And of course, all occasions commence in the tiny town square, either at the main basilica (of 15! churches -- all Catholic, of course) or at the Communne aka Town Hall -- also adorned by statuary of a Madonna.  So it's hard to tell the difference between basilicas and public buildings, sans separation of church and state, in reality, even when the mayor resplendent in ribbons of the colors of the Republic is proclaiming a Communist (and. of course, anti-Roma) ideology.  

And now the bells of half of the churches are competing, as they do every quarter-hour, all day and night long.  I am so glad I brought a big supply of earplugs, as it is a noisy country, whether in Rome or in the countryside -- although the bells are somewhat melodious, at least.  The garbage trucks at 5 a.m., not so much, especially when they shake the windows of our piece of a 400-year-old palazzo . . . nor are the constantly yelled conversations outside our shaky windows.  And the constant car alarms, with tiny cars sooming or parked everywhere in a town not built for the auto age, add to the cacophony.  Mufflers have not yet reached the mountains, and especially on the ubiquitous motorcycles, too.

Many surprises here -- I miss rugs (ancient stone floors are cold!), toilet-paper holders, good plumbing, clothese hangers, and much more -- but especially the retro status of internet techology here.  Connections are awful, if you can find them, even in Roma.  It's where Mexico was 10 years ago.  I had the impression from reading, commentaries, etc., that the U.S. was lagging much of the "civilized" world in this.  Not so.  Turns out, we're told, that anti-terrorism laws have held back public access in Italy, especially.

There is a lesson in that for us.  We must continue to wage the resistance to the right-wing fearmongers in our own country.  Communication is crucial; I especially miss time to catch up on news, news, news. . . .  No teevee for 10 days how; of course, it would be in Italian, anyway, and I still am at the elementary level in the language.

But then, there is comfort to be found in espresso, cappuccino, and gelato, a sort of religious rite in itself.  There are as many geleteria than there are churches in the tiny town -- and all do a thriving business. :-)

p.s.  Off to the frescoes at Assissi in a few days, Oculus -- I will try to report back, if the internet connections allow.  So far, saw some marvels in Rome, of course, but also many in the many churches here, by Raphael's padre and others.  And the ancient Roman portals/arches into the town are terrific, with their early sculptures circa 200 B.C. -- plus nearby, an even more ancient Roman and partiallly pre-Umbrian bridge that is a marvel of engineering and beauty.

I'm jealous but I took yesterday off to study for a certification exam and I don't think taking a 3-day week is gonna go over too well with the boss.

Finally breaking my Sh*ti-Field boycott to see the Mets vs. Padres tonight...free tix and Pelf on the hill, it's time.

Separately, Goldman is leading efforts to fend off any potential takeover attempts for the U.K. oil major, according to a report in the Independent on Sunday.

Goldman, as BP's regular advisor, is "rumored to be dusting off the company's defense playbook," the newspaper said.

(b)This doesn't mean that domestic partners start filing joint returns.  Even in the private letter ruling, the IRS states that the income is split into each individual's return.  My question related to this would be, what status does each partner use - single or filing seperate?  The chart provided in the article did not indicate what status was used to arrive at the figures.  My guess would be single, but is that really the correct status.