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“In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons … who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” No, that’s not a quote from a conspiracy theorist. Nor does its vaguely sinister overtone belong to someone like Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s vile minister of propaganda. Ironically, it’s a quote from Edward Bernays, the brilliant 20th-century American credited as the father of …

On any given day, the most commonly talked about activity is where one is going. We make plans, we go, we return, we talk about our activities along the way, and then we talk about where we went once again at the end of the day! To talk about where one has to go on a certain day seems easy at first. We learn about the Italian verb “to go,” which is andare, in every beginning course in Italian.  The Italian verb andare is a bit tricky to use, though, so let’s go through a few pointers. The first thing …

The Chicago Catholic has been reporting a lot lately that the Chicago Archdiocese is going through many changes, and we know that it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future due to the ever-changing demographics of Chicago and its suburbs. Parishes are being closed or consolidated a couple of times a year, sparking valiant rescue efforts by the affected parishioners. Roseland’s St. Anthony of Padua Parish has not been affected or mentioned in these announcements. Many Roselandites have wondered whether our St. Anthony’s has closed. These are usually former residents who haven’t been back to Roseland in 40 …

Has your property been on the market for what seems like forever? Many different factors can keep a home from selling, not the least of them being the asking price. More often than not, though, there are one or two reasons that your home is still on the market. Does your property have gorgeous hardwood floors that have been covered by that old pink carpet for 30 years? Remember in this business first impressions means everything! If a potential buyer does not like what they see in the photos, they will never come visit your home in person. My suggestion …

The Fed lowered rates three times the second half of 2019 trying to avert a potential slowdown in the economy. So far, they’ve done a good job. At the end of 2019, the unemployment rate stood at 3.5 percent and all three equity indices stood at near or all-time highs. Mortgage rates stood at near historic lows with the 30-year at 3.5 to 3.875, the 20-year at 3.375 to 3.750 and the 15-year at 3.125 to 3.375. Where are mortgage rates headed from here? According to economists from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, mortgage rates should slightly trend down in …

Talking about the concept of email in Italian is tricky.  For one thing, the word “email” is an English abbreviation for “electronic mail,” and this abbreviation is not easily translated into Italian. For another thing, the way English speakers and Italians talk about email has evolved with each technological advancement in communication, and will probably continue to change in the future.  We may find that the terms we use in this blog today have been abandoned for different terms tomorrow! But, let’s try anyway to talk about email the way Italians do — at least for now and hopefully into the …

One of the downsides of selling an investment property is the capital gains tax that the IRS requires you to pay. But the IRS also provides you with an out know as the 1031 exchange. This method allows you to defer capital gains tax liability when selling an investment property by purchasing another like-kind property with the profit gained by the sale of the first. There are guidelines that must be followed and conditions that must be met in order to qualify, and that process starts with filling out the necessary paperwork providing information about the properties you’re looking to …

When we were in our 20s, it was a whole different ballgame. Way back then, we couldn’t possibly have predicted what our life would be like as we enter this new decade of the 2020s. We’re all aware that the Roseland we grew up in has changed dramatically over time and some of us former Roseland residents have taken daytime trips to today’s Roseland to see just how much change time has wrought. Many of the houses we grew up in have had their date with the wrecking ball. Some fell apart sooner rather than later for lack of tender …

In my mother’s hometown in Italy, people don’t ask, “What is your name?” Rather, they ask, “To whom do you belong?” You answer with the family name, actually most of the time with the nickname by which your family is known in town. The importance of belonging to a family, to a community, comes before one’s own individuality. The community shares the same values, customs, traditions and dialect, as well as hopes, beliefs and expectations. Italians who left Italy and came to this country have maintained many of those values and traditions. The fourth- and fifth-generations Italian-Americans of today are …

Nowadays, there are as many ways to tour Italy as there are cities to visit and sights to see. You can travel with a companion, charting your own course and booking everything yourself, or you can sign up for a large-group tour that takes you by the hand and attends to every detail. And then there are the countless small-group options dedicated to exploring the country’s many facets and out-of-the-way places. When my wife and I decided to celebrate our 35th anniversary in Italy, we invited my family along for the ride. From that tiny seed a truly magical adventure …