The Further Adventures of Capt. Eddie

Celebration of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene in La Maddalena, Italy (video)

July 4, 2019June 18, 2020 - by The Captain

The feast of St. Mary Magdalene (Santa Maria Maddalena) on July 22nd is a big deal here in La Maddalena. She is the patron saint of the city and the island, and the church here is dedicated to her as well. So when her feast day rolls around, the locals, tourists, and dignitaries all turn out for a celebration.

Here’s a video from last year’s celebration (2018). It contains everything from prayers to fireworks to …

Random Thoughts

Three Mile Island: Some Anecdotes — and a Question — on the 40th Anniversary

March 28, 2019September 19, 2019 - by The Captain

March 28th will always hold a special place in my life. It is the date of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. This year — March 28, 2019 — is the 40th anniversary of the accident.

It holds a special place for me because I was there. I was a resident of Middletown, Pennsylvania, where the plant is located, so I felt all of the emotions that you feel when you don’t know if you’re …

Bitcoin and Blockchain / Random Thoughts

Free Money with Bitcoin Faucets

February 2, 2019September 19, 2019 - by The Captain

Yes, it really is true. You can get money for nothing.

Well, for almost nothing. You generally have to perform some task: click a button, view an ad, visit a website, complete a survey. Sometimes it’s an enjoyable task, like playing an online game. Often it requires just a few seconds every hour or so.

The amount of money you get is tiny — generally fractions of a cent at a time — although there …

Bitcoin and Blockchain / Random Thoughts

Lightning Strikes Bitcoin

January 21, 2019September 19, 2019 - by The Captain

I have been following Bitcoin for a number of years now — since it was below $1,000, which is ancient history as far as Bitcoin is concerned. I haven’t “invested” in any Bitcoin, because I don’t feel as though Bitcoin is an investment at all — unless, of course, you think a lottery ticket is also an “investment.” (I do own a little Bitcoin, however, which is fodder for another post…)

But Bitcoin, to …

Funny Stuff / Quotations from Captain Eddie / Random Thoughts

Quotations from Captain Eddie

September 30, 2018September 19, 2019 - by The Captain

Check out some of Captain Eddie’s words of wisdom. Chairman Mao had his little red book, Captain Eddie has a blog page. Much easier and cheaper to maintain….

Adventures in Italian-ness / Italian Citizenship / Living in Italy

Fun at the Farmacia (Life in Italy)

September 20, 2018September 19, 2019 - by The Captain - 6 Comments.

You may or may not know that in 2012 I had a minor heart attack, caused by a blocked coronary artery. My cardiologist cleared the artery and inserted a stent, and I’ve been in good shape ever since. But he also put me on some daily medication: three different prescription drugs, plus a baby aspirin, every day.

As we were planning our move to Italy, I had to give some consideration to making sure I …

Endless Journey Travel Archive / Italy / Living in Italy

Using a U.S. Credit Card in Italy, Even When They Don’t Want You To…

September 15, 2018June 18, 2020 - by The Captain - 2 Comments.

Assuming you have notified your credit card company ahead of time that you’ll be traveling or living outside of the United States, using your U.S.-issued credit cards in Italy should not be a problem. They are “every place you want to be,” as the advertising slogan goes. Restaurants, grocery stores, tourist shops — pretty much every business around accepts credit cards, and the country where those cards were issued is basically irrelevant.

There are situations, …