life travel 

The Strays of Rome and Pompeii [gallery]

When I visited Italy in March 2011, one of the wonderful things I noticed is that the strays are well cared for, especially in ruin areas, where they run free and happy. It only makes sense that I found these refuges, being an animal lover myself.   The first of these areas I visited was Largo di Torre Argentina, or the Area Sacra. These stray cats, under the protection of Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, are in essence protectors for the ruins and the place where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by the senators…

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life travel 

Happy Birthday, Henry Rollins!

In honor of the birthday of my favorite “aging alternative icon”, Henry Rollins, I present you with some of his best quotes that have spoken to me over the years. If you haven’t read any of his books or experienced his spoken word shows, either live or recorded on CD, I suggest you check him out. He is amazing and speaks with total honesty and candor – Raw and unfiltered. From books like “See a Grown Man Cry, Now Watch Him Die” to “Solopsist” and everything else before and after…

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life travel 

Napoli: Day Trip with a Side of Gigolo

When you are in Rome and need to get around town fast, you learn to do as the Romans do – you buy a bus pass. I was a nervous wreck when I first started riding the buses in Rome; I never rode buses or the mass transit at home. I went to the nearest tabbachi (tobacco shop) and purchased my 7-day bigliettio (ticket) to ride. Surprisingly enough, I picked up on the routes fairly quickly. My favorite activity was to take the bus to either the southern or northern…

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