robwit.net

The same week the exhibition containing paper scrolls from Blue Company opened, Vika sends me the URL of this e-mail novel, Daughters of Freya. Mystery! Sex! Attractive price point! ($7.49 US; $9.99 Canadian) Good for them! Looks interesting.

I'm fascinated by sea-changes in demographics in our time . . .like the phenomenon of "mammoni" (mama's boys) in Italy --- an increase to nearly a third of men under 35 who prefer to live at home in the care of their mothers rather than move out and form permanent relationships.

According to one source, in Italy "Interference by mothers in their sons’ relationships causes 36% of breakups, compared to 25% in Germany and 18% in France."

Very low birthrates have Italian officials worried.

Another little tidbit was added to this social portrait the other morning in a National Public Radio report by Sylvia Poggioli in which she cited figures that Italian men are much less likely than their northern European or North American counterparts to help with household tasks and child care, and that this was contributing to the unwillingness of Italian women to have children.

Yeeesh!

Well, I guess I'm actually back.

Here's Our Story So Far . . . what's been happening while I've been Oh You Tea OUT of commission.

Allen amazingly has kept up his relationship --- long distance and all --- with Liselot . . . even after the embarrasing incident you can read below in these pages, They're flying cross country every couple of weeks to see each other. You never can tell!

'wordsman and Beverly are finishing up an intense creative retreat in the desert of the American Southwest. 'wordsman sent me a paper letter through surface mail, covered with drawings and raving about the music he and Beverly are writing. We'll hear it when they return.

Me? I'm teaching and making scrolls . . . 3 to 5 meter tall printed versions of messages from my novel in e-mail Blue Company.

And devising new versions of my personal mark the two tragedy masks.

Don't worry!

Just a few more days of rest and I'm going to be just *cough*

*cough* *cough* *cough*

*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*

Hokey, smokes, Bullwinkle! This *cough* *cough* this cold has turned into bronc *cough* bronc *cough* broncough *cough*

bronc *cough* *cough*

bronchitis!

*cough*

But I'm back and ready to pick up the story of my blough *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*

*cough**cough**cough**cough**cough**cough**cough*