Oct 10 2006
BREAKING NEWS
Weapon of Mass Destruction have eventually been found. An Iraqi province, called North Korea, has shown evidence of possessing Nuclear Weapons.
President Bush congratulates with his intelligence: “I knew it! This shows that the war was not a lie! Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction have been found _less_ than 5000 miles (8000km) North-East of Baghdad. You guys did a great job: we were really close to our target. Thank you everyone.”
Aug 01 2006
For some people, popularity is a long, planned project that starts at the age of two or three. For some others, it’s an accident that happens (because it’s an accident) accidentally (same thing).
Four weeks at SIGM are over and I’m in my room in Italy again, unpacking stuff and wrapping up the experience on my blog. I met a lot of great people and enjoyed a bath in the river of social networking, a tremendously hard discipline where many can always do better and others just does. But I’m not in the second pool.
My favorite crowd, including John, Matt, Tyler the Banana Man, Nitin, and obviously JoAnn, plus Michelle, Maya - and many many others I can’t mention here - has been able to appreciate my clumsiness, my sarcasm and my surreal humor (oh modesty!): I really had good times with them.
I never specifically applied for popularity. It just fell on me. For unknown reason everybody was remembering my name and - clumsy as usual - I punctually forgot the other’s one. Being FloMo’s dorms full of grand pianos helped a lot: many people stopped while I was playing, asking for some piece of music, or just listening to me. Playing grand pianos is enchanting: everything seems so easy!
But the best arrived with Mrs. Draganska, the professor of Marketing Research. After a long introduction on the subject, including how pointless MR seems to everybody but just because they don’t know how to deal with it, she started talking about some products, including the bengay company, apparently well known for some healing cream.
I didn’t know abut this company, and when she asked me something about it I candidly admitted my ignorance. To which she started to explain everything I was supposed to know, in such a way that seemed to give me all the infos for a future answer, but when the explanation is over she turns suddenly: “well you don’t know the company, so there’s no point in asking you”.
Pardon? First she tries to pull me in and then she pushes me out? My answer is spontaneous and immediate: “whatever”! She opens her eyes wide to express stupor and some sense of guilt; one millisecond later everybody is laughing its ass off. I didn’t mean to be rude: in fact I wasn’t rude at all, but that’s what gave me the fame. Since that day everybody who said hi to me also included a whatever.
And that proves the point. It’s not fair. It’s not a science. Popularity happens by accident and it happened to me for a single, innocent word more than a million, fascinating notes. Blah!
Jun 26 2006
We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when
But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day
Vera Lynn
It’s for real: San Diego is behind my shoulders. I said goodbye to my best friends: the pig, toni & jen, der jens, my roommate julianna, knowing that some time will pass before I’ll see them again.
It’s the time when you regret what you postponed once, twice, more… and now you can’t do anymore. No seaworld, no las vegas, no second surfing lesson. And no to many other things. Later, maybe.
I drove up the Interstate 5, with the help of a great friend: the Cruise Control. I passed LA without too much hassle, and after that no more overtaking, maybe only once or twice more. The interstate 5 is impressive: it goes all the way up to the border with canada and all the way down entering mexico.
My trip was of about 450 miles. With a stop 20 miles away from the junction between 5 and 152 to San José. And now I’m in Stanford. The Summer Institute already started with an extreme pace. When I entered my room, all the books and printouts for the class, plus the daily agenda, were on my desk, waiting for me to read them.
I met a lot of people and I’m bored of this. I’m bored of meeting new people. Going back will be helpful, I’m sure. For now, my favorite one is Joann, a tall blonde girl from LA. There are many good people, it’s just my social skills that are falling apart.
There are grand pianos everywhere here in Stanford. But strangely enough, not many water fountains. I’ll be dehydrated and happy, with my music.
Jun 18 2006
America is not only _the_ place for 24h gyms and grocery shopping. It’s not only that you can buy pills or condoms or chips at three in the morning, when they’re probably most needed.
No. America is also the place for 24h birds: super powerful flying entities that never sleep and especially when the sun goes down sit on a branch to exhibit their superb whistling abilities towards an audience of tentative sleepers.
One day, or another, my water guns will shoot…
Technorati Tags: Facts, lang:en, Random thoughts, Usa
Jun 13 2006
Once again on the borderline with porn, Paris Hilton is finally out with a music video.
Yes, finally. Now nobody can prevent you, my reader, to produce a music video because you’re lacking style, or you’re tacky, or you have no music skills, or you simply look stupid and consequently act stupid. Stop videotaping you with your partner and start singing! And if you’re not confident enough, how about starting with a podcast?
La Lingua Salvata. Storia di una Giovinezza (Adelphi) by Elias Canetti
