'altra ragione per cui ho manifestato oggi e' il fatto che gran parte della nostra ricchezza (in America), ovvero la maggior parte delle nostre tasse (il 57%) vanno spese per il mostro della difesa e le guerre. E' semplicemente immorale e sbagliato sprecare le nostre ricchezze in questo modo, solamente per la difesa e le guerre, quando ci sono quasi 50 milioni di americani che vivono nella poverta'. Vergognoso!

Every year I take part in the annual CROP WALK for the HUNGRY, in Schenectady, NY. Here are the latest poverty statistics in the USA and the world.
Ogni anno partecipo nella Marcia Contro la Fame, qui a Schenectday, NY. Ecco le ultime statistiche che uso per fare luce sulla poverta' negli USA e nel mondo.

WHY DO WE NEED TO HELP? Here’s what the site Feeding  America tells us: “Higher unemployment, lower household assets, and certain demographic characteristics also lead to a lack of access to adequate, nutritious food. These are the major causes of poverty in the United States.”    (Source/Fonte: www.feedingamerica.org)
PERCHE' DOBBIAMO AIUTARE? Ecco cosa ci dice il sito Feeding America (Diamo da Mangiare all'america): "I tassi alti della disoccupazione, meno beni nelle case, e certe caretteristiche demografiche (i posti in cui la gente vive) contribuiscono anche all'accesso di cibi adeguati e nutrienti. Questi sono i piu grandi fattori che causano la poverta' negli Stati Uniti." 
 
Recent statistics of Poverty in the USA in 2013: 
Statistiche Recenti sulla poverta negli USA:
45.3 million people (14.5 percent) were in poverty. 
45,3 milioni di persone negli States (14,5%) vivono nella miseria
26.4 million (13.6 percent) of people ages 18-64 were in poverty.
26,4 milioni (il 13,6%) della gente fra i 18-64 anni sono poveri
14.7 million (19.9%) children under the age of 18 were in poverty.
14,7 milioni (19.9%) dei bambini all'eta di 18'anni sono poveri
4.2 million (9.5%) seniors 65 and older were in poverty.     (Source/Fonte: www.feedingamerica.org)

2013 World Hunger Statistics (From 2013)
Statistiche Mondiali sulla Fame del 2013
805 million people in the world do not have enough to eat
805 milioni di persone nel mondo non hanno abbastanza cibo
98% of the world’s undernourished live in developing countries
98% della popolazione mondiale e' malnutrita (non ha abbastanza cibo) Asia has 525.6 million people that live in poverty
In Asia 525,6 milioni di persone vivono nella poverta'
Sub-Sahara region 214 million
Nella regione del deserto Sahara 214 milioni sono poveri
Latin America and the Caribbean 37 million
 Nell'America latina (Sud-America) ci sono 37 milioni di poveri 
   (Source/Fonte: www.feedingamerica.org)

Jesus taught us to be merciful. In fact, in 1933 He revealed the following to Saint Faustina Kolwaska;
“I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this, or try to absolve yourself from it.”  

Gesu' c'insegna ad essere misericordiosi. Infatti, nel 1933 rivelo' il seguente a suor Faustina Kolwaska:
"Vi chiedo atti di misericordia, che dovete fare perche' mi volete bene. Non dovete mai tirarvi indietro nell'offrire misericordia ai vostri vicini e in qualsiasi posto essi siano. Non dovete mai tirarvi indietro o di assolvervi da questo dovere."
 (Source/Fonte: p. 742 Divine Mercy Message)

COST OF WAR / IL COSTO DELLA GUERRA

 I invite you to read the August 25, 2015 (From The Center for Arms Control and non-Proliferation blog titled: The Real Facts on the Iran Nuclear Deal. I copied fact # 5, 7, 8, 9, 10,17. If you want to read the whole blog, visit http://armscontrolcenter.org/the-real-facts-on-the-iran-nuclear-negotiations/
 I also invite you to pray for peace and do help building peace in our hearts, our families, our friends, our communities, our nation and the world, by doing something peacefully/concrete/useful

SPESE MILITARI ANNUALI DEL MONDO E GLI USA

V'invito a leggere  il blog (articolo) del Centro per il Controllo per la non-Proliferazione delle Armi. Il titolo di questo blog e' 
I veri fatti sull'Accordo Nuclere con l'Iran. Qui in basso vi ho copiato i fatti/dati n. 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, e 17. Non l'ho ancora tradotto in italiano, ma sono sicuro che troverete una versione italiana su Google. la versione inglese la troverete se visitate il sito http://armscontrolcenter.org/the-real-facts-on-the-iran-nuclear-negotiations/
V'invito anche a pregare per la pace e di costruirla nei nostri cuori, nelle nostre famiglie, con i nostri amici, le nostre comunita', la nostra nazione e nel mondo.

The Real Facts on the Iran Nuclear Deal. 
I Veri Fatti sull'Accordo Nucleare con l'Iran

Fact # 5, 7, 8, 9, 10,17.

 Claim 5: The American people don’t want the deal.
The Facts:
A consensus of polls suggests that the majority of the American public, and an even stronger majority of Jewish Americans, support the deal. Furthermore, a considerable number of foreign affairs experts and top officials support the deal: more than 100 former US ambassadors, 60 American national security leaders across the political spectrum including former US ambassadors to Israel, 70+ nuclear nonproliferation experts, 67 Israeli former military and intelligence officials, 34 retired American Generals and Admirals, 32 top American scientists, 340 rabbis, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, all publicly support the deal.
Many opponents of the deal were on the wrong side of history leading up to the war in Iraq. As James Fallows, national security correspondent for The Atlantic, put it in a recent piece, “You can be persuaded by Netanyahu, Huckabee, Cruz, Kristol, Adelson, et al., all of whom were wrong on the last high-stakes judgment call about US interests in the Middle East. Or by an overwhelming majority of the people from both parties with operating experience in America’s war-fighting and peacemaking enterprises in this part of the world.”
 (Info. source/from: http://armscontrolcenter.org/the-real-facts-on-the-iran-nuclear-negotiations/

 Claim 7: Military action is better than this deal.
The Facts:
Some critics, like John Bolton and Dick Cheney, have argued that the only way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is through the use of military action. This shortsighted and reckless approach would be counter-productive. As former director of the CIA Michael Hayden has explained, bombing Iran “will guarantee that which we are trying to prevent: an Iran that will stop at nothing to, in secret, develop a nuclear weapon.”

 
Claim 8: The deal won’t work because Iran is going to cheat.
The Facts:
The deal is not based on trust; it’s based on verification. The IAEA will have 24/7 access to Iran’s known nuclear facilities and will be closely monitoring Iran’s supply chain of nuclear materials, centrifuge production lines, and any purchases that might be used for a nuclear program. The deal also provides timely inspections to any undeclared facilities where suspected nuclear activity may be occurring. If Iran does cheat, they will be caught and sanctions will be re-imposed.
There are also aspects of the deal that Iran can’t easily undo. Iran must dismantle two-thirds of its installed centrifuges, remove 98% of its uranium stockpile, and permanently alter the Arak Plutonium reactor before it receives any relief from economic sanctions. These actions will be verified by the IAEA and will greatly increase the time it would take Iran to obtain weapons-grade nuclear material.
The deal goes to great lengths to buttress major points of the agreement. For example, the deal does not just put limitations on centrifuge production, it also puts limitations on rotor production, and on the machines that make the rotors. The subsidiary commitments that Iran has made for the agreement are truly impressive.
Rejecting this deal means no restrictions, no verification, and no inspections of Iran’s nuclear program. Even if Iran cheats, we’ll know far more about Iran’s nuclear activities than we do now. And that will mean that all of the alternatives—including the least desirable, military action—will be more effective.


Claim 9: We cannot, and should not, negotiate with our adversaries. The Facts:
Some critics suggest that because Iran is our adversary, we should not negotiate a deal with them. This line of thinking completely ignores history. President G.W. Bush negotiated a successful nuclear agreement with Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi—a sworn enemy of Israel and a state sponsor of terrorism. The Soviet Union had 10,000 nuclear weapons when we started negotiating SALT I. Both of these efforts, like the Iran deal, significantly improved the security of the United States and its allies.
 This agreement does not rely on Iran changing its behavior. Instead, it includes verification mechanisms to ensure that Iran cannot build a nuclear weapon. In addition, sanctions for Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism and human rights abuses will stay in place.
This deal may provide a unique pathway for international cooperation to improve regional and global security by addressing Iran’s other unacceptable policies. If Congress kills the deal, that pathway will be closed.

 Claim 10: 24 days is more than enough time for Iran to cover up its illicit nuclear activities. The Facts:
First, some context: All of Iran’s nuclear facilities will be under 24/7 surveillance. The deal also provides an unprecedented process for inspecting facilities where the IAEA suspects illicit nuclear activity may be occurring. This means the IAEA can inspect businesses, military facilities, and even the President of Iran’s garage if necessary. The ability to carry out these investigations is permanent, but only if the deal is approved.
Under the comprehensive agreement, Iran will implement the Additional Protocol, which sets requirements and provides the legal authority for IAEA inspectors to access all nuclear and suspected nuclear facilities in perpetuity.
The IAEA can request access with 24-hour notice to any site inspectors suspect might be conducting illicit nuclear activities. If Iran denies the IAEA access, the JCPOA offers an extra enforcement process to ensure access: a Joint Commission, comprised of one representative from each P5+1 country plus Iran and a European Union representative. When the IAEA or any member of the Joint Commission warns that Iran is blocking access to a suspected site, a majority of members can force the Iranians to allow access. Unlike the UN Security Council, no one party gets a veto on this commissions. That means Russia, China and Iran can’t prevent inspections.
This process takes, at most, 24 days to complete. The Joint Commission has a maximum of seven days to review and adjudicate a claim that Iran is carrying out illicit nuclear activities; but if the evidence clearly indicates Iran should open a site for inspections, it could make that decision on day one of seven, bringing the timeframe down to 18 days. The clock starts ticking the moment the IAEA demands Iran give it access to a particular site, including the 24-hour advance notice required under the Additional Protocol.
Even the worst-case scenario of 24 days is not enough time for Iran to hide any substantial violations. The half-life of nuclear material is thousands of years. If Iran had material that could be used to make a nuclear bomb at a given location, inspectors would be able to find traces of it. Also, the physical structures to enrich weapons-grade uranium or plutonium cannot be moved in 24 days.
During the 24-day period, international intelligence apparatuses will watch the suspected facility to monitor any attempts to hide or move evidence. If, for example, trucks are backed up to a suspected facility, it is a breach of the agreement and sanctions can legally be re-imposed.
While Iran may be able to get away with, say, computer-modeling activities during the 24-day 
 period, they will still be a long way away from developing a nuclear weapon (much further than if there was no agreement in place.) To put it another way, if Iran’s goal is to secretly build a car, they may be able to develop a headlight or a windshield wiper without detection. But they will not be able to build an engine or fuel it. And they will still be several long, complicated steps away from building a car that functions.
Reminder: no deal means no inspections and no restrictions on Iran’s nuclear enterprise.

 Claim 17: The deal, if implemented, will expire after 10 or 15 years and allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon at that time.
The Facts:
According to the comprehensive agreement, for at least 15 years, Iran will only enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent (uranium enriched at 20% or lower is considered low enriched uranium (LEU); uranium enriched above 90% is weapons grade.)
This does not, however, mean that on day one of year 16, Iran will have enough weapons-grade uranium to build a bomb. Yes, after 15 years Iran could begin enriching uranium beyond 3.67 percent. But without this deal, Iran could head for a bomb tomorrow.
Some aspects of the agreement will last 25 years, including the monitoring of Iran’s uranium mines and supply chain. Other aspects, such as the implementation of robust IAEA safeguards and access to investigate suspicious sites for illicit nuclear activity, are permanent. Regardless of what specific restrictions are lifted, Iran is still prohibited from pursuing nuclear weapons. Any activity that is clearly not intended for “peaceful use” (i.e. highly enriching uranium) will raise red flags and trigger a response from the international community.
Ultimately, the deal rolls back Iran’s nuclear program for more than a decade, pushing Iran’s “breakout time” (time it would take to enrich enough nuclear material for 1 nuclear weapon) from a few months to at least one year. It also gives IAEA inspectors greater insight for monitoring Iran’s nuclear program well into the future.

A Last Comment to Clear up any Possible Misunderstandings

If you think that I am anti- US and/or against a strong US military, you are wrong. The US needs a strong defense because we have many threats, and unfortunately too many enemies. 
However, I am against waste and abuse of power and of our resourses- our taxes, which I believe are being squandered by a political class that doesn't care about the needs of our nation and/or the world, but only cares their own interests and their party. There's a wide gap between rich/poor in America, we have almost 50 million needy people, a 19 trillion deficit and too much is being spent on defense.  
However, I love America because it has given me a better future than my native Italy.  I also love US the military, in fact, I am a veteran- a p/t airman in the NY Air Guard, with over 30 years of military duty (4 active, and the rest Reserve/National Guard). I am also a naturalized American citizen. So this is my country, and I love it like a native. I also love God, and i know that He tells me to have consideration for others, and other nations, because when we do (respect, cooperate, listen to them, and care for them) then we do the right thing, we follow His commandament, to love one another. When we do good, we get good results. But when we do bad, evil, and selfish things, then we get the same treatment in return. It's simple, because as we say in the USA: "What goes around, comes around." Or "We'll reap what we saw". 
Anyway, my work, my lifestyle in the USA, and my military service speak for themselves- they show my fidelity to America. I am a patriot who prefers peace, and yes to a strong defense. Here I am only saying no wars, abuse and waste of our hard hearned tax dollars (our wealth), and I am especially against immoral unnecessary ones, like Vietnam and the Iraq one. I am for peace and prosperity, because war brings only pain, sorroe, destruction and death,

"Pride comes before destruction and an arrogant spirit before the fall."    Proverbs 16:18
 

Un'ultimo Commento per non Creare Possibili Equivoci

Se pensate che sono contro agli Stati Uniti vi sbagliate. INFATTI, sono stato sempre dell'idea che gli USA hanno bisogno di Forze Armate forti perche' i nemici, purtroppo, sono pericolosi e tanti. Ma il mio punto e' che sono contrario a sprechi e a alla classe politica Americana e mondiale che pensano solo ai loro interessi, invece che al bene del paese e di tutta la gente e tutte le classi sociali. Siamo a un momento cruciale della storia Americana perche' i livelli di differenze nelle class sociali sono troppi alti, c'e' troppa poverta, e troppi soldi vengono sprecati per gli armamanti, mentre 40 milioni di american vivono nella poverta' e sono senza sanita'.

Anche se non sono nato in questo paese, io amo l'America perche' mi ha dato un futuro migliore che il mio paese nativo, l'Italia. I fatti contano piu delle parole, la mia fedelta' e' agli Stati uniti e anche ai nostri alleati, ma anche al mondo, perche' sono un Cristiano, un figlio di Dio. Il mio lavoro, e il mio stile di vita, e il mio servizio militare negli USA sono prove della mia fedelta'. I amo l'America e la pace, non le guerre, specialmente quelle inutili e immorali, come per esempio le guerra del Vietnam e quella contro l'Iraq. Io sono per la pace e per la prosperita', e non per la guerra, che porta solo pene, dolore, distruzione e morte.

MY VACATION in VIRGINIA and...
A Thousand Splendid Suns - The 2nd Jewel (of a novel)  by Khaled Hosseini! A must read! A story you'll see soon on the big screen! But a story that reminded me of an ugly reality in our society: domestic violence! Let's help prevent/stop it!

LA Mia VACANZA in VIRGINIA  e... 
Un Migliaio di Soli Splendenti - (Italian) Il secondo gioiello (Romanzo) di Khaled Hosseini,

Una storia assolutamente da leggere! E presto potremo vedere sul grande schermo! Questa e' una storia che mi ha fatto ricordare una brutta realta' della nostra societa' contemporanea- la violenza domestica. Aiutiamo a prevenirla e fermarla!

 

        1. My family and I had problems seeing groups of dolphins swim by the Norfolk Bay Virginia, when we were there last week. I had difficulty seeing them because I couldn't keep my eyes off a book that I was reading, a novel (fiction story, an imaginary one, not real), and so was my daughter Salvi. My wife and my son were lying on the sand and sunbathing. 

        Although the dolphins were at about 100-150 meters from the beach, we wanted to get a good look at them because they are one of our favorite animals. So were constantly looking at the sea, when I wanted to relax my eyes from the reading. Sometimes we may hear someone, or a kid yell: Dolphins! Over there! Other times, at least once, or twice (two times) in a day, if we were lucky,  we could spot these smart, friendly and playful creatures swim by, as you see in the image below. We could see their arched backs and their air puffs shoot up in the air, as they came up to the surface and rhythmically (at the same time) came up for breathing. As you can see them in the images here.

 

        1. La settimana passata, durante la nostra vacanza in Virginia, alla spiaggia di Norfolk, io e la mia famiglia a volte abbiamo avuto problemi nel vedere gruppi di delfini nuotare a un 100-150 metri dalla spiaggia. Io stavo leggendo un romanzo, A Thousand Splendid Sun (Un Migliaio di Soli Spendidi), il secondo roamnzo di Khaled Hosseini, uno scrittore afgano che risiede negli USA.  Mia figlia era occupata a leggerne un'altro. Mio figlio e mia moglie invece erano sdraiati sulla sabbia a prenderesi il sole. Ma quando qualche bambino gridava: Delfini! Li giu! Non ci scappavano di vista. Altre volte, se eravamo fortunati, vedavamo queste splendide creature anche due volte in una giornata. Dalla spiaggia si vedevano le loro schiene arcate, i loro sputi d'aria e aqua, mentre venivano fuori in superficie e nuotare ritmicamente per poter respirare. Ne vedrete alcuni in queste immagini.

2. Unfortunately we didn't see any dolphins up close, as in these two images (top & bottom). Although dolphins live in the ocean, they are not fish, they are mammals because they breath like us. They have lungs, hence they surface (come up, out of the water) for breathing. They also have warm blood like us, and they too feed their babies milk. They do not lay eggs like fish, and/or birds. 

        2. Sfortunatamente non abbiamo visto delfini da vicino, come nell'immagine qui sopra. Anche se i delfini vivono nel mare, non sono pesci, ma mammiferi, perche' respirano come noi, hanno polmoni, allattano i loro piccoli, hanno sangue caldo, e non depositano uova come i pesci e gli uccelli.

       3. As I was telling you before, last week was indimenticabile! unforgettable! My vacation was relaxing; I got darker from the warm sun, walked/laid on the lovely clean and warm beach, the calm seascape. I spent most of my mornings and early afternoons with my family sitting on the Norfolk VA beach under my umbrella...and next to a beautiful woman... my lovely wife! And a great book! A story that kept me on the edge of my beach chair! So interesting it was! This is the 2nd novel by Khaled Hosseini. He is a writer from Kabul Afghanistan, who now resides in the US. His first novel was is The Kite Runner (which was an international best seller, published in 40 countries, and was made into a movie). A Thousand Splendid Suns was so splendid! (great story) that I just couldn't put it down. If you have the opportunity read it. This novel was also made into a film. It should come out sometime this year. I can't wait to see it!

  4. My family and I at the Norfolk Virgina Beach. From left to right. Salvi (our daughter), Maria (my wife),  and Gianni, our son.  4. Con la mia famiglia alla spiaggia di Norfolk, nella Virginia. Da sinistra a destra: mia figlia Salvi, mia moglie Mariella, io, e mio figlio Gianni.

5. WHAT'S THIS STORY ABOUT?

This is the story of two Afghani women who are forced into marriage two violent and unjust men, which cause much suffering (pain) and abuse. However, the ending is good and hopeful. But when I think of the condition of many women in our society I realize that, unfortunately their situation isn't always hopeful. I am talking about domestic violence- which is a big problem in our society at this time.  We know that our society is a violent one. That is why, at the bottom of this blog,  I have included the images and graphics (with info/facts) on domestic violence. These pictures show us the sad reality (truth, facts) of many of our women in our society (and also children- they too get caught become victims and suffer from domestic violence for the rest of their lives). My daughter is a licensed mental health counselor, and she told me that people who are victims of domestic violence, tend to end up in relationship that are unhealthy- (not healthy, not safe, not good)- they have a high possibility of being abused and/or themselves becoming abusive, the abuser, the one who hurts others. For more info. on women's abuse visit the Abused Women Aid In Crisis at www.awaic.org and click on facts. And if you or someone you care about is being abused, call their hotline 24/7 at 272-0100. 

  La scritta sopra dice: La violenza non e' cultura!

E quella in basso: 1 donna su 3 sara' violentata, malmenata e abusata nel corso della sua vita.

5. DI COSA PARLA QUESTA STORIA? E' la storia di due donne afgane che furono costrette a sposare due uomini violenti e ingiusti che gli causano tanta sofferenza e tanti abusi. Comunque questa storia ha un buon fine, ispira e da' speranza. Ma quando penso alla condizione di molte donne nella nostra societa' moderna, mi rendo conto, che sfortunatamente la loro situazione non e' tanto bella, e non sempre offre speranza. Mi riferisco alla violenza domestica- un grosso problema attuale nella nostra societa' contemporanea. Allora, in fondo a questo blog ho incluso delle immagini e grafici  sulla violenza domestica. Queste immagini mostrano la triste realta' di tante donne (e purtroppo molti bambini che diventano vittime di queste violenze, che si portano per tutta la vita - ferite, morali e fisiche). Mia figlia Salvi e' specializzata con un Master Degree in salute mentale, lavora negli Stati Uniti,  e' possiede anche una licensa statale da mental health counselor. A riguardo le violenze domestiche, Salvi mi ha spiegato che le vittime di violenze domestiche hanno piu' probabilita' di diventare vittime, o diventare anche loro abusatori.

Per avere info/ sull'abuso delle donne, negli USA visitate il sito di Abused Women Aid In Crisis www.awaic.org E se voi o qualcuno che amate e' abusato telefonate 24/7 (di qualsiasi giorno/ora della settimana) al tel. (negli Stati Uniti) 272-0100.

The essay above is © Copyrighted by Ottavio Lo Piccolo. August, 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this writing may be copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the authors’ written permission. Classroom teachers may copy individual articles with the images included in each piece, but only for instructional purposes and only for their classroom students. Images are from Google images, unless otherwise specified.
Italian: 
L'articolo/blog in alto e' protetto da Diritti d'autore, che sono esclusi solo all'autore Ottavio Lo Piccolo, 25 aprile, 2015. Per publicazione intere e/o parziali richiedere il pemesso scritto dall'autore.

This is the author's synopsis - How he summarizes his story in a simple brief (short) way. Il Riassunto dell'autore.

After 103 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and with four million copies of The Kite Runner shipped, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel that confirms his place as one of the most important literary writers today.
Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them—in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul—they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. 
 
With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman’s love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.
A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.
(Source:  http://khaledhosseini.com/books/a-thousand-splendid-suns/synopsis/) and images (except my personal vacation ones), are from Google Images.

  

 The movie isn't out yet, but i can't wait to see it with my family and in class with my adult ESL students.
Il film ancora non e' uscito, ma non vedo l'ora di vederlo con la famiglia e in classe con i miei studenti!

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS WRONG!
PROTECT YOURSELF/OTHERS 
LA VIOLENZA CONTRO LE DONNE E' UN'INGIUSTIZIA
PROTEGGIAMO NOI E GLI ALTRI

Sopra: LUI DICE CHE NON SUCCEDERA' PIU'

In basso: NON SOFFRITE IN SILENZIO

Sopra: LUI DICEVA CHE NON L'AVREI MAI LASCIATO, 
MA INVECE L'HO FATTO.

Titolo sopra: IL CICLO DELLA VIOLENZA;
La freccia in basso dice: L'abuso inizia 
La freccia a sinistra: Scuse e penitenze
Quella a destra: La tensione aumenta (e il ciclo si ripete)

Sopra: Come sono e cosa includono le relazioni sane; (non riesco a leggere la scritta, secondo me sono):
RISPETTO
FIDUCIA
AMORE
PAZIENZA
COLLABORAZIONE
COMUNICAZIONE

Sopra: Il mio ragazzo si arrabia se non gli do' i soldi per uscire con i suoi amici. 
Quindi io gli pago l'affitto e tutti gli altri conti.
Questa si chiama violenza domestica.

In basso: Un minuto sei la sua Principessa, e un'altro minuto sei una stronza. Cosa ti aspetti dopo?

non ci fate piu' male

Non tappatevi' piu' la bocca

FERMATE LA VIOLENZA CONTRO LE DONNE

FERMATE LA VIOLENZA CONTRO DONNE E BAMBINI

Poster in basso- dall'alto verso il basso. Quello che dicono i vigliacchi alle loro donne:
 "Non sei niente senza di me"
"Non ci pensare nemmeno di lasciarmi"
"Non sei degna di me"
" Non troverai un'altro come me"
"Sei una persona inutile e devi migliorare" 
"Io so' quello fa' bene per te"
"Non sei degna del mio amore" 
"Io faccio cosi perche' ti voglio bene"
Ma Dio dice: "Non ascoltare aquelli che non ti capiscono e non ti apprezzano"