What's with the Pope and funny headgear?

The Alpini or mountain corps are the elite troops of the Italian army - "the few, the proud," etc. They are the ones who are sent in to straighten out dramatic situations, plug holes and rescue people. In Nikolayevka in 1943, they broke a Russian encirclement - I repeat: broke a Russian encirclement, which is not something people normally do. In the disastrous winter of 1917, they stood between Italy and defeat, indeed between the Allies and destruction. Their record is comparatively short (they were only set up in 1873), but it is glittering. I served next to them during my time in the Army, and ended up with genuine respect for their officers, whose integrity and efficiency put all the rest to shame. I have more respect for them than for my own unit.



Therefore, I have been quite delighted with these pictures of the Pope being given an Alpino hat by a little girl.

you couldn't make it up dept no.36: and this guy teaches in a university?

Sorry to bring up a certain abomination once again, but the Italian news agency Ansa reports this as news, dated May 27. Apparently an American university professor was about to marry a researcher from Trento, Italy, when he abruptly broke off the engagement claiming that, after reading THE DA VINCI CODE, he just did not like Catholics any more. The young lady, a devout Catholic, was understandably furious, and is suing him for 170,000 Euros. I understand her anger, but I think she should count her blessings. If the story is genuine, she was in danger of ending up married to someone who took TDVC seriously. The words "fate worse than death" spring to mind.

you couldn't make it up dept no.37: a novel way to sell bread and butter

A Muslim baker and drugstore owner in a Gujarat village called Maliya Myana, who happens to be physically almost the twin of Osama Bin Laden, has changed his name from Hanif Mohammed Sandhwani to Osama Bin Laden. Apparently the presence of "OBL" has become a great joke among the neighbours and done the man's little business no end of good. It probably does not hurt that his home-made bread and butter products are apparently really very good.

The real OBL.... ...and his Gujarati twin.