Attention all Woman

WASHINGTON (CNN)

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy is under heavy fire from a state chapter of the National Organization for Women for his decision to back Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton.In a sharply critical statement, the New York state chapter of NOW took aim at Kennedy Monday for what it called an "ultimate betrayal," and suggested the Massachusetts Democrat "can't or won't" handle the idea of Clinton becoming President of the United States."Sen. Kennedy’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic presidential primary campaign has really hit women hard," said the statement. "Women have forgiven Kennedy, stuck up for him, stood by him, hushed the fact that he was late in his support of Title IX, the ERA, the Family Leave and Medical Act to name a few.""And now the greatest betrayal! We are repaid with his abandonment!" the statement continues. "He’s picked the new guy over us. He’s joined the list of progressive white men who can’t or won’t handle the prospect of a woman president who is Hillary Clinton."After months on the sidelines, Kennedy formally endorsed Obama Monday during a speech at American University, despite reported pleas from the Clinton campaign that he remain neutral. He hailed the Illinois senator for his potential to be a “president who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American dream."Kennedy also praised Clinton and John Edwards in his speech, saying that “whoever is our nominee will have my enthusiastic support."But the NOW state chapter suggested Monday Kennedy's decision was a larger representation of society’s ongoing disrespect for women's rights."This latest move by Kennedy is so telling about the status of and respect for women’s rights, women’s voices, women’s equality, women’s authority and our ability – indeed, our obligation — to promote and earn and deserve and elect, unabashedly, a president that is the first woman after centuries of men who ‘know what’s best for us.’”Meanwhile, the national chapter of NOW sought to distance itself from the state chapter’s comments, issuing a statement Monday evening that praised Kennedy's record with respect to women's rights."Though the National Organization for Women Political Action Committee has proudly endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton for president, we respect Sen. Kennedy's endorsement," NOW President Kim Gandy said. "We continue to encourage women everywhere to express their opinions and exercise their right to vote."Kennedy's office has not returned CNN's request for comment.

SPREAD THE WORD--WOMEN FOR HILLARY--YOU CAN MAKE HISTORY!!!

To the extent the media is all but ignoring the fact that millions of Florida Democrats are casting ballots today as well as the GOP, the DNC has failed us all by allowing once again the spotlight to be on the Republicans NOT the Democrats. Michigan of course faced the same fate just last week. Senator Clinton took 57% of Michigan's Democratic vote. Did you hear of that "Land slide" victory? NO. The media once again has been unfair to the Clinton campaign. Having said that, if you live in Florida, PLEASE VOTE TODAY!!!

SPREAD THE WORD--WOMEN FOR HILLARY--YOU CAN MAKE HISTORY!!!

Last but not least...

The law 493/99 rules domestic work with an assurance for all Housewives whom work is recognized by article 6 of the Chapter III: " Lo Stato riconosce e tutela il lavoro svolto in ambito domestico, affermandone il valore sociale ed economico connesso agli indiscutibili vantaggi che da tale attività trae l'intera collettività. A tale fine, il presente capo introduce misure finalizzate alla tutela dal rischio infortunistico per invalidità permanente derivante dal lavoro svolto in ambito domestico" ; "the italian state recognize and protect domestic work, saying it is of a high social and economic value for the entire society. Therefore with this law is introduced an obbligatory assurance for all housewives [...]".

But it is of today the news, but we italian women known this well, that the labour market is not easy, we are on the 29 place in the european women in labour ranking, this is the considerations of the Director of the Censis (Centro Studi Investimenti Sociali- Italian Investment Research Center) who proposes some recipes as more services to families as Kindergartens or assistance to old people, but not to women only!, more collaboration in families between men and women and to do so no economic reliefs to families because it will be detriment for women who will be not stimulate to work.

Good words I say but the reality is that just few days ago I couldn't get a work because I'm a women and I may stay pregnant, It's a reality that in factories don't exist kindergardens, that a woman have to work twice from morning to night and It's good to increase the collaboration between men and women but it's not increasing the age for the pension as the same level of men that we create equality; I think that improvements must be done thinking to the differences and recognizing them not amalgamating all always under a male point of view.

And, last but not least, I want to remind to this guy who afferm: "Finchè questo non avverrà l'Italia rimarrà un paese da terzo mondo"; "Untill this (all the points viewed upon) will be not create Italy will rest as an african state", taht in Africa there are more women in parlament than in our democratic and healthy (?) Italy.

Gaspara Stampa

Gaspara Stampa was born in Padua in 1525, in a middle class family. At the death of her father, Bartolomeo, her family moved to Venice in 1531. There, she got in touch with some academical societies which bring her few important knowledge of that time; joined Petrarc current wrote some poems and rhymes considered the most well done and sensual writings of the italian women letterature.

Few times after the moving in Venice her brother Baldassarre, a good intellectual too, died and this event impressed  her  and her sister Cassandra, who attended the most important authorities of the venetian society too, very much.

Her personal life, or better her personal way of life, definied "libertine" has always divide the historical to consider her or not as a courtesan, inscribed in the venetian catalogue in which courtesans of high and raffinate education were inscribed with the relative prize but there weren't such tests, as for example Veronica Franco, an other italian writer of that same period.

Her sentimental life was of inspiration, she felt in love with an important aristocratic called Collaltino di Collalto who reciprocated her love in a very surface way after his abandonment, her heart become shaken and choose to think about a new flame: Bartolomeo Zen.

Her artistic expression is tracked in "The Rhymes" (Rime) a huge volume of her works (311 compositions) but she was also a good singer and musician.

She died  in Venice in 1554 for an intestinal fever, and her work "The Rhymes" was published by her sister Cassandra.

This poem is an example of her talent:

S'avien ch'un giorno Amor a me mi renda,e mi ritolga a questo empio signore;di che paventa e non vorrebbe, il core,tal gioia del penar suo par che prenda;voi chiamerete invan la mia stupendafede, e l'immenso e smisurato amore,di vostra crudeltà, di vostro erroretardi pentite, ove non è chi intenda.Ed io cantando la mia libertade,da così duri lacci e crudi sciolta,passerò lieta a la futura etade.E, se giusto pregar in ciel s'ascolta,vedrò forse anco in man di crudeltadela vita vostra a mia vendetta involta.

"Rime d'amore" ,IX, Gaspara Stampa

Her malaise for her lover duke Collaltino di Collalto, who had never time for her, probably inspired this poem full of passion and pain:

Se voi non foste a maggior cose vòlto,onde 'l vostro splendor, Venier, sormonte,avendo sì gran stil, rime sì pronte,e de' lacci d'Amore essendo sciolto,vi pregherei che 'l valor e 'l bel voltoe l'altre grazie del mio chiaro contea la futura età faceste cònte,poi che 'l poterlo fare a me è tolto;e faceste ancor cònto il foco mioe la mia fede oltra ogni fede ardente,degna d'eterna vita, e non d'oblio.Ma, poi degno rispetto nol consente,vedrò, tal qual io sono, adombrarn'iouna minima parte solamente.

Rime, CCLII, Gaspara Stampa

Gabriela Mistral

Today, in 1957, died in New York a great poet, first latin american woman to win the Nobel Prize for Litterature in 1945, she was Gabriela Mistral, born Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga in Vicuña, Chile, in 1889.

Her works show a very intimate themes of sorrow, maternity, death and love, themes that she knew trough her life when her first love lost life, when her beloved mother died, when her nephew also had suicide. She had a great life in satisfactions but also in misfortunes.

In her life she was a teacher and in her job among her students had, as a pupil, Pablo Neruda who encouraged to write.

She is known to be a poet, a teacher and a feminist, here is a little poem from Tala (Destruction) , her first book dedicated to her mother died in the meanwhile she wrote this work and from Desolaciòn.

TODAS íBAMOS A SER REINAS

"En la tierra seremos reinas,
y de verídico reinar, y siendo grandes nuestros
reinos, llegaremeos todas al mar."

from "Tala";

LA MUJER ESTERIL

La mujer que no mece un hijo en el regazo,(cuyo calor y aroma alcance a sus entrañas),tiene una laxitud de mundo entre los brazos;todo su corazón congoja inmensa baña.

El lirio le recuerda unas sienes de infante;el Angelus le pide otra boca con ruego;e interroga la fuente de seno de diamantepor qué su labio quiebra el cristal en sosiego.

Y al contemplar sus ojos se acuerda de la azada;piensa que en los de un hijo no mirará extasiada,al vaciarse sus ojos, los follajes de octubre.

Con doble temblor oye el viento en los cipreses.¡Y una mendiga grávida, cuyo seno florececual la parva de enero, de vergüenza la cubre!

from "Desolación" .

The Befana day

In Italy, on 6th January is the "Befana day", Befana is the name of a witch which brings sweet and candy to good children and coal (made of sugar) to bad ones in a socks on the fireplace. Originally this was a pagan rite which in some forms is still found nowadays in local and traditional manifestations held in some regions of Italy in which a witch puppet is burned to represent the archaic pagan meaning of the old that rebirth; the old woman in fact is the old past year and gifts are a well wishes for the new year coming.

The legend says that the old woman met the Re Magi "Three Kings" which invited her to joint the trip to Betlem to adore Jesus but she refused and the morning after she would reach them but can't found the Little Baby Jesus, so from that time she brings gifts to children all over the world hoping one of them could be Jesus and so to be forgive.

Catholicism just in III century a.C. commemorate the divine Jesus manifestations, such as miracles, on the 6th of January with the greek word of Epifania, meaning "divine manifestation" which is the alternative name of the "Befana day" also nowadays.
Emperor Costantino in IV century wanted to eradicate the pagan Sun holiday, on the 25th december, so decided to move the holiday for the birth of Jesus anticipating that day from the 6th Jannuary to 25th December, and on 6th January putted the visit of the Three Kings adoring Baby Jesus.

The Befana represent for me an alternative to Santa Claus, who needs reindeers and elfs, because she is indipendent, she is very active, and give an alternative use of the broom! ;) a good example for all also for Santa and his waist!.
There is a Befana/witch in every woman, so I don't complain when on 6th January people say to me: "Good Befana!"... Perhaps because of the italian feminist slogan of the 60's: "tremble tremble, witches are back!!!"