REY ENIGMA

REY ENIGMA

Jun 8, 2024 | WHO CARES, WHO CARES

Rey Enigma, King Enigma, describe himself as a professional chess player who dedicated much of his life to the ‘wonderful world of chess.’

I think it takes a brilliant mind to be a chess champion, but Rey Enigma’s stroke of genius was to conceal his identity.

In fact, the Mystery King is willing to play with anyone who wants to challenge him, but he only ever appears in public completely disguised.

This aspect, combined with his skill, contributes to making him a character, despite the fact that by his own admission, he requires enormous sacrifice and methodical and meticulous constant attention.

So we know Rey’s voice, and we know that chess is a mission for him: King Enigma created ChessEnigma a platform that offers the possibility to practise and hone one’s skill in the game of chess through practical courses.

Can you play chess?

To me, the magic game in Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone immediately comes to mind

Or the episode of Columbo, one of those with Dog, by the way

Although the quintessential cinematic chess game is the one with death in The Seventh Seal.

Do you want to go on with other quotes?

In the meantime, I’ll make coffee to drink with these biscuits 🙂

IL SOGNO DELLA MACCHINA DA CUCIRE Bianca Pitzorno THE DREAM OF THE SEWING MACHINE Bompiani novel

IL SOGNO DELLA MACCHINA DA CUCIRE Bianca Pitzorno THE DREAM OF THE SEWING MACHINE Bompiani novel

Aug 31, 2020 | BOOKS

If I think of the sewing machine, my grandmother’s one immediately comes to mind, and I see myself as a child observing the gestures, the big wheel I couldn’t stop touching, the pedal, the bobbin.

She made everything seem so easy, then, over time, I experienced that it is not at all, like a whole host of other things.

Even the protagonist of the book, whose name is never mentioned, perhaps to leave the reader the faculty of identifying themselves at a deeper level, as a child watches her grandmother, who is all her family, sew, and she teaches her, together with sewing, the life.

And the teachings of the grandmother, as well as the strong bond between them, will save her in various situations.

The only place mentioned in the book is Paris, all other places are indicated with only the initial. Paradoxically, instead of losing the references, I found a precise orientation, as if Paris represented a single fixed point while “it’s a small world”, precisely with the slightly negative meaning of the proverbial saying.

A world in which even dreams become a luxury that cannot be afforded.

And so the sewing machine becomes more precious than a jewel, transfiguring itself in the way to improve one’s condition more easily, more intensely, but always with commitment, with constancy, with one’s own strength, without discounts, working.

Once again I thank Monica for this reading: an embroidery of female figures that I admired.

Stories of Women of those we like, of those who stand out, of those who struggle not to be princesses.
Women who survive.
Women who teach.

And the negative figures, the ruthless women, consuming themselves in their wickedness do nothing but make those who deserve shine more.

 

COFFEE IN ENGLAND ALWAYS TASTES LIKE A CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT Agatha Christie

COFFEE IN ENGLAND ALWAYS TASTES LIKE A CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT Agatha Christie

Aug 27, 2020 | BOOKS, MOVIES, BOOKS, MOVIES

An entire blog should be dedicated to the one who is the absolute Queen, just to express that minimum of admiration and esteem She deserves.

But to remain in our space-time measure of coffee in the meantime, I would start from the bottom: that is, from the trailer for the next Death on the Nile. Have you already seen it?

Needless to say, I am very curious, not to mention that as soon as I heard the first notes of Policy of Truth  a standing ovation was triggered.

Unfortunately I haven’t been to many concerts but Depeche Mode in Milan in the 80s was a big yes.

But let’s go back to Death on the Nile: we can consider this one as the third version after the film with Peter Ustinov in 1978 and Poirot on the Nile in 2004 with David Suchet.

I’d say Kenneth Branagh feels comfortable playing the detective born from the pen of Agatha Christie if he’s decided to replicate after Murder on the Orient Express.

Yet Hercule Poirot is a very particular character, apparently uncomfortable I would say, and in general I would never have associated him with Branagh even if I consider him very good. Maybe because I have always perceived him as very English and as a Shakespearean actor par excellence.

Moreover, in Murder on the Orient Express, in my opinion Kenneth Branagh’s proof became even more complicated with the presence of Johnny Depp: since he is possessed by the spirit of Jack Sparrow he has accustomed us to caricature roles such as Lone Ranger, Dark Shadows, not to mention Mortdecai, who, as far as I’m concerned, caused the question “why is Depp Ratchett and not Poirot?”

To tell the truth, however, Branagh’s mustache, for how exaggerated it may seem, is more faithful to the mustache described by Agatha Christie, isn’t it?

So, leaving aside interpretations that have not left their mark such as those of Albert Finney, Tony Randall, Austin Trevor and Alfred Molina, who is your favorite Poirot?

Peter Ustinov, David Suchet or Kenneth Branagh?

CIGARETTES AND COFFEE … NEVER AGAIN?

CIGARETTES AND COFFEE … NEVER AGAIN?

Jan 25, 2020 | ITALY

The Swedish model keep going on to seem an example to follow and the mayor of Milan drew inspiration from it by proposing to extend the ban on smoking even in open spaces: at bus stops and for those who are queuing for the use of public services, for reach by 2030 a total ban in any open place.
This announcement, followed by an inevitable aftermath of controversy, comes precisely in the occasion of the fifteenth birthday of the Sirchia law, named after the Minister of Health who proposed it, i.e. the ban on smoking in closed public places, which entered into force on 10 January 2005.
The Higher Institute of Health, taking stock of the statistics originating from that date, reports the following data:
During these fifteen years of application of the anti-smoking law, sales of traditional cigarettes have gone from about 92,822 tons in 2005 to about 67,460 tons in 2018, with a decrease of 27.3%. On the other hand, there was an important surge in sales of shredded tobacco (including pipe tobacco), which in the same period recorded an increase of over 500%.
Beyond the statistics, I am particularly interested in knowing your opinion since, for those who smoke, the cigarette is notoriously consequential to coffee.
As far as I’m concerned, the behaviors of smokers that I observe already contemplate respect: no cigarettes in the presence of children, no cigarettes in the car in the presence of other people, no cigarettes in the homes of others etc.
In the meantime, the new budget law has further raised the amount of minimum excise duties (already increased with the 2019’s budget law) by raising the basic rate of cigarettes to 59.8%, a good bit of a deterrent I would say.
… so, the back and forth through my mind of Seven Nation Army is intended to be no longer behind a cigarette?

Archives

Pin It on Pinterest