from the department of "eating bologna in Bologna"

I lived in Italy for a short time in the mid-1970s. Some things changed, some things remained the same. Shops still close from 1300 to 1500 or 1530 every day...the food is still wonderful at the sidewalk caffes. Something different. Street beggars are now ubiquitous. They aren't Italian, most appear to be from Africa, immigrants of one stripe or another. I was physically assaulted by three women asking for alms, and had to be rescued by passers-by. One woman had hold of my jacket and would not let me go. I literally lifted her off the ground, yelling, "Leave me alone!" An Italian woman came up to us after and apologised fervently for the problem. I appreciated that. Ready to go to the Marconi Museum, and then to dinner with the other editors and the Emerson crew. I am wondering what will be different between the press conference at Emerson Exchange last year, and this one.