ANNA POLITKVOSKAJA

ANNA POLITKVOSKAJA

Pending coffee is a small gesture for the benefit of a stranger.
Here I thought I could extrapolate the idea by transforming it into a dedication.
The first suspended coffee is for Anna Politkvoskaja.
The reasons are many and in these days when we find ourselves reflecting on events, the lack of a certain type of Journalism with a capital J pulsates and is felt even more distinctly.
The first memory I have of her is related to the 2004 tragedy at the school in Ossetia: Beslan.
A name that has become synonymous with pure horror.
A lot has been said about the history of tea, but since we are talking about coffee, let’s go further. She was determined to go on the scene to try to negotiate, as she had already done with courage for the hostages of the Dubrovka theater. Subsequently, she remained alongside the relatives of the victims, advising them to go to the Strasbourg human rights court and making an important contribution in the fight for justice.
Anna was born in New York, yet she fought to report the violence of the Russian army in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, writing more than two hundred articles for Novaja Gazeta without ever being intimidated by the death threats received. Threats that have proven to be well founded in circumstances that I find particularly terrible.
But she left us the example of what it means to write for a newspaper, of what it means to look for the truth, of what it means not to be manipulated.
And every time we don’t get to the bottom of things, every time we accept flows of clearly piloted information, every time we content ourselves with not asking questions, it is as if we too betrayed her.
She is not the only one, of course, but she has done a lot alone, as long as she has been able.
One of her phrases is emblematic: “The duty of [the] journalist [is] to write what this journalist sees in the reality. It’s only one duty.“
When we realize that this does not happen, let’s try to watch by ourselves.

EVERYONE MAKES HIS OWN EEZ

EVERYONE MAKES HIS OWN EEZ

Even in the game Monopoly there are precise rules to be respected in order to acquire possession of the boxes, so I really don’t understand how it is possible, nowadays, that a nation decrees the extension of borders and that’s it.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but in March 2018 Algeria did exactly this: with a decree it established that its EEZ zone extends up to 12 miles from the coast of Sardinia.
The EEZ literally is an exclusive economic zone, established in 1982 by the United Nations Convention. It represents an area adjacent to territorial waters, over which it is possible to exercise sovereign rights for the management of natural resources, and over which the titular state has jurisdiction in scientific research, protection and conservation of the marine environment, and installation of structures.
The EEZ becomes effective following its formal proclamation by the coastal state.
This phrase sounds particularly out of tune to me, but that’s what Algeria actually did.
Without any agreement or assent? It would seem, even if I hope so much that you deny me saying that I dropped a clanger … who knows if it was in the territorial waters … because otherwise it is absurd.
The questions at this point would be many and enlarge like the borders of Algeria and beyond, but in order not to open a flood of speeches I would remain on one point, which then is sadly recurrent on many fronts: where were we? Maybe lost in a glass of water … salty water.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

I start with Debbie Harry, simply because I particularly like this photo and I hope it can be an inspiration for you too.
I would skip the details of his life more strictly personal and I would speak directly of the mythical times of the CBGB after the meeting with Chris Stein and the creation of Blondie who have characterized the scene since 1974 for a long period full of successes.
Without a doubt, I mention Call Me for the collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, which has become an iconic soundtrack and more generally a piece that evokes an emotional flashback at every listening: new wave, disco music, dance rock.
Debbie stayed with Chris for fifteen years during which they also fought a serious illness together.
A wonderful Heart of glass, but at the same time a strong heart, this is the first thought I have of all about her.
A woman who at fifty-three continues marking history with a first place in the chart that enters Guinness.
A woman who knows how to cross past present and future without distinction, like her portrait made by Andy Wharol with the Amiga 1000 computer.
A woman also celebrated in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who has been able to become a symbol with her ruffled hair and an uncalculated look but framed by her determination.
And his One way or another, deliberately covered with joy as a “survival mechanism”, resounds sadly current, making us reflect once again on the fact that over time, we persist in not treasuring experiences and that we cannot learn from mistakes, getting worse.
Anyway, let’s start from her smile and her intent to restore lightness and take an example, one way or another …

WHEN THE SURPRISE IS BITTER

WHEN THE SURPRISE IS BITTER

Sometimes it is nice to be able to say “ah but someone is still there!” … it’s like a breath, like a proof that hope really dies last, even if the cases of people countercurrent are like rainbows: rare.
So, I suppose that despite the fact they don’t have easy names, I will remember the French lawyers who prepared a lawsuit against EA Sport by equating the FUT mode of the FIFA video game with gambling.
A system very often illusory has been developed with the high risk of creating addiction, which pushes players, generally very young, to spend real money, to buy packages with random content that should contain rare and important players, or options to improve game results: the FUT Fifa Ultimate Team mode.
In fact, a loot box, that is, a virtual consumer object, and not a “surprise” comparable to those of eggs to be clear, as claimed by the company already convened before the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
So esteem and solidarity with the lawyers, with the hope that they can represent a sort of forerunner for further dutiful cases against other giants that make good and bad weather in various areas.
Also the fact that teenagers profiles are hacked speaks volumes about how much what is acquired within the game has taken on a value that borders on the virtual.
Anyway not even this aspect seems to worry the EA.
Being able to make contact, and to obtain concrete help from customer support, is a challenge as difficult as being able to find the same precious players that some youtubers can easily show off.
So, in spite of the fact that it is theft, in addition to the damage there is the mockery of not being able to play anymore, because nobody cares to protect the legitimate owner of the profile.
Perhaps it would be appropriate to specify that the “surprise” in many cases turns out to be bitter …

TV YIN OR TV YANG?

TV YIN OR TV YANG?

According to the idea that we always should separate into two opposing factions, in Italy it seems to be back to the times of Guelfi and Ghibellini. If you are not on one side, it must mean that you are on the other, (and I wonder WHY), also TV’s are apparently dividing the roles … yes, I know, I’m talking about “dated” devices for the current average duration, even if in reality they aren’t that old.
So at home for example on a TV Mediaset channels are still visible but no longer La7 and others, and vice versa.
From 1st January 2020 DTT channels (digital terrestrial) are going to abandon the current MPEG-2 encoding standard to switch to MPEG-4 which is currently provided by HD channels i.e. in high definition.
But this will only be the first phase: the final transition will end by 2022 and involves the passage to new transmission technologies such as HEVC “High efficiency video coding” which offers better data compression, or DVB-T2 “Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial Second Generation ”or regulated to bring the HDTV signal on digital terrestrial.
Why all this?
Because the frequencies which we are using at present must be left free for the 5G network, therefore for mobile communication, ensuring a high connection speed for mobile phones.
What about disabled TVs? We will need a decoder. Again
At this point the question: does television still offer a useful and adequate service?
The programs that do not take sides neither with the Guelphs nor with the Ghibellines to be clear, the serious programs, the programs that make culture or even entertainment that is not the famous “copy of a thousand summaries” are perhaps used on the fingers of one hand .
Considering we already have to pay a tenancy tax by continuing to call it a fee, which is stuck in electricity bills, is it really worth spending more money?
The way we are used to advertise, and I’m not just talking about advertising, honestly, doesn’t it have to be them paying us?

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