Stories and News

Stories and News No. 631 Here is the story of a ballerina who, supporting an Amnesty International petition, dances in a garden of Moscow against the laws that stifle the human and civil rights in Russia. She is flying there, at -20 °C… 0 °C It is cold. At zero degree is cold, no jokes. Okay, maybe it might not rain, maybe if there was the sun. Maybe, yes. But if the water freezes at zero there will be a reason, right? Or at least consequences. At home, at home. -1 If zero is cold, let alone... Nevertheless, ending here it would be too easy. Because you speak well, staying warm on the other side of the monitor. For those who live at the antipodes of web it could make the difference. Back home, back home soon. -2 Taking apart what already said, reiterating that it is cold is reasonable. You feel it all, let's say it like it is, on the tip of the nose and fingers and feet and everywhere. You should feel completely, a point less Go home, we go home. -3 Thi...

Stories and News No. 630 I read that the U.S. Powerball Lottery organizers are looking for the owner of the winning ticket of $ 1 million, bought in the Bronx last year. The "Missing Millionaire" will be waited until Sunday and if he will not come in time no money for him. Who is the mysterious winner? Meanwhile, there are a thousand explanations. Here is one plausible. Or at least that is what I think... My name is Jeff. But you can call me Tom or Mike. Nothing changes. Because it never changes. Because here everything sucks. And I don’t believe in anything anymore. You don’t agree? Look around you, I say. Where do we start? By the government. They are all got enriched with citizens money. No one cares about the welfare of voters before they promise and then they get the villas, boats and beautiful women. With our cash. We squeeze through taxes to pay for the pool and luxury cars to some politician. Actually, no, to the politician’s girl. Everything s...

Stories and News No. 629 After the Hong Kong tycoon Cecil Chao Sze-tsung offered more than a hundred million dollars to the man able to seduce and back on the ‘right’ road Gigi, his lesbian daughter, the latter wrote him an open letter published on the South China Morning Post, where she reiterated her love for her nine years partner, Sean Eav. However, if all this were not enough, here is a letter from the greatest seducer all over the world. Dear Mr. Cecil, You are a sadist. A huge sadistic, I add. If I outclass in the art of seduction, you do the same in the most maddening activity. Obviously for the victims, of course. I mean, despite I assume it is obvious, to enjoy another's suffering. Do you see? Don’t you? Well, here is further explanations. As you well know, wooing ladies is to me the most adored of the passions. There would be enough considering that in my mind the very act of conquest precedes the object of it. You know, oriental friend, that is what t...

Stories and News No. 628 I just read what is waiting for us: the web connected washing machines, the smart fridge and other stuff. Well, I offer a kind of commercial from the future people... Here we are. The woman of the future. The man of tomorrow. Humanity on the horizon. In short, the lucky ones who will enjoy the most coveted prize. Time. A lot of time. How? Simple, with the washing machine connected to the Internet. It washes with Wi-Fi remote programs lying cloths on the balcony with a simple click of the mouse. Do you understand? In exchange for the above reward. Yes, the time. Not enough? Here's the smart fridge. Stop with those insane things that you people of the past keep in the kitchen. The wise refrigerator already knows what food to thaw before you even decide to eat. H24 connected with your palate, it will be able to read between your mouth finding out the taste that will please you in the next hour meals and you will find the dish at room temp...

Stories and News No. 627 I read that, according to a study published on Nature magazine, 7000 years ago European men had dark skin and blue eyes. But what the study does not say is that even then the immigrants had hard life in Europe, as it is clear in the translation of an apocryphal graffiti summarized below. It depends as always, to be taken literally, on the point of view... We European primitive men were racists, but try to understand us. Watch the video We had to first think about our furs. These people arrived here on board their stegosaurus and pretended to chase our mammoths and collect our ferns. On the other hand, it is nature that had decided so. We say nature as Mother Nature, otherwise you might confuse it with the well-known magazine that, in the distant future, will find out us. Immigrants were different from the rest of us, let's face it. In fact, if we had dark skin and blue eyes, immigrant primitive men had dark skin but dark eyes. Sure, someti...

Stories and News No. 626 I read that in India a 20 years old girl was forced to suffer a gang rape by the village elders because, been ordered to pay a fine of 25 thousand rupees for having dated a foreign guy, she refused to obey. It seems a distant story, and yet, everywhere in the world and in every moment there are people who feel free to abuse their fellows as they are considered inferior and weaker. There are and, in my opinion, always will be. Here is who can change the story... I am Batman. Yes, I am the Dark Knight. And I swear that the next time I see a bully who tries to take advantage of the helpless ones I grab him and get him to the ground. No, you're not Batman . No? And then... then I'm Hulk. Yeah, when I pissed off, my clothes explode and I become a green all muscles giant. And if it still happens that some coward dares to vent his cowardice on unarmed people I take him out and threw him in the air. You're not Hulk too . Really? Well, I di...

Stories and News No. 625 While he was sleeping in his grandparents’ home, a child becomes aware of a fire and saves the lives of six people, including cousins and relatives, returning home each time to save the next one. This ballad is for him. Tyler Doohan was eight years old and he was one of them. A few, being honest. However, when the right music seize them, even in sleep, they stand still. So they start to dance. This is for them. The ballad. Of those who return their life. Backing on their steps, it is clear. Or maybe it is not for most of us. What is the right thing to do? What is a credit to the moment and what blows it off the story? How can we continue the journey with dignity? And at the same time abandoning it? Those are scenes we've already seen. Instants already lived. Times already written. A tremendous roar, the bomb has finally exploded. Behind us. The cries of anger and violence rise vehement. Before us. The poisons of the world and the beas...

Stories and News No. 624 It seems that in Geneva, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has captured the antimatter . But what is antimatter? How is it done? How could we create it? What does it show when you look at it? Here is an unlikely anti explanation... Antimatter? That's easy, it's the opposite of matter. You do not need any scientist. It is a word as many. That is, an anti-word. Just put the anti and maybe you get the opposite. Certainly something different. Read it as well as an anti-story. Once upon a time there was a truly unique anti-country. Of course, in this anti-country the anti-inhabitants were living. Anyway, let’s not too complicate their anti-life. Or anti-death. That is the real life. The anti-country anti-inhabitants were known as the most anti-comfortable in the anti-world. On the other hand, being anti-comfortable is not so trendy. It is, however, anti-trendy. Like the antipathy. In contrast to the anti-antipathy...

Story published on the collection: Italian short stories, a dual language book : True short stories collection to understand contemporary Italy (2017)

Stories and News No. 622 It seems that NASA scientists have been surprised comparing two photographs taken by the Opportunity probe, after 12 days, because a mysterious rock has appeared. It is a new rock and more or less scientific theories are spreading. Here is mine, among the less supported, of course... “Dad, I'm sorry,” the little one said. “I’m sorry? It's easy to say, now,” the father lamented. ”You do not know them, those ones...” “But Dad, all this screaming about a stone?” “A stone? How many times have I told you not to leave things lying around? There are probes, for Jupiter!” “Bad word, Dad, you said a bad word.” “You throws me that off. Do you know the risk, here?” “I know, Dad, I know. You repeat it every day.” “You repeat, now, let's see if you remember.” “They do not respect anything or anyone, they ruin everything, they are uncivilized and ignorant, they will take advantage of our females and we will steal our job.” “And most of all?” “And...

Stories and News No. 621 Despite the end of the war was declared in 1945, Onoda continued to fight in the jungle until 1974... My name is Hiroo Onoda and I do not give up. This could be written now, on my tombstone. Monument in memory of a story that ends today. The story of a soldier. Hiroo Onoda and his war. This could be the subtitle. Nevertheless, there are various kinds of wars, and what sets it apart are more than ever the causes. The real causes. Especially against whom you fight. The enemy. The real one. However, as often happens, every story hides others. Invisible to most people. Except the protagonist. These are the joys and the sorrows of the leading actor. Perennially occupying the script, he cannot claim he had not seen. Yes, of course, it sometimes happens that a choice with such vehemence obliges us to fix a horizon among the many that we cannot consider another one. Nevertheless, obeying an order is not and never will be a real choice. The opposite ...

Stories and News No. 620 Stefanie Grant is a girl from London who, thanks to surgery of feelings, as she said, at age of 25 started to smile, after living unable to do due to a malformation that 13 years has made her lose 7 teeth. Forced to wear braces until two years ago, she said of having also suffered because, due to her expression immobility , was bullied and called freak . I dedicate these words to the first smiles... Here we are. Look at us, on the scene. On the street, on the square. On the subway. They call us freaks. So we are symbolized, that is, in this way we are cataloged. Odd and different, irregular and strange, horrible and wrong, awkward and more than ever abnormal. Shamefully abnormal. Nothing new, including embarrassing synonyms and unpleasant redundancies. Sure, there are fairy tales, movies and novels to upset the balance. Okay, we know how things are. Magic wand and the ogre becomes an hero, as well as the frog, the beast is more beautiful than y...

Stories and News No. 619 Whenever someone’s death gets great popularity due to an exceptional disease , I like to consider it as one aspect among many of his special life. Or story… My name is Sam and I was unique. We all are, in some way, many of you might say. Really? So, find a page someplace and talk. If you dare. Yes, if you dare. Putting the essence of a life in the middle of a writing. Without reticence. Shameless. With love to the whole, more than ever, the irregularities of the soul. Those that make us worthy of glances. Amazed and sometimes horrified looks. Me? I was someone who ran. No, I am not talking about sport. No marathon runner or sprinter, here. Well, you'll understand, there is nothing original in a story that praises the fastest sprinters. They are already enough depicted and celebrated by the top media fat pens. My obsession for the time was in the flow of blood. Flow? Let's just say a frantic darting of cells and platelets. In...

Stories and News No. 618 If I arrive illegally in a country I make a crime. I'm guilty. This is what law says. And if the law says, I am. Guilty. I was wrong. I did something bad. Something that should not be done. And that should be punished. I have to be punished. A reminder for myself and the all people around. So that the guilty action will be not repeated. But... There is a but , come on. Let's be honest. At least here. Here, on this page, let's say that if I were a supermodel, crystalline eyes and blonde, brunette or red but also with incredible measures and I had passed borders without papers, some help would come, isn’t it? If I had by chance arrived with my raft and at the same time I could prove to kick the ball with unusual vehemence, making a wonderful score, an ancestor of good origin would be soon available, right? If then, I could arrive with my brown-skinned face, being Islamic and a rich beard hanging on the chin, without any document,...

Stories and News No. 617 Here it is, the bomb. This is the true bomb, ladies and gentlemen. Those threats in the form of farcical intimidating videos do not. This is the explosion that destroys the circus. Of fanatical delusions and clever manipulations. This is what happens infrequently, I know. Well, the true bomb is hard to see. If we consider for a moment the ingredients that give life, no death, to such a dangerous mixture, we would be amazed. There is not anything chemical involved and that is a miracle. All natural. All shining and alive. All human. Yes, it's a human bomb, the true one. And the agents are two. Divided by a mirror interwoven with pieces of everyday and dangerous banalities. Fanaticism, decision, courage, move, religion, commitment, freedom, rights, politics, war, pacifism, choose, choice, chosen ... I could go on with all forms and synonyms of a term that live in a single reign. The land of a more or less conscious acting. In short, choosi...

Stories and News No. 616 Human… Let’s say one man. One as many. Or even a woman. The geomagnetic storm comes along and upsets everything. That is, everything for human being. Or just one. Me. Solar radiations are everywhere and the omelet is done, as grandma says. Web is the first to fall. Internet gasps and then collapses after a few minutes. A few long minutes, during which I try to see what the problem is. I close and reopen the browser several times. I do the same with modem and PC. A virus? A malfunction on the cable? The provider is down? Worse: an irreparable failure at the central up indefinitely deprives me of the holy connection? These are the unnecessary desperate musings until dark. Now how am I going on Facebook to share my precious thoughts? Today I feel good, or not. How are you friends? Friends? Are you there? Silence. How am I able to twit my brilliant thoughts on the world? My extraordinary pearl necklaces up to 140 ringed? Alone. Wait, wha...

Stories and News No. 615 Once upon a time there was a ship. A Russian ship. I say Russian to those who are particularly interested in these anecdotes. A ship is a ship. It navigates. That is what it does. Or at least it tries to do. The Russian ship sails to Antarctica on December 8, 2013 and the 25th of the same month gets stuck in the ice. Blocked. A stuck ship is an oxymoron and at the same time is a crime. Ships are made to navigate, that is among its rights. In order to free the stranded ship, a Chinese icebreaker sails. Here, too, I say Chinese to those who need to know it. Despite good intentions, the icebreaker fails in its job. In other words, not in accordance with its secondary function. Because in accordance to the primary, all ships sail, unless unexpected holes, but breaking the ice is not so easy. The ice is no longer what it once was, my grandmother always says. It’s colder, the old woman told me, is more frozen, she exactly said. The ice of Antarctica...