decio: il blog

20 marzo 2007

Linux Advert

Don't miss the Ali's tagline at the end. (links in the italian translation).

"Speak your mind. Don't back down."

Transcript of IBM ad:

Open on young boy sitting in chair, camera pans overhead.
Male Voice: I think you should see this.
Female Voice: It's just a kid.
Rock Guy: This is a G cord. (Strums his guitar)
Male Voice: He's learning. Absorbing. He's getting smarter every day.
Anthropologist: Homo habilis was the first to use tools.
Coach Wooden: A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that's teamwork.
Male Voice: It's happening fast.
Astrologer: We've always watched the stars. If you look at the sky, you can see the beginning of time.
Cut to soccer player bouncing ball on knee in front of boy.
Mr. Gates: Collecting data is only the first step toward wisdom. But sharing data is the first step toward community.
Poet: Poetry. There's not much glory in poetry, only achievement.
Voice: Knowledge amplification. What he learns, we all learn. What he knows, we all benefit from.
Ms. Nasar: One little thing can solve an incredibly complex problem.
Ms. Marshall: Everything's about timing kid.
Businessman: This is business. Faster. Better. Cheaper. Constant improvement.
Pilot: So, you wanna fly, huh? Wind speed, thrust, it's physics.
Latin Teacher: Res publica non dominetur.
Plumber: Plumbing, it's all about the tools.
Ali: Speak your mind. Don't back down.
Female Voice: Does he have a name?
Male Voice: His name is Linux.

Sceneggiatura della pubblicità IBM per Linux:

Apre su un ragazzo seduto su una sedia, la telecamera allarga sopra la sua testa.
Voce maschile: penso che dovresti vederlo.
Voce femminile: è solo un ragazzo.
Rocker: Questo è un Sol maggiore. (Esegue l'accordo sulla chitarra)
Voce maschile: sta imparando. Assorbendo. Diventa ogni giorno più intelligente.
Antropologo: l'Homo Habilis fu il primo ad usare utensili.
Allenatore John R. Wooden: un giocatore che rende grande una squadra val di più di un grande giocatore. Perdersi nel gruppo, per il bene del gruppo, questo è gioco di squadra.
Voce maschile: sta succedendo in fretta.
Astronomo: Abbiamo sempre guardato le stelle. Se guardi il cielo, puoi vedere l'inizio del tempo.
Inquadratura di un calciatore che fa rimbalzare la palla sulle ginocchia davanti al ragazzo.
Prof. Gates: raccogliere dati è solo il primo passo verso la saggezza. Ma condividere i dati è il primo passo verso la comunità.
Poeta: la poesia. Non c'è molta gloria nella poesia, solo il risultato.
Voce: amplificazione della conoscenza. Quello che impara, lo impariamo tutti. Di quello che sa, tutti quanti ne traiamo beneficio.
Sylvia Nasar: una piccola cosa può risolvere un problema incredibilmente complesso.
Penny Marshall: è tutta una questione di tempismo, giovane.
Uomo d'affari: Questo è il business. Più in fretta. Meglio. A minor costo. Miglioramento costante.
Pilota: e quindi vuoi volare, eh? Velocità del vento, spinta, è fisica.
Insegnante di Latino: Res Publica non dominetur (la cosa pubblica non sarà dominata da nessuno...)
Idraulico: le tubature, è tutta una questione di attrezzi.
Ali: dì la tua. Non tirarti indietro.
Voce femminile: come si chiama?
Voce maschile: il suo nome è Linux.

13 marzo 2007

Breathtaking eclipse

Yes, the big one is the Sun, and the small black spot is the moon. You make me feel, by weight:

Oxygen 65%
Carbon 18%
Hydrogen 10%
Nitrogen 3%
Calcium 1.5%
Phosphorous 1.0%
Potassium 0.35%
Sulfur 0.25%
Sodium 0.15%
Chlorine 0.15%
Magnesium 0.05%
Iron 0.0004%
Iodine 0.00004%

Boing Boing: Solar eclipse viewed from spacecraft

How many elements should have a list?

5 is good, 10 is better, 15 is bad, 20 is worst.

I don't want to read "52 ways to improve your piano playing" because if I spend the same time practicing my piano playing will improve far more than reading a lousy list ever could. I'd prefer read "5 ways to improve your piano playing", despite the semplicity. I don't want to read "52 ways to reduce stress", because your list (longer than Deuteronomy) is stressful.

You can't separate the top 5 arguments about a theme? Obviously you don't know enough about that specific argument. A Lifehacker post tells about 77 Ways to Learn Faster, Deeper and Better: the author should choose the top 5 or the top 10, I will read it, and then I will decide if is worth reading the remaining 70.

Lists are the mainstream for blog posts: Guy Kawasaki advice you to use them to hook your audience. He is one of the best list-maker: often he puts 12 question in a "10 questions with..." interview, knowing that if you have the guts to reach the tenth question, you wouldn't mind to read two more.

"Perhaps the best test of a man's intelligence is his capacity for making a summary".

05 marzo 2007

Verify your source, please.

Internet is becoming every passing day more similar to TV: everyone yells the last breaking news without verify the source.

Last case: Vista brute-force cracking tool. Almost every tech site gave the news and almost every site retreated their declarations after two-three days.

Please, verify your sources: if you are an editor of a tech site, then you have a Vista Iso, and you can download the tool (don't ask me how, or I will steal your job) and try it by yourself. You have a chance to write a far better article if you find out it isn't working. At least you could write a nice howto.

But please: verify your source.

Vista hack is about as useful as a useless thing

24 febbraio 2007

Iron(ing) man

Is nice sometime engage in activities unpracticed for years: it's similar to meet a distant friend. Yesterday I performed a Strawinsky Mass which I haven't sung since 1991. Today I have done some ironing (roughly 30 years since last time).

After 2 minutes: I wish my housemaid was here.

After 4 minutes: housemaid? Maybe I should refer her as my "Domestic Advisor".

After 6 minutes: in a shirt, just the front, neck and wrists are important.

After 8 minutes: in a shirt, just ~~the front,~~ neck and wrists are important.

After 10 minutes: in a shirt, just ~~the front,~~ neck ~~and wrists are~~ is important.

...f****ing shirt.

Beware cotton stretch: wonderful to wear, horrible to iron.

The Genuine Man.com - Ironing a Shirt

14 febbraio 2007

Why you should be learning German language.

German is an agglutinative language. For example, Perlentränentröpfchen means "teardrops like pearls" (english also is somewhat an agglutinative language indeed). Torschlusspanik is "panic caused by closing doors"; used mainly to describe the situation of a childless aging woman searching for an heir, could be applied to everyone who feels like losing opportunities year after year.

No surprise German generated so much poetry.

Agglutinative language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

12 febbraio 2007

Why you should buy a Nikon camera.

Twenty days ago, my Nikon Coolpix S3 was ill. The sturdy camera survived several falls and lived through the less-then-respectful-for-technology hand of my wife. Suddenly (and unrelated to what happened in its brief live) didn't read or write SD card anymore. Nada. Nothing. Kaputt. I tried reading some useless newsgroup in which the most intelligent post was "Do you have formatted your card?".

Yes, thanks, I formatted it using the camera (unbelievebly formatting worked, but no read/write again), using a card reader from my Mac, from my PC. With the first snapshot, it tried to write down to card, but not to avail.

Fortunately, a kindly photo store in the city I live (see image) took my camera and gave it me back (repaired!) after just 2 weeks, without charge, althought I wasn't able to show my buying proof. I suspect Nikon have a free repair policy for all products within two years of life (according to EU warranty laws), at least in Europe. This is why my next camera will be a Nikon.

Nikon Global Gateway

Recipes

Yesterday I tried successfully the linked recipe by Mr. Grasshopper (italian): baked tuna is wonderful, even if a little difficult for my stomach to process. A chardonnay from Calabria helped me to keep untouched my rep.

But the point is: why I have a preference for bloggers recipes? The answer is easy: in case of failure, I have someone to blame (literally: send someone to wanking - mandarlo a fare le pugnette).

Good work, Mr. G.

Mr.Grasshopper: Tonno al forno con patate

07 febbraio 2007

So it goes

Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden,

so scheide nicht von mir;

wenn ich den Tod soll leiden,

so tritt du dann herfür;

wenn mir am allerbängsten

wird um das Herze sein,

so reiß mich aus den Ängsten

kraft deiner Angst und Pein.

Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden

30 gennaio 2007

New comment policy

Following the never boring suggestions of Guy, I decided to change the comment policy for this blog. No more moderation (yes, that means what you write will be added immediately to the site - althought I retain some deleting permissions). And again, no CAPTCHA, no hassles, nothing.

Seguendo i consigli mai scontati di Guy, ho deciso di cambiare le regole per inserire commenti su questo blog. I commenti non verranno più moderati (sì, vuol dire che quello che scrivete finisce direttamente online - anche se ho ancora la facoltà di cancellare). In più, niente CAPTCHA, niente scocciature, niente di niente.

25 gennaio 2007

Mi secca dovermene andare

Dal blog di Don:

In questi giorni, anche se cerco di rimandare tutte le decisioni all'ultimo, devo ammettere che mi scoccia fare un po' tutto. Per esempio, scrivere mi scoccia, perché devo stare attento ad essere leggibile, anche nei riguardi di me stesso. Sono ormai abbastanza sicuro di avere avuto un ictus (la diagnosi medica finale è ancora in sospeso); uno piccolo, suppongo, dato che guido ancora poche settimane dopo il mio 93esimo compleanno. A quest'età, devo ammettere che ci provo gusto nel vedere lo stupore della gente quando dico quanti anni ho. Ma sotto tutto c'è la consapevolezza che sono il maschio che ha vissuto più a lungo di entrambi i rami della mia famiglia, materno e paterno, e che me ne dovrò andare abbastanza presto. Semplicemente non mi piace l'idea.

Ho galleggiato sul classico "Stato lì, fatto questo" per un po' di tempo, ma la nozione che si avvicina il momento in cui non potrò più dirlo mi secca. La verità è che non me ne voglio andare.

Ci sono molte ragioni. Per un sacco di tempo mi sono comportato come se potessi posporre tutto indefinitamente, e così ho un mucchio di cose che devo fare subito. Non voglio che i miei successori scoprano quante cose avrei potuto fare e non ho fatto, almeno per un bel po'. Ci sono tante note e lettere che devo scrivere. Ci sono posti che avrei voluto visitare, ma non ne ho mai avuto l'occasione. In realtà, ciascuno di voi potrebbe, se pensasse per un attimo di avere la mia età, stilare la lista. Almeno potrebbe provare a capire perché dico che odio andarmene.

Don To Earth: It Bothers Me That I Have To Go

21 gennaio 2007

Tenebrae factae sunt

One of the composers I admire at most is Tomas Luis de Victoria. His responsoria are masterpieces. I had to do it: I hope your ears will forgive me.

Download Tenebrae Factae Sunt

Tenebrae factae sunt (Tenebrae responsory No. 8) (Tomás Luis de Victoria) - ChoralWiki

20 gennaio 2007

In Italy is not illegal download and store copyrighted material?

The Italian Supreme Court of Cassation stated it's not illegal downloading copyrighted files, if you don't use them for money. Two Turin students won the trial: is not wrong "spare" on the films' tag price, even if police found copy protection removing software on their computers.

Update: this sentence refers to facts happened before the "decreto Urbani", which introduces the concept of profit (better, the loss of) in copyright issues. And in case you're wondering: yes, file sharing and downloading in Italy is still illegal.

Cassazione: lecito scaricare file protetti basta non usarli a scopo di lucro - cronaca - Repubblica.it

Quotes from Wonderful Graffiti

Quotes from Wonderful Graffiti

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. –Mario Andretti

Se tutto sembra sotto controllo, semplicemente non stai andando abbastanza forte.

Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go.

Sii orgoglioso di quanta strada hai fatto. Abbi fede in quanta ne farai.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. –Virginia Woolf

Non si può pensare bene, amare bene, dormire bene, se non si mangia bene.

Approach love and cooking with equal abandon. –The Dalai Lama

Ama e cucina col medesimo abbandono.

You're stronger than you seem; Braver than you believe; And smarter than you think you are. (A.A. Milne)

Sei più forte di quanto sembra; più coraggioso di quanto credi; e più furbo di quanto pensi. (E sì, è l'autore di Winnie the Pooh)

15 gennaio 2007

Surveillance Cams

Italiano: leggete (o guardatevi) V for Vendetta, poi leggete l'articolo di Punto Informatico del link sottostante.

English: read V for Vendetta, then read below:

Someone is opposing to city cams!

Incredible: successful in UK and in Italy, but their diffusion in the States may be more difficult. Because someone do protest and speaks about crushed rights. Exaggeration from the usual four hot heads. (The beginning is cleary ironic: PI is against every form of censorship).

Roma - New Orleans is one of the cities in the States with the higher number of cam installation across the streets, mainly managed by police. And several other cities have some webcam. But the surveillance cam initiative, a long time established fact in UK and in Italy, clashes with a growing opposition.

As such may be incredible - since surveillance cam diffusion usually is very popular - Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU decided to battle against the surveillance across some San Francisco blocks.

Both associations, two of the most important civil rights' defense associations in the States, oppose to a project, as stated by San Francisco Chronicle, which is based on installation of 25 new surveillance cams in the residential blocks of the city, during the next 18 months. Every one of those cams will cost something between $ 4000 and 7000, and in the major's opinion, cams will be a deterrent against crime and against drug dealers. Meanwhile, they will provide and important monitoring service to increase people security.

EFF, ACLU, and National Lawyers Guild are trying to build up protests from citizens against the installations. The net grapevine gives some hope: Indymedia San Francisco publish a petition to gather people for the next wednesday meeting with the city authorities, and explains clearly why this kind of surveillance cams are dangerous:

"Video surveillance poses a significant threat to privacy and free speech by allowing the government to track what you are doing and where you are going. Surveillance cameras also impact free speech by chilling protected political and religious expression. The prospect of government surveillance may deter individuals expressing unpopular views from attending demonstrations and speaking out on controversial issues."

Back in 2003, the former italian authority for the privacy, Stefano Rodotà, affirmed with the usual precision: "This unstoppable publication of private spaces, this perennial exposition to unknown and undesidered eyes, actually change individual and social behavior. To be aware of the control causes people to behave less spontaneously and reduces freedom."

"Shrinking control-free spaces one may be forced to remain at home, defending ferociously this last private space, even if more and more unprotected from surveillance techniques more efficient every day. But if liberty and spontaneity will be coherced in our private spaces, we will consider far and hostile everything exists in the outer world. This may be father to new conflicts, and therefore a radically and permanent insecurity, which in facts destroys the stronger argument in favor of surveillance, whose primary end is to produce security".

PI: Qualcuno si oppone alle cam in città!

13 gennaio 2007

HD DVD vs. Blu Ray

The truceless war between HD DVD and Blu Ray has a new element to think about.

Adult film industry embracing HD DVD

Very bad song

This evening I was outside for shopping. Radio was broadcasting "Angelica", a song by an italian group, "Le Vibrazioni".

Simply: "Angelica" is awful. It isn't "not very good", is quite horrible. Senseless words, disturbing music: a nightmare.

Questa sera ero fuori per acquisti. La radio trasmetteva "Angelica", una canzone di un gruppo italiano, "Le Vibrazioni".

Semplice: "Angelica" fa schifo. Non è solo "non un gran che", è proprio orribile. Parole senza senso, musica fastidiosa: un incubo.

Orfeo ed Euridice

"Orfeo ed Euridice" by Gluck (performance 1 of 10 in 5 different cities) was performed this evening in the Ravenna Theatre, "Dante Alighieri".

1% of inspiration and 99% perspiration allowed me to partecipate preparing this event. I will be in Pisa next february for the last two performances.

Going to the opera (and a fortiori performing) is emotionally moving. In this opera I enjoyed expecially the direction by Graham Vick. I am pretty sure that tomorrow the newspaper will praise the modern and stylish direction, the dancing chorus and the very dynamic scenes. People like sweat, and I can assure you this evening their craving was satisfied.

But IMHO, the cream is in the less dynamic scenes; let me tell some examples:

Act 1 (ending): Orpheus lost Eurydice for the first time. A mourning chorus left slowly the scene, when someone tries to take away the tumbled chair near Orpheus (we've seen dead Eurydice before laying in this chair). A distressed Orpheus grabs the chair, and the other left shaking his head in misery (thanks, Sergio: yes, it does works great).

Act 2 (hell): as stated by the director, the tableau brings life from the Sartre idea: "L'enfer est les autres". Hell is others.

a) An actress tries to put three chairs in a row, and another actress ruins the order every time the work of the first one is almost done. You feel the anxiety, and the sense of unfulfillment.

b) An actor reads the newspaper in a very rude manner on a sofa, while an actress pushes him not gently at all to swap tv channels with a remote.

c) An actress pretends to be sick, and another one pretends to take care of her. When the nurse tries to left the bed, the other suddenly catches her ("Misery").

Not enough hell? You deserve demons and forks.

The music is a masterpiece. The libretto is not so good, but in the 18th century was impossible to write a libretto without happy ending. Yes, Orpheus looks at Eurydice and lost her... forever? No, because Love settles everything, and they lived happily ever after.

I do prefer much more the sad version, in which Orpheus losts Eurydice forever.

Teatro di tradizione Dante Alighieri - GLI SPETTACOLI

10 gennaio 2007

Chips, chips, du-du-du-du-du

(Chi-boom, chi-boo-boom)

VIA CON ME Paolo Conte

08 gennaio 2007

I'm an Englishman in New York

A gentlemen will walk but never run.

STING LYRICS - Englishman In New York