Profile avatar
alibess.bsky.social
Widow, art history geek, fan of the band Japan/Mick Karn, dog servant, freelance writer/editor, voracious reader, bundle of anxiety, Democrat, Antifa, BLM, LGBTQ+ ally, immigrant 🇺🇸🇳🇱🇮🇹
138 posts 146 followers 123 following
Prolific Poster
Conversation Starter

Starting a re-read of "Brunelleschi's Dome." I first read this nearly 20 years ago, so it'll be fun to revisit. I just (re-)learned that medieval architects would build scale models of their cathedrals. So what? Well sometimes (as at Bologna) those scale models could be 60 feet long!!

The other day while out walking one of the dogs, despite being deeply depressed, I heard What Is Love BLARING from a car somewhere nearby. Damned if I did start bopping my head like the #SNL sketch and ultimately laughing. A brief but welcome respite from darker time. 😄

My pittie knows his commands in Dutch & seemingly in Italian too, despite me rarely using Italian commands with him. I was trying to get my Italian dog, who is oblivious in all languages, to come to me, trying Italian when Dutch didn’t work. She ignored me, he didn’t. Pic is pretty representative.🤦🏼‍♀️

I managed to clean something I’ve been putting off for way too long, because many household chores set off my anxiety. I’m free from work this week & am trying to psych myself up to do a lot of things I’ve been putting off. It’s a day-by-day thing though. Still I’ll take this as a win. #mentalhealth

😢

THIS IS HUGE! Researchers have developed a nasal COVID-19 vaccine that BLOCKS transmission of the virus. This suggests vaccines delivered directly to the nose or mouth could play a CRITICAL role in containing the spread of respiratory infections. Phase I clinical trials HAVE BEEN APPROVED! 🧪🧵⬇️

JFC. I’ve had issues with the AP the last year, but am generally ok with them. I’m glad they’re standing up to him, but the way the administration is ignoring the First Amendment is terrifying.

Not gonna lie, the nightly sound of the glass being dumped in the recycling bin by the restaurant down the street creates bittersweet memories of the wine bar/enoteca my husband and I had in Utrecht. That end of the night sound.

I have spent too much of this week trying to remember the Dutch word for breakfast while out walking the dogs in the morning. I knew the word; I just couldn’t remember it and kept forgetting to look it up until now, because sure. Ontbijt!! How could I forget that with my love of ontbijtkoek?! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Life with Lila #dogs

Dutch dog Charlie was sniffing my sweater that had some knoflooksaus (garlic sauce) spilled at dinner. I was saying, “yes, knoflooksaus via zucchini,” and then had to explain the sauce was on the zucchini, not a reference to the nearby street Via Zucchini here in Bologna. Lost in translation. 🤪

I’ve had the urge to watch UK Being Human recently, particularly season 4 when Hal (Damien Moloney) joins in and I just got to the moment where he’s talking with Annie and say, “Are you somehow drunk?!”, which I’d forgotten about until I heard it and then remembered how much I enjoyed it! 😆 #context

Just getting emotional over the engagement of one of our first and best customers at the wine bar my husband started in Utrecht. A lovely, brilliant, talented, and kind Turkish woman living the international life. I know Giovanni would be happy for her. ❤️🥲

Forget Eames chairs. My chair porn is anything by Rietveld (and I do long for a Barcelona chair and footstool). A previous season of FBI tv series had a pair of Rietveld’s Zigzag chairs. I’m currently watching the movie Promising Young Woman on Netflix and Oh-ed! when I saw a set of red/blue chairs

FBI:Most Wanted is my least favorite of the three because of Dylan McDermott’s overacting. I like him sometimes, but not in this series.

Do you have #LongCovid? Have you gone to therapy since developing Long Covid? We're working with a freelance writer on an article about therapy and people living with Long Covid. We'd love your input. bit.ly/4hdOWuI

Watching this week’s return of FBI tv series. Awkward timing involving planes. 😬 Interestingly the actress playing Bolivian plays Persian on season 2 of The Night Agent.

Former Secretary of Transportation--who was not on The Real World or Road Rules--weighs in on the President's efforts to blame the fatal air traffic accident on DEI.

JFC. The people nominated—and so far getting through — are horrifying! Each one makes me literally recoil in disgust and disbelief.

If the right is going to go on about diversity hires 🙄😡 can I at least mention that some of the notable events so far — helicopter/plane, New Orleans, cybertruck explosion — all involved military directly or indirectly? Maybe more help for military/vets? I’m not talking conspiracy theory, promise.

Dalis Car, the story of Mick Karn and Peter Murphy en.apoplife.nl/dalis-car-th...

Oh wow he was defrocked for this.

We say that people don't notice constitutional regime collapse because it comes on too slowly but I'm not sure how much faster it could be happening; we are literally at concentration camps on day 9.

Yes it does. The FAA was already understaffed and often working with outdated equipment.

I’m incredibly thrilled to share that my new track ‘cosa rara’ featuring @davidsylvian.bsky.social is out today! And you can pre-order the 7” or listen with this link: lnk.to/rvngnl118-7

Oh, I immediately know this! It’s the doors to the cathedral in Utrecht from the cloister garden. That was my happy place. I miss it so much! ❤️🤍 #utrecht #architecture

I cry, you cry, that’s the deal. Thank you, Reverend Budde. ❤️

This is a master doc of LA resources for both people who have lost and people who want to help. I haven’t vetted it myself, but it was suggested by someone I trust. docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Timoclea of Thebes throws man who raped her down a well. She next hurled in heavy stones until he was dead. Painted in 1659 by Elisabetta Sirani of Bologna, who had a thing for assertive heroines.

Che bello! 😍 È bellissimo!!! 🥰 #dogs

Thank you to @richardbarbieri.bsky.social for this wonderful song & all of you for performing it so well. I got to it because of my love of Japan. I’m sorry I didn’t get to share it with my late husband who was a Porcupine Tree fan in his last year. It’s always a joy. youtube.com/watch?v=rzt7...