Word: italian
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...1540s, an Italian doctor named Gabriele Fallopius - the same man who discovered and subsequently named the Fallopian tubes of the female anatomy - wrote about syphilis, advocating the use of layered linen during intercourse for more "adventurous" (read: promiscuous) men. Legendary lover Casanova wrote about his pitfalls with medieval condoms made of dried sheep gut, referring to them as "dead skins" in his memoir. Even so, condoms made of animal intestine - known as "French letters" in England and la capote anglaise (English riding coats) in France - remained popular for centuries, though always expensive and never easy to obtain, meaning the devices...
...rising precipitously, of course, since the middle of the 20th century. Global warming may be a culprit, but simply cutting carbon emissions isn't going to keep the city from drowning. An immense and intricate flood-control system is in the works. Evocatively called MOSES, an acronym for its Italian name, the $5.3 billion project is about half done, but it's not scheduled for completion till 2014. Financing has slowed construction: at one time, Venice had to sell off some of its venerated palazzi to raise money. But, says Rafael Bras, dean of the engineering school at the University...
...Italian gay rights association Arcigay says the Vatican's opposition to the anti-discriminatory measure is "unprecedented," and the citing of gay marriage is an "excuse" to distract people from the real intent of criminalizing gays. One Rome-based priest was disappointed that the Vatican decided to publicize its opposition to what appears a rather innocuous declaration. "When you're always trying to look for new ways to make your point, you lose credibility," says the priest. "Better sometimes to keep quiet...
Such antics are routinely broadcast into millions of Italian homes, many of them tuned to the three biggest private stations, which are owned by Berlusconi himself. For years Italians have debated the potential conflict of interest involved in the prime minister owning so much of Italy's media. But questioning his current influence might miss the point. Berlusconi's most lasting influence might well have been made before he entered politics: namely, the transformation of Italian television from a gray source of information and family programming into a feast of commercial, and often trashy, entertainment. Isola dei Famosi is broadcast...
...explore the ironies further, I turned to Andrea Tesseri, an Italian astrophysicist and longtime fan of Isola dei Famosi. Tesseri doesn't buy the hype. "So we aren't so intolerant. We like to get along. But comparing [Luxuria's victory] to Obama is depressing," Tesseri told me. "Being in the [political?] minority, all we are left with is this...