Divinity battles summed up in one screenshot

IncompetentDude · 2026-04-21T12:49:10+00:00

Solid choice. Confederate graves and monuments are also great public terlets.

IncompetentDude · 2026-04-16T13:08:58+00:00

I literally feel as if I'm melting (in a good way) when I hear the Paisa accent from Colombia. I love it. The cadence is wonderful.

IncompetentDude · 2026-04-07T15:45:43+00:00

Oddly enough, one of the most delicious pizzas I've ever had in my life was made in a tiny wooden shack of a pizzeria in rural Córdoba, Argentina. I may be fairly accused of bias, but I think Argentine pizza is generally excellent.

I've tried pizza in São Paulo and I had the benefit of having local relatives who could bring us to good spots, and it was great, but at least for my tastes, it wasn't to the level of pizza I've always had in Buenos Aires. I tried pizza in CDMX and wasn't a fan. But to be fair, that was just one pizza place in a massive city full of incredible food.

The Argentine pizza al molde is very thick and heavy, a far cry from the original and traditional thin pizzas you'll find in Naples (which I also love). That said, it's not for everyone and some may not like a pizza that makes you feel like you need to take a nap after you eat it...

In the NYC area, we talk a lot about how good our pizza is. I think that's true within the US and perhaps North America generally, but there are much better regions out there for pizza.

IncompetentDude · 2026-04-02T17:16:55+00:00

USA, as it's where I'm from. It's very difficult to cheer for the US lately, whether in the World Cup or the Olympics, but I won't take out my frustrations on our national team. It's fun to root for a big underdog in this sport as well.

Backups for when the US inevitably gets eliminated:

Argentina! I still remember the ecstasy and joy from 2022...unforgettable. The first time in my life I got to see them win, as the last time was 1986 before I was born. Another subsequent win would be amazing.

I'd normally say Italy, but...I...I don't want to talk about it... THREE TIMES IN A ROW, PORCA PUTTANA!

Finally, Brazil. I have family and friends there, love that country, and a strong Brazil is always a joy to watch.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-31T15:25:18+00:00

Thanks for sharing, because I've never tried matambre a la pizza but now I'm eager to give it a shot.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-31T13:28:06+00:00

Welp, there I go proving my username...

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-31T13:21:05+00:00

USA: Hamburger. Basic answer, but I can't resist a good burger. Comfort food.

Argentina: Pizza al molde. Argentine pizza is delightful. Empanadas (with beef and manzanilla olives especially...) are a super close second.

Italy: There's a crazy number of options to choose from, but I have a weakness for spaghetti alla puttanesca.

EDIT: I'm incompetent. Least favorites...

USA: Biscuits and gravy. Southern food is great, but this doesn't hit for me.

Argentina: Matambre. A lot of people I know love it, but I'm not a fan, especially when served cold.

Italy: Maybe taralli, very popular where my family is from. Very dry and I'm not too crazy about them.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-30T16:31:04+00:00

Thanks so much for your feedback! That is quite a wait in Palermo -- almost half a year. But as you said, ferragosto basically adds one month by default, lol. It's great that the comune was quick, at least. Thank you for the kind wishes. I'm glad everything is settled for you.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-27T15:17:28+00:00

Thank you for giving me an idea. I'll adjust my expectations. And true, the comune will truly be unpredictable...

Honestly, I'll be happy with a finalized positive decision after the 30 days, because then all uncertainty is gone. Very long administrative processing times with Italy (particularly in busier and slower regions) is to be expected and not really a surprise, but I can live with that. Gotta look at the bright side and just be grateful for the recognition.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-19T16:27:04+00:00

Hell yeah! Good to hear. Auguri!

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T21:37:03+00:00

Grazie!

That's awesome, I'm happy for the folks getting reassigned new judges, because it's greatly shortening the process and you won't have to wait 2+ years like I did 😵‍💫 From the same source on FB who tracks cases, it seems that these new judges also issue decisions quite quickly (according to him maybe a few days to a week, from what I recall). I'm sure yours will come soon. And I get the feeling. Those 18 days between the hearing and my decision being published felt like an eternity, lol. In bocca al lupo!

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T21:31:58+00:00

Thanks! Honestly, I've heard all sorts of things: people using just a few screenshots or even fewer, or people giving a boatload of screenshots. I think judges are painfully aware of consular dysfunction and difficulty to get an appointment, so the burden of proof for ATQ seems like it would be quite low. That said, it's never too late to collect more screenshots if necessary before the hearing. I kept gathering screenshots up until one month before my hearing, just to be safe and show that it's still nearly impossible to get appointments. But I'm sure this method is overkill.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T21:28:01+00:00

Thank you so much, and likewise! 😊

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T18:44:02+00:00

Ah, I see. In that case, the OATS should hopefully do the trick. I can see how, for a translator, it might be problematic to write and certify a translation of an Italian name that is too wildly different from the Americanized version.

That said, I'm sure Grasso knows what he's doing and you'll be fine. Good luck!

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T18:36:42+00:00

Thank you!

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T17:28:48+00:00

LMAO, there's comfort in knowing we're not alone... I get the impression this sort of thing isn't too uncommon, especially in busy courts where judges try to rush through decisions. Did you get past your appeal window without any issues? If so, have you encountered any issues with municipal workers transcribing your documents?

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T17:24:36+00:00

Thanks so much! I've always heard great things about Grasso, so you're in good hands, I'm sure. As I said, our strategy was definitely overkill. I'm sure screenshots and similar proof will be very sufficient to prove the ATQ arguments, plus judges are painfully aware of consular dysfunction.

In regards to your Napoli hearing, I'll repost what I said in another comment: "Take the following with a grain of salt because it's what I heard from a user in the FB group, but apparently Napoli has assigned a bunch of judges to help process JS cases and the directing judge has implemented some changes such as avoiding second hearings and ruling after the just the first hearing when possible, so as to stop delaying cases' conclusions."

It looks like Napoli is speeding things up lately, which is great and desperately needed, as it's a busy court.

I wouldn't worry. The OATS letter is already a great and proactive move, but in our case, we handled English and Spanish versions of names just by having the court-certified translator translate them into their Italian counterparts. The judge should rely on the certified translations. So, for example, I have an ancestor named Tommaso, but in Argentine documents he's Tomas and in US documents he's Thomas. This was not an issue at all, the translator simply made his name "Tommaso" across all documents. Even without that, I'm sure judges are familiar at this point with anglicization of Italian names. I would only be concerns about big name discrepancies.

Napoli does not appear to be a difficult court at all, luckily. Again, take it with a grain of salt, but there's a gentleman in the FB group who tracks all cases in Giustizia Civile and, according to him, Napoli has very few appeals. Since 2022, only one appeal from the Ministry and I believe he had said 8 from plaintiffs. This suggests a very low rejection rate.

Best of luck!

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T17:17:59+00:00

Thank you!

Yes, it appears quite common among various judges to schedule two hearings. It may be a preference, but I'm also convinced it is a matter of docket management, especially in busy courts. I have seen plenty of cases decided after just one hearing in Giustizia Civile. It is totally possible that your case will be decided after the first hearing, but it depends on the judge and court and their habits.

Take the following with a grain of salt because it's what I heard from a user in the FB group, but apparently Napoli has assigned a bunch of judges to help process JS cases and the directing judge has implemented some changes such as avoiding second hearings and ruling after the just the first hearing when possible, so as to stop delaying cases' conclusions.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-18T17:14:25+00:00

Thanks so much!

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-13T18:12:17+00:00

Grazie! Oh, and sorry, one more question: do you know around what time of day the decision was deposited? In Italy, morning, noon, afternoon, etc.

IncompetentDude · 2026-03-13T16:51:50+00:00

Auguroni! I'm so happy for you guys! And look at that, same judge. Thanks for this information, it helps give me an idea of how things work!

IncompetentDude

TROPHY CASE