Stories and News

Stories and News No. 1084 When the mummified remains of a humanoid were found in a mining town abandoned in the Chilean desert of Atacama in 2003, speculations about its origins were unleashed. The skeleton, which was sold to a private collector in Spain, was so bizarre that it appeared in a documentary as a potential proof of alien life . Now the Californian scientists have extracted the DNA from the bones and rebuilt the true, tragic story of Ata . Rather than a visitor from another world, she was a baby girl perhaps born dead, or dead soon after birth, with devastating changes on her body. Despite being only 15 centimeters high, the bones had some characteristics of a child between the ages of six and eight. Instead of 12 pairs of ribs, Ata only had 10 pairs, and the head was cone-shaped . Forgive us. Please, we’d like to apologize, Ata, if we have misinterpreted the truth. Because that's what adults do. We punctually glorify the shared error, to the detriment of the e...

I am human By Alessandro Ghebreigziabiher In a far, indefinite future... "Hello, we have a newcomer in the classroom," the intergalactic school teacher announces. "Say hello to your schoolmate." "Hello," they do in their respective voices, cries or anything else could be used to give voice to the thought in the entire universe. "Present yourself to the classroom", the alien teacher urges him. She is in particular focused in interspecies cohabitation, in the sense of species, but also special. Because a healthy cohabitation is always extraordinary. The new one clears his voice, and introduces himself as follows: "Hi, I come from the planet earth." "Yes," the professor says, "go ahead, tell us more about you, because we all come from somewhere, but this is not the essential thing, now." "Yes", he admits, as if he really understood. Then, he looks around a bit, observes other students and...

Stories and News No. 1083 “You know, I know this steak doesn't exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? - Takes a bite of steak - Ignorance is bliss…” Cypher , Matrix (1999) Yes, now we know. Now we know the hidden truth. Today we find out that Cambridge Analytica sold user data to, politically and strategically shady third parties. But let's face the truth, come on. Do you really think is it the only company that has been guilty of such misdeeds? Didn’t you understand that? Have you never thought about it? Come on… Come on, let's be honest. Don’t tell me you've never thought about it: these so-called free social networks , how do they live? You asked yourself, it's normal, but then you said: why stressing myself, when none of my virtual friends do it? And virtual friendship is bliss . When you saw polls growing in favor of Trump and a...

Stories and News No. 1082 There are protests all over Brazil following the death of Marielle Franco , a well-known city councilor from Rio, and her driver, shot dead by two men in what seems to have been some kind of execution. Franco, 38, was a revolutionary activist who became a spokesperson for the disadvantaged people living in the favelas, where creeping poverty, police brutality and drug-gang shootings are normally . The story of one , the stories of all . Of women and men, of all ages and other trifles, such as skin color and orientation, geographical and historical location. Whether you are standing, with due respect, or sitting, with equally dismay, or with all the indifference of the world before the umpteenth cancellation of the best character from the common story, the substance of the latter remains unchanged. Count, use the numbers, if you prefer, play the card of concreteness. On the podium the ever-first born is often applauded, come to the world not only alre...

Social By Alessandro Ghebreigziabiher Hi, I would like to subscribe to this new social network. Because it's new, right? Of course, very true. What's its name? Social . Social? Just... social? Only social. Without only , social, period. Without period . Do you like? I don’t know, can you tell me more? Yup, you see, once you have registered, you will have the chance to choose a nickname for the profile, you can upload an image as avatar and you can post phrases, images, and even videos on your personal page! Do you like? But it's not so original... don’t you offer something innovative? Are you kidding? First of all, we’re the first to make available to users an entirely experimental function, which will be the best of third millennium. Would it be? Hypnotic characters . What?! Hypnotic characters, young man. Nicknames, status shares, any kind of posts, the words typed with the aforementioned letters guarantee the total encumbrance of the readers. They...

Stories and News No. 1081 Due to global warming and the lack of environmental impact’s reduction by the most accountable countries, a recent report by WWF , University of East Anglia and James Cook University predicts catastrophic losses of 60% of plants and 50% of the animals by the end of the century. I could write a fairy tale, as I have done in the past, but today I prefer to leave the word to an average citizen boasting his 'honesty'… They insist with this stuff. They do it cyclically and when you least expect it they stand up and point their fingers on us. Do we want to be honest? Let's say everything, then: how much do you think I care about the climate change? That is, I'm interested, but I’m talking about how to dress before going to work, whether to take the car or not - which then means taking it anyway, because I have no desire to daily stress myself on those cattle wagons they call “public transport”. Indeed my job place is already oppressiv...

World Storytelling Day 2018 Theme: “Wise Fools” By Storytellers for Peace World Storytelling Day is celebrated every year around March 20. In 2018 the theme is Wise Fools. After Rudyard Kipling’s If, Imagine, Human Rights Day 2016, World Storytelling Day 2017, and International Day of Nonviolence 2017, here is the new clip from Storytellers for Peace. Ten artists from all over the world tell their stories about the Wise Fools speaking in their first language (with English subtitles): Info: http://www.storytellersforpeace.com/

Stories and News No. 1080 It seems that Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before May. The news comes from a South Korean official after a meeting in the White House. It would be the first time that a current president of the United States will meet the leader of North Korea. Once upon a time there was a populist and a dictator . The populist said: “Listen, you won’t believe it, but I am the leader of my country.” “Really?” Said the dictator. “Me too!” “Yes, all right, but you can’t imagine how I became head of the nation.” “Tell me”, replied the dictator, “but hurry up, I have to go and get other laws done to increase my power.” “Me too!” The populist exclaimed. “Anyway, I was talking about how I became the leader. So, first, I asked myself: who are my potential voters?” “I call them subjects .” “Who?” “The citizens, I called them subjects of my dominion.” “Me too! But not on live microphones, obviously. What matters most, however, is that ...

Listen to me By Alessandro Ghebreigziabiher Hi, Joan... Dear Jenny, finally. Everything good? I hope so, because I just passed a day you cannot figure. Tell me… Well, listen, yesterday was even worse, but why should I tell you… Don’t tell me, then... Are you kidding? That’s precisely the point! Yesterday was disgusting, it could happen, but today I wanted to talk about with someone, you know? You know? Yup… So I went to mom and I told her that I wanted to talk about my boyfriend… and? And? And she started speaking about the young girl she was, her first sweethearts, then she always ends up crying, because during the old times she went out more, to dance and have fun, and now she always feels tired, and so on... but what about listen, uh? Yup… So I went to dad. And how was it? Worse! He didn’t even let me breathe. He began to rant about my boyfriend, he wanted to punch him, his father, the whole family, his classmates and even Uncle Frank, mother's brother, b...

Stories and News No. 1079 Once upon a time there was a country. Indeed, there is , here and now. A democratic one, until proven... or rather, killed otherwise. In the democratic country, until murdered otherwise , a news like many says this: in Idy Diene Florence, Roberto Pirrone, a pensioner with economic difficulties, decides to take his life. He leaves home and change his mind, shooting Idy Diene, an immigrant from Nigeria . Above all, most of the press adds: racist motivations are excluded ... Really? At the same time, election day finally arrived in the democratic country. Frankly, all democracy that it has the courage to build around a single word . Jobs ? Nah. Legality ? Let's not joke, come on. Rights and duties , perhaps? Well, stop with bullshits. The word was up until the elections eve, during the vote and also the day after always the same: immigrants . Anyway, as I said, sooner or later the time of the ballot comes in democratic countries. Well...

Stories and News No. 1078 I read that giant colonies of one million and a half penguins were discovered in Antarctica, revealing a remote area that has become a vital refuge for wildlife affected by climate change and overfishing. Vital refuge, refugee lives, still alive refugees, in spite of everything. This free association invites me to think about what I like... I like to think. I like it regardless of all, because that’s my mind’s need to me. A shelter, which to secure life in, and then, reading about those penguins - hoping that the aforementioned discovery’s news doesn’t reach the ears of those who in some way could be an attempt to their survival, I like to think of something else. In fact, I like to think that somewhere else, out there, among the folds of the known world, there are further colonies. Whispering it in a humble voice - not to awaken the damn devouring utopias monster, gatherings of a purely human nature. I like, indeed, the idea that these mysterio...

I am different By Alessandro Ghebreigziabiher I'm different, do you understand? I am. It's obvious, it's not a bias, it's what it is. I told you this morning, before I left home and I tell you now that I'm back to you. As soon as I crossed the threshold of my apartment, I had got proof of it, can you understand? You understand me, right? There was that gentleman there, the one who never greets, with those small glasses, his even more minuscule eyes and those pupils that are barely visible as they are microscopic. I have got big eyes instead. And the nose... come on, mine is bigger, okay, but it's straight, his one has a kind of hump, can you see? No, I'm different, I'll never tire of repeating it, but it's something there’s not discussion. I'm different from the lady in the elevator, with those freckles on the cheeks and her blond hair. Mine are brown, a particular one, though. Nothing comparable to the porter who swept in ...