Indonesia's Mount Merapi Volcano Erupts Again

On monday morning, Indonesia's Mount Merapi started spewing hot ash clouds, sending a 1.5-kilometer plume toward the south.

Volcanic ash also blew eastward toward Central Java, Boyolali, said Kurniadi of the Indonesian Volcanology and Geological Disaster Monitoring staff. Kurniadi goes by one name, as many Indonesians do.

Residents on the volcano started fleeing yet again. Many had returned to their homes to check on them as well as their farm animals after eruptions last week.

Mount Merapi began erupting Tuesday and has killed at least 39 people in the past week. Another 74 have been injured and more than 71,000 people have been evacuated, according to the National Disaster Management Board. Also last week, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's coast, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 449. Hundreds more were injured.

Rant #365: Same Old Knicks

My son and I went to a New York Knicks game on Saturday evening, October 30.

It was the day before Halloween, and the Knicks turned in another frightful performance.

They lost 100-95 to a very talented Portland Trailblazers team, and lost the game after leading by nine points with five minutes to go.

I have now taken my son to four Knicks games over the past three seasons, and he hasn't seen the Knicks win a single game.

It was the first game of the season at Madison Square Garden, and with Amare Stoudemire leading the team, there is a lot of hope that this year's version of the hapless sad sacks of the past might just make some noise this season.

Well, they have now started the season at 1-2, and face the Orlando Magic tomorrow, so that noise might just have to be put on hold for awhile.

The Knicks always promise so much, and in recent years, they have delivered so little, but the fan support is amazing for this franchise. They could lose 20 games in a row, and still have packed houses at the Garden.

That's what a little history will do. Today's team is inextricably linked to the golden years for the franchise, from 1969-1973, when they won two championships.

Those were the Knicks of Red Holzman, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley and Walt Frazier, and later, Earl Monroe, and the only current link to the team is by Frazier, who does color commentary on the TV broadcasts of the games.

The Knicks have had some great teams in between their last championship--in the 1972-1973 season--and now, including those wonderful teams they had in the 1990s lead by Patrick Ewing.

But since Ewing left, there has been a curse on this team and organization, and this year there was hope that that curse could be obliterated.

Sure, it is just three games into the season, but you get the feeling that even if the Knicks improve upon last year--when they won just 29 games--it won't be enough to stop the boo birds at the Garden. Yes, Knicks fans support their team, but they will also let their team know it if they stink.

And losing a hefty lead in the last five minutes of Saturday's game isn't a good way to begin the season.

My son and I go to our next game on Nov. 27 against Atlanta, and maybe I will have a more chipper report for you.

Tonight ... WWE wrestling at Nassau Coliseum, Monday Night Raw. Look for us, we have tickets in the pricey area this time.

And that's another story for another day ... tomorrow.

P.S.: Since this is the 365th rant I have posted, that makes a full year of entries at this blog, even though the blog is much older than that. This blog has received over 8,000 hits, and while that is pretty small, especially compared to other blogs that get 8,000 hits in a nano-second, it is still impressive.

I realize that probably a good percentage of those hits are from me, but I appreciate those that regularly visit the site. I would like some more feedback, but what can you do?

Thanks again.

Francesco Carofiglio si aggiudica il premio Stresa Narrativa 2010

Francesco Carofiglio con «Ritorno nella valle degli angeli» edito da Marsilio ha vinto il Premio Stresa di Narrativa 2010. L’aggiudicazione è avvenuta nei saloni liberty dell’Hotel Regina Palace, dove lo scrittore barese ha strappato la vittoria al fotofinish, grazie all’ultima scheda estratta dall’urna delle votazioni della giuria di 35 lettori, quando le preferenze erano pari a quota 10 sia per Carofiglio che per Marta Morazzoni, autrice di «La nota segreta» pubblicato da Longanesi. Leggermente staccato Tullio Avoledo con «L’anno dei
dodici inverni» edito da Einaudi e Helena Janeczek con «Le rondini di Montecassino» edito da Guanda.

«Sono stato due volte a Stresa, una volta la scorsa estate per presentare il libro e oggi per la premiazione – ha scherzato Carofiglio – ed in entrambe le occasioni mi sono imbattuto in questa pioggia senza sosta, un’occasione per rimanere a lungo a fissare la pioggia dalla finestra». «Anche nel mio romanzo c’è un lago, c’è una valle e le montagne che la circondano e, proprio oggi guardando dalla finestra, pensavo che, forse, nulla accade per caso».
«Io sul mio biglietto da visita scrivo Francesco Carofiglio, fratello di Gianrico» ha ironizzato ancora il vincitore riferendosi al fratello magistrato, scrittore e senatore «sono convinto che la strada comune della scrittura intrapresa da me e mio fratello, pur con stili diversi, sia frutto dell’ambiente in cui siamo cresciuti: una casa con molti libri e dove la scrittura era già presente con mia mamma anche lei scrittrice».
La storia di Vincenzo Lauria, emigrato di successo a New York, nella cui mente riaffiorano i ricordi di infanzia dopo essere tornato nella terra natìa per la morte del padre «non la definirei un’autobiografia ma piuttosto una storia che parla di me».
La giuria dei critici ha anche assegnato una Targa Speciale a Piero Bianucci, giornalista La Stampa e uno dei più noti divulgatori scientifici del nostro tempo, per il suo ultimo libro «Le macchine invisibili». «Ci lega un’amicizia di lunga data, che risale a 35 anni fa, Bianucci è stato anche nella giuria del Premio Stresa» ha ricordato il presidente del concorso Gianfranco Lazzaro. «Il Premio Stresa di Narrativa è un appuntamento importante per la nostra cittadina – ha sottolineato il sindaco Canio Di Milia – è nato per volontà di alcuni letterati nel 1976 per creare un punto di incontro tra gli autori e i lettori, così come le Settimane Musicali rappresentano un legame tra la musica e gli appassionati».
(Di Luca Gemelli su LA Stamp; foto Varesi)