Libertà di espressione

Siamo nel 2010, e credo che siamo tutti d’accordo su questo. C’è internet, ed anche su questo credo che possiamo essere d’accordo. Poi c’è la banda larga (beh, in Italia forse non tutti sono d’accordo), i giornali online, i siti internet di informazione alternativa e non. Poi ci sono i giornali stranieri, di carta… e non!

Poi ci sono 600 e passa pirla che nel 2010 pensano ancora che informare significhi leggere i giornali cartacei. E sono tutti seduti in parlamento. Quello italiano, oltretutto! Alcuni di loro dicono “voglio scoprire chi mi ha pagato la casa!”, altri invece parlano di toghe rosse, magistratura politicizzata e intercettazioni a strascico. Molti sono lì perché nominati (facciamo tutti?), molti per aver fatto qualche favore, altri per averne da fare. E votano. E decidono, con le leggi che votano, come lo stato Italiano interpreta fatti e azioni.

C’è una cosa che mi chiedo: ma questi 600 pirla sono tutti degli uomini senza palle? Oddio, alcuni di loro ogni tanto votano contro. Ma tante volte sembra che lo facciano più perché sono seduti “all’opposizione”1 che non perché sentono che il loro “No” rappresenta un ideale, un modo di vedere le cose diverso da chi invece preme “Si”. E te ne rendi conto quando chiedi “perché No?”. O, molto peggio, quando chiedi “fammi una proposta alternativa” e ti ritrovi davanti il buio cosmico.2

E poi si vota una legge che vieta ai giornali di pubblicare le intercettazioni. Una legge che multa chi pubblica intercettazioni. Una legge che blocca i magistrati dal fare intercettazioni. Una legge che toglie ai magistrati un caso se parlano del caso. E così, non si potrà sapere più niente. O forse no?

Pare che più del 70% della popolazione italiana si informi tramite la TV. Avete mai sentito intercettazioni in TV? Tolte le due ore settimanali di Santoro (e tra poco ci toglieranno pure quelle!), nessun altro parla di intercettazioni in TV. Il restante 30% si informa tramite internet. Cambierà qualcosa per loro? Pressoché nulla! Chi ha in mano le intercettazioni, nel 2010, un modo per farle arrivare a chi è interessato, ce l’ha! E per quel 30%, leggere Repubblica.it o qualcosa.com, fa poca differenza! E così, si continuerà a parlare della D’Addario di turno di Berlusconi, della casa di Scajola o della clinica Santa Rita non molto diversamente da come si fa adesso. E mi chiedo se quelli analfabeti seduti in parlamento se ne rendono conto.

La verità, che da questa triste storia della legge bavaglio (belli gli articoli oggi su Independent e Guardian sulla “gagging law”), il lato più negativo è lo scarso livello di istruzione media degli italiani. Perché, non c’è niente da fare, la cultura è potere ed è per questo che una delle prime cose da distruggere negli anni scorsi è stata la scuola, in modo tale da creare altri ignoranti. Ignoranza significa non leggere un giornale. Ignoranza significa accendere il TG1 delle 20, e pensare che Scodinzolini dica anche cose che hanno senso. Ignoranza significa incapacità di distinguere una cazzata da una cosa vera… incapacità di distinguere una cosa sensata (magari anche condivisibile) da una senza senso. Perché una legge che vieta, nel 2010, di pubblicare qualcosa, è una cazzata colossale. Ma sarebbe comunque una buona motivazione, in paesi civili, per andare a prendere qualcuno di questi ditini con il “Si” facile per tagliarlo via con un paio di cesoie. Ma questo momento arriverà… è solo questione di tempo!

  1. Che poi, cosa sia, non si è mai capito! Almeno in Italia!
  2. O ti trovi davanti un “dobbiamo incominciare di nuovo a pensare al Lavoro”, una frase che Bersani dice ogni volta ma che ancora non si è capito che significa!

Ryanair

Honestly, Ryanair is a shit! Do you want to know why? Well, read this bullet list:

  • Hostess and steward don’t shut up during the fly. Easy: they have to sell, don’t they?
  • Ryanair website is a shit. Graphically, it seems to be the classic web melting pot of the latest 90s: banners everywhere, colour without a really sense, bold and italic without a rule. Usability? It’s somewhere else!
  • Ryanair booking process is a shit. First: it’s not possible to create a fuc*ing account and to check your reservation (past and future). Easyjet does it.
    It’s not possible to store your address in a permament way. An ugly cookie can’t do that forever!
    It’s not possible to navigate the options during the booking process. You don’t know how long the booking process will last. Usability? No Way!
  • Ryanair payment process is a shit. Read this story: I was trying to get a flight from London to Pisa1. It’s easy: you follow all the steps (in sterling) and at the end you can pay with your Solo Card (quite common card in England). But what happen if, from Pisa, you want to go in Bari? The website decides without any reasonable reason to switch in Euro. For another unknown reason, all the prices in Euro are higher than the ones in Sterling (double check it, if you don’t believe me). Example? 15£ for each baggage… or 18€! But the change is 1.09692 (right now), so it should be 16.45€. A nice present of 1.55€ for each euro-paying passenger. Thanks.
    But I still have to tell the best: there is no way to use the same Solo Card that you’ve used to book the flight from London to Pisa. And honestly, is there a reason why a card is ok from London to Pisa and it’s not from Pisa to Bari? Why should I pay more only because the website decided (without asking anything!) to switch in Euro?

I’ve also looked for a Feedback form, instead of writing a complain on my website. I still have the problem to be able to pay my tickets in £ with my Solo Card. It’s the only one I have, so what should I do accordingly to this genial website!?

  1. Easyjet had a better price!

Hawkridge

I’m gonna miss this place, that’s the only thing that I can quickly say.
I remember the summer of the 2008. I’ve cried a lot when I was noticed that I had to move from the residence in Camden Rd1 to Hawkridge2. I took possession of my first room in the early July and  I thought to keep that room for a long period. I didn’t. After just 2 months I had to move out, take my stuff and bring them at Hawkridge, the “new” residence in Kentish Town. I went under the tower (two towers, actually) before the moving date (it was still under refubishment at that time) to view the area and the surroundings. Everything was looking so awful. But I moved anyway (because I had to!) and, just arrived, I had the first surprise: my room was the best of the whole bulding, I think. On the 14th floor, with a wonderful view of the London, the skylight, the Emirates Stadium and Hampstead Heath outside of the kitchen’s window, every bad thought went away. After just few days I meet nice guys: Claudia (overall), Andy, Barbara, Thomas, Anel, Adrian, Runa and many others (the list is sooo long). I had a wonderful year, full of parties and nights out. I can’t forget the “Ring of Fire” in my room, Brazil vs Italy with Giovanni at the Emirates Stadium, and the U2’s concerts with Laura, the Extreme’s concert with Valerio and the sightseeing with Fra e Vale. And after all these “events” (and more), coming back home, in my nice tidy room.
Today is my anniversary here. It’s the first and the last, because next weekend I’m again moving out  to a new place. I don’t know what this new place is gonna give me, if it’s gonna give me anything at all. And that’s scares me: I don’t like the unpredictable! But I know for sure that I’m gonna miss this place, the people that I meet here and the fire alarm twice every day. I’m gonna miss my clean carpet (I really had care of it!) and this wonderful desk, but I’m not gonna miss my matress (that’s not confortable at all!). It’s in a certain way like changing my life style, a thing that I didn’t desire to do.
But at the end of the story, everything in the life flows and nothing is forever. Expecially a room in a student residence when you’re 27!

  1. Ann Stephenson House
  2. NW5 4SA, Warden Rd

U2 @ Wembley

It was a day like another. More or less. Laura & I were wandering in Oxford Street, then in Tottenham Court Road. It was 7PM and we thought to eat a pizza in Goodge Street1. Then, she said “Why don’t we go near the stadium and we see how the stadium and the area looks like?”. “OK”, I replied. Then I had a look at the clock, started a quick calculation on the tube map and my brain had a flash: if we run just a bit, we are under the stadium just in time to seat and see the concert! What!?!? “We already have a ticket for tomorrow”, I said myself! I don’t mind! If tonight they play “Stay” and I’m not inside That stadium, I will blame for the rest of my life that I didn’t spent few pounds to get in.
We took the tube, we did the shortest way (probably not the quickest) and we arrived at Wembley around 8 o’clock. Just the time to make few steps out of the tube station and a guy came toward me and said: “do you want a ticket?” Yep, sure I want one (in my mind again)! “What kind of ticket do you have?” “Standing”, he said. Then my answer was “No, Thanks”. Than another guy came and said “I have two seating tickets”. “How much”. “40£ each”. I was nearly to open my wallet, then I had a quick look around (so many people with tickets to sell and so few minutes before the start!) and a very quick check to my finance. “No, it’s to much” was my answer. He promptly replied: “How much do you offer?”. Quick look to the Laura’s eyes, then “25£ each”.
I have to say, it worth more than 25£. The concert was Magnificent2, the place inside the stadium was amazing, the thrilling feeling inside me made the concert even better than the real thing, but they didn’t play “Stay”. This is the set-list:

  • Breathe
  • No Line On The Horizon
  • Get On Your Boots
  • Magnificent
  • Beautiful Day
  • Elevation
  • I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
  • Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
  • Unknown Caller
  • The Unforgettable Fire
  • City of Blinding Lights
  • Vertigo
  • I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
  • Sunday Bloody Sunday
  • Pride
  • MLK
  • Walk On
  • Where the Streets Have No Name
  • One
  • Mysterious Ways

Encore

  • Ultraviolet
  • With or Without You
  • Moment of Surrender

I woke the day after quite late. It was midday, more or less. As soon as the sleepiness went away, I realized that I had another ticket for the U2’s gig. Great! Honestly, after waiting for 15 years to see the U2, it’s quite amazing to see them 3 times in a bit more than one month. The second day concert was amazing. The set-list probably more interesting than the first day. The seating a bit closer to the stage and the stadium not completely full. I also had the chance to bring a couple of friends (unfortunately they had to seat somewhere else). There are few gems (Yes, I finally listen “Stay” live!) in the set-list:

  • Breathe
  • No Line On The Horizon
  • Get On Your Boots
  • Magnificent
  • Beautiful Day
  • Until The End Of The World
  • New Year’s Day
  • I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
  • Stay (Faraway, so Close!)
  • Unknown Caller
  • The Unforgettable Fire
  • City of Blinding Lights
  • Vertigo
  • I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
  • Sunday Bloody Sunday
  • Pride
  • MLK
  • Walk On
  • Where the Streets Have No Name
  • One
  • Bad

Encore

  • Ultraviolet
  • With or Without You
  • Moment of Surrender

Obviously, I’ve done hundreds of pictures. I’ve post two short galleries on the blog, one for the 14th and one for the 15th. Unfortunately, the 14th I had only the wide angle lens attached to the camera, so I have only large picture of the stadium. I’ve also posted the best pictures into my Flickr Concert Pool. Enjoy.

  1. Pizza Icco forever!
  2. This word is not casual

U2, Milan, IT – July 7th, 2009

I’m still speechless. 10 days has passed but I still remember this concert as it was yesterday. I’d been waiting this concert for years. I remember the day we spent the night on ticketone to reserve the site we liked. Since then a lot of things happened. But it’s not time to remember this concert anymore. I’ve bought the tickets for the concert in Wembley and I’m really looking forward to seeing that stadium and that concert. If it will be at least half good as it was in Milan, it will be the second best concert of my life anyway!
This is the set list of the concert at San Siro, July 7th 2009:

  • Breathe
  • No Line On The Horizon
  • Get On Your Boots
  • Magnificent
  • Beautiful Day
  • I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
  • Stand By Me
  • Angel of Harlem
  • Party Girl – Happy Birthday
  • In a Little While
  • Unknown Caller
  • The Unforgettable Fire
  • City of Blinding Lights
  • Vertigo
  • I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
  • Sunday Bloody Sunday
  • Pride
  • MLK
  • Walk On
  • Where the Streets Have No Name
  • One

Encore

  • Ultraviolet
  • With or Without You
  • Moment of Surrender

 

I’ve put some pictures of this concert in a gallery and I’ve also published a couple of shot on flickr (shot 1, shot 2).