Pompeii Revamped

I read an article a few months back regarding a recent initiative for the archaeological site at Pompeii, requiring them to make the site more open to the public to draw more tourists. When I last visited the site, there was not much for us to do but wander the streets and take photographs. Many of the homes were closed, and we could only peer into the gates to see where the doomed redsidents used to live.
But in recent months, Pompeii had really stepped up in their tourism activities and I must say I am very impressed. They opened a bike route through the site, and they will soon opena new visitors center.
But most recently, they're hosting this special senses tour of teh final moments in the city, and I wish I was there to experience it.
Here's the article for more information:
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/news/pompeii-house-offers-sensory-reconstruction-eruption

Read It

So I recently finished reading The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, a non-fiction novel about the series of murders that took place in Florence starting in the 1960s. It's a great read, and a fast read (despite the 300 plus pages it took less than a week to zip through).

Why I loved it? It was well written, first, and the way Preston spun the tale, it was more of a suspense novel. I had to constantly remind myself thatn this actually did happen, just the way it was written. It brought fear into me as I thought about my future trip to Florence in April, which then caused me to remiond myself that this happened years ago. (They never cuaght the monster however).

The beginning caught my attention because of the tales of the murders, but what made the second half even better was the corruptness of the Italian judiciary system. Cops in the region can start an investigation based off a radical blog accusing a dead cult for the murders (which happens all the time in Dan Brown Novels). They can also kick start an investigation based mainly on one cop's undying hatred for a journalist, with which fuels the cop's need to see the innocent behind bars. Criticism of an investigation, as in the case of the book, is almost fearful because of what the police would do.

It made me angry to think that these journalists had to deal with this. In the United States, a journalist accused of assisting in a murder case becuase of his critical articles of the investigation would be shot down almost immediately by the American Journalist Association, along with other organizations designed to protect the freedom of the press. But in Italy, the police force has a higher power, and journalists find themselves in constant fear of losing their job or worse for simply writing the facts.

I respect Mario Spezi tremendously for his work, especially for not backing down when he was arrested for fabricating evidence and tampering with a police investigation. As a journalist, I know it can be difficult to write articles that are negative, but it's part of the job. We are watch dogs, and our purpose is to make sure the public knows about everythign going on in thier world, no matter how small or large of a town they live in. We keep up with the events and discussions that happen throghout the government to be sure the public knows what's going on, and knows that everything is done fairly and in their best interest (which never happens).

So that's my two cents for the day. I highly recommend the book to anyone, especially journalists, looking for a good read and a different one. If you are venturing to Florence, however, maybe wait until after your trip to read it. Although you really only need to worry about "Il Monstro" if you are having sex in a car in countryside.

For more information, go to the author's website:

http://www.mosterofflorence.co.uk/

Food Network Adventures

So remember that great show we know and love as Double Dare? Or Family Double Dare? It was the show of my childhood. Every kid ages five to twelve wanted nothing more than to run through a giant ear to grab a flag or slide down an ooze-covered slide into a pit of pudding, but more than anything else, they wanted to be SLIMED.

Alas, times change, and even though Retro TV will air early episodes of our childhood gameshow, the studio is gone, and those dreams are only just a memory.

Now remember the host, Marc Sommers, the personable and witty yougn man with a rumored OCD problem that could shock and awe?

Well, I met him! Yup, I met Marc Sommers this past weekend while helping out at a shooting of the new Food Network show Restaurant: Impossible. Sommers is the executive producer, while the famous Robert Irvine is the show's host.

So dear Charles Shaunessy of the 90's TV show The Nanny, you are no longer the most famous person I've ever met.

So let's recap, how did I meet these two television celebs? I took a chance.

My school's career center sent out an e-mail a few weeks back advertising a need for volunteers for this show. It was unpaid, but when I saw "Food Network" in the description, I felt this could be a good opportunity to meet people in my field and to network a bit.

So I placed the call. Originally, they only had spots left for extras, which sounded less appealing than the nothing I had planned for that weekend. I said thanks, gave the contact my phone number, and hung up with disappointment.

Then, the Wednesday before the shoot, I got a call saying they needed more volunteers. My job would be simple: be the bitch, and do whatever I was told. Easy.

On the day of the shoot, I got up early (5:00 a.m. to be exact), showered, and hopped into my car. I had to be in Providence at 7:00 a.m., so I stayed at a friend's house that night to get teh most sleep possible, even though we stayed up until about 3:00 a.m. I had a minor mishap with my GPS, which resulted in my purchase of a map of Providence.

I showed up late (7:30 a.m.) and jumped right into work. I won't go into too much detail, but it was tiring. I ahd to lay out hundreds of ceiling tiles to later repaint, touched up on wall painting, cleaned the floors of teh restaurant, and cut the worst paper table cloths anyone could ever see.

I even gave attitude to Irvine a little, when he kept refusing to deal with my issue, and when he told me the paper looked like crap, I told him to try to cut a hundred tablecloths with a heavy roll of paper, an incline on the table, and wind. Later he said I was tough for doing that. Respect, thank you very much.

By the end of the day I was exhausted. It was so hot and sunny that I drank five giant waterbottles and didn't pee once. I'm pretty sure I burned too because my skin was a pinky color the next few days after.

But I did what I went to do, and I think I did it well. I met the camera crew, shot the shit with them, and got to see what they do at a reality TV show. It was fun, and despite the fact I fell asleep at 8:00 p.m. that night, it was worth it.