it’s really raining cats and dogs

hello friends, fresh news from your brave friend on the italian edge…

in these days it’s really raining cats and dogs… everything is happening here: we have a new/ old president that really looks like the last one, we have finally a new/ old government similar to the one of thirty years ago, in fact they gave the same forever promises: lower taxes and more sex for everybody but minors…

nevertheless a crazy desperate man shot two policemen in front of our “White House”  in rome

unfortunately he missed his target, he wanted to hit one of our new/ old ministers…

in short, I'm getting bored with telling the same old bad news, so, beginning from tomorrow I’ll speak to you about the upcoming summer vacation: sun, sea, spaghetti and mandolin.

If you are interested to it, I may leave you my house for a next exchange to somewhere else: I prefer Hawaii, NYC, Florida...

Thelma, Louise and James Dean: nothing has really changed

Whatever you have read or heard, dont believe it!

Reality is that in Italy nothing has changed.

It has been two years since the establishment of the "technical government"; its crisis began 9 months ago; the elections for the new govrnment were held three monts ago to no avail; three days ago we re-elected our old (literally and figuratively)President. In fact he is a 88 year old, that instead of enjoyng a much deserved retirement, has to rescue the Country to avoid its paralisys or worst, its collapse.
Remember the final scene of Thelma and Luise in the car, straight off the cliff? or James Dean in “Rebel Without a cause” racing like mad toward the edge of the hill...well, we are in a similar situation.

Will we manage to jump off before the inevitable plunge into the void?

May the force be with us!!!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH US!

Driving my son to school I see many busy parents giving a quick kiss goodbye to the children, and leaving in a hurry.

I ask myself: how many of us have to be careful spending on gasoline, or have problems paying for the electricity bill expired last month. 

How many "no" do we have to tell our children, for a new pair of shoes or a movie with friends.

Today even the best companies, often are able to pay salaries only when they receive payment from their customers.

More and more, I get the impression that the Country is split into those who still have financial resources and those who must rely on some kind of help from the government.

I'm talking about my Italian experience but I think the same goes for Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, the rich England and many other Countries too ...

Only a few years ago we “had a dream”, hope for the future, goals to achieve, work to invent and discover.

Ten years ago it seemed that the Internet would open new frontiers to trade and communication with more jobs and prosperity for all. 

We thought that technology would be a friend to mankind but today men are working at the pace set by machines and machines are not adapting to the pace of human labor.

If that's not the nightmare already told by Orwell or Asimov, it is pretty close to it.

Where have we made the mistakes that brought us here?

It reminds me of how Dickens talks about the Industrial Revolution in Britain: OK not quite our reality, but in a bad dream, someone may begin to believe it.

This is not a crisis that will pass, this is an era that is over.

Yet, this is our time and we must get going! 

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH US!

Good news!

Hello friends, I promised you good news so this time I won't talk about Italy's highest taxes in the world or its over 100.000 monthly layoffs...

No, today I want to talk about the fact that there have been about 100 visitors a day, half of them from the US, following my postcards from the Italian edge.

YOU GUYS! This is good news to me! Thank you.

My goal is to offer to anyone visiting, the opportunity of opening a window and experience a glimpse of the current Italian reality.

It's first hand information and a commentary without the interference of traditional media.

I appreciate your interest in my small initiative and I encourage you to leave comments, if you'd like.

Until next time,

Ciao e Grazie

Video killed the radio stars

I’m sorry if I just bring bad news, for better ones you cold try Switzerland...

How do I soften the fact that yesterday it was announced that in 2012, 1 million workers got laid off, while the non-sale of Alitalia to Air France has costed to italian taxpayers more than 3 billion euro... I'm thinking that those money given to the million fired would have resulted in 3000 euros each, a big help to everybody! ... instead it got weisted in toys and girlfriends by some politician and his friends.

Sorry, next time I promise to bring good news, such as the Miss Italia Pageant will not be broadcasted on television... only on the radio
Everything feels wrong and strange… do you remember the song: "video killed the radio star..." here is the opposite

CIAOOO

Nobody sings anymore

In the Country of "bel canto" nobody sings anymore
The image of Italy, around the world is of a country with great weather, beautiful nature, good food, art and music... Italians are described as happy, passionate people that enjoy life.

Well, not quite...
I'm sorry to give you bad news but most of it is no longer true.
After twenty years of fascism, fourty of Christian Democratic Party and twenty of Berlusconi it is hard to talk about happyness. Today the only happy Italians are the public administrators that spend and steal and no one can touch them. Our beautiful climate is still here, though a little affected by global warming, like the rest of the world. The good food in our families is seen mostly on television:  we watch cooking shows while mom puts a bag in the microwave, to save time. Sure, the sea and the sun are gorgeus, but we don't have time or money to enjoy them. we eat spaghetti at home since no one can afford to go to a restaurant. Even the mandolino is out of fashion, instead in southern Italy the music comes from the loud blasting guns of the camorra.

Italy is in a mess...

I'm the only one left who keeps singing in the street. If you hear me... well, come to say hello!