WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE END?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36299692

That, seen in a millenium-long history of the human species, is just a a moment.
Evolution is a never-ending progress. What was right yesterday is becoming a mistake tomorrow.
Never forget that your present is also your past and your future

AMERIGO VESPUCCI TRAINING BOAT

A Beauty!
With a special thought for Sole's Captain Zaphod
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_training_ship_Amerigo_Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci is celebrating Her 85th anniversary and will be resting in Venice for the coming 4 days.

CATS RULE !

I'm sorry for Bunnies. I love Bunnies as much as Sole did.
But I must admit Cats are ruling the world! (psst...it's still not common knowledge but they are holding worldwide conventions for a world takeover!)
See and read here: https://twitter.com/TheFuckingCat
Meanwhile they are skillfully infiltrating diplomatic channels as it's clearly demonstrated here:
https://twitter.com/EmbassyCat
All above information is purrfectly secret!
Well...unless some human can be purrsuaded to join the Cats Liberation Army, of course!

SOME DAYS CAN BRING GOOD NEWS...

...for men and not only !
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36250416

Wikileaks' Julian Assange gets kitten at Ecuador embassy

DESPITE CENTURIES AND CENTURIES...VATICAN STILL COMMANDS!

http://tribunatreviso.gelocal.it/treviso/cronaca/2016/05/09/news/interruzione-di-gravidanza-diritto-negato-1.13441624?ref=hftttrer-2

A fundamental right for women who want to terminate unwanted pregnancy (whatever the reason: rape, health, etc) is denied due to a so-called conscience-dictated decision.

Doctors, who should put their patient's well being before anything else, decide they can't perform abortion due to their religious beliefs.

On the other hand, there have been many cases of illegal abortions performed in some private clinics where those same physicians were doing - privately - what they denied publicly.

As always, Italy is still a country ruled by Church's powers.
Let's not forget that in this country, Church has acknowledged privileges:
- in terms of taxes, real estate, etc
- in terms of immunities
    and other, less known and non-officiel privileges:
- a special 'ear' in justice by magistrates who built their careers thanks to the little 'word' to a special friend
    connected to the Vatican
- a special way to careers - such as those so-called doctors who deny abortion and oblige women to abort
    under less than safe conditions, doctors that are rewarded with advancements of career and money
    earnings thanks to special recommendations, although they renege the basic Hippocratic Oath

My poor country. How true was the thought of my History Professor, Monsieur Cox, who said more than 50 years ago, that Italy would never be a modern country till it had inside itself that other State, the Vatican!

WE, THE PEOPLE...

...understand the Reason of State.
However, when the Reason of State collides against the reason of few who are greedy for power and money
We, the People, object!
It is our right and we mean to stand by it.

VENEZIA, MY LOVE - THE PEARL OF THE ADRIATIC SEA...

...daily defaced
- by ignorant 'tourists' who just come here for a selfie
- by those who think it's 'cute' to eat a piece of foreign-made pizza (if one can still call it pizza), sitting on the          historical steps of Le Procuratie and insult centuries of history by littering those grounds. Would you    
       ever conceive the same happening  in Place Vendôme?
- by imported 'merchants' who sell chinese glass under the false label of Murano
- by unlawful immigrants who sell counterfeit goods in all places
- by criminals from Eastern Europe who organize drug rackets, with Africans  in some areas where people
        are now afraid to live in?
My poor Serenissima.
You're sinking under the weight of ignorance and mass tourism.
You deserved better.
You, Pearl of the Adriatic where artists and connoisseurs chose to live, create and die.
You, Venice, who stood up against the Popes and the Inquisition
You, Venice, are you now giving up completely the values that made you so powerful?
You, Venice, do you really want to become a kind of discredited  Disneyworld?

LET'S NOT BE SURPRISED...

...if the People react against decisions made in high place that deny the People's Will .
http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2016/04/24/01003-20160424ARTFIG00136-autriche-l-extreme-droite-en-tete-au-premier-tour-de-la-presidentielle.php

YEHUDI MENUHIN ... A GIANT AND A GENTLEMAN

EARTH DAY

Somehow, I can't help to associate this day with this Pink Floyd's song

Hey You!

BETTER ONE DAY LATER THAN NEVER !

Sinopoli: a giant !
..and so elegantly always self-effacing.

Sole loved the Adagietto (Adagietto from SYMPHONY NO.5 by Gustav Mahler)..she played it over and over, sometimes for hours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BUtzb63yMM&feature=em-subs_digest

8TH OF APRIL - JACQUES BREL

On this day,  year 1929, a legend was born.
He's still in our hearts, in our minds, in our souls and will never be forgotten.
The strength in his voice, in his words, in his songs is unique.
If songs could be (as they should) be compared to other artworks, I'd say he was no lesser than Rodin, Monet, Titian and so many other Masters.

Here is his most acclaimed song..but not the lesser

...and the one I love most

and one that is not often recognized as one of his masterpieces but I think it is

and the most powerful, descriptive and poetic about that wonderful town of Amsterdam

and the funniest and most ferocious against the 'Bourgeois', the people who think they have reached a status...but we know better, don't we?

and the lightest and amusing reminder of old Brussels' times. 

With my deepest feelings and sadness for all those who were recently  killed and injured through Islamic Terrorists who were welcomed in this small country of liberty and made a terrorists' nest of it.

It's also noteworthy to remember that Brel was not only a great chansonnier but also a fine actor/director. Some of the movies he directed or played in were amongst the finest of cinematography's history, although not the best-known or best-rated. But, then, so is the life of many geniuses.
And
Sole loved him.

RICHES AND POVERTY

In case anyone still have some doubts
http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2016/04/07/panama-papers-comment-le-petrole-congolais-s-evapore-dans-les-paradis-fiscaux_4898082_3212.html

It all sums up with a memorable movie by Luchino Visconti
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Leopard_(1963_film)

"Everything must change so that nothing changes"

That's not only Mafia. That's the mantra for all of the financial, banking and business lobbies.
Today's international dealings are none other than business agreements between lobbies and conglomerates. Small people are not taken into account but as pawns.

MARCOS, CEAUSESCU, ERDOGAN...

... men who could have been great but were just grabbers.
Nobodies who - through corruption and harsh domination - succeeded in reaching power and became a ridiculous image of it.
Huge buildings where the void is of essence are just the image of such men.
Some made use of army.
Some of ideology and brain-washing.
Some of religion...as is the case for Erdogan who keeps his power thanks to the illiterate masses of people in the poorest regions of Turkey.
Where women are just there to give birth to so many little muslims as they can.

FIFTH COLUMN

Fifth Column
We're welcoming men (there are so very few women in the boats ..expendable goods aren't they?) all in their full youth.
One has to wonder.
Why are they not fighting in their own country for their own freedom?
Why are they finding our ways of living indecent?
Why are they feeling like they can rape our women just because they feel our women are free ?

We're inviting our own enemies into our houses.
Fifth Column has a name:
Help your enemy into your home and
Bow to his wishes

Let's not be surprised if right-wing parties will sail on these shores.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE DECLARES...

that Daech (so-called IS) committed genocide.
http://in.reuters.com/article/mideast-crisis-usa-genocide-idINKCN0WJ1TN
What surprises me is not the news. We all were aware of the atrocities of Daech.
What surprises me is the length of time it took to a high-level politician to state what everybody else knew.
Compliments, Mr. Kerry! You voiced the obvious.....with a great deal of delay!
If this is your rythm in solving worldwide problems, we're far from solving them !

KEITH EMERSON

I found a post from the old Sole's website in which Keith Emerson and Oscar Peterson play together.

I think it's a nice way to remember both of them ...What a tempo !
And Canario, a very old recording of Keith when he still was one of three (Emerson, Lake and Palmer)

FOR YOU, SOLE, MY BEST FRIEND EVER

Some little simple flowers, the colour of springtime.
I know you loved them.
This picture was shot - thinking of you - not far from where you lived, in Treviso.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

A sensitive subject.
I usually quote, or copy for this blog,  music or texts I legally bought and wish to share with same-minded persons.
There's no doubt that any creator, composer, writer is entitled to have his efforts rewarded by Author's rights.
Let's not forget that, before Author's Rights Laws, geniuses such as Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart and Antonio Vivaldi (who are still among the best selling composers) died in poverty and were buried in Paupers'Fields.

Let's never forget that artists live on royalties.
Each single pirated copy is a step back for them.
And life is often so short.
Even for geniuses.

AMAZING NATURE

Are these hills from some far away landscape of China's inlands?

More simply, they're the moss covering of a tree

LEONARD COHEN - DID I EVER LOVE YOU

I think there are few songs so fierce about love.
I loved all tracks but this one is special to me.

A GREAT AUTHOR, UMBERTO ECO

and not only a great author  for his novel 'Il Nome della Rosa' but a great novelist (in all his other works) newsman  and a fine person.
I bought and read all of his novels and publications and never found him boring or repetitive.
His newspaper notes were so clear-minded and up to the point for all of today's facts.
His death is certainly a loss for anyone who cares about truth and analysis.
So sorry, so truly sorry!

TODAY I WONDER

Today is the anniversary of one of the greatest minds in history.
And yet so very few spoke of him.
He was a free thinker
A great scientist
And he was obliged under Church's duress to renounce his beliefs unless he were to burn on the stake.
His name was Galileo Galilei
Let's never forget his name
He was one of our forefathers.

THE JAZZ MAN

Peter Cincotti: Sole loved so much this artist.
I also do.
I think he's under rated.
Great tempo!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLUas2ypb8M

TALKING ABOUT HONG KONG...

... I remember when Sole and I were talking about when, as girls who didn't yet know each other, we were flying from and to the old airport, Kai Tak, just in the middle of skyscrapers, close to the hills.
She loved flying and always found the Hong Kong approach and departure such an exhilarating experience. She always said that the new airport was OK under a rational point of view but not as thrilling as the old one. I'm not sure I totally agreed :-)
For anyone who would like to see how it was in the past to arrive at and leave from Hong Kong, here are links
Night Landing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X6HNOKSQUs
Concorde Landing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JKkJqNOFEY
Night takeoff from cockpit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c20wIRaOU8

THE PARADISE THAT WAS HONG KONG

Sole loved Hong Kong.
She told me so many times about her feelings, her happy memories of what was a lovely place. I agreed, having myself lived there for some time.
How not to remember Sundays at Stanley's market? (I mean the original one where you could still find antiques); Causeway Bay swimming; drinks in the evening at the then-called Regent ?
As long as the United Kingdom administered it, Hong Kong was (almost) perfect.
Of course, there were illegal sellers, particularly at night, selling counterfeit good to tourists.
But it was all part of an act.
Sellers knew they had to knot their selling floor-blankets in a hurry.
Police knew that the disbanded sellers would be back after some minutes.
Tourists knew they were buying counterfeit goods but didn't care.
However, roaming around Hong Kong at that time was a joyous, carefree and - above all - safe experience.
Now...the heavy hand of China:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35529587
Progress doesn't always mean improvement, does it?

PROGRESSION BUT NOT PROGRESS

ian bremmer ‏@ianbremmer  1d1 day ago

Europe refugee arrivals by sea January 2015: 5,000 2016 to date: 67,000

I'M THE DAUGHTER, GRAND-DAUGHTER AND GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER

of immigrants who were obliged for political or economic reasons to go and live in their place of choice.
They gave their reasons: freedom, legality, peace.
They were accepted and for that acceptance, they, we, shall be forever grateful.
We wanted to be part of their community
and finally we were: by respecting their views and their way of living
We, children, became friends with their children
Our parents were friends with other citizens.
We felt we were a part of that community.
We were careful to abide by local laws and rules.
Sometimes, we were treated as 'different'
We never complained
We certainely never thought about harming anyone
Our gratitude always overcame any tiny hostile gesture from others.
I still feel grateful to the country - Belgium - who gave me so much
and I'm so angry at those who received so much
and are trying to destroy it.
People who are only willing to grab and who give nothing in return but pain

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"On tue un homme, on est un assassin. 
On tue des millions d'hommes, on est un conquérant. 
On les tue tous, on est un dieu."
Jean Rostand

you kill one person, you're a killer
you kill multitudes, you're a conqueror
you kill all people, you're God

GOOGLE GOOD-BYE?

Looks like we finally shall have (obtorto collo) to abandon our precious, stable, simple, reliable XP. Not without a fight, mind you! We already resisted Microsoft subtle (and not so subtle) prompts and XP-updates stops.
Now Google announced they will stop updates and already I find lots of flaws and glitches in navigation.
Progress..really ?
I've got Windows 10 on my notebook and it's not really as good as XP. It has lots of useless junk and shortcuts.
XP was so essentially suited for down-to-earth daily jobs.
Maybe too reliable as related to profits of Producers' balance sheet ?