Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Bird Watching at Sigonella!

Growing up in Hawaii, we are very familiar with construction cranes...In fact, the construction crane is Hawaii's unofficial state bird. No joke!



I've seen a lot of cranes in my life, but not one with a counterbalance like this -- looming over the children's playground at Sigonella.

I'm sure it meets Sicilian safety code standards (is there such a thing?), since the folks I mention it to don't seem to worried about it.

Carnevale Kick Off!

What better way to kick off Carnevale than with a decadent Sicilian seafood extravaganza. This was just 1 of 3 pasta dishes -- our second of 4 courses. Here's Flint - the big kahuna - and bona fida fellow Hawaiian.



This is exactly how you feel after 3 pasta dishes and 20 antipasti dishes. I never made it to the third course.

Carnevale Kick off!





After such a huge feast, most of us needed a walk...So we wandered toward Acireale's centro to check out the Carnevale action.

I think we were all a little tipsy...and these kids thought Pat wasn't done eating and might have them for a little after-feast snack?



Without a doubt, these kittens are the cat's meow!


Carnevale Kiss!

It's not every day you meet an Italian man carrying a feather duster as a marching baton! He tried to play hard to get...that little old rascal.



He eventually gave in to my fishy face...



...I could feel his nose hairs on my neck!...Ewwww!...What a naughty little man!

Carnevale Acireale 2008!

Pssttt...Hey dude...Look at me..Help me out here? Have you ever seen dandruff like I have????



Pat practices pole dancing for her Vegas debut in 2009.



This is what you call a true porta-potty.

Carnevale Acireale 2008 - Never a "Drag"!

My brother took me to the gay pride parade in San Francisco when I was 16. Who'd thought Sicilian drag queens would be this darn good!


Carnevale Acireale 2008 - Never a "Drag"!

This guy's expression was hilarious. You know that's a huge pasta gut underneath all those orange and yellow frills. He's like part oompa loompa, part Carmen Miranda, with a distinctively Sicilian male face like you'd see in the Godfather movie.





I think he/she liked it when I did the boob grab!



This he/she is adrogyny perfection -- he's a hot guy and a hot girl! How weird is that! He deserved a kiss.

Carnevale Band Geeks!

At one time at band camp...


Carnevale Acireale 2008!



So Matt's wife was absent on this adventure....sure didn't take him long...eh?



...and what a pig!...no! He couldn't be satisfied with just one cute band girl -- Nope....Matty had to have the whole troupe!



Carnevale Unmasked!


Carnevale Acireale 2008!

Kendra is way too clean for Carnevale. We'll take care of her later!



Here's me basking in the glow on Tinkerbell's pixy dust.



Muppet man makes his debut on Pat's shoulder!



So many disguises and just not enough lifetimes.

Carnevale Acireale 2008!

Life is so much more fun when it gets a little messy!




Carnevale - March to this Buster!

Everyone needs two things in life - a little music and an obnoxious American!




Thursday, January 24, 2008

A Sophomore at Sigonella in the 60s



Here are some excerpts from a letter that came from a family friend, David, who lives in Hawaii now - but once lived at Sigonella in the 60s. His father, pictured above, was the CO of the base - Captain John Caldwell.

For those of us affiliated with the base here, it's fun to think what life was like 40 years ago! And let's hope, Sigonella parents are helping their kids have half the fun that David had in his time!

...A strong memory is of Sr. Scuderi (pictured above) coming by the house one afternoon and dropping off a live lamb as a present for my father "El Capitano." The garbage contract was set to expire, and probably he didn’t want to lose it. It was bleating constantly, and we tried to befriend the little thing. Oh well. It ended up on the dinner table later that week. As I remember, my brother (who had returned for holidays) and I refused to eat it. At Easter, we received another lamb – this time made of marzipan – about 18”long. It was gorgeous. That one, we all ate!...

...When we got to Sicily , both my brothers left almost immediately for college, my parents were busy with Change of Command and all the social engagements that go with that. So there I was pretty much on my own for the first time, with lots of freedom in what seemed like an alien world – occasional dry and sometimes gritty breezes, a sere landscape with miles of gnarled olive trees...

...Eventually, I started meeting kids – it didn’t take long. I was going into 10th grade. There must have been almost a dozen of us. The graduating class was only three (and one of them as I remember may not have graduated)! The school was small, and I loved it. It was called Stephen Decatur School back then, and we were the Trojans. I was pretty skinny and middle of the road as an athlete, but I ‘lettered’ in football, basketball, and bowling – because everyone had to play. We played against the sailor teams – who else? It was flag football but still bruising. There was a nine hole par 3 golf course then, directly behind the school. I had golfed in Florida so I spent time on the course - lots of rocks in the fairways, but still fun. ..

...There was a cart path directly behind our house that wound around to a farm behind the golf course, and we’d watch Sicilian donkey carts amble down the road in no hurry. Once, we even went to the farm to stomp grapes. I remember the owners walked barefoot through the yard and just jumped into the vats to squish grapes – not so sanitary, but we always joked that it probably improved the flavor....

...My favorite sport was bowling because we would go into Catania late afternoons, and eat rice balls and pizza while we bowled. The alleys were owned by the father of the Corvo brothers who were about my age, also at school on base, so we hung out together sometimes. They had access to a car with a chauffer so we’d ride in the back, acting sophomoric I’m sure. I remember it was a big deal when, one day, the mafia blew out the front of the bowling alley because (so I heard) their father had ‘neglected’ to pay them off. He rebuilt, so I guess they made nice-nice after that...

At school, I was appointed as assistant editor of the school newspaper, so I got to go into Catania on my own, the editor (NAF busses ran every few hours), wander the back alleys to the printing shop, and watch with fascination as they set the type, inked it, and rolled out the pages. I can still smell the back alleys of Catania , even today – though now of course it’s flavored with nostalgia.




...I thought nothing of hitchhiking back then. I remember one weekend, a friend and I decided to go to Taormina on our own to go snorkeling, so we got our gear together, caught the bus to Catania , and got out on the highway and hitched up there. I don’t know if I told my parents – 15, remember....

...I remember communist party rallies downtown – climbing a light pole one evening to remove one of the banners and being confronted by a couple of aging party members and having to give it back. I remember seeing the headlines with big photo in the Catania paper about Jane Mansfield being killed in a grisly car accident while I was at a nighttime soccer match downtown – funny the things you remember...


...I learned to eat olives there, huge artichokes too, devoured the blood oranges, and got sated on simple cheese and tomato pizzas downtown - even the wine – yes, we all got to drink the wine back then....

...I remember being dragged to the Teatro Bellini one school night to attend an opera in one of the balcony boxes - no doubt a present to my parents from someone. I took a PB&J for dinner and while I was unwrapping it, people below hissed and glared at me....

...We went to a Marionette performance; they were big and beautiful. It was the story of Roland and how he was ambush-ed (that’s how my Dad’s translator – Lydia –pronounced it and it has stuck with me through the years)...

...We climbed Etna one day. I went ahead of my parents since evening was coming on & I wanted to get to the rim of the crater – and I did, but when I got back my parents were plenty worried something had happened. I was elated and my face was covered with black ash...




(Eloise Caldwell, one of the last guests of Lord Bridport when Lord Nelson's family occupied the Castle in Maniaci near Bronte in Sicily before it was gifted to the community..You can read more about this castle by looking at our October 07 blogs).


Ciao and aloha from Aiea! - David Caldwell

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Michael Moore's Sicko is Worth A Watch!

Hey, just want to remind you that Oscar's are coming up so if you're like me - you're trying to catch up on all the nominations! Last year I was lucky enough to enjoy the show on Victoria's couch in Hawaii. This year, I'm not sure where we'll find the show in Italy...and if that writer strike continues, you ain't gonna be watchin' it either!

Today was a quiet, thoughtful day at home. So we used it as the opportunity for the Sicily premiere of Michael Moore’s Oscar nominated SICKO in our living room.

I’ve seen all of Moore’s films and enjoy his unassuming, bleeding-heart persona and the eloquent sarcasm of his social and political commentary. The guy gets picked on pretty fiercely by his detractors, which just makes my favorite mild-mannered underdog more appealing for those who love his Jean Shepherd-esque story telling, cutting and creative commentary, and bias that only a passionate advocate has. He does some outrageously corny stuff (like trying to get healthcare for 9-11 rescue workers at Guantanamo Bay since Al Qaeda detainees gets better health care than our own heroes) that somehow always leaves me laughing and sobbing at the same time!

Regardless as to what his detractors say about his brand of “propaganda,” it’s undeniable that at the heart of all his commentary – there is truth.



I spent the worst and best year of my career devoted to health policy reform in Hawaii. It was the first social justice issue that called to me so strongly that I left my pr/ad agency career for it.

I served as the associate director of a multi-million grant-funded health policy reform initiative to develop solutions to cover Hawaii’s medically uninsured - leading its community relations, media relations, market research and grant management efforts -- bringing national experts to Hawaii, networking with other states on their solutions, gathering HMOs, state leadership including the Governor's policy team, labor organizations and the health care community around the issue.

So I feel that I have some experience that can address Moore’s documentary.

I do believe adamantly in universal health coverage that's a right and not a privilege. I do not believe in a solely-operated, government-run national health system. His three-part solution (http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/health-care-proposal/) calls for the destruction of HMOs, which I don’t endorse.

It's takes a legion of demons to create a health care crises of American proportions. HMOs and those they reject or leave to die is a symptom of our for-profit health care system - and not a cause. As are, for-profit hospitals that turn away the uninsured or dump those they have helped on someone else's doorstep (you'll see it in the film).



You can only know this if you’ve worked in health policy. It is extremely complicated, convoluted and complex. It is not a problem for any solution seeker to address who believes the issue can be laid out in black and white. There’s a whole lot of gray matter to pick thru to find a prescription for universal care. And by "universal care" I mean the concept of – affordable, accessible and comprehensive health care for all and for always - and certainly not a government-run, one system approach. After all, I've seen how government agencies respond to public need and quite frankly, FEMA, and the like, terrify me.

Sure, we’ve done ‘ok’ with our types of socialized systems - schools, the military health system, and the post office – but I’d be concerned about putting 300 million lives in the hands of the government. We’re Americans! We want options. The rich want their options. The poor and the sick need one too.

The biggest message I took away from the film is that the issue can be solved with community and political will and compassion. I know that if everyone did their part, no one would have to do too much and we could achieve coverage for all.



So here’s a formula that I believe in deeply….It came as a result of a year’s intense study on the issue with university health policy researchers, health care industry leaders, the Hawaii Governor’s policy team, community health care providers and HMOs.

1. Mandatory Employer-Sponsored Care for Full-Timers. That’s right – if you’re full time and continuously employed for 90 days, your company pays more than 90 percent of your premium. (Hawaii is the only state in the nation to pass such legislation and it’s worked since the 60s!)

And that brings us to everyone else – the unemployed, the part-time, the unemployable and the self-employed.

2. Expand State Health Programs for the Poor & Children. Most states provide basic care for those who meet poverty level requirement but they could also charge a premium co-pay to families within a range above the poverty line so that more can be covered – especially all impoverished or nearly impoverished children. It's criminal that poor children die every day in America because of lack of insurance.

3. Stricter HMO Regulations & Provisions of Low-Cost Plans. Even HMOs have a place in the system. Sure! They can deny you if you’re fat, if you smoke, if you have diabetes or for any reason that they feel you're gonna cost them mega-bucks. But for majority of the population, HMOs work. For every 1 that Moore profiled, there are a thousand whose lives have been saved by their insurance provider. If you kick them out of the game, you throw out all the millions who are benefiting from their coverage. And shift them to what? A lower-functioning government system. When the system they have is working for them?

It could be mandated that they develop an affordable policy product that people can buy that provides low cost - short-term coverage for high-risk individuals, for those in between jobs/those collecting unemployment.

4. Self-Employed & Insurance Rejectees. Create a government-sponsored pool for the self-employed and high-risk individuals. The self-employed but healthy can't afford a $350/month policy nor can a working cancer survivor afford a $1500 a month policy. So there needs to be a government-subsidized safety net for all those that the HMOs reject. Subsidizing this small population is a hell of a lot cheaper than creating a national health system for everyone.

For these people, you need an affordable insurance product that serves a pool that's mixed with healthy and sick people to balance the cost of the pool. It will help people manage their illnesses, help them get healthy and keep them working!

5. Pharamaceutical Company Regulation. We’re suckers that American pay more for drugs than any other country in the world. We're footing the bill for all that expensive, ground-breaking research not to mention underwriting the costs for other country's drugs. As Moore suggests, regulate them like you would a utility. And these drug-dependant docs need to expand their tool box and stop prescribing pharmaceuticals as the one and only cure for everything!

6. Health Care Providers Need Help. So why is health care so expensive? Last time we got a hospital bill, the itemized bill charged $10 for an aspirin and $60 for a hospital gown. People – like the uninsured and under-insured - not paying their bills is one reason why care costs. The cost of malpractice insurance is another. Bad Debt and charity care are chipping away at hospital's profitability. There are a thousand other reasons why health care costs an arm and a leg – and government needs to insert some national legislation to get costs under control.

7. Mandatory Requirement for PE & Health Education in Public Schools. Our nation is moving away from PE and health education and home economics in schools – three programs that empower kids to learn how to eat well, take care of their bodies and exercise. Well, you can’t ask people and a system to take care of you if you take your health for granted. Our school cafeterias including the vending machines on campus should only offer healthy choices. Publicly funded schools should offer teachers incentives to be excellent role models in health. And of course, parents need to throw out the twinkies and spaghetti o's. For those of us raised on them, we know better now.

So that’s our 7 step solution toward coverage for all..Even at 7, it's an oversimplification of the solution. Moore’s proposes only 3 and probably easier to remember.



I thank the universe almighty, as I know you do that you and those you love are covered...at least today in your condition. Tomorrow may be another story.

We hope we never have to ask ourselves -- what will we have to sell, cheat or steal -- to get dad that heart transplant...or our child that last 6 months of chemo.

If you've read to the end of this...thank you...it means you care!

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Unholy Moley Mr. Crowley!

The first abandoned house I remember exploring was in Kahala. It was the summer of my 17th year - readying to leave for college - and I was living with my parents friends near the beach. Carolyn knocked on my door one morning and matter of factly said, "Get dressed. A wrecking ball is coming tomorrow. The neighbors are dead and they're house is abandoned. Let's go look inside."

Ever since, I've been fascinated with people's homes - of those both living and dead. You can't know a person unless you've experienced their home. It's their most intimate dwelling besides their person. A home reflects your soul, your life, your materialism, your sense of balance and space, the colors and textures that comfort you...



So here I am in Sicily's Cefalu in another abandoned home. We've wiggled our way thru an open window and Pat asks me to open the refrigerator and feign interest for a photo. And it triggered a dream memory.

It the late 90s, I was living in a rented apartment over a garage in Makiki up in mango tree and was having intense dreams. A friend slept in my bed in my absence as I was in New York on business. A very spiritual Hawaiian, he too was troubled by dreams and believed that my sliding mirrored closet door was a portal - inviting spirits in the bedroom that were disturbing sleep. I'm not sure if that's here nor there but funny that both of us would experience outrageous dreams!

One of my dreams felt so profound I recorded it on paper and dug it out from an old journal this weekend. It involved a Jim Morrison-like resident of an abandoned house, a rotten refrigerator, and an ailing parrot. An interesting medley of symbolism and reality. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the house I dreamed of in 1998. I can tell you about it sometime...