It’s brutal living in a world where goodness has to be defended. It’s existentially alarming to live in a world where expressing your beliefs becomes a problem not only for those in power but for those around you as well. No one really wants you to be you. That’s why it’s ever so important to embrace and celebrate those ideals that give you a direction. Because once a person’s ideals have been discarded and dismantled, there’s little left of them other than their external shell.
A person without ideals is a person with no direction. And a person with no direction is lost. So keep a tight rein on yourself. And know where you’re going.
Keep your free will free or you’ll just become someone’s slave.
ICE men must rally hate themselves. In Matthew 22:39 (and elsewhere in the Bible), Jesus instructs his followers to “love your neighbor as yourself”. Only someone who hates himself could be as cruel to another human being as these men are.
Where is their dignity or self-respect? It is apparent they have none. That’s why they need to be shamed until they’re “woke” to all the pain they are causing. And who better for that task than Chingonas, badass mommas who’ve learned not to take shit from ego – inflated machos.
“Chancla” is Spanish for flip-flop. In Latino culture, the chancla has been given almost a mythical status. When kids are out of control, moms can quickly get their attention by throwing a flip flop at them. Although, from a distance, seeing a flip flop flying may seem comical, it’s still a form of corporal punishment. Nevertheless, it’s a good way to get someone’s attention. And to repurpose our flip flops.
Viva Las Chingonas!
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The link below comes from Jenn Budd, a former border patrol agent who was so repulsed by what she saw that she became an immigrant rights activist and author.
In the Mexican culture, these ladies are called Chingonas. This is like saying they are bad ass bitches; meant in a good way. It’s a compliment. ¡Chingona(s)!
Sunday we voted on the referendum. My voting station is in the neighborhood of San Lorenzo. Originally a working class neighborhood, it eventually became trendy in part because of its nearness to La Sapienza University.
This is via dei Reiti Sunday morning. It looks desolate and demanding. We are experiencing very high temperatures in Rome at present so standing out in the sun waiting for a tram is not a pleasant experience. It made me think of the Tuscan countryside where there’s often a tree in the middle of a field to provide shade for the animals. So when its hot, they all huddle together under the tree to share the shade.
A floral canopy of Bougainvillea provides shades for those waiting on the tram (via dei Reti, Rome)
And Sunday morning, just like those Tuscan animals, people waiting for the tram were huddled together under an enormous bougainvillea to protect them from the harshness of the sun. But not all neighborhoods are the same. For example, the bourgeois neighborhood known as Coppède has a lot of green making waiting for a tram a lot easier.
A bus stop on via Chiara is much kinder than that of San Lorenzo. A strip of land with big shady trees splits the street in two offering shade not only to people walking down the street but also providing shade for parked cars. It’s also more aesthetically pleasing.
On the tram.
the trees of Via Gaetano Moroni
This is via Moroni in the Piazza Bologna area. It’s a street I had to walk down for several weeks and the trees made the walk a pleasant experience.
This is the tram stop on viale Regina Margherita across from the church Santa Maria Addolorata a Piazza Buenos Aires. It’s not difficult to imagine all the difference these trees make during the summer.
Santa Maria Addolorata
Trees make life easier. They can help reuce urban heat by 5-10 degrees. But trees offer much more than shade. Having green spaces in the city provides various positive benefits. For example, studies show that green spaces help to reduce stress (thus helping to reduce blood pressure as well). Green spaces also help to reduce noise pollution.
The wealthier areas of the city seem to be greener. Now we can imagine why.
La Fontana dell’Acqua Felice also known as the Fountain of Moses (late 1500s). Of interest are the horns on the head of Moses that are the result of a mistranslation of the Hebrew into Latin.
The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri was built on the ruins of the ancient Roman Baths of Diocletian and initially designed by Michelangelo.
The big red arrow is pointing to a small hole in the wall known as an oculus. In 1702, Francesco Bianchini, a canon and scholar of eclectic culture, created the Meridian with zodiac signs on the church floor, drawing inspiration from the works of the great astronomer Gian Domenico Cassini.
“The meridian clock remains in working order to this day. Each day the sun aligns perfectly with a hole in the basilica’s ceiling sending a ray of light that lands on the line at exact noon. The time of year can also be determined by where on the line the light falls, as it veers towards either end of the line approaching each solstice. The line itself is made of bronze, encased in white marble, making not only surprisingly accurate, but beautiful as well.” via
But a tiny occulus was not enough. Inspired by the Pantheon, a huge oculus (latin for “eye”) was also added to the Basilica. The oculus provides light and fresh air but, more importatntly, the oculus acts as a compression ring that equalizes the forces of compression at the dome’s center.
The Basilica reflects how both classical and Christian elements were combined during the Renaissance
Balconies have something very romantic about them. Maybe because of Romeo and Juliet. But despite its fame, Shakespeare never mentioned any balcony in Romeo and Juliet.
In Rome, there are many balconies. But so many of them are neglected. The most famous balcony in Rome is that of Piazza Venezia where Mussolini loved to speak. Because there’s something about being high above the others that gives you a feeling of superiority.
Our balcony faces a busy street so there’s much noise. But not on Sunday because everything is closed and people are going to the beach. So, I said to myself, why not have a Balcony Brunch on Sunday mornings?
Life is every day and so should be our sense of aesthetics. So I tried to imagine myself in a Caillebotte painting sitting on my balcony drinking wine and eating cheese while looking down on the world below. It was quite a sensational feeling and before the sun was directly overhead, I had a great time.
The dude, however, is not into aesthetics. He was just there for the cheese.
The Narrative Within 